Features

• Cockpit design alike actual car models
• Original FIA GT Series cars and courses
• Real racing teams featuring more than 70 racecars, including the Porsche 996, Viper GTS-R, BMW Z3 M, and Ferrari 550 Maranello
• Car physics based on actual racecar telemetry data
• Sounds recorded from actual racecars

Reviews (3)

Best racing sim on the market
This is, without doubt, the best racing sim on the market. Models are outstanding, physics are tops, sounds are awesome, support is excellent, and the 3 new add-ons are definitely meant for the American market: the creators of GTR have already added 3 ovals to satisfy left-turn-itis... You have 3 levels of difficuly: Arcade, Semi-pro, and Simulation. Simulation is very difficult, while Arcade is quite easy. Lots of cars, lots of tracks, lots of options. Have fun!!

drivers heaven !
this is the best experience i have ever made in racing game !
forget about gran tourismo 4. i am now on the game since 1 week and playing it nearly 12 hours a day. my opinion now, this is the most realistic and hardcore game of all categories...

and i love the porsche`s in it... :-)

GTR FIA GT Racing Game PC
If you have any interest in racing games, and you own a PC, then this is the game for you. Two words: Incredibly Detailed. You can customize nearly every aspect of the game.For example, want to drive in the cockpit view but can't see over the dashboard? No problem - use the hotkeys to adjust the drivers seat. You can even tell the game to add driver head movement so you can actually look through a turn the way real drivers do.You can adjust every part of the car to make it handle exactly how you want it to handle.
The graphics are fantastic.You can adjust so many graphic settings that it should run on most computers.The car detials are exact, though most of the race car sponsors are unfamiliar to me.The cars have different paint schemes and customizations.Even the cockpits are exact replicas of the real sports cars.
The gameplay is near perfect.That is, you can modify the game to make it as hard as you want it to be.The cars all exhibit real physics with down forces and tire wear just to name a few.The game gives you three modes to play, from Arcade mode to Simulation.Remember, this game is designed as a simulator, so the game has a steep learning curve.I recommend a good two analog stick game pad to get the most out the game. And practice changing the setting to make the game comfortable to play.
Overall, the game is fun and deep, with excellent graphics and sound.What more could you want in your race car driving simulation?

---Update: For a game with so many settings, you can't adjust the number of laps in the arcade mode.Seems like they should have added that.Also, the game is very hard.I have spent most of my time playing in Arcade mode.Just be prepared to practice, ... Read more

Product Description

The Star Wars universe is expanded and enhanced in this action-packed game. You'll interact with droids, Wookies, Jedi and more as you battle across the galaxy. Travel to a total of 10 awesome worlds—both familiar and new. May the force be with you. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Action/Adventure
• Mission: The ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith rages on. Your actions determine the outcome of this colossal galactic war—and your destiny as a Jedi
• Platform: Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (206)

Play tester anyone?
I couldn't give this game a "fun" rating, because you have to be able to play a game to know if it's any fun.I ranked it a 1 because I certainly didn't have any fun with this product.

KOTOR didn't allow me that opportunity.

When I loaded the game, the framerate was something like 5 frames per second, and that was just the main menu screen.Once I got into the actual game, it ran at about 2 fps.

It's not like I was playing this on an overclocked 486 either.This was on a brand new computer that I had literally bought the week before I tried to play this game.

My specs:

Compaq Presario 4012 notebook
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor
512MB of RAM
ATI Mobility Xpress 200 graphics card

I spent three days mucking about with Bioware's tech support forums before I got an email back from Bioware's tech support that told me that ATI graphics cards in the family that my graphics card is in are incompatible with this game.If I wanted to play it, I'd need a card from NVIDIA.

Gee, that would have been nice to know before buying the game.Maybe they could have put something in the system requirements (Far Cry, for example, lists the compatible graphics cards in the system requirements)

Furthermore, that doesn't explain the fact that the reviewers at Gamespot (who for some inexplicable reason gave the game an 8.8 ranking) noted that they game flat-out wouldn't play on three of the four systems they tried it on.These are professional game reviewers.Surely, if a system exists that could handle this game, they would have more than one.(And one that it crashed frequently on, I might add)

The review is here:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/starwarsknightsoftor/index.html?q=knights+of+the+old+republic


It's obvious that Bioware developed this game for one hardware configuration, and didn't playtest it on anything that didn't match that configuration.Bioware is currently blaming ATI for faulty drivers-- adbicating any responsibility they have to release a product that actually works as advertised.



Here's a word of advice:Before you buy this game-- or any game from Bioware-- make darn sure you contact their tech support staff and ask them if the game will work with your specific hardware setup.And don't accept a "should work" answer either.Otherwise, you might just wind up with a very expensive set of shiny coasters.

GREAT GAME
THERE IS NO PS2 VERSION!! FOR THE PERSON THAT SAID HE HAS THE PS2 VERSION OF KOTOR. ONLY PC AND X-BOX.

Awsome Game
One of the best games i ever played, great story, really 2 different games choosing light or dark sides, highly recommend to anyone, even not star wars fans, great game.

PlayStation 2 version
I have this game in the PlayStation 2 version.It's a great game.I would like to sell it if anyone is interested.

the best video game of all time!
if that doesnt say it all,i will elaborate.this is a star wars role playing game.you pick this dude,gather droids,a wookie,some soldiers,some jedis and such then travel many planets and getting into all sorts of high adventure!you can choose from a long list of force powers to have.there are weopons practicly falling out of the trees.unlike older rpgs,you have control of your characters during battle.you can even customize weopons with all sorts of cool upgrades.theres a lot of stuff to do but it is highly unstructured.you could pay very little attention to the actual story and still become powerful just fighting monsters.then theres a few more cool things.one is you can coax just about anybody into a fight.you remember the old days when a king just told your guy off and sent him on a perilous journey then screwed him out of his money later?well now,if he tells you off,you can dismember him and if you dont want to do the job,you dont have to.if he screws with you,more often than not you can force choke him or blast him.so no more putting up with mouthy npc authority typeson a power trip!the other really cool thing is you dont have to be a good guy either.now you can go to the dark side if youd like.every decision you make can ultimately lead to a dark or light side point being gained.here are some examples of bad things that can get you dark side points.............using the jedi mind trick to force a wookie to kill his best friend,or using it to make someone commit suicide,refusing to pay docking fees,smuggling,killing witnesses,going to sith school.the story even changes for whatever style guy you run.but ultimately,you fight the same last boss,just under different circumstances.this is definately worth checking out! ... Read more

Product Description

This game lets you customize your character by choosing species, gender, clothing, and more and then create a custom light saber to do battle against the forces of Darth Vader. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Action/Adventure
• Mission: Learn the true ways of the Force from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker
• Platform: Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (92)

firebrand, your pc is a load of rubbish
hey, last time i checked "P4 3.0 Ghz, 512 MB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon X300 SE with 128MB of Video Ram" is NOT a "powerhouse pc". it wasnt even a powerhouse pc 1 year ago. most pc's have been running a gig of ram for over a year. and last time they checked, they had to overclock a 3.6/3,8 ghz p4 processor to like 5ghz to match an fx55, so your processor is crap. 3.4ghz has been the standard for over a year now in most new pc's.
most gamers also use 256mb cards.

also your graphics card is also the cheapest, lowest range card ati do since yours is x300 and they go right up to x850,lol.
plus its a dell, which shows how ignorant you are about "power computers".
so yeah, dont moan and say u got a powerhouse pc, because all u got was a really rubbish spec'd pc, no doubt for a very cheap price from dell.

I CANT WAIT TO GET IT
I want this game so much it sounds like fun espically the plot. Im looking foward to playing out my favorite battle in the series the battle between maul,qui gonn,and obi-wan!!I WANT THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

best internet play ever!!
this games play is good.i was just finished with another game and board so i looked through my games i came acrose jedi academy i thought hmm could be good then i saw the multiplayer option and i was hocked!!! i ended up playing loads this game is ot only fun i realised it was also addictive.starwars fans or people who like slashing people with light sabers this is for you!!!!!!!!

Fun, awesome star wars action, one complaint
first the complaint.I just bought myself a Dell Dimension 8400 with P4 3.0 Ghz, 512 MB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon X300 SE with 128MB of Video Ram.This is a powerhouse computer.

I played Call of Duty, which graphically is a more advanced game than Jedi Academy, and finally had it play perfectly smoothly.It was such fun to do so.I then popped in Jedi Academy to test its performance in a faster environment (before I had a P4 2.0 Ghz, 64 MB NVIDIA GeForce 4, and 256 MB of RAM), and I was disappointed.I put the highest settings (1024x768, 32 bit color, high graphics) and the game ran choppy!I put it on "normal" settings, and the game STILL ran choppy.How is it possible that Call of Duty runs perfect, but Jedi Academy runs choppy?It doesn't make sense...

Anyway, you can set the graphic settings to the lowest (which is what I did), and it will play smoothly, but you won't get any of the graphics benefits.The game, however, is fun.

What happened?!!!?
This game was my introduction to Jedi Knight series. The only Star Wars game I had played before this was Knights of the Old Republic (which I loved). After finishing it I was excited about more Star Wars gaming and I tried Jedi Academy.

The game seemed to be a mixed bag: there was some great things like ability to customize your character and choosing between saber styles. The acrobatics were fantastic. But these alone were not enough to save the game: some of the graphics looked really bad especially outdoor environments. In general everything felt like it was made in great hurry: the textures, lightning and everything felt unpolished. Quake III engine is capable of much better when levels are planned with artistic vision. Character animations in cutscenes looked clumsy and unfinished. But the biggest problem with the game was the story (or the lack of it). Overall the game feels like you had different fan made maps put together.

I know a lot of people probably wanted more lightsaber combat. Well you certainly got that with this game. The problem is that it gets VERY repetitive after a while. In movies the saber fights were used sparingly and always connected to major turning points in the plot. Now it is just endless repetition (didn't I beat this guy already? Like 100 times!!!)

