Saturday, December 27, 2014

Get Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons [Online Game Code]


Get Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons [Online Game Code]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

BUY THIS GAME! There, I said it. Now on to why....



Let me start by saying that I am an avid PC gamer. I build gaming rigs specifically for games like Battlefield 3 & 4. So I am used to playing high demanding / graphics intense games. I also like FPS shooters in general (Counterstrike/COD etc).



This game is nothing like what I am used to playing. It's got a playfully fun, exciting, scary, and sad story all rolled up in to one. Graphics are cartoonish sure, but it really goes along with the game and (The Never Ending Story) style scifi adventure... Sure it's set in a totally made up language (that I know of) but you don't need to understand what they are saying. The story and actions happening at the moment explains everything.



I purchased this game off STEAM today for the same price as here. I had read that it's best played with an Xbox 360 style controller hooked up to your PC. I didn't bother and was used to the default keyboard controls within 15 minutes of playing. The game starts off mellow so it gives you a chance to get acquainted to the movements and controlling two people at once. Yes, you control two people (brothers) simultaneously... it's actually pretty ingenious and nothing like I have ever played before.



Graphics are not high demanding so a basic rig with a decent card will run this just fine.



Without spoiling the game, let me say that I'm a 37r old male and the ending is a tear-jerker.

Nothing but great reviews from me for this game. The ONLY con is it wasn't long enough and I was able to finish it in 6 hours (which felt like 30 minutes). A game hasn't sucked me in like this.... ever



The graphics, level of detail, and cinematic style game play will keep your whole family entertained while they watch you navigate this mysterious world.



You cannot go wrong with this game and for around $10.... come on.

Get Guild Wars 2 Heroic Edition [Online Game Code]


Get Guild Wars 2 Heroic Edition [Online Game Code]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

For MAC users: buy the Heroic Digital Edition PC Download. After you purchase it, check your e-mail for the Activation Key. Register and log into your account. On the left side, you will see a link called Download Client. Choose the Download for Mac. You're done.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Get Sonic Hits Collection [Online Game Code]


Get Sonic Hits Collection [Online Game Code]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

Right now this is on sale for $15, and this is an absolute steal! Sonic Generations alone is worth at least $20. Not to mention all the wonderful classics that come along in this package. Sonic Adventure + Sonic Adventure 2, in my opinion, belong in a list of the top 10 games ever made. And just for the heck of it, let's throw in Sonic 4 Episodes I & II, plus Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed. (Not worth buying separately in my opinion, but still decent games that add some value to this bundle.) If you have ever played a Sonic game in your life and you don't already have these games on PC, you should definitely buy this pack while you can!

Get Dead Space 3 [Download]


Get Dead Space 3 [Download]




Product Description



From the Manufacturer




Dead Space 3 brings Isaac Clarke and merciless soldier John Carver on a journey across space to discover the source of the Necromorph outbreak. Crash-landed on the frozen planet of Tau Volantis, Isaac must comb the harsh environment for raw materials and scavenged parts. He will then put his engineering skills to the ultimate test to create and customize weapons and survival tools. The ice planet holds the key to ending the Necromorph plague forever, but first Isaac must overcome avalanches, treacherous ice-climbs, and the violent wilderness. Facing deadlier evolved enemies and the brutal elements, Isaac can choose to team up, not only for his own survival, but for that of mankind's. Play together with a friend or go it alone as Isaac Clarke using the seamless new drop in, drop out co-op functionality. Each mode offers unique story elements and gameplay.


KEY FEATURES



  • Team up and take down the terror together

    • Play the full campaign in online co-op or single player

    • Easy drop-in and drop-out play





  • Head planet side and experience a hostile new environment

    • Discover underworld cities and accept side missions

    • Explore the frozen terrain and search abandoned encampments





  • Uncover the past and embark on a thrilling expedition to save mankind

    • Discover the source of the Necromorph terror and fight to fend off the extinction of the human race






Minimum System Requirements


OS: Windows XP (SP3), Vista (SP1) or Windows 7

CPU: 2.8 GHz processor or equivalent

Memory: 1 GB RAM (XP), 2 GB RAM (Vista or Windows 7)

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or better (7300, 7600 GS, and 8500 are below minimum system requirements)

ATI X1600 Pro or better (X1300, X1300 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)

256MB Video Card and Shader Model 3.0 required

DirectX: The latest version of DirectX 9.0c

Hard drive: At least 10GB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for saved games.



INTERNET CONNECTION, ORIGIN ACCOUNT, ACCEPTANCE OF PRODUCT AND ORIGIN END USER LICENSE AGREEMENTS, INSTALLATION OF THE ORIGIN CLIENT SOFTWARE (WWW.ORIGIN.COM/ABOUT) AND REGISTRATION WITH ENCLOSED SINGLE-USE SERIAL CODE(S) REQUIRED TO PLAY, ACCESS BONUS CONTENT (IF ANY) AND ACCESS ONLINE SERVICES. SERIAL CODE REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO ONE ORIGIN ACCOUNT PER SERIAL CODE. SERIAL CODE(S) ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE ONCE USED. EULAS AND ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES CAN BE FOUND AT http://bit.ly/1Ee7fuU. EA ONLINE PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE CAN BE FOUND AT AT WWW.EA.COM. YOU MUST BE 13+ TO ACTIVATE SOFTWARE, ACCESS ONLINE FEATURES AND REGISTER FOR AN ORIGIN ACCOUNT. EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON http://bit.ly/1sYoCpc.







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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

Lets cut to the chase. Dead Space 3 is fantastic



I've read plenty of other peoples perspectives on the game, and as usual, I'm somewhat baffled at the negative reviews. I'll refrain from commenting on the source of the negative reviews, as we're all used to these awful reviews for video games each time a new one comes out. Its become almost silly how the insanely toxic negative reviews come out 2 hours after games become available. Obviously people don't play through the games to understand them.



