Ubisoft Call of Juarez 2 PS3 Videogame Software

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I thought this game was going to be a lot better......Instead I get this crappy first person shooter......I am not to fond of first person shooters, unless it is the call of duty franchise or even socom franchise. To make this short and sweet, I am not pleased with this game at all......Totally thought it would be more than it was worth.

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PlayStation 3 160GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle

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Necessary disclosure: I do not own this model but do I own the 60GB model, recently upgraded to 320GB. I am also very familiar with the latest 80GB model (which is basically this one with a larger disk) because one of my neighbors has one and I am the neighborhood's unofficial and unpaid 'computer' consultant :). I did some research in anticipation of us purchasing a second unit because I promised the kids "their own" if their grades were going to meet a certain standard.

As compared to the 60GB model (see this model's pluses and minuses and what all PS3s have in common):

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+ Less expensive (I paid $599 for my 60GB PS3)

+ 266% more storage

+ Improved power efficiency

+ Dual shock controller (rumble)

+ Bundled Drake's Fortune and Pain voucher for a PSN download

+ Amazon Blu-ray movies promotion (buy 4 movies from list and get $100 off through end of 2008)

= Wireless Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network connections

= Bluetooth for controllers, keyboards, earpieces, etc.

= Controllers charged via USB wires

= Free, unlimited access to the PSN network, including online play

= Full PSOne compatibility

= Blu-ray player

= DVD player

= CD player

= HDMI, component video (component wire included but no HDMI cable)

= Surround sound

= Internet browser

= Allows for installation of third-party operating systems such as Linux

= Disk is easily upgradeable without voiding warranty

= Quiet operation

No memory card interfaces

2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB

No PS2 compatibility

______________________________________________

STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:

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This model comes with an 160GB drive. This is nice because, based on my own experience, 160GB should be sufficient for a few years of use for as long as you don't plan to purchase lots of movies from the PSN store or download to many full games if you are thiking about storing movies on your PS3 disk, consider upgrading to larger storage. However, unless you believe that Uncharted + Pain are worth the extra $100, you may be slightly better off buying the 80GB model for $100 less and then upgrading.

To give you an idea of the amount of storage you may need on your PS3, I recently checked the status of my 320GB disk and I found that I had 198GB free. That means that, one year after purchasing my (then) 60GB box I was using 122GB already. The space is taken by family pictures, a little music, lots of demos, many 'disk' games that dump gigabytes of data to the disk to improve performance, many videos the kids are making with the 'Eye' camera, game saves. I suspect that 'Home', when it becomes available, may require a few more GB's for its own use so 320GB may be what you need if you don't want to constantly worry about deleting old stuff before you run out of space.

If you are on the upgrade path, $80 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself but that was back in June/July and I paid about $150 then; you could get much larger drives for less now. 500GB drives are available for less than $100 and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. One that I tested would be the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD5000BEVT which replaced my laptop's 60GB little drive and I helped a friend upgrade his own PS3 with. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for "PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)" for videos that should help you decide if you are comfortable with upgrading. If upgrading is the first thing you do (before installing games or uploading personal files), everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.

MEMORY CARD INTERFACES:

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The lack of memory card interfaces is annoying but you can get around it. Copy your stuff to a USB drive or flash drive and... problem solved. You can then upload your things through the USB. It's somewhat inconvenient but it's no big deal.

USB PORTS:

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My old 60GB model has 4 USB ports and I am using all of them. One for the PS3 Eye (camera), a second has a wireless keyboard dongle, the third is where the racing wheel plugs in and the last one I use to charge controllers. Of course, you can and you WILL be able to live with 2 slots but it is likely that you will be doing some plugging/unplugging if you begin adding peripherals. One way around it is to get a USB port multiplexer. Another solution is seek Bluetooth peripherals (wireless) if you can find them. Bluetooth keyboards, for example, are available.

PS2 COMPATIBILITY:

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This model does not support PS2 software. Since the original PS2-compatible PS3's are hard to get, this has to be accepted as reality. I assume that Sony, after polling existing and future PS3 users, found that most users don't need PS2 compatibility. Soon after we upgraded to a PS3 my kids were playing Kingdom Hearts and Destroy All Humans but I haven't seen them doing so in quite a while. It is nice to have PS2 compatibility but its lacking would not stop me from buying a PS3.

PSOne GAMES:

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The PS3 has full PSOne compatilibity. Lots of them are available for download at the PSN store. They are quite inexpensive and some of them are still fun to play.

SUMMARY:

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If you like Drake's and you do not consider upgrading, buy THIS model. In fact, you should buy this model regardless of Drake's because you are likely to be unhappy with an unupgraded 80GB model like I mentioned above, I am already using over 120GB and this is BEFORE Home.

If you are planning to upgrade, you're better off with an 80GB model selling for $100 less because you can use the $100 you save to buy yourself Drake's for about $40 and use the balance to help pay for your disk upgrade.

Get yourself a USB port multiplexer if you need more than 2 ports

Transfer your photos to flash drives to get around the missing memory card interfaces

Or or, even better, get the Playstation 3 Media Hub+ for 2 extra USB ports AND a card reader

Keep your PS2 if you have one and still wish to play PS2 games in the future.

Enjoy your new PS3.

_____________________

Note: I am not taking off one star for the lack of PS2 compatibility. I understand that Sony must compete on price and make a profit and times are tough. However, I simply can't see why Sony cut the number of USB ports from 4 down to 2 and this explains why this unit gets 4 stars instead of 5. This is a relatively significant inconvenience and I can't see how it would cost Sony more than a dollar or 2 if it provided 4 ports instead of 2.

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When I was looking for Blu Ray DVD players, the PlayStation came out on top of every review I read. So I started looking at games available for the system and saw the review for the Uncharted game over on Gamespot. Uncharted looked like the best game for me, and considering the other bundles available, this seemed like a good deal, with a larger hard drive, (we all need more space) Uncharted, and PAIN all included.

First of all the SIXAXIS controller is fantastic. Easy to hold, easy to use, bluetooth wireless, and it has motion sensing capabilities like the Wii. In Uncharted you have to use that feature to toss grenades and balance as you cross some objects.

Second, the DVD player is wonderful. Since the wireless features are bluetooth there is another remote available to play DVDs. But, I don't think you need it. You can use the game controller easy enough. Anyone familiar with the interface on a PC or MAC DVD player will instantly get it.

