I say it works fine but it needs a little fine tuning when you install the drivers.
DO NOT USE the disc it comes with. check this vid out if you want a proper install procedure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxa5CJsDzwQ
I say don't use the disc but it has been a year and maybe the person who sells this will update the disc but usually that is not their job. The drivers that come with it don't work right with win7/8. And installing it the way the utube vid won't mess anything up. Just follow his instructions exactly.
Showing posts with label xbox one best buy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xbox one best buy. Show all posts
Friday, February 6, 2015
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Best Skylanders Giants Single Character Hot Head Deals
List Price: $14.99
Sale Price: $14.96
Today's Bonus: $0.03 Off
MAKE NO MISTAKE..HOT HEAD IS ONE OF THE GIANT FIGURES WITHIN THE NEW "SKYLANDERS GIANTS" VERSION OF THE VIDEO GAME WHICH IS THE SEQUEL TO "SKYLANDERS SPYRO'S ADVENTURE". We have all of the current giant figures available and Hot Head is the coolest Giant currently available.
SUMMARY:
Hot Head is the Giant that belongs to the powerful fire element and is immediately a lot of fun to play with. The four available giants at this time are Crusher, Swarm, Tree Rex(comes with the game), and Bouncer. Hot Head begins with shooting a burst of flames out of his hands on his enemies. If you press and hold this attack the flames shoot longer, but slow him down a little more too. Eventually he can shoot oil blobs on his opponents and set them on fire (this combo inflicts a lot of damage to your enemies). His last attack is a rain shower of fire falling from the sky which gives a broad range of damage. If you prefer to enhance his wide ranged attack pick "Oil Baron" for his fire shower. It's a weak attack in the beginning that becomes very powerful over a wide range if you choose this path. The other path turns him into a strong "Burninator" which increases the strength of his hands shooting fire and the oil blobs eventually turn into "oil blob monsters" that help attack his foes. Setting these "oily monsters" on fire will help increase their critical hit abilities. After acquiring his soul gem, he turns into a fire blazing motorcycle, which increases his speed and makes it harder for his enemies to attack him.
STRATEGY:
Hot Head and most of the Giants are relatively slow. They all begin with a speed of 20, except for Bouncer and Ninjini who begin with a speed of 60. Hot Head and Ninjini's starting strengths are their critical hit ability which starts at a level of 80, while the other Giants begin with a 40 or 50 in comparison. Hot Heads beginning weakness is his armor at a level 12 which is equal to Swarm. The other Giants begin at Level 24, 30, and 48 with their armor.
PLAYING NOTES:
When you play with two players the Giants can be a frustrating ally if you are a normal size figure because they are big enough to hide you completely, make it impossible to see what's going on in front of you and where you need to aim. They are unique in that they can perform "Feats of Strength" where they pick up boulders to throw at the enemies, push huge rocks aside to stack and they can pull islands on chains closer for access.
HOT HEAD'S beginning profile stats (actual game console play numbers, not what you'll see on their trading cards which applies to online game-play):
Max Health:430
Speed:20
Armor:12
Critical Hit:80
Elemental Power:25
FYI FOR GIFT BUYERS: There are two other Giants available now that function basically the same in the game but have different color schemes(or Skins). They are Granite Crusher, exclusive to Target and Legendary Bouncer that's exclusive to Toys R Us. If you want your child to be able to access all the levels of the game they will need a figure of each of the 8 elements: Fire, Water, Tech, Undead, Life, Earth, Air, and Magic. If they got the Starter Pack WITH THE PORTAL, they have Life, Air, and Undead already. If they got the other pack without the portal (The Portal Owner's Pack) they have the new Life Giant "Tree Rex" and probably a lot of the older figures that can still be played on this game. There are 8 new Giant figures, 8 totally new regular sized figures and 8 Light-Core Figures (of which 4 are totally new and 4 are re-poses that light up). There are 24 Series 2, or re-poses of the previous Spyro's Adventure figure's available in Giant's. I am sure most kids or kids at heart, would love to have any of those newer figures for a gift and the avid collector would be happy with any of the Skylander's Giants figures. This isn't an all inclusive list of all the variants, but you'll have an idea of what you're in for. The cost can add up. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to have replay value with these figures. Skylanders Giants' figures can be played online, there's a new App Version of the game called "Battlegrounds" that can be played on the iPad, iPod or iPhones, and on their gaming consoles too. But for the basics, they need only 8 figures or one of each element.
RETAIL COST FOR THE GIANTS: $14.99 ANYTHING HIGHER IS THIRD PARTY SELLER, NOT AMAZON!
LIGHT-CORE FIGURES:(different aspects light up from within each of the 8 figures) RETAIL FOR $11.99
REGULAR SIZE FIGURES RETAIL:$9.99
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It happens every Christmas. The popular toys get snatched up by soulless leeches as soon as Amazon gets them in stock. Then these toys are immediately re-listed on Amazon Marketplace for 3 or even 4 times retail. It's ridiculous that a parent has to decide between disappointing their kids on Christmas morning or spending forty bucks on a toy that retails for fifteen. Amazon should limit the amount above retail that an item can be listed on their site!As for the product itself, I got lucky. I got it for retail cost and it is what my little girl wanted. I can't wait to play Skylanders with her and I'll do a more in depth review after Christmas!
Best Deals for Skylanders Giants Single Character Hot Head
Another Giant, another way to BLAST through the baddies in Skylanders GIANTS! Hot Head is similar to the other giants in that he is slow, extremely powerful and can take a beating like no normal Skylander can. As his name implies, he is a fire element Skylander and dishes out devastating attacks on those unfortunate enough to get in his path. I prefer to pair him with an Air Sklylander like Lightening Rod on 3DS for the increased jumping ability. I personally prefer Crusher overall out of the Giants available for additional purchase. He seems to be the most dominant overall character.Honest reviews on Skylanders Giants Single Character Hot Head
Happy with this purchase....purchased it for my grandson for Christmas and he loves the hot head character. Would recommend for children.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Skylanders Giants Single Character Hot Head
great character gives added depth to the game and my little one loves it he tells me stories and uses the characters outside the game
Friday, January 23, 2015
Cheap Killer Instinct
This game had more combos then Mortal Kombat it should have been remember now. I wish they were still making games of this on PS2. You can make the fighters fight faster by holding down all the buttons when you pick your fighter and when they have on the screen your fighter vs the computer to tell that it worked it will make a punching sound. The computer always tell you how many combos you made in other words how many hits. The most hit is the altra which has 24 hits, thats the finishing one. My favorite fighters are Spinal, Fulgore, B. Orchid, Jago, Combo, Thunder, Saberwolf, Raptor, Cinder. This game makes the Street Fighter games on Super NES look like a pre school game.
I am not disappointed. Although it's been many years since I've played Killer Instinct, it holds its own even against modern fighters like Mortal Kombat Armageddon, Soul Calibur II, and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core.
Each character has several special moves at their disposal, and they have quick/medium/fierce punches and kicks. The combos you can link are absolutely insane, and unlike any I have ever seen. There are also No Mercies which are like the fatalities of Mortal Kombat that can be used for a really cool finish once your opponent is on their last breath. You can also perform Ultra combos that reach over 20 hits in a row at a minimum! Also, Ultimate combos are executed when you do a regular combo, put the opponent to zero HP (at which time you can still continue the combo if you so choose), and then perform the No Mercy at the end. The smooth motions are fun to watch as you string a variety of moves together to perform insane assaults on your opponent.
The graphics are awesome for the SNES. The characters look really cool, and the enviornments are beautiful. Killer Instinct has some great music too. If you get the CD with the game, Killer Cuts, you'll be able to hear better/fleshed out version of the songs. It doesn't get any better!
The game supports an Arcade mode in which you fight all of the characters in succession and ultimately fight the boss of the game, Eyedol. A training mode is available, as well as 2 player mode and a tournament mode for multiple players. There are 6 difficulty levels, but none of them are particularly easy. This game is definitely for skilled gamers or those who are willing to put in the effort to learn the game. From the first opponent in the arcade mode you have to put up a serious fight to attain victory.
I love how complex the combo system is, and the challenge level (although sometimes frustrating) really motivates me to get better and better. If you want a deep fighting game with great mechanics, cool characters, and is a true classic, then this game is for you. This was a gem that no fan of fighting games should pass up.
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This is one of the greatest fighting games ever. It has been a while since i have played it but I have it on my snes emulator. I hope Nintendo re releases this masterpiece of a game to the game boy advanced.Soon im getting a game boy advanced and it would be cool to play Killer Instinct werever I go, whenever I want. If you have not played this game I urge you to play it its a classic......Remember mister or misses I work for nintendo and Im reading this please put this on Game Boy Advanced.Best Deals for Killer Instinct
Well, i know that i am not a boy, but i am a tomboy, and this game is the best one that ive got. i cant wait to get home from school every day just so that i can play Killer Instinct. My boyfriend gave this game to me only a week ago, but the 1st time that i played it, i just got attached. so he gave the game to me, and i still havent tired of playing it, and usually im tired of a game after like, 3 days. the game is very interesting, and im learning new combos every day. this is the kind of game that just does not get old!!! the game is very challenging, and it is very cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Honest reviews on Killer Instinct
This awesome fighting game came free with the SNES my mother bought for my brother and myself many years ago. Unfortunately, she would only let us play the game once a week for one hour because of the violence. We loved the game so much, but for some reason (probably because we were tired of only being able to play once a week) we ended up selling it to our neighbor and never saw it again. However, I recently ordered it from Amazon so I can relive the thrill.I am not disappointed. Although it's been many years since I've played Killer Instinct, it holds its own even against modern fighters like Mortal Kombat Armageddon, Soul Calibur II, and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core.
Each character has several special moves at their disposal, and they have quick/medium/fierce punches and kicks. The combos you can link are absolutely insane, and unlike any I have ever seen. There are also No Mercies which are like the fatalities of Mortal Kombat that can be used for a really cool finish once your opponent is on their last breath. You can also perform Ultra combos that reach over 20 hits in a row at a minimum! Also, Ultimate combos are executed when you do a regular combo, put the opponent to zero HP (at which time you can still continue the combo if you so choose), and then perform the No Mercy at the end. The smooth motions are fun to watch as you string a variety of moves together to perform insane assaults on your opponent.
The graphics are awesome for the SNES. The characters look really cool, and the enviornments are beautiful. Killer Instinct has some great music too. If you get the CD with the game, Killer Cuts, you'll be able to hear better/fleshed out version of the songs. It doesn't get any better!
The game supports an Arcade mode in which you fight all of the characters in succession and ultimately fight the boss of the game, Eyedol. A training mode is available, as well as 2 player mode and a tournament mode for multiple players. There are 6 difficulty levels, but none of them are particularly easy. This game is definitely for skilled gamers or those who are willing to put in the effort to learn the game. From the first opponent in the arcade mode you have to put up a serious fight to attain victory.
I love how complex the combo system is, and the challenge level (although sometimes frustrating) really motivates me to get better and better. If you want a deep fighting game with great mechanics, cool characters, and is a true classic, then this game is for you. This was a gem that no fan of fighting games should pass up.
