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

Amazon.com Review

In a land overrun with monsters and villains, the mighty wizard Asheronhas sent out a call to the bravest warriors and spell casters to return to the land of Dereth via magic portals. You and thousands of other Internet-connectedplayers assume the challenge given these adventurers in Asheron's Call.

Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty kicks off the next chapter in the ongoingAsheron's Call story line by introducing the island of Marae Lassel, asprawling new landmass that contains new quests, dungeons, and treasures, andwill be accessible to all levels of players who purchase Dark Majesty.

Dark Majesty also delivers housing and secure storage, two of thefeatures most requested by players. Players will be able to purchase uniquehomes on designated plots of land, as well as use their residences for securestorage purposes. Homeowners can also customize decorations and house access.

This expansion pack is not required; players who purchased the originalAsheron's Call game will be able to continue to explore the land ofDereth. However, players will not be able to own or enter houses, travel toMarae Lassel, or use many of the new items from Marae Lassel unless they own theexpansion.

In addition to new lands, new monsters, housing, and storage, DarkMajesty includes the complete Asheron's Call game and one free monthof play. Both new players and players with existing accounts benefit from thefree month, after which the normal monthly fee of $9.95 applies. --Mike Fehlauer ... Read more

Reviews (83)

Sweet
This game rocks vary hard if u ever get it look up plache and or get'r done and i will be willing to help anybody out

The Absolute Best Game
This game is very addicting.It is a lot of fun, because there are tons of people to interact with.There are some rather rude people, but overall most of them are nice.Quests are fun with groups, but mainly I like to just hunt solo or with a friend or two.I highly recomend this game.

Best MMORPG ever made.
Screw EQ, this game is where it's at. I have been playing AC1 for around 4 years, had three accounts, countless vassals, and made great friends.

The gameplay is smooth because the graphics are just complex enough not to slow things down too much. There are always people on playing, huge guilds, people to hunt with, fellowships, great loot, great economic system, towns packed with people and countless quests. With monthly updates and patches, and a new expansion coming soon with a whole new server and an extra character slot per server per account, its definitely worth the monthly charge. I have tried EQ and DAoC, and went right back to AC1 after my trial was up... it's just that good.

Buy this game! (Just NOT USED, because once the subscription coupon is used, you cant get an account with the disk) and look me up on the Morningthaw server: Alani al'Aqbar.

Confused
I've confused. I'm not reviewing the game, I'm asking a question that I think some new buyers of this game would also like to ask. One of the people who reviewed this game noted that there was a $9.95 monthly cost for playing this game after the first month which you get free. So what you are saying is, thats $120 a year, plus the cost of the game??? I don't understand...I thought you could buy and play. Mind clearing this up for all of us? Thanks.

Great Fun!
I bought this game 4/11/02 and have had nothing but fun! Very social! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

WarCraft II isn't exactly the freshest real-time strategygame on the market, but that doesn't mean it's any less fun than it usedto be. For those of you who missed it the first time around, WarCraftII is set in a fantasy realm where knights hack at trolls withswords, deadly spells crisscross the battlefield, and powerfulfortresses dot the landscape. The game pits the evil orcs against thehumans, letting players choose whichever side they want in a series ofbattles over the world.With the WarCraft II: Battle Chest, players can experience themagic of the original game along with the added enhancements of theBeyond the Dark Portal expansion pack. Rounding out the BattleChest is a complete strategy guide that will walk beginners throughthe basics and provide more experienced players with advanced tactics sothey can master the game. That's good, because players will need all thehelp they can get challenging other WarCraft II fans online. It'spossible to challenge one to eight other players on the developer's freeBattle.net servers, while more solitary gamers can immerse themselves inone of the fun single-player campaigns or stand-alone missions.WarCraft II's finely balanced gameplay has lost none of itscharm, even if the graphics are aging. In most missions you start with asmall force and must gather enough resources to build a strong base ofoperations that can field a formidable army. We had the most fun withthe set-piece battles, where we had to shepherd a few beleaguered troopsacross an enemy-infested map to either link up with a larger force onthe other side or protect a hero on his way to some goal. Blizzard isfamous for delivering games with terrific production values, timelessgameplay, and lots of extras, and the WarCraft II: Battle Chest isan inexpensive reminder of why the company has such a terrificreputation. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• A true classic with timeless gameplay
• Multiplayer mode is a lot of fun
• Plenty of campaigns and scenarios to satisfy the single-player set

• Graphics are showing their age

Features

• Support for Win95/98/NT and Macintosh
• Multi-player support for as many as 8 players via Battle.Net or IPX network
• Battle.net. play features Unique User IDs and a ranking system for worldwide challenge ladders
• Play as both Human and Orc in over 70 explosive missions across 4 epic campaigns
• Over 100 Blizzard signed and approved maps, newly built or redesigned and specifically balanced for multi-player games.

Reviews (68)

One of my all time favorite RTS games ever
Although Warcraft 3 and its expansion have come out within the last few years, I still prefer Warcraft 2 a bit more. Yes the game looks kinda dated now, but it is still a blast to play. The game was fun in that it never got too complicated or anything so that newcomers could always have a good time. The map editor was easy to use and the online play in the Battle.net edition will keep you busy for a while. Anyways, if you've only played Warcraft 3 then it might be difficult for you to enjoy this game since it is so old, but if your willing to look past the graphics then you'll find a real gem.

Oops
Great game.It looks like amazon actually posted a screenshot of warcraft I: Orcs and Humans, instead of a picture from this game.

Aging but still good
This game has definitely been around for awhile, but there's a reason it's still played.It's fun!The interface is easy to use, and the 'tech tree' aspect is fairly simple so that even people who haven't played other rts games should have to trouble learning it.

There are a couple of downsides to this game, though in my opinion they aren't much of an issue.One is of course that the graphics are definitely aging and nothing spectacular.It's nice to be able to quickly recognize your units so that you can make the best use of them (high detail can get in the way of that) but don't expect the graphics to wow you.Also, this game runs on a 2D engine, rather than the 3D engine that more recent games are using.

Secondly is that I wasn't incredibly impressed by the campaigns.They tend to get a little repetitive, so most of the time I find myself just playing a custom game.

Another similar game I might recommend instead of this one would be Starcraft.The graphics are slightly better, and the game is just as interesting.Then of course there is Warcraft III out now, which has a 3D engine and a couple of additional races besides human and orc.Aside from the things I mentioned, this game really is very good.I've been playing it for years and haven't gotten tired of it yet!

Best Game Ever- period!
Warcraft2 is an awesome game that has been around a lomg time...a classic. While some say that its graphics are aging, I love the undetailed, squat Orcs, among other things. Welcme to the World of Warcraft!!!

RTS legend.
This game is the first RTS game that I have played along with Starcraft and Lords of the Realm 2. But Lords of the Realm 2 (Starcraft is a whole diffrent stoty) didn't have what Warcraft had. The easy to get used to gameplay with great graphics in terms of running smooth, the very low system requirement, and the satisfaction of the Battle.net. I have not played this game since 2000 (Because my dad broke my CD. Read my Starcraft Battle Chest review.) so I don't know if anyone plays online now but all I know is that I had the most fun playing this game back in 2000. I remember the satisfaction that I had with my friends after beating the opponent with my ogres and the dragons. This game ran fine when I used to have Intel Celeron 400MHZ, 64mb ram, and 56k modem. So if you get this game right now, you shouldn't have any technical problems. Also this game is very easy to get used to with easy gameplay and great graphics for an outdated game. This game is definitly a must have if you are a RTS fan. You should know that Warcraft started it all. It started the great RTS gaming genre. ... Read more

Features

• Advanced 3d engine
• Tropical Map Editor
• Solo or Multiplayer Modes
• Meticulous Attention to Detail

Reviews (6)

I played it twice, then got board
I bought this game because I loved virtual skipper 1.I have not taken anywhere near the enjoyment out of this game.I have a fast computer with a gig of ram and still have performance issues with the graphics.

