DOOM Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not going to bore you with a summary of the game, suffice to say that as the first real premier FPS, this baby sports a very simplified control scheme with no ability to jump or even peer mindlessly at the ceilings or floors or at the fireball-spouting imp standing above you. And if you're still okay with that concept, then do read-on.

I've played just about every incarnation of Doom that's been on a console, from the compacted Genesis 32x version, to the 3DO, the atrocious Atari Jaguar, and the slightly ramped-up Playstation One version. This Xbox 360 downloadable version lands somewhere in the middle for me.

This version feels almost as if someone slapped it together on a whim... and in a day. The multiplayer is the only place where this version shines, LIVE does an awesome job of connecting you to your friends, with lag that is almost entirely non-existant. Everything else however...

As far as graphics go, they stick to their roots verbatim and for a game that's 15 years old, you don't expect anything great since they're blocky sprites and not the 3d models of today's games. They reworked the sound to seem close to being surround, but even then you'll get some weird and unexpected anomalies (especially when monster screams from repeated chaingun bullets run over top of each other and sound like an unintentional octave, out of nowhere). And as far as the controls... well, the controls are just barely workable in my opinion.

You can't configure them at all. You're not even given the option of *slightly* changing the layout--which is understandable with today's games where every button is completely necessary, but even the oldest ports had SOME kind of choice as to which buttons do what since there's only really 9 button and a directional pad needed. The d-pad and the symbol buttons are mapped to the same functions: open doors/flip switches, go back and forth through the weapons in your inventory (which is atrociously slow, and on top of that, has no memory of your presses to makeup for it--pressing left multiple times in a hurry to get from Weapon 5 to Weapon 2 does absolutely nothing but change only one weapon... again, S-L-O-W-L-Y, which becomes a major hassle in the middle of an unexpected close-combat firefight and you've got your rocket launcher up), and with the last button function you can open the map, and the map is probably one of the most noticeably dumbed-down functions of the port.

In the real game (and every one of the more modern console versions), while viewing the top-down, fullscreen "automap", you usually can: zoom-in or out of your current position, or roam around the screen in a free mode, where the center of the map moves without changing your position on it. For whatever reason they decided not include the free roaming view, and that's fine... in smaller maps. Once you get into maps that may take longer than 3 mins to completely traverse, checking for incomplete red map lines to indicate where you haven't been/seen yet becomes a terrible project and your only option is either to zoom all the way out to Google Map proportions, or to wander around blindly with the fullscreen map up, moving your arrow avatar around and trying not to bump into walls, fall into sludge pits, or worse. Go ahead and picture the in-game reality of that if you will: a confused space marine, all alone with a shotgun under his arm, stranded on a giant, darkly-lit army base with rifle-toting zombies, ghouls, and deadly radioactive waste around every corner... with his face buried in his map because he took a wrong turn somewhere, and now he's reduced to wandering around aimlessly... trying not to bump into walls. It's just silly, and arduous. Luckily if and when you do lose your way, you can generally just keep running up and down every hallway, following every wall until you've reached a door, a switch, or an area you haven't gone through yet though, if that's your style of play.

The final slap in the face is the trusty "Screen Size" option. As a PC user, I tend to get excited just by the mention of this. This isn't the "pick your resolution" kind of option of modern games, this is the "brick-by-brick" incremental style, where there's normally your HUD bar taking up residence at the entire bottom of the screen, and a window in the middle of the screen where all the action is and literally, you can make the inside-window smaller or bigger to help the program run smoother, but incrementally. The biggest inside-window setting would do away with the status bar entirely and even reveal extra "action" that was just-out-frame (which was very cool at the time, even revealing more of your weapons than you could normally see). Most console ports just have a set size that they decided was the biggest the window could be to display the most action while still having a decent framerate. On the 360 however, adjusting your screensize literally does just that, magnifies or de-magnifies the entire game screen--HUD, action window, and all--it all grows or shrinks. Why they thought this was useful to anyone, I'm not entirely sure, aside from a few users with flatscreens that overscan, otherwise I don't get it. It can get pretty tiny, and the biggest it gets is to magnify the center of the screen until you almost can't see the space at the bottom where the HUD is, but then this also cuts off the same-size of space at the top of the screen (the size of HUD at the bottom); Also to note that there's no "re-envisioning" for widescreen tv's at all, which although would've been amazing, it's completely understandable (especially compared to everything else this port dropped-the-ball with).

In the end, this is still a fun and classic game, and if you meet any of the below criteria, I still have to vote a big YES to downloading it:
- if you want a fun and modern way to link-up with friends (or strangers) for co-op or deathmatch Doom,
- if you've never played Doom but love classic FPS, or finally
- if you can't find your PC copy and need to get your fix.

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Product Description:
Single Player, Xbox Live Multiplayer 1-4, 5.1 Surround Sound, HD (High Definition). You're a Marine stationed on Mars when a military experiment goes wrong. Your mission - blast your way to freedom through the classic world of DOOM. Face off against Hell's army including stampeding demons and undead Marines, and lay waste to rooms of monsters with the infamous BFG 9000 and an arsenal of classic weapons. Then, take the deathmatch online via Live and battle your friends for dominance of the leaderboards, or team-up with a friend in co-op. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

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Time Splitters: Future Perfect Review

