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Review of Armored Core 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 22:51:00 -0800

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When we got a Playstation 2, the first PS2 game we put into it was Armored Core 2, by Agetec. This game style is definitely one we enjoy a great deal. Unfortunately, it appears they rushed this game out the door a bit too quickly.

The game design is really neat. Like most mech games, you start out slowly, getting money to customize your mech as you go. There are 50 'ranked' robots for you to fight your way through, as well as 35 missions to undertake to earn fame and fortune. There are hundreds of parts to choose from to customize your bot.

You can also go head-to-head by linking your PS2 to a friend's with the cable. Unfortunately the PS2 doesn't currently support modem play, so someone has to carry the unit to someone else's house to do this.

The plots are interesting with three factions trying to get control of Mars, the missions you choose help influence the fate of these companies. The customization is almost overwhelming. You can custom-design your own logo with their built in paint program, buy parts for a huge variety of systems on your mech, and then test it out in various arenas against various foes.

Why the disappointment, then? The learning curve on this is VERY steep the screens and layout could have been done much more intuitively. The game also runs extremely slowly. Sounds lock up, visuals will stick on the screen, etc. If you've spent hours and hours (if not weeks and weeks) working on designing the perfect mech, the last thing you want is for system failures to cause you to lose missions and die in battles.

A true mech fan might overlook these problems and enjoy the game, but those out to test the true power of their PS2 might want to look at other options.

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I bought this game because I was looking for a non-sports title for my PS2 and wanted something with a little more combat than SSX (excellent game see reviews). I'm glad I read reviews of it before I bought it! Armored Core 2 is a very good game, but it does have its flaws, and there is a learning curve involved. Some people may not want to take the time to get past the initial phase of the game.

The premise is simple you're on Mars and own a mech, a remote-controlled, armed robot. Mars is controlled by several corporations, each with their own agenda, and they're looking for hired help to help them get what they want. That means you. You provide help by way of accepting missions. From time to time, corporations will contact your advisor with opportunities. You can review the mission, see how much it pays (sometimes you get an advance), and choose to accept or decline. Upon completion of the mission, you'll get whatever portion of the reward you're owed, as well as any bonuses you may have earned, but you have to pay to repair any damage to your mech and you have to pay for ammunition that you've used.

You can also earn credits (money) and parts by beating other mechs in head-to-head combat in the Arena. The Arena is a ladder-based challenge system as you beat each opponent, you move up one rung and receive a correspondingly larger bonus. You don't have to pay for damage or ammunition in the Arena.

Here's where the work comes in. At first, you've got a very basic mech. Especially if you're not familiar with mech combat, as I wasn't, you'll get beat in the Arena or fail to complete missions. The expense of failing a mission is usually enough to set you back too far to continue, so you'll want to restart the mission. Easy enough? Think again.

The game doesn't lend itself well to this kind of progress (intentionally so, I think). If you want to redo a mission, you have to load a saved game (save after EVERY mission!), accept the mission, and start over again. It's not a quick process. Then again, it can still be done. In Arena mode, you can simply choose to fight the battle again, and can do so over and over until you win, although the losses are kept in your record.

As you progress through the missions, you get more offers, your ranking improves (you have a completion percentage based on how far you've gone), and you learn more about Mars, the corporations, and other things that are happening. Eventually, you'll have a well-armed mech and will be more able to do what you want. Corporations will also make more parts available to you, especially if you've been working for them, so don't think you're limited to the weapons, legs, and other parts you see when you start.

After each mission and Arena battle, you can take your credits and spend them in the Shop. Here's where Agetec makes up for the missions you sell parts back for 100% of the purchase price, so you can experiment to your heart's content (well, maybe your wallet's) when you upgrade your mech. However, you can't get everything you want. Your mech has an energy limit and weight limits for the legs and the core, and you can't spend more money than you have. If you're too heavy or can't afford required parts, you can't go into battle.

The control scheme is typical for mech games, which means if you were expecting to use the analog sticks for movement, you'll be disappointed. In their defense, this system is more realistic. After all, if your mech has legs, it's not going to be able to spin around very easily! It takes a bit of getting used to (and you need to know that the L3 and R3 buttons are the analog sticks push in to use), but once you've got the controls down, you'll be ready for battle. You can even use a USB mouse to design your emblem (the logo for your mech), and if you've got skills, you can design a really cool emblem.

The gameplay itself is good, although if there are many missiles on the screen, you'll definitely see some slowdown. Aside from that, it's nice once you've become accustomed to the controls, and there's something satisfying about taking out a plane or a chopper with one well-aimed missile. It's not all brute force, though. You'd love to be able to lay waste to a facility, but when you finish the mission and get your bill for the ammo, you'll wish you were a little more conservative.

You can play head-to-head against a friend, either in split-screen mode if you've got one PS2, or if you have two PS2s, two TVs, you each have the game, and you have one i.Link cable, you can play on your own systems.

There are many different types of mechs you can build, and the missions that you accept, in theory, steer your progress through the game (I've not played more than one game, so I can't verify that). I think the replay value of the game is pretty good, if you're a mech player, and I'm looking forward to going back and replaying some missions.

I've had a lot of fun with this game, but I've also had to be patient with it. If you've got the time, and if you like mech combat, this is a good game for you. If you're considering this for a younger person, or if you're new to the mech arena, you may want to look for something else.

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First off, this game is very hard. You have 32 difficult missions to complete, all the while trying to advance through around 50 other challengers in the Arena. The graphics are smooth and are beautifully rendered using the PlayStation 2's great processor. You didn't need to play this game's predecessors, because the storyline in this game kicks off from the beginning. It is an intertwining plot about heroism, sacrifice, betrayal, and mysteries of another race, particularly, the Martians.

Another great thing is that there are over 200 parts you can earn and find in missions, the shop, and the Arena. Customizing your mech is one of the great aspects of this game. There are thousands of combinations, insuring you that your mech is unique.

For all of you parents out there, this game has only robot violence, no "blood and guts" as in most other video games. For the kids, this game insures a challenge, so don't be afraid to lose.

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Dont let the title of this review turn you away from the game. But belive me, it is completely true. I loved AC 1 and PS2 I knew would deliver. It did thankfully. The graphics are smooth and there is absolutely no clipping. No pixels when your up close and only minor slow down in mission levels (this happens very seldom, usually when 10 missles are flying at you with 20 MTs shooting at you, which is only like 2 levels.) AThe game is fun, but only once you break through the begining of the game because I couldnt tell you how many times I got the ... kicked out of me and had to dig myself out of debt. Some of the first couple levels are [very] hard, as are some of the later missions. As the title reads, once you play the 4-5 mission you will hurl your Dual Shock 2 controller through your window and sit there meticulously thinkin of how you can get your self out of a -30k debt. Once you get a chance to build up your mech, this game shines through the darkness. You can create a really personalized mech, changing color, parts, weapons, speed. Everything is customizable. I am now begining to truely enjoy this game because if you have patience you will get to the point of this game which makes this a must have. Piloting your AC through Arena mode is a definite plus to get your mind off of frustrating mission battles. The story even progress fluidly with "Mail" that you get after certain missions or arena battles. The graphics are awesome, story is awesome, and after some broken controllers, gameplay is awesome and definitly warrants this a purchase.

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Apples versus oranges some might shout, but to me there are several parallels between this mech-warfare game and the highly structured race game, Gran Turismo.

In both games, you begin with a basic "vehicle" (the first and Armored Core or AC, the latter a race car). Both vehicles are customizeable and upgradeable, and both require money to make your vehicles better. Both involve competitions (the former in the Arena against other ACs or on missions for assorted corporations that, upon success, pay for services rendered the latter in races) to raise money to pay for your upgrades. Both require practice to master your machines. And, in my opinion, both are great games. In other words, if you like the features of Gran Turismo the building and bettering of a vehicles the challenge of mastering its operation the thrill of victory over difficult opponents and want a break from race games, give AC2 a try!

The play control isn't too tricky, I feel, once you learn the basic important movements. However, as you upgrade and switch your AC around, factors such as defense, mobility, energy, and the like, are all affected in different ways. This leads to countless combinations that, in my opinion, add to the fun.

The graphics are beautiful and the explosions are spectacular. There are so many different types of weapons from rocket launchers to machine guns, shotguns to missle launchers to bombs all featuring differing strengths and weaknesses (and ways to blow up your enemies!) that create yet more eye candy for the MechWar fiend.

The sound is nothing special, but once again, the explosions are quite exhilerating. I don't think the sound is bad, just typical of action based games, easily left to the background. For those of you who prefer female or male computer voices for your ACs, depending on how you upgrade, this sound can change.

Artisans have the option of customizing the colors of your mechs. There are many preset colors for impatient folks like myself to change the look of your AC with one click, or you can create your own combinations of colors out of scratch. ACs can also feature emblems which can be customized or created.

Thanks to all the combinations you can formulate when it comes to machinery, and all the missions and competitions, I feel this game will keep me entertained for quite awhile. If you like strategy, customization, competition, and just blowing things up, give AC2 a try. I think you, too, will find entertainment value in this for months to come.

Reviews of Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Fury Gaming Headset

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 12:00:00 -0800

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Great headset! Fits very comfortably for long periods of time. Sounds quality is amazing, as always! The amount of pre-set profiles, especially those from pro and former pro players is a great feature. The build quality is sold and for the price you cannot beat this headset if you're a gamer!

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Best gaming headset I've found in a long time. Comfortable for extended periods of gaming. Very durable, yet light enough to feel like I'm not wearing anything.

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There's a lot of junky gaming headsets around but overall these are excellent. Sound stage is great and these are definitely awesome for gaming. Excellent value too!

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I am a long time Sound Blaster fan and this is the best gaming headset they have come out with in a while. It is great for either PC or my console gaming,

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It took a little time getting used to using a headset, but now, I find it to be comfortable. The sounds coming through the headset, particularly gaming sounds, are really great. The only problem I've had with it is the microphone keeps coming loose and sometimes falls out. Thus, only 4 stars.

Reviews of Test Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 10:17:00 -0800

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This game is fun and entertaing, for a while that is.. Its graphics to start, arent the best, but they arent the worst. The car models are pretty good. But where in the hell is the car damage, XBOX should have car damage. The towns you drive through look pretty good, and the story behind is not as bad as i thought. But the races are good, but after a while, it gets repetitive, you drive through the same city 10 times, its just in diferant parts, and its not that hard to win. It goes along good, you get differant kinds of races like pink slips and linear and circut. The Bad thing is in pink slip is, if you lose, your outa the job, NO, pink slip meens u lose your car, you should just lose your car and not your carreer.

so hear are the pros and cons.

Pros-1.Not bad graphics

2. Very enternaing for a while.

3. Lots to do.

4. Awesome cars, for muscle car lovers.

5. Good underground story.

6. Love the charachters u race with in the underground.

Cons-1. No car damage

2.Gets repetitive.

3. Pink slips-take the car-not the career

4. In underground u race through the same city, its annoying.

5. NOt enough corses in cop chase.

6. Could be alot better

So, to conclusion, this game is a deffinant rent...

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Test Drive is a very exilarating game. All of the sorroundings can be interacted with. The only downfall with this game is that when you crash the cars that you hit go flying and you may aswell but the appearence to the car has not changed. The cars don't actually get damaged.

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When i bought this game i thought it would be like gotham racing but with more of a variety, but i was wrong, it has less variety. No damage on the cars and the lighting sucks. Almost every level i have been to(which is as far as the 4th level on underground mode because i just gave up cause it was to damn long and hard.) is in the night which is anouying. Also you cant get a lead on the computer they are always right there. The cops are also anouying especailly when they pull you over right near the end of the level. Also the computer can knock you into oblivion but you cant even knock them off course, and characters are anouying, they say the same thing every time. This game isnt even worth renting and definantly do not! i repeat, do not buy test drive! Its an exspensive frisbee. In fact i am turning it into funco land.

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In ways this game can be fun but in other ways in can be as frustrating as hell!.

First, in underground mode you can only race as two cars?!.

Drag races get pretty boring after a while.

Cop chases are great but why do you always have play as the cop,

why not be able to run from cops?!!.

Most of the music is good but some [disappoints].

And finally graphics are great, as usual with XBOX.

So rent it before you buy it.

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The things you love about Test Drive and hate about Test Drive run in a dead heat. The action is fast and furious, the streets flashing by in a 100 mph plus blur is a bit of a rush but ultimately there really isn't much to look at, no check that, there's a lot to look at but there really isn't much to see that we haven't already seen in say... Crazy Taxi. Frame rates are solid but the landscapes are anemic and flat, the cars don't fare much better, feeling a tad on the jagged side with muted paint jobs and reflections. The sound is horrible, with some effects missing altogether, when you pile into a lamp post at break neck speed, there is no sound of crumpled steel, just an odd silence. Which brings us to a another major disappointment, car damage, like the sounds of destruction, there is none, not so much as a scratch or paint chip, no twisted fenders or one single dented bumper, which in the end makes Test Drive feel unfinished to say the least. On the up side however Test Drives levels are large and teaming with traffic and peds, the sense of speed is very nice and the controls are comfortable and easy to acclimate yourself to and the Cop Chase mode is a hoot but in the end there are better and much prettier examples of driving games out there, simulation; Project Gothem, arcade; see Wreckless and for a little of both we'll just have to wait and see how Midtown Madness 3 fares. You wont love test drive but you wont hate it so if you're looking for something different to drive around on your X Box this weekend (that's arcade style crash 'em up fun) rent it and save your money for something useful... like say, a cute poster of a kitty.

Review of Karaoke Revolution - Xbox

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 08:36:00 -0800

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This is just plain fun! It's one of the few XBox titles that is made for any age, and not complicated to learn and enjoy.

Graphics are good, as are the tunes. If you score high enough, you will unlock new outfits for your performers and advance to new venues with songs increasing in difficulty.

I recommend checking out the tutorial before you try performing, as your performances are rated by the crowd and will determine your advancement through the game. Start on the easiest level until you get your confidence up! Note that if you are using the microphone, you need to have it close to your mouth to register on the game. (*You need either an XBox live headset or XBox microphone (plugs into the standard controller; front side) to play.)

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This is a fun game even if you can't sing. And I think it can help your singing as you get into it. The game is similar to the dance revolution game. On the bottom of the screen there will be the words you need to sing and a visual guide with an arrow pointing up or down to let you know that you're flat or sharp. If you're just right, you get the crowd excited and cheering. It's a great party game. My only complaint is that there aren't enough songs on it. You can go on Xbox live and download other songs, but they're $5 for 5 or 6 songs. In addition, the songs available appear to be the same songs that are on the Playstation 2 version of this game (like Jessie's Girl, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Sweet Home Alabama). Having said that, though, it's definitely worth getting.

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Love it! Its for every person who loves to sing, but won't get up in public. I received it as a Christmas gift, and its great you can have the fun of performing in front of a crowd without ever leaving the house. My family came for Christmas and they wouldn't sing at first, when they realized how fun it was we played for 2 hours. My nieces 13, 11, 9 went out the next week and bought it for PS2 and fight over the mike. Lots of fun

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Love the series. I was never someone who hit the karaoke bar's on Friday night, but every party we have, we bring it out and its always a hit. Even the people who don't compete will usually sing along as they watch. Be careful, its addictive.

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For anyone who has only tried the Singstar karaoke games for PS2, if you really enjoy singing and doing karaoke, you have GOT to try the Karaoke Revolution games... so many more options for playing and much easier to follow the lyrics and try to stay in tune... In my opinion, ALL of the Karaoke Revolution games are a BLAST!!

Cheap Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction CE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 06:50:00 -0800

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SC Conviction is a nice game, the graphics are terrific, the playability is different from any predecessor Splinter Cell games. You spend more time on combat than stealth mode, that no was a problem for me because I like the both styles.

I didn't play the multiplayer because nobody on my list has the game yet, So I can't talk about it.

