Buy Secret Service: Ultimate Sacrifice - Xbox 360

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Maybe my opion is jaded since so many downright BAD games have come out for the 360, but this game is not bad. The controls seem pretty realistic, not twitchy or loose, actually the guns all have a lot of recoil so running around and shooting can be difficult, you really are better off finding cover and picking people off. There is a decent assortment of weapons, a pretty diverse assortment of levels, actually in all honesty, the final level takes place on Air Force One, and I would argue that although this level is probably the shortest in the game, and the final 'boss' may be very well one of the easiest ever, the level itself was very very fun and unique.

As far as first person shooters go you can do a lot worse (games like Legendary, Turning Point, Wanted etc). This game will take you about 8-10 hours to beat, and you may want to play through again to touch up on some of the achievements and collectibles etc, but the 8-10 hours really will be enjoyed since this game does offer something a little different.

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Games Alright. Basic Next-Gen Graphics that look nice. Your Average FPS Gameplay and a Great story to top it all. Some cool looking Weapons. I think its the Only game on the market based on the Secret Service.

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I bought this game simply for the Gamerscore. It takes 1-2 days to max it out. The game itself is a sub-par shooter, but does have some cool elements. Tracked miniguns, cool music and the setting of modern blockbuster films lends this title some credibility despite its poor game mechanics. It is an FPS, but again, the core of this game is not sound. So, but this for some quick and somewhat easy achievements. If you are looking for a better game without regard to achievements, try Bioshock, Call of Duty or Halo.

Honest reviews on Secret Service: Ultimate Sacrifice - Xbox 360

I purchased this for my 15 yr old son. He seems to like it a lot. I find it annoying because of the sound track and all the violence.

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you play as a part of secret service and you gotta protc the presadent who is being attck by even people from other countries. you get to use bombs, guns, rpg and more. it is very much fun with nice graphics and stroy. there is level where you flies in hellichopper and one where you are on a plane. i really reccomend this to anyone who is shooters fam. also it has online were you do 8 on 8 and one side is presadent sand his family and one side is terrorrorists.

Reviews of 320GB Hard Drive HDD for Xbox 360 - Fast Speed 7200RPM

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Got it. Transferred my data to it with xbox 360 transfer cable (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003S9WJ9A/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_2)

Plugged it in and got to use it for a few days and all of a sudden my xbox goes black. HDD makes strange clicking noises. Xbox shuts down. Turn it back on to find E68 error message. Unplug hard drive. Plugged in my other HDD and Xbox worked fine. Tried to plug this one back in and same error message. It was this Hard drive for sure. Not even remotely interested in a replacement after this. Lost all data transferred to it. Buy at your own risk. 3rd party HDD. = unreliable. Also did not notice any faster load times. Stick with Microsoft HDD if you can. Expensive but worth the extra $. If the seller handles the refund ok I'll still give them alright feedback. If not, well....

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It was honestly worth the wait for this hard drive. The amount of space is great and it is a working product.

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works great, I transferred all 120GB of data from my old black elite hdd to this one without any problems,

however since it's not an official Microsoft hard drive you can not use it with original Xbox games..

I only have like 3, so not a big deal, but if you want to be able to play halo 1/2 or other classic Xbox games, DO NOT BUY THIS!

Honest reviews on 320GB Hard Drive HDD for Xbox 360 - Fast Speed 7200RPM

This hard drive worked just fine. It's a gray color so don't expect it. To match exactly to the color of your black Xbox if that's what you have. Also fairly easy to set up.

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I bought this hard drive 5 months ago and while I don't notice the slightly decreased load times, I do notice the massive amount of space available for downloads. If you own the classic Xbox 360, do yourself a favor and pick this up instead of the officially licensed, over-priced 120gb or 250gb versions. My only regret is buying a 120gb drive for $90 last year when I could've just picked up this beauty and had enough storage space for the rest of my consoles life.

Review of Playstation Move Navigation Controller

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List Price: $29.99
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One of the questions most people will have is: is the Move Navigation Control required to play the Move? The quick answer is--not right now. I'll put it another way: I ordered one with my Playstation Move Starter Bundle. After playing 5 different Move games and demos, it's still unopened in the package. My guess is it'll stay that way for a while.

The Move Navigation controller is really just a Dualshock controller that's designed to fit in one hand more comfortable. As with the Dualshock, it has a joystick, four directional buttons, and the most commonly used "X" and "O" Playstation buttons all within easy reach of your thumb.

Sony designed the Move controller (wisely IMO) not to have a joystick nor directional buttons. That makes it simpler and more elegant, but it also makes certain things (such as scrolling through a menu list of options) awkward to do with the Move controller alone (although not impossible--you can navigate through menus using the Move controller alone by pressing and holding the Trigger button and moving the controller up, down, left, and right).

But so far I've found so far that just holding the Dualshock in my left hand and controlling the buttons and joystick with my left thumb is sufficient, if a little clunky, for most of what I need to do (unless you have freakishly long thumbs the "X" button will be hard to reach--but happily, pressing the "Move" button on the Move controller will do what you need in most cases).

I'd assumed that like the Wii Nunchuk the Navigation Controller would have motion control built-in so you can control the on-screen action with both hands. It doesn't. For games that require motion control using two hands, you'll need to buy a second Move Controller. Most games that support two-handed operation will also provide the option to play one-handed, but I strongly recommend getting the second Move Controller, as it makes the experience truly immersive. Gladiator Duel on Sports Champions is a great example.

As new games are created for the Move I'm sure the Navigation Controller will become more useful, especially with FPS-type games where you need to move and shoot at the same time. But if you're looking to save a little money, I'd recommend holding off on the Navigation controller for now and spending the money on a second Move controller instead until you find a game that really needs it.

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This was originally titled the "sub-controller" and that was much more fitting. Sony is somehow getting away with charging $30 for half a dual-shock. Only, it's not really half a dual-shock as it features NO RUMBLE. So, you're getting half a six-axis, right? NO. There is NO motion control feature included for your $30. This, to me, is the most disgusting thing about the Move setup, especially considering you REALLY DO need the navigational controller for games like RE5 and Heavy Rain (you can play with half a dual-shock, but it gets to be very uncomfortable very fast).

I can almost guarantee Sony will add rumble to the navigational controller within the next 6 months (probably prior to the release of Killzone 3). So, if you're not a hardcore gamer, I'd wait. If you ARE and you REALLY want to use motion control on RE5 and Heavy Rain, I would recommend this, albeit reluctantly at this price.

Is there anything wrong with the controller? Not really. It's well designed and mostly comfortable. The bumper button is too close to the thumbstick, which can lead to numb fingers and a sore wrist, but if you don't have large hands, this may not be a problem. Sony just needed to add either motion or rumble or both to justify this price. Nintendo charges $19.99 for their sub-controller (IE "nunchuck") and it has motion control.

The navigational controller would be priced right at $19.99 with rumble. Or at $9.99 as it currently is. Better yet, Sony could have included it in the starter pack and made everyone happy.

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Holy PS3 accessories :)

The Navigation Controller is Motion Controller's (aka 'the Move') natural complement. It is not a 'must buy' at this time but it helps to have one for certain games where it's meant to be operated with 'the other' hand. If you don't have one, you can get away with a DualShock or a Sixaxis.

To make an informed decision on whether a purchase is warranted at this time (or ever) it's important to be aware of the following:

At the time I am writing this, not too many 'Move' games need the Nav. Probably because, one week after Move's official launch there aren't too many Move games out there but that will change I just ordered Heavy Rain which does use the Nav and I've had Little Big Planet 2 on order for quite a while.

There is nothing that that Nav can do that your DualShock or Sixaxis can't. In fact, the Nav Controller is nothing but the left side of the DualShock 3 plus the X and O buttons (PS button too) and minus rumble and motion sensitivity. You can, therefore, use your DualShock instead of the Nav on games that may require it.

These being said, the Nav is a well-designed, quality built accessory that does what it's supposed to do very well. It may not look like much but holding and using it feels 'natural' and all the familiar controls are easy to reach even though it may take a little practice to get used to the unexpected but necessary O and X. And, of course, the Nav does NOT come with a wrist strap because it does not need one. The Nav Controller will not be used to hack and slash or punch or parry. As its name implies, its main use is for 'navigation', meaning mostly the analog joystick, but the L2/L3 triggers and the D-pad are also there when needed in Aragorn's Quest you use the L2 to raise the shield.

