Silent Storm Gold Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Combining the over-the-top fiction found in some World War 2 based comics and a combat system similar to that of the Fallout games, Silent Storm succeeds in being a very enjoyable experience with a few questionable gameplay decisions.
Silent Storm starts out by letting you customize the central character of your team, in other words your avatar. You can choose to be any of the classes available in the game: Scout, Soldier, Medic, Engineer or Grenadier and what side of the conflict to be in. All classes can partake in combat or perform any of the actions available but only those specialized in a certain area may increase their skills in said area substantially. Skills are raised through use during missions along with the opportunity to earn medals for your actions.
The graphics in Silent Storm are decent, while there isn't much that will impress they are very adequate for an RPG/Strategy hybrid. The missions are varied enough in scenery to keep things from getting monotonous. The sound never stood out much to me, but the effects that are available also feel adequate. The voice acting can at times seem amateurish but the exaggerated accents fit in nicely with the theme. The musical score is the typical military selection that you can expect from any game with such a theme. From pounding drums to solemn melodies, they can all be found among the soundtrack.
The weapons available to you range from guns, knives and explosives to laser weapons available in later missions. This brings me to another aspect of combat, your main source of new armament for you squad will be found during the game's missions. While you can stock up on some basic weapons shortly after your first mission in Silent Storm, you will find that the more advanced weapons are used by the enemy and can be picked up once they are dead or disarmed. During Sentinels things change a bit as you can purchase an ever increasing variety of weapons as you progress.
The expansion to Silent Storm, Sentinels, is included in this package and worth a look. The game takes place after World War 2 and you are now a mercenary that gets an opportunity to work for a peace-keeping organization called The Sentinels. The combat and much of the gameplay remain the same as in the original, but you will not be able to continue using the same character you developed in the previous storyline.
"Sentinels" does introduce some gameplay changes that make sense within the context of the story. No longer will your only opportunity to increase a skill be on the battlefield, now you can train them up for a price while at headquarters. This is not the only major gameplay change introduced in the expansion as now to add additional members to your squad you will have to hire them at an increased cost for the more experienced sentinels available.
One of the questionable gameplay decisions happens to be the addition of Panzerkleins later on in both storylines. The shift in the action is so abrupt that it changes the mechanics of the game in a big way. From having to think ahead and plan out your assault, as well as having plenty of opportunity to use all of your squad's varied skills during a mission, it becomes an exercise in brute force. As soon as you obtain Panzerkleins for some of your squad you can blast your way through any level, the only thing keeping you from blasting through the enemy ranks unchallenged are the opposing Panzerkleins. Another questionable decision was that of making most of the terrain destructible. While in theory a very sound choice given the setting and subject matter, in practice it can become a bit of a hindrance if by chance you happen to blow away certain parts of the terrain and cut off access to the rest of the level for your Panzerkleins, which proceeding without in some cases can be near impossible due to enemy Panzerkleins.
As with most games translated to English there are some typos to be found. I would be willing to forgive these minor oversights if I did not feel that the game was already a quality product developed with some scrutiny, something which is not reflected in the sloppy translation. These minor complaints have become pet peeves for some fans of the game but in no way should keep you from giving it a try. As of this writing the "Gold Edition" is a bargain and its contents are well worth the money.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Silent Storm Gold

Single and Multiplayer modes

Click here for more information about Silent Storm Gold

Read More...

System Shock 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The game had me dropping my mouse, backing away from the monitor and out the door. The focus here is on how Environmental Audio can go a long way to scare the be-jesus out of you. And it does it well.
Otherwise, an intelligent RPG woven together with a first-person shooter, but with a very clever, puzzle-solving touch.
Basically, you awaken from cryo-sleep on a derelict spacecraft that was sent on a mission to deep space. You awaken to find things have gone horribly, horribly wrong as some form of alien life has taken over. It's all up to you to solve the mystery.

Click Here to see more reviews about: System Shock 2

Click here for more information about System Shock 2

Read More...