My sad part, is that I already have the $69.99 price on CE since I put my pre-order on last Black Friday, so the Ubisoft discount was not a big deal for me.

My USB unfortunately arrived defective, if you want get that game, just go for the standard version, I think the additional content will be open for everybody at .

Standard Version is the best choice! The game still sweet, is very well designed, the Sam is a bad guy and I like it, I hope the multiplayer will be good, if you will buy only for single player, you will fell your money a little bit worthless, because the campaign is very short, so is better you wait price drops.

Sorry my English, I Live in Brazil :)

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Conviction is a great title. The gameplay does a great job of balancing the ability to take things more combat focused. It will still rampant things up more but it won't be instantly game over (minus one area) but the inclusion of mark and execute forces you at times to want to stay stealthy. Mark and Execute is like targeting enemies in Rainbow Six: Vegas but in this case you pull the moves off which makes for a fast paced Jason Bourne still cinematic as you do it. It looks incredibly cool. TO get mark and execute you have to take out enemies secretly.

Beyond that, the graphics are good and the soundtrack does a great job of pumping up certain moments. The game though is a bit short but the story is pretty cool and the narrative is well spoken with great voice overs. Now the single player game is short but there is other modes as well and co-op is a great addition that allows you to tackle a whole different story without Sam Fisher. You will both have to work together to sneak around and do the same as you do in the single player game (of course with different objectives).

As you progress you will gain, points as you take out enemies in certain ways and by doing other things. This allows you to upgrade many of the available weapons, special gadgets, and even your costumes (used in certain modes). It is a great game. I have had issues with co-op at times but you can end with a good connection. Its that when you disconnect, you lose all your progress from the checkpoint so will have to start over.

Fans of Splinter Cell games should enjoy this games and people who don't like Splinter Cell should find this game a welcome change for the series. It does little nice things by displaying the objective within the environment, has a new ability to use a shadow image of yourself that signals where the enemy has last seen you against themselves, and there is a cool little interrogation you can do in the game. I recommend this game.

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It's finally here, a new Splinter Cell, or is it? This new game has some of the same names and faces, and even design choices of previous games, but seems to not fit the old style as much as it used to, but that's okay in many ways. While this new Splinter Cell is not quite like others, it's still good. As for the game itself, it is amazing, the gameplay is rich and fun, story interesting yet not overdone.

Needless to say, while the game by itself is amazing, it doesn't feel exactly like Splinter Cell, but in many ways that's okay, while this game could have been a remake of the Bourne game, it still plays well and is fun, and if you ever like stealth action at all, this is a must pick up for anyone.

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I had purchased Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction on launch and enjoyed the game. I had only played through the campaign on normal and beat it the next day. I didn't bother to try out any of the other game modes so I sold it back in April 2010 and forgot about it. After searching through amazon for cheap games I came upon the Collectors Edition of Splinter Cell Conviction. Being that the price was the same as the standard edition, It was an instant purchase.

I'm so glad I picked up this game again because playing through it a second time and exploring the other game modes make me wish I never got rid of it! Splinter Cell Conviction is an amazing game. The combination of stealth and action was perfectly blended in the gameplay and made it a blast to play through. Deniable Ops is fun to play repeatedly and with the Insurgency DLC out makes for hours of fun.

The collectors edition was a great package overall, the Fifth Freedom art book was a nice touch and was nostalgic for me to look back on the old splinter cell games from the first xbox. I was disappointed in the USB credit card being defective. But however after a brief google search I found the content was on the website. The steel book looks great with the iconic night vision goggles in bullet holes on the cover. I am glad a re purchased Splinter Cell Conviction and am looking at buying more collectors editions for older games here on amazon.

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In Conviction, Sam has left Third Echelon following the death his daughter and of his friend Lambert. While he is gone, the new Director, Tom Reed, has completely changed how the agency operates, making connections with less than savory people. Fisher is suddenly brought back into the game by Anna Grimsdotter when a mercenary tries to have him killed, but explains that its part of a conspiracy involving his daughter that goes all the way to the top of Third Echelon. Great storyline, excellent gameplay. The new style and addition of Last Known Position and Mark and Execute make this more fun than ever, and the Realistic difficulty is (with a few execeptions) realistic. Enemies respond to your actions, call for backup, and make smart movements. Multiplayer is good, with an independent storyline. Also, actions and achievements earn you points which allow you to unlock new weapons and gadgets to keep you playing.

Reviews of World in Conflict - Complete Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 05:01:00 -0800

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As other reviews have mentioned, the Soviet Assault add-on adds six Soviet missions interspersed within the original World in Conflict singleplayer campaign. This particular package includes the original World in Conflict, plus the new Soviet missions. For those who missed this excellent strategy game when it was first released in 2007, this is the perfect package for you! The new missions add in new characters, cutscenes, and some very intense fights. It's great to see the Soviet side of the war fleshed out more, the campaign definitely feels much more complete now.

For those who already have the original game, you can find the six new singleplayer missions from Soviet Assault separately for $14.99-$19.99. If you liked the singleplayer, these missions are even better, and in my opinion, well worth it.

If you already have the original World in Conflict, and you don't care about singleplayer, Massive Entertainment released all of the multiplayer additions from Soviet Assault (two new maps, tweaks, etc) COMPLETELY FREE, all you have to do is download Patch #10.

Even you enjoy strategy games, and you haven't tried World in Conflict before, now is your chance!

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This is not the kind of strategy game where you can sit back and plot away. You have to move quickly. I quickly learned this fact from this intense game. The graphics and story line are very good. If you liked "Red Dawn" you'll like the game. I've only played a couple of missions, but there seems to be a lot of variability to the missions. I like the use of control points.

I didn't give it all 5 stars because it is so fast paced it can be frustrating to manage your units, your fire support, your resupply options all while trying to hold one point that is being attacked while trying to take another.

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I recently purchased a new computer, and after seeing some trailers and noticing that this was only $20 I decided to throw it in my Amazon cart. I was anxiously awaiting this game, but when I received it I must admit I was a bit disappointed.

Graphics and audio in this game are, quite frankly, awesome. Units are modeled in extreme detail and the environment is amazing. Cutscenes are done excellently and the story-line is actually believable. I've also heard of CTDs and other performance issues, but for me it has run smooth as butter.

Gameplay, on the other hand, is completely not what I had anticipated. Whereas I expected a Close Combat style game, I got a Command & Conquer. They call it a Real-Time Strategy, but there is no strategy involved in this game. It's basically throwing your units into combat as fast as you can replace them and ordering air and artillery strikes and...well, that's it.

It's fun for a little while, but any serious war-gamer will be bored after an hour or two.

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Hello Folks,

I agree with 3D Viking's statements, with a slight tweak.

I would say that if you have the original game, getting this complete edition is really not worth it. But, if you are new to the game, this complete package is well worth it!

This game has a very simple/slick interface, fantastic graphics and sound. Don't expect this to be the COH series, where you have to base build, and take many little control points (circles). This is more of a real time tactical game. The SP campaigns are fun, but MP, especially where you communicate with your teammates, makes the game very fun. Do not look to this game for using the deep reaches of your intellect, or to have your micromanagement needs met. For that go to Men of War, and its clunky interface.

This game is really a "keep it simple stupid" in its interface and gameplay. Simple is not dumb, it is fun when you talk to your teammates, or are SPing, and want to relax a bit

Regards,

John

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For those struggling to play World of Conflict on Windows 7. I found if I installed it normally then it would not function correctly. However I found it worked correctly if I installed it in a non-system directory such as c:worldinconflict (choose custom when you install). This may also apply to Vista because they are fundamentally the same operating systems.

As for the game, it is excellent and full of atmosphere plus easy to get into to. The Complete Edition has all the campaigns from the original World in Conflict plus all 6 campaigns from the Soviet Assault Expansion. It plays out as one whole game which you mainly play as the US forces but also gives you the chance to see the game from the Russian point of view and also play it as the Russians. This adds even more atmosphere and gives a whole new depth to the game.

If you haven't played this game then go ahead and give it a try!

Reviews of Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 03:56:00 -0800

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I'm an avid RB player with literally 90% of the DLC, and got every official instrument so far, including all three Beatles guitars.

I WAS hoping to get the butterscotch for $100, but since amazon canceled my order due to unavailability, I just went for the sunburst.

The whole body has a matte finish, which is fingerprint-less, which is a nice touch compared to my dust-magnet Beatles guitars.

The buttons are awesome. Almost no click and no fret between buttons. I thought it would throw me off but my muscle memory knew where the buttons were. Might be harder for beginners. Anyway, these things are unbelievable in HOPOs. I was doing Stevie Ray Vaughn songs and crazy solos with ease. Chord changes were also a cinch. Definitely worthwhile if you feel your fingers tripping on a regular controller.

The touch pad works great. any slight touch will trigger it but it's placed just right so your strumming doesn't accidentally touch it. The problem now is whether to tap or wail during alt-strumming parts.

The strum bar is clicky, and it seems to register at the end of the strum instead of the beginning. Not too big a problem unless you strum really lightly. I also found myself breaking combo when wailing during alt-strumming parts. Then again I haven't played Everlong in a while. The alternating O-B while you're holding G part felt smooth though. If you start losing your focus or get lazy it will punish you.

The whammy bar is slick. You have to use your whole hand though, so you can't sneak extra points on every hold. There's a felt piece attached to the bottom so it doesn't scratch your pickguard.

The knob only goes one way for start, which made me think, 'why is there no back button?'

I was ticked that there was no back button, then I realized back was overdrive, so ergo the touch pad was the back button. pretty cool.

Overall, a better body, much better buttons, a more authentic whammy bar, and another useful way to hit overdrive. If you haven't wasted all your money on the Beatles yet, this is a worthy investment in your pursuit of rocking out. I won't recommend this to beginners or casuals. This controller puts your skills to the test, and will reward you if you can handle it.

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I was looking for a bass guitar, but saw this new one by Mad Catz and the sunburst, 'used' look was a selling point for me. The controller has a nice weight to it and fret keys a good feel. The strum bar seem's a bit loose and although a good idea, the 'overdrive' bar is way to sensitive for my liking. It initiates overdrive automatically way to often for my likes (especially when I'm trying to co-ordinate length of it between fellow players). The whammy bar is pretty stiff, but I like it actually. That and I'm starting to detect a squeaking noise with it. But it could be that it's just new and needs to 'settle in'. Overall I like it, but the sensitive overdrive bar is an issue that at times makes me switch to another guitar.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition

In contrary to a prior review, my son and I actually love this peripheral. Yes the strum bar clicks a bit, but it's in no way obtrusive during game play. People complaining about this would likely also complain about the subtle "whirring" noise heard inside the newer rock band 2 guitars from the accelerometer...again something that is unnoticeable during gameplay. And, to clarify further, the whammy bar rotates out of the way just like all other rock band guitars. The spring is more firm, however I wouldn't down grade my review based on this as individual preferences in regard to feel are highly variable I am sure. The half frets are really nice and very responsive. I actually find it easier to move up in difficulty levels using this guitar. The touch sensitive star power/beatlemania activation bar is a nice addition. A simple light brush of the finger is all it takes to activate. You can still tip the guitar or use the plug in overdrive pedal as well. And finally, the aesthetics of this thing are amazing. Its priced a bit higher than original equipment RB2 guitars, but comparable to RB Beatles gear if you were considering those. Of note, Harrison played a real Fender Telecaster as well.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition

I play bass 99% of the time. I have worn out the wired Rock Band guitar that came with Rock Band. I can't get the hang of fingering the back button on the Rock Band wireless. The sunburst telecaster is almost the perfect replacement.

The whammy is not the flimsy, adjustable lever on the Rock Band guitars. You won't be using a rubber band to keep tension (like both of my other guitars).

The strum bar clicks, but since the fret buttons are quiet, you aren't making any more noise strumming than you are fretting on a Rock Band guitar. I do notice I miss occasional notes when quick upstrumming long fast sequences that I didn't miss on the old guitar. This surely has to do with the strum not registering until completely deflected. It should get better as I get used to it.

You can tip or touch the silver bar to overdrive. I have accidentally triggered overdrive several times by inadvertantly touching the bar. I assume I'll get better at it the more I use it.

I never use the solo frets on the old guitar except for the big rock endings. I used to run my fingernails back and forth quickly across all the solo frets to rack up as much as I could. These solo frets, not so much. The hinging makes center pressure on the key ineffective.

The fret keys are the same hinged design as the solo keys. Since I normally finger those, it's not bad like trying to slide back and forth across the solo frets. They will take a little getting used to. It's easier to hammer-on than the old style buttons, but it's harder for me to slide between green and red (index finger position). This probably has to do with the center pressure thing. Once I get used to fingering the edge of the frets as opposed to as far as I can wrap my fingers around the neck, it should get better.

I only rated it 4 stars because I am scoring lower than I used to with the old guitar. In a few weeks, when I've gotten more accustomed to the differences. I will probably feel it's worth the extra star.

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I've been looking for a new guitar controller for awhile now, and thought this one would be perfect. Mad Catz has been making some great accessories for Rock Band lately, so I was very excited to hear about this Fender Replica. Boy...what a HUGE disappointment! First, maybe I'm just used to RB2 guitar's "silent" strum bar, but this one seems extremely hard to press up and down...causing a TON of missed notes. It is NOT silent like the RB2 version...it "clicks" on all notes. But it just doesn't seem responsive at all. Maybe that's the price you pay for getting 3 million "cycles," or whatever it is they claim...but it drove me nuts! Perhaps once you "break it in" it would be better, but $100 is a lot to spend on a controller you have to "break in."

The most glaring design flaw is the Bigsby® whammy tailpiece. This huge contraption extends almost all the way to the strum bar...which means you have rest your palm right on an uncomfortable piece of metal the whole time you're playing. It actually gets painful after awhile. Plus, the whammy bar itself is also extremely hard to push down...it's loaded with some "super spring" that once again just seems unresponsive while you're whammying notes.

The guitar itself looks great...but that's not really the purpose is it? Actually...let me clarify...it looks great WITHOUT the guady "Fender" guitar strap on. This is actually a real strap...but the annyoing white "Fender" printed every 3 inches is horrible. It looks like imitation zebra or something.

Overall, not worth the money in my opinion. The only reason I didn't give it one star is that some people may actually like the "clicking" strum bar, and some may not have issues with the whammy tailpiece, either. The fret buttons are actually excellent...but it doesn't really matter when you can't hit the notes with the strum bar...lol.

Buy Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 02:04:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.00
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

I ordered mine from another retailer online yesterday with 1 day shipping. I got it in this evening and I must say this is one fantastic collection on the PC that never gets boring. There are a few buyer beware points that need to be made before you purchase this:

1. The game is a DVD-ROM version for the North American Release, not a CD-ROM as shown on the box and disc label. Sega did not change the packaging and this may lead to many unhappy people that this game does not work in their machine.

2. The localization for this version of the game seems to be the European Localization and not the North American Localization found on the XBOX and Playstation 2. Sonic 3D Blast is known as Flickies Island in this compilation. Shows MegaDrive Icons too next to each game.

3. The roms they use in this compilation seem to be the PAL versions , as shown in the file folder directories.

4. The XBOX 360 Controller for Windows, and any controller that does not have dual analog sticks will not function properly in Sonic Mega Collection Plus and will exhibit behavior as if the DPAD is stuck in one direction. A controller such as the Logitech Dual Action or Rumblepad 2 will work just fine. There may be other dual analog ones that work fine too.

On the plus side, you can save an unlimited amount of save games for the classic games something that had a limitation in the XBOX and PS2 versions of these games.

Overall I am satisfied with my purchase and reccomend this to anyone who has wanted to play this game before but do not own a PS2 or XBOX and could not play it before....

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Finally, the games that established SEGA in the home console market are available for the PC. Included are Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3-D, Sonic Spinball, along with various Game Gear games. There are unlockable extra games as well.

