Half-Life 2: Episode Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)If you've played Half-Life 2, then you've probably at the very least heard of HL2: Episode One and Two by now. Its pretty hard to finish Half-Life 2 and not want more, and thankfully Valve has supplied us with two short but exciting extensions to the Half-Life universe without making everyone wait 5+ years for a Half-Life 3.
In case you've never played Half-Life 2, these episodes take place right where the original leaves off, and it would be advisable to purchase the original game first so you know what's going on. The best way to do that is through the Orange Box available for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, since you get these two episodes as well as the original and two other great games in the set for a good price.
And one more thing before I begin; I am not taking Steam into account on these reviews. I don't particularly relish the idea of having an internet program that locks the games I'm supposed to own in the closet and ultimately tells me whether or not I can play them or how many computers I can play them on, but I haven't had any major problems with Steam yet. It's something you should be aware of though if you're buying any PC versions of Half-Life games; you are required to "activate" them online at installation or you aren't able to play. It also appears that, for this particular set, the games must be fully downloaded from Steam when you insert this disc, rather than installing from there and simply patching, which would be much faster. If the idea of Steam bothers you, get a console version of the Orange Box if that's available to you.
Now, onto the episodes themselves... they're fantastic! Episode One picks up right at the "OMG what happens next!?" ending of the original and lays the foundation for an interesting new story arc. This episode features some slightly improved graphics and great facial animation, and manages to retain most of the orignal flavor of the original with some excellent story-telling scenes and action. The entire voice cast (of the characters still alive) makes a return too.
Unfortunately, while great, I didn't feel that Episode One lived up to it's predecessor. It was short and way too easy. There was also a point in the game where you are required to escort groups of citizens across a hot zone to a train station. I found this to be the worst part of the game since it required you to backtrack several times (something the original never required) and escort 2 or 3 citizens at a time. Plus, the boss battle at the end was just like a certain battle toward the end of the original HL2, except you're only fighting one (instead of like 5 at once) and there's plenty of cover (also unlike earlier), so I found it to be a real breeze and a poor choice for a final boss fight. I loved the character development Alyx underwent in this episode however, and I love the little details the game presents, like Alyx squinting and covering her eyes with her hand if you shine your flashlight in her face. Things like that go a long way to add a realistic feel to the experience.
I hate to use the term "epic," but it's really the only way to describe the next episode. Ep. 2 is a departure from the previous HL2 games as it doesn't take place in City 17 at all. You'll visit lots of places you've not seen before, like an antlion den, a mine, and a forest. I've heard some people complain that this episode doesn't contain the feel of the previous installments, but I found the change welcome and exciting. At the beginning of this episode and throughout, this episode further develops your female sidekick Alyx as a character and gets you more attached to her. IMHO, Alyx is the best female lead character I've ever seen in a video game. By this point in the series, I actually CARED what happened to her, so when she went though a couple of terrible experiences, I felt sorrow, anger, remorse, etc. Pretty amazing that somebody can make you care for something that doesn't really exist! The ending was amazing too; it'll really make you want to get Ep. 3 the day it comes out.
So in other words, if you played HL2 and enjoyed it, these episodes are successful at extending the excitement. You'll really be missing out on a great gaming experience if you pass these games by.

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The Half-Life 2: Episode Pack offers both of the new games created by Valve to expand the award-winning and best-selling action game franchise of all time. And, as an added bonus, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is also included for online play.Half-Life 2: Episode One returns you, as Dr. Gordon Freeman, to face the immediate repercussions of your actions in City 17 and the Citadel. Rejoin Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, to once again aid the human resistance in their desperate battle against the totalitarian alien menace of the Combine.In Episode Two, you must battle and race against Combine forces as you traverse the White Forest to deliver a crucial information packet stolen from the Citadel to an enclave of fellow resistance scientists.

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Total War: Shogun 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)About a decade ago Shogun: Total War was the masterpiece that launched one of the best Strategy simulation franchises in gaming history. It was a perfectly balanced game that combined turn-based strategic decisions with real time battles in a beautiful interface made in the style of medieval Japanese artworks.
The game was based on the teachings of Sun Tzu, the Chinese strategist, who believed in the indirect approach: search for comparative advantages, use your forces with economy, surprise and deceive, and only fight limited wars. The medieval Japanese setting (relatively small armies made up from a limited number of distinct units fighting on different terrains), served as the perfect substrate to implement these strategies.
I have played every single Total War game since and they were all a joy to experience - yet nothing surpassed to the first Shogun. Until now.
KNOW THY SELF, KNOW THY ENEMY. A THOUSAND BATTLES, A THOUSAND VICTORIES (Sun Tzu)
The gameplay has matured, deepened and acquired a number of new features, including some RPG additions. We now have Mastery of Arts, a tech tree branching into Bushido (warfare) and Chi (governance & finances). There are now hero units, inspiring the troops, going after the enemy general or turning the battle at that crucial point.
Generals are upgradable and modifiable, increasing their effectiveness and making them indispensable. The honorable death of a seasoned general will affect many aspects of your overall strategy and may prove the decisive point of the entire campaign. Which is why subterfuge is so important.
There may be no honor in using Ninjas - but now they can assassinate the enemy general or soften up the enemy defenses by sabotaging their production or the integrity of their defensive structures. And because the Ninja knife cuts both ways, make sure to have enough Metsuke units to sniff out the ninjas send by the enemy.
Children serve as hostages to ensure cooperation whereas marriages are arranged to strengthen alliances. And since no army fights on an empty belly, one should make sure to set up complex trade agreements. Ones that will hold through the treacheries of war. Because sooner than later, your task will graduate from impossible to you-gotta-be-kidding-me.
INVINCIBILITY LIES IN THE DEFENSE; THE POSSIBILITY OF VICTORY IN THE ATTACK (Sun Tzu)
The AI will make your life miserable. Enemy units will try to flank you from every possible direction and they will try to make use of your troops movement in order to achieve this. And then, just when you think you are winning, every single clan and province turns against you...
It is possible to let the AI auto-resolve all battles and play the game as a highly sophisticated turn-based Civilization game - but why miss all the fun?
Unlike the first game, SHOGUN 2 also has sea vessels and battles. While in a sea battle, you either board and take over or burn the enemy vessels. However, the real strategic consideration is this: when attacking a neighboring province, did you leave adequate defenses to prevent, say, the sacking of your own castle? Because the AI does not forgive such oversights.
OPPORTUNITIES MULTIPLY AS THEY ARE SEIZED (Sun Tzu)
The graphics and sounds of Shogun 2 are something one has to experience to believe. Even on DirectX 9 (WinXP - which is the OS I am experiencing this on), the strategic map feels like flying over the real Sengoku period Japan whereas the game design goes into unbelievable details. Every ribbon on a set of armor, every blade of grass, every ray of light reflected on raised katanas or refracted through the clouds are just gorgeous.
The game absorbs you into its world and never let's go. In one word: Kan-Zen (Perfection).
HE WHO KNOWS WHEN HE CAN FIGHT AND WHEN HE CANNOT, WILL BE VICTORIOUS (Sun Tzu)
I usually deduct a full star from the final rating of any game that comes with any form of DRM that requires online activation or ties your game with digital shackles. Because even the retail version of SHOGUN 2 comes with mandatory STEAM, I did exactly that. However, because I rated the game well...above 5-stars, this could not become apparent and the game still rates a perfect score.
Yes, STEAM is the pheasant festering on the porch someone has to do something about. However, SHOGUN 2 is one of those extremely rare games that are worth their DRM hassle. If STEAM is still a deal-breaker for you, well, now you can make an informed decision either way.
SHOGUN 2 truly embodies The Art of War - and it will stay with you for a very long time.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Kokoro yori okuyami moushiagemasu.
On a more sober note, I want to send my deepest sympathies to anyone in Japan hit by the latest earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Courage and endurance have always been characteristics of the Japanese psyche.

