I may be a little late to the party but this game is fantastic! I know it has been mentioned in every review but the visuals on this game are the best I have ever seen on the PS2. It is amazing to see what developers have been able to get out of this machine over the last 7 years. If you haven't already picked this up go for it. I couldn't think of a better way to send off the PS2 out to pasture.
Success! I finally found a Wii!
I just got my Wii component video cords in the mail today. They only cost me $19, quite a feat since I saw them going as much as $200 on ebay. So now in addition to the video cable, I have an extra controller, numchuck, classic controller and Legend of Zelda game. Everything but the Wii. I hope that since Christmas is over and the crazed masses will go home so I can finally get one.
Oh well my attempts to get a Wii this holiday season have proven fruitless. Thanks goodness I have Final Fantasy 12 and World of Warcraft to keep me busy.
I tried my luck on Sunday morning at Toys R Us. I got there at about 6:30 am and was second in line. After waiting for about an hour an employee comes out and tells us that they handed out 40 vouchers at about 2 am. Looks like the odds of me getting one before Christmas are pretty slim.
I'll make this short. I love this game and I hate this game. I love the atmosphere, the graphics, and the cheesy story line that is a throwback to the early Romero zombie flicks. Hoerver, I hate the save system, let me repeat I HATE THE SAVE SYSTEM! You can only save in the security room or bathrooms (which I have never found) are you only given one save slot. The worst part is that f you die you have to start from the last save which means you could lose 0 minutes to an hour of progress OR you can completely start the game over with the experience you have previously gained.
This is just ridiculous and for a gamer such as myself with very limited playing time it is very frustrating to start over. With all of the negative backlash this has caused I can guarantee they won't use this save system in the sequel that you know will be coming. I'm just glad this was a rental.
Now that I have been playing the Xbox 360 for almost a year I have to pause and ask myself....."Is this truly the next generation of gaming". So far all I have seen are prettier graphics and incrementally faster load times. The game mechanics are the same, the music is the same, the gameplay is the same, the AI seems only minimally better.
I thought next-gen was supposed to be this immersive experience with NPC's that actually cared if they lived or died. I thought the graphics were supposed to be CGI movie quality. Maybe I am just being impatient but this seems just like the "current-gen" with a glossier coat of paint.
It seems that the problems keep mounting for Sony. Today they announced that the European launch has been delayed citing production issues related to the Blu-Ray Drive. http://www.joystiq.
com/2006/09/06/european-launch-of-playstation-3-delayed-until-march-2007/
It will be interesting to see what if any impact this will have on the North America release.
I've been playing Madden 07 on the Xbox 360 and it is a good game, and that's the problem since it should be a GREAT game. If you're like me you have noticed a significant downgrade in innovation in the Madden franchise since EA locked up the rights to the NFL and killed NFL2K.
- The gameplay is solid even though the running game is a little too easy (I like the lead blocking feature).
- The graphics are good but it really bugs me that most of the player faces are inaccurate. Most players don't look anything like their real-life counterparts and I really hope EA fixes this for 08.
Overall the presentation is sorely lacking compared to the 2K series which is unacceptable since the last 2K football game was released 2 years ago. This years commentary is a radio announcer? Are you kidding me? It seems as if the guys at EA where halfway through development before they remembered they needed commentary. No halftime show or recap....what's going on. The 2K series had a fantastic halftime show and post game analysis. I know these are not critical elements to the game but it seems like a huge step backward. And can someone tell me why the ESPN brand is almost nonexistent? Here's to hoping that EA gets it right next year because this effort is second-string at best!
If you are looking for cheap games check out ValueGamez (www.valuegamez.com). This is a new store that one of my friends has just opened.
I just saw the new Superman movie and it was amazing! This was the only movie that I was excited about seeing this summer and boy did it deliver. This just leads me to think about what a missed opportunity this is for Electronic Arts.
For those of you who don't know EA is developing the official game for the movie and a few months ago they announced that it will not be ready until the DVD release. What a huge miss! This is movie is so good and has such a large built in audience that the success of the game is guaranteed. I would love to know what really happened for EA to miss. I assume the gameplay must have been REALLY bad and I'm sure heads are rolling because of this. And don't get me started on the lack of features in Madden and NCAA Football for the 360. Come on EA, you've got to do better!! With your resources you have NO excuse for this.
I remember way back in 1996 when I played the first Tomb Raider on the original PlayStation. I was blown away by the 3D environments and the innovative controls. I will never forget the first time I was chased by that T-Rex....I could not believe that I could get so immersed in a game. Fast forward a couple of years later to Tomb Raider 2 which was also a phenomenal game but the learning curve was steep and the warning signs of what was to come was readily apparent.
