Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

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This is not a game to review until you have completed it. As I moved deeper and deeper into the game, my opinions began to deviate from my first impressions. Many times, it seems that once you play for two to three hours in a game, you get a basis for what the entirity will be like. This is an exception. It's a lengthy game. It's a game that you probably shouldn't take a month long break before picking it back up because it can be difficult. But it's a game that will reward you for playing, by getting better and better until the end.

Graphics:

Backgrounds are stunning. Character models are very detailed as well. Often the game's camera will pan out allowing you to view a large area. This is primarily the platforming portions of the game. But it will definitely cause you to stop and look at the scenery from time to time (especially when you get to the castle). You do not have an option to adjust the camera angle and 80% of the time, you won't need to. However, there are times that you will seemingly be whipping the screen not knowing where the enemies are. And it did cause me to die a few times.

Audio:

Am I playing Lord of the Rings? Most of the tracks made me think that I was in a battle for Middle Earth. The chanting and orchestrated music are very similar to the LotR movies, which may or may not be a good thing. Personally, I felt some of the tracks were way overdone and intensified for no apparent reason. It was especially awkward as I walked through a serene forest with no enemies AT ALL to have the music start blaring, trumpets, choir and all. My heart stopped as I thought I was about to be killed by some unknown demon, but what? Nothing. Must have been the wind. As I progressed through the game, the music toned down and became a bit darker and softer. It became more Castlevania-like, but still not what you might have expected. There are a few Easter Eggs in the game where you will hear some classic 8-bit tracks and those were definitely welcomed. The voice dialogue was well done. Patrick Stewart did a good job narrating and playing the part of Zobek, an ally of yours. Robert Carlyle's (Gabriel) voice sounds Scottish which is cool, but seemed a bit subdued at times. I ended up having to turn the voice tracks up to hear him speak. No spoilers, but the last boss fight and ending's dialogue were top notch. I wanted to beat the last boss twice just to watch the ending again.

Gameplay:

There is a balance between Uncharted-like platforming, Tomb Raider puzzle solving, and fighting a plethora of enemies. There are dozens of types of enemies, ranging from the easy Mummy to towering Titans. There are also two ways to fight in this game. I personally enjoyed the classic whip-slashing action. However, a good bit of the game's bosses involve button timed events, which are fun, but stressful. I died mostly during these fights and a few times, it sent me back to the start of the battle and I was flat out frustrated. The most enjoyable aspects of the game for me involved Uncharted style climbing. It felt just as fluid as Uncharted (with the exception that you can only climb certain things versus virtually everything in Uncharted). Jumping from platform to platform is somewhat flawed and can be irritating, but that is not too often as you are mostly climbing and swinging.

Replay Value:

As you progress in the game, you are rewarded with different abilities. These abilities make replaying one of the games previous levels much easier and fun. There will be items/upgrades that you can't get in your first play through of a level, but after gaining a new ability such as double jump, you realize you can now go back and acquire it. That leads me to how the game is structured. There are twelve chapters in the game, with multiple levels scattered throughout each chapter. You can go back and play any level over again on one of four difficulties. Upon completing a level, you also can go back and beat its trial, which is an added challenge. Try to 110% the game(one thing to note: You can't 110% the game until you beat each level on Paladin (the most difficult) difficulty. However, you can go back and replay the levels on Paladin with your upgrades intact, making it manageable). Konami has also thrown in some Easter Eggs once the final stage is completed as well. You can slightly change the appearance of Gabriel but I won't say how.

Closure:

I was very pleased with Lords of Shadow. I am a Castlevania fan. But I never enjoyed the 3-D games. The N64 and PS2 games were awful to me and pushed me towards having a 2-D bias. However, this game has rebooted the series nicely and has set itself up for a sequel. While the majority of the game is not reminiscent of what we've come to love, nostalgia is still there with one-third of the game being related to the Vampires and the castle (clock-tower, garden maze and all). The new ideas are very welcomed and create a game that is not dependent merely on one's nostalgia, but stands on its own as a fun and exciting action game. Were there times where I was bored? Maybe in the first three chapters. Where there times where I was frustrated? Maybe playing a timed event boss battle for the first time. But was the game fair and balanced? Absolutely. If I were scoring the game, I would give it a 9.5 for a great, 20+ hour action game with a few camera glitches along with some repetitive action scenes and music. A must have for any Castlevania and action game fan. Feel free to ask me any questions, as I am nearly 110% complete with the game.

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I would need to clarify that I am not a long standing franchise enthusiast. My first and only Castlevania aside from this was SoTN. I never held a candle for the Belmont clan (pun intended) or for the franchise, aside from how awesome SoTN was. So in that regard, I am biased.

Moreover, this game is NOT perfect, so let me get the bad out of the way:

1. Camera angles. Very pretty, very engaging, very cinematic. And they have made me die a lot. Reminiscent of the Resident Evil franchise pre-4, and MGS3, static camera angles are...a love it or leave it issue. I like them. But to be honest, they can be a hindrance. Not being able to see a 2 ton Worg about to swipe me out of existence can be a setback.

2. Difficulty curve. I'm playing this on normal (I didn't want to breeze through it, but I didn't want to not get through the game either) and so far, I have lost my cool a few times. I want to call the difficulty curve merciless, but that's unfair. It is steep, though. This game will be quick to punish button mashers. There is an element of strategy in this game, having to switch around strategies according to enemies, cycling through combos, and cycling through shadow or light magic... it keeps you on your toes, and I would daresay that it is a characteristic missing from some of the titles that this game is compared to the most (such as GoW and DMC. This is just my opinion, maybe someone will argue that both franchises do have an element of strategy in their hack and slash, and I totally missed it. I welcome any disputes on the matter)

Those are, to me, the only scratches in an otherwise polished game. And I hesitate to call them a real detraction from this game.

This game is presumably a reboot of the franchise, which works for me, as I never had an attachment to the previously established canon. You are Gabriel Belmont (the name, taken from the hills from his childhood. Bel mont. Had never put those two together) He was an orphan taken in by the Brotherhood of Light, and was married to Maria ( I forget the name now, I hope this is right). Maria was slain, so far in my playthrough, under mysterious circumstances, and so he set forth to exact revenge.

The story set up, I will admit, is a bit shallow. But the game has been accused of being light on story telling. I would have to disagree. That the story telling was relegated to sequences at the beginning and end of each stage is not the most organic way to tell a story is true. But in this particular case, the way the story is woven, namely as a fairy tale of old, I think it works. There is much to be said of the voice acting and narrating on Patrick Stewart's part. At first the story is a bit too ' in medias rex' , but soon enough the blanks are filled out, and the intrigue builds up. I keep hearing the ending is phenomenal. We shall see.

The presentation, I will say, is not pushing any envelopes, but it is setting a mark for what action games can accomplish. The look of the game, albeit not groundbreaking, is simply awe inspiring. I had never seen a prettier snowy medieval landscape. The style and the aesthetic lends itself well to the sort of gothic undertone that always accompanied Castlevania games, but this time, in a grander fashion. The desolate, the desperate, the god forsaken aspect of some of the more European settings is simply entrancing, whereas some of the more fantastic settings, such as enchanted forests, forgotten cities and crypts break up the monotony of just seeing castles and towers for 20 hours without seeming out of place. The rain effects are some of the best I've ever seen in a game. The soundtrack is, I will say, among the best I've ever heard on a game. I don't know who Oscar Araujo is, or what he composed before this track, but he is now on my radar. It has a certain quality that aims for grandiose, while at the same time remaining memorable, and just works so well with the story telling. Fans of the series might be a bit disilussioned, because it's nothing like the Castlevania theme. I've read the original theme is hidden somewhere in the game. Haven't heard it yet.

