Reviews of Halo 3: ODST - Xbox 360

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List Price: $14.99
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Concept: 7/10

Halo 3: ODST introduces a new Special Forces Recon Soldier for the Halo Universe. The Orbital Drop Shock Trooper is a darker, ligher armored version of a Spartan with silent weapons. That's pretty much it.

Story: 9/10

The story is very well written, well told, and well acted by Firefly and BSG veterans. It is really entertaining and one of the best parts of the game. However, it is told through flashbacks and is somewhat difficult to understand your first time through. You might be confused at times, but in the end, it all makes sense.

Gameplay: 8/10

It's Halo 3, with a couple new guns and a slight improvement to the health system. Your character sounds 'in pain' when your health is low, reminding you to stay behind cover. There's also a night vision visor that you can toggle on and off. Unfortunately, the game seems too dark if you don't have your night vision on, and if you use it in areas that are fairly well lit, you're almost blinded. In the end, the night vision seems extraneous. The game would have been better if the dark areas were just a bit brighter, but still cloaked in shadows.

Level Designs: 6/10

There is an open ended city area where you can explore and Convenant troops are being dropped in to battle. This is new to the Halo Universe and it works quite well. Most of the game takes place in New Mobasa, a futuristic African City that is being invaded by the Covenant. The look and feel of the city is pretty impressive, but overall, the levels feel redundant. Fight in corridors, defend an area... You know you've got problems when the Campaign is only 5 hours long, and the Missions feel repetitive.

Sound: 9/10

The music is foreboding and adds to the grim atmosphere while the effects bring the battles to life.

Replay Value: 7/10

You can start the campaign after lunch and finish it before dinner.

There is a Firefight Mode which is like Gears of War 2's Horde Mode, but ODST features an additional challenge where each wave of enemies has a special behavior like "Dodges Grenades." This mode is for friends and invites only. I understand that Bungie is trying to prevent the Leroy Jenkins of the world from ruining the fun, but it really sucks to not be able to play a pickup game.

There are 3 new Multiplayer Maps for Halo 3, too.

Maturity The game is rated M because the Halo series is rated M, even though the action is pretty tame.

Overall: 7/10

Buy this game if you're a Halo Collector, you've got a bunch of buddies that still play Halo 3 and will use the Maps and Firefight Mode.

Rent this game if you just want to play the Campaign. It's only 5-6 hours long.

I'd recommend waiting for the price to drop before buying ODST because if you spend $60, you're going to feel ripped off.

$35 for this game feels about right.

NOTE: Amazon and a bunch of other stores are selling ODST for under $40 now!

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I've read a few reviews here, and I think that, although there are some valid points, people are treating ODST as something that it was never meant to be.

So, what is ODST? It's an expansion. Expensive? Yes, but one has to realize that in reality, it's several expansions built into one, a `collectors pack' for Halo 3 fans. (After all, it's named Halo 3: ODST, not just Halo: ODST)

So, before I break the game down, let's examine what ODST really is.

1. Campaign (Short, yes...Fun? Very.)

2. Fire Fight (One could say a different campaign. After all, a single match with good people can be hours long, and that's one match.)

3. All the maps (A $20+ value, considering there's two map packs worth 1600 Microsoft points, not to mention the three new ones.)

4. Halo: Reach Beta (Remember lockdown, with it's Halo 3 Beta? Yeah...)

Okay, first things first. The Campaign:

This is fun. It's far more tactical than any Halo game before it, and allows for so many new opportunities. Once in Heroic, you find yourself planning assaults, sneaking, factoring in how many grenades you have. Ammo is so sparse that you're constantly forced to re-adapt and pick up new weapons, rather than keeping with the same two weapons (As was much the case with the first three halo's). The characters are new, which again, is interesting. The Visor?...Man, probably my favorite addition. It's so cool to able to switch around views, to get tactical or go all out. Wonderful. Not to mention the addition of engineers, which do nothing but add to the depth of game play and emphasize strategy.

Fire Fight:

Let's be honest. Mention Gears 2? You hear about horde. Mention Call of Duty WaW? Nazi zombies. Now halo has it's own, and it is beautiful. Fuller maps, with each offering their own advantages and disadvantages. The new call-sign features allow for quicker identification, and the new drop-off system (The enemies come in on Phantoms, rather than just spawning) allow, again, for strategy. Ammo shortages are common here, so know your weapons. The skulls always add a bit of flair and make each and every round a new experience. My only complaint? When I play with my Australian friends, the game is pretty laggy.

All the maps:

I wish I had known this going in. Woulda saved me twenty bucks. You know about new maps, right? The new three; awesome. A much called for remake of midship, an open map that will make for interesting swat, and a dock that features dingies and floating crates. Awesome, right?

Halo Reach: Beta trailer:

-Thisis Halo 4. This is the one that's going to blow people away. (For those who know the story, well done. Reach is actually...er, Halo -1? It's a prequel). This is the unsung hero of ODST, as I already can't wait. Remember people buying Crackdown ($60) for Halo 3 alone? This is much the same thing; only you also get the above mentioned features. No brainer, right?

So, overall? If I knew someone who only had 60 to spend, I'd point them in the direction of Oblivion or Fallout or the like. But, for someone who knows they're getting a huge expansion, and loves Halo? This is all but a must have. Just know what you're getting into; it's not a standalone, but it's still pretty awesome.

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First off, that's pronounced Oh-Dee-Ess-Tee, fellow gamers. The game store clerks wish to punch you in the face when you attempt to say a game's acronym as an actual word. Trust me. Anyhow, "Halo 3: ODST" is a separate Haloverse story that strips itself of the series' iconic hero Master Chief. There are no super-powered Spartan cyborgs to pull humanity out of the fire in this one. Just you and your squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers standing between the hostile alien alliance known as The Covenant and the death of humanity. No pressure, though. The game was originally formulated as a mere add-on to Halo 3, but eventually grew to full-fledged game status. This has offended a lot of sniveling whiners who ran out and pre-ordered their copies based solely on the typical Halo hype and then sobbed themselves to sleep because they have no concept of story and ran through the game with 3 friends on Easy difficulty and found it too short on action for the money they spent. Real gamers will find that while the price tag may be a bit high if you already paid for all of the downloadable maps and don't gather your friends together regularly to partake in the phenomenally fun "Firefight" mode. But if you plan on enjoying this game to the fullest, you will not be disappointed.

As a single-player game, "ODST" runs a bit short and may be less bang for the buck then one might hope for. However, the manner in which the story is told is absolutely phenomenal. You begin your ill-fated mission hurling towards the Earth (which has just been invaded by Covenant forces) on a special-ops mission. But something goes wrong and your pods are separated and crash in different locations all over the Covenant-occupied African city of New Mombasa. You wake up as a trooper known only as as "the Rookie" many hours after hitting the ground in the dead of night. From there you search the city for clues about the whereabouts of your comrades. Each time you find a clue (such as a fractured helmet or bent sniper rifle) the game flashes back to a different member of the squad and you play out the scenario as that character and witness the events leading up to the object finding it's resting place where it will be discovered hours later by The Rookie. In addition, there is another side story littered throughout the city in the form of 30 audio files that chronicle the adventures of a young girl caught in the middle of the invasion. It's quite enthralling and I found myself looking forward to finding more pieces of that puzzle even more then the main story. "ODST" is a masterpiece of storytelling in that rite and it's why a lot of people won't enjoy it. They prefer to skip past the story segments and run around with their friends teabagging each other along the way. To really experience the game as it's meant to be played, you need to go it alone and absorb the atmosphere,loneliness and ambient noise of the ruined cityscape. Half of this game is enjoying the tension of relying on cover of darkness, using your excellent night-vision visor to it's utmost, hearing the amazing soundtrack, and exploring the city looking for audio files or finding the best ways to get the drop on roving patrols of enemies or the entrenched Covenant forces.

Same old Halo gameplay here. That is to say it's as good as first-person shooters get. But since you are not a Spartan, there are differences. First off, no shield. Your armor can take a few hits before your screen will turn red, indicating that you are fatigued and are taking damage to your health bar. To recover, you must stay out of combat for a time. It's not a lot different from past games, but you can't take quite as much punishment. You also no longer have gravity-defying jumps or one-hit kill melee capabilities, and no more dual-wielding. Don't go jumping off any cliffs either. Wipes your stamina right out. You also get one new Covenant race -whose mystery turns out to be central to the story-, a brand new weapon in the form of a silenced SMG which quickly became a favorite of mine, and the extremely welcome return of zoom capabilities on the pistol. I was hoping for more of a focus on stealth aspects, but Bungie couldn't help but make most of the levels typical shoot-em-ups. This definitely diminishes Master Chief's importance as I felt I kicked as much or more tail as an ODST compared to when I played the penultimate Spartan. But I sure as hell did have a great time doing it. There's also plenty of vehicular mayhem to enjoy. They could have easily recycled the epic score from previous games, but instead they crafted a new one that is as good as any they've done. And that says a lot considering every Halo score is among the greatest in gaming.