Rating the Nav controller for what it is and what it does, I find no faults with it whatsoever. I appreciate its exceptional design, quality and its apparent durability. Some of the early Move games that take good advantage of the Nav Controller include Heavy Rain, MAG, Aragorn's Quest at the time of this review, Little Big Planet 2 coming up in a couple of months, many in between, I hope. To the extent that the Move proves itself a success with game developers, the Navigation Controller will find its uses and its users. I believe it to be so because holding the DualShock in one hand while swinging the Motion Controller with the other is not a good way to play a game.

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The nav controller is pretty much a duelshock rolled into one piece to fit in your hand. everythings laid out nicely and it fits in your hand perfectly. Has the analog stick, x and o button, d-pad, and the L1 and L2 buttons. The L2 feels nice as it has a little curve to it now, so your fingers dont slide off(never had that problem, just heard people complain before) It doesn't take nearly as long to charge compared to the motion controller. Does not come with a strap which I heard people complaining, but you dont swing it. no need to be moving it, so that why theres no strap. Been using it as i play heavy rain, which i really love with the move. Theres about 3 games out right now that youll need this nav controller for, and more in the future. if you want to play RE5, MAG, or heavy rain, then I say go buy this. If not, just wait on it then. All in all, this is a great addition to the controllers and comes in handy.

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The PS3 Move Navigation Controller may look like a Wii's nunchuck, but it serves a very different purpose. Where the nunchuck has motion sensing, the PS3 Move Navigation Controller is solely for button pushing.

This small, easy to hold device lets you use your left hand for button related tasks using the joystick for moving around a landscape, using the standard X and O buttons for performing actions. So for example if you are in a sword game you can have the motion-sensitive wand in your right hand, swinging your sword, while using your navigator in your left hand to walk across the field of battle and seek out your next opponent.

You might ask, if all this controller does is let you use a joystick and a few buttons, why even buy it? Why not just use a normal controller in the left hand? Certainly you can do that but the normal controller is set up for two handed use. Many people find it challenging to hold that controller just with the left hand in a way that easily gets them access to the joystick and the two buttons. With this navigation controller setup, it clearly is all arranged for one handed use.

If you want to play a game that requires both hands to be motion sensitive for example a boxing game where you punch with your left hand and also punch with your right hand this is NOT the controller you want. For that type of activity you'll want two wand controllers, one for each hand.

That means that for a typical player on a PS3 move system you need two wand controllers PLUS one navigation controller. You wouldn't use all three at the same time, but some games will have you using the two wand controllers and other games will have you use the wand in one hand and the navigation controller in the other.

You can see where this is going. If you have two gamers in the household who want to play head to head games, you now need FOUR wand controllers plus two navigation controllers to have them covered. It's time to give your PS3 system its own shelf, to handle all these accessories!

In any case the nav controller works well, is very useful for games, and I highly recommend it for any Move gamers.

We purchased our controller from Amazon with our own funds.

Buy Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends - Playstation 3

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Let me start by saying that I've followed this series since Dynasty Warriors 3. In my opinion, that was its peak. I've bought every game, and many of the expansions. Upon hearing that battles from previous games would be included, I was hopeful that the good old DW3 maps would be a focal point. They were not. There are a couple maps from each installment from DW3 to DW6. There is really only one mode with significant replay value, and that's legend mode, which features a nice collection of battles to be unlocked and played with any character you want. You return to your castle town after each battle. The town features a strategist from which you can purchase increased attack, defense, points, speed, or power for the character you have selected. You also can purchase weapons from the weapon-smith, and choose which of about 10 places to send a merchant who brings back gold, weapons, or guardian animals. You also appoint an adjutant to watch over the castle town, but he really doesn't matter. The battles feel no different from DW7, but they are quite enjoyable. You can play with friends now, which is nice. I'm glad Koei remembered that some people still have friends. The new characters are fun to play with and I love the new weapons. I've nearly beat the game, and I can't help but feel rather unsatisfied. The game feels kind of empty. I realized this was because of the lack of cutscenes and no progressive story for each character. Before each battle, the story is read to you as the stage loads, but this hardly takes the place of the epic, mood-setting movies and unique stages of the older installments. Some of the battles are rather cheesy. For example, on one of the last battles, you follow Liu Shan around as he says stupid things and looks for childhood toys and friends. There are a few cutscenes, but they are rare and not all that exciting. One thing that really disappointed me is that you can't choose the BGM for the battles. Basically, this is a collection of new battles and a good way to level up characters. If you liked DW7, you should enjoy this, but there is little that is really "legendary" or "extreme" about DW7 Xtreme Legends.

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I have been a long time fan of this series. So, when a new one came out, of course I bought it. While there are some nice new features (described in the description), and three new characters, I found Legend Mode to be where I am spending most of my time. The new weapons, as always are neat, and the OMG THIS IS INSANE mode is exactly what it promises. However, Legend Mode lets you pick a character and bring a dead town back to life. There are plenty of new scenes for this Mode, new stages (or just ones from old games and revamped ones), and a new ability....buy ups in your life/attack/defense/etc. The most annoying areas were the still disappearing characters (the enemy gets too far away and vanishes) and having to change disks between XL and 7 to play Legend Mode. This is a great addition to the series with a great deal of replay value.

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its an awesome expansion to the dynasty warriors 7 game but i wish it had more modes. i highly recommend getting the original dynasty warriors 7 for the games full story because this game is kind of short in terms of game play

Honest reviews on Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends - Playstation 3

The title says it all. The amount you enjoy this game will depend on which systems you enjoyed the most. I started with Dynasty Warriors 3 so it's hard to say that I really loved this game because you can't create your own officers and I miss the body guard system. Regardless, good game and if like me you will play every game in this genre regardless of quality then I recommend it.

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It's been since the 4th game since I've been into the series, mainly because I had heard it was falling away from what makes it fun, but decided to give this one a chance, and I am not disappointed. It's a the series upgrade I've been waiting for since the PS2 for the PS3.

Reviews of Tales of Xillia - Playstation 3

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Ever since I first played Tales of Destiny way back in 1999 I have been in love with the Tales franchise. While not as immediately recognizable in the mainstream gaming community as the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest/Warrior RPG juggernauts, the "Tales of" series of games have always had a loyal fan base due to the great stories and combat that is the hallmark of the games. The question of whether or not to purchase the latest game in the franchise was a no-brainer for me, and I can say with 100% certainty that I am so happy that I indulged myself.

Controls, Music, & Animation

Every Tales game is painstaking in its delivery of beautiful graphics and music, and Tales of Xillia (henceforth referred to as "ToX") continues in that tradition. Simply put, this game is gorgeous and takes every advantage of the PS3 hardware to simply amaze me. The world of Xillia is bright, colorful, and varied. Environments are dynamic; each exploration area is divided by little "breaks"; while this may seem annoying, the lack of lag when going through a doorway into the next room is practically non-existent. The screen flashes black for one moment and then you are free to control your character.

In addition to the beautiful backgrounds, the characters are 3D mirrors of their anime-inspired sprites used in the cut scenes. While you do notice the difference between the 2D drawing of Milla (the female protagonist) and her 3D avatar, the seamless transition negates any of the very minor aesthetic details. Finally, each character in the game is unique, sporting their own look, and enemies are just as varied and detailed as the "good guys".

Musically speaking, Tales of Xillia boasts an amazing orchestral arrangement with songs to suit every zone in the game. It is truly beautiful and lends itself well to the atmosphere of the story. When you are in an ominous, dark dungeon the music is creepy, with violins and woodwinds playing higher and slightly off-key, creating the ambiance of a thriller movie. Sound effects cover every aspect of movement, helping to bring the world of Xillia to life. If your character is moving through shallow water, swishing noises will occur with each step. The crackle of fire whispers through a zone, subtlety lighting a path. Birds chirp. When the graphics and sound come together, you will find yourself immersed in a world of magic, mysteries, and more than a few baddies to kill.

The controls in ToX are spot-on. Combat is real-time, so players need to be aware of their characters and the baddies on the screen. At the beginning of the game you can alter whether you want harder enemies, a longer input time for combos, and your Xand Y-axis movement [meaning whether pressing upward with the control stick will move the camera up (normal) or down (inverted)]. I chose the hardest setting and kept the input time as "Normal". In the beginning enemies attack slower, which is good as it gives you time to acquaint yourself with the mechanics of combat. While pressing the "X" button will make your character charge forward and attack a target, you also have different magic/elemental-based attacks that can be access from the menu (the "▲" button) which vary based upon who you chose as your protagonist to control. Thus, combat sometimes needs a good strategy; just jumping in and whacking enemies with your weapon does not always work. In this way ToX enhances the gameplay by adding a level of strategy. Once you form a party, coming up with a plan of attack becomes critical; you will be able to combine attacks and setup AI strategies to maximize your combat proficiency (your cohorts will be controlled by AI; from the party menu you can adjust their combat focus, for instance: should that character conserve TP (mana) or go all out and cast the most powerful spells each battle? Do you want a character to heal exclusively or to heal AND attack?)..