Wizardry 8 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Wizardry is epic.
This reviewer is 23 and has played many, many role-playing games. After a while, you become jaded, and get picky about your likes and dislikes. Sometimes games seem to just blend into one another and they aren't all that unique and distinguishable.
This one is different. It has to be - it is expected. It's a Sir-Tech game, after all. It's Wizardry.
In the 1980s, the big three were Wizardry, Ultima, and Might and Magic. I've always felt Wizardry was king of 3d, Ultima of top-down/isometric, and Might and Magic was just a runner-up.
Wizardry is "classic" or "old-school." There is (of course) an excellent story, above-average music, fine gameplay, and decent graphics (the 3d engine is impressive - it draws you in but I'll leave it at "good" and not "amazing") - the monsters are the best graphics in the game with their animations - and they are awesome. Couldn't get much better there. But what makes Wizardry 8 classic are not these features (enjoyable as they are)...
Wizardry 8 is about characters - the essence of role-playing. It features extensive character generation (and brings back the "good ol' days" before fast-food generation of bland characters became standard. There are so many races and classes, so many combinations to try, so many statistics to become involved with (should I allocate points towards Wizardry to improve my mages' spell points, or stock points to make less of his spells fail? should I have my rogue become an expert lock-picker or better at pickpocketing first? or should I put points in other places...) Fighters can get lots of strength, Priests piety, etc. There are many standard attributes (strength, intelligence, piety, vitality, dexterity, speed, senses, etc), and then combat categories to put points in -- close combat, ranged combat, dual strike -- weapons: from bows and slings to maces and swords and axes -- to characteristics like mythology (the higher the more you know about your enemies), artifacts (exactly what is this cloak I just picked up and what does it do?), to scouting ("monsters approaching!!") This process is extremely interesting and sucks you in whenever you advance levels. After all, you have six characters to flesh out and differentiate. Character generation in the first place is great.
This is the essence of why Wizardry is the best CRPG. You completely control all levels of your characters (you form a party of six with optional NPCs being recruited later). You pick your characters' pictures, statistics, names, and even personalities. You literally create personal roles to play for hours and hours (and hours).
A side note on personalities - they are awesome. There are personalities to pick for each character such as aggressive, kindly, chaotic, eccentric (definitely one of the most entertaining), cunning, and laidback. Once chosen, your characters speak tons and tons of lines of dialogue echoing their personalities. The eccentric mage (if you so choose), may refer to himself in third-person. Wonderful. Lines are spoken throughout the game in all instances - just adventuring, combat, winning a battle, someone dying (comments on who has dibs on a dead character's stuff is pretty funny), a great attack made, a miscast spell that affects your party - our hero has made a horrible mistake..
The combat is also great. Wizardry is combat-intensive. It is generally turn-based (but can be continuous) -- you pick your characters' options a round starts - monsters go, you go - determined by speed, level, etc. It involves elements of strategy, from setting up, to choosing actions for your characters and watching them unfold after your options are chosen. Many classes can cast spells ranging from affecting a single enemy to a group - classics such as fireball and magic missiles - to spells that affect conditions of monsters: nauseate them with Noxious Fumes, make them go nuts with Insanity, freeze them with Web...and enemies are intelligent. They will circle your party if they can to attack your lowly mage hiding in the back. Try working your way out of that one...
Experience is gained, levels are upped, points for statistics are distributed...all while adventuring in a wonderful world with great people. The NPCs were labored over. They all have unique voices and personalities as well, and respond to questions you ask via either keywords typed in or selected from their dialogue or a keyword box. It reminds me of talking to people in real life - a favorite is a woman in the first town, very Midwest and small town who is really nice to you and loves to gossip. Reminds me of an aunt in Indiana I have. NPCs voice their reactions to events in the world and have opinions on just about any topic you can think of asking them about. The combination of EXCELLENT (EXCELLENT!!!) voice-acting and writing make these interactions extremely enjoyable. They really add to the atmosphere of the game.
From the graphics, to writing, gameplay, combat, voice-acting, storyline, character interaction, even interface (yes, it is one of the best ever - easy to use, uncomplicated to learn, logical), this game is hands-down a complete winner. It is the best CRPG I have ever played and I have played them for well over 15 years.
For those people who have played things such as Diablo, the Baldur's Gate series, Planescape:Torment, Icewind Dale, you will love this game. It includes the best elements from some of those games and makes them all even better in a 3D world. It also reminds me of the classics (Bard's Tale, The SSI Gold Box games, etc.) It has definitive elements of Wizardry that are completely unique - from combat to NPC interaction - and the whole thing put together will suck you in and hours will pass before you know it.
BUY THIS GAME!
The only thing you will regret is not having more time to play.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Wizardry 8

Wizardry 8 is an epic fantasy RPG that picks up where Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant left off. Fans of the series will recall that all hell had broken loose at the end of Wizardry 7. The Dark Savant had taken flight with a device called the Astral Dominae, an incredibly powerful artifact containing the secret of life itself. Following him are two powerful races, the T'Rang and the Umpani, as well as your own brave party of adventurers. Everyone is headed to Dominus, a world on the cusp of the Cosmic Circle, birthplace of the Astral Dominae, and home of the Cosmic Lords. Many paths will converge on Dominus, and many long-hidden secrets will be revealed.
Newcomers to the series will enjoy a special beginning just for those who haven't played the previous game. Whether you're an old Wizardry adventurer or new, you'll enjoy a unique, well-developed role-playing world of unusual depth and freedom. The game is not strictly linear: if you're smart enough and tough enough, you can go wherever you want. You can team up with some of the factions you'll meet--and then double-cross them, if it suits your fancy.

Click here for more information about Wizardry 8

Read More...

Deus Ex Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Most of the time when you think of a first-person shooter, you picture fast-paced slaughter and mayhem like in the legendary Quake and Unreal line. Deus Ex, however, adds an unprecedented level of intelligence to a genre previously devoid of any thought other than "if it moves, kill it".
Deus Ex follows Agent JC Denton on his first assignment for UNATCO - an anti-terrorist group with wide-reaching jurisdiction. JC is a special nanotech-augmented cyborg with a wide range of superhuman abilities. You are able to customize your character throughout the game in an RPG-esque style. Want to go in with guns blazing? Increase training in heavy arms and pistols. Want to take out the bad guys from a distance? Focus on Rifle training. Want to hack into the security system and have it eliminate the bad guys for you? Train heavily on electronics and computers. Want to be able to heal yourself instantly? Train up on Medicine. Depending on how you train your character, the gameplay changes significantly. This not only adds tremendous amounts of depth, but also increases the replay value. As if that wasn't enough, the storyline is very intricate and boasts some superb twists. You will end up not knowing who to trust as the game goes on. The plotline culminates in three possible endings, depending on whose side you choose.
Highest possible recommendation.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Deus Ex

