List Price: $22.99
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Very pleased with this product.Looks great and its exactley what I ordered.I recieved it when they said I would.Would recommend this to anyone looking for cool skins on the PS3.
Protective Vinyl Skin Decal Cover for Sony Playstation 3 PS3 Slim Skins
List Price: $22.99
Sale Price: $12.99
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Very pleased with this product.Looks great and its exactley what I ordered.I recieved it when they said I would.Would recommend this to anyone looking for cool skins on the PS3.
PlayStation 3 Darklite DVD Remote
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It works as advertised. But it's also about the most cheaply built piece of PAINTED plastic I've ever seen. Mine had dust and a HAIR painted in to the finish. The slide works, the LEDs look ok. It does NOT look like the picture, the finish is not glossy, more of an orange peel. Has to have line-of-sight with IR base. Sony's Bluetooth remote works much better, has tons more functions, and costs $10 less. This one is a waste due to extremely poor quality construction and a sub-par feature set.
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I bought this remote in the hopes that the sleek, modern design would make this a welcome addition to my PS3. It turned out to be a complete waste of money. This product is cheaply made out of flimsy plastic. I could actually feel the plastic warp as I slid the top down to access the other buttons. The charging stand was also a complete disappointment. my remote would never actually make a connection to the charging stand unless you held the remote down firmly with you hand. This was due to the fact that the stand was made just as flimsily and cheaply as the remote itself. Along with a price that is more than the standard Sony remote, I would tell you that you are better off using your PS3 remote than this product.Buy PlayStation 3 Darklite DVD Remote Now
Pros: Sleek and modern design, as small as a cell phone, back lit buttons, rechargeable batteryCons: Old technology (NOT bluetooth), feels awkward at times when using it, doesnt work well with all blu-ray movies
Overall: C-
This remote does its job and has the potential of being great, however, it feels very cheaply made and the slide down feature on it is loud and not smooth at all. It actually snaps when you slide it down. Right out of the package i noticed it looks like they used oil to help it slide better but once that wears out then what? Do i have to re-oil it myself? And oil on a remote seemed rather odd to me. I also dont like the fact that you have to keep the base connected to one of the usb ports on ur PS3. It reads it as a controller. So lets say you want to keep it connected at all times and still pop in your fav game to play? When you boot up your actual gaming controller, it will come up as (2nd player) instead of 1st, so you have to disconnect the base of this remote in order to play games and use your controller. A definite inconvenience and hassle in my opinion.
I dont mind that it was made using cheap plastic and that it feels hollow when you're using it but had this manufacturer used bluetooth technology, it would have made a world of difference. You have to aim the remote at the base for it to work.
**IMPORTANT NOTE**
This remote does NOT work well with all Blu-ray movies. You cannot get the menus to pop up on some and are only able to use the play/stop/fwd feature.
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This product is a nice idea and it works pretty good. Unfortunately the finish quality is not as good as the online images imply. One would think of a nice high gloss black piano finish as we know it from the PS3 or the Apple Ipods to match the Playstation. In fact the remote is simply painted in high gloss black with an orange peel to it, which makes it look cheap. The remote has a nice weight to it and the functionality is very good. The charger is a little hard to use sometimes, as the remote doesn't always sit right on the contacts. It needs to be mentioned that unlike the actual PS3 controllers this remote is IR(Infra-Red) based, not bluetooth connect, and therefore needs to be pointed at the charging base which doubles as the IR receiver unit and connects via a USB cable to the PS3 to charge the nested remote and control the PS3.Want PlayStation 3 Darklite DVD Remote Discount?
Product seems as compatible as sony's controller;the center, rubber ring is the center of the control action, A+, with the above,
illuminated buttons, which serve as an advanced, control backup...
The married, slide in/out tray, for these controls is a nice, portable +.
The blue lights add a nice cosmetic touch to the piano black finish (no defective surface encountered; glass smooth); not 1 for watching stuff in the dark, however, this featue is +, for those night owls that do...
It's finger print prone, so have a soft cloth & alchol on hand...
(slackers & slobs, @ Ur discretion )
It's Small, charger stand/receiver base plugs directly into the ps3 (convenient)
It's handy, overall compact, serves it's purpose, has cross room range, & it's pretty :)
As a note: make sure it's receiver/charger isn't obstructed.
An ac power adapter option would be a nice + for this product.
If any true techie reading this review, knows of a multi-device, USB wall charger, that would charge this device, that legitmate info, is appreciated.
Rock Band Drum Silencers
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- Game sold separately.
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At first I got the drum pad silencers and held them up to the rock band drum pads and thought "this isn't going to work." Check out your RB drums. You'll notice a thin plastic rim around each drum. Well I expected these drum pads to fit inside that ring. Nope, if you stuck them on, they would go over the ring and then sort of float on top of the actual drum pad and MAYBE make contact in the center, where the pressure transducer is that picks up your drum strikes.So, to install these drum pads, you must TAKE OFF THE PLASTIC RIM around the drums. It takes a few minutes, but isn't hard. You have to pull the striking part of each drum off individually. It takes a lot of force, but be careful not to yank out the wire underneath. If you look at your RB drums from below, you'll notice 3 or 4 small rubber wedges sticking through the plastic base. These are what hold the drums into the frame. Once you've pulled off a drum pad, unscrew the plastic rim, take it off, and reassemble the drum (make sure all the rubber pieces are back in place, sometimes they stay attached to the drum surface half and need to be taken off and screwed back into the base. Push the drum pad back onto the base and make sure all 4 rubber feet click into place. THEN stick the drum silencer onto the drum pad.
After performing the installation as I mentioned above, these pads make the RB drums much much much quieter and WAY more pleasant to play, especially in groups or at night. There are no installation instructions included with this kit, but there should be.
Another option is to trim the pads so they fit inside the plastic rim. I thought it would be easier and cleaner looking to remove the plastic rim instead.
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Considering how much bad press the Rock Band peripherals have received since the game's launch last November, it's not surprising that something like this would be looked upon as a gimmicky, band-aid solution to a less-than-perfect drum set.Sure, there are better kits being developed by Harmonix and Red Octane for their respective upcoming sequels, but if you own a Rock Band drum kit now, then these silencers are actually pretty good for the price. First of all, they're a bit more stylish than the gray plastic pads that you'd normally drum on. Second, they reduce the drum noise considerably, even during more demanding songs. Third, the material reverberates much, much better, allowing for better runs and rolls, and you get far fewer missed and/or duplicate notes in the process. Finally, these things are easy to apply, sticking right over the pads themselves. At first, it seems like a cheap way to attach them, but the adhesive holds up--just make sure you center them properly.
This is definitely a product for people who are tired of the dull plastic noise during game sessions, and if you have friends over who tend to overhit or flat-out miss the pads entirely, the pad silences those errors as well. Other than a reinforced pedal, this is the best add-on I've seen for any rock band peripheral.
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I picked these up liking the idea that they'd make the drums a bit quieter and add to the bounce on the drum head. They do make it look a little nicer, they do make it quieter, and they do add a little bounce......but they also kill your accuracy. I put these on and started playing and immediately started wondering if maybe the calibration on the system had somehow gotten off. What I ended up doing was going to practice mode and doing a roll on each pad at the beginning, just before the song started. I could watch the pad missing hits. Take the pad off, everything gets caught correctly again.
I tried hitting the pads in different places, with different amounts of force, but it pretty universally took down about 10% of the hits, regardless of force or location.
I'm taking these back today. It's unfortunate because they do look good and they totally do a good job at noise reduction.
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I own an XBOX 360 elite and I just bought Rock Band 2 a little bit ago, and if you are into rhythm based games...this should be a definite purchase. Anyhow, i was interested in the drumming aspect of the game so i bought a set used for a really good deal. The drums are not that loud to begin with, but i would find myself early in the morning playing a bit softer because i thought i would wake the neighbors. These drum silencers were the best choice i made!!So like i said, i use these on a rock band 2 drumset. I read numerous reviews about the silencers before purchasing. For those of you on the fence about how effective these are...dont be anymore, they work...and they have improved my game very much.
On multiple reviews users have said that they would actually disassemble the drumset and attach the silencers so they didnt go over the plastic rim on the outter edge of the drum. THIS IS NOT NESSECARY. These silencers are meant to not only quiet down your kit, but add more bounce to them. Thats why they go over the entire drum head, they provide a bit more spring when your rocking out. Im the type of person that will follow the instructions, and i didnt want to run any risk of damaging my drums that i got for such a great price. I simply pulled the paper backing off each silencer, made sure my drums were powered off, stuck them to the drums (making sure they are centered) and pushed firmly across the ENTIRE surface of the drums. THERE IS NO LOSS OF SENSITIVITY OR MISSED NOTES. The drums are just as responsive as the day i bought them. If youre like me one of your favorite aspect of the RB is doing a drum fill, and this has been dramatically increased for me. I can do drum rolls much much better now.