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This is one of my favorite fight games of all time. I have just started playing it again and I still had remembered some of the cool combos. I still wanted to try KI Gold again though. I dont think I have gotten the hang of a few things.Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Best Cosmos ® Black Silicone Case cover for Xbox 360 Deals
There are not many places I have found an item like this and I was not sure before I purchased if this was made well or would fit correctly. The item arrived in a plastic pouch with no instructions. But that is not an issue as it was pretty easy to figure out. The cutouts fit perfectly and I am really pleased with the design, fit and purchase.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - Xbox 360 Review
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $12.95
Today's Bonus: 35% Off
If you're looking for a combat game with amazing graphics for your XBox 360, then definitely go buy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. The game is fun in single, co-op and online mode!
First, the graphics, because they are just so gorgeous in high definition. The character movements are smooth and realistic. Characters tumble down stairs. Smoke billows. Leaves wave. The different types of area beach, city, snow all have their own look and feel.
We mostly play games single player or XBox Live but it so happens that when we first took this game home there were 2 gamers who both wanted to play. We played the side by side co-op. It was amazingly fun! There was plenty of screen for both players and with the huge maps, there was great opportunity to flank your opponents and catch them in the crossfire.
The sound is fantastic. The ambient noise around you really adds to the feeling that you are there from people talking, to wind noises, to the various noises made by the weaponry used. If you don't have your XBox 360 going through a good stereo yet, now is really the time to hook that up.
I found the on screen status alerts to be both easy to read and unobtrusive. They were there for quick reference, but didn't get in the way of actual gameplay.
The regular single player campaign is a ton of fun, involving, and very fun to play through. The real challenge, of course, is going Live and facing off against other real players. If you don't have Live yet, then this is a game that might entice you to take that step. It really does make this game one you could play for years and still have fun.
I've had non-war-gamers come over and pick up the basics of gameplay within minutes. It's not super-challenging or technical in that sense. It does take patience, though. This isn't a game about plowing Rambo-like into the middle of a pack of enemies and blasting away. It requires you to look over the situation, find the angle that gives you the best protection and to pick away at the enemies while staying safe. You're not a super-human here. You are a well equipped soldier who can stay alive with a combination of weaponry skill and strategic intelligence.
Highly recommended!
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Tom Clancy, you sly devil. You've got me loving modern warfare again. If I weren't so old and asthmatic, I'd consider signing up for your army of the future.Gameplay:
Ghost Recon, Advanced Warfighter is a great mix of action, squad tactics and 3rd person shooter. If you try to play this game by running out in the open with your rifle blazing, you'll find the game awful and difficult. Sadly, if you're one of those strange-o freaks who likes to play video games in real time, crawling against the side of a virtual house for 6 hours, you'll hate this game, too. So... who would like this game? The rest of the planet. Basically, the game design encourages you to play smart, but doesn't force you to play slow. Many stealth games are painful to play, in my un-humble opinion, but this Tom Clancy game does stealth the right way. An important feature of this game is the "advanced" weapons and tools you have at your disposal. Futuristic graphical enemy detectors and flying drones give the game a different feel than other Tom Clancy games, and I find it a cool addition. Its not overwhelming, just a great add-on. The friendly AI isn't always the best, but the game is designed to make up for any flaws in your team. It isn't impossible to have a useless idiot on your team in real life, so I guess occasional AI flaws could be considered the height of realism.
Graphics:
Ubisoft has offered us one of the best looking games for the 360 (unless you count the pretty colors of some of the very nicely done XBLA games). Everything from the character animation to the colors and tones of the environments draws you into the game.
Sound:
The voice acting is slightly better than a Spanish soap opera. (close your eyes while watching one of those and you'll find it a lot less fun). The sound effects and score more than make up for it, though. Its easy to get lost in the game with the sound turned up.
Multiplayer:
I would have preferred full campaign co-op, as the game limits you to mission based maps that feel a bit disconnected from the main game. This, and the AI glitches mentioned earlier, cost G.R.A.W. (as all the cool kids call it) a half point from me, but this is still an excellent game to play with friends (real, imaginary or internet based).
Overall:
Haven't you heard enough? Go buy it. You don't have to pay full price for it, of course. 60 bucks is a bit much (not counting a $15 extra map pack you can buy from Xbox Live), but if you have it to spend, there are no games better for the xbox 360. I rate this 4.5 stars.
Best Deals for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - Xbox 360
You play as Scott Mitchell, captain of the Ghost forces stationed in Mexico, while the three presidents of the North American countries are signing a mutual protection act of some sorts. Things go bad at the signing when Mexican rebels led by a Carlos Oniveros storm the place, killing the Canadian president & forcing the US & Mexican presidents to run for their lives basically. Anyway, its your job to rescue said presidents and stop Ontiveros..sounds easy until you find out Ontiveros has the US President's "football" (Which is a brief case that has codes to nuclear ICBMs).This game has it all. You run, climb, slide, dive, go prone, heal fallen teammates, take cover and lean against any flat surface, press select and you have a full 360 degrees rotatable map of the area, select a HUGE array of weapons (both with and without scopes), pick up enemy weapons, command not only fellow Ghost ground pounders but M1 Abrams tanks, Apache & Black Hawk helicopters, and many more. Ontop of that, your enemies are outlined in red (and once spotted are noted on that 360 degreed map for future planning), friendlies in green, and you also get night vision goggles.
I never thought I would be saying this about a Tom Clancy game, but Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of the most action packed, combat heavy, intense tactical games I have played. You will constantly be swarmed by wave after wave of enemy rebels and tanks... take this one stage where the US Embassy gets bombed you have to protect the Mexican president from seriously an army of rebels with just you and the three Ghost members. It's a very hard game, but extremley fun. One thing thats boo though is the fact that you really only get hit like three times until you die.. meh.
Graphics....are quite possibly some of the best I have ever seen; they easily blow Halo 2 out of the water and rank way up there with games like Perfect Dark Zero (blarff). The lighting is magnificent and enchanting, windows actually reflect the scenery, the cities look so real, and the characters look life like in fact they even move as fluid as a real human being. Simply put, you'll be breathless and G.R.A.W. really flexes X-Box 360's video muscles.
The music is a blend between real bands such as Ill Nino, and Ubisoft's own symphony/rock ballads. Both really help set the atmosphere and fit in perfectly. Take, for instance, when Ontiveros shoots this guy in a Black Hawk that has been helping you the entire game the music gets REALLY sad and depressing and actually fills you with rage and determination to take Carlos down. Amazing once again.
There is indeed an online and split screen mutliplayer. Both are pretty fun you can play against people in a free for all or teams, or play co-op in a made up campaign or play against bots. Its pretty sweet and really helps you get the feel of the controls (though you can't command a team in multiplayer like you do in the solo game) and shows you how the game is going to basically be. One thing I didn't like about multiplayer is the fact that it's not in a third person view like the entire game is, but rather takes a first person approach. Im a fan for FPS, but I liked this game as a third person.. oh, the little things.
The ending was typical Tom Clancy, and was rather short to get to (11 missions) Mitchell retrieves the football and kills Ontiveros thus securing the safety of the world from a nuclear strike. Ontop of that the FBI or something arrests some retired high ranking official in the US for conspiring with Ontiveros...eventually it starts getting all complicated with conspiracies so I didn't understand it.
Lets finish this review by saying this if you own an X-Box 360, you better own this game. So far, it's the best game for the system, and is one of the best games I have played.
Honest reviews on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - Xbox 360
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is the third game in the Ghost Recon series. Each of the games has improved over the original, and this one is no different. With new gameplay mechanics like the Cross-Com, a much improved cover system, and breathtaking graphics, Advanced Warfighter is a worthy sequel and a true next generation game.The story takes place in modern day Mexico City. In the game you play as a man by the name of Scott Mitchell who is the captain of an elite light infantry unit called the Ghosts. You are there to provide security during a meeting between the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is during this time that some Mexican insurgents decide to attack the meeting in an attempt to come to power. They kill the Canadian prime minister and the US and Mexican presidents disappear. Your job, among other things, is to locate and rescue the US and Mexican presidents.
You won't be fighting alone for most of the campaign. You will have three teammates which you can order around for the majority of the missions. You can order them to attack, fall back to you, and move into certain positions. While the way you command them is not exactly deep or provides a lot of control, you can still be pretty effective with your squad. Your Cross-Com allows you to see what one of your teammates sees, allowing you to get multiple perspectives of the battlefield. Unfortunately, the squad AI can give you a bit of a headache sometimes. While they are usually pretty good at shooting enemies, it's not too uncommon to find your teammates exposing themselves too much instead of properly using cover. For the most part they do try to use cover whenever possible though.
Besides your three teammates, some missions give you other assets to control. One of which is a UAV which you can order around the level. The UAV can detect enemy troops and mark them on your HUD. Since you can die pretty fast in this game, knowing where the enemies are and planning your next move is essential, and having a working UAV helps greatly. Occasionally you will also have a tank or helicopter gunship. The tank can not only be used to attack enemies but it can also be used as cover while it moves. The helicopter is also pretty good and moving and striking targets on the ground quickly. During a few sequences in the game, you will actually get to fly around in the helicopter and use the machine gun on the side to take out huge groups of enemies. While these sequences are not too challenging, they are a lot of fun.
Because a single good shot can kill you in Advanced Warfighter, the game has a slower pace and more tactical feel then other action games. That is not to say that the game is dull; it is filled with fierce fire fights and big explosions, but it does require more thinking then some other games. You always want to lean around corners before going walking out in the open, and always fight from behind cover. Since the levels are pretty large (many city blocks for each level), there are usually multiple ways to get to each objective. Most of the time just taking a different route will end up in a totally different experience. Enemies roam the map, also making sure the game never plays exactly the same way twice.
The amazing graphics are probably the first thing you will notice when you load up this game. The amount of detail in objects and the size of the city are staggering. During the game's many helicopter rides, the city buildings and streets stretch out for mines in every direction. Sometimes you can see areas filled with fire or smoke from all of the fighting that has been going on. These sequences do a great job of making you feel that you are in a real city fighting in a real conflict. Mexico City just looks absolutely beautiful. Advanced Warfighter is easily the best looking game on the Xbox 360 console. The HDR lighting is used to great effect in all of the games missions, which range from early morning, afternoon, and dusk. During some of the afternoon missions, the sunlight can get so bright that it actually makes it hard to see. The character models are some of the best that I have seen. They are all extremely detailed and look very realistic. They also animate in a very believable way. The only negative thing you can say about the graphics is that things will sometimes "pop" into view when leaning around the corners. This does not happen often, but can take you out of the game for a moment when it does happen.
The audio in the game is also great. All of the guns sound different and extremely clear. Explosions and tank and rocket fire sound great as well. The game also muffles the sound when explosions go off around you. The music in the game is also pretty good and comes in at the right moments. The voice acting, while not amazing, is convincing.
While the single player game is great, the multiplayer is what's going to keep people playing. The game features three ways to play multiplayer: local play, system link, and over Xbox live. There is a large selection of game types to choose from. First, there are the excellent co-op missions which are a blast to play with your friends. Then there are the more standard game types you are used to like capture the flag and deathmatch. Besides those default settings, the game allows you to customize your game to play the way you want to. The multiplayer experience is extremely addictive and plays very well. I definitely expect people to be hooked on this game for a very long time.