The graphics look rather out of date on today's HD monitors, but the colours still look vibrant. The sound is exactly the same, although it pails in comparison to the surround sound available on many modern games.

Bonus features include comic book covers and character designs as well as all the original game manuals.

Overall a decent collection for any Sonic fan or anyone harking back to a simpler time.

Best Deals for Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC

Ah, Sonic. How well so many of us remember that little blue blur. How many of us are gamers becuase of Sonic, and other stars of the 16 bit era? In this terrific value bundle, you get an excellent assortment of classic Genesis, and Game Gear Sonic games. Included are: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, plus 6 of the original 12 Game Gear Sonic games (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Drift, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Blast, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine). There are also unlockable games, but I won't spoil it for anyone. For the record, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut contains all 12 Game Gear titles as unlockable mini-games, and remains readily available for PC, PS2, and Gamecube.

In general, the games are visibly dated, and simplistic comparatively speaking to modern games, but have been nicely re-mastered, and look sharp and vibrant. The sound can't compare to modern games either of course, but is just as you remember it, and even sounds good with surround speakers. Native gamepad support is included (but no rumblepad support), and the button layout is customizable. Keyboard controls are customizable (the mouse is not used), but I don't use them, and can't speak to how intuitive, or well implemented they are. I use, and strongly recommend a dual analog gamepad since this game prefers, and plays best with one. Also, please be aware that this game will require an older type, DirectInput gamepad (like the Logitech Dual Action, or Rumblepad 2 for example) for full, and proper gamepad support. Even if the game will recognize an X-Box 360 controller for Windows, there is a good chance it will not behave correctly since the game pre-dates, and therefore does not support Xinput. The game's system specs are modest, and it seems stable and well behaved. On the down side, there are a few bizarre omissions like Sonic CD, Sonic R, Sonic and Tails 2, and Knuckles Chaotix. Perhaps most significantly for hardcore fans, it does not contain Sonic CD, or Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the classic Genesis two cartridge lock-on game. Their absence is disappointing since they were fan favorites, but in the case of Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the lock-on feature enabled certain features like exclusive cutscenes, and Super Emeralds which are probably difficult or impossible to replicate through emulation, so that could offer a partial explanation for it's absence. Unless it was an issue of inadequate space on the DVD, I can see no good reason for Sonic CD's exclusion, but I guess this is forgivable given that the old Expert Software PC version (which avid Sonic fans will most likely have anyway) is still readily available, and runs fine on Win Vista/Win 7 with a user-created compatibility fix which is just as readily available on numerous fan/tribute sites and forums.

Lacking a jewel case, presentation quality isn't anything to brag about either, but that isn't uncommon for a low budget value title these days, so you can't smack it around too much for that. However, in-game presentation is much better, and you get plenty of extras like original concept art, character designs, and comic book clips, along with a PDF containing each game's original user manual. The game does include a user manual (for once), and in it, the games are laid out chronologically, and each game is pictured with it's original box cover, a brief plot summary, date of launch, and a couple of screenshots. The game has also been spruced up a bit with a save function, modernized front end menu, and in-game interface. Another aspect of this bundle's appeal is that even though there are user-created compatibility fixes available for most of them, older Sonic PC ports are often incompatible with newer operating systems; whereas these are XP/Vista/Win 7 compatible, and don't fuss when you try to play them, or demand scouring the internet for a compatibility fix. There have been some reports of Vista and Win 7 users having trouble running this game even in compatibility mode, but I haven't personally encountered these problems. At worst, I've only had to run the game's installer in compatibility mode to get it to install correctly, and use Vista compatibility mode for the game to run. The headline here though is that PC Sonic fans have never had a better chance to rack up on so many old school Sonic games all at once. Make no mistake: this is the best Sonic value bundle the PC has seen in years, and PC Sonic fans won't want to miss this. All said and done, I'm satisfied with my purchase, and am going to give Sonic Mega Collection Plus a good grade with minor dings for the low production values.

UPDATED EDIT: Sonic Mega Collection Plus is Windows Vista/Windows 7 compatible.

Honest reviews on Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC

Playing these games for hours on the Genesis is one of my fondest memories, and playing them again is good indeed. This collection comes with Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic and Knuckles. It does NOT contain Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the classic two cartridge lock-on game. This means that you do not gain the advantages of having the lock-on ability, like certain cutscenes and the ability to get the Super Emeralds. You can still obtain regular chaos emeralds twice however, in Sonic 3 and then Sonic and Knuckles.

One advantage of getting this collection is that it is an emulator that has a save function, so you can stop and continue at any time, and play those Chaos emerald missions over and over if necessary. This collection does seem to have a Sonic running speed problem though, he seems to accelerate and run about 4/5 of normal, but everything else is the same (I double checked with online videos). According to other reviews there is a patch available, but I was unable to find in on Sega's website, probably due to the age of this game.

If you want to play your favorite Sonic games again, then this collection will let you do that.

Compatibility: On Windows 7 64-bit I was able to get this game to run in compatibility mode for Vista Service Pack 2.

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I've always loved the old school Sonic games. I've played and beat them countless times and never really get tired of doing so. That's why it's so nice to have them all compiled on a single disc. This collection also includes the Sega Game Gear games, debug cheats, and some bonus character and comic artwork and video clips. My only real problem with Sonic Mega Collection Plus is the required hours of game play needed to unlock certain games. Seems a bit much and can be a little frustrating. Other than that, it's totally worth the buy!

.hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 00:14:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:

I fell in love with the original Dot Hack series of games (Infection, Mutation, Outbreak and Quarantine) and when I heard they were coming out with a new series, I was very happy! I went out and bought the game the day it came out, and I have to say, I'm greatly impressed.

First off, the graphics are good. They're not the best, as Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria and Final Fantasy 12 are slightly newer with better graphics, but they don't completely suck.

Sound is pretty good too, but it gets very repetetive after a few hours of gameplay. The combat sounds are exciting and "pop", but the background music gets on your nerves. Especially the background music when you're in the first town, "Mac Anu", gets stale so fast.

The controls are easy to pick up. The R1 button can now be assigned different skills so, unlike in the first games, you don't have to open several menus just to use an attack skill. Sadly enough, though, you cannot assign healing spells to the R1 button. The camera control is somewhat better than the last game, but I feel it still needs work.

The voice acting is decent at best. Most of the characters show little emotion, or over-react their emotion to the point of making it rediculous. Just wait till you meet Gaspard, and you'll know what I'm talking about... The main hero is also rediculously one sided, getting frustrated at each and every event trigger in the game, and often for stupid reasons. If its supposed to portray how gamers react in an MMORPG, its completely off the ball, at least as far as I've seen (been playing Guild Wars and World of Warcraft for about two years.)

There are TONS of stuff to do in this game too. You can become part of a number of guilds, which opens various options to you as a player, such as special shops that allow you to make creative items, access to a faster mode of transportation, etc. You can also do a number of fun and interesting, if not repetetive, quests. The designers definetely tried to capture the MMORPG feel, but I don't think they accurately got it. Close but no cigar. For example, the towns are bustling with people, but oftentimes you'll see one person, turn a corner, and they'll be there again when they were running the opposite direction a few minutes prior. The town recycles the inhabitants over and over, so no matter how far away you get from a "player", they'll be right there when you go to a different district in town.

The story is o.k. as far as I've been. A lot of it feels forced, like the hero has to do this because the programmers made it that way, not because the hero "wants" to. It started out that way, but quickly took a dive.

I'm not impressed with the grading system after you complete dungeons and fields. You get graded on how many things you kill, sneak up on, boxes or other destructable items you destroy, how many items you collect etc. There is almost no explanation of that system that I've encountered, and I feel its useless. All you can unlock is extra words to create new dungeons and fields and useless items. Literally, I've had 50 health drinks, which is like a potion in other RPGs, since the first couple hours of playtime. I never use them, cause I don't take that much damage ever.

Thats another thing. The game's battles are entirely too easy! No one battle provides any sort of challenge. If you go to an area three levels higher than you, it gets harder, but the difficulty is masked in more hitpoints and damage capability, not true improved AI or anything.

All in all, however, the game is a vast improvement over the previous games. There are tons of unlockable stuff, tons of places to go, and you'll be entertained for hours on end. I would definetely pick this game up if you get the chance!

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If you've played the original .hack games, then you won't be disappointed in this one. If you haven't played the original .hack games and like MMORPG games without the MMO part, then you'll like this game. The OS interface is familiar, yet improved from the first set of games. You still get e-mails and still respond to a few, getting responses back and so on. However, now you have greeting cards and "affection levels" of characters you can call on. The higher their affection level, the better they will fight with you in battle. There are still "message boards" but now there are more of them, both on and off "The World" that can unlock certain events and levels within the game by either reading or responding to them. There's even a section of boards where fans post art that you can download to use as wallpaper on your OS. There's also still a News section, but now it has clickable links to short movies and even sometimes ads, making it seem more like an actual Internet connection.

You play as Haseo, who has conveniently been attacked by "Tri-Edge" which resulted in him being leveled down to 1 and having everything reset so you get to begin with starting equipment. Just as if you were starting a new game! One big addition to this game is the ability to kill other players. Those who do are called "Player Killers" or PKers. Now, you can't just rush out and start hacking away at your own party, but if you come across a glowing blue area, that means that someone is fighting inside. If you enter, you can't leave unless you have a smoke bomb or defeat the enemy. Often times it will be a player being attacked by a PKer and your party has the chance to save them. If you do, you get an item from them as thanks. Haseo's character is an "Adept Rogue" which can eventually use multiple weapons and magic, but never to the mastery of the job classes of the ones who ONLY use those weapons. Sort of like the Red Mage of the game. Don't worry though, it doesn't slow you down. Haseo pushes right along, starting off with the familiar twin blades and eventually learns others. It can be difficult at first, but just pay attention to what the other characters are telling you, take breaks from the story to level up every so often, and you'll do fine. Its a great game with interesting character development and unique game play. Plus, when you're done, your saved game data can carry over to the next game, GU Vol. 2. All of your weapons, abilities, e-mails, everything. There are three volumes in all, but no word yet as to when they will all be released in the US. Good luck gaming!

Best Deals for .hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth

There were many people who enjoyed the original, 4-game dothack series. I was not one of them. After a good opening, the game immediately fell into dull repetition. The story was so-so (what? a virtual world can feel real, it's inhabitants feeling the effects of game elements in their real lives? How novel!), the graphics were so-so, and the whole experience was incredibly easy (and short I finished the 2nd game in a mere 9 hours). The best part of the original game were the sidequests, often opened after the main game ended (and one of which, the item collection quest, I'm STILL not finished with).

Bandai learned. Sidequests are fun? Then let's put a lot of them into the next outing! Graphics are only so-so? Let's spruce them up! Gameplay is a bit repetitive? Let's add a few more dungeon models! (OK, they could have done a lot more with the last one, but still...)

Add it all up, and you get the sold outing, ".hack//G.U.". The original world has been destroyed, the computers which generated it having been lost in an inexplicable fire. CC Corp releases, "The World 2", which has many elements of the original game, but also included the option to "PK", or "Player Kill". Some people love it, some people abhor it. Your character is PK'ed in his first outing, and decides to devote his RPG experience to PKK'ing (I think you can figure this one out yourself). He is an incredibly powerful character ("Haseo, the Terror of Death"), whose motives are obscured. However, while searching for a PK'er by the name of "Tri-Edge", his character is wiped out, and he is forced to start from the beginning.

From here, I'll let you discover the story on your own. No, it isn't great, but it isn't bad either. But this game lives and dies through sidequests. Bounty hunter, Lucky Animals, Mecha Grunties, arena battles all of these and more can be discovered and conquered as you manoeuvre the game simply known as "The World".

For forty bucks, it's not so bad. Happy hunting...

Honest reviews on .hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth

This is one of the best games i ever played.Its fun from start to finish.

And when you finally finish the game,you'll be wanting more of it.In my opinion this game was as good as kingdom hearts 2.

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I love this game. The story, the soundtrack, the lost ground areas. Its great all around. If this isnt your type of game the gameplay might get a bit stale but luckily there are job changes to spice it up a bit.

Best Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 22:43:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:

First things first: in the past I have chastised EA a number of times for its release of cookie-cutter games, crippled with atrocious DRM schemes. So, in all fairness, I now have to say this: DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS IS A GAMER's DREAM! It is an excellent game and it comes FREE of any DRM madness. So, thank you EA for listening to your customers (let's only hope this new trend holds...).

This is one of those games that are easy to control, a joy to roam through and fun to play at no end.

I am a huge cRPG fan and cannot remember such a great companion/squad cRPG ever since the Baldur's Gate Saga. And to tell you the truth, this is the game I was dreaming of being able to play one day while playing BG (yeah, by now we all know that NEVERWINTER NIGHTS never delivered).

There are about a dozen gender/race/class/background choices and a great many combinations in forming your party. The armor and the weapons are exceptionally made and everything shows on your characters. And the graphics are truly beautiful! You have to see the rendering of flames to believe them.

Nevertheless, what really stands out is the gameplay. Every battle is a puzzle to be solved, pausing ever so often to reallocate enemies to the best suited party members (a feature I loved in BG!). Of course one can always turn off the autopause feature and let the AI take over the rest of your party and turn the game into an hack&slash action RPG (not exactly my cup of tea but, hey, it's still nice to know it's there).

Finally, this is a game made just like the classics in many ways, including duration. I am now playing the game for over 20 hours and I feel that I barely scraped the surface! DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS is one satisfying RPG!

My only gripe is this: I did not appreciate such short dialogue options. Most fit a single line and more often than not they consist of a couple of words. I like my RPGs to be wordy and challenging to my verbal imagination as well and I want my characters to participate in the humor, not just provoke it or react to it. Remember the long dialogue options in BG? Well, expect to find DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS much more laconic.

I guess 10 years of fast-paced FPS and blitzkrieging RTS do take their toll...

Now this is the COLLECTOR's EDITION which is almost 30% more expensive than the Standard edition. For the extra money you get: a tin case, a cloth map, a bonus DVD (soundtrack, making of documentary, concept art & wallpapers and strategy tips), an in-game quest and character as well as three enchanted items. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

The blood sprays, the swords clang and the spells explode. The animations are beautifully made and add a lot to both enjoyment and immersion. There is a verse in Homer's Iliad I love: "the warrior fell and his armor echoed around him" and I was reminded of it many a times throughout the game.

This game will stay with you. Do not miss on it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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Installation

For some reason it took three installs to get the program on my machine. Not sure why, I received no error message or other indication there might be a problem. So getting the game installed took nearly an hour.

Digital Rights Management

-DRM is not present in DAO. A simple CD Key and online registration to get an account with BioWare/EA and you're ready to rock.

Tech Support

Thank goodness the BioWare community is intelligent, helpful and generally proactive. Since EA purchased BioWare official tech support is passed off to EA. EA has no tech support to speak of. So imagine my frustration to find my NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX had issues running the game. I've got a gaming rig CPU Intel 2 X9000 2.8GHz, 6GB RAM, etc. and I could not run DAO. Big WTF. Thank goodness the BioWare Forums had the answers I sought.

Exclusive Content

The bonus items at start up are nice, having the Stone Prisoner is great (I think as DLC it retails for $15 US) But the Cloth Map is meh. The tin case is nice if you're into that kind of thing I often discard packaging in favor of my giant CD book. The features disk is interesting but if you want to play the game not see the whole shebang it may not be worth it for you. Overall I'd probably get the Collector's Edition again (it was a birthday present from me to me) but if you're on a budget or want plenty of bang for your buck its probably not worth it.

Gameplay

Graphics

Anyone that tells me the game looks outdated or poor isn't paying attention or can't witness DAO in all its glory. When I can see the pores on Morigan's face, the individual teeth on Dog (aka Rabbit) and see stray hairs on Alistair, it is amazing. Not to mention the burning, bleeding, spurting, freezing, effects from damage. Seeing an enemy break because he's been frozen is awesome. If you've got a mediocre rig a PS3 may be the way to go. I haven't seen a 360 in action so check those out but if you've got a machine that can handle the settings check the PC version is way worth it.