Okay, enough about single-player. Games like Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead gave us a new mode of gameplay where you are challenged to take on wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemy attacks and survive with a little help from your friends. Not to be outdone, Bungie has crafted their answer in Firefight mode, which can go on for hours at a time if you're good enough. If the campaign wasn't action-packed enough for you, get three buds together and get ready to be dropped in a very defensible position with a set number of lives (more can be gained) to endure endless waves of attack from every baddie in the game. Watch those snipers! The longer you survive, the more difficult the game makes it for you. It will start turning on "skulls" which make the game harder by decreasing ammo drops, empowering enemies, or otherwise making your life harder to keep. This mode is ODST's crown jewel, for sure. They've even added extra kinds of medals for you to earn based on your performance in battle. Firefight is unlimited fun and a FPS fan's co-op wet dream, plain and simple. If that still is not enough, the second disc of the set contains "the complete Halo 3 multi-player experience" which consists of every map ever made for the game and three brand new ones. 24 in all. That is a ton of maps and seeing as they run a few bucks apiece if you download them from Xbox Live that is a large value if you've been holding out. Even if you haven't bought Halo 3, you can join in the fun and madness of murdering complete strangers and then desecrating their corpse while they are forced to watch with all of the extra content using this bonus disc. If you are that guy, then this game is a steal. But I don't know that that guy exists.

Killer story: check. Awesome action: check. Multiplayer badness: check. New additions to the ever-growing Haloverse mythology: check. Incredible soundtrack: check. Yup; this is one fine game. Haters, keep on hating. Bungie gave the hardcore fans a treat with this. I'd have liked to see it priced about $20 cheaper, but I also want my very own Spartan armor and that ain't happening either. The fact is, I'm happy with this game in spite of it's brevity and the fact that I've already purchased most of the maps. If you've no interest in the story and mythology of Halo, I'd suggest you pass on this. The campaign is no challenge with 4 player co-op even on Legendary difficulty and there often are not enough enemies to go around so you will have to look for trouble to find it at times which will enrage many a fratboy. Firefight mode will still be a blast, but one can hardly be expected to shell out $60 for a single gameplay mode. And considering their is no matchmaking on that mode, you can only play it with people on your Friends List which is a pain. ODST isn't perfect, but it's obvious a whole lot of care went into it and it's a great experience all around. Plus, with a dream team cast featuring a Firefly reunion of Nathan Fillion, Alyn Tudyk, and Adam Baldwin plus Battlestar Galactica sex goddess Tricia Helfer and voiceover mainstay Nolan North -who has provided the voice for Deadpool and various other animated comic book characterswho the hell can really complain? It's more Halo, and that's never something to whine about.

4 1/2 stars, rounded up for a new wrinkle in the series.

Honest reviews on Halo 3: ODST - Xbox 360

There are plenty of detailed reviews for this game here already. With that said, I won't breakdown the finer points of the game. I will say that this game is somewhat underrated and quite a gem amongst the other 4 Halo shooters. Those players that enjoy some story and a bit more strategy in their Halo experience will definitely enjoy ODST in my opinion.

I first saw the game in action a few days after release. Someone I know purchases games 1-2 days after they come out. I was not really impressed at the time and had lost interest in Halo since the second game. Didn't even want to play it. Fast forward some years; I enjoyed Halo:Reach. Finding ODST here on Amazon for $14 new -vs$20 used at Gamestop, I decided to give it another chance.

The first 30 minutes of the game were a bit awkward. Playing the campaign on heroic wasn't a problem. Playing and being acquainted with Reach was.

No sprinting

No radar

Can't sneak up on enemies for stealthy melee kills

Patrols?! And they are fairly frequent

Patrols can aggro

Jackels with beam rifles can be head-shot deadly

No shields.

I continued playing however and soon realized how much I was really enjoying such a change in pace.

1) It was critical to "choose" your fights. If you had to fight, you quickly analyzed the threat and prioritized targets.

2) If you do engage some enemies, don't linger in the area too long. Other nearby patrols could be rushing in after hearing the fire fight you just survived.

3) Finding cover and checking your map is a must almost every minute to get the latest intelligence on patrol movement in relation to your position.

4) As you travel through the city, you learn to take note of the environment so you can always engage the enemy on your terms. You also learn areas are never "clear" in ODST.

5) It seems ammunition is a bit scarce as compared to other games. You try to utilize specific weapons for specific enemies rather than just pouring it on and wasting ammo.

6) The visor is a nice feature and the fact that you need to keep it on 80% of the time helps remind you how human your character is.

Gameplay, plot and the story are a unique aspect in ODST. While playing an elite Spartan super soldier is enjoyable, it is refreshing to have another take on the battle against the Covenant.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Halo 3: ODST - Xbox 360

A side-story taking place in the Halo universe, "ODST" puts you in the role of the titular Orbital Drop Ship Trooper a regular marine compared to the Master Chief, the series' normal protagonist. Using the basic gameplay and graphics of Halo 3, ODST is neat and different in some ways and disappointingly samey in others.

ODST follows a squad of drop troopers primarily through the eyes of Rookie, a silent protagonist. Rookie proceeds through the abandoned, dead city of New Mombasa looking for records of his teammates, who he was separated from. Finding these records allows you to play a segment as another trooper Buck, the leader, Mickey, the tech specialist, Dutch, the tough guy, or Romeo, the sniper.

Rookie's segments are really freeform and open you explore the city, going through apartments and back alleys and occasionally running into random patrols of Covenant soldiers. The city's AI, the Supervisor, will occasionally try to get your attention by hijacking various city systems signs will change to point you in the right direction, phones will start ringing, ticket machines will start spewing tickets, crosswalks and traffic lights will change, and so on. These directions will lead you to audio diaries clues to a side-story or weapon/ammo caches. All in all, it makes for a really great feel almost to the level of Silent Hill and it's backed up by some of the best music in the series.

The action stages are pretty good, too, but far more traditional. There is some openness in the levels, but for the most part they're similar to normal Halo 3. This is where the main promise of ODST the fact that you're playing as a normal soldier kind of falls flat. You can basically do everything that the Master Chief can do, including but not limited to flipping over cars and punching through tanks. Your health works slightly differently, but it still basically equates to "if you get hit, go duck behind cover until you recover". You can get away with running up to Brutes and punching them in the face until they die. All in all, you basically demonstrate the same level of "super-soldier" that the actual super soldiers have, as opposed to having to rely on your wits and your guns to overcome your weakness.

In addition to the campaign mode, ODST also offers a four-person co-op mode called "Firefight". In this mode, the human players attempt to hold out as long as they can against waves of Covenant troops. Like Gears of War 2's Horde mode, this can be a blast with the right people. To add a bit of difficulty into the mix, each wave of Covenant has a special effect attached to them the ability to dodge grenades, or being more resistant to plasma, and so on. This ensures that the endless waves of Covenant continue to be challenging for as long as you play.

The graphics are similar to Halo 3's, but the urban environment is much more well-designed than those in Halo 3. A lot of care went into designing the city and the various signs and objects scattered around it, and the end result feels pretty natural. The sound is really good, too. The most obvious change, sound-wise, is that an injured ODST will pant and groan realistically instead of offering a single grunt like the Master Chief does. This makes it feel a lot more immersive, and is almost worth the fact that for game reasons you can heal up really easily and dying's not really that big of a deal.

On the whole, I understand why ODST didn't take a more realistic approach, but that doesn't mean it's not disappointing. As a game, ODST is good, but with some eye-rolling flaws that could've been turned into something more meaningful than "another Halo game".

8/10.

PS3 Band Hero featuring Taylor Swift - Super Bundle Review

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This product photo reveals the drum with fullcircle cymbals..and that was the reason why I bought the kit in the first place..wanting to own the new designed drum! However, what I received was the ordinary 1/3 circle cymbal..the usual stuff and not at all what is shown here. Amazingly the original bundle box also shows the regular drum. SO WHY IN THE WORLD ARE THEY ADVERTISING THIS DRUM WITH THIS PRODUCT? I DO NOT KNOW..I AM DISAPPOINTED. VERY MUCH.

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I do not understand why they have a picture of the new drums while they are continuing to sell the drums with world tour. Even after asking them, they assured me the newest band hero,like the one Walmart with the new drums. I am returning this one and going to Walmart where the price is the same but I get what I want and what I paid for.

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We opened the box on December 21, 2010 and noticed that this game was released in the fall of 2009. That wasn't a problem, but made us question why the product sat on a shelf for a year. When we unpacked the drum pedal we noticed an oily substance on the pedal, something like grease or vaseline. Then we noticed the wire coating flaking off the wire that connects to the drum pedal. When we examined it further we noticed that the entire length of wire was exposed because the coating looked like it had dry rotted. We called Activision immediately and were told that an RMA # would be emailed to us with 2 hours with a return airbill for a warranty replacement of the foot pedal. We started researching the unit and found that there were many complaints about the "greasy" foot pedal and "dry rotted" wire coating. Two days later we finally recieved the airbill and RMA #. We returned the pedal via UPS January 7, 2011 (we were out of town for 2 weeks during the holiday). Called and verified pedal was received and was told the replacement would ship in 2 weeks. Called again January 29th and was told 6 to 8 weeks for replacement. Calling Activision is more painful than going to the dentist sorry dentists. Half the time they can't find your info in the system or they tell you to check online but Activision's warranty tracking website is down and is being replaced. I should have returned the game to the store. We still haven't been able to play it and it may be until March 2011 before we do. The warranty is only good for 6 months. I asked Activision why a recall wasn't issued, but of course, no one could answer the question.