Finally, in regard to the map and character control, Xillia has everything nailed. The camera rests comfortably in a 3rd person perspective of your character. The camera rotates freely, enabling you to see a complete map and minimizing the risk of an enemy sneaking up from behind. Since enemies are seen on the map and battles are not random encounters, this is a very important function.

Story

ToX has an over-arching plot of determining why the elements are out of harmony and how to restore mana to the world. When one of the kingdoms in the world of Xillia experimented with powerful magic, they unwittingly caused widespread devastation by draining the world's mana. It is your job to figure out what happened and how to fix it before the other kingdoms start an all-out war.

While the story itself is your basic good-vs-evil RPG fare, the depth of the storyline, the complexity of the characters (their personalities and motives) and presented in a manner to both intrigue the player and to soldier onward to learn more. In addition, ToX gives you TWO games in one; at the beginning you choose either the male (Jude Mathis) or female (Milla Maxwell). In either case, the story will unfold from the perspective of THAT character. Thus, while you will travel with the other person regardless, you will only interpret events through the eyes and mind of your protagonist. This, of course, means that you will want to play through the game AGAIN to see another side to the story!

As the story progresses, you will find yourself watching numerous cut scenes and work to cultivate not only new abilities for combat but also the friendships of others in your party. Using a robust crafting system, ToX adds another level of depth by encouraging the player to explore and find items. All of this combined will suck you into the game and make you want to press onward (maybe to the detriment of your job... make sure that you don't miss work in your zeal to beat the game!).

Overall

To simplify this review, let's recap:

Pros:

1) Beautiful combat system that keeps enemy encounters fun and challenging,

2) No random encounters! Enemies are seen on the map and can be avoided, if desired,

3) Beautiful environment, unique characters, and an amazing soundtrack,

4) Game controls are easy to pick up and play,

5) LOTS of replay value: play through the character-specific storyline depending upon the hero,

6) Wonderful and often-humorous storytelling, encouraging dialogue with others,

7) Lots to explore and many items to find; exploring the world is visually rewarding!

Cons:

1) It costs money; but I guarantee that you will find this to be the best $60 spent on a game this year!

2) The cut scenes can be a little long at times, but this is a minor irritation at best,

3) That Tales of Xillia 2 won't be available in the U.S. for a while!

Thus, simply put, ToX is one of the best games that I have acquired and played in 2013. The story is entertaining, the gameplay is fun, combat isn't random and does require strategy (you can't just button-mash and expect to win), and you can replay the game a second time to see the story from another viewpoint. Oh, and did I forget to mention that the graphics are gorgeous and the soundtrack is amazing?

If you haven't already clicked that "Buy" button, you should really do so. This game is a must-have for PS3 owners, Tales franchise fans, or the RPG-lover in your life. This is truly one of the best games I have played, and I encourage you to explore the world of Tales of Xillia for yourself!

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The Good:

+A good cast of characters

+A very in-depth battle system

+A good balance of character customization

+The music is absolutely fantastic

The Bad:

-Some areas could've had more details

-Exploration sometimes feels limited

The Tales series has not been huge in America. Case in point, we're just now getting Tales of Xillia when Japan received the game a couple of years ago (and already has a sequel out). Tales of Xillia made a big splash in Japan. It's said to be one of the best Tales games ever released. When playing it's easy to see why. It's a very fun JRPG that helps remind us why the genre still has life while other times reminding us why it's not quite as popular as it once was. Nevertheless the pros win out as Tales of Xillia is an amazing game.

Tales of Xillia centers on two characters. The first is a medical student named Jude Mathis. The other is a mysterious woman named Milla Maxwell. You're allowed to pick one character or the other to start the game. Picking one changes how you see certain events and the perspective of the story. The end goal is, for the most part, the same, but if you really love Tales of Xillia, you already have an incentive to play through it a second time. Their story takes place in the world of Reize Maxia where mana seems to be slowly draining away. Milla, along with her four spirits decides to investigate, while Jude gets wrapped up in the conflict.

As you might have guessed, the story in Tales of Xillia doesn't get off to a very quick start. It takes time to really get you to understand the world it takes place in as well as getting you used to the characters and their banter. So while it might take a moment of Tales of Xillia to really get going, you'll appreciate this once you really get to know the characters. One of the best things about the Tales series is the characters. Certainly they each play one typical role or another, but Tales has always gone to great lengths to develop them. The story itself really comes to life because of the characters and their chemistry with each other. They each have a distinct personality. Likewise, Tales of Xillia contains skits (a Tales staple) where characters will joke with one another, talk about certain events going on within the story and sometimes just talk about themselves. By the time the journey is done you'll learn a lot about them, and they'll change and develop quite drastically. Because of these characters, the story is that much more enticing as a result.

The only real downside to the story is the same that Tales has often come to be associated with. There will be many moments of long exposition. Sometimes explaining things you already know (and that the characters know). Sometimes you'll travel somewhere with few battles in between only to be lectured about current events in the story. In the long run this won't bother anyone. It can feel like you're getting bogged down in it all, but the game is no where near as bad about this as previous games in the series.

The battle system is going to feel both familiar and new to any Tales fan. Battles are contact based. When in battle you can move around freely and attack. There's no turn based system here. You and your allies can run all over the field and attack at your leisure. Tales of Graces F certainly added a new spin onto the series but here things go back to be on par with Vesperia more so than any other game. As usual you have tech points (TP) which can be used to perform Artes, which are like magic to deal extra damage. Some things have changed, however. There's more to Tales of Xillia than button mashing. It can feel this way at first, but as the game progresses you'll really need to put some of the new mechanics to work. When in the heat of battle you can backstep to evade attacks and surprise your enemy from behind. Most unique of all the new elements, though, is the ability to link with other party members and perform linked attacks. You'll be able to flank enemies, for instance. Whoever you are "linked" to will also cover your back. More impressive is that you'll be able to perform linked artes as well. All this seems like it would make Tales of Xillia a pretty easy game, but the truth is that at some point there's a lot of strategy involved. You need to be smart about who you link with, for example, and you need to be smart about how you evade and utilize your TP. It's not exactly a hard game (unless you up the difficulty) but it is a game that really wants you to understand the system at play.

You are only able to control one character at a time in battle. The other three are controlled by the AI. In most games the idea of the AI doing anything on your behalf is a nightmare, but in Tales of Xillia they hold their own. You won't have to spend a lot of time babysitting them, and you can customize strategies for them to use. The game also provides you with the ability to sign certain artes from other characters to a shortcut. If you need a character to cast a specific spell you can assign it to a shortcut to have them do so. You are also able to switch between characters any time you want in battle.

There is more to the battle system. Each character has a Lillium Orb. As you level your stats don't increase. Instead you get GP and move along a characters Lillium Orb. Using the Lillium Orb allows you to develop characters at your own pace by letting you increase their individual stats and learn new artes and skills. If you find you don't want to have to constantly make decisions about what stats to increase or artes to get, the game allows you to auto level and it'll develop the characters accordingly.

Graphically speaking, Tales has never been a big leader in this department. There aren't a lot of detail to the environments. In particular, running around the fields can sometimes feel like you're running down the same path over and over. There just aren't a lot of details in any of the dungeons or towns. At times environments feel strangely empty. This isn't likely to bother many players. By now most Tales fans pretty much expect this graphically. At the very least the cel-shading itself isn't bad. Character models are fairly detailed and have a unique design to them. They really stand out. Plus, with how much fun you'll be having with the battle system and how good the story is... it's safe to say that the graphics being below the standard is a very minor flaw in what is an otherwise very good game overall.

Musically, however, Tales of Xillia may have the best soundtrack in a Tales game yet. It's very good all around. Often evoking the right mood and tone. For those who picked up the Limited Edition you'll get a music CD to help you sample. The voice acting can be a mixed bag, however. As is usual, the voices themselves fit with the characters, but the voice talent themselves isn't always up to par. At the very least, Tales of Xillia has some well crafted dialog to really help things along. Again, the voice acting is probably a more minor thing. It's never cringe worthy. There are just times you wish it packed more of a punch--especially in the game's more emotional moments (and there are a lot of those).

Tales of Xillia is far from being flawless, of course. As noted, the graphics aren't the best and the voice acting isn't quite as good. These are the minor things. What may be a little more major is how the world in and of itself feels slightly smaller. One of the best things about other tales outings (particularly, Abyss, Symphonia and Vesperia) is that there was a huge overworld to explore. Here, things are a lot more linear. Often the game doesn't really let you branch off the beaten path. If you try many times the game simply won't let you--usually reminding you to get back to the quest at hand. There are plenty of sub events and sidequests that can be done, but Tales of Xillia doesn't always feel like it's a world that can be explored and traversed.

