inFAMOUS 2 Hero Edition

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Sale Price: $89.49
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The sling pack: is full sized and while it may be a bit stiff, it will come in handy. The cell phone holder on the front band is removeable too. It fits enough for one overnighter (pants, shirt, etc.). Looks like you could fit a 3 liter soda bottle inside of it. Oddly, that what it looks like full!

The RED soundtrack: Definitely background soundtrack music. If you're one of those into movie soundtracks or an experimental/ambient/downtempo DJ, this might be for you. Hints of industrial vibes to it. It does come as a download you install, but once that's done you can copy it to a removeable memory stick and move them to your preferred listening device. 22 tracks @ 256kbps mp3 quality.

The comic: a bit of what happened before he got his powers and what happened after. If you look around, you might be able to find this as jpeg type download.

The extras: are nice for those of us who don't really care for the way the "amp" looks (or Cole's new look).

The UGC: User Generated Content can be a trip. People providing their own mini missions. Some go from basic grinding wires and racing through rings to crazy climbing or straight up destruction/survival situations. Options on this allows you to pick certain types or shut them off completely.

The game itself is more detailed than the first, but it's still goes only to 720p max : (

(was hoping it would be 1080)

Movement has been cleaned up. On the first Infamous, Cole wouldn't walk down onto smaller things/steps or up onto a stairwell sometimes. Cole seems more natually responsive this time around, more fluid. The problem with him "sticking" to things you don't want him too doesn't seem to be here in #2.

Other than some of the 720/pixel moments, the only other thing that bothers me about this is Cole's voice. This time he's more nasal-ly and higher pitched. Keeps throwing me off after I had JUST finished playing the first inFamous and he sounds raspy and deeper!!

One cool thing to find was when I started the game, it asked me if I would like to pick up from 1 of the 2 save points FROM my Infamous 1 game! I tried both my good and evil saves and it gave me the same for each. It gave me 3 bonuses! It started you off already in 1st karma rank, gave you some XP and extra power cells!!! Now that was nice!

If you're a fan of the first, this is sure to please.

UPDATE:

So it took me a week to finish it with good karma. Seemed like the little guys were tougher than the bosses. I'm on hard now on the evil karma side and it's kicking my butt! One rocket or two bullets and you are done. Be prepared to die....A LOT.

Zeke looks A LOT better in this one, more detailed. The banter between the two girls and Cole is fun too. Like the first inFamous, choices aren't only made during the red or blue missions, but sometimes during the main missions too. So you have the nice girl to do things with....or the naughty one (hehe). Cole seems to have a bit more of an attitude too, this adds to the fun. Also, the surround sound on this is awesome. Love the little things people say about you as you walk down the street. But watch out! On the evil mission those people will join in to try to get you too as you're fighting others!

All in all it's not better or worse than the first. There is good things about it that are better than the first, and some bad things. But i'm still glad I bought it.

So there's a few only things I don't like about it now. One, the slo-mo when you get hit. Too often another hit will happen while in slo-mo and you're done, start mission over. Annoying. Also, about 3 three times now i've gotten stuck/glitched into inside of a building or train and couldn't get out. Had to save and re-load. 3 or more times i've gotten stuck inbetween things and couldn't move or died from being squashed over something ridicious. From one of those wooden walkways to a bad jump between a wall and something else, errr. The sticking thing I mentioned before, well sometimes he doesn't stick to things now. Sometimes you'll jump to land on a wire that going from roof to roof and just go right through it.

The whole thing seemed to go by a little quick, but it was worth it. I really don't see how they could do a 3rd, but only time will tell......

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*** GAME REVIEW ***

infamous 2 has a pretty big set of shoes to fill after the success of the first. It seemed like it would be hard to improve upon the mechanics of the first game. Yet Sucker Punch studios managed to find a way, and produce a worthy sequel to Infamous.

GAMEPLAY

If you have played Infamous then you will feel right at home with Infamous 2. Not much has changed gameplay wise from the original except for loads of polish. Your character will keep his powers, avoiding a Metroid or God of War scenario, and earn additional powers throughout the game. Climbing mechanics, aiming, melee combat all feels more fluid and lively when compared to the original. You will explore a brand new city, take side quests and missions, find dead drops and shards... its all here all over again just with a new coat of paint. On top of new powers to unlock, Cole now has access to THE AMP which allows him additional combat moves especially with melee. To top it all off the map now has some destructible elements which add a nice bit of devastation to Cole's attacks, and goes along exceptionally well if you decide to take the EVIL path.

One thing that does put a damper on the gameplay however is the camera mechanics. This time around the camera got in my way a lot more than it did in the first installment, especially when it came to melee combat with the amp. The camera gave this really nice comic book effect sometimes, giving nice low angle close ups to the fight but it also cut off my view of oncoming danger; and sometimes when jumping would go behind a building or wall leaving me blind to my position. While not a major problem it does put a tiny damper on the gameplay

GRAPHICS

A big time improvement over the first game, and overall the game looks great! The graphics are rendered exceptionally well, and the effects of Cole's powers never looked better. The best part of all is the new city. It looks magnificent when compared to the previous. There is a lot more activity and visual effects going on that really do make the city feel more alive. It is a major improvement over the first title I feel.

SOUND/STORY

Sound wise, the game is very lively. Cole's powers have a lot more effect to them and overall the game just sounds great. Voice acting is of high quality in my book. The new voice actor for Cole at first might seem out of place, when compared with the original, but it grew on me over time. Story wise the game has a decent story, on par with the first game. Like in the original you can chose to be Good or Evil depending on your actions making for two endings and in a way; Two story arcs each leading to different sets of skill upgrades and storyline elements.

REPLAY/LENGTH

Depending on how obsessed you get with collecting shards, dead drops, side quests etc the game should take you anywhere from 14 17 hrs. Replay value is exceptionally high! Not only do you have both a Good and Evil storyline to complete, but shards, dead drops, side quests all return and then some. If you loved the first you will have no problem playing though this game twice with ease.

There is also an online element to Infamous 2 which allows you to create and play user created maps/content. While the controls and implementation of the creator do need some work (in my opinion) the level of creation available is high. Given some time expect to see some wild user-generated content online!

OVERALL A... 90%

Infamous 2 does the original game justice. It doesn't change the formula much, instead just improving upon what made the original a greatest hit; while also giving it a nice face lift graphically. Throw in new super-powers, user-generated content and online, and you have yourself a winner. While Infamous 2 is not a perfect game, it does more than enough to make itself out to be a powerful, high quality title well worth the price of admission.

*** COLLECTOR'S EDITION CONTENT REVIEW ***

Spending a little extra $$$ to get the Hero edition might be a worth while investment if you are an inFamous fan; but that all depends on if you like what you get. Included in the Hero Edition is a plethora of goodies bound to at least impress at first glance but are they worth your money?

Included in the Hero Edition:

1. an 8.5" Cole statue. The statue is pretty decent quality though Cole might seem a touch small as keep in mind the 8.5" is including the height of the rooftop he is standing on

2. inFamous 2 video game (this one is fairly self explanatory!)

3. DC Comic ... inFamous #1. This comic is a prequel to inFamous 2 taking place just after the first game and provides a little more backing into some of the characters

4. Additional Skins and Powers. You will receive both the Reaper and Kessler skins as well as the Lightning Hook and Electrocution Grenade ability

5. All 4 AMP skin variations

6. inFamous 2 official sound track

*7. The big boy of the package deal... an inFamous designed Sling pack. This pack is pretty good quality I'd say. It opens on the left side via a zipper compartment and has plenty of space to store stuff.

So overall is the Hero Edition worth the current(6/7/2011) $40 investment? Depends on how you feel about the items and collectibles. The bag is the real $$ item here, as the statue, comic, and DLC included is stuff you probably would get in a $10 or $20 DLC w/ some sort of gimmicky item like a plasma cutter or little toy sackboy etc. Instead we are getting a nice, usable sling pack. So it comes down to if you really want a sling pack.

Personally I wouldn't lay out the additional money for the Hero Edition because of the pack. It is the kind of item that I toss in the closet and forget about since I have no reason to use it. That is me however; the pack is decent quality and I could see it being a usable item for every day use to carry some school books, a laptop, random stuff... perhaps even a Ray-Sphere if you come across one. With that said the Hero Edition is more for die-hard fans of the game, someone big on collectibles, or if you want a collectible Sling Pack.

OVERALL I give the package a 80%. The included content is nice and goes along great for a fan of the series, but at $40 it amounts to a collectible Sling Pack, figure, soundtrack and a Comic for the most part. Not for everyone, but if you make the investment you won't feel robbed at all.. especially once you see that Sling Pack.

** FINAL VERDICT : Hero Edition as a whole.. including the quality of inFamous 2 scores an 85%(B/B+ aka 4.5 stars). The game is a delicious cake and the Hero edition is the icing. While this package is not for everyone your $$$ will not be wasted on the investment.

Buy inFAMOUS 2 Hero Edition Now

I pre-ordered this in March and good God I'm glad! I'll be brief so you can spend less time reading and more time going to the store to buy it! I'll start with the extras...

The sling pack (as everyone has been wondering) it isn't huge, but you can fit some stuff in there. Probably like two three ring binders and another mid sized book in the other pocket. This bag is not a cheap rip off dudes, it's VERY high quality and Sucker Punch definitely gets mad props for this. The cell phone holder is about the only thing that would look cheap BUT LISTEN!!!! it IS removeable and if you really want to carry your cell there, go buy a holder that attaches to your belt and put it in the place of the old one on the bag!! it'll work out perfect! I even got the wild idea of putting my sword where cole's amp was, ha it looked sweet but I don't wanna get arrested. This bag could also be a really sweet carry on bag for travel. (this sling pack was pretty much the only reason I got the hero edition)

The mini statue Again, the bag was the only reason I got this but damnnnnnnnnnnnnn the mini statue is insanely detailed and looks great sitting on the corner of my table and/or bookshelf!