I recently tried Jedi Outcast (the previous game in the serie) and I was SHOCKED to realize just how much better it was in almost every way: the graphics, the plot, the missions all had real touch of quality in it. It seems Raven tried to improve some elements in the game and totally forgot everything that made Jedi Outcast such a classic. Or more likely this product just had to be finished with a real tight deadline. That just how it feels like: an unfinished product which COULD have been great if they had maintained the quality of previous game. I truly recommend Knights of the Old Republic and Jedi Outcast over this. ... Read more

Product Description

FLIGHT SIM 2004 CENT/FIT WIN32 EN DVD BOX CD ... Read more

Features

• Dynamic weather system based on realistic atmospheric physics, with true three-dimensional clouds that form and dissipate, and automatic real-world weather updates when you're connected to the Internet.
• Weather "themes" that generate a wide variety of stunningand challengingflying conditions with just a few clicks of a mouse
• Enhanced interactive air traffic control (ATC), including traffic at all airports around the world (including non-towered airports), altitude changes en route, pop-up IFR clearances, and precision and non-precision approaches to multiple runways
• Interactive 3D "virtual" cockpitstune radios and operate key aircraft controls and avionics by pointing and clicking in the virtual cockpit view.
• Scenery improvements, including taxiway and runway signs, enhanced auto-gen 3D objects, more high-detail airports, and improved lighting and sky effects

Reviews (101)

The best FS till date!
I've had MSFS2004 for the last 3 months and there's not a single day that I haven't played it. Its just that absorbing! Some reasons for this are much improved GPS navigation, more interactive ATC and ofcourse, the new airplanes.

But I'm not a huge fan of classic aircraft, and I fly my favourite plane, the 737, all the time and it is an absolute joy to fly it on MSFS2004 with the new GPS system. Its accurate to the T for precision landings. The detail paid to accuracy is mindblowing, specially runways and airport layouts. I live in a relatively smaller city of India and I was stunned to find that the airport layout is almost exactly the same as the real one here!

I do face some problems with the game, mainly with screen resolution which flickers when I have the game on high or ultra-high display settings. Also, external scenery transition isn't smooth with high display settings. Microsoft could also have done a better job with the aircraft paint jobs - the orange scheme of Soar Airlines is disgusting.

PROS:

- New additions like GPS and interactive ATC are excellent
- Airports are accurately detailed (there are almost 25,000 of them!)
- Good value for money

CONS:

- Doesn't work smoothly with high display settings. Images are not crisp
- Cockpit graphics are substandard

TIPS:

- If you're looking for some real challenge alongwith great scenery, try flying the ILS approaches into Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten, Madeira in Portugal, Male in the Maldives and Osaka Kansai Airport in Japan (built on an artificial island)
- Try flying the polar route and check out the Northern Lights at night! Eg: Taipei-Anchorage, Moscow-New York etc.

Also, I have a question which I hope readers can help me with. I'm unable to turn the aircraft left or right while on pushback. I've tried using the numbers 1 and 2 key as mentioned in the handbook, but it doesn't work. Can somebody help me with this? I would really appreciate the help.

Enjoy this game!

Item Good Seller NOT
I don't have a problem with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. As expected it's good. The store that is selling this particular item is the problem!

I've seen where many customers have had good experiences when they get what they ordered from this company but those of us that didn't get what we ordered have had nothing but problems.

Don't believe the advertised Limited Edition Tin box. It isn't! When trying to contact customer service: The first time the gentleman on the phone was nice and said a manager would reply the next day. The manager didn't. After a week I called, waited on hold for 22 minutes, the lady on the phone argued with me that the manager did reply by e-mail, although my inbox showed nothing from this company other than the original purchase verification. When I asked if it could be re-sent she said no. When I asked to speak to a manager, she said he was in a meeting. Her overall tone was rude and not at all helpful!

When I finally received a return authorization number, I prepared the item for return and then wanted to make sure shipping would be reimbursed also. After e-mailing Gamestop 3 times, I finally got a reply and stated only the price of the item would be refunded. (Wow their e-mail actually reached me this time!)

This company has no customer service as demonstrated by the false advertising, the rude associates, the difficult customer-company communication, and the fact that when they advertised a product and didn't deliver it as advertised, they feel that they are the ones who shouldn't live up to their promises. The $29.99 price is higher than even Amazon because you think they are selling the Limited Edition. Don't be fooled, save $5 and buy somewhere else.

Bottom line: DON'T SUPPORT GAMESTOP OR PURCHASE FROM THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK! I know I'll never buy anything from them ever again!

best sim so far
I OWN TWO PREVIOUS VESIONS MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 95,98 AND NOW 2004 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT.IN MY OPINION MICROSFT HAS DONE A BETTER JOB WITH THE 2004 VERSION,MORE AIRCRAFT TO FLY A REALY GREAT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ROD ,IMPROVED ATC,ONE THING THOUGH LETS HOPE THAT WHEN 2006 COMES OUT(IT'S ALL HUSH HUSH AT MICROSOFT HQ)THAT THEY WILL AT LEADT ADD NEWER AIRCRAFT MY FAVORITE BIENG THE AIRBUS A321 WHICH I FLEW TO EUROPE ON,AND THE CITATION X BY CESSNA.

Good Sim, But Remember the "Sim" Part!
I have been using flight simulators since MS Flight Simulator 4.0, and have more diverse experience than only Microsoft's offering to call upon.While any simulator can be made quite realistic with the latest hardware and enough money, it is important to note that Microsoft's offering is no different - you cannot, as they say, make a silk purse out of a pig's ear.This means that if you're running an underpowered system, you will not be able to run the simulation optimally.

Published system requirements:
* Pentium 450 or greater processor
* 64 MB RAM for 98/Me, 128 MB RAM for 2000/XP
* 8 MB/3-D with DirectX 7.0 or later videocard
* 1.8 GB hard drive space

My recommendation:
* P4 2.x GHz processor; the faster, the better
* 512MB RAM, with ideally 1GB under the hood
* 128MB / 256MB AGP video card that pushes TONS of pixels - the more, the better
* At least 5GB free hard drive space - You'll want to do a full install, and that comes in just under 3GB (2.88GB, I think)

I run on:
* P4 3.0GHz processor
* 1GB RAM
* Windows XP PRO (SP1)
* 256MB 8xAGP GeForce 5700 series NVidia video card
* Sidewinder joystick (soon to go, thanks to some pedals and a yoke I ordered!)
* On-board surround sound processor

The software itself is practically infinitely extendable, with software and hardware add-ons supported.A quick look around in the flightsim community will support my assertion that the software is CHEAP compared to what can be done to augment it.Add-on packages are available to augment FS2004's admitidedly weak "ground mesh" mapping - flying through Norway's waterways and coasts with the default scenery is nothing next to the real thing, and pales in comparison to some of the add-on packages (both for photo-texturing and mesh-building) out there.But of course, these things cost money (sometimes), as does building and maintaining a system that can fully take advantage of the software.

This is a SIMULATOR, remember - a dozen years ago something like this with a set of pedals and yoke would have been a BIG deal and far out of the reach of the home consumer.Now, as the bar of admission lowers, it is important to realize just how MANY numbers are being crunched every second (most of those in graphics routines), and spec a system appropriately.It might not be a multi-million dollar prospect to own any longer, but to adaquately run the simulator and get something "real" out of it, it is certainly not unheard of to run multi-head (throwing many monitors onto a machine) for a partial panoramic view - but, of course, realism comes at its price.

Excellent tool
This verison is better than ever and a great tool for learing to fly IFR. The dynamic weather is amazing to say the least.

For fans of the other versions this is a must have. ... Read more

Product Description

After Archimonde and the Burning Legion were defeated at the battle of Mount Hyjal, a new threat rises throughout the land and it's up to you to defeat it. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Experience a vast new chapter in the epic Warcraft saga
• Platform: Mac OS 9.0 or higher, OS 10.1.3 or higher; Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (88)

Great addition to a great game!
When I first went to my friend's house to play Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos, I had lots of fun! I didn't enjoy the normal maps too much, sadly, and I wasn't really looking forward to buying the game.

Then, I went online with my free Battle.net account and downloaded a player-made map. I really loved the map, so I decided I'd save up and buy Warcraft 3. The game kept me entertained on and off. I'd play it for hours on end, then I'd stop for about 2 weeks, then go back to play it again! New maps are made almost every week, as players love to find fame. I, myself, have made a number of maps.

Anyway, when my friend got the expansion pack, I played a few Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne maps at his house. WOW! They were great! I couldn't stand having the game without the expansion! So, I got my allowance, and bought the expansion!

I recommend this to anyone who likes RTSes (real-time strategies) or even people who DISlike them, because the game could be called an "Action\Adventure Role-Playing Strategy Sports Driving Sim" or something! It's a multi-genre!

good stuff
this is definatly a good expansion set, just like the regular Warcraft3 itself. if you beat the first one, i suggest you buy this. graphics improved, more gameplay, and more fun. online action is great, including 1 new hero per race. i love this game and so does everyone i know who owns it.

1 year of frozenthrone playing and im not yet tired of it
Alright people that think this game is boring and it should have a Naga race and a Drenei race is stupid. I mean it would be pretty fun, but it would take lots of balancing and stuff so...no. Humans, nighrelves, undead, and orc are enough and the game is fun enough with out those other 2 races. I mean u can still play as adrenei or naga in the single player...and even on custom games...i was playing open rpg islands and i was a naga and i was swimmin anround shootin things with the naga seaweitch. The game really isnt that hard to play when u get used to it. Heros make everythign so intense and exciting which is why when ur fighting the enemy you really should take out the hero then work on the units.

The thing that i kinda hate about warcraft frozen throne and warcraft roc is the blademaster...cheap crap. he just got cheaper in this patch i mean now he can run through my units. Im always undead...and if youve been undead race u know what im talking about. Death to that dam blademaster. BUT finaly, they just got 2 new heros in a patch a alchemist and a firelord. I am very impressed with the alchemist he can take on the bladeamster pretty well.Anyways, people been saying how starcraft is better then warcraft and im like why? they say because its too shiney. I'm like ok...period over gotta go to enxt epriod...get this game ur kids will liek it buy it!! wee!!!!!!!!!!!Sinferno rulez!!!

Tried and true style of game works yet again
There really isn't much original about the Warcraft 3 game, and its expansion Frozen Throne campaign.It's yet another clone of itself/StarCraft/Ages Of Empires, etc. etc. etc. where you build, upgrade, build some more, upgrade, start sending your forces out, upgrade, replenish your forces, upgrade, repel enemies that may be attacking your base(s), start wiping out major concentrations of enemies, replenish your forces and complete any upgrades not already made, and finish off all your enemies.This has been done a hundred times before, and I'm sure it's not the last strategy game which will use the same method.The hero unit in Warcraft is cool, though.

