Singularity Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had a lot of fun with this game. Many people compared it with Bioshock. While the color pallet and some of the graphics look similar in style, for me the game felt completely different in atmosphere. It's very difficult nowadays to find a first person shooter that's totally original because they are so well established. So Singularity does seem to borrow elements from past shooters, but it does have it's own feel and style as well.
The ambient sounds were creepy and had me constantly looking over my shoulder. Monsters were interesting and the phasing back and forth between the present and the past added some tense moments. There's nothing like walking into a room full of soldiers frozen in the 50's then finding them phasing into the present and opening fire on you to test your skill.
I also like the fact that there was minimal cussing in this game. I'm not a big fan of games that over use foul language. For me a lot of cursing adds nothing to a game.
I do not like the current trend of the auto save versus being able to save when you want in PC games, so that was a big negative for me. It seems that everyone is going that route now though. Another negative for me was that the game was too short, another recent trend. Just when I was really getting into it, I was done. I guess it does say something positive for a game when you are disappointed that it's over. It does have some interesting multiplayer to extend your play time though. Those two cons kept this from being a 5 star game for me.
Overall I had a great time with this game and was glad I bought it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Singularity

Story In the dark, Cold War winter of 1949-50 Stalin, the brutal leader of theSoviet Union, had two super weapons: long range missiles and the atomicbomb. But even if his teams of forced labor managed to build a missile powerfulenough to carry an atomic payload, Stalin still faced encirclement by theUnited States and the Strategic Air Command. He knew that he needed anotheradvantage over the United States, one that would ensure Soviet securityand superiority. Then came the chance discovery on the remote island ofKatorga-12 off the wild Kamchatka peninsula, of a previously unknown material,Element 99 (E99). E99 became the new source of Stalin's hope: a new energysource of unparalleled power. Unfortunately, the new element also yieldeda new kind of contamination risk. But these were acceptable risks to Stalin- anything for the advancement of the Soviet people. Even so, on September21, 1950, driven to complete the project, and in violation of the safetyprotocols, a Russian scientist, Viktor Barisov, personally triggered a devicepowered by E99 that caused a catastrophic event that affected the entireisland. What happened next is unclear. However, there are reports that Stalin'sfinal dying order was a handwritten scrawl to quarantine Katorga-12. Andso the knowledge of the island remained buried...until 2010, when intelligencereports in the west confirm activity on a remote atoll in the Russian Federation'sshadow. The world has no memory of Katorga-12. No concept of what may beon the island off the southeast coast of Russia. It is deemed that the worldcan't afford another Chernobyl - or worse. America's answer is to scramblea stealth flyby of the area. They need recon - and they need it now. Gameplay and Weapons Action in Singularity is a mix of combat mission gameplay and puzzle-solving.Combat is against both modern and 50s era Russian forces, as well enemiesmutated through exposure to E99. In this players have their choice ofconventional weapons including: pistols, shotguns, machine guns, sniperrifles, rocket launchers, etc., as well as as few Sci-fi weapons veryspecific to the game. These include the TMD (Time Manipulation Device)and the E99 pistol. The TMD is a gauntlet, which players acquire earlyin the game that can be integrated with conventional weapons. Its mainfunction though relates it its ability to alter time within a small specificarea. The major examples of this are: Reversion - The ability to alter encounters by rewinding the history of an item or entity to the time of your choosing. This can be used to repair broken items, render enemies harmlessly embryonic, etc. Aging - The ability to alter encounters by fast-forwarding thehistory of objects or entities, rendering the former rusted and worn andthe latter decrepit with age or simply dust. Stasis - The ability to freeze time and thus dangerous situations in order to gain an advantage. Impulse - The ability to propel objects frozen in time in a targeteddirection. Chronolite - Functionality that allows the player to look back to a time associated with a place, person or object.
Players can also utilize the TMD in conjunction with the E99 pistol, a gun thatshoots bullets infused with Element 99, to hit targets unreachable due todistance and otherwise indestructible cover. In addition, to the TMD's combatuses, it is also indispensable as a tool for solving the spatial-orientedand other types of puzzles that players will face on the island of Katorga-12. Multiplayer Singularity contains multiplayer gameplay options, that just as in its single player campaign, integrate conventional combat tactics and weapons with the time manipulation elements. Key Features
An engrossing storyline blending Cold War history and science fiction elements.
An arsenal of first-person weapons, including conventional firearms and upgradeable, time altering gadgets.
Mission progressing puzzle-solving gameplay.
Advanced graphics built on the Unreal 3 game engine.
Multiplayer gameplay options.