Cutscenes

If you've played BioWare games before you know they're big on story. If you've played Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3, Fable, Diablo, Guild Wars, LOTRO, and like the story this has more, and it is good. If you like Demon Souls this is less hack n' slash and more about the entire experience. Heavy dialogue, great and frequent cutscenes, are BioWare hallmarks. If that is not your bag you can hit ESC to skip the scenes.

I do miss the dialogue wheel from Mass Effect, I rather enjoyed hearing my character speak. Selecting dialouge options is akin to KOTOR or Baldur's Gate and at times it seems like your representative in the game is mute. This is not enough to discourage or dissuade me it is merely an annoyance.

Gameplay

Think an updated Baldur's Gate. As your avatar gets better at killin' he or she performs more stylized attacks and finishing moves reminicient of Fallout 3's VATS finishing/killing attacks. The game goes to SloMo and shows you doing X to critter Y. Navigating is easy your compass has a quest arrow when you use the feature.

One of the most interesting things are the "tactics" the more cunning your avatar or the higher the level you get more "if A then B" actions and choices making a very flexible but very effective "script" for combat. I.E. Condition: 'Self health is < 10%' Action: "Use strongest healing potion". The limitations are your ingenuity, imagination, tactical know how and your avatar's intelligence.

Downloadable Content (DLC)

I like the way the have DLC set up, it relay's what you have, what you can buy, and etc. It seems that Electronic Art's buisness model in DAO is to provide a solid and addicting product then have you purchase things to make the story more in depth. As a gamer it is annoying but I'll probably persist. As a stockholder if it would raise the share prices it seems like a good idea.

DAO Creator is awesome. I don't know what the consoles can do with regards to this option but it allows PC players unlimited creativity and ensures amazing replay value.

Overall

I am very happy with the game. If you have any doubts cast them aside, there is enough knowledge to ensure bugs are being fixed (there are few if any) and almost all technical issues I've seen posted on the BioWare forums are resolved.

This is an extremely enjoyable game with a new twist on old genres and the story creates a world that I certainly hope persists in BioWare's repitoire.

Have fun, enjoy.

*UPDATE*

Content

The rating of M is well earned. Gore is aplenty with decapitation and similar fantasy violence. Those concerned about the romance plots should know that you can engage in sexual relationships. The scenes depicting these are similar you would see to day time television, no genetalia or reproductive organs. There is also prostitution though once again no nudity.

Best Deals for Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC

To long time classic CRPG fans, Dragon Age: Origins (DAO) is a nostalgic trip back to the bygone era of CRPG Renaissance amist the blight of dark forces joined with many (certainly not all of them) of generic FPSs that gives you measley 4-7 hours on single player campaign and hybrid RPGs that blur the true quality of classic CRPG. While Bioware has released many games that all found financial success and critical acclaims, Bioware's track record since Black Isle's demise hasn't always been impressive among classic CRPG fans.

Bethesda has successfully reinvigorated non-linear, open-ended, free-formed, real-time CRPG of 'TES: Arena' and 'TES: Daggerfall' with 'Oblivion' and 'Fallout 3'. Now Bioware has done the same to narratively-focused, linear, story-driven, party-based tactical CRPG of 'Baldur's Gate' series with DAO. Both are in lineage of classic 'Dungeons and Dragons', 'Tolkien', 'Ultima' series and 'Wizardry' series. But each camp go for totally different experience.

Now for the fans of classic CRPG fans can finally find great solace in the latest medieval fantasy epic called 'Dragon Age: Origins'. This game really picks up the torch from the late Black Isle and its own 'Baldur's Gate' in terms of gameplay, design, lore, and character development and carries on the impossible task of putting CRPG back on the track. It generally succeeds with DAO but it will surely polarize many others too.

Those who began to acquire the taste of RPG through games like 'KOTOR', 'Jade Empire', and 'Mass Effect' must be warned though. DAO is not quite like aforementioned Bioware's titles. DAO is a classic, hard-core PC-centric western CRPG firmly rooted in D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) compared to the past three Bioware titles, which were hybrid western / console RPG geared toward more accessible and broader appeal that could be viewed as shallow to hard-core CRPG gamers. But there are definitely similarities among these titles too.

Those who began to acquire the taste of RPG through games like 'Oblivion' and 'Fallout 3' must be warned also. DAO is not a non-linear, open-ended, free-formed CRPG. You don't do anything anytime anywhere you please, and interaction with items and environment is non-existent. While you are given a fair amount of freedom once you pass the initial origin part and first big prelude, DAO is a linear game where main focus is on narrative focus via plot, dialogues, character dynamics, and of course tactical combat. DAO is the polar opposite to TES series. You don't have such freedom in DAO, but intensely plot-driven, character-driven game just not feasible in TES series. You don't get the visceral, in-your-face hack n' slash here. Combat focuses on character management during each wave of enemies. The action is governed by number-crunching Bioware's own original ruleset, similar to D&D ruleset. DAO gives you much broader scopes of battles with waves of mobs thrown at you alongside your companions, so it's totally different kind of pulse-pounding combat. But I personally love both styles.

And finally this is not a click-fest hack n' slash 'Diablo' clone or various MMORPG either. So if you are looking to get some fix for action RPG, 'Diablo 3' and WOW expansion are on the horizon. You won't get far in this game by just clicking your mouse pointer on your foes.

To some people, it might feel oddly enough it seems Bioware might have taken a step back, Bioware actually has taken a step forward from the games from the golden age of CRPG such as 'Baldur's Gate' series, 'Planescape: Torment' and 'Icewind Dale' series. And those of you who were big fans of 'Baldur's Gate' then were somewhat disappointed with 'Neverwinter Nights', you will be thrilled to finally have the heir to a decade-long empty throne since 'Baldur's Gate' in 'Dragon Age: Origins'.

You get to choose your sex, race, class and background to determine your origin among six different origins. Then you play totally unique origin story / tutorial for a couple of hours. Once you familiarize yourself with control, menu, etc, it leads you to big intro part where you wet your feet with couple of side quests and combat. A good 3-4 hours will be spent to this point. Then you see some exciting cutscenes and you are into the thick of epic battle and more exciting and revealing cutscenes. You get to play a part of the battle. And off you go finally to your main quest after the longest prelude of the video game history. And from hereafter things opens up and give you some freedom.

It still has loading screen between areas like all other Bioware games although it now feels less confined and limited in each area dut to the game's bigger scope created by newly created and much refined 'Eclipse Engine'. I just wish there's an open overworld map where you can actually traverse and level up fighting foes like classic Final Fantasy style instead of clicking on the world map and occassionally running into random combat area.

In terms of graphic, even on high-end PC, things are somewhat bland, blocky and jaggy. While the game doesn't look terrible and CRPG has never been the front-runner graphically, graphic in this game definitely looks dated even by the CRPG standards. By comparison to games like 'Oblivion', 'Fallout 3', and Bioware's own 'Mass Effect', graphic in DAO might even come as a shock. It generally looks more than fine on PC; just don't expect top-notch graphic.

Beside the confined world map, modular nature of the map with loading screen and not quite top-notch graphics, everything else is delivered with depth and grandeur. All the dialogues are voice-acted, except your player character, and there are tons and tons of dialogues in tradition of all previous Bioware's games. The gameworld is littered with lores. Weapons, armours, items, magic, skills, map, quest log, codex, character development / customization, party management and combat tactics are very well handled in robust menu design. DAO is the most PC-centric game since 2002 with 'Morrowind' and 'Neverwinter Nights'. You can handle the combat with either micro-management in 'Baldur's Gate' style using pause function and action queue or more fast-paced with programmable tactics slots for your companions. And the combat mechanics is similar with 'Baldur's Gate'. You have full 3D camera so you can zoom in and out on the fly with mouse wheel and pause with space key. While you have new tactics system, user-programmable command slots that control each and every member of your player characters, thers's only one action queue per character. While tactics slots do generally fine job, multiple action queues are desired.

What seperates DAO from other CRPG is character interaction and dynamic. The world is no longer black and white. Bioware abandons good vs. evil dynamic over much more ambiguity and complex shades of grey. The tone of the game is much darker and bleak. This in turn makes story truly dynamic unlike other Bioware games in the past that only give you the illusion of choice. Besides 6 different origin stories, you now have multiple endings and various permutations depending on your actions. The only thing set in the stone in DAO is the main plot; you are the protagonist who eventually leads the army against the force of evil. How you start, who you start with, who you side with, who you abandon, who you clash with, how you get to the finale, you and your companions' fate are all up in the air.

The story arc is massive, expansive and immensely complex with many different possible outcomes from branching storyline directly stemmed from your choices. It's also very heavy and mature thematically. At the end of my first 70 hour run-through as a human noble, I really felt as if I was truly ladden with the fate of the world as well as people around me. Political intrigues and personal agendas are everywhere. Choices you have to make are genuinely difficult and whatever the consequences you face are irreversible. Each and every single wave of combat feels difficult and exhausted. One wrong move and your party is wiped out. It really felt like a load of heavy burden often too much to bear. This is where DAO truly excels and shines. Not only DAO made me feel like I was actually integral and the most important part of the game, I wanted to embark on a brand new, totally different journey immediately after completing a long, winded and tiresome journey (in a very good way).

'Eclipse Engine' is much better and more powerful than ill-equipped tile-based 'Aurora Engine' and rightful 3D successor of 2D 'Infinity Engine' but still restrictive and modular in nature. I hope Bioware refine the engine in the future to open things up little bit more. It's down right annoying when you get stuck by a tiny pebble on the ground or simple nook and cranny. Loading between each area, both interior and exterior, is still present but each area being much bigger and more detail than ones created by 'Aurora Engine', along with much tighter camera controll, it alleviates a lot of problems. Furthermore, thanks to free 'DAO Toolset', we can expect tons of quality mods from a very active modding community that will probably surpass that of 'Neverwinter Nights' and possibly equal to 'The Elder Scrolls' community. There are already a few official DLCs available for purchase and several mods from 'Dragon Age Nexus', the same site that also host for both 'The Elder Scrolls' and 'Fallout 3'. I guarantee we can expect some terrific mods in the future from the site.

While I had not run into any technical glitches at all throughout my 70 campaign, there's memory leak problems, which cause the game's loading time gets longer and longer during each single continuous session. It's solved by occassionally restart the game but there's some serious loading time problem due to poor memory management.

This game runs surprisingly well on my now ancient P4 HT 3.0Ghz with 2GB RAM and nvidia 7800GS with everything max except AA and resolution, as well as my brand new Intel Core i7 with 6GB RAM and nvidia GTX 295 with everything max.

As for CE package, I solely got this edition because the regular edition comes with really flimsy plastic case, which is a new cheap trend among DVD movies and PC games to save cost. And I am happy they don't stack 2 discs on top of each other with seperate disc divider. As for contents, the cloth map is nothing like the one that came with 'Neverwinter Nights Limited Collector's Edition'. It's very cheap and useless. Extra disc contains about 60 minutes worth of making-of documentaries and promo materials as well as 18 music from the game. It also comes with a few free official DLCs, which are way way over-priced if you decide to purchase seperately.

While I am definitely not happy about the current business trend in the video game industry with DLCs over expansion pack, cheap package with weak manual, over-emphasis on online features, I commend EA for letting Bioware realize its vision with minimum artistic interference and toning down the DRM scheme from the draconian secuROM that forces Internet connection and limited number of installation to much linient version of simple secuROM DVD check. It's definitely step-up from 'Spore' and 'Mass Effect'.

Although it's little too early to tell whether DAO will eclipse 'Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn', DAO is definetely the best game from Bioware since the legendary game on the other side of TES series. DAO is without a doubt one for the age; crowning achievement among the very best of CRPG indeed.

'Morrowind', 'Oblivion', 'Fallout 3', 'Gothic Trilogy', 'Risen', 'The Witcher', 'Two Worlds', and now 'Dragon Age: Origins' closes this decade on a very exciting note for CRPG and joins the handful of elite 3D CRPG collection from this decade that rivals the golden era of 2D CRPG of 'Baldur's Gate' series, 'Icewind Dale' series, 'Planescape: Torment', 'Fallout', 'Fallout 2', 'Divine Divinity', 'Sacred', and 'Arcanum'. DAO will delight CRPG fans for a long long time.

Honest reviews on Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC

If you love the Epic Fantasy, Dungeons, Castles, and Knights genre of video games this is a great addition to the realm. These games used to be a bit more popular and they don't come out now as often as they used to . The gaming industry is very heavy in a lot of different genres and the military game is very popular right now. Anyway, I am glad this game came out. Some other great games in this genre are The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition. Gothic 3 Collector's Editionand Dungeon Siege.

About the game

This is a very complex game. It took BioWare five years to develop this game and it shows. There is an awful lot of stuff in it. And most of this stuff is what is expected. There is plenty of battling and plenty of world to explore. And it is a party oriented game so if you have played Dungeon Siege or World of Warcraft you are very familiar with the style of game play. As you adventure through and explore the world you pick up party members that will fight with you. And you have to put together a complimentary set of members. You need a balance. If you are a warrior you are going to need a mage for healing and a rogue for lockpicking etc. It's a nice way to explore a lot of different roles in the game.

Where this game gets different

There are some very interesting things about this game that set it apart from other games in the genre. First off, there are a lot of moral and ethical choices that you have to make during the game. Will you steal from others? Will you make sacrifices for the greater good? And these choices affect what happens in the game. For example: Will you kill the evil king who has been wreaking havoc? If you do then his daughter will not marry you. This ruins your chances to become the new king if that's what you seek. Or how about this: When battling the evil bloodmage you have the choice of making a deal with him. Will you spare his life in order to get a permanant boost to your constitution stat? If you do this then some of your party members will disapprove. Bad Karma! And it has an effect on the game. Party members will get upset with you and leave the party permanently!

Not for kids

This game is definitely not for kids. There is quite a bit of very realistic bloodshed and you have killing blows that will actually decapitate your foes. And, there are lots of cut scenes after battles where you and your party members are spattered with very realistic looking blood. And....You can actually woo and seduce other members of your party through gift-giving, conversations, and good karma actions. It is an interesting concept and if your seductions, which take time to develop, are successful you will be rewarded with an animated cut scene of the actuall nuptials (PG rated).

Some of the minuses of the game

I got the collectors edition with all the extras which include a special character, some special armor, and another realm with quests to explore. But the game doesn't come with a storage chest! Yikes, no place for your party to store all their stuff? Wow, all you can do is carry a limited number of things in your backpack and when it gets full you have to sell the stuff to vendors.

Well, seeing as this game is very quest oriented (There are hundreds of quests) you never know what stuff you are going to need to complete a quest. And, I love to accumulate all kinds of armor, weapons, gems and things. It is a fun part of the game for me. So this is definitely a minus for me. But they do offer a solution. You can buy and download the add-on quest that gives you a whole new area to explore and a party chest to store your goods. This downloadable costs seven dollars but is worth it for the chest and the extra game play. And it's a seamless download. You can get it through the game screen which means no worries about extracting files. You pay for it and click it and the game does the rest. In a few minutes the new game area shows up on your world map.

Crafting is a bit weak Crafting is a big part of many online games and other epic fantasy rpg's. In this game you can do some crafting like make potions and traps but this is definitely weak in the game. There are not a whole lot of options for this and materials tend to be scarce. I really like the crafting aspects of games and usually do a lot of it but there is not a whole lot of it in this game. Definitely a minus for me.

Political intrigue

I am not really sure if this is a negative but in the games I play and the epic fantasy books I read I tend to not be too interested in all the political intrigue. You know, this is where the various houses, lords, and barons are all struggling for power. In this game there is a lot of this and the decisions you make during game play have an effect. As you are trying to conquer the blight that is set upon the land you have to drum up support from the various houses and factions. The moral and ethical decisions you make do matter. And the quests you complete are a factor too.

