Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Review of USB Gaming Receiver For PC Windows 7 Xbox 360 and Slim Wireless
Product is not for windows 7, luckily I found a backdoor to getting a driver and making it work. The disk it comes with does not work and it will not upgrade on its own.
Review of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
List Price: $24.95
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off
Never have I seen the likes of this game. I played all the Tony Hawk games. I was really sad in Tony Hawk 2x. It was ok. I played Tony Hawk 3 on my Playstation and when I played it, I knew the X-Box version would just be something tou could never think of. With the Internet connection and Bam Margera in the mix this game would be the best skateboard game right now.
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With each new Tony Hawk release comes higher expectations. Tony Hawk 3 met and exceeded those expectations. More eye-boggling special tricks were added as well as the essential Revert trick, which, like the all powerful Manuel, allows players to link tricks together and create HUGE comboes for maximum points. Bigger, more realistic looking levels are just BEGGING to be tricked on. The variety of multiplayer modes will give you and your buds hours and hours of entertainment. Create-a-Park and Create-a-Skater are included again, and have been much improved. Not having to buy tricks or stats (stats have to be FOUND instead), and also being able to outfit your character a LOT more thoroughly makes for a much more innovative gaming experience. Being able to listen to your own music instead of being forced to listen to the game's music can make playing more enjoyable. Ollie, the Magic Bum from THPS2 is a playable character!There were only a few aspects of the game that I didn't particularily like. The first one is the fact that most of the soundtrack for the game wasn't very good. It was just too mainstream. The other thing I didn't like was that on Create-a-Park, there was a limit to the number of gaps you could make. Something that other people may not like is the control sceme. If you think about it, it's VERY similar to how the N64 controller worked with the Tony Hawk games. It might take a little getting used to, but the controls are fine. If you still don't like the controller, I suggest for you to consider buying the new, smaller, easier button pressing controller made by Microsoft. It's called CONTROLLER S.
Avoiding ending on some bad notes I will simply say this: If you are an Xbox owner or are thinking of being one, then you NEED to get this game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 stands tall as one of the best console games out there. Expect to see Tony Hawk 4 on all three "next-gen" platforms this holiday season!!!
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This game is really good. I am on the Tokyo level and I am trying to beat that and getting very close. The levels that I have played are very interactive and big. The controller is not to big, and I would know cuz I am thirteen but very small for my age and the controller fits MY hands perfectly. Buy this game if you have played and liked or loved the previous Tony Hawks.........Honest reviews on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
i have favored the tony hawk series in the past. it is not really fun to me as it used to be, but this is a great game, it might have its drawbacks, but despite the time it was made, the controls are pretty good.as for the xbox 360 compatibility. it works perfect, you can save games to your hard drive, the vibration feature works too. so for those with the xbox 360 and not sure if it works or not, i am informing you it works
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Thank you, Tony Hawk, for finally forcing a game developer to create, distribute and support a good skating game. Great artwork, physics and maps are all hallmarks of this cutting edge video game.The gameplay is excellent and the corses are challenging. The variations on the controls allow the user to be creative and still achieve the goals. I am still learning new tricks and raising my point levels.
The inclusion of the manual trick has completed changed the game and opened up tremendous new opportunities for the user.
Excellent buy.
See also: Tony Hawk 4
Reviews of Silicone Skin for Kinect Camera - Xbox 360
List Price: $12.99
Sale Price: $9.15
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
Super fast delivery and fits my kinect perfectly! Would definitely recommend this product to a friend. Great buy for the price of the product!It is a great product although i wish it was a little thicker so if it falls it will be ok (tv mount) but that is the only bad thing about it other than that, it's great
Discount Xbox 360 HD DVD Player
I LOVE IT!!!! Couldn't ask for a better product for the price. Was pleasantly surprised when the item came in its original box with all the cables and the universal media remote. Hook up only took a few minutes, but getting the unit to actually play a dvd and getting the remote to be recognized by my Xbox 360 took a little longer. Thank goodness for the internet and all of the great forums out there that explain everything in detail. Couldn't ask for a better unit for the price. These normally retail for over $60, this was a steal at $21! Highly recommend this item for anyone looking to add a dvd player to their XBox setup. Only con was that it took almost a week to get here. According to shipping tracking it went from CO Springs to Denver. Denver back to CO springs. CO Springs to Des Moines. Des Moines to Kansas City. Kansas City back to Des Moines and finally Des Moines to Omaha. Seems a little fishy, but I am extremely satisfied with the product.
Plugged this beauty into my Computers USB port and the drive came up with no problems. Was able to play HD movies without an issue. Now off to the real work.