Now, onto DS3. This is an operatic continuation to the DS series, with much of the critical mass of DS2 being picked up on, including some of the characters, and a portion of the storyline, and the gameplay in spirit at least. The action is nearly identical to DS2, with the same feeling of the controls, and same basic pacing. There are plenty of disgusting necromorphs to kill. They explode beautifully into a pile of creature debris....



This installment is much more story driven than the previous games. Its worth it to watch the 2 Dead Space movies if you can find them (they are on various streaming services). The whole story line will fill in for you, and Dead Space 3 will make much more sense. The story is actually quite ambitious and fulfilling, even if it is an amalgamation of numerous space/horror shooters.



The storyline is even bigger and more ambitious than the previous installments, as the characters are now closing in on the source of the plague and the original markers. A portion of the game is in space, where the feeling of weightlessness and disorientation is better than ever. There's an amazing portion where you are in a space suit, and you have to maneuver through a huge debris field in deep space, picking parts and junk from all sorts of broken space craft. Its really awesome, if not dizzying.



The planet bound adventures take place on a variety of locations, with lots of new baddies to shoot. The ice planet is filled with interesting nooks and crannies, that hide creatures as well as stuff. There are plenty of scares to be had, but candidly, we're all used to the creatures jumping out of all sorts of crevices now, so we're all ready for it...it probably feels less shocking than the first game, where you had no idea what was going to happen.



As far as the gameplay, its a refined version of what we saw in DS2. Some things succeed, while others take a bit of time to understand and may work less optimally. The whole resource gathering to make weapons thing is a bit tough to get the hang of, and probably didn't need to exist. Its confusing and wasn't necessary, although the notion of gathering junk to make new weapon types isn't anything new to video games (RPGs mostly) While it clearly makes sense in the Dead Space series, it doesn't actually add to the game, as you can only have 2 weapons, and none are all that great anyway. It takes till much later in the game for the whole weapon construction thing to start being useful. Its definitely not a high point, although there is nothing wrong with it in concept, the execution of the whole thing leaves a bit to be desired. You never really know what weapons are good, bad, useless, are slow, fast, etc. You have to make them, then try them, then disassemble them, etc. There have been much more reasonable and successful weapon crafting mechanisms/schemes in many other games (Fallout 3 comes to mind, as do many others).



All video games have annoying things to them, even the great ones. DS3 has too many boss type battles during the course of the early part of the story for my taste, as I find they waste inordinate amounts of time, and while they're mostly straightforward, they are annoying. The save system has become totally automated, and now it becomes even more consolish in nature, where you have to play based on the developers time checks, rather than yours. This leads to the terrible feeling of doing checkpoints over and over and over and over till you want to pry your eyes out of your head. Additionally, the save system exhibits some random behaviors, where you can't tell where you are each time you start playing. They've also introduced something called "start from the storyline", which is different than starting from your last save. I have NO idea what the difference is. Totally confusing and borked to say the least.



So all in all, this is an incredible game, even if it does have some dopey operational decisions made by the designers. The Save system is definitely a low point, but it does do something, even though we're all not sure exactly what it does most of the time. Other than that, the other annoyances are very minor, in comparison to how amazing the overall game and story are.



And finally, the music is AMAZING. The score is epic.. just incredible. The voice acting is terrific as well, and the entire aural experience is otherworldly. All in all, this game is remarkable in its ambition, its sweep, and its breadth. Hope they keep making them



FINAL POINT: If you like the story, and scifi in general, its definitely worth it to watch the animated Dead Space movies on whatever streaming service you may have. It makes a world of difference to how you may think about the game and the whole series in general.


Monday, December 22, 2014

Get Command and Conquer The Ultimate Collection [Online Game Code]


Get Command and Conquer The Ultimate Collection [Online Game Code]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

First of all, let's just get the value out of the way. 17 games for standard retail price is fantastic. Sure some of the earliest games are available for free online anyway but honestly, those aren't the best reason for buying this package anyway.



In today's world, Real-Time Strategy games are certainly less prominent than they were 10 years ago but the one's we have are phenomenal. In comparison, some of the older Command and Conquer titles feel dated. The single mouse button system, the poor graphics which make it difficult to tell what units you're moving and the lack of any type of tutorial or unit descriptions. All of these are artifacts of a previous age of gaming. Still, since the original Command and Conquer is one of the earliest RTS games, it can be a fantastic reminder at how far the genre has come.



Even though the gameplay for these early games can feel ancient, the storylines are still phenomenal. The Tiberium Wars with their science fiction take on the future of our world, the Red Alert games with a more light-hearted campy look at how our world could have looked and the Generals series with a more modern warfare take on the series. For some, the storylines will make the older games worth playing through even without the nostalgia factor for long-time fans of the series.



The real reason to buy this game is for the newer titles in the Command and Conquer series. Red Alert 3, Generals and Command and Conquer 3 are the stand-out titles in this collection and make the whole thing worth buying. For anyone looking for great RTS games, these three plus their expansions are each easily worth the price of admission.



There are a few downsides to this collection though. The first and most upsetting problem is that none of these games are available on disk. In fact, this is really just a code making the games available through Origin, EA's download service. As far as I can tell, you don't have to remain online once the games are downloaded but I haven't spent much time offline gaming. This could be a serious problem though for those who may not have reliable internet access or aren't fans of Origin. The second problem is that some of the older games took some serious troubleshooting before they would work on my 64-bit Windows 7 OS. Every game from Red Alert 2 on worked without any problems and Tiberium Dawn worked fine but the others took some work and EA's tech support required several emails before they could solve the problem. Still, I did manage to get every game on the collection to work eventually. Last, Command and Conquer 4 is certainly a low point of the series and it can act as a painful reminder as to why they haven't made a C&C game for quite some time since then.



