Showing posts with label rentware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rentware. Show all posts

4/03/2012

Singularity Review

Singularity
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.

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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.


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2/18/2012

Crysis Warhead Review

Crysis Warhead
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Crysis is simply amazing, and I expect Warhead to be excellent also. I've waited for this release, but sadly, I will not be buying it. The DRM in this game is a deal-breaker for the following reasons:
1. Securom 7, the DRM scheme, installs itself on your computer and is as hard as a computer virus to uninstall. It requires making registry edits, and is far outside the realm of what most people are comfortable with Securom 7 causes possible security issues, system failures, and some legitimate software to stop working. It can prevent legitimate programs that burn cds to stop functioning correctly. It does not install when you uninstall the game. EA doesn't disclose these facts on the game's packaging, or in the game's EULA.
A very similar program was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court. The FTC's previous ruling against Sony can by found here: [..]
"Installations of secret software that create security risks are intrusive and unlawful," said FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras. "Consumers' computers belong to them, and companies must adequately disclose unexpected limitations on the customary use of their products so consumers can make informed decisions regarding whether to purchase and install that content."
2. The game has limited activations (5) meaning that you can only install the game a total of 5 times. I think I rebuilt my computer 4 times just in life span of the original Crysis (always chasing more frames, new graphics card, then two of them in crossfire, new processor {quad core} etc... With this new DRM I would have run out of installs in only 6 months or so! I will not pay $30.00 for a game rental, which is what 5 installs effectively makes this game. Even the version available for download through Steam comes packaged with the install limit and Securom, really calling into question the purpose of both: Steam by its very nature prevents piracy, so why would the Steam version need additional DRM OR an installation limit???
3. DRM doesn't stop piracy, it only hurts honest consumers like myself (I own, and have paid for, literally hundreds of games). Spore is a perfect example of how DRM doesn't stop piracy. It is now the most pirated game in history, despite this same invasive DRM. Pirates don't care about DRM; they crack it and then happily play their DRM free version. It is those like myself who buy the game retail that get stuck with all the crumminess of DRM.
4. DRM means you can never re-sell your copy. This potentially violates the doctrine of first sale, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court on more than one occasion. Basically, if you buy this game and don't like it or finish playing it and don't want it any more, you will never be able to sell it to someone else, because there is no way to demonstrate to them that there are installs left on your version. You can read about first sale law here:[..]
In conclusion, the game itself is not the issue here. The issue is that a really excellent game comes packaged with an invasive, draconian DRM scheme that cannot be uninstalled, has ring 0 access to your computer, limits your installations to three, and can potentially crash software you have installed, or even your computer itself.
This would not be acceptable in the case of a DVD or CD, so why would we as consumers accept it in a game? I honestly feel bad that Crytek got hooked up with EA and their malware DRM, as I love their games. I hope that by not buying this one (unless they change the DRM scheme) I and others will influence EA games, or at least Crytek, to steer clear of DRM that only hurts me and you, their honest, paying customers. If you want to learn more about DRM, here is a useful guide: [..]
***UPDATE***
YES I HAVE READ THE FAQ PUT OUT BY CYRTEK. Their FAQ fails to answer or even address many of the concerns with DRM:
1. How is this DRM expected to prevent piracy since all DRM (even Securom 7x) gets cracked almost immediately? (Take a look at Spore which was cracked in HOURS, not days)
2. Why do we, the paying customers then get stuck with DRM, while pirates, who pay nothing, get a superior copy without DRM?
3. I have problems with any DRM that installs in the background, is virus hard to uninstall, and has ring 0 access to my system. I am the administrator of my computer NOT Securom 7x, and any program that takes that control away from me is unacceptable. It is also well known to cause conflicts with legitimate software, and even cause some user's computers to crash. The FTC shot down Sony's similar DRM a couple years ago; this seems like the same thing all over again. Securom 7 utterly fails in its stated purpose, to prevent illegal copies of the game. So why is it still being used considering all of it's negatives?
4. Why is this DRM necessary on the Steam version? Steam, by its very nature, prevents illegal copies from being made.
5. Is the number to get new activations toll free? Also, EA has deplorable customer service (check out the fiasco for those of us with Vista 64-bit who purchased Crysis online and were forced to play at 32-bit, all while EA insisted it was our computers that were the problem, when it was their garbage software installer) and I frankly don't trust them. What assurances are in place that if making a call, someone will be able and willing to help us in a reasonable amount of time?
If they get back to me with answers, I will happily modify this review as necessary.