The drums themselves are a bit more silent, but dont let me saying "a bit" deter you. The noise they produce is drastically changed after applying the silencers. Its more of a thud, as opposed to the loud clacking noise they make without the silencers. What i noticed is that without the silencers on, if you really hit the drum hard...it was very loud. But with the silencers, the noise level is going to be pretty much consistent. You can hit them as hard as you want and its going to produce the same volume of noise as if your just tapping them. And that in itself is where i loose the most points, when im trying to play quietly and not wake anyone.
If your questioning how effective these silencers are...dont anymore. They work great and they do exactly what they say they do. They DO NOT affect your playing one bit, youre not going to miss any notes...as a matter of fact you may get better scores because your not worrying about playing quiet anymore. If you own a rockband 1 drumkit then maybe you should read more reviews, because i have not used a set of these on that particular kit.
Just buy them, its well worth the money to protect your drums and keep your neighbors from calling the cops on you.
I did a lot of research before I bought them. It seems there is a love-hate split in people who have tried them. First, apparently there are slight variations in drum head size on Rock Band drums, so these pads fit differently on different drums if you're applying the silencers over the plastic rims, working better on some models and not as well on others. It seems most reviewers had a higher success rate when putting the silencers on after removing the plastic rings. The idea being that applying the silencers over the plastic rings leaves a slight gap all the way around causing missed hits. It's okay to remove the plastic since it doesn't act to hold anything in place, it simply protects the edge of the drum head and makes it look nice; the drum silencers extend a bit beyond the drum head edge so will take over protective edge duties. Two other people before me have written how to remove the plastic but each left out some details so here's my version:
HOW TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC RINGS:
* Removing the rings takes 15 to 30 minutes, some strong fingers (I'm a girl, I did fine), and a precision (No.0 philips) screwdriver.
* Remove the drum pad assembly from the legs and do each drum head one at a time.
* The plastic rings are screwed in from underneath the drum heads. To get at the screws you have to pop the entire drum pad assembly out of the plastic case of the drum set. Each drum head is held in place by 4 large rubber plugs (others called these "wedges"). If you flip your drum set upside-down you will see the ends of these rubber pegs poking through the bottom (visibly there are 4 on the red and green heads, 2 on the yellow and blue). You can push on these but I found it was easier to simply wedge my fingers in the gap between the plastic drum case and the underside of the drum head and pry upward (I am a girl so I had an easy time with my small fingers). Do this for each rubber peg one at a time, being careful not to pull too far or you risk ripping out the wires that go from the underside of the drum head to the drum body (you have 2-3 inches of leeway here). It takes a bit of force but its easy once you get the hang of it. This is the scariest part but isn't that hard.
* In one instance one of the rubber pegs stayed in its hole and instead popped away from the underside of the drum head. This is easy to fix: the peg base is held in place by a piece of plastic held in with two screws (No.1 phillips precision screwdriver). Just remove the plastic bit, thread the peg back through its hole and screw the plastic with the peg back into place. Easy.
* With the drum head popped out, use your No.0 screwdriver to take out the 5 or 6 screws from the underside of the ring, releasing the plastic ring.
* Pop the drum head back into place. Repeat procedure for the other 3 drum heads.
* To apply the drum silencers I cleaned each drum head with rubbing alcohol and then stuck the pads on. They lie flat with the plastic rings removed.
Having applied my silencers this way the response time is just as good as it was before. I prefer the feel of the drums WITH the silencers and found I can drum very very gently and still get amazing accuracy. There is more bounce so rolls are now easier and best of all, I no longer fear guests destroying my drums by hitting them too hard. I can see how accuracy would take a hit if the pads were applied OVER the plastic rims because a gap would be left so I highly recommend the careful removal of the plastic rims (or the trimming-down of the pads with scissors so they fit within the circumference of the plastic rings).
Two Worlds 2
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Prior to buying Two Worlds II, I read every professional review I could find, watched all the available gameplay videos, and searched several forums to get a feel for how the average gamer felt. In short, the overwhelming consensus is that if you're starved for an open-world sword-n-sorcery role playing game and can forgive a good deal of inherent flaws, then Two Worlds II can be a lot of fun. After nearly forty hours of gameplay, I couldn't agree more.
For starters, the game world is massive and ripe for exploration though it should be mentioned some areas are actually inaccessible and therefore the map makes the game world appear larger than it actually is. The graphics are colorful and pretty, but definitely nowhere near the polish of a Bethesda title such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Fallout 3. My only complaint with the graphics (and it's a big one) is that whenever you move quickly or pan the camera quickly the graphics have a blurring effect. I can only surmise this is an attempt to hide a weak engine, and for the first half-hour I was battling the beginnings of a headache because of it. Once you become accustomed to it, though, the effect becomes part and parcel of the scenery. There are no weather effects like rain or snow, but there is a day/night cycle. Unfortunately there is no "wait" option, and since the vendors close up shop for the evening, you have to wait in real time for the day cycle to come back around. It's not a major issue, but one that could be easily remedied with a simple "wait" option.
Some of the worst things reviewers went on and on about are simply not true at least concerning the final release version. I've begun to suspect, after reading dozens and dozens of TWII reviews, that the review copies had to have been in an earlier stage of the development. I've noticed that every professional reviewer claims the combat hit detection is unresponsive, among other glitches, and these are things I've never encountered in my copy of the game. For all these reviewers to claim the same thing, I have to believe that it's the developers who shot themselves in the foot by rushing out their review copies. Personally, I found the combat outstanding, and quite fun to boot. The player has a myriad of special moves at their disposal to perform during fights, including but certainly not limited to a powerful thrust strike, a block-breaking overhead swing of your weapon, and a radial barrage for when you're swarmed with enemies. Experience is fun to gain even through grinding (which isn't necessary, by the way) and the leveling system is par for the course but executed perfectly nonetheless.
Again, having read copious reviews, I already knew to expect amateurish voice acting, but this doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, it's part of the fun in my book. One of the orcs who breaks you out of the dungeon amusingly cries out "Mankind will bleed out from their own arrogance before their words will afford them CREDENCE!" That's also a perfect example of the way the dialog often doesn't make much sense.
Here's another example:
"Will we be able to help her?"
"That remains to be uncertain."
Despite the fact that the bones of the plot are precisely the same as the first Two Worlds, in that you're trying to save your sister from the evil Gandohar, the plotting for the sequel is more involving and the ending even has a surprising and welcome twist. The climatic final battle, however, is a disappointment in that it amounts to monotonous running and potion drinking. It can take as much as 15-20 minutes to complete, and dying once results in starting it all over since you cannot save during the battle. Make sure to prepare ahead and bring some resurrection potions (made from mummies brains, of course!). Personally, I entirely enjoyed the song "Little Teardrop" that plays during the credits. The song has the sound of an early Bon Jovi track, and there's even a sweet guitar solo.
At least one reviewer complained that an entire chapter of the manual was in German, but apparently that's been fixed. This, however, doesn't mean that the manual is error-free. The first section is called "The Story So Far..." and it's simply a controller button map. Evidently they nixed that bit and didn't reformat the manual, so as a result the entire table of contents is off by a couple of pages. Still, I've referred to the manual several times during gameplay and it has answered almost all of my questions. The one section that could use some more information is the spell creation system. Besides, I appreciate this title actually includes a 40-page manual when higher-profile games like Mass Effect 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood don't even bother (those titles include the manual on the disc, and they even have the audacity to try to convince us it's "more convenient" or that preservation of the environment is their primary concern).
The horse riding is boorish especially when you compare it to a title like Red Dead Redemption. In fact, there is no comparison. The horse in Two Worlds II is somewhat troublesome to control, occasionally unresponsive, and the stamina meter is far too unwieldy. It's difficult to find a rhythm like the player could in RDR. There's a quest-related horse race that is more painful than fun, thanks to the dodgy horse design. I far more often prefer to walk or use one of the many teleporters scattered across the lands. Since the sprinting in the game is actually quite fast, you'll barely even miss the horse.
You can buy a ship in the game, but there are only a few areas worth sailing towards. I found an area, replete with a teleporter, that contained a large encampment of enemies. Further down the shore I found an adandoned village with a lighthouse, but nothing of special value. Strangely this area is only accessible after sailing about an hour in real time. Sailing can be frustrating as well, because if you sail against the wind your pace is slowed to a crawl. Sure, it's realistic, but it's not especially fun. Housing is also available, but since armor and weapons are the only items that have weight, they're hardly useful and they have no decoration or upgrade options.
Still, despite the numerous flaws of Two Worlds II, there's so much more the developers nailed. The inventory system is robust and easy to navigate, and as any RPG player knows, this can make or break a game. Their unique item system lets you break down any weapon or piece of armor into components like steel, iron, wood, fabric, etc. Then you can use these raw materials to upgrade the items you want to keep. Of course, you can also upgrade your items with magic stones as well, further enhancing your skills or attributes. You can have up to 3 outfit slots you can change on the fly. For instance, one button can have you in leather armor and a bow (for ranged kills), a second button can have you in metal armor and two swords (for frontal assaults), and the last button can have you in a magic robe and staff (for magic attacks).