The voice acting is top notch. I thought Robert Carlyle was a bit of a strange choice for taciturn Gabriel Belmont, but he's grown on me. My main issue was the accent at first. I always thought he should have a French accent, or, I dunno. Mr. Carlyle makes it work though. Patrick Stewart makes game text intended to narrate the bulk of the storyline sing. I have no idea how he does it. Some people are complaining that it's too similar to Oblivion. I don't see it. These samples of acting are better, in my opinion. Jason Isaacs is in the game as well, but I haven't bumped into him yet.

The gameplay itself is the strong suit of this game. The control scheme is one of the best and most intuitive I've yet to find on an action game. I wondered if they would do this thing where you can control the whip with one analog stick, but that would lend itself to disaster, in hindsight. Mercurysteam made it simple: jump, area attack, direct attack, secondary weapon. Done. It seems restrictive, but I assure you...there's something about less is more, that just makes this set up wow you. The camera will sometimes work against you (happens to me anyway) when trying to time a block for a parry, but other than that, the control is great, and the whip mechanics are pretty much near-perfect. The whip is a seriously underrated weapon in video games. Seriously.

A lot of people are, again, comparing the action to GoW or to DMC. Back when Dante's Inferno came out, I played the demo first, and did not enjoy it, precisely because it felt like GoW: Renaissance style, and I couldn't shake that feeling that the game was so similar. I will admit that there ARE similarities, but the way the similarities are implemented just keeps the game feeling fresh: in GoW, you will fight multitudes of enemies at once, or a reduced number of stronger enemies at the same time, and depend a lot on dodging out of the way, and blocking in time, and absolutely brutal chain combos. Kratos is just set up that way, with the ability to keep hitting enemies throughout hundreds of hits. The chains, even though in principle are whiplike, in a sense Gabriel however will be confronted more often than not against enemies that will require more reaction than proaction I think in a sense this sets it apart, a BIT, from GoW. The platform actions of the game are somewhat less polished than the fighting, but the game never really veers into parkour action, and it is being compared more to Uncharted. I can see the similarities there, save for the presence of the whip which put Gabriel in far more acrobatic situations than Nathan Drake. Eventually you start acquiring new abilities (such as the ability to dash, and thus, do a long jump) which will break those similarities up somewhat. Some of the boss fights are comparable to Shadow of the Colossus. These are very similar, I can't say that there's something that sets Castlevania apart, save for the use of the whip to scale up the titanic bosses, but the similarity is not a bad one, in my opinion: Shadow of the Colossus was a great game, and I don't think that its brand of action had ever been repeated to say that now that Castlevania made use of the similar sequences is cliche.

Overall, this game might be a sum of other action games, and in a way, it's true. The parts that are being summed up into this game however, do not feel segmented (ie, I never felt " oh, now I'm playing Uncharted, oh, now it's Shadow of the Colossus). It always feels like playing Castlevania, and the feeling is quite epic.

Buy Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Now

So far this game has caught me off guard. This is not an exact clone of "God of War." Although the gameplay is very similar, the style and atmosphere are completely different. Rather than greek mythology you have gothic monsters and settings. I'm personally enjoying this more so than I did "God of War." I like the werewolves, vampires, and ghouls much more than I like medusas, cyclops, and cerebus. Also, so far this game seems to be more difficult than the "God of War" series. You really have to make use of that dodge button. But as one reviewer already said, don't worry it's not nearly as difficult as "Demon's Souls." I'll be updating this review once I finish the game. But so far I will say that it's turning out to be a great game. Easily as good (if not better)as god of war.

Oh yeah, and don't listen to those couple review websites who gave this game a 7.5 out of 10. So far I'm saying this game deserves no less than an 8.8 out of 10, although by the time I'm finished I'm betting that I'll feel it deserves a 9.5 out of 10. Yeah its gameplay is similar to god of war, but what game doesn't draw inspiration from other games? Practially all FPS games are alike, but you don't here people crying and complaining every time a new one comes out... do you? And practically all sandbox games are similar to the GTA series, but once again no one seems to care. Castlevania is doing nothing different here. They are using a winning formula (God of war) and improving on it. Just like "Halo" used the exact same first person perspective from "Doom" but made improvements on it. Bottom line is we can't expect every new game to reinvent the genre. Ok enough of the preaching. Anyways, so far I recommend this game to anyone looking for a gothic adventure.

****UPDATE: I wanted to share more of my feelings about this game now that I've progressed a bit further. I'm now beginning the 4th chapter (I know it's not that far, but I'm in college full-time and I'm busy with work). This game has me hooked so far. Amazing boss battles (and lots of them), great soudtrack, awesome action gameplay, it's all just great. I've just finished the land of lycans (werewolves) and now I'm heading into the land of vampires... very excited! This is one of the best games to come out for a while. If you like action games and gothic themes then you owe it to yourself to pick this one up, it's amazing so far. I will conclude this review once I finish the game (not sure when that will be since I'm so tied up with school, I hardly have time to play).

********Review Conclusion: Ok I have just completely finished this game. Castlevania LOS was a great experience all around. I would personally rate this game a 9.2 out of 10. It has a good blend of action, puzzle, and platformer. There are tons of different monsters to fight in this game, extremely varied. I don't think I've ever played a game with so many boss fights. The music here is beautiful, and at times I stopped playing just to listen to it. This game really does feel epic, and Gabriel Belmont is a character that I was rooting for the entire time. Also, I wanted to remind you that if you play this game make sure that you wait for the credits to roll when you beat it. After the credits are done rolling you get a good idea of what the sequel will be like (and it's going to be pretty crazy). Now I can hardly wait for the next Castlevania game.

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Castlevania Lords of Shadow is simply put not a Castlevania game. Yes there are nods to the previous series but this is a reboot not a sequel. That shouldn't scare anyone away though as this is a great albeit flawed beginning to a new saga.

First we'll start off with the presentation. The graphics and music are top notch. The diverse and beautiful environments look amazing. The graphics are only topped by the sweeping musical score that adds a lot of intensity to the action. There is however one complaint that I have in this department and that is Patrick Stewart. I love him as an actor but he added way too much drama to his character and it was way too over the top. I hope that he can redeem himself if he is in any more games in the franchise.

The gameplay overall is solid. Yes it does play like a God of War clone but the core combat is without complaint. You unlock new powers and combos as the game progresses to keep your interest in the combat. Though it does lack variety the first few hours as the game developers kept most of the cool weapons and combos for later in the game. You have two rage modes that can be used at any time and are replenished by killing multiple enemies in a row without being hit. One of them fills your health bar with ever crack of your chains and the other simply does more damage.

Another main part of the game play is platforming. The game seems to copy Uncharted here and does it pretty well. Yes there are times when you don't know where to jump to and others when you can't seem to land on a platform correctly. These times are not that frequent but the platforming is certainly not that responsive or intuitive at times.

The Boss battles while epic are mostly your run of the mill block, dodge, and counter attack type of gameplay. If you think that sounds bad wait until you hear what the other type is. There are four or five bosses that require you to crawl on them and hit critical areas to take them down. Now this is pretty common in GOW style games but the enemies shake ever ten seconds and you have to hold the R2 button to stop from falling off. It gets really frustrating when you have almost beaten a boss just for them to knock you off and you have to do that last part over again.

The puzzles in the game range from fun and challenging to ridiculously hard. I had to look up a few myself and I normally stay away from walkthrough guides. Sometimes they simply don't give you enough information to complete the puzzle unless you use trial and error. In the end most of the puzzles feel like a road block instead of a fun distraction.

The final piece of the puzzle is the story. The game comes out of the gate quickly and you invest in Gabriel's plights, but then after the first few hours the story really drops off and not much character development is made until the final chapter. When I read about this game I thought this was going to be its strength but it turns out to be its biggest weakness. Yes I loved the ending and I wanted more after the game was over but the middle section of the game was downright boring at times and I had trouble keeping interest. As a result Gabriel was not really that developed as a protagonist, and I hope that they change that in future installments.

Overall Lords of Shadow was a fun 15 hour campaign, but it also left a lot to be desired. The story was never really that strong and the game play was not brilliant or original enough to completely save the game. If you like GOW or hack and slash type games then pick this one up when the price goes down. It is a fun game but without a story to keep you hooked I had trouble staying interested.