It's the new millennium. Civilization is near collapse. The world economy is in chaos. The middle class no longer exists. Deadly viruses have ravaged the earth's population. Terrorism runs rampant. From this maelstrom of violence and suffering an ancient conspiracy bent on world domination emerges from the shadows of legend. The conspirators' greatest strength? No one believes they exist. No one but you.
In Deus Ex, immerse yourself in an intricate web of betrayal and intrigue as you attempt to uncover power struggles, hidden agendas, and the dark conspiracy behind it all. Travel the globe building a network of allies and create an alternate identity to aid you in your search for the truth. There is no one path to success. It is achieved through various means; employ stealth, strategy, or force--the choice is yours. But remember, trust no one. Even those who you keep as allies may be more than they seem. Question everything.
This game incorporates role-playing, action, adventure, and first-person shooter genres into a chaotic blend of real-world conspiracies, cliffhangers, and plot twists. Explore a richly simulated world of unparalleled interactivity, engineered to react logically to your every action. The Game of the Year Edition now includes DX Multiplayer, DeathMatch, and Team DeathMatch, plus five new multiplayer maps and a built-in search engine for multiplayer servers. The bonus soundtrack CD contains 30 tracks remixed for higher audio quality. With the included software development kit, you can create standalone Deus Ex missions, build 3-D maps from scratch, or modify existing Deus Ex maps; you can also create new conversationsbetween game characters with ConEdit. The package includes a Deus Ex Windows desktop theme.

Click here for more information about Deus Ex

Read More...

The Last Remnant PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Had to ship from the UK but it was worth the extra 2 weeks. The only ones I could find in the US were 4 times as much $$$ for the same game. Updates on steam as soon as you install with US updates.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Last Remnant PC

Click here for more information about The Last Remnant PC

Read More...

PC-GUILD WARS PLATINUM Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Alright, I've played quite a few MMORPGs in my day, some with monthly subscriptions and others being free and I have to say, Guild Wars is better than anything I've played so far.
I started playing on recommendation from my boyfriend and at first I was really skeptic but after creating my first character and diving into the Prophecies campaign, I was not disappointed. I loved the feeling of the different towns and how you could choose to just go into the field with just yourself and a few NPCs or feeling froggy enough you could team up with other people. I also loved how you could kneel (literally) at the statues of the game's Gods and the avatars of the gods would come down and bestow upon you blessings and enchantments for a few gold coins.
Although the level cap is only 20, that's only the beginning of the game. After level 20, you still obtain experience points to get more skill points for your character. Not to mention at that point, you can then start training to get your Elite Skills and Elite armor sets.
And I have to say I'm not really into PvP, but I got more into it the more I played Guild Wars. You have the option in Guild Wars to PvP with NPCs or to go up against other players and vice versa. You also get PvP specific NPC characters and Heroes to add to your party.
I would definately recommend Guild Wars to other RPGs lovers out there.

Click Here to see more reviews about: PC-GUILD WARS PLATINUM

Click here for more information about PC-GUILD WARS PLATINUM

Read More...

Fallout 2 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)this game dos not run properly on os x 10.5.3 or later. video drivers are messed up so unless u like playing in half a screen and can deal with what could best be described as really low resolution predator heat vision i would pass on this one. besides fallout 3 will be out in a few months

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fallout 2

Click here for more information about Fallout 2

Read More...

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat is one of those games that you either get into it, or you don't but don't ever hate.
The STALKER series does have a plot and the plot is well grounded, however STALKER is really about exploration and "living" in the zone rather than speed running through the game.
And the developers made it very easy to get drawn into the world of STALKER, everything from the wind blowing in your face to gun shots far out in the wilderness all creates this world that YOU ARE ALONE and only you can keep yourself alive, eating regularly and scavenging for ammo, weapons, food and medical supplies after witnessing a dynmaic faction war going down in the distance.
The great thing about STALKER is that you are not the only one living there, other NPCS create groups, form friendships and make camp during the night, only to be ambushed by bandits before DAWN, this actually happens, it is not scripted, it's all dynamic!However, there's only so much the devs can do to pull you into the world of STALKER, and it shows, the graphics are looking quite dated on average, though there are times the scenery looks almost photorealistic.Call of Pripyat makes a GREAT expansion to the first STALKER game.
NOTE: YOU NEED THE FIRST IN ORDER TO PLAY CALL OF PRIPYAT

Click Here to see more reviews about: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat

Read More...