The quest journal is well laid out, neatly organized by the quest giver, and there's a reputation scroll to see at a glance where you stand with the different guilds. There's even an entire multiplayer co-op campaign, a unique village creation game, and other modes typical for multiplayer function such as a duel mode and a deathmatch mode. The game also offers all the commands a gamer could expect: plenty of options in the menu (subtitles, text change, audio, etc.) and you can pause or skip cutscenes. There are three difficult settings, the standard Easy, Normal, and Hard. Those who prefer the experience itself rather than challenge will do well on the Easy mode whilst those who desire a brutal challenge will receive just that on Hard. The autosave feature can be customized at five or ten minute intervals, and the player can hard save at will. Two options I recommend selecting are changing the icons to text and choosing the smaller inventory icons, both of which can be accessed through the "Settings" tab on the main menu.
The map is entirely adequate, as I never had trouble finding a location with the assistance of the map. Shrines, towns, teleports, and quest-related dungeons are automatically noted on your map. However, it should be noted that for whatever reason the standalone dungeons are not marked on your map, even if you've been inside them. This means that the player must either manually mark them on his map or simply explore them as he finds them. This is good to keep in mind if you're after the trophy for exploring twenty-five dungeons.
It should also be noted that Two Worlds II is not a "hardcore" RPG. For instance, aside from weapons and armor, every other item is weightless. There is no stamina meter for melee attacks, and the player does not need to sleep to heal naturally (you regenerate over time, provided your weapon is sheathed). Two Worlds II also allows the player to mostly reset their skills for a fee by visiting a "soulpatcher". It will only turn over a maximum of 100 skill points, but that's plenty to completely rework a character. This allows the player to alter their mage into a warrior, or vice versa. It's a great touch and very progressive that Two Worlds II does not try to pigeonhole your character into being a concrete mage, warrior, spellsword, etc.
By far, the most frustrating thing about the game is that all it needs is a good polish. A few more months in the oven and this thing could actually be seriously competitive. As it is, it only stands out because there isn't a single other notable open-ended sword-n-sorcery RPG currently on the market other than Oblivion. It's sad, too, because the only reason there aren't more is because they obviously don't sell very well. Why bother when a generic, formulaic, by-the-numbers first person shooter like Call of Duty: Black Ops will sell 8.8 million copies worldwide?
But I digress. I drove home nervously glancing at the copy of Two Worlds II in my passenger seat. But despite its flaws, I actually love this game. They may have failed here and there in the technical presentation, but this game has a lot of heart and soul and that's something you won't find in the recent glut of high profile shooters. So it's also no Elder Scrolls killer, but Skyrim is a long way off. For now, I'm thrilled to own this title and hopeful that we'll see some single-player downloadable content down the road.
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UPDATE:Sadly, my review (see below) has to be downgraded down from the initial 5 stars (I love it) to a neutral 3 star (meaning "It's Okay").
Everything I wrote below is still valid but, as I kept playing, it became increasingly clear that 2W2 was rushed to market before it was finished:
About half of the land mass is out of reach. You simply can't get there, the makers made sure to surround it all with tall mountains.
As you progress through the chapters, and each chapter is loosely associated to one of the world's 'islands', you move from densely populated, quest-rich lands to increasingly empty, more barren landscapes with few quests to complete, the last islands, the largest of them all, being 90% off limits.
Neat features such as 'sailing' go largely unfulfilled. Strangely, there is no commerce between the several islands and, once you find the only boat you can actually sail, there's really no place to go.
My 60 hours of play (I play slow so expect a 40-hour run for most) produced a most powerful character, armed with the most fearsome and cool-looking weapons, wearing a near-impenetrable armor. Sadly, it also produced an empty world. Everybody and everything that I could fight other than a couple of cats and ants is dead now so there's nothing to do other than kill 'guards' which gets boring fast.
I will not discuss the plot but I will say that end-game could have been scripted better.
And, finally, the online mode is unplayable. It's extremely frustrating to learn that, after all this 'work' developing your in-game character, making him powerful, skilled and well equipped, to learn that you can't use it online. You are supposed to create a 'new' character or several characters 'from scratch'. Why? Nobody knows but I didn't feel compelled to even try 'online'.
So, it's 'goodbye TW2. It was a nice game for the first 30-40 hours but I expected more. Overall, it's not a bad game but it could have been A LOT better. The way it is now, only mediocre. If I knew what I know now, I would not have bought the game.
_____________________________________________________________
MY ORIGINAL REVIEW:
As I am playing Two Worlds 2 (TW2 for the rest of this review) and enjoying every minute of it, I can't help but compare it with similar past and present RPGs. I'm thinking of Oblivion, the Fallout series, Demon's Souls and keep dreaming about the 'perfect' RPG. And the reality of TW2 seems to suggest that, given the technology and the reality of a budget, this is probably as good as we are likely to get, at least for a while.
Two Worlds 2 is far from a perfect RPG. It follows the open world RPG conventions and expectations in many ways but, clearly, some of its features could be called 'steps back'. At the same time, other features can be called brilliant innovations and stunning as far as RPG conventions and technical advances go. TW2 is clearly at or close to the top, considering whatever else is available today for the current generation of consoles. Without a question it is a playable, most intriguing, addictive game. I know this because the 3 RPG players in my household, me and my 2 teenage boys are keeping the PS3 up almost non-stop and reserving time to play nothing but TW2 for hours and hours and sharing tips and stories at the dinner table and at breakfast.
I don't want to do unfair and biased comparisons but it's a fact that TW2 is nearly all we play at this time, meaning that we stopped playing 'New Vegas', I plated GT5 on a temporary hold at level 35 and two 24-hour races short of the ultimate trophy and Little Big Planet 2 is barely acknowledged by the kids these days. So, let's go into some specifics.
THE TECHNICAL MERIT
When compared to the 'older' great Bethesda RPGs such as Oblivion and the 2 Fallout releases and I call the Fallouts technically 'old' because they are built with basically the same tools used with Oblivion TW2 shows significant and in some cases revolutionary improvements. And here they are, probably not a complete list.
Bugs-free. After over 100 hours of TW2 play (me, and the kids together) we haven't experienced one single 'freeze' or crash. Not even one. Other than one Baboon, floating 6 feet up in the air, no bugs I'm aware of.
Quick saves/load. There's no such a thing as 'near-instant' saves or 'loads' but, when compared to the Fallout titles, Oblivion or even the great Demon's Souls, TW2 load/saves times are fast. On a PS3 it's probably 1/3 the load/save time you would experience on New Vegas. And, unlike it, TW2 does not bother saving your game every time you enter a new house or cave which makes for a significantly smoother gaming experience. The 'auto saves' do slow down the action for a few seconds but it's up to you whether they happen every minute or every 10 minutes or every 20 minutes.
The savanna. The only comparison can be made with old Oblivion because Fallout's desert didn't require such a 'live' environment. If Oblivion's landscapes were stunning and I thought they were so at the time, Oblivion couldn't handle 'water' and 'fire' very well game would slow down to a crawl and sometimes crash whenever there you had fire, lava or flowing water in the background. TW2 thrives on showing us what open plains look like. Walking or riding through TW2's great plains is almost a National Geographic experience. As for fires, waterfalls? No big thing.
Water. Probably one of the most stunning advances in TW2 is the Ocean. I showed TW2 to a couple of friends and the two things I showed them first was a Safari and then we went for a swim. After the Safari, with Cheetahs waiting in ambush in the grass or motionless and blending with the environment on top of boulders bringing 'ooos' and 'ahhhs', the swim experience left them speechless. I can't think of any other game in existence that does it better. Try it.
AI. Not all is brilliant and some of it is dumb but, whomever did the AI for the Cheetahs and the Warthogs and the Baboons should be congratulated. It's simply beautiful. The savanna animals and the rendering of the ocean are hints of what 'next generation' RPGs could be like.
On the not-improved or 'not implemented' category that clearly fall under the technical/technology category, I was disappointed that something like Havoc's engine, so well integrated it Demon's Souls and to some extent in Oblivion and Fallout is nowhere to be found in TW2. With some few, well marked exceptions swimming is one you can't interact/change the environment much. Yes, you fight your enemies and there's blood (or green goo) splashing all over but you can't, for example, cut an arm or squish a but or push a boulder. Swimming looks great but, once you come out of the water you're as dry as you were before you got in it.
Another little technical quirk is the 'voice' part. Not the acting which is good but, more often than not, the beginning or the end of statements appear to be cut off. It's like if you are playing a small sound file and whomever cut the clip did it in a hurry and missed a fraction of a second from at the beginning or at the end. It's probably what happened so, whomever did the sound editing did not do a very good job and it can be distracting.
THE WORLD(s)
I'm nowhere hear finishing the game (just reached level 26 and entered 'chapter two' at the time I'm writing this) but it's safe to say the the world is 'large' and there's plenty to do. I've mentioned already the great plains but, of course, there's a lot more in TW2. There are mountains to climb, deserts to explore, oceans to sail, caves and dungeons to... survive, farms, towns and cities to visit. TW2's underground features and its towns look a lot more organic than Oblivion's and Fallout's. In Oblivion it was easy to identify the Lego-like components used to build the dozens of dungeons and other structures. It's possible that TW2 has a limited number of building blocks but it's either so many we don't notice or there's some custom layer superimposed that's hiding them and everything feels a lot more realistic. You find individual houses, winding streets, commerce plazas and crowds of people going about their business in the towns and they really seem to resent you if you don't mind yours and bump into them so if you hear screams of 'were you raised in a barn?' or a girl giggle when you don't control your walk too well, it's not personal.