Overall, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is a great game. Offering an intense single player campaign and multiplayer matches which will remain fun for hours at time, Advanced Warfighter is a great complete package and sets the bar pretty high for the inevitable sequel.
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Every once in a while, a video game comes along and redefines a genre, defines the capabilities of a console, or both. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of those games that accomplishes both feats. Ubisoft's next-gen centerpiece turned out to be quite a game in almost every way imaginable. From the intense duck-and-cover, squad-based gameplay to the beautiful environments and the amazing online multiplayer, GRAW has it all.The single-player campaign's story puts you into the helmet of Captain Scott Mitchell, a member of the Ghost Recon team working for the United States government. It's 2013, and Mitchell and his crew are armed with equipment that could accurately and precisely take out a small army in moments. Their goal is to secure the United States and Mexican presidents from Mexican rebels who attack during a trade deal that would make peace with three separate countries. From there, it's up to the wits and military smarts of the gamer and his or her crew to stay alive, suppress the enemy, and protect the VIPs.
Each of the game's 11 long, engaging missions will test your wits as a Ghost. Mitchell and his crew are already armed with the proper equipment and it's the optimization of the surroundings that will keep your squad alive. Fortunately, thanks to an extremely intuitive squad command system and heads-up display (HUD), ordering your squad to move out is as simple as pressing up on the directional pad while pointing at a location. You can even change their approach from Recon to Assault for sneaking or aggressively going into a battle guns-blazing.
That isn't to say that Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is ever a run-and-gun game. Instead, its pace is as slow as a slug but as intense as any game you've ever played before. Imagine Call of Duty 2 on its Veteran setting; that's how intense this game can be. Even a situation, one as early as the third level, is extremely intense. I was almost too afraid to poke my head around a corner and take a pot shot at an attacking rebel and his back-up, an armored APC complete with a machine gunner. Unfortunately for my on-screen Ghost, my brash tactic of rolling out from cover and trying to take out the gunner resulted in the Game Over screen and a look of disappointment on my face while my Ghost lay dead on the ground.
The gameplay is extremely tight thanks to a set of perfect controls. While at first the scheme felt awkward, after a few minutes of getting used to it, I was ready to load terrorists with lead and direct my team with relative ease. Even when back-up arrives, usually in the form of Cypher spy cameras or Bradley tanks, controlling everything on the screen is easy. When the going gets really tough, the player can use the optimized HUD to mark enemy locations, find different routes, and locate mission objectives. The HUD even offers a mini-screen located at the top-left of your television screen that allows you to view the game through the eyes of a comrade or your support units. Overall, I'd say that GRAW is the first game I've ever played where the HUD was sometimes the most helpful part of the game. Because of this, and the general tight feeling of the gameplay, I feel that GRAW is one of the best action titles around.
My only complaint with the gameplay is the "unsnapping" from a wall; it is sometimes too difficult to do in dangerous situations. Rather than simply pulling away from the wall at any given moment, I found myself having to wait for Mitchell to complete whatever he was doing before he'd "unsnap" from the wall. Generally, I only panicked when a terrorist ran around the corner and faced me with his gun raised while I was reloading. This situation, 100% of the time, brought up that damn Game Over screen again and again.
I've honestly never played a game that felt so tactical and felt so realistic. Thanks in part to the visuals, which I'll mention in a moment, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter has the best level design I've seen from a shooter in years. The open feeling of the different urban areas is a fresh breath of life after linear games like The Outfit have been spinning in my Xbox 360. If I approached a firefight from one angle and found myself dying every time, I could usually pull back and approach the situation from another angle-and simply making use of my tools, like the HUD and tactical map, did I find the perfect route. Using my support units, like the Cyphers and Bradleys, I could spy on the enemy and pinpoint their location and then watch as they're obliterated. Then I could clean up any mess left over with my trusty MR-C rifle.
The visuals in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter are quite simply the best thing I've ever seen from a video game. I've never played a game that looked this advanced-from the environments to the HUD, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is truly the first next-generation video game. The city feels real. As I'm creeping along the alleyways of a run-down Mexican suburb, I can almost smell the mud and dirt that I sneak on. I can almost taste the gunpowder in the air after a firefight. I feel like I could reach into the television screen and take a shot with Mitchell's rifle, then high-five him after a bullet plows through a terrorist's skull from 200 yards away. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter simply has to be seen to be believed, so I'll leave that experience for you to discover!
As good as Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter looks, it also sounds amazing. As you sneak along, picking off terrorists, you'll hear distant firefights and nearby yells from other terrorists. If you're unseen and without a Cypher spy camera, you can always rely on your ears to know when a cluster of terrorists is waiting around the corner.
Multiplayer, both on Xbox Live and local Xbox 360 matches, is absolutely fantastic. With Elimination (deathmatch), Last Man Standing, and Territories (same as Halo 2's mode), Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter has some of the most fundamental yet entertaining modes of play. The maps are also fantastic. "Nowhere", a ghost town with hills, rocks, a junkyard, and a deadly, wide-open main street, is my favorite. Each of the maps offer strategic locations and tactical possibilities for each of the game's character classes, like Riflemen, Marksmen, and Grenadiers. The weapon selection is also much larger than it is in the single-player mode, and the controls are optimized for faster gameplay. On Xbox Live, gamers are given a rank-based off of real-life military ranks-for their performance. Similarly to Halo 2's level system, better players have higher ranks. Earning a new rank in GRAW is much more gratifying, though, as it requires a lot more time and skill than it does in Halo 2. While the gameplay experiences are entirely different, with Halo 2 being more frantic and action-packed and less tactical, I predict Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter's online community will be huge, just like the legendary Xbox title.
Not everything in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is perfect. I was particularly annoyed with the on-rails helicopter sequences, the unsnapping from walls and the sometimes-spotty AI of my comrades. Still, the game is dangerously close to that label, and the three complaints I just mentioned are pretty easy to deal with in exchange for the best visuals and the next big Xbox Live title. Ubisoft should be proud; they've created one of the very few Xbox 360 must-have titles. Action fans will absolutely love this game, and next to Call of Duty 2 and Dead or Alive 4, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is a game that should be in your Xbox 360 inventory.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Reviews
A New RPG
The first Knights of the old Republic (KOTOR), was one heck of a game. It took everything that people loved about the classic trilogy and expanded universe of Star Wars, and packed it neatly into an epic RPG where everything you did had either light side or dark side properties. Sure there was light-saber combat, but the game was more about storyline and immersion than anything else. The countless hours of voice-acting and intriguing dialog choices, to say nothing of conversations that would or would not take place depending on what you did, created an experience that sent shock-waves through the video game world. Of course there were also some bugs to be found (okay, a LOT of bugs), and some of the mini games were pointless (anyone else get tired of playing gunner when it's almost impossible to lose?), but on the whole, that game was awesome, giving you everything from jedi mind-tricks and choking of smart-mouths with the force to dancing with twileks and finding out your own dark "Luke, I AM your father" secret. So naturally, the second KOTOR has a lot to live up to.
You Should Not Have Come Back
If the first KOTOR was A New Hope with the plot twist from Empire Strikes back, this one is probably Empire Strikes back with the plot and pacing of A New Hope. In a move that sits particularly well with me, the dialog and plot are both much darker and much funnier this time around. I knew that from the moment I found myself half-naked talking to a prisoner in a cell in a station where hundreds lie dead on the ground and psycho droids roam the halls. As the title of the game suggests, this time around everything revolves around the Sith (well, that and finding out why you were banished in the first place). Pretty much the whole has you playing cat-and-mouse with the Sith, trying to figure out who exactly the real bad guys are. Is is the tortured zombie Darth Sion, who is only kept alive by his own hatred and dark-side power, lusting for revenge on his old master? Is it Sith Lord who wears the creepy Sith Mask, so consumed with hunger for force energy that entire planets are devoured by his hunger as he roams the galaxy in his ghost-ship? Or is the true villain the one who manipulates these Sith fools, using them to make YOU stronger?
Pluck of an Old (Fashioned) Sith
Instead of the same old questions of simple "Do I kill the guy or give him ALL of my money" good and evil, a lot of situations in this game are gray areas. You COULD help someone, but it may hurt them more in the long run. You COULD listen to someone's innocent comments, only to discover that they are pure evil. And you COULD hurt someone very much by allowing them to get too close to you. Really, if there is one thing that makes this game fascinating, is the way that puts such a wonderful spin on things, making you repeatedly question your actions and why you are doing the things that you are, forcing nice people to kill when YOU are the good guy, making people betray their master to serve YOU. Perhaps the ultimate question of the game (and it's proved by the very end) is just how far are you willing to go in order to help someone you believe in or destroy something that you hate. Far more is at stake than just the Jedi and the Sith, or even just the Republic. What will you do? Sacrifice your soldiers or save the galaxy?
The Weapon of a Jedi Knight
Some people will undoubted become irked at the fact that they can't have a light saber from the get-go. But storyline is key here, and now that almost all the Jedi are dead, and most of the Sith as well, light sabers are becoming a little rare. And what with people hunting Jedi down and all, well you get the picture. Consider this though, what is a Jedi without his light saber? Have you ever thought about it? A jedi who's an expert marksman would be a dangerous foe, and a jedi with a sword is kind of like a samurai... And much to my delight, when you begin the game you DO have force powers.
I Want to Learn the Ways of the Force
When I heard about how this game was going to have all these new force powers, at first I was irritated. Great, more confusion, more head-scratching and decision making distracting me from the game. But as the game progressed I discovered something wonderful. Instead of forcing you to choose, the game helps you along by making the choices far more obvious. Certain types of Jedi gain certain abilities automatically (bonuses that come from leveling up in a certain style), and certain super-cool powers can only be obtained by types. In other words, a weapons master can't throw lightening around like a jedi master. More choices, but the impossible ones aren't shown, and the crucial ones are automatic. Nice.
Fastest Ship in the Galaxy
Really you've got to love most of the changes that have been made in this game. The card game has been expanded and so has the racing (and both have gotten a lot more sophisticated). You can break down components, build new ones, create upgrades, choose fighting styles You have three extra levels of Jedi on top of the old for dark side and light side, and dialog options change depending on your skills. Of course the game is also a lot easier on normal now (which some may not like), and there is a lot more soloing this time (which adds to the narrative, but forces you to use certain characters). I particularly loved the fact that Jedi can now equip armor of certain types and still use force powers. That and the fact that I never ran out of money (like I frequently did in the first game the first time around).
From a Certain Point of View
What really makes this game shine though, is the story. Granted, it may not be as ambitious as the first game, and a few critical moments could have been better (I wanted a LONG battle with the main villains, not a quick death for one of us), but on the whole I think the story of this game is better. Essentially you start the game full of questions and end it in a similar way, but along the way to the answers to your main questions you pick up a variety of characters who are just full of surprises, and keep you guessing as to how you should play things out.
You can try to get close to one character or another, but inevitably you're going to alienate someone, and as certain characters will give you bonuses as you teach each other various techniques, you're likely to quickly start playing favorites. While some characters will just plain shut up if you have nothing to talk about, and others will allow you (glitch time) to have the same conversations over and over again, on the whole the character interaction is incredible, augmented by some wonderful voice-acting. Depending on what you say and do, you may find yourself with not only a love interest, but a love TRIANGLE, and in this game no one is quite what they seem (even the droids).