This generation has had some great value packs and this is no exception. If you are a fan of Command and Conquer or RTS games in general, this collection has some great selections. It does have its drawbacks but if you can look past those and are willing to put a little work into making a few of the older games work, it's a wonderful series and this complete collection of all 17 games can provide a lot of fun. As an added bonus, buying this collection will give you early access to the beta of the new Free-to-Play Command and Conquer when it is released.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Get Crysis 3 [Download]


Get Crysis 3 [Download]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

Crysis 3 is a beautiful game. Let's get that out of the way first.

There's no denying it looks stunning and you'll often stop to look around at the environment you're in. You'll likely want to play certain checkpoints over and over again to take everything in. With that said, Crysis 3 plays just as well as the others.



The A.I. isn't any smarter and make for easy targets. With the new Predator Bow that allows you to kill without going out of Stealth, you'll often feel overpowered and maybe even cheap. If you're only interested in the Single Player experience, you're in for a short ride. The Campaign isn't very long following in many other FPS footsteps offering a fun ride but one that ends too soon. Crysis Vets will likely play the Campaign a few times to find all the hidden goodies and Nanosuit upgrades but for casual players that will play this once, you'll be paying for the beauty, not the substance.



Graphics don't make the game, they just enhance it. The game is better than good but it's not great. The AI is stupid (better than Aliens Colonial Marines though), you can simply be in stealth mode the entire game and wreak havok on any enemy you come across. I'm sorry, but the first crysis is still both the most fun and the best game overall out of the series. This one has the "best" multiplayer yet in the crysis universe, but compared to other multiplayer FPS's cmon now, it just simply doesn't compete to something like BF3. It boils down to this, this is a remarkable looking game and truly jaw dropping even on modest settings, but that gameplay is trite and mediocre, which is a shame.



The campaign also has a better pacing, with 6 to 8 hours gameplay. Crysis 2 was indeed a bit longer, but had some very boring parts. Some gameplay features are a bit useless, like that hacking which is very poor. The vehicles sections are painful, the handling of the buggy is hard.



Crysis series continued with prophet and Psycho.Most wonderful art design for levels and great lighting effect,very good textures,awesome dx11 effects and solid gameplay.



The story is the perfect finish to a fantastic trilogy. If you liked both the Crysis games for what they were, you'll love this third addition. The multiplayer is great fun if you're a fan of the Crysis mechanics and various cloaking maneuvers, and I'd definitely give it a shot if you're a CoD fan as well, as it's much like a crossover between it and Halo. So, without hesitation (even if it is on Origin), give this game a few hours of your time. You won't be disappointed.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Get Castle Crashers [Online Game Code]


Get Castle Crashers [Online Game Code]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

First of all I need to say that I refused from this game for a while, I saw my brother playing it and I just thought how could enjoy it, it appeared rubbish.

Then, he gave me it via Steam as a gift for my birthday so I had to play it.



And when I did it...



Laddies and Lassies, this is good. THIS IS AWESOME. When your game begins, you can't stop. The music, the animations, the hilarious humor appearing in each level. The design. I don't know how to say it. I am game developer, and I just want that people feel the same that I felt and I still feeling with Castle Crashers.

AND IT IS ULTRACOOPERATIVE. YOU WILL LAUGH A LOT PLAYING WITH YOUR GIRL OR FRIENDS. And cooperative online and OFFLINE, that's important, you can play in one PC with two gamepads.



ENDLESS ENJOY.

MUST-HAVE OF THE HISTORY OF GAMES.



Patchiyama.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Get Dragon Age Inquisition - PC


Get Dragon Age Inquisition - PC








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

Here's some simple advice. If you use a Mouse and Keyboard to play games with then don't buy this game - yet. In its current state it's another terrible console port with clunky controls, no PC optimization for either performance or inventory systems and its currently suffering from bugs that make it unplayable for many players. Bioware are working on several fixes so hop over to their forums and keep an eye on what they release. If they fix the controls and optimize for the PC then this will be a good game and that'll be the time to buy it.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Monday, December 15, 2014

Get Assassin's Creed Unity [Online Game Code]


Get Assassin's Creed Unity [Online Game Code]








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CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

EDIT 12/13/12: Tried playing the game again for the first time since I wrote this review due to a French friend who insisted the patches had fixed the game up. My first game loaded up and I was immediately assaulted by flickering textures on half of the walls I looked at. Our mission was to gain some intelligence from a castle. I quickly scaled a wall, was detected 4 times with no enemy in sight, and hid inside the castle. I was then detected again while hiding behind a box with no enemy in sight. Apparently the patches have made the game WORSE. Nice job, Ubisoft. You've officially killed off one of your true fans. Uninstalled and given upon -- Do not buy this game for any price!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series. As a history nerd and a huge stealth genre fanboy, these games are always right up my alley.



Now I'll tell you why Assassin's Creed Unity is, flat out, one of the worst games I've played in years, and why it's absolutely unrecommendable to everybody who owns a gaming PC.



I want to start off by saying that I was absolutely hyped for this game. More hyped than any Assassin's Creed game since Assassin's Creed 2. I had watched a few gameplay videos that sold me due to the fact that the devs seemed to be going for the classic Assassin's Creed experience: An emphasis on stealthy gameplay, an intriguing historical period, and a stripped down approach to weapons and gadgets. It hearkened back to Assassin's Creed II, which is an amazing game and probably the best in the series, closely followed by Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Black Flag.



The first drawback is the one everybody already knows about: The game is nearly totally broken at this point. Bugs are everywhere, the game hard crashes quite often, and it runs like a dog even on the most beastly of rigs. For me in particular, the most damning graphical drawback was some kind of weird frame stutter that I would experience literally every 4 seconds without fail, even in menus. I'm not sure what's causing this, but the game is literally unplayable with it. I did manage to bludgeon through about 5 hours of the game before finally giving up and uninstalling it for good. It's the most broken game I've played since Obsidian was forced to release Knights of the Old Republic II in it's half-finished state way back in 2004. And that's saying something, because that game was a broken mess.