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(More customer reviews)"EA GAMES!"...that was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw the cover art for TimeSplitters Future Perfect a while back. Now, as much as I love EA GAMES, I have to admit I was worried about the TimeSplitters series when I saw it changing publisher. Now all I can say is, "Congratulations Free Radical on another spectacular game!" Eidos, EA, it makes no difference. The boys at Free Rad have done it again. Its been a considerable time since the last installment in the series but the other day I found myself picking up right where I left off in TimeSplitters 2. This made me very happy, to say the least. Some minor and major changes have been made to the series and believe me that their all for the best. The graphics still have some what of a cartoony look to them but have been made to look more realistic. The controls are tighter, as if to say the previous game's weren't, sheesh. Things just don't stop getting better do they? Technically, Future Perfect is the most impressive game I have ever seen. It's framerate is blistering, it sounds fantastic, the animations and effects are wonderful, and best of all the characters actually seem alive. Sure the A.I. in the last game was good, but this time, it is SO much better. The characters take cover, talk to you constantly, never to the point of being annoying, and the look absolutley great. The game's story is also very interesting and captivating, making for a more memorable experience. Where as TimeSplitters 2 dropped you into random time periods to abliterate everything in your way, Future Perfect drops you into random time periods to abliterate everything in your way, for a purpose. I won't give away the story but I assure you it is very awesome. Whether your infiltrating a train yard with 60's super spy, Harry Tipper, or blasting apart zombies in a haunted house, Future Perfect is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end. One of the biggest changes I should point out are that TimeSpitters now has blood...tons and tons of blood. It is gory, gratuious and I love it. This truely adds to the hightened realism the series is seeming to strive for. However, never fear fellow TimeSplitters fans, the classic humor from the previous titles is still intact and funnier than ever. Future Perfect is...well, a perfect mix of both seriousness and humor. Just when you begin to get frustrated, an in-game voice well ease your tension. For example, when I was being timed to hack a computer and becoming just a little frustrated, another Cortez yelled "Hey I know it sucks, I've have to do it twice already!" and the two more chime in, "Me too!" Thats right people, I said another Cortez. Future Perfect allows you to meet yourself through time paradoxes, either a future you or a past you. In either case you'll be helping youself out, and will eventually play out the situation through both perspectives. Not only will you meet up with yourself but many memorable characters return to the series, including Captain Ash, Jungle Queen, Kitten Celeist, Khallos, Jo Beth, monkey, and the previously metioned, Harry Tipper. And thats just in the single player game. Dinosaur, Handy Man, Duckman Drake, and many others return to the insane multiplayer portion of Future Perfect that will have you battling it out in various modes across some of the best multiplayer maps ever.Siberia focuses on wide open combat, allowing players to get into vehicles while most of the other maps allow for more classic FPS action. The multiplayer maps are very diverse, from Vietnam to a swinging 60's club, the mayhem will never end. As in TimeSplitters 2, two players can play the whole single player mode cooperativley and all levels can be challenged on different difficulties. Some classic weapons return to the series with a couple modifications such as the minigun, shotgun, and SBP 90. The new weapons are just plain awesome, double MP5k's, a baseball bat, harpoon gun, and trip mines, to name only a few. You can now throw grenades and use a device on your arm to lift object to hurdle at people. This seems very much like a Jedi using the force and is quite useful for reaching things at high locations. The arcade modes and challenges are up to the previous game's standards and are sure to not not dissapoint...I mean come on, who doesn't want to race a wheeled cat around a race track. As in the last game, Future Perfect manages to pay homage to GoldenEye with a similar train mission. Also, Chinese, Mexican Mission, and Training Ground from TimeSplitters 2 have been revamped, unfortunatly, they just dont feel the same. But thats why new maps have been made. TimeSplitter Future Perfect is a game I would honestly and gladly pay much more than 50 dollars for and is truly one of the best games I have ever played. Time to Split!
Thanks for Reading.

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Product Description:
In TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, humanity is on the brink of destruction. Cortez, the tough-as-nails hero from previous installments, finds himself in a race against time to trace the origin of the TimeSplitters. With the help of some familiar faces Cortez must chase a mystery foe across different time periods such as the1920s, 1960s, 1990s, and the near and distant future. The ability to travel back will sometimes cause paradoxes resulting in gamers meeting and assisting past and future versions of themselves. Players will also have the ability to correct the mistakes made in the past, or team up with past and future versions of themselves in important battles. Single-player co-op and 16-player Deathmatch are also included.

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Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires Review

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(More customer reviews)Gameplay - 4/5
As any DW fan will notice, dw6 replaced the old combo system with the new Renbu system. You can essentially mash square and attack forever. They changed it a little from DW6, since now Renbu doesn;'t decrease overtime, and is dependant on weapon level. Also, the numerous Imbueings and Special Attacks you can stick onto a weapon add another level of depth entirely, and I perfer this to random drops any day. The combat styles range from narrow, low-body count motions to wide area base-clearing sweeps, allowing custom officers to be made as anything from a duelist to a master of one against many.

Graphics - 3/5
I noticed right off that the quality of peons had decreased from DW6. The officer quality remains the same. I noticed later that this was to cram more characters into every level. For instance, I struggled to get 500KO in DW5E before any battle ended, but here I average 1200 or so.

Sound - 3/5
I enjoy the empires feature to select your own BGM from almost any song from a previous DW game. However, the horrible Enlgish voices return yet again, making you wish for the Japanese voice option, or making you glad to set voice volume to 0.

Replayability - 3/5
Replayability is the highest of any DW to date for me. Largely due to the initially frustrating fact that officer stats do NOT carry over from one play through to the next. Instead, you get clear points, which can be used to allow carry over of weapons, horses, and starting off with bonus gold or items. Once I played through twice, I found this enhances the raplayability for me. Also, there are numerous pieces of edit officer clothes to unlock by completing missions and playthroughs.

Overall - 4/5
My favorite DW title to date. Best edit officer feature in my opinion. Love it!