The extras (downloadable) ya get basically two skins, one for cole and one for the amp. haven't messed with them because I could care less. I'm too busy smackin bitches around and saving a city to really worry about it. Plus there's so many bolts and explosions that I really don't take the time to look and how cool Cole's amp looks. Sarcasm aside, Cole looks totally badass and I'm sure a good handful will enjoy the two skins. The lightning hook is alright for pickin em off one by one but half the time there's so many enemies I'm not worried about that, I'd much rather have my shockwave at the ready. The grenade is probably the best perk out of all of em.

The soundtrack based on what I've been hearing during the action scenes, us band dorks/music lovers will get a nice kick out of it.

Lastly, the game itself (an understatement) JESUS MARY AND JEROME IT'S AWESOME!!! From the first part of the game you're thrown into the action!!! You can also pick up where you left off (good or evil) from the first game if you played meaning you get some extra perks from your old save file. You also get to team up with some badass girls and smack some enemies around. Oh and the melee combat system, epic. With Cole's new weapon it's insanely fun to whack the em around.

If anything, buy the fricken game!!! If you played the first one, the sequel has improved on everything from the first game and I have no complaints about it at all. the sling pack fits me perfectly (5'11, 157lbs) and I will definitely be struttin around with it once school starts back up in the fall (this game is the main reason I didn't take any summer classes....dedicated eh?) ENJOY!!!!

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Hero Edition:

Many reviews have already commented on Hero Edition extras, so I'll simply note that the sling pack is well-made and looks to be actually useful.

The comic is fine, bridging the two games, for those who care. But as part one of six (published by DC, if you're looking for other issues), you won't get the entire story. Also, its smaller size can make the dialogue a ltttle hard on the eyss.

The Red OST is good. I enjoy it quite a lot, but some may be disappointed that the final credits song is only included on the Blue OST, which must be bought separately.

Statue... Uh, I honestly don't know for whom these are marketed. I'm sure they appeal to someone...

The DLC was probably the main reason I bought this edition, beyond support for a game I fully expected to enjoy. Getting early access to the powers was great, although there are known glitches with the content (I have not experienced any issues with the skins, though some had to re-download them from PSN), but because one power occurs during the story, I've had some issues with it on subsequent play throughs. The game gives it to you, but it will not connect to anything, rendering it useless, until you reach the point in the story when you'd have normally obtained it (quite late, actually).

Game Review:

I loved the first game, and came into the second expecting to love it, as well. And, for the most part, I did.

Gameplay is just as fun as the first game. A player can easily spend hours just running around, stopping or abetting random crime, etc. The graphics received a facelift, and the non-2D cutscenes (quite a few, in contrast to the first game) appear to be done in engine, which is terrific, as it means the game actually looks as good as its cutscenes.

= Powers have also gotten a makeover, with new types of abilities opening, as players progress. While many may initially stick to their comfort zone from the first game (and lament some changes there), I really encourage people to try out the newer abilities, as some are just plain fun; maybe they aren't so useful per se, but they're a blast to play with!

While I was skeptical about User Generated Content, as I normally prefer offline gaming, I've had a surprisingly good time both playing others' levels and tinkering with my own. The creation interface is not incredibly intuitive, but with patience, fairly sophisticated levels can be achieved. And the sheer array of UGC available is heartening. It may not all be solid gold, but a lot of it is in good fun.

= My sole reservation--and the reason I docked a half star (which became a whole one, due to system)--is the plot. This is an area of contention, and I think it comes down to personal opinion, as well as whether one plays the "good" ending or the "bad" first. Overall, the writing remains sharp; personal narratives carry over fine from the first game (specifically, I'd argue, Zeke's attempts to become his own man); the new characters had decent personal stories, and I was surprised how much I came to care for them, even if I didn't *always* love them in combat ("Quit throwing ***** monsters at me!") And the new Cole, while initially jarring, was forgotten about an hour into the game, for me.

But the story itself feels much more linear than the first game, which had a healthy dose of conspiracy theory and mystery. This game is very by the numbers. structurally. That isn't necessarily bad, as the story drives forward competently and with well-tuned pacing. It's just not as interesting to me.

Exacerbating it is that the main "villain" (and main subvillain) is the same from the start. The first game had multiple bosses before the final villain. And each of those characters were interesting, and fought in very different ways. The boss fights here seem to repeat the same patterns, no matter what the boss' size. And fighting as many monsters as you do, rather than people, made me feel more distanced from parts of the story. Defeating a monster isn't really the same, emotionally, as defeating someone who has their own internal story and cause for action. I'll give the main villain(s) some credit for nuance. By the end of their respective stories, I could see their motivations. But in at least one case, it felt almost tacked on and really, too little too late.

All that aside, as with most game play, the boss fights are enjoyable, if a touch on the easy side, even on the hardest settings. All are defeated with the same basic tactic. Again, though, this is just a preference, and baed on my gameplay style. Some people enjoy easier fights, and that's certainly valid.

= Surely, the most controversial part is the ending. I felt strongly that one was superior to the other; it's as though the developers had it in mind all along, but were forced to make a counterpart. I'm confident they tried, but it's like they just weren't feeling it. It shows in the writing, length, lack of animation, and--for me--lack of emotional weight. In fairness, I did eventually watch both together, and it's clear that the scripts dovetail neatly together; the technical deftness made me like the other one more. The problem is that, considered on its own, the weaker still feels lacking.

However, the stronger ending is, undoubtedly, one of the more brilliant endings in recent games. The developers force the player into actions they likely resist, and it works perfeetly. I think it's the best single moment in a game this year.

= IN SUMMARY, the game is a blast to play. If you care a lot about story, you may not enjoy it quite as much as the first, and the ending may disappoint. That said, it isn't enough to make me say anything except that anyone who remotely enjoys this genre should play this game. Yes, it's that good.

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Got my hero edition the day it came out and it's really a great package. I was impressed at the quality of the statue and the bag they are not cheap looking at all definitely one of my favorite collector editions. Plus you get all the pre-order DLC from all store,some exclusive skins, and free soundtrack for a great price. The base on the statue could have been better made but other than that everything is well worth it.

The game itself is ridiculously fun and these add-ons are great and high quality

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Ben 10 Galactic Racing

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $19.40
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I bought this (PS3 version) for my 6 year-old son and he really loves it. And I have to admit, so do I! It IS kind of difficult though. We've only been playing it a couple of days and we have yet to unlock any more levels (then again, we haven't played a LOT though, so it's not like we've been trying that whole time.) I doubt my son will be able to unlock any levels by himself anytime soon, but hopefully I can help him with that and then he'll have his choice of courses to play on. That part of it does kind of stink, and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. Aside from that, it's a lot of fun. It reminds me of the old school Mario Kart (I was/am a HUGE MK fan on the SNES!) I'm really happy that I bought it for him.

***EDIT: 1-14-2012

After playing this a little more, I have to lower the stars by one. It's VERY, VERY hard! Even I get very frustrated at how impossible it is to do decently (I have yet to place higher than 3rd in the end), and I'm pretty good at this game. I don't see myself ever unlocking all of the levels. Not at this rate.

If you have a Wii, forget buying this game. There's no way it would be responsive enough (we have a Wii as well and tend to buy everything for the PS3 because the Wii is just so much slower with the controls.) I have NOT played it for the Wii, but I honestly wouldn't get it for that.

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THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT VERY GREATEST AND BEAUTIFUL. IT HAVE ESPECTACULAR ENTERTAINMENT AND VERY GOOD. VERY VERY VERY GOOD

Buy Ben 10 Galactic Racing Now

excelente producto original funciona sin problemas gracias recomiendo para este vendedor el producto fue despachado dentro de la estimacion propuesta

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me llego en perfectas condiciones todo no lo e probado en el play porque es un regalo gracias vendedor responsable

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EL JUEGO ES MUY BUENO, LA CALIDAD EXCELENTE, LAS INDICACIONES DE LOS VENDEDORES SE SIGUIERON AL PIE DE LA LETRA

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Battlefield 3

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List Price: $39.99
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I have to say I was a COD type of player. My friends would talk to me about BFBC2 and I would say "That game looks boring, where is the action?" But got to admit, I got tired of COD, same old gun and run. I wanted something more complex.

I played the BF3 beta, and damn after getting in the Metro Station, from the Operation Metro Map, and hearing the bullets, the RPG's on the edge of getting you, and the explosion all around, I got hooked up. It is so realistic, having "TurtleBeaches" or so, really helps a lot. It is intense, full of action, and really fun.

For all those people saying "I get killed really fast, they are all just camping, I can't even get close to the objective, I get lost on the map 'cause is too big" Well, don't run like a noob in the middle of the street! take the long way around, be sneaky get behind them and kill them, and most important of all press the SELECT button when you see an enemy to "spot" it, as this is a team based game, your friends will see them when you "spot" the enemy. When spawning get into a vehicle, better if it is a Tank or an Amphibian, with them you can get close to the objective and kill lots of enemies, it is better if you are an engineer as you will be able to "fix" it when damaged.

I can't deny there are some issues such as: Voice chat being choppy, bugs here and there, but no game is complete when it first comes out. I think it will just get better after some patches, don't listen to the trolls, and just give it a try. Hope you find out how good this game is. CHEERS!