The thing that makes me the angriest about this game is the disk copy protection.It starts up and goes into a disk protection check.This security feature means it takes the game 5 min+ to start up.By the time that it finally starts up I have normally found something more interesting to do with my time.

Finally, I question the rules they use and the very little feedback I have gotten from penalties.I have been involved in collisions when the starboard tack boat has gotten a penalty.I don't know what is up with that.

Anyhow, I don't play this game much.I still do play virtual skipper 1.I hope this helps someone else not to feel ripped off.

Graphics are misleading, simulation is so so
This wasn't as great as the reviews lead you to believe. The games graphics bog down my 2.8Ghz processor with 512Mb, so I have to run it on low graphics settings to get a smooth game. I have played virtual sailor 2 for over a year now and it is better.

I think that this software has potentials, but wait until they clean up the main menu. Download the demo and you'll see what I mean.

Until then just stick with virtual sailor 2.
Version 3 is no big upgrade.

Even if the Demo Works on your system the program may not
Ignore the stated requirements.Ignore the fact that the demo runs fine on your computer.The program will not run if you have and intel chipset on the VC or MB.That's the story from Enlight tech support.So save your money and buy Virtual Sailor on line.

Satisfy your sailing jones year round
There is absolutely no reason for anyone that loves sailing and has a computer not to own this game. Awesome is an understatement. 4 different boats and they all have completely different sailing characteristics. The simulation of the water and waves is phenomenal. As you pick up speed, the wake gets longer. As you go up a roller, the boat slows down, down the other side and you speed up. Winds shift, current, storms it is all there. The night I downloaded the free demo I was up until 2:00 AM sailing against the machine.

When you reach the windward mark and want to raise the chute, make sure you give the crew enough time to do what needs to be done before they raise it. Similarly, at the leeward mark, if you don't call for the chute drop early enough, you won't round the mark. Sail in an opponent's lee and you will get gassed. Pinch a little, you loose a little speed, pinch a lot and you will stop.

The best part is that you can do it on the internet or on a LAN. A good friend and racing bud has a wireless network in his house. Three of us on lap tops drank beer and sailed in front of the fire yelling "STARBOARD!!!!!" All we needed was someone to throw buckets of salt water on us.

Yes the computer simulation has its faults but they are laughable. If an IACC boat hits a rock, there is a thunk and the boat stops. If the IACC boat hits one of the inflatable marks.... Same thunk and the boat stops. Sail right up to the sandy beach and you don't hit bottom with the 12 foot keel, the hull hits the sand with the same thunk and stops.

There is also a little room for improvement. The camera keys are F1 through F8 and raising headsails is 1 through 4 with 4 being the spinnaker. When you are sailing upwind, and you want to see an alternate angle, make sure you hit f4 and not 4. If you hit 4, you are raising the spinnaker and there is no cancellation or abort key. After the spinnaker, or should I say "drag chute" is up, you then hit 2 to raise the Genoa and drop the chute. Remember earlier I said you had to wait for everyone to do what they need to do, as in real life, this seems to take forever.

My wife bought this for me for Christmas and now has realized that she will be a Wednesday Night Racing widow in the winter too.

Dennis Doherty
A drinker with a sailing habit

For a land lubber and skipper alike!
I am new to the world of sailing having played games such as Sea Dogs, Pirates of the Carib. ect. that really lack the reality of really being on the open sea and focus more on combat which is slow, boring and bad for the most part but when I tried the DEMO out of this game I couldn't believe the detail and the graphics to boot!

First of all the graphics rival those of Far Cry and DOOM 3. Excellent!

The water looks real and the waves splash against your sail boat as if you are really there. You can almost feel the wind as it swings your sail back and forth!

Next, unlike PC Gamers review on this game it's not that hard to learn, really! I figured it out in about ten or so minutes and I'm pretty dense when it comes to PC games.

Al you have to do is figure out what task you want your crew of AI to do and they will get the job done. Focus on the navigational meter on the bottom because that help a great deal with direction and steering your boat to the finnish line correctly. Choosing the sail is a little harder especially if you are not learner with sailing but by experimenting with this in a few mintues you'll have it down.

PC Gamer said because of lack of a trainer the game really lacks but I think you would have to be pretty dense not to accomplish this by yourself. Sorry PC Gamer I think this game is awsome! ... Read more

Product Description

You are Sam Fisher, the NSA's most elite black-ops agent. To achieve your mission you will kill from close-range, attack with your combat knife, shoot with the prototype Land Warrior rifle, and use radical suppression techniques such as the inverted neck break.Also take on cooperative multiplayer infiltration missions, where teamwork is the ultimate weapon.As the enemy evolves, so must you.The year is 2008. Information Warfare has evolved into the most dangerous threat to global stab ... Read more

Features

• To achieve your mission you'll kill from close-range with your combat knife, shoot with a high-tech rifle, and use radical suppression techniques like the inverted neck break
• Intelligent enemies making your mission more risky as you have to get much, much closer to them
• Completely replayable -- Totally open level design with multi-paths and Optional secondary objectives
• Strive for ultimate stealth and rank yourself with the all new post-mission statistics and scoring system
• Extend the game with intense content you can download

Features

• Multiplayer and online gameplay with brand-new multiplayer modes
• Sequel to the gripping tactical combat game
• Cripple a North Korean threat to keep a conflict between Russia and China from going nuclear
• Utilize the most high-tech, advanced weapons and gadgets to defeat smart, deadly enemies
• Over-the-shoulder camera view allows players to see their characters and weapons; communicate with teammates via hand signals to silently trap enemies

Reviews (1)

Some Key Changes.
I have read that the first-person control of Ghost Recon 1 has been changed drastically for the sequel. Also, the in-game command and control features of GR1 have been removed all together. So basically, it seems that UBISoft is catering to console gamers who play mainly run and shoot third-person garbage. Hopefully when the PC version is released it will have a few more of the old features than the current console release. If so, it will probably be just as good or better than its predecessor. ... Read more

Features

• Note: this online game charges a monthly fee and requires an Internet connection
• Expansion for the massively multiplayer online role playing game, EverQuest
• 100 new Alternate Advancement abilities with new and unique skills to master
• 20 new zones, 10 new instanced zones, and 10 new traditional zones including a huge ship city zone
• New Berserker class empowers you to ravage your enemies with two-handed axes or by hurling large objects

Reviews (12)

Dont waste your money
You need to be level 65 and in a high end raiding guild to do anything in this expansion. It is very buggy. Do not waste your time and money.

buggy and rushed
its new, its buggy, and it feels undeveloped. The new berserker class added in this expansion has features that are obviously broken. trade skill items are there, but of little use to anyone able to explore the content.

Tradeskill interface
Keep in mind the new tradeskill interface was NOT included only with the Gates of Discord expansion; the new interface was made available to everyone.