While the influence you exert over others (turning them light or dark side and opening them up to you) is great, many will doubtless be delighted with the prospect of training their own apprentice(s) in the ways of the Force. There is just something insanely cool about training your own private army of Jedi, don't you think? Of course it can go so many ways depending on how you play...
It also seems to me that the characters in this game have a much stronger sense of identity and personal agenda than in the first game, and the conversations feel more personal. In particular I found the new female characters fascinating, as the manipulate Kreia tries to teach you, protect you, and control you, the Handmaiden tries to preach to you, learn from you, and respect you, Mira tries to decipher you, and Visas just plain worships you (or does she?). The frustrating but interesting thing about the characters is that you'll only get certain ones if you are light side/dark side and you can only figure out what they're really up to if you use your powers of persuasion in a concentrated effort. And of course there are also characters that will or will not join you depending on whether you are male or female (how about that?). Some people will completely overlook this part of the game and not talk to anyone, but they will never understand the true motivations of the characters, and certain won't have any padawan learners to educate in the ways of the force.
All in all, the story and characters are pretty great, and definitely worth playing the game through more than once to see the full scope of. Your fist time through will doubtless still leave you wondering about the future at the end of the game, as some big questions are still left unanswered (can you say KOTOR III?).
The Droids You're Looking For
And then there's the droids. Is it possible for our psychotic assassin droid to get any more sarcastic and cynical (and demented)? And what about our little astromech droid? Now you can converse with the cute little guy the way Luke and Obi-Wan did with R2 (how cool is that?). In addition to these guys though, you also have a floating orb that follows your resident mechanic/melee expert, and a new floating torture/assassin droid that is more than he seems.
What a Piece of Junk
Alright, I'll admit it. While this game has better facial detail and probably more terrain detail than the previous game (and better battle animations to boot), there are some glitches that are simply inexcusable. Yeah, there are a LOT of load times that shouldn't be there (the ones for races are particularly bad), and while you get used to them, they still are irritating. But that's nothing. During battles with vast amounts of baddies, the frame rate occasionally drops to about 0, and you'll have no idea how you (or someone else) just died. Sometimes (and I thought this most irritating of all), the dialog will be cut off and the cinematic (in-game not pre-rendered) will go black. Ugh. THAT ruins drama. And then there's times when your characters will just stand and do nothing in a battle (not good), or someone who is supposed to follow you won't (ARGH!). And of course the graphics aren't exactly state-of the-art. I mean they are better, but they're still look more like something from the N64 or PlayStation than the X-Box. Do these flaws (and others) make the game unplayable? No. But they do take away that vital fifth star...
I Have a Bad Feeling About This
There were times early in the game where I was so incredibly sucked-in that I could think of nothing else except that I hadn't played a game I enjoyed this much in ages. The storyline really is that good. There were moments when I thought this was going to be the greatest game I ever played (the flying creature from The Phantom Menace who faked being fooled by my mind-trick was one for the ages, as was Mira's description of how to deal with a guy that a girl likes). Some of the lines characters said were so close to classic Star Wars lines I was laughing hysterically (not to mention some of the wacky things you could say in reply). And no matter how slice it, saving the galaxy, fighting dark lords and wielding light sabers is mighty cool. Sadly though, glitches, gameplay flaws, and weak confrontations with the biggest bosses left this one a bit short of perfect. It's still definitely worth playing though. Especially if you liked the first KOTOR. It's also nice and long. It took me 50 hours to beat the first time through. May the force be with you...
Well I think you must've heard plenty of good things about this game, but here are a few things I didn't like. The biggest of which is the ending. Don't worry I won't give it away. Suffice to say that it was highly anti-climatic as well as being a cliffhanger. In fact it is anti-climatic in a few more areas other than the ending. However, the story was still engaging if you can follow it. It is a bit cryptic at times and confusing, but if you could follow Metal Gear Solid 2 you can follow this. Another big problem is that it is glitchy. I didn't have any problems, but I've heard many others complain about it. Especially those with modded Xboxes. The romance options in this game never really come to fruition. Except for one, there never seems to be any resolution to the romances. Also you do not get your lightsaber until a good long way into the game. This wasn't a problem to me and added a sense of importance to obtaining one. Also lightsabers are much more powerful than in the first so it makes sense to make them rarer.
Despite all that this game is great! It is definitely worth buying if you are a fan of Star Wars and the first game. The quests are new and interesting. There are quite a few moral dilemmas. Not much if any of the quests from the previous game were recycled. Which is a good thing...
The game mechanics are virtually identical to the original, which is fine. There are a few minor tweaks. The workbench can now be used to create items, not just upgrade them, and there's a new "lab station" that can make medical items and explosives. Both of these stations are much more common than the workbench was in the original. You can now switch among several "forms" which give bonuses to some attributes and penalties to others. Pazaak has been improved with the addition of some new cards, plus the first play alternates between the contestants. Other than that, there's not much in the engine that's new.
Which, again, is fine. The original's mechanics worked well and there's no need to change them. But the original achieved legendary status by building a powerful and compelling storyline on top of those mechanics, and here the sequel falls short.
The characters aren't as interesting. Your character's motivations are far less clear. There are times when a character's actions become cryptic for nothing more than the sake of being cryptic. The game shows you many cutscenes where your main character is not present, so you will gain knowledge that your character is unable to act on, which can be frustrating.
I found KotOR II much easier than the original. Virtually none of the enemies provided a challenge. I frequently found myself opening a door, facing up to a dozen foes, and slicing through them like butter, only to open the next door and do it all over again. There is an adjustable difficulty level, which I left on Normal... I can't imagine what Easy must be like.
While leaving the engine pretty much alone, Obsidian abused it by throwing more at it than it can handle. Occasions where the frame rate drops are frequent, sometimes unacceptably so. In a few instances, it dropped to less than one frame per second. I also encountered one hard crash while playing. Fortunately, the game autosaves frequently.
Ironically, I was compelled to play the game almost continuously through and completed it in a single weekend. This was because I kept waiting for it to get better, waiting for the dramatic improvement that would make it a worthy sequel. It never came, and the ending was as disappointing as the rest of the game.
My advice to those who played and loved the prequel is to play KotOR II, but keep your expectations low. Perhaps then the disappointment won't be as bitter.
It tries really hard to differenciate itself from a typical Star Wars story, and in that in succeeds. It's not just about "light side" or "dark side", there are many shades of grey. Good deeds can have bad consequences, and vice versa. It's a nice theme, and I wish it was carried a bit further.
While the NPCs aren't nearly as deep as the original game, they are still more interesting then most typical RPGs. Where the first game revealed the characters' backstories to you slowly over the course of the game through conversations, this game opts to show you cutscenes where the characters interact with each other. This is a nice touch in some respects, but frustrating as well becauase your avatar is not present during these scenes and you can't act on the information you learn.
The plot in "The Sith Lord" is very deep, although at times it is VERY confusing. Most of the time, I had no idea why my character was doing what she was doing. It was as if there was a huge amount of backstory that was never revealed. I kept waiting for the big revelation that would explain everything, but it never came.
The end of the first game was perfect. Events were moving to a close and building up to a satisfying conclusion. Not so with the sequel. The end of the game comes extremely suddenly, not to mention out of nowhere. When the closing credits blasted onto the screen, I could only stare in dumbfounded annoyance as the controller fell from my numb fingers.
I'm being very critical here. Kotor 2 is an extremely good game, far better than most RPGs out there. As a followup to its precesessor, it fails although it does try hard.
The first Knights of the old Republic (KOTOR), was one heck of a game. It took everything that people loved about the classic trilogy and expanded universe of Star Wars, and packed it neatly into an epic RPG where everything you did had either light side or dark side properties. Sure there was light-saber combat, but the game was more about storyline and immersion than anything else. The countless hours of voice-acting and intriguing dialog choices, to say nothing of conversations that would or would not take place depending on what you did, created an experience that sent shock-waves through the video game world. Of course there were also some bugs to be found (okay, a LOT of bugs), and some of the mini games were pointless (anyone else get tired of playing gunner when it's almost impossible to lose?), but on the whole, that game was awesome, giving you everything from jedi mind-tricks and choking of smart-mouths with the force to dancing with twileks and finding out your own dark "Luke, I AM your father" secret. So naturally, the second KOTOR has a lot to live up to.
You Should Not Have Come Back
If the first KOTOR was A New Hope with the plot twist from Empire Strikes back, this one is probably Empire Strikes back with the plot and pacing of A New Hope. In a move that sits particularly well with me, the dialog and plot are both much darker and much funnier this time around. I knew that from the moment I found myself half-naked talking to a prisoner in a cell in a station where hundreds lie dead on the ground and psycho droids roam the halls. As the title of the game suggests, this time around everything revolves around the Sith (well, that and finding out why you were banished in the first place). Pretty much the whole has you playing cat-and-mouse with the Sith, trying to figure out who exactly the real bad guys are. Is is the tortured zombie Darth Sion, who is only kept alive by his own hatred and dark-side power, lusting for revenge on his old master? Is it Sith Lord who wears the creepy Sith Mask, so consumed with hunger for force energy that entire planets are devoured by his hunger as he roams the galaxy in his ghost-ship? Or is the true villain the one who manipulates these Sith fools, using them to make YOU stronger?
Pluck of an Old (Fashioned) Sith
Instead of the same old questions of simple "Do I kill the guy or give him ALL of my money" good and evil, a lot of situations in this game are gray areas. You COULD help someone, but it may hurt them more in the long run. You COULD listen to someone's innocent comments, only to discover that they are pure evil. And you COULD hurt someone very much by allowing them to get too close to you. Really, if there is one thing that makes this game fascinating, is the way that puts such a wonderful spin on things, making you repeatedly question your actions and why you are doing the things that you are, forcing nice people to kill when YOU are the good guy, making people betray their master to serve YOU. Perhaps the ultimate question of the game (and it's proved by the very end) is just how far are you willing to go in order to help someone you believe in or destroy something that you hate. Far more is at stake than just the Jedi and the Sith, or even just the Republic. What will you do? Sacrifice your soldiers or save the galaxy?
The Weapon of a Jedi Knight
Some people will undoubted become irked at the fact that they can't have a light saber from the get-go. But storyline is key here, and now that almost all the Jedi are dead, and most of the Sith as well, light sabers are becoming a little rare. And what with people hunting Jedi down and all, well you get the picture. Consider this though, what is a Jedi without his light saber? Have you ever thought about it? A jedi who's an expert marksman would be a dangerous foe, and a jedi with a sword is kind of like a samurai... And much to my delight, when you begin the game you DO have force powers.
I Want to Learn the Ways of the Force
When I heard about how this game was going to have all these new force powers, at first I was irritated. Great, more confusion, more head-scratching and decision making distracting me from the game. But as the game progressed I discovered something wonderful. Instead of forcing you to choose, the game helps you along by making the choices far more obvious. Certain types of Jedi gain certain abilities automatically (bonuses that come from leveling up in a certain style), and certain super-cool powers can only be obtained by types. In other words, a weapons master can't throw lightening around like a jedi master. More choices, but the impossible ones aren't shown, and the crucial ones are automatic. Nice.