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Take on the fight as the volatile Sergeant "Psycho" Sykes in a new parallel story taking place during the events of Crysis. Psycho's secret mission will take him to the other side of the island on a ruthless pursuit of a North Korean general hell-bent on obtaining powerful technology. With the versatile powers of his Nanosuit and an arsenal of fully customizable weapons & vehicles at his disposal, Sykes will do whatever it takes to carry out his top-secret objective. Action on the other side of the island is more intense, the battles are fierce, and the mission protocol is no longer "Adapt to Survive". As Sergeant Sykes, now you must adapt to dominate the battle. Twin SMG's blazing, seizing new vehicles, or going stealth, the action and the victory is on your terms.

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2/13/2012

Crysis Review

Crysis
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I played the first crysis and absolutely loved it. Amazing graphics, interesting/fresh gameplay, open levels etc. I was then disappointed to learn that crysis warhead had a limit on how many times you could install on a different machine. Since I am constantly upgrading my computer this would mean that after changing out 5 components I would need to buy a new game. I then decided not to purchase the game.
When I found out crysis maximum edition was releasing I checked the forums and discovered that EA had added a workaround to the authorization allowing me unlimited installs as long as I used the tool correctly. I hurried out and purchased the game as it gave me a backup version of crysis and in addition crysis wars. I began playing through warhead and was just as happy as I was with the original crysis title. Probably the best game I have played this year. However, I discovered that some programs of mine were not working (for example, daemon tools) and other games were crashing frequently. I went on the interwebz and found that this was probably caused by the securom 7 that installs with crysis warhead. This securom installed without my knowledge, is not able to be uninstalled without advanced knowledge of your operating system or with a 3rd party uninstaller that was rather difficult to locate (the one provided by the securom company does not work well) Needless to say I did not want malware on my PC so I ran the uninstaller and rid myself of it. This rendered warhead, which I was only halfway through, unplayable but imo it was worth it. I do not need securom deciding what my computer can and can't do.
I learned my lesson, from now on I will check and see what kind of drm a game has before purchasing. If it uses anything as intrusive as securom 7 I will not even give it consideration, its not worth the hassle and I refuse to give money to a company for a game which knowingly puts malware on my computer when hackers who did not pay for the game get to play malware free. Save yourself a headache and skip this game. Tell EA with your dollar vote that excessive and intrusive drm is not the answer for piracy.

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Finally, gamers can get their hands on the entire Crysis world in Crysis Maximum Edition. The 2007 PC Game of the Year is packaged along with the critically acclaimed parallel story, Crysis Warhead, and the explosive multiplayer combat of Crysis Wars. For newcomers to the Crysis world, Crysis Maximum Edition gives players chance to don the Nanosuit in three different games for one low price. Whether they're saving mankind from an alien apocalypse or fighting alongside friends in online team instant action matches, there is something for everyone in Crysis Maximum Edition.The Games Earth, 2019. A team of US scientists makes a frightening discovery on an island in the South China Sea. All contact with the team is lost when the North Korean Government quickly seals off the area. The United States responds by dispatching an elite team of Delta Force Operators to recon the situation. As tension rises between the two nations, a massive alien ship reveals itself in the middle of the island. The ship generates an immense force sphere that freezes a vast portion of the island and drastically alters the global weather system. Now the US and North Korea must join forces to battle the alien menace. With hope rapidly fading, you must fight epic battles through tropical jungle, frozen landscapes, and finally into the heart of the alien ship itself for the ultimate Zero G showdown. Key Features
A unique three-act structure forces the player to use real-time armor and weapons customization to adapt constantly to an ever-changing world.
Encounter a frightening and totally original alien species—they use their senses intelligently and work together to present the most challenging enemy yet in an FPS.
Control of a variety of land, sea, and air vehicles including trucks, tanks, boats, and helicopters.
Explore a living, dynamic world where earthquakes, breaking ice, landslides, and tornados pose an ever-present threat.
32-player multiplayer with real-time armor and weapons customization, plus an all-new multiplayer mode that combines player modification and tactical objectives.
Emergent gameplay means that in-game actions affect future outcomes and give each player a unique experience.
Highly robust and easy-to-use mod toolset allows players to create their own expansive levels for both multiplayer and single-player modes.
The CryENGINE 2 engine delivers the most realistic environments, spectacular special effects, physics game engine, lighting system, and enemy Al.
Take on the fight as the volatile Sergeant "Psycho" Sykes in a new parallel story taking place during the events of Crysis. Psycho's secret mission will take him to the other side of the island on a ruthless pursuit of a North Korean general hell-bent on obtaining powerful technology. With the versatile powers of his Nanosuit and an arsenal of fully customizable weapons & vehicles at his disposal, Sykes will do whatever it takes to carry out his top-secret objective. Action on the other side of the island is more intense, the battles are fierce, and the mission protocol is no longer "Adapt to Survive". As Sergeant Sykes, now you must adapt to dominate the battle. Twin SMG's blazing, seizing new vehicles, or going stealth, the action and the victory is on your terms. Key Features
Fight as the volatile Sergeant Sykes on a secret mission to stop the enemy from obtaining a weapon that threatens humanity.
Discover what happened on the other side of the island in a campaign that takes place at the same time as the events of Crysis.
Never play the same way twice- experiment with going stealth or with guns blazing in over-the-top action.