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Product Description:
Designed for the legions of Dynasty Warriors fans, DYNASTY WARRIORS 6: Empires is game that brings together the best aspects of the action and strategy genres. In this latest edition, players can experience Ancient China's greatest and most glorious war as an all-powerful lord or as an officer.As a lord, gamers must think strategically. By deciding when to attack, when to resist invasion, or when to initiate policies, a lord can expand their power and influence. An easy-to-learn "card collecting" system lets players enact policies that will increase their empire's strength, improve the abilities of their forces, and more. The cards that a player receives will depend on the attributes of the officers and their army.Players can also pledge their allegiance to a kingdom to become an officer. As an officer, players can suggest policies in the kingdom-s war council, complete missions for rewards, or even turn against their ruler should relations sour.Most eagerly awaited by fans is a game mode that allows players to create their own warrior. DYNASTY WARRIORS 6: Empires features an extensive character editing system with options to customize a warrior's gender, build, skin tone, facial features, voice, clothing, weapon and more.Whomever players choose to be, they can now use mountain ledges and waterways to infiltrate enemy bases and launch surprise attacks on supply depots to change the flow of battle.

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Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Review

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(More customer reviews)If you like hack & slash dungeon crawling games like Diablo, then you'll like this game. It is the first game of this style for the Playstation 2.
In this game, you play as one of three characters. You will be given quests by other people and creatures. These quests take you thru dungeons, sewers, caves, castles, woods, and mountain paths and usually involve killing a boss enemy or finding specific objects. Along the way, you must kill (or run from) enemies while picking up items (dropped by enemies, found in treasure chests, barrels, etc.) that may be useful to you or that may be sold. Fighting is in real-time (not turn-based as in Final Fantasy). As you complete quests and kill enemies, you gain experience. This experience allows you the change your character's attributes and learn new skills/spells. There are numerous types of weapons and armor to be bought or found during the game. As the enemies in the game get tougher, your experience and improved weapons/armor allow you to still put up a good fight.
The graphics and audio are amazing. The movement of water as you walk thru it and the movement of the leaves on trees as the wind blows shows the level of graphic detail that they gave the game. Also, the detail on many of the creatures in the game is outstanding. Voices and music are great. As you walk thru the woods, you hear coyotes howling in the distance. As you walk on the mountain path, you hear chunks of ice falling in the distance. Controls are simple and intuitive. Every button on the controller may be used during a game, but you'll find yourself using them like a pro in just a matter of minutes. I really like that fact that my character can change between a melee weapon (such as a sword) and a range weapon (such as a bow) during battle with the simple push of a button.
Gameplay is great and is almost identical to that of Diablo II. Unfortunately, the game is too short. Your saved games tell you how long you've been playing. On the Easy difficulty setting, I completed the game in about 12 hours. However, if you enjoy the game, you'll probably want to play each of the three characters and take at least one of your characters thru the three difficultly levels. Completing the game opens up something called the gauntlet where you have 15 minutes and one life to defeat all the various types of creatures (not too easy). Completing the game also opens up an Extreme difficulty level. Completing the game on the Extreme level opens up a fourth character. Playing a two player game is also a blast. It's just like the one player game, but allows two players to work cooperatively.
Don't let the shortness of the game keep you from trying it. I feel that this is one the best games for the Playstation 2 right now.

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Product Description:
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance takes you into the world of Dungeons and Dragons in a thrilling new action game!

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Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires Review

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(More customer reviews)Let's get to the real point here.If you aren't a Dynasty Warriors fan, then the game isn't for you.If you want a decent game where you take over lands and create your own empire, the Romance of the Three Kingdom (ROTK) are far better.But then, there's no real action in that.

This game is a lot like DW 4 Empires.You choose a ruler, pick 2 generals and 3 lieutenants and slog your way taking over province after province.There are 6 stories in total (aka musou).2 are open, the other 4 are unlockable.

Personally, I love the DW games.While you can use the characters that you've grown to love, the whole transferring data from a previous game is lost on me.It seems that the ONLY thing you actually transfer are the items/weapons/orbs/etc that are available to you.However, they all start at Level 1, including the characters!So while you may have maxed out Sun Ce in DW5, you have to pretty much start over.

The controls, graphics, art and gameplay are identical to past DW games.I would still love a 'roll' button like in Samurai Warriors.

Learning how to use the command features can be a bit tedious.All items must be produced and if you use them in battle, you have to produce them again.Which means, you waste a valuable command turn.(Of course, as you gain more lands, you get more turns/choices)In the beginning, it's nearly impossible to get your armies strong.You are able to train your officers, hire new ones, produce items, develop items (each state has their own items which must be developed so you can produce them), make alliances (or annul them), reinforce your officer's troops and a lot more.

The nicest aspect of the game is the EDIT mode.This is where you can create your own character(s).There are, iirc, 10 slots for your creations.I have 7 slots taken and I actually use them MORE than any of the characters already established!It's a different experience when you plug in your own characters as a starting empire to see if they can hack it!

DW games are known to be incredibly repetitive.The button control combos are the same over and over and over.But that's part of the mindless fun!While I don't usually gripe about it in the original games (DW w/o the Empires or XL tags), this game tends to feel a little old.Maybe it's because if you don't make alliances, you get invaded over and over and over again.So it's 1 battle after another.

Still, I love the game and it's just 'thinker' enough for me to really enjoy it.

And just a pointer.If you take out an Empire's Ruler (Cao Cao for example), you receive ALL the lands he has taken over.In the 5th scenario, I annulled Cao Cao, invaded him and took over 80% of the map.In fact, all I had to invade was Ma Teng in the upper left corner and Meng Huo in the lower left corner.That's the easy way.If you really want to slog it out for many hours, try to beat down a huge empire one state at a time!