Fastest Ship in the Galaxy
Really you've got to love most of the changes that have been made in this game. The card game has been expanded and so has the racing (and both have gotten a lot more sophisticated). You can break down components, build new ones, create upgrades, choose fighting styles You have three extra levels of Jedi on top of the old for dark side and light side, and dialog options change depending on your skills. Of course the game is also a lot easier on normal now (which some may not like), and there is a lot more soloing this time (which adds to the narrative, but forces you to use certain characters). I particularly loved the fact that Jedi can now equip armor of certain types and still use force powers. That and the fact that I never ran out of money (like I frequently did in the first game the first time around).
From a Certain Point of View
What really makes this game shine though, is the story. Granted, it may not be as ambitious as the first game, and a few critical moments could have been better (I wanted a LONG battle with the main villains, not a quick death for one of us), but on the whole I think the story of this game is better. Essentially you start the game full of questions and end it in a similar way, but along the way to the answers to your main questions you pick up a variety of characters who are just full of surprises, and keep you guessing as to how you should play things out.
You can try to get close to one character or another, but inevitably you're going to alienate someone, and as certain characters will give you bonuses as you teach each other various techniques, you're likely to quickly start playing favorites. While some characters will just plain shut up if you have nothing to talk about, and others will allow you (glitch time) to have the same conversations over and over again, on the whole the character interaction is incredible, augmented by some wonderful voice-acting. Depending on what you say and do, you may find yourself with not only a love interest, but a love TRIANGLE, and in this game no one is quite what they seem (even the droids).
While the influence you exert over others (turning them light or dark side and opening them up to you) is great, many will doubtless be delighted with the prospect of training their own apprentice(s) in the ways of the Force. There is just something insanely cool about training your own private army of Jedi, don't you think? Of course it can go so many ways depending on how you play...
It also seems to me that the characters in this game have a much stronger sense of identity and personal agenda than in the first game, and the conversations feel more personal. In particular I found the new female characters fascinating, as the manipulate Kreia tries to teach you, protect you, and control you, the Handmaiden tries to preach to you, learn from you, and respect you, Mira tries to decipher you, and Visas just plain worships you (or does she?). The frustrating but interesting thing about the characters is that you'll only get certain ones if you are light side/dark side and you can only figure out what they're really up to if you use your powers of persuasion in a concentrated effort. And of course there are also characters that will or will not join you depending on whether you are male or female (how about that?). Some people will completely overlook this part of the game and not talk to anyone, but they will never understand the true motivations of the characters, and certain won't have any padawan learners to educate in the ways of the force.
All in all, the story and characters are pretty great, and definitely worth playing the game through more than once to see the full scope of. Your fist time through will doubtless still leave you wondering about the future at the end of the game, as some big questions are still left unanswered (can you say KOTOR III?).
The Droids You're Looking For
And then there's the droids. Is it possible for our psychotic assassin droid to get any more sarcastic and cynical (and demented)? And what about our little astromech droid? Now you can converse with the cute little guy the way Luke and Obi-Wan did with R2 (how cool is that?). In addition to these guys though, you also have a floating orb that follows your resident mechanic/melee expert, and a new floating torture/assassin droid that is more than he seems.
What a Piece of Junk
Alright, I'll admit it. While this game has better facial detail and probably more terrain detail than the previous game (and better battle animations to boot), there are some glitches that are simply inexcusable. Yeah, there are a LOT of load times that shouldn't be there (the ones for races are particularly bad), and while you get used to them, they still are irritating. But that's nothing. During battles with vast amounts of baddies, the frame rate occasionally drops to about 0, and you'll have no idea how you (or someone else) just died. Sometimes (and I thought this most irritating of all), the dialog will be cut off and the cinematic (in-game not pre-rendered) will go black. Ugh. THAT ruins drama. And then there's times when your characters will just stand and do nothing in a battle (not good), or someone who is supposed to follow you won't (ARGH!). And of course the graphics aren't exactly state-of the-art. I mean they are better, but they're still look more like something from the N64 or PlayStation than the X-Box. Do these flaws (and others) make the game unplayable? No. But they do take away that vital fifth star...
I Have a Bad Feeling About This
There were times early in the game where I was so incredibly sucked-in that I could think of nothing else except that I hadn't played a game I enjoyed this much in ages. The storyline really is that good. There were moments when I thought this was going to be the greatest game I ever played (the flying creature from The Phantom Menace who faked being fooled by my mind-trick was one for the ages, as was Mira's description of how to deal with a guy that a girl likes). Some of the lines characters said were so close to classic Star Wars lines I was laughing hysterically (not to mention some of the wacky things you could say in reply). And no matter how slice it, saving the galaxy, fighting dark lords and wielding light sabers is mighty cool. Sadly though, glitches, gameplay flaws, and weak confrontations with the biggest bosses left this one a bit short of perfect. It's still definitely worth playing though. Especially if you liked the first KOTOR. It's also nice and long. It took me 50 hours to beat the first time through. May the force be with you...
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If you love KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic) you will love this. Might be because this is KOTOR 2. It has the qualities that we loved from the last game. However, there are a few changes. For one I have not noticed any dialogue between my party while traveling. All dialogue between party members is now done on the Ebon Hawk. Workbenches now creat items as well as customizing them. Skills have more use now because they are used to create better items in the workbench. Speaking of customizing lightsabers are now much more customizable with 5 slots for upgrades. Party memebers gain or lose influence points depending on how you treat them and if they agree with you. The more influence you have over them the closer their alignment is to yours and also other benefits may arise.Well I think you must've heard plenty of good things about this game, but here are a few things I didn't like. The biggest of which is the ending. Don't worry I won't give it away. Suffice to say that it was highly anti-climatic as well as being a cliffhanger. In fact it is anti-climatic in a few more areas other than the ending. However, the story was still engaging if you can follow it. It is a bit cryptic at times and confusing, but if you could follow Metal Gear Solid 2 you can follow this. Another big problem is that it is glitchy. I didn't have any problems, but I've heard many others complain about it. Especially those with modded Xboxes. The romance options in this game never really come to fruition. Except for one, there never seems to be any resolution to the romances. Also you do not get your lightsaber until a good long way into the game. This wasn't a problem to me and added a sense of importance to obtaining one. Also lightsabers are much more powerful than in the first so it makes sense to make them rarer.
Despite all that this game is great! It is definitely worth buying if you are a fan of Star Wars and the first game. The quests are new and interesting. There are quite a few moral dilemmas. Not much if any of the quests from the previous game were recycled. Which is a good thing...
Best Deals for Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Knights of the Old Republic II is a good game. Maybe even a very good game. Which is a pity, because its prequel was one of the greatest games of all time. The sequel doesn't live up.The game mechanics are virtually identical to the original, which is fine. There are a few minor tweaks. The workbench can now be used to create items, not just upgrade them, and there's a new "lab station" that can make medical items and explosives. Both of these stations are much more common than the workbench was in the original. You can now switch among several "forms" which give bonuses to some attributes and penalties to others. Pazaak has been improved with the addition of some new cards, plus the first play alternates between the contestants. Other than that, there's not much in the engine that's new.
Which, again, is fine. The original's mechanics worked well and there's no need to change them. But the original achieved legendary status by building a powerful and compelling storyline on top of those mechanics, and here the sequel falls short.
The characters aren't as interesting. Your character's motivations are far less clear. There are times when a character's actions become cryptic for nothing more than the sake of being cryptic. The game shows you many cutscenes where your main character is not present, so you will gain knowledge that your character is unable to act on, which can be frustrating.
I found KotOR II much easier than the original. Virtually none of the enemies provided a challenge. I frequently found myself opening a door, facing up to a dozen foes, and slicing through them like butter, only to open the next door and do it all over again. There is an adjustable difficulty level, which I left on Normal... I can't imagine what Easy must be like.
While leaving the engine pretty much alone, Obsidian abused it by throwing more at it than it can handle. Occasions where the frame rate drops are frequent, sometimes unacceptably so. In a few instances, it dropped to less than one frame per second. I also encountered one hard crash while playing. Fortunately, the game autosaves frequently.
Ironically, I was compelled to play the game almost continuously through and completed it in a single weekend. This was because I kept waiting for it to get better, waiting for the dramatic improvement that would make it a worthy sequel. It never came, and the ending was as disappointing as the rest of the game.
My advice to those who played and loved the prequel is to play KotOR II, but keep your expectations low. Perhaps then the disappointment won't be as bitter.
Honest reviews on Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
The original KOTOR is my fav. game of all time, but I bought Halo 2 and KOTOR 2 and Halo 2 is blowing KOTOR 2 out of the water (but it wouldn't if there wasn't so many bugs and I could actually enjoy the game). THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY BUGS AND GLITCHES. I CAN'T EVEN GET PAST A VITAL POINT IN THE GAME. BUY THIS AND PRAY THAT YOUR COPY ISN'T BUGGY.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
I remember playing the original "Knights" a year ago and absolutely falling in love with it. It was the first game where I could unabashedly say it was perfect. The graphics were beautiful, the RPG mechanics were well balanced, and the battles were fun to play. Above all this, however, was an captivating story with the most interesting and deep NPCs I've ever encountered in an RPG. It's a lot to live up to. Mechanically, the sequel exceeds the original with nifty new features like the lab station and some enhanced force powers and abilities. Storywise, the game tries valiently but falls just short of the mark.It tries really hard to differenciate itself from a typical Star Wars story, and in that in succeeds. It's not just about "light side" or "dark side", there are many shades of grey. Good deeds can have bad consequences, and vice versa. It's a nice theme, and I wish it was carried a bit further.
While the NPCs aren't nearly as deep as the original game, they are still more interesting then most typical RPGs. Where the first game revealed the characters' backstories to you slowly over the course of the game through conversations, this game opts to show you cutscenes where the characters interact with each other. This is a nice touch in some respects, but frustrating as well becauase your avatar is not present during these scenes and you can't act on the information you learn.
The plot in "The Sith Lord" is very deep, although at times it is VERY confusing. Most of the time, I had no idea why my character was doing what she was doing. It was as if there was a huge amount of backstory that was never revealed. I kept waiting for the big revelation that would explain everything, but it never came.
The end of the first game was perfect. Events were moving to a close and building up to a satisfying conclusion. Not so with the sequel. The end of the game comes extremely suddenly, not to mention out of nowhere. When the closing credits blasted onto the screen, I could only stare in dumbfounded annoyance as the controller fell from my numb fingers.
I'm being very critical here. Kotor 2 is an extremely good game, far better than most RPGs out there. As a followup to its precesessor, it fails although it does try hard.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Pro Gamepad Controller for Playstation 3 Reviews
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
First off, I bought my controller when it was on the daily special at the reduced price of $19.99 and I am still on the ropes for returning it. Mind you, I rarely return anything, but let me explain to you why I am considering it.
The Good:
The matte finish. (Feels nice)
The dimpled or concave analog feels more comfortable than the original rounded or convex PS3 analog IMO.
The "combat buttons" are a neat concept
Larger size for those with larger hands
The L2 and R2 triggers are curved more like an actual trigger.
The rubber grips are a nice touch
Comes with a nice long Micro USB chord.
The Bad:
The analog responsiveness during game play is jumpy opposed to the smooth motion of the original PS3 controller because there is about one quarter of a centimeter dead zone with the analog before you see any motion on the screen meaning playing fast paced FPS games is practically impossible unless you like getting stomped on because you miss so much.