Honest reviews on PS3 Band Hero featuring Taylor Swift - Super Bundle

Personally, for the PS3 version, currently, it is not a good deal.

The instruments on the PS3 version (new drum set are due sometime in the future) are the same as GH:World Tour Kit.

GH:WT Bundle Is going about for 99$ or so, the standalone game "Band Hero" is ave 50-60$ right now. (11/28/2009)

So, at max price, $160, if you buy both seperately, you can get TWO games instead of just one for the Band Hero Kit priced at 149.99.

As for the game itself, it is fun. It's not metallica, or slipknot type of music. The target audience is teens/tweens/pop culture. It serves it's purpose.

If you like pop music, annd if you like guitar hero, this will be fun. It's not the best in terms of packages/presentation, but it will provide hours of entertainment.

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"Band Hero PS3"

That's one of the great things about the ps3, its is so versatile. Having a keyboard, BUZZ, pS3 EYE, band equipment, etc and not to mention what you can do with the ps3 on the inside, BR, Gaming, Vid Streaming, etc, it is so fun, to be able to do so many things with it.

. Now I am not a musician nor have I really ever played much of any instrument, so I didn't expect to have so much fun with this game.

The equipment is solid, the drums are actually supported by steel, the guitar is nice looking and feels solid and comfortable, the mic feels like a real stage microphone, the music is good, even the songs I dont care for were fun to play, the easy navigation menu system lets you focus on fun with no hassle. 4 family members or friends can play at any time or just go solo, or jump online and play with tons of people.

A must addition to your PS3! Even if you dont think you like to play instrements you willl likley get hooked.

Pro's

*Easy to put together

*Solid Instruments

*Great Solo or Multiplayer

*Great music

*Great for kids as well as adults

*One of the funnest games I have ever played on the PS3

Con's

*Career was little short

*could have been more music, (you can import all of your music though which is very cool!)

*a few bleeped out words in songs will screw up your vocals score when using the mic

Pelican 5-Way System Selector (Xbox, PS2, PS1, GameCube, Dreamcast Review

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Good product, I didn't even need a power cable for it, everything switches just fine.

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$150.00 for a switch box? no hdmi, no digital, just a component/ composite switch box. i purchased mine for $20 at a local store.

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Works great, has 5 ports which makes it easier to plug in all my game systems at the same time,

Discount D-Pad Bullet Button Nickel+Brass for XBOX 360 Controller w/ Torx L

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List Price: $19.99
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great product works great and looks even better. shipping was good i just wish the price was lower but i still love them

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I got this with the 9mm luger BAXY buttons and they look great together. It hasn't shown any signs of wearing down so I'm feeling good about this purchase.

Reviews of Wireless 4 in 1 karaoke Microphones for Wii PS3 PS2 Xbox360

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The product works fairly well by itself. However, we ordered two and cannot get them to both work together, not sure if that is because they are on the same frequency or not.

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Review of HDE PS PS2 USB Dual Controller to PC Adapter Converter

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List Price: $15.99
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Instead of the transparent blue pictured, my connector was black. Mine came with no CD with drivers or whatever but it was no real biggie. I have Vista and it plugged right in and worked perfectly. I mainly use it for NES/SNES emulation so I didn't really mess with the rumble or analog sticks, but all the main buttons worked perfectly.

Also, on a whim I plugged it into my PS3 just to see if it would work AND SURE ENOUGH IT DID! Everything worked flawlessly, including rumble and analog! This is huge for cheap PS3 owners who still have PS2 controllers lying around. Instead of schilling out $55 for a second dualshock, buy one of these and you now have 2 "new" PS3 controllers. True you're still tethered to the system like a gaming primitive, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper!

I've only used regular PS2 controllers and it's worked fine. But from reading other reviews it seems there's compatibility issues with some guitar controllers, dance pads, light guns and some third-party controllers. So if you're trying to use it for those and those only, you might want to look elsewhere. It seems some of these controllers have worked for some people. Still, for the price I'd say it's worth the gamble for the simple fact that even if it doesn't work for your specialty controller you can still use the standard issue just fine.

Also note that PS3 compatibility might depend on what PS3 model you have. (I have the 40 gig) It also seems like there are different versions of this item. The item you get might be different then the one I did. So your mileage may vary. But for me it has to be the best $4 I've ever spent in regards to gaming.

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I bought this adapter to use my RedOctane Ignition 2.0 dance pad with Stepmania. Unfortunately I had not known about the compatibility problems before I bought it, or else I might have saved myself a lot of time by spending a bit more on a better quality adapter. Although the packaging and item description do not say, the pictured adapter is a Dilong 203. The adapter I received was the cobalt blue, semi-transparent one with a round depression on the top. Some people have said that this lights up when you plug a controller into it, but mine didn't. In fact, when I received it I could hear something rattling around inside of the adapter like a piece had broken off but I didn't bother asking for a refund because it doesn't affect the usage.

The adapter has two ports for PS2 controllers or dance pads. Be careful when you tear open and throw away the packaging because there is a minidisc with drivers on it stuck between the two folds of cardboard in the packaging. Some people have said that these drivers made the device work. They actually made mine unusable so I ended up uninstalling them. If you have Windows 7, the device is recognized and installed automatically. If you plan to use this for regular controllers, you should be okay from here. However, if you have a dance pad, prepare for a nightmare.

The main problem with this adapter is that it registers the buttons by axis rather than as individual buttons. Imagine the difference between D-pad directional buttons that are all part of the same base and the four separate buttons (x, o, triangle, square). This shouldn't be too much of a problem in other games where multiple directional buttons are never pressed together, but with a dance pad this makes hitting two directional buttons at the same time impossible. I spent hours digging through Stepmania forum posts before I finally got it to work.

First, you have to re-calibrate your dance pad through the Windows 7 Control Panel EVERY SINGLE TIME you want to play the game. In addition, you have to download and run a script that gives coordinates for the x, y, and z axes positions when you press two buttons at the same time, edit a second script to include this data, and then run the second script while Stepmania is running just to force the adapter to recognize the left and right/up and down arrows as separate buttons rather than buttons on an axis. Then you have to program your Stepmania controls on the dance pad. Also, the script that runs behind Stepmania causes your keyboard to spam the A and W keys nonstop so you literally have to close the script and make your dance pad unusable before you can use any other programs, including Windows. And if you happen to forget to change the settings on your taskbar to not hide tray icons, the script will cause an error when you try to right-click close it, which will result in the need for a complete system restart. It's an absolute nightmare, especially if you're not computer savvy enough to figure out how to do all of this. Fortunately a simplified version of the instructions are available in the Stepmania forums.

Overall, the adapter works, but it took me hours to figure out how to get it to function properly. It would be better to either buy a dance pad that has a USB port already built into it (such as the RedOctane Ignition 5.0 pad) or find a better adapter that works with Stepmania. For anyone else looking for an adapter for this reason, I recommend checking the forums before you make your purchase.

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Product does exactly what it says; I can play games using my PSX/PS2 Dualshock controllers, in addition to being able to play Stepmania with my DDR pad.

Just plug in the adapter, plug in your controller, and you're ready to go. No extra BS necessary.

Simple, fast, flawless. You can't beat this price.

5/5

Honest reviews on HDE PS PS2 USB Dual Controller to PC Adapter Converter

OK, so the packaging does in fact not say it works with Windows Vista. However, I tested it on both Premium x32 and Premium x64 and it works great! The driver is a 2006 driver, so any games created after that time period will not be compatible with the gamepad (at least directly from the game). I was able to find a key-mapping software to help me be able to use the controller and overcome this frustrating issue (vibration feedback is supported as well!!!) Also, I noticed my Logitech wireless PS2 controller does not work with this adapter; however, my wired Sony PS2 controllers work just fine with it. If you plan on buying this for games newer than 2006, start searching for a program that'll allow you to remap your keyboard and mouse to your gamepad.

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Arrived very very quickly. Indeed it is black instead of the pretty blue in the picture. The package says to use "START+SELECT for 3 secs" to use with dance pads. THIS DOES NOT WORK!!!! I googled for help, stepmania has a good page: the actual code is "START+SELECT+UP" for 3 secs. Once I got that right, it worked great.

God of War III - Playstation 3 Review

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Thanks for reading my first review here on Amazon. I normally don't review stuff like this online but I can't get this game out of my head. I've had my jaw hit the floor more times in the first couple hours than I've ever had in an entire game before. When people describe this game as epic, they are not just using some cliche word everyone on the internet throws around. The cover of God of War 3 should be in the dictionary next to the word.

First, I highly suggest anyone new to the series to go ahead and pick up the God of War Collection. It is some of the best the PS2 has to offer for only $30. It will bring you up to date on the story and help you get aquainted with the combat system so you can jump right into part 3 no problem. This brings me to my next point, difficulty. I'm hearing the term "button-masher" thrown around quite a lot in regards to this game and while this might be true for the easy and normal difficulties, it couldn't be further from the truth on Titan (hard) mode. Having beaten the two previous games recently, I started GoW3 on Titan difficutly. There is no way you can spam the same combos and expect to make it anywhere. For those familiar with the previous instances of God of War, or for you hack-n-slash pros out there, I highly suggest starting off on Titan mode. This will provide a much greater challenge and get you ready to play on Chaos mode after you've unlocked it.