The menu system on the PlayStation has been criticized in some reviews, but I don't get that at all. It is very easy, and the same interface is used on their Bravia TVs. I wish more electronics had menus like this. I have used FrontRow on the Macs, and I like this better.

The wireless feature configured on the first try with my network, which has two layers of security. I have more trouble getting some of my Macs on my network, than the PlayStation.

Finally, Uncharted is nothing short of amazing. Imagine you are part of an Indy Jones or National Treasure movie. That is the experience. Period. The music track gives clues to when you are heading in the right direction, and Nate Drake has awesome moves once you get used to the controller.

PAIN is ok, more funny than a real challenge. I suppose you could take it seriously, but it is best to just fling the character at everything in site and then use the controls to bounce and hit as much as possible. The physics is very realistic, and there is no blood. Great game when you just relieve some stress by smashing something.

If you are looking for a BluRay player or a game system, this is really the best value. I compared to the Xbox and with that system you have to keep buying extras to build up to the capabilities of this single purchase. In other words, don't just focus on the lowest price, consider the total value. For example, many of the games you can download from the PlayStation store are about $10, and the PlayStation network is free. Not to mention all the free demo games, movie trailers, movie and tv show downloads that are free or just a few bucks.

I could probably find enough free demos to play all year, but I made the mistake of visiting the Prince of Persia web site and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Uncharted alone would make this a deal, but add 160GB hard drive, and a BluRay player--don't think, do. Get this system.

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I have never really been a PlayStation fan since purchasing the very first PlayStation nearly 10 years ago. As a result most of my console gaming was on Nintendo's and Microsoft's consoles. However, between my XBOX Pro and Elite consoles, I have had to send them back them to Microsoft seven times in less than two years. Even the "more reliable" Elite console had to be returned twice last year. I decided that I spent too much money for that kind of unreliability so I reluctantly contemplated a PS3 purchase. Now before all of you Microsoft fan boys start calling this a fan boy review, think again; I call them as I see them and I never really understood why someone just can't have two or all three of the gaming systems anyway. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my XBOX 360 console, have around 25 XBOX 360 games, and still play it regularly. However when I spend nearly a grand on two Microsoft consoles, I expect them to last longer than a few months. I don't know about you, but I work hard for my money, paying for all my things out of my own pocket and I refuse to spend another dime on Microsoft's money pit of faulty consoles.

The main reason I purchased a PS3 was because I was in the market for a Blu-Ray player. However during extensive research I discovered that the Blu-Ray player on the PS3 is one of the best on the market, and while I'm not a big fan of multipurpose gaming consoles, I decided on the PS3 opposed to a standalone due to my countless issues with the XBOX 360. I may end up getting a standalone Blu-Ray player eventually, but for now the PS3 will suffice. The Blu-Ray player does not disappoint; however since this is my first experience with a Blu-Ray player, I don't have anything to compare it to other than DVD players. That said I never experienced any issue with the playback on the PS3. The first movie I purchased was The Dark Knight and comparing the video quality to my DVD player I do see a big difference. While DVD's certainly look good, the Blu-Ray does in fact show a noticeable difference. Honestly I don't notice much difference in audio, but this could be because I have a very old A/V receiver. The Blu-Ray player on the PS3 also up converts regular DVD's (with an HDMI cable). To me, the up-converting is ok, but I prefer using my standalone for watching regular DVD's.

One huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is that Sony doesn't nickel and dime you on accessories like Microsoft does. An example of this is that the PS3 has built in wireless internet capability instead of making you spend a hundred bucks on an "adapter". Additionally, all A/V connections in the back of the console are spaced out so you can use multiple A/V outputs (i.e. using HDMI video with optical sound) without having to spend an additional fifty bucks on yet ANOTHER adapter. Also, the PS3 controller can be charged with the included USB cable and you are not forced to purchase a battery pack and a separate charger. Finally, all memberships to the Sony PlayStation network (the equivalent to XBOX Live) are absolutely free. Meaning it's free to play games online without having to pay ANOTHER fifty/year for a "Gold membership"; granted while it is not that much, free is always better. Keep in mind that you still have to pay for some downloads, but you aren't charged just to be member.

One small complaint I had right off the bat is that unlike the 360 I am unable to output optical sound to my receiver and HDMI sound to my television simultaneously. I found the ability to do this on the 360 to be quite convenient since when everyone is in the bed I can play games with the receiver volume turned all the way down and just use the sound on the TV. However with the PS3 you can only choose one or the other at a given time. So before I start playing games, I have to choose in the Audio Settings screen if I want to use HDMI sound through the TV or optical sound through my receiver every time. My receiver does not have HDMI capability so I do not know if this limitation applies if both the TV and Receiver have HDMI capability.

This PS3 package comes bundled with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune which is a very good game to start off with. Once you are done with this game you can easily download demos from the PlayStation network to check out other titles you are curious about.

Keep in mind that to cut costs, Sony decided to do away with backwards compatibility with PS2 games. Neither of the current versions of the PS3 can play PS2 games. Because I have no PS2 games, this is not a concern for me and since I'm one to keep my old consoles, backwards compatibility has NEVER been a concern for me. However, if you are one that wishes to play PS2 games, then I suggest getting one of the older model PS3's or just purchase a PS2 separately since they are inexpensive now.

So far the PS3 seems like a good console. Available titles are limited for me since I have most of the good cross platform games on the 360 already. Drake's Fortune is a good start, but I am hoping for more worthy PS3 titles in the near future. Reliability wise, I have experienced a couple of game freezes, but restarting the system seemed to clear the problem. Only time will tell it it's more reliable than the 360. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt I will go through 3 4 per year as I have with the 360.

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This is not my first console ever. I switched from Xbox classic and 360 and this was the best decision I've ever made. Free online gaming, much smoother running, hundreds of extra features and utilities, and now also the Playstation Home coming up makes Playstation3 absolutely unmatched by any of the others. This is the ultimate gaming and home entertainment system I'll be sure to stick to for many, many years to come. I highly recommend it to everyone in the whole world. You will know what I'm talking about when you get it. I also want to thank the lousy and completely useless XBox360 technical support who has opened my eyes and made me switch to Playstation3. I hope this inspires lots of other gamers who decided to settle for an OK system to make the same switch I did and treat themselves with the right stuff.

