Amazon.com Review

Midtown Madness 2 is the exact opposite of the typical racinggame. Instead it's the simple racer for which PC speed freaks have beenpraying.It looks and plays better than most console racers, and while it is definitelyan arcade racer and not a full-on driving simulation, that doesn't mean youcanplay it with your brain in park. The only people who might have a gripe withMidtown 2 are those who played the original to death, as the sequel isonly slightly improved from the original. As in the original game, Midtown2 features wild racing through busy city streets complete with multicarpileups and citizens diving for cover.

This time the action takes place in the streets of San Francisco and London.Asexpected, San Francisco sports its many landmarks and famous rolling hills,which offer plenty of chances to build up speed for ludicrous stunts. Keep aneye open for the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts. London'stightturns and twisting streets put the emphasis on driver skill rather thanflat-outspeed. Landmarks include Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Trafalgar Square. Ofcourse, the secret to success in the Midtown games is to findunconventional shortcuts that can bring about a quick victory.

For the most part players will be racing in standard circuit and checkpointraces. Interestingly, you must unlock most of the 20 cars in the game byfinishing a series of races or completing the two in-game driving schools. Youcan't drive our favorite car--the Aston Martin DB7--until you finish Britishcabby school, but once you do get it, you'll be a terror on the highways. Weonly wish more automobiles were available right from the start, as theperformance of the cars varies as wildly as their makes and models.

While the cities are interesting to look at and many of the structures containshortcuts and other secret passages, the overall look of the game is morecartoony than realistic. While the graphics don't stand up against the Needfor Speed games, they are more than adequate in their own right. However,you will need a fairly powerful machine to see them in all their cartoonyglory.--Mark Brooks

Pros:

• Fast-paced driving action
• Easy to play with a wide variety of cars
• London and San Francisco look just enough like their real counterparts to be worth exploring even when not racing

• Too many vehicles need to be unlocked by completing various tasks
• Graphics, while decent, aren't the most up-to-date
• If you've played the first game, there really isn't a lot here you haven't seen already

Reviews (74)

GREAT online
i got this game a while back, played it a little, then forgot about it. sure, its fun to destroy the crap out of everything, but you can only do that so much. a couple months ago, i stumbled on it again. i was looking at the box and saw it had online gameplay, something i had overlooked before. i started playing it and got online. a whole new world was opened! this is much more fun online, so if you have it go online i wanna play you if you dont have it go get it and play online. my nickname for the msn gaming zone is El_Bub.

Almost as good as the original.
I own Midtown Madness 1 and 2, and enjoy them both quite frequently.(Nothing's better at the end of a stressful day than sitting down and bashing the snot out of a Panoz GTR-1.)This is Good Stuff, to be sure.

When I purchased MM2, I admit I had preconceived notions of what to experience.Most were fulfilled.

The graphics aren't necessarily better than in MM1, but that actually works quite well for me.The game hitches and freezes and takes forever to load if I set it on the highest graphics possible.The same happens with sound.(Maybe I should get a more powerful computer, huh?!)The two cities are fantastically built and wonderfully conceived.I had a _blast_ running up and down San Francisco's streets and going airborne.

The cars are _awesome_, man!MM2's car selections include an Aston Martin, and Audi (my favorite), a Mini Cooper, a fire truck, all the cars from the first game, and more.These are the cars I didn't know I was missing out on in the first few years of playing MM1.

In San Francisco, the races in Amateur mode are easy.Way too easy.And in Pro mode, they're incredibly hard.In London, I found myself just ripping through all the races with little or no difficulty, even in Pro.In MM1, the Checkpoint races were a challenge because they asked you to find the best route.In MM2, they're basically Blitz races.A clear straight line with little deviation from the path.This was really disappointing.I remember in MM1, North River Run was a lot of fun because I got to find a new way of running the race - the checkpoints were more scattered.

The stunt driver courses, while innovative, are disappointing as well.The London Cabbie course requires you to drive a cab - no surprise.However, that cab is the most difficult vehicle of them all.It's sluggish, heavy, and slow.I found myself just giving up and not trying to unlock the Aston Martin (that's the prize at the end of the course).And while the San Francisco course was better, with a Fastback, the course requirements were either too demanding or way too easy.Overall, very uneven.

The map was a pain in the neck.I could never see a whole image of the map at one time.When I enlarged the map, it was distorted.The colors on the map were also all very pale and hard to see, whereas in MM1, everything was very clear and well-contrasted.

Also, you can't boot MM2 without the source CD, and that's quite irritating.If I spent thus much money on a CD, I don't want it to get scratched.Ever.And if I have to take it out of its sleeve each time I load the game, there are that many more opportunities for it to get damaged.

Still, Good Stuff.

Overall, ****/*****.

An Outstanding Racing Program
Overall:
Microsoft Midtown Madness 2 is an excellent racing game.I consists of detailed scenery and a wide variety of cars.There are specific landmarks in both London and San Francisco.I definately reccomend buying this software.

City Scenery:
Midtown Madness 2 has specific landmarks form both London and San Francisco.You can drive through the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco or around Trafalger Square in London.

Commentary:
It is interesting to hear the Midtown Madness 2 commentary.Some of the commentary voices are against urban racing.They feel like it disturbes the city.Other voices, though, are enthusiastic with urban racing.

Physics Realism:
The physics in Midtown Madness 2 are not realistic.You can drive up to the top of one of San Francisco's tall buildings, and then drive off.You will only have light damage.You can flip other cars upside down and not hurt them at all.But it is fun, you can do things you could never do in the real-world!

Car Selection:
In Midtown Madness 2, there are a wide variety of cars you can drive.It ranges from a London Double Decker Bus to a Panoz GTR-1!There are three Volkswagon New Beetles, two Mini Coopers, a fire truck, and a city bus, and a Cadalac Eldorado along with a lot of other cars.There are creative paint jobs, such as a Bathtup Floural London Cab, which is yellow with flowers and a smile!

Compatability:
Midtown Madness 2 works on almost any computer above the standard Windows 95.A 3d accelerater card will improve its performance, but a non-accelerater card works great too.The software also works good if your computer is right on the minimum requirements.

Conclusion:
Midtown Madness is not very fast paced, but its creativity makes up for it and does what many racing games do not do.

Okkkkkkk.
The game is great. One question though, why does the green paint job for the fire truck never come unlocked?

Great, in depth, semi-accurate game!
Midtown Maddness 2 is just about the most fun racing game I've ever played!Contray to some more negative reviews, I think microsoft did a great job on this game.First of all, the statistics:this game boasts a grand total of 88 races, not to mention that 64 of those become more difficult if you choose the "professinol" level of racing, as apposed to the "ameatur".There are 10 blitz races(races against the clock), 12 checkpoint races(races against several computer cars), and circut races(similar to checkpoint, except there are a certain amount of laps that you most complete), in each city.Also, there are 13 London cabbie and 13 SF Stunt Driver "crash cources", which include 3 midtermes that you must take, and 1 final exam.Now to run these many races, there are 20 differant vehicles to choose from:everything from the racecar that can do around 205 mph, to the city bus which does 0-60 in 1 hour as I like to say.Now on to the reasons why this game is fun to play!