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Portal 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)(Note: This review contains ZERO spoilers) / Updated April 29, 2011
If you like puzzle games, this is about as good as it gets. There is no other puzzle game like this, and believe me when I say you won't be disappointed. The first Portal game was just an extra; this is a full-length game. The first thing you'll notice is the inclusion of co-op which adds an entirely new layer of fun to the game. Think about what you could do with 2 portals, and imagine how you would complicate the puzzles with 4 portals instead. My friend and I were having an absolute blast trying to figure out just how to position our portals in tandem to set up the solution for these increasingly difficult puzzles. It's challenging and fun at the same time.
There were a few times where we almost gave up, and then the solution suddenly presented itself and we were able to continue. This game is not for anyone who is looking for a relaxing stroll through the Aperture Science Facility. This game WILL test your patience and intellect, and it is significantly more complex than the original game. Don't let that scare you away though, this game is absolutely amazing. New gameplay elements such as funnels, light bridges and gels come alongside the return of the Portal gun and not only do they present some intriguing puzzle designs, but they will test your wit in new ways that surpass even the sharpest minds.
UPDATE: My friend and I have finished the co-op portion of the game and the puzzles spike in difficulty near the end. There are roughly 40 co-op levels in the game, and there are a few trophies to make you come back to a few of the more difficult challenges. The length of the co-op will vary depending on the skill of the player, but my friend and I managed to solve all 40 puzzles in about 11 hours. Some people will say that it takes 5-6, but that's probably on a second or third playthrough. If you've never seen the gameplay elements before, you will have to take some trial and error to figure out how they work before you can think about trying to solve the puzzles.
The single player campaign is excellent, though this also spikes in difficulty pretty significantly about 1/3 of the way through the game, and then again 2/3 of the way through. The game starts off with a quick tutorial, but this game assumes that if you are playing Portal, you already have a pretty good idea of how to think with portals. Some of the puzzles in the middle of the game actually had me turning off my system until the next night, at which point I was able to figure it out in a matter of minutes. One thing that I really love about this game is the fact that it never tells you where you are supposed to go, you have to look around and then figure out how to get there by using everything in your environment. This is ever more evident once you reach a certain point in the game. All of the stops are pulled out and the amount of mind-bending thinking that you have to do borders on insanity. It's never too difficult though, as the solution is always right in front of you. The trick is you have to figure out how to make it happen with varying degrees of complexity. Some puzzles will take you 30 seconds, and others will have you trying things over and over for 30 minutes. All while being incredibly fun the entire time! The single player campaign took me about 15 hours to complete, and I will certainly be playing it again soon.
The voice acting in both single player and co-op is superb, and GLaDOS is even more hilarious than the first time around. It's pretty much a guarantee that you will find the dialog humorous, whether it's listening to GLaDOS telling you that you will fail to solve the next test, or that Wheatley thinks you may have died from a horribly long fall and isn't sure what to do.
The PS3 version of this game also comes with Steam integration and this is a breeze to set up. I managed to log into my Steam account on my PS3 and I was able to see all of my friends and send messages, view achievements, etc. Best part is you can access this all within the game too, and it was very easy to set up. Just type in your name and password, and I was immediately connected. I haven't been able to test out the PC / PS3 playing together yet, but I'll be sure to update my review once I am able to try it out.
UPDATE: Since the PSN has been down since April 20, I have been unable to play online yet. I was quite fortunate to have linked my PSN account to Steam, as players are currently unable to do this right now. When the PSN is restored this game will certainly be received better by the community due to the online portion being completely dead on arrival.
It's been a long time since I've been able to have this much fun with a video game, and one with so much content (apparently Valve is planning on releasing DLC and a map editor for the game to allow creating new levels). The only gripe I have with the game is a lack of challenge maps. One of the best parts of Portal was to see if you could solve the puzzles in the fastest time, fewest steps and fewest number of portals. That is sadly missing from this game, and it would be totally awesome in co-op mode. The story and level design make up for this, but there isn't a whole lot to come back to once you've completed the game. Even still, getting 20-25 hours out of a video game is pretty good for a puzzle game considering the competition these days.
If you're even close to being on the fence about this game, I highly recommend that you give it a shot.


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Portal 2 is a unique first-person Action-Puzzle-Platforming game that tests player's ability to think and act creatively as they use the game's ingenious wormhole creating portal gun to produce their own paths through otherwise sealed surfaces and across the open spaces of the game. Sequel to the original Portal game -- the surprise add-on hit included in Valve Corporation's 2007 release The Orange Box -- Portal 2 continues the storyline from the first game, featuring both new and returning characters, and poses a range of new challenges making for a much deeper game. Additional features include a new two player co-op mode and an original soundtrack.