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Ok, I gunned half through a few hours of single player simply for the trophies and then dropped it for a few hours into the MP end of stuff. This is an early rummage of thoughts to give some people on the fence an idea of what they are getting into. Even most of the PC reviews out there have been pretty vague. I haven't cleared this 100% for the Platinum or put in 100 hours of ranking. But I have been playing Battlefield games for awhile so some early thoughts after a few hours.

First off -200+ meg update before you can play then you're off to the races. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was similar to Crysis, in that you could navigate the landscape the way you wanted, within an admittedly small area. Wooden huts and hideouts were for the destroying if you were so inclined. In Battlefield 3, you are literally led by the nose with little blue and red boxes on EXACTLY what to do. It's pretty insulting. Walk one foot too far this way or that way, and you are immediately told to "RETURN TO THE BATTLEFIELD." The levels are much more confined than the last game, but I think they went way too far on the scripted confrontations. On the realism end, there is a a few instances where a Marine will drop dead right in front of you and the other soldiers will just walk right by. Pretty lame, Marines don't tend to do that sort of thing. So the story sucks, but nobody reads Playboy for the articles right? Character models are not the strong point here. Where in CoD, everything looks like shiny plaster, here they look like clay . The environment textures look good most of the time, but occasionally do load slowly. Also, first thing I would do, is jack up the controller sensitivity, the default setting is way too slow. So far, I see a real missed opportunity in the single player end. I don't know why they just don't take the large maps from multiplayer and come up with a story based task for the single player. Corridor shooting needs to finally die. Anyway, the campaign doesn't do much new thus far, but there are good points. The audio is absolutely stunning. On my surround sound, the bullet hits and muzzle sounds are really awesome.

But playing Battlefield by yourself is like buying a banana just to eat the peels.

There is the new seemingly obligatory online pass to jump through and then you are greeted with a "free" M1911 pistol reward. Yay.

Online, there are still some occaisional collision problems from the beta. I have been sapped by a LMG more than once half stuck in the floor geometry of a building, but other than that the game does play pretty good. This is Battlefield so when you can spawn on a boat and grab some airpower you'll probably crash right away. haha. It happens every time. In 1943 it took me awhile to get the plane over Suribachi too. But there is a new feeling of dominance gunning around with the Apache's instead of just having tanks or jeeps with machine gun mounts. I haven't had too much time with the jets in Conquest yet, but I'm getting there. Tanks are still the main fun for me. There's nothing more satisfying than blasting down an entire roof where a sniper is camped out stopping your troops from getting the Gas Station capture point. Bullet drop with snipers from BC2 seems less pronounced or it may be a placebo.

Maps range from HUGE to more conventional "CoD" style boxes for deathmatch. For me, TDM really is pointless in this type of game but it is a game mode that never seems to die no matter what game they put it in. Whatever, I prefer the larger skirmishes with objectives, but I think the larger maps do bring up the obvious. This game is probably better played on the PC for one real reason and it has nothing to do with graphics. The PC will hold 64 players and that is where the real meat of the series has always been. Eventually, I'll probably up for the PC sku when I can afford an upgraded rig, but this does well for now.

Battlefield 3 is not for everybody. Black Ops this is not. MW2, this is not. You cannot hide in a tin roof building like in Favela during an Apache onslaught and expect to ride out the bulletstorm. You can't run around and knife from 10 meters away. If you played Battlefield BC2, MoH, or even the PSN/XBL 1943, then you'll know what you're getting into here. Weapons sway, reloading takes time and there's no MW2 pinball score counters. If you are curious and big on CoD quick turn maps where you can noob tube to a nuke with OMA this is probably not your game. Battlefield matches can be long drawn out affairs and inching your way on foot to objectives or blasting your way through buildings to a flag is a better way to success. Not to say the knifing isn't useful. If you don't play as a team you will have a very bad day. FYI you can't jump off the top of a three-story building doing a 360 turn and pop a guy in the head with an Intervention and run off into the sunset with a 73-7 k/d in Scrapyard with the chopper gunner singing in the background. Battlefield isn't about killstreaks, it is about a 'battlefield.' Ironic I know. Battlefield 3 pretty much holds to the history of the franchise thus far. There are some mistakes here and there all of them in the single player end mostly because I feel it is a mistake to try to compete with Call of Duty. Call of Duty is a slowed down Quake 3 fun but aging, fake and in no way a war game. Battlefield 3, on the other hand, is pretty much the game it was 10 years ago, but now with much better graphics, more lethal vehicles and stunning sound design. Don't buy into the hype one way or the other. But if you're tired of endless 'nade spamming, chopper gunner spamming, host lag, knife spamming, and want something objective based give Battlefield 3 a look.

*****

UPDATE: I'm going to just drop a few last pieces in and leave it at that. Right now I'm rocking the ever popular M416, suppressor, bi-pod and Holo with the M26. There was a point around level 7 or 8 where you really start making a weapon your own with the sights, rail attachments and the game really starts to come into it's own. It no longer feels like the early "grind" and you start to know the maps. Even TDM starts to make sense at least on Metró. Though CQB is still clumsy. I haven't touched the single player again and I doubt I will. Frame rates could be a tad better, but this was built for a PC with SLI cards, so what can you do? Oh and the Battlelog stats site is ripped almost completely from the Killzone stats site. Go figure. Not sure if Xbox live lobbies are back up yet, but 3/4 time I get dropped immediately into a game from PSN. Once in awhile I get kicked during search. Server list is helpful and would be welcome in any other console FPS. I'm in for the long haul. If you got the stomach for the climb to level 45, it's worth it. There are few things more rewarding in online gamedom than making a push with a good team in conquest, hopping over a rail to heal a fallen teammate and throwing up cover fire with a well tuned weapon with an Abrahms tank on your back blasting the wall of an apartment building with laser sights bouncing around on your position to take the win. Hard to find this type of experience anywhere else.

*****

I've got my MW3 preorder in on the 360 but I absolutely have to post this. It's so funny because I think it's true.

Look up -14 Ways to Spot a CoD player in Battlefield 3 on the OXM UK website.

*****

Well I caved. Finished a new PC build with a Core i5 2500 and 2 GTX 560 ti's. Battlefield 3 runs like glass. EA's Origin is awful, but the game is just stunning. Maps are much bigger and even single player earns a few points back. I'll still be playing on PSN, but the PC version has to be seen in motion to be believed. If anybody has any questions on the differences, let me know.

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Overall i think its very good,

It is Bad company 2 with better graphics and enhanced maps, new weaponry and upgrades for all you can drive. Is very fun to get into the battle because it feels closer than its predecessor, there is no calm in any place of the maps, the sound and visual effects are very good and has the same destruction that BC2, which is something important in the franchise.

I think the intensity itself of this war game will be always better than the COD games.

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I had to do a review on this because of all the negative reviews. It's almost like they're not even playing the same game! The graphics on this game are right up there with Killzone and Crysis 2's campaigne. Definitely top notch for this generation of consoles. A review below says the game is messed up because the mini-map doesn't show your enemies when they are shooting.. THIS IS BECAUSE THE MINI MAP ISN'T SUPPOSED TO SHOW YOUR ENEMIES WHEN THEY ARE SHOOTING! The only way for an enemy to show up on your mini map, is if you or someone on your team highlights the enemy in their cross-hairs and pushes select, this calls the enemy out to your entire team for a short amount of time. How about instead of saying the game is faulted, learn how to actually play it! The ONLY people complaining about this game are the ones that are comparing it to Call of Duty. Well it's not Call of Duty, and that's a good thing! I'm not a 'fanboy' of either and I'm without a doubt getting MW3 as well. I can already tell that I'm going to play MW3 for a week, then go right back to BF3. This game is amazing, it took BF2 and improved on it in every way possible. I haven't even touched the single player yet. The multiplayer alone is worth the money. I haven't had any kind of lag, freezing or kicks of any kind. No glitches either. The game runs like a sewing machine! The graphics are insane for a console, there is TONS of unlocks to get, the maps are GIGANTIC and you can even fly a jet over the battle grounds and parachute into battle.. AGAIN, THAT'S FLY A JET, JUMP OUT AND FREAKIN PARACHUTE INTO THE BATTLE!! How is that not awesome? Great game and it's worth every bit of the hype. It's not Call of Duty, it's Battlefield 3!

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I could write a page telling you about the different abilities and strategies of the soldiers...

or the many vehicles you could master driving and flying...

or the team and squad based strategies you could employ to dominate...

or the fully destructible environments so no one is truly safe. Like hiding in buildings? Well watch out for that tank, chopper, or jet. The building is going down!

or even the awesome different game modes including Rush, Conquest, and Team Deathmatch....

I have played all the FPS games including all COD, Battlefields, Homefront, Halo, ect...

If you are looking for something more than kids running around seeing who can kill the most people first with no strategy and the same redundant gameplay... game after game, after game, after game... ummm... well look no further.

I loved battlefield 2 and this is even better. MW3 is the first COD game i am passing on. I have lost all interest in the franchise. To me it has gotten stale. I found I was only playing Zombies in black ops after getting bored with the multiplayer.

After playing Battlefield and seeing all it has to offer I cannot go back to COD. This game even got my 30 year old friend who never played games before hooked.

It takes a little getting used to if you are used to COD but once you get the hang of it you will love it. HUGE boards, large teams, so many strategy options, so many vehicles... Damn I have to go to work. I just wanna play!

Get it and I will see ya on the Battlefield!

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Logitech USB Headset for Sony Playstation 2/3 PS2 + PS3

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I didn't want a bluetooth headset, because I hate having to charge them. The cable is long enough, and the quality of sound and the mic are great. Great headset for the price.

