Archive for the 'Video Games' Category
Left 4 Dead Game of the Year Edition
Includes game and L4D Survival Pack
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Gamer
Left 4 Dead is a great game. Made for online multiplayer action to enjoy with your friends. Perfect!
5 Stars I don’t buy many games, this is a must-have
I hesitated to but this because I thought it would be a redundant shoot-em-up type that gets old (short of killing zombies). Instead I found it to be a challenging evolving game as the designers keep action from being systematic. Whether its the locations of weapons or how many/where do zombies appear, each playthrough is different.
I do have to admit the xbox gold/live membership makes the game even more fun in versus mode. I mean, killing zombies is fun, but BEING a zombie killing humans is pretty great too.
2 Stars Over-Hyped and Not-That-Great.
Try before you buy. Don’t just read the hype.
First, let me say that I have the xbox Game of the Year Edition, I have downloaded everything I could find for the game from xbox Live, I have played the game a few times (but I play many many hours at a time), and I’ve already got over 3/4 of the Achievements available for the Survivors.
Whether or not you will like this game depends on the style of play you like in your games. Some people might like this type of play, but I didn’t. I’ve enjoyed playing everything from the Evil Dead games and Dead Rising to Resident Evil 1 & 4 and a bunch of other “zombie” type games. The issue I have is that Left 4 Dead doesn’t play like how it feels like it should play – or it feels one way but plays another way. Left 4 Dead feels like it should play like a tight strategy game of team tactics and smart game play – hardcore Zombie Apocalypse survivors: The smart & the dead, … but it isn’t, it just isn’t. I’ll get back to the game play in a minute.
A lot of the game looks OK at first (maybe “Good”, but nothing “Great”). The graphics break-down badly when you are getting stomped on by zeds (any time you are on the ground, or when zeds are too close to you) and when you get dragged by Smoker zeds it gets really glitchy. And the fire effect (i.e. from molotov cocktails) is awful. But, for as flawed as some of these things are, I wouldn’t necessarily say that they detract too much from the game play.
The areas/maps aren’t very open; there is a definite “tunnel” feel to the game. Which, given the nature of the objectives, is probably unavoidable. Yet some of the tight tunnel areas, like the ones that are outside, do provide an illusion of openness, which is nice. But, what this all means is that, game play is relatively linear; the route to a destination is pretty tight, and your style of game play will be pretty much forced upon you. So all that turn-off-your-lights and sneak-around-the-witch dialogue is garbage – she’s either in your way or she isn’t – anyhow, just shoot her.
And, now speaking of that game play, it’s just an ammo-burner game. You have limited ammo for your “special” weapon of choice (shotgun, assault rifle, Uzi, whatever), but unlimited ammo for your pistol(s) – and you go through a lot of it really fast. Forget about S.W.A.T. play, forget about being a ninja, forget about sniping to clear a path ahead; just forget about stealth and efficiency.
You shoot, you run and shoot, and you shoot and run some more. Lingering around areas, being cautious and thorough, will only get you more encounters with randomly generated zeds. There is not a general fixed number of zeds in an area, the game will spawn more zeds (crap-loads more) when conditions are triggered. This is a game of “whatever” (like “get from Point A to Point B”, or “stand on a rooftop/Lighthouse”) that is punctuated by random “Special Zed” appearances and waves of rushing zed hoards. Pointless wave after random wave of rushing zed hoards. A Run-n-Gun (or a Stand-n-Gun).
So the best tactic is to just run through an area until you hit a Special Zed, or a good vantage point, and then turn around and deal with everything in a hail of blazing lead (or a pipe bomb – they’re magical zed magnets). Seriously, it works best that way; you’ll save ammo, and time, and deal with less crap. Because, when you trigger a zed rush, they will spawn and come running at you from all directions: from the empty rooms you just swept clear, from the dead-end halls you just swept clear, from anywhere and everywhere they will magically appear to come charging at you. So forget your Spec-Ops mentality; it’s pointless. And there is no meaningful stealth action. So just forget about “INTELLIGENT” game play, unless your idea of strategy is to back yourself into a closet and fire outwards.
