User Reviews

Guild Wars really made its mark on the online MMORPG scene by placing giving players a breathtaking gameplay with no monthly fees attached to it. The endless hours of questing and levelling up with other players made the game a joy for most players. Along with the many instalments of guild wars that have already been released in the past, the mechanics of the game is still the same. You still control one character and groom it until it becomes strong enough. There are various ways to do this, you can do quests or even party up with people to get you there. There are also skills that you have to pick to make your character a formidable one.

If you are still starting out with the game, you can have a helping hand from the computer and it offers a few henchmen to your aid; a really helpful feature if you ask me, since you do not want to keep on dying every few minutes.

The new instalment features a new location to go to known as Canthas. The place is pretty much on the Asian theme as opposed to Tyria where the theme is stranded in the medieval times. Not to mention that there are new classes of characters that you may want to try. The Assassin is quick to move and hits effectively, the Ritualists on the other hand summons spirits to their aid. With two more added classes, battles can be more diverse than ever.

Similar to most MMORPGs out there, the main feature is really on the PVP which is handled by GW really well. If you just want to hop in a PVP battle, you can always enter small matches that team you up with a group and match you with another group. But if you want to go big time in terms of PVP you may take note that killing is not the only path to winning; you must achieve specific objectives before you win the match.

The word “Faction” is not placed on the title for nothing. The new instalment features various guilds fighting over their turf. The more they win the more places do they get to conquer and the more resources that they get to enjoy. The aim is not really to eliminate the opposite guild, but winning is all about gaining territory.

The game has breathtaking graphics and music. What more can you ask for an MMORPG game?
Well the game is not perfect. Take note of these small details. Whenever you are doing quests, the details of where to go and what to get are placed in small texts which can be easily missed. Doing the campaign can benefit the player in small ways which can make the whole portion forgettable.

Being a newbie in all this war is a bad idea. You do not really get to be a part of all the action until you spend time in making your character stronger to qualify yourself to join the strongest guilds out there.

Although it is not required, having the previous titles installed still means that you get to enjoy more places to go and a more complex game to play. This means if you want to fully experience guild wars, you need to purchase the previous titles which can be pricey. Nonetheless the game is a wonderful experience for MMORPG lovers out there that are looking for great PVP experience as well as stunning graphics.

The basic idea of this game is to pick a song to dance to, take a grip of that Wii Remote and follow the dance moves on the screen as closely as you can. The Wii remote will track your movements and you’ll earn points based on your performance. Each move earns rating comments ranging from bad through to OK and good,right up to perfect. When the song ends, your total score will be racked up and your friends can then try to beat you. Various songs are included in this game which is suitable for a wide variety of players.

There are songs for teenage kids like Toxic, When I Grow Up, Girlfriend, for young adults such as Take Me Out, A-Punk, Move your Feet, and for older folks such as Viva Las Vegas, I Fell Good, Hot Stuff, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. Although, there are familiar dance moves that you will have already come across from the previous releases, there are also new dances with new moves and new cool clothes and costumes; tunes such as Walk like an Egyptian and Sympathy for the Devil. Several play modes are available in this game.

Just Sweat Mode, which is not too energetic, for single players which is a set of six songs just for a work-out session and equipped with its calorie counter. There is a Quick Play mode which can be performed by a group of four dancing together. The Battle Mode allows a maximum of eight persons to complete in minigames. Classic, Duet, Simon Says, Medley, and Race also feature mingames.

Thankfully, Just Dance 2 is an obvious improvement from the past games. The basic presentation is still the same but the score system is better reflects the quality of the dancing and is more accurate and organized. The virtual dancers are all two dimensional, painted with neon colors to give them a disco feel, but if you are someone who loves to dance or work out, this does not matter. Overall, the presentation of this game is entertaining with some strange but excellent choreography and various original soundtracks.

Using the popular TV characters, the objective of the game is to construct a fabulous roller coaster, which you achieve by playing the ever present minigames and explorations; they are everywhere. Many of the adventures follow the normal formula; Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher go to explore a town and collect items and parts with which to assemble their roller coaster, and meet various challenges along the way. But that is what this sort of game is all about and it certainly doesn’t make these games any less enjoyable because of it. You can use Ferb for some of the more mundane tasks, like building barriers and other structures, to help you achieve your goal. Some of the minigames use screen touching techniques for things such as hammering in a nails or tracing lines.