For the most part, the gameplay remains unchanged from the previous titles. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? However, there are a few differences that greatly enhance the experiece. For starters, the QTEs now put the button prompts in relation to their location on the controller (triangle appears at the top of the screen, X on the bottom ect.). This allows the player to view whatever violent act Kratos is performing at the time without having the button prompt cover it all. Another great change is the ability to switch weapons on the fly, mid combo. This allows for a lot of creativiy to be used in how you dispatch each enemy. Lastly, one of my favorite additions to the combat system is the combat grapple. Kratos will fling both blades into an enemy and pull himself towards them. This greatly increases combo variety and makes it easier to string together lots and lots of hits.

When it comes to presentation in video games, God of War 3 takes the cake. You can tell a lot of work was put into making the game look amazing. I must have spent the first 10 minutes just staring at how detailed Kratos looks. The boss battles and level design redefine what scale is in games today. Some people might be put off by the fixed camera, but this allows the directors of the game to give you breathtaking views and truly show off all the hard work they put into making this one of the most visually pleasing experiences you will ever have. All the trailers and screens you could watch won't hold a candle to how this game looks live on a nice 1080p TV set.

In closing, God of War 3 is one of most amazing experiences you can find in gaming today. Other games might have a little more depth to their combat systems, but none of them put together the entire package of gameplay, graphics, sound, story, and overall fun. If you've been on the edge about picking up a PS3, let Kratos make that decision for you. Do yourself a favor and BUY this game!!!

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If you don't then you will be missing out on, easily, one of GREATEST games of all time! I thought I was blown away by Uncharted 2. I was but I am even more so with God Of War 3. Unbelievably, God Of War 3 floored me from the 30 minute opening sequence to the mind blowing finale. How did Sony Santa Monica pull this off? The SCALE of this game will boggle the mind and make your jaw hit the floor! When I first played the demo some 3 months ago I was in awe. After having played through every luscious drop of GOW 3 I am spellbound beyond belief. If I could only use one word to describe this game: EPIC! Remember the old home arcade system Neo Geo and SNK's motto for it "Bigger, Badder, Better"? This applies to GOW 3 in spades.

Upon first sight of GOW 3 you'll notice that the high def graphics are probably the best, on any system anywhere, computer gaming rigs included. Sony really tapped into the "true" power of the PS3 with this one. Some of the things I saw in this game is making me think it was all a dream because it just isn't possible in games, right? Wrong. Seeing the gigantic titans filling up the whole screen in perfect graphical splendor, on a 50 in. plasma, all the while Kratos is scaling it, and fighting a boss(Poseidon) on it, is completely amazing. Gamers, this is what we live for! The detail of not just the titans, the environments, and the Ghost of Sparta himself, but the minor enemies, such as the skeleton warriors, is astonishing. And seeing 15 or so of these skeleton warriors pile on Kratos and then seeing him violently power them off is unbelievably cool and empowering. It almost makes you feel like a god! The sheer power you feel controlling Kratos and watching him annihilate everything in his path in the name of vengeance will cast a spell over you.

The combat control is much the same as before, if not better. In other words, the control is flawless and if ain't broke don't fix it philosphy applies here. There are timed button presses for the boss battles(quick timed events). And bosses there will be. Some of them are absolutely enormous, such as Hades. Dealing death to the bosses is quite a sight. Impale them. Check! Rip off body parts. Check! Let blood and guts flow like a river. Check! This is one of the goriest and most violently graphic games I've seen. EVER! Kratos can still have sex in GOW 3! Always a welcome addition. Even one scene with a goddess! I think what might impress me most besides the scale of the game, is the number of enemies that can be on screen at one time. At times, there had to be close to 50 or more on screen. That is incredible considering it's running at 60 FPS the entire time with no slowdown. All of that even when there are cyclopses and minotaurs on the same screen, along with a titan in the background. Ridiculously amazing!

The story, sadly, was the most disappointing part of the game. It seemed a bit convoluted; like too much was going on with too many different characters. The story is not bad mind you and it`s easy to follow, it just feels like it's taking a major backseat to everything else. Still, it takes nothing away from the greatness of GOW 3. The puzzles in the game are challenging without being overly so and some of them very clever and ingenious. More than a few I was a bit stumped by. All in all it took me about 10 to 12 hours to roll through this masterpiece. I don't really remember how long it took me to go through each of the first two, so I can't compare length. While a bit short, for my taste, it was still one hell of a magnificent ride! The camera still can't be controlled by the player, but that has never bothered me and I think it was put to even better use this time around. It seems the angles and various shots are Hollywoodesque, if that makes any sense.

Weapons! The Cestus easily steals the show of the several new ones that you'll earn. The Cestus is completely WICKED! The combo moves are spectacular and more so than ever before and you can now swap weapons on the D-pad in the middle of one. When surrounded by a bunch of baddies and knowing you have different button options to pound the pulp out of them is especially gratifying. The use of the bow and arrow is easy and very useful. Very cool shooting the harpies with it and grabbing on to them to further your progress across chasms or to the top of places well out of your reach. I like the fact that now the bow quickly recharges after each use. I love being able to pick up enemies and charge with them, using them as a battering ram on other baddies. Completely awesome! Controlling the cyclops is amazing as well; swinging him around and pulping your enemies is gleefully sadistic. It must be experienced! You level up your health and magic much the same way as the two previous GOW's via feathers, stones, and now, minotaur horns.

The music is excellent! But hasn't the music always been excellent in the series? The voice acting IMHO is top notch. Seems even better than before. The action and pace of the game are relentless. Something new(and amazing) and unique is always happening to keep you glued to the screen; even if it happens only once. There is so much more I could go on talking about with this stunning, amazing, and breathtaking game known as God Of War 3, but I`d be here for a while and then you`d be bored;)

I don't care what genre of games you like or whether or not you even like GOW 3 type games, this is a game that absolutely MUST be experienced. I won't say this is my favorite game of all time, but it's right there at the top with Uncharted 2, Modern Warfare 2, Metal Gear 4, and Resident Evil 4. I don't care if you have to get an extra job(gulp), rob a convenient store(gasp) or steal if off your friend(yeah!) you have got to get this SOON! I've been playing games for 30+ years(since the days of Colecovision) and I've never been this AMAZED by a game! There is so much diversity, so much to see, so much so tightly packed in such a spectacular game that it will make you wonder how they pulled it oof. Folks, the next generation of gaming has arrived and I am stunned, blown away, mesmerized and spellbound by what Sony Santa Monica created. My hat goes off to them for they are a TRULY talented team! Kudos of accolades go to Stig Asmussen for his brilliant direction of this game and for making it so much more than I thought possible.

This seems to be the end of this GOW saga and I hope we'll see more of Kratos in the future, because this is only a scratch on the video game surface of the great things the future could hold for the Ghost of Sparta. I am truly moved!

It's a 10/10 experience!

ARE YOU GOING TO JOIN THE SPARTAN ARMY NOW?

SIDE NOTE(or bottom note) I'm not sure why this game was released earlier than it's scheduled March 16th release date. I had originally preordered GOW 3 on Amazon, but after I found I could get it nearly a week earlier on eBay I cancelled my Amazon pre-order. Not that I'm complaining about any of that. The same thing happened with Modern Warfare 2. I'd like to know how people are getting these games so early. The guy I bought my copy from on eBay said he'd had his copies since March 6th,. He wouldn't elaborate as to where he got them. I received mine on March 11th. I had to pay and arm and a leg for it, but it was worth every dime.

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I have seen my share of games throughout my life. I'm almost 30 years old and video games have been one of my life's greatest hobbies. I have enjoyed playing video games more than anything else. But never did I dreamed more than 15 yrs ago when playing in an Game Gear from Sega that I would experience such a thing.

God of War 3 is simply breathtaking. It is as epic as any movie. It has no equal in the video game world.

The graphics, the music, the superb gameplay everything combines into a massive juggernaut that will rock you to the core. GOW3 deserves its place among the all time greats like Tetris, Super Mario, etc.

In the hack-n-slash genre, it reigns supreme. In the all-time great, it can be debated if it takes the top spot, but no one will leave this game feeling the same.

We live in a truly amazing World where a treasure such as this can be purchased for such a paltry sum.

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I got a PS3 for this game, great investment; reality i am just starting the game, but man in the first chapter is bar none the best graphics i have ever seen in a video game, yes even Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect2 ; and the gameplay is godly smooth, well i will update the review later on , but until now is incredible and awesome, i never thought i will see this types of greatness in my time. Buy it guys , if you dont own a PS3 is about time you get it , you are missing one unique experience.

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+ 5 Bonus Stars For The Blood-Spalttered RAGE Simulator!

BEST GOD OF WAR GAME / BEST PS3 GAME

SONY, we who are about to play, Salute You. For taking a legendary amount of badassedness, and cramming it all in one game. No one else in the market is giving us naked 1080p nipples, just because it's sexy funny. Another game maker would have taken the Greek Mythology idea and given us a PG-13 experience with casual puzzles and no blood. But GOD OF WAR became HARDCORE. You could have dumbed it down like Halo to get super mass market sales... But you stayed true to your Ambition. Because you made this game with your balls, I'm buying it NEW, at LAUNCH, with MONEY. Please accept my cold hard cash, and my thanks. GOD3 is another reason why I'm a Playstation fan-for-life.