Now, maybe everything I have complaints about is just the way the game is supposed to be? Maybe I’m whining about would’a, should’a, could’a, and crying about stuff that I want to have that just shouldn’t be a part of the game? I keep wondering about that myself. But then the heavy-handed teamwork elements keep running up to me and smacking me in the face.
This is a total “buddy system” game. You aren’t going to get anywhere without someone else there to pick you up-off the ground. It is FORCED upon you through the games mechanics. There is no running ahead and going solo because everyone else is cramping your style. This is a game about teamwork, team tactics, teammate support and assists. It is a key element in the game – there are several Achievements based off of this. It’s good and it’s bad; I’m still on the fence about how I feel about it. In some ways I do like it, and in other ways I think it totally hamstrings game play.
You are the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” lady. If you are grabbed: you are helpless until someone else assists you. If you are on the ground, no matter how much health you have: you are stuck on the ground until someone assists you. If your whole team gets knocked down, no matter how much health everyone has, or how many health packs everyone has: it is Game Over because no one is left standing to assist anyone else back up. And Survivors WILL get knocked-down and dragged-around (and probably bitten and mauled) a lot.
With this sort of forced and required team-play element, the game feels like it should be more at a level of SOCOM, Call of Duty, Ghost Recon, Halo, or even Splinter Cell or Tenchu; demanding a higher level of tactical style and strategic “cover your, and your teammates, butts” type of game play – but it’s not. It’s a sloppy trigger-happy fire-fest. This is not a game of clean shots and efficient kills, there is no “Go ahead, I’ve got you covered” stuff; Spec-Ops style tactics (or any thoughtful or cautious efforts) just don’t have any credit here.
Fast zombies or slow zombies, infected or undead; I don’t really have a preference, but I thought the “Special” zombie types in this game were kinda lame. Puker/Exploder fat thing stereotype. `Roid-Rage Tank stereotype thing. Leaper/Pouncer zed. Sniper-Tongue smoke-exploding (?!?) zed. “I just want to cry and I hate the light” emo Witch zed. I just don’t think any of them are really cool or inspiring.
I can only rate this game a 2 or 3 stars. The only recommendation I can make is: Try before you buy. Don’t just read the hype.
5 Stars I can’t wait to play it on my 65″ plasma I’m getting soon.
This game rocks! If you always wanted to blast away zombies in single or co-op with your buddies at home or online then you are the person this game had in mind. I’m not going to rehash what you already read from others since you can read about it from youtube and gaming sites.
4 Stars Left 4 Dead
First let me comment on the GoTY version. Yes, all the additional content in the GoTY title is available on xbox live for free as a DLC. The only perk to having the GoTY version is that you wont have to use up memory on your harddrive for the survival pack because its already installed on the disc. Other than that i would suggest just getting the normal game if you find it cheaper. I found the GoTY version and the normal version for the same price of $29.99 at gamestop brand new! the funny thing is, right next to it they had the used version for $44.99 still, $15 more then the brand new ones!
This isn’t just a Call of Duty World at War Zombie mode revamped…even though the premises is nearly the same there is four people, and if you don’t have 4 players to play the 4 survivors then the remaining survivors will be OP’d by computers. In the multiplayer mode you can be the zombies (the special zombies with super moves). The only thing that i didn’t really like about this game which others may have liked is that there is no story mode at all. The weapons aren’t extensive at all in this game. You can either have the pistols, shotguns, sniper rifle, or uzi. theres some health packs, pills, molotovs, and grenades. to me, this was just a renter after a week or two of playin this game just became pretty boring and repeptitive.
theres only 4 main maps that the survivors fight their way through 4 or 5 stages of the map to get to the end where they will try to be evacuated. its the same story on every map! i gave this 4 stars because 5 stars would just be overatin the game and 3 stars doesn’t do it all justice, but know this i wont be buying or playing the sequel because unless they add a storymode or drastic changes all a sequel could be for this game is just a big expansion.