The character Candace is also present to try to frustrate the boy’s actions and generally interfere and be a nuisance. The game has a busted bar display and any activity such as fooling around, or anything that may distract from your purpose will increase the reading on the busted meter, and if it is filled, you’ll just have to play more minigames to gather other bits in a puzzle, while being chased by Candace, but you have an invisibility potion at your disposal to keep you out of her sight. After gathering the parts, Minigames also need to be completed in the actual construction of the roller coaster, and when you have finally completed building what may turn out to be an ingenious contraption, you get to take a ride on it if you dare.But even at this stage of the game there are more surprises and bonuses and time challenges.

There are also vehicle upgrades that you can get to unlock that can adapt your vehicle and even make it suitable for space travel. Phineas and Ferb also has an online feature. By connecting to DGamer, you can have your own avatar and unlock many items, from avatar costumes to sunglasses. The artistic graphics are incredible and the music effects are well fitted to the game, adding to the overall enjoyment of gameplay.

It is well organized, the first challenge being spare part hunting, then its second stage is the assembling these discovered parts, and, after all the hard work, you get to ride on your own fantastical creation. Content-wise the game is very simple yet still providing entertainment and the DGamer feature is definitely a plus since you can chat to other gamers and get them involved. It is certainly worth considering as an addition to your wish list.

Certainly not the easiest game in the handheld format, making it the best I have played on Nintendo DS to date. The underlying Sims idea is still the same as its PC counterparts,the Sims attempt to fulfill their needs and by doing so achieve Sim happiness. The point-and-click system using the stylus makes filling the game’s day planner easier, but in planning for the Sim’s house the Build and Buy play mode doesn’t have much inventory like the other versions, but this is not a major problem.

Players can use the efficiency of the game’s touch screen for painting walls, drawing, and dragging and dropping items with ease. You can also make up your own story should you so wish. When you pick your Sims’ character and Lifetime wish, you set out a plan to follow to achieve this wish. Your character can also go on explorations to the town, be in, and fall out of, love, visit their neighbors; whatever you wish. The new feature for this version is its Karma. It is earned by completing particular set goals in the game, which earn as a reward Karma points that can then be used in different ways such as spending on items for added luck or throwing a fire spell at a neighbor. There are other means of collecting Karma points which require searching out, and others that need to be unlocked.

Looking for Karma adds a twist to the overall enjoyment of the game. Another added feature is the ability to personalize your Sims’ facial character by using the stylus. You can widen the forehead; change the nose, sharpen the chin and a lot more, producing some quite grotesque looking features. It is a great addition although in the DS version there is more pixilation so rendering the facial customization a little less effective. This really is a shame as this feature is great fun by itself. Generally speaking the music and sound effects are catchy and the ever present mumbling and chattering crowd noises are still there, which is good as they would certainly be missed.

The gameplay is great and the addition of Karma points gives scope for added imagination. While it isn’t that graphically-rich, the inclusion Build and Buy mode is a welcome feature, but the most enjoyable new feature and of great amusement value in itself,is the Create-a-Sim facial function.

If you like the idea of getting inspiration from action films to create a totally different game then take a look at this game which tries to copy action films that became a hit over the years. This game is a combination of car chases and gunfights that are typically seen in action films. This game is really a cracker, and one of my favorite things in it is jumping from car to car. You can even jump on the hood and blast them in the face, or throw them out and jump into the driving seat. There is a laid back feeling you will get from this game. Nothing is too serious, but don't expect there to be that much of a storyline. However, don't let that take away from the game.

So here is how the game goes, you play as the cop in a new branch of the police department. Pursuit Force is the name of your police group, and its purpose is the control and testing of experimental vehicles for use in high speed chases, and the development of new weapons. Your group is assigned to capture five gangs who are known for crimes using high speed getaway cars for armed robberies. Each gang has their own special skills and methods. You will be given 30 missions in which to capture them. With the degree of difficulty involved it takes quite a while to complete these missions.

At the start of the game, you will be given four missions to unlock the gangs. Once you have succeeded in these missions, you can start tracking for the gangs you have unlocked. You will also be ranked on the missions that you have finished. If you did well with the missions, you can get a promotion. The fight scenes, chase scenes and hi jack scenes are awesome. It is action packed and you will never have a dull moment in this game. It is full of fun and excitement.

The graphics are well done. You will notice little lovable characters poping up and saying silly things while chasing gang members. The vehicles and characters are so realistic. The scenes were all carefully crafted to get the feel of reality. All in all, Pursuit Force is the game to take when you want a full action game. It is so intense and will definitely take you on the edge of your seat. Your skills will be challenged as you get to do action stunts like in the films. I would HIGHLY recommend this game, it is badass! I would rate it 9/10.