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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction Review

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(More customer reviews)I pre-ordered this game through Amazon and couldn't wait to get it on release date, I'm been a Splinter Cell fan since it's inception. I was very disappointment to look at the back and read that I have to have a permanent online connection, but since I got it and a 12Mbps down pipe, I figured I might as well install and play. Install was quick, but when I tried to play it, I could not connect to a server to play the game, waited an hour, two hours, four hours, still no go. This is a bad impression to me and I will never by another game with this DRM or permanent connection needed, my advice is to not purchase this game, this has been a huge disappointment.Why go through the trouble of having top notch hardware if you can't even use it play the game, cause it's been ran off a server. I must say, I do not understand the decision these execs make, but they have lost a customer here.

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Order of War Review

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(More customer reviews)Bought Order of War about a week ago and spent something like 25-30 hours playing it. Being a fan of WWII RTS games for years (CoH, WiC, MoW) I got interested by the opportunity to play WiC-like battles but on larger scale and with nicer graphics - and actually haven't been disappointed yet. OoW plays like a decent and well-balanced strategy game with cool visuals and quick-paced gameplay. There is no resource-gathering and base-building. You are focused on issuing orders, maneuvering on the battlefield and supplying yr army with new replacements. It's no way clickfest - you can use active pause to stop the action, that's what I actually do when I play skirmishes (wish I had this option in MP'). In some scenarios you start with a small group of troops having something like 2-3 squads of infantry and several tank detachments at command and then gradually build up a bigger army controlling hundreds of units on the battlefield. Some missions (like Will to Win (playing for Wermacht)) are extremely massive, I spent about 3 hours trying to fight off the enemy attack and capture all the flags. The Game has a WiC-like control point system - you capture CPs, get money and bring new troops in action. AI is good, it responds to all your moves and maneuvers (on Hard regularly uses air strikes and is good at setting up defense lines). Though, I once made it do some silly things by launching two simultaneous flanking attacks in one of the missions. Cinematic camera is freaking cool- you set up an offensive, lean back and enjoy the movie-like action getting into the battle from time to time to make changes. Even playing online I sometimes switch to this mode to watch my birdies crash enemy positions. Awesome.
My Verdict: while adding not so many new ideas to the RTS genre Order of War is definitely worth trying.
Graphics: 9.0
Sound: 8.5
AI: 8.5
Gameplay: 9.0
Multiplayer: 9.0
Lasting Appeal: 9.0
Overall: 9.0


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Story In the summer of 1944, the Second World War entered its end-game when the Allies launched two major operations that would drive back German forces on both the Western and Eastern Fronts at once. In the ultimate test of military strategy, Order of War will challenge you not only to lead America's finest to victory in the West, but also place you in command of German forces charged with repelling the Red Army's seemingly unstoppable offensive in the East. Even the keenest military minds will find that it's one thing to make history, but quite another to change it. Do you have what it takes to command? Game Modes Committed to providing the best WWII combat gameplay experience at all levels, game developer Wargaming.net has built several gameplay modes into Order of War. These include two different campaign modes--American vs. German on the western front, or German vs. Russian on the Eastern front--as well as multiplayer Deathmatch and Skirmish modes. Key Game Features
Experience WWII warfare on an epic, cinematic stage; that truly captures the intensity and scale of the battlefield.
Take Command of an entire armoured force consisting of up to 1,000 soldiers, tank divisions, armoured vehicles, artillery and air force.
Players can choose between two different campaign modes offering completely different storylines, missions, objectives and environments.
Experience the unique dynamic camera that allows players to command troops over huge geographical scale whilst maintaining movie-like vistas and detail.
In-depth gameplay modes including two different campaign modes, and multiplayer Deathmatch and Skirmish modes.

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Darksiders Review

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(More customer reviews)Action-adventure games are nearly nonexistent on the PC and while researching the subject some months ago I came across a forum thread filled with hopeful wishes of a Darksiders port. Despite plenty of skepticism, over 8 months later PC gamers finally have a chance to play this great game.
This review is intended for those who are interested in this game and are curious as to how it translated to PC. Those who are interested in this title know who they are and are probably already familiar with what it's all about from a gameplay perspective. Just in case, though, I have read it described simply as Zelda meets God of War and find it hard to disagree with that evaluation, but the developers took inspiration from many different titles, as all developers do, and created a very good game in the process.
First of all, you will need a Steam account. There are clear pros and cons to digital distribution that I won't get into. Downloading took a little over an hour and additional installation another 5-10 minutes or so. The download came with a Darksiders .pdf comic as well as the soundtrack. Secondly, if you play a lot of ports you may have found that owning an Xbox controller for Windows is in your best interests, and playing this game with one is the recommended method. Again, standardization also brings about its own set of pros and cons. The game was up and running immediately after taking a moment to adjust video options, which brings me to the only major issue I found with this port.
Aforementioned video options are essentially nothing. You get resolution & v-sync and that's it. There is no anti-aliasing (and using the built in AA from my graphics card panel didn't work). This isn't as much of an issue at resolutions such as 1920x1080, but if you don't have a computer capable of running games at higher resolutions you may find the graphics to be an issue, so be advised if you aren't confident in your system's capabilities. I did notice some minor choppiness here and there, but overall the game runs very well despite the lack of options and is technically sound.
I will update my review if future patches bring about any major changes. In the meantime, I recommend this game to those who are on the fence. If you like this sort of game, it is a rare opportunity to play one on a platform that has so few like it. Despite the issues I mentioned above, I can only hope that more games like Darksiders become available on the PC. I am thankful that it was released at all, but there is some room for improvement.

