Demon's Souls Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Note: There are additions to the review below my original review.
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I wanted to provide a review, but I see that most of the others have already addressed most of what this game is all about. This review is based off of the "Deluxe Edition," which differs from the regular edition in that it includes an official strategy guide and a slip cover case that houses the game and strategy guide. The game is exactly the same in both versions.

Demon's Souls is a worthwhile experience in itself, and I highly urge any who are on the fence about it to at least give it a rental. It's a game that one will need to play through more than once in order to feel as though the game has been completed. Read other reviews for details into all of the aspects of the game.

I am going to focus my attention on the "extras" provided with the deluxe version. Is the strategy guide worth the extra $10? As somebody who did not play the import versions of Demon's Souls (many people here have), I can safely endorse the purchase of the deluxe version in order to get the strategy guide. For one, it's beautiful. There was much effort in organizing the art and text in a concise and useful way. It's very easy on the eyes. Each walkthrough section has pictures to go along with the walkthrough instructions, which is helpful. It runs 159 pages and is as big as the game case - not bulky at all. Even though it is small, it does not look or feel cheaply made. Here are the topics considered in the table of contents:

Introduction, Class & Gender, Character Building Guide, Survival Guide, Non-Player Characters, Merchants, Living Body and Soul Form, World Tendency and Character Tendency, Demon's Souls Usage, Magic Guide, Weapons Guide, Weapons Upgrades, Armor, Rings, Items, Enemies, Crystal Lizards, Quirks & Tricks, Trophy Guide, Online Mode Guide, Leveling Guide, Walkthrough (Worlds 1-5), End Game, Perfect Run Walkthrough

There are a couple drawbacks to the strategy guide. Demon's Souls has been out for awhile in Japan, Korea and China. This means that there are already plenty of online resources that discuss just about everything provided in the paperback guide. The guide does not provide illustrated maps of each level, which would have been icing on the cake. This is especially true since the game does not have any sort of mapping system. It would have been nice if the guide were a bit fatter - more detailed descriptions - but sufficed to say, this is a small gripe considering that all items, weapons, rings, monsters, and NPCs got descriptions and pictures to go along with them. It's a blessing and a curse because there is always a want for more content, but an efficient guide is also desirable. This strategy guide is efficient to say the least.

Again, I recommend the "Deluxe Version" even though the only real difference is the strategy guide. If you have no need for a tangible guide then there are online resources that definitely match the content. However, the guide is organized, in full color, and there are pictures that go along with the walkthroughs, items, monsters and other aspects of the game. Most online walkthroughs/guides I have looked at do not provide these things, and the ones that do are not in the same league as the guide provided with the deluxe version.

In summary, the guide is NOT necessary, but it is useful and convenient. Hope this helps!
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*Edit:A few additions to the review.It was brought to my attention that the cover of the guide, most noticeably the spine, fades easily.I found that both the spine and front cover have begun that process.

The information in the guide is still very good.However, after much use of the walkthrough I can honestly say that it's not as extensive as I initially thought it was.It covers the essentials for getting main items and tackling bosses, but it does not cover most items that can be found in each level - it does note which levels all items are located, but the walkthrough section skips over where to find them.The walkthrough also minimizes boss battles in some cases and I found myself deviating heavily from the boss guide.Again, it's still a very good guide overall, but do not expect it to have an answer for everything in the game.If you want to get the main, most powerful items, this guide is definitely for you.

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Product Description:
Beautiful, compelling, and at times unforgiving, Demon's Souls is the hardcore RPG experience PS3 owners have been waiting for since the platform's launch. Revolutionary online features define your adventure like never before, presenting seamless interconnectivity that serves in every instance to enhance the single-player game. Unprecedented in its depth and subtlety, peerless in its relentlessly challenging gameplay, Demon's Souls is the ultimate action RPG. The game features:

- A hardcore RPG challenge

- In this brutal land, death is inevitable, but not final. Combining the best features of an action game and RPG, you'll slice, smash, shoot, and cast magic against some of the most horrible, vicious enemies ever encountered. Are you strong enough to face up to the impossible and win?

- Ground-breaking online capabilities

- Network features go far beyond any previous RPG, allowing players to leave hints for each other, replay death scenes, cooperatively revive dead players, or invade and wreak havoc in another's game. Not merely an add-on feature, multiplayer options are vast, and uniquely focused on changing and intensifying the single player experience.

- Freeform and flexible

- The open-ended structure of the game means that there is no single path, but rather a wealth of options. Set your own pace and progress as you like. Build exactly the character you want by creating a detailed avatar, nurturing the right stats, and customizing your skills and equipment.

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Warlords Battlecry II Review

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(More customer reviews)Warlods Battlecry II (Ubisoft, 2002?)
Warlords Battelcry II was recently damned with faint praise in the pages of Computer Gaming World as "the best realtime strategy game completely ignored by the public." Having now been caught in its grip for weeks, barely coming up for food and sleep, I'd have to agree.
Much of the problem, I think, lies with the game's demo, which gives prospective players no idea how the game actually works (the demo contains the tutorial encompassed within the purchased product to teach you how to do such things as move and build, but doesn't get into the game's strategy aspect-- which is what makes it so engrossing), and to top it off must be run with the game's most annoying character, the barbarian hero. After finding myself totally hooked on Warlords Battlecry for a few weeks after getting it free(!) from Computer Gaming World last year, I downloaded the WBC2 demo. About three minutes into it, I remember having downloaded it just after its release and finding it eminently forgettable; the strength of the first game caused me to pick up a cheap copy of this one when I found it at Half Price Books. It's the best videogame investment I've made since getting my hands on a copy of Lords of Magic back in 1997.
Twelve different races with a bunch more class/specialty combinations, loads of hero customizing, the occasional random map, and your ability (within limits) to define the strengths and weaknesses of your whole army as you go along make the game almost endlessly replayable You're liable to lose your first few heroes fast and furious when you start out, but once you get the hang of playing any given side (and the strategies for best using each are radically different from side to side, for various reasons), you can stop concentrating on just keeping your skull in one piece and start working on the more subtle aspects of offing the other guy before he overruns you.
Wonderful, and highly recommended. ****

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Product Description:
This software is BRAND NEW. Packaging may differ slightly from the stock photo above. Please click on our logo above to see over 15,000 titles in stock.

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Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just picked up the game a little while ago so these are just my first impressions. I'm not going to discuss in depth gameplay or graphics; these things have been covered to death in the past couple of months. So to get it out of the way, it's a great game, especially if you're a batman fan and it looks great on the PS3.

The meat of this review will be focusing on the collector's edition and it's contents.

First off, the box for it is huge! Not obnoxiously huge, but substantial. The case that holds everything is a nice plastic batarang shape with sturdy feeling hinges. They did a good job there. Inside foam pieces keep everything from moving around.

As stated on the message boards, the batarang is in fact plastic and it is attached to the stand, though it doesn't look like it would take much effort to detach it. It looks like there's just a small tab holding it in. I would have been much happier with a metal version, even if it drove the cost up a bit. Also of note, the batarang (at least the one I got) has what appear to scratches all over it. I'm not sure if this is normal, but this is how mine showed up. I'd be interested in hearing how others' batarangs are condition-wise. Also, I was under the impression it was a gray color. It's actually black.

The leather bound book is decent in quality but the pictures make it look more substantial than it actually is. It's actually quite thin. The book inside is nice though, with matte pages and lots of pictures. Great for reading up on arkham's finest criminals.

As for the game package, they really dropped the ball on this one. I was expecting a nice case, like those that come with metroid prime trilogy or resident evil 5. Not so, you get a cheap looking and feeling cardboard outer sleeve and inner sleeve that holds the game and bonus DVD. Again, I'd have gladly paid more for a metal case. Or even just the regular game case with a slip case for the DVD, like the fallout 3 collector's edition. Being a collector in the truest sense, I removed the DVD and game and put them in standard ps3 cases and put the cardboard case back in the box to prevent any damage to it. Cardboard cases for games are extremely primitive in my opinion. They show wear way to easily.
The discs themselves are also non-standard in that they both look like old film reels and are labeled as disc one and two. Again, give me the retail game and the bonus DVD separate. I might just pick up the retail game later on and put the collector's edition back in the box.