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1/20/2012

Dead Space Review

Dead Space
Average Reviews:

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Went to Best Buy to buy a new Wiimote yesterday and saw this game. I bought both.
Came back and install it on my Dell Dimension 9200, which is about as pre-built as you can get right? No vista driver problems for me, right?
WRONG. 2 + 2 = giraffes WRONG.
First I had to tell my antivirus and spyware software about a BILLION times to let secure-rom install.
Second I installed it and rebooted.
Third my dvd drive no longer works.
I am not sure what changed between Bioshock and this game cause I bought Bioshock and had no problem with secure-rom back then. I bought bioshock full price and don't regret a single cent because I ACTUALLY GOT TO PLAY BIOSHOCK. I finished bioshock without even cracking it (although I eventually did for a second play-through, cause who wants to find the dvd everytime right).
REVIEW UPDATED :
Funny thing. I never did install Dead Space again on my system. I just can't risk having SecureRom on it again since I actually do tons of work on it. So here is a review of a cracked version of the game, as opposed to the boxed copy which now sits next to other games I don't play anymore (poor HL2). I think EA should have an option when you insert the disk that lets you chose between installing their DRM version or downloading a cracked one. I am joking but I totally am not.
The game runs nicely on my Dell Dimension 9200, which ran Bioshock and COD4 on high just fine. If you compare it to PC exclusive titles you can tell the textures in this game is low quality. Nevertheless, it has a nice, polished look.
The controls are fine. I tried it with my xbox 360 control but just can't bring myself to play any kind of fps without keyboard/mouse. The game forces the mouse turn rate so your character can't magically turn 180 degrees in half a second. This didn't bother me, and I actually think it's a nice way to add some realism into the controls.
The overall experience is effective and addictive, if not for the reason the developer stated. They said it was mostly about psychological fear, with help from shadows and music. The game is actually mostly about enemies popping out or dropping down from ceilings. They said it's about strategic dismemberment. It's strategic the first 5 times, by then it's more like habitual dismemberment. Shoot limbs for maximum damage doesn't require more IQ than boom headshot.
Nevertheless, the game just flows very well, and lots of little things are put into it to keep you in the game world 99% of the time. It's obvious the developers put a lot of thought into the interface and controls. It's something new to the genre that future games can learn from.
So now having played the game (I plan on replaying it on Easy so I can just wack the enemies to death, and then on Hard to give myself more of a rush) I think it's worth the money. However, a big part of the reason I think that is cause I played a cracked copy put together by the pirates which installed the game and not secure rom. So I'm very conflicted about the whole thing. I definitely don't want any more secure rom nonsense but at the same time I'm happy I bought the game (to support more games like this on my PC). I guess I'll continue to buy games with secure rom if it's good enough like this one or bioshock, but I'll still be playing the vastly superior pirated copy instead. Everybody wins, I guess. At least everybody who is honest enough to buy the game, and then smart enough to download a cracked copy too :/

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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.


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12/06/2011

Just Cause 2 Review

Just Cause 2
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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.

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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!.

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11/27/2011

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction Review

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction
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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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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction PC

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