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Product Description:
In Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires, the armies of the kingdom are at your command! Your ultimate goal is to conquer the 25 regions of Ancient China and build an entire Empire using cunning diplomacy and uncompromising force. Before each battle, the player will meet with the war council to decide upon military and political policies for the kingdom; then it's time for war. Issue direct orders to each officer or signal general commands to officers on the field. Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires gives armchair generals total control of their kingdom. Take control of 150 officers, entice captured officers into joining your service or expel them from your kingdomChange game dynamics by limiting the number of officers during play, adjusting time limits, and selecting battle conditionsUnlock new items, strengthen your weapons, and much moreDiscover the history of the Dynasty Warriors with the Encyclopedia

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Samurai Warriors 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)These types of beat-em up games get alot of flack and criticism because they lack depth and innovation, but sometimes the same old goodness is what's needed.I'm a huge fan of dynasty warriors and I think this game is just another solid addition to that type of play. There's some new variations, but overall its same thing, which isn't always a bad thing. People seem to think that games should just get more and more complicated, thus making them better, but that's not always the case.There's got to be a market for people who just want to mindlessly beat dudes up and not think about much else.

This game is great and I'm totally glad they keep making them.Despite the negative critiques from major internet game sites, there is alot to discover and enjoy in a game like this.You definitely get what you pay for and that doesn't happen much.enjoy.

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Product Description:
Samurai Warriors 2 takes you back in time, to an era where honor and swordplay defined everything. Long before the twilight of the samurai, Japan was ruled by powerful leaders hungry to unite the land under one banner. The samurai and ninja who defended their land and honor became legends. If you prove yourself worthy and honorable, you can join them. Team up with friends for Two-player Co-op play or compete with them at Sugoroku, a bonus party game for up to 4 playersChallenge an opponent in two-player Vs. play exclusively through Xbox Live

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Dynasty Warriors 6 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a fun game but not altogether the epic I hoped it would be.I like the new characters designs and the different fighting styles and all that. Being able to take on hundreds of people at once and rake up a thousand kills on a regular basis is pretty cool. The graphics are brilliant but, I don't know, it just seems to be missing a lot of the content that Dynasty Warriors 4 had.Not to mention characters.Not only does this game feautre no new Characters but it subtracts from those already existing.Where is Meng Huo?Not in this game.Granted I haven't unlocked every acheivement but still if he was in the game there would be a nanman level or you would see him somewhere. (And why even have a Zhuge Liang Storyline without the nanman campaign?It would be like a Robert E. Lee Story without the battle of Gettysburg.Kinda lame.)

How is it that this game has less characters than the previous version.Generally the series gets more characters as it progresses not fewer.Not only that but of the few that remain, only a handful have musou story modes which is kinda lame(sure it would probably be hard to make storylines and movies for each character but that doesn't mean I have to like it) You can play the less popular characters in free mode but it just isn't the same.I tried creating my own storyline for Yuan Shao by having him play through a bunch of free mode battles but realized I couldn't since the battle of Guan Du only has two sides in this game.Cao Cao's and Lu Bu's. (Lu Bu wtf?How did he get involved in that battle) Speaking of Lu Bu, unlocking him is the only reason to play through half of the musou modes.Some of the charcters aren't as cool as the other, in my opinion.

Getting over the characters, or lack of them, and onto the actual gameplay the game plays well.The new renbu system is interesting once you figue out what it is.Although the same basic attack, charge attack scheme is in play, charge attacks are separtate from your main attacks, meaning that you can't put together any super charge attacks like in previous games.The charge attack looks the same whether you press it first or use it as a follow up to a series of regular attacks.That means that once you get unlimited renbu you don't even need to use the charge attack.You can just hammer on the x button.The charge attack is only really useful for breaking enemies blocks.Speaking of enemies, they are a bipolar lot.On the one hand the regular enemies do almost nothing but stare at you while you hack them to pieces while the officers while hand you your buttchecks.Also certain officers will get angry and then they do tremendous damage, enough to kill you in three or four hits.When they get into this state they glow with a flame.I've come to refer to these powerhouse's as 'flamers'.When you see a deadly flamer you need to save the game unless you want to risk losing all the exp you have gained in the battle.Unlike some of the games in the series you can't save your exp from a failed attempt.Sometimes free mode is the only way to get your chosen hero past a certain point.

Really though, long story short, while I like the game I would have liked it more if more characters were in it.Maybe they will fix this when they come out with Dynasty Warriors 6: Xtreme legends.

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Product Description:
Based on the epic novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the genre defining series depicts the massive battles ignited by the fall of the Han Dynasty when three rebellious states moved to overthrow the Emperor of China. Featuring a new proprietary combat engine, Dynasty Warriors 6 delivers the exhilaration of single-handedly destroying thousands of soldiers on massive fields of combat. The lightning-fast, kung-fu fighting, fluid motion-captured animation, intuitive combat system and immersive environments create an unparalleled gaming experience, and push the limits of tactical action.

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Samurai Warriors 2: Empires Review

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(More customer reviews)KOEI is back with yet another Dynasty/Samurai Warrior hackenslash game.This genre is now infamous for its simplistic run around aimlessly killing dumb soldiers until you reach a slightly more difficult to defeat general.The franchise hasn't changed much over the past few years.This is both good and bad.From year to year we are subjected to sequels which are more along the lines of touch up packages.A few added characters, a few added features, and just barely updated graphics.However, recently with there new "Empires" series they seem to be hoping to add an element of strategy to a franchise that as of late has been becoming quite stale.

The game has 2 modes of play.The usual "free" mode which is essentially the pickup and play mode where you select a section of the map then pick your generals and lieutenants (up to 3 of each) then go to battle.Then there's "empire" mode where you become a Japanese feudal lord.You are assigned a fief and from here it is your job to expand your territory.The fun part is that how you do it is up to you.You can use force, diplomacy or trickery as you build your army recruiting new generals, lieutenants, and boosting your number of troops.