Rating 3.5/5

Want Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Discount?

What is supposed to be a reboot of the beloved Castlevania series will leave fans confused and maybe a little angry. Disguised under the Castlevania title is a different game entirely. Lords of Shadow doesn't feature any of the common gameplay mechanics or a story you would expect from this series. What you will find is a decent action adventure game with beautiful visuals and a generic storyline.

Lords of Shadow introduces Gabriel Belmont, a member of the holy order known as "the Brotherhood of Light." The Brotherhood are sworn to protect the innocent from an evil darkness that is a constant threat to the world. Gabriel sets out to destroy this evil, but also has a more personal missionto kill the ones responsible for the death of his lover (where have we heard this before?).

After about five minutes of this game you will no doubt ask yourself "Where the hell is the castle?!" Well, there isn't one till the very end!!. Lords of Shadow is set in an open world environment with level to level progression and doesn't allow a free roam map exploration (Metriodvania) like previous games in the series. The game does encourage backtracking to reach previous unreachable items once you upgrade your skills, but I found the benefits of doing so are not worth the time.

If you've played any of the God of War titles, the fighting mechanics are more or less the same. Gabriel is equipped with a chained cross weapon that will extend with light and heavy attacks. Killing creatures will gain you experience points used to unlock new weapon upgrades, combos and magic abilities. Even with all the combos unlocked, I found the best way to kill mini bosses and small creatures is by spamming light and heavy attacks while using the roll ability to evade enemies. The magic system is broken down into light and dark magic, with light magic being heals and dark increasing your melee damage.

Marlyn Manson?

Boss encounters vary some are extremely fun and others are just stale. This game features a lot of mini boss encounters in which you must use the environment around you to defeat them. Bigger bosses (just like Shadow of the Colossus) have you climbing around to hit weak spots on their body while they try to shake you off. These fights would have been more exciting if we hadn't experienced similar encounters in so many other games. I was also very disappointed with the last boss, SATAN! Not only was it not Dracula, but I couldn't help but laugh that he looks like a singer in a heavy metal band that isn't wearing any clothes!

Lords of Shadow features some of the best graphics I've seen in any game. Developers did a spectacular job creating a dark environment with such high level of detail. Each level will feel entirely different from the last, ensuring your eyes wont be bored through level progression. In addition, climbing on walls and using your cross as a grappling hook was an enjoyable addition to the game, this really made me appreciate the level design and architecture used in each level.

Captain Jean Luc Picard

Lets not forget the appearance of Patrick Stewart as Zobek, Gabriel's Brotherhood companion who is also the narrator though the game. Stewart does a great job with the narration but gets a little melodramatic with his acting.

If you're a fan of the old Castlevania titles, I wouldn't suggest this game. You wont find anything related to the franchise other than the games title and the family name Belmont. I would suggest this title if you enjoy action adventure games such as God of War or Shadow of the Colossus. What this game really lacks is identity. Developers did a great job with level and graphic design but failed to take any innovative steps with the gameplay. Castlevanias' 3D titles have been severely lacking. I hope in the next installment they go back to the 2D landscape with castle exploration that made the original Castlevania what it is todaya CLASSIC.

Presentation: 7

Not associated with other installments of the franchise but a fun action adventure title.

Graphics: 9

Stunning visuals with some frame rate hiccups.

Sound : 7

A great performance by Patrick Stewart but a little too melodramatic.

Gameplay: 6

God of War gameplay with Shadow of the Colossus Boss fights.

Lasting Appeal: 7

A very long game that encourages backtracking for unlockable treasures.

Violent Score: 7 (out of 10)

more over yonder.

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Street Fighter X Tekken

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List Price: $19.99
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I have this game for both systems. The 360 version was bought here on Amazon.(See 360 review for verified stamp) And the PS3 version was bought 5 days before launch at a local mom and pop shop.

Online

Street Fighter X Tekken is a ton of fun. It really is. But it's cons are very difficult to overlook. First there is the situation with the online. In this day and age netcode is too important. The ability to play online against friends or even strangers from around the world is one of the reasons the genre has made a complete comeback. SFXT's netcode sacrifices sound in order to run smoothly. The kicker is that it still struggles to run smooth even when sacrificing this precious audio. If you rely on sound for hit and block confirms, just stay away.

***Online update*** As of 4/10/12, the sound issue has been addressed, but many have complained about increased input lag since the patch.

Local to online co-op a.k.a. couch co-op

Got a friend over and the 2 of you want to jump online and do some ranked matches together? If you bought this game on Xbox 360, it's not possible. I'm not sure about later, but right now as I write this review, the 360 version does not have couch co-op even though it's advertised to and is even in the manual. At first Capcom blamed Microsoft. Claiming that the 360 was not able to do it because of it's architecture. That was a blatant lie that they got called out on because MK9 among other games can do this very thing. Then they claimed the 360 version was never supposed to have the feature and that it being in the manual was a mistake. And now, at the time of me writing this, the latest "explanation" is that they were on a tight schedule and they made the "tough decision" to leave it out. Which means the whole time they intentionally kept quiet about it long enough to get our money and let us discover the mode was missing on our own.

Controls

Now I already had a SF4 Round 2 TE, but I was hyped about this game. So I picked up a SFXT Fightstick V.S.(which I'll also be doing a review for) and it works wonderfully. If you're an arcade stick user you've got nothing to worry about. But pad warriors beware. The game has a problem reading diagonal inputs from a pad. Quite often when attempting to jump towards or away from your opponent, you'll get a neutral jump instead. And you'll also get swept when you're trying to crouch block because it'll register as down instead of down/back. This is a serious problem and wouldn't have possibly made into the final retail build if the game had received any sort of Quality & Assurance testing. Taking builds to tournaments and having top players fiddle around with it on the flashy new arcade sticks you're trying to market does not substitute for Q&A.

Color Edit Mode

KoFXIII offers up an amazing color edit mode. SFXT does not. As of right now only 2 colors are available. The additional packs will supposedly be free. But even though they're on the disc, Capcom sees it fit to ration them out over the course of 2012 rather then just let us have our fun with the color options now. The majority will have likely moved on already by the time all colors are finally available.

Gems

I was in favor of the gems initially while everyone else was skeptical from the beginning. I saw them as a potentially fun mechanic if done right. Well, everyone else was right to be skeptic. When you've faced as many people as I have online using the auto block gem as a crutch to defend against what would have otherwise been solid mix-ups, it suddenly becomes clear to you why the community thought they were a bad idea, and why tournaments don't allow them at all. The gems take an already unbalanced game and makes it even more so.

Disc-Locked Content: The new meaning for DLC

If you thought what I said before was bad, it gets even worse here. Locked away on the disc that you've already spent your hard earned money on is a ton of content that Capcom intends to squeeze you for. There are 12 additional characters, costumes, more powerful gems, additional quick combos, and more colors for the edit mode. Here's an idea of just how bad Capcom intends to make you literally pay for your decision to get SFXT. In Europe the costumes have already went on sale. They are £0.79 each. Which is about $1 US. There are 38 characters readily available and 12 locked characters. That's 50 characters total. Each character has 2 alternate costumes. So if you want them all, that's $100 just for COSTUMES. That's not even counting how much it's going to cost you to unlock the additional characters. You're already paying more for locked content than you did for the purchase of the game initially.

Engine

The good: The Tekken characters utilize ground bounces. And the Street Fighter characters utilize wall bounces. If you pick one of each, you get the best of both worlds. The Tekken characters surprisingly fit right in. Some of them fight a lot like their Tekken versions(Kazuya), and some fight nothing like their Tekken versions(Heihachi). But Capcom did a wonderful job of capturing the essence and character of the Tekken cast.