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The PS3 was first released in November 2006, just one year after its competition, the XBOX 360. What can be said for the console since its release back on that amazing day in 2006? Well one thing is that it continues to evolve even to this day thanks to new releases with bigger hard drives and numerous software patches to be downloaded for free through the Playstation network (PSN). Sony are a company that listen to their fans and although upon first release the creators think they know what's best, they are more than willing to develop the interface and the experience through feedback from gamers.

The XBOX 360 was released 1 year earlier than the PS3 because Microsoft wanted to get the jump on Sony by releasing their console for Christmas 2005 which presented absolutely no gaming competition. Good move from a business stand point, but this only hindered the XBOX experience with the numerous hardware faults including the dreaded red ring of death. Fans were angry and frustrated and certainly a lot of them felt robbed by Microsoft's shoddy hardware blunders. The PS3 was the saving grace as although we had to wait an additional year for it to be released, the wait was worth it.

The look of the PS3 is something I want to talk about first. The external appearance is something we all notice first and it's definitely something that made me buy it. Next to hardware, the look of a console on the outside and in the interface is definitely something quite important I take into consideration when deciding a purchase. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) is again something that looks very pretty and of course presents an easy to navigate interface. The PS3 GUI is known as the XrossMediaBar or the XMB. It is split into 9 categories. Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, PSN, Network and Friends all make up an easy to find system when you're looking to perform a particular task within the operating system.

I don't know much about hardware and the technical stuff, but they've all been touched upon in other reviews so I'm going to just talk about the little add ons that really make it a worthwhile experience to buy this console. The PSN is one of its best selling points for the PS3 as although the 7th generation of gaming has taken a more positive leap to internet gaming, the fact that joining the PSN and being able to play your friends online is free wins it many fans. The wireless controllers are again another fantastic addition. This may be considered reaching for complements but it's the small things that have the biggest impact. Bluetooth and built in wireless internet capability are just immense considering if you want stuff like this, you have to buy the extras for the XBOX 360 to allow for such freedom

My favourite thing to do with the console is to be able to plug in my external hard drive and watch any film I have stored on my PS3. It seems to have the ability to play any video format on the PS3 and although that may not be the case, I'm happy and as a gamer, that's all that matters. Thanks to recent updates, Sony has now introduced the very welcome Trophy system which is a way of matching Microsoft's achievement system. Some would say it's better, others would say it doesn't matter, but to me it makes the gaming experience that bit more worth it.

The whole point of the PS3 is the gaming experience and that is the right approach to take which has worked wonders for Sony. No widespread hardware problems and no noise problems which were two of my main complaints about the PS3. It wasn't a rushed console and you can tell that from the start. It's an immense experience and just over two years on it has an impressive games catalogue that is guaranteed to get better and better. There's no doubting that even though it is just two years on, there's a PS4 at least at the discussion point of development and we probably won't see a finished article for about 4 or even 5 years.

That being said, I hope Sony learn a lot from this console and understand where they went wrong and what they did right. At this point, with all the software updates and other such changes, the PS3 is near enough the perfect console. One thing that does bug me a little is the constant new releases with larger hard drives and better add ons such as PS2 backwards compatibility. When we do see a PS4 we should get a large hard drive to begin with but if upgrades of hard drive space are made available, then we should be given an easy way to upgrade the hard drive without having to be a techno type of guy and having to take apart the console.

Just buy it, you won't regret it, I promise.

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Battery Replacement & USB Data/Charger Cable for PlayStation 3 Wireless Controller

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The battery itself is so far working good. However, this unit is larger than the original battery. The original sits on a crate on top of chip. The crate is removable, so I took it off and place the new battery directly on top of the chip. I do not like it and am a little concerned that the chip and other electronics on the tiny board get someday damaged or interfered. The PS3 remote control was a pain in the neck to crack open.

Update after 3 years: The controller has been working happily to-day. My earlier concern was unnecessary.

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Battery connector did not fit in SIXAXIS controller's circuit board. The key on the battery's connector is too wide. De-pinned both plugs and swapped them, went to charge battery after installation, it did not hold a chargeat all. Only useful part is the USB cable.

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I love this. SO much better then buying another controller. Fit just fine. No problem installing. Then biggest problem was getting the R2 L2 to go back into place.

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the supplied USB cable is very,very low quality,but the price,shipping and prompt service were excellent,so,if I ever need some more of this products,I'll make sure to get it from the same provider

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Thank you for having this available for purchase.

This product was installed with no problems.

Works well with the PS3 controller.

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Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland

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I played through Atelier Rorona earlier this summer as my first atelier game, and really enjoyed it. It had its flaws, such as strict time limits, battle system quirks (using HP for skills), and the voice acting was mediocre. Totori fixes all these issues, plus adds an element of free-roaming that the first Arland game didn't have. Playing Totori makes me want to go back and play Rorona again, but I'm not sure I can knowing how much improved Totori is!

I always like to condense things into pros and cons lists, so here goes:

Pros:

Beautiful graphics. I could look at them all day.

Good alchemy system that allows you to add traits after synthesizing an item, and also TONS of items to synthesize.

Extra rewards for quests depending on if you go above and beyond the request or provide very high quality synth items. Quests have dates further in the future so you don't have to run back and forth constantly.

Fun characters, plus reasonably priced DLC to add several more playables, as well as music DLC if you so wish.

Much more free roaming than Rorona. Some places will take you a month or more to get to, so this requires strategy of what to bring in your basket!

It seems like there are more cutscenes and story elements in Totori, although I suppose I could have just missed some in Rorona

Quests picked up in one city can be reported in another

Cons:

If you didn't play Rorona, you might be a bit lost. It's not a MUST to play the first game, but highly recommended.

Takes two weeks to travel between towns to upgrade your adventurer license.

Money is still a bit tight, so if you want all those alchemy books and good items, you need to do a lot of quests and get bonus rewards.

Quite a few enemies carry over from Rorona, which makes sense but at the same time it would be nice to see more new faces.

Dialogue is not as overtly racy as in Rorona, but still has its awkward moments.

Totori's nearly-see-through skirt slightly bugs me. I realize this is an NIS game, but at least Rorona had opaque material!

Time flies, and your expectations aren't really spelled out for you.

Overall, I love this game. If you enjoyed Rorona, you will LOVE Totori. Everything works pretty well in terms of the battle system, alchemy system, etc. to make a truly enjoyable game.

