Darksiders II (Asian Version) Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I thought this was a cereal with a darksiders toy in it. I put the disc in a bowl and poured milk on it. Then, I accidentally set on fire so I peed on it. I put it in my Xbox and it worked. Bravo

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Xbox 360 Official NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Controller Faceplate Review

Customer Ratings:

Product is easy to install, and satys secure. Much cheaper option than buying the actual controller. Definitely getting another one!!!

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This is a inexpensive way to "bling" up your controllers. I bought 3 of them and they all fit great. The noly downside is if you use a key pad on your controller it will not fit on with the face plate.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Official NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Controller Faceplate

I'm a Colts fan myself, but I bought this as a gift to a Buccaneers fan of mine who had an Xbox. A cool way to decorate your controller!

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Official NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Controller Faceplate

I bought this controller cover for my husband. I was concerned that this 'snap on' cover might inhibit game play, but we were pleased to find that it doesn't. He really enjoys it, representing his team while game playing. The colors were spot on, the team logo very nice. We'd recommend this item to anyone.

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I've seen a few different kinds of faceplates and most are just vinyl or some sticker type covering. This item however is more durable and fits absolutely perfect. You'll have a little different feel in game play to get used to. But once you do, you'll love this item! I have purchased another since my first for a gift for someone and he's even more physical with his controllers than I am. He loves his new faceplate as well!! I wish I could give this even more stars than 5!

Dark Void Review

Customer Ratings:

For a concept of Dark Void, take the PC version of the original Gears of War, add in a jet-pack, knock it down to T-rating, remove the multiplayer and set the whole thing in the Bermuda Triangle in the early years of WWII.

Oh, and upgradeable weapons, too.

The centerpiece of Dark void is the aerial combat blended smoothly with Gears-of-War style cover-based combat. This is made possible by the jetpack you acquire about halfway through the first episode in the campaign. The flying is tricky to learn especially when you turn with the mouse. The first tutorial mission was the most frustrating part of the whole game. I felt like Avatar's Jake sully when he first rides an Ikran. In simpler turms, it sucked. invisible walls were everywhere, i got lost, confused and dizzy. But once you master it, this is the best part of the game, because it's very original. Plus, if you tire of your meager machine guns, you can Hijack enemy planes, I mean UFO's.

That's right. Aliens. Sadly, the originality stops short of the plot. Aliens (called Watchers) want to take over the world and have been manipulating humanity by assuming human forms and disguising themselves as world leaders, notably, the Nazis. Yawn.

But, it is an interesting take on WWII and there's references to the ancient aliens theory, which is cool.

The ground combat is just like Gears of War as I've stated before, so if you like that , you'll like this. the most notable difference, however is the vertical cover system. look up at a platform and press "c" for Will (our hero) to jet pack his way to it and grab it. Press "c" to blast to the next ledge, or "space" to clamber on top of your cover, or simply fire upon the enemies in your way. It's a refreshing take on cover that helps this game stand out even more from the other cover based shooters, and allows a platforming element to seep into the mix.

Now there is DlC coming for this. A survival mode, similar to horde should be releasing on Xbox 360 (2/10/10 400MP) and PS3 (2/11/10 $4.99) though no word yet on a PC version yet (as of 2/10/10), believe me, I've asked. A lot. But, until I play it I can't tell you any more abut it.

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I just finished playing Dark Void all the way to the end. For those of you who get window mode, just try the Alt + Enter function for full screen. The game isn't all that bad. I enjoyed the game play, and flying around in a jet pack is extremely fun. I had no problems with just using a keyboard and mouse. However, I had to change the mouse sensitivity when I was flying and when I was on the ground. This wasn't a problem because my mouse includes macros for that, but I could see it being a pain for those without macros available on their mice. The game is also incredibly short. The single player experience is even shorter than Modern Warfare 2. bucks is still a bit much for the game. I'd say its worth about .

Best Deals for Dark Void

The first ten minutes of playing Dark Void I was frustrated beyond belief with the flying controls. I considered uninstalling the game and calling it quits. Luckily I decided to take a break, come back and readjust the controls a bit more. Once I did, I really started to love the game. Set in 1939, Dark Void allows you take on the role of Will, an airplane pilot hired to transport unknown cargo through the Bermuda Triangle. Of course, they encounter an unidentified flying craft causing them to crash on a strange island. Here begins the story of Dark Void and my thoughts on the game;

Pros

+ Some nice graphics. Character models, aircrafts and buildings all looked great.

+ Villains had a really cool look and feel as did the Survivor resistance fighters in their air goggles and oxygen masks.

+ Excellent voice acting across the board, including Nolan North (Drake from Uncharted and Deadpool from Hulk vs. Wolverine) and Paul Eiding (Colonel Campbell from Metal Gear Solid).

+ Very tight controls over all. Some aerial movement can suffer without patience and practice.

+ Lots of aerial dogfights.

+ Most missions are approachable by play style whether it's ground, aircraft or jetpack.

+ Excellent combination of aerial and ground combat. Unlike some reviewers I didn't find the combat repetitive at all.

+ Mission starts didn't feel forced like an arcade game. For example in this stage you'll only be flying and in this stage you're grounded. I really liked how the developers handled these mission combinations.

+ Vertical combat was extremely well done! The fact that you could go from vertical to horizontal on a ledge in combat was great. I've never played a game that handled this type of game play so well.

+ Ability to hijack and control both enemy and friendly aircraft.

+ Commendable musical score composed by Bear McCreary of Battlestar Galactica fame. While I didn't enjoy his work on Galactica I did enjoy this. The thumping tribal drumbeats and flutes fit very well in action sequences. There were only a few grating parts of the score where he used synthesized electric guitar or bagpipes (one of the things I despised about his Galactica soundtracks).

+ Story was left open for a sequel.

Cons

Aerial controls take some tweaking and getting used to.

Dialogue can be a bit contrived at times. The story is also cliché and filled with a few logic holes.

Annoying checkpoint save system. It was difficult to tell when the game was actually saving or just creating an in game checkpoint. After a few setbacks due to the game not actually saving when I quit I learned to just finish the chapter I was on before exiting the game.

Some graphical glitches where the textures would pop in and out, especially the detailing on the jetpack. The ground textures were also often pixilated and ugly.

Game would stutter from time to time at checkpoints. There was also one really awful instance where the game stopped and slowed to a crawl (during the final "Rescue the Prisoners" hangar boss battle). It happened all 3 times I attempted to pass this portion of the game. There was also another level where the mouse controls required double clicks before actually responding which was very frustrating, especially when trying to use the sniper rifle. However, I'm not actually sure if these issues were in the game or simply my computer.

Waypoint markers during missions would sometimes not update to the next objective.

Jet pack couldn't really hover still. It could only burst thrust up and allow you to strafe in all directions. Let's just say it wasn't exactly like Space Harrier.

Protecting the Ark against the Archons was a bit too difficult. It took me about 10 attempts to accomplish and even then I was barely successful.

Vertical bird's eye view stages of the game can be very disorienting if you suffer from motion sickness or are afraid of heights.

Journals (detailing other's experiences in the Void) and a few weapon upgrade points are simply not enough of a reason to explore every area of the game.

Weapon upgrade globes dropped by enemies disappear shortly after opponents are destroyed. Too often you're pinned down or in a heavy fire fight and are unable to retrieve them.

Weapon/jetpack upgrades are too costly.

Two weapon carrying limit was realistic but disappointing in an action shooter like this one.

Hijacking enemy ships took too long to accomplish to be extremely useful.

Enemy transport ships were destroyed way too easily. I realize this isn't Star Trek but why wouldn't large transport cruisers have shields? Many of the smaller enemy ships did.

Too short! I finished the game over a weekend. Just when it started to get really great (weapon upgrades etc.) it was over.

Despite all of my cons listed above I really enjoyed the game and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the genre. Sure it was over way too soon and the story was cliché but it was an extremely fun ride while it lasted. It wasn't worth the full price they charged at release due to its length. If you can get for less than $15 then it's well worth the play through. Hopefully Capcom will come out with a lengthier sequel in the future as the story was clearly left open.

Honest reviews on Dark Void

Dark Void is a game made by some of the same people who made Crimson Skies High Road to Revenge and it shows. The flying segments of the game work pretty much exactly like the planes in CS: HRTR which is a good thing. It is easy to control after a few minutes geting accustom to what buttons do what. (I used an xbox 360 controller while playing. I'm not sure how tough it would be with a mouse and keyboard). The shooting aspect of the game is alot like gears of war, you can take cover, hop over cover and jump from cover all with the press of a button. You can also jump up vertically and down off ledges just as easy. It is done very well and I never struggled with the controls. The graphics in Dark Void are good and use the Unreal engine but there are many times where the game is trying to stream information for the level or save a checkpoint which can lead to some horrible slowdown. Its not gamebreaking but I would have rather the developer use a cutscene or something to mask this because it is really noticeable. The art design is done well and you with see areas that are similar to areas in games like uncharted or tomb raider while others have a futuristic look. The character and enemy design is also done well and all though its nothing amazing, overall they look good. The enemies are a bit repetitive but the devs mix up the things you do well enough to overcome this. Dark Voids main problem is that it seems like the developer ran out of time or money to finish the game. I think it needed at least another chapter with 3-4 more areas to tell the story and add a build up to the end of the game. Even the end of the game comes to an abrupt halt just when you think its going to get really good. I think they figured they would fininsh the story in part 2 unfourtunatly I dont think Capcom is going to make another game. Its a shame because Dark Void is a good game that could have been a great series. I enjoyed Dark Void but have to knock a few points of for the framerate issues and the unfinished story. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

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This game gone a TON of flak as soon as it was realeased, and I do not think that's fair to the game. So, allow me to adress the critics remarks one at a time:

1:Bad Controlls

Now, yes the controlls are a bit hard to get used, it is not a game you can just pick up 'n' play. If you are just a casual gamer looking for something easy to play for a little bit, I do not reccomend this game. However, After about 30 minutes (hour tops) you will have the controlls sown pretty good. After a while the controlls just feel right and you can really see where the programmers were coming from.(For Keybored Controlls I have no clue, I use 360 controller, I highly reccomend)

2:Bad Graphics

Partly true, not the best but I think they work for the games style. (Just don't look real close)

3:Repetitive

I strongly disagree. The game blends Flight Combat, ground combat and Car Jacking? Plus The vertical combat I think is really cool, Infact I really wished there was more in it. (However, I do not suffer from motion sickness, It my cause headache, blurred/imparred vision, or nausia, in the weak among you)

4:Short

Yah, the it is about 10-12 hour game. Not Real long, but I have played games shorter. Plus it gives you incentive to go back and play again, and I know that I will be happy to go back and play it a second and maybe even third time.