The bad: Damage scaling on combos is so severe, it's as if you're penalized for getting good at the game. It's too easy for non stick users to accidentally trigger quick combos, and there is no way to turn this off. "Grey Health" regenerates too fast. That combined with the heavy damage scaling results in most ranked matches ending in a Time Over. And Pandora is an unusable mechanic. It's so weak, no one dares to even bother with it. If you trigger Pandora during a match, there's a 95%+ chance that you're going to lose because of it. Scarily, there are even more problems than what I've named. I just listed a handful.

Graphics

This game looks great! Everything is in the SF4 art style, but the characters have been touched up a bit. And characters that had to be built from the ground up like all of the Tekken characters, and some from the SF side like Poison, Hugo, Rolento, etc. look amazing. The stages all look great too.

Overall

A game backed up with lies and shady business practices from it's publisher isn't something that I can honestly recommend. It's a great fighter at it's very core, but purchasing it will just encourage Capcom to continue treating their consumer/fanbase like they're stupid. SFXT is a ridiculous cash grab masquerading as a fighting game. I can't recommend someone buy half of a game for $60 and then the rest of it, which is locked ON THE DISC for over $100. They didn't have time to make sure the 360 version had couch co-op. They didn't have time to make sure the online was solid for either console. They didn't even have time to make sure pad players could enjoy the game. But they did however have time to make content to lock away on the disc. In short, do not buy this game.

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If you thought to have the next VS series from Capcom, don't go too far into a purchase with this game. Capcom DLC and contents are already in the disc but you won't be able to "BUY" these items until "FALL" 2012 and later on. The contents in the game will cost you more than the current price of this game. Keep playing your old Capcom games if your a fan and wait till December or next year when this game is either complete with all the DLC unlocked as a purchase or when its a $15 steal on a Amazon deal.

Buy Street Fighter X Tekken Now

The following are characters being sold as DLC (Downloadable Content) on XBL and PSN. Buying all 12 of these will cost you about $20.

Sakura

Lars

Blanka

Alisa

Guy

Bryan

Cody

Jack-X

Elena

Christie

Dudley

Lei

Look good? Well guess what, they're all already programmed onto the disc. If you go on the PSN and "purchase" the "downloadable content" you're not really getting anything, it just unlocks what you already own. I'm not sure why Capcon keeps doing this to the fans, but it has to stop. DLC's original purpose was prolong the lifespan of games, but instead Capcon is using it to extort money from the fans.

To make matters worse, the inevitable, "Street Fighter X Tekken Plus Ultra Extended Edition" with more characters and DLC will be out by the end of the year. There's another reason to avoid this game. I warned people about Marvel Vs Capcon 3 and no one listened to me. I encourage you to listen now and not buy this. If Capcon's game's stop selling, so will the shady business practices.

Iumak gives this one a 0/10.

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Although Street Fighter X Tekken is a good fighting game, this game has on excused for forcing players having to pay DCL for 12 characters that are already on the disc.

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I've owned almost every Capcom fighting game there is (three versions of SF II, MvC 1-3, Darkstalkers, Xmen:COTM, Marvel Super Heroes, Street Fighter Alpha 1-3, Power Stone (2), Street Fighter EX, SNK v Capcom 2, Street Fighter 3 Third Strike, Super and Regular Street Fighter IV, Tatsunoko v Capcom, Rival Schools, Project Justice, etc.) and I would have bought this game but paying $60 for a game with only 50% new character models (the rest being from street fighter IV) and still having to pay extra for 12 characters that are already completed is absurd. I've seen them lose tons of long-time customers like me in the last couple of months (starting with Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath and continuing through Super SF IV: Arcade Edition-the epitome of laziness). If they were going to lock characters for a later date and charge extra for it, then they should release the game at a reduced price. At least you can buy it used. The industry is moving in a direction where they plan to make more money off DLC with every game and the next gen systems might not even allow you to use used games (which would also basically bankrupt gamestop and decrease one of the more competitive pricers in the industry which would allow Best Buy and Amazon to charge higher prices for games). I think giving feedback on as many forums as possible to voice that people are already sick of DLC and probably won't even buy a system that requires you to purchase new games.

Paying $5-10 for a pair of new fighters is ridiculous and so is constantly having to purchase stuff to get a complete game. I wouldn't even mind as much if they had just charged $70-80 for the game and included all the unlockables so that at least I could get the entire game if I bought it used, but they want to make us buy a new copy to increase profits while only making half a new game. What they've actually done is decrease their profits, because tons of people are waiting to buy used copies anyway or avoiding the game altogether specifically because they do these little stunts and now we can't trust Capcom. Why not release a game in its entirety and instead of adding on to it, when its released you could start working on its sequel with things that could really differentiate it from the former title (for instance MVC 2 had tons of new characters and allowed 3v3 which justified its existence)? It could warrant a higher price tag and would would get crowds excited for a release like we were with SF IV instead of giving us fatigue like with Super SF IV: Arcade Edition.

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eForCity High Speed HDMI Cable +USB Dual Charger

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Worked great for the shortest time. One of the two charger station stopped working after about a couple weeks. Not confident i'd order a replacement one.

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PS3 Pro Gamer's Case (Silver)

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It showed up and is silver aluminum color (made of plastic). However the picture was black (description did say aluminum color). It's a bit cheaply made (but at a cheap price) and gives ok protection though there's not much foam to protect the PS3 and I wouldn't want to drop it or send it through airport baggage (should be ok for carry-on). It's certainly more durable than the cardboard box, and much easier to organize and loadup. At $35 I'd definately say it's worth it if you cart your PS3 around frequently.

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I purchased this case to transport my Playstation safely and it works just as described. The case is well padded and will hold 2 controllers, 4 games, all the cables, drum sticks and microphone (for Rock Band), and Blu Ray remote. The Velcro will scratch the PS3, so like others have suggested, put a soft towel over it before you strap it in. It provides way more protection than a padded bag. I highly recommend it if you plan on transporting your PS3 frequently. I've bumped it and scuffed it a few time and the finish still looks great, so it's pretty durable.

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Overall I think it's fine. My only compaint is that the velcro straps make little scratches on the ps3's shiny surface. I place a cloth over the ps3 before strapping her in. It would be even better if you could store 4 controllers instead of just 2.

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This is a great case for the original PS3 design with plenty of room for accessories.

The system fits snug in a cushioned area and there is a velcro strap to lock it in. There is also a red strap the PS3 sits on that is used for removing the system from the tight fit.

I use this case to move my PS3 from one house to another.

However, it is not a piece of luggage and should not be used as such. The PS3 is a heavy and delicate machine and should never be thrown about or dropped.

It is well built and sturdy. It's easy to use and much better than a soft-case, in my opinion.

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This case does NOT fit the PS3 slim! From the pictures I could tell that it was made for the original PS3, but I was hoping there would be a way to make it work for the new slim version as well. However, the interior of the case is quite rigid and you are unable to adjust anything without ripping it apart. This is bad news for the slim version, but great news for the original. This case is roomy and packing up everything is a breeze. It feels like it would supply ample protection. I love that you can comfortably fit two controllers, all the cords and 4 games in their package. This was a big selling point for me, as previous cases I've owned require that you pack the game disc in a built-in sleeve and leave the manual and box at home. I'm going to have to return mine, but for all of you with the original PS3 I give it two thumbs up.

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PlayStation 3 (20GB)

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Once considered the red-headed stepchild of Sony's large, confusing fleet of Playststion 3 models, the news that new models of the PS3 will contain no PS2 compatibility gives this model some extra appeal.

Just like the 60GB model, this system has full hardware backwards compatibility and will play the vast majority of PS2 games very well. Replaying Metal Gear Solid 3 on the system, there was noticeable improvement in some of the game's loading from my old PS2, and the game looked great upscaled over HDMI.

There are three drawbacks I can think of with this modelwhich are easily addressed for the most part.

1. The 20GB Hard drive fills up very quickly on the PS3, even if you're just using the system for gaming and not as a media hub. The game I purchased with the system, Metal Gear Solid 4 took up 4.5 GB on it's own. Thankfully, it's cheap and simple to drop a much larger SATA laptop drive into the system.