All in all, I love the game but feel iffy about the collector's edition contents. If they would have just included the retail game and not the cheap cardboard box and colorless discs I'd probably have been satisfied. As it is now, I don't regret the purchase at all, I just feel a bit let down by the contents. It'll bug me until I buy the retail version of the game and I know it's just more money thrown at the game but I'm extremely anal about keeping my collectibles in pristine condition.

So my verdict:
The game gets a 5/5. It's a great game and even more so if you're a batman fan.
The collector's edition content gets a 3/5 for being average. The game's packaging is what really let me down here.
So the average is 4 stars and my score overall. If I were reviewing just the game it would get 5 stars.

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Product Description:
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a single player, third-person action/adventure in which the Dark Knight is forced to take on his greatest challenge yet when he is trapped by arch rival, the Joker, within Gotham City's facility for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. A blend of exciting arcade style combat and stealth mechanics packed with amazing graphics in a moody, immersive setting, Batman: Arkham Asylum offers diverse gameplay options that push the envelope for all action, adventure and superhero games.

Kick it in combat gameplay.
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And stealth action.
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Match wits with The Joker.
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Utilize utility belt gadgets.
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Take on dangerous bosses.
Viewlarger. Story
Batman: Arkham Asylum features an original story penned exclusively for the game by famous Batman author and five-time Emmy award winner, Paul Dini, whose credits include "Lost" season one and "Batman: The Animated Series." As the game begins Batman is personally delivering his nemesis, The Joker, to the asylum at Arkham Island, but he is uneasy. Although the Arkham asylum is well fortified, he has a nagging feeling that all is not well, which proves to be the case when seconds after turning The Joker over to the guards, the master criminal breaks free of his captors. Even more surprising than this quick turn of events is the revelation that it was never The Joker's intent to escape the vault-like facility, but instead to trap Batman there. Surrounded by an asylum full of dangerous criminals, many of which he put there and all at the beck and call of the Joker, can Batman survive and discover what is behind the Joker's intricate plot?

Gameplay
In Batman: Arkham Asylum players strap on the gadget-heavy utility belt of the Caped Crusader. Gameplay here is a combination of both the knuckle crunching rush of hand to hand combat as you take on the hordes of thugs that infest Arkham Asylum, and stealth gameplay in which you must dispatch individuals from the shadows. Players can expect an engrossing single player campaign in which Batman continually moves forward to face the henchmen, bosses and traps that The Joker has set for him. With regards to opponents, in addition to The Joker who you will hear more than you see, the dark walls of Arkham also hold familiar villains from the the Batman criminal universe including Harley Quinn, Victor Zsasz and Killer Croc, that you will have to deal with, but don't expect a one-dimensional experience. As players progress from environment to environment within Arkham they will have to use varying combinations of muscle, detective skills, gadgetry and a certain degree of light RPG-like leveling of Batman's skills, arsenal and physical characteristics to survive and discover what The Joker's underlying scheme is.

In addition to the story-driven single player campaign Arkham Asylumalso contains various additional play modes. These include an arcade styledcombat mode where players accumulate points by engaging hordes of thugsin a hand to hand slugfest across a series of maps, in which Batman'sphysical strength and agility play a major role. The key here is to chaintogether as many attacks as possible due to the fact that with each successfulcombo players increase the point multiplier associated with their actions.The game also features a time-based stealth mode where players must honetheir ability to strike silently from the shadows. This gameplay, referredto as 'Invisible Predator' utilizes the Dark Knight's skill with gadgetslike the grapple tool, batarang and explosives. These allow for vertical/horizontalmobility, the ability to quickly strike from above and at a distance andto take out enemies and create distractions, even through walls. But rememberthat Batman works solo and is not superhuman. Your enemies will congregatearound trouble areas and work as a team against you, so you must besilent, plan your attacks wisely, strike quickly and discover the valueof encouraging fear within enemies.

Key Features

Utilize the unique FreeFlow combat system to chain together unlimited combos seamlessly and battle with huge groups of The Joker's henchmen in brutal melee brawls.
Investigate as Batman, the world's greatest detective, by solving intricate puzzles with the help of cutting edge forensic tools including x-ray scanning, fingerprint scans, 'Amido Black' spray and a pheromone tracker.
Face off against Gotham's greatest villains including The Joker, Harley Quinn, Victor Zsasz and Killer Croc.
Become the Invisible Predator with Batman's fear takedowns and unique vantage point system to move without being seen and hunt enemies.
Choose multiple takedown methods, including swooping from the sky and smashing through walls, and use the predator camera get a closer look at the action.
Explore every inch of Arkham Asylum and roam freely on the infamous island, presented for the first time ever in its gritty and realistic entirety.
Experience what it's like to be Batman using batarangs, explosive gel aerosol, the Batclaw, sonar resonator and the line launcher.
Unlock more secrets by completing hidden challenges in the world and develop and customize equipment by earning experience points.
Enjoy complete superhero freedom in the environment with the use of Batman's grapple to get to any place you can see, jump from any height and glide in any direction.

PlayStation 3 Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition Bonus Items Include:

Waynetech Batarang Storage Box.
14" In-Game Design Batarang (stand attached).
Dr. Young's Journal (50 page full color character encyclopedia).
2 Sleeve DIGI-Pack Including:

Game
Behind the scenes 5 chapter series DVD, including: interviewswith Mark Hammil and Kevin Conroy.

Collector's Edition Challenge Map DLC.
PlayStation 3 exclusive Joker Challenge Map DLC.
Joker voice over performed by Mark Hammil to accompany the bonus Jokercontent.
Manual.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off i'm writing mostly about the goggles. I have to say I was very skeptical about them and didnt expect much, I do this so I won't get let down but when I turned them on. It was amazing, totally worth the money at 150, I don't know about now since their being sold for 100 dollars more but they are really cool. You can see in abosolute darkness, I was amazed. The game itself is, well come on, COD 4 the II. I like games that deliver what the hype is promising. And yes I even stayed up till midnight to get the game for my kid brother on his x-box. Happy Birthday Adrian. P.s. The goggles need 5 double A batteries to work, but it works like no other.

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Product Description:
Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person tactical shooter and the sixth entry in the popular Call of Duty series. True to its name and following the lead of its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, it places players in modern combat settings, as opposed to the WWII environments of the earlier Call of Duty games. This modern approach brings with it new weapons, action and options. Coupled with a variety of gameplay modes including single player, multiplayer and the co-op Special Ops Mode, it is destined to be one of the most popular games of 2009 and a worthy addition to the Call of Duty series.

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Lost Odyssey Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One prominent feature of JRPGs is the emo male protagonist.Only a handful of games break this mold.One such game would be Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue.While Lunar held to the same themes as most JRPGs by discussing the importance of friendship, the battle of Good versus Evil, it maintained a general sense of joviality.Even when things inevitably went dark, the characters kept their happy-go-lucky attitude.

Lost Odyssey is the antithesis of Lunar.

Kaim is your typical tortured soul protagonist, except that, unlike most others who write bad poetry while metaphorically slitting their wrists and bemoaning their wretched life, he actually has a reason to be.He's an immortal, apparently cursed to live forever and has already lived 1,000 years.So, when the game begins with a climactic battle involving a meteor, he's had many lifetimes of sorrow, guilt, death and tragedy that would obviously make anyone's existence incredibly dour.If you're a sucker for sad stories, Kaim's tale will undoubtably tug at your heart strings.

Basically, two stories are going on at once in Lost Odyssey.There's the current story that I'll get to in a bit.There's also the back story that comes flitting through in written form every once in awhile.You see, Kaim suffers from another JRPG staple: the amnesiac hero.He, and other immortals like him, don't remember much about their past for some reason.And so, as Kaim continues his quest, events will trigger memories and you have the option of reading them.These little vignettes are written by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, an award-winning Japanese novelist, and it shows.