There's been enough said about the games broken, poorly optimized state. I'd like to talk about why it would be a bad game even if it were to run beautifully. I'm going to talk about the past couple of AC games here, so bear with me.



I hated Assassin's Creed 3. Absolutely despised it. I thought it was terribly designed. It had muddy control and poor line-of-sight mechanics that often resulted in instant game over detections, it had awfully designed stealth sequences that forced you to follow people at ridiculously close lengths, and it had bad checkpoints that compounded both of those issues. A number of the missions (the midnight ride, the Charles Lee chase sequence) were just horribly designed to the point where they were frustrating. To top it off, the writing was utter trash, all of the characters were cardboard cutouts, and nothing was even worth following.



Then came Black Flag, which was a complete redemption for the series. The game was so much fun, it was beautiful to look at, and, most importantly for me, IT FIXED THE SERIES STEALTH AND GAMEPLAY DESIGN PROBLEMS! Control was smooth. Stealth sequences were designed well. Free running and climbing was nearly bug-free, quick, and intuitive. Trying to achieve 100% stealth in the plantation sequences were probably my favorite missions in the game. Playing Black Flag felt like the Assassin's Creed series had truly taken a step forward, like it was ready to get back to being the stellar franchise that Assassin's Creed II had promised it would be.



Enter Assassin's Creed Unity.



The reason I contrasted AC3 and Black Flag is because playing through Unity gave me the distinct feeling that I was playing a game designed by the AC3 team. It has the same exact pitfalls that I just described in AC3. Controls are muddy and you never truly feel totally in control of Arno. He lumbers to and fro in the vague direction you send him. A cover mechanic has been introduced that's way too sticky, way too close to guesswork, and generally hampers stealth so poorly that I completely stopped using it except in sequences when the game forces you to. And, to top it off, they've redesigned free running and climbing with a system that seems like it should work beautifully, but fails miserably in every aspect of its execution. The days of your jumping off into odd directions, taking the wrong path up a building, and even inexplicably stopping in place and having to recenter the stick, then hit up again to continue moving HAVE ALL RETURNED FROM ASSASSIN'S CREED II. Seriously, bugs from a game that was made back in 2009 and were just solved last year have miraculously reappeared. How do you ♥♥♥♥ up that badly?



Add in that the music, something that was unbelievably atmospheric and really made the experience of Florence in Assassin's Creed II, and lent you sea shanties that stuck in your head for hours in Black Flag (and was utterly forgettable at best and terrible at worst in AC3) is absolutely unnoticeable. In fact, I didn't think about it once until, midway through this review, I remembered how much I loved Jesper Kyd's work in AC2. That's how forgettable it is.



There are also several instances of immersion-breaking content, including chests that are only open via the Unity Companion App, and microtransactions that are so hamfistedly jammed in they pull you right out of the experience. It's a basic example of an immersion murdering mechanic, and it boggles my mind that developers have not learned why you don't do these things in games. Hell, even the publisher and the money people should know why immersion is important for a single player gaming experience. There's no excuse for garbage like this.



You can also consider Ubi's utter failure to maintain some semblance of business ethics by setting their review embargo to 12:00 PM of release day, rather than the day of or the day before as is common practice. Why would they do this, you say? The only obvious reason that comes to mind is that they knew their game was an unfinished, broken piece of garbage, and they decided that their best course of action was to lie to their customers for as long as possible in order to prevent them from canceling their preorders. Despicable.



It really disappoints me to tear this game apart so viciously because I've been such a huge fan of the series. I'd like to believe that this was rushed out the door by Ubi, and that the team would eventually have produced a good game if they were given adequate time to have worked on the things that fail here. But at the end of the day, blame lies with the developer as well as the publisher.



"A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed one is forever bad"

- Shigeru Miyamoto



In conclusion, there is nothing redeeming whatsoever in this game. Even if the game were totally fixed, even if the graphical issues and the bugs were completely ironed out and the game ran beautifully, this still isn't worth a purchase because it's just a bad game. The dev team here has an eternity of failure to look forward to, as people will forever think of this game as an exemplary pillar of Ubisoft's descent into the basement of video game development and business ethics. Hell, at least Watch Dogs had some interesting mechanics and some competent stealth sequences. This game brings absolutely nothing to the table. Just replay Black Flag instead. Or burn $60 in your backyard while punching yourself in the face, because that's a more valuable, entertaining experience than playing this game will ever be.



I look forward to washing the coppery, fecal taste of Assassin's Creed Unity out of my mouth with Dragon Age Inquisition next week.

Get Assassin's Creed Unity - PC


Get Assassin's Creed Unity - PC








button



CUSTOMER REVIEW

Review

EDIT 12/13/12: Tried playing the game again for the first time since I wrote this review due to a French friend who insisted the patches had fixed the game up. My first game loaded up and I was immediately assaulted by flickering textures on half of the walls I looked at. Our mission was to gain some intelligence from a castle. I quickly scaled a wall, was detected 4 times with no enemy in sight, and hid inside the castle. I was then detected again while hiding behind a box with no enemy in sight. Apparently the patches have made the game WORSE. Nice job, Ubisoft. You've officially killed off one of your true fans. Uninstalled and given upon -- Do not buy this game for any price!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series. As a history nerd and a huge stealth genre fanboy, these games are always right up my alley.



Now I'll tell you why Assassin's Creed Unity is, flat out, one of the worst games I've played in years, and why it's absolutely unrecommendable to everybody who owns a gaming PC.



I want to start off by saying that I was absolutely hyped for this game. More hyped than any Assassin's Creed game since Assassin's Creed 2. I had watched a few gameplay videos that sold me due to the fact that the devs seemed to be going for the classic Assassin's Creed experience: An emphasis on stealthy gameplay, an intriguing historical period, and a stripped down approach to weapons and gadgets. It hearkened back to Assassin's Creed II, which is an amazing game and probably the best in the series, closely followed by Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Black Flag.