**Edit**
DO NOT buy this with the $59.99 price tag its cheaper at gamestop for $29.99
Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Bundle with Van Halen Offer
Living room legends will rock any way they want in Guitar Hero 5. The entire set list is at your finger tips from the start, featuring genre-defining hits from some of the biggest rock artists and bands of all time, including The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Santana and Vampire Weekend. You will take complete control as Guitar Hero 5 allows you to personalize and customize how you experience music by being able to play with any in-game instrument combination – multiple vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers, in any game mode. With the game’s all-new Party Play Mode, getting the band back together has never been easier. You can now jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly, without interrupting their jam session. Elevating the Guitar Hero series to new heights with unmatched social gameplay, an enhanced style, new in-game artists and more rock legends, Guitar Hero 5 features new surprises and challenges that will fire-up long-time fret board fanatics and create a new generation of addicts. The Band that Plays Together – Bands can earn bonus multipliers by hitting new special note streams in unison. Make and Share Music – Produce hits in the redesigned Music Studio with improved editing tools for easy use, new guitar samples and mix patterns and share them online with GHTunes to create what could be the next breakout hit. Check Out My New Axe – The redesigned and re-skinned guitar controller with interchangeable faceplates and improved slider bar functionality offers Guitar Hero fanatics and music enthusiasts even more personalization options and enhanced in-game effects.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Be careful buying this game…..
Received my copy on Tuesday September 8th and was able to play it for all of about 10 minutes then got “disc unreadable” error.
Quick search on internet tells me this is known issue and many other people are experiencing same problem. So I had to pack everything back up in the box to try & exchange for better copy from Amazon.
Also worth noting as other person here has mentioned that Amazon didn’t include a receipt for this purchase with this box which makes it difficult at best to send in for free GH: Van Halen game.
Want my advice? don’t buy this game from Amazon… buy it from local store where you can (a) easily exchange it if you get a bad copy & (b) get a receipt!
Best of luck to those buying this product here. Caveat Emptor!
3 Stars junk guitar
i had this preorderd for a very long time and when it came i wanted to send for the van halen game right away but they make you jump through so many hoops . plus i did not get my receipt from amazon, and on top of that the piece of s##t guitar does not work , none of the buttons on the neck work at all . so i have a game and a guitar that i cant use . im so disapointed. first three drum sets and now this. i hope you all have better luck then i do .
5 Stars great addition to the series
First off, try not to read other reviews that only refer to not getting receipts and manufacturer’s defects. If you have played a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game, this is just a given that some of us are going to have to return an item or two. It happened to me on Gears of War, it happens to everyone.
That being said, this game should be reviewed on the game itself with a little thrown in about the quality of the guitar.
The game is excellent, and getting 4.5 out of 5 and 9 or 10 out of 10 from all the game reviewers. You can use your xbox live avatar, you can create rockers just like before, all your favorite rockers are back, there are a load of fun and new achievements, the ability to jump into songs midstream, and the run on sentence goes on and on. As many series have done, they are constantly coming up with new feature and taking out old features.
In guitar hero I think they have done better than World Tour and improved on some of the complaints with the game and the guitar. I was hesitant to buy a guitar with the new slider neck, but having tried it a few times now my only compaint is that is hard to switch back and forth, which is caused by inexperience only and will get better. The new design is cool looking, works well, and combines nicely with the game. And getting free Van Halen coming my way in 6 weeks is a nice feature as well.
There will be future reviews with more depth, but for now a week after this came out there needs to be at least one review that isn’t just a receipt complaint. I am positive you can print receipts from amazon, so not even sure how that is an issue.
In the remote and deadly Wild West, the outlaw McCall brothers are on a quest for the legendary Gold of Juarez. In their journey across a vast landscape, these lawless gunslingers will stop at nothing to achieve their goal — and woe to any man who tries to stand in their way. Arm yourself with pistols, cannons, machine guns and more as you strike out on a mission with two fearless compatriots whose bonds of blood are only strengthened by the blood they spill together.