Tomb Raider 3 was a complete exercise in futility; it was unbelievable hard and unforgiving with incomprehensible jumping from platform to platform and controls that had once been intuitive were just plain clunky. It was clear that Eidos (the developer) had rested on their laurels for too long and series had taken a major turn for the worse. Several failed attempts to bring the franchise back to prominence failed as the games continually got worse and by 2003 the Tomb Raider franchise for all intents and purposes was dead.
So as you can imagine it was with great trepidation that I fired up Tomb Raider Legends in the good ole' PS2. I'll cut to the chase and let you know that this is a very good game. It's not a genre redefining title like Resident Evil 4 or GTA but it is a fun diversion for a couple of weeks. It's kind of like watching an 80's action flick - you'll have fun while your playing it but you won't remember it a month later.
The gameplay is solid with completely reworked controls. Thankfully Lara Croft no longer turns like Frankenstein's monster and her movement is silky smooth. The game is never overly frustrating and the sound and graphics are fantastic by PS2 standards. It never ceases to amaze me the performance developers are able to squeeze out of this machine. The story kept me engaged and I wouldn't hesitate to check out the next game in the series. It appears that Crystal Dynamics was able to do what Eidos could not, resurrect Tomb Raider and make it fun to go spelunking again. Now Crystal Dynamics where is the next gen version of Soul Reaver?!
I've just heard a rumor that the PS3 is not as powerful as first expected and that it may only be half as fast as the 360?! Are you freaking kidding me. After all the hype and beating of the chest by Sony I hope this is only an unfounded, vicious rumor. This would be inexcusable and a major guffaw by a company that needs to hit this one out of the park.
I heard that they really botched E3 with a lackluster presentation while Microsoft and Nintendo came out swinging with impressive demos and triple A titles. I am seeing some warning flags for Sony...first with the high price point, audacious statements and now a weaker machine that may also be hard to develop for. I truly hope this is a smoke screen but you have to remember that this once once the company that cornered the portable music market and now thanks to a little company by the name of Apple they are now an after thought. I'm rooting for Sony because I have loved their other systems and I think the industry is better when there are many strong players butso far they are stumbling out of the gate.
Oh yeah and we are not impressed by the blatant rip off of the Wii controller. That is just weak. Here is the article from The Inquirer http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32159
I just heard that the PS3 will be offered at two price points-$499 and $599 and my first reaction was utter shock. I'm not sure what impact this will have on hard core gamers but we will definitely have alot of demands on our wallet this fall. The Wii, the growing 360 library and now this. I thought that $499 was pushing the price barrier but $599 is creeping into 3DO territory.
Make no mistake this console will still fly off the shelf when it is released. But it will be very interesting to see how this will be accepted by the general market. I think alot of this will depend on the games! Man I am going to be sooooo broke!!
Is there anyone out there not playing this game? If so then you cannot consider yourself a true gamer. This RPG is phenomenal and has been a major time sucker. This is the only game I can remember ever waking up early for so I can get an hour in before work. I then find myself thinking about it during the day, strategizing my next move and how I want to develop my character.
Never before has there been a game that creates a world this engaging. It feels like a MMPG but it is completely offline with the exclusion of the controversial horse armor downloads and the addiction-inducing "achievements". The only downside of this game is the occasional choppy frame rate and the overly long load times. At first I was really put off by the load times but the game is so fantastic you will forgive the developers. It also gives you time to think about your next move.
You can read extended reviews at www.ign.com or www.metacritic.com but take it at face value when I say that this game is phenomenal and will be the best $59 you ever spend......at least until the part V! Highest recommendation possible.
I recently lost my PSP and a weird thing happened. I decided not to go out an immediately replace it. Instead I took a step back and realized that before I plopped down another $250 that I rarely even turned it on. So amazingly I began to contemplate purchasing a Nintendo DS and believe it or not I purchased one and I couldn't be happier. While it is not as aesthetically pleasing and doesn't have the power of the PSP, it does what is supposed to do which is play games. I picked up Mario Kart DS and I can't put it down which is something I could not say about the PSP. So I am backtracking and giving Nintendo an A+ for the DS. I am really looking forward to Tetris DS which will allow wireless multiplayer action. In my opinion Tetris is about as close to perfection for a game as you can get.