Fallout New Vegas Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)War...War never changes. But Fallout has over the course of its long-winded history.
It started as a spiritual sequel to 'Wasteland', CRPG that started 'Post-Apocalyptic' gameplay back in 1988 by Interplay, whose division Black Isle is behind seminal CRPG classic such as 'Baldur's Gate' and yes, you guessed it, 'Fallout' and 'Fallout 2'.
After Interplay was disintegrated, some of the people went to Bioware, some of them went on to found Troika, talented but unfortunate developer who met its demise after three original and interesting but very buggy CRPG with dissimal sales. Some of them went on to found Obsidian, yet another talented but somewhat disappointing developer whose track record includes 'Knights of the Old Republic 2', 'Neverwinter Nights 2', 'Alpha Protocol' and upcoming 'Dungeon Siege 3'.
Why am I reciting a history lesson here? When Bethesda acquired the right for 'Fallout' IP from Interplay and released its biggest financial success yet with 'Fallout 3', fans were divided into two distinctive factions and has been feuding over which is better.
Faction Red: Bethesda ruined the memory of the greatest CRPG of all time by dumbing down everything we loved about our precious franchise. It's 'Oblivion with guns'.
Faction Blue: Bethesda successfully resuscitated the dead franchise by streamlining many archaic elements and implementing new refreshing elements. It retains all the core elements from 'Fallout'. We love it.
I personally love all of them and none of them are perfect to feud over petty differences in semantics.
After court-feuding over who's got the right to the entire 'Fallout' series, Bethesda settled with the right to all future single-player Fallout game and right to license the right to Interplay to the development of 'Fallout MMORPG'. So both 'Fallout 4' and 'Fallout Online' are coming; both will be published by Bethesda and 'Fallout 4' will be also developed by Bethesda.
So with the help of creative minds behind the original 2D isometric Fallout games using the same engine and costruction set Bethesda did for FO3, can Obsidian right the wrong by Bethesda? (Bethesda still owns the IP and publishes it.) That has been the question by Faction Red.
If you are a fan of 'Fallout 3', rest assured FONV is exactly like FO3 with nothing taken away with some newly improved elements added. You will feel right at home with the game. Control, menu, movement, combat, Pipboy and VATS are all identical. What's added are new perks system, new aiming system and new NPC companion command system.
Unlike FO3, there are tons more factions now in play and you can choose to side with certain faction with consequences. Faction dynamics play much more intimate and important role, and are tied directly to the choices you have to make (think Morrowind). You cannot possibly satisfiy everyone in FONV. You'll have to actually play multiple playthrough to experience everything. Choices you make will definitely make the differrence in character interaction and will give out whopping 27 unique important quests all littered with different endings with each ending giving you various permutations (think Gothic and The Witcher), unlike the cookie-cutter, same-difference 5 endings FO3 offered. Every time you make someone beneficiary, you will make someone else unhappy. All of your choices will resullt in some type of consequences. There is no more good and evil morality play here. This time, it is a wild wild west. Everyone is a cutthroat. In fact, style of the game is reminiscent of old western movie and FO3 rolled into one.
Dialogues are much more sarcastic and darkly humorous. Voice-works are well-done by many celebrities. Characters are wackier. General tone of the game is morally even murkier and overall darker, albeit humorous on par with the first two games (especially Fallout 2).
Soundtrack once again retains the signature feel of the series by utilizing slew of retro 40s and 50s classic pop music. Orchestral score is once again done by Inon Zur.
While level-cap has been increased to 30, leveling up needs more attention because you cannot be a jack of all trade in FONV; especially in light of new 'Hard-core' mode that is included in the game. You need to hunt and cook / harvest / steal and eat, you need to drink and you need to sleep to survive or pay the consequence. You cannot carry infinite amount of ammo either. You can freely choose whether you want to play as 'Hard-core'.
You can now mod your own weapons on the work bench with more variety and freedom than you were able to in FO3.
Graphics are still competent but are aging fast now. The general tone of the color scheme is changed from green to orange. While Obsidian claims graphic is slightly improved, I think graphically everything looks little bit uglier overall, probably stemming from mismatched color schemes throughout the environment. Sometimes, the world feels like messy crayon artwork from kindergarten wall. But the world is much livelier and you now see some level of active civilization represented by glowing neons of Vegas Strip.
So it sounds like I am trashing FO3 and praising FONV to no end. Not so fast. FO 3 is still a great game but I like FONV slightly better in terms of the improved gameplay. However, FO3 is much better in depth of contents, presentation and storytelling. Morrowind and Oblivion is still my king of CRPG with much stronger community support. So what is wrong with the game?
Welcome to the bugfest 2010. It's a grand feast of technical mess; frame rate stuttering issue, game crashing and freezing, characters stuck in the environment, disappearing act of characters and items (even save-game files make the cameos in the act) are some of the widely reported bugs across the all platforms. Yes, CRPG and nonlinear, free-formed, open-ended game in gigantic scope as big as FONV will always be buggier than linear, focused games like Halo and Modern Warfare due to virtually impossible task of QA stemming from endless in-game possibilities, and yes, nothing gamebreaking, But there are tons of minor glitches that are annoying and tiresome when you play the game that gives you anywhere from 40-200 hours and upward. This is the buggiest Fallout entry.
Here's a helpful site to alleviate your potential problems.
[...]
Another thing is everything in FONV is awfully familiar with FO3, not necessarily a bad thing in itself. Just don't expect the same kind of awe-inducing wow moment like when you came out of Vault 101 for the first time in FO3 or cinematic end-battle.
If you are not a fan of CRPG or you hated FO3, there's nothing new for you to see here. Just like FO3, this is not a FPS, even with enhanced aiming mechanics. Hit points and damage are governed by your stats. This game will be just as boring as FO3 to you.
If you are a fan of open-world game such as GTA, be warned; FONV is not a open-world action game. It is open-ended, nonlinear, free-formed CRPG that focuses on traversing and finding new places, engaging with different characters, performing quests, dungeon-crawling and "role-playing". There are tons of small, interesting and quite often excellent depiction of personal conflicts and backstories, but there's no 'save the humanity' type of grand plot and cinematic cutscenes between each level.
And if you think 'Borderlands', which is by the way solid and entertaining action game, is better than FO3, stay away from FONV. Customization of stats, leveling up, armors and weapons by themselves do not make action game like 'Borderlands' a RPG. You'll be wondering why your excellent marksmanship repeatedly proven via endless hours of online multiplayer session is not effective in Nevada / Mojave wasteland.
Last, but not least, PC version of FONV utilizes Steam, which is the most popular DRM and the least intrusive DRM currently available in the market. It offers many incentive, convenience and great pricing for older games compared to other DRM, but Steam is still DRM. Convenience of not having to worry about the actual gamedisc by using Steam is nothing compared to not having any DRM so we can install the game and put away our game for display and collection. We won't be worrying about gamedisc if DRM doesn't check the disc every five second during the gameplay if the disc is authentic in the first place. Dual release with non-Steam version after initial release or guaranteed future DRM deactivation patch will surely pacify every morally just legitimate paying customers who genuinely want to support developers but are turned off by hands-on DRM.
So why did I still choose PC version over console version?; GECK, easier patching and community support, because I expected that game like FONV would always be buggy. To Bethesda's credit, the game looks and plays exactly the same on either PC or console, barring framerate, graphics and resolution, so the experience will be identical unlike other CRPGs like 'Dragon Age: Origins', 'Two Worlds', 'Sacred 2', 'Divinity II', and 'Risen' on consoles to name a few.
But to Steam's credit, it's 'one-time only' activation through Steam and it doesn't require for you to keep the disc running in your optical drive once the game is installed. There's no constant Internet connection requirement while you play your game and there's no installation limit. And if you are into social-networking aspects of Steam, you won't have much problems. But if you are turned off by anything other than disc-based DRM, you are warned. I found myself grudgingly and reluctantly giving up to the spell of Fallout series this time but this is only...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fallout New Vegas