1. Box was not sealed (the MicroSoft seal on the opening end was missing).
2. The Media remote was missing.
3. Unit states for sale in Canada only and MicroSoft may not honor warranty here in the UAA.
Unit was not packaged as new units are and it was clear that unit had been used. It still works and for the price paid it is acceptable overall.
Update: 2 years later drive still works just fine with xbox 360 unit.
This hd dvd player worked for approximately 30 minutes. My son was watching a movie and stopped the movie and when he went back to continue watching the movie the player wouldn't work. I read the return policy which is that they won't accept returns, we must go through the manufacturers warranty. I could understand if the player worked for a few months, but for 30 minutes! Are they selling defective equipment? If they are maybe amazon shouldn't use this company. Now my son has movies he can't watch anywhere else. I'll think twice before ordering anything again.
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With the end of the HD-DVD format, I have a modest collection of HDs that I will not be able to watch if my primary player (Toshiba A2) breaks. I looked at this as a means to media shift the HDs that I legitimately own to a different medium. Like I have done with my CDs and shifted them to MP3, so too will all my movies move to MP4s.Plugged this beauty into my Computers USB port and the drive came up with no problems. Was able to play HD movies without an issue. Now off to the real work.
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Received item in a speedy mannor form Amazon but there were some problems:1. Box was not sealed (the MicroSoft seal on the opening end was missing).
2. The Media remote was missing.
3. Unit states for sale in Canada only and MicroSoft may not honor warranty here in the UAA.
Unit was not packaged as new units are and it was clear that unit had been used. It still works and for the price paid it is acceptable overall.
Update: 2 years later drive still works just fine with xbox 360 unit.
Honest reviews on Xbox 360 HD DVD Player
I bought this for my son for Christmas, along with many hd movies.This hd dvd player worked for approximately 30 minutes. My son was watching a movie and stopped the movie and when he went back to continue watching the movie the player wouldn't work. I read the return policy which is that they won't accept returns, we must go through the manufacturers warranty. I could understand if the player worked for a few months, but for 30 minutes! Are they selling defective equipment? If they are maybe amazon shouldn't use this company. Now my son has movies he can't watch anywhere else. I'll think twice before ordering anything again.
Reviews of AVERMEDIA AVERTV HD USB DVR TV Tuners and Video Capture C874 Sleek
List Price: $164.99
Sale Price: $120.57
Today's Bonus: 27% Off
I have bought a lot of stuff, mostly electronic goods, both good and bad. After a while the bad stuff makes me wonder if it is the products or my computer setup that seems to make this stuff quirky and unreliable. I built my own setup and am not averse to trying shareware and other types of programs. I had the Hauppauge HD PVR for about a year and a half. It produced a great captured video. Problem was that it was not very reliable. It would "hang up" frequently for no decipherable reason that I could find. The scheduling software was OK, I did not have the WINTV 7.0 as that came out later, but it didn't much matter because half the time I had a program scheduled it would have locked up at some point and would not capture anyhow. Finally it got to the point where I had reloaded, formatted, my computer for this and other reasons to get a fresh start and hopefully fix the problem. I would load this first before other drivers, after the video driver, and a few other sequences. I don't mind redoing my drives as it gives me a chance to get rid of the junk that has accumulated over time. The Hauppauge never performed reliably no matter when the driver was loaded. Finally the last time I attempted this I ended up using the wrong AC adapter to plug in the Hauppauge got a burning smell from the PVR. Oh well I never cared for the thing anyhow. I did still want to capture video to the computer and did appreciate the high quality the Hauppauge put out. I did some research and finally decided on the Aver USB HD PVR. I hesitate to say this as it's only been a couple of weeks but what a godsend. It's been performing now and the only time it has locked up was once when I was doing something else with another program and must have affected it somehow. Video capture is of the same quality as the Hauppauge and it actually has a video for me when I get back on the computer and look to see if it is captured; every time so far! I've never written a review for anything that I have bought but have been so impressed with the operational difference between these two products that I just felt compelled to do so. Running AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz (Quad Core) 45nm, AM3 6MB Cache 8 MB Ram and an AMD Radeon 5700 series video card. Mostly do a lot of video editing. Running Win 7 SP1.
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I've been looking for a product that will allow me to copy some of the recordings I have on my AT&T Uverse DVR to my computer without losing any picture quality and this does the trick. I have my Uverse box set to output 720P and I hooked this device up using the included component video cable. I installed the drivers and software and I was able to play one of the shows I had on my Uverse DVR and save it to my computer. Of course this is all done in real time, so it takes however long the show is. When I played it back on the TV (form the computer) it looked as good as the original from when I play it from the DVR.Now I can free up space on my DVR without losing any shows that I want to keep.