I didn't buy the GoD expansion and I am happy that I didn't.Most of what I've heard from friends and guildies is that the expansion just wasn't worth it.Nerfing the vendor buy price on fish along with SOE's massive tribute point reduction that was made *after* everyone turned in a good amount of plat and items was just low.

I've read that SOE is working on fixing some of the content so that casual players can begin to get more from this expansion instead of just ONE hunting zone.Until they do that or once it shows up in the $9.99 bargain bins I would suggest not buying this expansion.

Pretty Cool
its a pretty cool game because you get the berserker and stuff and it has a really cool dock place.... soo umm.... u should get it oh yah and leadership points R cool!

GoD is mainly targetted at uber players
I've been playing EverQuest since the very beginning.Over the years I've picked up the various expansions as they came out.Gates of Discord is the first one to make me seriously consider asking for my money back.Most of the content is aimed at uber players with 65th level characters that have tons of AA points.If thats not you then there are exactly four things in this expansion that will be of interest to you.

1) The new berserker class.I've toyed around with one of these and found it to be a fun addition to the melee classes.Not sure its worth the price of the expansion though.

2) New tradeskill interface.They've come up with a new and vastly improved tradeskill interface for this expansion.It allows you to look up most common tradeskill items, see if you have the necessary components to make them, and turn them out with a couple of clicks of your mouse button.With the old interface it would take me 6 mouse clicks to make Celestial Essence, an item needed in large quantities for high end tradeskills.With the new interface it only takes me 2 clicks.Its great if you're into tradeskills.If you're aren't into tradeskills, the new interface isn't worth it.

3) Leadership Points.You earn these by leading groups.They do take away from regular experience though its a small set amount and only when you're actually leading a group.They allow you to do things like place visible markers on NPCs so that your group knows who to concentrate on in a fight.If you lead a lot of groups, they might be worth it.If you don't lead a lot of groups, you'll have no use for them.

4) Tribute System.The gods of Norrath are unhappy with their creations.As they become less responsive to their followers, people have looked for alternatives.This is the tribute system.The way the system works, you go to your home town and donate items or money to the tribute master in exchange for which you recieve tribute points.You can then expend tribute points to have the local mages send you power wherever you are to temporarily boost various stats, resists, haste, etc.Note that you can only turn them on in your home town and once active they burn tribute points at regular intervals until you either turn the power off or run out of tribute points.If you turn the power off you have to go back to your home town to turn it back on.Interesting concept but it leaves a lot to be desired.Basically its a thinly veiled system for removing money and items from the game and, in my opinion, not worth the price of the expansion.

The new AA abilities added with the expansion also deserve some mention.There are a couple that are available in the 50s but for the most part you'll have to be 61+ to take advantage of them.

If you're an uber player or a tradeskiller I'd say the expansion is worth it.If you lead a lot of parties or you want to play a berserker, you might get your money's worth out of it.For everyone else I suggest you give GoD a pass. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Close Combat: Invasion Normandy is the fifth game in the highly acclaimed Close Combat series. Play as the Allies or the Germans in the World War II's most dramatic battle. Sneak attacks, stalwart defenders, spies, and saboteurs are among the surprises available to both sides. The improved campaign system allows movement of multiple battle groups on a scrolling strategic map of the Cotentin peninsula. An all-new battle-group screen allows you to not only customize your own battle groups but your enemy's as well. The option to play with historical conditions extends even to the weather and its effects on air and naval support availability. Track the progress of your men from battle to battle, as they improve their combat skills and earn medals. With dynamic map tracking, the shell holes, trenches, and vehicle wrecks you create today will be there tomorrow. Tactical successes and failures will have a direct impact on strategic play with extended continuity from battle to battle. Create your own battles, operations, and campaigns with the scenario editor. Review the action in-depth on the improved battle debriefing and soldier screens. Play head-to-head via TCP, UDP, serial connection, modem, or the Internet, with free matchmaking services. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Not For Action, But For Strategy
This is a game that you will probably find yourself playing many, many times, depending on whether or not your intentions for purchasing the game are for action or strategy.
Historically, I felt it did a great job of duplicating the scenarios of the real invasion of Normandy.Hedgerows were a major nuisance for the Allied forces and it was that way in Close Combat 5, as well.It makes it hard to put the tanks into some sort of effective use, without the help of supporting infantry.Sometimes the amount of troops allowed to fight in a battle were actually too large to be historically accurate, when considering the scattered drops of the U.S. airborne, and that made offensive moves in this game too easy, but it really didn't take away much from the game.In all honesty, it wouldn't have been much fun to lead an attack with only a group of men the size of a few squads.
Strangely enough, an entire division is lost if it's involved force, in a battle, loses every man.Although not the entire division participates in the battle, the entire division will no longer exist, as if the rest of it is disbanded.
Overall, the game was much fun for me.I was interested in learning more about Operation Overlord, and the involvement of the U.S. in World War 2, and found this game to be very helpful, although I could still tell which historical aspects were true, and which were inaccuracies due to the game itself.
I read a review that described that, in the beach landings, there weren't enough bullets whizzing in the air and that it basically seemed too tame.But this game focuses on Utah Beach, not Omaha.Utah WAS much tamer, and had much fewer casualties, so don't expect a slaughter.Besides that, the "Atlantic Wall" that the reviewer talked about being climbed was not the Atlantic Wall, but a simple sea wall.This game is much more realistic than you may have been led to believe.And, yes, sometimes the aim of the soldiers was horrible and humorous at the same time, but the cons are outweighed by the pros.Strategy is definitely the way to go in this game.Don't expect to win battles by charging the enemy head on.

close combat : normandy
I think that C.C.I.N is great unlike C.C. 1 & 2 This one has better graphics,experiance and fun! i would say anyone who liked C.C. the russian front would like this A+++++ 5 star class!

Ironically, the name shows where the game fails most.
I loved the series when it debuted - primitive, yeah, but fun nonetheless. CC2 moved the series a step in the right direction - music to the ears of fans of the genre. Fast forward to Invasion Normandy, and it's honestly hard to see what's worth playing anymore.

Gameplay: terrible. For a series which prides itself heavily on AI, this game has little, if none. Units will often hold their fire, even if an inferior enemy unit is cleary charging right at them. Line-of-sight problems plague the entire game, with areas of identical elevation and free of obstacles sometimes being impossible to fire at - it's sometimes even impossible to fire at an elevated position, which is otherwise visible.

Another thing - unit worth and accuracy. Units such as snipers, mortar teams, etc. are basically useless. You would think a sniper could easily pick off a stationary target, not hidden behind cover, at a distance of 50 metres - not so. Mortars seem to land in random locations, and, even if it graphically appears as though it would have taken out a whole squad, they're left miraculously unharmed. There are many instances where I will have an enemy scout unit surrounded by an entire platoon, and, although the maximum distance will be 30 metres, the enemy will be on an area of no cover (i.e. middle of the road), the nearly one hundred bullets per second raining down on them will fail to hit - and this pathetic little squad will STILL manage to take out enemies while under massive suppression. Not only that, but AT squads are nearly useless as well, since they have a tendency to miss 99% of the time, and the 1% where the round would hit, it will instead land on the other side of the tank - which is physically impossible, since in reality, rockets go in straight lines, and this isn't duplicated properly. The tedious 20-metre engagements between whole platoons for 10 minutes is so ridiculous, I feel like I'm fighting on a battlefield full of Gomer Pyles.