There is a lot to explore and experience on your errands. Once you visited a certain area, you can 'fast travel' after that if a teleport could be found and you can ride a horse if you don't mind missing the opportunity of doing a little hunting for beasts or 'monsters'. And, talking about beasts and monsters, there's plenty of them and you can make it your mission to rid the world of them. Some of the animals tend to respawn but most of the entities that fight back with weapons appear not to. Which is okay because there must be thousands of them.
The 'people' are either of the kind that mind their own business and expect that you mind yours but, of course, there are merchants, artists, individuals that will interact with you in connection to one of your quests as either friends or enemies or bosses and the members of the several leagues: fighters, thieves, mages, merchants and so on. Your reputation or notoriety plays some part in the way people interact with you but it's the various leagues that tend to keep track of what you do for or against them and afford you some preferential treatment on that basis.
THE STORY
Oh, the story. But, does it really matter? We like RPGs because the reward of completing quests and solving puzzles we become increasingly more powerful, get to wear cool armor and weapons, cast awesome spells and, as we progress, can successfully fight and defeat enemies that would have blown us to pieces with a sneeze at the beginning of the game. In that respect TW2 meets the expectations. You start weak, you learn about the world around, you do the quests and solve the puzzles and, as you do, you level up and get to wear the cool armor and use the cool weapons. Hopefully, you'll be able to save your sister and beat up all the bad guys the Emperor eventually but... you don't want THAT to happen too soon because RPGs are about the thrill of exploring, fighting, looting, learning and growing. I haven't finished the game so I'm not quite sure what the story is exactly about but... I can't say that I'm dying to find out at this time.
THE RPG CONVENTIONS
It's not essential but it's probably interesting to mention the way some of what we call the RPG 'rules' or expectations are implementing in this game so, here they are, in a list format.
Controversial
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You don't eat, drink, sleep. Or you don't have to. And you never get tired, hungry or sleepy. Sure, there are potions and useful plant remedies but you could finish TW2 without ever taking a bite or drinking one drop of anything liquid.
Your apparel/weapons/armor don't wear out, don't break. Once you acquire a sword it will always be 'as good as new' for as long as you use it, no matter what you do with it. One of my kids says that you could mess up your weapon if you swing at a locked chest but I have to check that.
You don't tire while fighting. There is 'stamina' but it appears only to apply when you run or swim. During combat, you can swing your big half-ton battle hammer for as long as it takes and you'll never break a sweat.
There is no compass. There is a way to follow you path on the big map or the on-screen minimap but only the big map tells you which way is North. In-game, what you get is a GPS-like view.
There are no set classes. This has been much discussed and it doesn't bother me a lot. You are going to naturally pick a mage-like or a fighter-like path and I doubt it's possible to build a powerful character unless you pick one. Trader, necromancer, thief... these are secondary past times but you probably must specialize in either brute-force or spell-casting.
Skill reset. This bothers me a lot more than the above. TW2, or one of the NPCs in it will allow you to basically reconstruct yourself and redistribute nearly all of your skill points. In other words, you can spend dozens of hours to build yourself as the fiercest sword fighter in the land and, for a small fee, you can turn yourself into an arch-mage.
Health regeneration. This is something that we've seen in the older RPG but not in the more recent ones. In TW2 your health comes back and even you 'poisoned' status goes away for as long as you are not in combat with your weapon drawn.
No weather. There is some day/night transition and what seem to be 'morning mists' but that's it. No rain, snow or wind experienced so far.
Anything other than weapons and armor is weightless. You can carry 1,000 potions, bags full of medicinal roots, mutated hearts and giant scorpion poison glands and a one hundred volume library on your back and it won't slow you down one bit.
Well Implemented
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I enjoy the way TW2 did leveling. Each new level grants you a few more attribute and skill points. You get more skill points for doing 'things' like killing lots of animals or picking many locks or brewing a number of potions and so forth. Your level and your skills decide which weapons/armor you can wear. Skills must be first taught before you can assign point to them and skill books are either offered to you or you find them or you buy them if you can afford it.
Weapons, armor, staffs, shoes can be upgraded if you have the proper skills, can be sold/bought or you can break them (again, if you have the skills) into their components to be used when updating other items. Depending of how upgraded your equipment is, you can attach to them various crystals and improve either attributes (strength, accuracy, will power) or skills (lock picking, blocking).
Spells are cast with staffs which can be broken apart and upgraded as described above and are build each on separate spell cards where various spell modifiers interact to produce some very customized ones. Of course, you will need the skills. And, as a mage, you need to specialize in air/water/earth/fire or necromancy and acquire the related skills or maybe try to master them all.
Combat is not as realistic as I hoped. Demon's Souls will continue to be the best and smoothest combat RPG I'm aware of but it's a great improvement over the Bethesda games. There is thrust, swing, block, block breaking and the game is quite responsive to controls. However, as I mentioned before, you never get tired so it's quite easy to stun an enemy and almost never give it a chance to fight back if you keep spamming your best move. The enemies do block you and they do try their own tricks so combat is good by comparison but it could be a lot better.
MY RATING
It's clear by now that, with all its shortcomings, this is a 5-star game for me because Amazon's 5-stars mean 'I love it'. Which I do. Clearly, there is no perfect RPG yet and TW2 comes with major shortcomings. However, overall, TW2 is a superior game which I expect to play for quite a few hundred hours, and I am not aware of anything compelling in the PS3 pipeline probably until Skyrim launches in the fall of 2011. Which is why I'm saying 'buy it' because these are big budget products and if the talented people who are giving us these great games can't be paid, no one will hire them to do the next great RPG.
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NOTES:
Nothing on the 'online' features yet because we've been too busy with the story mode part so far and had no time for online. So far, the best online (combat) RPG I am aware of is Demon's Souls.
Not part of this review but, here's my brief, head-to-head, one-sentence evaluation of the current major RPGs currently on the market.
* OBLIVION huge world, great story, good humor, major slowdowns on melee scenes involving multiple characters and/or flowing water/burning fires/lava, occasional crashes, lots of huge, mostly cookie-cutter dungeons and ruins, occasional crashes, long load/save times, auto-saves every time you pass through a door.
* FALLOUT world not as large as Oblivion, great story, great humor, buggy, terrible melee combat, crashes, short main story. Did I mention buggy? Long load/save times.
* FALLOUT NEW VEGAS world same size as the original fallout, OK humor, feels like a large FALLOUT DLC, even more bugs and crashes, longer load/save times, melee still bad.
* DEMON'S SOULS the best online integration in any console game so far, incredibly brutal, the best hand-to-hand/melee combat, bugs-free (one crash in over 600 hours of play), the 5 worlds are relatively small but all is polished to near-perfection, load/save times quite long.
* TWO WORLDS 2 not much of a story but enough quests to keep one busy for a long time, basic humor, incredible outdoors environment, okay melee, large world(s), addictive, open world but player is strongly steered through the plot, extremely good implementation of magic and weapons/armor forging but many shortcuts (see review), bugs-free, short load/save time.
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>> Brush your teeth, it's the law!
Ear Force M Seven Mobile Headset - PlayStation Vita
List Price: $149.95
Sale Price: $103.89
Today's Bonus: 31% Off
IMPORTANT UPDATE: 5-23-2013 Like many others, my left ear cup went out. I didn't drop them, never mishandled them in anyway, always took the best care of them, and yet the ear cup still went out. Turtle Beach promptly responded to my issue with an RMA request. They didn't try to troubleshoot it at all (because they know its an issue I assume). So I sent my XP Seven back to them. To their credit, the RMA process was very quick and easy. I received a brand new headset about a week later. While I am happy to have a brand new headset, I am worried this problem will happen again and again. I guess they will just keep replacing them until my warranty is up. Anyway, the entire process has left a very bad taste in my mouth. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH A $250-$300 HEADSET. I am leaving my review at 2 stars, because I absolutely love the headset when its working. I think its amazing. But an inherent flaw as bad as this can't go unmarked.
Intro: This is an unbiased review. I have used other Turtle Beach, Astro, and other audiophile headsets.
The XP Seven is Turtle Beach's new top tier wired headset. While much of it is the same as before, it brings some new things to the table. Is it worth it? Read below and decide for yourself
PRESENTATION/ACCESORIES: The XP Seven comes in a very nice box. It is very well packaged. It appears to be a quality headset from the moment you open the box. It comes with every cable one would need for hooking up to your Xbox 360, PS3, PC/MAC, and any standard mobile device like Ipad, Vita, Iphone. (this includes a specific cable that comes with the standard mp3 player controls on the cord, nice!).