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User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars Dead Man’s Quick Draw
I am a fan of western video games, but this one has a number of flaws or limitations that make the game more annoying than fun to play. Men and horses that can’t jump. Attacking enemy that cannot be killed though the indicator is red. Poor character interaction. I mean you expect at least a thank you for saving someone’s life. But the biggest flaw of all is the quick draw episodes. You have to used the right directional stick to draw your gun, but there is no rhyme or reason to how you do it. In other words, it is a matter of luck whether you get your gun out of the holster. It has nothing to do with skill. So you may end up drawing on some bad guy twenty times before you get lucky enough to pull your gun from your holster. This is so annoying that it spoils the game. In fact, the first time I wrote this review I was so angry that I gave the game one star. And I will probably be again once I have to get shot 20 times to kill the bad guy. Why the right directional stick was used instead of the more precise buttons, I’ll never know. To be fair there are some fun and challenging shootouts, the natural settings are great if you like the virtual outdoors, and the story-game interaction is okay. But I’m not sure they are worth putting up with the quick draw frustration. But since I own the game I’m stuck with it. If you have nothing else to play, then Call of Juarez will do. A better option might be to replay Red Dead Revolver or Gun or, better yet, Red Faction until something new comes out.
4 Stars Great Shooter, Western Style
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the game features a decent storyline, good graphics, and a real western shooter (not common in games today). Among all the titles out there, this is definitely worth the purchase and play.
4 Stars A decent western game
For starters its the best western game I have played in a while. Not since these days of red dead revolver had I played a decent western. It has a good campaign, it may be a little short but it offers you the alternative to play with Ray or Thomas. So I suggest to play thru with one (when you can, sometime you are limited to one) then play thru again with the other person. Also you get to buy weapons to fit your style. So if you like to pump out the lead you can buy quickshooters. You also can break out the double barrel shotty and lay some guys to waste when they get up close. As for the multi player its quite fun. Its nice to blast people with six shooters instead of machine guns for a change. After all is said and done, if you are looking for a decent different FPS game to pass the time its worth the money.
5 Stars A Terrific Game! A Must Have For Western Fans
I’ll keep this simple and to the point. I’m an adult gamer who enjoys Western movies. I absolutely LOVE this game. I’m not an advanced player, and still found the game great fun with just the right amount of challenge. Plenty of save points and a Huge number of unique chapters! Stage coaches, chases on horseback, Indians, riverboats, trains, quick draws, it has it all! You’ll be playing for hours and since you have the ability to play as two different main characters, there’s Huge replay value. I’ve played for over 4 days and am only on chapter 4 of 15! I feel like I’m in my own Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western. If I never played another game, I’d be happy with just this one! Interested? Get it now and start having fun!!!
3 Stars Very solid shooter with some minor issues
Call of Juarez: BiB is a great game for anyone who enjoys single-player first person shooters on the 360. It took me about eight hours to play through this game.
The environments looks fantastic and, if not anything else, are a great change of pace from most current FPS games. Most of the voice acting and dialog is pretty good (except for some from the Native American characters and a few lines of laugh-out-loud sexually-oriented dialog). The story is interesting and the McCall brothers are well developed characters (for a video game). Using some of the placed weaponry (canons, Gatling guns) is a lot of fun.
As someone who games quite a bit, I noticed that there are a couple of minor things that hold the game back a bit..
The quick-draw mechanic can be infuriating. Basically, your character stands on-screen for what seems like an eternity while you wait for a bell to ring, at which point you flick the right analog stick and fire, hoping to hit your opponent before he hits you. The main problem with this is that if you screw up, you reload the fight and end up standing there again for what seems like another eternity as you wait for the bell to ring. Another problem (which could easily just be me) is that by the time I got to the second quick-draw, I couldn’t remember what controls to use because I’d been through a good 1.5 hours of additional regular FPS shooting and the game didn’t bother to remind me in any way after I’d managed to lose the draw about ten times in a row.
Another issue is that auto-aim and sticky-aim can be turned on/off, but cannot be set to a specific sensitivity. Further, these settings seem to behave quite differently depending on which playable character is being controlled. I personally prefer to have little or no auto-aim, but it does help on some console shooters. This game either has it on full blast or not at all.
Lastly (and this is an issue in Call of Duty too), the computer players have better throwing AI than the NFL quarterbacks in Madden because they can practically throw dynamite into your lap from twenty to forty yards away without much trouble.
So, I would recommend that you buy this game for PC (if you are a hard-core gamer who prefers no auto-aim), or buy it for 360 once the price comes down to about $35. I have no comments on the multiplayer because I did not try it out and don’t plan to do so with so many high profile FPS games coming out in the next two months.
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