These 34 stories, in fact, often overshadow the main story line.The main quest involves discovering why Kaim and the other immortals are amnesiac and they quickly become embroiled in a political landscape more polarizing than the current times we live in.A few different countries eye each other ominously and one of the main points of contention comes down to technology and magic.Add in some political backstabbing and enough emotional baggage to sink the Titanic and you basically have the very interesting and mature story in a nutshell.

The combat is typical JRPG; turn-based and random.Eschewing their previous game's encounter system (Blue Dragon), Lost Odyssey has plenty of random encounters.Fortunately, with the exception of a few areas, the encounters aren't as frequent as they have been in some games.A couple additions to the combat and leveling system add to the thrill.For instance, taking a cue from Shadow Hearts, you can equip various "Rings" on characters which will add various abilities to their attacks.The twist is that you have to trigger these additions by holding the right trigger and releasing it as a big circle perfectly shrinks to match a smaller circle.This little homage to Shadow Hearts should be expected since Feel Plus, a studio working with Mistwalker on this title, is comprised of some ex-Sacnoth employees who had created the Shadow Hearts series.

The leveling system is also pretty interesting as you have Immortals who don't learn skills when they level and Mortals who do.Consequently, you can "skill link" an Immortal to a specific Mortal Skill and learn it eventually.This creates an interesting dynamic where you want to have Mortals and Immortals in your party to gain their knowledge and also to have them level up.The one complaint I have is that members not in your party don't automatically gain experience.And due to the fact that you'll want your mortals to level so you can learn more skills, you'll constantly be flipping your formation around (you can have five members in your party at a time).

From a sound perspective, Lost Odyssey surprised me.The score from Final Fantasy mainstay Nobuo Uematsu is familiar and different, bringing to mind some of his excellent compositions from Final Fantasy.Meanwhile, this is one of the few JRPGs to offer a Japanese vocal track if you'd like to listen to that...and it's one of the only games where I don't want it.The English vocal staff is excellent for the most part.I really, really like it and the dialogue is (mostly) written well.

So there's obviously a big elephant in the room.Lost Odyssey is very reminiscient of Final Fantasy which is to be expected since you have Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of the entire Final Fantasy series, and his cohort in musical crime onboard.Then you add in the fact that Feel Plus is made of ex-Sacnoth employees who were, in turn, former Square employees...and you have the recipe for a game that's pretty close to Square's long-winded series.

Along with the aforementioned party-swapping to level, a few other complaints bring the score down.For one, there's a lot of load times.And load times during cut scenes which is a huge no-no in my book.The frame rate does take a few dips every so often and while it's not a deal-breaker, it is noticeable.And the beautiful graphics are often marred with aliasing issues, resulting in what's called "jaggies."Combat also takes awhile to load into, as the game shows you various images, then the main characters are introduced before finally showing the enemies and the battle starts.All of this is to hide the load times, I'm sure, but it slows combat down a lot.

Ultimately, though, the complaints are minor nuisances in what is a great addition to the JRPG line.It's fun, mature, dark and sad, sometimes all at once.Unfortunately, Lost Odyssey seems to be taking a beating in the mainstream gaming press who have said it's "soooo old fashioned," a claim that probably wouldn't be made if you switch the words "Lost" and "Odyssey" with "Final" and "Fantasy" with some roman numeral...maybe with a dash and a number.

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Product Description:
Lost Odyssey X360

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DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great game, but i have a few things i want to cry about.My biggest issue is the turntable. Its too small. I tried first to play with the default settings, that place the buttons on the left close to the fader, and within minutes my wrist was killing me.Luckily you can change this so the buttons are on the outside. But the biggest problem for me is trying to scratch with the blue button, its so close to the middle of the turntable im moving the whole unit. I was using the stand that came with the Renegade Edition, wich is actually pretty nice and sturdy, then i tried it on my lap and then on an ottoman with pretty much the same results. Its not so bad i wont play, but it can be frustrating. I hope they come out with a bigger one, say 10" compared to the 7" or 8" this one seems to be. So, other then that, I'm really enjoying this game.The tutorial with Grand Master Flash was a great way to get a feel for what level i wanted to start playing at. (im sticking to medium for now) Tons of stuff to unlock, you can customize what samples you want (to an extent) and the music is just awsome. There aro so many great mixes on here its silly. My favorite so far is Bel Biv Devoes Poison, and Cameos Word Up.The carrying case is well made and as i said before is pretty sturdy when converted into the stand. It holds the game the turntable and the legs for the stand.The Jay-Z and Eminem cd has some good songs on it.Was it worth the extra 70 bux? As of right now... yes. As with most limited edition things i buy, ask me in a few months and my answer might change =) but it always seems like the thing to do at the time right?There are 5 levels of difficulty and anyone can play this game. Beginner mode a 5 year old can do while on expert i personally need an extra hand, (stupid fade spikes) Im not sure if this will have the following that guitar hero has but if you ever wanted to be a dj but never got around to it, this is a game i think you will enjoy.

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Product Description:
The makers of Guitar Hero introduce an entirely fresh and innovative way to experience music and rhythm gameplay. DJ Hero features an amazing variety of music across genres – tracks that you love and reflect who you are. Using an authentic turntable controller, you will spin and scratch more than 100 songs into unique mixes and become the life of the party. Get ready for a whole new phenomena in music.

Become the ultimate DJ.
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Innovative turntable controller.
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Multiplayer challenges.
View larger. Music and Gaming Via a Revolutionary Controller
Like the music that inspired it, DJ Hero allows players to experience music in a new revolutionary way through through its game-specific controller. Included with the DJ Hero software, the DJ Hero controller is a combination turntable and mixer that immerses you into authentic DJ culture allowing you to scratch, cross-fade, and beat match. The turntable half of the controller features three color-coated buttons used to direct action during gameplay and a realistically rotating turntable. The opposite end of the controller contains the mixer controls in the form of a lateral fader allowing for switching between tracks and mixing, a knob for additional effects and a button for capturing "euphoria," a star power-like point bonus.

In addition, the mixer portion of the controller detaches to accommodate left-handed players and contains an out of the way compartment holding a D-pad and conventional controller buttons for easy console navigation. Taken together, both halves of the controller allow players to customize their mix with a variety of effects and samples transforming a face in the crowd into the life of the party.

Gameplay
Gameplay in DJ Hero is reminiscent to games in the Guitar Hero series. Musical prompts stream towards players on one of three color-coded ribbons; red and blue which correspond to the two tracks that the player is able to simultaneously or individually manipulate, as well as a red one between these two, used to insert samples. In addition to hitting individual notes and samples, players are also challenged to scratch on command by pressing the appropriate button for the track and sliding the turntable up or down as indicated on the ribbon. The game also provides players with a chance to turn back the clock on earlier action via its "Rewind" feature. This ability is monitored via the rewind meter that levels higher with successful play, and and when full allows the player to rewind the song to fix errors in their earlier performance. The reward for precision is the build up of points, which can be temporarily doubled via euphoria power with the push of a button on the mixer end of the controller.

Rule the Hottest Parties
In the tradition of Guitar Hero, which brought gamers into the world of rock ‘n' roll, DJ Hero places players in the DJ booth at some of the hottest clubbing scenes from around the globe. Party in venues reminiscent of real world locales from around the globe including an ultra plush and sexy Hollywood Hills style mansion, to an open air beach club in Ibiza.

Play Modes
Although DJ Hero contains engrossing single player game options, including a career mode, much of the action in the game surrounds its wealth of multiplayer modes. These include both online and offline multiplayer competitive and cooperative modes: including DJ vs. DJ, DJ + DJ and DJ + Guitar.

Set List
The DJ Hero set list is constructed of 100 songs, crafted into more than 80 two-song DJ mixes. These mixes are the product of both the creative talents of internationally known DJs such as DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, DJ AM and Daft Punk and the game development team. All songs used are new to the Guitar Hero family of games and are pulled from a wide array of genres, including pop, grunge, soul, R&B, techno, hip hop, and house.