Midtown Maddness 2 is a great, classic arcade game.In the game, you can ram into as many cars as you want, and still keep going! Yes, you will see smoke start to some out of the engine, but eventually the computer will restart your car so you can keep on road ragin!Another thing is that the cops never get out of there cars, so the game is never delayed by them trying to acually arrest you like in the Grand Theft Autos.Don't get me wrong, thats a fun game, just a little too realistic for me.So anyway, the cops will still chase you and try to stop you, even to the point where the wheels go flying or rolling off their cars!Next, both maps are so emensly big that I've had the game for almost a year and a half now, and I think I finally saw absolutly everything there is to see.

The only unrealistic part of the game that has always stuck in my mind is the "underground" or subway in London.I've been to London 3 times now, and the only thing realistic about this is that the stations are fairly accurate in apperance, not nessacerily in location.The tunnels are about 3 times as wide as they need to be, and the trains are doing about 90 or 95 mph in the game, when in reality, they really only do about 30 mph.So if the game could have just one improment, I would say to have the "underground" more accurate.It was a good idea, but needed a little more attention then it was apparently given.

Overall, I strongly recommened this game to anyone, from beginers to pros, that are a fan of street racing.If you are questioning the game, I would say go for it, you won't regret it! ... Read more

Product Description

The 1 developer/publisher of outdoor sporting games has teamed with the 1 fishing brand to focus on the 1 participation sport in North America - the result is THE BEST FISHING GAME EVER! Rapala Pro Fishing offers not only the leading name in fishing but the most realistic underwater environments beautifully detailed fish and the best rod control of any fishing game on the market for an unbeatable fishing experience. Even its live-action situational tips will improve the avid angler on the real water!* 11 species of highly detailed fish with extremely realistic AI * 12 unique maps in authentic locations around the globe2 gameplay modes:* Freedom Fishing - lets you select your options and fish anywhere * Tournament - enter one of 20 tournaments for realistic trophy fishaction. Including exciting unlockable Amazon and Danube Delta adventurelevels * Over 750 authentic Rapala lures to use in landing the big fish * Amazing technology upgrades vs. previously released fishing titles:* First Ever - Player actually controls the rod for increased realism! * Depth-of-field caustic effects light rays and vegetation modeled fromreal life provides the most authentic underwater environments to-date! * Internet high scores posting for all platforms on Rapala.comBoth above and underwater views by toggling between fisherman and lureview at anytime .* A fishing guide that provides helpful tips and lessons that can beapplied towards improving ones ability in the real-life sport.-- SPECIFICATIONS -------------------- ESRB Rating : E for EveryoneGenre/Category : Sports System : Microsoft XboxNumber of Players : On-Line Compatible : www.activision.com ... Read more

Features

• Over 750 authentic Rapala lures and you actually controls the rod for increased realism
• 11 species of highly detailed fish with realistic AI
• 2 game play modes: Freedom Fishing and Tournament
• 20 unique tournaments to enter in Tournament mode for realistic trophy fish action
• Tournaments include unlockable Amazon and Danube Delta levels

Reviews (2)

Pro Fishing?
First I understand that the title is Rapala but please.For choices of rod/reel selection there are no baitcasters... what's up with that.Secondly the weight of the fish versus the drag setting is a joke, I fish numerous tournaments and have never had a 5 to 6 lb Largemouth bass break my line with my drag set as tight as it can go, yet it happens in this game.The actuall setting of the hook well as the other reviews point out it is pretty much random as there is no skill here, there always seems to be way to much slack in the line. There is no changing the speed of which you reel-in just start or stop. Lastly the amount of lake available to fish is really pathetic. At least for the price, you only out 20 dollars.

Not enough attention to detail
The game is fun when you first play, but there are too many flaws for long term enjoyment.My list of the bad:
- NO multiplayer
- can only select from Rapala lures, not soft baits, no spinners, etc.
- deep diving baits go directly to the bottom regardless of water depth, and are unuseable
- lures do not react realistically to rod movement, move the rod tip up and your lure may move 4-5 feet, there is also a terrible delay to rod movements, retrieves, and stops - stop-and-go retrieves do not work, and twitching jerk baits does not work - this is the most annoying part of the game
- consistent casting distance is difficult to achieve
- line tension meter is not consistent with fish movements
- setting the hook seems to be a random event, not dependent on how you perform the actions
- holding the right trigger (retrieve) continuously with a fish on makes no difference in the fight or the tension meter
- you only get a small portion of a lake to fish - maybe 200 acres of a 20,000 acre lake
- tournament mode places you directly in the lake, there is no pre-launch strategy such as reviewing topo maps
- fishing partner sounds like Jerry McGinnis and talks more than Fish Fishburn - annoying - his only useful tip is "this looks like a good spot"
- horrible boat driving simulation - you won't be driving the boat around for fun
... Read more

Features

• Tons of crazy gear
• Three different camera modes
• For 1 player
• Crazy action game featuring the lowliest of creatures
• Randomly-generated, fully deformable 3-D worlds

Reviews (6)

This game does NOT exist.
It is impossible to write a review for this game, as it is not real.I had it reserved since January 2004, when it was originally supposed to come out, and finally withdrew my reservation today, July 26, 2004, because I no longer believe it will ever come out.I got the GameCube version tonight, which, like the PS2 version, has no online support.I just got sick of waiting, and the demo I downloaded for Mac OSX was awesome.What's most disturbing is that several critical reviews came out for this game in January as well, when it will probably never even be released to the public.How dare they.I own all three popular gaming consoles, and have no desire to play on anything but Xbox, as the others are inferior.Give me the game for a real system, you scumbags.

Its a great game!
I loved the 2-d version Worms Armageddon. This game looks like its just as good and more! I soo look forward to when i play this game. This game is a good, fun game. The people at Acclaim Entertainment Inc. have a great sense of humor, a game where worms duke it out until the last worm standing (well, crawling)is the victor. I think its only drawback is that it is a single player game.

Excellent
I played the GC version of this, and it was excellent (the most fun I had with any GC game yet). My friend and I played this late into the night and it never got dull. Pick it up, especially if you played the 2-d version. I think the 3d version is marginally better then the 2d version, but they are are different then eachother enough to make such a comparision meaningless.

.............drool................
This is probably the most original, the most random game I have ever played.A must get for people who like medium depth strategy games, like the Legend of Zelda series, like this has anything to do with it.Its tough, in a fun, not frustrating.That trait is hard to find is many games.First Halo, now this.Once in a lifetime.