Click here for more information about Singularity

Read More...

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was a big fan of the AC series since AC1. Before I bought this game, I checked out the videos on Youtube and looked through the whole walkthrough (because I play on my computer, and the PC version is released around half a year after the console versions are released). It looked great. The graphics is shocking, and the fighting system seems to have improved tremendously. I also like the crossbow, which allows a much stealthier gameplay. This game seems like the new star in the AC series. Unfortunate, I can't say when I play the game, because:
1. A CASUAL-GAME LENGTHED STORY
the main story is pitifully short. Apart from all of the "freeing Rome from Borgia Towers" minigames, I spent no more than 20 hours finishing the game. Before anyone tells me this is not AC3 (as someone pointed out on Youtube), let me make my point clear: This is a CORE Game, NOT a CASUAL Game. As such, I expect it to be properly-lengthed (the main story alone, without the side ones, should be worth at least 1.5 days of gameplay).
2. MEMORY REPLAY: 10 MINUTES EACH
AC:B, unlike AC2, offers memory replay, where you get a chance to select and play through previous chapters again. And this is an excellent design! except that each chapter is chipped into small sections.
For example, if I wanted to play through chapter 4, I would select chapter 4.1 and finish it in 10 minutes. Then, I would be sent back to the chapter-select scene (this is not optional) to select chapter 4.2. When I do this, I am thrown into a new game independent of my chapter 4.1 gameplay. There seldom exists a section worth more than 10 minutes of gameplay.
3. FREE ROAM IN AN ENEMY-FREE WORLD!
Upon finishing the game, your assassin literally frees the whole Rome from Templar control. You walk in a world deprived of all the fun guards and fights; I have never faced more than 5 guards at once after I finished the game. And, because of AC:B's fighting system, each guard fight ends in 1 minute. The only alternatives to wasting time in this boring world are to
(1) replay the 10-minute sections, which is very boring, too, and
(2) to start a new game (meaning you need to walk through all the boring introductions, trainings, and other missions you don't want to play through again; along with re-earning your hard-won money, weapons, armors, available areas, and trained assassin followers).
Overall, without any replay value, this game is worth no more than the 20-hour first-time walkthrough and the multiplayer component, which I did not use. (This does not include the minigames such as guild missions and objectives, which are all very repetitive)
***Note: I am not saying the graphics doesn't look very good, the fighting system is horrible, nor that the crossbow is useless. All I am saying is that you are left with little interesting things to do once you are finished with the main story, and it doesn't take long to reach that stage.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Story Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his enduring struggle against the powerful Templar order. He must journey into Italy's greatest city, Rome, center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire brotherhood of assassins who will rally to his side. Only by working together can the assassins defeat their mortal enemies and prevent the extinction of their order. Multiple Ways to Play Expanding on the game world woven across the first two games in the franchise, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood provides players with multiple ways to play. In single player mode you take on an engrossing campaign playing as Ezio, the hero from Assassin's Creed II, who has now risen to the level of Master Assassin. Here players scour the expansive environment of Renaissance-era Rome, tasked with ridding the Eternal City of the continuing stain of the Templars and in the process ensuring the survival of the guild of assassins. You are not in this alone though. Additional AI members of your guild are at your command, and can be summoned to your aid if need be. In addition to this, for the first time in the Assassin's Creed franchise players can compete with other would-be assassins in multiplayer action. In multiplayer modes players choose from a range of Assassin characters, each with their own backstory, unique weapons and assassination techniques. Choose your assassin character, utilize the virtual reality capabilities of Abstergo Industries' Animus technology and match your skills against other assassins from around the world. There's no time like now to join the Brotherhood. Deadly Weapons Arsenal Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood features a wide variety of weapons, depending on the mode of play. In single player players primarily utilize Ezio's weapons of choice, the hidden blade and crossbow, while in multiplayer modes players gain access to a wide variety of weapon, depending on the character they choose to play as. Examples of this include: the Axe, wielded by the Executioner; the Fan, used by the Courtesan; the Syringe, the tool by the Doctor; the Dagger, used by the Priest; the Switchblade, carried by the Prowler; and the Claw, used by the Nobleman. Key Game Features
As Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, experience over 15 hours of single player gameplay set in the living, breathing, unpredictable city of Rome.
Recruit and train promising young Assassins. Deploy them across the city as you see fit, or call upon them to aid you in your quests.
Collaborate with real historical characters such as Leonardo DA Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza.
Use your hard-won currency to revitalize the crumbling capital city. Rally the citizens to your cause and unlock extra factions and missions.
Swiftly eliminate your enemies using tools such as poison darts, parachutes, double hidden blades, hidden guns, and an advanced flying machine at your disposal.
Choose from multiple authentic character classes, each with their own signature weapons and killing moves. With richly-detailed maps and a wide variety of unique multiplayer modes, you'll never fight the same way twice.