COMFORT/BUILD QUALITY: This is the most solid TB headset I have ever held. It doesn't feel quite as solid as Astro A40's, but it comes pretty close. The memory foam feels better than that which is on the TB Tangos. The headset is pretty tight on my head, but I have a pretty big head. However, it isn't so tight that it bothers me, even after extended gaming sessions. I have kept it on for hours and been completely fine. When I put them around my neck (when I take them off) they pretty much strangle my neck, which is uncomfortable, but not really important. Although at first my ears seemed a little warm after wearing them for extended periods, I don't even notice it now. I am completely satisfied with the comfort so far. On that note, I think Astro A40s are a bit more comfortable. (this isn't an A40 comparison review, I am just trying to give a popular benchmark)
SOUND: It's the best TB headset I have ever heard, and I have tried all of the top tier ones. Everything comes through clearly. It is definitely as good as the A40s in this area. Some people have noticed the sound doesn't seem to go very high. They are right. It doesn't get SUPER loud. However, it does get plenty loud enough for me, which is saying something, because I like things louder than most. This setting can probably be adjusted through the Advanced Sound Editor, but I have yet to try.(SEE UPDATES BELOW FOR VOLUME SOLUTION) You can independently adjust game and chat volume, which is great. There may be one minor sound problem though. Refer to the problems section.
MIC: Works great. It's detachable. It's very flexible and can be positioned exactly where you want it. My friends say I sound great. The optional mic monitoring is great, (this is real mic monitoring, not a joke of a mic monitor that Astro claims to have) but if you don't like it, you can turn it off on the fly. The presets to make your voice change are also very fun. Very useless, but very fun.
FUNCTIONALITY: This is what sold me on the headset. The ability to plug them into anything you want. As I game on multiple platforms, this was an absolute must for me, and the XP Seven delivers completely. I have used it successfully on Xbox, PS3, PC, iPhone and iPad. When using for mobile, you obviously don't have to take the Audio Control Unit with you; just grab the mobile cable and your headset and you are good to go.
FEATURES: The main seller of this headset is the Audio Control Unit that comes with it. It comes with tons of presets for game volume and chat. I have mostly been using the standard ones, but having the option to tune it exactly how you want through the Advances Sound Editor is great. I have tested it, and it does work with the current Advanced Sound Editor available at the TB website. The ACU also allows you to plug in an MP3 device or phone to use while gaming. Never miss another call from your Mom or Girlfriend. Bonus! The adjustable surround sound angles are pretty neat as well, since everyone's ears are different. I have been testing surround sound through COD Zombies, and it's working great. They ACU has lots of little features like mic mute, mute all, running sound through your speakers as well as the headset, and more.
This is also the official MLG headset which is good I guess? I don't really care about MLG, but if you are into that sort of thing, then great. This brings me to my next point...TB plans on having customizable speaker plates in the future. I plan on taking advantage of this ASAP, as I don't care for the look of the currents ones with the MLG tag and all.
FINAL VERDICT: I love it so far. If you need the cross platform capability, get this or the OLD AstroA40's (the new ones are a mess, trust me, I owned them). The sound on these isn't going to blow you away (unless you're coming from weak TV speakers or something), no gaming headsets sound is really going to be amazing compared to some audiophile headphones. But they sound pretty dang good regardless. Yes the Sevens have a hefty price-tag, but if you're a big gamer (especially one who could utilize these elsewhere like in the car or with an ipod) I would say it's worth the price. If you just need a headset for one console, or you want wireless, this probably isn't the headset for you. (note: I have tested other TB headsets (like the Tango) on PC, and while it does "work," it doesn't work nearly as well as the XP Seven does.
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UPDATES: I will update this review as needed with any new problems, any fixed problems, or any other relevant developments. Hit up the comments with any questions, and I will do my best to answer you. Enjoy the headset!
UPDATE 2/7/2013 LOW VOLUME SOLUTION: A lot of people are very confused about the max volume of this headset. They are right, at stock settings, it doesn't get super loud. This is because TB included a feature where you can manually adjust the volume of each surround sound speaker. So, to make your headset louder, each individual volume needs to be turned up. To do this, hit the 5.1 button. Each time you hit this, it will switch to a different speaker set. You need to hit this button, then you will see the speaker indicator lights come on, then turn your volume knob up. You need to do this for each speaker. This will make your headset MUCH louder. Credit for this goes to OLGC2977 on YouTube. I have heard reports that the headset is no longer shipping with the volume turned down, so this may not even be an issue still.
UPDATE 2/9/2013 AUDIO DROPOUT SOLUTION: I mentioned above that on low volumes my audio would cut in and out. I fixed this by adjusting the "Threshold" which you can find under the "Silencer" section of the current preset you're using. This is done through the advanced sound editor. While this has solved 90% of the problem, there is still an occasional game where the sound drops out. Annoying, but not a big deal.
Still wondering if this headset is for you? Just a note, stores like Gamestop have a different return policy for their headsets than they do for their games. You can buy them and return them no questions asked within 7 days, and within 30 if it breaks. If you're trying to decide between this and another, buy both and return one! (I love Amazon, and their return policy is great, but alas, you do have to wait for shipping)
Click Here to Read More Reviews >>
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program If you are looking for one of Turtle Beach's great wireless headsets for your video games (PS3/360/PC), then you want to look at any of the other models. If you are primarily a PS3 gamer, check out the PX/P series. If you're primarily a 360 gamer, check out the XP models (though most of the newer sets all seem to work on both systems, it's just that one system is the focus over the other).To avoid reading the lengthy review, here's a short review:
If want the best surround sound experience possible, with the best possible sound and fully customizable presets, and don't mind being "tethered" with wires, this headset is what you are looking for.
Highly recommended.
Longer review:
Unboxing:
Turtle Beach does a fantastic job yet again at making you feel like you've gotten something of the highest quality. The outer sleeve tells you everything you might need to know (WIRED, PS3, 360, PC, Mac and Mobile) and looks professional. When you pull the sleeve off (I had 2 plastic stickers on the top and bottom holding the sleeve to the main box), that's where the quality really shines. The box folds open and is held closed with a magnet. You pop it open and the headset sits behind a piece of clear plastic. Below the headset is the "Audio Control Unit" (the brains of the headset) in it's own box. Pull the plastic out and beneath that is the accessory box and the CD sleeve with the instructions inside.
The only thing I had an issue pulling out of the box easily was the console interface box. For some reason it sits in the middle of the headset plastic and is very, very firmly wedged in place.
Overall the unboxing was simple, as you would expect and hope.
Connecting:
This thing is RIDICULOUS in how many systems you can connect it to, and I have to be honest, the cable management can be quite a pain. I will stress again that if you want the simpler solution, go for one of the wireless sets. If you, like me, want the absolute best sounding experience possible, you will make adjustments to your gaming to accommodate the XP Sevens.
How you connect this to the PS3 and 360 is exactly the same. As there is NO BLUETOOTH capability, everything is controlled via wires. To connect to the PS3/360 (simultaneous connections only possible if you use a receiver or TV with optical audio pass through!), you plug the optical audio out of your chosen system into the optical audio IN on the Console Interface box. Then you plug the included (and well labeled) USB to USB Micro cable, plug the micro end into the Console Interface box and the other end into the PS3/360.
Once that piece is connected, you plug the USB cable from the Audio Control Unit (ACU) into the USB port on the other side of the Console Interface box. There is also another multipin connector that comes from the ACU that must be connected to the Console Interface box (you can't plug it in wrong as it's the only connector on the box that looks like this).
After that, you plug the headphone jack size connector from the Headset Breakaway cable into the ACU. Then plug the other end into the breakaway connector on the headset.
If you want to be able to chat, just plug the mic into the mic jack on the headset.
At this point, if you are using a PS3, you are done connecting wires and cables. If you are using a 360 and want to chat, there's one more thing to do. Find the included TalkBack cable and plug the 90 degree end into your controller and the other end into the headphone jack with the Xbox 360 controller outline on the ACU. NOW you can chat with the 360.
Connecting to the PC is MUCH, MUCH simpler. Just take out the ACU, plug the USB cable into your Windows PC (or Mac) and let it load drivers. Plug the headset into the headphone on the ACU, then plug the breakaway cable into the headset and you're pretty much DONE. Chat is handled through the USB connection, so no other wires need to be run.
Comparing the PS3/360 setup on the XP Seven to the wireless X41, PX51 and XP400 headsets I have, this setup is simply a bear. The thing is, it's completely worth it given the quality of the sound compared to the other headsets. If this setup sounds like a pain to you, definitely look at the wireless headsets from TB. They are much simpler to use and setup.
Usage:
If you have a PS3, you will need to configure your audio devices. PS3 you can find the mic setup in PS3 Settings -> Accessory Settings -> Audio Device Settings -> Input/Output Device -> Turtle Beach SEVEN CHAT. Then you need to setup the 5.1 surround in Settings -> Sound Settings -> Audio Output Settings -> Optical Digital -> Dolby Digital 5.1. You also want to configure the Multi Audio Out option so that if you are using HDMI with optical, and want audio through HDMI (say you have your PS3 connected to a receiver to watch movies with family, etc), this needs to be configured. Settings -> Sound Settings -> Audio Multi-Output.