Extra stuff

There is some real fun stuff about this game. The developers really took a good look at combat and there are lots of great sword and weapon moves that your character makes and there are some great mini animations. Sometimes when you fell a large creature like an ogre your character will actually jump right up on its face and issue the killing blow. The combat is pretty good!

Mechanics of the software

I have a fast computer with Windows Vista and everything has gone smoothly for me. The installation was smooth and game play is smooth, no crashes and no errors.

So, should you buy it?

This genre used to be the norm for video games but these kinds of games don't come out too often anymore. So if you like the genre then you definitely should get it. You won't be disappointed. It delivers what it promises.

This collectors version comes with a cloth map, lots of extra materials, a bonus character and more quests. But it doesn't come with the party chest for storing goods so if you want this you are going to have to spend another 7 dollars for the download -which is worth it.

And, because the game is so very complex I highly recommend you buy yourself a game guide. I bought this one: Dragon Age: Origins: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) It is absolutely necessary if you want to find all the secrets and make your way successfully through the complexity of the game.

It is what is expected from the genre; You are set in a medieval world and expected to save it from the forces of evil. Along the way you get lots of political intrigue, battles with monsters and lots of opportunities for adventure.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC

Deluxe edition stuff at the very end.

If you don't want to read my retarded ode to Bioware, please skip ahead to where it says, "Actual Review!".

Ah, Bioware. You're like an old girlfriend. The one who defined love for me (1). Then you hurt me (2). I still loved you, but I didn't understand; why did you have to do that?

You went your way and I went mine. Eventually I learned to forget. I met new people; sometimes I'd fall in love, but it was never quite the same (3).

We'd see each other every couple years, and we'd have a lot of fun for a night or two (4). But other times I thought to myself, "What are you doing with your life? We could be happy together! Why are you doing this? (5). After these ultimately disappointing hookups I'd always dig up our old photos and go through them (6). I'm not ashamed to say I cried a little.

You always told me you were searching for something. Learning who you were, and how to be.

Then, one day in early November, you called me. You said, "I know now; I know who I am. I know where I belong: with you." And then you came back home to me.

Then it all became so clear; you HAD been learning. It was the old you, but a new version! Everything past was prologue to this; the version of you I always knew was there. I just needed to have faith, and you'd see it too, and we could get back what we had, what we'd always known was us.

I love you Bioware. I realize now I've always loved you. Thank you for being in my life.

Answer Key!

1. Baldur's Gate I and II, the infinity engine that led to Icewind Dale, Fallout, and Planescape

2. Neverwinter Nights

3. The Elder Scrolls, Neverwinter Nights 2, FFX, FFXII

4. KOTOR, Mass Effect

5. Jade Empire, Sonic RPG

6. all those replays of BGII

ACTUAL REVIEW!

This is the best cRPG experience I've had in ten years. It becomes very clear within the first few minutes of your Origin story that you're experiencing gaming history. Not the revolutionary, innovative, awesome new mechanic kind of gaming history. This is analogous to a new album from your favorite artist that's been doing experimental side-projects for the last few years, and now comes out with a solid, deep, meaningful effort in a well-established form.

All the old ingredients are here: rich, meaningful character relationships; deep, tactically challenging combat; well written, thought-provoking dialogue trees. In short, everything you knew Bioware was capable of, but hasn't been fully present in any of their games since BGII.

Don't get me wrong; I've liked almost all of their games since then (Jade Empire and the Sonic RPG being the exceptions). It's just that none have fully satisfied me, or they've left me with the nagging feeling that something's just not quite right (re: KOTOR and Mass Effect feel slightly underdone).

This game is an instant classic, from a master of the genre. It's the kind of game that will be added to the roster of eminently replayable games (BGII, Fallout 1+2, Morrowind, Final Fantasy [pick your favorite], etc.). It's as good as or better than all of those.

Now, those of you that have NOT played Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Icewind Dale, NWN2, beware.

As evidenced by the very few negative reviews, the ad campaign for this game is not very representative of the content. This is a true western RPG, especially if you're getting it on the PC. Combat is challenging on every difficulty mode but easy.

IT IS BY NO MEANS a hack-and-slash or action RPG!!!

I still recommend it, but be prepared to open your mind to a new experience.

For those of you trying to decide on which version to get, here are some things:

If you played and loved Baldur's Gate, and got it because you bought into the "spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate" thing, get it for the PC, no question.

On the console, the camera is locked in behind the character in the style of Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect. This is fine for those who fell in love with Bioware since their console years began, but not if you want to play it for full tactical enjoyment.

Also, if you have a capable PC, the graphics are far superior to the consoles, which is often the case.

360 vs. PS3?

PS3 looks better, 360 moves smoother. 6 of 1.

Don't hesitate. Buy this game.

Learn it,

Live it,

Love it:

Bioware is Back.

P.S. For those of you getting the Deluxe Edition, the added content is completely worth it. You don't have to feel cheated; they did it right. Worth every last penny.

Best Saint's Row 2 - Playstation 3 (Platinum) Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 09:17:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:

Wow, I can't believe the most useful review in Amazon for this game is plagiarized from Gamespot. I mean, it's not even the complete review, but at least it's one of the few that actually talked about the game. There's one guy who says he had a problem being sent the regular version instead of the Platinum one, another one complaining about a scratched disk and another one saying the game is too violent for his grandson.

Those three dimwits have lowered the score of a fantastic game for personal problems they've had that have absolutely nothing to do with it, so, even though I've acquired this game through the PSN and not on Amazon, I'm here to write a factual review about this game. But first, a little history.

I have never played the first Saint's Row because I only recently acquired a PS3 and I used to game on PCs, where that game has never been released. I purchased this game on the PC on a sale on Steam, but back then my PC wasn't good enough to handle it, and I hear the PC version is buggy anyway. So, anyway, having now a good PC, on a whim I decided to purchase the then-recently released Saint's Row: The Third. I absolutely LOVED that game. It was fun personified. Well, if the game was a person, so I guess it was fun gamified.

So later I had the chance to get the PS3 version of THIS game thanks to Playstation Plus, which I did. I thought: "I loved the third game, so I think the second one must be almost as good". I was wrong. This game is EVEN BETTER. I won't talk about the differences between both games, but let it be known that if you enjoy one, you're bound to enjoy the other, even though your mileage may vary.

You see, the gist of Saint's Row is that it's GTA done right. Yes, yes, GTA is, in its own right, a good game and all, but it's guilty of some terrible problems that people have overlooked because of the great publicity that franchise has had. I mean, it wasn't the first game that allowed all the things it did, but so many people thought it that now games like Saint's Row are called GTA clones. And it's OK that they are, when they deserve it. Saint's Row is not a GTA clone, it just belongs on the same genre, but it's quite different.

If you've played GTA you know the basic gameplay mechanics, and if you haven't, it's an open world game. The city is completely open since the beginning of the game for you to travel anywhere you like. The game is third person, and you can walk, drive every vehicle you can find (either buying or stealing) and attack every person in sight (or even help them if you can and feel like), enemies or not, with your fists, or with melee/fire weapons. You have a story, and missions within it, but you can leave them aside and set yourself to roam the world at your leisure, either in pursuit of side-missions or just to have fun.

The most important part, and this is one of the things that make Saint's Row 2 more enjoyable than GTA III-IV is that it doesn't take itself seriously. This game is made with humor, and that makes it much easier to like the main characters and root for them. Sure, the game is violent and you end up making here things that might make a GTA character wince, but the context of this game makes things funny instead of terrifying, specially if you like dark humor.

Another great thing is the gameplay. One of the main problem I had with GTA was that, for a game that boasted about freedom, they had exactly one way for you to do the missions and you couldn't deviate from the set path. In SR2, you are given an objective and then you're free to achieve it as you please. You are not forced to use a particular vehicle or way unless, of course, it's an important part of your mission. For instance, if you want to pretend to be a policeman, it's quite logical you'll need a police car.

Another thing that SR2 has that GTA doesn't is personalization. You can make your own main character, male or female, and you have a great set of options for customization. And you can change your looks afterwards thanks to the magic of plastic surgery. You can buy different outfits too in stores you find in the city. Either entire costumes or different parts to personalize

The side missions are another great thing. You have from the simple, like playing hitman and killing certain targets to the bizarre, like smearing waste on buildings to lower their property value to the hard, like using a helicopter to rescue people from gunfights and transport them hanging from the landing skids with their hands. Or, if you feel in the mood, take all your clothes off and go streaking (this is censored for the benefit of the people on the ESRB, who are sensitive to the sight of the human body, but absolutely desensitized to the gory dismemberment of people).

The main missions also add some variety to the genre and, again, some very valuable humor. The roughly resumed storyline is that you, the main character, are in charge of The Saints, a gang who wants to reclaim rule over the city. In order to do that, you need to get rid of the other gangs. Doing this gives you access to more stuff or missions. Pretty much everything you do in the game helps you accomplish or unlock something, which makes the game feel more rewarding than others in which you have to repeat the same unfun task over and over in order to unlock one simple thing.

So, bottom line: do yourself a favor and buy this game. And then do the game a favor and put a favorable review of it here on Amazon, so it gets the score it rightfully deserves.

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this game is okay for being a couple years old game. graphics are okay and game play is good. i like this game better than saint rows 4

Best Deals for Saint's Row 2 - Playstation 3 (Platinum)

This game is full of glitches and bugs. It freezes up and crashes the PS3 all the time. I stopped playing just because of this. The game play was fun buy the amount of crashes was unreasonable, I did have all the latest game patches applied.

Honest reviews on Saint's Row 2 - Playstation 3 (Platinum)

This game picks up five years after the events of the first game. Your character is in prison, and has just awoken from a coma. At this point, you get to fully customize your character. Male or female, skin color, voice, hair style, etc. After customization is done, you meet another former Saint named Carlos who helps you break out of jail. He informs you that the Third Street Saints are virtually a thing of the past. The former leader disappeared, Johnny Gat is facing death row, and everyone else is dead or left. To make matters worse, a large corporation named Ultor has taken the Saints neighborhood and turned it into a new downtown private sector, with the old church you ran the gang from being used as a monument to the "gang problems of the past."

You start out having to find a new hideout and round up your gang leaders (your lackies). This is where you rescue Johnny Gat (who is easily the best character in the series), meet a woman named Shaundi and a man named Pearce. You assign each person to a different gang to get info from, and then you can start working on the missions to clear out the rest of the gangs.

The gangs you deal with are the Ronin, led by Shogo Akuji. They are kind of like the Yakuza, and are recognizable by their yellow clothes and yellow vehicles.. The Brotherhood is a gang of tattooed thugs led by Maero, who is a very large and intimidating man, The Brotherhood are recognized by their red clothes, red vehicles, and excessive tattoos. And the Sons of Samedi, which is a gang of voodoo weirdos led by a man known simply as The General, The Sons are recognized by green clothes and green vehicles.

Once you clear out the other gangs and take out their leaders, the corporation Ultor decides to move against the Saints, virtually using the Saints to take out the other gangs, leaving the Saints as the last bastion of gang violence in the city. The leader of Ultor is planning on launching a political career by "single-handedly" cleaning up the gang problem in Stillwater. You fight against the Ultor army, and take out the leader. Effectively making the leader of the Third Street Saints the new "boss" of Stillwater.

You also get the option to play many different mini-games. Insurance fraud, pimping, drug dealing, body guard for celebrities, etc. All are optional, and aren't required. But they are a lot of fun, and a quick way to make cash for customization purposes or to buy properties.

The game is a lot of fun, and while called a GTA clone is anything but. In fact, while GTA is taking a more serious approach with their past few games and leaning away from the goofiness they used to be known for, Saints Row 2 ups the laughs. The game is a lot of fun, the missions are awesome, and the characters are memorable. Buy this game. Or at least rent it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Saint's Row 2 - Playstation 3 (Platinum)

i think it is way better than any grand theft auto you well have fun playing it i got some good laughs from it 5 out of 5 stars

Drop shot, Auto-aim, Jitter Xbox 360 Modded Controller COD Ghosts Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 07:55:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $109.99
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

This is a great deal for all these modes/add ons for this price, which is definite plus I've seen these same add ons for well over $250!. Also the design & mod functions were as advertised, professional packaging. I love the fact that my controller is backed by a 1 yr warranty, there are other companies that don't even offer any, so you know you're not getting a piece of trash. Once again my favorite thing about this controller is the design this thing is sick! all i need is a case to put it in lol...take a look at the pics Ive posted, another fav is the drop shot/rapid fire.

I did my research and GENIUSMODS is the way to go.

I highly recommend this product and I will be ordering again!!!

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This controller is like it came from the Xbox factory. Buttons build quality all feel really good. And the design is really nice to. I ended up buying two for the Xbox and one for the PS3. All three controllers are amazing. Thanks Geniusmods I will recommend you guys to all my friends.

Best Deals for Drop shot, Auto-aim, Jitter Xbox 360 Modded Controller COD Ghosts

This controller is very solid it feels great. The thumb sticks fell good. The controller is solidly put together. Mods work great. I did at first get the wrong controller which was the ps3 version of the controller but the customer service was great and with a few emails I received the right controller. Also just to let u know if u feel mixed emotions on modded controllers these controllers have a warranty. This company is also well put together because they have their own box the controller comes in and it looks like you bought it out of a store. If i

Honest reviews on Drop shot, Auto-aim, Jitter Xbox 360 Modded Controller COD Ghosts

ok its is so cool i love my xbox and i do xbox reveiws and i need a good case well all i can say is buy buy buy!!! great my friend loves it to so buy it now

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This controller is for CHEATERS! My friend bought this controller because he was tired of losing in online FPS games. Now, he's sitting in corners and simply holding the trigger, getting kill after kill. This controller proves you have NO SKILL at FPS games! This controller is UNFAIR, and is BANNED in tournaments! It's just as bad as modding the game itself! You're CHEATING if you use this controller!

Gioteck HF-2 Ergonamic FPS Controller Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 07:25:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:

My PS3 controller crapped the bed leaving me looking for a new one fast. I hit up target and saw this. Coming from an avid 360 player i was sold on looks alone. When I got it home I found that there was way more than meets the eye. Not only does it have the same ascetics as the 360 controller, its not as heavy. It has the rubberized paint that gives it a nice grip. The PS3 button actually turns on the PS3 unlike a lot of other 3rd party controllers and now for the game changer. There is a switch on the bottom of the controller that when flipped reverses your triggers and bumpers... So L1 is actually L2 and R1 is actually R2.... For those that have never played a 360 having the fire and aim buttons as the actual triggers and not the top bumpers is awesome. Turbo feature is good, and at first i noticed some dead-zones in the sticks. But you can download a firmware patch from your PC right to the controller and it fixes it right up.

Pro's its a sold all around controller and worth it.

Con's the battery's are AAA, there was supposed to be a rechargeable pack released by the company but I have yet to see one.

So make sure you have some batteries on hand, but it does have good batter life usually lasts 2 days for me playing 5 / 6 hours a day.

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For FPS games I prefer the "360" layout of the thumbsticks, and that is something the Sony brand controller doesn't have. This controller fixes that problem by being my official FPS controller for my PS3. The alternate thumbstick layout was the main motive behind my purchase, but the other extras were a nice surprise. The best extra was being able to use it on my PC via Bluetooth adapter. It's a 2 in 1 in that regard. How light the controller feels was a bit off putting at first, but I came to appreciate how light it felt in my hands. The curve of the handles and rubber of the grip gives a really nice fit for my hands. A must for FPS players that want an alternative to basic PS3 layout and/or for those wanting a cheap bluetooth controller for their PC.

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Can you explain why it's buggy. What did you do to the controller to aim up on you on time? Did you reset the controller by using a pen to press the button on the back of the controller? Did you uninstall the firmware and reinstall it. Did you take the batteries out and reinsert them.