2. This is the only Playstation 3 model that does NOT include built-in Wi-Fi and Sony doesn't have an officially supported adapter. That's a pretty big drawback since so many of the PS3's cool features are online. A gaming ethernet bridge does a pretty good job of taking care of this.

3. No media card slotsI can't plug a compact flash card into my PS3 like the 60GB models can... oh, wait. Why would I want to plug media cards into my system anyways? If I did, it would be as simple as buying a $6 hub.

So, if you want a system that plays all your Playstation games and have a wired internet connection, I highly suggest giving this PS3 model a look. It doesn't fetch the premium price that the 60GB units currently are and its drawbacks are easily addressed.

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I'm gonna make this simple , the 20gb , 60gb , and early 80gb versions are the only ps3 models that support ps2 playback, only drawback on the 20gb is there is no built in WiFi .But ethernet allows faster downloads and wifi supposedly makes anything run hotter . I had a 40gb ps3 and its the same except obviously ps2 backwards compatibility and wifi. also there are 4 usb slots instead of 2. If you want ps2 support for your future ps3 get a original model ! But if you can care less get a 40gb , newer 80gb or 160gb .Its all about personal preference ! but get a ps3 .

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We got our hands on an XBox 360, a PS3, and a Wii on launch day. Each is good at specific tasks. Here is a fully unbiased review of how the PS3 performs as a next generation console unit.

To start with, the PS3, like the XBox 360, supports full high definition. The Wii only supports a lower resolution. Since the Wii has a much lower price tag, that is a fair trade-off for people with a tighter budget. Gamers for whom a very high level of graphic detail is important will have to pony up for that ability.

Along the same lines, the XBox 360 supports the HD format of high definition DVDs for movies, while the PS3 supports the Blu-ray format. If you haven't been following the whole format war for high definition DVDs, I have several articles on the topic on my gaming site. In short it's like the VHS/Beta wars when the VCR first came out. Is one better than the other? Will one format win out as the sole survivor? There's no way to tell. People will argue vehemently that one is better than the other. From a gaming point of view, the PS3 has the Blu-ray BUILT IN meaning every game can have 50 GIGS worth of game information. Think MASSIVELY huge maps, types of characters, etc. The XBox 360 only uses "regular" DVDs as its base game holder, which is 7 GIG. That is much smaller. You can buy an add-on HD DVD unit for about $100 but the storage is still smaller than Blu-ray about 30 gig.

People will argue about graphics until they're blue :) A lot of this comes down to how a specific game company *uses* the ability of the system. Looking at graphics on a tetris-like game will be much different than viewing the graphics of Oblivion or Gears of War. I found 360 graphics amazing on Oblivion. I equally found the PS3 graphics quite impressive on Genji's cut scenes (no enemy crabs in sight). Since both are high definition, I think that both have the same potential in real life terms. Both really shine in terms of fluid motion, precise detail and realism. I've seen it on both systems, on certain games. I've also seen junky graphics on both systems. Both are much better than the Wii.

How about sound? All of these can plug into your stereo system. My boyfriend and I are both musicians. We have decibel meters and other sound-sensing tools. All three systems can create amazingly complex sounds, music, and in general a "gaming environment". Again I think it comes down to specific game makers, how they choose to use or not use that ability. It also comes down to how much you the gamer spent on your stereo system :)

Speaking of sound, I do have to comment that our 360 is quite loud when it runs, despite our many attempts to help it be quieter. The PS3 right out of the box is MUCH quieter. Score 1 point for the PS3.

On the general operating system for the units, all three consoles are going for more of a "general use entertainment system" presentation. The XBox has customizeable tabs that let you download new games, manage your environment and so on. The Wii also has channels that let you organize your gaming world. The PS3 has an interface almost exactly like that of the PSP, complete with cool drifting smoke waves in the background. You choose which area you want to work on game, music, internet connection etc., and drop down to alter whatever feature you're interested in.

So on to the on-line aspect, which most gamers are now fully interested in. Where the XBox 360 makes you buy an external connector for wireless, the PS3 has that built-in on the 60 gig model. The 20 gig model still requires an external connector (these run about $100). All will let you plug in a cable if you're still running a wired household.

As a side comment on that, the XBox 360 has a 20 gig hard drive. However, they take up about 12 gig of that with their base system. So really you get 8 gig "free" for other things. Now, 8 gig might sound like a lot. But I still remember when the PS2 first came out and everyone was raving about the 8mb memory cards, how you could never possibly fill one of those up. We now have 8 memory cards and all are pretty much full. I have no doubt that 8 gig or even 20 gig is going to fill quickly. With the PS3 you at least do have that option for the 60 gig and it is really worth it. With the 360 your only option is to get an add-on drive to in essence back up the content you're not currently using and free up the main drive.

How does the online world work on the PS3? The XBox definitely has the advantage here. Until this generation, *only* the XBox had a thriving community in their live world. The XBox 360 connected right into that XBox Live world, and they boast a *huge* community of gamers who actively gain points, play online and form virtual worlds. The PS3 and Wii both have to play catch-up at this point. Even if they have better interfaces, it's a matter of converting over all those players who have clans, familiarity and high point collections on the XBox world. Imagine if a new MMORPG came out right now that had fantastic graphics. Sure it might be wonderful but will you really get all 800 trillion WOW players to drop their world and characters and friends to convert, especially if it costs more? It'll be a hard, slow sell.

My summary? I definitely think all three have great games and that all three are worth owning. Of course I'm in a position that I *can* afford all three, which many people are not in. For example, I *love* the Zelda series, and I *love* the Final Fantasy series. I would be hard put to tell a person "you need to get Zelda instead of Final Fantasy". I would want the person to have both, because both are great for different reasons. If you really truly can only save up for one of the three consoles this holiday season, it isn't going to come down to which console is "best" for all players in some sort of a global way. It is going to come down to which console is best for YOU based on your specific gaming style.

If you're on a really tight budget and just want something better than the previous generation, go for a Wii. It's cheap, the graphics are better, and the remotes are great fun. It has Zelda :) If you have a larger budget and really want the high definition, you're now choosing between the 360 and the PS3. You really do have to look at the specifics of each, and think seriously about your gaming style, to see which matches you best. If I were to make a flip summarization, if you really love online gameplay, I'd go with the XBox 360. Its years of head-start really give it a robust environment here. If you are looking for more of a home-based media center for your MPs3, photos and huge world gameplay, I'd go with the PS3. It definitely has the advantage on large scale games.

Feel free to email me if you have more specific questions, or for screenshots, graphic descriptions, or interface information on any of the three systems.

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I was getting a little worried with a lot of negative reviews I was reading about the PS3. So much so that at one point I actually considered a Wii. Thankfully I stuck with what I really wanted and though it's only been two weeks I'm loving this thing. Sure I wish there were more games out at launch but I know they're coming. Besides at $50-$60 a pop for games it's not like I have the cash to just buy a stack of games at one time anyway. I have Resistance, Madden '07, and Need for Speed: Carbon. I'm happy with what I'm seeing so far. I like the wireless controllers though like a little kid I sit close enough to the TV to use a wired one. The graphics and sound are awesome. I'm curious to see what game developers will come up with when they don't have a strict launch deadline to meet and can really use this machine to its potential. There are a lot more Blu-ray titles available than I thought so I'll pick up a few and test the player more. The unit does produce a lot of heat so that comment I'm sure you've read elsewhere is true. I haven't tried the online network so I can't comment on that. One thing I will note is that the operating software had to be updated before it would play a game so if you don't have a high speed internet connection forget about using it right out of the box. Overall I'm happy I took the plunge. One more point. I don't think you have to have a HDTV to use a PS3 but to really appreciate it you should use something other than a standard tube. I have a 42" Panasonic EDTV so it's not full high def but it can receive up to a 1080i signal and man it makes a difference. Wow.