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Just Cause 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is just a preliminary review, I will update as I play further.Right now I'm about 45 minutes into the game and have completed a few missions.The first thing that I'd like to say is that the graphics are excellent for a sandbox game.The character models are very good and the environments are almost breathtaking.Foliage moves in the breeze and sunlight flickers as the leaves move.The colors are bright and vibrant, almost like the Uncharted color palette.The draw distance is good, with some minor pop-in with some ground foliage.You can see mountains which look like miles off in the distance.There are few minor jaggies on the edges of things, however not as bad as games such as InFamous.One more thing to add about the graphics is that the particle effects and explosions look really good.Dust flies up and flames/debris shoot out.

The grappling hook and parachute work marvelously.You can basically grapple onto anything within reach and then use a pistol to shoot enemies or structures.Jumping off of cliffs, you can use your parachute to glide all around the environment, it can also be used during base jumping off of high structures.

The aiming is sort of assisted.You have to have your cross hairs near an enemy and it kinda locks on.According to the manual you can target specific parts of enemies, but I haven't tried that yet.I enjoyed taking a mounted minigun off its stand and carrying it (it has unlimited ammo, unlike other weapons I have discovered)A lot of objects in the game are destructible, except buildings (in my limited experience so far)Light poles are destructible, however some lights, like on buildings and such can't be destroyed, which isn't a big deal.

Overall, if you like sandbox games, I recommend this game.If you're on the fence about purchasing it, there's a demo available.

EDIT: 3/24/10
After playing a few more hours last night, I am still impressed with the game.The graphics are very nice, as stated above.The cut-scenes have a lower graphic quality than the game.I was a little disappointed, but the game itself is beautiful.

I experimented more with the grapple.You can grapple two things together, in once instance you tow a car out from under some debris.Another thing to do is you can pull down statues of the island's ruler to create chaos.[A word about chaos, there are government buildings and equipment all around the island, by destroying them you create chaos and help you gain notoriety.By increasing your level of chaos, you gain access to more missions and equipment.]You can also grapple enemies toward you or hang them off of trees or buildings.You can only use one grapple at a time.If you double grapple something, you press a button to make it come back to you somehow (it's a game, not real life, so it basically works like magic).

Free falling in the game is a blast.The designers made it feel like you're actually falling from extremely high up and the controller vibrates as though you're experiencing wind resistance.You can open your parachute at any time, whether falling or while in vehicles. Using a parachute while in/on vehicles allows you to gain altitude.Once you're in the air, you can grapple onto another vehicle and throw the driver out or just ride on top.

Don't expect realism in this game as far as the stunts you perform.You can ride on top of a speeding car and not fall off, you can dive down over the front of the car and shoot.There is just so much to explore and do in this game.There are different things which you can search for such as the statues mentioned above.I think there are 90 scattered all over the place so it's fun to look for them and take them down.There are 3 factions on the island and so far I helped take over one base for them.

The driving is a little weird at first, as far as handling.Different vehicles handle differently, the larger ones are slow and clumsy to control.You get handbrakes to help you take sharp turns and such.There are mopeds, motorcycles, copters, planes, boats, jeeps, cars, taxis, buses, firetrucks, tons of stuff to drive, there are actually 104 different vehicles and you gain a trophy for driving each one (basically hopping in).

One last thing, the shadows in the game are ugly, unlike the rest of the game.At times they look jaggy and pixelated, but the action is fast and you hardly notice.

I will update again once I play even more of the game.

EDIT: 3/28/10
I've been playing 6 hours and 21 minutes.According to the statistics, I'm only 6% finished with the game.The map is HUGE!When fully zoomed out, it measures 16"x16" on my 46" TV.I've explored roughly a 1.5" square within those 6 hours.Granted, I did spend an hour or so just fiddling around.The game has extensive statistics and it keeps you updated periodically.A message appears in the corner telling you how many hours you've been playing, how many different vehicles driven (there's also a check list on the stat screen), how many statues you've destroyed, various free fall heights, etc.The stat screen is interesting to check out because the game keeps track of so many things.

There are racing challenges (not hard and I'm not a fan of driving games), free fall races where you base jump and have to fall through rings in the sky, and aerial races where you can fly either a plane or helicopter.The planes take some getting used to and I've always crashed :(

The trophies are fun to collect.I'm not a fan of looking at the requirements, but the few I did check out seemed pretty cool.I've only racked up a handful but I'm not purposely trying to get them until later in the game.

EDIT: 4/7/10
I've put in around 22 hours and have completed roughly 16% of the game.The reason it's taking so long is because it's rather difficult to achieve 100% completion in the cities!There are always hidden water towers I keep missing or propaganda trailers off in some corner.Also there was a gas station in an out of the way place I missed for over an hour.I've gotten 100% completion in about 4 areas.The cities are huge with a lot of ground and air to cover.Plus, once you get further into the game your heat level increases faster.Just shooting a couple water towers with a helicopter will send air support after you.

I'm still having a blast 22 hours into the game.It's so fun to just explore that I've only completed 3 storyline missions.I have actually gotten frustrated with the business district of Panau.I'm stuck at 97% complete so I'm about to start exploring further into the mountain and desert regions.

A question I received was are the collectable items located on the map as dots?The answer is yes.However, I'll be damned if I can find some of them.I can be right over a dot on the map and there's nothing but trees in the area, no crate to be found.I'm not sure if it's an error in the code, or it's hidden somewhere, but I've given up more than a few times.

FYI, you can complete the challenges multiple times to earn more money.There's nothing worse than buying a $35,000 plane and crashing it after flying 50 yards.If anyone is able to complete the free falling challenges, congrats, I am having a difficult time with those!

Post any questions and I will try to answer them quickly.

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Product Description:
Just Cause 2 is a stunning technological leap from the original - Designed with 2nd generation software technology for a true high definition gaming experience. New level of action gameplay in open environments - Only Just Cause 2 delivers action in the air, on the land, and under the water, plus multi-point, real-time vehicle movement and grapple-action that allows players to grab nearly anything within 200 feet. Three times as many missions as the original - All-new abilities and stunts. The best open-world action on the market!.

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Red Faction Guerrilla Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Red Faction: Guerilla is a sandbox game that has a enough unique elements in it that separates it from the recent influx of sandbox titles. The environment is uncommon and and the main character is a revolutionary that actually fights for a cause that isn't.selfish, and he isn't a thug.

DESIGN
Guerilla is designed like most snadbox titles with a unlockable map, safe house, mission objectives and a weak story. You drive around a decent sized landscape using a varied set of vehicles that are different than most sandbox games. The Mars environment is a nice change and the day/night cycle is put to great use to illiminate the barren, mountanious landscape. Compared to most open world games that involve cities, Guerilla's design is very plain in and rather monotonous. Most of Guerilla's innovation comes with the Geo Mod 2.0 Engine that allows you to destroy any man made object with great detail.

GAMEPLAY
Red Factions gameplay is typical of all the recent sandbox games. The unique environment provides a different twist on the missions, while the repetition and weak story continues the grenres shortcomings. Guerilla's gameplay involves expanding a map by completing mission objectives, and furthering the Red Factions cause inside the different Mars colonies. Red Faction'smost endearing quality is that you play as a good man, with good intentions. The shooting is competent, the vehicle controls are good, and the citizen involvement is impressive. The enemy faction known as the EDF (Earth Defense Force) are everywhere, and the moral meter that controls colonists involvement within your actions is an important element. However, the most important gameplay device is the building destruction, and this is what takes Red Faction: Guerilla above most sandbox titles. You can use the destruction element in your favor during missions, and some objecives strictly adhere to destroying everything. This gameplay mechanic is very fun, and nicely detailed.