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Was kind of skeptical about this headset because it isn't wireless. My three grandkids use and abuse (drop, throw, toss, etc) this headset on a daily basis and It still works and performs well. I haven't heard one complaint from them so I know it's working well. Using it for more than a year. The price was about average but the performance is way up their for an electronic component.

Would definately recommend!!

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this is a great headset for ps2/3 owners. there is an adjustable band on the side to fit any odd sized heads (not that my head shape is odd o_0) and overall pretty clear hearing quality and if you adjust the mic right people can hear you clearly. i think its better than a wireless one because sometimes those can get a little weird connection wise. even though sometimes the wire can get a little annoy but you get used to it. i would definitely recommend this product for others.

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I do like this headset its a good headset for the price. Its comfortable too. There are a couple of things. I have had my headset for over a couple of weeks . The speaker I can see how it would be very easy to break off however mines is still in good condition like new. When I first got it, it would drop or disconnect im not sure probrably the other persons mic though, because I havent had that happen again . If you cant hear well, this is probrably not for you. At times I find the sound to be a little low. But its excellent for playing co op games just what i needed it for . Over all im satisfied with this product for what I use it for , my ps3 gaming . Has great sound when you are talking through it too, was told its very clear on the other end. Was asked all about it, where i got it, and what type it was by my co op partner.

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I have been using the mic for about a month now, and it has yet to break, All my friends on the Playstation network can hear me extremely well. And for the price its a definite buy.

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Street Fighter IV

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I had SF4 on my xbox a while ago, but my brother got rid of it. Several years later I bought a gaming pc and decided to pick this up on pc. The game is just as good as the xbox version, even though there are much less people playing online, it doesn't really matter since you can just turn on fight requests and have people fight you. One thing that I am not a fan of is the absurd amount of lag in online mp. I don't know if it's my connection or the people that I'm playing with, but their latency will be either 0 or 1 bar (out of 5).

Beyond that there is nothing else to complain about. I know that most people aren't fans of Games for Windows LIVE, but personally I don't mind the service and it hasn't presented any problems to me yet. If you plan on buying this game on pc I would highly recommend an xbox controller or a gamepad of some sort, this game was not meant to be played with a keyboard.

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My girlfriend and I play this game and have a great time. My niece and nephew love it too, so I'd say very popular with kids and adults.

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Injustice: Gods Among Us

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As a fighting game enthusiast, coming from Street Fighter 2, Original Mortal Kombat, to today's generation of fighting games (Street Fighter 4, MvC3, SFxT, etc) I have to say that this DC Super Hero version has met, and somewhat exceeded, certain expectations.

Now first off, I do have to say I didn't have great expectations to begin with, considering how MK vs DC was a bit under par. But certain previews at least gave me some hope. I'm also not some elite player in all those games, but I can pull my own weight to at least offer some perspective about certain fighting games. And based on what I've played so far, I was actually impressed. I'll try to note some of the highlights that caught my attention. I've just had time to beat the game in single player mode, so I haven't done a lot with multiplayer to comment on that yet.

This review may assist with someone still on the fence about the game, and wanting certain answers.

[GAMEPLAY Highlights]

Fight style is very similar to Mortal Kombat, as one would assume. However, there is no more need for a block button. This time, just hold back (away from opponent). This makes it easier for new players, unfamiliar to MK, to pick up. Basically, allows for a larger audience. However, hardcore MK fans may or may not appreciate this.

There is a meter bar that is built up with attacks. Up to four meters to be used individually for move cancellations, or full meter for Super Signature moves.

Ability to cancel certain abilities/combos (uses a meter bar), helps to connect long chained combos.

Basic combos are simple enough for newbies to make use of. But, it can get complex enough to keep the hardcore entertained in finding long combo strings.

Meter bar also used for wager mode. While you're being chain hit, you can cancel the opponent's chain by initiating a "clash". During this phase you and the opponent place a "bet" of your meter. 1-4 of your meter to be used in the wager, against the opponent's. Once the wager is placed, the two figthers do a slow motion power clash. If the initiator of the clash wins, he/she gains a % of health based on the difference of the meter waged. If the initiator of the clash loses, then the opponent does an amount of damage that is the difference of the wager. However, this can only be performed once per character, within a game, and when you're down to your 2nd health bar. In-game should explain this more clearly, but it is a pretty nice touch, imo. Additionally, it can be used as a bait/psych move against another player. For example, you could choose to initiate the clash, and not wage any of your meter. Yet, your opponent might panic and wage all of his meter. You take some damage, but it may be worth taking that damage over possibly the opponent using their meter for more damaging combos or supers. And of course, whoever has no meter during this will automatically lose. Ties will just end up in a Tie with no damage nor health bonus.

Rather than rounds, you have 2 health bars. This is great to keep the fight flowing. It wouldn't make sense for some voice to announce "ROUND 2", anyway. But once you deplete the first bar, there is a slight pause... kinda feels like you knocked the wind out of the other char, and he's regaining his senses. Something to note, with two health bars, it is not continuous. Meaning, if you do more damage than is necessary to deplete the first health bar, it doesn't carry over to the second health bar. So, you would be wasting a super when the opponent only has 5% left of their first health bar.

Very interactive stages. This could be a hit or miss with the crowd, but I feel it's fitting for a Super Hero game. Certain objects in the stages can be thrown, activated, or jumped off of. For example, a hovering vehicle could be picked up in mid air and slammed at the opponent. A button on a panel would activate the missiles on the Batmobile. Some heavy objects on the stage may be picked up by a stronger character, but a more agile character would jump off it as a defensive maneuver. Objects thrown/activated this way is unblockable.

Characters can also be knocked through walls to other sections of the stage. In the process you see them hitting various objects, which differs from stage to stage. For example, hit through a wall, into a helicopter, which then crashes into another area. The character does take damage along the way.

Character specific special, activated, abilities. One button is assigned for this, and it can be activated any time when it's off cooldown. Every character has a different ability. IE: Batman activates radio controlled Batarangs that circle around him. These can then be use to shoot at the target, or create a defensive barrier. Green Arrow just shoots an arrow when pressing his button, but if you did a half circle back + button he loads up an ice arrow head. Next time you press that button, he shoots the ice arrow which freezes the opponent briefly. Another motion would load up fire arrows. Doomsday activates power armor that decreases damage for a short period. All these abilities do have a cooldown, amongst other conditions. Another nice addition for this type of game, imo.

[STORY LINE Highlights] **** Warning Spoilers ****

I feel they presented the story mode very well. I actually felt like I was part of the story. And personally, I think the story was well written for a game of this sort. If you think about it, how in-depth of a story line do most fighting games have? Street Fighter 4... Story? A few short animated scenes maybe.

Basically, the story is based on the comic line where Super Man is drugged and mistaken Lois for Doomsday. He unintentionally kills Lois, and his unborn son, which triggers a rigged nuclear explosion, all thanks to the Joker. Super man pretty much goes insane and kills Joker, and all goes downhill from there. Superman goes vengeful mode and pretty much becomes a conqueror of Earth. This happens in another dimension.

Around the same time, in another dimension (the Good Superman), a similar incident is in progress where the Joker is about to set off a nuclear bomb. Right before that happens, part of the team gets teleported into the "Injustice" dimension, and that's where the fun begins.

During all this you get to play different perspectives, starting with Batman. Throughout you will transition to different character's points of view and play as those characters, split into chapters. Between scenes, the story does take its time to build everything up, and present decent cut scenes. You don't just go fighting the next guy right away. And the cut scenes actually have very decent fight cinematics. There's clearly well done martial arts motion-caps that happened in this game. For example, apparently Aquaman and his guards know Wu-Shu... who would've thunk.

There are also mini games in the story mode, which adds a nice touch. Not all will agree, but it's not bad. I can see it being a bit repetitive if you play through the story mode a few times. Those mini games are part of the story transitions. For example, Grundy is coming at Green Arrow. You're viewing Green Arrow from a 3rd person perspective and controlling his arrow targeting. You have to hit the things Grundy is throwing at you, while trying to hit Grundy. Or you're Joker and you're throwing explosive playing cards at Nightwing. You have to press buttons in certain sequences that popup to succeed. Fail too much and the fight begins with you having less health.

In the story, it does explain how all the characters can fight on equal terms. They swallow a pill that has Kryptonian characteristics, which increases strength and durability by a few thousand percent. HOWEVER... if I must nitpick... it still doesn't explain how bullets can still hurt characters like Superman or Doomsday. The bullets weren't modified, yet Deathstroke can hurt all the characters the same with his guns. And, although Aquaman's Super looks great with a giant shark biting into the opponent... it certainly shouldn't hurt Superman... unless the Shark took the pills too. Now granted, you don't really fight Doomsday or Superman in the story, as Deathstroke, but the point stands when you're fighting in other modes. It's just one of those nitpicky things.

The entire story line took about 3.5 to 4hrs for me. It would be faster if you can quickly beat through all your opponents. But as you switch off to new characters, and being a new game, it's a learning curve. Although, if you do want to go through the story mode quickly, just set the AI mode to easy. But I do have to say, that was a pretty long story to play through for a fighting game. However, I think it is fitting since it is telling a rather long story.

Personally, I think the story line was decent enough to have made a movie/animation out of it. So having that in a fighting game was a nice bonus.

[SINGLE PLAYER MODE Highlights]

I didn't get to go through all of them yet, but you do get a training mode where you can practice. There's also a STAR Labs Mission mode which tells Superman's side story while giving you goals to achieve. (IE: Being affected by Kryptonite, you can't get hit by CatWoman for 20 seconds and try to get bonus pts by doing certain combos to her). It works as part training and entertaining achievement challenges.