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Now that the prices on the secondary market have dropped to near retail price the systems are getting returned in record numbers and not just by the resellers, many are being returned by people who fell for the hype and realized that there is just not enough you can do with it right now.

There are really only a couple of games worth playing on the system right now, and really only one of those is PS3 specific, Resistance:Fall of Man. The Blu-Ray is nice but you might want to see how the battle shapes up in Blu-Ray VS. HD-DVD battle before you commit to the Blu-Ray format. This could be the Betamax vs VHS all over again and I would hate to think that in a couple of years time the Blu-Ray is dead and there fewer movies released in the Blu-Ray than HD-DVD. But by that time the price will have dropped and will be great gaming system even if Blu-Ray loses to HD-DVD.

If you do not plan to connect online with the system then I would recommend the 20GB system and you can purchase memory cards if needed. The abilty to use memory cards is still nice and many people with the 60GB system will be using them to. Very convenient to take a game save, on a memory card, over to a friends house. The 60GB is a must if you plan to connect online because there are plans for downloadable content, including games and additions to released games and the 20GB would fill up to fast, probably with one download. But to be honest the 60GB system is not going to be enough if you plan to download content frequently. I suspect you may even see a larger hard drive PS3 down the road, like a 200GB version, especially if the dowloadable content offered by Sony is a big success.

There is no reason to pay more than retail anymore. Considering there were about a fifth of the PS3s available compared to the WII, the PS3 secondary market prices are virtually the same and the WII retails for half of the PS3! PS3s are getting returned in record numbers. If you go to any of the mainstream retailers there is a good chance you will find a system or two waiting for you. Just stand around the service/returns counter and there is a very good chance you will see one returned right in front of you and many times they are still sealed because they are being returned by resellers. If you can I would wait a few months to buy one even if you find it at retail because there just is not enough to do with it right now(unless you've fallen hook line and sinker for Blu-Ray movies because the price is similar to a Blu-Ray player by itself). By this summer the games lineup should double and there will probably be a couple that make the purchase worth while.

The PS3 is still a recommended purchase but don't pay more than retail. Buy it as a Blu-Ray player now and second as a game console. Eventually the PS3 will be worth the purchase as a game console no matter how the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD battle turns out.

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Fuse

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List Price: $59.99
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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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Wireless Microphone - Playstation/Playstation 2/Playstation 3

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I didn't know which mic to get my choices were this wireless mic or the Logitech wireless mic which is the same brand as the original mic for rock band.The difference in the 2 are the icon mic is only $40,rechargeable Lithium battery,seems to be durable...The Logiteh wireless mic is $80,takes 2 AA batteries,looks like a real mic...don't know durability as I have not used one yet.well I chose the icon wireless mic cause $40 was more my price range i like rechargeable battery,sounds just like the original rock band mic,and is durable...

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I ordered this microphone and it arrived today. I let it charge for a while and then tried using it on my PS3 with Rock Band 2. The voice is COMPLETELY DISTORTED, tinny and utterly useless. This was a complete waste of my money and I will be looking to return this as soon as possible for a refund.

How can a product be advertised for use with the PS3 and work so horribly?

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My microphone work properly only when I use the cable that comes along with it. Totally waste of money. The battery doesnt last....

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Mass Effect 2

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List Price: $19.99
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UPDATE:

On 2/22/11, Sony distributed patch 1.01 for this game, fixing memory fragmentation & corrupt save file problems. Buy with confidence!

I've left my original (2-star) review below in unaltered form, just as a record that BioWare kept their promise and I, in turn, kept mine. Obviously, the warnings in the second half no longer apply.

And thanks to everyone who gave this review a "helpful" rating if it saved even one person from buying this game before the patch arrived and having the same problems myself and others did, then it served its purpose.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

ORIGINAL REVIEW FOLLOWS

* * * * * * * * * * * *

For some reason the reviews that try to guide potential customers to make informed choices are getting voted down here, whereas 5-star reviews are getting 5:1 or 10:1 ratio "helpful" ratings. This is really distressing.

Would it help if I heaped on some praise first? That's easy to do. Mass Effect 2 is a fantastic game. So here:

PROS:

Best storytelling I've seen in a game, ever, hands down. Ambitious yet nuanced, and neither sacrificing polish for interactivity or interactivity for polish.

Most of the game looks fantastic

Voice acting is, on the whole, superb

An almost overwhelming array of things to do, and your actions have real consequences

BUT ...

If you are thinking of buying this game this instant, my advice to you is: wait. The game needs a patch. It currently has a problem with memory fragmentation during saving that corrupts save files--and all save files are bundled together, making entire careers and countless hours disappear with a single game freeze.

And a patch is coming--at least BioWare has promised it. When the patch does hit, I will immediately edit this review to acknowledge it, and change my rating to five stars. It's all in BioWare's hands now. | UPDATE: The latest word from BioWare is that they've completed the patch and sent it to Sony. Hopefully Sony's review process will go smoothly and this patch will be in the hands of gamers within a week. | I just think that potential customers should know to save their money until this game has been fixed.

And if this review gets voted down like every single other one that's tried to inform customers of a legitimate issue, so be it. But for the record, I tried to give it a shot--just like I tried to give this game a shot, before it ate 15 hours of my precious down time.

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I never played this game on XBOX 360 before so I read some reviews before I brought it. All the reviews I read stated this game was amazing. With that being said, I went into this game with high hopes....

You know how when you go into a movie with high hopes you often leave thinking, "Well that was kind of a letdown.. I thought you said it as AMAZING!" Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 actually met my high standards. I have been playing this game for 2 days straight and I can't get enough of it. It combines two of my favorite gaming genres: FPS (technically, it's third person) and RPG. If you love the Uncharted Series... I think you would love this game too.

PROS:

Great Storyline (it's like you're watching a movie... there is character development)

Beautiful graphics (The worlds you travel you are gorgeous... too bad the game is only in 720p and not 1080p resolution. But it's ok, it still looks great!)

Customizable player (You can make the main character look just like you. Before you start the game, you get to customize the face of the main character)

Upgradeable weapons, equipment, skills, teammates, etc.

There are so much to do. Basically you aren't just going through a level... picking up ammo, collecting money, shooting everything that moves, everything is predetermined, etc., etc. You actually get to choose what to do and say. For example, when you are in a interacting with another character, there are multiple responses you can select. Saying one thing will give affect you one way and saying the other will affect you differently.

CONS:

So far, there is really nothing I can think of.

As for glitches.... I had to restart on PS3 system only ONCE because during one of the loading windows the game got stuck. But after that... everything was fine. So far it hasn't happened again.

I highly recommend this game to any person who owns a PS3. I can't wait for Mass Effect 3!!!!

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Having played through the first Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 on the 360, I don't have to tell most what a great game this is, but for those who don't know....Welcome to a great RPG/shooter experience. Now, when you hear someone talking about Mass Effect 2 on the PS3, it more and likely will be a "which is better" type of conversation. Well, from what I see so far in the PS3 version, the two still look almost the same. True, the PS3 version IMO does have better graphics...clearer, smoother, better lighting...but, its nothing to "WOW" about. I am not a fanboy of either console, but I think both has something going for itself while the other version doesn't. The good thing about this version of the game, is that you get all of the major DLC missions integrated in the retail version of the game. This is where the game has the 360 version beat, but being that ME1 is still exclusive to the 360, you will get a better gameplay experience on the 360 version. The comic that is included in the game, only has major decisions that you can alter to affect how your game turns out in the beginning, middle, and the end. However, anyone who has played the 360 version will notice that they left out the "smaller" decisions that can affect your game as well. Does this mean that you are missing out on anything? Yes and no. It won't ruin the experience, but to me, Mass Effect is a unique game and I want to get the MOST out of it. I highly suggest that if you haven't played the first one, LISTEN TO THE CODEX! I personally bought this game on PS3 because there were things that I would have liked to do different in my first playthrough on the 360. At first I thought it would be weird playing this on PS3, but it actually feels really good. If you would like a review on what the story is about, read some of the 360 reviews...its the same exact game...nothing different at all with the exception of the comic and the graphics are upgraded. Mass Effect is one of the greatest games of all time and I know you will enjoy this game if you haven't played it before. Don't let anyone talk you out of getting this game just becuase you can't play the first one...if you don't have a 360. Like i said...if you read/listen to the CODEX you will be fine.