PRESENTATION
Guerilla is nice looking for a sandbox game. The environment graphics are nice, and the mountain terrain and sky are detailed and immersive. The character graphics and sound are less impressive, but still convey a decent amount of reality. Most impressive is the sound and look of crumbling buildings. Whether you blow up a foundation and watch as it slowly falls under its own weight,or you plant five charges to a single vehicle and watch as it lights up like the fourth of July, the small nuances of the destruction engine are incredibly impressive. Red Faction: Guerilla boasts a decent symphonic score and the games overall presentation is honorable for a sandbox title.

FINAL WORD
If destroying buildings is your thing. Buy Red Faction: Guerilla. As a sandbox game it plays well, has good production values, and allows you to play as a character with a cause, but it still comes with the typical sandbox games shortcomings like repetition, and a weakly told story. It is a lengthy and fun game, that still has yet to perfect the flawed trappings of the sandbox genre.

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Product Description:
Set 50 years after the climactic eventsof the original Red Faction, Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-personshooter that allows players to take the role of an insurgent fighter withthe newly reestablished Red Faction guerilla movement on Mars as they battle forliberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force. Red Faction: Guerrillaredefines the limits of destruction-based gameplay with a huge open-world,fast-paced guerilla-style combat, 16-player online multiplayer and truephysics-based destruction.

Do maximum tactical damage.
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Utilize hit & run guerilla tactics.
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Weapons high-tech and low.
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Land and air vehicles.
Viewlarger. The Story
In the year 2075, the Earth Defense Force (EDF) received a distress signalfrom a small mining facility on the surface of Mars. A group of rebels callingthemselves the Red Faction had overthrown the ruthless Ultor Corporationafter years of oppression. The EDF responded by launching a fleet of warshipsto Mars to aid the miners, bring Ultor to justice and restore order to theMartian colonies. In order to ensure safety and security for the newly liberatedcolonists, the EDF set up command posts and bases across the planet. Initially,under the EDF's rule, the people of Mars prospered: colonists establishedhomesteads, built towns and independent mining operations and began to stakeand work their mining claims. But the more things change on Mars, the morethey stay the same.

The troubles began with colonists being driven from their homes and mining claims by greedy, Earth-based corporations. Then came a 50 year turn of events that saw the EDF adopting the heavy-handed tactics that it once stood against. Yet in doing so it also instilled a deep-seated resentment among the miners and settlers of the Martian colonies. One of these new Martians is miner Alec Mason, whose dream of a new life carved out of the course Martian soil was crushed in the face of EDF-ordered curfews, detention centers, beatings, mass arrests and personal tragedy. But as powerful as the EDF is, there is resistance. Mason and a small group of revolutionaries have banded together, taken up the Red Faction name and pledged to again bring about a free Mars. And though their enemy has changed, their battle cry remains unchanged: "Better Red than Dead."

Key Game Features:

Join the Revolution - When the citizens of Mars can no longer bear the injustice of an oppressive regime, the fate of the planet lies in the hands of Alex Mason and the Red Faction.
Open World Guerilla Warfare - You decide who, when, where and how to battle. Utilize guerilla tactics, improvised weaponry, and modified vehicles to lead insurgent attacks on EDF targets. Launch attacks based on your own gameplay style, take on missions in any order you choose, or engage in destructive activities to weaken the EDF's grip on Mars.
Geo-Mod Technology 2.0 - Use destruction to your tactical advantage, setting ambushes or chain reaction explosions to attack enemy strongholds and permanently modify the game environment. Leverage fully-dynamic physics-based destruction to improvise on the fly: blow holes in a wall or floor to set an ambush or escape, take out a staircase to stop your pursuers, or drive vehicles through blown out walls.
Evolving & Emergent Gameplay - Carve your path through an ever changing landscape as you improvise your combat tactics – mixing gameplay styles, vehicles, weapons and explosives to defeat the EDF.
Epic Sci-fi Setting - Explore the huge, unforgiving Martianlandscape, from the desolate mining outpost of Parker to the gleamingEDF capital city of Eos; then tear through the fully destructible open-worldenvironments swarming with EDF forces, Red Faction resistance fighters,and the downtrodden settlers caught in the crossfire.
Multiplayer Combat - There is no place to hide when you put your guerilla warfare skills to the test in a variety of highly destructive 2-16 person online multiplayer combat modes.
PlayStation Network Support - Build your trophy collection and leaderboard placement via full PlayStation Network (PSN) support.

Guerilla Warfare
You don't stand a chance against the EDF using standard military tactics.The only recourse when the few stand against the many is the use of hit and runtactics. Learn the routes of the patrols and quickest ways in and out ofEDF strongholds. By studying these things you can instinctively know whento attack, and when to wait for a better opportunity.

Ambushes are also useful in thinning EDF ranks. Remote charges andproximity mines are your best friend when preparing an ambush. A few well-placedcharges on the structural supports of a bridge can do wonders for stoppinga convoy dead in its tracks. Above all else, remember this: guerilla tactics are not aboutfighting fair, they are about winning.

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Devil May Cry 4 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all I must say that this review may seem a bit biased as I absolutely love the DMC game series. It's quite possibly one of the best games of it's genre. The game looks simply amazing, the voice acting is superb, it's fun to play, and it's very easy to pick up for those new to the DMC series. It's got everything, a captivating storyline, amazing cut scenes, intense boss fights and more. Has a high replay value. It's one of the few single player games I have that I've actually put back in the xbox after beating it more than once. If there were anything I would change about it, it would be the awkward camera angles (not too many but at times you will notice what I'm talking about). Very highly recommend this title! Good luck.

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Product Description:
Long ago the Dark Knight Sparda rebelled against the dark emperor and waged a one-man war to save humanity. Thousands of years later, a religious organization worships this renowned savior and has taken it upon themselves to rid the world of all evil. Residing in Fortuna, this organization is known as the "Order of the Sword," and is made up of an elite group of "Holy Knights." One day, a young knight named Nero witnesses Sparda's legendary son Dante slaughter his fellow warriors. Has the renowned devil hunter turned his back on mankind? What does thie encounter mean for these two individuals? In Devil May Cry 4, players control the formidable Nero who comes to grips with his newly found power as his beliefs and allegiance are tested. Continuing the legacy of fast paced action synonymous with the series, Devil May Cry 4 pushes the envelope of excellence even further with the inclusion of a new combat system that incorporates Nero's "Devil Bringer, a new feature that has players delivering overwhelming damage to enemies with non-stop combos, while gaining new power for Nero's right arm. With the PlayStation 3 system's advanced graphical capabilities, high definition visuals and intricate detail come to life as players explore new and exotic locales. Amazing visual effects and dynamic action coupled with a complex storyline, provides the very cool, slick and stylish attitude that only a Devil May Cry game can deliver.New active style change system for Dante allows him to switch styles and weapons on the fly, producing crazy combo possibilitiesESRB Rated M for Mature

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Way of the Samurai 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been waiting for this game for a while and this game was near impossible to find, but I finally found a copy and got to play for the first time last night.It follows the along the same model of the original The Way of the Samurai.There are tons of swords and fighting styles, that will keep you enthralled for hours upon hours, and once you find that certain sword/style that fits you, you can learn new techniques and level the sword so you can become the ultimate assassin, protector, or just plain ole bad a**. This game is full of action around every turn, and the best concept is that you can choose which path you want to take, if you want to become a rich samurai you can join the fujimori clan, or you can be a sole wanderer a ronin,or you can protect the citizens of a poor city who are being heavily taxed, or you can plot against the fujimori clan and join the ouika clan who are a bunch of thieves and robbers, and the beauty of it is it's all up to you which path you choose.The fighting in this game is superb, depending on which sword you use that is the fighting style used, or you can fight bare handed which is pretty fun as well.I thoroughly enjoyed and am still enjoying this game, if this game sounds like something you might like, or if your like me, I really enjoy old samurai movies especially Akira Kurosawa films, you'll love this game.One of my favorite things about this game is one of the faces you can choose for your samurai looks almost exactly like Toshiro Mifune.In all I give this game a 5 out of 5.Maybe more, this is possibly one of my favorite games of the year.