Nevertheless, Tales of Xillia is a very fun game in and of itself. It's a rewarding JRPG which is a lot of fun to play and has a good cast of characters to carry the story along. If you're a fan of the Tales series then you should definitely play.

Best Deals for Tales of Xillia - Playstation 3

In Tales of Xillia, you start from the perspective of one of the two main characters; your choice. Jude, a young ambitious medical student, plunged in the chaos of this grand adventure as he meets Milla, the incarnation of Maxwell, Lord of Spirits, on journey to keep the balance of spirits and the world safe, as she loses her powers.

The combate is by far the most engaging of all of Tales of... games. Battle your way through hords of monsters, with four allies. As the controlling party member, the master, you can link up with an additional party member to flank enemies in vicious combos, and combine powers to perform devastating Link Artes. Veering away from traditional level up schemes you gain points after, a level up and use it strengthen you party on a grid called the Lilium Orb.

No synthesis or dualizing, instead you use component to upgrade different shops to unlock various items.

Tales of Xillia, is a strong addition to Tales of... series, and a superb JRPG. it sequel is due to release in 2014 in the US

Honest reviews on Tales of Xillia - Playstation 3

This is first experience with the Tales series. ]

Story: A little on the cliche side but very enjoyable. The main cast of characters have their own motives and issues going on. Their chemistry makes for some entertaining dialog segments throughout your long journey. Only minor gripe I have is with the pacing. There are times where I felt like I was watching a full anime movie than playing a game.

Gameplay: This is where the game truly shines. The combat is faced paced, colorful, and dynamic. There is a lot to learn when creating combos to cause mass choas on your foes, but the game has an amazing tutorial system the breaks things down. Each character has their own feel and unleashing their moves and combos makes you want to take turns controlling each one throughout the campagin.

Verdit: Whether you're a fan of RPG's or great games in general, this game is a must buy. It definitely holds a candle to the best RPG's of this generation. Don't miss out!

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Like I said when I got the Japanese version. This game is freakin awesome!!! And I knew it would come out in America!! This game does change people's life of how jrpg games are. This one is the best so far. Namco Bandai !! Thank you again. I have both Japanese and English games. Love them both!!!!

NFL® Minnesota Vikings Distressed Vinyl Skin for 1 Microsoft Xbox Review

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List Price: $19.99
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The product is as described. The picture is a little misleading with two controllers shown but only 1 skin available. Don't know that I would have bought 1 skin for $14. My bad for not reading the ad better. The product and shipping were great, but gave it 4 stars only for the misleading picture/advertising.

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I guess i didnt read correctly but i thought i was buying my husband something nice for his xbox controller, turns out it was just a sticker.. .sticker looks nice and all but the price was way too high

Review of PDP Energizer 2X Charging Station for PS4 - PlayStation 4

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Love this charger!!!! It makes my PS4 controllers look like they are floating Star Wars style!!!! The LEDs also match the PS4 controllers (blue and orange) which is super cool!!

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Easy to set up. Completely charged the controller in 2 hours. I can't vouch for this device in the long run. As there is a chance that it could give the batteries "memory" over time.

Best Deals for PDP Energizer 2X Charging Station for PS4 - PlayStation 4

received the package just like scheduled. love the way it glows like an orange/red when you're charging, and turns into an indigo blue when its complete. The stand does lay slightly back (low) then i had anticipate. but still a great docking station for your remotes, and LOOKS NICE next to your ps4.

Honest reviews on PDP Energizer 2X Charging Station for PS4 - PlayStation 4

This charger is great! Some other reviews say that it's flimsy, which it sort of is, but not flimsy enough to be fragile. Others say the LED's are too bright, which is not true. It's right next to my tv and the light does not bother me at all. Over all, great product.

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So far so good. My only complaint is the LED lights are very bright, it even bothers me when trying to watch TV on how much light this thing gives off. Going to try and find a better place to put this item which is annoying since I want it by my PS4.

Review of Downhill Domination

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It is virtually impossible to discuss Downhill Domination without making numerous references to the SSX series (from EA Sports Big), so there is no point trying to avoid such references in a review. Plus, it is quite likely that a player of Downhill Domination will have at least moderate familiarity with the SSX series.

Downhill Domination is the latest entry into the extreme sports genre popularized by SSX. SSX and its sequel SSX tricky focus on snowboarding, featuring over-the-top stunts and extremely personable characters, along with combat and numerous gameplay modes/challenges. Downhill Demolition is the same, except that it focuses on mountain bike racing.

Like the SSX series, Downhill Domination features several "initial" characters, plus others which must be unlocked. In the SSX series, more characters become available based upon total number of wins (with all unlocked characters); in Downhill Domination, however, bonus characters are unlocked by defeating various gameplay modes/challenges. Further, Downhill Domination includes several mountain biking celebrities as bonus characters.

In terms of characters, however, the SSX series (and SSX Tricky in particular) does a far better job of giving each character a personality. To some extent, the characters in Downhill Domination are essentially "the same." This is in part due to only-mediocre voice-acting, and in even greater part to the rather scant "phrasebook" allotted per character; this last point is particularly noticeable in longer events (such as Technical Downhill races) as the player's chosen character keeps saying the same catchphrase over and over and over and over and over and...

Like the SSX series, Downhill Domination has a great array of courses available. Courses are located on mountains in Italy, USA (three areas), Peru, Russia, Scotland, Japan, and Canada; each mountain is extremely different from the others, although the courses on each mountain are relatively similar. With the exception of Mountaincross courses, all the courses are extremely vast, with numerous alternate paths to be taken; Mountaincross courses are rather "linear," with alternate paths a rare find.

There is definitely plenty of action in Downhill Domination. With precious few exceptions, there is NO time for the player to "rest" on a course; obstacles and tight corners are seemingly everywhere. When in a pack with the other competitors, there is also a great tendency for opponents to fight the player (literally) during the descent, so the player must be wary of others at all times. Further, many of the obstacles on the courses are MOVING: spectators, animals, rockslides, and even vehicles can easily slow the player's character or cause a massive bone-breaking collision.

Extras abound in Downhill Domination. Some extras (such as new courses, bonus characters, and character-specific videos) are unlocked by continually winning. Others, however, can be purchased in the Bike Shop. Some of these extras provide cool visual effects, while others provide a means to customize the gaming experience to some extent. Some bonus levels can be purchased, such as the Moshbowl. Non-character videos can also be purchased, and better bikes can be purchased as well. However, the player should not expect to simply win a handful of races and be able to acquire the best buyable extras in the game; A LOT of time and numerous races are required to obtain the best extras.

One area where Downhill Domination truly stands out, however, is the game manual. Rarely is a game manual as informative about the tiny details of the game!!! Tips are scattered throughout the manual, which also details exactly how to unlock (or how much it will cost to purchase) every possible extra in the game. Representative screenshots and excellent artwork fill virtually every page. Finally, the back cover of the game manual lists half of the sixty-four tricks available in the game, providing the player with a handy quick-reference guide which is extremely useful when participating in the Freestyle Career; this same information is located within the game manual as well.

Without a doubt, Downhill Domination is among the top games released in 2003. In the extreme sports genre, only the SSX series (SSX Tricky in particular) is superior and even that is solely due to the personalization of the characters. This will definitely grab and keep a player's attention, and certainly raises the bar for the extreme sports genre.

Now, EA Sports Big must answer the challenge.

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I am absolutely shocked that this game did not get more press or a dedicated fan base. This game is fast, fun, and the environments are awesome. The week it came out, the people at the store where I preordered it from were sick of me phoning to ask when it was coming in!!!

Choose a character, like Cosmo (from the UK) or Mai (from Japan) and a bike and get riding! You can choose from a variety of careers or just race a single race. Then hope on your bike and start riding!

Characters

Other than their name, basic stats, and country of origin, there isn't a lot to know about the characters. You have the opportunity to unlock additional characters, including real-life downhill pro riders. (Is it just me, or does Lisa Lopes look like Xena on steroids?)

Story

This game doesn't have a story, so much as it has different racing courses for you to unlock. The range of available courses is amazing. It includes:

* Mt. Liddleroch in the Scottish highlands, complete with castles and monks

* Mt. Zorkovaska in Russia, with snow and military bases

* Red Pass in USA, modeled after the beautiful rock features one can find in states like Utah

Although there isn't a ''mission'', the game has an awesome range of careers: Mountain Cross, Freeride, Arcade, Race, Technical, and more!