The first drawback is the one everybody already knows about: The game is nearly totally broken at this point. Bugs are everywhere, the game hard crashes quite often, and it runs like a dog even on the most beastly of rigs. For me in particular, the most damning graphical drawback was some kind of weird frame stutter that I would experience literally every 4 seconds without fail, even in menus. I'm not sure what's causing this, but the game is literally unplayable with it. I did manage to bludgeon through about 5 hours of the game before finally giving up and uninstalling it for good. It's the most broken game I've played since Obsidian was forced to release Knights of the Old Republic II in it's half-finished state way back in 2004. And that's saying something, because that game was a broken mess.



There's been enough said about the games broken, poorly optimized state. I'd like to talk about why it would be a bad game even if it were to run beautifully. I'm going to talk about the past couple of AC games here, so bear with me.



I hated Assassin's Creed 3. Absolutely despised it. I thought it was terribly designed. It had muddy control and poor line-of-sight mechanics that often resulted in instant game over detections, it had awfully designed stealth sequences that forced you to follow people at ridiculously close lengths, and it had bad checkpoints that compounded both of those issues. A number of the missions (the midnight ride, the Charles Lee chase sequence) were just horribly designed to the point where they were frustrating. To top it off, the writing was utter trash, all of the characters were cardboard cutouts, and nothing was even worth following.



Then came Black Flag, which was a complete redemption for the series. The game was so much fun, it was beautiful to look at, and, most importantly for me, IT FIXED THE SERIES STEALTH AND GAMEPLAY DESIGN PROBLEMS! Control was smooth. Stealth sequences were designed well. Free running and climbing was nearly bug-free, quick, and intuitive. Trying to achieve 100% stealth in the plantation sequences were probably my favorite missions in the game. Playing Black Flag felt like the Assassin's Creed series had truly taken a step forward, like it was ready to get back to being the stellar franchise that Assassin's Creed II had promised it would be.



Enter Assassin's Creed Unity.



The reason I contrasted AC3 and Black Flag is because playing through Unity gave me the distinct feeling that I was playing a game designed by the AC3 team. It has the same exact pitfalls that I just described in AC3. Controls are muddy and you never truly feel totally in control of Arno. He lumbers to and fro in the vague direction you send him. A cover mechanic has been introduced that's way too sticky, way too close to guesswork, and generally hampers stealth so poorly that I completely stopped using it except in sequences when the game forces you to. And, to top it off, they've redesigned free running and climbing with a system that seems like it should work beautifully, but fails miserably in every aspect of its execution. The days of your jumping off into odd directions, taking the wrong path up a building, and even inexplicably stopping in place and having to recenter the stick, then hit up again to continue moving HAVE ALL RETURNED FROM ASSASSIN'S CREED II. Seriously, bugs from a game that was made back in 2009 and were just solved last year have miraculously reappeared. How do you ♥♥♥♥ up that badly?



Add in that the music, something that was unbelievably atmospheric and really made the experience of Florence in Assassin's Creed II, and lent you sea shanties that stuck in your head for hours in Black Flag (and was utterly forgettable at best and terrible at worst in AC3) is absolutely unnoticeable. In fact, I didn't think about it once until, midway through this review, I remembered how much I loved Jesper Kyd's work in AC2. That's how forgettable it is.



There are also several instances of immersion-breaking content, including chests that are only open via the Unity Companion App, and microtransactions that are so hamfistedly jammed in they pull you right out of the experience. It's a basic example of an immersion murdering mechanic, and it boggles my mind that developers have not learned why you don't do these things in games. Hell, even the publisher and the money people should know why immersion is important for a single player gaming experience. There's no excuse for garbage like this.



You can also consider Ubi's utter failure to maintain some semblance of business ethics by setting their review embargo to 12:00 PM of release day, rather than the day of or the day before as is common practice. Why would they do this, you say? The only obvious reason that comes to mind is that they knew their game was an unfinished, broken piece of garbage, and they decided that their best course of action was to lie to their customers for as long as possible in order to prevent them from canceling their preorders. Despicable.



It really disappoints me to tear this game apart so viciously because I've been such a huge fan of the series. I'd like to believe that this was rushed out the door by Ubi, and that the team would eventually have produced a good game if they were given adequate time to have worked on the things that fail here. But at the end of the day, blame lies with the developer as well as the publisher.



"A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed one is forever bad"

- Shigeru Miyamoto



In conclusion, there is nothing redeeming whatsoever in this game. Even if the game were totally fixed, even if the graphical issues and the bugs were completely ironed out and the game ran beautifully, this still isn't worth a purchase because it's just a bad game. The dev team here has an eternity of failure to look forward to, as people will forever think of this game as an exemplary pillar of Ubisoft's descent into the basement of video game development and business ethics. Hell, at least Watch Dogs had some interesting mechanics and some competent stealth sequences. This game brings absolutely nothing to the table. Just replay Black Flag instead. Or burn $60 in your backyard while punching yourself in the face, because that's a more valuable, entertaining experience than playing this game will ever be.



I look forward to washing the coppery, fecal taste of Assassin's Creed Unity out of my mouth with Dragon Age Inquisition next week.

Get Battlefield 4 Premium Edition [Online Game Code]


Get Battlefield 4 Premium Edition [Online Game Code]








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++ fast delivery

Best DualShock 4 Wireless Controller for PlayStation 4 (Urban Camouflage)


Best DualShock 4 Wireless Controller for PlayStation 4 (Urban Camouflage)








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As a long time Microsoft supporter and someone who has never really liked the PS3, I felt it necessary to post this.



I picked up the new DS4 controller last night for the upcoming PS4, and I have to say I am blown away at how much better they made this controller.