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Product Description:
The consequences of your actions will determine your fate. Choose to fight along side good or evil during the tumultuous time of the Sengoku era and carve your name into history. Become a hero or become infamous. The choice is yours.Take the role of a samurai and choose your own path blazing a trail of honer loyalty and respect or one of villainy corruption and greed. The canonical series best known for its high level of freedom and play style is back best known for its high level of freedom and play style is back with improved features graphics and new game play mechanics sure to please fans of this enduring series.Key Features:The Butterfly Effect - With over 15 different endings every action you take will cause a chain of events to occur allowing for multiple outcomes and replay-ability. Every action has a reaction and the following consequences open up new paths to explore.Weapon Customization and Abilities - Craft your own unique weapons from over 200 different parts and materials creating the ultimate weapon that suits your taste and fighting style. Create lethal blades spears pole axes and more while discovering new abilities and skills with increased use. Become a master of one or of many.Reward System and Samurai Rating - Performing different feats will reward a player with Samurai Points and a Title which in turn will unlock new features and characters within the game. Fight honorably in the way of the samurai live your life as a bandit or strive to uphold the government. These choices will net different points and values encouraging multiple play throughs to unlock everything.The Pen Can Be Mightier Then The Sword - Fight your opposition with force or take the diplomatic route using subtle gestures like the unsheathing of your sword. With an extensive dialogue tree weapons combo system and more this hybrid title delivers on multiple fronts.Format: PS3 Genre:RPG (VG) Rating:RP Age:093992093600 UPC:093992093

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Pro-Evolution Soccer 2010 Review

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(More customer reviews)For the record, neither EA nor Konami has made any innovative upgrades to their franchises for many years. Back when Konami wasn't releasing a new game every year, there used to be surprising innovations in the PES franchise. FIFA hasn't changed much in terms of gameplay since FIFA98. So both FIFA and PES are far from what they should be.

If you have been playing FIFA: there is little justification for you to switch. PES 2010 doesn't offer a much more enjoyable experience.

If you have been playing PES: This is the PES that you are used to and love, it's a nice upgrade from PES2009 in almost any aspect of the game.

If you have never played a soccer game before: Take PES, it has better player movements, tactical support, good AI (except for the refs and the goalies). It may lack the realistic feel outside the penalty area that FIFA is slightly better at, but it is much more exciting in the penalty area when it comes to passing and shooting for goals. Goals in FIFA are a bit more boring than PES goals.

Pros
* Slightly improved Become a Legend Mode
* Slightly improved online play
* Much improved Master League
* Much improved graphics
* Much improved tactics and strategy support
* Brit-pop heavy tracks

Cons
* Slow response for some moves and some parts of the field
* Brit-pop heavy tracks

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Product Description:
Pro Evolution Soccer is a video game built on pride, the pride that comes from making the most realistic soccer experience one can have within the world of gaming. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 does not disappoint and this year, the voices of fans world-wide have been heard. Based in Japan, Winning Eleven Productions has instituted a host of anticipated changes that make PES 2010 the best yet. In PES 2010 you'll find yourself on the largest stage in digital soccer: The Champions League. Imagine you're in a 1-1 tie in stoppage time against Manchester United. You've broken their defense and are sprinting full throttle into a man to man match of wits and reflexes with Edwin van der Sar... Do you have what it takes to punch it in for the win?

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Skate Review

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(More customer reviews)A new series, walking into the mouth of a lion, skate is one of the most innovative and fresh games in the genera.A new control scheme paired with amazingly detailed graphics and challenging game play make for a sure buy if you're a fan of any extreme game series.

First and foremost, if you have a obsessive personality or are a perfectionist stay away from this game, because you'll not be getting any sleep.For everyone else the new flickit controls have a very hard learning curve, but after 15 minutes you should get the hang of it.A few problems with the controls plague this game, its super frustrating to hit the tiniest bump and have your skater turn around in the opposite direction but this is minor in a sea full of awesome.

The story doesn't have a lot of variety but what it does have is entertaining and enough to keep you going to the end.

Overall a solid game with room for great improvement that will leave it on the top of the ramp compared to everything else in the long run.Go pick this up if you've enjoyed other skating games, or if you want to try something new that will leave you having great times for a long time.

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Product Description:
SKATE X360

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Saints Row 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Saint's Row 2 is just about everything fans of the original could've asked for, and more! Right off the bat, you'll notice just how many improvements have been done over the original. You start off in a coma, and you're asked to either re-create your guy from the last game, or make someone new. And this time, you can have a girl play as Stilwater's legendary gangster! You can go around the 'Saint's Row' equivalent of Chicago as a male or female.

The character customizations have been far expanded, and rival that of another THQ franchise, The "WWE SmackDown! Vs. RAW" series. You can fine tune just about any facial feature to your liking, and once the game starts, you can buy your way up to owning cool clothes, which are far superior to the first game's clothing options. Even in Sloppy Seconds, you can customize color, material, and style of your clothing. Of course, keep in mind that Sloppy Seconds has some pretty awful clothes, too! I had my guy back in Saint's Purple in no time! The women's clothing is far less appealing though, although maybe I just haven't unlocked the hot Victoria's Secret wear, yet. The character cutomization truly is more advanced this time around, but a little bit of things irk me in the customization.

For example, you can't choose height once again in your character. In the first game, the Protagonist was way too short. About 5'6" or so. In this, he's kinda too tall. Maybe 6'1" or 6'2", but he (or she, as females have the same towering height as your men) completely towers over everyone else in town. Also, the body options are kinda weird. It's like, you can only choose a body "type" for them, like obese, or thin, and you can't fine tune things, like their stomach or chest. For women, their breasts are kind of too pointy. For men, their body shape is kind of odd, with big arms and a slightly disproportionate body (assuming your guy isn't an obese fellow). Some things are kind of too in-depth (like ear customization, for example. Who cares about ears?) While the body customizations could've been more expanded. Also, the "Personality" features aren't as in-depth as I was hoping for. Basically, you choose voice, walking style, compliment taunt, and insult taunts. The voices are basically White, Black, and Hispanic male and females. The White guy voice is British, probably because the game developers are also, British, and they wanted a local guy in there. I'm guessing most people will end up using the Black Male voice or White Female voice. The gender equality goes beyond your main character though, and also shows up in the gangs, too, as before, only about 10% of your enemies were female, as now it's about 40% of women in the enemy gangs. And it seems like the entire police force seems to made up of women, which is a little odd.

When you actually begin, you start off with a prison break, and get access to the newly expanded fighting system. While very simple to use, it's actually quite hard to master, and I like that. Basically, you can punch two different ways, do combos, and block. There's other things you can learn later too, like the new Human Shield option, where you can toss people acorss streets like they're only 10 pounds light. Of course, this is just for your basic fighting style. You'll learn new ways to brawl later in the game, as well! You also now also pick up inanimate objects like cinderblocks, trash cans, or virtually anything, and use them as makeshift fighting weapons. Your non-firearm weapons have greatly been expanded, and the variety of different melee weapons rivals that of San Andreas. However, in this game, you can make much cooler use of them! I stongly suggest once you hit the streets of new Stilwater, to find a Ronin gang member and steal his or her katana blade. That thing rocks! Both objects and newer melee attacks are also available in Grand Suck Auto IV, but Saint's Row 2 makes much better uses out of all of them! It's a complete no contest here in which game's are better. With weapons, all your favorites are back, and the annoying habit of constantly having to switch out guns for ammo to get different ones that have been taken off of your enemies is gone! Because now, we have dual-weilding, baby! Your guy or girl will be able to shoot out two Vice 9's, at once, now, and do it like the pro they are! Unlike San Andreas, you won't have to level up skill points to earn advanced weaponry weilding because the game assumes your guy is already a master of the firearms from the first game! I love how convient Volition are! They're willing to cut the crap (like having to swim miles to make it to shore) and just give you the fun gaming goodness you want from the get-go! When you deal with explosives, if you're too close to the blast, it'll blast out your character's ear drums and they'll be temporally deaf! It's a nice touch with really shows you how much explosives can mess your character up! Saint's Row 2 also gives you Autosaving, so if your game freezes on you or the power goes out, you can start off from the last mission or activity you completed. Autosaving at first doesn't seem to useful, but once an unexpected something DOES happen to you or your game, you'll be so glad it's there! I made it to Lv. 6 of Drug Trafficking and didn't save any of it when my 360 shut down on me. But with the Autosave feature, I was able to restart from the end of Lv. 5 and not lose a thing! It's such a great and convient feature to have!