5:Bad Music

To that complaint I simply say quit whining. People who complain about the music in the game are just TRYING to find negative things, just to not the game. The music, served it's purpose. It set the tone for the level. It gave you a hint of unknown, of fear, of excitment, pain, victory, grief, anger, you get the idea.

So overall I say don't listen to the review that are negative and say it is a worthless game, that is a matter of opinion. I am just telling you the facts of the game. It is not for everybody, but I know some will enjoy it, I did!

Buy PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

Customer Ratings:

Let me start out by saying that I'm currently 56 years old and everything I know about video game consoles can fit on a fingernail clipping. A couple of years ago, my companion bought me a PS2, because she had recalled my mentioning in passing (after seeing advertisements for some pretty interesting sci-fi-themed games) that I was curious about what's going on in that medium. The game technology seemed to have progressed light years since I last paid attention, sometime in the late 80s, early 90s, which went something like this: you start out with some objective, and then the game play steadily quickens until you eventually lose against the computer. It was very dull. After she bought me the PS2, the only game I bought was Grand Tourismo 4 (she had given me with the console itself Superman Returns, but I didn't like it), with which I relaxed by racing the realistically rendered cars around some impressively detailed tracks, but never getting into the more sophisticated levels of the game. Then about four months ago, my son lent me Resident Evil 4. Of course, you gamers know this was a benchmark in game development, and can understand why I became completely immersed in it. It was truly a creepy experience. You weren't just WATCHING a horror movie; you were IN it. Here I was, at my age, suddenly finding myself lost for literally hours a day -one weekend, twenty hours straight; my body ached -then thinking about the game when I wasn't playing it, looking forward to the moment I could resume the story. After I beat it, I went through it three more times. Then I bought God of War II, quite by accident (I selected it for the price, a mere $20), unaware that this, too, was a hit game, and another benchmark. The graphics were so good, so stunning, so grand and sweeping, I played it six times. Again, hours seemed like minutes; I'd simply lose time. I was now addicted, and taking into account how good a PS2 was, I figured that the PS3 -with its Blu-ray technology -had to be out-of-this-world incredible. Four weeks ago, I bought this PS3 slim, and it has given me enjoyment that made it worth every penny, and then some.

I can't speak to the technical specifications of the PS3, or how it compares to other consoles. I'm writing instead to other middle-aged customers who might have stumbled on this page, perhaps shopping for some young relative -son or daughter; niece or nephew; or grandchild -to suggest that you should consider buying one of these babies for yourself. This is one powerful piece of entertainment technology. Not only does it exceed my expectations as a game console, it's also a BD player, and using the WiFi connection, it permits access to the PlayStation Store, for free demos and exclusive content; plus BD live material, and downloading movies and TV episodes; and you can import your CDs to the PS3's hard drive, to create playlists or just randomize the tracks for playback. It's become a virtual media center for me.

And the game play? Oh, man. The PS3 advances even further the features that make gaming so addictive. To those of you who snuff that it's a juvenile waste of time, I suggest you ask yourself, is it any different from watching sitcoms or reality TV? A video game requires you to REACT, to THINK, to ANALYZE. That is NOT overstating the stimulative benefits. While they are in fact merely games, game-play itself is a complete immersion in an experience, while requiring good hand-eye coordination and some mental agility. All the games I've played so far included puzzles as part of the story, and it's a very satisfying feeling when you finally solve a particularly challenging one.

If the middle-aged shopper I'm imagining I'm writing to is inclined to wonder if all that tapping on those buttons in specific patterns is difficult to learn, this is my honest answer: At first, yes, it is. But eventually your fingers learn what button is where, and it becomes second nature, like typing. To those even older, it's recommended by doctors that as you age, you need new stimuli to keep your acuity. You won't find a more fun way to do so than this. Ignore your previous misconception that video games are for teenagers. An article in USA TODAY from 2004 stated that ". . . the average age of game players was 29 and the average age of buyers was 36, with men making up 59% of the playing audience." So you can add about five years to those figures, making the average age of video game BUYERS about 40. I have spent untold hours on my PS3, and connected to my 47" HDTV, it's the ultimate entertainment. The graphics are sharp and clear, movement of characters is realistic, making it even easier to get totally engaged in the environments. I just finished Batman: Arkham Asylum, a great game with easily mastered moves, some tough puzzles, and a very dark, decayed ambiance.

True gamers who are reading this are probably chuckling right now, because this is all pretty much a no-duh to them. Well, let me offer a hardy THANK YOU for supporting the industry with enough of your dollars to permit it to advance as an entertainment medium in such awesome bounds. This is the next step toward the future of the ultimate video game experience. Oh, what will the technology deliver? A virtual reality, perhaps?

_________________________________________

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UPDATE (November, 2010):

Before you decide to buy this model, note that the PlayStation 3 160 GB and for fifty dollars more you can get the PlayStation 3 320 GB. You may also want to consider the PlayStation 3 320GB System with PlayStation Move Bundle

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RATING

I will begin with the rating part so that those who are already familiar with the PS3 line may save a little time.

On balance, I found the PS3 Slim or the 'PS3 120GB' to be a worthy addition to the current PS3 line. It comes with several major improvements over its predecessors and the 'trade offs' are few and, to most us, insignificant.

This how the new model compares to its predecessors:

PS3 SLIM vs. PS3 80/160GB

+ $100/200 less

+ Smaller

+ More energy efficient

+ More quiet operation

+ Cooler

+ Smaller Cell processor manufactured using a 45-nanometer manufacturing process

+ New, more advanced HDMI 1.3 chipset

+ Easier HDD upgrade

No Linux support

No on-off switch in the back

Push rather than touch 'On' and 'Eject' buttons

Not as pretty

= Unchanged game-playing experience

= Same great Blu-ray player

= Same PSP integration

= Same WiFi, Bluetooth built-in

= Same Dualshock 3 rumble, motion sensitive controller

= Same I/O options

The PS3 Slim is a superior product when compared with the PS3 80/160GB models. This relatively inexpensive, feature packed, versatile gaming machine, multimedia hub and outstanding Blu-ray player, earns back the 5th star that I granted the Classic models and I didn't feel that the PS3 80/160GB models deserved.

Granted, when compared to the PS3 Classic, the PS3 Slim lacks PS2 compatibility, has 2 fewer USB ports and and it lacks media card slots but these shortcomings are offset by the significantly lower price, energy efficiency, larger storage and an updated CPU and HDMI. And, keeping hope alive by feeding it rumors, who knows? Sony just might add PS2 software emulation once it stops manufacturing the PS2 sometime, next year.

MY TEST DRIVE IMPRESSIONS

The good news is that you can do just about everything you did with the PS3 80/160GB models and in the exact same way. During my test ride, I was able to play all the games I brought with me without a problem, the Bluetooth remote controller was recognized immediately and so was the Playstation Eye. Both a USB-dongle full-size wireless keyboard, a USB-connected wired keyboard and Sony's own Bluetooth mini-keyboard worked as expected. I was able to upload pictures, videos and music from a USB thumb drive and a USB-connected SATA 2.5" hard disk and play them in the same way I do it on my own PS3. The person who allowed me the test drive suggested that I do not sign into the PSN but I have no doubt that the Slim behaves exactly like its predecessors on the PSN, running HOME or while browsing the Net.

The Slim has the exact same ports in the back, the same buttons in front albeit 'push' buttons instead of the 'touch' buttons, the same 2 USB ports, comes with the same Dualshock 3 controller, USB cable and Composite AV cable accessories.

The older PS3s weren't particularly noisy but the Slim seems to be more quiet and, after several hours of play, it didn't get as warm as my Classic. The ONLY 2 USB ports bother me a little because I brought along the Eye, a USB-wired HDD, a USB keyboard and a dongle-based wireless keyboard. That meant that I had to do a lot of plugging and unplugging when testing. In real life, it's not so convenient to charge a controller and access more than one USB-connected peripheral. There are third party generic USB hubs (ugly) or PS3-specific port extenders and media hubs that could be used to increase the number of USB ports and bring back the media card slots.

My overall impression of the Slim is "nothing new" at least on surface. The "cooler, quieter, smaller, more energy efficient" you don't notice while playing a game or watching a movie. The really great news about the Slim is that so many more will be able to afford it and, with a larger user base, more developers will feel more strongly motivated to publish more, better games that all of us will enjoy.