The game is really easy to start, and gently eases you into the game.The cutscene movies are incredible, the best I've ever seen in a game.It's hard to say which campaign was the best, but I'd have to say it's a toss up between the Orc and Night Elf ones.I didn't like the Undead campaign, but the summoning of buildings was kinda neat.

I did get tired of hearing "Frostmourne hungers" everytime I moved my Undead hero, though.

the beast at this game beassssssssst
Warcraft is my favorite computer game. It has a lot of fun especially when you kill your allies. I'm level 100 because I play every minute of my life except for now and when I'm at school. When I play nobody messes with me. I'm the best person you could find on the game except for my brother. You should definitely buy this game. ... Read more

Product Description

Galactic Empire:Headed by Emperor Palpatine, the Galactic Empire represents the oppressive remnants of the Old Republic. The Galactic Empire has superior mechanized armies, including the mighty AT-ATs. It also commands legions of ruthless stormtroopers, the faceless enforcers of the Emperor. The Empire even plays host to a contingent of Sith Knights, skilled in the dark side of the Force, who are capable of bending any would-be insurgents to the Empire's cruel will.Rebel Alliance:Onc ... Read more

Features

• evel brings new wonders and new forces.
• Accessible gameplay built upon the familiar RTS engine adapted from Ensemble's popular Age of Empires series
• Use the scenario editor to create custom single- or multiplayer battlegrounds with virtually any Star Wars units and settings.Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns:
• 14 original single-player combat scenarios
• New civilizations

Reviews (25)

Can't...stop....playing!
This is an awesome game. The graphics could use improvement but the gameplay is fun. I can't stop playing this game its addictive. I played for 5 hours once and I didn't even know. If you like Star Wars as much as I do then BUY THIS GAME!

Not to Bad By mike
I bought this game about 1 month ago, and it is'nt that bad. The graphics could be better, but the reality of the units as far as corresponding to the movies is good. After a while, the concept gets kind of repetitive, but the difference in units depending on the side does liven it up. Also, it's cool to be able to be different sides, rather than just the good guys.(I mean, come on, who doesn't want to kick some rebel dairiair with an AT-AT?) Anyway, the graphics will leave a 2-D aftertaste in your mouth, but for big starwars fans it's definetly worth 10.00 bucks.

It's Hiroshima all over again!
this game is the most awsome game of its type i have ever played, and i own every one of the comand and coucer games and age of mythology, and this one woops all of them! it is a guarentied sucess among u and your froedns with its multyplayer mode...so buy it now!! its an awsome game!

Sweet! Oh YEAH!
This is the best video game ever! It's even better than Dark Forces 2 Jedi Knight!I've only played demo but oh boy, do I love it! You can download the demo at Lucasarts,com/products/battlegrounds/default.htm . That is the adress for the home page of the game. When you get there, to the left side, there's a panel with different choices on it.Click downloads,and you'll see at the bottom of the page, two sites with the download is available.

game out in 2001-2002, still the graphics are horrible
it lags a lot in graphics. the gameplay is neither good. interesting if you want to know more about the Star Wars stories from Episodes I, II, IV, V, & VI.

i'd suggest to wait for the new RTS "Star Wars Empire at War" coming in 2005 made by the creators of "Command & Conquer Generals" (i'm not talking about publisher EA or Electronic Arts, i'm talking about the once Westwood Studios' programmers) ... Read more

Product Description

There has never been a better time to buy the game everyone is talking about.The Sims Deluxe Edition combines into one premium edition the most popular PC game of all time, The Sims, as well as the top-selling Sims expansion pack, The Sims Livin' Large, and a host of all-new exclusive features and content. ... Read more

Features

• Includes:
• The Sims: Create an entire neighborhood of Sims and run or ruin their lives with the full version of the best-selling PC game of all time. Help your Sims pursue careers, make friends, and find romance - or make a complete mess of things! Open-ended gameplay gives you the freedom to set your own goals and chart your Sims' destiny.
• The Sims Livin' Large: With over 125 additional items, five additional career tracks with 50 additional jobs and a cast of wild characters like the Grim Reaper and the Genie, this best selling expansion pack puts your Sims into outrageous situations and settings.
• Sims Creator: Recreate every Sim you can imagine with this powerful tool that allows even the novice users to customize every detail of how their Sims look. Even put your own face in The Sims!
• 25 plus Exclusive Objects

Reviews (183)

Would be five stars except for Sims 2...
This pack contains the game that started it all.Here, even more room is made for individuality and creativity.

What do we learn from the Sims?

1.Deferring gratification is essential for a "win."
2.Money isn't everything - but it isn;t evil, either.
3.Energy is limited but renewable.
4.Balance is crucial.Spending all time and energy on one thing is rarely good in the long run...

Wonderful, wonderful game.

Boooooooooorrrrrrrrring!!
I've heard so many people rave about the Sims over the past couple of years that I finally decided to break down and buy it. This is one of the few times that I have to say I honestly have no idea what the big deal is all about.

The Sim is a "people simulator". You create little people, plop them down in a house and control thier lives. You buy them clothes, furniture, make them meet people. Just about everything real people do. And that's basically the problem.

The thing I that I found least entertaining about the Sims is that the whole game revolves around what I call "micro-managment". Every last little detail you have to scrutinize. Though some might find this appealing, I found it tedious and boring. It makes me feel less like I'm playing a game and more like an accountant. The game is also quite slow paced. Even if you speed up time, the game can move too fast and then you can really lose control over the game.

The gameplay consists of a "point, click, and watch" formula for gameplay. You click on an object, your Sim person will walk to it, use it, and then go back to being idle. After time if you develop a pattern the Sim person will do things on his own, but that takes a while. After endlessly pointing and clicking and watching, I started to do things like try to set my Sim person on fire, or not have him go to the bathroom for a while. It is rather fun to torture your Sim person but it wears thin after a while.

The graphics are good. The Sims speak in some kind of jibberish. And there's lots of Sim skins available for download on the internet.

All in all I'd have to say that I really don't get this game. Maybe it's because I'm more used to games like Metal Gear Solid and SOCOM that I have trouble playing a game of this type. I tend to like having more direct control over the outcome of a game. The Sims made me feel like I'm a spectator. I'd have to say pick this up only you find a really good deal. Otherwise it's best to take the $20 you were going to spend and pick up something else. Sorry, but this is one I can't recomend.

simy
this game is simulated life.Why is it "fun" to do the dishes in a game, but not in real life?who cares?it is!so, but now or die now.

simulated people
The Simms stands for simulated people.A simulation is like the real thing but on the computer.You dont move around a maze like Mario.YOu have to take care of you're SIMMS PEOPLE!!You have to feed them and give them windows and jobs and make them go to the bathroom.It's like your a scientist whocontrols the experiment which is people. And notice didnt say you are GOD Peo-PLE so you cant get made at me.

Now some warnigns about the game.Peoplewho play the Simms like to talk about wht there simms did that day and who they met and how they are doing.YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU'RE SIMM OR THEY WILL DIE PEO-PLE!!!!iF YOU THINK YOU CAN PLAY IT A LITTLE BIT and put it away then it is not for you.Go get Halo Half life or another first person shooter!!Part of the fun of the simms is being with people who now about it and want to talk to other people abbout how there Simms are doing!!!

Also it is very addicting!!!!

ALo you can kill your sim by putting them in the pool and taking the ladder away!!!

Kinda Fun, but mostly ANNOYING!
Overall, the concept of this game is fun and the writers had some really good ideas and it's funny in some ways. But what I HATE about this game is that you spend more than 70% of the time making them go to bed, eat, and go take a bath/shower!!! Like, I get it, but enough already... They have so little energy that you never have time to do anything fun. One or two activities, and they're down on the floor. WHAT?! Ha, don't even bother getting them a job b/c you will see them again...Just stick with the cheat codes. If this game did not have this one flaw (ie energy would last longer) then it would be awesome. I'm buying Sims 2 and I really hope that this will not be as big a problem!!!! Grrrr.... ... Read more

Product Description

Take advantage of enhanced visuals, richer tactics and strategic gameplay as you build your fleet and engage in 3-D space combat. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Lose yourself in the sequel to the groundbreaking 3-D real-time space strategy game Homeworld
• Platform: Windows 98/Me/XP/2000

Reviews (146)

Very good game
This was one of if not the most fun strategy game i have played. It has an amazing story, unbelievable graphics, and an interface that once you learn it is relatively easy to use.
Tbe only reason i didnt give it a 5 is because it is so hard as to exclude this game from some of the less hardcore stategy gamers. The game does take a hit as well from not being able to order your ships into formations (an important part of any space strategy game) but it is more than compensated by just generally being alot of fun. Now i am a fan of space stategy games and i thought that the toughness of the game was an asset because insted of just building a huge fleet and crushing your enemys (satisfing but doesnt take much brain power) you could manipulate the battlefield leaving your enemy crippled and unable to fight back (buy controlling recource spots ect.) I do have to admit i went through a few mouses because i broke a few in sheer frustration. So in conclusion i highly recomend this game to you if u enjoy a tough but satisfing game and your not one of the "gamers" who like to boot up warcraft and put in all the instant build cheet codes. This game is well worth $20 and it was worth it to me when i pre ordered it in 03 for $60. BUY IT PEOPLE!!!

Fun?
I just have one thing to say: this game is as fun as you can throw it underwater with your wrists chained to some wall.Also, the interface and mere gameplay feels like an act of congress (looking up how to do things in the manual!)To be frank, don't by this game even if they would give you money in return!

Loss of The Real Concept!
Look, I've been a Homeworld fan ever since I bought it when it FIRST came out, it was beautiful, the graphics were just delightful, and the stradegy was complex to a portion where I can sit in a room, for 20 hours of non-stop harvesting and planning of an attack with a lil' math and algebra on the side.

When I started to play Homeworld 2, I was hyped, and ready to complete the saga in my world of stradegy gaming other than StarCraft, WarCraft, Age of Empires, and all those other fun stuff.

I began by downloading the Demo from Sierra, and I was full blown by the new graphics it had, though my video card was really acting kinda messy since it was the summer time. (Yeah seasonal changes make items work slower or faster.) Anyways, when I started to play the demo, I used the mechanism of the keyboard and controls of what Homeworld 1 had, lemmie tell you this, TOTALLY DIFFERENT! I can't believe my eyes of what I felt and seen! Everything; the whole concept has changed, the keys and etc. Then I saw that the stradegies have changed, and there were only 3 formation patterns I could only choose for my fithers, I'm like, WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE THEY THINKING!? I really wanted to bust a few chops with my strategic mind... so then I thought to myself, eh, not bad, lemmie get the whole game and see what it's really worth...

