Drakan: Ancients Gates Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I played this game a lot at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in LA, and let me tell you, the final game is SOO much fun to play! I loved the controls, they take a minute to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you can do cool flying maneuvers with the dragon. You can swoop down over enemies and torch them with your fire breath attack. The dragon also has other very cool breath attacks! Controlling Rynn (the girl) is very fun too, and is very consistent with how the dragon is controlled. It is obvious that the developers put a lot of thought into how the controls were laid out, and although they might not be the same as other games, they are a perfect fit for the mixed air and ground style game-play.
This game has a lot of RPG elements, you can build Rynn's skills in 3 areas: magic, weapon combat, or archery. I loved this aspect because you gain experience much like Diablo and can collect gold and treasure that you can spend in stores throughout the game. I loved the way this played as the game progressed, and talking with the friendly characters is very fun because the dialog is extremely witty and funny.
The story and dialog is extremely well written, much better than the first Drakan game on the PC. You get quests and sub-quests from the friendly NPCs, and all the information you need to know is kept in Rynn's Journal, which also has a map to help you along if you get lost.
Rynn's magic is really fun to use as well, you cast spells by moving Rynn's hand in the air in various patterns to summon offensive and defensive spells. You can learn or purchase new spells with gold. The enemies are really fun to fight, no matter which skill you specialize in. Each one will have a different strategy. Magic is good for groups of enemies. Sometimes you get 10 enemies surrounding you at once! Other times hand-to-hand combat is the way to go. Some hand weapons even have magical abilities, and there are shields for defense. Sword combat is so much fun, there are many moves to choose from, much like a fighting game. Archery is more tuned to strategy, you can walk slowly and sneak up on enemies without them hearing you, or you can pick them off from a distance.
I played the demo on the recent PS2 Jampack, which was nice, but it looks like they cut some of the graphics down to reduce the size of the demo. There was also no dialog with other characters or merchants (stores), so it wasn't much like the actually game other than some sword combat and basic dragon flying.
The graphics are the best I've seen on a PS2 yet...the draw distance is amazing, you can see EVERYTHING when flying on the dragon, then swoop down and jump off the dragon and walk inside of a cave. On the ground, you can see individual blades of grass and flowers, and hundreds of trees in dense forests and valleys. This game really does look incredible, much smoother than other PS2 games I saw at E3.
That's most of what I know so far...I'll post more when I get my copy of the real thing, which I have no doubt will me even better than it was during the summer!

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Product Description:
In the ancient, decaying world of Drakan, the immortal Spirit Dragons are being held captive. Rynn, a brave female warrior, and Arohk, a fearless dragon, are called upon to save these spiritual leaders, as well as the last remnants of mankind. Embarking on an enchanted journey through eight vast, foreign environments, Rynn and Arohk use magical spells, resourcefulness, and more than 50 powerful weapons in their quest to save civilization. With an immersive story line, stunning graphics, and intense battles, Drakan: The Ancients' Gates places you within a world of magical creatures, mysterious lands, and courageous conquests.
You will journey across five vast worlds, each a free-roaming, 3-D environment, including an arctic tundra, swamplands, and a forgotten, decaying city. You will use more than 50 hand-to-hand weapons and five dragon weapons and cast 12 devastating spells as you battle your way to save humanity. Overcome obstacles and adversaries to gain skills as a fighter, archer, or mage. Tasks you will face range from logic puzzles to air-to-ground combat, all providing enormous depth of gameplay.

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Dead Space Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Dead Space is a game that has achieved instant classic status with me. There's just no other way to say it. After finishing the game, I came to the realization that the game had me on edge the entire time I was playing. This game really succeeds at sustaining an atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat with the certainty that just around the next corner is something particularly vicious waiting to sink its teeth into your flesh. You are never given a moment's rest and they really amp the tension up way past what would probably be considered healthy levels.

I'm not one to ruin stories and I'm not making any exceptions here, except to say that this game would appeal to anyone with an appreciation for horror and sci-fi flicks, especially movies that combine the two genres like Aliens, Event Horizon and John Carpenter's version of The Thing. This game proudly wears its influences on its sleeve and manages to produce something genuinely great out of its many forefathers. The creative team behind this title did their homework and it shows. From the very beginning, I was pretty much glued to the controller.