During battle you can order your soldiers to protect a base, attack individual bases or generals, and defend another general or even yourself.The best part about this game is that your generals now level up with you and are no longer the sissy's whining for help that they were in the other games.On one occasion my round ended while I was off fighting a rival general my troops had already captured the main camp.Keep in mind that your opponents are no longer slouches either.You'll have to work a little to defeat them as the strength of the characters and AI has been revamped slightly.Formations are used in a rock paper scissors fashion.When they are employed they give you a stat boost however the army using the stronger formation is the only one to receive it.

The game does a good job making you feel like you are in charge of a powerful army.You can trade with China or Western nations; tax the people, train your generals and lieutenants, there are so many options as far as what you can do it would take forever to name them all.
So in summing up this game, SW2 Empires is still an upgrade package.Don't be fooled.It does however improve vastly with a strategy element and AI.So here's a comparison list so that you can make the decision

PROS:
-essentially still running off of the Dynasty warriors engine
-create a character feature
-added strategy element
-slightly tougher AI, your army now fights for themselves
CONS:
-essentially still running off of the Dynasty warriors engine
-not much variety in the battlefield maps
-slightly tougher AI, you may have a little difficulty fightingyour opponents in the beginning

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Product Description:
Samurai Warriors 2: Empires brings back tactical action with a new look! Long before the twilight of the samurai, Japan was ruled by powerful leaders hungry to unite the land under one banner. The samurai and ninja who defended their land and honor became legends. In Samurai Warriors 2: Empires, you'll live out their incredible stories. Team up with friends for Two-player Co-op play or compete with them at Sugoroku, a bonus party game for up to 4 playersChallenge an opponent in two-player Vs. play exclusively through Xbox LiveOver 70 cinematic sequences and new Music from fusion artist Minoru Mukaiya

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Amplitude Review

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(More customer reviews)Amplitude is a music game which is unique in the fact that it uses songs from established artists - some you most certainly have heard.If you are familiar with music games you would be at home here - the music plays and you perform a part by "playing" the controller while the "music" moves by on the screen.It is the sequel to a game called Frequency and some of this review compares this game to that one.
The game also allows you to remix songs but I did not get into that on Frequency and again fail to find it enjoyable.Also the head-to-head mode of this game is kind of strange - the single player is much more enjoyable in my opinion.
One of the best parts about Frequency was getting introduced to groups I hadn't heard before and hopefully some of these artists will turn out the same. The music in Amplitude is a mix of familiar and unfamiliar artists.Strangely it seems to be harder to play the songs that I know (Weezer - Dope Nose or Blink 182 - Rock Show) than songs I haven't heard before. Some of my favorite songs on Amplitude are Baseline by Quarashi, Cherry Libs by Garbage, and Urban Tumbleweed by the Baldwin Brothers. Ultimately I feel like somehow these artists were picked to promote them for Sony - I wish there were more variety of tracks.
Amplitude is easier to beat than Frequency was - there are 4 difficult modes (Mellow, Normal, Brutal, and Insane) and I started on Brutal when I first got it and played through in about 2 1/2 hours.The expert mode of Frequency was much more difficult.Easy mode is easy enough for my 6 year old to play.
I would have been happy with the Frequency base game with new music - what Sony needs to do in the future is modify this game with new music every 3 to 6 months and rerelease it for $20 or so. Much of the effort in the sequel seems to have gone into the system that allows you to create your own "guy" and as you play you unlock new clothes - whatever.Your guy sort of plays along with you - if you are on a guitar track he plays guitar and when you play drums he switches to drums.
A final word about the music.I love 4-letter words in my music as much as anybody but while I enjoyed playing Frequency with my kids, some of the songs in Amplitude have bleeped out words and are about mature subjects - and some words that in my opinion should be bleeped aren't.

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Product Description:
MODEL- 97258 VENDOR- SCEA FEATURES- Amplitude Fast, addictive arcade-style gameplay allows you to mix and remix hit songs from major recording artists like Garbage, David Bowie, P.O.D., BT, Weezer, Pink, Dieselboy, blink 182, Run DMC, and more - within more than 20 immersive levels. Experience musical immersion with single player gameplay or jump online and play against FreQs nationwide in intense jam sessions! ESRB Rating : T for Teen Genre/Category : Music System : PlayStation 2 Number of Players : 1~4 Compatible Peripheral: Network Adapter MANUFACTURER WARRANTY:andnbsp;andnbsp;90 DAYS

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Raiden 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)Chances are that if you are a long time gamer, you'd have heard of the Raiden series.A scrolling shoot 'em up kind of like the classic Capcom arcade shooter 1942, the Raiden games have always offered simplistic fun, and Raiden 3 is no different.Raiden 3 doesn't really do much to change up the gameplay elements of the series, and for new fans it is easily accessible.The game is pretty challenging, and the two-player co-op mode is undoubtedly the best way to play the game.However, the generic gameplay can get boring really quickly, and there really isn't much here in terms of replay value or total game length either.Not to mention that there is basically nothing here that you haven't seen before in other games in the Raiden series, or other scrolling shooter games before or after it either.All that being said, Raiden 3 isn't a bad game one bit, and it's definitely worth a look for longtime fans of the series or genre, but there's just not enough here to warrant any more than just a quick checking out.

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Product Description:
SHOOT. EVADE. DESTROY!FIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH COUNTLESS ENEMIES AS YOU PILOT THE LEGENDARY RAIDEN FIGHTER IN THIS LATEST INSTALLMENT FOR YOUR PLAYSTATION®2!One of the most beloved shooter franchises makes it way back to the PlayStation®2 with Raiden 3! All of the features that fans have grown to love are back, with even better graphics, sounds and gameplay that made this series legendary!Modes - There are several new modes within this title that can be unlocked, including Boss Rush (which lets you battle against bosses you have conquered) and Score Attack Mode (replay levels to obtain the highest score).There is also a Replay mode, so you can analyze your play as well as that of the bosses, and a gallery mode, which holds images, easter eggs, etc. when it is unlocked.There are also several new options so the player can tailor fit the game to maximize their experience, making for the most complete shooter on the PS2.