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The Story Deceived by the forces of evil into prematurely bringing about the end of the world, War - the first Horseman of the Apocalypse - stands accused of breaking the sacred law by inciting a war between heaven and hell. Dishonored and stripped of his powers, War must return to Earth to search for the truth and punish those responsible. But there is no clear definition of good and evil in this tale. Hunted by a vengeful group of angels, War must take on the forces of Hell, forge uneasy alliances with the very demons he hunts, and journey across the ravaged remains of the Earth on his quest for vindication. But the answers he seeks will reveal a deep conspiracy in which War will find, and have to resign himself to the reality that although once the hand of God, he is just a pawn in the eternal battle between heaven and hell. Gameplay A mix of exploration and fast-paced action gameplay, Darksiders is based on nonlinear play situations. That means that as War slowly regains his previous powers of destruction and carnage in order to continue his search for the origins and reasons for his betrayal, players will be able to backtrack to areas and scenarios that they may have left unexplored upon first discovery. Almost all areas of the game can be explored and some of the things players will find as they do so are treasure chests, health chests, and bonus life points, etc. The ability to go back and explore areas is important, especially as the game progresses and War finds himself up against enemies whose defeat require special skills and/or weaponry. As for combat gameplay, Darksiders features a variety of weapons--including blades and firearms--that can be used in combo moves or in single strikes. Some of these can be charged up for quick, but devastating attacks on enemies and all can be arranged on your controller's D-pad for easy and preferred access. Additional gameplay elements include the ability/necessity to fight from the back of your mount, Ruin, and the collection of the souls in the form of glowing orbs that fall to the ground as enemies are dispatched. The latter can be used to level up War with new items and abilities. Varied Characters and Environments Although players take on the imposing role or War, Darksiders alsocontains a wide variety of equally intriguing and sometimes frighteningcharacters. These include: an assortment of vengeful angels; demons, suchas "the Jailer" whose body is made up of the remains of countless cadavers;a bestiary of wicked and vile creatures created to bolster the armiesof hell on Earth; and Ruin, the trusty steed of War. Gameplay environmentsplayers will experience are equally varied, and include areas both undergroundand on the surface, that call to mind both familiar, if ruined modernurban environments, as well as ones seemingly pulled from the nightmarishscenes of the biblical apocalypse. Key Features
Apocalyptic Power of War - Unleash the wrath of War, combining brutal attacks and supernatural abilities to decimate all who stand in your way.
Extreme Arsenal - Wield a devastating arsenal of angelic, demonic, and Earthly weapons, and blaze a trail of destruction atop Ruin, War's fiery phantom steed.
Epic Quest - Battle across the wastelands and demon-infested dungeons of the decimated Earth in your quest for vengeance and redemption.
Character Progression - Uncover powerful ancient relics, upgrade your weapons, unlock new abilities, and customize your gameplay style.
Battle Heaven and Hell - Battle against all who stand in your way—from war-weary angelic forces to hell's hideous demon hordes.
Weapons and Gear - Darksiders features an extensive arsenal and inventory of weapons and gear.
Varied Play Environments - Players will fight through varied environments, including those above and underground, and modern andnightmarishly mythical in design.

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Mafia II Review

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(More customer reviews)Opinions on this game have certainly proven to be as divisive as the initial reaction to the original Mafia in 2002, right down to the 4/10 Eurogamer review. It's understandable because while Mafia 2 does far more right than it does wrong, the wrongs are difficult to ignore.
Mafia 2 is a linear story-driven game set in the 1940s-1950s with an open world city as a backdrop for immersion purposes. This game is not a GTA4 clone and has never advertised itself to be one, any expectations for it to be so are entirely the fault of uninformed gamers. The city is about 10 square miles in size and highly detailed, it's a beautiful recreation of the time period and the devs use it effectively during certain story segments to give the impression of a city evolving with time. There are gas stations, clothing stores, diners, gun shops, body shops and a scrap yard/docking area to interact with throughout the game, along with different living residences depending on where you are during the storyline and locations that only open for missions. You will not find GTA-like mini games like throwing darts or anything like that, but that doesn't mean the open city is devoid of things to do. You can steal cars in multiple ways (breaking the window, picking the lock, or even shooting the lock) then take them to a body shop to change the plates and paint color to legalize it, then customize it further through engine upgrades for better handling and changing the tires for looks. You can pick fights with the various gangs that have established holds on various parts of the city, rob stores, or anger the police to see how long you can hold out. Just like the original Mafia, the city is all about creating immersion and giving opportunity for the player to create their own experiences rather than fill it with mini-games.
Mafia 2's story runs anywhere from 8-15 hours of game time, depending on difficulty level and how quickly you move through it. You play as Vito and are often accompanied by his childhood friend Joe, and spend most of the game in some state of proving yourself to one of the Mafia families in Empire Bay. My initial impression of the story wasn't a good one, but after playing it again it finally hit me what the story was about and my opinion changed drastically. Unlike Mafia 1, this is not a rags to riches story and this is not about the fall of an honorable man. Vito is not Tommy and he's not meant to be. Vito is a guy that is entirely driven by not becoming a loser dockworker like his father: he wants money, cars, women, the nice house, and the nice clothes. To him everything hinges on possessions and thus everything and everyone becomes possessions to him. It's the story of a destructive, selfish man who goes out and takes what he wants and how that devastates everyone around him. I really, really enjoyed the story, including the ending I originally found abrupt, once I realized that.
There has been some criticism leveled at Mafia 2 for racism and sexism, but most of it is not being looked at properly. Yes, the main characters are racist and sexist and there isn't anybody there to tell them off for it...because this takes place in the '40s and early '50s, from largely uneducated, ignorant, poor characters involved with the Mafia. Their attitudes were normal for the time period, social circles, and social stature. And as already said, Vito views women the same way he views cars and money; they are things to be obtained, not people to establish relationships with.
Yes, there are vintage Playboy covers/centerfolds as optional collectibles in-game and feature the nudity you'd expect from them. These have earned quite a bit of ire and are used as support for the game being sexist, but I -- as a female gamer -- don't agree with it. For one, they are completely optional and very easy to miss even if you're looking for them. They don't float above the ground and spin and glow and have a "CLICK ME!" sign above them like collectibles in other games. Instead, they're stashed on desks or half-under beds and other places you'd expect someone to leave them. They blend in perfectly with the environment and look only slightly different from other decorations...they're practically pixel hunts. They don't offer any kind of tangible reward outside of an achievement and completion percentage that would force you to collect them if you didn't want to. They also tie in perfectly with Vito's attitude...he's *exactly* the type of guy that'd grab some poor late night security guard's dirty magazine while robbing the place, and reflects his view of everything being possessions. It's just like the other collectible, the Wanted Posters. Vito would be just as inclined to yank down Wanted Posters as he would steal Playboy mags, there's nothing random or out of place about them. If they were required to unlock guns or cars or something from a gameplay point of view, I'd understand the furor over them, but as is I have no problem with their implementation.
For better or worse the difficulty is nowhere near the original's occasionally punishing level, and veterans of the first will want to skip right to the Hard level to avoid falling asleep. I honestly can't imagine who they tuned the Easy/Normal difficulties for, as I am nowhere near an amazing third person shooter player but even I blazed through Normal as if nothing was even shooting back before turning it up. On Hard if you don't make use of the cover system you'll end up very dead very fast, usually within three shots from a typical pistol. The cover system is standard fare nowadays, if you've played Mass Effect 2 or Gears of War you'll be right at home. The shooting missions all take place in unique areas of the city that you normally don't have access to and the set pieces are great, but just like Mafia 1 you will spend a significant amount of time driving to and from locations, doing escort missions, drop off missions, and so on.
The amount of time spent in the car is both a blessing and a curse, as the city and music is all a fantastic experience, but it also means you get a lot of opportunities to see the quirky AI at work and some people are going to be annoyed at having to obey the speed limit or risk the police. Yes, while they've removed the requirement to stop at red lights, police will still come after you if they catch you speeding. They've added a kind of cruise control to keep your speed under control this time around if needed though. Some of the AI for the other motorists can be very strange. I had one civilian car randomly decide to slam into me on a bridge and send me plummeting to my demise, while another didn't acknowledge my existence and slammed into me and caused the police to chase me for a hit and run. On the other hand, there have been some pretty fantastic moments just watching the AI interact. One occurred while I was stopped at a red light (habit), and one car rear ended another. The victim jumped out of his car to drag the offending driver out to start pummeling him...not noticing the police car that witnessed the entire thing, who also jumped out to break up the fight and issue fines/arrests. Yes, the AI has flaws, but it's worth putting up with it's quirks to have completely unscripted moments like this occur.
So that's been a lot of praise, what went wrong?
It's mostly down to what seems to be cut or just plain held back content. The story is pretty short and there is no option for an after-the-story free roam, so you have to load up previous chapters and ignore current mission objectives to do so, which causes problems with the saving mechanics (more on that soon). Not having a free roam available is pretty hard to forgive, as this was in the original and worked great.
There is also a complete lack of side quests in Empire Bay...but the introductions and NPCs for them are suspiciously still present, and even tell you to come back later for more jobs that don't actually exist. These side missions were either outright cut due to time or held back to release as DLC packs. There are at least four NPCs that are prime candidates for future DLC that the game desperately needed to begin with, and it doesn't stop there. There are shockingly few available cars to steal and clothes to buy in game, so that makes it hard to see all of the pre-order exclusives held back. It's even to the point that one of the car models (the Hot-Rod in the Greaser pack) appears once in-game, and there is no possible way for you to store that car in your garage...even if you go to pains to get both the mission related car and it's variant out into the open world by using one car to push the other out of the mission zone. It's perfectly drivable, upgradeable, and everything else, but if you don't have the pre-order pack, too bad. Which is a real shame and feels like a really cheap move by 2K.
They also cut public transportation and melee weapons, along with all sorts of little touches (sitting down on benches or chairs, newspapers, all kinds of interactive stuff). The melee weapons are especially missed, as the fist-fights often feel very anemic and simple without them.
The save/check point system is also problematic. It's pretty much the mirror image of Mafia 1, but this is something that was a negative back then, too. They didn't need to implement quick saves, but a more thorough auto-save feature would have been a huge bonus. As it is, one of the AI drivers randomly sending you off a bridge can result in a lot of lost progress. In addition to the auto saves being sparse, which can make trying to do a free roam game difficult all by itself, reloading a previous chapter wipes your current progress. There are no save slots, so you either continue from your last auto-save, load up a previously played chapter (thus replacing the auto save), or start a new...Read more›