There's also other modes, like fighting all the villains only, super heroes only, survival mode, poison mode, etc. There are more modes that I haven't unlocked yet.

[CONS]

Some combos did seem a little clunky at times. For example, I was doing a combo like, low, med, (fireball motion) heavy. But instead of registering the fireball motion heavy, it did a fireball motion med. Happened more than one occasion. I can't tell if it's a matter of more practice or some clunkiness of controls that I need to get use to. It wasn't consistent so I'll keep testing and practicing. So it could just be me. If others are noticing this, they can add to the comment.

There are certain parts that made me scratch my head. For example (***SPOILER ALERT***) there was a part near the beginning, after the transport into the different dimension that Joker was able to beat down Batman pretty badly. It would make sense if Joker had already swallowed the power pill, and Batman didn't. But at this time, there was no implication that Joker had any major advantage. That didn't make a lot of sense to me.

*My personal bias, perhaps* Doomsday nowadays seems to be weakened quite a bit in order to allow balance, and make him beatable. If they kept Doomsday the way he was during the "Death of Superman" comic line, he would be a much greater adversary against an entire team, by himself. I mean, if you have Superman AND Doomsday fighting against you... it should be "Good night, you will be destroyed". But, he has to be dumbed down so he's not Overpowered on the roster.

Based on my run through in Single player mode, I can't say I've run into many more Cons at this point.

[CONCLUSION]

Overall, I'd give this game a 4 out of 5. I don't usually give 5s unless I'm just completely blown away.

I think this game has enough interesting, and unique, aspects to make it an entertaining Fighting game based on the DC universe.

People need to be careful of their expectations. This is NOT Mortal Kombat. There are no finishing moves, there is no extreme blood and gore type violence.

There are obvious things to nit pick about, based on the DC universe, but you have to come in with the expectation that not everything will make sense. It's just an entertaining way to allow Super Hero fans to fight with their favorite characters, with an interesting story to follow.

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I love getting the chance to play as my favorite superheroes (and supervillains) and I'll usually give any game wherein I get that opportunity a try. Even today, after the Arkham games and certain others raised the bar for those types of games, they're hard to pull off correctly. You have to make for a good game while at the same time having the heroes you came to see act consistent with their comic-book counterparts' power level and moral codes. That's easier said than done; if you're going to have Catwoman go toe-to-toe with Doomsday, you have to have at least a semi-plausible reason for this to be possible.

The creators of Mortal Kombat, one of the more legendary fighting games out there, have managed to pull it off. Now, I enjoyed their previous Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe title, but I must admit that I never bothered to play as the MK characters when I could be Batman or Superman instead. This game, then, was the logical next step, and they've given it a pretty interesting story, even finding a believable reason even Superman would go into full-villain mode. It's chock full of references to classic DC stories, and I admit watching Aquaman's special attack put a smile on my face. Bonus points for including Kevin Conroy, the one true Batman, in the voice cast.

The graphics are good, the gameplay is mostly solid, and most importantly: you can run people over with the Batmobile. So what are you waiting for? Buy this game and let the punching begin.

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If you are looking for an incredible Justice League movie, you have to go no further than this video game. The cinematics on this are simply amazing. The plotline of the game is simple: a handful of heroes are pulled into a parallel universe where Superman is bad and has taken many of the Justice League with him. While you go to this game for the fighting, the single player mode gives you the most compelling story you could imagine. I am at best a casual gamer and never sit down to complete a game in one sitting, but this one kept me glued to the television until I have finished it. There are plot twists galore in this thing, and one in particular late in the game has Superman killing one of his associates in the such a way that it left both my son and myself speechless because that moment shows you this Superman has no hope of change.

And the storyline just makes the fighting times make sense. You get 12 chapters here which means you'll fight as 12 different heroes, most of the time facing 5 opponents before the chapter ends. There is also a section of bonus missions through STAR labs which will let you continue on with another story (though without cinematic action) much longer than the main storyline and allowing you to play as all the characters eventually. There is a quick fight mode, and of course multiplayer that will allow you a lot of fun. Completing the game gives you a new costume (after the closing credits roll) for Superman. You can also download more character skins and even newer fighters are supposed to come out soon. This is definitely the game to grab if you are a comic book fan!

And yes, Kevin Conroy is Batman in this one. Yet another reason to buy it!

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Having played MKvsDC before...and MK9, there is a healthy balance to what a DC fighter can and should be. I've read a bunch of reviews that talk about re skinning MK9 and no innovation involved with the game. Those comments are off of the mark by a mile.

Game play: The game play here is just what you'd expect if you have played MK9 or any other decent caliber fighter. It's a little frustrating at first but once you get the hang of it and start recalling the moves without hesitation, it becomes a very beautiful controlled chaos. The little touches of flavor here and there in the form of picking stuff up and environmental attacks add just enough to keep it interesting. The super moves, while not a fatality by any stretch, are still fun to watch and even better to land (It will never get old with Green Lantern slamming buses on your face) and will fill you with a sense of 'eff yea' if you are a fan of the character you're playing with. Top shelf game play, which sadly is standard now a days, makes the game handle as expected. Which is totally fine by me.

Graphics: What can I say here...they are superb. I really can't gush enough about how fun it is to crash through the environments with your favorite super heroes. All the super moves and little special effects that come from each character just adds more "awwww yea" when you play. Shazam's pulsing lightning bolt is super cool, for example. Really, really great graphics. The game runs smooth too.

Sounds: While the score is second rate...and nothing I would ever possibly consider buying a sound track for, the voice acting is just sublime. Its nice to hear some old veterans doing the voice work for some of the most beloved characters around. The foley sounds leave a little to be desired but nothing that should be bashed.

Characters: The character selection, right out of the gate, is pretty awesome. They have DLC planned for more characters too. All the fan favorites from the comics are here, and a few that fly a little closer to the "who's that?" trail. If you are a DC fan at all, then you should have SOME idea who everyone is. They all have some decent costume selection, but on the whole I'm disappointed with that aspect. It's so minor that it's almost not worth bringing up save for the simple fact that I'm a big vanity oriented player. Having people unlock new costumes with iOS app stuff (being an android user) seems a little under handed, but alas that is the day and age we live in. If they do release new costume packs for each character with 3-4 options...and really make them fancentric then I think that minor gripe will be washed clean.

Story: With a plot you'd expect from the comics, I do have to say I ran through the story mode very quickly. This isn't a complaint for me. If a game can get me to commit without wanting to go to the bathroom or find something else to do, then I am very pleased with it. Though the whole story (I really didn't look to see what time I started playing) seemed like it didn't take long to complete, I really didn't look at the clock once or worry at all about the time. The writing and dialog feels good when you listen to it, it isn't stiff or boring. I was genuinely interested in what was going on. I don't want to give anything away..its not really a "SURPRISE MOTHER EFFER!" type twisty plot but that didn't bother me at all. It's very Superman heavy on the story line, while taking you through different POV with new characters. If you've ever wondered about "How would they deal with this or that?" it's a great story to interact with and you'll certainly be pleased.

Overall: This game panders to the comic book/gamer fans more then the hard core fighter series audience. I found little to no flaws through out the time I've spent with the game (15 hours since yesterday) and don't anticipate in doing so anytime soon. With slick graphics, fun character play styles, intuitive controls with easy to learn & hard to perfect skill sets a character list that will make any fan boy/girl wet him/her self in delight Injustice is a fighting game worth the price of admission if you're a devout DC fan, or at least a good time rental if you're a fighting hobbiest.

I really don't think you could go wrong if watching your favorite DC Heroes go toe to toe and smack the bejezus out of each other is what you're looking for. Hell, even if it isn't what you are looking for you should still do yourself a favor and try it out. While it isn't a "perfect" game, I do think its 15 feet and 9 inches above most. Call it a reskin if you want, MK9 was a great game. Cheap money grab?, NO. Worst fighting game out there?, are you serious?! The bottom line is picky people are always going to complain and whine about a game they aren't good at. I'm not particularly skilled here, but I do know a well made, fun game when I play it...and boy howdy does Injustice have that in spades.

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NRS made a great job with Injustice!. It is a complete new fighting system, lots of characters and I totaly recommend it.

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Power Gig: Rise of the SixString Guitar Bundle

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List Price: $149.99
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OK, the game itself isn't that bad. Despite the cheesy graphics and goofy storyline, the music is actually OK.

My bad review is on the instrument peripherals.

The airstrike drums are completely frustrating and UNfun. They don't register hits half the time. You're not actually playing drums, you're striking the air with the drumsticks. The IR sensor has to be exactly aligned with the drum sensors and you have to "shake" it to get it to register the hit. It definitely does not feel like you're really playing drums. Do yourself a favor, use a Rock Band drum kit.

And then the "real guitar." It really is technically a real guitar, that you can use to play this game. But it's mostly a gimmick-don't expect to actually learn how to play guitar. This is a rhythm game just like guitar hero, except you're using a real guitar with strings instead of a plastic guitar with buttons.

The only addition is the option to play "power chords". The game uses a whopping TWO power chords-one uses two fingers and one uses one finger-and the fingering is exactly the same no matter where it's played on the fretboard. A monkey can learn how to do that.

Actually playing the song with the power chord option, I did not find to be very much fun either.

If you want to learn real guitar skills I suggest you get Rock Band 3 and buy the pro guitar peripheral.

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Awesome PS3 guitar game, fast shipping, just as ordered and at a great price, will order again. Thanks for a great deal.