Are people slow??
I have played every single worm game from Worms I-III on the pc, to Armagedon on Dreamcast to Armagedon on the game boy.Every one of them has been exelent with there wide rang of weapons, great voice clips, and fun game play.Definitly more fun with friend than against the computer,(...) I will buy the X box version, but I have played the game cube one and I loved it. ... Read more

Product Description

MODEL- 75055VENDOR- ActivisionFEATURES- Cabelas Big Game 2005 AdventuresYou will need all of your senses to track and hunt 36 game animals. Every animal featured is a true to life representation specific to the region you are hunting. Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventurestakes the very best of previous Cabela's titles to re-create the true hunting experience. Watch as the terrain is affected by weather, seasonal changes and time of day changes. What was familiar in one season may be drastically different when experienced in another. Plus, go head to head with other hunters to claim bragging rights to the highest scores. -- SPECIFICATIONS --------------------ESRB Rating: T For Teens Genre/Category : SportsSystem : Microsoft Xbox Number of Players:On-Line Compatible : Xbox video game system; Xbox compatible controller, Xbox compatible memory card for saves; Xbox Live for Online playNice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theActivision 75055 - Cabelas Big Game 2005 Xbox and all other Activision Video Game Handheld Soft ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Frustrating at first; hunter is a wimp; gorgeous graphics
It works ok on my computer, except that in the final campaign I can no longer access my inventory and re-installing didn't help. In the first scenario, when you are hunting in the "jungle of South Dakota" the trees and brush are so thick you can't see your quarry. The red dots aren't much help, because the animals can be ten feet from you or ten miles away. When you finally manage to get out of the initial scenario, the game picks up and becomes quite enjoyable. But my hunter keeps fainting, for no apparent reason, even when he's wearing proper clothing and I keep plying him with food and drinks and keep him at a walk. Very annoying when you've finally hit a big horn sheep with the requisite bow-and-arrow, and your hunter faints! (What a wimp!) It's kind of neat when a bear or other predator sneaks up on you and mauls you. (No, really!) Though I doubt if the game warden would merely find you unconscious after you've been mauled by a grizzly! The graphics after the first scenario are gorgeous and highly detailed. Except for these really lovely graphics, there isn't much to recommend it over the many other hunting games on the market. Oh, well - buy it on sale!

This is the one to get!
Activision made some great improvements to thie Cabela's series of hunting games.I enjoy this game much more than their 2005 Deer Hunt.The game follows sort of a story line where you travel from lodge to lodge trying to fill certain requirements and trophies.Along the way you might be called to help rescue an injured hunter or to take down an injured animal.What adds to the thrill of the game is that occasionally you are not only the hunter but also the "Hunted"!Preditor animals come after you while searching through the thicket.Give you a nice burst of adreneline.

Activision also made it easier to navigate through the controls and find stuff in your backpack.

Nice job Activision!

WOW!!!!!!!
BGH "05" is The Best Hunting Game Out There!!!
I Love This Game In Hi-Def
Just Play It!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

For Lords of the Realm II fans, Sierra announces more excitement, new combat, plus head-to-head combat on the Internet with other Lords of the Realm II fans. The Lords of the Realm: Royal Collection offers you everything you need. Get the original Lords of the Realm together with Lords of the Realm II and the Internet-ready Lords of the Realm II Siege Pack in the Royal Collection. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Bad.Bad,Bad.
the new lords of the realm 3 is Bad it is not as good as the original.please save your money go and buy yourself the original game you will be a much happier perso!Bad Bad!all they had to do was alow the original to be able to be played on EAther xp or windows 2000 etc ,just up date the game and everyone would be happy IT WAS A GREAT GAME ,this new game is BAD

bad
the new lords of the realm 3 is bad it is not as good as the original.please save your money go and buy yourself the original game you will be a much happier person!bad bad !

A classic
Lords of the Realm 2 was the first strategy game I played.A friend brought it over in 7th grade, and in the past 7 years it's been the one game I've gone back to repeatedly.I have yet to grow tired of this game.

First, I love the game's soundtrack.I've actually put all the music WAV files in a playlist...and while I'm on the subject of the audio, if you haven't listened to setup2.wav, DO IT!

As for gameplay, it isn't exactly the most complicated of strategy games, but I think that's part of what makes it fun.If you're going to create an army, wait for one of the merchants to come through so you can buy ale.It's much easier to feed people on grain than cows, and it doesn't hurt happiness.The Knight is a spoiled brat.It is music to my ears to hear "The county is yours, my lord..."After countless hours playing this game, things like these are what you will discover.Oh, and defending your first siege without losing a guy (and no auto-calc either)...now there's a feeling of intense pride.

If you can manage to get the (now flaky) multiplayer system to work anymore (it sure as heck wasn't designed for XP!), you're in for quite a treat.The Siege Pack adds in a new gameplay form, the Skirmish.This is the real-time battles of the game played separate from the game itself.These are great for when you don't have time to sit through the typical hours for an RTS, but have a taste for medieval battle.

Simple mathematics give you a winner
Although i have this game already for over 5 years, i still enjoy playing it. Sound, graphics and gameplay are great, considering the age of the game. The only sad thing perhaps is that you can perfectly calculate what to do in order to win the game: 1 cow feeds 10 people, next season i will have exactly produced 124 bows etc... The only random factors, which you can't influence at all, are events like the plague. If calculated well, you can defend one county against an invasion of all other counties together. So don't set the difficulty too easy. For the rest it is a recommender although its age.

lords2
it not working on lords play....and the cd is broken? ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Eve Online is a bold sci-fi online role-playing game that challenges players to survive in a hostile universe of traders, pirates, corporations, and police. It's a gigantic game: the huge playable universe contains some 5,000 star systems to explore. Your options are almost unlimited. You can play a pirate, sticking to the fringes and raiding player-character ships, you can mine for a corporation or play a privateer and help guard against pirates, you can manufacture ammo, weapons, or equipment, you can be a trader, and more.

Unlike most MMORPGs Eve doesn't force you to play canned missions and quests. The developers have taken the risk of depending, mostly, on players to form the economy, social structure, etc. Things are raw and unformed at the start, but very interesting. Eve encourages players to form corporations for self-protection and to control sectors of space so they can mine the resources there. Competition between corporations is a perfect excuse for player vs. player (PVP) combat, and Eve provides plenty of room for players to slug it out. In most online games the bulk of the world is safe except for a small zone that is open to PVP combat; in Eve there's a small core patrolled by brutal AI police and vast areas where anything goes. Of course, the most valuable resources can only be found in the dangerous, wild frontier.

The graphics are gorgeous and the game is played in full 3-D. Stellar and spectral space effects, nebulae, and massive space stations dominate most sectors, and when lots of players are together, the game is a maze of drifting metal. Asteroid fields, meteors, and a few surprises are in store as well.

If anything Eve suffers from a steep learning curve, an excess of clicking (many menus could be simplified) and the aforementioned dependence on the players to form the society. Eve is unlike most MMORPGs, but worth a look if you feel the lure of open space lanes and the promise a truly unexplored social frontier. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Players determine economy, social structure
• Gorgeous graphics
• Seamless server structure makes it easy to find friends online

• Cumbersome interface
• The game's reliance on player-generated missions and political structure might not work

Reviews (89)

Real Science Fiction for once.
The best way to describe EVE online is as a sim game, not a RP game.
EVE really does a exceptional job of creating a believable, world, grounded in real science, and free trade market realities. If any of you out there ever thought to yourself, "Gee, I love MMORPGs but I really wish there was one out there where I could use my Finance Degree to my advantage." Well, then this might be the game for you.
While there are few like myself who go out of our way to immerse ourselves in the EVE universe, many, if not most, play the game to amass as much wealth and power as they can.
While this occurs on almost any MMORPG system, what makes EVE stand apart is that both these styles of play, Hardcore RP and flat out Powergaming, can coexist with very little friction.
Character advancement, in comparision to other MMORPGs, is non-linear. It is TRUELY possible to excell in the game without being a combat junkie (I have a friend who is essentially a space trucker)and TRUELY possible to take your character in just about any direction you want.
The graphics are outstanding, and while there are noticible bugs, I've yet to have a bug crash do more than crash the game client, after which I was immediately able to log back on without rebooting.
The only thing that I wish for in this game is to be able to exit our ships and wander the planets, moons, and spacestations.
But, considering that is my worst complaint, I highly recomend this game.