Bought it, it's totally the same concept, doesn't relate to Homeworld 1, doesn't relate to ANYTHING LIKE HOMEWORLD AT ALL! I thought that they would stick to their story, but the whole thing changed... I was really mad about it.

The game-play suddenly became boring, just traveling with no real dog-fight, "Some destiny this is..." ok, maybe a few dog-fights, but the game just gets harder and harder *like any other game* But I'm looking at it, I swear to you, I would've beaten all these fools if I had all those formation patterns. This game has less stradegy in mind, and the shipmaking, is just build in bulk, something that a gamer would NEVER LIKE. Listen, usually, it's always great to build ONE AT A TIME... WHY!? BECAUSE HAVING THAT FEELING TO SIT ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT WAITING FOR THAT SPECIAL OBJECT TO BE BUILT REALLY SHOWS THAT IT'S A GREAT GAME. This however, was truly dissappointing... No wonder it was 20 bux. Not many people like it! For God's sake even Diablo 2 is 20 times better than this and the graphics can be as horrible as they want, but their game play is just completely mind blowing as well as the story line.

For all kids that love graphics, I suggest this game as a STARTER, but for gaming stradegy and story lines, I suggest that you should TURN BACK, THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE BUT A GAME THAT TAKES 20 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE JUST SITTING AND WAITING FOR NOTHING, BUT RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR ENEMIES.

Even Homeworld Cataclysm is better than this. I wouldn't call this game trash though, but would've worth a lot of money if they knew how to bring back the story line as what they were before, but spiced up, with more allies and enemies, and probably if Sierra was lucky, deception.

Wonderful Game
Before I start, I would suggest anyone who gets this game be sure to download the patch that has been made available.This balances out units a little better (not too much, but a little) and also decreases the difficulty of several of the missions (they are possible to beat without the patch, but they are hard).

This game builds wonderfully over the orrignal Homeworld.It has made several improvements in how things are handled and also polishes up things in general.In addition, unlike the orrignal Homeworld the different sides have very different strengths and weaknesses that are readily apparent when playing them.

Some nice additions:

You no longer build single fighters, but rather build fighters in wings.So long as a single fighter in the wing survives you can send the fighter group back to a carrier or mothership or shipyard and have the unit returned to full strength.This makes fighter units much more useful and practical then the frail things they were in Homeworld.

Resource collection at the end of missions has been automized.You will no longer have to sit around for hours after missions sending harvisters out to collect resources for you.Once all enemy units have been defeated all resources in the map are automatically collected and added to your resource pool.

Subsystems.You can now build subsystems that give your ships interesting capabilities as well as target enemy subsystems.Large ships (such as battle crusers, carriers, motherships) come with some standard subsystems that cannot be completely destroyed but can be dammaged to the point that they no longer function.This makes hit and run type attacks much more useful then they were previously since you can use them to dammage enemy capabilities or cripple enemy ships, while allowing access to some nice abilities should you chose to build some of the more unique subsystems.

The ability to capture any ship in the game has also been added.That is right, capture ANY ship in the game.Including motherships.In addition, the units which capture enemies are much less flimsy so while they do still need an escourt they can be counted on to not die immediately.

Fleet formations have also been added.While there are really only 3 choises for fleet formations, they really do make it easy to use ships of different classes together.When used properly these formations are extreamly powerful, however you need to learn when to use a formation and when to break it up.

There are a few things I am less than satisfied with however.It is for these reasons that I am only giving it a rating of 4 out of 5.

The first major thing I was disapointed with was the reduction on the number of formations.I remember that with the orrignal Homeworld there was a large number of fomrations to chose from.I kept wishing I had access to some of those, particularly the claw and the sphere.While it may be argued that the addition of fleet formations makes up for this change, I couldn't help but wish that I had access to many of the old formations.

The interface is something I am not 100% satisfied with as well.While I will agree that it is definately a step up from what was used with Homeworld, it does feel somehow cumbersome.I guess it is a function of too many menues when it comes to building units and researching.Even in this respect it isn't too bad though.

Also, the 3D nature of space has largely been ignored.This problem still existed in Homeworld, though it was a little less noticable there since they did fairly often launch surprise attacks from above or below.Homeworld 2 largely just uses the horozontal plane when it comes to combat.Units controled by the AI simply will not try coming from strange directions, but rather take a head on approach.Thankfully I was able to find a group of people to play with online who were not burdened with this problem.

My final real problem with Homeworld comes with the addition of a new unit: the shipyard.The reason for this has to do with multiplayer where its importaince overshadows even that of the mothership once it has been built.It has more subsystem slots than the mothership.It is the only unit which can build battlecruisers.It has all the capabilities that the mothership has and more.From a stand point of game ballance I can see why this may have happened (the game designers didn't want players skipping ahead in the research tree right to battlecruisers), however I cannot help but feel that if anything the shipyard should be more of a smaller mothership with more limited capabilities.Somewhere between a carrier and the mothership.

All that said, the game is still a wonderful game.It contains almost all of the orrignal Homeworld's good points, and gets rid of many of its bad ones with the introduction of few flaws.If you like the idea of controling an intergalatic battle fleet then I would definately suggest that you pick up this game.The campaign alone would be worth it, but multiplayer is where this game really shines since that is where you will see interesting tatics that can be used once the pesky notion of 2D is forgotten.

Visually stunning but shocking game play
In light of completing Homeworld 2 twice, the review is a brutal truth of what the game is---a game so challenging, so hard, it just simply isn't worth your bother. Ordinary gamers will derive no enjoyment from this. In a manner of words: this is a game with spectacular graphics, breathtaking naval fleet warfare, all hampered by arduous game play.

Fifteen missions long, the average player will find themselves struggling by just the fourth, if you finished the third by the skin of your teeth. Rapidly changing mid-mission objectives, wave after wave of enemy forces, you'd better be up to the challenge of preventing your shipyard from hostile takeover to graduate to the real fun.

Then mission 4 hits you, hard and heavy.

Players are simply not prepared so early in the game, after such breezy missions, for one of such difficulty. Continual enemy attacks never leave you alone, never giving you a breather, to collect resources, to replenish your ragtag fleet. Don't grin that smile yet, that massive frigate assault will wash it away. There's no time to get a feel for ship classes, what works best against which enemy unit, to experiment on new technologies. Took a stunning number of weeks to beat that mission alone. Just concentrate on bombers and pulsar corvettes and she'll be right mate. Homeworld 2, it seems, is one heavy mission after another, broken up by occasional missions so quiet you could sleep through them. Those restful missions would be ideal to build your fleet to full strength and maximum unit numbers.

A detrimental mistake!

An unbelievable attribute of the game---the stronger you are, the heavier the next mission's enemy forces will be. The astounding stupidity of this is simply shocking. Try full unit limits from the tenth mission onwards, when enemy forces are already considerable, you'll see. This isn't so bad, really, but it makes hill into mountain.

Homeworld 2 is a RTS game of its own, nothing like Starcraft-type games. Even the hardest Starcraft mission gave you time to rebuild a weakened army, fix your base up. You could explore the darkened map, tease the enemy from different sides. H2 won't let you do that. This game demands strict obedience to the mission objectives. You play to fulfil them, not your own agenda.

Even more absurd, whatever forces you have left you begin with next mission. Scrape a mission too finely, and what are your chances of survival, really, when come the enemy hordes, and come in numbers they will.

What H2 steals from you is enjoyment. This is for the determined player. Who doesn't want a challenge in a game? But it's not fun. Move! You can't sit idle at any time; you can't split your fleet up, to feint at an enemy base from different angles. You want to live, keep all eggs in one fleet.

The menu controls are shocking. Mouse scrolling doesn't work in H2. It takes valuable time to position and drag the tab down the page. You can't even press ENTER or ESCAPE keys, only mouse commands. Such is the Idiotic Intelligence of the developers, that you can't authorise commands with an ENTER tap. The screen panels where you click to load or save games are so slim you really have to position your mouse precisely over them.

The method of saving is a joke. Strict alphanumerical order, the starting letter or number determines its placement in the list. It's better to save games chronologically, like Starcraft and Jedi Outcast. In-game auto-saving works against you; replay a mission, and you might re-save over it.

Where in the game booklet does it say docked strike craft automatically repair? A tiny offhand mention in the Vaygr Battlecruiser. How would you think to dock your fighters when you need them active at all times?

Absurd to target warship subsystems (engines, weapons, etc) when destroying the ship takes just as long. Absurd to capture an enemy ship, not only from your strict unit numbers, but the ship will always target your marine frigate. Played game twice, still can't get cloaking technology.

Like viewing a sphere of blinking red and green dots all game long? You'll spend considerable time looking at your radar screen; it's the only way to see enemy units and positions, and easier to select targets.

Graphics are awesome, ship details commendable. Mouse-wheel scrolling permits easy panning and rotation of the camera angle. Fun to follow a bomber group on their attack runs, or zoom right in at besieged warships about to be missile volleyed. High comp system will avert the occasional slowdown when camera-close to a ship going nova; exploding capital ships are cool.

Mid- and inter-mission cutscenes are simple but satisfactory. Fleet Command voices sounds too similar; Makaan is chilling as the Vaygr warlord, smooth and polite.

Game music will become repetitive. Only two tracks stand out: the oriental Hindu-like music of the Keeper missions, and that brief heavy battle track in missions 9 and 12. Hammered by endless Vaygr fleets, your heart pounding as you brawl for survival, why the damn hell did they finish after two minutes? Superb and haunting, they rapidly faded back to that mundane battle music.

There is nothing special about mysterious Sajuuk, the one hope of your homeworld. Can't spoil you here, but the game designers are criminal fools to make the guy just that. And if that doesn't inspire your outrage, behold the short, simplistic final cutscene of the game.