The buttons are a bit stiffer and the R2 and L2 triggers grind against the controller when pressed. It doesn't necessarily affect the response, but it feels and sounds cheap.
The Start button is very awkwardly placed between the analogs so tightly that you have to maneuver to hit it.
The "combat buttons" DO NOT work for all games. I tried with MW2 and the sprinting function would not work with the assigned action buttons.
The d-pad is a joke. It is clunky, LOUD and unresponsive. G'luck playing anything that requires extensive use of it.
You cannot turn on your PS3 with this controller.
Curiously, you may map the X button which is the closest button to the right analog, but you cannot map the triangle button which is the furthest button from the right analog. Huh..? O_o
The Neutral
The LED lights sounds cool, but they're actually gimmicky and distracting. Luckily, you can turn them off.
The receiver takes up a USB slot.
Over all main factors that may lead to the return of this controller? Well, obviously it is the buttons. I can forgive the combat buttons incompatibility and the odd button placements, but what really gets me is the loud clunky cheap buttons with that abomination of a d-pad. Worst of all, the dead zone analog makes playing any FPS intolerable with this supposed FPS controller. I've also noticed that Netflix navigation has a lag time with the analog and using the d-pad is like pulling teeth for the previously mentioned reason. The price I paid is the ONLY reason I am considering keeping the controller as it may be fine for other games that don't require such precision analog motion...but I am sitting here asking myself, why should I pay for anything that cannot work well on all my games? It'll likely go back.
I bought it for cheap at 20 bucks, so if you're thinking of paying anything above that, you're crazy. Just buy the OEM PS3 controller...especially if you're looking at a mere 5 dollar price difference at retail.
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I'm not by any means a professional gamer, but I'm not a casual gamer either. I love shooters, and because I love shooters, I want a controller that is smooth and responsive. The GR:FS gamepad is a beautiful looking controller. It also has some great ideas like the button mapping on the back of the controller. But unfortunately, for me, the cons outweigh the pros. For starters, I'm a big fan of the dual shock controller for the PS3. The analog sticks are smooth and extremely responsive. But the Gamepad's analog sticks are clunky and unresponsive. When playing Ghost Recon or Call of Duty, you want to be accurate. From the moment I started playing with the Gamepad, it was irritating, because I would push the sticks to aim and it felt as though there was a delay in response, then suddenly my cursor would move and I would be off from my target. Also, I want to note, that I adjusted sensitivity in the games I tried the Gamepad on several times and it is consistently sloppy.Next, I didn't like the d-pad on the controller. It seemed unresponsive almost every time I pushed on it. Sometimes it would select things opposite of what I was trying to select. Lastly, the bumpers and triggers felt big and clunky. I gave the product 2 stars because it just didn't work for me. I realized this could be personal preference, but if you are a serious gamer, I would avoid purchasing this controller. The dual shock controller is much better in regards to performance. If your not a serious gamer and you feel I'm being picky, pick it up and give it a shot for yourself. Hope this helps!
Best Deals for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Pro Gamepad Controller for Playstation 3
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Pro Gamepad Controller for Playstation 3this is a good controller i love it!!!!
I got this when I purchased Ghost Recon on PS3 and being about to remap my buttons is AMAZING. I love the backlighting and the rechargeable battery was a great bonus.
Honest reviews on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Pro Gamepad Controller for Playstation 3
Now i don't know why people are talking bad about this controller its one of the best I've played withThe r1 and l1 are larger than on a regular controller so its great for shooters then the r2 and l2 are curved like gun triggers which makes them really reliable
It does have a matte finish and grips
Now the combat buttons well in the right three have a switch that can be set to square,circle, x and then the last option lowers the sensitivity of the right joy stick which you'll only use may be for sniping but i wish it was replaced with triangle the farthest button from the joy stick
The lowered sensitivity is that sniping thing it talks about now the left side for the combat buttons it had down right and up remapping options and also lower the sensitivity for the left stick
Now one problem i did have but you will always have with a d pad that is one solid piece is that sometimes if you press up it will also hit left or right but its not that big a problem because you can use the combat buttons and also it isn't that bad it will go where you push it
The leds are really bright the thing does come with a usb that connects the controller but there is no lag or any problems
the battery last for quite a while i went a few days of playing like 4 and the thing would not run out of battery so i chargered it so it wouldn't die on me but I've owned for about a month and have only charged it like 4 times
It had only small flaws but otherwise the controller is perfect and i highly recommend it and not to mention the price is great compared to a regular playstation controller which is like 60
So buy this controller
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Pro Gamepad Controller for Playstation 3
broke the 1st week, the button the front quit working. won't buy another one.. my little boy was so excited as well then totally bummed.Wednesday, October 15, 2014
SOULCALIBUR Reviews
as someone that own this on the Dreamcast, i can say that this is almost a perfect copy. it has all the fighters and moves, but its missing the mission mode. the mission mode was how you unlocked fighters and weapens in the dreamcast version. in this version, they are already unlocked for you. i would highly recommend this game for folks that never owned a dreamcast and want to play one of its gems.
That's not to say that any of this makes SoulCalibur in and of itself a bad game. The original game is still fantastic to this day. It is a marvelous game that any fan of the fighting genre ought to take a moment to play and get acquainted with because there are not many fighting games out there like it. It ranks highly among critics and fans for a reason (it is also one of the few video games to retain its five star rating on Amazon.com after all these years). This review isn't here to talk about the mechanics of SoulCalibur, however. Or how fantastic it is. It is here to talk about the conversion and how I feel XBOXLive Arcade owners aren't being allowed to have the full experience of the game in and of itself.
One of the reasons that SoulCalibur was so jaw dropping and defining upon its original release was because the home console release included so much more than the Arcade release. It included a lot more modes and things to do than what the Arcade could actually provide. There was more than Arcade. There was a survival mode and a mission mode to keep you going. There was also plenty of things given to you as a result of mission mode. You collected points to unlock Artwork. But Mission Mode is gone. This may not be a big deal, but this is sort of what really separated SoulCalibur from its Arcade Counterpart. The fact that there was an actual single player experience. And the missions were quite amusing and interesting. Players were actually working toward something by unlocking artwork. The Art Gallery is still here, at least and you get all the artwork, but it begs the question as to why they opted not to provide anything else. Granted it is XBOXLive Arcade, but we've seen some other games on XBLA that aren't specifically Arcade stylized in their approach. Games like Scott Pilgrim or Castle Crasher or the newly released Battleblock Theater all have distinctly console style things about them as well. SoulCalibur isn't a lazy port, it's just one that feels like it could've given players everything. The Dreamcast version isn't rare by any means, but the Dreamcast version is the only version where gamers can get the full experience of what the original SoulCalibur is. And it feels like the XBOXLive Arcade has taken that away.
We haven't even gotten into the things that would've been a nice touch that they nothing with. Yes, the graphics are HD but not going the extra mile to provide a 16:9 wide screen presentation is kind of lazy considering they had no problem doing this with other ports to the XBLA. Again, these are things that might not be so bothersome in the long run... but for much of this, it seems like it would be more worthwhile to find a used Dreamcast and a used copy of the game. You'd get more bang for your buck in terms of content and you'd hardly notice some of the more artistic changes. The original Soul Calibur is still a gorgeous game no matter how you slice it, and playing in Standard Definition is not going to change that.
What is more than likely going to disappoint many players, however, is that the port to the XBLA has no online support whatsoever. Other fighting games put on the Arcade were given online support to be able to play against anyone.
Soul Calibur is a great fighting game. One that should be played by everyone. It's just a shame that so much of the XBLA port is a very watered down version of the classic we've all come to love over the years, and that most of us still retain memories for. If you still have a Dreamcast, you're better off trying to find a copy for that system. If not, the XBOXLive Arcade is not the definitive way to experience this classic.
And without a Doubt the Best/Must Own Dreamcast game ever!The 360 Arcade version is Close to Perfect!
A Major Plus a HD Version which is killer
The Controls being shifted from the DC Controller to the 360 Controller are very good once u get the feel for the layout.
If you are a fan of Fighting Games or just a Super fan of Games that are just Fun and Pure at the same time
It's a Must have Arcade Title 10/10
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The original Soul Calibur debuted in the Arcade in 1998. And though it wasn't popular in the Arcade initially, it did have an enormous release on the Dreamcast. The original Soul Calibur is said to be one of the greatest games of all time. It's a shame then, that the XBOXLive Arcade game is more insistent on porting over the Arcade version as opposed to the Dreamcast variation of the game. The variation that was, by all standards, a far superior version. And more than that, the game was left in the standard 4:3 ratio.That's not to say that any of this makes SoulCalibur in and of itself a bad game. The original game is still fantastic to this day. It is a marvelous game that any fan of the fighting genre ought to take a moment to play and get acquainted with because there are not many fighting games out there like it. It ranks highly among critics and fans for a reason (it is also one of the few video games to retain its five star rating on Amazon.com after all these years). This review isn't here to talk about the mechanics of SoulCalibur, however. Or how fantastic it is. It is here to talk about the conversion and how I feel XBOXLive Arcade owners aren't being allowed to have the full experience of the game in and of itself.
One of the reasons that SoulCalibur was so jaw dropping and defining upon its original release was because the home console release included so much more than the Arcade release. It included a lot more modes and things to do than what the Arcade could actually provide. There was more than Arcade. There was a survival mode and a mission mode to keep you going. There was also plenty of things given to you as a result of mission mode. You collected points to unlock Artwork. But Mission Mode is gone. This may not be a big deal, but this is sort of what really separated SoulCalibur from its Arcade Counterpart. The fact that there was an actual single player experience. And the missions were quite amusing and interesting. Players were actually working toward something by unlocking artwork. The Art Gallery is still here, at least and you get all the artwork, but it begs the question as to why they opted not to provide anything else. Granted it is XBOXLive Arcade, but we've seen some other games on XBLA that aren't specifically Arcade stylized in their approach. Games like Scott Pilgrim or Castle Crasher or the newly released Battleblock Theater all have distinctly console style things about them as well. SoulCalibur isn't a lazy port, it's just one that feels like it could've given players everything. The Dreamcast version isn't rare by any means, but the Dreamcast version is the only version where gamers can get the full experience of what the original SoulCalibur is. And it feels like the XBOXLive Arcade has taken that away.
We haven't even gotten into the things that would've been a nice touch that they nothing with. Yes, the graphics are HD but not going the extra mile to provide a 16:9 wide screen presentation is kind of lazy considering they had no problem doing this with other ports to the XBLA. Again, these are things that might not be so bothersome in the long run... but for much of this, it seems like it would be more worthwhile to find a used Dreamcast and a used copy of the game. You'd get more bang for your buck in terms of content and you'd hardly notice some of the more artistic changes. The original Soul Calibur is still a gorgeous game no matter how you slice it, and playing in Standard Definition is not going to change that.
What is more than likely going to disappoint many players, however, is that the port to the XBLA has no online support whatsoever. Other fighting games put on the Arcade were given online support to be able to play against anyone.