HARDCORE FANTASTIC ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCE!

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Rogue Spear - PC Review

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I loved Rainbow Six, but it definitely lacked some major points. First of all, I read the book, and I was dissapointed that the game didn't have snipers. Also, there weren't many guns at your disposal, and the repetitive use of one gun was common. But, Rougue Spear fixes both of these problems, giving a sniper and many more guns. Also, In the original, I really wanted a snow mission, but there was none offered. But, there are three snow missions in this game, and there are even foot prints in the snow, and you can see your mens' breath. Multiplayer is geat, but guns still poke out of doors, defeating a bit of the realism the game has. But, the game is super realistic, and I would tell anyone who thought that the first one was fun, to buy this game for themselves for Christmass!

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This game is the best real life simulation combat game I've played (well not 100% realistic but it's as close as it gets, i guess). Actually it's the best game I've played, period. I tried Rainbow 6 once but didn't like it: too complex and took too much time to plan and set up a mission. This one is awesome: missions are already planned and all you have to do (if you want) is just plunge in the action. On the other hand if you like you can reject the default plan and come up with your own. Moving around is soooo much easier than with rainbow 6: you can move crouched and peek around corners and these are both great enhancements. I use them a lot and saved my posterior in more than one risky occasion. And of course there's "terrorist hunt": you can replay a mission with thirty baddies around and no hostages: it's the ultimate shootout-hunting match. It's worth every penny it costs! GOOD JOB GUYS!

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The enchancements R6 Rogue Spear, over the first, make this sequel a winner. The graphics are superb, the sounds are spectacular and the upgraded AI isn't gonna make it easy for anyone to just waltz by blazing their guns. It's not another "shoot-em-up" a-la Quake genre - not even close.

Here you have to seriously plan out your mission to be able to survive and accomplish your objectives. The settings are nicely rendered and really are a treat. Throw in the ability for free Internet Multiplayer +PLUS+ all the (free) add-on's (Weapon Mods, Modified Maps, etc) and you've got yourself a sweet game that'll have you sitting in front of your PC for hours. For those who are considering purchasing, visit (no affiliation) for up-to-date news, mods, screenshots and other stuff if your still not convinced.

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what can i say about this amazing game, not much because i am writing from a school computer. this game has changed my life and it has changed the way i look at the quality of computer games. i just got the game a couple days ago and i already have a clan for multiplayer mode on the internet. this is just easily the best game i have ever owned and have ever played and i've had almost every game system ever made, believe me. this game just takes the cake. you gotta experience it for yourself. that's all i have time for, but i love this game and it rules and VCSO forever!

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I don't play a lot of games. I normally get bored with the ones I do play in about a week. In my 18+ years of playing computer games, this is the first exception. I am honestly addicted. Last night I dreamed I was on the RAINBOW team, no lie. I need help!

I played Syphon Filter for the first time last week and loved it for its "James Bond" atmosphere. Naturally, being the computer geek that I am, I wanted to find a similar game for the PC. I heard some of the reviews for Rogue Spear and it sounded OK. Boy, was *I* misinformed. Not only OK, but incredible.

1. Great graphics attractive and detailed. 2. Great opposition The enemy actually thinks. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) is astounding. Only after you've played the game for WEEKS without end, you MIGHT think the computer is predictable. The bad guys are always positioned randomly. This add immensely to the playability. What's fun about playing a board and always knowing exactly where the bad dudes are gonna be? 3. Great strategy. A flawless attack will entail 10 minutes for the attack and an hour of planning. This is NOT Quake. However, for those who like to jump right in, it is often advantageous to actually play the mission a few times right away to get a better mental image of the map before hitting the drawing board. After this, you can plan your assault down to minute details. 4. Great weapons and equipment:

Frag grenades (great for those places where you simply CAN'T get an angle on Mr. Terrorist) Flashbangs for blinding the enemy. Watch out, though, because they'll blind YOU too if you're not careful to look away or get behind a wall. The retinal "artifact" is really cool, as is the ringing in your ears after detonation if you're too close. (They call them flashbangs for a reason!) Heartbeat sensors are immensely useful and often necessary. However, juggling HBS and primary weapon is difficult to master. Sniper rifles. While very cool, they're not as useful in as many missions as I'd like.

Now, I'm no professional terrorist killer, but I can only assume that this has got to be the closest to the real thing you can get. You can (and, no doubt, WILL) get capped by a single shot. And it's darn scary--and, not to mention, frustrating--to be sneaking around, 30 seconds from mission success, only to be dropped by some camping terrorist jerk! But, that's the way it goes; you'll just have to be more careful next time. And you'll ALWAYS want to try again, even though it may get frustrating.

The only negative aspect I could find with this game is that the enemy are WAY too accurate. I've often been dropped by a shot to the head from 100 yards by a Hawaiian-shirted drug dealer with a 9mm pistol, and then only a second after he's rounded a corner and spotted me. However, I've heard their are MODs available that will curb this "over-accuracy."

Do your self a favor. In fact, do us ALL a favor and buy this game. Buy it for yourself because it's an amazing game that's cheap at twice the price. But also buy it for all of us so that Redstorm Entertainment can continue to make software of this caliber.

Discount KontrolFreek GamerPack RECON

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I play COD MW3 and I heard about these little guys and thought they were a gimmick, but Something made me try them. I bought this pack because I wanted to see which one works better for me since I mostly use AR's. I put the original FPS freek on my right stick and haven't taken it off since. ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ROUND I RECEIVED THE MOST HEADSHOT REWARD. I was flabbergasted. The trick to these: you have to turn your sensitivity up high so not only can you spin around like a tornado but you still have precise control over your weapon when lining up a shot. It's beautiful. I would recommend these if you're already a somewhat decent player but just need that little edge to take you over the top.

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Let me first start of by saying that I already consider myself an above average player at Call of Duty. I have a 3.8 K/D in Black Ops, and a 2.4 K/D in MW3. This surely isn't amazing but above average.

I purchased the FPS Freek Recon because I didn't know which would be better for me: the CQC, or the Original.

FPS FREEK-----------------------------

So I actually received this from my friend a year ago, but I used them once, thought they were stupid, and gave them away. A couple months later, I realized that my analog sticks were very slippery, and I felt the need for grips.

This takes getting used to. I approximately took 3 or 4 hours to finally get the hang of it.

What the FPS Freek does is that it extends the analog stick, so that if you are playing on a 10 sensitivity, you will be able to move the stick more precisely. I was originally playing on a 6 sensitivity, but I have upped it to 8 with this purchase.

IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A BETTER PLAYER! It basically just gives you the opportunity to spin like a tornado, and move precisely at the same time.

By the way, for the PS3 controller, it touches the D-PAD at times, but not too big of a deal.

It definitely adds grip to the stick. The CQC is better if you're just looking for grip.

FPS FREEK CQC----------------------------

These definitely feel better to use if you're looking for "grip". They are flatter, which means they will not change your game too much.

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Purchased this after multiple recommendations from gamer friends to see if it would assist. The item has assisted greatly in overall accuracy with large tip on right directional stick and smaller tip on left directional stick. Greatly improved overall grip as well. Thanks for a great product KontrolFreek!

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A really great little accessory that increases your range of movement with the sticks. It takes a few hours to really get used to them, but once you do you'll never go back. You'll really notice an improvement in your ability to track moving targets at range. And they're also great for racing game too!

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once you try them you wont want anything else, my son says it feels funny when you don't use them, so I will buy them and the price is great

Review of Siren - PlayStation 2

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I'm not a wimp or a gaming novice, so its not often I think that a game is too difficult...but this is exactly how I feel about Siren. I was very excited about playing it after seeing advance demos and previews of it, but I was unprepared for the challenge that was ahead of me.

The game plays like a cross-breed of Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid, in that your adventure takes place in a nightmare world of derelict locations populated by sub-human zombie type monsters, but, with little or no means of attacking them, your success is largely down to using stealth tactics to sneak your way through the game, or to surprise and attack the enemy from strategic hiding places. Unlike the radar map in MSG, here your characters have the ability to see through the eyes of other people, which helps you plan your safest route, or warns you of attack when you suddenly "tune in" to the sight of yourself being run towards from behind! The game's setting is spot on. The many locations are on the small side, but all fully detailed and explorable. The enemies are horrifically realistic, mostly made up of zombified townsfolk who are all bleeding from the eyes and lurching around armed with various weapons and torches to seek you out with. It has been said that survival in this game is tough, and it's true. Be prepared to spend a lot of time watching your characters die as you try to work out the various strategies to passing each stage. The try-die-try again gameplay echoes that of the PS game "Fear Effect", so if that drove you crazy, expect more of the same. The playable characters are exceptionally vunerable to attack, and two swipes with a knife or one well-placed bullet will be then end of you, and the zombie enemies are relentless in their pursuit. In addition to this, when you do actually get a weapon with which to attack the zombies, you have to act fast because they always get up again after being knocked out for a minute or so. It adds up to an exceedingly punishing game, but I guess its actually far more realistic than the life bar and instant healing products of other survival horror games.