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Commandos 2: Men of Courage Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, if you played the first two Commandos and loved them then you will absolutley love this game and buy it now. Everything that you wished you could do (because you'd be able to in real life) in Commandos has now come true...EVERYTHING!You can climb walls or poles, traverse wires, climb in/out of windows, look in/out of windwows, snipe in/out of windows, snipe from climbing up a pole, everyone can wear at least a low ranking enemy soldiers uniform, everyone can use rifles & machine guns, everyone can carry bodies, and everyone can knock a person out, everyone except Lupan (Thief) can tie people up, everyone can drive non-specialized vehicles such as trucks and cars...and so much more! Vehicles actually have realistic physics now too! It is so realistic in how you can go about things too...it is so open ended.
Every mission is greatly different from the previous and there are no reused "stock" buildings.You can go inside all buildings and pan the camera 360 degress for a better view.The animation on the guys is completely lifelike...you gotta see it to believe it.The missions are completely replayable too...not like the first Commandos where there was pretty much only one way to go about things like a puzzle piece...do things in any order you want...it's completely up to you how you go about each and every mission...steal a tank or car and do whatever....it is completely awesome!Play it on hard or very hard and you'll be there for at least 6 or 7 hours per mission and they are HUGE!It is great to have such deep gameplay and it NEVER gets BORING.
Oh and the control takes getting use to, but let me tell you this.If you played th originals you know it uses a lot of keyboard shortcuts.Take the time to learn them well and you will be rewarded...it takes a few hours to learn them all of steady playing, but once you do the interface is really just for show so you can see what objects you have.Put in the time and you will never look back....TRUST ME. I have to get back to playing now...peace out...BUY IT, you won't regret it.

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Product Description:
If you're a fan of strategy games, you'll want to check out EIDOS Interactive's Commandos 2: Men of Courage. You are in charge of commanding Sergeant "Tiny" McHale & his elite troops from the heart of the Nazi Third Reich to the Islands of the South Pacific. Use their expertise to play through 10 authentic WWII scenarios.Multiplayer -go to war in a cooperative multiplayer mode

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Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven Review

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(More customer reviews)Using the same controls as Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (hurrah)!This is the best game Activision has come up with. This is a maximum recovery over Tenchu II. I really enjoy the ease of controls over the characters. Some games get overly complicated and it detracts from the enjoyment. I also was impressed by the variety in the missions. In previous Tenchu installments, each character played exactly the same missions. You play each mission and win different ratings, special items and new abilities. It has few drawbacks (load time and some awkward camera angles), but this is a mission based game and if you use your controller and special items correctly, all difficulties can easily be overcome. You have 3 characters to pick from. Each has his/her own special missions and each mission has 3 different layouts. The difference between layouts are that enemies are positioned in different arrangements and in different strengths. Favorite character: Tessu. Daytime doctor, nighttime assassin. For some unknown reason, Tessu's attacks include animated x-ray views. It really hurts to see an enemy's neck snap! Ouch! Hoping to see more of Tessu in future Tenchu games. Rikkimaru has 2 varying outcomes. They depend upon choices you make mid-game. Ayame is the most agile. Her assignments are a bit tougher, but she is definitely a capable character.
So, if you are into sneaking and you get a satisfying feeling from taking out aggressions against some more than deserving foes, THIS IS THE GAME TO GET!! I rate it as best mission based game ever.

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Product Description:
The third entry in the popular stealth action franchise allows players to play 3 different characters as they sneak and fight their way through Japan.

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Gauntlet: Dark Legacy Review

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(More customer reviews)Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is yet another in a long line of fantastic games. I admit it, I was a HUGE addict of the original Gauntlet, with the Green Archer Needs Food Badly. When Gauntlet came out for the Nintendo, I bought it immediately and played it non stop for hours and hours. I came across G:DL when it was first released and without examining the box much at all, it was MINE. Let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed!
This is the first game we played with more than two people on our Playstation 2 - we bought the MultiTap explicitly for this game. It's a blast! And the improvements are astounding. First off, you get up to eight main characters. I have always loved the archer, but I play the others at times too. As you move them up levels, their appearance changes, they get cool familiars, their spells get more powerful, they learn new abilities, they get to heal, and much more.
The levels are both familiar and fascinating. Just wait until you get into the Jester's world! The Escher-like levels are phenomonally fun. Someone really had a good mastery of space to develop those worlds. The other graphics are equally as interesting. The music and monsters all fit well with the worlds.
It's not just hack and slash. There are a lot of puzzles, a lot of what-do-you-use-keys-on, a lot of mazes and memory and combinations involved. There are even hidden characters, additional SECRET characters and other hidden things that it's taken a ton of replaying to get a walkthrough written. The same is completely replayable and is a perfect friends-for-the-afternoon kind of game.
I enthusiastically recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good arcade game!

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Product Description:
Cooperative play is more important than ever as players can now work together to perform devastating special combos. Intricate levels and enchanting characters are all a feast for the eyes. Again, do battle with the dreaded undead legions in the continuation of Gauntlet Legends! Live up to your status as a Legend with Gauntlet Dark Legacy!

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PS2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is pretty good. the pros are that you can play as all 4 turtles. You can face Zanramon the Triceraton leader and theShredder. Overall this game is fairly easy and I reccomend you can buy it.

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Product Description:
4-Player Action that Evolves as You Play! Join the TMNT in their latest set of adventures. Whether they are battling the Foot Ninjas on the streets of NYC or infiltrating the Triceraton base they are always looking for action. Play as your favorite Turtle and evolve your character through single and 4 player modes. Take your TMNT action to go and experience amazing graphics, monstrous action and gameplay that utilize the unique capabilities of the Nintendo DS.