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Update: Important information here. Several other reviews state that you have 'plenty of time'. This is not true. Without including too many spoilers: save often and onto various save states. I was able to achieve my permanent license within the time limit, however, I had failed to complete one task of importance so I got a bad ending. The issue I have is that I didn't have earlier save states to pop back to, so I was stuck starting over. They do give you a sort of new game +, but really you just start over with your equipment and money, not any of the items, levels, or anything else from the earlier run through. The only reason I found it annoying is because I didn't have the option to just suck it up and keep playing with no possibility of gaining another ending. Also, there was never really any notice that I would suck it up and get a 'bad ending'. Actually the opposite is true. I kept on working towards my permanent license because I figured then I would have time to do all of these other things. I would have been content just sything and hunting until I leveled enough to beat some really tough baddies.

But just be forewarned. Keep a couple of extra save files on hand so that if this happens you can go back a bit if you wish and try something different. Otherwise be prepared to get VERY frustrated by losing a lot of hard work and effort.

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I will update the review as I progress farther, but even in the first few hours, this game is simply a blast.

Thanks to some other reviews, I opted for the Japanese audio track, and I am happy with the voice acting. Some of the female characters are a little "kawaiiiiiiiiiiii" (cute), but it works well with the theme.

Things start off slowly, but with a lot of hilarious and fun scenes involving the principle characters. This is a great introduction to the personalities of the game's characters. They are all interesting and quite a blast to interact with.

The game itself is amazing. Exploration and gathering is fun. Time passes as you battle, gather, and travel. Spend too much time out and you become exhausted and cannot fight well. Also, many of your quests have time limits, so be aware. Also, many ingredients deteriorate over time. So get those fresh, high quality ingredients back to your workshop ASAP!

Battles are actually fun. They remind me a bit of the Grandia series. Nice character animation, pretty average to bland backdrops. But this is okay, because the action is fast paced, and the lack of super detailed backgrounds during battle helps you stay focused on the action. It's a time based/ turn based system like Final Fantasy 10 and the Grandia games. But the battles are so fast that they never seem to drag. There is a pretty good challenge as well.

Totori is pretty awful at battling, but this is actually a fun little addition to the tactics. She is the only party member that can use items, and she can do some amazing things with her synthesized goods. She can use items to heal, attack, or assist. Other characters can perform special attacks and use magic, and are generally better at battle. Totori is so helpless that often when she is attacked, you will need to tap L1 or R1 to have a nearby party member guard against an attack in her place. It's a system that works, and it fits her character very well since she keeps saying how helpless and clumsy she is.

The music is nice, but doesn't seem to really be anything grand. It's a nice and pleasant background.

The character interaction scenes are nice. They have a manga style feel to them. I think it was the right choice. When interacting, the main screen blurs a bit and the hand drawn characters are placed on screen and change depending on the characters reactions. It's a lot of fun.

Synthesizing is fun and can be challenging at times. Especially when trying to craft higher quality items. But the game does hold your hand a bit since you need a recipe to craft. Though with hundreds of items, just tossing random ingredients into the pot to try and craft things would be insane. But you have to find or buy recipes, so you don't just have access to every recipe right off the bat.

If you are expecting something like Demons' Souls or Elder Scrolls, then you might want to pause before buying this game. It's fun, but it's definitely a true JRPG and really geared towards players who have had experience with these types of games. Where some people would feel the game is limited, I think it's the limitations that put a fun spin on things.

If you've enjoyed games like Rune Factory, Grandia, Dragon Quest, or any of the Atelier games, then you should pick up a copy. I'm just sad I didn't get the collector's edition!

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Last year's Atelier Rorona: The Alchemists Of Arland was one of the most charming games I had played in a long time. The story was light-hearted, the characters were endearing, and the gameplay was very easy to get in to. I had long suspected that the sequel, Atelier Totori, would reach North America, and sure enough, we've been allowed to journey once again to Arland. What I had not expected however, were this game's vast improvements over its already brilliant predecessor. Totori's journey, like Rorona's, is one that JRPG fans will not want to miss out on.

The story revolves around the young alchemist Totooria Helmold, or Totori as people call her. She lives with her father and sister in the fishing village of Alanya. One day, she decides to become an adventurer so she can travel the world and look for her missing mother, an adventurer herself who disappeared years ago and is believed to be dead by everyone else. Along the way, she is aided by many different people, from new characters like her childhood friend Gino and the aristocratic Mimi, to old favorites like the famous alchemist (and previous main character) Rorona and the knightly Sterk. Those who played through Atelier Rorona will find the occasional nod to previous events, referencing characters like Astrid, Gio, or Esty, but it is by no means necessary to play through Atelier Rorona first. After all, Totori herself doesn't know the events of the previous game either, so she'll be just as in the dark as you. There's certainly some fun in store for those who played Atelier Rorona, but don't let that deter you from purchasing this game if you haven't.

Like Rorona's tale, the story is generally light-hearted, being mostly filled by the various interactions between the characters. As such, the overall strength of the story is heavily dependent on the characters being crafted well by the developers, and Atelier Totori does not disappoint. Each of the party members in the game has enough personality and charm to be of interest to the player (however note that some may not necessarily seem that way at first. Just like with real people, you'll need to get to know them better before you see the depth of their character). Indeed, even many of the NPCs have more depth than some games' main characters. Veterans of Atelier Rorona will be pleased to note that many of the NPCs are returning characters, but that's not to say the new characters are boring; on the contrary, I enjoyed interacting with new characters like Gerhard and Ceci just as much as old favorites like Hagel and Pamela.

The overall gameplay is very similar to Rorona. At first glance, things may seem to be the same, however it quickly becomes apparent that Gust has managed to polish almost every feature from the previous game. The battle system has been made more sophisticated, exploring now utilizes a large world map to travel from place to place, item synthesis now gives more control over the traits for synthesized creations, and items can be turned in for quests directly from the container, rather than needing to move them to Totori's basket first (veterans of Rorona will no doubt appreciate that last change immensely; for everyone else, suffice to say that this is a very, *very* welcome addition even if it may look minor at first).