Everything about this controller feels better than the old DS3 and prior units. The joysticks are farther apart and actually have resistance for more precise movements.



The grips are elongated and this makes the controller fit much better in my bigger hands.



It is not heavy in the hand, so while using it I forget I am holding it. The movements feel more like second nature rather than thinking about which button to press.



I knew awhile back I was not getting the Xbox One and I had hitched my wagon to the PS4 train. This just makes that decision all the more grand.



This DS4 is the best controller I have used on any system to date. Will it beat the new Xbox One? Not sure, but I would have to say maybe. Even if it didn't I would say it won't matter, Microsoft lost my money this time around.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Best PlayStation 4 Console


Best PlayStation 4 Console








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I purchased the launch version at 12:15 Friday night of the 15th. I'm glad I did. Got up the next morning and looked online and they were already sold out.



With prime shipping it arrived Monday afternoon. I was worried that I was going to get a bad unit like a lot of other reviewers on here. Got everything hooked up and hit the power button... It flashed blue... I was worried for a second, then the light turn white and the PS logo appeared on the screen. Sigh of relief. First thing I did was run the latest firmware update. It updated without any issues.



Once you're at the home screen you're welcomed by soothing music and a clean feeling menu. After a couple of days I got tired of the menu background music so all I had to do was go to the settings and turn that off. Everything seems very snappy. My first real impression was how fast the PS store opened. On the PS3 it seemed to take forever, but on the PS4 it was almost instant.



Installed my first game (Battlefield 4) and once I inserted the disc the game immediately started to install itself. Within seconds it was ready to play. When I first entered the game I was told that to access the games network features I would have to install an update for the game. But for offline campaign mode I could immediately jump into it. I played the campaign for a few minutes then backed out so I could run the update and use the network stuff. The PS4 alerted me that it had started the download of the update and once complete that it was ready to install. It installed without a hitch and I was able to get into the game and access the multiplayer features.



Went ahead and installed the other two games I had purchased (COD Ghost and Need for Speed) both installed without issue. Got notified that they too needed updates so I went ahead and ran them. This being a launch system and as new as the games are I wasn't too surprised with all the updates.



It was getting late so I didn't get to get into much game play that night. Fast forward to now and I must say i'm quite impressed so far. I've been playing battlefield mostly and the graphics are phenomenal. Compared to the PS3 its a great improvement. I would have to say it give the PC a run for its money.



One thing I was really impressed was this. A friend was watching a movie on netflix. I came into the room and he wanted to show me something on COD. In a matter of seconds he went from netflix to game play. You hit the PS button and your back a the main menu... He had already played the game earlier so it was on standby. He selects the game, hits enter and the game came up almost immediately and he was back to where he left off. After watching him play a bit I was impressed with the quality of this game as well. Found a few glitches in the game, but I expect those will be fixed over time. I know Battlefield was having issues with some of its multiplayer maps. I guess thats what you get when you buy launch day consols.



Overall I'm liking it so far. But knowing Sony and the PS3 more is to come. I was disappointed in them not including the DLNA features because that was one of the main things I used on the PS3. I have a feeling that Sony will add this soon.



Those of you who are thinking about buying one this holiday. Wait till amazon or the stores get them back in stock. Don't buy one for $600-$1000 its not worth that cost. Plus by the time there back in stock the should have more of the bugs worked out.



I hope my review was helpful. To those who got bad units and are hating on Sony: Don't disqualify the PS4 yet. Get your replacement and give it another shot. I think you'll be glad you did.



--- Update 12-24-2013 --



Haven't got to play as many games as I would like to recently. I have been using apps and features though and thought I'd share what I think.



- Playstation Store.

I hated the PS store on the PS3. It was slow to load and annoying to get around. The PS4 has improved it some... To access the store all you have to do is go to the top row menu, then far left. It takes about 3-8ish seconds to load. Once you access it once it loads faster the next time.

Once you in the store it is familiar to the same layout as the PS3. I'm not really a fan of how you have to bypass all the current popular titles to get to the "all" button that all the way to the right. Once you get the hang of where everything is it makes it easier. I would say the only thing that I like better is that fact that it loads quicker.



- DualShock 4 Controller

LOVE IT. I'm a guy with big hands. I like the longer grips. I don't feel like im going to lose the controller while in a heated battle in BF4.

The sticks are smoother and more accurate, really helps when trying to be a sniper were precision is key.

Some games have changed how the buttons are mapped. This took some getting used to but I'm liking it still.

The front light can become annoying at times, as well as I wounder how much battery life I'm losing with it. I hoping they release a patch that allows you to turn it off if you're not in a game that requires it.

Battery life could be better. One awesome thing is that the DS4's use micro-usb now. That means most your android smartphone chargers and cables can charge the controller. I have an old motorola USB wall-wart and a standard micro-usb cable and can charge the controller next to my chair instead of having to get up and plug it into the PS4.

Earpiece port. The PS4 comes with a mono earpiece/mic. All you have to do is plug in in the DS4 controller. It will work with any headset that has that size jack.

Haven't found a game or app that uses the touch pad yet. But the pad also works as a button, which has a clean easy feel when pressed.



- Netflix, Amazon Instant

Netflix. not much different here. I Haven't been using it as much because I'm on comcast and between comcast and netflix I can't get a stream thats better than 240 SD. I can stream HD just fine in amazon. This isn't a PS4 problem cause my PS3 was doing this as well. For those of you who like to see what quality you're getting on the PS3 you'd hit the 'Select' button, well the DS4 no longer has that button so it is now mapped to the right stick button.

Amazon. Also not much different. It works well, had no crashes. Plays in HD and full surround.



- Twitch, Ustream

This is a cool feature. On the main row go over to "Live from Playstation". Here you can hop in a watch other people play games, even games you don't own or have installed. A typical stream will have the person hosting the stream on a webcam or just audio. You can interact with comments and if you have the game installed you can start that games from the stream. You also have the ability to stream your own games. Just hit the share button while playing a game.