THE SLIM (PS3) vs. THE 'XBOX 360 ELITE FALL 2009'

This is not meant to be a 'fan' statement. I don't own a Wii but I do own an Xbox 360 so I will be able to discuss PS3 Slim vs. Xbox 360 Elite and, hopefully, it may help a little those undecided between the two or those thinking about getting a PS3 as a second gaming console. Please be aware that, even though I own both consoles and I try to be as objective as possible, I do tend to favor the PS3.

Parity

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Storage: 120 GB on both systems

CD, DVD playback: both

Bluetooth/IR: Bluetooth included with PS3, Infrared remote for Xbox

Community: PSN/Home memberships are free, Xbox Live includes free Silver membership and one-month Gold subscription, paid thereafter

Advantage PS3 Slim

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Blu-ray: PS3 only. Blu-ray disks aren't used for HD movie playback but to deliver games as well. Since they store several times more data than a DVD disk, PS3 games can be 'bigger' and be still delivered on one disk, eliminating the need for swapping during gameplay.

WiFi: included with PS3, available as an add-on for Xbox.

HDMI 1.3a on PS3 (more vivid colors, better sound) vs. HDMI 1.2 on Xbox

Controller: wireless on both systems, rumble on both, PS3's only is motion sensitive, rechargeable batteries built into PS3's, Xbox rechargeable battery packs available for purchase.

Integration with a handheld device: PS3 integrates with the PSP, the Xbox offers Zune integration. I would call it 'advantage PS3' because the Zune integration is limited to file transfers.

Internal power supply: yes for the Slim, a large external 'brick' for the Xbox.

Ability to upgrade the Hard Disk: the PS3 could use any cheap 2.5" SATA on the market (a 500GB can be had for $90 at the time of this writing and the existing PS3 disk can be recycled to upgrade a laptop or as external storage) without voiding the warranty. I am not aware Xbox HDD upgrades beyond 120GB but, judging by the 120GB upgrade HDD for the smaller models, they are likely to be proprietary, more expensive solutions.

Slim comes with USB, Ethernet and Composite cables, Xbox has only Composite in the box.

Advantage Xbox 360 Elite Fall 2009

----------------------------------

Headset: not included with PS3 but any Bluetooth device will work, wired headset included with Xbox Elite.

Ethernet: PS3 supports Gigabit Ethernet, Xbox is limited to 100BASET-T.

USB ports: Xbox comes with 3, Slim has only 2.

It seems that a PS3 Slim can be brought to parity with the Xbox 360 Elite by purchasing a Bluetooth headset (possibly for less than $10 and that would make the PS3 a superior choice since the Xbox headset is wired to the controller. For the amount, the PS3 will match and surpass Xbox feature for feature if we don't factor in exclusive Xbox games or unique Xbox Live features.

To bring the Xbox 360 Elite to parity with the PS3 one would need: a WiFi adapter ($70) and rechargeable batteries ($10). I will not add the various cables to the list because, depending on setup, they may or may not be needed and PS3's Gigabit Ethernet is not likely to make a difference in anyone's gaming or movie streaming at this time. $80 would bring the Xbox closer to the PS3 but the Xbox won't support Blu-ray, does not have a motion sensitive controller, can't function without an external power supply and, Zune withstanding, it does not integrate with a hand-held gaming device. In addition, continuing the Xbox Live Gold beyond the initial month would be another $30-50 per year for the life of the Elite.

I chose not to factor in the quality of available software because it's impossible to be even remotely objective when it comes to judge Sony's exclusives vs. Xbox exclusives. My guess is that, in the end, those who must have Halo will buy a Microsoft Xbox regardless of cost or other features and those who fall in love with Little Big Planet or Uncharted have no choice but a Sony PS3. The general consensus is that, at this time, the PS3 has the superior hardware (see above) while the Xbox has an advantage in exclusive titles and some exclusive content. In addition, many multiplatform games are developed on the Xbox first and then ported to the PS3. That can make the Xbox versions appear to be superior and, more importantly, the PS3 versions do not always take full advantage of PS3s superior hardware. This seems to be less the case as developers are becoming more familiar with the PS3 platform the software gap, if there is one at this time, it is closing fast.

Update on PS3 vs Xbox 360 (July 2010)

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Quite a bit has happened since I posted this review and almost all of it was good news from a user's point of view. Microsoft got 'the message' and there is a new, slimmer, quieter Xbox with a larger but still proprietary disc and with built-in Wi-Fi, plus a proprietary Kinect port. Sony, on the other hand, has launched a premium 'pay' service on the PSN featuring Hulu 'plus' and maybe other goodies to be added in the future but the 'free' PSN service is still superior to its 'free' Xbox rival, in my view.

So, revisiting the comparisons above, the PS3 still holds the advantage when it comes to Blu-ray and motion-sensitive controllers. The PS3 120GB's drive while smaller is still easily upgradeable while the Xbox is not (my 120GB Slim got its 500GB upgrade within days of purchase at almost no cost given that I was able to reuse the 120GB drive for other purposes).

ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS AND ACCESSORIES

For those who decided that the PS3 Slim is what they wanted, the list below may help them budget for the extra purchases they may want to consider. There are surprisingly few extra a PS3 REALLY needs and I listed them in order from what I view as the more to the less important or needed. Those at the top are, in my view, more 'essential' than the ones at the bottom, but with the exception of the HDMI cable which is a must have for an HD TV set, you could easily do without the rest or get them later if you really feel that you want them.

HDMI CABLE It's a must for anyone who already has an HD TV. It's not included in the box and I am not going to provide a link because there are dozens of vendors at Amazon, competing and that's a good thing because one can be had for only a few dollars. Just make sure it's HDMI 1.3. A 'High-Speed' rating is not necessarily a plus if the cable you need is only 3 ft. or 6 ft. long. All HDMI 1.3 cables should be High-Speed rated and only High-Speed cables support 1080p resolutions. At these lengths, paying a premium for 'quality' can't be justified because the odds for the digital signal to be misinterpreted are close to non-existent.

REMOTE CONTROL Unless your HD TV supports CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) which allows for the user to command and control multiple CEC-enabled boxes with one remote control and for CEC capable devices to command and control each other, Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote could make the operation of the PS3 a lot easier when you are not playing a game. It's optimized for movie viewing but XMB navigation, running slide shows and shopping at the PSN store are easier with the remote control because it does not need two hands to be operated. In fact, it can be operated with one thumb.

WIRELESS HEADSET This is the one important component that the Elite bundle includes (theirs is wired) and the PS3 does not. Any Bluetooth headset would do which is why I am not going to insert a link to Sony's product or to anyone else's.

SECOND DUALSHOCK 3 CONTROLLER Even if you play solo only, a second controller may be charging while the other is in use.

USB PORT EXTENDER Again, there are many competing offers. I would prefer one where the ports are powered. Some singing games may come with their own extenders.

PS3 EYE CAMERA This is not exactly a 'must have' but it's definitely a 'very nice to have' as the Eye is not only a camera but also a stereo microphone depending on your needs, it may eliminate the need for a headset. I obtained mine cheaply, with a used copy of Eye of Judgment. If you decide to go that route, be VERY careful and ensure that the camera is indeed included before your order.

MEDIA CARD READERS They would plug into a USB port and will allow your PS3 to read/write to Media/Multimedia/Secure Digital, Memory Stick (PRO), Compact Flash, or XD Picture cards. They can be had for anything from $1 to $20.

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Note 1: MY OWN BIAS

We own a 'Classic' 60GB PS3, currently upgraded to 320GB, DualShock 3 and complemented with various peripherals: PS3 Eye, Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel, Bluetooth keyboard attachment, headset... etc. We also own an Xbox 360 Elite, 3 PSP 3000's (got 3 kids) and a second-hand DS. We used to have a PS2 but we sold it shortly after purchasing the PS3. I've helped several of my neighbors purchase, install and upgrade their own PS3's. I am posting this review because I had the opportunity to test drive a PS3 Slim for several hours a couple of nights before the official launch someone I know works at a store that sells gaming consoles.

Speaking for myself only, I tend to favor the PS3 for several reasons and here they are:

WiFi This is a major convenience for me. I hate 'wires' and the PS3 has the WiFi built in and it's VERY easy to set up.

Blu-ray I was an early adopter and I haven't bought 'new' DVDs in more than a year. Having the PS3 doubling up as a Blu-ray player is another major convenience for me.

HDD Storage upgrade I don't believe that 120GB is sufficient these days and our console has exceeded the 120GB threshold already after lots of downloaded games and movies and transferring thousands of photos and songs to it. A PS3 can be easily and inexpensively upgraded to 500GB today and this is a big plus.

Little Big Planet It's a Sony exclusive and my kids just love this game. They would probably run away and resettle with a family that has LBP if I got rid of the PS3.

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Note 2: THE SLIM'S SPECS AND FEATURES

45nm, 7-core Cell processor CPU

RSX Based on NV47 Chip (Nvidia GeForce 7800 Architecture) for graphics

Updated HDMI chipset (bitstreams hi-res DTS-HD, TrueHD)

256MB XDR Main RAM and 256MB GDDR3 VRAM memory

120GB Hard disk 2.5" SATA can be replaced with any 2.5" SATA and a compatible 500GB HDD can be had for about $90 at the time I write this review

Blu-ray 2.0 player (possibly still the best) that also plays DVDs and CDs

Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T wired networking

WiFi 802.11 b/g (from 10 Mbps up to 54 Mbps) wireless networking I couldn't live without

Bluetooth 2.0 for game controller, headsets, keyboards and so on

Video resolution up to 1080p

Audio supported: LPCM 7.1, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC

Other outputs: HDMI, Optical, Composite AV

Other I/O: 2 High-speed USB 2.0 ports

Power: dual 120/240V

Power consumption: 250W

Weight: about 7 lbs.