Welcome to Vegas. New Vegas. It's the kind of town where you dig your own grave prior to being shot in the head and left for dead...and that's before things really get ugly. It's a town of dreamers and desperados being torn apart by warring factions vying for complete control of this desert oasis. It's a place where the right kind of person with the right kind of weaponry can really make a name for themselves, and make more than an enemy or two along the way.As you battle your way across the heat-blasted Mojave Wasteland, the colossal Hoover Dam, and the neon drenched Vegas Strip, you'll be introduced to a colorful cast of characters, power-hungry factions, special weapons, mutated creatures and much more. Choose sides in the upcoming war or declare "winner takes all" and crown yourself the King of New Vegas in this follow-up to the 2008 videogame of the year, Fallout 3.Enjoy your stay.

Click here for more information about Fallout New Vegas

Read More...

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the best game I've played in a long time. I just happened to find it on Steam and can't believe i've never heard of it. Its like a cross of fable and the witcher, but more fun than either, and you can switch between dragon and human form at the touch of a button! The voice acting is very good, the quests are fun, its Long, Im 25 hours in and just got my dragon form wich makes it almost like a new game now that i can also fly. You can make potions, enchant and charm all your gear and weps, wich there are plenty of. Many different sets to aquire, but dont worry you can still get your stats up piecing random gear together. Its not open world, but more sandbox style with different zones that are pretty good sized. Like fable when you spend skill points theres a little video clip and explanation of what you gain from that skill. At the start you need to choose from mele, ranged, or mage, but you can mix and match skills how ever you want. That leads to one of my few gripes, only 8 hotkey slots. Not enough room to fit special attacks And all the pots u want, but you can pause and drink one from inventory so not a huge deal. One of my favorite thing is there is no fall damage. I guess they figured since you get to morph into a dragon there was no point to it. Thats fun too, jump off tall tower and freefall for a bit, then poof, your a dragon. Only problem is you cant attack ground units in dragon form, but if you could youd have way to big an edge and the game wouldnt be as fun. Theres 4 difficulty settings, from casual to nightmare, im playing at level 2 and am finding combat a little easy, but i still die once in a while. The mindread talent is a new and fun skill. For the price of some xp u can mindread someone and see if they are hiding something, or gain skill points from their knowledge. This though requires some patience because lets say you aquire a password to someones hidden treasure, that doesnt mean said treasure is anywhere near the person it belongs to. Ok i could ramble on more but lets just say there are way more things to like than dislike about this game. If you like fantasy rpgs then you do not want to miss this one. When i started playing i thought this was gonna be another Risen, wich i didnt really enjoy, but Divinity 2 is everything risen wasnt. Hope this helps if your on the fence about buying it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

Read More...