As close to being a Space Captain as you can get
I have been playing the game for 2 weeks and I am throughly happy with it. This is by far the best virtual space simulation that i have seen. You actually feel like living a virtual life in space and that you are a Captain of your own space-faring vessel and have to life your life accordingly. You can mine, fight pirates, do quests for npc or real player corporation and do pvp if you desire. The graphics fx and sounds is a site to behold and the game has been stable for me in all aspects. The game has lots of depth and as a result a Steep Learning Curve which you have to get through to even remotely enjoy the game not to forget its a huge time-sink too. It take easily 10-15 minutes to mine and jump to deeper space and you will be rinsing & repeating this a lot. Its not everyone cup of tea. If you have patience, lots of time and a desire to be a Captain of your own space-ship this game is for you. If you like fps, or are time conscious or prefer shallow mmo's you are better off steering towards wow or coh.
I for one absolutely love my alternate life of being a Captain of my own space-ship.

Great game, not perfect
One of the reviewers above talks about " Too many bugs, poor customers support". Well, that is a very very old review. Of course since then they've fixed many of the bugs. The game is playable. But what that person said is still somewhat true, there are still too many bugs. But they usually are not Fatal bugs, they are usually just little annoying bugs. Sometimes though you loose a ship and die because of the bugs. It's just a game.

Another person said "Allows 'Narcotic' trading with realistic drug names/details". What that person said in his review is completely true. But they are fake drugs in a game, so who cares? And if you transport them the cops will get you. What he said about the GM's is still very true, but it is true in every game I've played with GM's to one degree or another. You deal with wild and crazy gamers all day long and you might get a bad attitude, too.

It's an incredible game, with very good graphics, good game play, and a lot of bugs and arrogant, semi-useless GM's. But they are from Iceland, and I guess with all that ice they don't know what bugs are.

But I still play it every chance I get.

Allows 'Narcotic' trading with realistic drug names/details
Eve online also allows commodity trading and 'smuggling' of 11 narcotic substances on it's market, which strongly resemble known controlled substances.One of these drugs also ties in to the human(oid) slave trade, which players are free to participate in and profit from with little npc interference.The publisher is based in Iceland, which must have milder terms for promoting the profits of drug trade than the UK or USA.ESRB 'T for Teen' seems inappropriate.System specifications are now:

Windows 98 or Windows 2000 / XP
DirectX 9.0
Pentium® III 600 or better
256 MB RAM
32 MB GeForce, RADEON 7200 or better
56 Kbps Internet Connection
1 GB of hard drive space

with recommended at:
Windows 2000 / XP
DirectX 9.0c
Pentium® 4 or better
512 MB RAM
64 MB GeForce, RADEON 8500 or better
64 Kbps Internet Connection
1,5 GB of hard drive space

and as an online game updating to this system load to play is mandatory.

Although a player may have up to 3 characters, only one may develop at any given time using a time-based skill system.Some skills can require as much as 30 days to gain a single leve (of 5) in, and some equipment requires multiple level 5 skills to use (at all).12 months out and you will still be unable to use many new ships and pieces of equipment, even at maximum attribute levels.GMs are notably hostile to criticism and have gagged and taken action against people for 'complaining' or criticizing the publisher/service in the context of the game.GM participation in the storyline is thinly veiled and exceedingly frustrating - combining denial of involvement and consistent 'superuser' action with a fair amount of bias typical of a game boasing only 8-12K simultaneous users overall.

This review is the product of one full year of gameplay.

best game ive ever played
seriously this is the best game Ive played, as opposed to other mmorpg's its not a level grind, and the graphics and audio is some of the best ever.

The game promotes roup play ie: its a highly social game.

All I can say is try it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Battlezone places you in the midst of the cold war--as it's being fought in outer space. Play either the Soviet or American side; command and create over 30 units, such as antigravity tanks, walkers, guntowers, barracks, and recyclers--all while fighting from inside your own vehicle in single-player or multiplayer skirmishes. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Battlezone "First Edition"
Battlezone is one of the first and most outstanding online multiplayer games ever developed.Released in 1998 on the ANET server platform for PC Windows with over 90% of players accessing the game through 56k modems, Battlezone supported instant action, strategy and deathmatch games.In 1998, only a few Activision, Inc., a few visionaries understood the coming importance of online multiplayer gaming for the genre, deathmatch, strategy and team play. This online game, developed in 1998, is it still actively played and supported by a group called the Battlezone Club (http://www.battlezoneclub.org).This game incorporates the longest development for online battle design and action as well as strategy of any game ever developed, which includes, in my humble opinion, "Full Spectrum Warrior" and many other "followers."The original is still in being developed by this non-profit organization for its community of players.

Maybe one day...
There is only one game out there older than 5 years that I still feel the obsession to play to this day.The single player mode is enthralling, but the multiplayer is where this game shines.The factor that you had the ability to build your own maps to battle on was such a dominating factor.Now that the game is slowly dying, I am afraid that there will no longer be a game that has the amount of creativity at this level.

A game to be remembered
A fine-tuned mix of action/strategy.
After it snapped up the rights to Atari�s classic coin-op Battlezone, there was a concern by some gamers that Activision would take the quick-and-easy route by dressing up an old favorite and shoveling it out the door in the hope that nostalgic name recognition would see it through. Activision had much bigger plans in store. Mixing elements of action and strategy along with sharp graphics and an entertaining story line, this new Battlezone emerges as the most addictive, ingenious and approachable game to appear in a long while.

While there is a nice tie-in to the original -- you still drive a tank (a hover tank to be exact) -- this is not the Battlezone you remember from the arcades. Set during the space-race of the late sixties, Battlezone kicks off with a good old fashioned "Us versus Them" conspiracy tale that pits the USA against the Soviet Union in the dark reaches of space.

It seems that during the early days of the space program an alien alloy (referred to as bio-metal) was discovered on the moon that allowed researchers to make amazing advances in technology. Unfortunately, competition for this mysterious metal became fierce as both superpowers (U.S. and USSR) began amassing forces on the surface of the moon. The Soviets launched covert operations under the guise of its space program; while NASA�s highly-publicized lunar mission became the cover story for the USA�s secret military build-up on the moon.

While the story is a bit far-fetched, it�s extremely well done and very entertaining. More importantly, the story translates into a solid premise for both the action and strategy portions of the game. The single-player mode can be played from either the U.S. or Soviet sides, but the game is designed to be played from the U.S. side first. During the first few missions on the U.S. side, players are gradually eased into Battlezone�s seamless mix of real-time strategy and action, and from there, chances are you�ll be hooked.