More problematic than actually just surviving, though, is working out what on earth you are supposed to be doing. The game is split between several playable characters, each of whom have separate "missions" to complete, and all are played non-chronologically at varying times within the game's 3 day timescale. The levels usually require a very obscure set of conditions to be met before you can accomplish each mission, and sometimes, the same stage will also feature a further, hidden puzzle that needs solving so that different characters can proceed through later missions. The menu for this is a kind of 3 day plan-o-gram with slots for all the characters at different days and times, with coloured lines linking them all up...it's quite a mental feat to piece all this together to work out what is going on. One really annoying aspect of the game is that if the hidden conditions to "open up" later missions are not met in the levels you have already completed, you are forced into a loop of replaying the same levels over and over again until you realise that there is a part of the river you did not think to look in (if you went that way), or a spot on the ground that the game prompts you can be dug up (if you happen to be standing in exactly the right place). Many players may suffer immense frustration whilst playing when they find they are never allowed to go anywhere new. I know I did, and it leads me to believe that only a truly dedicated player is going to put in the amount of work needed to make it through to the end.

This is a real shame, because the general concept and story behind the game is truly original, and there are some genuinely unsettling scenes to be encountered, which should startle even survival horror veterans. The graphics are amazing, characters look and move like real people, but sadly the obviously authentic Japanese setting has been weakened by the saddling of all the speaking characters with British (sometimes even cockney) accents, which is a terrible mistake. Still, the other design strengths just about manage to make up for it. Characters have recognisable personalities and all play differently. You'll soon find yourself with favourites and don't be surprised if you occasionally find yourself moved to sadness at their plight, or terrified along with them.

In conclusion, this is a teeth-grittingly hard game to play. Combining all too easily killed characters with obscure puzzle hunting, in levels where you have no pointers towards what to do or where to go, is a triple whammy that the game struggles to win you over with. Otherwise it is so near to being the most terrifying game on the PS2.

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I took a risk and bought Siren even though I had read many conflicting reviews. I really enjoyed playing this game. However, baring the assumption that you can foresee the future, I wouldn't even dream of recommending this game without a guide. The puzzles and items that you are some how magically supposed to solve are absurd. If you don't heed this warning you will waste hours of backtracking through unforgivably hard levels to get them (after you magically figure out that you forget to grab them in the first place). In fact, completely ignore the fact that there are puzzles (use a guide) because it is hard enough to survive getting from point A to point B. Also, the voice acting isn't that bad the first time you hear it (as bad as using American accent to translate, instead of leaving in Japanese with subtitles), it is that it becomes grating because you will die and have to hear it again and again. Oh yeah, you will get killed by snipers repeatedly, so a great deal of patience is needed to get through this game.

I liked everything else about Siren. It is the first survival horror game since the original Silent Hill (original designer of Silent Hill worked on this title) that really felt sprawling and immersing. The Shibito and incarnations of fallen characters are creepy as hell. The visuals are superbly minimal which makes them far more effective and ethereal. The false "heavy metal" ending was really funny. So if you have enjoyed any of the Silent Hill series and always wished they were a little longer, a little more threatening and more challenging give this title a chance.

Again, don't bother with attempting to figure out the puzzles on your own.

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I'm sure I'll be jeered by some for not appreciating how "original" this title is. I like games that are original, but I also like games that are scary, fun, and well-crafted. Nothing akin to this game has ever been attempted before, and one can see why, as Siren is completely unplayable. It's as if someone said "You know how those horrible, clunky, Resident Evil style controls severely hamper player enjoyment? Well those controls are too intuitive, lets make the player use a pull-down menu whenever he wants to pick up or use an item!" The visuals are so full of artful (read pretentious) "fog" and film scratches, they turn out to be no better than PS-1 graphics. The sound might be passable, except for the fact that all the Japanese characters have been inexplicably dubbed with cheesy British accents. The sight-jacking feature allows you to see through the eyes of your enemy, as strategy it's all but completely useless, as unless you've run through a level (and died) many, many, many times, you have no clue what the zombies are looking at (Ooh! He sees a twig, and his own hand! That will save my life!) This is one of the most frustrating and pointless games I have ever played in my life, and to make matters worse, ever game-mag I've read is giving this one high marks! As a huge Silent Hill fan, and working from such reviews, I was ready to plunk down cold hard cash to buy this title sight unseen, until I read some reviews from actual gamers. Thank God I rented it first! This is why I write this review, as a service to you. Do not buy into the hype! This game is as scary as athlete's foot, and twice as irritating. Unless of course your idea of the ultimate in terror involves crouching behind shrubbery to avoid un-killable jerks (it's a moot point anyway, as you almost never have a weapon, and the fighting mechanics are awful) who giggle like drunken yokels while looking for you with a flashlight. Or perhaps running through poorly rendered woods while trying to lead a spastically controlled, simpering woman-child, who constantly shrieks "It's about time! Hurry up!...Wait! Don't run so fast!" I rented this game with a discount coupon, I'd like to be pithy and say I overpaid But after that imbecile had run away from me into the waiting maw of a giggling pseudo-zombie for the tenth time whilst mewling orders at me, I found out that you can "accidentally" use weapons on your companions. Bludgeoning that twit to death was worth every penny!

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If you want a game that will last as long as GTA then get this. The story is actually quite amazing to say the least but you will be in it for the long haul.

There are several maps and over twelve characters that meet in the story at different times. It is like Silent Hill but slower as you are not given great weapons to defeat the enemy. Instead you have the power of second sight. You do things in the map that are for the characters benefit and to set up something for another character who will arrive there later. The story is sort of like Pulp Fiction in that all the characters finally meet as you take them through the story.

It is very very very difficult and very easy to die but there is a method to the game and once you manage to use the second site to run around the place so that the monsters do not see you it gets a lot easier.

Stick with it, but this is by no means an out-of-box couple of days game play. It is more like twenty minutes a day for the next 12 months.

Addictive but slow.

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Fans of the survival horror gaming genre were no doubt excited by unraveling the mystery of Sirens errie Japanese town with the terrifying past. Sadly, the premise is about as exciting as the game gets.

The Pros

This game is a really gorgeous visual treat. The chracters are rendered with a new technolgy that actually wraps realistic images onto 3d computerized planes.

The setting has been developed well. The village of Hanuda is a scary place cast in eternal darkness surrounded by a sea of blood and of course the Siren going off in the background.

The Cons (and there are many)

The game developers dubbed the game with a British voice over crew which in the beginning is comical but after awhile just feels ridiculous. For some people this may not be an issue at all but for me it just seemed distracting playing a Japanese guy and to hear him shout "Oi Mate! wait up!"

Secondly, the gameplay is terribly limited and re-do's abound. More skilled gamers may not have to replay missions as much but I found it hard not to be killed as 80% of the time your only defense is to run and hide. The game employs a drop down menu to issue command to your character. The menu is easy to use but truly annoying. A good example occurs on the first mission. Your goal is to escape a bad guy via car. The drop down menu asks you 1) Would you like to pick up the car key? 2) Would you like get in the car? 3) Put key in ignition? 4) Turn key to start car?truly gets to be cumbersome to game play.

Lastly, the game uses a event system/ time table for you to keep track of events as they happen to all 10 playable chracters. While that sounds convoluted in itself it only gets worse that you have to play all ten characters and not one at a time. The game is broken up into missions. For example,one mission may involve a journalist and reveal certian parts of the mystery and these events are recorded on the time table. The next mission you are introduced to a new character and complete the next mission and learn more. You must refer back to the time table to try and piece it all together.

Siren was a truly exciting idea thta really failed to deliver. I don't feel many people actually completed as I myself grew bored and gave up halfway through. If you truly want to be scared and enetertained I recommend Fatal Frame 1 or 2 as both are in my opinion the best (and scariest) the genre has to offer.

Cheap Xbox 360 Rock Band Portable Drum Kit

Customer Ratings:

I got this drum because it's cheap and I thought maybe at least something about it would be fun to mess around with. I have an ion, but my pedal is too loud and I also wanted to get something I could take with me on the go to a friends' house. Well this thing worked as well as the other reviewers have said. The pedal in this kit is better and makes less impact noise than any pedal on the market, and if you can stick the pads down in one place, they seem to work perfectly as well. The only downside is that you pretty much have to use this with the included sticks, because the pads are too hard. The sticks in the box are rubber to compensate. Using wooden sticks on these is too loud to stand.

Another added perk of this kit is that the controller can be plugged in standalone and used like an NES controller for arcade games, as long as the games don't use the shoulder buttons. Also, people who are interested in modding projects can use the little controller part as the "brain" for a custom drum kit. People have used this to turn their nice electronic kits into RB kits!

Let me reiterate again that the pedal on this is better than the stock ion pedal in terms of noise and equal in function. Get a 1/4" to 1/8" converter and use it with your ion.

In every way, this product is worth your money if you're looking for any of the above features.

ADDITION: I am adding this to the review as a caution: the sticks that this comes with seem to be susceptible to breaking at the middle where they screw together. Now, I know that all drum sticks break eventually, but just be prepared to try to locate some rubber-head sticks as backups because you really can't play this too well with a wooden head.