Soul Calibur is a great fighting game. One that should be played by everyone. It's just a shame that so much of the XBLA port is a very watered down version of the classic we've all come to love over the years, and that most of us still retain memories for. If you still have a Dreamcast, you're better off trying to find a copy for that system. If not, the XBOXLive Arcade is not the definitive way to experience this classic.
Best Deals for SOULCALIBUR
Soulcalibur is Hands down one of the best Fighting Games ever!And without a Doubt the Best/Must Own Dreamcast game ever!The 360 Arcade version is Close to Perfect!
A Major Plus a HD Version which is killer
The Controls being shifted from the DC Controller to the 360 Controller are very good once u get the feel for the layout.
If you are a fan of Fighting Games or just a Super fan of Games that are just Fun and Pure at the same time
It's a Must have Arcade Title 10/10
Friday, October 10, 2014
Review of Nyko Extend Link for Kinect - Xbox 360
I was very skeptical before buying this wire. However, my kinect with my projector is working excellently without any lag. This is the only 15 feet wire available in the market. No more problem for using my kinect with my projector. This has the Kinect customized USB port and NOT the standard flat USB connector. If you have bought Kinect bundle (Xbox and Kinect) then this is what you will need.
If you have a Kinect and a very interesting entertainment setup..such as a projector..defiantly pull the trigger on this cable..or buy a really long HDMI cable.
All in all great purchase.
Thanks Amazon!
The correct cord for the black Xbox 360 is the HDE Extension Cable for Xbox 360 Kinect (search Amazon) available March 3 2012 for about $4 and eligible for prime shipping. The $4 HDE cord worked great with NO trouble.
After getting everything moved and plugged in I went through the Kinect Tuner menu to get the Kinect setup. The voice recognition and visual recognition both work perfectly. The Kinect is performing the same as when it was plugged directly into the XBox. I have the Kinect XBox Bundle.
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I've always wanted to buy a kinect for my xbox360, but the length of the cable it came with seemed to short for my entertainment setup.So One night while searching for a solution to my problem i found this on Amazon.I was a bit hesitant on purchasing this cord because it wasn't made by Microsoft.I went on Gamestop website and looked at another kinect extension cord at about the same cord was coming out on the 18th, when i went into the local store, i asked for a kinect cable and the employee working there walked over with a 2ft extension cable with the price tag of $50.00..I was surprised.So i asked the employee if he had anything that was at least 10-15 ft long, he gave me a very confused face and sputtered out..."why do you need a 15 ft cable for the kinect?" At first i felt it was really none of his business to ask me what the purpose of the cable is. Anyways i told him that i was running it through a Hi-Def projector. I left and ordered this from amazon immediately. This cable works great, there is no lag,everything is nice and fluid. And the LED on the extension lights up when power is going to the kinect which is perfect, i just disconnect the cord half way so i don't have to pull it out of the kinect or my 360, i can leave it in thus..not causing any damage to the ports.If you have a Kinect and a very interesting entertainment setup..such as a projector..defiantly pull the trigger on this cable..or buy a really long HDMI cable.
All in all great purchase.
Thanks Amazon!
Best Deals for Nyko Extend Link for Kinect - Xbox 360
I purchased this to connect the Kinect to the Xbox 360 "slim" I purchased for my kids in December 2011. It didn't work Jill posted a similar review below. The Xbox does not recognize the Kinect and will not update it correctly using this cord. To be clear This is not the correct cord if you need an extension for the newest Xbox and the Nyko customer support never returned my email requesting help.The correct cord for the black Xbox 360 is the HDE Extension Cable for Xbox 360 Kinect (search Amazon) available March 3 2012 for about $4 and eligible for prime shipping. The $4 HDE cord worked great with NO trouble.
Honest reviews on Nyko Extend Link for Kinect - Xbox 360
I was skeptical after reading other reviews about the voice recognition not working. That is a feature I like and use a lot. I had to purchase this cable because any other cable would have been too short for my setup.After getting everything moved and plugged in I went through the Kinect Tuner menu to get the Kinect setup. The voice recognition and visual recognition both work perfectly. The Kinect is performing the same as when it was plugged directly into the XBox. I have the Kinect XBox Bundle.
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This cable is used to allow Kinect play from our projector. There is no lag while playing and the kids love the games on a 200" screen. Absolutely incredible. The cord is flat and is easily hidden along the wall. Great price and well made.Sunday, September 14, 2014
Discount Mad Catz Gears of War 3 Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset for Xbox
List Price: $179.99
Sale Price: $100.86
Today's Bonus: 44% Off
I have been using these for about a week. I originally just needed a mic since my son broke mine. I purchased the Gears of War throat mic, and that thing is a pile, not even sure how it made it to market with the below sub-par sound quality. So I retuned it and after mulling over the options I decided on these. They are a bit pricey, but I paid $200 for the Tuetlr Beach x41 and those were worth the purchase a couple years ago. My main complaints with the x41s is that they don't go loud enough for movies, and they do burn through batteries, and you get the occasional interference noises from the wireless. That is the main reason I went with these. They are corded so you don't need batteries, and they go louder than I need them too.
The only faults I see with them are these, and they are more of a personal issue than anything else. First is it is corded, cordless is really nice for obvoise reasons. The main cord on these is quite beefy, so it is a bit heavy to be hanging down in you lap. Also the mic/mute control is also beefy. And you also have a small cord plugged into the controller which can be removed if you are not gaming. The controller on the cord is nice as it has a mute, and separate game and chat volume so you can dial them both in. But once I am playing and I am zoned in I don't notice the cords at all, and it is a welcome trad off to not have to use batteries.
The sound on these is really good also, they are a bit bass heavy which is nice when gaming, especially in Gears. I had the the x41s were a little light in the bass. Would be better if it had a dial to adjust to your liking. Hearing "Boom" from the Boomer really sets the tone and grabs you in. I can't say if the 7.1 is better than 5.1, but the surround is better on these than on my x41s. You
can really track the movement of characters in the game. Watching some movies the bass is a bit much, but I would prefer to
much than to little. It is not over whelming, but it is noticeable.
I have put many hours on these this week and only had two times when there was sound issues. One match I had terrible echoes and heard everything I said repeated, which does happen with every other mike I have used. And in one game the bass got extremely overpowered and was distorting like crazy. Was fine in the game till that level, and was fine the next time I turned them on, so I assume it was a fluke.
Comfort on these is pretty good, but after a couple of hours they do start to get uncomfortable. The cups could have been a little wider in my opinion. Not so noticeable when gaming, but movies watching when you are not so focused I did notice it more.
I would totally give them a try, they are the best all around set in my opinion. If they were wireless I would give them a 5 no problem
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I got these to replace the Turtlebeach x4's that I had. They finally gave out so i figured that these would be a great replacement. I got these a few days before Gears of War 3 was released. They have worked great. I hear everything just like I did with the x4's. The only thing that i don't really like is that they are wired. I'm not a big fan of that. I get tangled in the wire and so does my child which is very annoying. I worry that one of these times its going to pull my xbox and everything else down. They sound good, and i can hear all my buddies well. About a week ago the chat cable gave out on me. I could not hear anyone, and they could not hear me. I can still hear the game sounds, just not chat. When I went to order a new cable from Mad Catz they are sold out in the U.S. I ended up going to the local electronics store and getting a cable that works but it cost me $20. Not what I wanted to do after spending almost $200 for the headset in the first place.Best Deals for Mad Catz Gears of War 3 Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset for Xbox
I purchased this headset a few months ago and have never looked back. It was my first gaming headset and I love it. The sound quality is superb and the fit is just right. Voice quality out and in is great.My only complaint was the cord that runs from the controller to the headset cord (this allows for voice communication in games) went bad after less than a month. I wrote to Mad Catz but it took them over a month to respond, so I ended up getting a replacement through Amazon (which was painless and easy). Mad Catz finally responded saying they would ship me another cord, but that the specific cord I need is on back order. Other than that, this is a sturdy great headset. If you have the cash to splash, I recommend it highly.
EDIT: Originally I said these were not adjustable to bigger heads, but I was wrong as I found out this weekend. It actually will adjust, they are just really tight initially.
Honest reviews on Mad Catz Gears of War 3 Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset for Xbox
Amazing headphones, worth every dollar. Only thing is they aren't wireless, but the cable is pretty long. LED's look kick ass in the dark.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Mad Catz Gears of War 3 Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset for Xbox
I got these last week, tried them out on GOW3 for a whole week. There ok but the bass is a lot and they are heavy. I think there ok, not the best but worth the money if your a gears fan and have the money like me.Saturday, August 9, 2014
Best 250G HDD Hard Disk Drive For Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim Deals
After reading several reviews warning about buying any kind of xbox 360 slim hard drives from anyone but microsoft, I was a little concerned about getting this, but this hard drive didn't have any negative comments that concerned me, so I decided to chance it. (I don't have any regular xbox games, so I don't know about not being able to play them with this.) I'm glad I did. I received it fairly quickly and after looking up online how to install it (it was a lot easier than I expected it to be; with it lying flat, there's a little hidden door on the right side of the console for the hard drive; if it's standing up, the door would be on the top or the bottom.) I put it in, and started up my xbox 360 and it worked great. I've transferred saved games, profiles, and dlc onto it with no problems, and I've downloaded new updates and dlc onto it since then as well. So far, it's worked perfectly for me. I was even sent information about the website for the seller I got this from (jacobsparts), and they have some of the same products, for less. I will definitely use this seller again if I need anything they sell. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this hard drive.
Returning.
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The absolute best upgrade for the 4GB Xbox 360 slim! For a whole lot less than Microsoft's 250Gb hard drive and does exactly the same thing! It even says Microsoft when you are looking at your memory. Yeah you can't play the old xbox games, but you can go on ebay and get an old xbox for 20 bucks .Best Deals for 250G HDD Hard Disk Drive For Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim
For an average XBOX 360 user like myself, this product works perfect and saved me a ton of money. I haven't tried playing any original XBOX games, and don't play to, so I'm not concerned by other's claims that they won't work. Anyone looking to enjoy current XBOX 360 games with a huge hassle free hard drive should look no further.Honest reviews on 250G HDD Hard Disk Drive For Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim
I bought and put in my xbox, but it wouldn't read it. Was like it had no harddrive in it at all.Returning.
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But after I received the 3rd one, it was easy to install and worked right away. It's got plenty of space to store all my game data and updates or map packs or whatever else you want to shove on it. If you can find one that works, good luck and have fun!Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Serious Sam 2 - Xbox Reviews
There's not much that can really be said in reviewing a game like this. If you've played the previous Serious Sam games, you know what to expect and you won't really be dissapointed.
If you've not played them, however, just try to imagine a game like Smash TV or Total Carnage in third person. You travel through gorgeous environments and battle wave after wave after wave of enemies that keep rushing at you, eager to blow themselves up or tackle you.
One thing, though, and the title of this review should have tipped you off, but you're better off going with the PC version. The Xbox graphics are fine, but they could be so much better.
The most troubling and inexplicable difference between the two versions, however, is that the final boss of the game is totally absent in the Xbox version. This seems like a terribly bizarre decision and there's no real reason for it. If that's important to you, go with the PC version. Serious Sam is, after all, notable for its boss battles. To remove one (and the final one, at that) is simply baffling and ultimately dissapointing.