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C874's capture quality is great, but the bundled capture app may needlessly burden low-end machines. There's a workaround which may help somewhat, so if interested, read on...The whole point of the USB external device is to offload encode and decode (to TV) functions from the computer. As shipped, the software requires more CPU/GPU than the USB device really needs to perform its built-in hardware functions. So they just increase the computer hardware requirements to use the product. Clever.
The C874 should include a lightweight tray-dwelling capture app with full hardware settings and NO preview function or a selectable minimal one.
It would also be useful if the device could downscale any video input and do lower framerates and bitrates. The SDK info on their site indicates the C874 can do this and more. Strange that it is not standard with the product.
An HDMI-out player that has a responsive slider navigation feature and low CPU/GPU overhead would be a main selling point of the product. Preview on the computer isn't required if the PVR is doing the decoding, but maybe subsampled keyframes could be shown with timecode for navigation. The ability to put up a still image or colorbars on the HDMI-out when a clip isn't playing, and the ability to schedule playlists would make it very good for presentations or custom TV viewing.
Standard-issue should be a keyframe-cuts stream editor for basic trimming, excerpting, and joining of the native stream format. Even looking for a compatible editor online is a nightmare. Transcoding or re-muxing shouldn't be required. Perhaps the HDMI-out player could double as the editor with the addition of a few buttons and a save-as dialog. That would make edits a snap!
Capturing:
The ArcSoft capture module that is invoked manually or called by the scheduler appears to force the machine to decode preview video/audio, even when the preview is disabled during recording. There is no option to totally shut off preview at all times. It'll eat your netbook CPU alive.
There is a hardware acceleration toggle, but that doesn't support the Broadcom video decoder that some netbooks have or can be outfitted with, which has a high-priority h.264 decoder. I guess the hardware toggle is for GPU on high-end or newer machines.
On older Atom-based netbooks under XPsp3 or Win7sp1, a 720p or 1080i input results in nearly 100% cpu utilization at all times in CaptureModule. Even sitting there waiting to capture, the preview may lock up. Any recordings may truncate at less than a minute, even with preview supposedly off. 480i on the front input is more reliable, requiring less (but still significant) CPU.
There may be ways developers can provide preview video at lower overhead by sub-sampling keyframes or otherwise not completely decoding all frames, or even sub-streaming a tiny low framerate preview from the USB device. That's for the engineers to figure out.
So in the meantime, and counter-intuitively, we have to "back-burner" CaptureModule's access to the CPU for a netbook to get 720p captures to work (and only for manually initiated caps).
Copy below as 115 character single line to a text file, and rename it with a .cmd extension (cap-low.cmd)
start /low "" "C:\Program Files\ArcSoft\TotalMedia Extreme 2\TotalMedia Studio MV\CaptureModule.exe" /@RecordVideo@
Put the file somewhere out of the way and create a shortcut to it on the desktop. Then go into the shortcut's properties and set it to run minimized and change the icon to point at CaptureModule.exe at the path shown above. Rename the shortcut something simple like CapHD.
Now you've got a much better behaving CaptureModule that may actually record clean 720p if nothing else is running. The command script sets the cpu priority to LOW, so CaptureModule's preview decoding doesn't eat-up all your cpu cycles, and the stream can be recorded to disk with what's left.
That leaves open the possibility of dramatically lower CPU overhead during recording by omitting preview entirely. [see addendum below!]
Unfortunately, there's no way YET to make AVerMedia Scheduler call CaptureModule with the /low switch, so no unattended HD captures on low-end machines unless CaptureModule is fixed or replaced someday.
1080i is still too demanding even with that workaround. 720p is preferable for most things anyway no field order issues with different decoders, for one. 720p with 8000K video, 128K audio set to level 24 seems to be fine for most TV. Cable boxes can be set for fixed format 720p, although most default to 1080i, or a pass-through mode that can switch formats on you.
So, yes, you CAN do 720p HD recording on a low-end netbook! (to some extent)
The hardware in the C874 is good, but they won't let us use it efficiently.
--------------
Addendum 11/25/12:
Sysinternals Process Explorer shows what's going on with CaptureModule.exe
Running CaptureModule with /low switch, minimized to taskbar, preview turned off during recording, CaptureModule still has _two_ HUGE threads of this running:
ASH264Vid.dll
-------------
H.264 video decoding core
ArcSoft Inc
Properties comment: "work with ASVID.ax to decode H264 bitstream"
ASVID.ax is ArcSoft Video Decoder.