- Gameplay

Battlefield 4: After many patches the online play is getting better, fewer crashes, pretty awesome. As for the offline campaign mode. IT SUCKS. Not sure if the lastest patch fixed anything but you would get half way through the campaign and it crash. And if you weren't so lucky it corrupted the profile and when you restarted that game it started you back at the beginning. I've given up on the campaign and just play online multiplayer (Which BF4 was made for anyways)



COD Ghosts: Few campaign glitches, few crashes. I've seen some updates pop up recently so most of those should be getting fixed.



Need for Speed: Just a fun racing game. I like it better than the hot pursuit version on the PS3. Graphics are good. Smooth game play. Never cared for the in game menu structure of need for speed.



Resogun: Got it for free via PS Plus membership. Cool 3D side shooter. First games I've played that uses the built in controller speaker.



- Extra Stuff

I am using a logitech wireless keyboard w/touchpad. Keyboard is detected by the PS4. I can use it in most applications for typing.



Thats all for now. I'll post any updates if I find anything new or cool.

Get Turtle Beach Ear Force P12 Amplified Stereo Gaming Headset for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Mobile Devices (TBS-3250-01)


Get Turtle Beach Ear Force P12 Amplified Stereo Gaming Headset for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Mobile Devices (TBS-3250-01)








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The Turtle Beach Ear Force P12 Amplified Stereo Gaming Headset is compatible with Playstation 4, PS Vita and any pretty much any mobile device. I don't have a PS Vita to test it but I can confirm that it works great with both Playstation 4 and my iPad 2. I also own a Playstation 3 and figured it would work with it as well but it does not at all. So if you are looking for a headset for use with the Playstation 3 then you will need to find a different model.



This headset has a regular 3.5 mm audio cable for connecting it to mobile phone and tablets. Then it has a long USB cable with amplifier, microphone adjustment, volume adjustment and bass boost control. The audio cable connects to the USB cable when using it with your Playstation 4. It's pretty cool that you can use one headset on both types of devices.



The sound quality of this headset sounds crystal clear and has truly impressed me. In a gaming headset I don't expect it to have a good enough listening quality to listen to music as well. These actually sound really great when listening to music through them. They are truly multi-purpose the only bad thing is that everyone around you can hear the music. Someone sitting beside you can hear music, game sounds and chat talk just like they had the headset on themselves. I wish they were more sound proof so they didn't disturb others. Regardless of whether you are playing a game, chatting or listening to music, others don't want to hear every word.



This headset is also a little more comfortable to wear than some of the others that I have used. Some of them give me a really bad headache after a while of use because they squeeze my head. This one sits securely on my head but isn't quite as tights. The headset is fully adjustable so others can hear you well at all times.



I will say that this headset is a really good choice for someone that wants a quality Playstation 4 / Mobile device headset but doesn't require it to be wireless. Most of the similar wireless headsets cost a lot more and this headset is very competitively priced. The only thing I would like is for them to be more sound proof and it would also be nice to have some type of storage bag or case so it remains in good condition.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Best Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition


Best Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition




Product Description


Platform: Playstation 4



World-renowned Kojima Productions showcases the latest masterpiece in the Metal Gear Solid franchise with Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (on sale Spring 2014) is the first segment of the 'Metal Gear Solid V Experience' and prologue to the larger second segment, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain launching thereafter. MGSV: GZ gives core fans the opportunity to get a taste of the world-class production's unparalleled visual presentation and gameplay before the release of the main game. It also provides an opportunity for gamers who have never played a Kojima Productions game, and veterans alike, to gain familiarity with the radical new game design and unparalleled style of presentation. The critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid franchise has entertained fans for decades and revolutionized the gaming industry. Kojima Productions once again raises the bar with the FOX Engine offering incredible graphic fidelity and the introduction of open world game design in the Metal Gear Solid universe. This is the experience that core gamers have been waiting for.



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If this were a review for a demo it would be 5 stars, but this is a review calling out the obvious - it's a demo to showcase the Fox Engine and new gameplay style of where MGS is headed, and you are gonna be paying for it. It's a glorified money grab in the worst way.



Graphically this is a great way to show off your PS4, but for a few dollars more you could pick up Tomb Raider and do the same thing and have a much more robust experience for what you are spending vs here which is honestly nothing more then a glorified demo with such a small tidbit of the massive story that it's not enough to dig deep into what is coming which should be great.



MGS fans are a rabid bunch (I am one of them), but I am not going to throw myself at the feet of Konami and justify telling you that it is OK to be spending $30 for a demo.



This should have been $10 as a digital download at most.



I strongly suggest against all urges to wait on this one because not only will the price drop quickly but I suspect this will be included as a bonus with The Phantom Pain.


Best Wolfenstein: The New Order - PlayStation 4


Best Wolfenstein: The New Order - PlayStation 4








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First-person shooters today are generally lame experiences. Unpopular opinion though it may be, it's still one that I stand by. Let's face it, ever since the first "Modern Warfare" hit the market, every big company has been trying to compete with Activision's juggernaut, which means tacking on multiplayer onto everything imaginable and cobbling together a story campaign in order to make the game a more complete package or vice versa. Unless, y'know, you count "Titanfall," which just said "screw it" to the idea of a campaign and decided to charge full retail price for a multiplayer-only experience. It's very rare to see a developer actually care enough about a shooter to cut out multiplayer and focus on building a strong single-player mode with a compelling plot, interesting sets, and villains that go beyond "people who aren't white" or "Russian people." Yet that's exactly Machine Games has given us in "Wolfenstein: The New Order." Yeah, it's kind of sad that Nazis are a fresh idea in today's gaming landscape, but hey, I'll take what I can get.