Click here for more information about Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Read More...

Bioshock 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This review is intended to help educate potential buyers of Bioshock 2 about a few of the major downsides of the way 2K has decided to sell the game. If you've already made up your mind to buy it, or already own it, this review isn't for you. If on the other hand you're on the fence, I'd love to point out a few things that are very troubling about Bioshock 2:
1) The game REQUIRES online activation. If you are a serviceman/servicewoman stationed in Baghdad (or anywhere in the field without internet) you're totally screwed. Requiring an internet connection to activate is offensive in itself, but coupled with the other major issues with this game's DRM scheme, it just keeps getting worse.
2) The game limits the number of times you can install it. I don't care if they give me 1,000 installs, any limit on how long I can use a game I paid for simply isn't acceptable. I'm not paying for the 'privilege' of installing how ever many times 2K or anyone else thinks is appropriate. If I buy a game, I want to actually BUY it, meaning I OWN IT and CAN DO WHAT I WANT WITH IT. If I buy the game and don't like it, how can I resell it? How can I verify to the person I'm selling it to that it has installations left? This is just a petty and insulting way to treat paying customers. I don't want to have to come crawling back to 2K or Microsoft to explain why I might need more installations for a game I already gave them forty or more dollar for. And what if they close their doors at some point in the future? How can I be guaranteed I'll still have access to my game?
3) Securom, the DRM package used by Bioware, installs with the game and there is no option to install it without Securom. That means you get a program running in the background when you play the game that can create issues for other programs on your computer. Don't believe me? I experienced all sorts of issues with the Securom that installed with Mass Effect I including it screwing up my drivers for my optical drives because it didn't like the fact that I has DeamonTools on my computer. I don't want crapware or potential security threats loading on my computer alongside the game!
4) You MUST create a WindowsLive account if you want to access certain parts of the game. I hate WindowsLive and everything to do with it and don't want to create accounts to play my game. I want to install it, run the game, and be on my merry way. Forcing creation of an account is what marketers call "forced opt-in" and it opens you up to all sorts of information mining so that Microsoft or whoever collects the data can sell it to marketing companies. Forced opt-ins just flat out suck and I hate when companies force you to jump through their hoops to play their game.
SO WHY DOES THE GAME COME LOADED UP WITH THIS NONSENSE????
2K would say its to fight piracy. I say bull-****. DRM doesn't affect pirates as they're already downloading the widely available and free versions of this (and any other game) from torrent sites. To the inevitable idiots who will spam the comments of this review accusing me of being either a pirate or too poor to buy the game: 1) I own literally hundreds of games and paid for every single one of theme and 2) if I was a pirate I'd already be playing the game from a torrent site without any of the limitations of DRM. Bottom line: if you want to pirate the game, it's pretty amazingly easy. I don't pirate because I'm honest, but neither do I give my money to game makers who like to insult my intelligence by telling me DRM is 'necessary' or that force me to install crapware on my computer.