This is Homeworld 2. Visually stunning, rigid game play design. You'd do well to think long and hard before sampling this farce of fun. All fine and fancy to spout rave reviews and the shine the five-star flag, but honest and informative feedback goes a long way to whisper the truth. ... Read more

Features

• Add any of 25 different Six Flags roller coasters from 5 different locations
• Match wits against world leaders in a quest to build the ultimate empire
• Build, explore, conquer, and rule; new pathways, strategies, and tools
• New graphics engine provides stunning maps, animations, and graphics
• Create and run the ultimate amusement park with new rides and gameplay

Reviews (1)

kyle (andro)
listen to me! civilization iii is like, the best computer game out there (not game cube) and rctycoon is second. i don't have this set but I have civilization iii and the first rctycoon. If you like civilization iii, get the conquests expantion pack. something interesting is that these are two of the most addicting computer gaves ever. if i could, i'd play this game for ever if i could. these games are the best ever made by atari! ... Read more

Product Description

With a new magical, carnival-themed location, over 175 new items, and a host of quirky new characters, Makin' Magic is the largest Sims Expansion Pack ever. New gameplay includes making, gathering, and questing for ingredients to brew magic spell recipes. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Genre: Family
• Mission: Your Sims can now harness the supernatural, casting playful or mischievous spells
• Platform: Windows 98/2000/XP

Reviews (87)

Not the best Sims expansion...
I found magic to be very inconvenient and expensive to use.As in all other Sim games, it is hard to keep your Sim happy for more than a few days, and also make enough money to live off of.It is only fun to go to a premade house and play with the premade sims, but that's not the point of the game...

They should make this for the Sims 2
Sure, it will make #2 unrealistic, but it is a whole lot of fun! Imagine how great the graphics will be if this was a Sims 2 expansion pack! I could only imagine how many more spells and reactions there will be if this was made into a 2 expansion pack. But, being it is still in old school form, it is a pretty fun, pretty addictive game. I can't believe how much the price went down!

Get it while the getting's good. You won't regret it. It combines a sort of Harry Potter-type world, complete with roller coasters, mummies, a skeleton maid, and magic crystals.

Ouch
I'm so glad I don't own this expansion pack, but I was "fortunate" enough to experience it at a friend's house. I found it extremely silly. The Sims is already pretty fake (as in most expansion packs really don't offer a whole lot as it seems to in the store), with expansion packs building on this characteristic, but Makin' Magic overdoes it completely. Maxis and EA probably came out with this expansion pack after seeing such a huge response to spells and fantasy and magic in Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and the like. In a way it clashes with Livin' Large. Both of them have "halloween" themes about them and the supernatural and blackmagic occuring. Through hearsay, the only things I can remember from the top of my head found in Makin' Magic is the ability for Sims to own a vineyard and something called MagiCoins. Also, potions can enable your Sim to be a rockstar instantly as well as make any Sim fall in love with yours.

I truly don't recommend this. It's as good as cheating by getting everything you want through brewing potions and such. It took me long enough to get addicted to the Sims, but this is so exaggerated. My Sims collection stops at Superstar.

Beware, your sims are witches and wizards, AWESOME!
this being the grand finale for the original sims, they made it grand! they gave you new powers, you can now control other sims lives completly, and not just the ones you create! you can cast love spells to make the process of love a little quicker, mind control sims to make them do as you please, transform gnomes and flamingos to come alive for an amount of time, and if someone annoys you, just turn them into a frog! you have all new items and and a new town. you can also do another spell that makes the game all worth it! if you have the sims 'Unleashed' you can transform your pet into a new sim to add to your family! it gives you new looks for your sims, and an all new currency! 'Magicoins' they let you buy spell items and new houses in Magictown that give you special powers and items you get in the regular game. this is by far the best expansion they have came out with!

Brilliant Idea!
Whoever thought up this one sure thought up a winner!!It's so fun to try out each spell.It sure takes a long time to get boring because you have to find all those ingredients!It takes longer than you might think.
There are also new objects and a whole other world- Magic Town- to explore!You can earn MagiCoins (to buy ingredients) by performing magic tricks and so forth for the crowds there.It's very cool.Just make sure those spells don't backfire on you! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

A long time ago, an awesome real-time strategy game set in Earth's pastnamed Age of Empires II was unleashed on an unwitting public. Almostimmediately, it took its place among the best games of its genre. GalacticBattlegrounds takes many of the elements that made Age of Empires IIso good and gives them a complete Star Wars makeover. The gameplay is sosimilar, it's hard to recommend it to anyone with a copy of AOE II.However, if you haven't played AOE II, or you're a hard-core StarWars fan, you might just find this game to be strong in the Force.

Battlegrounds offers you the chance to become a leader in deciding someof the most important battles of the Star Wars mythology. As in otherreal-time strategy games, you'll concern yourself with such things as keepingyour troops fed, advancing technology, and trade. And, of course, keeping yourbase from getting completely wiped out is generally considered a plus.

Among the few enhancements Battlegrounds makes to the Age of EmpiresII engine is the bigger technology tree (more stuff to invent and play with)and air and anti-air units (TIE fighters, X-wings, etc.). Most of the favoriteraces, machinery, and characters of the films are also well represented.Wookiees, Jedi, the Trade Federation, Darth Vader, Luke, and the rest of thegang (including Jar Jar) are all there for you to command in the campaign mode.Those looking to wage war in the battles seen in the films might be somewhatdisappointed, as many of the missions, while no less important, take placeparallel (and usually very close to) those shown in movies.

Thankfully, a few of the better-known skirmishes have been incorporated in thegame--just don't expect to significantly alter Star Wars history. Forexample, when controlling Imperial forces in the Battle of Hoth (the snow battlefrom The Empire Strikes Back), you lead your troops in an effort toannihilate Rebel scum before they can flee the planet. Can you change theoutcome of the battle seen in the films? Aside from losing your commander andimmediately losing the game, no. But the stories behind the skirmishes depictedthroughout Battlegrounds do fit well into the Star Wars myth andare usually fun. There are also quite a few standalone missions, a random mapgenerator, and tools for creating your own battles. It's enough to keephard-core Star Wars fans ignoring their earthly responsibilities for a good longtime.

Battlegrounds is, at its core, a modification of Age of Empires IIand it plays about as well as can be expected. Fortunately, despite its somewhatoutdated graphics, Battlegrounds' famous characters and locales add justenough Star Wars flavor to help make it a solid game in its own right.

Pros:

• Puts you in command of AT-ATs, stormtroopers, and Jedi
• Familiar Star Wars locales, characters, and music
• Uses the familiar (and very good) Age of Empires II interface
• Interesting main campaign that spans the films and goes beyond Return ofthe Jedi

• Outdated graphics lack definition and are rather flat
• AT-ATs too small, TIEs and X-wings hover instead of fly

Reviews (127)

Star wars galactic battlegrounds is awsome!!!!!!
Star wars galactic battlegrounds is awsome!!!!!! the game has good grafics and is fun to play. they teach you how to play in the menu.
to make it better you should get an expantion like star wars galactic battlegrounds the clone compainion.

Great game, but lacks a certain something
Let me preface my review by stating that I am an enthusiastic Star Wars fan, and bought this game because of it. The gameplay is fun and interesting and the SW locals are great; however, when compared to AOE II (the game from which this is derived), there is a slight lack of cohesion and balance. It is harder to find unit combos that work seamlessly together, and there are too many top-heavy units (AT-AT and the rebellion tank, for example) which don't cost enough to make (it is VERY easy to build 15-20 AT-AT's and steamroller across a map). The flying units are a mere annoyance, lacking any real power when faced with anti-aircraft, and a sheild generators and towers make uber-strong defensive combos that take eons to remove, especially in the face of defensive siege weapon emplacements.

To summarize: This is a good game, but if you are playing someone who has a similar skill level, prepare to be playing a LONG time.

Good game
I had a lot of fun playing this game. There really was only one problem. This would be that it is a total clone of Age of Empires 2. It is the AoE game engine set in a Star Wars galaxy. The units are exactly the same. For example, there is a unit in AoE that is called the ram, it is resitant to arrows and destroys buildings. In Star Wars there is a unit called a pummel. It is resitant to lasers and destroys sturctures. This sounds pretty similar, right? I suggest that you buy Age of Empires, and you love it, to buy this game. You should try AoE out first.

wonderful
I am an avid RTS gamer, and of course I fell in love with Starcraft the first time I played it. But SC does have its faults, namely the biggest one being it was too limited. I always wanted to load up with 100 or so carriers and raid someone's base. But alas, unit limits keep you from doing such a thing. But then I discovered Battlegrounds, and was satisfied. It has an even more detailed tech tree then Starcraft, and of course the unit limits were more forgiving, so I was able to take 150 at-ats and raid bases at my whim. Of course, its challenging to keep your base going long enough to do this, so the difficulty I had at playing SC never really left either. Of course, you could sit around and complain that the graphics arent 3d, the story mode doesnt have Starcraft's excellent cutscenes, well, to that I say, hard cheese. If you like Starcraft, Star Wars games, or just strategy games in general, this is worth the cash.

A good RTS with a star wars twist
this game is overall good, although it's hard to play the random battle mode well. the CPU's are either dumb as rocks or hard to beat but never in between. also it has easy to access online gaming but limited players unless you have the expansion. in the end, this game is a great star wars RTS but is very limited with out the expansion. ... Read more

Product Description

The Sims: Double Deluxe is the ultimate compilation. Double Deluxe includes "The Sims," "The Sims: Livin' Large," "The Sims: House Party," "The Sims Creator Tool" and exclusive Double Deluxe content. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Create and develop your own unique person by choosing from hundreds of characteristics
• Platform: Windows 95/98/XP

Reviews (29)

Well Worth The Price!
Just like the title states, this is well worth the price!
This includes the original The Sims, The Sims House Party EP, the Sims Livin' Large EP, some bonus objects, walls, and floors, and The Sims Creator tool.
If you don't have any of The Sims games, this is the perfect place to start.The Sims and the two EPs have so much stuff in it for a Sims novice, you won't need the other expansion packs for years!It's virtually impossible to get bored with infinitely many possibilities.
The Sims Creator is a program where you can make Sims skins.My sister is no artist but she made some pretty good Lord Of The Rings clothes for the LOTR heads she downloaded.It's a good thing to experiment with.
Buy this if you don't have it; you won't be sorry!

SIMS BY FAR
THE SIMS IS THE SIMS HAVING THREE EXPNSION PACKS IS BY FAR THE THING.THEY MAKE AOT OF MONEY U KNOW U LOSE AND EXPANSION PAK U BUY ANOTHER ONE./BUT WITH THIS SET THERE NO NEED. BUT STILL POPLE WOULD DO THE SAMEE.THEY CONTIUNE TO BUILD UP CAPIAL FORM THIS.