UPDATE 6/29/09: The pedal for this is still working great, and I still use it with my expensive Ion drum kit. I play on expert now better than ever, and this pedal is very accurate and much easier to double tap to get those super-rapid beats. The official pedal I bought recently doesn't respond well at all to quick rapid pushes like this does. I even got a second portable kit just so I could have a spare, and the second one works just as well.

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Overall, the quality of this product is top notch. I'll start with the bad and work into the good.

BAD----By itself, the drumkit has to be placed on a flat surface like a table or desk. For those who are used to the standard Rock Band Drumkits, the pads are angled towards the player rather than flat. I guess it's a matter of personal preference but I see this as a negative feature.

BAD----The kick pedal is in the shape of a box rather than the shape of a foot. It is very awkward to use and if you're used to the standard kick pedal, this is a bad alternative.

GOOD----The drum pads themselves are highly sensitive. Never in the past 6 months of using this product have I missed any notes due to the pads not being able to register a hit whether they are soft hits or hard hits. The pads are very reliable for fast parts i.e. Everlong on expert.

GOOD----The drums pads are very durable. For the price of this product, the durability and resiliency of the pads is excellent. I've been using them for 6 months now and not a single pad has malfunctioned.

GOOD----The sticks that come with the package are durable and allow for more fluid play with the drum pads. They are made of plastic and weigh about the same as the standard wooden sticks. These sticks also have rubberized head which allow the player to feel a bounce off of the pad. For me, this allows me to transition from one pad to another more effectively than with wooden sticks. These sticks also have a rubber grip around where you would normally grip a drum stick. This helps prevent the stick from leaving your hand.

OWNER SUGGESTION----Please watch this video this video will teach you how to fully take advantage of your portable drum kit. This enables you to use them with your existing Rock Band Drum Kit.

Another note: The pads connect to a central rectangular panel which has the standard console buttons on it. This is where you plug each individual pad, kick pedal, and has the USB plug that plugs into your console. The only problems I've encountered are with voice communication. There is an outlet where you can plug in a microphone and I frequently run into problems with communicating with other players. Maybe it was my headset, but it works fine with my regular controller.

In sum, this is an excellent product and for its price, it is very much worth buying for its ease and quality of use to its durability.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Rock Band Portable Drum Kit

We bought these for our son to play on his uncle's Xbox Rock Band game (we already own the Wii set with the full size drums). Our thought was that they would sit on the Wii drums, but they won't they will slide off. When we set them on a wooden bench to play, they work perfectly but the yellow one slides for my son (I guess the way he hits it). They do come with a thin rubber ring around the bottom edge to prevent moving, but I wish they had come with maybe a full non skid bottom to keep them in place better. Still, they work great and were totally worth it for an easy to use set of drums if you need an affordable Rock Band setup!!

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Rock Band Portable Drum Kit

The pads of this kit are very good. They register strikes perfectly. I bought them to use in a DIY kit instead of wiring up peizos and buying a midi converter, and I am very pleased so far.

Many people buy these to replace a bad/broken kit. Just apply some velcro to the back of these pads and stick them right onto your existing bad kit, and go to town.

They would be alright for schlepping your gear to a friends house or for travel, but I would not want to try and position them to play as sold.

The pedal is pretty craptastic, but will do in a pinch. The sticks are terrible. The weight is slightly off, and they will come apart or break under moderate stress. All of these problems probably result from them being 2 piece sticks, which is a bad idea to begin with.

The tips are great, though. Buy a pair of sticks that you like, with narrow tips, and stick the rubber tips from these onto them. They are still a little louder than the plastic ones, but feel good, won't fall apart and the rubber gives nice action on these pads.

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These drums are actually a lot better than you would think, especially for the price. I had already been through 2 Rock Band replacement sets before I decided to try these out. After cracking the pads yet again on my third set from some intense drumming, I gave these a try. Like some other reviewers have pointed out, this set works best if you simply place the pads on top of your older RB set using velcro or some other adhesive as these have no frame. Also, you can decide to use your old Rock Band pedal with this set or the one that comes with it, whichever you prefer (I opted to use my existing steel-plate reinforced RB pedal and ditch this weird looking one).

I've had these pads for about a year now and they continue to work flawlessly, despite me beating them to death mercilessly. The drum sticks included only lasted a few hours for me before they snapped in half, so you may want to consider using something more durable in that regard.

Prior to these pads, I was never able to get 100% on any drum song (no matter the difficulty) b/c of mishits on my old set. Now I get them quite often. These pads are incredible.

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts - PlayStation 2 Review

Customer Ratings:

I always thought it would be a blast to go hunting. But I didn't want to go outside and freeze my nubs off. So I asked my wonderful beautiful wife to get me a hunting game for Christmas. Cabela's Dangerous Hunts delivers a lot of thrills. Your heart will almost leap out of your chest as a mountain lion or a leopard leaps out at you when you are least expecting it. Or you will rejoice when you take down a whitetail deer in the eastern lowlands of Wisconsin from 150 feet away with your semi-automatic rifle.

The game has three modes of play. The action mode just has animals leaping at you all the time, and you have to shoot them as fast as you can so that you can leap off to the next habitat. This mode gets old quickly.

The most realistic mode is career mode. This is where you start out with a bow and arrow and you purchase more hi tech weapons with the money you collect from each succeeding conquest. This is quite realistic, but I don't why you can't start with a rifle, and I still haven't mastered bow hunting yet.

For me, the best part of the game is the Quick Hunt mode. Like with the other modes, this comes in Easy, Medium and Hard difficulty levels. I like the easy level, because you can track the animals by following the red dot on your screen.

But it is more like real hunting to play the medium and harder levels where you do not have a red dot and have to rely on your eyes and ears and hunches to track deer. And just like with real hunting, you could conceivably spend hours and hours without catching a thing on the levels without the red dot.

But for me, this beats sitting out in the cold, although this way, I don't get to eat the meat. For those who want more arcade action from a hunting game, this is the one to get. But watch out for the lions and leopards and wolves and bears and rhinos.

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This game is a lot of fun. It also offers you many options. You can get into a quick hunt, a career, a charter hunt, or into another mode where you are attacked by fierce animals one after the other. It takes a while to complete, is challenging, but playable for those of us with limited gaming skills. And... once you "complete it" it's not over, on the shelf, gathering dust ... go back and start a new career (try a harder difficulty level if you want), or take your existing character, and go on some more charter hunts (now that you completed it you will have an x-ray scope if you choose to use it). More than worth the money! WARNING: D.H.2 is nothing like this one.

Best Deals for Cabela's Dangerous Hunts - PlayStation 2

When I first bought this game I did not really like it because the controls were hard to get used too. But, then when I got used to the controls the game suddenly became awesome. I mean it was only 30 dollars compared to 50 dollars for a regular game. Yes the controls are goofy, but it makes sense to how the game is played. I must say that career mode is the best. The game is HARD even if it is on easy. The red dots indicating where the animals is great ( you will see what I am talking about when you play). The weapons are awesome!! Tons of gear, tons of animals to kill. Great areas to hunt in. The graphics are decent. I do not really like the view of the hunter when you are hunting, but it is allright. It is sooo fun to play. I will give a few tips. When hunting predators just equip your camo suit and a 12 gauge shotgun, NOTHING ELSE! Just follow the red dot to the bear or other predator. Then chances are they will see you and run right toward you. Just shoot it when it is right near you ( 4 yards) and it will die no matter the size except maby the moose beacause it took me 2 shots to kill that thing. The wolves are scary when they jump out and sometimes in a pack of three. When you start to hunt deer, you cant use the "stalk the predator" method, you will have to get a shot with a rifle w/ a scope from far away. Somethings that are cool is the 10 gauge shotgun gas-operated (powerful) and the .510 rifle ( most powerful gun in the whole game). I saw two bears fighting once and i was hunting a elk when i turned around and saw a huge polar bear on his hind legs until i shot it right in the chest. There is no muzzleloaders or birds to hunt though. This game is worth the 30 dollars! When you play a mission to find the hunter it stinks because there is not even a hunter it is like a bush and it says you have completed the mission. The "Spot the bear" mission is hard because you only have to kill the black bear w/ the white snout and a regular black bear comes out first. But do not kill this one!!! Just run to the other bear. I know it seems impossible, but you have to kill the second bear to pass. I love shooting the cape buffalo in the head because they are so dumb. Africa is cool to hunt in. The hardest animal to hunt is the stupid sheep and goat. They hear you from a mile away. You have to snip these things when they are drinking from a pond. There is a lot of loading but they tell you facts while you wait.I hope this review is helpful, and PLEASE BUY THIS GAME!! IT IS THE BEST. THANK YOU CABELA'S FOR A GREAT GAME. I will probaly write another review later when i beat the game!! i am only at the begining. BYE.

Discount Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $15.41
Today's Bonus: 69% Off

I really wanted to like this game...probably one of the games I have been looking forward to the most. I have played every need for speed game in the franchise. Like others have already said, this isn't just a remake of the old most wanted. Yes, there are cops that chase you, and you do kind of get to customize your cars. The real problem with this game is the most important aspect of any racing game, and that is the control of the cars. This game is AWFUL with the control. The best way I can explain it is when you try to steer left or right, there's like a lag or something. It's just really not responsive. I am using a 360 controller.