Thanks but no thanks. I'll take a pass on this one.
**********UPDATE 02/17/2010**********
I had the opportunity to play Bioshock II on my friend's Xbox. Frankly I wasn't impressed with the game itself. It's very much a copy of the original game with very little that is new. I thought the game would center around being an all powerful Big Daddy. You do play as a Big Daddy, but you're not any stronger than the human character starting out in Bioshock I. I expected them to let you be more powerful but also introduce more powerful / numerous opponents. Instead, the same collection of splicers come in twos and threes just like the original game. So as a Big Daddy, it takes 2-3 melee hits (with a huge-*** drill bit mind you) to kill a splicer. It takes them 4-5 melee hits to kill you. That's just simply stupid considering when you fight another Big Daddy it takes a HUGE amount of firepower to bring one down. The whole concept of being a Big Daddy is diminished because you really are not any more powerful.
It's like they took EVERYTHING from the first game, just tweaked it a bit, and called it a new game. There is nothing new that feels significant. The weapons are not exciting, and some of them feel almost useless (the shotgun for one). Only the spear gun and rivet gun have a satisfying quality to them.
You still have the same simplistic moral choice (harvest or rescue Little Sisters), the same voice over the radio guiding you, and the same antagonistic voice prodding you along as you progress through the game. You get plasmids in the same order (electricity, then fire, then ice) and use them to solve the same problems as before (opening doors with electricity, melting snow with fire, etc...). Really it feels like they just redid the first game with less compelling characters and a less compelling storyline.
I'm actually VERY glad I didn't buy this game, even if it were DRM free because it isn't that interesting. It's a rehash of the first and doesn't have anything really remarkable to distinguish it. Honestly, I've played MODS that were free that provided a better gaming experience than this. A good example would be the BT MOD for Oblivion which made Oblivion feel like an entirely new game. For the price 2k is asking (full retail for a new game!) it's just ridiculous.
There are much better options out there. Go get Mass Effect II if you don't have it yet, or even Call of Pripyat from the venerable STALKER series. Both are a lot better than this.
Final thoughts:
It doesn't bother me if you want to buy this game and install it. I just want you to have all the facts before you do. If you don't agree with my perspective that's fine--this is a free country (assuming you live in the USA). Bottom line: some people do care about protecting consumer rights and I'm one of those people. Agree or disagree, I think everyone should have the right to information about the product they're buying. Especially when the game itself isn't even that great.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bioshock 2