Steambot Chronicles Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Steambot Chronicles" (known in Japan as "Bumpy Trot") is a hard game to classify. It's equal parts adventure, Bemani rhythm game, and mech combat. There are RPG elements but it's not a true RPG, as there are no experience points, no levelling up, and the only fighting is done atop battlemechs (known here as Trotmobiles). It's set in a version of the Industrial Revolution in which the first World War seems never to have happened. All with anime-style characters. The back of the box mentions a comparison to Miyazaki's films, and that's actually pretty accurate.
Vanilla -- that's you -- starts out by salvaging an old Trotmobile, which can be upgraded with different parts at garages, to suit your needs. The Trot controls utilize both analog sticks, much like driving a forklift... or a Katamari. Although it starts out on one of the worst RPG cliches ever (lead female finds hero, and he has amnesia), "Steambot Chronicles" quickly became one of the most unique and endearing PS2 games I've come across. I felt a real attachment to the characters, even though there's not a lot of depth to most of them. You're given the choice of how to play the main character -- nice guy, a jerk, or a money-grubbing moocher.
In fact you can pretty much play the entire game however you choose. There's a story weaved through it, with a significant plot branch about 2/3 of the way through, but most of the time you're free to wander around and do whatever you want. There are some randomly-generated dungeons to explore, and arenas for battling other Trotmobile pilots. You can dig up fossils, transport people or raw materials, or play one of several instruments in a band -- that's where the rhythm game aspect comes in. The songs (translations of the original Japanese lyrics) had a nice timeless folk quality to them, although the timing almost always felt a little off to me.
Graphics get the job done. The Trots themselves look fine, but the textures and character models aren't very detailed, and I'm sorry to say a lot of the game looks a little bland. Sometimes when you're moving through a city your Trotmobile will pass right through pedestrians and other vehicles. Same with environmental objects in the countryside. It's doesn't affect gameplay at all, but it just doesn't look good. Another problem is that sometimes when there's a lot of activity onscreen, particularly during a massive desert battle scene, the framerate drags and the game becomes very sluggish and difficult to control.
There are multiple story paths leading to different endings, and a ton of optional side quests, most of which can be gone back to after you complete the main story. Unfortunately, I found travel between all the different places just too tedious to complete most of them. In order to get from one city to another, you need to pick either an exit gate or the train station as your destination, then sit back and wait while your Trotmobile moves through the streets to get there. (You can speed it up with L1 but it can still take over a minute with the load screens.) Then, depending on where you're going, you may also have to navigate through multiple outdoor areas, all the while fighting off the exact same enemies who reappear every time you come through. This was tolerable for the story phase of the game, which isn't terribly long, but I just didn't have the patience for it during the free-roaming sandbox mode that comes after. If only there were an unlockable "instant travel" feature to skip all that, it would have encouraged additional exploration so much more.
Overall though, the game is a real treat. The world of Steambot Chronicles is one you'll want to immerse yourself in, and visit again and again. If you're one of those people who likes to thoroughly explore and find every hidden secret in their games, you will be entertained for months. This is one of those games that people will always have fond memories of. It saw a relatively low production run (typical of Atlus fringe titles) so it'll likely become highly sought-after and collectible once the PS2 fades and the next-gen fully takes over. Pick it up now while you still can.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Steambot Chronicles

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about Steambot Chronicles

Read More...

Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After spending nearly a day downloading this game, the installation failed at 70 percent. I looked it up and all sorts of people have been having this issue for over a year now and it's never been resolved. Apparently, it's due to corrupted RAR files in the download. I was finally able to circumvent the issue by downloading the game again, substituting good RAR files from the new download for the corrupted ones in the old download, and installing it from there. All in all, the process was way more work than I would have liked. Had I known about it beforehand, I would have just bought a physical copy of the game.
The game itself, however, is great! It runs perfectly. The story and structure are brilliant, the controls intuitive, the classic RPG feeling genuine, etc. I truly recommend this game if you're willing to suffer through some hassle downloading it.
I would have given this game five stars if not for the download process.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition

Get 26% OFF

Click here for more information about Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition

Read More...

Tropico 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Every regime turns old and stale. Every banana-republic runs out of national resources to sell-out for kickbacks. And every dictator can hide only so many populist aces up his sleeve. So in the end he calls for ...degenerate capitalist image-makers to reinvent his persona and make the beard hip again. It's the same old story.
Power corrupts - and absolute power corrupts absolutely. True - but aren't you tempted? Not even a little?
The original Tropico and its expansions were of those rare RTS games that manage to blend absurd stereotypes with classic gaming genres and reinvent them with humor. From the old Dungeon Keeper to the unsurpassed Evil Genius most of these games are hard to fail. And how could they - what is there not to like?
The economy must be tended to: from agriculture, fisheries and tourism, to oil and mining, you must decide on how to keep your regime solvent and well into the black. On the other hand, neglect the well-being of your citizens at your own risk. Both superpowers as well as brewing guerrillas are always at your heels, ready to dispose of you and install their puppet in your boots.
So make sure to strut around and let your subjects take a good hard look at their leader. If that is not enough to discourage dissidents, making a long-winded populist speech surely will. Push come to shove, you can always rig the elections of course...
This installment's sin is that it offers little new besides improved graphics and minor gameplay touch-ups. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
If new to the series, buy all means buy it! Not only will you greatly enjoy the gameplay but you will also experience it in its best incarnation. If you already have experienced the previous installments of TROPICO, I know you have to see what the original game looks and feel like in 3D and Shader Model 3 graphics.
The game comes free for any intrusive DRM nonsense. Neither online activation nor any limit on installations, just a serial key. What you know, even ruthless tyrants have more sense than game publishing executives...
Thwart those insolent revolutionaries before they gain traction!
Send them for cultural re-education to the banana fields.
RECOMMENDED!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tropico 3