Starting with a bio-metal recycler (the most basic construction unit), you�ll construct vehicles to scavenge scraps of bio-metal, build base defenses, and construct new base vehicles capable of building more advanced structures and vehicles. You command all the action from the cockpit of your hover tank, one of several specially-designed attack craft capable of negotiating the harsh environments of alien worlds.

Controlling the action should be second nature to most action fans, with a combination of mouse and keyboard controls (joysticks are also supported) similar to those in Quake. But unlike the easy key re-mapping of Quake and its ilk, customizing the controls to your liking in Battlezone can tricky, and occasionally impossible. My preferred mouse/keyboard configuration -- A for forward, Z for back, Left shift for left strafe, and X for right strafe -- can�t be duplicated in Battlezone simply because the Left shift key can�t be remapped. Additionally, getting a customized setup in place is a pain if you want to re-map a key that�s already in use, since you�ll have to change that key first, then re-map the desired key.

The rest of the interface however, is a textbook example in efficiency. By using just a few number keys on the keyboard, you can easily manage all aspects of command; whether it�s building tanks, defenses, or ordering an attack, you�ll hardly ever need to take your eyes off the action. About the only time you need to divide your attention between action and management is when you have to designate construction areas for your constructor, or specify locations for turrets and howitzers. Other than these few instances, you�re free to be a mobile and active part of the fight while still commanding the bigger picture.

Under your command is a range of offensive vehicles made up of fast scout craft, well-armored tanks, deadly bombers, and mobile artillery; the opposition has the same. Using the same simple control interface used to build your base, you�ll order your forces to defend a building, attack a target, hunt for enemies, or follow you. But unlike most games, where you send wave after wave of expendable units at an enemy�s defenses, the catch is that you�ll only be able to have ten offensive and defensive vehicles at any one time -- and every vehicle needs a pilot. When a tank or vehicle is destroyed, these pilots are ejected and must make their way back to the base on foot. Unfortunately they also make tempting targets for passing vehicles. Even if you�ve got enough resources on hand, you won�t be able to build a new tank until there is a pilot to take the wheel.

This last bit plays a large part in how you�ll fight in Battlezone. You�ve got to pick your fights with care, hitting vulnerable targets in swift aggressive strikes to avoid taking losses, and you�ve also got to know when to retreat behind your defenses.

This continuing process of fast attack and constant defense gives the battles in Battlezone a constantly evolving and dynamic feel and throughout each of the single-player missions, chances are you�ll learn something new. And when the single-player game is exhausted, Battlezone�s support for up to eight players is certain to extend its life for some time to come. Standard deathmatching is available, as is the full strategic game. While the deathmatch option is a fun no-brainer, most players will gravitate to the chaos and conflict of the multi-player strategy games. This is some of the most intense multi-player action you�ll find as fierce battles erupt for control of sparse scrap fields, friendly pilots get squashed, and defenses are laid to waste. It�s fast, furious, and incredible amounts of fun.

With its raucous multi-player action, flawless presentation, and effortless interface, it�s hard to find much to complain about in Battlezone. If you ever thought that action and strategy was an unholy alliance, sit back and let Battlezone re-write the rule book for you.

Action-Strategy that keeps you coming back for more!!
Battlezone is by far the most fun and entertaining game of all time. It excels in every aspect!

The story is based on the (fictional) discovery of an alien "bio-metal" that has landed on Earth in a meteor showing in the Berring Straight. This bio-metal can be shaped and trasformed into powerful fighting machines. The Americans feel this is the key to controlling space. But they have miscalculated one possibility: the Red Soviets have found the metal too, and the countries are then pitted against each other in a war to end all wars...

As far as gameplay goes, Battlezone brings a new perspective to gaming; the action/strategy combo. While you still control vehicles and resources, you are also a formidable combat unit, capable handling things like enemy attacks and mission objectives all by yourself. The AI for units in this game sadly falls short of spectacular. They have trouble navigating tough terrain and do not take full advantage of their fighting abilities during combat. However, they do make powerful wingmen to have on attacks or for defending targets such as your base.

Battlezone provides endless hours of intense excitement for experienced or novice gamers. It is most assuredly a must-have!

A LOST GEM IN A SEA OF GAMES
This game is truly a Masterpiece of Stategy mixed with a First Person shooter.A lost gem and one worth finding. The ONLY drawbacks were you must keep video and sound card drivers up to date!It had some minor glitches with some drivers I had.I am running Battlezone on an AMD Thunderbird 1.2GHz with 512mb ram and a 3Dfx Voodoo5 video card and it looks AWESOME!! So for a game that is over 2-3 years old it still shines with the BIG boys!! ... Read more

Product Description

Codemasters (40094) TOCA 2/Macre 4 Bundle Xbox ... Read more

Features

• Test yourself against 35 champions, each with their own cars & racing styles
• Experience 50 of the world's toughest tracks, across Europe, Australia and North America
• In Colin McRae you'll driveover 20 vehicles, all designed with exquisite detail -- drive the Mitsubishi EVO 7, Subaru Impreza and Citroen Xsara, alongside classic cars
• In ToCA, players will race in 31 championships covering 15 different motor racing styles
• Give the wildest new racing styles a try -Ice-racing, street races, oval racing, Rallycross, even Super Truck Racing

Features

• The Everquest II/Planetside/Everquest Game Card offers a whole new way to experience the worlds of EQ II and Planetside without using a credit card!
• It's easy to use!
• The Everquest II/Planetside/Everquest Game Card makes a great gift for your favorite player!

Product Description

Battle your way through the strategy card game environment in the classic Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalker. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Duels of the Planeswalkers on Windows2000 and XP.
For those who have stumbled across these older reviews of the game where the incompatibility with Win2K and XP was listed as a downside, note that there is an unofficial patch that was released some time ago that let it run under NT based versions of windows, and slowed the 'shandalar' campaign down to normal levels on modern machines. It also replaces the serial networking option with a TCP/IP LAN/Internet direct connection for multiplayer(so it can still be used online), and has tons of tweaks and bugfixes to the game. Just search for 'Unofficial manalink patch 1.3.2' to find it and once again enjoy this wonderful game.

I never played much of the 'shandalar' campaign style game, but I must say that the actual card game within the engine is a top notch representation of the physical card game, and I really prefer it to the more modern and free options such as Magic Workshop, which to me was more of an interactive Magic-themed shared whiteboard, where anyone can do anything, wether it be an actual legal action or not.

top of my list
I began playing the card game several years ago, and when the PC software came out, I knew I had to have it. I have just about worn mine out playing it over and over again. I would say it is a must have game, but since the online version was released they have shown no interest in upgrading this version. Therefore, if you are running Windows 2000 or XP, or plan to upgrade soon then you are out of luck as far as enjoying this marvelous game. I recently upgraded to XP and now I wish I hadn't. Only the oline version works on a newer OS, but you have to buy electronic cards. This really ..., especially for those of us who started out playing the original game and spent hundreds of dollars on the cards already.

In closing, the game is awesome and if you have Windows 95/98 and plan to stick with that OS for a while then definitely add this to your gaming collection. Windows 2000 & XP users, on the other hand, are just out of luck!