The Story Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster - somehow familiar, yet still quite different from anything ever seen - has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city. It is a Big Sister, new denizens of Rapture who were once one of the forgotten little girls known as Little Sisters, known to inhabit the city's dank halls. No longer a pawn used to harvest ADAM, the dangerously powerful gene-altering lifeblood of Rapture, from the bodies of others and in turn run the risk of being harvested herself, the Big Sister is now the fastest and most powerful thing in Rapture. You, on the other hand are the very first Big Daddy, in fact the prototype, that for some reason has reactivated. You are similar to the Big Daddies familiar from the original BioShock, but also very different in that you possess free will and no memory of the events of the past ten years. The question is, as you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city beneath the waves, hunting for answers and the solution to your own survival, are you really the hunter, or the hunted? Gameplay and Multiplayer In BioShock 2 players will take on the role of the original BigDaddy, not that of game one protagonist, Jack. As a Big Daddy you willhave access to all the strengths and weapons of a standard Big Daddy,including the drill and rivet gun. More importantly you also possess freewill and the ability to use plasmids and gene tonics - genetic modificationsallowed for through ADAM, a stem cell harvested from conquered enemies,or sea slugs outside the Rapture air lock, and powered by the in-gameinjectable serum known as EVE, which can be found, captured or purchased.Plasmids and gene tonics provide a wide range of aggressive and passiveabilities which can be upgraded and arranged for quick use. The abilityto use plasmids and tonics gives you a decided edge over other Big Daddiesand most other denizens of Rapture, excluding the powerful Big Sisters.In addition, due to their role as a Big Daddy, players will experiencea new relation to the Little Sisters. Upon defeating standard Big Daddysyou are given the familiar choice as to whether to harvest or adopt them.Harvesting gains you ADAM immediately, but could alter your path throughthe game, while adopting makes you responsible for Little Sisters, whothen accompany you through Rapture, but also provide aid and warning intimes of danger. Additional gameplay features include: new plasmids, weaponsand the ability to combine these two. The game also features the anticipated multiplayer modes. Several of these are team-based, allowing up to 10 players. Within these players are provided with a rich prequel experience that expands the origins of the BioShock fiction, and allows you to play as one of several characters pulled from Rapture's history before the events of the first game. Key Features
The Big Sister - No longer just something to be harvested or not, the Big Sister is the most powerful resident in Rapture.
You Are the Big Daddy - Take control with the original prototype Big Daddy, and experience the power and raw strength of Rapture's most feared denizens as you battle powerful new enemies.
New Plasmids - New plasmids such as "Aero Dash" allowing for bursts of speed over short distances, and "Geyser Trap" a stream of water used as a jump pad and electrical conductor, join the ample list of Plasmids from the original game.
New Game Mechanics - BioShock 2 contains many new gameplay mechanics. Just a few of these are: the ability to wield plasmids and weapons simultaneously; flashback missions detailing how you became the Big Daddy; the ability to walk outside the airlocks of Rapture to discover new play areas, and many more.
New Locations - Just a few of the locations and environments debuting in BioShock 2 are Fontaine Futuristics, headquarters of Fontaine's business empire and the Kashmir Restaurant.
Evolution of the Genetically Enhanced Shooter - Innovative advances bring new depth and dimension to each encounter, allowing players to create exciting combinations to fit their style of gameplay.
Return to Rapture - Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the story continues with an epic, more intense journey through one of the most captivating and terrifying fictional worlds ever created.
Genetically Enhanced Multiplayer - Earn experience points during gameplay to earn access to new weapons, plasmids and tonics that can be used to create hundreds of different combinations.
Experience Rapture's Civil War - Players will step into the shoes of Rapture's citizens and take direct part in the civil war that tore Rapture apart.
See Rapture Before the Fall - Experience Rapture before it was reclaimed by the ocean and engage in combat over iconic environments in locations such as Kashmir Restaurant and Mercury Suites, all of which have been reworked from the ground up for multiplayer.

Click here for more information about Bioshock 2

Read More...

Dead Space Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is another game I had been planning to order, until I discovered that EA has yet again placed hidden software in the game that is incredibly difficult to uninstall (and has had issues with Vista 64, my OS). I am all for companies protecting their IP, but they should find better ways to do it, such as through Steam or other verification platforms that do not install hidden software that will slow down my computer for the rest of the time I own it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dead Space

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

Click here for more information about Dead Space

Read More...