Still, passing the game is incredibly simple, ... and, somehow, inferior German forces. I found it hilarious in the invasion scenarios that there wasn't even any gunfire raining down on the beach, and that the Atlantic Wall could easily be climbed by the average person - STRAIGHT OUT CLIMBED.

I'm getting pissed off at this game just thinking about it. The last thing I need is to play a game where everyone's aim is about as good as an extra in a Schwartzenegger movie...

Storm The Beach!
I have always been a close combat fan since the series came out. The game is fun overall, but can get dragging at times. I do like how the game is focused more on the infantry, rahter than heavy armor. Sounds are great, graphics are great, game play is great, but my only complaint is that there is no zoom in button. I know other CC games had them and I don't know why this one shouldn't have one. But that is ok. The planning feature of the game is intersting too. You are in control of what forces you are sending in as back up. The game is fun, especially if you are a hard core CC fan. There isn't much of a huge improvement over any of the other CC games, but like I said it is still fun to play. I hope they come out with more theaters of combat in future installments.

Invasion Normandy returns to Close Combat's roots
Close Combat: Invasion Normandy is probably the best recent title in the Close Combat series.It returns to Normandy, the battle ground for the first CC title.You are commanding either the US divsions invading at Utah Beach or the Germans trying to stop them.No Tommies in this one!Personally, I would have liked to have been able to control British troops as well.Invasion Normandy puts the emphasis back on infantry and returns the armor to its support role.For those of you who thought that The Russian Front had way too much armor in it, then you will be happy to know that in Invasion Normandy most of the missions have no more than two armored vehicles to each side.Of course at times there are more, but for the most part this is an infantry strategy game.In some of the battles between the airborne divisions there isn't any armor at all!

Game play is still pretty much same as compared to previous CC titles.During campaigns, you can now control your different battalions movements on the overall strategic map.This lets you move your battalions forward to take a new section of the Cotentin Peninsula and assign your mortar barrages, naval bombardments, and air strikes to battalions that you think will need them the most.It adds another dimension to the game and makes you think a little more. And sit back and enjoy the show when your naval bombardment comes from the 13in guns on a battle ship!!!

The graphics have been improved slightly since The Russian Front.I haven't played Battle of the Bulge, so I don't know how the graphics compare there.The AI is still...well the usual CC AI.The infantry AI has never been that all that bad.The armor AI has improved some in this game, but you still end up wondering, as you watch tank after tank get destroyed by some stupid blunder, if maybe the tank commanders aren't really Nazis at heart!

There are a few minor bugs in the program, but nothing catastrophic that I have seen. All in all this is a well rounded, real time strategy game, that is historically accurate and a whole lot of fun to play.This game ranks right up there with Age of Empires II as one of my favorite strategy games.It is definitely one of if not the best WWII strategy game out there right now.SSI made a smart move in aquiring the rights to the series as it fits right into the genre of games they produce. ... 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

Reviews (1)

Europa 1400 Gold - Much Better
I played the original Europa 1400 "The Guild" which was a bit buggy, and really wasn't fun to play because of the game crashing every 10 minutes or so.I've been playing Gold for awhile now, and it seems to be a little less buggy.It actually runs pretty good for me, online play still doesn't work worth a crap, but people say playing it on lan works O.K.I'm not sure because I haven't beenable to test it myself.With gold there are plenty of new items that will help you politicaly and revenge, or for your own well being.Also new professions, like the Traveling Entertainer, Tailor, and Graveyard Keeper.Which bring in good money from the start, especailly Graveyard Keeper and Traveling Entertainers. New building types, like the Magnificant palace with cannon tower, so on.Where you can make wizards potions that you can't sell, but come in handy.I'd say it's worth every penny.It's the best game to play when you have nothing to do basically, sit back kidnap some people, rob people, whatever. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Giant walking tanks return to the battlefield in this award-winning real-time strategy masterpiece. MechCommander Gold lets you take command of up to 12 MechWarriors in the heat of battle. Issue real-time tactical commands as you designate the target, attack range, and movement orders. With new controls and difficulty settings, MechCommander Gold will let you know what it means to command. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Hasbeen strikes again!
They really should've stayed with board games.Their programmers all got straight A's (in retentive).

The hardest game you'll ever love
Oh, how I love this game, one of the most underrated RTS games I've played. Underrated because the original version of the game had major problems, and because the second game in the series seals the series' doom (it isn't very good).

I haven't played the original MechCommander (non-Gold) game. Apparently, complaints were aimed mostly at the interface and the fact that it was too hard, and there were no artillery strikes. As artillery strikes are my favorite single aspect of the game, I would recommend that you avoid the original and only get MechCommander Gold, but be warned: This is a hard game! Winnable, but hard. One reason is that there is no in-game saveability. Like the original Rainbow Six game, you play through from one scenario to the next with no way to save mid-game. However, there are some strategic tools you can use that most games don't afford. One is pausing the game. You can view different parts of the map, issue commands to 'Mechs and even send artillery strikes, all while the game is paused. You'll need to use this. Another strategic ace is the refit truck. If you have a refit truck available and it's a hard level, you'll do fine. The ability to restore damaged 'Mechs in-game with a refit truck is as close to cheating as you can get.

Some of the highpoints of the game:
Strategy. There is actual thought and timing required to win, whether it's scouting with a light, jump-able 'Mech with long range radar or just rolling through en masse, or burning your way through a forest to avoid bad guys. This is pure combat, no resource gathering and such like most RTS games where the economics are far more important in determining the winner than military might. Don't get me wrong, I love the economic side of RTS games, but MechCommander is a nice departure from that. Also, the look of the game is terrific. It's nice to look at. This game is two-dimensional with an isometric view. The second MechCommander is three-dimensional and looks like crud. Rise of Nations, while it has some three-dimensional elements, is two-dimesional and isometric. Please let that be the trend. Even Warcraft III, while three-dimensional, keeps a steady, non-rotating view of the landscape. This is the correct way to do it. The sound is pretty good, although you do get tired of hearing the same messages of acknowledgement and the fact that the MechWarriors have something on their radar. You kind of get used to it and ignore it. At least the voices are all different so you can usually distinguish who's talking.

It's a blast to customize the mechs with whatever weapons you find, and even better to salvage enemy mechs, which always have a slight advantage in firepower and speed. There's nothing quite like mousing over a storage bin and seeing the context-sensitive cursor change into a pair of pliers (or whatever they are, indicating that there's something to get in there).

Oh, and jump-jets are just plain cool! Man, I love this game! Plus, the cinematics at the beginning feature the same guy who starred in a fairly recent snowmobile commercial featuring the automatic jerky-extruder. The acting on both occasions is hilarious. A little bonus tidbit of trivia there.

My Thoughts
even though this game will never quite be able to grab the top spot of my favorive RTS game it comes very close on many levels.

Now I like Red Altert and Red Alert 2 more than I like this game but thats not to say that this game is bad, you have to get up preety early in the mroning to get the drop on those 2.

In fact Mechcommander: Gold should be perfect for those people who don't want to waste time building up a strongly fortified base and just want to go doestory stuff.