So now that we know for sure what's happening, we can try stuff:
I started a capture with preview OFF, then manually suspended both threads of ASH264Vid.dll, and the capture CONTINUED right along, while CaptureModule's CPU use dropped to !!!!! 3% !!!!!! (have to resume both threads to stop capture)
Now we're getting somewhere!
Another less impressive result was simpler to try: Start a capture with preview ON, then toggle the preview checkbox OFF during the capture, and the CPU drops to around 25% and the decoder threads vanish. Not sure why the vastly different numbers vs the direct suspend method... ???
So if AverMedia and ArcSoft just release a CaptureModule that can turn off preview properly, during recording and full-time, the product would work with almost any PC. But really, they should support the Broadcom codec as well, to get full functionality.
Honest reviews on AVERMEDIA AVERTV HD USB DVR TV Tuners and Video Capture C874 Sleek
Amazing item, only difference between the hauppauge hd pvr and this that's the hauppauge has optical cable for audio, other than that the capture is exactly the same plus the avermedia has better look that fits any entertainment centreFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for AVERMEDIA AVERTV HD USB DVR TV Tuners and Video Capture C874 Sleek
Although there are some issues with the guide and Dish Network, it's the best USB tuner I've used. The IR blaster is very handy for universal remote use, and it works well even on a weak system. The HTPC I have it connected to has an Intel D2500NH and 3GB of Ram, and it works flawlessly.Review of Oddworld Stranger's Wrath
**UPDATE** Sad news from Lorne Lanning and Oddworld Inhabitants, the creators of this spectacular series. Oddworld Inhabitants is closing its doors. After creating 4 games in what was supposed to be a huge series and with 2 games already in development for next gen systems, they are closing up. Chances are this will be the last game featuring the loveable creatures of Oddworld. But fear not, Lanning believes he might be able to crack into the TV or movie business in order to have his property protected. Keep an eye on them. They are so talented, their studio might be the next Pixar.
On to the review:
I'm very disappointed in the mistreatment this game has been getting from the professional online reviewers like IGN, Gamespot and Gamespy. When I was trying to figure out if this game was worth purchasing or not, I had to literally search the entire page at the Xbox branch of IGN just to find the review. Normally, reviews get top billing; not the case with this beautifully unique game.
A lot has been said about the "gimmick" of having live ammo. Given the series of Oddworld (Abe's Oddysee and Exodus, Munch's Oddysee), how someone could label the live ammo as a gimmick is beyond me. Oddworld is a world very different from our own. Stranger's Wrath just heightened this oddity by giving you creatures to fire instead of finding ammo for your tripple-barrelled, shoots rockets and has a flame-thrower attached, shotgun. And it fits in the universe perfectly. Now, if this was a Halo game (for example), yes having live ammo would be a gimmick. But, it fits in perfectly with the Oddworld mythos and provides a truly engaging experience.
Another thing that I feared after reading the sorely mistaken (IMO) professional reviews was that it was virtually impossible to capture the bosses alive. Being a bounty hunter, it is your mission to capture wanted villains either dead or alive. By capturing them alive you get two or more times the money than capturing them dead.
Now, if you were to read a lot of reviews from IGN etc, it would seem that you couldn't capture any of the bosses alive. While I have been playing games all of my life and am better than the average gamer in some respects, I would definitely not consider myself a master of the FPS genre. By any stretch. And yet I was able to capture every single boss alive. Now, there were a couple that made me very frustrated and it took me more than a handful of tries to do it, I was able to. The game definitely makes you work to get that full bounty but it's not impossible.
As far as the story goes, the developers once again created a uniquely different story involving Stranger and his past. I will not reveal any story spoilers, but not is all what it seems and there will come a point where the way you look at the game changes in an exciting way. And from that point on, the game ramps up the excitement to a wonderful climax.
Graphically, the game is beautiful. It makes me remember why I bought the Xbox. Not only are the lush environments beautifully rendered, but the framerate moves swiftly. Seeing Strange bound at a cheetah speed through these beautiful environments is striking. There is some pop-up, especially in Mango (sp?) Valley where bushes will pop up in the distance. But considering the speed and the graphics the game is pushing, it doesn't really bother me.
As far as controls go, this game is well designed. Switching between first person and third person is as easy as tapping the R3 button. This change works really well, giving you the best of both worlds, the percision of first person shooting, and the fluidity and speed of moving in third person. I have a couple complaints though. Moving up and down rope is a pain. The animation is kinda clunky and I don't see why you can't slide down rope, instead of hand over hand moving down it. Hey, if the Prince can slide down rope, why can't Stranger? But this is a minor quibble.