Dragon Age 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the 'TLDR' crowd DA2 isn't a *bad* game per se, it's just very rushed and often schizophrenic about what kind of game it wants to be. Fans of Origins in particular will want to be wary, but even newcomers should give the demo a try and probably wait for it to go on sale. It likely won't take longer than a month or two, so you won't have to wait long.
For anyone else wanting a bit more detail...
Many, many fans of Dragon Age: Origins have lamented that a more appropriate title for it's divisive sequel would be 'Mass Dragon Effect 2.' I disagree, as aside from the new conversation wheel the two have very little in common. Dragon Age 2 is, in many ways, far more similar to another title of Bioware's: the often forgotten Jade Empire.
Like Jade Empire, DA2 is a console-focused RPG with much of the choices stripped out, shallow party members you don't interact with much, a set protagonist with a set background, an almost completely linear story, and features a combat system with a bent towards action RPGs/button mashers.
Unlike Jade Empire, DA2 is the sequel to a game that was the opposite of all of that and doesn't have the strong overarching story, pivotal decision moment, and detailed art design of Jade Empire to back it up.
I've spent a significant amount of time with DA2 across two different playthroughs in an attempt to be fair and try to understand some of the changes. My first game was as a DPS warrior on Nightmare, I finished the game with all the non-fetch quest (we'll get to that soon) side quests done in 32 hours. My second playthrough was as a mage with healer leanings due to my loathing of a certain party member on Normal, also with all of the quests done, in 22 hours. Act 3 of the second run was incredibly hard for me to get through, not because of difficulty but due to my own boredom. I have no urge whatsoever to replay the game anytime soon. That should speak for itself.
The absolute worst part of DA2 is how it shows the sign of a rushed development in nearly every facet. Music and codex entries from DA:O and it's DLC have been reused, environments and locations are reused over and over and over again, environments in general are nearly barren and devoid of things to interact with, and there is a surprising amount of purely filler fetch quests to try and pad the amount of content.
In terms of locations, I felt like I spent 80% of the time in Kirkwall, 10% of the time in Reused Dungeon X (Beach Dungeon/Cave Dungeon/Sewer Dungeon/Catacomb Dungeon), 1% of the time in the Deep Roads (much of which was reused for the Catacomb Dungeon), and 9% of the time staring at loading screens as I fast traveled between Kirkwall and Reused Dungeon X. The reused dungeons are a huge problem, anyone that is trying to dismiss it as a minor fault is underplaying it. You *will* get utterly sick of seeing the Wounded Coast and Sundermount tilesets to the point you simply don't want to play anymore. Nearly every side quest in the game takes place in these reused locations, and the game is almost entirely made up *of* side quests. They were reused so overtly that the map wasn't even edited, you'll see areas where the dungeon continues but you can't actually access due to suspiciously placed rocks or non-interactive doors or -- and I am not exaggerating -- INVISIBLE WALLS. When Hawke ran uselessly against an invisible wall in one of the repeated areas I exited the game in disgust and didn't come back to it until a few days later. It really is that bad.
Kirkwall isn't much better, and even has one of it's districts reused for a tileset, as it is nearly barren. Streets and important buildings are practically empty with only motionless non-interactive, largely silent NPCs loitering about amongst the occasional vendor or the rare quest NPC. For the ones that do speak when you walk by, they are shockingly repetitive. DA2 takes place over a span of 10 years, and yet the loitering crowds barely change. There will always be that one NPC in the Keep that bemoans not being able to see the Viscount for the entire game, even after a certain event in Act 2 that makes that line completely bizarre. You will quickly memorize who says what when you walk by them. This wouldn't be so bad if Kirkwall was just one of several major locations you spent the game in, like DA:O's Denerim, but this is literally the ONLY major location. At night the streets are even emptier and you will instead find the occasional spawn of enemy thugs/mercs instead, another blatant sign of being rushed.
Remember back to when you played Mass Effect 1 and how sick you were of the reused cave/bunker map for it's side quests. Now imagine if the game was gutted of it's major quest hubs and you were forced to stay on the Citadel the entire game, complete with loading screens for the different districts instead of elevators, and fast traveled to those caves and bunkers for every single side quest. You now have a pretty good idea of what DA2 is like.