Yes, Serious Sam II is a departure from the main Serious Sam formula, which consists of tons of enemies spawning on an open, arena-based map; however, Serious Sam II is more about structure and variety instead of one large map with hundreds of spawning enemies. Taking lessons from games with more linear map design, Serious Sam II's enemy encounters are spread out and the levels have more natural flow to them, like in most recent games. Now, I'm not saying levels aren't large and open, because they most certainly are, but instead of one large square map, you actually have level design that somewhat funnels you down a path, which allows for more structure and variety in encounters.
Also, Serious Sam II has vehicles, which are fun and a nice change of pace. The first one you'll encounter is a dino that you can ride and take out enemies with.
I can understand why some older Serious Sam and Painkiller fans were turned off by this departure, but I actually enjoy that there's more meat to this adventure than just mindless action 100% of the time. Don't get me wrong, I also love mindless action, but Serious Sam II was a great departure and is vastly underappreciated.
I'm hoping (fervently) for a "Serious Sam 3" for the 360; and you know what? I don't think even Uwe Boll could mess up a "Serious Sam" movie! He'd be a great character!
Well, first let me say that I am a FPS(first person shooter) nut. However, I consider myself to be very picky. I don't like slow-down and I like good/realistic graphics. After playing a demo of Serious Sam(1) a couple of years ago I didn't give Serious Sam a second thought after about 5 minutes of play. Well, I played the demo for Serious Sam II and was pleasantly suprised(I'm so glad there was a demo, I'd have never tried it if there wasn't). So I bought this at my leasure and after playing it for about 20 minutes or so I realized I was hooked.
This game has the most action I've ever seen in a video game. It's not realistic at all, but that's one of it's charms. It's nothing short of a run-and-gun good time of a video game. To me it feels like what a video game should be like. Fast, fun and tons of action. Literally, it is almost non-stop action. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it's not overly dramatic with lots of corny one-liners and deliberate cliche characters and levels. This game is exactly what a video game should be like. Don't get me wrong, I still love the truly serious FPS, but this is a refreshing break from all the drama and it's a lot of fun too.
FUN, FUN, FUN is the best way to describe Serious Sam II. Nice graphics and tons of action. I'll play this over and over again because it's so addictive and it's a refreshing alternative to the truly serious FPS video games.
If you've not played them, however, just try to imagine a game like Smash TV or Total Carnage in third person. You travel through gorgeous environments and battle wave after wave after wave of enemies that keep rushing at you, eager to blow themselves up or tackle you.
One thing, though, and the title of this review should have tipped you off, but you're better off going with the PC version. The Xbox graphics are fine, but they could be so much better.
The most troubling and inexplicable difference between the two versions, however, is that the final boss of the game is totally absent in the Xbox version. This seems like a terribly bizarre decision and there's no real reason for it. If that's important to you, go with the PC version. Serious Sam is, after all, notable for its boss battles. To remove one (and the final one, at that) is simply baffling and ultimately dissapointing.
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It seems that Serious Sam II didn't get the same attention as the earlier Sam's, but this is far and away my favorite episode, and ranks in my top 10 all-time favorite video games in fact it may be my #1 based on the number of times I've played it. It is somewhat more 'cartoony' than the earlier Sam's, which is exactly why I enjoy it. There is some Serious humor in this one, especially in the cut scenes, and the diversity of the worlds makes it fun over and and over. I think I've played this through more than a dozen times. There are also some really great vehicles to use. I am not a great fan of splattering blood and dead corpses, and in this game the enemies destruct in satisfying yet non-gory ways, then quickly vanish. I for one highly recommend this game and wish there were more FPS's that would take this approach. I purchased this Xbox version as a gift, but I myself play the PC version, over and over.Best Deals for Serious Sam 2 - Xbox
As a fan of Serious Sam for many years, I played every Serious Sam title on PC and console, with the exception of Serious Sam II, due to bad reviews from reviewers and fans of Serious Sam. After many years, and because Serious Sam 3 is almost here, I decided to finally bite on this game and I'm very glad I did.Yes, Serious Sam II is a departure from the main Serious Sam formula, which consists of tons of enemies spawning on an open, arena-based map; however, Serious Sam II is more about structure and variety instead of one large map with hundreds of spawning enemies. Taking lessons from games with more linear map design, Serious Sam II's enemy encounters are spread out and the levels have more natural flow to them, like in most recent games. Now, I'm not saying levels aren't large and open, because they most certainly are, but instead of one large square map, you actually have level design that somewhat funnels you down a path, which allows for more structure and variety in encounters.
Also, Serious Sam II has vehicles, which are fun and a nice change of pace. The first one you'll encounter is a dino that you can ride and take out enemies with.
I can understand why some older Serious Sam and Painkiller fans were turned off by this departure, but I actually enjoy that there's more meat to this adventure than just mindless action 100% of the time. Don't get me wrong, I also love mindless action, but Serious Sam II was a great departure and is vastly underappreciated.
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Other reviewers have noted that this game is fast-paced with a lot of over-the-top action, so I won't reiterate what's already been documented. What this game has is irreverence and fun in literal truckloads. Yes, it's a button-mashing fire-fest. But the game has heart and I really enjoyed the character of "Serious Sam." His one-liners are simply hilarious and I can't imagine anyone not wanting to share an adventure with this muscle-bound wisecracker.I'm hoping (fervently) for a "Serious Sam 3" for the 360; and you know what? I don't think even Uwe Boll could mess up a "Serious Sam" movie! He'd be a great character!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Serious Sam 2 - Xbox
"SERIOUS SAM 2 XBOX"Well, first let me say that I am a FPS(first person shooter) nut. However, I consider myself to be very picky. I don't like slow-down and I like good/realistic graphics. After playing a demo of Serious Sam(1) a couple of years ago I didn't give Serious Sam a second thought after about 5 minutes of play. Well, I played the demo for Serious Sam II and was pleasantly suprised(I'm so glad there was a demo, I'd have never tried it if there wasn't). So I bought this at my leasure and after playing it for about 20 minutes or so I realized I was hooked.
This game has the most action I've ever seen in a video game. It's not realistic at all, but that's one of it's charms. It's nothing short of a run-and-gun good time of a video game. To me it feels like what a video game should be like. Fast, fun and tons of action. Literally, it is almost non-stop action. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it's not overly dramatic with lots of corny one-liners and deliberate cliche characters and levels. This game is exactly what a video game should be like. Don't get me wrong, I still love the truly serious FPS, but this is a refreshing break from all the drama and it's a lot of fun too.
FUN, FUN, FUN is the best way to describe Serious Sam II. Nice graphics and tons of action. I'll play this over and over again because it's so addictive and it's a refreshing alternative to the truly serious FPS video games.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Reviews of Prototype 2: RADNET DLC Pack
I enjoyed Prototype 2 very much when I bought it. However, in two days I had beaten the game. I decided to purchase Radnet DLC, which claims an impressive "55 DLC packs."
For all the hype, I was disappointed in my purchase. Those "55 DLC packs" are mostly challenges and timed events. Goals such as how far can you toss a human/infected, or how many enemies can you kill in a certain amount of time. In Prototype 1, these challenges were included in the game at no extra cost.
By completing a set of challenges in Prototype 2, a player may unlock more powers. They are as follows:
Fast Learner: Get 25% more EP for kills
Health Pack: Brawler Pack has 25% more health
Ravenous: Enemies require 10% less damage to consume
Security Blanket: Regenerate 1% health per second while blocking
Weightless: Float higher after triggering a second Glide mid-flight
Fast Learner's exp boost is unnecessary, since I maxed my character out before the second playthrough was complete. Only the security blanket and weightless are usable on the final boss battle, and neither are necessary.
People who enjoy challenges may find the DLC worthwhile. I wanted more story-driven content, and this DLC does not provide what I really wanted; more missions, characters to interact with, etc. In my opinion, the challenges detracted from the experience, by reminding me this is a game instead of an interactive story. When I'm going on a mission to save my character's loved ones from danger, it kills the mood to see a new high score pop up for performing some random act.
Since Prototype 1 provided most of this content for free, I did not consider this DLC worthwhile. I regret paying $5 for the sale price, and I would have been angered if I had paid the full suggested $10 price.It's DLC... Can't really argue, right? :). I forgot what this added on, but the game is great. Go around doing stuff, and "stuff" and some extreme "STUFF."
For all the hype, I was disappointed in my purchase. Those "55 DLC packs" are mostly challenges and timed events. Goals such as how far can you toss a human/infected, or how many enemies can you kill in a certain amount of time. In Prototype 1, these challenges were included in the game at no extra cost.
By completing a set of challenges in Prototype 2, a player may unlock more powers. They are as follows:
Fast Learner: Get 25% more EP for kills
Health Pack: Brawler Pack has 25% more health
Ravenous: Enemies require 10% less damage to consume
Security Blanket: Regenerate 1% health per second while blocking
Weightless: Float higher after triggering a second Glide mid-flight
Fast Learner's exp boost is unnecessary, since I maxed my character out before the second playthrough was complete. Only the security blanket and weightless are usable on the final boss battle, and neither are necessary.
People who enjoy challenges may find the DLC worthwhile. I wanted more story-driven content, and this DLC does not provide what I really wanted; more missions, characters to interact with, etc. In my opinion, the challenges detracted from the experience, by reminding me this is a game instead of an interactive story. When I'm going on a mission to save my character's loved ones from danger, it kills the mood to see a new high score pop up for performing some random act.
Since Prototype 1 provided most of this content for free, I did not consider this DLC worthwhile. I regret paying $5 for the sale price, and I would have been angered if I had paid the full suggested $10 price.It's DLC... Can't really argue, right? :). I forgot what this added on, but the game is great. Go around doing stuff, and "stuff" and some extreme "STUFF."
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Review of Xbox 360 Modded Stealth Controller Rapid Fire / Sniper Quick Scope
I ordered this controller on the 8th of September. I received it on the 25th. If you are planning on buying this be prepared to wait because it is shipping in from China. First of all, the description says it comes with a detailed instructions manual. Didn't receive it. Had to ask a question on this page to figure out. When I first received it, it had several scratches on it. I'm assuming this is because the packaging is very thin and doesn't protect it very well. The first thing I realized when I picked it up was that it was not a Microsoft shell. The whole shell is made up of a cheap feeling material. This material is still pretty durable and I can see it surviving quite a few drops. It has stealth buttons and has a blue LEDs. You can look at my customer image. All of the modes work very well. Nine of them are adjustable for different games. This controller works in all of the COD series games. Overall I'm giving this a 4/5 because of the defects of the controller shell, and it didn't come with instructions. I would recommend this because of the overall low price for what you are getting.
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The controller is cool and all but I need instructions to figure out how to use the mods or this is just a normal controllerBest Deals for Xbox 360 Modded Stealth Controller Rapid Fire / Sniper Quick Scope
the controller did not come with any instructions to operate the controller nor hoow to activate the mods. please send me the instructionsHonest reviews on Xbox 360 Modded Stealth Controller Rapid Fire / Sniper Quick Scope
Got the item rather quickly, but didn't come with any instructions on how to use mods. Could be better if it came with instructions, otherwise it's just another controller.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Xbox 360 Modded Stealth Controller Rapid Fire / Sniper Quick Scope
where are the instructions on how to operate this controller. I got nothing and im totally lost on how to operate it. will some one plz tell me how to use it. thank you
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