You can also upgrade your bicycle in the Bike Shop, which provides a wide range of tires, shocks, and frames. The Shop also provides a list of your sponsors (which you acquire the more you achieve in each of the various careers). You can also buy Extras, some of which can greatly enhance your biking stats!

Graphics and Sound

Wow, wow, wow. For a title that listed at $39.99 at its release, the graphics are far better than I imagined. No slowdown, no loading times within levels, and great detail on both the characters and the environments.

I usually hate the ''popular'' music that accompanies games (with THPS being the rare exception), but the music that comes with DD is far better than I expected. I usually mute the music on racing games, but this game is enhanced by the soundtrack.

Will This Gather Dust?

There are a lot of things to unlock in this game -things that I will not spoil the surprise with in this review. It has a high replay value for me, as I play it at least an hour or so a week, even 4 months after its release.

Overall Recommendation:

If you like downhill sports racing (Freekstyle, SSX, Amped, 1080), you'll like this.

If you like tight controls and cool tricks, you'll like this.

If you like realistic sports simulations, you'll like this.

Best Deals for Downhill Domination

Downhill mountain biking is relentlessly fast, extremely dangerous, and not for the faint of heart. Same goes for Downhill Domination, which delivers more frantic speed thrills than most extreme games. It's neither inaccurate nor an insult to call Downhill Domination "SSX on dirt." Not only do players choose one of 14 characters and careen down 27 enormous international mountains while busting tricks, smacking opponents, and collecting power-ups, but the controls are nearly identical, too. All stunts are performed with the shoulder buttons plus Triangle as a modifier (and it's not always comfortable). As you earn cash, you'll upgrade your bike and unlock goodies. Downhill Domination features an incredible sensation of speed and a canted camera that will make you leave your stomach at the top of the mountain. Narrow trails, treacherous terrain, and the fast gameplay really ratchet up the tension-it's hard to keep up, and you almost forget to do tricks in the mad scramble to stay upright. Avoiding polar bears, mountain goats, hikers, vehicles, and maybe even a sasquatch or two is all part of the frantic fun. Less enjoyable is the amazingly blatant product placement-bike brands like Trek and Specialized make sense, but while you pedal, billboards for online auction sites and energy bars peddle under the guise of earnable sponsorships. Gamers will tire of it quickly, along with the repetitive voice quips and lackluster music-whee, rap about bicycles! Action-sports junkies should at least rent Downhill Domination to experience its admirably difficulty and teeth-rattling sense of chaos. It's not for the weak.

Honest reviews on Downhill Domination

Downhill domination is one of the best games I have ever played in my life. After you get past the menu (I had a little trouble starting a new game with a character) and choose from one of many different games such as a single event, like a race; the superjump; a career; and a mosh bowl (do I need to explain?) you enter the bike shop where you start the game by choosing a brand-name, real-life bike, from a well-known manufacturer such as Specialized, GT, Giant, and Karpiel; buy special unlocks with the money you make racing opponents, winning races, etc.; view your sponsors and "resume'," and customize bikes with a wide variety of brand-name parts.

From there you can choose from one of nine mountains, each with three different tracks, and then start throwing yourself off cliffs hundreds of feet tall and speeding down rocky trails in speeds excess of sixty miles per hour. Earn points by doing tricks, modifying them in hundreds of ways, and knocking opponents off bikes by kicking, checking, and hitting them with homing water bottles.

I will say it one more time, this is one of the greatest games I have ever played. I highly reccomend you discover this game for yourself, it is worth it.

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I love this game! I usually [am bad] at racing games so I don't usually like them but this game is so fun. My husband and I sit and play it every night before we go to bed. Be careful though because it's addictive.

Cheap Fallout 3 - Xbox 360

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I play a lot of different RPG's and was not a fan of Elder Scrolls Oblivion. I will list the pros and cons as impartially as possible so you can be the judge on what matters to you.

PROS:

You are left to explore and find things to do and quests on your own. This game is a true RPG. You have one main quest. Everything else are side quests.

Over 100+ hours of places to explore. and more than 100+ unique map locations.

Tons of perks and ways to develop your character. Become a science genius or concentrate on stealth and your lockpicking ability. Invest in large guns and go into places with guns ablaze. Play the game how you want. Be good and people will love you, be bad and people will fear you.

Replay value. This is rare in RPGs but Because of the many different ways you can play the game I see myself playing this game again to play a different type of character.

Some people complain about the targeting system known as VATS. This game is not an FPS. VATS gives you a wonderful 1st person shooter feel with an RPG style or turned based combat. Score a critical by shooting your enemies head and it might explode. Shoot the enemy on his weapon hand and he will not be able to attack you very quickly.

The graphics are amazing. Its a beautiful post apocalyptic mess. The detail from the stains on a found mattress or a found comic called "Grognak the Barbarian and the Lair of the Virgin Killer" are all amazing. You can tell a lot of thought went into detail.

The voice work is nice. Almost every character talks out loud. This allows you to listen and respond instead of just watching a mouth move and reading dialog all the time.

Enemies do not automatically level with your character. This was my biggest problem with Oblivion. Some people liked the fact that enemies would always be your level. I found it totally unrealistic. Go ahead, run your level 1 character through the Wastelands. You might come across an easy roach or a mutant with a minigun. In my book this makes the game more fun and much more realistic.

I have read on the forums and some bad reviews here that they can not find tons of ammo. This is not Halo, Call of Duty or any other FPS. People need to take the right mindset. This is a world 200 years after major Nuclear war. Things will break, ammo is sometimes scarce, radiation is a fact of life, bottle caps are money, people trade everything and you live in a harsh world. I think some people need to watch the Madmax series just as a primer to understand the world created here.

Instant travel. Once you have visited an area you no longer need to walk to the location. You can locate the area on your map (through the PIPBoy 3000) and select it to instantly travel.

The PipBoy 3000 Interface works great. This allows you to keep track of stats, items, equipment, quests, notes, maps, and karma very easily. The UI is easy and it keeps all the data you need at your finger tips.

CONS:

AI is nothing special. It's not bad, just nothing special. When I am shooting a shotgun at you, running at me with a pool cue might not be the smartest thing to do. They will sometimes run away if severely over matched (which is the smart thing to do). The AI is no worse then any other games, just no big improvements here.

Lack of good music. You can find radio stations on your PIPBoy but I was not a fan of the music. The background can be ok but not great. Sometimes when alone in the Wasteland you want some good background music.

I had the game crash once but not a lot of times like some people are reporting. Still unacceptable but manageable. Loading and saving times can take anywhere between 10-30 seconds which is kind of slow.

No item descriptions. The important data like weight, condition value, and perks of the item are still displayed but full description of the items are no longer available. This is different then Fallout 1 and 2 where each item had a paragraph describing it.

Additional thoughts:

This game is rated "M". This means you shouldn't play this game with kids in the room. This isn't a Con for me but this might be a problem for all you gamer mom and dads out there. Seriously, no kids allowed. Women offer there "Services", cussing, blood splatter on the screen when you get injured, mutants hanging people on meat hooks, tons of drug use, and of course blowing peoples limbs off. Good times but not for the kiddies.

No, its not perfect but it is a lot of fun and the best RPG currently on the market. My 5 star review was based on that fact. This is the best RPG I have played since FFX (Final Fantasy X). I hope you enjoy it.

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I have been enjoying Fallout 3 for about 70 hours now and I am having as much fun now as I was 50 hours ago, which is to say A LOT.

I cannot speak to the bugs that others seem to be experiencing. In my 70 hours I have had my game freeze only a handful of times, and none of them were anything that was game breaking. I have several friends who are also playing and none of them have expressed any serious glitches either.

I have played both the previous Fallout games and vastly enjoyed them both, so to make a blanket statement that "anyone who was a fan of the first 2 Fallouts will hate this game" is just erroneous. I would agree with someone who said this game is more of a Next Gen title in the Fallout Universe rather than a true sequel to the Interplay games.

However, that does not in any way detract from the epic amount of fun to be found in Fallout 3.

The adventuring around the Wastes is the highlight of the game to be sure. The amazing amount of freedom to roam the Wastes is just phenomenal, so much so that once you do decide to progress the Main Story it can seem very limiting and cramped at times, especially when crawling around through the DC Ruins and all the subway tunnels required to get to the Main Mall.

However, compared to the vast scope and size of the experience, this is a minor complaint and really a very short and small portion of the game. It should only take maybe 5 hours to explore it all and finish up some questing, then you can Fast Travel back whenever you want and get back to tearing it up in the Wastes.