"The New Order" imagines a world in which the Nazis nuked the United States and effectively won World War II, allowing their war machine to take over the globe under the watchful eye of the sinister General Deathshead. Every major location in the world has been overtaken by the Nazis, making everything into a concrete-and-metal jungle. But one man won't go down without a fight. Cue one BJ Blazkowicz, longtime "Wolfenstein" protagonist and rugged soldier with a penchant for reflective inner monologues. In a coma for 16 years after a failed assault on Deathshead's base, he's out for blood, attempting to find a resistance against the Nazis and aid them in their efforts. With the aid of old friends, along with new partners such as his nurse of sixteen years and returning soldier from the middling 2009 entry, Caroline Becker, he'll take on cyborg dogs, giant robots, and an army of black-suited Nazis in order to get to his arch-nemesis and return order to the world.



Say what you will about yet another game where a rugged white guy saves the world, but I found the premise and execution of "The New Order" to be quite spot-on. Blazkowicz is a really compelling protagonist, no longer the bland meathead he's been in past entries. He has a serious case of survivor's guilt, is a ticking emotional time bomb, and has some really clever and insightful things to say in his narration.. Not only that, but he's a funny and likable protagonist on top of that, with some of his quips and mannerisms aiding him in breaking the mold in terms of FPS protagonist. Sure, he's no Nathan Drake or Joel, but he fits the bill quite nicely.



The rest of the narrative does, too. Surprisingly, the cast is pretty interesting, and the female characters avoid simply being sexy partners to ogle. They're pretty well-written and resourceful, which is a saving grace in a modern shooter, where it's usually a remarkable feat having any female characters to begin with. On top of this, the story is very, very compelling and executed with a cinematic flare that rivals most things trotted out by Hollywood these days. In my opinion, too many shooters today lazily rely on first-person cutscenes and in-between animations that consist of maps or codec screens, and seeing professional, well-executed cutscenes to drive the narrative forward is quite exciting. Conceptually, too, this game is interesting, taking a concept woefully squandered by "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty," then doing something unique with it. Truly, the idea of a world in which the Nazis have overtaken everything and purged "impure" people out of society is horrifying, and to execute it with such panache and flare deserves serious commendation.



It's very interesting, though, that I'm more taken by the narrative than I am the gameplay, which by and large is nothing to write home about. Granted, it's miles ahead of modern military shooters which have two weapon slots and an abundance of quick-time events, and that alone makes it worth recommending. At the same time, the actual shooting mechanics and weapon selection are a tad boring. Yes, blasting off Nazi limbs and decapitating troops while dual-wielding assault rifles is really satisfying, but I wish there were more diverse weaponry to utilize. Most weapons are things you've seen before, and while all of them have a degree of nice kick and control to them, I feel like a game with a premise of a world overtaken by Nazi technology would have more compelling tools of destruction to utilize. So while shooting things is fun and all at times, I just wish the gunplay and guns to kill with were a bit more creative.



Yet at the same time, I can't help but to applaud the decision to have gameplay here so varied and open-ended. Many studios try and fail to provide a playground in which players can be set loose to approach situations with stealth, tactical warfare, or all out assault, but "The New Order" is one of the rare ones that I feel hits that beautiful sweet spot. The game never tells you what to do, or guides you in a specific direction, with the exception of some corridor segments. Instead, players are set down somewhere and told to do a certain thing, but not how to do it. Maybe you'll commandeer some turrets and blast apart a base, along with any reinforcements that pop up. Or maybe you'll dual-wield knives and crawl through that base, silently dispatching everyone and then going about your merry way. Will you sneak onto a watchtower and snipe enemies, or will you run in with a machine gun with the intent of turning them into Nazi Swiss cheese? The choice is yours, and depending on your actions, you'll get perks in certain skill trees. Yes, this is one of the rare games that rewards you based on your in-game actions, and tailors itself to your playstyle. It's a nice touch that prevents things from getting stale, unlike the useless upgrade function in the last entry.



"The New Order" is a game that hearkens back to mid-90's shooters with stiff challenges and big maps, yet reminds me of modern games in the vein of "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" in the sense of its progression and sets of choices put in front of the player. Honestly, while it lacks polish in some areas such as weapon variety or some pretty questionable texturing at times, it's one of the better shooters I've played in a long while. The lighting effects are simply gorgeous, especially on current-gen systems, and the environments are fun to mess around in. Nazi AI is generally pretty dumb, but it's dumb in that way that makes the game really humorous and fun at times. Whatever glitches here are minimal, and the rare ones I've bumped into don't harm the game and actually add to a more fun, entertaining atmosphere. There's a certain satisfaction to playing a modern, pretty-looking game where hunting for medkits and running out ammo are common occurances. Very few games manage to mix old-school and modern sensibilities and pull it off, but that's exactly what Machine Games has done here.



"Wolfenstein: The New Order" is not a perfect game, and indeed, there are some departments it could use some serious improvement in. Yet overall, it's a complete package that I would heartily recommend to most people. There's plenty of replay incentive, and a constant series of memorable set pieces that are a blast to, erm, blast through. From stealth missions to assaults, stabbing to exploding, this is the game people who are bored to death of modern shooter conventions have been waiting for. If you're not a fan of first-person shooters, then there's not much this game will do to win you over, but if you've been starved for something fresh since the adrenaline-shot of creativity that was "Bulletstorm," then this'll fit the ticket quite nicely.



And to think, they didn't even need to add on multiplayer. Your move, Activision and EA. Your move.



Score: 8.75



UPDATE (5/28/14): Having finally gone through the entirety of the campaign, I've elected to write a little bit more. The last few sets of levels are fantastic, and coupled with some narrative decisions that came out of left field and genuinely shocked me. The ending left me almost as breathless and shocked as that of "The Last of Us," which is some of the highest praise I can heap onto a game. While I still have issues with the weapon selection and the basic shooting mechanics, I can safely say that this game is well worth your time, especially if you're looking for a plot that defies all expectations, and will certainly change the course of this venerable franchise forever.