Also, I've seen other reviews on here saying that the frame rates are terrible. Let me clear this up. Yes, I have noticed some frame rate drops, but not terrible ones. I haven't done actual testing, but I would guess going from a constant 50-60fps, and the drops go down to maybe 30 at the lowest. Someone else said the graphics look old. This is also untrue. This game LOOKS fantastic! I am running an AMD Phenom II x4 3.4ghz cpu, 8gb of ram, and a Sapphire Radeon 7950 graphics card.

I also read some other reviews that said the game sucks. Again, I disagree. I think they have done everything in a nice, new, refreshing style. Let it be known, I loved the Hot Pursuit game by them, and also The Run. Really, the only thing holding me back from this game receiving a 5 star rating is the poor handling of the cars, and just a little bit discouraged by the frame drop. Not a huge thing, and I am serious about when games have frame rate drops. It's really not that bad.

Oh, on a side note, I was thinking maybe the car was handling like crap at first because I was at the beginning of the game and it was just that car. Turns out to not be true...I have like five or six cars now and you just can't help but to constantly smash into either other cars, walls, or every freaking light pole on the side of the street.

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I grew up with the NFS franchise. The games were always great. The series peaked 3 times equally: Porsche Unleashed because of its attention to historical detail and physics, Underground 2 for taking all that was good about Underground and then adding an open-world environment, and then Most Wanted for taking what UG2 did, and simply removing the boring bits and enhancing the best ones. After Most Wanted, things started to slide. Carbon was okay, but then the series went off a cliff. Undercover had the worst environment detail ever with even less plot, Hot Pursuit simply was not made for people who have ever driven a car in real life (keep in mind all NFS games were great BECAUSE they were arcadey, but predictable and had linear handling), The Run wasn't even finished, and then we get this, Most Wanted 2, for all intents and purposes. Without question, this is the most disappointing game of the entire franchise. Why? It's not the worst in full, but since it meant to update the original and is absolutely terrible, it loses even more points. Let's get started:

Graphics

Quite outstanding, actually. The port is just fair, but the game is actually nice to look at. Not up there with Hot Pursuit, but still nice. Doesn't matter though as the remainder of this review will show you.

Handling

There is none. Cars do not behave like cars, they all behave exactly the same which is something like a cross between a yacht and driving on an ice rink. Accelerating is fine. Braking is fine. Turning? You turn by hitting the handbrake and going into a preposterous slide. This would be fine if it was like Burnout, but there is no correlation between how much you slide and how fast you were going. If you try to brake normally and turn, the car reverts to boat mode. This game makes Cruisin' USA look like a simulator. I can put this another way: it is as though the handling model simply was not finished, but they wanted to get this game out for what...the on-Halloween season?

Gameplay

Gone are the days of racing for cash to buy cars and upgrades. Instead, you, with zero back story, start in an Aston Martin and are told to simply drive up to a Porsche, press a button, and then you can drive it. Yes, you find cars scattered throughout the city, but you aren't rewarded for your task. No. Instead, you just can swap cars on the spot as though you already own them all. Speaking of which, you can even do this when being chased by the police. Have 8 cruisers on you? No problem, hop out of your 911 and get into a Shelby Mustang and you'll hear on the radio "Suspect has changed vehicles, now in pursuit of grey Ford Mustang!". Keep in mind these cars are literally on the side of the road or in the middle of fields. Those familiar with NFS games will understand that the problem known as rubber-banding is worse than ever. Doesn't matter if your Gallardo is going 180mph, the basic police cruiser will still pass you as though you're standing still. The only thing more inane than this is that you can have a full head-on crash into a wall, get a message on the screen saying "CRASHED!"......and then continue your chase, but if you slow down normally, you'll get busted. This isn't like the rewind feature in The Run, it just happens. I could go on, but there's no point.

Plot

The entire game is run from a HUD saying you have x amount of points until you get to challenge the Most Wanted racer in x position. Woo hoo. So no, there is no plot, you come out of nowhere in an Aston Martin Vantage, and immediately "steal" a Porsche 911 and just hop off and start racing. I am not exaggerating, that is your first 45 seconds of gameplay.

If you have owned any NFS games in the past, let me just put it like this: this isn't one. It's a terribly made game which happens to have good looking models of cars in it. Once again, graphics have taken the front seat and actual fun fell off the top of the roof as you did a burnout to start a race (yes that is how you start races). Look elsewhere.

Best Deals for Need for Speed: Most Wanted

First, let me make it clear I enjoy NFS games and have since the early ones. I even enjoyed the The Run and Most Wanted and the World. I find myself wonder what the heck is this? The city of Fairhaven is great, I like the detail and exploration, it reminds me of Skyrim in its detail. My problem is with the gameplay.

Firstly, there is no car handling, you cant even tweak it or sensitivity. The cars are all over the place and handle like garbage. Now Im not a crappy driver, I own Forza Horizon, Past NFS, Test Drive Unlimited 1 and 2 and easily have succeeded in playing them all without sliding all over the place. It just seems to me Criteron did everything they could to make their Trademark Crash cut-scenes play often. These cut scenes are so annoying too. You cant skip them and by the time the animations finish playing, your in last place again. Real fun.

All in all, if you want to race, look elsewhere. This is a crash simulator not even a arcade racer. If you skip racing and just drive around crashing into things and exploring the city, it is fun and enjoyable, albeit shallow experience. However if you try racing, you'll likely end up annoyed and asking yourself why bother?

Honest reviews on Need for Speed: Most Wanted

The game is poorly optimized for PCs. Frame rate drops happen whenver you turn the camera. Im on a 2700k and gtx 680. I put the graphics on low and it still drops and hiccups and hitches. wait till the release a proper update or drivers.

Besides that I love this game. Its burnout paradise 2. As long as your cool with that, you'll enjoy this game. People expecting the original Most Wanted should just go play the 2006 game.

::UPDATE::

Four days after launch and the performance has gotten better on low settings. The most severe drops occur when inside buildings with some shadows on. Also, the higher your graphic settings, the worse the drops are. Them more chaotic your chase and multiplayer the more the game suffers. This game does not run smoothly on high settings in demanding areas. period.

high settings in multiplayer simply is not smooth.

my gut tells me its the lighting models that are killing the frame rate. but I cant back that up.

This can be considered nit-picky by some, but I'll be the first to tell you the lack of optimization does not take away from this game, its still very fun to play and I've been enjoying it since launch!

::Update 2::

40 hours into this game and I'm still loving it. The multiplayer and autolog have been keeping me busy. Unfortunately the performance issues are still there, I've been trying different settings and have found a setup that runs fairly well. Although slow downs online can't really be avoided. Ive made note of a few problem areas in Fairhaven where frames seem to dip no matter what setting I have on.

There are quite a few discussions going on out there about MWs performance and I by no means am the only one experiencing less than stellar performance.

Criterion recently said a patch is in the works.

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This game seems to be hammered not because it's bad in itself no, the game is actually pretty nice (of course, if you ignore all that the words "Need For Speed" ever meant" to gamers). I'm giving this two stars, because although this is a solid game, it's not Need For Speed. At least for me, Need For Speed carried that sense of pride of having that particular car, with that particular tint of paint, with those particular specs. It was the thrill of knowing that your car can take out that roadblock like there's no tomorrow, and that the cops cannot catch up unless it's heat level 5-6. It carried a sense of trust in the car like you know that it will perform when you most need it, and that the NOS will pull you out when you fall behind.

Now comes this new installment. After the brilliant NFS:HP3 two years ago, when Criterion showed that the NFS isn't exactly dead yet and that there still is a game out there where the cops are out to get you. If anyone remembers NFS:HP2, that had no story either, so that was alright that there was no story in that new installment either.

I believe that's where the developers/EA got a little cocky. They decided to bring together the burnout formula, and merge it with the fame of the NFS series. However, that doesn't resonate with many players, and here's why:

Because when you strap on the word "NFS:MW" people expect a story, or at least gameplay that's arcade-ish but not over-the-top. When you strap-on "burnout", then people know what you're getting in. But this game is a slap in the face it's like going to a grocery store, buying a box of brand-new chocolate-chip cookie made by your favorite brand, just to find out that it's actually Oreo re-branded. Remember how you could actually smash through a roadblock? when your momentum actually mattered? well, here you get "taken down" no matter what. You recall how if you're lucked out and run over the roadblock, you're bound to get caught, not "re-inflate" your tires magically? You recall when the game actually took time to get to better cars, and how the races were difficult? Well, this game isn't that. It's not that at all. You don't even get punished for getting caught in a pursuit. Oh, and your heat level dies off after you evade back to zero.

You smash into traffic that car going 40kmh throws back your car going 250+kmh against it. Umm, hello? anyone took freshman physics? if anything the car I smash into should be subjected to this... Unless, of course, people drive 10-tonne cars around the city, and all the race-cars are feather-light.

I did like Paradise City, and it's a nice game, but it's in its own smash-and-trash genre...

tl;dr: if you like burnout, and you're willing to compromise on this being realistic, then you're in for a treat. If you expect something more than a pick-up-and-play (COD-style) from this game, then go buy something else... or buy the NFS:HP3.