Dimensions: about 12" x 2.5" x 12" (my measurements)

Included controller: DUALSHOCK 3

Included cables: USB and Composite AV, power chord

Additional features:

Displays JPEG stills.

Multi-featured, surprisingly good slide show functionality.

Plays MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4/h.264 videos.

Bitstreams DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD to receiver

Upconverts DVDs to 1080p over HDMI

XMB in-game access.

In-game and off-game text and voice chat (headset, keyboard or Eye are needed).

Video chat with up to six people (PlayStation Eye is required)

Can discover media servers on the home network and stream content from any DLNA-compliant device.

Web browser (still has some usability and compatibility issues) but plays YouTube well.

Google Web search.

Remote play on a PSP connected to any wireless access point play music, videos, show pics, turn on the PS3 remotely if on stand-by

Upload PSP games purchased from the PSN Store to the PSP.

Online software updates improve PS3 functionality and keep the Blu-ray player features current.

Online third party updates.

Online gameplay.

Download and play PS3 games and demos from the PSN store.

Download and play PSOne games.

Download and play movies and shows from the PSN store.

Supports HDMI Consumer Electronic Control (HDMI-CEC) control the Slim through the remote of any CEC-enabled TV such as a Bravia.

________________________________________________

Note 3: HDD UPGRADE

If you are on the upgrade path, less than $90 would buy you a 500GB drive. The one that I tested would be the 500GB Scorpio Blue Mobile Sata 5400RPM 8MB 2.5IN which replaced my laptop's 60GB drive and a friend's 80GB PS3 HDD. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB or 120GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. After I upgraded my own console to 320Gb, I used the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Best Deals for PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

As a proud owner of a PS3, I was closely following developments of when the rumored (and highly-anticipated) PS3 Slim would come out. After shelling for the PS3 80GB back in 2008, I was really excited to hear that Sony not only announced a smaller version of the PS3, but also implemented a [long-overdue] $100 price cut. I immediately went out and bought the Slim as soon as possible, and am very happy with it so far. Here are my impressions:

COMPARED TO PLAYSTATION 3 "FAT"

A LOT SMALLER

I heard that it was smaller, but seeing is believing! The photos don't do the system justice, and it's not really till you see and feel the difference that you are impressed with it. If you can, go into your local game store and check it out for yourself! If you've previously owned a Playstation console, you already know the difference the slimmer version makes when compared to the original, bulky ones. What's really convenient is that the slimmer PS3 not only means your video gaming is more portable, but that you have a really convenient Blu-Ray player.

NOT A FINGERPRINT MAGNET

I love the sleek look of my PS3 Fat, but don't like how it constantly needs to be cleaned. The glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet! The matte finish on the Slim is much easier to maintain. That being said, it doesn't look as shiny and cool, but I think its convenience outweighs that.

MORE STORAGE

Storage was never an issue for me on my 80GB system, but for those who wanted more storage, you get 40GB more with this system (120GB in total). It may not seem like much, but you can hold MANY movies, pictures, and music albums with 120GB. If that's still not enough, you can always install a 2.5" hard drive yourself, or better yet, plug in an external hard drive in one of the USB ports. You can easily get a portable 500GB external hard drive for less than $100, or a bigger, bulkier one with around 1TB of storage for roughly the same. That being said, I think 120GB for $300 should be more than enough for most users, and is a significant improvement over the 80GB for $400 that people were paying just a few weeks ago!

STILL NOT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE

This is my one major gripe with the Playstation 3. It really wouldn't have killed Sony to include this feature, as the original Playstation 3's did in fact include backwards compatibility with older Playstation 2 games. A lot of people counter by either saying (1) it doesn't make sense to buy a PS3 to play PS2 games, (2) the graphics on the PS3 are better anyway so why bother with older games, and (3) including backwards compatibility would cannibalize PS3 game sales.

While those arguments might have their merits, I'm still frustrated that my massive PS2 library can't be played on the PS3, and was really hoping that Sony would include backwards compatibility on the Slim! I loved the fact the PS2 was backwards compatible with PS1 games, and really wish that Sony would reconsider this decision.

COMPARED TO OTHER SYSTEMS:

PS3 vs. WII

I think comparing the PS3 directly to the Wii is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, since they offer such different experiences. The Wii in my opinion is more family-friendly, while the PS3 is better for more graphics-intense games geared towards different gemographics. I'm a huge fan of Nintendo, and I love their very family-oriented game offerings. I own a DS and Wii and still love Mario as much as the days back when I played the original Nintendo (NES). In addition, I think Nintendo's motion-sensitive controllers for the Wii are very innovative and fun to play with! Unfortunately however, for most gamers, the difference in game quality is noticeable when comparing the two systems. The PS3 has AMAZING graphics. On an HD Television, you notice such crisp details while playing the PS3. The Wii features only Standard Definition output, which noticeably weakens it when compared to the other next-gen consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360.

PS3 vs. XBOX 360

Microsoft has an impressive gaming console in their Xbox 360 and there are some amazing titles exclusive to the Xbox, but in the end you get less bang for your buck when compared to the Playstation 3:

(1) Online gameplay: You can use the Playstation Network's online features without having to pay a subscription fee like you do for the Xbox. I was never a big online gamer but now I enjoy playing against opponents online.

(2) Internet connectivity: Built-in wireless internet connectivity on the PS3 is a much better bet than having to buy a wireless network adapter for the Xbox. Of course you can simply rely on a wired Ethernet connection, but this might be inconvenient depending on your set-up.

(3) High-Def Video: The Playstation 3 doubles as a Blu-Ray player. Microsoft bet on the wrong horse when they were hoping that HD-DVD would come out the winner in the high-def format wars. If you want a Blu-Ray player/video game system combo, the PS3 is a great device.

(4) Failure rate: The Xbox 360 has an absurdly high failure rate, with estimates ranging between 30 to 50% (). I can't verify the numbers, but know from my friends who own the Xbox 360 that they've had a fair share of grief with their systems.

Microsoft does have a few edges, namely the upcoming Project Natal, unveiled at June's E3. While Natal may ultimately be one of the most amazing advances in video gaming, it unfortunately is still some time off from being implemented. That being said, the Playstation 3 is much more worth the cost than the Xbox 360 at least for now.

FINAL THOUGHTS

system that doubles as a Blu-Ray player. Keep in mind though that the bulk of money spent on the video game system will not be in the initial down payment, but the subsequent games, extra controllers (only comes bundled with one controller), and other peripherals/accessories. . Sony's refusal to incorporate backwards-compatibility for PS2 games on the PS3, however, might make your gaming library obsolete in a few years, so if you have the money, you're best off going for the PS3 Slim. You won't regret it.

Honest reviews on PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

I'll try to break this down for normal folks as I own both units and I had a heck of time finding any unbiased reviews. The short answer is you can't really go wrong with either, but the ps3 price drop IMHO makes it the better buy. My main reason for buying the PS3 was my xbox 360 died RROD for the fourth time and I decided to try the ps3.

OK here goes:

-Graphics: The two units are pretty close on quality here, in my case the PS3 has better graphics because my xbox had no HDMI, apples to apples I think it would be hard to pick a winner.

-Controllers: This is really a matter of preference. Some say the xbox controller being bigger makes it more comfortable, from a technical aspect I would have to give the ps3 the win here as it has both vibration and motion, the xbox lacks the latter.

-Online Community: Xbox is the winner here with some serious drawbacks to note. For one it costs $50 per year, if you use the voice chat, group chat, etc, etc... then the xbox is the winner. If you are like myself and you hop online to play games with your friends and prefer to use a phone or email to chat with them then xbox online advantage are pretty much null.

-Netflix: this is a big one for me, now both systems have netflix, the navigation is similar, both are usable however for the moment you need to insert a DVD to play netflix on the ps3. No winner here, it's a tie.

-BLU-RAY: this is a big one, the xbox hd-dvd format died leaving it without an HD disc format, this means if you want to play HD movies via a disc you need to have a blu ray player separately, obviously PS3 wins here, but is the future of HD movies in disc format or streaming?

-Fan noise: This IMO opinion gives the new PS3 the hands down win, my ps3 slim is so quiet i can barely tell it's on, my xbox sounded like a jet engine, i often had movies cranked all the way up just to hear them over the xbox, again IMO this is a HUGE asset to the PS3 Slim.

Breakdown:

Ps3 Pros:

1) Quiet

2) Motion sensitive controllers

3) You can use any Bluetooth headset, keyboard, mouse, etc....

4) Blu-ray

5) Lack of flashing lights on front of machine!

6) Built in wi-fi card

7) HDMI included

8) Free Online Community and Game Play

9) Tech support speaks english and appears to be located in America, they understood my name and my question.

10) Controllers come with built in rechargable battery and can be charged with any usb port.

11) easy to navigate menus

12) No ridiculous power brick, one cord, if you want to take your ps3 with you somewhere you only need the controller, the unit and the power cord.

Ps3 Cons:

1) No IR receiver, you can't use your regular universal remote to control the ps3 you need a bluetooth which means an extra remote.