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Story Born the son of a poor immigrant, Vito is a beaten down Italian American who is trying to secure his piece of the American Dream. Looking to escape the life of poverty that consumed his childhood, Vito is soon swayed by the lure of power and wealth that a life of Organized Crime can bring. A petty criminal his whole life, Vito, along with his childhood friend, Joe, will descend into the world of organized crime. Together, they will work to prove themselves to the Mob as they try to make their names on the streets of a cold and unforgiving city.

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Arcanum : Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura Review

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(More customer reviews)I couldn't in good conscience give this game 5 stars like the other reviewers. One thing to note as I kick this review off. This game does work with Windows 7 on my computer...with only a few hitches. There is a minor graphical glitch with the cursor that is easy to ignore for the most part. What wasn't easy to ignore was right toward the end of the game when I hit level 50 (the max level in the game) The game would crash every time. I had to go back to one of my older save games and replay a portion of the game and purposely avoid gaining experience.
With that out of the way I'm gonna do this old school pro and con review here to try to avoid being too long winded.
Pros
-Story is fairly interesting involving technology being introduced into a magical world
-Interacting with the NPC's is great, one of my favorite parts of the game, the dialogue trees are great and often humorous
-Lots of sidequests that flesh out the gameworld
Cons
-"real time" combat option is useless as it happens so fast you don't have time to do anything
-Graphics are bland, even for a game 10 years old
-You have to read a strategy guide if you want to make the most out of the game, there are a lot of nuances that you WILL miss if you just play through on your own
I noted the sidequests as a pro, but you need to be careful with them as there are enough that you could go a while ignoring the main story and forget what is going on.
You can be good or evil in this game (theres even an evil alternate ending), it actually reminds me a bit of Oblivion in the variety of gameplay, often the quests are varied and fun.
Being how old this game is there are modern games that do all this same stuff with more production value (Oblivion) But if you like lively NPC's to chat with and great humorous dialogue trees this is certainly one way to go.

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Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Review