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But its a buggy, overly sensitive and now it doesnt work at all for me. It aims up automatically, and i dont see any way to fix it.

Discount Mushihimesama Futari Ver 1.5 (Platinum Collection) for Xbox 360

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 05:54:00 -0800

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I got this game in and although I don't usually play imported games or bullet hell games, I decided to give this game a shot----now I'm glad I did. This game is the sequel to Mushihime-sama {Insect Princess} and it WILL play on America 360's so give it a shot if you can also the some of the option menus are in english so you should be able to navagate with ease. Anyway the story goes like this The plot revolves around the death of the antagonist from the first game, Aki, and his mother, Larsa, going insane and seeking revenge on Reco for allegedly killing him. Her younger son Palm goes in search of Reco to learn the truth about his brother on his own. Eventually Reco finds Palm lost far from home and the two become friends, with Palm learning what happened to Aki was not her fault. Together, they aim to travel back to Palm's home and stop the madness of Larsa.

This game is a bullet hell game like none other and features what is probably the hardest end game boss of all time. This is the 1.5 ver. so you have access to the Ultra mode from the start, also if you check the game's information on the 360's dashbord and press x when you have the game high lighted, go to Extras and you'll find the Black Lable {in this case Black Laval} download, this will add God Mode and also gives you the True Last Boss fight with Spirit Larsa {the hardest boss in video game history} for about 1500 MS points. This is truly a wonderful game and honestly isn't as hard as it looks but it is a heck of a challange.

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I heard about this game from a friend who had also purchased the game. He told me it was definitely worth the money and that he has fun playing it. So I decided to get it myself.

After getting the game and playing it for myself, I was hooked.

It's a shoot 'em up that's very fun to me. I'm not all big on vertical shoot em' ups, but I enjoyed this one a lot.

The colors are nice and the music is beautiful.

Even if you don't know Japanese, it's not that hard to start playing.

Best Deals for Mushihimesama Futari Ver 1.5 (Platinum Collection) for Xbox 360

Games pretty fun for anyone who enjoys shooting games, Has lots of modes to pick from. (Region Free) just like it says so you should be able to play it on just about any Xbox 360. =)

Reviews of White Silicone Protector Skin Case Cover for Xbox 360 Game

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 04:09:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:

It is an excellent fitting silicone protector. Nothing slips while playing. It improves my grip on the controller which seems to help my gaming. However, it is not a solid white skin, but a translucent white. I wanted solid white to cover my blue controller because it was cheaper than buying a new white controller.

The seller was willing to make the return but I didn't think it was worth the trouble. I have not found anyone who carries a solid white skin. I like it enough to keep as it enhances any Xbox 360 controller's beauty. Similar to a cell phone cover, it protects the 360 controller from sweat, dirt and minor drops.

One very minor complaint. I wish the skin filled the spot between the triggers and front buttons. Sometimes I feel loose skin near the trigger. Filling that space would fix the form fitting. I usually enjoy the black and chrome style of home electronics. But Xbox white is my delight. {:-D

Addendum: Since writing this review I obtained the identical black skin. It is much smoother to the touch and not grippy like the white one. But that black matte finish really makes the controller sexy. It's like touching Batman's cowl as I play Arham Asylum.

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the kids love it, just gives it a different look. easy to clean. no complaints to the quality of the product

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THIS SILICONE PROTECTIVE SKIN FITS WELL IN THE XBOX 360 CONTROLLER, AND GIVES IT AN EXCELLENT PROTECTION FOR MOST EXTERNAL AGENTS WHICH COULD DAMAGE THE CONTROLLER

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Very good skin & fits well with no issue putting it on the controller! Only negative for me was that I wished it was a little more thicker! But the kids likes it!

Cheap Skullcandy PLYR2 Surround Sound Wireless Gaming Headset, Teal/Navy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 02:45:00 -0800

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List Price: $129.99
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The headphones sound really good and I use them on my work PC for taking phone calls and they work great. My only complaints is when I connect the headphone cable to my iPhone or iPad I do not get any audio. Also, if you play a song that starts out quiet and the audio level rises it does not play sound until it reaches a threshold. Both of these are after replacing the headphones through amazon.

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So glad I bought these my last set got broken so I bought these because everyone said they were comfortable and great sound and I agree.

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Man, I love this headset. So comfortable and sound quality is great. The way you can mute the mic by just raising it is so convenient.

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Sound quality was better than expected. It was very easy to connect. I was skeptical about it being wireless but it exceeded my expectations. The color is slightly lighter than the picture indicates but its still really nice.

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I've had lots of headsets over the years. I've had problems with ruining it with running over cords and being too dumb to set it up on how to use it with voice, music or whatever. This is just plug and play. I bought some at Christmas and this time my mistake is I let my kids use them and lo and behold they broke them. Now they get $6 headphones and I'm getting these again and they can't touch it.

Cheap NASCAR The Game: Inside Line

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 01:05:00 -0800

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i was skeptical about buying this due to my disappointment in 2011, but let me tell you, this game is great! eutechnyx definitely showed that they can make a great game. the racing experience is near perfect, there are multiple difficulty settings (and let me tell you, hard is ACTUALLY HARD and their new mode 'champion' feels like youre actually out there on the track, it is tough!) the damage model was completely reworked and greatly improved also. there are just so many little details that make this game a great experience. definitely get this one.

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If all you intend to do with this game is run a 16 lap race at Daytona after work to wind down, you'll probably like this game. The graphics are stellar and the sound is very well done (The low end another reviewer mentioned is only prevalent when the in-car cams are selected, probably to replicate the sound and feeling one would experience inside a stock car. If you have a subwoofer, it will get a workout during this game), and in short bursts the gameplay is enjoyable. The tracks are perfectly recreated, and unlike the other nascar game most of the paint schemes for the drivers are already unlocked for you.

The challenge mode is be far one of the unexpected surprises of this game. Similar to Madden games of the past, the game comes pre-loaded with 'historic' moments that you can race and try to alter the outcome. Supposedly it's based on actual telemetry from the races which adds to the enjoyment of this mode thoroughly. It makes you feel as if you are really in that situation in real life. And many of these challenges are hard! I didnt think I would enjoy this mode as much as I do, but for those times when I can only play for short sessions, this is becoming my default choice for some quick racing action.

The racing is as hard or easy as you want it to be, although for my tastes it always seems to be a bit too easy or a bit hard...seems like they needed one more setting in between. Also, tandem racing at Talledega and Daytona seems very realistic, and is very challenging. I wont get into the tandem drafting racing debate at restrictor tracks, but suffice it to say I prefer racing the shorter tracks on this game :) The radar system makes it easy to locate your drafting partner...which i mostly prefer in my rear view mirror, thank you!

Play for any extended period of time though, you are bound to notice some glitches as others have mentioned. First, the cautions are still wickedly inconsistent. One of the annoyances of the last game was that if you wrecked another car, a caution would immediately come out. Yet, if someone steamrolled over you into the wall scattering parts everywhere, the race went on, even if you limped along the track at 35 mpg. Now instead of the caution 'never' coming it, it comes out 'sometimes'...but not nearly often enough.

On one very amusing (yet very annoying) instance racing at Charlotte, I was pushed from behind, careened off the wall (destroying the front end) and then barreled across the grass onto pit-row...at 140 mph. I was able to regain control, cruise down pit row, speed UP while ON pit row back up to 170 mph and rejoin the tail of the field. All under green. Since the race was already wrecked at that point on the next few laps I cut across the grass onto pit row at full speed. No cautions or black flags. Which is...i dont know, stupid?

The AI reminds me alot of Ridge Racer, i.e. the other cars seem to ride the rails on a predetermined line and barely deviate or react to your movements. Be prepared to wreck alot (again, see complaint #1 regarding cautions). Not giving up your position is one thing, its another to be outpacing the lap times of the cars ahead of you, and they still are completely oblivious. In real nascar racing, a slower car will often make way for the faster car (well, except for Tony Stewart).

Online play, I have not tried but based on other reviews I dont think I want to.

The biggest beef with the game though, is still no Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series which is an absolute crime considering the price tag of this game. At the very least, there is no reason not to add the Nationwide series since many of the tracks are shared between both series. All they had to do was add the additional paint schemes and the couple extra tracks like Road America that are only run in the NNS. Hopefully by the time Daytona rolls around in a few months they will add those series, but I wont hold out any hope.

Which leads to the last beef with the game. Why release at the END of the season? The Daytona 500 is the superbowl of racing...also in the beginning of the season many of the drivers, sponsors, and teams get shuffled around quite a bit. Right around the time this game was released it was already dated, Kurt Busch moved over to Furniture Row racing in the 78, Kenseth announced his departure to Joe Gibbs, and Logano announced the move to Penske. I would prefer to have the game released at the beginning of the year so i can play along with it all year, as opposed to having the 'new' game be dated by the time nascar's biggest event rolls around. But im sure the week of the 500 there will be a nice (20 dollar) add on pack available.

And come on, put the beer logos in the game already, will ya? I would think Miller Lite should receive some sort of a bone tossed their way after sponsoring the 2012 Champion and all instead of having just "Brad" on the hood. Just sayin.

So its a mixed bag. There's enough there to make it entertaining, but it isnt worth the full price (I traded in 2011 for this). It seems the series is heading in the right direction but it still doesnt feel 100% authentic yet. (Hint: Give DW a buzz for some in-game voice work, will ya?) But if you like NASCAR, this is pretty much your only choice. But its alot like the aforementioned Miller Lite. It tastes great, but its less filling.

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I was a PC sim racer for about 10 years and just got burned out on GPL, Nascar 2003, Crammond's F1 games, r factor, etc etc and just stopped playing about 5 years ago. Since then I've played a few of the Nascar releases on 360 and also the F1 releases in 2010 and 2011. The F1 game just took too freaking long to get to a race with the ridiculous trailer cut scenes. The Nascar games I played were just not drivable and just did not feel right. Over the last several months I have been following the pre-release of Inside Line and actually got quite excited about it and picked it up over the weekend. Some things are really well done but it needs work:

*The graphics with HDMI 1080 look fantastic. Everyone who walked into the room commented on how great it looked. Really well done folks. Sound not bad, for some reason I am not getting a lot of low end though.

*The load times are some of the best I have ever experienced and great framerates.

*Some of the on track action gave me the same feeling I used to get with GPL and F1 Championship Season, like I was really challenged.

*But OMG, there are some epic fails with the AI. At some tracks they make it almost impossible to race so I just drop back and let things get sorted out. Random stops, crazy lines, weird pit entrances, turbo race starts at a couple of tracks and on and on.

*The setup saves are somewhat confusing, half the time I do not know what setup I am going out in.

*Some bizarre yellow flag bugs or rules that don't really mimic Nascar racing at all. I can't even explain it to you, you had to be there for some of my WTF moments!

*Why can't I reduce the number of racers? Some of the greatest races I have ever had racing off line in other games were 30-40% runs vs. 10-15 drivers at highest skill. This game, at least from my 3 days of playing, makes you play with all 43. Given the AI problems that spells restart after restart after restart.

I don't race online so I can't comment but looks like they have a lot of problems. While I am obviously not real happy with the AI issues overall I really like the game. I think it was a tactical mistake to leave the obvious AI and online issues BOTH not fixed. You end up not making the off line sim and casual crowd happy or the online racers happy. Lose/lose. There is no one on this planet that could spend several hours with this game and not notice the glaring AI problems. But there is enough here to warrant your playing time, not so sure about $60 though until it is patched.

Honest reviews on NASCAR The Game: Inside Line

a few glitches but nothing a patch wont fix. I've come to expect games to not be finishes when I preorder.

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My copy of Nascar Inside Line arrived on time and well packaged which is important to me when purchasing exspensive games. This game is not perfect but is a HUGE step up from Nascar 2011 with the deeper career mode and well developed versions of the All Star race and even the entire speed weeks event at Daytona. Graphics and sound also are a touch better and a download with the new Gen-6 cars is now available as well.

Reviews of 2in1 combo Silicone Skin PINK and RED Game Controller Protection

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 23:37:00 -0800

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List Price: $19.99
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I ordered this set for my boyfriend and I. We both have standard black Xbox controllers, so this made it easier for us to determine which one belonged to whom! They also provide comfort while playing, and they eliminate hand sweat too :P

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Gears of War: Judgment Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 22:36:00 -0800

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Let me preface this by saying Gears of War is my favorite action series by a long shot. As a fan of multiplayer action shooters, the series up to this point, has never let me down. I felt that the transitions from Gears 1-3 markedly improved with each iteration. From Chainsaw duels to meat shield tagging, it seemed like the action only got more intense and more fun. I was looking forward to judgement needless to say.

Then I played it.

Epic, what in God's name happened? Cover system? Pointless. Weapon re-spawns? Endless. Down but not out? Gone. Graphics? Subjective, but for me not as crisp as Gears 3 (for example the Hammer of Dawn, absolutely does not carry the punch and melty flavor it had in previous games, you may even argue that it was better in Gears 2) Fun? Subjective, but for me palpably absent.

The decision to take away down but not out, you may think would encourage people to use cover more, team work more. I've played about 35 hours of multiplayer so far, and this thought process couldn't be more wrong. They turned the game into what is essentially Gears version of an arcade shooter. You pick your primary weapon to start with, Lancer, Gnasher, Hammerburst, Retro Lancer, Sawed off, or the new Marzka, and your choice of one grenade (Wall tagging is gone by the way, another disappointing decision to me). From there you are put in a 5v5 match like the previous game. FROM that point, you will likely come to the same conclusion as most, just take the gnasher, run in, shoot once, and melee. Congratulations, you have mastered Gears of War Judgement. Now that alone isn't necessarily a deal breaker. Some could argue that it's faster now, but I for one don't remember ever playing the previous games complaining about the speed. But enter the multiplayer rotation once, and 4 maps later, you will have seen it all. Yes, Gears of War judgement only comes with 4 Multiplayer maps. There are a few maps for Overrun mode, similar to horde but pvp and with you controlling locusts swarms between rounds (pretty fun). But as far as actual classic gears of war 5v5's, there are 4 maps the game launches with. That is not a misprint. And no, it doen't matter that you spend a lot of money paying for maps the last time around, they don't do you the courtesy of throwing in Gridlock or Clocktower, they don't care if you expected more value for the 60$ you just spent.

A free map came out recently. That makes 5 now. But if you didn't download it in time, you will have to pay for that too Via Season pass, or get even more ripped off by buying the map packs separately. What a joke! I remember buying the other gears games and thinking that Epic was a great company, because they actually gave you quite a bang for the buck. Not any more suckers.

The maps themselves by the way, those 4 maps mentioned earlier. SUCK! I dont mean to be crass but they are EASILY, EASILY, the WORST maps epic has ever came up with. A confusing mess of ups and downs, with WAY too many power weapons that respawn about 15 seconds after someone just picked it up, so don't worry boomshot guy, there's another one waiting for you just around the corner.

We were supposed to get excited by being able to jump down glass windows, off of the sides of buildings down int he the streets etc. Well I've played it folks, and it doesn't do jack. I had a group of 9 Xbox live friends who were not only amazing gears players (look up on youtube AdamBerg11 if you want proof) but avid ones as well. Not one of them, literally not one of them, played this game beyond the first week. Don't blame Epic, you'll say. Blame People Can Fly, they did this to our beloved Gears. Let's just hope that's true, and that Epic get's back on the ball with this franchise which I'm sure has planned installments for the upcoming Next Generation Xbox.

Save your money. I didn't.