Good game not so good playability
Good game with lots of neat objects and items. The iteractions are cool too. Everything you need to throw a great party. But you get bored of it after a while, and don't get it and plan on not spending more money on another expantion pack. The Sims Makin Magic, Bustin out, and Hot date give you a lot more to do so you are never in a position where all your mood bars are full and you dont have something to do.

Greatest PC deal/game of all time!!!
I first recieved Sims DOuble Deluxe as a Christmas gift. Much to my dismay i needed Windows XP to run it. I waited patiently and when the game did work, I found myself staying up late to play it!
First of all...
GRAPHICS 9/10
This game has some of the best graphics I've ever seen. Unlike other games it also does not need to load thest graphics.
GAMEPLAY 10/10
With fires, moods, and work, you are kept alert and on your toes. With buy and build mode, there is no limit to how big your home can be!
SOUNDS 8/10
The only problem...repetitive music. It's not bad, but not good either.
REPLAYABILITY 10/10
Like i said, you won't want to turn off the PC!
EXPANSION PACK ?/10
I haven't loaded it yet.
OVERALL 10/10
This is a great game and i think you would be a fool not to buy it if you can.
Need I say More?

I love it except for...
First off I have to say that I became one of those addicts after I first got this.I'd spend hours and hours playing it and playing it,trying to get my people happy and rich and so on.Its a really great game EXCEPT for those of us who get so addicted we wanna add on more expansion packs,such as oh say Hot Date.The Hot Date has enough problems on its own,I'm not saying it isn't fun but the sounds usually hard to get right if you can get sound on it.I tried to point on Hot Date after Double Deluxe and its just a pain.I've been doing nothing but installing and installing and nothing works,always telling me I've got the wrong CD or it wouldn't play for this reason or that reason.So my advise to you is that if you buy Double Deluxe,don't try to install the Hot Date Expansion Pack after it because thats just impossible.Oh yes,for those of you who can't seem to get it uninstalled,goto the Sims official website and download the SimsEraser. ... Read more

Features

• Explore rich environments from the colorful Burrow to the dark reaches of the Forbidden Forest.
• Master new spells including Expeliarmus, Diffendo, and Skurge.
• Overcome dangerous foes from Aragog to the Basilisk.
• Take flight to play improved Quidditch.
• Interact with new characters from J.K. Rowling's world, including Dobby, Lockhart, and Ginny Weasley.

Reviews (89)

The Chamber Of Fun!
This game is one of the best games I have ever played.

>Every hidden corner can be explored.
>Each spell is very creative.
>The surroundings in the game are very well detailed.
>It is more fun to collect wizard cards in this game than in
any other because the cards unlock many secrets.

From Arigog in the Forbidden Forest to the bascilisk in the Chamber Of Secrets this game is great fun. It is a must play!

Great Game, Great Graphics
I've had trouble finding computer games for my daughter that are age appropriate.Most games labeled "for children" are really for kindergarten & under, and thus too easy & childish."Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets" is just perfect!This is a wonderful game, challenging without being frustrating; great graphics; low on violence; and just plain fun.

geting better
This game is better than the first harry potter but don't get me rong I liked the first also.this is another must have for harry potter fans.

One great game
This is the best of the 4 Harry Potter games. The graphics are good,the music is good,and the gameplay is great. The spells you learn are really creative. This is the hardest Harry Potter game I've played. However,you have to restart the game to acsoss the Main Menu.

A great game for all ages!
Harry Potter and the Chamber Of secrets is a very fun and interesting video game. You start out having to save Ron from the Whomping Willow. On the Whomping Willow there will be a sign that means you may cast Flipendo on it and save Ron. When you arrive at Hogwarts, you're first day you will have a lesson with Proffesor Lockhart on the Third Level. You will have to hit an arrow key on the keyboard as a wand makes its way around it. This is called Rictusempra. It stuns many unusual creatures. It is useful in this game, though. You will then go to the Rictusempra Challenge. When you arrive in a room that has three boxes where you can cast Flipendo on it, look at the doors. On each floor level there will be a picture of Proffesor Lockhart. Cast Flipendo on the blocks until you have the three bottom level doors unlocked. Then unulock the left door and go into it up into the next level and so on. Then when you arrive in the last room You have to hit the creatures into the pit where they belong. Then go up to get the Completion Star, and your time will become your new personal record. What I like to do after I complete the Rictusempra Challenge is go to the Dueling Club and duel other members. After you beat levels, the courts change. Then finish all of the other challenges. When you arrive at the Chamber Of Secrets, I have barely any advice. The only advice I have is that when fighting the Basilisk in the second round, only hit him when his mouth is open. Before you fight the Basilisk, you must gain a lot of health. After you defeat Tom Riddle and the Basilisk, you end up in Dumbledore's office. Go up to the top of his office and look for a Wizard card. Then, when you are finished, do not i mean DO NOT go to the feast. First, you must make sure you have every Silver Wizard card to advance to the Gold Wizard card Challenge. If you do not have every Silver Wizard card, I would duel people and buy cards from sellers. That is all the advice I have. And I recommend to purchase Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. ... Read more

Reviews (281)

Looks amazing... but suprisingly vacuous
So many people have already reviewed this game, I'll keep my comments short. This is the best looking top-down view RPG you're likely to play right now. But under the hood it has tired old RPG mechanics which I lost interest in quite rapidly.

If you can enjoy any RPG regardless of the mechanics or repetititiveness, you will enjoy this game. For me, Dungeon Siege was all style and no substance, and I got bored and never completed it (which is exceptionally rare for me).

Dungeon Siege
I played this game for a few days now. It's one of the best fantasy games I played make that one of the best comp games overrall, I got this for my birthday and I was so excited.It starts out with you being a farmer you have to kill enemies and you're given missions in the chapters as you go through the chapters you can get more characters into your fellowship. There are different monsters to defeat in all the different dungeons! Shopping is probably the best part (if you have money of course) I like to make them look buff and awesome! The downside is that the music kind of creeps me out and i get sort of tired of the dungeons get lost now and then run out of health potions, i start to get a little lonely, and i spend an hour or two on something that is kind of worthless, but play it on the weekends! Anyway all in all it's a great game have fun playing it!

Fun at first, but then you realize it's tedious hack & slash
At first I thought this game was great, simple interface, good graphics and a beautifully crafted world to adventure through. But after playing it for a few days I realized that it was mindless hack and slash the whole way through. No strategy, no thought, just sit back and watch the mayhem, occasionally altering what spell you cast or telling your players to drink a potion. Halfway through the game the only thing that has changed from the first hour of play is the statistics and graphics of the monsters. The storyline is very weak and there is no where to go outside of the one linear path through the game.

However, I gave it 2 stars instead of one for the strengths I mentioned above.

Seems to be designed with love
It's true that this game is a little short of character development, but I think it more than makes up for it in depth of detail, and it seems to be made by folks who cared about how it came out. One example: the donkey, not an essential character at all. Usually runs away from the bad guys, but sometimes tries to help you fight them by kicking. This easily could have been left out, but they didn't. My wife is hooked. She's playing it right now. We like it!

What a blast
I've never been a big fan of D&D type games and, frankly, I'm still not. The one exception is Dungeon Siege. Unlike other games, this doesn't bog you down in the bizarro world of arcane AD&D rules. More importantly, it has more the adventure flow of a classic FPS with little of the horrible, repetetive running back and forth nonsense found in so many other games of the genre.

My only major criticism is that some of the levels did get a little repetetive. For that, it probably deserves 4 1/2 stars, but that's not an option.

One measure of game enjoyment for me is whether I replay the game and how long it is before I do. In this case, I played it through a second time just after finishing the first (I meant to only play the first level to compare character types, but ended up going all the way through.)
... Read more

Features

• Manage every aspect of a major shopping mall, from hiring and firing mall staff to setting rent for individual shops
• Suit an infinite number of shoppers, al with their own personal preferences
• Promote your mall with seasonal events and advertising campaigns
• Give people access to your mall by train, car and bus
• Research new technologies to improve your mall - elevators, security cameras and more

Reviews (2)

BAD!!!!!!!
THis game is a WASTE to buy!!! This is the wort game i have, and i have played many games!!! you have to build your own mall and it doesn't give you half the things you need. I know it seems fum but i promise you it is not. What it is is a waste of money. if you are going to buy a game go and get Sims!

Shopping Tycoon Lovers
Mall Tycoon 2 has new environments to choose from-and-you can build 9 Shopping levels! It has the same look and feel as Mall Tycoon 2.I was hoping on more of a 3D environment like the Sims 2--they're not there yet-and I hope it wont be too long.This is the BEST shopping mall tycoon you can buy! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

On the heels of their successful Shogun: Total War Creative Assembly moves back in time and westward on the map to shed some light on the Dark Ages. Medieval: Total War concerns the power struggles of pre-Renaissance European kings and Middle Eastern powers, as well as the conflict between the last vestiges of paganism and the growing influences of Islam, the Orthodox (Eastern) Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. These were violent and passionate times to be sure, perfect for a historical strategy game that thrives on brutality, dynasty, and war.

There are three time periods to choose from, the earliest of which features more fragmented factions and primitive weaponry, the last represents a more unified period where most power struggles have been decided and gunpowder has entered the scene. With three time periods and 12 factions representing three different religions, there's a lot of replay value in the strategic game alone.

Like Shogun, the game is divided into two parts: strategic and tactical. The strategic part features a map of Europe, some of Asia, and some of Africa. It's divided into territories à la Risk or Axis & Allies, and each territory represents a kingdom. Each faction begins with its own holdings and must quickly begin to out produce and conquer its neighbors. Each kingdom has its own population, loyalty rating, economy, and religious affiliations. Installing a feared or loved general as governor can enhance the kingdom, but giving an unscrupulous general the job could lead to revolt. Building structures can enhance the kingdom as well; a dock or a salt or silver mine can lead to riches while a castle protects. A bowyer or spear maker can outfit new troops. As time progresses, your king will grow old, have children, and die. If he dies without a male heir a revolution can occur. Daughters are used primarily to reward your governors and generals or offered to allies as wives.