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(More customer reviews)I've watched the Starcraft 2 Amazon reviews come in with great sadness. Sadness because this game deserves so much more than 3 stars, but also sadness because most of the points the negative reviews make are completely legitimate.
Starcraft 2 is a great game. I got it the day it came out and haven't touched another game since. Like the original Starcraft, it's an almost perfectly balanced RTS with three unique races. The Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss each have many new units and tricks up their sleeves, and as with the original, the game takes mere hours to learn but a lifetime to master. Each and every last unit has its perfect situation where it can be used to turn the tide of a game. The production values are phenomenal all around. The sounds and voice acting are fantastic, the attention to detail is amazing, and if you've got a computer that can handle them, the visuals on max settings are absolutely gorgeous. And it doesn't just look and sound good; it plays good, too. A bunch of little technical issues from the original have been fixed: you can issue commands to multiple hotkeyed groups at light speed without some commands being lost, your own units will actually move out of the way when you're trying to construct a building, rally points are more efficient and separate ones can be set for worker units, etc. It's all the fun of the original, but it's now sleeker, sexier and handles better. It is faster paced than the original, and the multi-player automatic match-making system is Blizzard's best yet. As a bonus, it (like Starcraft and Warcraft III before it) ships with a map editor that lets you customize nearly any aspect of the game; skilled map-makers will be making new maps, missions and mini-games for years to come.
So when does a game like this get a 3-star rating? When its own creators unwittingly do almost everything in their power to sabotage it, that's when. Thanks to some miscalculations by Blizzard, there will be entire sections of the fan base that will find this game either unplayable or unappealing. Though the gripes have been listed many times on here, I'll summarize them once more and give my take on just how much they're really likely to annoy you:
1. You need an Internet connection to play, even in single-player mode. Obviously, if you have no or sporadic Internet, this will be a deal-breaker. You can technically play a single player version offline, but it comes with limited features and privileges.
2. You need to make a Battle.net account to be able to play at all. For some, the very idea of having to go online and sign up to use a product you just shelled out $[...] for is a slap in the face. Also, this Battle.net account will be your one and only Starcraft II account; no more starting over with a new name or record.
3. No LAN. I guess maybe Blizzard thought nobody actually LANs anymore? Clearly, the people have spoken, and Blizzard thought wrong. If your fondest Starcraft memories are of playing the game on a LAN with friends, this might be a deal-breaker for you.
4. The region lock. In Blizzard's previous games, you could freely switch between regions. Now, if you're an American and you want to play with your European friends, you need a European copy of the game. It's hard to see what good this does besides making Blizzard more money.
5. No chat rooms. The game's automatic matchmaking system is beautiful, but let's say you want to chat with other players in a chat room for a while before migrating over to a game. No longer possible. Just about the only way to make new Starcraft 2 friends and partners online is to privately message people you were randomly paired with after a game, or to privately message random players in your (or a friend's) league division (hint: if you do this, people will think you're weird). Blizzard has promised to add chat rooms in a patch, but for now, this is the issue annoying me the most.
6. Your Battle.net and RealID friends are practically invited to stalk you. I don't think I've seen a game where adding someone you're "iffy" about to your friends list could end up more detrimental. Not only are you always online while playing this game, you always show as online to everyone on your friend's list. You can choose to show as "busy," but there's no option to hide.
7. The campaign is Terran only, and a multi-player RTS plus one race's campaign might not be worth $[...]. In Blizzard's defense, there are 29 missions, strung together to form an amazing story with cut-scenes and cinematics between each. Each mission can be completed on 4 difficulty levels, all featuring optional objectives and achievements. But for all that, an RTS veteran could blitz through the entire campaign in a matter of hours (on normal mode, at least). If you're one of the players for whom the campaign is the main draw, paying $[...] for a game it only takes hours to beat would be a bad deal.
8. There's no global ladder. If you play league games online competitively, you get ranked in a league, but aside from the top league (so I'm told; I'm not in it), you have no way to tell where you stand relative to everyone else in your league. You can only tell where you stand relative to the others in your 100 person division, and the divisions themselves are not ranked. I much preferred Warcraft III's system, where you could see where you stood relative to everyone.
The funny thing is, some of these new features people are griping about aren't inherently bad ideas. For instance, it's actually very cool to be able to chat and share your achievements with friends while playing the campaign...unless, of course, you just want to strategize and be left alone. Which brings me to what I think is the heart of Blizzard's mistake: they should have made a whole lot more settings OPTIONAL. You should have the OPTION to play single player online or offline, the OPTION to show as visible or invisible to your friends, the OPTION to play LAN, the OPTION to switch regions. But instead, Blizzard's "my way or the highway" approach will leave all of those who can't get past any of the above eight things out in the cold. So please, Blizzard, save your fans, yourselves, and your game a lot of trouble, and make more features optional in future patches.
I'll close by addressing what I think are the three groups of people holding off on buying the game: if you're dismayed by all the negative publicity, but none of the above problems are deal-breakers for you (and there's no reason why any of them have to be), go ahead and buy it. It really is a great game, and you'll have a lot of fun. If you absolutely can't get past one or more of the problems and know they would make the game cease to be a fun experience, then you have my sympathy and you get to keep your [...] bucks. And finally, to those for whom the issues really aren't deal-breakers but who are refusing to buy the game on matters of principle: you have my respect, and even my admiration. But man, you're missing out on a good one.
Update (4/19/11): Since I wrote this review, chat rooms have been patched into the game, though they aren't used nearly as much as the chat rooms in Blizzard's previous games. On other positive notes, the game is frequently patched, balance issues are addressed and taken seriously, the game has very active forums where players talk strategy in detail, and Blizzard is continuing to make new maps and scenarios and integrate them into online play. On the negative side, it's becoming more and more apparent that most of the bigger complaints against the game (like the lack of LAN, online requirement, and region lock) aren't going to be patched away. Overall, I'm still playing the game pretty regularly and having fun, but there's still plenty I'm gritting my teeth about.

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Counter-Strike: Source Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, here are your options. You can buy this package and get three multiplayer games. Or you can buy the retail version of Half Life 2 and get Counter Strike:Source, Half Life 2 Deathmatch, and the story version of HL2. Basically, with this package versus HL2 retail, you will be trading the story version of HL2 for the multiplayer game Day of Defeat and whatever price difference there is.
Now with that out of the way, I'd assume you are looking at this page because you are interested in Counter Strike: Source. Good choice. There is a reason CS:S is the number one online game in the world. The game is amazing......it's that simple.
The game is set up around the premise of Terrorists vs. Counter-Terrorists. When you first join a server you choose which side you want to be on, the main difference being the weapons you will have access to. During the game each team has a different goal. One some levels the Terrorists have to plant a bomb while the Counter-Terrorists try to stop them. On other levels the Counter-Terrorists try to rescue some hostages while the Terrorists try to stop them. During each round you get 1 life. That's it! This means if you die you have to sit around and wait until the round is over. It's not a big deal though, the levels are generally small and well designed, and rounds don't usually last very long. Some of the positives of this system are that it discourages "Rambo" type play where people will just run around with guns blazing, of course some people still do that, but most people are more concerned about being careful with their life.
The graphics in this game are amazing! All the particle, smoke and water effects are extremely well done. There is a reason the Source graphics engine is so popular and it shows in this game. If you don't have an up-to-date computer you may have to sacrifice some visuals for performance, but the Source engine scales quite well, so as long as you aren't years behind you should be able to find settings that work.
A heads up to any parents up there, there is a good amount of blood in this game and obviously it is centered around shooting other people, so you may want to keep that in mind if you are purchasing for a kid.
Now we move on to the actual gameplay. I already touched on the one life per round aspect of this game, but as a new player you should be prepared to die...... a lot! You will die over and over and you will never kill anyone. That is a fact, and if you are going to buy this game it would serve you well to just accept that right now. Having played First Person Shooters in the past will help a bit, but you will still be nothing but a bullet absorber when you first start out. The learning curve on this game is a bit steep, and there are many people out there who have been playing this game for years. They have the aiming system down to a science and know every level like the back of their hand. There is also a little weapon called the AWP, which is a sniper rifle you will get to know very well. Mainly by the amount of times you are killed by it. This is a one shot one kill weapon and there are some players out there who simply don't miss with it. Suffice to say it can be quit frustrating when you are constantly killed from 200 yards while you barely get a chance to even see who shot you.
The point of all this is that it will require a bit of patience to learn this game and get to a skill level where you can be competitive. There is a neat little option where you can start your own server and fill it with "bots", which are computer controlled characters, and use this as practice. You can even set the difficulty level of the bots. While no AI can compete with human intelligence this is a good way to get better at the game and learn the levels if you are getting frustrated on real servers.
Overall, it's a great game that is being updated constantly with new levels and features. If you can get past the learning curve you will be rewarded with a satisfying online shooter that you will be playing for years to come. If you are easily frustrated and do not want to put in the time it takes to get good at this game you may want to pass on this and try something else.