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Like most people I was very excited when I found out that the Gears of War series was going to continue. I had played the previous 3 and enjoyed them all, both solo and co-op. Gears 2 introduced Horde Mode which was my favorite game mode to play online with friends. It seemed that the Online Deathmatch was too difficult for my tastes and the matchmaking system did not work well. Still Gears of War 3 improved on all fronts; deathmatch, Horde Mode, and campaign. Gears of War: Judgment took 4 steps backwards. I was suspicious when i read the news that Cliff B had left the team, and after playing the game i can understand why he left. They took his baby and just pushed it onto the market to collect money from loyal fans like myself who expected great things from this franchise. The co-op campaign was fun that is why i gave it 3 stars for the fun factor. But the Horde mode is gone, replaced with a similar mode but lacks the RPG element that GOW3 had. If you are on the fence about this game please take my advice and wait until you can purchase it for $30 or less because it is not worth 60.

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Now before I begin, no I did not buy this off Amazon, I bought it from gamestop so that's why there's not an Amazon verified purchase in my review. I've been a fan of GoW since the first game and have them all. I've loved the campaign for all of them and loved the multiplayer, even when they added the sawed off to Gears 3 which was ridiculously overused by I got through it and still loved it.

But after playing this game for about 8 hours it just felt different and odd. I know the developers were going for the game to be different and of course it's always good for a game franchise to change it's ways. That's if it's in a good direction of course. Now don't get me wrong, this is still a pretty solid game but it just has something missing to it.

Campaign: Haven't played too much of it but it seems promising. People on here say it's about 5-8 hours but I don't really mind that. Knowing that you should just not rush through it and then complain about it being short. Play it little by little and it will last. There really wasn't anything I found wrong with the campaign. I've actually enjoyed the Declassified Missions option to it. It adds a little more fun to it since it allows to to gain stars to unlock stuff.

Multiplayer: This is where I was mostly disappointed as follows:

Pro's: -Most of how it runs feels the same aside from the new controller scheme (Y button to switch weapons instead of the d-pad and LB for grenades)I'm not making a huge deal out of it because it only takes a little while to get used to.

-Lot's of skins for your character and weapons to unlock.

-When you're waiting to respawn you don't need to wait the full amount of time, you can just press A to respawn immediatly.

-A few new weapons you can start off the match with as opposed to being limited to the Lancer, Hammerburst, Gnasher and Sawed-off.

-You can roll off high ledges to the ground below you now.

-If you're a huge fan of TDM as I was in GoW3, then you'll enjoy it more now since the winning goal is 50 kills with only 1 round.

Con's: -The first thing I noticed was that they got rid of being DBNO. Now when you would usually just get down, you just die. You don't really get a chance if you're being shot at from far away to crawl away into safety or revived. You just die. Not really a big fan of that.

-With the fact that DBNO being gone, you can now be melee'd twice and get killed from that. So now if someone is wall bouncing around you they just need to melee you twice and you're dead. It's pretty lame but again it takes some getting used to.

-Only 4 multiplayer game types so far: Overrun, Free for all, Domination, and TDM. Seems like they got rid of KOTH, Execution, and Wingman which I loved to play. I'd assume they'll add it on later on as DLC possibly or as the special event of the week but who knows.

-You can spawn with only one primary weapon now. I always liked that fact that I'll spawn with my lancer, gnasher, and snub everytime I respawn but now you need to choose between spawning with a Lancer, Retro Lancer, Hammerburst, Gnasher, Sawed-off, Booshka, or Markza along with what grenades you choose and your snub. So you can't spawn with both a lancer, retro lancer, or hammerburst alongside with your gnasher or sawed-off. This isn't a huge deal but it is slightly annoying. Upon spawning though you CAN pick up a map spawned weapon to replace your snub pistol so it would be like having two primary weapons but then you don't have your snub. It may be a small inconvenience but it is still is one.

-Lastly is the fact that you seem to spawn with very little ammo. I always spawn with my gnasher equipped which I noticed makes you only start off with 8 gnasher shells. Now I haven't played GoW3 in a while so I don't remember the exact number you start out with my with this number, you run out of ammo quickly. Luckily there's a lot of ammo boxes around so those help you out but it's still a bit of an annoyance.

Overall this game IS worth having but don't put $60 down for it. Wait until the price goes down to at the most $40. I just feel this game isn't as enjoyable as the previous games. Of course a lot of you might disagree but I'm sure there's a lot of you that will agree with me. Maybe with some more gametime I can say more positive things about the game but as of right now, this is all I have to say.

UPDATE 3/25: I've had this for almost a week now. I keep trying to give this game a shot but I honestly can't. I may be mistaken but now you can use a gnasher while you're using a boomshield? Are you serious? You can take someone out easily enough with the snub and boomshield but now you can use I guess any weapon you have equipped? Literally this game is just full of scrubs. I've played a little more of the campaign and it's a lot more disappointing than I expected. Mostly because I'm not a fan of how it plays out like an arcade game. I was thinking that it would only happen every once in a while but it's not. And in the campaign you can use executions and meat shields but you can't in multiplayer? Really? I've never played a game with as bad multiplayer as this. I gave this game a shot for a week and it just threw my expectations out the window. The only reason why I rated Fun with 2 stars was because of the very few games I get where it actually feels like the original Gears instead of running and gunning and explosives everywhere.

Honest reviews on Gears of War: Judgment

When I first got into Gears of War, was when I bought my 360. It was literally the first game I bought, and I was blown away by it. I am not "one of those Gears fans", you know, the one's that refuse to believe that there was a good Gears game since GoW1. I thought Gears 2 was just as good if not better, and 3 was a worthy entry in the series, and that it was a fitting END. But, as with most franchises today the idea of making more money off a name has become more important than releasing something that is worth releasing.

Gears of War: Judgement was the first time I wasn't desperate to get the game day 1. Not because it didn't look impressive, not because I've lost interest in Gears, but more because for the first time Epic wasn't working alone, and also the fist without Cliff and Rodd. That thought frightened me and unfortunately it was entirely based in reality. This is not Epic's Gears of War franchise, this is People Can Fly's attempt at Gears of War. The last time the two paired up was the ill recieved Bulletstorm, which I did enjoy, but since I beat have yet to go back.

Judgement's only strength is it's campaign. the campaign is fun and offers a little something different than what we have all become used to. Yes you are still fighting locust in the same point A to point B linear fashion, yes you are still using Lancers and Shotguns, but it still feels fresh and fun. The Declassify option is the shining feature, making play in a certain way to attempt to attain a 3-star rating on your missions, like using only pistols, or adding more and varied enemy types. It really adds a bit of replayability trying to rack up high scores with your friends. It's not all roses in the campaign though, Difficulty is nerfed to hell, if you used to feel challanged on Hardcore or Insane, a 3 year old could literally survive on these difficulties. I started straight off on hardcore and at no point felt challanged, even declassifying never added difficulty. Enemies that were never present in GoW1 are magically here, then gone for the next 2 games, then come back in 3, and the introduction of new and mainly useless weapons make for a less than inspired twist on gameplay.

But, once the campaign and the weirdly out of place and timeline Aftermath is over, the multiplayer is all you have left. Well, then you officially have nothing. Multiplayer has to be the worst in Gears history. Overrun is about the only gametype that even feels like it should be there. Execution takes forever to finish just one match, Team Deathmatch has been taken from 15 cumalitive kills then last chance to being 50 kills, Free-For-All is absolutely abysmall, Domination is a sad attempt to be CoD, and not fighting locust, no Down But Not Out, just make Multiplayer all around a frustrating experience. As you level you unlock prize boxes (much like in Mass Effect 3) but they offer nothing more than comestic changes for your guns and character. The biggest frustration is the lack of the 4 weapon series staple, Where as you could have an Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Pistol, and Non-Lethal Grenade you may now only have one Non-Lethal Grenade, One pistol, and Either an Assault Rifle or Shotgun. This completely removes the ability to take people on based on where they are. You won't make it very far if you have a Sawed-Off and the other team has nothing but Lancers. What they should have left alone they retooled the most and made it the series worst Multiplayer experience to date.

To wrap this up this game is the definition of rent not buy, play the campaign enjoy it and then chuck it out the window. Hopefully this is the official end of the franchise.

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If you're thinking about buying this game just hold off until the price goes down, which I'm sure will be soon.Worst $65 I've ever spent. Honestly, Gears of War 3 is better than this.

Buy Battlefield 3: Premium Service

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 09:50:00 -0800

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* Ignore the Amazon downloader program. You don't need it

* Go to your Amazon account -> under 'Digital Content' click 'Your Games and Software Library'

* Click/expand 'Product Code' and copy it

* Open and login to your Origin desktop application

* Click 'Origin' in the upper left-hand side -> Click 'Redeem Product Code' -> paste the code you copied earlier

* Confirm that you want to add BF3 Premium Edition

* Origin will restart and begin downloading the new DLCs

If Origin doesn't start, simply restart it yourself manually (like I did). Again, don't use the Amazon game installer as you don't need it to play or to download the Premium pack. Do everything inside Origin as that's the one you need to play the game.

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I've bought Battlefield 3 Limited Edition at launch and I've enjoyed every minute playing this game. If you have a PC powerful enough to run this game and if you multiplayer FPS, then this is the game for you. The premium service includes Back to Karkand, Close Quarter, Armored Kill, Aftermath, and Endgame. These are themed expansions.

Back to Karkand: huge maps that emphasizes vehicular and vertical gameplay.

Close Quarter: infantry-only maps for COD fans that desire ultimate mayham in 64 player matches.

Armored Kills: gigantic maps that specialize in vehicular combat.

Aftermath: fun new scavenger game mode and adds vertical gameplay.

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Well... I'd been thinking about this purchase for way too long. Totally worth the $50... but it's just that *ARGH!* moment when it's 50% off a week later on Origin.

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Well it wasn't not what it said it was so it was what it is and always will be what it is and what it was because that's how Amazon works.

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or don't spend the money because $60 is too expensive for some maps and silly stuff that you will only use sometimes. Unless you are hardcore into BF3 and play it every day, wait til a sale.

Review of Hauppauge WinTV DCR-2650 Dual Tuner Cable Card TV Tuner

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 08:31:00 -0800

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List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $129.03
Today's Bonus: 8% Off

I just received this tuner today, and have had it running for about four hours, so I will edit if I encounter any issues in the next few weeks.

Preliminary review good tuner for its price range. If you don't need the four tuners in the Ceton InfiniTV, or the three tuners in the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime, this two-tuner box from Hauppauge is worth the look. As for me, I already had a card for ClearQAM, so I didn't really need more than two tuners. HD quality on my HTPC is equal to the quality from the cable company DVR (which is going back tomorrow!).

First things first don't even mess with the CD in the box, download the latest software and firmware directly from Hauppauge. The firmware has been updated at least twice in the last two weeks, and will probably be updated quite frequently as more features are added.

Following the instructions in the box, installation went smoothly. I did encounter a bit of a hiccup in getting my CableCard activated, but it is a known issue with activating CableCard equipment on Cox's network (short version just ask the tech to send two "cold hits" to your box, about five to ten minutes apart it seemed to work for me).

If your cableco uses SDV / tuning adapters, you may want to wait Hauppauge is still working on getting tuning adapter support. However, I don't, so it was a non-issue for me.

You'll probably want to run a clean line to this box no splitters just to make sure you have sufficient strength and quality of signal.

Overall, my early impression from this box is very favorable. If it continues to work well, I will be recommending that all my friends abandon the cable company DVR and build their own HTPC's.

EDIT 11/8/2011: I've been using the WinTV-DCR-2650 for about two months now. In that time, Hauppauge has released several firmware and driver updates, and the tuner appears to be quite stable now. In the two-month period, I did miss one recording, but that was due to issues with Windows Media Center moreso than the tuner (the tuner and WMC didn't communicate very well on whether I could record a "copy once" flagged channel); the issue was resolved by reconfiguring WMC. If two tuners are sufficient for your needs or you are using in combination with a QAM tuner, I continue to recommend this tuner.

EDIT 3/3/2012: Almost six months since I bought this tuner, and I still highly recommend it. By my calculations, it will have paid for itself in another month over Cox DVR rental rates. The firmware has been stable for about three months.

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I bought this mainly for the price... it was $75.00 cheaper than the HD Homerun Prime by Silicon Dust. It has one less tuner (2 instead of 3) and lacks the network sharing feature of the HD Homerun. Basically, you plug it into the wall, and connect it to your computer (via USB). Then plug a coax in for your cable line. You have to have an M-Card from your cable company. I have Comcast in South Jersey and I was able to go to my local Comcast office and pick up a cablecard free of charge.

Once you plug everything in, you go into Media Center and run through the setup. At one point during the setup, you'll get a screen with three numbers that you have to give to Comcast to activate the card. There's a self-install line that you should call instead of the general number. It's mentioned in another review on here, so search the reviews for Comcast and you should find it.

After I called, I completed the setup in Media Center and I was good except I didn't get any of my premium channels. A follow-up call the same day resolved that issue.

All-in-all, the device worked well for the first few days. Eventually though, I started getting "turner unavailable" messages in Media Center on startup and also while the device had been in use for a few hours. The only solution was to unplug the unit and plug it back in. It's not that big of a deal but if you are buying this to get rid of your cable box (like me), this can get annoying.

In the end, I ended up returning it to Amazon and ordering the HD Homerun Prime. As I said, it costs more but it has an extra tuner (which is nice) and you can view it from any computer on your network (like a slingbox). I didn't think I would need more than two tuners, but if you are recording something and watching something else, you need an extra tuner if you're watching on a second computer. Also, if you want to record two things at the same time and watch tv, you need three tuners.

In sum, it works pretty well with the exception of the error that causes it to loose connection ever now and then. If you are looking for something to use in addition to your cable box (like, for instance, if you only want to use it as a DVR), this is probably your best bet, but if you're looking to replace your cable box, I'd go for the HD Homerun Prime.

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As most of the reviews on these cable card tuners go the tuner itself works great but dealing with the cable company to get it setup was a huge pain. I had to call Comcast around 10 times before they finally got the card paired and initialized correctly at the same time. If you are a Comcast customer don't waste your time calling the normal phone number to setup your card. Call 1-877-405-2298 that is their cable card department and you get connect to a person right away. Most of them still don't seem to know what they are doing but eventually you will get bumped up to tier 2 tech support where your chances are higher. As of now I have all my digital channels working and working well. What they don't make clear in the description is this is a DIGITAL ONLY tuner so if your cable company still has some analog only channels you won't get them with this tuner. All my basic channels are still analog only so I'm going to have to buy a regular tuner so I can pick them up too. Took me a while to figure that out. On the plus side that will give me 3 tuners kind of. Channels changes are about the same speed as my Comcast box which isn't great but at least this isn't even slower. I'm using my xbox 360 as a windows media center extender and that is working well too. Once I get my analog tuner I'll be able to ditch my $18 a month comcast HD DVR box.

update 11/22/11

Just wanted to ad I installed a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1250 to take care of my analog basic cable channels and all is working well together. Windows Media Center integrates all three tuners seamlessly. It even knows to record a show using the 1250 if the two tuners on the 2650 are busy automatically.

Update 7/30/12

Just had my first issue with my tuner. For some reason I lost all the channels that require the cable card to receive. Called Comcast twice to try and resolve thinking it had lost its pairing and hoping Comcast had improved but they haven't at all lol. Just for the hell of it before calling the third time I updated my firmware since it claimed to offer better diagnostics and it fixed the issue and I started getting all my channels again for some reason.

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Firmware fixes (2 releases in September) have made this much better, still drops occasionally, but now this with WMC is a viable HTPC and a good vendor STB replacement. Got this a a couple weeks ago, setup was easy; cable card activation a breeze. But after anywhere from 1-30 minutes tuner loses signal (tuner light flashes), WMC freezes, and the the device becomes unknown as a USB device. Half the time the PC then locks up; power cycle of both HTPC and DCR-2650 is required, but then again next time only works for ~10 minutes so wash-rinse-repeat. Opened support case, got essentially a one line response of "updated firmware." That would have been my first troubleshooting step but from 8/22-8/30 (first week I had the device) there was no updates on their support page. Firmware update (from 8/30) has NOT fixed the issue. Only saving grace is that it looks like it heavily based on the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime which has reports of similar experiences, and they seem to be actively pushing out beta firmware to address these issues. Hopefully Hauppauge will quickly leverage SiliconDust's work to get functional units. Has promise, but in its current state unusable. I had to break down much of my HTPC and extender infrastructure and just revert to provider issued STB to placate family.