Pick a card...any card--no, not that one!
Magic: The Gathering is a fantasy-themed card game--as I like to joke, the world's most elaborate form of "Go Fish"--which is, of course, more fun to play against a human than a program. But this game turns out to be a lot of fun and a great way to learn the game, which has its share of subtleties and nuances. Although it will take a while, you'll learn the game well enough from the program that you eventually spot the flaws in the computer's playing as well as the numerous bugs in interpreting cards.

Around the solid mechanics of the card game, Microprose built a spare but interesting gaming premise. Your avataar wanders around the mythical land of Shandalar running errands and fighting monsters. (Said fighting occurs, of course, as MtG duels.) What makes it interesting is the tweaks of the MtG rules that occur in Shandalar. In a "straight" duel, which this game allows you to play outside of Shandalar, you and your opponent have exactly 20 life points and the deck of your choice. In Shandalar, you start with a weak deck, fewer life points, and (by doing specific errands) you can build up to 20 points (and somewhat beyond). Other errands allow you to collect cards. Special "dungeons" themed around the game's five magic types allow you to fight certain creatures "in their element" for a chance to collect rare cards. (Not required, but fun.) Some of the creatures of Shandalar have "meta-powers", and can go into a game with certain advantages, like a card already in play. One kind can actually swap your deck for another (decent) deck. You can obtain similar bonuses by defeating these monsters, or through various "world magics" as they're called.

You're in a race against the five wizards of Shandalar, whose job it is to take over X number of cities, at which point they'll have the power to cast the Ultimate Magic Spell. In other words, game over. As they capture more cities, they get stronger. As you defeat their minions, they get weaker. In the final analysis, this game is rife with good ideas and a still too buggy implementation.

To make matters worse, retro-PC-gaming is a difficult and often unrewarding thing. Microsoft has never been much for backward compatibility and you'll have trouble running this on Windows 2000, though it can run on XP with some tweaking, I'm told. It'll run on your Windows 95/98/ME machine, but for a near fatal flaw: It'll run WAY too fast even on a 400mhz machine. (Note the 100mhz Pentium "minimum".) Shandalar, grievously, was made into a "real time" game, and your quests have time-limits. You can use a utility (MoSlo, Throttle, CPUKiller) to slow your entire computer down and make Shandalar go faster--but the kicker is during the duels, your computer opponents will take proportionally longer to decide their moves.

The "real time" aspects of the program were an unfortunate design decision ironically and irritatingly out of pace with the rest of the game. Shandalar could've just as well been set up like a board game.

With all its warts, though, this is a fine game. The real tragedy is that it wasn't maintained and updated. I'm not big on on-line games, and I don't like the MtG Online pricing scheme even if I did, but I'd shell out three Hamiltons yearly for a new version of this game, with new cards, new world "tweaks" and increasingly improved AI. It's a shame we'll never see it.

Finally, the timeline for these games, courtesy GameSpot: The original was released in February of 1997, followed in September of '97 with "Spells of the Ancients", followed at last by this version, "Duels of the Planeswalkers", which has all the new cards, bug fixes, and multiplayer. This is the last version, the version you want if you're going to play it at all.

The new Online, pay-per-pack version is not related to this game, nor is the older 1997 "BattleMage". (The latter only takes place in the MtG world, with no resemblance to the card game, so beware!)

A grand game.. that STILL holds my attention...
"Duel of the Planeswalkers" is a GREAT game.It was released in 1998 AFTER the initial release of "Magic the Gathering" (for PC) and the expansion pack "Spells of the Ancients"."Duel of the Planeswalkers" includes BOTH of the initial releases and also allows you to play online or via LAN.There are even a few "cards" that were designed specifially for playing on the PC... you will never find this in an actual MTG deck, they have random effects assigned by the computer when you play them!

My biggest complaint about MTG the CARD game was that it was impossible to keep up with all the rules... banned cards... and if I use this card with that card in this particular circumstance this will happen... MIND boggling problems.Its true MTG was the "father" of all other card games since 1992, and most are a far cry from MTG... but trying to seriously play and keep up on every expansion set was insane!!THUS MTG Duel of the Planeswalkers was born and is the answer to every "causal" MTG player's Prayers.

My 2 complaints about this game are as follows:
1) On today's 1.5+ Gigahertz machines this game needs to be slowed down if you play the "single player" theme game.Not a problem at all during actual DUELS, but in the "Shandalar" world everything moves WAY too fast. No big deal, just find a CPU reducer utility on the internet.Older machines might not have a problem in the "Shandalar" area, but might bog down in the middle of a duel where over 20 cards are on the "table".The CPU really has to do some massive computing to figure out it's next move....(newer machines DON'T have this problem!)

2) This game hasn't been updated/added on to since 1998... great game... an expansion would be exquisite!

I have yet to take advantage of the online/lan playability... and I wonder if anyone is STILL playing this online... I'm not sure.

It's 2003 and I still find myself going back to this game... fun to play, easy to walk away from when necessary, no long term monatary investment.

If you are a casual player or fan of Magic the Gathering, this game is an excellent purchase.Serious players might find the game slightly old and outdated... but may yet enjoy it.

Keep the gam listed
This is a great game. It is good to have this game listed.I pre-ordered this game back in Oct/Nov.Two weeks ago, someone in CA had an UNOPENED copy of the game to sell thru the Marketplace for 24.95.Since I we listed as a pre-order, the game was automaticly sent to me!It was truly an unopened copy! ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Don't waste your money
This game is BAD BAD BAD, Multiplayer is the worst I have seen ever and after starting the game and quiting I have to reboot my machine cause it screws up my video card.
Don't waste your money on this garbage game like I did.

Really ugly, but unique and good
One thing about first person shooters nowadays is that so many of them seem the same.That's why Vietcong is somewhat refreshing, since it is kind of different.The game really makes a bad first impression on you with its ugly graphics and unorthodox gameplay. Vietcong isn't a stealth game. It's not a pure action game either. The squad-based elements are too simple to call it a tactical shooter. It's unique one its own, and it's very good. Best of all, it feels authentic, and for a war as unique as Vietnam, that's saying a lot.

What this game suceeds at is effectively capturing the elements that made Vietnam different from wars such as World War 2. Engagements take place quickly in tension-filled jungles between your small squad and small groups of four or five VC. A helicopter often brings you into the mission and then picks you up at the end. Occasionally, you can radio a firebase for support and then a few seconds later, hell in the form of artillery shells will come raining down on the area that you specify and obliterate anybody in it. Using artillery is a fun mechanic and it's too bad that it only comes up a few times in the game. Vietcong checkpoint saves your game, but it also gives you a limited amount of quick saves per level. This save system is perfect. It keeps the game suspenseful almost all the time, without making it frustrating. The gameplay also relies on good AI instead of heavy scripting for the firefights, and that's another big plus.