Buy Power Gig: Rise of the SixString Guitar Bundle Now

this guitar is great

is a real guitar.

for all who do not know how to play guitar

i love it!

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I paid $40 dollars for this item as a gift and it was well worth it. The game originally sold for $149.99. What comes with the package is a 3/4 size real electric guitar. Not only does it work with the game you can also plug it up to an amp. The build quality of the guitar is really good for a "game" controller. If you are intersted in learning this would be a really good starter guitar. The game itself has a steep learning curve but it will teach you some fundamental guitar lessons. So for $40 its a must buy for the guitar alone.

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they sold me a bad produt was broken even they said they open to check..........liars

I need my money back

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Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires

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Gameplay 4/5

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

Graphics 3/5

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

Sound 3/5

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

Replayability 3/5

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

Overall 4/5

My favorite DW title to date. Best edit officer feature in my opinion. Love it!

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All in all, I am pleased with the latest installment of DW:Empires. In fact, I enjoy playing it more than the original DW6. I would like to see some more innovation, but all in all, it's a fun title that should have had better bells and whistles.

The Good:

The combat system. I love the renbu system. I can't imagine why someone wouldn't like it. I still can pull off the combos from previous games, but now I can continually attack. What's not to like?

Some of the power attacks are positively hilarious as well. I really like Meng Huo pulling up trees and giant mushrooms(???) to attack his enemies with.I'm also happy that Liu Bei has finally become such a power house.

The music is awesome. Not only are you treated to the tracks from DW6, but you get a HUGE selection of tracks from the previous games. All of them have the chinese ancient wailing guitars you have become familiar with, and I love it. Moreover, you can choose to listen to any piece of music at any time. Great nostalgia, and fun grooves as well.

This game fixes many of the problems from previous "Empires" games. One of the biggest problems with the previous games was that it was too easy to form alliances. Strategies are now based solely on the officers you currently have, and if you lose the officer, you lose the strategy. More could (and should) have been done here, but overall, the game is more fun to play, with both an "officer" and a "ruler" mode.

The Bad:

Unfortunately, "Empires" fixes NONE of the problems from "DW6". The graphics are still lame, the map is way too small to explain some of the intricate passageways and whatnot, and Jiang Wei, Pang De, Zhu Rong, Da Qiao and Zuo Ci are still missing (among others, possibly). I hate KOEI's insistence of cutting things back in titles (look at the "evolution" of the RTK series). But the worst offender has to be the camera. It is just awful in this one, which is a shame, since the game itself moves at an incredible pace. It's a shame to lose sight of an enemy because the camera suddenly gives you a sky view, for whatever reason.

Moreover, while this rendition of "Empires" fixes some of the previous problems, it introduces a lot of new ones as well. Some strategies are grossly overpowered (Sun Quan can play a strategy which insures that he is never, ever attacked).

The uninspired:

The trophies are a joke. You can get all of them in a matter of hours. I don't care much trophies, but you should have to work for something.

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The only problem I had was the fact that it wasn't a NTSC game. Nonetheless it is a good game.

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What more can I say exactly what i expected just like I remembered smashing button ass whipping just awesome and easy and fun 2 play

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The box didn't come in good condition but the game did, but I really don't care for that as long as the disc didn't come messed up. It has great graphics especially if you have an HD tv. I love making my own characters, I love games like this. I Been a DW fan for along time, waiting on DW7 empires! coming in feb 2013.

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Fuse

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List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $29.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

This review is for the campaign, and I will be the first to admit, this is a DNF (Did Not Finish) for me. I just couldn't bring myself to complete this game. It felt like work. It just wasn't fun, and I felt like I was punishing myself to continue playing it just for the sake of completing it. So why am I reviewing this game, if I didn't finish it? To hopefully spare you from blowing your hard earned $60 on it. Fans of Insomniac should steer clear of this one and wait for the next "Ratchet" or "Resistance".

As the title states, "Fuse" does not feel like a game by Insomniac, which is one of my favorite developers of all time (I'm a huge fan of "Ratchet", "Resistance", and "Spyro"). It does cover-based stop and pop gunplay, climbing/platforming, and "witty" dialogue... just like "Uncharted" and countless other games. But unlike "Uncharted", everything just feels "off" in "Fuse", and slogging through its mundane, military campaign was generally painful.

Prior to this game's release, if you were to have told me that Insomniac was going to release a title that wasn't fun to play and that didn't have a good story, I would not have believed you. "Fuse" has made me a believera believer that even Insomniac can drop the ball. This should be a warning to all developers that if you're going to try to duplicate the success of "Uncharted" and "Gears", you had better get your formula to a level where it can stand side by side with those games. This game feels like it was developed by some fly-by-night rookie developer on a shoestring budget, with a plot cooked up by teenage boys.

Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, including heavyweights like Insomniac. I still root for them every day, and I just hope that this kind of tough guy nonsense is not the the new direction of the developer that brought us the wonderful universes of Spyro, Ratchet, and Nathan Hale.

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Looks great, plays great, too short. I feel cheated, and I'm not waiting around for DLC to make it longer.

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Bought it to play co-op with a friend. We got exactly what we expected, which is okay. Game was really short though. If anything that is my main gripe. The main idea of buying upgrades doesn't really work as well as you'd think, since it's all the same stuff across characters. The gameplay didn't do anything new or exciting, except that each character had a special-mechanic gun.

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Fuse provides an interesting mix of good and bad. It is clearly Insomniac making use of a lot of the code from the Resistance series:

Things that crawl on the ground and then jump at you (Leapers) check

Occasional super-armored enemies with a weak spot on their back (Stalkers) check

Unstable, explosive orbs stacked in threes that you can shoot and cause explosions (Power Orbs) check

Other-world-tech powered weapons check

Enemies that expand on the definition of 'bullet sponge' check

Enemies behind mounted turrets that seem to hit you the second you stick your foot in the open check

Power cores that you have to shoot out to take something down (like at the end of Resistance) check

Enemies that can turn nearly invisible check

As a single person game this ranks as pretty good. The aiming seems a little awkward. It's annoying that no matter what is happening your character runs at one speed when you're controlling them. Regardless of how much urgency you feel to get to cover, your character can't be made to respond accordingly. Your other 3 companions (who you can switch to at any time) are sometimes decent in helping to take out the swarms of enemies, and other times they are strangely incapable of hitting enemies right out in the open. This is especially annoying when you flank the soldiers with riot shields so that the other 3 characters have a free shot at them and somehow none of the soldiers are taken out.

The campaign is enjoyable in terms of giving you plenty of targets to shoot at, but having to sink 15-25 shots in common soldiers gets old pretty quick. It's amazing that all this cool Fuse-enhanced weaponry can't do more damage. The weapons have some neat effects--Izzy's gun can encase enemies in melanite (a crystal-like substance) giving you the chance to shatter them into pieces before they get out, but you still have to hit an enemy with at least a dozen shots to encase them. Dalton's shield protects you from most weapons and can reflect damage back on enemies--but they have to be relatively close for that damage to be enacted. Jacob's crossbow has the most immediate effect on target--often just 2 shots will take down most soldiers. Alternatively, you can fire a couple of shots into an area (hitting either enemies or nearby walls, where they 'stick') and then detonate them causing some fiery deaths--but the crossbow doesn't hold that many rounds so you'll spend as much time looking for ammo in the middle of a fight as you will actually fighting. Naya's gun can cause enemies to implode into a black hole/singularity--this is by far my favorite weapon in the game. The nice thing is that you can tag multiple enemies with several shots and then finish one enemy off and the implosion will often chain to the other tagged enemies. The downside is that, like Izzy's melanite gun, you'll have to hit a target at least a dozen times in order to get this effect.

This bullet-sponge tendency for enemies (which started with Resistance and seems to be something Insomniac keeps making worse) is extremely annoying. All this new-space-tech-infused weaponry and it can't take out a riot shield? A common foot soldier takes a dozen or more rounds to take down--that's a little difficult to believe. Izzy's gun, it should be noted, is actually effective against riot shields--again you have to sink 15-20 shots into the riot shield to get it to work, but it does work. It's even worse when you switch to the normal weapons like the Savager or Daybreaker, which are essentially rifles with normal bullets, where you'll routinely have to sink about 20 shots into a soldier to kill him. I would much rather have twice the number of enemies then to have fewer enemies that I'm pelting with an absurd amount of ammo to take down.

As a multi-player game it works a little better as your co-players can perform with more intelligence than the AI that the other 3 characters have when you're on single-player mode. If everyone effectively learns the strengths of their characters it can be a fun time efficiently dispatching enemies.

Of course there are some crazy annoyances, whether single or multi-player--the Leadfoot and Leadfire (and a few other enemies) that are encased in armor that seems resistant to everything have to be taken down by hitting the tank on their back. Just like the Stalkers in Resistance, it's not just hitting the weak spot on the back that's the challenge, it's having to hit it several dozen times. More bullet-sponge, more annoyance. The Enforcer is another overly-armored enemy, but its weak spot is in the front, but only exposed when it performs certain actions. This creates another opportunity to frustratingly blow through a great deal of ammo to get very little result. You can take down an Enforcer by continually hitting them even when the weak spot is not exposed, but you're chewing up a ridiculous amount of ammo this way.