Combat is quality, but it is NOT a Shooter. People expecting Shooter mechanics will be disappointed, as even point blank shooting still utilizes an in game Dice Roll to determine whether you hit and how much damage you do etc.

It is likely that people complaining about Ammo or clunky targeting are unaware of this game mechanic, but it is what makes the game an RPG, not a Shooter. There is ample amounts of Ammo (I have never run out in 70 hours of gameplay and I have killed over 1000 living -isms according to my in game stat sheet), but it is not unlimited like a Shooter.

The VATS mode is a good way to illustrate the difference. You queue up VATS and it will give you a stop-time targeting system. Within this system, you will be given percentages to hit on various Body parts: 87% to hit the head, 95% to hit the Body etc. However, these percentages are also indicative of how much of a chance you would have to hit those body parts OUT of VATS as well. So if you have a 50% chance to hit a leg in VATS, you have that SAME chance to hit in real-time it just does not illustrate it anywhere. SO even if your targeting arrow is Red, you still only have the same percentage to hit as you would in VATS. Which is to say you will miss and waste a ton of ammo if you just think "my target is red I can unload a clip".

Dice Rolls are a staple of RPGS, Oblivion had them, it was just not as noticeable because you were using Melee weapons, but every time your guy reared back to swing it rolled the dice to see if you would hit, how much of a damaging blow it would be etc.

The game has a wide array of voice acting, some is great, some not so much. The story has its ups and downs, but is good enough to not take away from the overall (it certainly helps that the great Liam Neeson is the Vault Dweller's Father, he is an example of the Great voice acting). Various mini-quests are actually more entertaining and interesting than the main story, so there is definitely enough Good story in the game to keep it interesting.

However, the game's strength is in solo-adventuring IMO. While you can get sidekicks and helpers, the real fun is being a Hero of the Wastes and taking down Super-Mutants, Raiders, Slavers and Death Claws all by your lonesome as you scour the Wastes in search of unique weapons, caps, ammo and mini-quests littered throughout.

Overall, I would rate the game a 9/10 and consider it the only game on Xbox 360 that gives Mass Effect a challenge for best title.

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Update 4 in 2013: I recently downloaded the Fallout 2 from gog. Well, I got to say that, Fallout 2 is still infinitely times better than Fallout 3, regardless the upgrade in graphics.

Maybe you would argue that this is just "Oblivion with guns", but this "Oblivion with guns" has more to offer than just "Oblivion with guns", it has a massive story (according the guide I received today, after you completed the game you got tons to do), also the SPECIAL is back! Pipboy is back, I cant help crying after I created my character and saw a whole new wasteland, which was far more detailed than the game I played 10 years ago. Maybe you would argue again, Bethesda is incapable of doing top-notch black humor like Black Isle, but the feels of exploring the wasteland is back. Here I listed a few pros and cons

Pros

+ build of the whole wasteland

+ mission design

+ user interface

+ storytelling

+ Pipboy

+ tons of things to explore

Cons

cant skip the VATS slow motion

making choices wont affect the whole game too much, unlike Fallout1 &2, you have to pay for what you ve chosen

no item description........(huge disappointment for some old fans maybe)

In general, I would recommend this game to those who love Oblivion.

Update: the system is much more similar to Fallout 2 than to Oblivion, you have skills and perks, and at each leveling up you have 10-20 skill points(depends how much Intelligence you have) to distribute into a variety of skills, then you have perks like Lady Killer or Animal Friend. The system is deep and fun since you could be an agile and slick thief or a strong and stubborn warrior based on how you distribute your points and the initial attributes(S.P.E.C.I.A.L.).

Update 2: for those of you concerning CE, I got my CE from amazon on the releasing date, and this is the nicest CE I bought this year comparing to the Fable 2 CE and GTA 4 CE. The CE package has a neat looking lunch box, you could either put it somewhere as a decoration or use it as the storage for small stuff. That Pipboy figure is a fine-maded bubblehead. There is also an artbook of 100 pages featuring the concept art in Fallout3, and a DVD of making of the fallout 3. I think the CE is totally worth the price especially now amazon is offering the $10 giftcard.

Update 3: this game is not for you if you are looking for a first-person shooter like Far Cry 2 or Call of Duty! This is a role playing game.

Honest reviews on Fallout 3 - Xbox 360

I bought this game a few days ago, hoping that I made the right choice by picking this game over Tom Clancy's End War. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice now. Not since Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9 have I ever found a game this addicting.

The world map is beautiful and extremely detailed. From radioactive rivers, to piles of rubble and smashed up concrete, the detail in these objects is amazing.

Im the type of gamer that HAS to explore every room, and check every nook and cranny to ensure that I have every thing that the building/zone has to offer. It takes me anywhere from 1-2 hours to completely clear most buildings and kill all the enemies inside. With the hundreds of buildings in the game, you can easily spend 100+ hours playing this game on a single character. I have read the complaints about running out of ammo, its complete crap. I havent run out of ammo yet, and I have a little over 40 hours completed so far. You may run out of "condition" on your weapons, but if you have your repair skill up, that shouldnt be an issue. If you play the game smart, and pick up the most valuable items you see and dont weigh yourself down with a lot of junk, you should have plenty of "caps" to buy ammo and repairs for your weapons.

In all, I can see myself making 2 more characters easily, just to experience the game differently. The current character I have is a good guy, but I will have to make an evil guy soon just so I can see how it affects the storyline. This game is definately a good buy!

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I didn't write a review for Oblivion because there were hundreds of decent enough reviews that encapsulated my experience. I saw no need to add to the "ALSO, I LIKED IT, TOO, AS WELL" crowd without any negative comments worth mentioning.

The same dealy applies to Fallout 3, yet because of the sheer size and scope of it compared to Oblivion, I can be bothered to put both positives and negatives together into a decent enough review.

For note, I have never played any of the previous Fallout games, and showed no interest in them prior to this.

Also, I'll be dropping the name "Yahtzee" a bit, referring to video game reviewer Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and his video reviews for The Escapist magazine.

Positive:

-The world is indeed tremendous, and compared to Oblivion, which to Yahtzee was merely a square mile of English countryside multiplied again and again with wolves and bandits added, this world is simply a gaping epic story in itself to look at. Ten hours into the game, I still can't get over stopping and staring at the horizon, and knowing that This is the way Washington D.C., has looked for two hundred years! Being a historian, this trapped me in a quantam vortex of awesome and pee-pants.

-The V.A.T.S. targeting system, which has slow-motion angle shots for combat scenes. While Yahtzee mentioned that it looked "groovy pants", he also pointed out that because it's basically the same thing every time you use it, it would gradually just become "pants". For me at least, it hasn't yet become pants, after ten hours of play.

-Realistic gore! The M rating is put to use here, in the form of excessive violence. While nowhere near the sort of explicit body explosions of something like "Rambo", I never get tired of seeing a point-blank gunshot to someone's head have a chance of blowing their head up in a mess of blood, bone, and mushy meat fragments. Nor do I tire of crippling someone's arm and seeing their gun fly out of their hand, or firing at someone's limb enough times to dismember them, or to sever their head from their body by utterly destroying their neck with bullets.

-Insanely top-notch graphics for a game of this sheer size.

-Play as male or female, with dialogue options altering to fit your gender (ie, you'll get compliments as to how much you look like your mother if you're female, or how beautiful you are, or how much of a bitch you are for trying to steal from them).

-Genuinely interesting story that pans itself out gradually.

-Interactive people all around, including Ghouls who are nice to you (there's even an implied lesbian Ghoul couple who run a hotel in the Underworld)

I'm sure there's plenty more great things to be said, but I can't think of any major ones to speak of and so I'll have to move on to the bad.

Negatives:

-I can't vouch for male characters just yet, but the customizable options for females is an utter mess. Faces are disgusting lumps of blotchy, rugged, seemingly acne-scarred messes (which considering that the character isn't raised in the Wasteland, but rather in the highly clean and stable environment of Vault 101, is a curiosity), and for some odd reason, every pre-set and color option always ends up with the same result---the women have 5 o'clock shadow on their upper lip, and around their chins.

None of the other in-game women suffer from these sort of options, managing to look like actual women, whereas your character is forced to look like a pre-op transsexual without a long, long time spent into wrestling with dials and sliders which, like Oblivion, are connected to one another, making it hell to mold the flesh with one slider without every other slider moving on its own to screw up your changes.

-The game is an action/adventure RPG, but it's still an RPG, so damage both taken and delivered tends to border on the ridiculous, as in one scene I had a pistol and used the V.A.T.S. system to put three bullets into a human opponent's head, and not only did they not die, but they were still standing, and continued to beat me half to death with a baseball bat until I had to punch them to kill them dead.

-Occasional game freezes.