The dialog, sounds, and overall feel of the gameplay give the game a feel that resembles what you read about or what you see in old news tapes. You creep slowly through the terrain, following your point man, and then find some cover when you engage some VC. your enemies, as well as your squadmates, are highly lethal and very effective at using cover. It takes maybe three or four bullets to kill you in this game, which means that you have to advance very slowly and carefully. The hardest part about firefights often isn't shooting the enemy, but just finding where he is hiding. Sometimes, all that you see is a tracer or two, or maybe a muzzle flash along with the sound of bullets whizzing past your head. These cat-and-mouse type firefights usually last less than a minute, but they can be very exciting. I have not played a first person shooter that resembles this, except for maybe Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault.

The only fault that I had with the gameplay was that the game occasionally deviates from the squad-based formula and sticks you in some solo tasks. These tasks frequently involve spelunking through maze-like VC tunnels, fighting one or two enemies at a time in a very boring manner. There is one absolute marathon mission in the game where you explore a seemingly endless maze of VC tunnels. It's not frustrating as much as it is really boring. Hopefully, this wasn't in the expansion pack.

The game's audio is competent without being outstanding. The voice acting is a mixed bag. The main character is pretty weak, but some of your squadmates are good. The radio chatter that you listen to is pretty good. The weapons are kind of average sounding, and none of them sound very powerful. The soundtrack is very good, and does a good job of matching the era.

As I said previously, the graphics for this game are pretty bad. All of the character models are blocky and low-detailed. The same goes for the environments, which are drab and very unconvincing. Instead of the feel that you are fighting through jungles, it feels like you are fighting through valleys full of boxes that have crude leaves painted on them. The environments and objects are all very repetitive, which is expected for a game like this, but it's magnified even more by the fact that it looks so outdated.

Vietcong has a pretty good length to it. It took me just under 15 hours or so to finish it.It has a lot going for it, but the underwhelming presentation is a disappointment.This game isn't going to change your life, but it is something good if you're bored with first person shooters.Check it out and see if you like it.

very good
I enjoyed this game. Some missions were frustrating, but not half as much as some reviewers say-the tunnel missions in particular are not too long.
Some missions like defending the base from attackers are great fun, and while some characters are over the top the game manages to keep you going on for more. It is not too long either, a plus in my book.

Best Vietman game out, right now. IMHO.
No you can't drive a tank or drop napalm on somebody, but Vietman was best remembered as a jungle war. And there's plenty of jungle in Vietcong.

This game is best when played online, with lots of cover, several different kinds of weapons, and many different types of games (DM, TDM, CTF, etc.) and maps. Single play, is challenging, especially on vietnam difficulty (no HUD). Do a search and try out the demo. The demo and retail multiplayer servers are compatible with each other but demo has more restrictions on class and maps.

Best Vietman game out, right now. IMHO.
No you can't drive a tank or drop napalm on somebody, but Vietman was best remembered as a jungle war. And there's plenty of jungle in Vietcong.

This game is best when played online, with lots of cover, several different kinds of weapons, and many different types of games (DM, TDM, CTF, etc.) and maps. Single play, for both, are challenging, especially on vietnam difficulty (no HUD). Do a search and try out the demo. The demo and retail multiplayer servers are compatible with each other but demo has more restrictions on class and maps. ... Read more

Product Description

Rainbow Six: Raven Shield features a brand new Tom Clancy storyline in which Team RAINBOW is led all over the world in a string of dramatic operations. The game utilizes graphics technology provided by the next-generation Unreal engine to power 15 new single-player missions that include the discovery of a cache of biological weapons and stopping an armed gang from terrorizing a London bank. ... Read more

Features

• 30 awesome weapons to use
• Great lighting and combat physics
• For one or more players using online features
• Action combat game set in Tom Clancy's dark world
• 15 levels take players around the world

Reviews (25)

Rainbow Six 3
This game is great, if you like squad based tactics, this is your game. Well worth the money.

different from pc version but still fun
ok I cut my teeth with the PC Rainbow Six back in 1999. In the pc version, you have a lot of freedom to choose your team, where they will enter and exit, what they will do once there etc. Naturally this means a lot of pre-planning before you actually start the mission. The PS 2 version of things is definitely geared more towards action and less towards planning and stealth. That's not necessarily bad, but if you are a fan of the PC version of Rogue Spear or Raven Shield, please understand that this game is lot more like Soldier of Fortune - a very linear shooter with the emphasis on action. R6 vets will recognize a lot of the maps - most of them are modified versions of the maps found in Raven Shield.

Still I enjoyed this game. In this game you can do a few things which you can't do (or do easily) in the pc version. For example, using zulu go codes, you can leave your team while you go and do something else. This is especially fun if you want to set up an attack from more than one side of a room. Unfortunately, since the game is very linear and you don't have a map, you don't get to do this a whole lot, and usually you can tell when the map wants you to do it that way (two doors side by side). And since you don't plan stuff out in advance, you can simply back up and retreat if things go wrong. You character can take up to 4 shots in the game - the PC R6 is one shot, one kill unless the enemy is very far away.

It's fun to drop this in for some old school shooter action with realistic weapons and maps. Just don't expect the same experience as the PC version.

Great game, very challenging.
This is a good game for anyone that wants a tough challenge. They have Split Screen Missions, Campaign Missions and Online Play. They Campaign Missions are great. I have had the game for a while now and I am still not even half way done. The Missions aren't too easy which is the best part. Awesome game!

One fun ride...
This is a great first-person shooter from Tom Clancy. The gameplay is fluid and pretty realistic. The squad control is great with stategy being equally important as marksmanship. Highly recommended.

A good 'ol RB6 time
If you haven't played the earlier Rainbow Six series, here's a brief rundown: you play as a squad commander, outfit your team of counter terrorist specialists with the proper equipment for the mission (for the record: it doesn't matter one bit which guns you pick), then sneak around buildings/jungles/houses/boats, etc. obliterating a bunch of bad guys. Yeah, super original, but the emphasis is definitely on the word "sneak"-if you go in guns blazing the ornery terrorists will quickly dispatch the weak-ass hostages, causing your mission to fail and you to fling your controller against the couch in disgust. By coordinating your movements with your crack team of operatives (they all have different accents, and it's sometimes fun to blast the French guy in the face just because), you'll be able to simultaneously kick in a door on one side of the room while tossing flash-bangs in from another door; then you can simply go about your business, shooting terrorists in the chest while ducking and taking cover. The graphics are nicely rendered, the AI is pretty smart, and it's tons of fun to peek around a corner and rat-a-tat some fool in the neck who doesn't even know you're there, which really reminds me a lot of my regular life. ... Read more

Features

• Choose from 25 different weapons, from M-16s and grenade launchers to sniper rifles
• Order air strikes, ambush enemy patrols and leads your fighting force through dangerous territories
• With the Fist Alpha mission pack, you'll penetrate further into Vietnamese jungle in the late 60s. Seek out & destroy the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army in seven new single player missions.
• Vietcong drags you into the savage unpredictability of jungle warfare. Stalk through dense, steaming jungles as you lead an A-Team while hunting the deadly Vietcong!
• Lead as many as six specialists through 20 dramatic missions that capture the shocks and dangers of jungle combat

Reviews (4)

Platoons
As other first-person shooters, Purple Haze transports players into a violent, simulated world filled with deadly weapons and intense combat. Players can compete in 19 missions or a quick match with goals to kills as many VC as possible.