As you advance your characters their weapons gain new abilities--Naya can turn invisible, Izzy can throw med-beacons that heal you when you're down, but gaining XP to do this is a little slow. Much worse is gaining 'Fuse Credits' to apply towards team perks. Team perks are things like Faster revive time for fallen teammates, increased health, gain XP or Fuse Credits faster, do more damage to Fuse shields, etc. Each character can have 1 active team perk at any given time. In campaign mode, however, Fuse Credits can not be acquired quickly enough to make these relevant. You can always go back and play the first level over and over again, it's the easiest to get through and has a decent amount of Fuse Credits to be had with the smallest effort--but that gets old.

You can always play in 'Echelon' mode, which is basically a horde mode where huge waves of enemies come at you. XP and Fuse Credits can be earned at a faster pace in this mode. This is something that's more worth doing as a team because the volume of enemies easily overwhelms the AI of the other 3 characters and you're bailing them out quite a bit if you're on your own.

Overall, this isn't the worst game out there. It's enjoyable in the way a summer action movie is, fun, but nothing you're expecting to see nominated for film of the year. The environments are decent, nothing especially awe-inspiring (unlike many of the scenes in Resistance 2, which were just incredible), but they are littered with plenty of ammo to re-stock your weapons, and plenty of cover to take on the enemies. The ending of the game certainly sets up the likelihood of Fuse 2, in which I'm sure Insomniac will make enemies who never die no matter how much you shoot them, because that's really the only place they have left to go.

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I spend the bulk of my gaming time playing co-op with friends. When we played Ghost Recon Future Soldier (fffffuuuuuu, 30K), we got away with playing just three of us. I highly recommend you play with the max 4 man squad for this game. Even on normal difficulty there were times when we were really challenged.

The game itself is a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend it. The skill tree for each class is pretty linear, but getting team perks adds to that dynamic.

Both the main story line and the optional fight-wave-after-wave-of-enemies was a lot of fun, and the latter provides you with cash to unlock the team perks.

To sum up, great game but I would not want to play with the AI controlled squad mates

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Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City AK Bundle

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List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $44.88
Today's Bonus: 55% Off

I should have listened to the other reviews that state the gun only works some of the time and saved money by ordering just the game. I ordered this set for my husband for Christmas. Gave it to him early as a surprise. The game is great. The gun is a complete waste of money! It's been 4 days now since he's had the gun and has not been able to play a single game with it. It has so far worked for a total of about 5 minutes and that was as the analog controller. We have not been able to get the move controller to work with the gun.

It's important for people to know that this gun was not really designed for the PS3 Move. The navigation controller that comes with the gun is specific to the gun only it correlates to the left side of the PS3 Dual Shock Controller. It will not function as a PS3 Move Navigation Controller. We cannot get the trigger to work with the Move Controller. The Eye Camera will only sometimes register the controller when it's in the gun. None of the other buttons work with the Move Controller.

I went to the manufacturer's website and downloaded the instructions (not included)which are very poorly put together and do not explain much. It doesn't appear there is any other tech support for this gun. I have seen this set selling for $99 yet you have to use 2 AAA batteries (not included) for the gun to work. If they are going to charge this much I would expect a gun that is better designed, utilizes BlueTooth,is rechargeable, etc. I thought this was going to be a great savings as you are supposed to be able to use this as an analog and move controller and you get a game, but it's not. The button placement is wonderful but only if you get the gun to work. Save your money and buy the game and invest in another type of gun. For now it looks like my husband has a great game to play and the kids will have a toy gun to play with. It's pretty much useless as a controller!!

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it looks like description, but it doesn't work correctly, led turn on just a few times, i can't use navigation controller in another games, move controle doesn't work on this bundle, i can't play correctly RE5 it's impossible with this accessory. i just can play RE Racccoon City and just using bundle withut move controller. please don't buy this product because it's a waste of money.

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Did now come with a move controller and have a fake navigation controller and the gun does not fit a regular navigation controller

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havent played it yet due to the sandy hook incident but i like the design and the decals were easy to put on. it was almost self explanitary of how the buttons are used in the move and regular play station three mode. so i was happy with the instruction. i will play really soon

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Wasnt too sure about the game before I got it, but Ive been playing it ever since I got it and I just cannot seem to be able to put it down. Its so fun. Arrived on time, packaging a little oddly done, but nothing serious. The gun doesnt seem to work most of the time, but eh, the games still playable.

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Racing Wheel for ps3 move controller

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It is lighter than I thought it would be, but is apparently solid. Great for arcade type games, but not so much for simulators kind ones.

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Unless you have a particular want or need for a steering wheel, just use the controller. Wii got it better......OMG.

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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $39.96
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The PS3 version of the game -the version I am reviewing -is almost as good as the PC version but has some significant differences. First the PS3 version of the game graphically speaking is very much inferior to the PC version. I would compare the PS3 graphics to that of a low end PC. Secondly, in order to keep the frame rate somewhat stable the developers decided to cut frames of animation from NPCS, and other player characters while playing on PS3. This means that when you are running around in the world or in town and you run into other players or NPC's you will see them running looking quite strange. To put it bluntly it looks like everyone running around is Mr. Game & Watch. You get about 1/2 the frames of animation that you would normally get on the PC version and it makes the PS3 version feel a lot less smooth. Don't get me wrong however, your character still very fluid and fully animated. The developers made sure that YOUR character was fully animated and had the most graphical detail out of the entire displayable game world. The Frame rate is decent most of the time but when you get into large events with more than 5 people trying to kill monsters at the same time it does drop down below 30. If you are around more than about 8 people fighting at the same time it will only display the 4-5 closest to you at any given moment in order to keep your frame rate at least roughly above 20. The game is perfectly playable in any situation and these few differences between the two versions should only detour those players who feel they have to have the most graphically impressive and buttery smooth version of the game. If you have a PC that could only run this game on low and maybe even medium-low mix settings then the PS3 version is likely not going to be a bad alternative. If however your computer can handle the game at medium or medium high / high settings then you are better off getting it for PC.

The rest of the game is identical to every other review out there so go and read those for a description of the product itself. I just wanted to make note of these few differences between the PS3 and PC versions.

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If you played the original FFXIV a few years ago, throw everything about your experience with that out the window. A Realm Reborn (ARR) is what Square Enix needed this to be; a total 180.

Battle System:

Starting with FFXI and running through the original XIV, the battles had been... boring, for lack of a better word. It was basically you could do a fight while watching TV, looking over every 45 seconds to see if you have enough TP built up to hit your macro.

FFXIV battles are much more like World of Warcraft (or other modern MMOs.) The red circles show up to show what the area of the enemies attack is (if it's a cone it will show the cone, etc.) and you have to avoid it. The pace is much quicker. You have your hotbars to show your skills, and the interface is resizable (Medium-Large-Small sizes for each window.) There are combos between some of your skills, so you get used to using them in a certain order but there isn't a need for 15 hotbars on your screen like in WoW. I'd say it's a pretty happy balance between being stale and being overloaded with too much to do. I'm very happy with this.

Classes:

Okay, so there are jobs and there are classes. You start out with basic classes, and once you hit 30 in one class and 15 in another (the combinations vary) you can undertake a quest to gain a job. The job is just a crystal that you equip, and it gives you access/turns you into that class while you have that gear set on. Each class is tied to a weapon-type. If you played FFXI, then it's pretty much the same thing but more streamlined. Basically, to switch to a different class or job, you just need to switch to a specific type of weapon. For example, to change into a Dragoon you would equip a polearm. To switch to a Black Mage, just equip a wand.

One of my favorite things about ARR is this feature. You don't need to go to a town or talk to a NPC. How many times have you been in a dungeon/instance and the tank or healer had to leave? As long as you're not in combat, you can switch classes. Also, once you get to a high enough level (I think it's 15) you can bring a number of skills from one class/job to your current one. Quick example: Conjurer gets Protection at level 8 and you switch over to a Warrior. You can choose to bring Protection to cast on yourself while your a Warrior.

Community:

I played FFXI for 2 years and that community is very mature and extremely helpful. ARR is the new shiny toy in the genre. The community is helpful and nice. I would be shocked if the community doesn't replicate FFXI community after a month.

PVP:

Square is going to add two forms of PvP to A Realm Reborn. The first is a `casual' form of PvP set to launch with the game. This will allow players to do battle in 4v4 or 8v8 arrangements.

Square Enix is also making unique gear sets and even separate PvP skills available as rewards for participating in PvP. The second will feature large scale battles. There is no open world PVP.

Like every highly anticipated MMO, it has been difficult at times to log in. This is like the new ride at the theme park or the best place to get Sunday morning breakfast in your town. Everyone knows about it and is trying to get a spot. This is a thread among every MMO. SWTOR had 3 hour wait queues and GW2 was up there for a while. No MMO has a perfect launch.

PS3 and PC play on the same servers, so you can party with your friends regardless of what you're playing on.

I've been playing Final Fantasy since the original on the NES, with my favorite being FF6. The music, classes, story and environment are all here. I stepped into ARR with a very cautious mindset.

As an old-school Final Fantasy fan, I'm happy to say that this game reminds me of the glory years back on the NES, SNES and PS1.

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I really loved playing this game. It was a lot of fun... what I could see of it. The character creation, the gameplay, the storyline, the Final Fantasy world, the battle system, everything was really well done.

But... Many users are experiencing a flickering image in the game, myself included. Different parts of the screen flicker randomly and non-stop. The picture decays, gets worse, and eventually goes completely black (except for the dialog boxes which look just fine).

I tried a number of settings changes to try to downgrade the graphics output of the game and the PS3, but neither helped. I contacted Square-Enix for tech support, but I haven't heard back for over a week (not surprising, as they've been struggling to simply keep the game servers stable at this point).

I've seen the suggestion from some that the flickering image is because of a damaged graphics processor in the PS3, but no other games (modern games included) have this issue. How could it be that numerous users can play other games fine, but suddenly have a damaged GPU as soon as we put FFXIV into the system?