GRAPHICS: Astounding. One of the things that make this game such an incredible experience is the sheer scale and design of the levels. It has the fusing of metal and flesh aspects of Doom 3, the lighting of Bioshock and levels with large areas like something you'd see in Ninja Gaiden 2.Certain portions of the game have moments where you just have to stop, look around and take it all in because you can just "feel" how large your surroundings are. I don't know if that makes any sense but I'm sure when you play the game, you'll know what I mean. The design on the monsters owes a lot to the nasty, tentacle ridden horror flicks of the early 80's and these critters enjoy popping out of nowhere, screaming and growling. I thought the creatures were really impressive and definitely serve as formidable obstacles in your path to finding out what the hell is going on in the overrun ship the story takes place in.

SOUND: Wow. I may have to go on record as saying that the sound in this game is probably the best I have heard in ANY game to date. If you have surround sound and have been feeling like your speakers haven't been very active lately, don't worry because this will probably be your new demo disc when showing off your sound system to any of your pals. This is the kind of game that uses sound mixing and design to make the game even better, creating an incredible atmosphere of fear and tension that like I said before, just doesn't let up. Whispers, dripping water, wet, squishy sounds coming from the air vent above you, faraway screams, babies and adults crying, chanting, inhuman grunting, moaning, laughter.... all sorts of things that you DON'T want to hear in the dark corridors of a monster infested ship. The weapons sound nice and loud. I honestly believe that the sound in this game is its best and strongest point. Seriously, it would most likely be an injustice to the sound designers to not play this game with a proper surround setup and the volume high up.

GAMEPLAY: Great and fluid controls. Only become a very minor problem when you get crowded by monsters as the close quarters combat isn't the greatest. Still, not too much to whine about.The inventory and map interface is great, coming up as a digital hologram in real time. Cool moments like bouncing around the walls while in zero-G and being in vacuums add to the game. You upgrade your weapons with power nodes which are very valuable and scattered across the levels. Creatures are dispatched easily when you shoot off their limbs but usually take a lot of hits if you're just aiming for the body so it lends a whole strategic kind of thing to the mayhem.All of which happens in nice, gory detail.

Bottom line: If you have any desire to feel terror and dread for a good respectable stretch of playtime, look no further. This one pulled no punches and left me freaked out and jumpy on many an occasion. I have absolutely no regrets on picking this up as it earns its "M" rating by delivering a truly scary experience. I have a feeling that this one is gonna be a sleeper hit.

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Product Description:
Dead Space from EA is sure to please any action-adventure gamer looking for a bloody battle against deadly aliens. Dead Space for Xbox 360 begins when a massive mining ship, the USG Ishimura, comes in contact with a mysterious alien artifact and suddenly loses its communications with Earth. Engineer Isaac Clarke is sent to repair

Deep Space pits Isaac Clarke against deadly aliens. View larger.

Zero-G game play allows you to walk on walls and the ceiling. View larger.

EA delivers an incredibly frightening experience with state-of-the-art graphics and effects. View larger.

Neutralize the attacking enemies with weapons and telekinetic powers. View larger. the Ishimura's communications, but arrives to find a floating vessel that has become a complete bloodbath. The crew is mutilated and infected with an ancient alien scourge. Clarke's repair mission is transformed to one of survival as he fights to save himself and return the artifact to the planet at any cost.
Fight with Weapons and Telekinesis
The alien hordes are incredibly resilient. You'll have to find creative ways to neutralize the attacking enemies by shearing off limbs with powerful weapons. And when the ammo runs out you'll be thankful that you can use your telekinetic powers to pick up objects (even the aliens' own severed arms and legs) and hurl them at your advancing enemies.
Graphics, Effects, and Sound Increase the Horror
EA delivers an incredibly frightening experience with state-of-the-art graphics and effects, an audio system that will have you jumping out of your seat, and a truly horrific atmosphere that is permeated with death, mutilation, and despair. You'll have to be resilient to slash through the alien onslaught and stop this virulent scourge. As you explore the ship, the tragic story of the USG Ishimura will unfold in gory detail as you discover frantic logs from the hideously transformed crew in their final days.
True Zero-G Effects
You'll be able to take full advantage of zero gravity in Deep Space. Battling enemies and solving puzzles takes on new challenges and present ingenious opportunities with the Zero-G game play. You can use zero gravity to create your own path around obstacles by walking on walls and the ceiling. Leap across vast distances or change your perspective to gain a strategic advantage over your enemies.