(With glourious Special Effects and great sound)

That may not be my style but I can relate and if this game sounds like something you might even be remotly interested in I would highly recommend it.

very fast dilivery
i ordered it on the 4th and got it on the 10th. very fast i thought

Mech Commander and Me
Mech Commander Gold is a fun game offline and even better online with my homies over on the zone ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Best
This is the best game i ever played in my life

Where in Europe can I order this?
I'm a big fan of all the Police Quests series, and I'd love to have it. On this site, it can only be shipped within the US. Since I live in the Netherlands (Europe), I'm most unfortunate (what this is concerned) Has anybody got tips for me, where I can buy it in Europe??

All the cop action you can handle
From where it all began until Swat came out, this is the ultimate collection.Police Quest 1 (vga and svga) I liked the old version since the day i played it, it was much more fun, but both are great. Plice Quest 2 (vga) lots of fun, this was the first time i played it. Police Quest 3,4 (svga) both were great, 3 was better then 4, and 4 was... to put it nicely weird Swat. simply put fun for everyone who ever wanted to be part of the team. if you have or haven't played any of these games, get this you will enjoy it for hours on end.

Help Please Read!
In the pack that has PQ1,234&5 is the remade version of PQ1 in it? E-mail me at DBZ31689@aol.com, THANKYOU IF YOU HELP!

need help
I am in need for the hints manual for the first version of Police Quest. Please help me. ... Read more

Features

• Play online in 3 other multiplayer modes with up to 32 players
• Play as commander of elite Special Air Services in World War II
• Take on Axis Powers in 9 new missions set in France, Africa, and Sicily
• Fight through campaigns alone or play co-operatively with friends
• 8 new multiplayer maps; wield new weapons in 1st and 3rd person

Product Description

Take command of Allied troops during the hellish battles of WWII as you struggle to wrest victory from the hands of the Fascists. ... Read more

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Be all you can be: the future of the free world is in your hands
• Platform: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP

Reviews (68)

World War II in a box!!
** Get the most complete Battlefield 1942 Game with add-ons by choosing Battlefield 1942: World War II Anthology. If it is not available then you need to get the three games in this pack - Battlefield: 1942, Battlefield 1942 Expansion: The Road to Rome and Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII Expansion Pack that work out a little more expensive. Battlefield 1942: Deluxe Edition has 1942 original and Road to Rome. So all you need with the Deluxe Edition is to get Secret Weapons. To be honest the steepest it works out at is. The Anthology is $30.00 and is the same price as the Deluxe Edition plus Secret Weapons. Getting all three separately will cost you nearly $40.00 so get the best deal in bundle packs.**

Want to play the best war simulation? Go play the old Operation Flashpoint and pray that the spring 2006 Operation Flashpoint 2 deadline will be met with the best war multiplayer simulator ever conceived. Want to play a single player war game that matched the experience of Medal of Honour: Allied Assault? Then go play Call of Duty and get the expansion pack Call of Duty: United Offensive. Want to the play the best SWAT type tactical one on one? Then go get Half-Life 2 and play Counter-Strike. Fancy a futuristic sci-fi multiplayer with huge maps? Then get the latest Unreal Tournament. So what else is there? Well to be honest Battlefield 1942 is straight up probably one of the best multiplayer games I have played, but be warned, the simulation experience does call for infinite amounts of patients and the game is extremely buggy to install. There is very little good technical support except for what the community offers, updates can be patchy, people end up can't playing it, and it suffers from fatal spawn point easy target syndrome that has rendered many of the maps unplayable... however new maps are updated, but just don't expect the BF1942 community to be as responsive as let's say STEAM. The bottom line here is that even single player mode is not supported. The game comes pretty much as it is served so expect to spend more than a day, maybe a week, to get it to work on your machine with lots of google searches for your problem. The solutions should be found in forums troubleshooting guides. Be prepared for discs that don't appear to like firewalls, anti-virus checkers and other background processes. This is the game of games in terms of installation bugs and crashes. In short - Requires broadband INTERNET.

Single player like we said is not supported. Multiplayer is one big CAPTURE THE FLAG, but what a game of CTF! Problem right away is the lack of classes that looks restrictive but it is actually okay, with five types of soldiers to choose from - sniper, machine gun, rockets, medic, engineer... so it is closer to Team Fortress than Operation Flashpoint that allows full configuration of up to twenty classes. Having said that it does not reduce the impact of the game, but does leave the realm of simulation, deviating into more Unreal Tournament territory where there is very real possibility of just leaving your team behind and going on a frag-a-thon across the map. If you are into that sort of thing then maybe the more recent, but certainly not as good, Battlefield Vietnam, can offer you that type of solo bush mission multiplayer experience like Far Cry with lesser graphics, but if it is Pearl Harbor, Petersburg, German Forests, French Country, Operation Overlord, multiplayer style, where you can pilot lots of vehicles, and use a little team commands, then sir, Battlefield 1942 is really what you should be playing across that 1MB connection you got jacked into that modem.

So limiting by its nature of being a multiplayer only game, with a difficult install, that is quite old'ish by today's standards, still manages to provide the best World War II multiplayer entertainment you have ever seen with Operation Flashpoint beating it for realism and detail as a simulation, but this is the war game that people play online, and it still has quite a large community, meaning plenty of 60 (30/30) servers are still up and running with Battlefield 2 coming out sometime in 2005 (hopefully early) you can still live with getting this just because it offers world war II as you want to play it, on-line. I must say that even though I am an avid CS:S player, this one has stolen it for a bit. Battlefield 1942 really is worth it, after you get it running, and after you have the patients to actually play it like a solider ---- crawl for 2 minutes before sniping 3 enemy over the space of 10 minutes with guys above you on a score of 44... patients is the virtue while playing this if you want to win.... Or if you have the skill, grab a bomber and go drop some bouncers on a spawn building for mass kill. Personally I prefer to play to the sneaking sniper. You know I 0wned u. 

Pros:
- Multiplayer must-have.
- Fairly realistic simulation experience that you will play again and again.
- The only World War II simulation worth playing on-line right now.
- Good game engine. Solid playing.
- Replaces Operation Flashpoint as best on-line war simulation game.
- Really big player numbers of servers.


Cons:
- Harsh reality of enduring install problems and updates.
- Expensive.
- Needs broadband.
- Spawn points have exploit bugs.
- No voice-com.
- Not much of a team communication interface either.
- 2002 graphics... but still nice. Models need work.
- There is a bit of a learning curve.
- Not as vast as Operation Flashpoint.

TOTALLY WORTH YOUR MONEY!
Blast away at elite german troops or snipe with the new semi-automatic sniper rifle. Either way, this game rocks! Best game in the world. Awesome multiplayer usage. Worth ten dollars completely so get it and play multiplayer at gamespyarcade! I will be there to play you Weston. Yes. This is your friend Bryce.

Lag and Bugs too much a hindrance to keep it immersive
Too much choppy gameplay prone to lag and control issues. Icky first person gameplay compared to most any FPS. Great ideas controlling the vehicles ships and planes. Lopsided gameplay that heavily favors pilots.Communication a hindrance without real time mic chat built in and a terribly late typed messages. Sometimes almost impossible with skipping key inputs and garbled messages. Therefore any real strategy on a grand scale against the enemy is laughable. Most kids online just 'rambo' and grab a vehicle or plane and take off on their own agenda.

cracking game, open play
I'll spare you all the usual blurb about this game and will simply sumarise by saying this:
- it's terrific fun.I mean it - it completely immerses you and makes you feel like you're there
- you can do whatever you want in each of the missions, including sitting back and watching your friends go in and try the attack themselves (and sometimes succeed!)
- the graphics, sound and gameplay are rivetting: you feel scared - as you should in this kind of game

I loved it, finished it and am playing it again.Thoroughly recommended...