DA2's main plot is a very, very slow starter that depends on side quests for almost all of Act 1 and 2 to fill it out. By the time it picks up at the end of Act 2 it's too late, and you're stumbling your way to the ending and realizing just how utterly linear the game is with a sense of "That's it?!" before you know it. The side quests themselves have the occasional high point, but for the most part they're quite simplified compared to DA:O with superficial choices at best and at worst they're little more than MMO fetch quests. This is largely due to the dialogue wheel and voiced protagonist, it's simply impossible to have the amount of ways DA:O had to solve quests with all the dialogue recorded for both a male and female Hawke. Unfortunately this means there is often only two (blatantly good or naive vs blatantly evil or practical) solutions for each quest, with the rare third option usually depending on what companions you've brought along. Even those third options can be deceptive and can result in one of the two good/bad results anyway. The consequences for these decisions have also been almost completely removed, especially in regards to how party members react. There is exactly one side quest that causes companions to turn on you (it's forced, nothing you say/no amount of friendship can stop it from happening, and it's only temporary), one companion quest that can result in that companion never coming back, and two forced main story events that can result in losing a companion each (one of which requires the prior companion coming back only to be sent away again). This is a far cry from how DA:O handled quest decisions and companion reactions. Now the worst that can happen is you'll earn Rival points if you do something completely against what that companion stands for. Lovely.
Your character in general is so much worse than DA:O as well. Dialogue suffers from the change to the wheel, often having "What? Why did Hawke say THAT?" moments even with the new 'emotion' icons. One of the few interesting additions to DA2 was the way Hawke's non-wheel lines would change in tone depending on what you've chosen before, so a snarky Hawke would be more inclined to be flippant or an aggressive/jerk Hawke would be more likely to behave as a jerk when you're not picking the lines yourself. This is hampered by the fact that Hawke is, in general, a complete jerk. The snarky "funny" lines tend to not be funny at all and even if you pick the "nice/peaceful" option all the time every time, Hawke will still spout incredibly inane/idiotic things when you're not in control. And that's the thing about Hawke, you're never in control. You're given a backstory right at the start, with a family you're supposed to care about, but nothing tangible in game to *make* you care about Hawke's personal story. So something tragic happens to Hawke's family member and one of two things happens: A.) Hawke will say something absurdly stupid (this is easily seen in the demo at a certain point, but it isn't the only time) causing a disconnect between the player and their character or B.) Hawke reacts emotionally but the player doesn't care due to the lack of development and is, again, disconnected. Hawke is never YOUR Hawke the way Shepard became YOUR Shepard in Mass Effect, instead it's on level with Jade Empire foisting Dawn Star on you as your best friend at the beginning. The character is incredibly bland and you never form any kind of emotional attachment to her, but you can never actually make her leave no matter how much of a jerk you are. She's just kind of *there.* So when Surprising Plot Revelation Y comes around you simply shrug while your character reacts much less ambivalently.
The companions fair slightly better than Hawke/Hawke's family does, but they're well below DA:O and Mass Effect standards. With the exception of Varric, they're stereotypes that are given little to no depth or just poorly written in general. Isabela is the stereotypical flirty hot video game chick that provides innuendo in banter, her only development (aside from her bust line from DA:O to DA2) is whether she's only slightly selfish or morally bankrupt selfish. Merril is supposed to be similar to Tali as the geeky/adorable character, but comes off as incredibly childish and frankly stupid. This is especially true in her companion quest, which was so obviously a bad idea with no real way to change the ending short of not accepting the quest that it's frustrating; the end to her quest also highlights just how bad the dialogue wheel's summary misrepresents what you actually say in an awful two-for-one representation of what's wrong with DA2. Fenris is a Broody Elf(tm) that stays a Broody Elf(tm) and seems to be inspired by the worst of anime and the Twilight series mushed together into a video game character, though his...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dragon Age 2