Story and Gameplay In Tropico 3 players take on the role of "El Presidente," the leader of a millitary coup that has recently taken power over the Banana Republic island nation of Tropico. Simulation aspects of the game play out in a heavy emphasis on civic, residential, millitary and institution building across the island, as well as resource management, with the player given the choice as to how to economically facilitate this growth. Regardless whether you turn Tropico into a vacation paradise, a police state or a modern industrial nation - you will always have to defend your actions before your people. Players wander through Tropico as El Presidente in order to intimidate political opponents, hold populist speeches or just to enjoy your country's own Caribbean flair. The strategy angle of the game requires players to keep a sharp eye on the dangers and side-effects of your absolute power. Built on the precedant of your own coup, danger lurks on every corner, be it militant revolutionaries plotting to supplant you, or the machinations of the superpowers USA and the Soviet Union, both of whom would like to see a more amenable ruler in strategically important Tropico. Within the game's 15 missions history takes its course with events such as the Cuba crisis, papal visits and other actual decisive historical events. The choice of the means of governing, and persuasion is entirely yours, and the only question is whether or not your vision of Tropico will survive to play a role in history. Key Game Features
Comprehensive campaign with 15 different missions.
A variety of business sectors: Tourism, petroleum, mining, agriculture, etc.
A timeline editor allows you to create your own fictive historical events or enter real ones.
Avatar functionality allowing players to wander the island as El Presidente and change the course of play.
Political speeches, edicts and "other" means of influence.
A wide range of editing and modification functions.
Mission generator for random map creation.
The cinematic, highly detailed graphics perfectly reflect.
A variety of online-functions such as high scores or visiting islands belonging to other players.
Latin music soundtrack.

System Requirements:

Get 67% OFF

Click here for more information about Tropico 3

Read More...

Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Arcanum is a game that appeals to a certain audience. If you like figuring out alternate solutions to problems, you may enjoy this game. Fans of the Fallout games will find a similarly well-thought-out setting and sense of humor. Fans of complex RPGs will be delighted by the depth and length of the game.
If you thought Diablo was a great RPG, well, don't bother with Arcanum. The only thing they have in common is that you have a character that grows over time. Diablo was a linear hack-and-slash adventure with clearly defined characters and simple mechanics. Arcanum has a non-linear path and complex character options. Furthermore, if you try to bash through every situation, you will have your head handed to you, especially at the beginning of the game.
Specific likes: The setting, that of a fantasy realm going through an industrial revolution (with some Steampunk-like technology thrown in), is fantastic. The character creation options are varied and give you a great deal of control. The plot is long and involved. Some of the voice acting is quite good, and the background music is very appropriate, if a little monotonous at times. The system for using technology is a lot of fun. Characters can literally take bits and pieces of things and assemble them into everything from hand grenades to healing salves.
Specific dislikes: The combat system has a few odd points. Grenades and such somehow never harm you or your party, so you can throw them with impunity at folks standing right next to you. Critical hits and misses are ludicrously common, with sometimes drastic results, such as self-inflicted damage, dropped or damaged weapons, scarring or even crippled limbs. It reminds me of the old D&D Wandering Damage table some pundit proposed, with entries like, "Cut yourself shaving, consult limb loss table."
Graphics are pretty bland. You can't really tell your party members from people on the street -- although the clothes they wear do make a difference in appearance, at least. The graphics seem to be at about the same level as X-COM: UFO Defense in terms of utility, although they are far more detailed in Arcanum than in that game.
The interface for interacting with party members can be pretty frustrating. You can tell them what to do and what to use, but they have minds of their own, and sometimes they aren't so bright. They will quite willingly run between a gun and a target, and they pick up anything that might be lying around, including stones, old shoes, and bits of fluff. Sometimes, this is useful, but you'll find yourself scanning their inventories on a regular basis.
Overall, if you are in the target audience mentioned above, you can expect a four or even five star rating for this game. If you are not, then three would probably be more acurate for the average gamer, and those addicted to different genres that require a fast mouse and a short attention span will probably rate it as a two or less.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

Arcanum is the first game to come from the development house Troika Games, LLC, started by former Fallout team members Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky, and Jason Anderson. This team takes the depth of gameplay and world-building in role-playing games to entirely new levels of realism and excitement.Arcanum creates a compelling new world where magic and technology coexist in an uneasy balance. As Arcanum opens, the mechanical age has only recently arrived in this ancient land where Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and other races have learned to survive in the new sprawling industrialized cities. But this radical shift from magic to technology has created a potentially explosive situation. As the townspeople and other thinkers begin mass production of light bulbs, batteries, eyeglasses and guns, the Mages grow leery. This tightly wound setting is the starting point from which the character must set out on his quest.Classless, point-based attribute system allows for limitless creativity in guiding your character's development.Complex stat system underlies every event taking place within Arcanum

Click here for more information about Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

Read More...