As far as the sound goes, again Oddworld Inhabitants (the developers) did an excellent job. Stranger's voice is a little silly to me, he talks in a slow drawl that seems to be a cross between Clint Eastwood and Forrest Gump. But the other voices are remarkable, especially considering that most (if not all) are done in house with the Lead voicing most characters in all of the Oddworld games.
My only real complaint is that the game isn't long enough. It's longer than Halo 2 (which is a bonus), and I don't know exactly how many hours I clocked in on it, but it felt like it was over too fast. I guess what disappointed me was that I was having so much fun exploring Oddworld again that no matter how long or short it was I would be sad to leave it. The world is just so interesting.
The level design is also very linear. In today's world of GTA openness, people might have a problem with that, which is why I bring it up. The levels have a set path. That's not to say the gameplay is linear. There are MANY different ways to tackle every situation. The joy of having live ammo is that you are presented with a myriad of ways to take down the opposition, creating gameplay that allows you to experiment. But if you're looking for a Deus Ex type of environment where there are multiple paths to get to the boss, you won't find it here.
What the game does best is refresh video games. From the opening CG cinema (which is Pixar quality) to all of the loveably strange and bizarre characters, this game oozes originality and charm. You can tell the developers truly care about the artform of video games. They love what they do and the game was a refreshing experience.
To sum it up, I can't say enough about this game. It is unique. It is beautiful. And it is fun. Even after the 5th time trying to take down a boss alive, I didn't throw down the controller in anger. It kept me wanting to play until I could take him down. If you are tired of the same old save Earth from "insert name of alien race here", or similar I would definitely recommend this game. It is hard, but it is easily one of the most enjoyable games I have played in ages. And the jolt of energy the games gives you about half way through the game is enough for me to recommend buying this game.
I bought a Gamecube and later a PS2 and only recently bought an Xbox (I don't like MS) and I hate to say that the graphics, at least in this game, are out-freaking-standing. Approaching photo-realistic. The scenery in O:SW is PHENOMENAL, great late-afternoon sunset lighting with beautiful little touches like bits of fluff from weeds providing counterpoint to the action and firepower. The graphics really pop.
The "live ammunition" takes some getting used to in much the same way that it took me a while to figure out how to play the PC version of Lemmings oh-so-many-years-ago. It's GREAT fun, very imaginative, and the mazes are terrific so far. The villians are as rotten as they ought to be and the Stranger is a brilliant idea. I'm really looking forward to getting through my day and firing up the Xbox to play some more, and I just don't play that many games (I'm an OLD fart). Or maybe I'm just picky -it's not every day, or every YEAR, that I find a game that I like, and I **LIKE** this game!
The game feels really tight overall, they did a great job producing it. Good concept, great art direction, the gameplay is a lot of fun -I love this game! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!! THIS ONE'S WORTH THE MONEY!!!!!
For me to give a game five stars it needs to have a great story-line and this one has one. You're basically a bounty hunter that nobody knows about, The Stranger. You have always taken out outlaws just for the fun of it and never really cared about the pay. Now its different, you need the money for an operation that your life depends on. Now I know you may be saying to yourself that the story-line sounds a little cheesy and dull, but it really starts kicking in when you are playing the game and I dont want to give anything away.
The gameplay is where the game really flies. The game is basically a shooter because of the bounty type, but you can switch in and out of first person mode and third person mode during the gameplay which is great. The gun you get is the double barrel crossbow and your ammo, well, its live oddworld critters. The live ammo you can use consists of Stunkz(little skunks that distract the enemy), Bolamites(They wrap up the enemy with web), Chippunks(they are basically made for distracting an enemy), Zappflies(Made for catching other ammo), Fuzzles(shoot em on the ground and the first enemy to walk by will have the fuzzle eating the life out of them), Thudslugs(Powerfull shot), Boombats(explosive bombs), Stingbees(like a machine gun), Wasps(Made for sniping). The great thing about the double barreled crossbow is that you can have two different kinds of ammo in it and shoot both at the same time if you want. You can also upgrade your ammo and upgrade almost everythinfrom the size of your ammo bag to your speed to your stamina and even brass knuckles for fighting. When you are in third person mode you can punch, and you can revive your health by using up your stamina meter. You will get the normal things in a city of a bounty game like bounty store and amm store and other places. I always love checking out the bounties because they always have wierd creatures. Collecting bounties is also a bit different in oddworld. You can either kill the bounty or take him while he's alive. You bag bounties by sucking them up in your little special device on your arm. You can colect unlimited amounts of bounty this way and just throw your arm on the bounty desk and get lot of money.