Dragon Age II is a single player role-playing game (RPG) for play on the PC. Epic sequel to the BioWare developed 2009 Game of the Year, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II continues the adventure with a new hero, Hawke, and utilizes the choices made by the player to affect a story that spans ten years worth of time in-game. Additional game features include: the ability to choose your character's class and sex, a new cinematic in-game experience, a nonlinear narrative and the ability to import saved information from earlier Dragon Age games.

Click here for more information about Dragon Age 2

Read More...

Just Cause 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just Cause 2 is about the most fun that I have had with a PC game in a while. The graphics are absolutely amazing, view distance, dynamic environments. The look of this game is everything of Far Cry 2, with even more gasps of awesome.
You play the part of Rico Rodriguez, a CIA agent who is about the most physics breaking mass of testosterone I have ever seen. You are dropped into a large, open country to drop an evil dictator out of power by working with several different factions. To do this you have mass amounts of vehicles at your disposal, a multitude of guns and explosives and most importantly, a grappling hook and parachute.
This last part is the best part of the game. Using the hook, you can climb objects, access flying vehicles from the ground, pull people out of air and even tie object together. Tie someone to a barrel and blast the thing into space to see some real fun.
Initially, the game did not impress me. The story and mission parts of the game reminded me of Far Cry 2. Lots of repetition and little development. Then I hit a point where I slammed my car into another car and flew them both off a cliff. Seeing myself falling I decided to use my grappling hook to escape, but only managed to snare another bystander. In the end I opened a parachute and glided to safety all while watching one of the most insane wrecks ever. The game is full of stuff like this. Tie a motorcycle to a car and use it as a wrecking ball. Rope a plane and ride it around just because you can. So many times I found myself asking "Man wouldn't it be cool if I could to this?" Moments later, I did.
At this point I found that the point of the plot and game is actually secondary to the extreme sandbox fun in there. At points of my new found enjoyment, my wife actually thought I lost my mind due to the non-stop laughter and childlike joy radiating out of me. The fun factor of this game is higher than anything I can imagine playing lately. Honestly, this game is pure sandbox first, and an actual game third. Also, your destructive acts are rewarded with guns and vehicles. How many games honestly reward your childlike explosive needs?
As for the lack of XP support, well we saw this coming. Not many people cried that Halo didn't work on windows 3.1, so we really just need to move on here. DirectX 10 will simply not work on XP, and the look and feel of this game is something so amazing that you just need the best to make it happen.
If you are on the fence about getting yet another FPS in a time where they are roaming the earth, get off on this side now. This is not yet another modern day shooter remake, nor are you wandering yet another WW2 battlefield, this is something truly special.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Just Cause 2

Just Cause 2 is a stunning technological leap from the original - Designed with 2nd generation software technology for a true high definition gaming experience. New level of action gameplay in open environments - Only Just Cause 2 delivers action in the air, on the land, and under the water, plus multi-point, real-time vehicle movement and grapple-action that allows players to grab nearly anything within 200 feet. Three times as many missions as the original - All-new abilities and stunts. The best open-world action on the market!.

Click here for more information about Just Cause 2

Read More...

Bulletstorm Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Make sure to disable your antivirus before downloading. I'm using Microsoft Security Essentials and it corrupted the first .cab of the download each time I tried to download. Finally, I disabled it and got a proper download on this try. It isn't the first time I've gotten a corrupted download on Amazon.com. Had the same problem with another game. So if you keep getting a corrupted download temporarily disable your antivirus suite while downloading it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bulletstorm


Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter (FPS) in which players find themselves stranded on a planet that although once an adult-oriented paradise planet, is now hell incarnate, complete with savage mutants and flesh-eating gangs. The goal is simple: survive, escape the planet and pay back the SOB who sent you there. Additional features include deep 2-4 player support, a wide variety of ways to defeat enemies both large and small, an impressive arsenal of weapons and a Marvel Comics written storyline.

Click here for more information about Bulletstorm

Read More...