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Darkwatch Review

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(More customer reviews)Hey, Hey! Here's The Reverend again bringing you the ultimate review of Darkwatch.

Let's face it, there's nothing more honorable than kicking some dusty undead butt! What are these guys doing outside their graves anyway? What do they want from the world of the living? Especially with sky-high gas-prices these days? And why can't they eat French fries and Burgers like everybody else? Why does it have to be brains? And who has brains anyway in times of our failing education system?
The good news is that we won't need any brains to play this game!:-)And that's just what we need after a long day at work, isn't it? So, Darkwatch should be right up our alley, right? Well, yes and no... Let's do the cons first and then get to the pros:

The game puts you straight into the shoes of Jericho Cross, a train robber in the Old Wild West with a long and brutal criminal past. Whatever happened to the GOOD hero in computer games - we may wonder - but I guess morally positive game-heroes have inevitably died with the early 90s. Now, bad old Jericho robs the wrong train one day. Apparently THIS train belongs to a secret society called the DARKWATCH (hence the title) who hunt down vampires in an "unholy war" as the intro movie bluntly suggests. Despite the horrific gothic look of the train with all kinds of Christian and pagan symbols and tons of bloody remains of its former human freight (and what with the coffin-shaped doors and weird pointy spikes everywhere) Jericho still believes to have found a train transporting money, gold and other valuables and does not seem the least bit distracted by the occasional zombie that gets in his way (yup, the train is the first interactive level already). As you can see, Jericho is not the sharpest tool in the shed and neither is the storyline behind Darkwatch. Once infected by the vampiric-undead curse, Jericho gets used to his new state of body and mind quicker than a hippie to pot - there is just no drama involved in his becoming a vampire - neither is there much drama later on. The story is presented in extremely short, matter-of-fact cut-scenes (which might have been better and more seamlessly integrated had they used the in-game engine).
It's a shame that we don't get more information about Jericho Cross, the Darkwatch and some of the situations we encounter throughout the game. The meager story leaves you longing for more, much more - and DARKWATCH II won't be enough of an excuse to make up for it.

Another part where the game falls flat is in terms of its level design. First of, levels are much too short. It's almost like the game screams RIP-OFF! in this regard. You just feel like the level designers were under-staffed, under-paid, under-aged or simply under-excited to come up with more, much more. You get the feeling that you're not exploring whole areas or levels, but arenas in which you get to fight a gazillion undead until the next tiny area opens. What a great game this could have been if the action part had been more balanced with exploring and searching and maybe just the occasional tiny little puzzle or two? There are just too many levels where you're just getting into the fun a certain environment provides, just to find out that it's over after just 1-2 minutes. For example: +500 points for designing a super-cool level where a train has to be boarded (from horseback) and then cleared of enemies moving from one wagon to the next - with the foggy, moonlit landscape rushing by outside! -2000 points for letting us inspect only 4-5 tiny wagons, throwing a cut scene in our face and abruptly ending the level if it could have been so much fun exploring the whole darn thing just 10-15 more minutes!!! It's like ordering a fancy schmanzy pizza with 10 toppings and actually getting it - only catch: the pizza is just 1 inch wide!!! NUTS!!!
Another downside of DARKWATCH is the fact that the levels were apparently designed by some claustrophobics from western Nebraska. 90% of them take place in the great wide open: canyon after canyon, valley after valley, burning cityscape after cityscape. Yes, there are major buildings in the game like a church, a cathedral and an old ghost town. But do you actually get to go INSIDE these buildings and explore them? Not a whole lot! It's just plain sad when a cool level leads you down a slope across a cemetery to a big old abandoned church just to tell you in another cut scene that you will now be entering the crypts underneath (which will take you about 3 minutes to complete consisting of one catacomb-like room, a fighting arena and the same catacomb-room from before (as a mirror-imaged clone) to finish the level off!!!). Great! And after the crypt it's the obligatory canyons again... Here you thought you'd actually get to see and explore the church from the inside but the designers were too bored to actually bother with it. This happens a lot in the game!

And it's a shame because the actual atmosphere created by graphics and sounds is outstanding!
Yup, you heard me right. Here's the PRAISE part of the review. In terms visuals, audio and ACTION Darkwatch REALLY TOTALLY delivers like no other game out there. Think of it as being able to PLAY a movie like "From Dusk Till Dawn" or "Blade" and you get a good idea what the gameplay is like. You have a good range of weapons (guns, shotguns, rifles (sniper too)) which include wacky stuff like dynamite and a crossbow that actually shoots dynamite at enemies. And, boy, do they fly when you blow them to bits. The damage response it ultra-realistic thanks to the HAVOC ENGINE. Limbs come off one by one, heads roll around, bodies topple from buildings or over railings and go spinning through the air before landing on the floor in the exact position the topographic surroundings allow (if there's a bump or a wall they'll come to rest neatly against it in a realistic fashion).
Also nice is the fact that you can use every weapon as a melee weapon. So you can shoot, smack, shoot, smack as you please, dealing great damage to enemies close by.
Last but not least: you will gain a bunch of different powers, which are unfortunately not exactly vampiric (how about faster reflexes, partial invisibility etc.???) such as: Mystic Shield and chain-lightning. Bummer... they are o.k., but generally not too much fun to use.

Darkwatch sure delivers non-stop action and is great fun the first or second time around (probably on the very same day you buy it), but in the long run this vampire won't have the teeth to keep you satisfied. Hey, if you get a good deal on it - you should definitely get it! Darkwatch may come in handy for those times after horror movies when you feel like it's time to take the action into your own hands and blow off steam!