The graphics in the game are amazing, I dont know if its because of the environments that really bring them out or if its just the graphics in general. The environments look amazing and even some places are breath taking, like the snow level or when you are in the factory at the end of the game and your friends are throwing in gigantic fireballs. The Stranger also looks amazing and he is one of my favorite game characters.
The sound is great and I love listening to the creatures walking around in the city. It has plenty of wierd cool sounds and I love how your ammo talks back to you. The controls are also excellent and are easy to get into.
Well this game is defenitley a five out of five for me and I recommend this game to everyone especially to those oddworld fans. This game is one of my favorite games and I will never sell it because everytime I look at the cover it gives me that feeling that I want to play it again.
The 3rd person action/adventure / 1st person shooter... and all of it beautiful.
I was a little wary of the 1st person shooter aspect, especially with the "Live Ammo", but once I started playing, I was hooked.
What the guy before me said about the last part being worth the price alone... it's all true.
THIS is how you make a game. I'd put it up there with Ninja Gaiden and the Halo games.
On to the review:
I'm very disappointed in the mistreatment this game has been getting from the professional online reviewers like IGN, Gamespot and Gamespy. When I was trying to figure out if this game was worth purchasing or not, I had to literally search the entire page at the Xbox branch of IGN just to find the review. Normally, reviews get top billing; not the case with this beautifully unique game.
A lot has been said about the "gimmick" of having live ammo. Given the series of Oddworld (Abe's Oddysee and Exodus, Munch's Oddysee), how someone could label the live ammo as a gimmick is beyond me. Oddworld is a world very different from our own. Stranger's Wrath just heightened this oddity by giving you creatures to fire instead of finding ammo for your tripple-barrelled, shoots rockets and has a flame-thrower attached, shotgun. And it fits in the universe perfectly. Now, if this was a Halo game (for example), yes having live ammo would be a gimmick. But, it fits in perfectly with the Oddworld mythos and provides a truly engaging experience.
Another thing that I feared after reading the sorely mistaken (IMO) professional reviews was that it was virtually impossible to capture the bosses alive. Being a bounty hunter, it is your mission to capture wanted villains either dead or alive. By capturing them alive you get two or more times the money than capturing them dead.
Now, if you were to read a lot of reviews from IGN etc, it would seem that you couldn't capture any of the bosses alive. While I have been playing games all of my life and am better than the average gamer in some respects, I would definitely not consider myself a master of the FPS genre. By any stretch. And yet I was able to capture every single boss alive. Now, there were a couple that made me very frustrated and it took me more than a handful of tries to do it, I was able to. The game definitely makes you work to get that full bounty but it's not impossible.
As far as the story goes, the developers once again created a uniquely different story involving Stranger and his past. I will not reveal any story spoilers, but not is all what it seems and there will come a point where the way you look at the game changes in an exciting way. And from that point on, the game ramps up the excitement to a wonderful climax.
Graphically, the game is beautiful. It makes me remember why I bought the Xbox. Not only are the lush environments beautifully rendered, but the framerate moves swiftly. Seeing Strange bound at a cheetah speed through these beautiful environments is striking. There is some pop-up, especially in Mango (sp?) Valley where bushes will pop up in the distance. But considering the speed and the graphics the game is pushing, it doesn't really bother me.
As far as controls go, this game is well designed. Switching between first person and third person is as easy as tapping the R3 button. This change works really well, giving you the best of both worlds, the percision of first person shooting, and the fluidity and speed of moving in third person. I have a couple complaints though. Moving up and down rope is a pain. The animation is kinda clunky and I don't see why you can't slide down rope, instead of hand over hand moving down it. Hey, if the Prince can slide down rope, why can't Stranger? But this is a minor quibble.
As far as the sound goes, again Oddworld Inhabitants (the developers) did an excellent job. Stranger's voice is a little silly to me, he talks in a slow drawl that seems to be a cross between Clint Eastwood and Forrest Gump. But the other voices are remarkable, especially considering that most (if not all) are done in house with the Lead voicing most characters in all of the Oddworld games.
My only real complaint is that the game isn't long enough. It's longer than Halo 2 (which is a bonus), and I don't know exactly how many hours I clocked in on it, but it felt like it was over too fast. I guess what disappointed me was that I was having so much fun exploring Oddworld again that no matter how long or short it was I would be sad to leave it. The world is just so interesting.