The tactical portion of the game is the 3-D battlefield, complete with deserts, rivers, rolling hills, forests, mountains, and the vast rainy plains of England. It is here that you will decide the fate of your empire. You have to use terrain effectively to win, managing your varied troops with efficiency and skill: pikemen against mounted troops, mounted troops against archers, archers against pikemen. The specialized troop types of the Turkish, Byzantine, French, and other cultures offer unique abilities and open up combat options to wily generals. Guiding the actions of thousands of meticulously researched troops and watching them execute historical military maneuvers on a giant battlefield is a joy, but if deep tactical combat is not to your liking, you can skip individual battles or have the computer control them for you. Creative Assembly added sieges to the game as well, and those can be spectacular undertakings--complete with castle walls, sorties, and machines of war. A multiplayer option is offered, but only using the tactical battle engine. There are also a few warfare only historical battles and scenarios.

The two halves of the game make a rich whole. The AI is sharp, and a sense of history permeates the game. From the eerie medieval chanting that underscores playing as a Western power to the lively Islamic music that you'll hear if you play as a Middle Eastern power. The game recreates history well, but more importantly it's also fantastic to play. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Excellent gameplay; strong AI
• Two perfect game engines working together

• Deep, intellectual subject matter might be too dense for some
• Multiplayer only exists in battle mode

Features

• 400 Years of Medieval Warfare - From the preaching of the first crusade in 1095 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Guide your kingdom's fortunes through the early dominance of the feudal knights and longbowmen to the emergence of gunpowder and the advent of heavy siege cannons and handguns.
• Turn-Based - An in-depth turn based game, where players must manage the affairs of their kingdom by forging strategic alliances and marriage treaties, creating trade routes, constructing castles, deploying naval power, training warriors and more.
• Real Time Strategy - Spectacular battles featuring over 10,000 troops in real-time 3D terrain over hundreds of distinct battlefields from the lush farmlands of Western Europe to the arid deserts of North Africa.
• 12 Playable Factions - Each with distinct playing styles and unique units, including the English, German, Byzantine, French and Turkish Empires.

Reviews (195)

??????
does your computer need a 3d acellerator card???? to play shogun total war
??????

Look at All of the Wonderful Things to Eat!
The download and install were uneventful, if rather long. The mod is available in two sizes: small (28MB) and large (140MB). I chose the large version and downloaded from the mirrors available in this forum post. The mod itself will automatically install itself into the Medieval: Total War directory on the player's hard drive, so the process is as hassle-free as they come. Once done, simply fire up the game as always.

Immediately noticeable upon starting a campaign is that the game is now running in version 2.0 (without any other patches applied), some basic screen art additions, alterations, and a big, sloppy smorgasbord of new features. If the player truly loves medieval European history, Medieval: Total War XL may be the only game played for months, if not years to come.

Choosing a faction and era to play in almost made my head explode, in the best way. Besides the additional factions added by the Viking Invasion pack (Hungarians, Sicilians, and the Aragonese), the XL pack doubles the amount of playable factions to include Armenians, Bulgarians, the Crusader States, the Knights Hospitaller, Lithuanians, Norwegians, Portuguese, Scots, Serbs, and the Teutonic Knights. Older factions like Italy are broken up between two new factions: the Genoese and the Venetians, and formerly unplayable factions like the Golden Horde and the Papacy are now playable. All of the old factions (English, French, Spanish, Holy Roman Empire, etc.) are still all playable as well, of course. In addition to doubling the amount of playable factions, the Medieval: Total War XL mod also adds a number of faction specific units: every faction now has at least two or three unique units. Some are modeled on older unit models, but some are all new creations added by VikingHorde himself.

Many of the newer units are ethnically and geographically based, such as Slav Javelin men, found in Balkan provinces, and some very exotic Eastern European and Islamic units. As I applied both the Viking Invasion pack and the Medieval: Total War XL mod back to back, it was difficult for me to be able discern which were added by the modder and which were "officially added" by Creative Assembly. It can only be to the modder's credit that determining the difference was no easy task.

Besides new units and factions, the map has been further broken into additional, historically accurate provinces. They are scattered across the entire original map, throughout every region, and are subtle and not noticeable until the player really gets a chance to study the map by investing some game time. Other more subtle changes to the programming of Medieval: Total War are tweaks to the economics of the game, specifically trade balances and farming income.


The Medieval: Total War XL patch is a little slice of gaming heaven, but alas, it's not absolutely perfect. There are scattered little typos in some of the added in-game text. Nobody is perfect, and I know this may not bother some, but as an editor and writer I couldn't help but notice them. More importantly, the load time between turns on the strategic map has become absolutely spirit-crushing. On some occasions it took the AI up to three or four minutes to complete its moves, much greater than the time it took for the same turns in the old Medieval: Total War. The game never actually crashed, but it appeared to be hung up. It only occurred on the strategic map, and there was no slow-down in any other parts of the game. The turn was always [eventually] completed, but I was able to leave the room, do the laundry, and let out the dog on some occasions between moves. Hopefully this is addressable in an available patch somewhere, because the Medieval: Total War XL mod is terrific and absolutely immersive. The replay value evident with Medieval: Total War XL goes beyond any other game I can recall, with such a variety of factions, units, and provinces to explore that any Medieval: Total War fan will be entertained for a very long time. Despite the problems, Medieval: Total War XL is a great demonstration of what PC wargaming can be: engaging, expandable, entertaining, and even [gasp!] educational. Wargamers with a taste for a more distant, darker history owe it to themselves to check out the Medieval: Total War XL mod.

The best strategy game i've ever played
This game was great. The battles were amazing, and it what they use on History Channel's Descisive Battles. Wonderful graphics, it was like a Lord of the Rings movie. The only part I wasn't thrilled about was the board game-like map. It could have been a little more interactive. Anyway, if you buy this game, you will not be wasting your money.

Battle Axes, Brew & Plunder!
You sit hunched near the prow of the Longboat, listening to the oarsmen gasp as they heave against their burden and shove the boat bearing steely death through the North Sea.There is a close, deadly chill, but the sea is cloaked with a thick and heavy fog that roils up off the whitecaps like steam, as if the furnaces of Hell churned beneath the waves.The Huskarls were blessed by the Jarl's priest hours ago; they clutch their battle-axes and snarl through their teeth, their faces streaked with a cow's blood, the berserker rage upon them.

Soon the dragon's prow will gouge into the Saxon shore; soon your berserker-band will leap across the side and crush skulls, spill blood, scatter the feeble enemy, rape and pillage and burn and plunder.You will drink the enemy's blood in a cup forged of his feeble skull and sing of Valhalla.You will not sully the honor of your ancestors.You will stare up to heaven and cry out in victory under the eternal one-eyed glare of Odin the All-Father.

********

The Omens warn of Death and Destruction.Just a fortnight ago, you watched as the heavens were filled with fire.The earth itself has turned against your people; the fields lie fallow, the crops barren, the yields puny.The people starve.Dogs run feral in the woods, even in the streets.

Your Saxon grandfather's grandfather hacked his way into this unforgiving wilderness, pushed the barbarian Celts back into the western hills, forged a life and a kingdom.You wear that uneasy crown even now, but God---how that cold iron crown digs down into your skull.The Christian priest speaks of the armor of the Lord, but how much more would you give for stronger steel and more men against the coming of this new scourge: orange-haired giants stealing throught the fog in their dragon ships, wielding steely scythes of death, slaying your men and defiling your women.They wear horned helms like the Demons the priests preach against.They are barbarians, savages, bloodthirsty monsters.They are thescourge of an uncaring God: they are the Vikings.

*******

A year ago I picked up "Medieval: Total War" (the original, without the Viking Invasion expansion).Several beer barrels of coffee and three sleepless nights later, I decided Medieval was the single most addictive videogame I had ever played.I picked up the full Battle Collection last week, armed only with the modest expectation of a minor tweak to the basic game that would enable me to send hordes of screeching, beer-guzzling horn-helmed warriors roaring across Anglo-Saxon England.

Boy was I wrong.

Here's what you need to do: if you just got Medieval Total War: Battle Chest, you absolutely must load up Viking Invasion.It's not just an expansion: it's a massive overhaul to the MTW game engine that boosts immeasurably the original's playability, and (sigh) addictiveness.The flaws that hampered the original---and occasionally brought the game to a screeching halt or aborted it altogether---have been fixed.

Now there are four ages to choose from: the original three and the Viking Age (from 793 A.D. through the Norman Conquest in 1066).Apart from the Viking-era powers circa 793 A.D., you can now play an additional three factions: Hungary, the Kingdom of Sicily, and Aragon.The expansion includes a horde of new units to further your ambitions and smash those who oppose your imperial will: Slavic footmen, Hungarian Jobbagy, Russian Druhzina cavalry, Arab infantry, ferocious Heavy Steppe Infantry, the brutal Organ Gun, and of course the Viking units: miserable Viking thralls, doughty Viking landsmen, Saxon Fyrdmen, and fierce Viking huskarls.

Best of all, the design flaws that made the original Medieval: Total War nearly unplayable as the game progressed past 1300 have been fixed or eliminated:

1) Rebellions: In the old game, I would curse as constant rebellions turned my imperial map into a bloodbath of red, leaving islands of rebel armies knotted across my kingdom.Invading?You could count on a massive "rebel" or loyalist army left in your wake---piles of chivalric knights and feudal footmen boasting technology not available to the most advanced power on the gameboard!

Rebellions will still break out, and if you leave a region undermanned or overtaxed for years there's always a chance some long-vanquished pretender to a throne will resurface to unite the disaffected---but overnight rebel super-armies are long gone.

2) Ragnarok Abort Bug!Happily done away with.The original MTW used to be nasty to abort in mid-game, or when you went to save, or when you looked at the computer crosswise.Since loading up the Viking expansion I haven't had the game abort once.

New Stuff:Using archers against an enemy building?Light `em up with flaming arrows!Digging in against an enemy siege? Laugh it up as the gatecrashers scream in agony as you dump boiling oil on them.

The sleek new Battle Summary screen is also nice: now you get a full-screen display with a 360-degree view of the countryside, pictures of both unit leaders, details on both sides (if you've got spies or watchtowers), and an option to tailor your units before you get them on the battlefield.

A quick word about the Viking era itself: ever wanted to dispense with all the careful maneuvering, throw the battle-axes and ale kegs into the dragon-prowed longboats and just sail off to raid and plunder the British isles, and generally kill people and break things?Play the Vikings.

Enough talk!Open up the doors to the Temple of Odin!Raise your tankards to Loki in the drinking hall!Let the raids commence!