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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam - Expansion Review

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(More customer reviews)I have Bad Company 2 on Steam. When I purchased the Vietnam expansion on Amazon, I simply entered the code in the Bad Company 2 main menu and Vietnam was activated without any problems. All of the content for Vietnam was apparently in the last huge patch for Bad Company 2. Vietnam is multiplayer only so those looking for a single player game have been warned. Overall, Vietnam has a different feel from BC2. The maps are huge and open, each of them are unique. There are five multiplayer maps total and all of them take place outdoors. The jungle experience and scenery is captured perfectly in this expansion. I found myself getting shot by Vietcong in rice paddies and facing intense close combat fights on jungle paths. The downside to the openness of the maps is that you will have to deal with a lot of snipers, more so than in BC2.
There are about four unique weapons for each class and the perks attained in BC2 (magnum ammo, extended mags, vehicle upgrades) are available to use. Shooting and aiming with the weapons is more difficult with just iron sights as scopes have been removed (except for sniper rifles) as well as UAVs and other high-tech equipment. It seems like the weapons do more damage also. Its pretty intense when you are facing RPK machine guns and "thumper" grenade launchers in the jungle with a beat-up M-16. This game just feels gritty and realistic.
I'm enjoying this expansion, its much more challenging and realistic than BC2 and requires a fair amount of skill and teamwork. I definitely recommend it if you liked Bad Company 2.

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The Witcher - Enhanced Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)*UPDATED*
Don't listen to Kenny. The download window has a handy link to your games page, where you'll find the CD key ONCE THE GAME IS DOWNLOADED. Because it's on-line, it's even easier: You can paste the parts of the key to the key-entry screen!
This is v. 1.5, and I'm running on Windows 7 64, and the only problems I had were during the opening splash screens: for some reason, ctrl-alt-del-ing made the splash screens run (they would be super-slow, otherwise... like a frame every 3 seconds). The opening intro vid played for me, though, and I was able to access the main menu screen, change the resolution, and start playing the game. The vid problem might have something to do with the fact that I only have onboard graphics...
Speaking of onboard graphics: I need to get a discrete card, and soon (I just built this machine). I can tell that this game would look a lot better once I get a GPU with some muscle. I'm running it at "low", 1280x720, and it shows.
I've seen comments in forums that some users had sound issues, but I've had no problems.
I've played for an hour, so far, and this is quite a different game, for me; I've played RPGs for years, and this just "feels" different. I'll need to get used to the controls, primarily, but the active combat system is something new, too. In all honesty, I jumped right in without reading the manual, so that might have something to do with my experience.
Though I've given this game 5 stars to counter Kenny's blunder, I do have to admit that I would normally give it 4 stars because I didn't just "get" the controls in a few minutes; I like game controls that seem to just become second-nature after a very short while, and The Witcher doesn't have that. The controls are responsive and smooth, but I can tell that I will have to learn them, not just translate old habits to a newer game. (I know this is being picky, but I want to be honest.)
So far, it's enjoyable, and I can tell that there will be a lot of depth to this game. I can already see that I'll need to play it, again, but make different choices.
I've barely begun the game and don't even have a proper gaming system, but I wanted everyone else to know that it downloads and installs just fine to Win 7 64.
As of 11-20-10, it's silly to NOT buy this game for $6...

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Magicka Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is worth $9.99. It's sort of like Diablo/Nox/Torchlight, but with a combinatorial magic system.
I just spent the past five hours playing this game through single-player with my friend and we could not stop laughing at how ridiculous this game is (while having tons of fun!). It does not take itself seriously at all. A hilarious storyline with multiple references to movies, games, and pop culture that grows more and more absurd as the game progresses.
There's no leveling in the single player mode and no real inventory system. You do get different wands/staffs and swords in the game. They have their own properties that help supplement the magic system mentioned below. If you're playing co-op and you die, you drop all of your equipment. Your friends can revive you with a spell, but they probably won't until they take your nice shiny equipment!
The magic system is beautifully done. You're given eight selectable elements (fire, water, cold, arcane, earth, lightning, shield, life) that can combine with each other, unless they're opposite of each other -- they cancel each other out. You're able to combine up to six of any element to create a spell (some element combos create new elements!) and they all have various forms. You get a different form from casting it on yourself, your sword, on an area, or just aiming it for a ranged attack. This leads to a lot of different combinations and possibilities with the magic system.
It also leads to a lot of WHOOPS I JUST KILLED MYSELF BY SUMMONING A FIREY METEOR BUT I JUST WANTED TO HEAL MYSELF moments. This is awesome when it is your friend who does this. It is also awesome to freeze your friend and kill him because he just picked up that wicked staff that deflects ranged attacks. There will be a lot of random hilarious moments because of the wacky magic system.
I did experience some bugs in playing this game. I received a few crash to desktops when I started the game, but none while playing through the single-player mode. We also experienced some weird parts like being able to skip several sections of a level because we accidentally blew each other up onto other areas. I'm not sure if that was intended by the developers. It looks like the developers are patching every day currently, but I haven't touched online multiplayer yet so I'm assuming that's where most of the bugs exist.