-The instant-transport system from Oblivion is back, which has both good and bad implications in that you can easily move back and forth from places without spending hours wandering around the ruins, but it's done without any consequence to time or health or fatigue anything in between, so you can just teleport from place to place as much as you want as quickly as your game will load.

-As Yahtzee mentioned as the biggest problem with Oblivion's immersion failure, there is a limited number of voice actors for the Ghouls. I can thankfully say that unlike Oblivion, not everyone has the same two voice actors, but with the Ghouls in particular, there are quite literally only two voice actors, one male and one female, and they don't even bother changing up their voices when playing the Ghouls. As such, every Ghoul you speak to of a certain gender will sound exactly like one another.

-There are some audio tapes/files in the "Notes" section of your Pip-Boy (such as your father's personal diary entries and such) which are almost completely inaudible due to the low sound mixed with the poor recording quality. It's only by sheer luck, determination, strain, and high volume, that I've managed to understand half of what is said in these diary entries.

Cheap Universal PC/Stereo Gaming Headset - Yapster TM-YB100A – Black

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List Price: $31.25
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 36% Off

This video shows off the mic quality and the headset's features.

**Update 2/10/2013**

Well, it has been over a year since this review.

The headset itself has held up to lots of use and even drop abuse.

The one thing that I would like to note (which is why I gave it a 4 star in the first place) it is a cheap headset, so the wiring is where they cut corners. The wires themselves are very tiny, and re-soldering is impossible (I found this out when my pet chewed through my first pair.) The second headset I received has had issues after a year of use, the little control box on the wire is put together cheaply and can cause static if the volume level is maxed. The microphone also has a tendency to go out so I have to tug on the wire from the box to get it to work.

However, my brother who still has his original pair has had no issues at all.

**Update 10/22/2013**

I will be needing to replace this headset soon, my mic has gone out (unless I want to try moving the wiring around the control box) and the speakers are starting to develop static when the wire is moved (also mostly around the control box.)

I will say this for the manufacture, removing the control box would be awesome, I use it rarely. Some of my friends that have the same headset use the control box, but only because it's available to them, as most voice communicating software comes with an easy way to mute your microphone.

I consider volume control on a headset worthless, since it's easy to change the audio volume on your computer.

My brother's headset is still working like a champ. (I'm envious.)

They are okay headsets, not stylish, but comfortable and quite affordable.

On another note: I am looking at other headsets or even just headphones and buying a dedicated microphone at the time of writing this update. I may buy another pair of these since they are cheap. However the pair that I got last were not the quality that I had before and I am looking at other options.

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This does not come with a USB hook up. I'm personally happy about that. It frees up my other two USB ports. It comes with a two pronged hook-up, for the microphone port and the headphone port. You can plug in just one or both, depending on your needs.

Just make sure you have a mic and headphones port on your computer, the small round ones. (I don't know the technical term.)

If I just want to listen to music, I can use the headset alone. If I just need the mic, I can unplug the headphone jack from the port and have my computer's sound come through the speakers. The mic still functions.

It's very comfortable, unlike some headphones. I can wear it for hours and forget I have it on. The sound is great, and the microphone seems to work well for my gaming needs.

One tiny negative would be that it encloses your ears completely. So hearing the sounds around you can be somewhat difficult. That can be a positive as well, though, since it blocks out other noises.

Over all, this is a great uncomplicated device. I plugged it in, and it worked!

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Yapster TM-YW100A nice sound quality, sensitive mic. I checked mic in Corel Video Studio Pro X2. Recording quality: loud, clear, no white noise. I liked it. Sound is great also! Good enough bass and high frequencies.

Fit exactly for my ears. Feels a little tight, but if you want to unbend it be aware that it is plastic under soft leather so be careful.

Headphones have volume control, mute button. Both work so far flawlessly.

Very nice design. Mid size. Cord 168 cm though not 2.2m as in description, but it's still long enough to not pluck off if you will stand up suddenly. The mic handle is very pliable and long enough for anybody's head. It's about 7.5'' or 19 cm from plastic part of center of connection with headphone to the end of plastic part of microphone. You can bend it on anyway you want. Very handy!Other characteristics:

3.5 mini-jack;

Microphone:

Noise reduction design (however I'd recommend adjust it lower otherwise your breath from nose will be heard);

Omni-directional;

Frequency response: 30 16Khz

Sensitivity: -59 db

Headphones:

Frequency response: 20 20KHz

Sensitivity: 100db

Max power input 50mW

Right price, right size, right headphones with microphone right on, right on!

Update: 6 months later I bought some unbranded VOIP/SKYPE Headset w/Microphone which was cheaper and I regretted it. As old says don't buy to cheap you'll pay twice. It was a step down after Yapster. So, on the second day I ordered from Yapster and received (in couple days) my well known TM-YW100A. It's my second headset (first one was taken from me by my kid) and I still happy with it. Microphone quality is outstanding and so sound quality.

The only thing I'd highly recommend to Yapster Company is to include the Microphone Cover which is noticeably reduce a breath noise.

The rest is awesome!

Long life to Yapster! :-)

I still recommend it very much.

Honest reviews on Universal PC/Stereo Gaming Headset - Yapster TM-YB100A – Black

I've had these for over 4 months now. Like many previous purchasers, I was searching for a headset that suited my budget as much as it would suit my needs. Since then, I've had ample time to run this headset through its paces. And frankly, I must confess that I am stunned by its exemplary performance. Over the past few months I have used the Yapster for everything from Skype & video narration, to watching movies and/or listening to music, to gaming (on both the PC and an Xbox 360), to audio books. Here's how it fared:

Skype: This headset is absolutely brilliant for Skype (and all other VoIP applications I would suspect). In my work, clear and constant communication between all parties is vital. With my previous headset a Logitech Clear Chat voices sounded hollow and distant. With the Yapster, those I conversed with came through clearly but warmly the way human voices should. Not once did I feel the need to ask others to speak up or repeat themselves. I heard and understood them the first time, everytime. And the sensitive microphone performed flawlessly. I have been able to converse with others without ever once raising my voice or repeating myself. For me, this was (and continues to be) a clear advantage. I've not had my voice go hoarse much less lose my voice since I began using the Yapster, despite having spent hours a day in online communications and presentations.

Movies & Music: With a name like "Yapster", I assumed that the headset would only excel at chat and not much more. I was stunned to find that the Yapster was surprisingly stellar with the wide dynamic range found in cinema and music. The low-frequency response was flat-out top-notch, producing deep and impactful bass notes in music, and tightly defined hits in film. The highs were equally impressive. The upper registers of voices were airy and angelic. Cymbals and hats were almost like-like. And even the subtlest background nuances in films came through flawlessly. But perhaps what surprised me most was the presence of a substantial mid range to tie all of that together. Most consumer headphones these days tend to emphasize bass and treble, leaving all the mids behind. This was most certainly not the case with the Yapster. As a result, sweeping orchestral scores actually swept. And as you would imagine, being superb with voices, the Yapster rendered dialog impeccably well with both clarity and warmth. Although these are by no means audiophile-quality, they are in fact quite good! Much better than their price would suggest, and far and away better than comparable headsets I've used. I found myself continually demanding more and more in terms of sound quality and performance, with the Yapster largely continuing to deliver at each and every step.

Gaming (PC & Xbox 360): This is where the Yapster's performance sealed the deal for me as it were. Since gaming requires the ability to handle all of the above simultaneously well (music, effects, dialog, and mic sensitivity), I was a bit doubtful as to whether it could in fact deliver on its promises. Needless to say, the Yapster acquitted itself in sensationally. Crysis 2 took on a much more cinematic scope, and Oblivion came alive as I made a bit more progress in my most recent playthrough. With the help of a simple 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter I had laying around, the Yapster was easily and quickly converted into an Xbox 360 headset. Playing Medal of Honor became an entirely new experience for me. For the first time, the sound of a fellow sniper discharging his weapon near me was frighteningly realistic and scared the daylights out of me as it rightly should. Bravo Yapster, bravo.

Yes, I understand that it is only a $20 headset. But if I'm to be honest, the Yapster has undersold itself severely. Its wealth of features and consistent performance make this an outstanding headset in my book. But its affordable price should make this a truly exceptional headset in anyone's book. I've tried, but I can find no fault with the product whatsoever. And should I ever lose or break the one I have, I would buy the Yapster again in a heartbeat, and without any hesitation.

My only complaint is that it could have been named better. Telling those who ask that I use a "Yapster" does very little to convey an image of maturity or masculinity.

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this is a circumaural headset, which means, it captures sound from 360 degrees while playing in a first person shooter pc game. i find the bass very deep for a headset. this affordable headset is excellent. did alot of research to enhance my gaming and spent needless amounts of money to find that "perfect" headset for under $30, and i finally found a "near perfect" one.