The level design is also very linear. In today's world of GTA openness, people might have a problem with that, which is why I bring it up. The levels have a set path. That's not to say the gameplay is linear. There are MANY different ways to tackle every situation. The joy of having live ammo is that you are presented with a myriad of ways to take down the opposition, creating gameplay that allows you to experiment. But if you're looking for a Deus Ex type of environment where there are multiple paths to get to the boss, you won't find it here.
What the game does best is refresh video games. From the opening CG cinema (which is Pixar quality) to all of the loveably strange and bizarre characters, this game oozes originality and charm. You can tell the developers truly care about the artform of video games. They love what they do and the game was a refreshing experience.
To sum it up, I can't say enough about this game. It is unique. It is beautiful. And it is fun. Even after the 5th time trying to take down a boss alive, I didn't throw down the controller in anger. It kept me wanting to play until I could take him down. If you are tired of the same old save Earth from "insert name of alien race here", or similar I would definitely recommend this game. It is hard, but it is easily one of the most enjoyable games I have played in ages. And the jolt of energy the games gives you about half way through the game is enough for me to recommend buying this game.
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I read an article on wired.com/news about this game and couldn't wait to get a copy. Got the Prima guide with it, which has been worth the money so far (third day).I bought a Gamecube and later a PS2 and only recently bought an Xbox (I don't like MS) and I hate to say that the graphics, at least in this game, are out-freaking-standing. Approaching photo-realistic. The scenery in O:SW is PHENOMENAL, great late-afternoon sunset lighting with beautiful little touches like bits of fluff from weeds providing counterpoint to the action and firepower. The graphics really pop.
The "live ammunition" takes some getting used to in much the same way that it took me a while to figure out how to play the PC version of Lemmings oh-so-many-years-ago. It's GREAT fun, very imaginative, and the mazes are terrific so far. The villians are as rotten as they ought to be and the Stranger is a brilliant idea. I'm really looking forward to getting through my day and firing up the Xbox to play some more, and I just don't play that many games (I'm an OLD fart). Or maybe I'm just picky -it's not every day, or every YEAR, that I find a game that I like, and I **LIKE** this game!
The game feels really tight overall, they did a great job producing it. Good concept, great art direction, the gameplay is a lot of fun -I love this game! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!! THIS ONE'S WORTH THE MONEY!!!!!
Best Deals for Oddworld Stranger's Wrath
Oddworld has made some great games in the past and this one is no exception. It happens to be my favorite out of all of the series. If you have an X-Box this game is a must buy and I'm really hoping for a sequal.For me to give a game five stars it needs to have a great story-line and this one has one. You're basically a bounty hunter that nobody knows about, The Stranger. You have always taken out outlaws just for the fun of it and never really cared about the pay. Now its different, you need the money for an operation that your life depends on. Now I know you may be saying to yourself that the story-line sounds a little cheesy and dull, but it really starts kicking in when you are playing the game and I dont want to give anything away.
The gameplay is where the game really flies. The game is basically a shooter because of the bounty type, but you can switch in and out of first person mode and third person mode during the gameplay which is great. The gun you get is the double barrel crossbow and your ammo, well, its live oddworld critters. The live ammo you can use consists of Stunkz(little skunks that distract the enemy), Bolamites(They wrap up the enemy with web), Chippunks(they are basically made for distracting an enemy), Zappflies(Made for catching other ammo), Fuzzles(shoot em on the ground and the first enemy to walk by will have the fuzzle eating the life out of them), Thudslugs(Powerfull shot), Boombats(explosive bombs), Stingbees(like a machine gun), Wasps(Made for sniping). The great thing about the double barreled crossbow is that you can have two different kinds of ammo in it and shoot both at the same time if you want. You can also upgrade your ammo and upgrade almost everythinfrom the size of your ammo bag to your speed to your stamina and even brass knuckles for fighting. When you are in third person mode you can punch, and you can revive your health by using up your stamina meter. You will get the normal things in a city of a bounty game like bounty store and amm store and other places. I always love checking out the bounties because they always have wierd creatures. Collecting bounties is also a bit different in oddworld. You can either kill the bounty or take him while he's alive. You bag bounties by sucking them up in your little special device on your arm. You can colect unlimited amounts of bounty this way and just throw your arm on the bounty desk and get lot of money.
The graphics in the game are amazing, I dont know if its because of the environments that really bring them out or if its just the graphics in general. The environments look amazing and even some places are breath taking, like the snow level or when you are in the factory at the end of the game and your friends are throwing in gigantic fireballs. The Stranger also looks amazing and he is one of my favorite game characters.