Dragon Warrior 8 is a monster RPG. Leveling up is painfully slow and random battles are every where. Heck, I had to play for 15 hours before the story gained momentum and really got going..... and I 
couldn't be happier. I should disclose that I am an RPG gamer for the old school and this game is a testament to the genre. Not since Final Fantasy 7 have I been this engrossed in a story line and cared so much for the characters. This game perfectly captures the sense of adventure sorely missing in so many of the "modern" RPG's with an open, brightly colored world with a storyline that never becomes too complex. If you're like me when playing FFX, FFX-2, etc. it's too easy to get confused by the story becaue of one too many plot twists and abstract themes.
DW8 is the type of game that challenges you and keeps you wanting to find out what will happen when you finally trek to the next town. You have seen the fighting formula countless times. But the skills, spells, and sometimes funny and often times innovative monsters and bosses keep things interesting. The graphics are the best implementation of cell shading I have seen and the grandiose soundtrack is phenomenal. This is an estimated 80-100 hour quest so you better clear you calendar. Yes, it's that good.
I have been tying to get an Xbox 360 for almost 3 months now. I have a regular job so I can't wait outside for 20 hours in the cold just to pick one up. I spoke with a rep at GameStop and he told me I might be able to get one in April. What is Microsoft doing here? They are turning customers away which should most likely work in Sony's favor. If Sony makes an announcement for the PS3 in the coming months and people still can't get an Xbox without getting ripped off on ebay, many of us will just wait. I did see a core system on the shelf a few weeks ago but before I could get to it a family swooped in and purchased it. It's probably for the best though since I would hate to spend the extra $150 bucks or so to get the hard drive, controller, and HD connectors. Is anyone else having this problem?
I played the 360 for the first time yesterday and while I wasn't floored by the graphics and I looking forward to the release with great anticipation. I would like to get one the first day but that may not be realistic since I won't be able to wait in line at midnight and I refused to preorder one of those ridiculous bundle. I will be purchasing Dragon Warrior VIII so that should hold me over until I can get my hands on one. I heard DW8 is fantastic and I am an RPG guy from the old school. I even enjoyed the first 30 hours of DW7!
True innovation is something rarely seen in games today. That is why I am looking forward to this game with such anticipation. From everything I have heard this game is going to be a powerful "experience" that is packed with emotion accompanied with one of the greatest soundtracks ever. I will post a review as soon as I have played through a significant portion of the game. Stay posted.
Is anyone else tired of being ripped off everytime they trade in a used game. There has to be a better way for me to get more value out of my game when I trade it in. I can't even count how many times I have been offered less than $3 for a game I paid $50 for. Then when I come back to the store I see that they are reselling it for $39.
I just went on a week long vacation which game me some free time to dust off the old reliable GBA. Hands down my favorite game on this platform is Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced. For those who don't know, this game is a turn based battle strategy game based on the old PS1 title of the same name. The great thing about this game is that no battle is ever the same and it has a user friendly learning curve. The classes available for each character combined with countless weapons, items, and accessories provides almost unlimited possible configuration. Tie this in with a serviceable story line and crisp graphics and you have a winner. If you can find a used copy of this gem at your local game store I highly recommend that you pick it up. Now if I could only get my hands on Chessmaster for the GBA I would be in heaven.
Since I am curretnly in Star Wars mode I thought it would be appropriate to go bakc and play a Star Wars based game that I may have missed so I picked up Republic Commando for the Xbox. This is a differnent take on the Star Wars universe. Instead of portraying a Jedi trying to find his path or one of the established characters, you are placed as a commander of a squad of clone troopers. It is up to you to direct your troops to perform certain actions such as breaching a door or taking a sniping position. This was much easier to pick up than Full Spectrum Warrior which has a much steeper learning curve. I highly reccomend this game as a nice weekend rental.
I have been waiting to play this game on the PS2 since 5/5/05 but I was patient, just as a Jedi should be. I wanted to avoid all spoilers that I was sure the game would reveal. So I bided my time until I saw the movie,and let me tell you....boy was I disappointed. The movie was fantastic but this game left much to be desired. It is reminiscent of the mid 90's SNES side scrolling brawlers that were fun for about 5 minutes but then become an exercise in monotony. I'm almost ashamed to say it, but Lego Star Wars is a much better game.
Don't get me wrong...the graphics are serviceable, the music fantastic as is to be expected but the gameplay is just so boring. I long for the old days of the SENS Star Wars games. (Those games were complete greatness!) Oh well, at least Lucas delivered on the movie by giving us the most emotionally charged episode yet. I'm going tomorrow to see it on a digital screen so as you can imagine I am giddy with excitement. That is, if it's possible for me to be giddy which is questionable.
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