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I bought the Hauppauge Win-TV 2650 because Amazon had the best price and I am cheap. First, I have it up and running and want to pass on some information to help others.

If you have Time Warner Cable and the local office doesn't have the cable card ($2.50 a month) and free tuner adapter (required by my TWC) order it first when you order the Win-TV 2650. My cable card and tuner adapter came UPS from NC to NY. That way you won't lose any time hooking everything up when you get your Win-TV 2650. The Win-TV 2650 box says no remote, most reviews at Amazon and other sites says no remote. It does come with a remote and it works great. The IR receiver is built into the Win-TV 2650. At the time it was with-out remote because of 2011 Black Friday specials. So don't buy a remote.

Follow the guide that comes with your Win-TV 2650 and the instructions that you get with the Cable card and tuning adapter. Don't use the CD that comes with your Win-TV 2650. Go to Hauppauge web support page and download the latest software/firmware versions. I also installed the beta from their web site. In order to get HD channels the tuning adapter has to be used. Both cable card and tuning adapter need to be plugged into your computer with USB cable provided. I am using a 3-way cable splitter so that I have direct access to my TV, Win-TV 2650 and tuning adapter (my adapter is a Cisco STA1520). Time Warner Cable broadcast their channels thru SDV (HD) and this is why you need the tuning adapter. Otherwise you get a lot of channels but no HD channels.

The tech support, Barbara at TWC 1-866-606-5889; George at Hauppauge 1-631-434-3197 know what they are doing in their respective area. I spend approximate 2 hours total from hook-up, cable card activation and tuner adapter connectivity. Everything works and just love watching HD and the ability to record programs that I want to watch later. Just a note, the remote that came with the Win-TV 2650 stopped working and Hauppauge had me run the exe program in the downloaded zip file wintv-dcr-2650_ver_29310 .zip in a folder named IR and the program called WinTV-DCR-2650-IR.exe this will get your remote working.

I wrote most of this about 2 weeks ago and I am still having no issues other than WMC 7 in full screen locks the cursor so if you have dual monitors you need to make WMC smaller if you want to use the cursor on main monitor.

I have a Sceptre 23" HDTV, Samsung 22" monitor a WD Media player hooked up using a 3 to 1 way HDMI switch, model number: PET0301S ( which I bought from Amazon) so I can use HDMI for best picture.

Buy Call of Duty: Black Ops II Care Package

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 06:38:00 -0800

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List Price: $179.99
Sale Price: $157.40
Today's Bonus: 13% Off

omg the drone was useless! my coworker got the hardened edition, i got the care package. only difference in the two was the blasted drone. its literally Styrofoam. cheap as hell, and out of the box one propeller didn't work. i was sooooooo beyond disappointed with this. i mean every "collectors" package in the past was amazing, night vision goggles, real sturdy rc car, and then this? shame on you activision. my 20$ rc helicopter is better built than this. its what i get for splurgging on something that sounded too good.

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Ok, before you buy the Care package edition think about it. The Hardened Edition is 95 bucks and has everything in the Care Package Edition except for the Helicopter. Do you really think that dumb helicopter that you'll never use and breaks in 5 minutes is worth 100 DOLLARS! HELL NO! So just buy the 60 base version (which is also an awful game, I would just get MW3 or BF3 instead) of the game and save 140 dollars that you could spend on something that is helpful in your life. I bought the normal version of this game because I'm smart, but my friend bought the Care Package Edition and boy was he upset when he flew his helicopter into the wall and it shattered. All the Care Package Edition is, is a way for Activision to scam you out of your money. So don't buy this game or this edition of this game and don't trust Activision because this is only one of many times they've tried to scam 13 year old kids out of money.

Best Deals for Call of Duty: Black Ops II Care Package

I normally don't write many reviews but as I had recently purchased the Care package for my son I felt compelled to provide some feedback. I purchased this package for the "normal" price of $179 and I was fully aware I was paying a premium for the helicopter. The unit arrived on launch day which was very good and 5 stars to Amazon for getting this to my house on time. My son, thus far, really likes the game so the game overall receives 5 stars. The problem I have is that the helicopter was defective on arrival. The only option available by Amazon is to return the entire package and order a new one separately. That is a bit annoying. I understand that there is little that can be done, but to package everything back up and ship it out and then wait for a refund (that could take 2 weeks after arrival) it's just a bit much. I also had to order and pay for the replacement as an exchange was not an option.

Overall, I think the game is worth it but the helicopter is not. I asked my son (14 years old) if he wanted the helicopter replaced and he said yes so we'll see if the new one works. I will update this review upon receipt of the new package.

Honest reviews on Call of Duty: Black Ops II Care Package

Great package! The case is well built and the drone is fun to mess around in the house maybe even outside on a windless day. They even included the 4 AA's needed to power the controller. The controller has a cord you could use to charge the drone along with a USB cord if you wanted to charge it from a computer. Could not be any happier with my purchase.

Side thoughts.. (Not meant for those whose drones were defective)

For those not impressed with the drone I wonder what you thought you'd actually be getting. Any high end package for a game offers nothing more than something to display. Yeah it works but is not meant to be what you are paying for.

The R/C car with the Prestige edition of Black Ops while cool requires 14 AA batteries, not included, to run and honestly eats them up. It is seriously a noisy piece of equipment of the same quality as any cheap R/C car you get from Walmart, Target, etc. The only bonus was you got a camera and mic that were of mediocre quality. Again it is more for display than actual use as the range you could control it was maybe 25 feet at most before it'd start glitching.

I know some will point to the night vision goggles of MW2 saying that was well made and they were BUT you could easily find a set of NVG of the same quality for less than the extra cash you paid for the package at the time.

A "collector's edition" for any game is just that, for collectors. Those who like a product and want to have something that you can not get anywhere else to display in their home. Anyone who expects more is foolish.

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The "special" extra merchandise is in fact cheap and flimsy and does not compare to the high gloss pictures in the advertizing.

That, however, is nothing new.

All in all, I as the dad, find this still a worthy collectible for the fan boy.

What really irritated me, was the fact that the first delivery got "lost" on the way from one postal warehouse to the next.

That also happens, especially around christmas time.

The third party CS agents, from the accent and level of English language skills sitting in a Call Center in India, did nothing but feed us template lines and drag things out day after day after day, and even had the nerve to suggest that we indeed had received the package and were attempting to commit fraud.

Amazon's own CS then, however, was most professional and immediately went after the case. In the end we received a new shipment, free of charge, and had the shipping costs refunded.

Thank you very much for that!

The game itself is what it is you love it or hate it. I personally stopped liking the franchise after Black Ops 1, but then that is only my personal taste and opinion. My son loves it and I have to admit it looks cool.

Discount Need for Speed Carbon - Xbox 360

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 05:04:00 -0800

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I first experienced this game by trying the demo. After that I was sold. The NFS games have had their ups and downs over the years. The racing storyline seems to change on a yearly basis keeping the concept fresh. With Carbon you are a brash racer who is coming back to his old haunts. Now it's up to you to race others in non stop action. I was in awe playing this game realizing how wonderful the graphics were. They really bring the environments alive as you are able to see how long they spent creating these wonderful environments. The excitement that comes from this game is when you begin to realize that your in a nonstop world with the ability to find races anywhere in the city. There are numerous territories that are controlled by different racers and it's up to you to challenge those racers for the territory. Being succesful takes many steps as you have to compete in several races before you can challenge the leader of each racing group. That is where you get to have a pulse pounding race in the canyons. Avoiding hair raising turns that can have you swerving off a cliff. In this game you will experience the tried and true formula of the pursuit where the police will be on your tail and you can gain a wanted status. What's new to this game is the teammate formula where you are able to use the team mate to take out an opponent. The system works well for the most part and adds a great new addition into the NFS series. I would have to say overall this has been one of my favorite NFS games. If you enjoy great arcade racing give Carbon a try. You won't regret it.

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Gameplay: 8.4

Every car handles differently, every course is linked together in one massive world, and the controls will take you back to the days of arcade racers like Daytona USA. (Actual arcade racers the ones with $5,000 cabinets all arcade owners dreaded purchasing.) The customization features are a little shallow, and the game is a little easy. Okay, a lot easy. But you'll love the ride while it lasts, and you're going to want to play through this racer more than once.

Graphics: 8

The cars look amazing. Every part of them is packed with realistic detail. Even the interiors are noticeably accurate. The cars reflect the city lights quite beautifully, and will do so differently depending on the type of finish that's been applied (chrome, matte, etc.).

Carbon's environments aren't nearly as memorable. The backgrounds aren't that far beyond what was possible with the old Xbox. Also, the cars, as gorgeous as they are, cannot be damaged. They can crash repeatedly, and abolish generic police vehicles. But your vehicles which are from licensed manufacturers are as protected as those in Gran Turismo, save for a few scratches every now and then (that magically disappear after every race).

I know that this is what most, not all, automakers want. But if some manufacturers are on board and others are not, maybe it's the supportive companies you should be focusing on to give the gamer the most intense experience possible.

Sound: 7.9

Hurray for the return of full-motion video! First you get to see the actors, who look toward the camera when talking to the player's character as if you were actually in the story. The actors also appear in polygon form, with extreme realism to boot. Their polygon expressions are a little better than their real expressions, mainly due to the real actors' lack of believability.

The voices they're better than most, but have a hint of "video game syndrome." It looks like a bunch of actors were hired to be in a video game. It doesn't look or sound like they were hired to be in a professionally written story. Which isn't too surprising. Carbon's characters only have one theme: "take my city and I'll hate you forever" (an exaggerated but truthful interpretation).

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Most Career mode races can be won on the first try. The external challenge mode provides additional races to conquer, but they're not enough to boost this game's difficulty.

Concept: 7.5

It's Need For Speed all over again. I'm not about to be one of those crazy people who say the series needs an overhaul to be great again. It doesn't. I love the direction the developers have taken. That said, it's not an original direction, just one of polish. But this series is meant to be a certain way. To make it original again would likely eliminate all the things we love.

Multiplayer: 8

Four for co-op; eight for multiplayer via Xbox Live. Some of the Career mode races are playable online as well for added challenges.

Overall: 8.2

A throwback to the good old, worry-free days of arcade racing. This is the kind of game you'll play after seeing The Fast and the Furious (or any other street racing flick). You might hate that series you might think the third Furious is the worst movie ever made. But mark my words, if you're flipping through and it's on TV, you will drop the remote, grab your 360 controller, and play this game.

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I've been playing this game since I got it for Christmas. Normally, I'm more of a fan of shooting games but I really like this one. The graphics are very nice and the game is simply enjoyable. It is fun playing with a buddy on split screen but I do not have X-Box Live and therefore can't comment on the online aspect. I really enjoy the amount of customizing you can do to the cars, which includes nitrous, blowers, turbos, paint, graphics, suspension, etc, etc. One word of advice, when you start out in Career Mode go with something other than the Camaro because I was only able to win a limited number of races with it. It just handles too slopy. I went back to the Maza RX8 and have had much success with it. I'll go back to the muscle cars later because I'm a big fan of them.

Honest reviews on Need for Speed Carbon - Xbox 360

While so many people are more interested in the newer systems that are sold out, Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii, there is still a lot of action for Xbox 360 gamers, and holiday shoppers. That has also been said well with the Need For Speed franchise too. Since. they've started to thrive going back to the Underground series, many gamers have always wanted more. Last year, the Most Wanted edition of Need For Speed took gamers by surprise, by delivering the thrills of the race, with the pursuits of cops by the chase. Now, a new chapter has risen for Xbox 360 owners, but can it definitely deliver like before?

Need For Speed Carbon for the Xbox 360, tackles the fast and the furious as you battle your way to tackle your way through street racers and crew gang members, inorder to conquer the city with your crew. In the game you have many great and gripping tracks too from classics like the circuits, sprints, and the return of the drift race tracks from the Underground 2 era. You can also unlock great cars like the Didge Viper, exoticas like the McLaren, and muscles cars that have classic style and classic appeal. The graphics for the game have really shined and are truly polished with each control of the car. The control also brings ut the best with each car, and each bit of the chase. Sadly, though there are a couple of disadvantages to the game. One of them is the thrill of the chase against the police. It was more challenging back in Most Wanted, and there was more to challenge your cars with. Another disadvantage is that if you've played earlier versions of Need For Speed, you might have a too easy time beating the underground racers Darius and his crew.

All in all, I was mostly satisfied with Need For Speed Carbon, but I was just expecting a bit more excitement with each thrilling race. Nevertheless, I really recommend this as a must buy for Xbox 360 owners of all kinds, especially if you don't want to get yourself swept in the dust.

Graphics: B+

Sound: B

Control: B 1/2+

Fun & Enjoyment: B-

Overall: B

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It was ordered for my 17 year old son and he loves it. Since he got it he's been in his room playing and we hardly ever see him.

Reviews of Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 03:13:00 -0800

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It was time that a solid portable fighting game made it's way in America. But Street Fighter Alpha don't have much competition, and the only wanabee competitor is X-Men M.A. (that game really sucks). All in all, Street' is a good looking fighter with great gameplay. It is very much like the original version,but the only complaint I have is that the sounds effects could have been so much better...oh yeah it don't have the link cable feature either...

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This is one of the best game I owned so afr. it has excellent graphics and the moves are not difficult to excute at all, especially Akuma's utlimate super combo. the only flaw it has it that the hiddent characters such as akuma, m.bison, and dan are chosen randomly, there is a sort of pattern, but there are no codes for choosing them.

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Forget all those horrible fighting game translations that hit the original GameBoy and GameBoy Color (most of them started with Mortal Kombat) and take a good long look and Capcom's 8-bit version of Street Fighter Alpha for the GBC. Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Charlie, Rose, Guy, Sodom, and Birdie; all of which look surprisingly faithful to their more powerful console bretheren, albeit some lacking animation and detail. Controls are surprisingly solid and the special moves will take time to pull off but once you do they're easy. The sound is mostly terrible and you'll want to turn down your GBC's volume, and the endings for each character are ridicuously cheesy, but the meat and bones of Street Fighter Alpha is the fighting itself, and that is where this comes out a winner. All in all, Street Fighter Alpha for the GBC may not be the best fighter to come along, but in the case of the GBC it reigns supreme.

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The last great fighting game for Game Boy Color. Good graphics and the same great characters that made Street Fighter famous on the SNES are back in this fast-paced game! There is a practice mode where you can set your opponents skill rating. You'll need to practice your moves and special moves if you want to go to tournament mode! In tournament mode things are alot harder so you'll have to practice in practice mode. The graphics are great and the music is okay. Be sure to get this game!

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This is the best fighting game for game boy since I can remember. There are two complaints of mine. the first complaint is, the sound effects are awful, but the graphics are good, and the music is O.K. The other complaint is that there are only three game modes; Arcade mode, Training mode, and opsions. But I guess if you add the good and the bad things together, it comes out even. Bottom line. This game is fun and it tades only ten minuetes to beat on easy. Bottom line. This games teen rating, don't worry about it.

5 in 1 USB 4800mAh Battery Pack & Charger Cable Kit For Xbox-360 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 01:34:00 -0800

Customer Ratings:

The price I paid for this product was a lot less than other products out there.

You get 2 recharable batteries, and "Charge and Play" cord and a One slot recharable dock. They are both USB, so the recharable dock doesn't have to take up another outlet, just plug it into the Xbox and keep it there to recharge any other batteries. I'm not sure why it says 5-in-1 where there's only 4 items, but it's still a good buy and the shipping said it would take a minimum of 17 days to ship, but the delivery date was well under that. It was only 8 days ago when I ordered and the product got shipped.

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