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I knew I would like this game because of the subject matter and Bioware, the company behind it. I've played their Knights of the Old Republic for PC and it had the best story I'd ever seen in a computer game. You felt like you mattered when you played through it. Down the road I played their Dragon Age which (along with Batman Arkham Asylum and the Uncharted games) had a great story, too. But this...well, the only thing better than Shepard and the Normandy for me, would be Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. Hell, it very much felt like that, spiritually, anyway.

You can go anywhere and do practically anything on your timetable. You can say what you want and do what you want. I totally adore the Paragon/Renegade thing. You don't have to be good ALL the time or bad ALL the time. If you do a little of both in your dialogue choices, you get surprising options that pop up as you go.

In places, I was genuinely moved by the events. I can't even begin to suggest the plot. No way. Find out for yourself. But it's a winner and I'm not done yet. Ok, bare bones. You recruit a team to solve this problem and you have to do a mission for each team member to make them "loyal" to you. In addition, other things happen and those are what you have to discover. Great world, great characters, great play balance, great music and great writing. Normally, I don't give a damn about visuals but this game is beautiful or creepy, depending on setting.

I only have two gripes and they're exceedingly minor. Others have complained about load times that's when I go get a drink or something but I did one of the vehicle missions and then did a later mission where I "discovered" and picked up the vehicle I already had used! Plus the "tutorial" on how to use the controls was in the second mission so I blew the trophy on the first mission! Not to worry. I'll get it on the second playthrough and there will definitely be one because I have to play as a badass chick next time!

My other gripe is I prefer a manual in my hand to on the disc.

Bottom line this is one of the greatest games of any kind I've ever played. Certainly the best for the PS3. I will definitely get ME3. No ifs ands or buts. Oh and it has Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man and I swear one of the krogans sounds like Michael Dorn. Haven't played the credits yet. Enjoy!!!!! I sure am.

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If you havent played the original Mass Effect, this game is still a must play. You wont be lost as to whats going on, as long as you check out the codex section on the in-game menu. This game is AMAZING and the story line, voice acting, graphics and overall gameplay are all impressive. This game is ahead of its time, dont miss it.

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Dragon Age: Origins Awakening

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Dragon Age: Origins is a fantastic RPG with a fresh, challenging, vibrant new world to journey in. With that said...

Awakenings is more glorified DLC (with flaws) than an a quality expansion.

The story, perhaps understandably, is rather direct. For the type of game this is, it fits. This is pretty much hack 'n' slash with some dialogue thrown in. The whole interpersonal aspect of the original is mostly gone. My wife misses the tales and long nights with Alistair & Zevron; I tend to run around just killing things; but I miss the choice of interacting with NPCs. It lacks ambience, but again, that owes a bit more to flavor of Origins than a failing of Awakenings. Some nice things are thrown in, like runes and very sweet weapons. Graphics, although not earth shattering, are very alluring.

What does fail about awakenings is the lack of difficulty. I brought in a level 25 character (level 35 cap is a joke) and ran around with my 3 NPCs almost naked (Velanna smacks a mean punch) on nightmare and tore through grunts & bosses. The boss battles lasted literally under two minutes each. The frame drops and slowness during battles & using stealth is discouraging. Also, some of the quests are insanely short. And the ending (and one of the main quests) is as anti-climatic of any ending in any book, movie or game I have come across. Ever.

Overall, it is an enjoyable, low difficulty hack 'n' slash; but not close to memorable. With such high standards in Origins, this seems rushed, done for profit and amateurish in a sense. Like Bioware let relatively promising interns take over the project while they work on DA2.

All the best.

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I bought this game for the PS3. I love Dragon Age: Origins and was insanely excited to get my hands on this expansion. My husband and I played Origins together, made several characters, and have gone through the story half a dozen times over the past few months. We got tired of this expansion in one weekend. The expansion just feels rushed and incomplete, and it doesn't fit well with Origins for me. It doesn't feel at all like the same game that I loved.

The storyline here seems to be more linear than in the original Origins, but it's also more vague. I wasn't sure what exactly was going on half the time that I was playing, and just seemed to be rushing aimlessly from one dot on the map to another.

Also, the game seems to have a lot of glitches. I lost interest pretty quickly during one of the first main quests when everyone in town got angry at my character for "choosing the other side," when I hadn't even done anything yet. The entire quest just glitched and I couldn't do anything in the town after that.

Another favorite glitch would be clicking on an item that I want to pick up, suddenly having a party member try to talk to me instead, and then the game blacks out and my character winds up on a part of the map that isn't even accessible (such as behind a cliff, enveloped in blackness, or stuck in the middle of a swamp).

In Origins, I really felt like my characters were defining themselves, growing in their own unique way, and forming unique relationships based on their choices. In Awakening, I feel like my character is wandering aimlessly, easily hacking and slashing down weak enemies, and it's all pointless and linear.

I loved talking to party members, having conversations, and giving out gifts in Origins. In this game, you can still talk to the party members at certain times and can still give them gifts, but I find myself wondering what the point even is. The whole thing just seems more shallow. Even with my imported characters, I found myself unable to care about the characters on the screen, and they seemed so boring and unfamiliar.

All in all, this game is an incredible disappointment. I loved Origins, but this one doesn't have anywhere near the charm of Origins. I kept hoping that I'd get more into the game, but I found myself bored for the most part, and then frustrated whenever it glitched. It's a huge disappointment. I'm returning my copy...

Buy Dragon Age: Origins Awakening Now

I have to say enjoyed this expansion and personally feel it was worth the money. I am a self-professed Dragon Age obsessee. The new spells and abilities are fun to play around with, and I like the new characters.

I imported my old character (a female human noble) and was happy to see Alistair's reaction to her, as she married him at the end of DA:O. Seeing old characters again was also fun, and I love the one they chose to return as a companion/follower.

Also, since I didn't have her equipped with anything from the DLC, she had all of her armor and everything, including some odds and ends she'd still had in her inventory I hadn't bothered to sell before the final battle. [I've read that armor loss is a problem for those with DLC armor equipped at the end of the game, but I am hopeful there will eventually be a free patch for this.]

However, I do have a few tiny issues. You can't talk to your companions to have actual dialogues with them, just a pop-up sentence or two when you select them, and your returning companion loses all of his affection for you so you have to win it all over again.

And...the new spells and abilities weren't terribly useful to me. They're great. I mean, who doesn't want to raise the dead? But I could do just as well in the battles, it seems, without them and just using the ability boosts. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade them, but I am slightly disappointed.

I love Dragon Age, and for me, this expansion was worth the money. I don't know that every Dragon Age player would agree, however. It isn't an epic adventure, being only an expansion, and it doesn't cost much less than the original.

I can recommend it for those who really love the game and want more of it, in any form. If that isn't you, I think you should look into this expansion before buying it, particularly if you don't have $40 to burn.

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...would have been called a "dud," but stick "Dragon Age" in front of it, and people will like it.

At least that's what I thought before reading the reviews here. Critical response (at least that which I read) to this expansion was generally positive, and so after a few months and a long-awaited price drop, I decided to try this out. I wish I had read the reviews here first.

As it turns out, this is a weak and seemingly-hurried affair. Even for $25, it's not worth it (the quest is around 15 hours long the first time through with no guide, but significantly less after that).