PROS:

great bass sound

great surround 3D immersive feel

good quality mic

mic length adjustable

mic on/off switch

volume control

CONS:

headset kinda feels flimsy. don't care, it's cheap.

cord is only 6 feet long, good for me, hate tripping over cord.

earpiece feels kinda tight but comfortable, may irritate ear cartilage with prolonged usage.

overall:

i'm still amazed at the quality of sound this thing produces! when i first put this on and got into a game...i said to myself, "WOW!". the old saying..."you get what you pay for" isn't true at all in this case.

Cheap Rallisport Challenge

Customer Ratings:

This game is incredible. I have yet to play a Rally racing game that even comes close to Rallisport Challenge's caliber. Everything has been meticulously adressed to provide you the best Rally racing sim available for any console, bar none. I picked this game right when it came out and have hardly been able to stop playing since.

The graphics are superb. Everything from the tracks and the nearly photorealistic terrains are top-notch. The cars themselves are beautifully rendered with visible damage occuring to the car if you wreck. Your car even gets dirty as you progress through the tracks! Sound is above average but what really sets it apart is the fact that you can play your own music while you race. The cars all have distinct engine sounds and there is this English guy who gives you advice over what sounds like a CB radio. Another strong point for RC would have to be the fact that this game uses the vibration in the controller better than any game before it. But of course, all of these aspects of RC that I wrote about don't matter if the gameplay itself [stinks]. Well you don't have to worry in that department.

RC it seems was not created to be a 100% realistic simulation. I would say the steering at times is what makes this noticeable. So the games physics do have a little bit of an arcade feel but it stills stays true enough to form that it really doesnt matter because this game is still loads of fun. it also has a great variety of racing modes, cars, and plenty of hidden stuff in between to unlock so it will keep you busy for a while. Anyway, I feel confident giving this game 5 star rating because this has to be one of the top 3 titles to debut so far on the xbox.

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Introduction

A very good looking driving game that focuses on Rally Racing with different game options (point-to-point rally, hill-climbing, ice-racing, cross-rally). The games have enough variety of courses and cars to keep you happy, BUT not the excitement and satisfaction like those offerred by Gran Turismo 2. Rally racing is different from street or tarmac racing games (GT series). It is NOT for everyone!

Graphics 9.5

The environment and terrains are AMAZING! I just love how the tracks are seemlessly blended into the environment. Car models are good, the effects on the vehicles are great, but it is STILL plagued by jagginess (bumpy, unsmooth linings) like in PlayStation games in a lesser degree. I replay races just to look at the beautifully rendered semi-interactive environment, and lighting, shading effects reflected so smoothly off beautiful vehicles.

Sound 8.5

Engine and environmental sounds are sampled and created very nicely. You definitely need to adjust the settings in the option screen to get an enjoyable mix of music, engine, and environmental sound. The soundtrack is negligible. The option to have your own soundtrack makes this game almost ten times more enjoyable. I have to emphasize that the option to play your own soundtrack is so great that it warrants the purchase of an XBox for me before, and it still kicking it for me.

Gameplay 8.5

It can be as shallow as you want it to be or as deep. That means you can just jump in and have some fun, or spend countless hours perfecting those power-slides.

Presentation 8

Overall, the game is enjoyable. It has every elements that make it a very good game. The menu system needs more work for sure. The unlocking and extra features could be better.

Lasting Appeal 8

Once you complete the career mode and unlock those vehicles (most of them you don't even care), it is quite hard to find any incentive to keep on playing except for the graphics and your own soundtrack. With Sega GT, Pro Racer Driver on the horizon, RSC will keep you happy and busy until then.

Closing Comment

Overall, I give this game an 8.5. It is NOT better than Gran Turismo. It IS the best racing game currently for XBox. With Pro Race Driver and Sega GT2 on the horizon, this game should keep you happy and busy. I accredit RSC as the game that inspires future XBox driving games to be made better. I do not get the same state of euphoria when I first play the jaggy Gran Turismo. My recommendation is only buy this game if you are Rally fan, rent it first if you are just a driving game fan.

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I bought this game and I can't stop playing it. Sega Rally was one of my favorite games on the Sega Saturn (Sega Rally 2 for DC was horrible...the control was so broken!). NEVER has a video game for any console or PC conveyed a sense of environment as well as Rallisport Challenge does. The graphics are PHENOMENAL...everything from the clean, jaggy-free car models, grass, rocks and roads...it all looks so lifelike and solid! And the lighting...when the track indicates "early morning", "Rainy afternoon", or "evening" as it's conditions, believe me, the tracks and the way they are lit are completely convincing. You'll drive through some of these tracks (the most impressive are by far the Mediterranean, icy racing and hill climbing tracks) and you'll swear that you've actually driven through locales like this at some point in your life! And yes, on the hill climbing sections you CAN tumble off the side of the mountain which to my knowledge has never been done in a rally racing console game! Another bonus, check out the cool reflective mapping on the cars!

How's the gameplay? In one word: PERFECT! The game is challenging, but never to the point of controller-throwing frustration. You'll find that part of the game's appeal is to find out exactly which car is suitable for the circuit you are going to attempt. Here's a bonus tip....if you want to relive the glory days of Sega Rally 1 on your Sega Saturn, the Nissan Skyline and Lancia Delta control almost exactly like the default Lancia and Celica in SR1! You'll find yourself practicing to get the art of powersliding down...it's not easy and the trick eventually comes down to using the handbrake in tandem with the normal brakes on the sharpest curves. Believe me, once you finally have it down, being able to powerslide through the sharp turns in succession is one of the most skillfully satisfying abilities you can have as a gamer!

The career mode is where you'll find yourself the most. This consists of racing a small circuit of races--normally about 3 10. The object is to come in first in the points total so that you can amass the most points in the career totals to unlock new courses and cars. Great fun and you'll find yourself replaying many of the circuits with the new cars you unlocked to see how much better you can do! There's plenty to do and see and the races actually require some skill unlike the plethora of NASCAR games on the market.

The only downside is the soundtrack...just some generic techno that doesn't really do anything for me.

Is Rallisport Challenge the best racing game on the XBOX? I think so...

Honest reviews on Rallisport Challenge

For the most part, Rallisport Challenge really does live up to the hype. After disappointments like Wreckless and 4x4 Evo 2 I wasn't expecting much, but I was wrong.

Rallisport centers around a career mode where you compete in different types of rally racing to gain points and unlock more cars and races. Race types include ice racing, hill climbs, rallycross and traditional rallies. The tracks are pretty well varied and can be very challenging, especially the hill climbs.

My main complaint about the gameplay is the points system. Points are accumulated based on factors such as finish position and car damage. I would prefer to see overall rally position determined by cumulative time rather than points. Games such as Collin McRae Rally 2 are superior in this area.

Also, the cars aren't very tunable. The standard suspension settings and tire choices are there, but that's all. This game is clearly on the arcade side of the sim/arcade line.

Controlling the cars smoothly with the XBox controller can be a bit difficult, especially when you drive the unlimited class cars. The cars are rather touchy and the short travel of the XBox joystick makes subtle steering adjustments difficult.

Finally, the graphics really are wonderful. The attention to detail on the tracks is amazing. Drive through the grass and you'll the individual blades. Dust and damage will accumulate on your car over the course of a rally. The presentation is really well done. Just make sure to watch the replays because you'll probably miss most of it while trying to pilot your vehicle :)

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Did you think Project Gotham Racing(P.G.R.) was great? Wait till you play this game. Gamers everywhere have labeled this as the Gran Turismo Killer, and I couldn't agree more with them. I recently got to play an unfinshed built of this game and I was impressed. The controls are pretty much similas to P.G.R, but you can customize it also to your liking. The Graphics really utilizes XboX's power(you think Wreckless looked good? It's nothing compared to this game), every part of the game is detailed from the grass to the trees and especially the cars! There are 25 cars to choose from including Class 'B' Mucsle cars. The game is unlike Gran Turismo nor is it like P.G.R., it is a mix of both....an arcade racer and a sim-racer. You start out on your carreer with an ordinary rally car and you can upgrade it once you got the money, but unlike Gran Turismo, this game won't have as many parts in a Car as in Gran Turismo which is not bad since some gamers like me prefer that. Theres is also modes if you just want to race without worrying about managing your carreer, you can race by yourself or with upto 4 people on a split screen.

All in all looks like a killer Racing game, a definite buy!

Graphics 10/10

Sounds 8/10

Gameplay 9/10

Replayability 10/10

Final Score 9.2/10