Happy shopping
JB

Battlefiled 1942 Deluxe Review
I've owned this game now for the past few weeks and feel I am now able to offer a review.I hope some of you find it useful.

Firstly, my comp specs:

Atlon 1.2Ghz
1 Gig Ram
Geforce 4ti 4600 Graphics Board
Win XP
512K Cable Connection

I run the game in 1024 x 728 resolution with all settings set to maximum and it runs smoothly and looks great.It only 'jerked' slightly when I was downloading a 250 mb file at the same time as playing!

The gameplay itself is fantastic.You can fly planes, drive jeeps, tanks even have access to battleships.At first these are hard to master but once you've practiced, and plenty of it, you should quickly become a force to reckoned with.

Most missions are objectively based so you will have to carry these out if you want to continue.Generally you and the enemy have a pool of lives each, which are depleted as you and your team mates get killed.You have to carry out the objectives prior to all your teams lives being used.The missions are historically based and quite accurate from what I hear too.The Road to Rome expansion pack adds to the longevity of the game offering addtional maps and missions and what also adds is the fact that you can play as either the Allies or Axis.

Where this game comes into its' own is in multiplayer mode over the internet.It is fair to say you do really need a hefty connection to get the best form this as there is so much going on.Theres nothing better than sitting in an anti aircraft placement shooting at fellow interneters in their planes as they fly overhead.You can also climb into a vehicle with one of your friends so that one drives and you've got an intelligent mate doing the shooting.On line you could just play it and play it and play it.Couple this with the desert combat mod, which gives you access to jets and helicopters and puts you in the gulf war it really is just superb.

So thats it really, a thoroughly enjoyable game, well executed in my opinion, and just great fun.Buy it and enjoy it! ... Read more

Product Description

Say Goodbye to Gridlock with Microsoft’s Midtown Madness

Ever want to get behind the wheel and race like a madman through the streets of a teeming metropolis? Here’s your chance to careen your way through Chicago traffic that’s thicker than a deep dish pizza. Forget everything you learned in Driver’s Ed. Run every stop sign, drive the wrong way, or gun-it to jump a drawbridge. No-rules racing means doing whatever it takes to win. With five unique racing modes, ten unique cars, and wide-open, unbridled, pedal-to-the-metal racing, Midtown Madness is the only antidote for rush-hour blues. Now that’s racin’ Chicago style!

Features

• Smash through a mall; play chicken at the airfield; outrun police
• Tour the streets of Chicago as a high-speed racer
• Run stop signs, drive the wrong way, and do whatever it takes to win
• 10 true-to-life vehicles from roadsters to trucks
• 5 ways to race; customizable conditions (including weather and cops)

Amazon.com Product Description

In Total Annihilation, you are a commander who can build an entire complex war. You can manipulate matter at an atomic level--but so can your enemy. Find a way to conquer the enemy and end the threat to universal existence. Battle with realistic firing cannons and nukes on diverse terrain, including canyons and molten riverbeds. Total Annihilation challenges you to set a new standard for combat strategy. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

7 years later and I just realized why I still play it...
Sad, when you think about it, that it took me that long. Anyways, there are a few things that make this game really unique. The first one is the number of units on the two sides. a bit over 60 for each side. the second one is that it is easy enough to program that there are a lot of mods on the internet for it. when i say mods, i don't mean those weak excuses that starcraft and warcraft have for mods, i mean real mods. the whole game is replaced, sparing only the engine in some. third, smaller than the other two but still important, is the diversity and usefulness of aircraft. in most other games, they exist with the sole purpose of taking out defenses so that your ground forces can destroy their base with little resistance. in Total Annihilation the aircraft can be used, unsupported, to destroy bases. Oh, i almost forgot. the base defenses are effective, unlike in command and conquer and the blizzard RTS's.
Very old, but at 5-6 bucks, a good bargain.

Awsome
This game is the best computer game ever I playgames that last a long time but i save them and come back later.You can download many patces for it for free.Anyways this game rocks.

P.S. RRROCK on Dudes!:}

MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok first of all this game is really really awesome... bored of the same old starcraft graphics? where the marines and zerg die the same way EVERY SINGLE TIME?? TA (total annihilation) is awesome. got it a year after it came out. started playing it when my older brother was done with it (about a month) then i joined the communty, where i am currently part of chaos realm, our little corner builds AI's, maps and units (plus ulity's too) we are but a small fragment of what TA still is. www.planetannihilation.com lists most of the unit/AI/map clans that make them. over all the graphics, awesome exploisons, new units, cool new AI's (if u download them) i give a 9-10 to everything in TA. over all get it anyway. join the excitment!

Truly Amazing
For how old it is, this game is truly amazing. After you go far in the game, it grows so chaotic, with liquid explosions, plasma attacks, and such, that it truly amazes me. The campaign editor, however, isn't exactly the best, and the story isn't great either. But I never really cared about the story, and I always prefer Skirmishes to the one-player game in RTS games. Plus, you can download over 2000 UNITS ONLINE! Plus more than 500 MORE SKIRMISH MAPS! And all the units are amazing, you can have huge armies of units!!! There are NO OTHER FLAWS i have seen, I have played it for 3 years and never ceased playing! Buy it NOW!

War Game
This game excels in the ability to simulate a massive war.When I play with my friend, it gives me that same feel of crashing cars together when I was young.The lighting and smoke effects are amazing, especially for a game so old.Seeing the volleys of plasma blasts and rockets makes me smile with glee.Hitting a unit hard enough to make it fragment is amazing.Pieces of the unit go flying off.Units leave wreckage which impede movement and block shots.Wreckage is 3D rendered too, and has height.Ships will sink to the bottom of the water, waiting to be reused, by reclaiming it with a construction robot.With patches, you can build a ship yard in lava, which slowly damages your ships.
Terrain is 3D.Beware of hills.That BFC that you just built can't always lob a shot over the hills.Makes me want to pull out my trig book so I can calculate where to put it to fire over the hills and walls.Also, those trees are pretty, but they have several uses.They can absorb one plasma blast, or catch fire by lasers, missiles, flamethrowers, or rockets, damaging units that are too close.The forest fire moves with the wind on the map.They can also be used as a cheap source of energy, by reclaiming them.
Units tilt when going up hills, and wobble when hit by enemy fire, and rock when returning fire.My favourite is watching the battleship fire its long range cannons in a salvo fire, and then rocking a bit in the water.The turrets are amazing.The battleship has two independant turrets that can fire at two enemies at once!The Dooms Day can fire at three units at once.Several units have multiple weapons to deal with different foes.
I'd write more, but all this ranting and raving makes me want to go play it now. ... ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

"It's about nothing." --George Costanza, Seinfeld

Rarely has a game had so much hype: the cover of a national newsweekly, articles in every newspaper from L.A. to New York, comments that The Sims Online--or TSO for short--will save PC games from console-game encroachment. The Sims earned such attention because the concept was brilliant. The Sims was less a game and more a fun software toy, with no way to win. The Sims Online follows the same formula. Unlike other online games, TSO was specifically designed to not have traditional rewards such as gold, power, or magic items. There are no levels to attain, or princesses to rescue. Instead, players take joy in little victories--maybe your Sim cooperates with others, and all four of you manage to bake a pizza without burning it and then sell it. Or maybe you throw a party, and all the cool kids show up and have a good time. The core reward for playing the game is nothing... nothing more or less than the joy of playing.