Once again, you'll have to earn respect to do new missions, but the Activities now are a lot more fun, and many of the lame ones from the first game, except the stupid Insurance Fraud ones, which I've always hated, are gone. Activities are now divided by Diversions (the lesser, old Activities) and the true "Activities" now are the ones that take much longer time to complete, such as Chop Shop and Hit Man, which once again make a return. I hopped in a car with my girl and immeadially started a Drive-By activity on some Sons of Samedi. Now, in the Diversions, there are six levels instead of eight, and for some, you can continue up to each level without interuption. I didn't even know I was on Level 5 in Drive-By until I actually checked up the top of the screen. The new diversion activities are awesome. "vehicle Surfing" is tricky but fun, until you fall of the car, that is! In "Trail Blazing" you get to race to a checkpoint all while on fire, blowing up cars on impact and lighting people on fire, earning time. It's sort of a mix of Mayhem and Racing, and it's very fun. "Fuzz" is the Stilwater equivalent of Cops and you get to play as the all-around corrupt police officer, hurting people breaking the law, and getting good and violent footage for the TV show. By the further levels, it gets really fun and interesting, like stopping a Pirate-Ninja war! "Crowd Control" has you playing as a celebrity bodyguard, stopping mobs of crazy fans from hurting your client! Depending on the level, you can trhow people into chopper blades, toss them into attack dogs, crush them with a bulldozer, cram them into an airport security x-ray machine, or chuck em into an oncoming el train!

There are more ways to earn respect now, too. Inspired by the Balls Meter from the "Scarface: The World Is Yours" game, you can now earn respect by doing ballsy things that Tony Montana did in his game, like driving in the wrong lane of traffic and taunting bad people like cops and gang members, and also now pimps and hoes, who are now official "enemies", as well. The only thing missing is the ability to yell at people who crash into your car while driving. Just don't get TOO much respect before using it up on missions, though, as after Lv. 99, your respect is Infinite, and that sort takes all the fun out of it, having Infinite respect and all.

The new Stilwater is a much darker, depressing place than the old Stilwater, which is ironic considering that the old Stilwater was probably much more violent. It's about 50% larger, and the new places are less inviting to you than you'd think they'd be. They clearly don't like your kind around there. The new gangs have a bit more unity than the old ones did, and respect each other's territories, leaving the endangered Third Streets Saint's pretty much their only common enemy. Many parts of old Stilwater have been rebuilt by Ultor's multi-million dollar city renovation. With Ultor Corporation owning Stilwater and turning it into a bleak metropolis for the Upper Class and snobby, you'll have the incredible feeling of both familarity and newness, all at the same time. Some old, favorite neighborhoods will look familar, but will be dark, barren and full of bums and prostitutes. Others, such as the humble Saint's Row, have been completely taken over! Seems like at least 20 years of change since 2006, though, when our old familar Stilwater was Ultor-free. Only a few list of people actually return for the sequel, but luckly, it's all the ones you would want to see return, including your best pal, Johnny Gat. Also in Stilwater are the new gangs. They also follow the same trend of having a Drug gang, a street punk gang, and a Corporate Business gang. Taking the place of the Latin Los Carnales, the Caucasian Westside Rollerz, and the Black Vice Kings are the Haitian Sons of Samedi, the Caucasian Brotherhood of Stilwater, and The Asian Ronin. The fourth, "unofficial" gang are the Ultor Corporation, themselves, and they run pretty much everything in new Stilwater, including all of the police. The Ronin are probably the deadliest gang, as they all carry katana blades and chase after you on high speed motorcyles, which comes off as a lot more vicious and scary than the standard street car pursuits the other gangs do. I won't say too much, but there's a little bit of "Kill Bill" as you progress through the Ronin storyline. They're definitely the best to take on out of the three...Read more›

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Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)By now, you are familiar with the infamous Ninja Gaiden double-dip. Released a little over a year ago on the XBOX360, Ninja Gaiden II comes to the PS3 as Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

After a lengthy 8 minute install, you begin the game. The wait is made a little better (or worse, depending on your perspective) by a series of comic book stills with cheesy voices and sound effects while it's copying. The improvements are vast and numerous, starting with the graphics. As good as the 360 version was, Sigma 2 is better. Enemies are lavishly detailed, moves are flashy and spectacular with terrific lighting effects, and bosses are absolutely HUGE. Some levels, gameplay mechanics and enemies received small tweaks, and some are completely revamped. I beat the 360 version and now having completed Sigma 2, I can say that playing the PS3 version is almost like a new experience, especially because of the introduction of several new bosses, online play, mission mode, and 3 new playable characters: Momiji, Rachael, and Ayane. There are a total of 17 levels, 2 or 3 of which are totally new (1 level each for the playable characters). There is none of the slowdown that plagued the 360 version, although I noticed that some bodies now vaporize in order to save processing power. Story is pretty much nonsense and a lot less focused than Ninja Gaiden/Sigma, having you jump around the world, so just ignore it.

First of the changes is the oft-mentioned easier difficulty. I played on "Path of the Warrior" ("Path of the Acolyte" is the other starting difficulty) and found it very easy to defeat many of the bosses. You can just brute-force attack many of them and spam with the same moves over and over. This is how I defeated most of the bosses, even the later ones in the game. The last 3 bosses are especially easy. Arrows and projectiles are on auto-aim. Often you can just jump up and shoot blindly while facing in the direction of opponents. Pushing L1 also snaps to targets, making it very easy to kill attackers from a distance, especially those annoying archers or rocket launcher soldiers. Arrows (and all projectile weapons, including Ayane's exploding shuriken and Rachel's sub-machine gun) are now unlimited, removing a lot of the tactical decision-making and conserving you need to do. You can also move now while aiming, which is a plus. Gone are Ryu's windmill shuriken and incendiary shuriken. I miss the windmill shuriken.

Powering up your Ultimate Technique now is a lot faster it seems. The controls are very forgiving and don't require precise timing as they did in the past. Many of the combos also seem easier to execute and often times, I wonder if I've been triggering combo fatalities by accident. Items and save points are much more numerous. This is the first game in the series where I've actually had a problem with too many items. You can only carry a max of 3 of each of the restore items (small health restore, big health restore, magic restore). Items don't increase in price each time you buy them from Muramasa like they did before. Also, a big change is that he now upgrades your weapons for free. There is usually one or two upgrade statue per level. You can upgrade one weapon once per shop. Previous versions allowed you to upgrade whenever you wanted, as long as you had the money (very expensive), forcing you to save up and strive for more ultimate technique kills because they rewarded you with more essence. The abundance of items and the free upgrades makes collecting essence now rather pointless, because you'll have all this money but nothing to buy. Lastly, load times after dying have been greatly reduced to a few seconds, removing a lot of frustration experienced by players in previous NG games. The downside is that menu load times are inordinately long. If you find a magic scroll or technique scroll, it can take several seconds for the demo video to load, and several seconds after pushing X to close the screen.

Next is the toned-down violence. The menu system is now painted blue instead of red blood splatters. Arms, legs and heads can get chopped off, but they disappear in a wisp of blue ether instead of rolling onto the floor. In the 360 version, heads rolled everywhere and buckets of blood sprayed out from severed limbs. It's all gone here.

New bosses include a giant Buddhist statue at the end of the first level, a pair of tengu, and even the Statue of Fricking Liberty! Some of the bosses have their special attacks removed and made a lot less aggressive about attacking and blocking. You no longer have to time attacks perfectly. Just button mash.