Strangely, despite the fact that I can't find much good with the title, I still give it two stars. The fact is, the "Dragon Age" universe is interesting enough that even poorly-constructed storylines such as this still manage to hold a modicum of fascination. I will confess that I was interested more in the subtle differences in scenes depending on the character I imported than with anything that the story gave to me, but even THIS had problems. So anyway,

THE GOOD:

1) It's Dragon Age. You get to see another part of Ferelden. Sure, it looks like every other part of Ferelden you saw before, but it's something. I guess. Honestly, the coolest thing about the game was getting the armor and weapons that Master Wade created. The sword even gets its own ending sequence.

THE BAD:

1) What a glitch-filled mess. I have no idea if the downloaded version is better, but this version is just pathetic, technically speaking. First, you have to accept a patch to play it. For even, even though I had a LATER patch, the game (when played online) still prompted me to take the earlier patch. What a joke.

Hilariously, if you are using armor from other DLC, when starting up "Awakenings," you'll be in...your underwear. That's right "Awakenings" doesn't like your earlier DLC. It's hilarious to see your hero of Ferelden in little more than a birthday suit to start his second quest.

In addition, many of your codex entries will be deleted. The game still seems to recognize that you have them, but you can't read them in "Awakenings" (the biggest offenders are the "quest-related" entries from the original "DA:O"). There are other glitches lots of them, in fact, but you get the picture. More of the same from Bioware.

2) One of the great things about this game should have been the ability to import previous characters. Unfortunately, this is screwed up as well. The manual clearly states that you can import dead characters and they will be alive. That's an...odd design decision (particularly given Bioware's stance on their "Mass Effect" franchise), but whatever.

What is even stranger is that many of the decisions you've made won't even register in the new expansion. For example, I imported a rogue who allied with Loghain and sided with Anora in "DA:O". Yet, who came to greet me in "Awakenings"? King Alistair, of course. When last I left Alistair, he was presumed to be a derelict living out his remaining days in drunken misery. Apparently, he's now king. Good one.

3) Who thought up this ridiculous story? It literally makes my head hurt. In what world would the Grey Wardens even CONSIDER teaming up with the Darkspawn? This crap is weak for a JRPG, for crying out loud. I don't really want to say more, for fear of spoiling the story, but honestly, you WANT to have this nonsense spoiled. Trust me.

It's always a bad idea to ask for someone to overact insanity, but whoever does the voice for "The Mother" (very original) really takes this to the nth degree. The Architect is slightly better, but enough of the calm tactician. These are Darkspawn, people.

Anyway, that's it. I suppose any of the bad comments could double for ugly comments as well, but long story short, this might be worth $10 later on. More than that, and it just fails to satisfy.

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Like many who thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins, I was very excited when I heard that Bioware was releasing an expansion pack, and pre-ordered it along with a strategy guide. I think many would agree with me when I say that Bioware needed to give this one more time in development. In terms of glitches, I almost wasn't able to get the game to play at all--took FOREVER to load; I had to restart my system a few times. Also, there were instances when my character's arms froze in a "hands up" position and remained that way unless I reloaded the game. Other times, everything would freeze, and again, the only solution was reloading. As for importing DLC, I had none to bring in, so I can't comment on that.

The gameplay was okay, but it felt too linear, and the emphasis was more on hack-and-slash rather than outwitting your opponents. The side quests were trivial and rarely did much to help your cause. The new specializations, abilities and items were nice, but did not make up for the disappointing storyline and characters.

One of the things which Bioware's Mass Effect was known for was the carry-over of your actions into its expansion pack. I hardly saw any of that in Awakening. Aside from the major decisions made in Origins (i.e., who was left to rule Ferelden, whether you saved the Circle Tower), many of your actions in Origins are entirely ignored. Even if you are royalty, the fact is treated an an afterthought. I imported a human noble female who had become Alistair's queen in Origins, and was referred to as "Warden Commander" for the duration of the game and given no special treatment. At a minimum, you would think a royal character would at least have a few top-notch weapons and some extra security forces. Apparently, the "dark ritual" ending with Morrigan seems to be cannon based upon the fact that you have the option of importing a deceased character. Even if it is not, if you did opt for it, what became of Morrigan is not revealed (no mention of her is made during the game). In the origin story of my imported character, Anora was deposed and imprisoned in the tower, but what happened to her afterward is not mentioned in Awakening, either (frankly, she could have made a better antagonist than the actual ones, but I digress). There is no romance in Awakening (unless you count a good-bye kiss from Alistair at the beginning of the game if you imported a character that married him), whether you begin a new origin story or import a character from Origins. So the pleasure of fighting alongside your love (or finding a new one) is absent. The Joining ritual has been trivialized this time around; even though one minor character dies, its gravity has been diminished by virtue of the fact that so many can survive it during the game without incident. The game is brief and the story itself slow: it doesn't take long to complete the game itself, and just when the pace of events begins to pick up, you find yourself on a direct path to the final battle.

I found the new characters to be, for the most part disappointing. My companion characters from Origins had their own unique personalities, depth, individual hopes and dreams, and I found myself sympathizing with and willing to do anything for them (well, not Oghren). The Origins characters gave the player a real sense of camaraderie. When asked to describe those from Awakening, words such as "bland", "generic", "filler" and "pedestrian" are all applicable. Anders occasionally has his moments and Nathaniel Howe provides at least some connection to Origins, particularly if you imported a human noble character. Sadly, the only companion who returns from Origins to join your party is Oghren. This time around, he's even more of a detestable drunken reprobate than before. Of all the original characters to bring back, Bioware had to give us the worst one! I HATED OGHREN!!! Most everyone I know who played Origins hated him as well. And from what I understand, even the people at Bioware who created him aren't too fond of him either. Bioware, please keep this in mind for next time! A better option would have been to include a feature that would have allowed the player to select one of their old companions to import along with their character, or to have allowed your love interest to come with an imported character.

Unlike in Origins where you could have conversations with your companions almost any time, the conversations with your companions in Awakening occur almost exclusively in Vigil's Keep. The exception is when they are triggered by "random" objects, which are easy to miss. Remember how in Origins you could win over your companions through dialogue just as much (if not more so in some cases) as with gifts? It seems that for the most part in Awakening, getting on the good side of your companions stems more from gift giving rather than on building a rapport with them, making it feel more like you're buying them off. The personal quests are nowhere near as meaningful as they were in Origins, either. Instead of helping one of your friends restore their honor, or saving them from certain death, or find closure, about half of those in Awakening involve simply raising your companion's approval high enough that they open up to you or running some errand. During the latter stages of the game, you are forced to decide who to leave at Vigil's Keep while you and three others go to save the besieged city of Amaranthine. If you choose to save Amaranthine, those you left behind will be killed in a siege. My point in mentioning this is that when the time came, what should have been a decision that tugged at your heartstrings was not a big deal--the connection with this group just wasn't there.

The ending was also a major let-down. One of the main antagonists, "The Architect" claims to be able to stop the Blights in the future if you side with him, destroy "The Mother", and allow him to continue his research. It just comes off as not being believable. Regardless of your choice, after you defeat the final boss, your "ending" consists of the main character stabbing The Mother through the skull with their sword. The group turns around and simply walks away, and you get about a dozen or so paragraphs detailing what happens to the characters in the aftermath. Even though it says that your character's story is not over, it's still a downer.

Overall, I would give this game a two and a half out of five stars (personally, I think the game magazines and web sites have been too generous with it). Would I recommend it? I honestly can't say. It depends on how big a Dragon Age fan you are and what kind of story you've written for yourself in Origins. Again, the story could have been much better (and longer); I found myself wishing I had my old companions with me, and to be honest, the whole thing felt kind of soulless. The new abilities and action was OK, but it takes more than that to make a game great. As an expansion for Origins, this could have been a lot more than what it is Bioware had invested the time that it should have. An opportunity truly missed. Don't get me wrong--with Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware created one of the best games I've ever played, an almost impossible act to follow, and I appreciate what Bioware tried to do with Awakening. I understand that Bioware has something in the works for February 2011. Hopefully, Bioware will learn from this and give whatever they are working on the time it needs to be a worthy addition to the Dragon Age series, even if it means delaying the release.

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