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Front Mission Evolved Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am personally an avid FM fan and had this pre-oredered for the Xbox 360 for quite a while, and as of this review I have completed the game on Normal and Hard, and I am a Staff Sergeant 2 in Multiplayer.

Story/Characters/Cutscenes 2/5

The story (about 10 hours in length), though cliched, is truly weakened by how forced it feels--a little more exposition and well-placed dialogue explaining some of the under-lying themes/plot holes would have improved the otherwise average story I felt like I was watching a new addition to the Gundam series with no fight choreography.However, since Motomu Toriyama, the lead writer for Final Fantasy XIII wrote the story, it should come to no surprise that it has all the same issues as FFXIII's story; that being a lack of exposition manifested in unspoken themes and massive plot-holes. Additionally, The Character development was predictable, but the voice-acting, produced by Hydrogen Whiskey Studios, wasn't too bad.However, the dialogue provided to record was terrible--thank you Toriyama.The Cutscenes, also outsourced to Hydrogen Whiskey Studios, were quite good and went a long way to enjoying the otherwise below-average story.

Gameplay 4/5

Gameplay mechanics are tight, (Double-Helix did a great job) and the additional modes: On foot infiltration and Gunship Defense are well thought out and fairly fun (except on hard in which case they're a nuisance).I was very pleased to find no bugs in either of my two playthroughs, and quite frankly, a little shocked.It was quite refreshing as it has been too long since I have been able to say that.The gameplay, though not anything revolutionary, is the highlight of the game and makes the game worth buying for Hardcore FM fans and Hardcore Mech fans alike.

Customization 3/5

Customization mirrors that of FM, FM2, and FM4, so fans of the more open upgrade driven advancement in FM3 and FM5 will be disappointed.At different campaign levels and cash milestones more parts are available, and these new parts will yield the old parts obsolete (in most cases these new parts are upgrades to the previously purchased Wanzers). This doesn't bother me much, but I know this will be a concern to some FM fans and AC fans.An issue I have with the customization is the lack of strategy involved in the campaign and multiplayer as a result of customization restraints.For instance in FM4 and Evolved a Ballistics Wanzer could use a Recon Wanzers sensor backpack to extend the Ballistic Wanzers Range, and though the repair backpack makes a come-back, it comes at the cost of mobility as the roller-skating ability, though still accessible, is less maneuverable without the A.G.I.L.I.T.Y backpack.It feels like the strategic component is overall lacking in a series that has ever emphasized strategy.

Overall 3.5/5
For all its faults it was better than I expected.The story was written by Square-Enix, The voice acting and Cutscenes by Hydrogen Whiskey Studios, and the gameplay by Double-Helix, and despite this, the overall cohesion of the product is exceptional and exceeded my expectations. I truly enjoyed the full experience of it all despite it's shortcomings, so I recommend this for the true die-hard fan of the FM series and die-hard Mech Fans starved for more robotic slaughter, but everyone else should consider renting first.

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Product Description:
In the future, the world is a changed place. Technology has advanced. Countries have merged into massive geopolitical blocks. But one thing, sadly, remains the same: Humanity's appetite for war. When a terrorist attack destroys one of the USN's prized orbital elevators, the military is mobilized to eliminate the threat. Dylan Ramsey, a young engineer, finds himself quickly caught in a swirl of destruction, conspiracies and crumbling alliances. Experience his story in this high-octane third-person shooter. Choose from dozens of weapons and wanzer parts to customize your unit, and blast your way to victory. When you think you're ready for a new challenge, join the ranks of online pilots for intense multiplayer battles!

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