2) Shape, this one sounds stupid, but the rounded shape of the ps3 really annoys me because you can't stack, say your wii, or even lay your remotes on top of the unit. (maybe you shouldn't do that anyhow LOL)

3) Less games, or at this point I guess the better point would be less games made for the ps3, instead of built for the xbox and ported to the ps3, this is however changing and in the future will be less of an issue.

Xbox 360 Pros:

1) Great online setup, lots of features which some may miss on the ps3, many probably will not

2) great game line up with a head start on ps3

3) Easy to navigate menus

4) Native Netflix Support

Xbox 360 Cons:

1) Noise

2) Build Quality ( i don't have enough time with my ps3 to comment on build quality, but it appears to be well made)

3) Online service is $50 per year.

4) Tech support, I have called xbox live support several times, it is impossible to get them to understand what the issue is or even my name, I even gave up once.

5) Controller Batteries, I have had several sets of the Microsoft brand batteries and I have their charger, they don't last as long as I would have hoped.

Like I said before, you can't really go wrong with either, each side has a huge lists of hates for the competition, the reality is none of them are deal breakers. With the ps3 price reduction I think the playstation is now the clear winner. it has blu ray, plenty of games, large hard drive space, HDMI. From what I understand the xbox build quality has improved, I for one had lots of issues with my xbox and my second one was supposedly one of the better ones.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for PlayStation 3 System Slim 120GB

I was looking for a Blu Ray player and realized that if I paid just a little more, I'd also be able to play some excellent games. If you're looking for something that will play Blu Ray and Games, the purchase of a PS3 is truly a "no brainer" move. I now own the 360, Wii, and PS3. Each has its own qualities and drawbacks. What I really appreciate about the PS3 is they don't try to nickel and dime you to death.... Wi-Fi is included... as is a rechargeable controller (with the charger included)... as is online game play.

The nice thing about the Blu Ray capabilities on the PS3, if you're old, is that it really provides you nice cover for getting a game console "No, I am not a 50 year-old who plays video games, I just wanted to watch Blu Ray, and I guess I picked up some games as well."

PlayStation 4 Battlefield 4 Launch Day Bundle Review

Customer Ratings:

Bricked system right out of the box. Sony support line hold time more than two hours with no answer.

Called amazon the next morning and they Immediately were very apologetic. I was given one of two option, if I didn't want to wait on another system and wanted to go out on my own the find one, they would give me a full refund immediately. Or, if I wanted to keep my purchase with Amazon, they would send me one before the end of next week that Sony was guaranteeing not be a bad batch. Amazon is sending me the next system before I even return the bricked one. Today is Saturday. They said my system could arrive here as soon as Tuesday or as late as Friday. Either way local stores are sold out, and Sony was telling people 2-3 weeks for repairs. Amazon provided great customer service, as well as a quicker solution than expected!

I have been able to take a look at my best friends system and play with it for a while. It runs great it's extremely fast and blows the PlayStation 3 away in all aspects. So if you get a good system. It's excellent!

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I was concerned after reading comments about people getting PS4s that wouldn't display video or just had a blue blinking light, but it turns out that I had no reason to be. My PS4 works perfectly, as it should. PSN has gone down occasionally since it launched on the 15th, but that's to be expected for a new console launch when everyone is trying to play at once. Though it hasn't gone down since the 16th for me, so I don't think it's much of an issue as of this post.

Build quality of the PS4 is top notch, it looks solid and there's no loose parts. Even the HDMI port clicks in when you plug it in. It took me a good few minutes to find where the eject button was on the PS4--it's really small and the dark background makes it difficult to see--but I did end up finding it after watching a youtube video showed that it was to the left of the power button (assuming you set your PS4 up vertically, if you have it horizontally, then it's located beneath the power button). I actually had to strain my eyes to see it--it's really small.

Coming from an XBOX 360, the Dual Shock 4 controller is very comfortable to use--I actually like it better than the XBOX360 controller, which is larger. I really like the touchpad and how it's used in Killzone: Shadowfall to control the OWL.

I'd like to see the touchpad integrated into the OS more. I think it would be quicker to navigate the OS using the trackpad rather than the joystick. The controller has a built-in speaker that games use, which surprised me, since I didn't know or remember until it started working while I was playing Killzone, I thought that the effect was neat. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack to plug in headphones. Mic support is hit or miss, I tried my iPhone earpods and I have no idea if they worked or not because no one else was talking on BF4.

WIFI on the PS4 works fine, but it's not dual band. It only supports the 2.4Ghz spectrum. Still, it has wireless N, so you're unlikely to reach the max download speed of it unless you have a Gigabit fiber connection or a similar connection that allows you to download more than 150Mbit/second. Still, I would have preferred dual-band since the 2.4Ghz spectrum is always congested if you live in a half-way populated area. That being said, I haven't had any issues with the wireless on my PS4. It's been rock solid.

The Playstation App is ok. Just ok. It's nice to to check friend invites and such, but it's very limited on iOS. The second screen functionality disconnects if your screen is locked after a certain period of time and you then have to connect again. The keyboard doesn't always work in the OS. It also doesn't work at all inside third-party apps like Netflix and Amazon VOD. This is something that Sony should fix over time.

As far as BF4 goes, the game is what you expect from BF4. Big maps, pretty graphics, and the first few days are full of crashes. The bugs will be ironed out as it was in BF3, you just have to put up with it for a week or two. I'm dissapointed that I haven't been able to play any of the conquest maps, since those are the only game types that allow the full 64 players, but that'll be fixed, hopefully, very soon.

I didn't have any issues with amazon's packaging--it came with plenty of plastic air-bags to prevent the PS4 box from moving around too much.

In short, if you want a PS4 and you like the exclusives, then go ahead and buy one. I enjoy mines and would recommend it to anyone else.

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Always been a PlayStation fan. Bought extra controller, camera, 3 games, you name it. Got my PS4 today, and all I got was the blinking blue light, and no video output. System wont go in safe mode, and tried calling Sony.....1 hour 47 minutes on hold and just gave up.

Please, just please....wait and don't buy this rushed console. Let Sony workout the bugs.

Since I wanted Titanfall and Forza 5, I ordered Xbox One, so hopefully I'll have something to play this month, and HOPEFULLY no issues happen on the Microsoft side. I basically wanted to enjoy exclusives from both consoles.

I returned my PS4 today to Amazon, and will re-order when they update the model.

Not trolling as you can see my purchase is verified. Im a gamer, I don't take sides to bash on the other. If Xbox launches a bad system full of bugs next week, you can bet I'll review it bad as well.

We are spending a lot of money on these consoles and I expect quality from it. Lets come together like brothers and enjoy the games and console of our choices.

If they make bad units, speak with your wallets and return them.

Edit: I did check the HDMI ports, which are perfect. I tried the suggestion of removing the HDD and booting without it....nothing.

I tried doing the boot sequence "press power for 7+ seconds until second beep"....nothing.

I tried it all. What happy 5 star reviewers don't seem to grasp is that some consoles don't work AT ALL. No matter what steps you try troubleshooting this, it simply wont work. It needs to be repaired.....PERIOD.

Btw, anyone that down votes "verified purchase" 1 star comments, its either a troll, or an ignorant person that doesn't want to hear the truth about your beloved console. Just because its not happening to you, doesn't mean we "verified purchase 1 star reviewers" are lying. I wanted to enjoy my PS4 as much as the next guy.

Honest reviews on PlayStation 4 Battlefield 4 Launch Day Bundle

Hey guys, after hearing all of the bad hype I got really worried, and after USPS tracking system showed my PS4 as not having any movement for 7 days I was even more worried, so I called everybody and fussed out USPS just to find my PS4 was here the next day. Its been working for hours and I'm going to let it run all night just to make sure its fully capable. So after all of the complaints I made I got my PS4 on time; actually 10 days before the estimated delivery date. Its working great, and its a seamless transition from PS3 to PS4. Expect some growing pains because I'm still throwing grenades on accident, but all my expectations were fulfilled and I'm writing this for any other people who haven't got their PS4s yet. The PS4 failure rate is not 50 percent every article I have read says its the lowest ever. I had no problems with the HDMI port, nor the GPU so far. I will update in a week or sooner if the system should fail. But being totally honest; you don't have to worry. After the reviews I read I fully expected not to receive the system and if I did receive it that it wouldn't work. I pre ordered in July and its here and working great. I'm US Army stationed in Germany and received it via USPS. It was VERY well packaged, I pulled out about 5 feet of bubble wrap. Worry not.

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The system is awesome, BF4 is amazing thus far despite the server issues. The bitter part is that Sony didn't include the ps plus card that were supposed to be included in this bundle and paid for. I feel inclined to give it a 3star but I won't be spiteful but they better sort my s*** out.

Buy Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue

Customer Ratings:

This game is a great game for young girls. I got it for my daughter on PS2. She's ten and loved it. The story is basic, you have to rescue missing baby horses, but there are hidden coins and presents that let you unlock new outfits for Barbie and customize her horse. A couple of the puzzles were a little challenging, but nothing she couldn't figure out. It was fun for her to jump things and race her friends. Probably my biggest complaint is that controlling the horse takes a little to get the hang of, but after some practice, it became no problem. I recommend this game for any little girl who loves horses like my daughter. She and her brother had fun challenging each other with the multiplayer, too. It's not violent or dark and scary, just a fun and engaging adventure.