I could go on about the new changes, but I think it's important to address the overall gameplay and goals instead. The overall gameplay is based around Totori becoming a skilled enough adventurer so that she can go looking for her mother. In the beginning, she will only have access to a limited number of areas, but as she improves her adventurer ranking (by a combination of item synthesis, world exploration, and battling monsters), she will gain access to new areas. Eventually, if she does well enough, she will determine where she needs to go to find her mother. The actual battle system is a turn-based battle system with a slight twist that allows Totori's allies to occasionally perform assist moves via the L1 and R1 buttons, while the item synthesis allows the player to mix various ingredients together to make new items. Unlike most games, the item synthesis is very well-developed and is a key part of the game. Every ingredient can have a different quality level and different traits, and by using various combinations, you can get a wide variety of results. It is a very simple system to learn, but offers a surprisingly large amount of depth for those who wish to get the most out of it. Expect between 20 and 30 hours for a single run through the game, depending on how you choose to play the game.

Which brings me to the next point -the freedom of choice. While Totori's adventure has a definite path with a definite overall story, the path that she ends up taking is entirely up to you. You might choose to spend more of your time adventuring and mastering the battle system. Or you might focus more on alchemy and item synthesis. You might synthesize powerful weapons for your party members, or you might synthesize special items to be used by your alchemist characters in battle (ex. healing potions, bombs, etc.). Even your choices of party members will change the game -by choosing to utilize one character in your party more often than another, you may get different events and cutscenes. For instance, I saw many scenes with Melvia and Marc in my first run through the game, but very few with Gino and Mimi, simply because I rarely used them in battle. This freedom in both gameplay choices as well as story events gives Atelier Totori a degree of replay value that few single-player games can rival. I fully expect myself to put in over 100 hours into this game.

Atelier Totori also has some DLC available for it. There are some music packs that you can purchase to change some of the background and battle themes in the game, featuring tracks from previous games in the Atelier series (some of which have never been localized in North America). I have not purchased these, so I cannot comment on them, but for the number of tracks given, the price seems about right. You can also purchase 3 additional party members, making the NPCs Ceci, Cordelia, and Iksel playable in battle. It's quite a great addition, as each character has a full set of moves available to them, adding even more replay value to the game. Note however that even if you do not purchase them, there are still plenty of party members to choose from within the game -you aren't getting an incomplete game without the DLC. The DLC is mainly there for people who want just a little bit more (or in the case of Cordelia and Iksel, nostalgia for Atelier Rorona). Also note that there is some free DLC for the game as well (not much, and not game-changing, but a nice addition.)

Overall, Atelier Totori is one of the best games I've played all year. Indeed, it is probably one of my favorite games on the PS3. Certainly it is one of my favorite RPGs on the system. It's a charming, light-hearted, and unbelievably addicting game to play. And the best part? We'll be getting the sequel, Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland, this spring. I'm eagerly looking forward to spending many more hours with Atelier Totori, and then spending even more hours with the upcoming Atelier Meruru.

(Note: if you can still get the Premium Edition for a reasonable price, I'd highly encourage you to go for it. While the artbook is sadly not quite as good as the previous hardcover art books given for Atelier Rorona, it is still a nice addition, and the soundtrack is excellent -well worth the cost. Something to consider before making your purchase.)

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I play a lot of JRPG's and generally have less inhibition about buying them than other types of games. However, my purchases of White Knight Chronicles and Hyperdimension Neptunia have made me much more wary of spending money on unproven JRPG's.

Enter Atelier Totori. I have not previously played any Atelier games, so this game was actually my introduction into the series. Having played nearly every other JRPG this console generation, Atelier Totori actually ranks pretty high right up there with Tales of Vesperia.

Gameplay: 9/10

Atelier Totori's gameplay is similar to the other alchemy games from Gust as far as I can tell from watching reviews and a friend play Atelier Rorona (AR). It has a greater emphasis on combat than AR, but still retains the rather addictive alchemy portion of the game. You can increase your "adventurer rank" which determines your overall access to the game world by either slaying mobs, making items through alchemy, or exploring. On my first playthrough I was slightly obsessed with making tons of items through alchemy so I ended up with the "bad end". If the same happens to you, do not be discouraged! The game lets you start over with all your gear and money after the bad end. My second playthrough was much quicker and I found myself way ahead of the time constraints. My one small complaint about the gameplay is the emphasis on keeping your party the same if you want to do both alchemy and battle. If you want to make a lot of items through alchemy, you don't really have time to grind all the characters and ones you do not use are left at a much lower level.

Sound: 8/10

The game music is appropriate for the setting and slightly above average for a typical game in this genre. I really like the OP though.

Voice acting: 9/10

A critical factor in any JRPG is the voice acting. While the JP voices are quite good, the game pleasantly surprised me with excellent english vocals, especially Rorona.

Graphics: 8/10

About what you would expect from a highly stylized JRPG. They are sub-par compared to FFXIII, but definitely better than Nier. The cartoony look is quite appropriate for the overall ambiance.

Value: 10/10

I've put in over 30 hours and I am not finished. Atelier Totori isn't a marathon game, but it is quite fun to play and will not leave you any regrets with your purchase. If you are like me and have been disappointed with recent JRPG's (Looking at you WKC...), then play Totori and just have a good time.

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Atelier Rorona was the series first jump to full 3D. While Rorona was good, simple fun it was fairly iffy in visual design and most of the gameplay functionality was a drop down from past games although refocused into an interesting time-management type

Totori keeps the few strengths of Rorona and drops incredible, high polished upgrades on everything else. The visuals, most notably are some of the best on any console for my tastes. Very high end character modeling and everything is well filtered and anti-aliased, rare for a console game.

Gameplay has all been improved too, quest flow to management to balance to feature set is all upgraded, boss fights and dungeons and all of the meat is just so much more cohesive.

In the end this is one of the best niche titles available on the PS3 so if a little frill and lace don't scare you off give it a shot.

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Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

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After playing all Assassin's Creed Games released so far (including Assassin's Creed 3) I must say that Brotherhood is my favorite.

I consider it to be the best from the series. The annoying bugs were fixed, Ezio is deadlier than ever, and you get a lot of fun missions on single player. Also you will be able to compete against real people in multiplayer mode.

My favorite part is the help of assassins in missions.

Overall a really fun and exciting game.

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Sony PS3 Controller Decal Style Skin - Iowa Hawkeyes Herky Black on Gold

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List Price: $8.95
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When they say "skin", it is really just a big sticker that fits on the controller. My 12 year old son likes it so that is what counts! You may need to help your child put the skin on so it is on smoothly.

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This decal skin went right onto my PS3 Controller as soon as I took it out of its package! It was super easy to put on, and it looks great! I suggest this to any Iowa Hawkeyes fan! it is an awesome decal skin and I love looking at it. The price was great and I got it asap! So I love it, so buy it you will really like it! Trust Me!