For the 360, open your Xbox Guide and head to Settings -> System Settings -> Console Settings -> Audio -> Digital Output and set this to Dolby Digital 5.1. Then head to Settings -> Preferences -> Voice -> Voice Output and set this to "Play through headset."
On a Windows PC/Mac, you don't need to worry about these settings.
This is where the ACU comes in. Once you are ready to play a game, you have a ton of options to choose from in terms of EQ. The best part is, unlike the XP400, X41 and PX51, every preset is available at the touch of one button. No more cycling through all of the presets to find the one you want (thought PX51 is nice in that you can set your MAIN presets and not need to cycle through either).
The presets for Games are (these presets match the Speaker presets, IF you are using speaker pass through on the PC/Mac):
1. Flat: Hear stereo game sound without effects processing or Dolby Surround Sound.
2. Bass Boost: Hear and feel the rumble of deeper bass sound effects.
3. Treble Boost: Boost high frequencies for crisper sounds and greater clarity.
4. Bass Boost + Treble Boost: Rumbling lows and pristine highs come through clearly.
5. Stereo Expander: Stereo processing with a 3D effect that allows you to focus on subtle audio cues.
6. Action Enhancer: Amplify intense sounds from weapons and explosions.
7. Footstep Focus: Focus on the sound of enemy footsteps approaching.
8. Superhuman Hearing: Boosts low volume sounds.
For Chat presets you have:
1. Flat: Straight chat with no processing.
2. Chat Focus: Boosts mid-range frequencies for greater concentration on chat.
3. Chat Expander: Widens the virtual sound field of chat.
4. Voice Amp: Amplifies chat volume.
5. Hi-Pitch Morph: Morph your voice into a high-pitch tone.
6. Lo-Pitch Morph: Bring your voice to demonic depths.
7. Robot: Transform your voice into a metallic sound.
8. Max Chat: Combines presets in an enhanced chat package
In terms of the descriptions of the presets, the PX51 and the XP Seven have the same presets. The difference is the audio quality itself. We'll get to that in the Sound Quality section though.
Compared to the X41 and XP400, their presets are simply anemic, clocking in at only 4 presets each. Though the X41 doesn't have any chat presets.
Sound Quality:
This is where the XP Seven beats the other headsets to a pulp. On the X41s, the sound in the headphones are very good. It's only able to process Dolby ProLogic II though. The PX51 and XP400 are both able to process true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The only issue here though (and this includes the X41s), is that the audio quality does suffer a little because of the wireless connection. What I find on the XP400 and PX51 is that there is a slight degradation in the in game speech. It seems there is some extra compression going on to allow the audio to be truly wireless. I don't hear this in the other game sounds or music, just in game voices. I will admit that on the PX51 the issue wasn't as pronounced and I could only hear it when I really concentrated, but it was still there. On these? There is no need to compress the audio to send via RF, so what you get is the straight digital audio in all of it's quality. This means that this headset just sounds absolutely incredible.
Another place the XP Seven shines is that you are able to control individual volume on specific channels. For example, say you want more pronounced stereo audio simply click a few buttons and turn the nob on the ACU and you can control JUST the front l/r and so on. The only thing that MIGHT be desired is the ability to control l/r audio separately for those that have worse hearing in one ear over the other. Maybe the next model will include that?
The surround separation on the XP Seven out of the box is phenomenal. Playing Gears of War Judgment, you can very, very clearly hear when someone is behind you, to your right, to your left or in front of you. Sure, you can achieve this with the XP400 and PX51, but I found out of the box the surround sound adjustments were pretty spot on. With the XP400 and PX51 I needed to make some adjustments to get it "good." Out of the box the XP Seven is what I would call "great." The X41 is no comparison, as you don't have any control over the surround mix.
The noise isolation of this set is on par with the XP400 and PX51. The X41s had a more open feel and let a lot more outside "noise" in. I can't tell you how many times my fiance has snuck up behind me and scared me witless. She doesn't mean to, but the sound is so well isolated in these headphones that it just happens.
CHAT SOUND:
In both 360 and PS3 chat, I am happy to say that the sound quality is very, very good. The others I've played with all report that the sound of my voice is as clear as can be expected. Sometimes the X41s had people complaining that I sounded "tinny" at times. The XP400 and PX51 sound just as good.
The Chat Presets are a little helpful, but aren't something I need to enhance. Volume of chat is controlled via a dial on the ACU. On one side you control the audio in your headset, on the other side you control the audible feedback you receive from your own voice. This latter piece is the same as it was, essentially, on the PX51 and XP400, so nothing new. And for those that don't like it, I recommend you turn it up "just" enough to get a little feedback from your own voice, as otherwise you WILL be talking really loud to your chat partners or someone who comes into the room to talk to you.
Battery-
This is where this headset also stands out. Being completely wired, there are NO batteries to replace. Ever. This is great.
Programmable:
In another bit of "awesome," the XP Seven has a fully programmable DSP, just as the PX51 and a few other headsets have before them. Programming it can be a little cumbersome, but in the programming you have the ability to control just about every aspect of the audio coming out of your headphones. It is definitely worth downloading the Turtle Beach program and documentation and reading up on it and trying it out. In this way you can configure the audio to be different for every single game. You can save presets to your computer and load them into the XP Seven at any time. You want Call of Duty to accentuate footsteps? Configure a preset for it. Want Uncharted 2 to accentuate bass and boom? Configure the preset the way you want it. The possibilities are endless, and given the community around this feature, you can also download other user's presets as well and try them out.
If you take the time to learn it, I think you might find you like having this level of control.
AND all this being said, I have to be honest. The presets included out of the box on the XP Seven are very, very good general presets that work on most games. So you don't HAVE to program your presets if you don't want.
Mobile:
One thing that the XP Seven can do is play music from your mobile device (phone, MP3 player, etc) while gaming. I tried it out and it's nice, but nothing astounding.
The other thing it can do, if your phone supports it, is talk through the headset on your phone as well. Because there is no Bluetooth included, this is accomplished through a cable you must plug into the headset and your phone. Audio quality on phone calls is good, and the included phone cable as a button on it so you can pick up the phone from close to the headset. You don't have to have the phone next to you to answer it.
The PX51 and XP400 really kick this in the pants simply because they are Bluetooth enabled. It is nice that Turtle Beach included it in this set though.
Overall:
The XP Seven, as long as you don't mind wired headphones, are nothing short of phenomenal. The sound quality is second to none (at least compared to other Turtle Beach sets). The surround sound truly feels like surround sound.
If you need wireless capability, definitely look elsewhere. I can't stress this enough.
Highly recommended.
Pros:
+Amazing sound quality
+True Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (don't think it can decode DTS-MA from movies, though I haven't tried)
+Audio Presets can be set to defaults
+Audio Presets changeable at touch of a single button, no cycling through
+Can work with PC/Mac/PS3/360
+Fully programmable DSP
+Every control available from the ACU means you don't need to get up to adjust surround angles, unlike the PX51 and XP400s
+Comfortable (all my other Turtle Beach sets are as well, so this isn't a unique feature)
Cons:
-Expensive
-Wired means a tangle of wires, especially if you use PS3/360
-Programming DSP requires patience, effort and reading
EDITI experienced the same left speaker failure others have noted. I contacted Turtle Beach, sent my headset in and a few days later I had a brand new pair. I did have to pay return shipping. And for those wondering, there are differences. The cord on the headphone is different and the control module has less lights on it and feels a little sturdier. Unfortunately I wasn't able to do a side by side comparison on them.
Buy Ear Force M Seven Mobile Headset - PlayStation Vita Now
Used with a 2011 Xbox 360 Standard and Halo 4.Overall:
The sound quality, features, and comfort of this headset are incredible. The reliability, however, has become an issue within just a few hours of use.
Sound:
The sound is rich in detail and very immersive, not to mention noticeably better than the lower-end headsets like the Turtle Beach X12. As a recording artist and audio technician with studio experience, I have heard several high-end studio headphones and monitors, and although this may not be an ideal pair of neutrally-set cans for mixing, it is definitely clear, accurate, and loud enough to make a severe difference in any competitive game. I find myself paying much more attention to sound cues like gunshots, footsteps, and weapon drops now that I can actually pinpoint the direction they are coming from. Having a noise-canceling headset has made this much easier for me than it was when my Xbox's sound was playing through my Sony BDVN790W 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound system.
Features:
The headset has more than enough features for the typical gamer. Adjustments can quickly and easily made for mic monitoring, chat volume, game volume, presets, voice changer, etc. Presets like "footstep enhancer" and features like the voice changer work well and exactly as described. The directional volumes can be adjusted as well. For example, you can turn up the volume of the back speakers more than the front ones if you want to hear sounds behind you more easily to prevent being snuck up on.
Comfort:
The comfort is outstanding with the memory foam; the ergonomic design allows the headphones to wrap around one's head snugly. A word of WARNING: If you have a considerably large head, this headset may fit too tightly to be very comfortable.