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Every little girl dreams of owning a horse and this is a great game to play that you do. It is a great game it is a lot of fun. You track down wild mustangs (not the car) and try and help them to get to a save area. This is a very simple game, but kept me wanting to play for a long while! You can change clothing, and the look of your horse! This game is a lot of fun!

GREAT FOR THE FAMILY!!

Best Deals for Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue

My almost-6-year-old received this for Christmas and loves it. It's her first video game and it serves it's purposes wellit's challenging enough for a young girl, yet not so hard as to be frustrating. There are a variety of activities to interest girls and opportunities to have 2 person games if you have 2 controllers. Overall, I'm quite pleaed. If you're an experienced gamer and like flight simulators and Halo, this will not be your game, but you probably knew that already

Honest reviews on Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue

After months of watching her brothers play Xbox games, my 7 year old daughter has a game she loves and can play well. It isn't intimidating, it isn't even particularly challenging; it's just fun. Of course, her brothers think it's stupid, but hey, she thought Lord of the Rings was stupid. As a fun game for girls, this is a hit.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue

Like many girls my daughter loves horses. She is also fortunate enough to enjoy riding them too. And yes, in her spare time on those wet days, she has a lot of fun playing this game. Some aspects of the game are quite challenging at first but learning it is part of the fun. We've had it for a month now and she's still discovering new things.

Best XBOX 360 SKATE Deals

Customer Ratings:

The only reason I am writting this review is because the other review is from what a gamer would call a "noob", to balance out the rating on here. This game rules and is totally worth the price!

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i would not buy this game. it is way too complicated you have use the joysticks to do anyhing, i cant even Ollie right.

Cheap River Raid

Customer Ratings:

Now I don't care what anyone else says, even though River Raid was designed by a woman it turned out to be one of the greatest games released from Activision. It was banned in Germany untill recently when Activision wanted to release a greatest hits collection for PS3 so they had it renamed and re released. It was always my favorite Atari game as a kid in the early 80's and still remains to be one of my favorites because it stands the test of time so well. The controls are perfect and the ever changing river scenery is really cool compared to games that dont even have second levels. The object of the game is to blow up the bridges crossing the river to halt enemy advancements and blow away any enemy helecopters and ships on the way keeping an eye on your fuel for the refueling stations that become few and far the further up the river you go and unlike most Atari games this game actually does have an ending. A very fun game and the more skilled at it you become the more it becomes addicting. Happy gaming my fellow River Raiders.

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the product came in fast and was in very good condition. there was no writing on it and only minor scratches. also you can still read all the words. I don't know if it works yet but everything else is in great condition. this is a fun game and I recommend it for buyers or owners of the system.

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River Raid is a vertically scrolling shmup. The game field takes the shape of a river, which widens and narrows and has other terrain features to avoid. At the end of each river section is a bridge; destroying these bridges is the object of the game.

The controls work nicely here, with acceleration and deceleration to navigate the trickier sections. Sound plays an important role here as well, as you can hear your engine roar up or down based on your speed.

Along the way you've got enemy ships, helicopters, and jets to destroy. These give extra points, or can be avoided. Watch for targets at the entrance or exit of a narrow section, as these are common ambush points.

Finally, we have the fuel dumps. Fly over these to refuel, or shoot them for more points. Or, if you're in a particularly nasty mood, fly over them to refuel, then shoot them just before leaving. Thanks suckers! *insert evil grin here*

There are no breaks between river sections, nor is your fuel refilled between stages. You have to stay on your toes at all times and keep the fuel gauge up.

This is a really fun game, with good variety and a steady difficulty curve. It may seem easy at first, but some of the later sections definitely get harder.

Honest reviews on River Raid

I know some people who really enjoy this game. I on the other hand do not. I find it repetitive. You are just going up this river and everything can kill you and you have all these fuel options that may get you killed if you go for it. And when you finally do want to pick up a fuel canister, a bad guy manages to jump in front of it and get destroyed in the cross fire. Yeah...I really don't like this game, but I do own a copy. And it does play on the 7800!!!

Xbox Memory Unit Review

Customer Ratings:

Don't buy this memory card until you need it. Mine works well, but it only has one use: it transfers files from X-box to X-box.

The X-box has a huge hard drive, and since the hard drive is what you use to save your games, you can play for years without a memory card.

After fully testing the memory card, here are the restrictions:

-You can't directly transfer files from X-box to X-box, even with the system link cable, so the only way to transfer files is with the memory card.

-You can't transfer music files on the memory card. It would hold about two files, but the X-box won't let you. You can only transfer game saves.

-You can only transfer character profiles, so you can't transfer the progress on a game like Dead or Alive that doesn't have character profiles.

-You have to transfer character profiles one at a time.

Probably the best use for this memory card is if your friend has an X-box, and has unlocked a bunch of special features on a game, you can save the profile off your friend's X-box to your memory card and then transfer it to your X-box.

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You need the Xbox memory unit only if you intend to take your saved games to another Xbox (e.g., at your friend's house). The Xbox already has an internal hard drive which allows you to save games (among other things). The memory unit plugs into one of the two ports on your Xbox controller. Its light weight means you probably won't feel it in your hands.

The memory unit is fast. While I have not tested it rigorously (just sold my PS2 :), I think it loads and saves faster than PS2 -of course, it could be also that the Xbox is more efficient and/or uses less data. Anyway, I do think the price is a bit too high.....

You can pick up one of a few third-party memory units. I have not tested them so can't offer advice on whether they work well. I only know that third-party PS2 memory cards usually [stink].

Bottom line: if you intend to play your beloved games on other people's Xboxes a lot, this is a must-have. Otherwise, skip.

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It can be used to bring your saved games over to a friends house, but you don't need it if you don't know anyone with an xbox. The xbox has it's own hard drive that does the same thing, but isn't portable.

Honest reviews on Xbox Memory Unit

First, let me start by saying that if you're going to buy a memory unit, get a cheaper third party one. They're licensed by Microsoft and will save you (money).

Next, if you're used to the Playstation and GameCube style of saving games on your memory card, this is not neccessary for the XBOX. You can use the hard drive. But, having said that, know that you will need the Memory Unit if you want to take saved files to a friends house.

However, the best reason that I've found to have one of these is because of the game HALO. If you have progressed in a level, but have not finished it and you decide to show someone the beginning of the same level, you will erase all of your progress.

With the memory card, you can save your progress on it and demo whatever you want without fear of losing it all. Some other games may have the same problems, so for these reasons, the memory unit is a smart buy.

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Ok, technically you don't need a memory unit, thanks to the XBox's hard drive, but there is one reason why having one is a very good idea: backup. If you XBox hard drive decides to call it quits, all of your saved games will likely go with it. If you're into long games such as Morrowind, that is a large time investment down the drain. Spend the cash and keep 2 copies of your most important saves.

Moto GP Ultimate Racing 3 - Xbox Review

Customer Ratings:

This game is everything i have been waiting for, the graphics and sense of speed are intence!!! The gameplay will have you hooded for months!!! great game!!! a must have for any racer, or motorcycle fan!!!!

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I like this. It feels fast and it has a master cheat code that gives you all the bikes and tracks so you can have all your fun right up front (L,U,L,L,B,U,L,L,D,U,B at the white "press start" screen). The graphics are fairly good, but not great. Actually I was dissapointed by these 2005 graphics that look a bit older. Nothing is shiny or bright or contrasted or sharp. It seems the programmers stopped short of polishing this gem graphically, so to speak. The game feels really cool, but tighter graphics would have enhanced the experience for sure. I recommend this game. Buy it cheap.

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They're all very sim oriented, and very difficult. I play Forza Motorsport quite a bit, which is also more sim oriented, but it is easy by comparison. I've never played a version of this for over one race before giving up in frustration.

Review of X360 Slim Vault - Urban Blue

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 67% Off

His product works very well and it makes your Xbox more durable and stylish. Only one suggestion, they should make a vault for the person who likes to lay their Xbox down.

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would be nice if it had a spot for 2nd controller but it is still very kewl to have :)

Best Deals for X360 Slim Vault - Urban Blue

Got his for Christmas. My kids (all three of them) like this very much. it gives the Xbox stability which is a very good thing.

Also the price was right.

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i bought this as a gift for my brother on christmas...and he liked it...his xbox seems cooler with this..and it comes with instruction.. so you don't have to worry.. :)

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Bought this product with lots of concerns. First off being I've never heard of a Xbox Vault. Well thought my dad would like one for Christmas, so i chanced it. Would first like to say it was delivered before it was even due!, got it, opened it up and the packaging was cool enough alone to have as a gift. It turned out being a incredible item. I showed it to my boyfriend(who i ordered the special edition Gears Of War Vault, and its still not in yet!!) fell in love with the case. Its a must have for any true gamer!

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Customer Ratings:

Despite mixed critical reaction Jaws: Unleashed is a flawed but ultimately solid and innovative game. The concept of playing as the definitive oceanic apex predator is a brilliant conceptual premise that is occasionally hampered by an unresponsive camera and some sporadic glitches. Nevertheless, there is some quality here and those looking for something outside the norm may find this game worth the investment.

JAWS: Unleashed is an open-ended game set up very much like the GTA titles. After playing the tutorial and first level, the game allows you total access to a massive ocean with primary story missions that cam be activated at any time. The map is also littered with numerous side missions, most of which are time trials and fetch quests that range from mundane (hunting dogs) to entertaining (eating bungee cord jumpers). Like the GTA games, Jaws allows you to do as you like and select side missions whenever you choose while forcing you to play story missions in a certain predetermined order. Also like GTA, you can opt to simply roam the large world map, dining on sea creatures and attacking humans in their various seafaring crafts.