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World Of Outlaws Sprint Cars Ps3

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This game is a blast! My husband was pleasantly surpised and impressed! He's been wanting this for a long time!!

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I recently purchased this game for my ps3 & I am not satisfied with it... I thought the game would be much better. On single player, it doesn't let u qualify, it doesn't let u do your heat race & doesn't have an A or B main... On 2 players, u can't even choose ur on car & its just u & the other person u are racing with... The graphics are nothing like I expected them to be, considering its a newer ps3 game... U can definitely tell RATBAG didn't create this game... Unlike Saturday Night Speedway which is a dirt Late Model racing game for the ps2 & The Sprint Car games for the ps2 that RATBAG did create, this game sucks!!! I wish someone would actually go to the World Of Outlaw race's (both Late Model & Sprint Cars) & make a game that's actually realistic like the NASCAR games... If anyone knows of a great Late Model or Sprint Car game that I can find, pls let me know (tim.bullins1@gmail.com)

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I recently bought this game for the ps3. I like the gae and enjoy playing it. Ive always loves watching the world of outlaws on tv and watching the loca sprint car drivers in my area. The only thing is that im confused with is when your playing the game and you unlock a paint scheme or graphics. How can you purchise them in the speed shop if they are still locked in the speed shop? anther thing is. If you got cheat codes to use were do you put your name in at to use them? It's just a enjoyable game to play and i can spend hours playing it. If you unlock a track how can you have it show up in career mode?

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I bought my playstation 3, just for this game. It's the best game on the market. I hope they come out with a new one. I race online every day with this one. The download for racing is quick, unlike the NASCAR, which takes forever.

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Ryu ga Gotoku 4 Densetsu wo Tsugumono Playstation 3 Game (Japanese Version)

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Thank you so much for sending me one of the greatest games I have ever played. The service was sooo fast and reliable. It surprised me how fast it came from overseas. Best purchase I have ever made online!!!!! Origato!!!!

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Pain (Playstation 3)

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I'll start off by saying this game is very violently entertaining. (Slap stick)

Personally more fun to play with others.

This is available on PSN and I would wait for it to be on sale BECAUSE the basic game comes with only a few levels and characters.

After a while, the game can become pretty redundant and boring. This is where new levels and characters would be handy... and that is where things get annoying.

Every add on is more money. If you want a new character...it'll cost you, if you want another map... it'll cost you. If you are someone that plays through a game rather quickly the concept of having to purchase all the levels and characters might piss you off considering the game isn't very cheap in itself.

If you take your time with games then this might not be a problem for you.

OVERALL, the game play is easy yet challenging.

The controls are not complex, but the goals are.

The characters are a funny bunch of creeps and the maps are very engaging, so no matter what you WILL have some fun. :)

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You can find it in the Playstation store. Worth every penny. Very entertaining. Especially entertaining for groups of people. Online play is also entertaining.

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Final Fantasy 13 XIII/XIII-2 Dual Pack NEW SEALED PS3

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So there is no reason for me to write an introduction about the game ...right? going to write small one.

Final Fantasy are serials of RPG games which are so well known in the gamers world.

This one is just the best ..when I bought my English edition of the game I had a hug problem liking the English voice for the characters & if you played the English Edition you would know how ugly the voices is really are. This Pack was the best thing ever released caz you can adjust the voice in Japanese and the sub in English in case you don't know Japanese.

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PS3 Controller Charging Station

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List Price: $24.99
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It looks good with the bottom glowing light and at first I liked it alot. However so after the light would blink off then finally the USB ports fell into the plastic case. It looks good but won't stay together long enough to justify buying it.

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Pros:

Easy to attach to controllers.

USB Powered

Nice design (easy to place next to PS3 hooked up via USB)

Bright blue lights glow at night (looks cool).

Cons:

Stopped charging after three days

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I bought this and the first day I had it the USB connectors that poke out got pushed inside of the thing. This thing is garbage and you'd be better off just charging one at a time.

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before i had bought this i read some reviews on it and saw that some people had some problems with the plug getting pushed in to the plastic...so after i bought it i was very careful with when putting on controllers...it only took one time of my girlfriend putting it on for it to be pushed in i was suprised at how easy it was i was watching when she did it...the charger works fine and looks great but now i can only charge one at a time till the other gets pushed in.

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This is not a good product, it broke the first time charging the PS3 Controllers. The USB connectors fall into the housing very easily.

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Rock Band ROADIE Bass Drum Pedal

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This is the first review I've ever written on Amazon, however I wanted to give some input on this product since I could not find very much information or reviews of it online. That being said, I still took the risk and bought it and fortunately I have been very pleased with it.

First I would like to make it clear that I do not actually play any rhythm guitar/drum simulator games. My use of this pedal is on a Do-it-yourself drum kit that I have hacked together using inexpensively purchased game controllers and parts for the purpose of sending MIDI signals to drum software on the PC.. However my experience with the pedal should still apply if you are a gamer.

A bit of history:

I was getting very frustrated with the other pedals I had tried. While I have never broken any pedals, (as I have read about so many), my main problem was that the pedals I was using were registering "double hits" which was extremely frustrating for my needs since I am using this as an instrument, I was hearing two bass-drum sounds when I only intended to play one. I believe this was partially due to my way of playing, but also partly due to cheap pedal design.

The pedals I had this trouble with are:

*Rock band 2 stock pedal

*Rock band portable pedal

*Transcription pedal that I rigged up to the drums

I tried playing both heel up and heel down.. It didn't seem to matter how I played, I was ending up getting double hits and getting very frustrated by it.

So I decided to invest in the Roadie U...

It has been worth it.

***BUILD QUALITY***

The first thing to notice about the Roadie U is the build quality. It is made of very strong & solid metal. The thing is heavy, I would say about 3 or 4 pounds. It feels very solid under my foot and does not feel like it would ever break under any kind of normal use. The base also has some velcro on the bottom and some screws which appear to be so you can mount it or stick those in the carpet. It does not slide around at all once it's in place, on carpet at least. If you did it on hard floor it would likely scratch the floor, so I would recommend putting down a rubber mat under it or something if you are playing on a wooden floor.