In a market which offers what seems to be thousands of titles involving recent conflicts, imaginary or real, Men of War does set itself apart from many. This particular offering takes place in Europe during World War Two. Three perspectives on the warfare are offered; Allied, Russian and German. There are several missions in each category showing the progress of individual soldiers from each force as they progress through the ranks and experience action in the Pacific, Africa and Italy as well as in the rest of Europe.

The game can be played in single player mode and in multiplayer mode with a couple of new maps thrown in. The graphics are outstanding and the characters convincing but the audio may not be to everyone’s taste.

All the things you would expect in a war game are present, weapons, tanks and grenades, so not much new here; no made up weapons with highly improbable power, and the battle situations could, and probably did happen in such a war.

You can take a tutorial to teach you a few commands that you will be using in the entire game. This is also where you will learn the tools of war that you will use in your missions. There are a number of controls in this game that are very simple and very direct. However, some movements may require lots of menus to go through.

The campaigns are long and the game potentially can give you many days of gameplay making it good value if you measure it by dollars per hour. Not the absolute best war game in the world but a cut above most.

LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 is based, very loosely, on the first four books in the Harry Potter series, these being Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire. It is neccessary to tackle them in order, not because this makes more sense of the storylines but because the game won't let you do it any other way. You are however supposed to be familiar with the baisc outlines of the Harry Potter tales; they are loosely connected.

Most of the game's advancement is through fetch quests, not too heavy combat, puzzle solving, and as you would expect in LEGO, collecting the bits known as studs. You have to guide Harry and friends through all sorts of environments facing various evrents and landing in some tricky predicaments.

Controlling the game is much better using the stylus than by the D-pad which has a very poor directing action. Touching items and people with the stylus allows for conversations and exploring items in the environment or to cast your standard attack spell. Some spells require simple problems to be solved. Also, you can, at some points in the game, play a chraracter other than Harry. Because the game is aimed at a young audience, failing a task or dyingand and such like, doesn't usually result in frustration; you can normally try again.

The graphics are good for what they are but with the occasional jerkiness, and the voice acting is good and there is not too much of it to be annoying.

The game’s lack of freedom may put some people off, but on the plus side you can always double-back to earlier stages once you’ve completed them to unlock all sorts of goodies. There's a lot going on and kids will probably not mind the fact that the story is not accurate to the original books. Hours of good entertaining fun for youngsters.

Mystery P.I. – The London Caper is set in London, obviously, and is a game where the player has to search for the hidden objects in a myriad of locations. There are mini games added into its features as well as unlockable modes. This new version is exactly the same as the original one, the Lost in Los Angeles game, and the storyline is the same, and similar, if not exactly the same objects, are repeated in the higher levels.

There are three objects on the list of the player, which are hidden all over the place. There is a crown, a key and a pair of handcuffs. The player has to search for and collect all 25 crowns and keys to unlock another game mode. If the player is successful in finding the 25 pairs of handcuffs there will be a reward in the form of a boost of 1 million points or more to the score.

There is a bonus game like the Unlimited Seek and Find where the player gets to try to locate more than 2000 objects that have all been hidden and then there is the Match-3 Bonus Game where it allows the player to replay portions of the game over and over again.

The game is set to a time limit and the player needs to wait for a set period of time before the hints come out again. Using the hints would mean a deduction to the score and the player may need to click all over the place looking for objects. This can be a waste of time.

The timed game is challenging for many players as it normally is. This will prove to be the downfall of the new players as they may not be familiar where the objects are hidden while the veteran players would already have a feel of the most likely places the objects are hidden and can breeze through the game at a faster speed. Don't hate me because I am experianced…LOL!

The Mystery P.I. – The London Caper is user friendly and those familiar with the other version can use the same techniques on this one. Once the player completes a level, they have to solve a puzzle which can be anything from a Match 3 to a Jigsaw puzzle. The level of difficulty is medium so new and older players can go through it without problems.

There is one thing though, all the complaints about the previous version have been inherited by this new one. The scenes and the objects are the same and that can get repetitive and lower the challenge experience. I really would like to see some new objects. The storyline does not help the game either. It can be referred to at the beginning of the game but gets lost as it progresses. In the end, the only thing that matters is to search for the same objects in different or similar places.

In conclusion, there is really no difference between the two versions except probably the location and the goal. But even without the location, the goal is basically the same, find the objects. It is however, still a fun game. No need to develop a game strategy and there is no need to really have a deep discussion with the mind on the finding of the objects. If the player is looking for something really challenging, this is not the game. It is alright for awhile but doesn't really do anything to hold your attention. I rate it 5 out of 10.