Admittedly, roaming the open sea is more enjoyable than most of the story missions. Simply swimming around and attacking boats, swimmers, and other sea creatures is surprisingly fun and the sheer variety of prey keeps the game play from getting stale. As Jaws you'll encounter all manner of sea life including dolphins, whales, and a variety of fish including other sharks. Some prey will fight back while others will be helplessly consumed, all of which fill both your hunger and health meters. Humans are predictably the most fun to hunt and they appear in all manner of boats and vehicles, including jet skis and helicopters. Almost any vehicle can be brought down with enough damage and fleeing swimmers make entertaining and nutritious diversions. Kill enough people and you may eventually be hunted by the coast guard, another nod to the GTA franchise.

Story missions are sadly not as inspired as open ended exploration. Most of the story missions involve the destruction of something and these missions are typically both a hassle to play and less fun than the open-ended component of the game. It is also at this point that the Jaws becomes less realistic and more fantastical, with the shark performing activities such as hurling explosives and solving puzzles. While some of these elements are forgivable and admittedly clever in terms of implementation, the game mechanics that propel these types of missions forward never seem as solid as rest of the game. Compound this with the fact that many of the story missions are confined to smaller, difficult to navigate areas and you are left with an uneven experience. Still, some story missions are quite enjoyable, specifically those which have you attacking aggressive shark hunters or hitting up the local beach as your own personal buffet.

The camera is also a nagging issue, although no worse than what is found in many other 3D titles. Set behind the shark, it works decently in open water but has a tendency to become useless in more confined spaces. Manual control of the camera does allow for some relief but unfortunately rotating the camera is a slow process and can sometimes makes matters worse. Other glitches include occasional frame rate drops and some nasty collision detection issues that allow the shark to become entangled in any number of underwater structures and debris. What's interesting is that Appaloosa's more realistic approach to developing this game has made Jaws that much more difficult to play; since the shark cannot swim backwards, his extraction from certain locations and areas becomes much more challenging and ultimately frustrating.

Despite these issues, there is quite a bit of fun to be had in Jaws: Unleashed. Even though the camera is less than perfect, the controls are surprisingly intuitive once mastered and allow the gamer to pull off all manner of maneuvers ranging from charged speed boosts and tail swipes to stealth kills and sensational leaping attacks. The controls for the shark are not dissimilar from those of a flying or driving game, allowing for acceleration and turning but with an emphasis on physics and mass. Even though most of this game is about eating anything within range, the developers have done a solid job in implementing a sizeable arsenal of attacks. While most of these attack techniques ultimately serve the same end, the variety nonetheless is welcome and keeps the carnage from becoming stale.

Graphically, Jaws: Unleashed is serviceable but uneven. The underwater backgrounds and water effects are solid and Appaloosa has done an admirable job of imbuing the ocean environment with subtle and realistic details. Even more impressive is the number and variety of marine life that populates this game, giving the environment some much needed animation that supports the illusion of a living, viable eco system. The shark itself looks very good and animates even better, while the other sea creatures populating the game contain a lower level of graphical polish but still look and move realistically. Considering the large scope of the title and the size of the game world map, the graphics are easily on par with other open-ended games of this type. The human sprites are probably the ugliest characters onscreen but thankfully they are small and make up for their lack of detail with solid animations.

Perhaps the most impressive graphical element of Jaws is the carnage. Despite being based on a PG rated film franchise, Jaws is a bloody, violent game that earns its M rating with room to spare. Every creature in the game is edible and most can be torn apart into bloody chucks, including humans. As a point of fact, the human models can be ripped apart at practically any joint, making the sight of severed arms, legs and even heads a common occurrence. This gory goodness is punctuated by the realistic animations of flailing swimmers trying to escape the maw of the shark. As you whip their rag doll bodies back and forth, blood clouds the water and envelopes everything within a murky crimson hue punctuated with tattered appendages and viscera. The more sadistic gamer can opt to swallow their prey and chew it down or even allow a wounded swimmer to attempt an escape towards the surface (often sans an appendage) and trailing a stream of blood in their panicked wake. Most swimmers will frantically try and escape the jaws of the shark and sometimes they will actually succeed in between your bites. Other characters, such as divers, will pull knives and begin stabbing you even as you bite down on them, doing damage to the shark as you kill and devour them.

As for sound, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The voice over-work is atrociously delivered and effectively dilutes any narrative quality this title might have delivered. However, other effects, such as the muffled, gurgled screams of victims underwater are actually handled quite well, along with the anguished exclamations of those on the surface. The music is passable and makes solid use of the now infamous Jaws theme though more strategic placement of this music would have been appreciated. As a whole, the sound reflects the budget and, voice acting aside, it gets the job done.

Ultimately, the pros far outweigh the cons, making Jaws: Unleashed an entertaining romp through a playable predatory gaming construct. The biggest strike against this game is largely budgetary and because of this Jaws misses being an uncontested AAA title. Still, there is much to enjoy here, especially given the open-ended nature of the game play coupled with a gory and satisfying dismemberment engine that will make the more macabre gamer squeal with a certain unhinged delight. Even more important is that the game does a solid job of emulating the look and feel of the original film and includes several nods to the classic movie while attempting to convey a decent (if underdeveloped) story. For the budget price, Jaws: Unleashed delivers a unique and competent game experience that is sure to please anyone looking for something different.

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Jaws is screaming bloody good fun. It is not designed to be one of the best graphically looking games of all time, or even the most intelligent, but it has bags of surreal murderous mayhem to offer and not since `Manhunt' has there been anything quite as violent as it. I am very surprised that it doesn't have an M for Mature rating for the console although the PC box does. I think the RP rating is a very low rating. The game features bodily dismemberment quite literally as people are chewed up into bags of blood with their body parts floating about. They bawl gargling and try to swim to surface missing a leg. The fun you have with this game in the first few days makes it absolutely a must have. If you own a PS2 or XBOX or a PC get JAWS UNLEASHED, especially if you are fan of the movie. How can anyone refuse to play as a great white monching up swimmers and divers? The shark movements are great because you can increase your shark attributes as the game progresses. You can stealth kill swimmers, jump up onto boats, catch people in mid air, drag them under water, torture them, play with them chomp them up into a bloody mess and then go on a free run and do it all again. The story is totally different from the movie but it does include themes very similar to all four films. There are many levels which do require some brains to work out how to solve certain puzzles. In fact I was surprised by how much this game did have to offer considering that it look like a low-entry level console game. It is far from it! This is a fully charged arcade thrill kill with more gore than you would have anticipated. It has you laughing loud at the outrageous things you can do with the shark. You have never played anything like this before, not will you again. And remember this should have been an M rating as the PC box states. The shark is literally tearing people up quite graphically.

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MY SON HAS BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME OVER AND OVER. HE GETS BORED EASILY BUT THIS GAME HAS KEPT HIS ATTENTION. THANK YOU.

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sucks, i paid alot of cash for this.

and it does not play on xbox 360 like i was led to believe it would.

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So, seeing as Jaws was my all-time favorite movie as child growing up I saw no alternative to owning this particular piece of digital entertainment. The design is fairly impressive, its pretty fun BEING the shark for once, roaming the coast and causing mayhem, though I admit, after a while the magic wears a little thin. Much in the way the Assassin's Creed series is like Grand Theft Auto: Renaissance (you know what I mean), Jaws Unleashed is like Grand Theft Auto: Marine City Stories. That being said you should assume that missions are involved and that in between said missions you have free reign over the sea. At time the missions prove both fun and challenging, doling out both in equal parts and making it a pleasure to play. At other times the missions get tedious and clunky, some due to the controls versus the demands of the mission and some due to being just plain way too hard (and way too hard, way too early). Just know that I don't shy away from most challenges in video games and some of these made me flinch.

NOW, let me get to my main gripe: Fun game, but you better make darn sure you NEVER get rid of your ORIGINAL Xbox if you want to play this game because its one of those titles that is absolutely NOT going to work on your 360. Now normally I would have just bought a 360 and put the original away for a bit but GameStop had a deal going on with trading-in and all that bizznass so i no longer have it and can no longer play this game. sad but true.

other than that, worth it. Looks good, fun, and fun to share with people.

Cheap The Witcher - PC

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List Price: $29.99
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Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first....

The engine:

The one big flaw is the load/save times. Everybody hates it and everybody should. The game is easily worth the annoyance that comes with this, but c'mon people...learn to optimize your code! By the end of the game I kept a magazine at my computer which allowed me to tolerate it better...I recommend you plan ahead and do the same. I also had about one crash/ 6 hours gameplay. If you include an occasional combat lock (character would enter a tragic stutter loop, especially when pinned against impassable terrain and monsters) it came to about one forced reload / 3 hours. I don't consider that too bad for RPGs...it just isn't possible to test everything for every computer. Of course, the annoyance factor for a crash is way higher when reloading takes forever. On the flip side I never had to go farther back than one save because of a plot break.

Graphics:

Very good. Not groundbreaking, but immersive and high quality. I found myself chasing a bunch of pigeons just to watch them take off and climb higher and higher into the sky. The sunset is beatiful and lights up the whole sky. I started with the settings on high until the additional load-times outweighed the eyecandy enjoyment (about halfway through).