Though not presenting the best war experience around, Purple Haze's two game types also lack some variation. The AI is competent and can hold its own against an expert player, but once you get used to the control it becomes easy to search and destroy.

When it originally debuted for Windows it focused on one plot line that so dominated the game that other story lines simply didn't matter. Purple Haze revolves around fallout and destruction of the Vietnam War revolving around the dense jungles and deadly and often invisible VC. The game gives political junkies all of the background of the 60's and leading up to these missions as well as three fully licensed original songs from that time. Unfortunately, because the game focused so much attention on graphics, load times seemed long by comparison. As result, you get a realistic simulation of war and entertainment.

Not as bad as everyone says it is
The game isn't terrible. But I am not claiming it is that good either. THe graphics aren't bad, but the aiming scheme and the controls take a long time to get used to. The game play is a little slow. But as everyone already has stated, the worst part is the darn loading times. Those are atrocious. It takes about 4 minutes to load, then you okay the load, and then it takes another 4 minutes to load up the level. If you make a stupid move and die, you gotta wait another 8 minutes to play again. That is what truly stinks abou this game. I hit a hard level, and had to put Madden 2005 back in because I was bored sitting around waiting more than I was actually playing. The music is stupid too because they obviously didn't want to pay for royalties to use the authentic music, so instead you get fake versions of Little Wing by Hendrix, and a few other tunes that are generic rip off's of hits from those times. I wish I had bought ShellShock, however even the reviews for that game stink too. Oh well, for $36 its not worth it but if you can get it for $14 - $20, I say it might be worth it.

Pass on this WarGame
I've played a lot of WarGames from WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Gulf War, but this by & large is the worst outta any war game. This game just pitful, the load times are a joke. It takes forever to just to load one mission & if you die in that mission, guess what? It takes even longer to reload the mission again, unlike other games where as when the level starts and if you die it'll just automatically re-load in seconds, like Shellshock Nam '67 for instince, not this game. VietCong Purple Haze, yea I can tell the developers of this game were a Purple Haze when they were making this game listening to Hendrix on the sound system smokin' a bong. If you all want to try this game, be my guest, but you'll agree when you're done playing how big of a waste it was of your time & money. I'm grateful I only rented it, and if you got half a brain you won't even think about owning this game. Avoid, seriously avoid VietCong: Purple Haze.

Buy Shellshock instead
I have always been a huge fan of Vietnam War movies and an even bigger fan of war-themed video games.So I was pretty pumped when I saw that there was going to be a first person shooter for my PS2 called "Vietcong."Unfortunately I was pretty dissappointed when I played it.To put it simply, this was one of the worst games EVER.The graphics look like a PSOne game, and the sound is worse than an old Sega Genesis game.I don't have a good PC, so I have never been up to date on PC games, but I get the feeling that Vietcong was simply ported to the PS2 from a five year old PC game.This game was an absolute waste of money.If you are looking for a quality Vietnam War game, don't buy this one.I highly recommend "Shellshock: 'Nam '67," it was amazing. ... Read more

Features

• The Complete Ultima Online Includes all five expansion packs. This is your chance to experience the richest, deepest online world ever created and the only one with customized housing.
• Rare and Powerful In-Game Gifts Receive one of seven rare anniversary gifts, each an in-game item offering an exclusive power for the lucky recipient.
• Seven Buddy Registration Codes -- Bring in seven friends to adventure with or open seven new accounts to expand your power.
• Each new account gets the first 30 days free!
• New Character Slot -- Add a new character and skill set to your UO family. Try out a new profession without having to delete one of your existing characters.

Reviews (12)

Junk. Used to be good, but now sheer junk.
Due to wreckless game masters and constant customer abuse, I am closing my account with this game. STAY AWAY! Unspoken policies are abundant, and exist everywhere, making avoiding a ban like running from the gestapo!!!

The game used to have a wonderful gameplay system, the patches are wrecking it into oblivion. Less new players are coming in, and more players are leaving. I suggest you all stay away from this title.

iF yOu TyPe LiKe ThI5 YoU'll Love the GR8 game
I played UO for several years - it was the ONLY game I played for a long time.

Back in the day this was a great on-line universe. True interaction with people all over the world. Trade, fight, explore - you could do it all.

Then came the kids. With the explosion in on-line chat that happened as the internet became 'cool' the on-line universe suffered.

Brit Bank - familiar to you if you've ventured into UO before, became the on-line equivalent of the Mall. Kids standing around talking trash.

The RPG feature inevitably suffered. Instead of seeing characters with medieval type names or the attitude of RPG you meet players called 'Britney Spears' or 'K1llEr DuDe'.

EA tried to stem the loss of customers by adding features, but all this did was make the game more attractive to the 'dudes'.

I'm sure EA doesn't care so long as the montly subs keep rolling in, but they lost a lot of the original fan base.

Great FUN!
This game is for any that love to keep their own pace and just play a game!Variety of things to do and many people to play with

Oh Dear EA.
Another blatant money-spinner from the laziest fat cats on the market. Not content with releasing half-copped, bugged up games without full testing in an entire range of Sports Simulators, EA launch another sucker punch to the pockets of the gullables of the gaming world. One of the most pointless anniversary celebrations from the Ultima Online team yet. The novelty of an extra character slot being a mild appeal to the more commited, it's hardly worth the coinage.

Having said all of this, the package does have a saving grace - for the new Ultima Online user, it's an orgasm in a box. Gifting the new player with a wonderous item to bless their bank box, the sale value for these artefacts will soon be through the roof and will happily aid the "Newbies" in-game financial situation. That and the useful addition of the add-ons and the extra character slot make it well worth it's subscription.

Ultima Online may be a dying game, but it's dying slowly and gracefully - still imenseley huge, it's mighty client-base has shattered the expectations of new MMORPG produces who seem to realise that their intended audience just aren't shifting from the strong back of this mighty dinosaur. Out-dated? Hell no! With the best working system in the current market, Ultima Online is still the strongest MORG out and offers wonderful gameplay for all. It's a roleplayer's paradise, and for those with an imagination Europa's Crossroads of Yew and CoRE are just two examples of good communities that vastly compliament the game. Moreover, it's cutely charming 2D graphics may be old, but they're still fairly pretty in their own way, putting to shame the 3D servers of more modern games. Though I wouldn't touch UO's 3D client with a nine-foot-pole.

So the conclusion? Two stars. A pittiful money-spinner from the marxist's nightmarish Bogey-Man, but a great starting point for a new user on one of the internet's best MMORPG's.

Ultimate Gaming!
Ultima Online's 7th anniversary edition proves to be great for new and old players. UO has been a staple in the online community now for seven years and for good reason. It is a nearly perfect game and survives on that fact alone.
New players will find a new world at their finger tips full of never ending adventure. Old players will find awesome in-game rares and an extra character slot that was well needed. Not to mention it also contains every expansion thats ever been released,which makes a nice collection I might add. I have played almost everything on the market and I still come back to Ultima again and again. This is an unconquerable game that never seems to get old. What it lacks in graphics, it most certainly makes up for with its massive content and community. Whether its challenging an ancient dragon or taking on a band of murderous theives this game should challenge any curious gamer. Enjoy! ... Read more