Reliability:
This head was released on February 5, 2013, and with overnight shipping, arrived at my house on February 6th. I have only used it for a few hours total during 3 nights within this last couple days. The left earcup's sound began cutting out last night so I had to uncomfortably put the cable attaching the headset to the audio control unit between my head and the headband just to get sound on both sides before the left side stopped working completely. I have already ordered an exchange through Amazon for a brand new one in the hopes that this one was a lemon. No $300 headset should begin cutting out within a few hours of use, especially if its target market is competitive gamers and tournament players, many of whom play for prizes and cash.
Conclusion:
Although the headset I originally ordered has stopped working, the high-quality experience I was enjoying before the headset failed has me willing to give it another chance. I thoroughly hope that I received a lemon and that the reliability will no longer be an issue since this headset has helped me gain a huge advantage when playing Xbox Live multiplayer while providing me professional game-changing sound quality, a wide palette of easy-to-use features, and a high level of comfort.
UPDATE (February 19, 2013)
I've discovered a new problem. When I plug the charging cable into my wireless controller while it is connected to the XP7, there is an intolerable buzzing that even other people in my Xbox Live party can hear.
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Overall: The sound and build quality of this headset are amazing, and the ACU is feature rich with incredible custimization.Initial Impressions: The packaging that the headphones come in is pretty impressive, though not quite Astro level packaging-it does come in a magnetic box the the headset and input box cradled in a plastic shell, and the ACU and cables within their own respective boxes for storage. The headset themselves however have a definite wow factor when you see them.
Sound: I can't praise the sound of these headsets enough, my previous headset before these were TB PX21s that I used in conjunction with an Astro Mixamp, and the difference in sound quality is amazing. I have also compared the XP Sevens to my friends Astro A40 2013s, and Sennheiser PS360s, and the XP Sevens sounds better then the A40s, and on par with the PC360s. The sound on these is very rich and has an excellent balance of lows/mids/highs, every single sound can be made out in detail and clarity. These headsets are able to separate sound cues very precisely, and I have already noticed that I am able to differentiate exactly which direction gunshots, footsteps and explosions are coming from. Also, if you have these hooked up to your PC for listening to music, they are just as amazing, I prefer these over even my Klipsch headphones for music now.
Mic: The mic and adjustable voice monitoring settings of this headset are very high quality. My friends all say that my voice is crystal clear and it sounds a lot better then any other mic I have used. Though as a side note, they also said that my voice sounds almost modulated (digital sound) to it as well, which my old ones didn't sound like. This isn't a bad thing, it's just different apparently, and after I played around with the mic settings in the Advanced Sound Editor, I was able to reduce it.
Features: The most feature packed part of this headset is the ACU, with 8 sub presets for game audio, and 8 for chat, along with customization for the surround sound speaker angles, you can't really compare this to any other unit on the market right now (except the Creative Recon3D sound processor). Also, if you have the ACU's USB hooked into your pc, you can literally change sound preset settings on the fly (while your playing!) instantly via the Advanced Sound Editor tool for the headset. I give props to Turtle Beach on this control unit, it is superb! Oh, and another great part in my opinion-this headset can be used with any console, and you can have your computer hooked up to it, and your phone/tablet as well.
Comfort: The comfort of these headphones is very nice with the memory foam ear cups, though I wish that the material that covers the driver housing was a bit thicker, as I find after prolonged wear, the memory foam pushes down to the point where my ear is pushing against the thin material and causes a bit of discomfort.
Tip for those who buy this: When you first start using this headset, you may noticed that quiet sounds will cause audio to drop out and not play every now and then until a louder sound is played. Fret not, this is because the sound threshold setting in the Advanced Sound Editor is set alittle too high. All you have to do is hook the ACU up to your computer, click on the game preset tab for the current preset selected, and turn the threshold setting down, and voila! No more sound cutting out.
Overall I think this is an incredible headset and it is fully worth the $280. Turtle Beach did a great job on these and it lives up its "tournament level" status, as well as the audiophile status the company was known for in their PC sound card days. Keep up the good work TB!
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Dont get me wrong i love this headset when it is working properly. I wonder though wide spread the defect problems with these are and if my replacement headset will have the same issues. My headset also seems to have gotten the squeaking plastic problem that was described at the end of the top review as well as the left earpiece going dead unless u hold the wire a certain way as described in the worst review so far. I really really want to like these so I am hopping the is just a fluke but only time will tell.Update 5/17
so now i am going to lower my review to 1 star due to the fact that the replacement set has done the exact same thing and lost audio in the left ear cup.
looking around today it seems that a ton of people are having this problem. I just wish turtle beach would make an official statement and let everyone know if it is an issue that has be corrected or if they have even acknowledged that it exist.
I really want to like these headphones so i am getting a replacement instead of a refund. Hopefully third time is a charm.
DMC: Devil May Cry
List Price: $101.18
Sale Price: $54.99
Today's Bonus: 46% Off
Simply a wonderful cool hip game. The humor, fights, the graphics, storyline are mind blowing. If you have played all the other DMC games this is a must play game. Not to mention a not so bad soundtrack to accompany your journey of badass kick butt take names later type of game play.
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If I have to see another Limbo I'm going to rip my own head off. This game was to do a remake of Dante games and failed epicly. Some people like it but gamer's like me hate it. The enemas attacks are the same over and over. Dante and Virgule character and relation ship reminds me of a bad reunited Disney movie.The remake of the characters are just awful and stupid. The game play is okay. The story is the only good thing in this game. The weapons are nice but Envy and Ivory are useless. Every time I play this game I get a really bad headache. The whole thing is a mess and a pain to play. If you like it? Fine but I don't.OUT OF THIS WORLD !!! Beyond an awesome game, my personal favorite of the whole franchise and one of the best games I've ever played in my life :) I'm keeping it, I'm not even going to trade it in, a definite benchmark in gaming: huge and exploded! Amazing, well done Ninja Theory! ;)Read Best Reviews of DMC: Devil May Cry Here
This is an Amazing revamp of this long time series though it has been underselling and getting an undeserved bad rep from bias fans... I'm a long time DMC fan myself and I had my reservations about the new Dante but giving it a chance really played off.. The changes fit into the new story and without giving anything away, as the game progresses I think hardcore fans will be pleasantly surprises by some changes he undergoes.This game has Tons of replay value with unlock-able modes, hidden missions and concept art. The revamped battle system lets you switch between weapons on the fly and use them to string together insane new combos and the style rating system is a blast, rewards creativity and makes you want to replay levels to outdo yourself and others online. With the new DLC's longtime fans can get the costume and hair from the Dante of old or several other possibilities if they just can't get past the new punkish look he sports in this game.
This fresh spin on the series has great visuals and a very cool gritty urban art style, a fantastic story and polished to near perfection game-play that never ceases to be fun and engaging. While it's a reboot of the series it retains the spirit of what made the original series so great and improves it with a deeper story, fighting mechanics and replay value with loads of extras. In my opinion I would say that this is the best DMC to date...
If i had anything negative to say it would only be that some of the dialog could be dialed back a bit..
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This Game sucks weak story its pretty much a hack and slash. I'm a big fan of the old devil may cry everything was crazy even the weapons are crazy please dont waste your money
Chromo Inc.® 2 Pack of Rumble Wireless Controller for the Playstation 3
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus:
I had bought these to get 2 more controllers for my ps3 but didnt wanna pay $50 apiece for a sony branded dualshock 3 controller. So i found these controllers, which when i ordered wasnt expecting sony quality controllers n was expecting it to be cheap crappy quality but enough to play with at least. I was completely shocked when i got these. The controllers look and feel just like a sony dualshock 3 controller, i would never know the difference if it didnt say sony on it. Had no problem syncing them w/ the charge cables that came with them. These work flawlessly. The only thing i dont like about them is that they are alil heavier than the sony controllers but not a big deal at all. i highly recommend these to everyone with a ps3. and shipping was quick and tracking was promt and quickly updated. definitely the best bang for $25. if you do order these i suggest you order something else to fill that $25 order minimum to get free shipping, otherwise there is a $9 tacked on to this.
Two Worlds II - Velvet Game of the Year Edition
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $29.99
Today's Bonus:
since I reviewed the regular game, I will just review what's new here:
the game now comes packaged with Multiplayer map pack 1 (7 DM Maps, 4 adventure maps and 3 CC maps)and the Pirates singleplayer expansion. you also get an in game item (pin)also a real pin to wear.
a huge two sided map of the world, the velvet case with special edition dvd
(making of etc dvd) all the DLC is On the Disc for a nice change (thought for sure they would be codes) but this great package is brought down by a major flaw
and that is if you owned the previous version of the game and played online or offline you CANNOT IMPORT YOUR SAVE! that's right you cannot bring in your Multiplayer characters (so no level 300+ character for you) nor can you import your singleplayer save. I have written to topware and they simply told me they had to make a new save slot, that they had to and to contact "the unknown" via the zuxxez forums. sad they ruined a perfect package. my review score is ONLY based upon the package. not the problem. since this is a Fine package if you didn't already buy the game. also the expansion now has weather effects.
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Hack (workaround) for importing save games:
This is caused by the fact that PS3 TWII GotY is formally different game then TWII it have different "titleID" and so different saves folder.