Darkspore Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Alot of people are comparing this to Diablo II, but I don't really think thats fair. While Diablo 2 has 7 different playable characters there were many, many possible builds you could create. This game boasts 100 different playable heros, but there are really just 25 different heroes with a measly base attack, 2 abilities, a third 'genesis' ability that alternates depending on which of the 4 different color variations of a hero you are using, and a passive ability.
I included Torchlight in the title of my post because thats what the levels feel like. There are about 5 or 6 different stages with slight variations that you fight in. It really feels like a multiplayer Torchlight. They try to add a story, but its horribly explained in game and you're not really playing through it. A computer pops up every once in a while and gives you a history of stuff that happened, but it doesn't personally engage you.
Speaking of the multiplayer, if you're not the ideal level for a stage, you can go back to previous stages and play them again in hopes of getting better gear. Unfortunately, you will need to plan on doing that alone. In an effort to make it more "fun" to play with your friends, your hero will be nerfed to a point where you are substantially weaker than your friend, despite having far superior gear. Basically, only play with friends or never play with friends, because once you shoot ahead of them you will be at a huge disadvantage. The matchmaking system is pretty bad too, you may or may not get the level you want to play, and once the matchmaking system finds one person the game pretty much always starts after that. You can't tell it to always find four people or try to search a little longer.
Often times in Darkspore you will run across mini-bosses that are impossible to beat. They may spawn with an ability that limits the damage they can take and they regenerate. They can have up to 4 of these random abilities, and just these two alone can be nasty. You can't always flee from these enemies, as far as I can tell they will chase you indefinitely, and the portals the transport you through the area won't allow you to enter them with enemies nearby.
Darkspore was very fun playing through the first 24 levels (1-1 to 6-4), sadly after that, it starts getting very hard and oftentimes impossible to advance. A little bit of play-testing on the developers' parts before they released this game would have discovered the major problems the game has now. In my opinion, re-releasing a Diablo 2 with slightly better graphics than what it has now would blow this game away, and I would not advise my friends to buy this game. For 50 bucks, buy a real MMO. This game is only worth 20 in my opinion.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Darkspore

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Darkspore

Read More...

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A well done FPS!.
This game is set in the future, with a plot that begins around the time of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It is a game of intense action, atmosphere and involves some strategy and choices.
As with any game there are positives and negatives...let me explain
The Pros:
1.)A great selection of weapons and ammo (with the better ones becoming available as you proceed in the game). Some are better than others and some are quite heavy (you have a limit to how much you can carry).
2.)Different armor is also available at different points in the game.
3.)Realistic "fog of war" occurrences; weapons jam (with increasing frequency as they become worn); your player tires and gets hungry affecting his ability to perform.
4.)Great atmosphere; spooky ambient lighting in dark halls and tunnels, in the outdoors you have rain, lightening and night time; and then there are always the unexpected attacks (anywhere) by an assortment of men, animals and mutants.
5.)Enemy AI that is realistic: their guns need reloading and occasionally jam; they hide behind objects when shot at; they sneak up from the unseen side; animals attack in packs and from behind while one or two distract you from the front. All in all an enemy that appears to "think" about what it's doing instead of just standing there and blasting away at you.
6.)Although the game requires you to the complete main missions to proceed in the game, you can roam around the country side unrestricted. As a bonus, however, there are several side missions that you can do (these are optional and not required to finish the game but may give you substantial rewards in money or items)
7.)Easy save and load feature.
8.)3 different endings, depending on the choices you make near the end of the game.
9.)Some re-playability; you may want to try different endings, side missions and other weapons and armor.
10.)Many hours of intense, hectic game play.
Cons:
1.)You'll need fairly good hardware and lots of RAM to run this game as it was meant to be played.
2.)No vehicles to ride for battle or transportation purposes. (and annoyingly, towards the end, you must walk back almost to the starting point to get an important piece of info) or you can't get into the last 2 endings.
3.)Maybe, just maybe a little too hard even on novice (especially towards the latter part of the game).
4.)You'll need at least 9GB of disc space to load this game.
5.)I found there were occasional crashes or freeze ups after long periods of play.
Suggestions; (SPOILER)
1.)Early on, go to "Dark Valley"; this will give you a chance to
a.)obtain a sniper scope (useful a little later) and
b.)while here, do a side mission that requires you to "rescue a fighter's friend" (here you'll find, in the same building as the "friend" (but in another room), a piece of great armor and many useful and powerful "artifacts".
2.)Take every bandage you find; medkits will heal wounds but do not stop bleeding (and if you don't stop bleeding, well...you bleed to death).
Conclusion:
This was a game that I really enjoyed (even though the novice level could be a real challenge at times); it featured my favorite type of game, that being, a FPS with some RPG upgrades. If you liked such games as Deus Ex, System Shock or Dark Messiah, I'm sure you'll pleased with this game. 5 Stars. R. Nicholson


Click Here to see more reviews about: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Get 45% OFF

Click here for more information about S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Read More...

Heroes of Might & Magic 5 Collectors Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The collectors edition of Heroes of Might & Magic V contains several game experiences satisfying many of the typical gamers' moods. The campaigns are involved and enjoyable. They are of ample length without being tedious. Custom games turn out to be surprising. At first I thought, "too easy," but then was surprised by an enemy that built up such a force that I was nearly wiped out. You have to truly act strategically in order to win the game. The discovery aspect of the game has been very satisfying to me. I did not read every detail of what the game contained before playing, and found many "oh's" and "cool's" during my game play. My son and I enjoy the multiplayer aspect of the game and can team up to wipe the map together. I had also been concerned with the story-line references to demons, angels, etc. But I discovered them to be handled in a way that did not offend my moral principles, even in the campaigns I have done so far. I have played many hours over several weeks and still have not come to the place where it is mere repetition. It nearly captures the feel and fun of Heroes III and adds the richness of more modern graphics. The alternate creature upgrades and their powers adds a tactical depth that I find extremely satisfying. Since every town type has racial benefits, special powers, etc. no town type is boring or left out of my "willing to play" list. Great game!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Heroes of Might & Magic 5 Collectors Edition

Get 47% OFF

Click here for more information about Heroes of Might & Magic 5 Collectors Edition

Read More...