***TECHNOLOGY***

This pedal uses the same method of sensing presses as the Rock band 2 stock pedal does -I.e. a magnetic switch. Initially I was disappointed by this as I had suspected the magnetic switch was partially to blame for my double-hit problem. I was hoping the Roadie U would use some kind of mechanical switch action. However, it is magnetic so without any physical contact of the sensor, it will probably last longer than a mechanical switch would.

It is important to note: this pedal is simply an on/off switch. So it will work with Rock band kits but will not work with Guitar Hero: World Tour.. This is because the pedal on the guitar hero: world tour drums actually has a piezo sensor in it (the same type of sensor inside the pads), which would not be compatible with a simple on/off switch pedal

***NOISE***

The pedal is a bit noisy when playing it. It's not as loud as the rock band portable pedal (which makes a terrible loud plastic clicking) but louder than the rock band 2 stock pedal. The Roadie U makes a satisfying click sound when depressed and released, but you can also hear the metal reverberate a bit. It's not terrible, but it won't win any awards for quietness.

***DOWN AND DIRTY WITH IT***

I have had this pedal for about 2 weeks now. It took me about a week to get adjusted to it. I have tried playing heel up, but I found it not comfortable as the pedal is pretty large so my knee was pretty high off the ground. The most comfortable playing position I have found is heel down, with my knee extended out almost all the way, with the pedal placed to the right of the drum pads.

Playing like this has been very comfortable and I have FINALLY eliminated the double-register problem. I still occasionally get double hits, but I think that's most likely a fault of my own due to my playing style (sometimes my leg bounces a bit especially when I start getting in the groove). But overall I have eliminated most of the double hits. Now I can concentrate on playing and practicing instead of getting frustrated with my equipment.

***CONCLUSION***

Whether you are needing an on/off switch pedal for rock band gaming like most, hacked up drum-controller MIDI to drum software playback (like me), or even as a digital switch for some alternate project or as a sustain pedal/etc, the Roadie U is a quality pedal that is not likely to leave you disappointed. I like it and you could certainly do a lot worse.

It was well worth the cost in my opinion because it now allows me to focus on what's most important: The music.

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It works great my son likes it much better than the original pedal & subsequent replacement pedals because he can move the pedal off to the side of the drum set. As well as it is a very sturdy medal so it won't break in the middle like the other 2. Very happy so far.

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Pedal feels sturdy and looks like a real kick pedal. It doesn't "hook" onto the drum stand so the reach is a little farther especially for smaller people. It is also rather loud. The pedal plays accurate.

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Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland Bundle

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Let me start by saying that if you did not like Rarona you will probably dislike this game as well. The structure of how the game plays is basically the same: Get quest...synth or hunt to accomplish quest...complete quest by due date. That being said there have been some very effective tweaks.

Improvements:

Characters now have a MP bar! Thank god.

Items in container can be turned in (don't need to be in basket). Huge time saver.

Massive increase in explorable areas.

Multiple towns

Main quest has only one key deadline is reliant on somthing like a trophy system. The more things you do in the game (not just quests)the more trophies you get. Each "trophy" is worth points that allow you to rank up. You need to reach a certain rank by a certain year to keep the game moving forward.

quality of items turned in for quests no longer impact if you complete the quest or not; however they will impact the prize.

Synthed items now have a point system where you can use points to assign traits. You basically will be able to customize each item you synth. The higher the quality the more/better traits you can assign.

There is a End boss!

...and a bonus end boss!

party members come to you and ask for items, you dont need to go to them.

Multiple homonuculus working for you at once!

Overall better balance between exploring, synthing, gathering and fighting.

The one thing I didn't like is how gathering and fighting enemies now use up days. This forces you to decide if picking up items is even worth your time. I could have done without this aspect.

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Atelier Rorona was the series first jump to full 3D. While Rorona was good, simple fun it was fairly iffy in visual design and most of the gameplay functionality was a drop down from past games although refocused into an interesting time-management type

Totori keeps the few strengths of Rorona and drops incredible, high polished upgrades on everything else. The visuals, most notably are some of the best on any console for my tastes. Very high end character modeling and everything is well filtered and anti-aliased, rare for a console game.

Gameplay has all been improved too, quest flow to management to balance to feature set is all upgraded, boss fights and dungeons and all of the meat is just so much more cohesive.

In the end this is one of the best niche titles available on the PS3 so if a little frill and lace don't scare you off give it a shot.

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Atelier Totori feels like an major upgrade from Rorona. Graphics have significantly improved and look much more anime cel-shaded style at all times. Combat system has been revised from the first game in the series and includes features that streamlines the action. The story seems to be a bit better than the last game but not too far into the game to say too much about it. Synthesizing items still has a role in the game and there is still a time line however. The packaging is much smaller than the other premium edition games of the past such as of Atelier Rorona or Ar Tonelico. The artbook that comes with it is okay but I own the Atelier series artbook so nothing much I can really say here. I haven't listened to the soundtrack CD either but I don't think it can compare to the actual soundtrack. Overall, appears to be a good game if you are fans of the series and JRPGS in general. Just be sure to not play through this game and then go play Rorona or that will take quite a bit of adjusting to.

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I love atelier saga, I have been playing this kind of games since the first one I recommend this game because it has many things to do and the story and chats are too funny XD , the only bad thing is if you have not played any atelier game before this game is going to be too hard for you so be careful but nothing is imposible ^^ if you do your best and try hard you are going to be able to clear it ^^

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So, i beat this game Last night, or the game ended after 22 hours of play and i lost. Or i should say i ran out of time. This games about micro managing your time and the different challenges that you have to complete to get points for your licences to stay a adventurer. at first your able to basically go about and grind to get these points but by the second half of the game you better have it figured out. It took me a long time to figure out how to get better swords and armor which was my down fall in the end.

This games fun though, the characters are your basic group of cute anime characters, with little to no actual story to hold onto. so you better find them cute or entertaining or something or you'll be pushing the next button a lot. The real problem is by the second half, i started not caring about what was happening, because it started feeling to much like the same same. one of the big reason i think i lost so badly as well.

So, if you like animal crossing, or any of those facebook gardening games this games your ticket. if your like me and you need a little bit more to hold onto, then I'd read about it plenty before picking up a copy. I'm happy i did and the first 15 hours i put into the game i really enjoyed, but I'm not sure if i care to play it again to get the better endings. For the game will just be again the same same.

I give this game 4 stars because i really appreciate that these different style games are coming out in America, and i really did like it until i got bored.