Unlike the original Sims, where you created a number of Sims and controlled them all as a god, in TSO you create and control only one Sim at a time. This is a significant change, as you can't direct one Sim to perform a time-consuming task and then switch to another Sim until the task is complete. Instead, if you want your Sim to do anything in the game, you have to watch him do it in tedious real time (the fast-forward button, so vital in the original Sims, is gone). For example: when your Sim is sleeping, you have to sit and watch him sleep for the five minutes it takes him to refresh. This real-time aspect is excruciating. The game designers probably thought that a group of ten people, while watching their Sims work out in an exercise room together, would alleviate the boredom of watching Sims pump virtual iron by striking up a conversation (the chat aspect gets a lot of comment from TSO designer Will Wright). The problem is that unlike a chat room, where a topic or passion is already shared by everyone in the room, the only thing a player has in common with other folks in TSO is that everyone is watching their Sims power up. Such basic commonality doesn't spark quality conversation. The best you can hope for is some idiot inevitably commenting "nice grunt" or making some other silly sexual innuendo (often with *%$^@*# fake words generated by the much-needed obscenity filter).

If you're willing to put in the time, there's still the issue of paying month-by-month to access your Sim. For this reason, word of mouth, which caused The Sims to rocket from obscurity to the Best-Selling PC Game of All Time, is working against TSO. Casual game players loudly criticize the idea of paying for both a game and a game service, despite the fact that many of these same players are comfortable shelling out hundreds of dollars for cable, magazines, TiVo, and other monthly subscription-based entertainment services. The overall trend toward pay-per-month-of-play service is generally accepted by the hardcore gamers who play dynamic online adventure games like EverQuest, where gamers can see their monthly tribute at work in the form of fancy new spells and labyrinths. But TSO is a quietly suburban diversion for mostly casual gamers, filled with objects that are mundane by design. In TSO, you putter, you work out, you chat with others in the real world via your avatars. To put it another way: you live a slightly zanier version of everyday life, and frankly, that costs a lot already.

TSO still has the core elements that made the first game a classic: obsession with the minutiae of daily life, amusing content from the game designers, and the mind-bending thing that happens when you've been playing too long--that the real world starts to look exactly like The Sims. (Couch shopping caused that surreal "Is it Sims, or is it real?" experience for a friend.) TSO may still prove to be the Goliath the media predicted it would be thanks to the nature of ever-changing online games. Ironically, the monthly fees that bother so many new TSO players will pay for the improvements those same players crave. For example, EA plans to release new functionality that will allow players to design clothes and objects (a big hit with players of the original Sims).

TSO is fluid, and the game reviewed as it is at launch may be very different from TSO in a year, when the designers are able to respond to player requests. Even until that time, there are good things about this game. When your character is "greened up," dressed in disco finery and looking to hit it lucky with the dice, TSO can be a blast. But the tidal wave of hype may have done more harm than good for a game that has a simple, Seinfeldish heart. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Pros:

• Gameplay similar to The Sims
• Wide variety of social interactions, including a deep menu of dance moves
• Persistent online world lets you share the Sims experience with others

Cons:

• Lack of fast-forward feature is a drag
• At launch, too few in-game money-making opportunities
• At launch, game world seems empty--there's not enough to do
• Players of The Sims, used to easy money through cheat codes, may balk at having to actually work for in-game cash

Reviews (212)

3/10- Still Not Good
Ok I played it during the summer and might I say its the worse expiernence ever.I do have to say this game "HAS POTENTAL"The game designers can make it work.They just need to get off their lazy ass and create something desent. Short and simple well wait another year to probally go back

Sims Online is really fun...
I was pleasantly suprised when I played this game, normally I am more of a RPG guy, but this ame is crazy.A lot more creative than I was expecting.I loved it...getting it for the kids as an x-mas gift...

Making Magic vanising items
Has anyone have the same problem as me?After installing Making Magic, my iguanas and love birds dissapeared. I have also lost the ability to go to the comunity lots. Please e-mail me if there is a solution

It's much improved now
Many many changes have been made since the inital release.This should've been the version that was initially rolled out.More changes to come!

Mindless Chatroom with a few game elements thrown in!
TSO was and still is HUGE disappointment. Its merely achatroom with a Sims theme and ITS NOT WORTH the cost. I recently cancelled after foolishly paying for months of what is essentially a giant Sim Chatroom with some game elements thrown
to give the casual player the false assumption that they are playing an actual game when in fact they're only participating in an interactive chatroom.

Why can't Electronic Arts spend more time on making a really good game or two, rather than making a below average to horrible animatedchatroomthat has little to offer? ... Read more

Product Description

As the military leader of our species, the player must gather the resources to train and expand the military and lead them to victory in a battle for land and power, as human exiles in the far-future struggle to survive on the rim of the galaxy. Engage in three different campaigns and 30 different missions in the battle for control over the fate of the galaxy. ... Read more

Features

• 30 unique missions will challenge you across 3 different campaigns as you control the fate of the galaxy
• Control any of 3 different species, each with unique units, technologies, attributes, and abilities
• Included Campaign Editor allows players to edit units and create their own campaigns
• StarCraft boasts award-winning advanced control features, such as waypoints and training queues, to provide enhanced gameplay
• Multiplayer games for up to 8 players over IPX Networks and Battle.net, 4 players with Direct Cable Connection, and 2 players with modem Connection

Reviews (270)

One of the best
... titles in real-time strategy games.
Starcraft didn't really set a new standard when it was release for graphics, engine and gameplay. However, as people played it they realized how perfect this rts title really was. Easy to learn, difficult to master. It retains its flavor and fun even after all these years and so many other titles that came out after it.
A great sci-fi rts game that should be in the collection of any fan of the genre. Don't miss out and make sure you also pick up the expansion back: Brood War.

A Game I Highly Recommend For Your Santa List
Space....the final frontier. In this final frontier, you embark on a journey to the outer reaches of the galaxy, where you encounter three races involved in a war for the future of the universe; the Zerg, the Protoss, and the Terran. At this time, the Zerg are invading everywhere and on every planet. Unfortunately, they have hit a couple of stops in the road of divide and conquer. On the planet of Earth; the Terran, future earthlings, are fighting to defend against the Zerg as they have been launching attacks without stop. However, the zerg are no match for the Terran unless the Zerg pull out the Mutalisks, flying beasts that can't be stopped without having great losses. In the meantime, the Protoss have also become a big pain in the BLEEP. The protoss seem bent on destroying their equals as the mission goes, but after the Terran put them in their place, the Protoss seem to want to leave them alone. Then, the Zerg have decided to launch one last offensive on the Terran people............
On the Protoss homeworld, the Zerg are also taking over. The Protoss are on the brink of destruction when one of their kind, disobeying the directorate, have called on the Terran to come to their aid. With the aid of the Terran, the protoss have new hope and more time to rebuild their armies. Most of the time, the Protoss go on their own, asking for help on the way. Then, in their final hour, the Protoss have to call on the Terran one last time. With their final attempt at a counteroffensive........
Now the Zerg, though they may be the "bad guys" in this game, are actually at war with the Protoss and Terran over a big misunderstanding. The Zerg only live to serve the cerebrate, to carry out the will of the Overlords, and just plain are slaves. The Zergs cannot exist without the cerebrate and the Overlords are the only reason the Zerg underlings can be created, to keep them in line. So, the Zerg are going to be on the brink of destruction as well until the Zerg capture Lt. Kerrigan, a Terran commander that now is infested with the Zerg parasite in their mind. She knows many of the Terran secrets and now the Zerg are planning to launch a MAJOR counteroffensive......