JSG

Great game, except.......
Total War: Medieval is very enjoyable, but it has an unendurable glitch -- the program occasionally aborts and returns to the operating system, without saving the game. This happens usually during battles.

My computer exceeds all system requirements, and this is simply unacceptable. It ruins an otherwise fine game.

After the 4th or 5th "abort", I broke the CD to spare myself further frustration. No more Activision for me. It is unbelievable (in 2004) that a company can market a product with this kind of glitch. ... Read more

Features

• Intense dogfighting and storyline featuring "The Yager Missions"

Reviews (1)

Take to the Skies in this Futuristic Flight-sim!
A little history: Aerial Strike: Yager was originally released as "Yager" for Xbox and PC in Europe and Japan, but not in North America. So it remained mostly unknown in the US...until now. As far as I know, it's the same game with a new title. Though it's now two years old (ancient in video game years) it still deserves attention for it's all around excellence.

Aerial Strike: Yager is a futuristic FPS combat flight-sim. The Earth has been divided into huge trade zones by maga-companies and competing factions fight for control of territory and trade routes. You play Magnus Tide, wisecracking, freelance pilot for Proteus, who's trying to recover his reputation after he crashed his ship on a routine delivery -- causing Sarah, a communications officer at Proteus (the good guys) and now former girlfriend, to be demoted. Magnus' attempts to win back Sarah is a subplot.

What sets this game apart from the typical FPS is the combination of a FPS with action-adventure. You interact with 20 characters (in varying degrees) and the story unfolds according to how you play.

The graphics, though not up to the lastest technology, are still stunning. Swoop down to view the surface in beautiful detail then fly up to see intricate, animated crafts. Water and sky are rendered especially well. In the first few missions I found myself mostly flying off to gawk at the gorgeous graphics. There's movement everywhere with assorted other crafts crusing around, as well as birds, dolphins, even grazing buffalo.

There are 22 free-roaming levels with an engaging storyline and variety of locations and settings, from the idyllic Free Zone Coast to the dark and foreboding Bitterfeld. The cinematic cut scenes provide a good continuum between missions and are some of the finest I've seen in any game.

You fly a futuristic jet craft called the Sagittarius using a great physics engine allowing you to make radical moves, though I found the controls a little too sensitive at times. In addition to the jet-mode, there is a VTOL (Verticle Take-off and Lift) allowing hiding in the varied terrain, making stealth attacks and quick stops if you're about to hit a mountain! The ship is well-equipped with weapons, including lasers, machine guns, missiles, a rail gun and in some levels a napalm gun. Except for the lasers, which are powered by the Sagittarius's engines, the weapons have limited ammo, but there are glowing pickups scattered throughout the expansive levels that provide extra ammo and speed boosts. The HUD is effective and uncluttered, providing all essential info, i.e. friend and foe locations on your radar, hull shield condition, direction and weapons status in a clear format.

What I especially liked about Yager was the character development and interaction. Voice-acting and scripting are well done. Magnus gives you commentary and hints throughout and I often found myself chuckling at his sarcasm and wisecracks. If you manage to piss-off an enemy they will make you aware of it in no uncertain terms on your ship's comms! The AI is quite good. Enemy craft work together in coordinating attacks and do a good job of trying to out maneuver you when pursued.

No game is perfect and I have a couple gripes with Yager. The first are the height and side boundaries. On a few levels the height ceiling seemed a bit low and I had trouble going over some mountains and some of the side boundaries extend well within the maps. If you fly into one your ship is turned around, often directly at the enemies! And on at least two levels the boundaries allowed the enemy crafts through but not mine.

The other is the inability to save game at checkpoints. If you fail a mission you can either restart it or continue at the previous checkpoint as long as you stay in the mission. If you exit you have to start the level over from the beginning. However, this does lend an urgency to the missions and there's a high satisfaction quotient when you finish a level, as some of them are difficult. But I'd prefer to have the ability to save in the longer missions.

Yager is intelligently laid out and there are usually ways to strategize your best options to complete a level by doing some exploration and testing the enemy. In fact, the entire game shows an attention to detail in all aspects, from the stunning graphics to great character development to exhilarating dog fights. ... Read more

Product Description

Command historically accurate civilizations ranging from the Medieval Age up to the World War II era. Choose a country and a time period, and lead your nation to world dominance. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Lead your nation to dominate the globe
• Platform: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (23)

Ordered game 2nd day and received a copy of Old Yeller
Some dumb hillbilly in Kentucky placed a copy of Ole Yeller instead of the game I ordered in my shipment box.
Now I find out Amazon.com has no listed phone numbers to call to rectify this problem.
So, thanks to Amazon.com ignorant staff, I have no game to rate !!

Empires: Dawn of the Modern World
This game, Empires Dawn of the Modern World, is one of the best in RTS gaming history. However, I do not say "the best," only "one of the best." The game has strong points and some flaws.

In this game, one advances through ages, just as in many other RTSes. The ages are Medieval, Gunpowder, Imperial, WWI and WWII. Although these are good choices, there is one drawback: When advancing into WWI, the player has to change his/her's civilization to a more recent one. It is easy to accept the fact that the Franks (one of the civilizations available) had changed somewhat from 1500 to 1914, but the US (another civilization) was around before 1914. In fact, it was around during the middle of the Imperial age. Also, China (a pre-WW civilization in this game)played a major role in WWII, and is still one of the most powerful nations on earth!

The gameplay in this game is almost exactly like the gameplay in Age of Empires. One builds a base and a couple of barrackses, tank factories, stables, or whatever, and then launches an attack on the opponent's base. However, with the addition of some special abilities for units, buildings, and even wonders, this game improves on Age of Empires. Also, every unit in this game is unique to its civilization, even townspeople. While not going as far as such RTSes as Rise of Nations or Rome: Total War, the game does have its allure.

If there were a graphics rating availabe, this game would get 5 stars. Not isometric, this game has beautifully programmed 3D graphics and in-game cinematics.

Empires: Dawn of the Modern World is definitely recommended for first time RTS gamers as a good all-around RTS, but longtime RTS gamers might find this game a little repetative.

Okay, but needs a lot of improvement
This is an okay game. There are some ideas that make it interesting and enjoyable to play, but otherwise the game is not worth buying. There are different countries represented at different epochs, and you have to chose which country you want to be as you progress through the game. I think this is an innovative idea and makes gameplay interesting. The three campaigns let you use some different strategies besides collect resources, build an army, attack, rinse, repeat. Also, each team has strengths and weaknesses, although other games have touched on this, E:DOTMW brings it to a new level. Each team has completely different units and technologies. This makes the game very interesting, and playing each team is a unique experience.
Despite the positives, there are many more negatives to this game. Although many people tout the graphics as innovative, the graphics in AOE II were pretty much the same. The AI is pretty stupid. For example, workers will sometimes get trapped between some buildings and the "edge" of the map or a group of trees. Mistakes like these were almost non-existant in AOE II. The campaigns need some serious story-line revamping. They start out interesting, but it seems like the story writers ran out of ideas and so just ended the stories without really resolving them in the same exciting fashion they started them in. The "random map" feature and multi-player ability is just like every other RTS on the market. Build up an army as quickly as possible and fight with it, rinse and repeat. The game is also lacking on units and entire countries. For example, Japan is not included in the World War I or World War II eras. Navies have no option to build destroyers to battle submarines. The USA does not have Iowa battleships during the World War II era. I'm sure that these "oversights" were done on purpose to make room for an expansion, but until there is an expansion, it is a serious lacking in the game. This is an addictive game, but has little substance. My recommendation is to go out and buy AOE II used and play that.

There are better, but this is worth getting
I have played many Empire-esque games and I view this as one of the better ones. It is, unlike it's predeccessors totally based around war and that is very good as that's all you ever want to do anyway.
I'll just give you this advise, get it if you like this genre as there are few better, but for someone buying the first of the genre I advise you shop around for a better starter game as this one rather assumes the buyer is familiar with the genre already (I'm using the word genre a lat aren't I?)
Anyway, have a look at some of the other review for contrasts of opinion...
I hope I've been of use, Toodle Pipskie (is that how you spell it?)

Empires Dawn of the Modern World
Empires Dawn of the Modern world is a great game. The
gameplay is easy, the graphics are very good, the sound/music
is just perfect. The campaign is very fun and very nicely made.
There are three campaigns in the game, about the life of Richard
the Lionheart, Captain Yi Sun-Sin, and Gernal George Patton.
Each campaign is different and each they are set in a different
age. Richard the Lionheart's campaign is about the english and
the french battling in a war for the french throne. Captain
Yi Sun-Sin is about the Japanese invasion of Korean. Gernal
George Patton's campaign is about the how the US fought in the
European front in WW2. All is very fun and is historically base.

The mutiplayer for the single or online is very fun. In the
single ramdom map, you choose a civilization, an age, the map,
and either action or empire building. Action is fast and is all
about military. Empire building is longer and you must build
large empires or you shall see enemy unit in your base. You can
also choose to have a deathmatch which you are given alot of
resoures is a all out attack upond your oppenent. You can build
wonders (one olny) and protect it until time runs out. Online is
the same but olny the host do all the stuff I saided. It is
better becaues you have tactics, and coordinates attacks. I have
never played online, but I seen it with my friend playing it.

The ages is the olny thing that I have a camplain about.
There are five ages, medival, gunpowder, imperial, WW1, WW2.
IN the imperial age, when you go to the next age, you have to
choose a different age because that civilization is not a majar
power in the WW1 and WW2 age. It should be change.

Overall it is a good game to play for RTS gamers. Buy it!
... Read more

Features

• Actual SeaWorld attractions and rides; free play or challenge mode
• Play as park manager and design the entire theme-park layout
• Construct and maintain new attractions; hire and fire staff; collect admissions
• 1,000s of options including roller coasters, water rides, and shows
• Animal browser with information on animal habitat, feeding habits, and more

Reviews (1)

Not as fun as I thought
I expected this to be a lot of fun, but it isn't.There's no real guide to the game, so a lot of the little details (how to raise the beauty rating, park rating, buildings broken down, descriptions of different buildings--what they do, etc) has been left out.Freeform is kind of nice, but you can't practice raising the beauty rating.Scenarios are ok, but the intermediate scenarios are a lot harder than they should be.If you really like a challenge, this is for you.But I was expecting a little more. ... Read more