The combat system(gameplay):

Innovative and interesting. The attack chaining system is good, though a little unfair how easy some enemies are 'stun-locked.' Magic and swordplay interact well. They both become very powerful, but not too fast to be uninteresting. I highly recommend playing the game on hard to keep it interesting though...hard forces you to use alchemy to survive. This triumverate (sword, sorcery, alchemy), makes combat and character development very engaging. There is more than one way to conquor the system. The character has one MAJOR advantage though...speed. You can easily outrun anything. While some combats were a struggle, I could usually start running while under the influence of the 'speed healing' potion and ultimately win against more powerful enemies. Also, the game does depend on a few basic click skills. If you get stuck on one it could be very frustrating. Be sure your graphic settings do not kill your mouse timing. Also, IMHO the over the shoulder camera is far superior to the others...for all aspects of the game.

Inventory system:

Some good choices, some mediocre ones. Keeping quest items separate was a stroke of genius. You never have to worry about dropping a primary plot item. Treating big items (weapons and armor) separate from little ones (alcohol, food, greases) is a mixed blessing. There is no way to sell or delay choosing between weapons. They provide you with generous inn storage, but your on person storage is more limited. Personally I think they should go all or nothing (either very realistic like Stalker, or total conveinence (unlimited secondary items...unlimited weapons and armor would be going too far). However, there was clearly significant thought put into the whole system and it shows.

Storyline:

Slightly on the linear side, but there is still a strong sandbox element. The real strength is how your early choices impact the game later. It makes you think about the big choices for a long time because they really matter. Sometimes the consequences are very orthogonal, other times they are more predictable. There are a good number of interesting sidequests. Of special side quest note is the very 'notches on the bedpost' type set of cards that you collect for your 'secondary' conquests. While this is somewhat lewd, it is a very nice touch which adds alot of color to the game. Gambling and boxing are also secondary conquests which add alot of color. Very nice distractions from the main plot yet different from the standard FedEx side-quests. Because of the long range effect of plot choices, replayability is somewhat all or nothing. Reloading and trying the other choice works well for dialog options but not for plot twists. If you are a completist, prepare to be sucked in for a LONG time.

The verdict:

The real strength of the game is how it balances the different RPG elements. In this area it is amongst the best RPGs of all time. Most RPGs usually fail somewhere. Some lack a driving primary story that alters the world and choices that matter (Oblivion); some have character or combat development flaws (gothic 2...ever play a mage?); some are HORRENDOUSLY buggy (gothic 3); some are too linear (final fantasy). No game is perfect and much is a matter of taste, but most RPG gamers will greatly appreciate this offering...as long as they are patient with the loadtimes.

4.5-5 stars for the game. Subtract a star for the aggravating load times = solid 4 star game.

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As a fan of some European games such as the Gothic series, I got my hopes up pretty high when I heard this one was making it into the States. I was a bit disheartened to learn that the U.S. version is somewhat censored (self-censored by the publisher, not the government or ESRB), and owning the uncensored version I can tell you that the differences are mostly minor and do not detract overall from the story.

Being built on the NWN engine, you wouldn't know it. The entire rendering engine has been replaced, the control scheme is very different, and virtually the only thing I can say I recognized were some of the item highlights and inventory selection. Instead of tilesets, the developer designed each area in 3DSMax, and imported them into the engine.

The results are very fresh and unique areas, and each area has the 'look' that the developer envisioned.

I have not read the books by the Polish author who came up with the idea, and I do not believe they are yet available here in the U.S., but I do have to say that the story is very engaging, the characters are believable, the interaction and choices are real, and this is a very 'deep' RPG which forces you to make real choices that have no apparent right or wrong answer.

The world isn't black and white, and most RPGs are. Not this one every choice is shades of gray, and you will find it difficult to make decisions, sometimes which bear down to the lesser of two evils.

If I had to compare it to other games, I'd say you had the story telling ability of Gothic, the feel of Knights of the Old Republic, and a bit of unique feel to the game.

I believe this is worth the purchase, and even though I think the title of the game might put some people off, you won't be disappointed.

There are no bugs to speak of, though a patch is available for download which fixes some minor annoyances.

In all, I think this is a gem that may be overlooked by some at first glance, but for those who pick it up it will be one of those games you fondly remember as among your favorites.

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This is the most awaited fantasy cRPG in the past 2 years. For most part, IT DELIVERS!

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL cRPG GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED!

The environments are detailed, realistic, and can be experienced from up close. Grass, flowers and tree branches moved in both FABLE and TITAN QUEST as well; these, however, seem so true I caught myself reaching for my...antihistamines! Weather affects and day-night alterations (you have to see the elongating shadows to believe them!) are just gorgeous! More importantly, these are not just eye-candy: certain NPCs and monsters appear only when the correct combination of time-of-day and weather coincide...The horizon is far and the clouds move in endless variations. It reminded me of the sky of the original UNREAL, another visually ground-breaking game at its time. PURE VISUAL MAGIC!

The character (Geralt) can master both sword-fighting and magic spells (what is known as a Warlock). To some die-hard RPG fans this may seem like heresy, nevertheless, keep in mind that multi-classing is not unheard off. The movement repertoire for both practices are impressively designed. Especially the sword-fighting, it is at par to any console action game. And the spells (both offensive and defensive ones) are not less impressive.

Free roaming? Yes and no. One can decide which parts of the map he will visit but loading is still needed to travel even annoyingly short distances. And since quests and side-quest still have to be completed, yes, eventually a subtle, yet ever present, directionality is present.

Looting and bartering? Aaah...yes, sort of. You practically never change the sword you start off with (although you do get to improve its abilities), whereas good armor is only a little easier to come by compared to PLANESCAPE. On the upside, you get to gamble, have romantic relationships (FABLE was full of great ideas after all!) and bribe for information, so trinkets have other uses as well.

Detailed character modifiers? Nothing like the AD&D rules. You gain talents (gold, silver & bronze) which you can spend to improve your fighting or magical abilities. Pretty much like the DIABLO or the TITAN QUEST abilities systems.

So, apart for the slight action-cRPG handicap, I have only two other objections. First, the...camera placement. Once more (remember NWN2...) auto-placement can get on your nerves as it targets your character even if that is not the most logical option. Second, the controls. They need getting used to as the fighting combos are easily ruined by clicking out of sync. You do eventually get the hold of it, however it keeps glitching.

Whereas the BALDUR's GATES saga was story-heavy but (by today standards) visually lacking and the NEVERWINTER NIGHTS series was found, well, wanting in both aspects, THE WITCHER is the dream cRPG that BIOWARE was supposed to be capable of releasing all along. Finally it is here.

RECOMMENDED!

PS:

It has come up in the readers' comments, so I feel I should warn that this is the CENSORED version (the original version has some nudity and more...realistic language). Obviously, once more, ATARI believes America to be violence-insatiable yet sexually-immature.

I understand that these issues are important to many parents and they do have the right to raise their children as they see fit. Nevertheless, I would rather BOTH versions were available to chose from.

The uncensored version is available in Europe (you could try amazon.uk).

Honest reviews on The Witcher - PC

This is one of the best RPG's I've played since Morrowind. It doesn't have the depth of exploration or interaction of Morrowind. But it goes beyond the current run-of-the-mill RPG.

I usually don't pay attention to the story line because typically there isn't much of one. But this game differs. There's a story; it's interesting and it changes depending on the choices you make.

The fun factor is definitely a 5-star rating, although I think the re-play value is limited. Certainly, it's more limited than Morrowind, which I still play 5 years later.

Pros:

-Story draws you in. You want to play.

-Graphics

-Lots of quests (many are secondary, if you don't want to do them)

-Simple/limited keyboard use (a con, if you like to control the moves yourself)

-Interaction the story is linear, but the secondary quests you follow, and when you follow them, are up to you up to a point. There's significantly more interaction than Diablo II, but significantly less than Morrowind.

-Intuitive play Few "I'm stuck" areas. I played this as soon as it came out, so there was virtually no online help. But I didn't feel like I needed it. There really wasn't anything I couldn't figure out.

Cons:

-Game and scene load times (Game load takes 60-90 seconds on my laptop, and the processor is just under the minimum requirement. Scene load time takes about 30 seconds. Word is, a patch to address this problem is in the works.)

-Occasional black shadow, if playing with minimum graphics (I have a GeForce Go 7600, which is a 128 mg card running with 2g RAM.)

-Drawing a weapon is automatic and out of the player's control. There are a limited number of scenes where this is an issue; for instance, when you walk into an inn and encounter 5 or 6 bad guys with weapons already drawn and in attack mode. You have to wait for the game to respond, which means taking a hit (or 2).

-No character choice. You're a witcher and that's that. You have limited choices on how you build him up to rely on the sword or magic.

If you liked Neverwinter Nights or Baldur Gates, you will probably like The Witcher. Other similar games include Diablo, Diablo II, Lords of Destruction and Titan Quest.

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**UPDATE** For PC users, the fine makers of this game have released the 1.2 patch which DRAMATICALLY improves load times (by about 1/2 according to my tests) Now I am going to be yearning for the next release!! (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) :)

I accidentally discovered this game (that's the way I usually find a new game) through an Amazon "suggestion". My life will never be the same now. Not since Planescape Torment has there been an RPG that touches on something completely different as a story line. Unlike other reviews, I'm not going to include a whole bunch of other stuff that you don't need to read... I'm just going to say you HAVE to buy The Witcher. I have only a couple of minor complaints about this game: Load times can be excruciatingly slow (but are worth it in the long run) and quest progression can be a little bit confusing at times. Other than that, I will never regret buying this game and it will be a prized "member" of my collection for years to come.