The Game of a lifetime of STINKAGE AND FUN!
Starcraft.....
the game of building a lot of stuff...researching as much crap as possible...and BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF THE OTHER PLAYER.

The game...it is partly strategic....but...the game is basically about building as many units as possible and hoping that the other guy doesn't have as much as you do.

if you are having trouble on the game...cheat...thats all there is to it...if the game gets so boring at times....Cheat.....thats all there is to it.

The game of Starcraft is complicated as you advance in the game....but..if you have friends in high places(wink wink)...you should be able to do just fine. But....the game is so easy at the start that you wouldnt even need to have friends in high places when you are going solo on it.

Now multiplayer........thats very complicated...you are basically battling against other players who have more experience than you do and you are HELPLESS to an attack by the people you are against. My advice....dont go into any rooms that say noobs only. the people in there are basically setting you up for the BIGGEST BEATING OF YOUR LIFE......i know.....it happened to me too. This is the area in which you NEED friends in high places. My advice..again...join clans...you will be surprised in what help you get there.

THE BAD POINTS OF THE GAME

Now my review basically looks like its all about bad points in the game....but it just goes to show that what i am about to tell you may be helpful....or u cant do anything about it...you decide that for yourself.

1. The game has LAG.....it has it in multiplayer and single..nothing you can do about it accept that you have to wait for it to stop.
2. You can get confused very easily as the game progresses further into the mystifying depths of starcraft.
3. You also can get very frustrated...easily...jist keep a cool head throughout the whole game or else get off and walk away for a while.

hope this helps you understand starcraft better...
W.G.J.T.

Easy to learn
i do not have this but am planning on getting it. I played it at a friends place and i learned to play it in 15 minutes. At the begginning i didnt even know how to move or build but after a while i got the hang of it. I got slaughtered because i only had 7 of those red dinosaurs (zergs i think) and the opponent sent a army of 25 marines to ake me out.

This game is really fun to play

VERY good game, especially if you do everything
I am a huge fan of stradegy games. However a lot of stradegy games loose there fun after a while because you have mastered it and nothing changes. This game is different. In addition to regular gameplay and missions you can play online for against other people play. There is also games called map settings games. this is why it never gets boring. People are always making map settings games that have nothing to do with the accual starcraft game. Anything from SCV football to snipers, these can all be made and played online againsed other players, and since new and different maps are being made all the time, it never gets boring. Definetly a good game for any gaming fan. ... Read more

Features

• Uncover vast caverns and alien technology that will give your empire a victorious edge
• 6 new massive underground war zones; unique alien complexes to explore and conquer
• New underground environments from volcanic lava flows to ice caverns
• New ancient-technology vehicles and weapons which can be used by all Empires
• Head-to-head urban-style combat in subterranean cities

Reviews (11)

A year on and still no improvement
I first started playing Planetside about a year ago, deciding that after reading all the marketing blurb that this was the game for me! - great graphics (and they are great graphics), the lure of huge online battles and lots and lots of vehicles to throw around and do some damage with - oh yes!!

However, I soon tired when the huge battles failed to materialise and any major battles you did manage to find to get involved with was decided simply by who managed to turn up in the most numbers on the day. No amount of skill or tatics on your part part could make a difference - its all down to numbers.

Now if this was a game with some sort of goal, a common target which you and your allies were all aiming for and once achieved, was rewared in some way; then this wouldn't seem so bad. But Planetside is perpetual war; you join battle, kill and get killed, gain some experience points, respawn, start again and never really get anywhere. Just logon, join in with what ever struggle happens to be going on at the moment and then logoff, thats the game. And you pay for this too - yes, a monthly subscription applies.

With the lack of anything comparable (except Tribes2) I'm disappointed to come back after a nearly a year to find that even with an expansion pack, nothing has been improved. It still looks great, but is still a totallay unsatisfying experience.

Buy it at Outpost.com for $10
Find the cheap addition on Outpost.com (Fry's Electronics)

Good idea, poor implementation, horrible community
Whenever getting into any SOE game, beware. The community is the low point by far. SOE forums are known for laughing over the deaths of pets and even players. Recently when a player of planetside had a brain hemmorage and died, the customers thought it the funniest thing in the world. You would be horrified to hear their position on the death of a pet.

And that is usually the problem with SOE products. Although they have the technology and the financial resources to back up creation of top of the line products, they continue to fall far short in customer service and community management. In all internet forums there are jerks, the difference is that other forums (such as Atari's Unreal Tournament forum) actually get rid of the filth and manage the forums. The only things that disappear from SOE forums are posts that decrease sales of the product through exposing weaknesses in them.

As for the game itself, it is a great idea and poorly implements. Client side hit detection in the game is a hacker's paradise. Furthermore, the company seems more interested in slowing down the achievement of players than making an enjoyable experience. Their recent expansion, Core Combat, was yet another example of their incompetence.

There are many players in the MMOG industry. The days of the EQ monopoly are over and I suggest you check out their compeditors instead.

ok but still not worth the price, give it more time
I have played Planetside and have heard about the caverns. Basicly people tell me its:

The home of the snipers

Desserted

Has no affect on bases you own

The good points to it though:
The flail, capable of putting a base under seige from another base. That is approximatly 15 kilometers or so, depending on drive time at 60kpm. A note on the flail: it has immense firing power, can hover (don't believe it can go over water though) and has an insane firing range. Good with multiple when trying to weaken a bases defenses and keep them hiding inside.

Modules. These give your base, only one base, advantages. Such would be like the Health Module. This lets you respawn with 120 health instead of normal 100.

Pain module induces pain into anyone that enters the control room (the places that you must get into the hack the control console to thus turn the base to your empire) or even gets too close to the control room.

The shield module which is extremely usefull in keeping fire out of your base. Though tanks and such could shoot over your wall, the shield module puts up a shield at your base gates (two in a base) so that no enemy fire can enter, and no friendly fire can escape. Thus they must enter your base to actually attack you.

Modules can be countered by destroying them.

The weapons are also good. If you're New Conglomerate and don't like the short range of the JH (though MANY of players from opposing empires will tell you its range is still too strong at long range) you can get the maelstrom. I might be wrong, because I forgot the name. But it is only found in the caverns and allows you to shoot an energy type beam.

Basicly, at its current price I would say that there aren't enough good things about this expansion to encourage me or any of my friends to buy it. If there were more vehicles, more weapons, and could let you go higher in BR and/or CR, I would surely recommend it. But there aren't. I say the only good thing in this expansion is the Flail and the Shield and Pain modules. But since there are plenty of other people with the expansion, you don't need to worry about it. :-)

nope not for 30
The game itself was on it's way out because of the lack of content and buggy environment.Many servers there is difficulty find a battle other then the one cluster where all the worlds people are and even then it's not that much.

Core combat split that up further.With more place to go explore, and more things to dig up, it has improved the content... at over half again the game price.That's 10$ per new vehicle.Sorry but that is just not worth it, the game is on it's way out and the developer time seems to be going to Star Wars Galaxies, the fair haired child of SOE. ... Read more