I wonder if this issue is related to the fact that I have a launch-day PS3. Is the hardware less capable on this older version of the PS3 than on more recent models, and Square-Enix didn't test on it?

The other big disappointment: Do a search on Amazon's product description for this game for "fees" or "subscription". You won't find either. But after the first 30 days, a subscription is required, at a minimum cost of $12.99/mo for 6 months. Dare I say, bait and switch? A mandatory $77.94 to be able to play the game you already paid $40 for? I know this isn't unprecedented in the world of MMOs. But, neither is free-to-play MMOs that only charge for add-ons, expansion packs, etc. And honestly, it's a hefty price for a casual gamer who only gets on a few times a month. So, I'm disappointed at the price, but I'm frustrated that it's not even mentioned in the game description. That said, I was reluctantly willing to pay the piper, as I was extremely enthusiastic to play what looks to be an amazing game, but since it doesn't work on my PS3, I'm not going to be doing that.

I have a PS4 on order. Maybe I'll come back to the game once that's delivered. But, for now, I can't play when every few seconds to a few minutes, the game goes to black and I can't do anything until I restart or use the HUD to try making my way to another area of the game so the screen will reload.

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I love FInal Fantasy 14: ARR. It's a traditional-feeling MMORPG with enough twists to make it unique, addicting, and just plain fun. But one thing holds it back -the elitist community members.

After I hit level 50 and started learning the new dungeons/Primal fights, I found myself being paired with more and more people who were ruthless with their criticism. Not only would they say nasty things about a person struggling with their toon (i.e. character), they would then blacklist (i.e. ban) these people who didn't do well so that these folks would no longer have others to team with. I've been told this attitude is pervasive in all MMORPGs, but seriously, it's got to stop. It's a game. FF14: ARR's Duty Finder tool is supposed to be the answer to this problem but being paired with random people has yet to work for me and others I've come across, especially with the Hard Mode Primal Fights or Coil. I'd rather pay to play a single player game and have fun, than be subjected to text abuse while trying to learn a new fight/dungeon.

At this point I've cancelled my subscription and account to FF14: ARR, and don't plan on going back. I enjoyed my time in Eorzea and while I found a few people who were genuinely nice, my negative encounters coupled with an over reliance on other people to do end-game events, really ruined what had otherwise been a phenomenal experience.

Last thought: Try it out for the 30 Day Trial, but be sure to find a friendly Free Company (i.e. Guild) to do end game events with.

Toon: Justice Marshall, Lvl 50 DRG

Server: Malboro

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Can one of the crappiest MMORPG's turn it around and become one of the greatest?

---Story---

The story of FFXIV is initially told in the opening cutscene and is continued to be told as the player advances in missions, here's a breakdown of the story with the assistance of Wikipedia:

"Seeking control over the peaceful realm of Eorzea and its abundant crystal resources, the more advanced civilization of the Garlean Empire invades the realm from the north. In retaliation, despite their differences and anatgonisms, the city-states of Eorzea reinstate the Grand Companies--comprehensive centers of command which combine the cities' military and economic assets.

8th Imperial Legion Legatus Nael van Darnus, has his own agenda, insanely bent on purging all he sees as impurities, Nael orchestrated Project Meteor to summon the lesser moon Dalamud and wipe out all life. This forces the Grand Companies to put aside deep-rooted differences and consolidate their forces under the banner of the Eorzean Alliance. At the behest of this new confederation, adventurers from across the realm take up arms and march to the floating islands of Rivenroad to defeat Nael after he absorbed Dalamud's power.However, despite the mad imperial's death, Dalamud continues its descent to Eorzea.

In a final bid to save Eorzea, the Grand Companies turn to the Archon Louisoix, an enigmatic scholar hailing from the forgotten city-state of Sharlayan. Louisoix devises a plan to summon the power of the Twelve, Eorzea's pantheon of guardian deities, to banish Dalamud back to the heavens. But for this to succeed, the rite needs to be performed directly beneath the point of Dalamud's impact: A vast swathe of barren lowlands in central Eorzea known as the Carteneau Flats.

The battle ceases when Dalamud enters the atmosphere while revealed to be a prison created to contain the elder primal, Bahamut. Freed after aeons of imprisonment, Bahamut jump starts the Seventh Umbral Era while unleashing his wrath upon the realm.

Louisoix attempts the ritual to seal Bahamut in vain. Seeing his death certain in the Primal unleashing his ultimate attack, Louisoix summons the last of his strength to call upon the Twelves' power to send the survivors (including the player) into an ethereal rift, where they will be untouched by the passage of time, until it is once again safe for them to emerge and rebuild their ruined land."

---Gameplay---

The gameplay is like most, if not all, MMORPG titles, the player can form parties, join guilds, run dungeons and participate in PvP. Of course, there are various trades the player can perform such as weaving, alchemy, blacksmithing and more, these offer items that might be harder to obtain otherwise and can earn you a nice sum of Gil for rarer items (if sold to players, NPCs offer little to nothing).

The player can freely* switch what class they are, you are not tied to one type. The exception being when you first start, you'll have to reach level 10 and complete your class quests in order to switch, from there you can join a new guild and start working on that class (some skills earned from the previous classes carry over to your new class, but more on that later).

Once you've reached level 10, you can join Guildhests, which are essentially mini dungeons. If you are level 10 in a trade, you can take Guildhests to earn exp and Gil that will help you level faster in said class. Upon completing the required quests, dungeons can also be entered (the first is available at level 15).

---Graphics---

The graphics look pretty good considering how much of a hiccup the first version went trhough. Although since the game is also on the PC, and therefore made FOR the PC, the PS3 version does tend to suffer a few graphical errors, such as the rare bug of enemies not appearing properly on screen, or party members seemingly disappearing despite them being right in-front of you.

When using the chat feature, characters mouths will move with your text, so this is a minute detail, but one that I find pretty cool non-the-less. Facial expressions are well-done as well, so be sure to try them out when you get the chance to do so.

The game has had a nice over-haul since it originally released some years ago, the new graphics engine shows quite well on many characters and skill effects.

---Controls, Voice and Audio---

The controls on the console are a tad tough to learn at first, so I'll try to run them down as thoroughly as possible.

The Cross button is your selector, although since you likely won't have a cursor to use (although you can opt for that), you'll need to be looking at the person you want to talk with, although the game is pretty good at figuring out what you're trying to do.

The Triangle button is simply used for jumping, so there's no need to go into depth on that, it is what it is.

The Circle button allows you to deselect your current target and cancel out of various menus. Simple.

The Square button allows for quick access of the map, which will be very handy when doing quests as the location of various monsters, items, etc will be shown on there.

The d-pad is used to cycle through enemies and friendlies, it takes some getting used to in order to 'master' using it.

All of these buttons take on a different role when either of the R2 or L2 bumpers are held, this brings up your hotbar for skills, items, etc that you may have registered to those slots (they also your the d-pad, so in total you'll have 16 available slots, but you can also have more than one hotbar, so cycling through them gives even more options). Confusing? Undoubtedly, however the games tutorial runs you through the basics quite well.

As any Final Fantasy fan can hope to expect, the music is well performed, during standard battles, you may recognize the music (it's more reminiscent of the older games on the NES, SNES and such). When riding a Chocobo, as well as other mounts I would assume, you are treated the Chocobo music. Music in town and on the field are quite elegant and, to some degree, soothing and rhythmic.

Voice acting is scarce, the intro and small cutscenes are the only place they really occur at, but they are done well when they are done. The only other time you get to hear voices is from the various grunts that characters make, so don't expect much when it comes to voices.

---Other---

As I mentioned earlier, you are not restricted to one class and can switch once you've completed your current classes level 10 class quest (you usually get a quest at level 1, level 5, level 10 and so on). The classes you can choose from are many, from fighting classes (such as Gladiator, Pugilist, Arcanist and many more) to trades (such as Weaver, Alchemist, Blacksmith, etc). The latter are, as you may have guessed by the term 'trade' non-combat classes and are used to make armor, potions and other nick-naks that can be used by combat classes. When you start a new class, you revert to level 1 within your new class but retain the level in the previous class, so returning to your previous class will allow you to continue where you left off at.

The game has what are called 'Fates', if you've played Rift, they are like rifts, randomly generated missions where you and other players work to meet a goal, generally killing a certain number of enemies. The more you contribute, the larger your exp and Gil reward will be.

There are also unique chats called 'Linkshells', which can consist of up to 128 players that are not necessarily a guild or friends, but can use the chat feature to chat solely with each other and no one outside of the Shell can read your chat, it's basically a giant party chat.

Most of the negativity that has been generated was during the beta, people would complain that servers were constantly down or laggy, this has since been rectified and almost all of the game works as intended. If you see a review that says otherwise, look at the date, anything prior to Sept 13th is unreliable.

And yes, this is a subscription based game, but you get 30 days free.

---Overall---

This is a great MMORPG that has a lot to offer and much to do. With free expansions coming, this is a must have for fans of Final Fantasy or MMO's. I know I'll be cancelling my WoW sub so I can enjoy this great game.

9.0/10.0

Pros

+ An all-around great MMO

+ Great music score

+ Interesting class system

+ Guildhests are a fun way to level up quickly

+ Linkshells offer a great way to stay in touch with people you like, but not enough so that you want to add them as friends or join their guild

Cons

Picking an enemy out of the crowd is sometimes unbearable

Gold spammers are plentiful

If you don't have a keyboard, typing is a hassle

***More reviews at lvgrb.blogspot***

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