It's not that Darkwatch is a bad game, at all. It just saddens you that despite slick graphics, awesome sound and action the whole thing seems cut short like a top-notch music video as compared to the full length concert you really wanted to see.
The Reverend

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Product Description:
Darkwatch: Curse of the West is cinematic 1st-person shooter action, as you become a vampire hunter fighting for survival in the Wild West. Explore a strange new version of the West, where you'll grind your enemies for fuel, wear their skin as a cloak and build weapons designed for mass murder. Online multiplayer capability with unique maps and original game modes

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Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Review

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(More customer reviews)Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is hands down the best "Mythologies" title in the MK Universe. After having two rather poor spin offs (Sub-Zero and MK: Special Forces), it seemed as if MK could only do well in it's core series... until now.

MK: Shaolin Monks is a re-telling of Mortal Kombat 2, through the eyes of Kung Lao and Liu Kang. The game starts at the end of MK 1 and runs all the way up to the climatic finish where you battle the great Shao Kahn. Along the way you will utilize the game's somewhat unique combat engine, which is basically a hybrid of a platformer like Devil May Cry and the MK "Kombat" engine. What is so great about it though is that it is not stiff like the "Kombat" engine, and allows pretty much free movement. You still have "kombos" and special moves, but they are all easy to execute and chain together, giving even a novice player an easy chance to get in the game and start kicking butt. You also have the ability to pull off fatalities on just about every enemy (even bosses, when you beat them!)

The game also features an "RPG" like experience point system, which you can manipulate heavily depending on how good you get at killing enemies and keeping your combos going without getting knocked down. As long as you keep hitting enemies and killing them, your combo will increase. With each kill or 10 hits, you receive a multiplier point. After your combo ends, the points you earned depending on a number of factors, including your combo and kills, are multiplied. You then receive experience points based on that multiplication. The experience points then can be used to purchase new moves and combos in the status screen. The only downside to this though is the fact that the game has only so many combos and moves to purchase. You will easily have purchased every move available well before the game is over (for me, it was half way before the game was complete!)

The graphics for MK: Shaolin Monks are kind of bad in places (especially in the cinematic cut scenes - everyone pretty much has the same face!) The in-game graphics are good though for the most part, although they seem gritty and un-finished in places. The dynamic lighting and the blood makes up for it though... if you like your violence red.

Sound-wise, MK: Shaolin Monks is like any other MK game. The soundtrack is not at all that impressive, but it fits the atmosphere of the game, especially in the areas that are straight out of MK 2. The only qualms with the game's sound are probably with it's voice acting... but we'll get into that further in a bit.

The story telling of MK:Shaolin Monks is another hamper on the game. While the game features some great MK action and appearances from just about everyone's favorite characters, the way they appear (or die) is somewhat non-sensual at times. Also, with the way certain things happen in the game, you will be left with your head scratching, wondering if you recall things being that way in MKII's story. To top it off, the game has some really BAD voice acting (best example is Shao Kahn... instead of using the MK announcer voice, they used some other random voice.)

Despite the shoddy voice acting and rather butchered storyline, MK:Shaolin Monks is still the best MK spin-off game to date. It features a combat engine that is arguably better than the regular MK fighting engine, and it gives the gamer more things to do (tons of stage kills and environmental manipulations.) You also have a couple secret characters to unlock, as well as plenty of extra "kontent" to find along the way (including a hidden port of the arcade version of Mortal Kombat II!) MK: Shoalin Monks is highly recommended for any MK fan or just about any action/platformer fan.

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Product Description:
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is the first-ever Mortal Kombat game with an adventure storyline and theMulti-Directional Kombat System. As you follow the adventures of Liu Kang and Kung Lao, you'll levy attacks in any direction at any time, all the while not losing focus on the primary target. Experience incredible depth of combat via Strings, Juggles, Special Attacks, Air Combat and Fatalities.Combine background interactions with Combat to solve unique action-orientated puzzles. Hurl an enemy into a spiked wall and leap from their impaled body to a higher area Expansive customization -Choose from several paths in which to spend experience points gained from battle

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Armored Core: For Answer Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all this is not going to be an in depth review.OK, I never liked any of the other armored core series.There were too many buttons to remember.However I loved this one.You can configure what each button does as well as what each thumb stick does with the key assign option.When you start the game you have 4 companies to choose from.The one you pick decides your starting NEXT(Mech).Within these 4 companies are 42 missions.When you start with your company you are presented 3 missions (after you complete the basic mission).From what I have seen sometimes when you finish a mission you lose the chance to play the other missions.Meaning you would have to go back and play through in order to beat those levels.NEXTs can be customized with paint jobs, weapons, stabilizers, etc.Basically there is a lot of customization options in here for the units.Almost everything in the game can be destroyed and the controls work really well, very fluid.AI can be very hard at times but that is in the later levels where they expect you to be better.Besides doing missions you can also climb the arena ladder to become the No. 1 NEXT pilot which grants you money/NEXT blueprints to make an exact copy of the opponent you defeated.I haven't tried the online matches yet, however, there is 2 player online co-op.To play certain levels in co-op either you or your buddy has to have completed it already.Also, there is at least one level that I know of that you can't play in co-op (I think its because its story related).In conclusion, this is a great game.When I first got it I played for 4 hours straight.Really fun and addicting.

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Product Description:
Massive development and aerial pollution have been harming the planet. People recognize how little time is left until the end of the world. Thanks to their massive amount of military strength, The League corporations are in control of the planet's infrastructure and their people are living in the air to avoid the contamination. The ORCA, forced to live on the surface of the polluted planet, organized the resistance and have amassed a formidable arsenal. As a mercenary armed with cutting edge military robot technology, choose your side and defeat the other factions by taking on GIANT Mechanical weapons.

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