There is a hack in game which lets you "import" saves from TWII:
you do this at the main menu.
open commands console:
Hold down L1 + R1 then while holding it down press sequentially: SELECT then DPAD LEFT then SELECT then DPAD RIGHT. An input box+on-screen keyboard should appear.
then put in the game.loaddir BLUS30550 and hit start. (this is the US Code) then you're done (except for saving) use codes below for different regions.
in console type: game.loaddir BLES00845 (UK) (for US version type: game.loaddir BLUS30550, for JAP: game.loaddir BLJM60268) and press START to accept command.
this imports ALL your saves at once including MP and SP. once done just go into multiplayer and force it to save each character and then go into singleplayer and save there too. then you're all done! I tested this and it works perfectly.
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Original Review:
I ordered Two Worlds II almost a year ago. I just had a good feeling about it and I was right! it's so beautifully rendered the graphics are among the best I have seen in a ps3 RPG. (except Skyrim!)
the gameplay is fun, primarily Hack & Slash (though enemies can be really stupid which I don't mind at all) you can swim, sail, ride a horse and of course be ANY class you wish! the customization is so deep as is the crafting. I have spent hours just tweaking spells and weapons I think I could just do this for 100+ hours. I've been playing non stop since it's release and am completely addicted!!!!
many people are comparing this to oblivion, the world is bigger I'd wager, I think it's better and harder which I prefer.
the online modes are amazing and fun. I've read of glitches but I
have experienced none. the voice acting is by and far NOT the worst I ever heard. it's actually not bad at all (when compared to the severely wooden acting of SOME other games I will NOT name..) if you liked oblivion and
thought to yourself "I want More" this could be the perfect fix until Elder Scrolls V Skyrim.
the graphics are really amazing with some of the best lighting effects I have seen in any RPG on PS3.
the controls take getting used to but you can assign hotkeys and this speeds things up very well. also I loved the fact that no armor/weapon you loved (early on in the game) is useless,
you may disassemble any weapons and armor for the base components
to make your new weapons/armor far more powerful (though the sell price doesn't change) I'd easily recommend this RPG to ALL Major RPG fans!
the game is simply a blast online or offline.
your single player character cannot be used in multiplayer *sniffle*
though I can cope with having several characters. I especally LOVE they put Necromancy in this to summon your own virtual army much like diablo II's Necromancer and that's just awesome!
the game is deeper then the ocean! I've never seen the ability to craft on this level since Ultima Online and this is even Deeper!!!
the enemies are excellent and well varied, the backdrops are beautiful, amazing graphics and wonderful sound. what more could one want? buy it now (or rent if you're not sure) it's easily worth it.
and I am only about 45 hours into it so far!!!!!
if I had to hazard a guess I bet (like oblivion) you could easily milk 400+ hours out of this between Online 8 Player and Offline!
ONLINE GAME MODES:
Deathmatch (4 on 4 kill or be killed.
Duel (1 on 1 deathmatch. a very fun mode)
Adventure (a co-op 8 player adventure)
Village mode (cost 10,000 auras to begin playing)
Crystal Capture (similar to a CTF in a FPS but collecting crystals)
a little advice about playing Online, if you're just starting out try adventure mode to do some leveling for if you enter deathmatch via using Quick Join you will Die Fast so do some adventuring first and save needless deaths! it really is a blast to play online so don't overlook it!
Graphics: Amazing! 5 stars
Voice acting: on par 3.5 stars
Gameplay: simple to learn difficult to master 4 stars
Sound: the ambient sounds are incredible (turn the music off and see)
5 stars!!
FUN you can assasinate, steal, pickpocket, summon armies, fight hand to hand, use dual wield, one and two handed weapons, archery, cast amazing spells and so much more!! (and you can craft them and decide all effects of the spell) I can't praise this game enough it's beautiful and even the rising/setting sun is an excellent touch.
PS3 version review.
buy it here:
Two Worlds 2 Velvet edition:
Two Worlds II Velvet Game of the Year Edition [PS3]
my hats off to southpeak for creating a true gem!
Overall: this is a MUST OWN RPG for the casual and Hardcore alike
easily the best RPG so far this year 5 stars!
UPDATE: 1/10/12
the online community has diminished a bit but it's still easy to find
online matches (or just host one) the new adventure maps are really fun and different from the other maps. you can now even kill a Crystal Golem to get the Crystal Sword/Shield?/Axe that were not in MP Before this expansion.
the new DM and CC maps are just as good with more of them then the adventure maps
(4 new adventure maps, 7 Deathmatch maps, and 3 crystal capture maps)
the single player has been nicely expanded as well. the pirates expansion has weather effects which are a really nice touch (standing in a graveyard with lightning flashing is more sinister then a peaceful daylight graveyard!
the sailing mechanic has been expanded with a "simple" mode for those that want to explore instead of fiddling with wind and the sail. in this "simple" mode you simply point the ship where you'd like to go and the A.I. takes care of the sail ETC. to speed up sailing so now it's more fun for those not seeking "realism".
one of the boss fights is a tad unfair for those of us that were never good at using the flute or drums etc. this boss requires you to play a melody in about 24 seconds lol. I will get past it,just not anytime soon. otherwise this "Velvet Edition" was worth every penny I spent on it especally since both DLC packs are On The Disc! also, there's new weapons & armor including Horse Armor (though not really needed) and a nifty new bow was also added the Crossbow! it's deadly compared to other bows but is a whole lot slower to reload. overall it's a stellar package no one should overlook.
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I like a great RPG just like the next guy/gal but I'm disappointed when I got mine because it was not a US release but a european release. Lucky for me PS3 games are region free not like DVD's, blurays and CD's. I bought this one as a 'inbetween' game.......still doesn't hold a candle to the Elder scrolls series. I will go on to say that it is worth the $25 I paid for the game.Buy Two Worlds II - Velvet Game of the Year Edition Now
Well supposedly your supposed to get Defense mode and 5 new maps with this version of the game. What they don't tell you is you need UK version of game to play defense and the 5 new maps. The VELVET EDITION is a rip off if you are looking to playing this game stick to the standard edition. I had to do alot of research to find out why i couldn't play defense mode on my velvet edition.Read Best Reviews of Two Worlds II - Velvet Game of the Year Edition Here
I'm am surprised at how high this game is being rated, The animations are spastic and lazy, the story is non existant which is probably because every character is less interesting as a wet piece of cardboard thats been flattened by a steam roller. I give the game a sliver of credit for having ok graphics, but that does NOT make up for everything else this game fails on and I mean EVERYTHING else. The fighting and movement mechanics are all 'round terrible due to the controls to perform simple tasks are so tedious it takes up more time than it should like how swimming somehow simulates the water having TRACTION. Wanna learn a new spell? Well after you find the book in the dirt, all you gotta do is pick it up, find it in your inventory, select it to learn the spell, then go into your spell book, select the spell that is currently being used, and then select the spell you want to replace it with, exit it out of all of those menus then you're ready to fire at your enemy. OH, but after you select it in your hotbar! Wanna hit multiple enemies like a badass? Just take out your bow, aim it your enemies, go into sniping mode, select the enemies you want to fire at and then let go of the arrows. HOW CONVENIENT!What's worse are the characters, the acting is so deadpan and fits NONE of characters' appearance, every female is little to no clothing and your character's voice sounds like some generic moron with a low raspy voice. He does nothing, but spew some stupid comment to everyone like he already knows what he's doing, but he just doesn't have the time to say anything about it. The story explains NO plot points so all you know are these guys are doing these thing for SOMETHING. I pretty much lost all hope for this game when I saw an Orc archer had the same sized head as all of the other Orcs (probably to the developers clever feature of copy and paste) but had a thinner body than they did! Oh and when the Orc Mage was shot with an arrow and EXPLODED just so there was no excuse to keep the escape portal open for the main characters. I can not take anything in this game seriously and ANYONE who says this is a good game and on par with any good RPG currently on the market is kidding themselves.
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How in the Nine Levels of Hell did this game make Game of the Year? HOW? Seriously, this game is horrid!Bought this game on a whim, intrigued by the rather witty opening line on the back. Sadly, I was beyond disappointed.
The overall look of the game in the opening cut-scene is beautiful, but it all goes downhill from there. From the start of character creation, the end of the three and a half hours I sunk into this game, the movement and overall flow of the game is choppy at best. At times, the game stalls and has to take time to load mid-map, casing more choppy movement and an overall annoying experience that caused me one too many deaths.
Dialog custs off randomly in mid sentence and the voice acting leaves much to be desired, often sounding monotone at best. Overall, the writing is poor and the names of somethings throughout the entire game sound like the writer just stuck random syllables together to come up with the strangest sounding thing they possibly could.
When you first receive your starting quest (after the prologue) you are not informed that you receive it or what you are meant to do. In order to find out that you have an objective at all, you must walk about and find the scattered members of the party that you find yourself in; and only then do you find that "oh, look, I have a quest! Maybe I should get to that..."
The game, overall, feels unfinished, unpolished, and very rushed; almost as though they got the basics down and released it saying "good enough!"
At the end of the day, this game was a complete waste of my money and I'd advise against purchasing it if you're interested in a good RPG.