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Portal 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)If you enjoyed Portal as much as I did (and I enjoyed it a LOT), prepare to be blown away. Portal 2's single-player campaign is in every way far better than the original. It takes you through unbelievably creative levels with far more dynamics and levels than the first game. I don't want to say too much because honestly, if you are even considering this game then you need to witness it yourself.
The only real "con" I can say about this game is that it's campaign is short for the price tag. However, if you felt it was justified to pay ~$50 for Call of Duty 4 despite how short it was, then expect the same quality (if not better) with Portal 2. It's a short campaign, but it is absolutely amazing.
Many people have been complaining about the DLCs and other strange things so let me be the first to clarify this for you. Portal 2 has an in-game shop, not unlike Mannconomy from Team Fortress 2. What you can buy are little customizations for your co-op robots, things like skins or gestures. There are about 60+ negative Metacritic reviews complaining about this, saying it should have been included in the game. I honestly do not understand it. This content has nothing to do with the single-player campaign as far as I am concerned, and I really do not care about them. They are just little trinkets that make your robots pretty. I really...don't understand the enormous criticism over it. PC players (which is what I am) have complained about the "Please do not turn off your console" dialog as well, which shows up when you are saving the game. I can assure you that other than this, the entire game feels exactly as well tuned for PC as with every other Valve game. I can hardly understand why they are complaining about this so much when there are games like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 or Assassin's Creed II that have significantly screwed PC player over on a magnitude far greater than this.
There will be many naysayers that will criticize some very trivial things about the game, and they are doing themselves a great injustice by not enjoying the single-player campaign without any false politics and drama about DLCs or what-not. If you enjoyed the first Portal, you will definitely enjoy this second installment, most likely more than the first. If you're worried about it being too short, wait a while and pick it up when it's $5 on Steam (which you know it will be eventually), or perhaps when it is even free. Either way, you deserve to play this game. Period.
P.S. I ran this almost perfectly on my netbook with a Atom 330/nVidia ION on full res and medium textures. My netbook can't even run L4D2 or Team Fortress 2, so Portal 2 can definitely run very well on many computers.

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Portal 2 is a unique first-person Action-Puzzle-Platforming game that tests player's ability to think and act creatively as they use the game's ingenious wormhole creating portal gun to produce their own paths through otherwise sealed surfaces and across the open spaces of the game. Sequel to the original Portal game -- the surprise add-on hit included in Valve Corporation's 2007 release The Orange Box -- Portal 2 continues the storyline from the first game, featuring both new and returning characters, and poses a range of new challenges making for a much deeper game. Additional features include a new two player co-op mode and an original soundtrack.

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Bachmann Iron King HO Scale Electric Train 155 Pcs Set Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my first train set. I mainly bought it to put under our Christmas tree.
I am very impressed with the workmanship of this set as far as the locomotive and cars go. The locomotive is pretty heavy and because of that it feels sturdy. I wouldn't dare dropping it on the floor though; I doubt it would survive impact intact. The cars feel a little delicate, however the amount of detail in the painting and molding is impressive. The wheels did come off when unpacking, but they were really easy to pop back into the truck frame.
The Plasticville pieces do feel a little on the flimsy side; then again they are provided just to fill up an scenery around the train and they are not really the main center of attention. Plasticville has lots of small pieces, so watch out with smaller kids.

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O-27 4-6-0 Santa Flyer II Review

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(More customer reviews)IMPORTANT NOTE - the "O-27" description shown above is incorrect. This is a fairly large O-gauge locomotive that won't track O-27 curves. Per Lionel's information, the 6-38691 Santa Flyer II requires a minimum O-36 curve. (I've included the Lionel info below)
With that out if the way, this is a great locomotive! I love the look and the detail. The online pics don't really do justice to the look of this set. It's heavy and well made, and just has a great color and design scheme. The body is die cast metal with metal railings. It has plenty of weight and power to pull effortlessly...I've pulled upwards of 12 cars so far with no sign of strain. The lights, whistle, forward & reverse all work great.
On the downside, the smoke unit on this particular engine is a bit stingy with smoke output. With the appropriate amount of Lionel smoke fluid added, it requires a hefty load and a lot of voltage to get any smoke at all. (We're using an older Lionel "RW" 110 watt transformer) I'm currently working with Lionel to see if I can improve it. Another complaint is that the included coal tender is plastic and has some tiny plastic details that are certain to break early on...not a major problem, as they'll likely not even be missed, but their inclusion of those pieces makes me wonder what they were thinking. I'm also not overly pleased that the coupling between the loco and the coal tender is proprietary and can only be used as a set (not to be confused with th knuckle coupler for pulling cars, which is standard). It would have made more sense to me if they'd used the standard linkage that most prewar and postwar engines have used for decades so they'd be interchangeable. It would have also been nice if they'd put a Santa figure in the cabin to run the train. I wanted to give it 5-stars, but the shortcomings prevent that at current retail pricing. Those minor complaints aside, I think this is just an awesome addition to any O-gauge setup, and is an especially nice addition to a Christmas theme (like the North Pole Central collection). Lovin' it!Features
Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation
Two operating headlamps
One operating red headlight
Operating coupler on rear of tender
Electronic steam whistle
Powerful maintenance-free motor
Two traction tires
Puffing smoke
Cab window "glass"
Separately applied metal handrails
Die-cast metal locomotive body
Metal frame on tender
Locomotive Road Number: 2
Gauge: Traditional O Gauge
Dimensions: Length: 18"
RailLine: North Pole Central
Minimum Curve: O-36



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Bachmann Trains Tweetsie Railroad Ready-to-Run Large Scale Train Set Review

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(More customer reviews)The set was supposed to be for my 5-year old son, yet I think I appreciated it more than he does. High quality craftmanship and heavy gauge wiring. The E-Z Track System was very easy to assemble. Powerful transformer should you decide to add more trains later on.

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Originally carrying passengers through the Blue Ridge mountains from Johnson City, Tennessee to Boone, North Carolina was the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC). Operating today and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you?ll understand this train?s nickname when you hear the Tweetsie?s whistle echoing across the valleys of the Blue Ridge. NOTE: This set is NOT recommended for outdoor use.

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