Thankfully, a lot of the "cheap" moments players complained about from Sigma are gone. The piranha ghost fish are still here though, but those extremely annoying exploding jellyfish are gone. Gone also is the ridiculous ability to swim in lava. "Invisible walls" are also a lot less apparent. In the previous game, areas that looked like you could walk around are unreachable, destroying the illusion of depth. In Sigma 2, it's not as noticeable.

Weapons are fun to use, with some being very flashy and cool to see in action, like the tonfa, which turns Ryu into a lethal whirlwind of skull and limb cracking goodness. I don't ever get tired of powering up Ryu and seeing him go berserk on a group of bad guys. Locales include a futuristic Tokyo, NYC, Venice, South America, Mt. Fuji, some non-descript sewers and tunnels of hell or some other demonic dimensional warp. Sky City Tokyo is beautiful and lovingly rendered. NYC is less so. Times Square, Brooklyn, and Liberty Island look bland and inauthentic (because I live here). Some of the levels feel recycled directlty from Sigma (Airship Daedalus = airship stage from previous, Draga Dai = Vigoor city, sewers, lava levels).

Verdict:

Are all the gameplay changes good? No. Is Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 fun? Yes, without a doubt. I enjoyed playing the new sexy female characters and the mission mode. It's a shame you can't play the entire game as one of the girls and you lose all your weapons when you begin a new game. One of the weirdest, most juvenile and sexist things you can do is jiggle the girls' goodies with the SIXAXIS.

Replaying on Path of the Mentor (unlocked by beating the game), I found it a lot harder and I got killed several times on level 1 by even minor enemies. They are a lot more lethal and harder to kill. Too bad this difficulty wasn't available at the very beginning to choose from. Chapter Mode also opens up, which lets you choose any chapter to replay.

All in all, a fun game with good replay value, and I'm glad I bought it. It's a stunning display of the PS3's capabilities and a blast to play as everyone's favorite ninja.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Product Description:
The most intense, challenging, action-packed ninja adventure is back, exclusively on the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system! Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is the "ultimate" Ninja Gaiden, featuring characters from the previous installments that have defined the franchise. It radiates a striking visual appeal in high resolution display, featuring character and environmental graphics whose quality exceeds the original Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Combining both melee and long-range battles against enemies, the game requires skillful and strategic playing to successfully journey through the missions

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Be very careful.You are not getting a Variety Map Packs token with purchase of this game as previously Advertised.

Activision seems to want even more money, and have now taken to bait and switch marketing tactics.Previous version of this Game of the Year Edition have been advertised as coming with a token you could use to download the Variety Map Pack.It's a gimmick used for pretty much all Game of the Edition games.It's what makes them worth the purchase over the older version of the game.Without this token, downloading the map pack is going to cost you about $10.

So now without any public notice, Activision has stopped including the free tokens inside GOTY Edition games.Making this game $48.99 (if you want the new maps) instead of Amazon's current price of $38.99.Buyer beware.

Buy this game used and don't let Activision rip you off as they did me.

It would also be nice to see Amazon put up a notice denoting this game will no longer include the map packs.

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Borderlands Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)this is my first review, hope it's helpful (feel free to leave a comment and tell me what i did wrong/right). anyway, on with the amateur ramblings!

when i first saw the trailers for Borderlands a couple of months ago, i said to myself "that looks amazing (in both the graphical and gameplay departments), but it seems to be trying way too hard". i also thought it looked like what Fallout 3 would've been if it was a FPS with RPG elements as opposed to the RPG with FPS view that it is.

as a bit of side information, i got Killzone 2 a week ago and have been playing it nonstop. i've already beaten it twice and i've spent pretty much every waking moment (to my girlfriend's annoyance) playing the campaign or the multiplayer. when i woke up today there was a delivery on my stoop. i told myself i'd open up Borderlands first (i also bought Resistance 2 and a few old school PS1 games (FFIX!)) and play it til the first save or checkpoint. this was at 11am, i'm writing this review at 11:30pm and save for going to dinner with my friends and dropping my sister off at the dorms, i've played the entire time. this game is just that engrossing and sheer fun

i don't think i can explain exactly what makes Borderlands so fantastic... there's just something about it. reviews i had seen on a few sites said that it takes a while for the game to get going and that by the 10th hour or so it really starts to be fun. well, if the game gets much more fun than this, it will be close to my game of the year. everything about Borderlands oozes style and love (meaning you can just tell how much the developers cared about this project). the pacing of the game is fantastic, the difficulty is a little up there, but it works and is never frustrating. the controls are spot on as far as responsiveness, but some of the button mapping is a bit strange (who maps fire to L2?and there doesn't seem to be a way to change it). the AI is fantastic with weapon-based enemies finding anyplace they can to duck behind and fire for cover, while the dog like creatures just get right up in your face. this can be frustrating, but it really makes you feel good when you finally blast them away.

the RPG elements are just kinda... there. while i don't think they detract from the game, i also think that they could have been implemented differently without the overall game changing on a base level. that being said, Borderlands does a great job of Diablo style leveling-up. part of the reason i couldn't stop playing is cause you're ALWAYS building up your character in some small way. it's just incredibly addictive and fulfilling. the one minor nitpick that i can throw in here is having to press square every. single. time. you wanna pick up an item. you can hold it down to pick up multiple items that are very close to each other, but you'll be pressing square A LOT. i know tehre's some things you might not want, but you spend so much time in your inventory screen anyway, they may as well have made it so you just run over something to grab it.

Borderlands sells itself on the concept of it's "87 Bazillion Guns". i've heard real estimates that say there's at least a few hundred thousand and that sure seems to be true. you'll NEVER stumble on the same gun twice. it's both a good and bad thing. obviously it's fun to try out all sorts of different combinations, but a lot more often than you'd like, you'll wind up with a weapon that, while not useless, is just pretty lame and underpowered. when you do find that perfect sniper rifle that shoots lighting, has a 500-round clip and a 120x zoom (just as one of soooo many examples), it'll all be so very worthwhile.

the rest of my nitpicks, and by the way, that's all they are, cause i don't see a single legitimate big complaint with this game, would be as follows: while the game looks cool in it's own way, it think it's almost like a cop-out art style, maybe they didn't feel like doing textures or something. there's also severe framerate issues where you're in the middle of large battles. the vehicles, which make getting around so much easier,don't handle good at all and you get less Exp when you kill an enemy with your car as opposed to being on foot. i wish there were large online multiplayer deathmatches and CoF battles and the like. i'll have to check out the online "duels" at some point, see if they almost make up for that.

when you get right down to it though, this is just an amazing game all around. the graphics have a sheen and polish that not many games have (it's fun to see little HP numbers rolling off someone as you shoot them in the face). i still think Borderlands is trying a bit too hard to be "cool" in the way a Tarentino or Guy Ritchie movie would be, but it just works anyway (much like a Guy Ritchie movie haha). in the end there's just something about Borderlands, some intangible quality, that makes it such a worthwhile experience. i haven't played the online co-op yet, so i can't speak to that, but the single player is one hell of a ride. the areas might all look a tad samey, there's only four character classes to choose from. the driving physics are pretty bad and there's not much variety in your enemies. thing is, none of that matters, Borderlands is amazing in spite of all of it's very minor flaws.

if you've ever liked an FPS, if you've ever liked level-up-fests like Diablo, etc, hell, even if you wanted more action from Fallout 3, you owe it to yourself to at least give Borderlands a chance. this, along with Killzone 2, BlazBlue, Uncharted 2, Dirt 2 (and i can only assume the new Ratchet and Clank game) is one of the top 5 best games of 2009. there's a damn good chance that this game is considerably better than any other videogame you're looking to get on Amazon... pick Borderlands immediately. you won't be let down.

enjoy. hope this helped. =)

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Product Description:
Gearbox Software has developed revolutionary new technology to create Borderlands' incredible layers of gameplay depth. Borderlands features a groundbreaking content generation system allowing for near-endless variety in missions, environments, enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization.

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