The sound is great and I love listening to the creatures walking around in the city. It has plenty of wierd cool sounds and I love how your ammo talks back to you. The controls are also excellent and are easy to get into.
Well this game is defenitley a five out of five for me and I recommend this game to everyone especially to those oddworld fans. This game is one of my favorite games and I will never sell it because everytime I look at the cover it gives me that feeling that I want to play it again.
Honest reviews on Oddworld Stranger's Wrath
The title I put is a bold claim; especially with the recent release of Halo 2. But honestly, this latest incarnation of Oddworld offers the most fun I've had on the XBox with a third/first person shooter. At first the game fools you The live ammo seems a little gimmicky and trudging from one bounty boss to another seems initially tiring. But this game has a storyline like no other. Just when you think you've completed the game EVERYTHING changes in a good way. It's like two games in one and both parts are incredible. If you don't want to know anymore then stop reading now and go play the game! I didn't know about the 'surprise' path the game takes and was blown away. One minute you're in the Wild West, the next you're in a Halo-esque futuristic world full of cranes, spaceships, cannons, rockets and all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures. Gone are the linear quests to rope in badguys replaced by a fairly free roaming world of adventure. Truly huge effort has been placed into both elements of gameplay and the graphics, sound, dialogue and even the strange ammo system is perfect. I simply loved this game a jewel in the XBox crown.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Oddworld Stranger's Wrath
The people at Oddworld tell amazing stories, and Stranger's Wrath is no exception.The 3rd person action/adventure / 1st person shooter... and all of it beautiful.
I was a little wary of the 1st person shooter aspect, especially with the "Live Ammo", but once I started playing, I was hooked.
What the guy before me said about the last part being worth the price alone... it's all true.
THIS is how you make a game. I'd put it up there with Ninja Gaiden and the Halo games.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Discount Xbox 360 250GB Elite Splinter Cell Conviction Bundle
This bundle is excellent. Got it at a great price here through amazon. Microsoft should not call this a special edition though, because it is of no such. So the bundle is a great buy for anyone, whether you are a loyal xbox owner or a new owner this is the one to go with. Microsoft's new JASPER models are freakin amazing! Smaller power brick, quieter/cooler, much cooler, system. Played for five hours the other day and the xbox was just warm not on fire. Overall I love this bundle. Great buy, recommended for everyone.
Well, definitely the XBOX has some nice features and exclusives that I couldn't get with the PS3. I ordered a bunch of XBOX 360 exclusives with this bundle and I am glad I did. I am starting Forza 2 and Fable II right now and I realize how much fun I was missing. The feel of the XBOX controls is also much better than the PS3 controls.
Wouldn't say that one console is better than the other. Both of them have cool features. Now that I own both, I have the best of two worlds.
Shipping was free and fast through Amazon. It arrived on the estimated delivery date. Very pleased so far. Got the TS intercooler and it works like a charm!
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Don't get me wrong, PS3 has nice exclusives, but I was very tempted to get a XBOX 360, and I finally did. I was trying to decide between this and the XBOX FFXIII bundle, but I already had the FFXIII game for PS3 so I went with this one.Well, definitely the XBOX has some nice features and exclusives that I couldn't get with the PS3. I ordered a bunch of XBOX 360 exclusives with this bundle and I am glad I did. I am starting Forza 2 and Fable II right now and I realize how much fun I was missing. The feel of the XBOX controls is also much better than the PS3 controls.
Wouldn't say that one console is better than the other. Both of them have cool features. Now that I own both, I have the best of two worlds.
Shipping was free and fast through Amazon. It arrived on the estimated delivery date. Very pleased so far. Got the TS intercooler and it works like a charm!
Best Deals for Xbox 360 250GB Elite Splinter Cell Conviction Bundle
Excellent bundle came with no trouble, amazon is as good as always, a must buy if you need a console and you want the whole deal in one boxHonest reviews on Xbox 360 250GB Elite Splinter Cell Conviction Bundle
I was a little hesitant on purchasing this, but I'm really glad I did. It works perfectly and I've not had one issue using it while playing a ton of COD: Ghosts. The only thing that I'll mention is that this unit like the older models doesn't have WiFi built in. You'll need to buy an adapter. I'm happy with it though and can't complain.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Xbox 360 250GB Elite Splinter Cell Conviction Bundle
I purchased this console with the intent to start a xbox360 relationship.It work for awhile at the expense of scratching up game disc, sounding like it could come apart at any moment with all the noise coming from the tray.Well eventually it died so that was the end of that relationship.
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