Would recommend for most people to pick up the cheaper version, not the Bundle Edition. It's not really worth it compared to the last ones that came out with the other Nis titles. the books small, and the Soundtrack is most just the back ground music. That said the geek in me had to have it.

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Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition

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Deluxe edition stuff at the very end.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Answer Key!

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

2. Neverwinter Nights

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

4. KOTOR, Mass Effect

5. Jade Empire, Sonic RPG

6. all those replays of BGII

ACTUAL REVIEW!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

360 vs. PS3?

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

Don't hesitate. Buy this game.

Learn it,

Live it,

Love it:

Bioware is Back.

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

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I cannot praise this game enough! it will be one of those I play again and again!

you pick one of many origins (i.e. elf, red warden etc)(I chose Elf Mage)

and then begin with your origin story (which is like watching a full length movie and so well written the time just flys by)

and then you're tasked with your first quest and the game begins.

some of the quests have moral choices and pull on your emotions of things like power over friendship and the feel you have an impact upon the surrounding world. the characters control via one of two ways,

one is using the hack & slash method though this is harder then hitting pause so you can set all your mages attacks etc.

there's a lot of micromanagement in this but for loot mongers and rpg lovers this will be one of the years ultimate treats I assure you. there seems to be loot everywhere for those that search every area rather thourough. I also must say the amount of DLC available at this time for the collectors edition is amazing.

the graphics are excellent (though not mind blowing)

particle effects are wickedly done and the quests are crafted well enough to let you know you have many approaches to each "situation"

if you weren't lucky enough to get this collectors edition no worries I know the goodies will be released as DLC to everyone eventually since they listed prices (wardens keep 6.99 and the stone prisoner. 14.99)

Graphics: Excellent and crispy. 4 stars great spell effects!

Sound: the voice work is Top Notch and hundreds of actors

even the crickets put on a great perfomance! 5 stars!

Gameplay: the micromanagement might put a few off but most will never let go of the controller since they got the controls so spot on for the ps3 on this title. it's amazing! 5 stars.

Fun: Yes Yes Yes! betray a friend or help him in a "forbidden" quest, help a grey warden or not?, kill a demon or trust the mouse? so many choices it's unreal! want to slay a dragon? you can!

want to go into dungeons and hack away, you can!

the game is brilliant what more can I say? 5 Stars!!

Overall: the package wraps up nicely into a 5 star Must Have!

the Gods at Bioware have greated the best "baldurs gate" style game yet! it's brilliant! you have to buy it asap if you don't you're missing THE BEST RPG experience of the year and possibly in my lifetime.

this coming from a Hardcore

70's D&D player!!!

that's what I'd call an endorsement!

Dragon age origins (regular ed.)

Dragon Age: Origins

collectors ed.

Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition

Buy Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition Now

I normally don't write reviews for games because I hate reading them. However I had to stop and say how amazing this game is. Dragon age origins was an amazing game and if it helps them make a number 2 then I will write reviews until my face turns blue. I am a gamer bu its hard for me to play games with full time work and school. But for this game I found every small amount of time to play.

I DO understand why people have been rating it one star because of the glitches. I did not have any of the really big problems like my save files going corrupt or not getting my achievement points or my DLC not working. I did get the glitch where my videos would spazz out or in the last battle when your waiting for the wave of Dark spawn that did not show up until 20 mins later. However I just turned off my xbox and turned it back on and it all worked fine. That was my only big problem on it.

The graphics were really good, people keep bitching about them, but bio-wear is not Square-Enix they don't have 100+ 3D molders on their game. And personally the ONLY thing that bugged me about the graphics was your PC's FACE!! He/She has 3 different face expressions in the whole game and all the other NPC's had happy face, Alistair even have the "WTF?" face expression it was amazing! But your character has a blank look on their face like they had their soul sucked out. That was the only real problem I had with the graphics and I hope they mod that a little if they make a DA:O2. Other then that people looked like people and orcs and demons looked as they were supposing to. What was the PROBLEM? (referring to the people who constantly bitch about them).

The Story and the conversations were so in depth and detailed. They did not just give you a group of people they gave you a group of people with a story, a past, dreams and all with unique and different personalities. They did not have the generic lone wolf or goofy little girl. And FOR ONCE IN A GAME the characters were NOT 14 years old. THANK you Biowear. I don't mind a few RPG's where 10-14 year old kids are saving the world. You don't have conversations where your characters say "OH poopie!" its not a game one man against the world. The story felt like in that situation something like that could happen you build and army and so on so fourth. And they finally had a game with adult relationships! You could build them and they simply were the best love stories in any game ive ever played, each character you could build a relationship was different then the next. It was very well done. And for those people who bitched about people talking to much DID YOU KNOW you could SKIP it? I played the game 5 times and after the second play through I know what they say and such I SKIPED it... amazing eh?

The battle system was fun but I did have a problem with my first play threw at the arch demon fight all my party members stopped fighting or healing... the next time I played I did not have that issue so I figured it was another glitch... but other then that it was fun and for the people "it was a button mash game" Did we play the same game? Because when I played you could set different spells ant attacks on OTHER buttons and use them. And did you know if you held down was it LB? or one of the L buttons it switched to 3 DIFFERENT ATTACKS. Whoa try playing the game before you call it a button masher. Drakenguard was a button masher dragon age origins was not. And yes on easy mode you don't need to plan .. but have you guys tried it on Hard mode?! Then bitch that there's no "planning needed" id like to see you guys take on the cult guy with out a plan of attack.

One last thing to say before I finnish is did anyone read the game informer review on Dragon age origins? They gave it an 8 and I swear the guy did not play the game. If you run out of innovatory space GO TO A STORE AND SELL STUFF, or heres another idea they have in the game. BUY a backpack!!! You get more innovatory space moron! Sorry had to vent here because If I write a letter to game informer then I don't think they would give it to the reviewer. Play the whole game before you guys bitch.

Great game! But if you are weary from the low reviews the rent it, but it's a good buy!

Read Best Reviews of Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition Here

The plot is awesome. Still playing, but still a little glitchy. I completed all the steps from the arcane warrior, but it never unlocked the specialization. Graphics are good, but not nearly as good as Mass Effect. I especially like the voice-overs and the conversations that happen randomly. Keep your ears open for plot hints!

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This case is gorgeous, the map is cool and made of some nice material. Might tatter a little easily. The bonus content is nice, huge fan of the series. This is one of my favorite purchases.

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