This game is based on the 1967 Grand Prix Season, presenting the same cars as in the original season - the Lotus Ford 49, the Eagle-Weslake T1G, the Repco-Brabham BT24, the Ferrari 312, and the BRM H-16-Papyrus, together with two other cars – the Murasama and the Coventry. You will also get to play with the teams of Kyalami, Zandvoort, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Rouen-les-Essarts, Mosport, Silverstone, Monte Carlo, Nurburgring, and Watkins Glen.

The graphic presentation is really wonderful. From the little details of the mirrors to the fancy backgrounds and scenery, everything is just mind-blowing.

So, how real is this real game? It can be definitely said that driving each of the cars will be a great challenge for you. They have realistically different handling characteristics, but all of them are incredibly difficult to drive. You can never complete a single lap in your first few games without crashing, spinning, flipping, and rolling over. Don’t be surprised, as Papyrus even posted a warning about this in the second page of this game’s manual, which reads, "You will spin and crash because everyone who tries the simulation spins and crashes the first time out. And the second time out. And the third. People who have raced real cars spin and crash in the simulator - mainly because they aren't feeling the forces they are used to feeling while driving."

Apparently, Papyrus made it so real that even real racers can play it just like they do in real life. But how about those aspiring (and frustrated) racers like me who just get to do these races on the sim? I am not sure how they plan to deal with this. But I guess they should have given us more help to play, maybe some input or hint to let us know how close we are to these turns? Don’t get me wrong. For me, it’s still the best driving sim ever, but hey, would it hurt if they didn’t make so tactful AI drivers so that we can get to train ourselves?

Despite my rants, I still have the GPL spell on me. Yes, I am still literally spending hours to play this again and again, and on the bright side, its difficulty makes it more rewarding if you get on the top ten. That’s the time I enjoy using the instant replay feature to see how I did.

Maybe the only downside of the gameplay is that you can only use cockpit and chase views during the race, which does not give you a wide view of what’s in front of you. That’s more likely why you will not see if you are gopng to be crashing into a wall. And I guess not everyone can download and play this, as it requires high-end hardware requirements as well as controllers to do so.

However, if you can get pass all these obstacles, you will truly enjoy playing this racing sim. Once you get past through the getting-used-to stage, you will definitely be rewarded with the most realistic game experience. A hard, but super realistic driving simulation game.

Electronic Arts has again released a sequel for the NFS Underground series which focuses on the import tuner scene or modifying branded cars, this time on the streets of an open city, much like the Grand Theft Auto series but not even close in quality as a game. It might be set up in the streets of an open city, but you will race on preset tracks too, which isn’t the feel of the GFA race style where you really race on the streets informally, without any tracks, and just find your own start and end points. This is the main difference of the game compared to the last year’s version. You can also go to different shops around the city to pimp your ride. However, you can only find them while roaming the city, and maps won’t help you.

Overall, it is pretty much like the first release, and the actual racing gameplay is pretty good. The graphical effects are impressive, except for the GameCube version. The car models look sharp and cool and the background city looks fine. But for some reason, last year’s version was better in terms of blur effects. Also, the crashing of the cars is actually weak, and you would not feel the impact at all. However, you have to have gamepads connected to the PC to maximize the controls, as the controls don’t work too well with the keyboard. In terms of sound, the dialogue and speech are actually lame, but speed sounds actually do their thing. The slang dialogues are pretty inappropriately placed along the way, and this is very disturbing especially if you know that language. The soundtrack made up of remixes by Snoop Dogg and Jim Morrison is actually pretty cool though.

The game starts with you driving a slow car and then you upgrade them as you earn enough money. Movements are incredibly fast, and techniques are easy to execute. Race types are either circuit, drag, or drift races. You can also race in street X races, outrun races, and underground races. Everything goes wrong, however, when you go into career mode. You’ll enter a new town and find yourself in a new story. This is rather far away from the whole theme of the game, and the cutscenes are noninteractive.

What you will love with NFS Underground 2 is the process of pimping up your car. You can purchase parts to speed the engine up, or you can buy necessary accessories to get noticed enough to put your car on a magazine centerfold.

The game does okay with its purpose of simulating an “underground” type of race, but it also somehow puts too much emphasis on it, and this comes to the point that it gets really annoying. Overall, the game does as well as its predecessor did, but I don’t think that the new additions helped at all. They actually draw you from the heart of the game and take the fun out of the races.