Features

• Never before seen enemies defy laws of nature and are smarter than ever
• Hear conversations and monologues in real time
• For 1 player
• Leon S. Kennedy, the rookie cop from Resident Evil, is now an agent on a top-secret mission
• New behind the camera view allows for more intuitive movement

Reviews (187)

One good game
I bought this game after never renting it, knowing I wouldn't be wasting my money. I am surprised at how impressive this game really is. I got it from target.com exactly 1 week ago and I don't think the end of the first disk is very close (after playing it a lot). My expectations were satisfied in the first couple of hours and it just gets better. Buy this game!! Buy it now and be ready for the best game in this genre of all time!! Top five list for best game ever!!

Amazing Game
I had never been interested in the Resident Evil franchise, mostly because they never got even good reviews and it always looked a bit stupid.Back in mid-2004, however, I started reading some article in Nintendo Power about the game.I got excited about it, especially the amazing visuals.
After I waited about eight grueling months for the game, I finally popped it in my Cube to try it out.It is the best game I have ever played.I never thought Capcom was capable of a game of this caliber, but I was definitely wrong.Resident Evil 4 is just completely awesome in nearly every category.

The graphics, in my opinion, are the best console graphics to date.Maybe even the best ever, though I think Half Life 2 gives it a tough fight.Each villager, which there are many of, is 5,000 polygons and the game never had a framerate problem for me.That may not sound impressive, but MGS3's Snake is roughly 7,000 polygons and there's one of them.There's about a hundred villagers in RE4.

The music definitely sets the mood, creppy tunes that will immerse you even more in the game.Voice acting is even good, though there is definitely better voice acting out there.Half Life 2's or Halo 2's is better.

Controls are greatly, greatly improved from the other games in this franchise.In RE0, it was difficult to move around but in RE4 it's a breeze.The B button serves as a "dash" button which you'll probably almost always be using, while the A button serves as the "action button".For example, you can go up to a window in an upstairs building and the A button will appear and in big letters "JUMP OUT WINDOW".This is very simple and is a great new addition to Resident Evil.

When you're walking around in a creepy castle and a cultist grabs your neck, you know the gameplay is great.Though it isn't quite as scary as the past games, it still has the creep factor.

My only complaints about this game are two:

1. Some of the phrases in the game are cheesy.
2. A strafe ability would be nice, but this isn't very big.

Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games ever created, the best to me.This game is a solid 20 hours of story, then many unlockables: professional mode, secret weapons, secret costumes, a new title screen, and two awesome minigames.With the longevity, great unlockables, and awesome gameplay, visuals, sound, and controls Resident Evil 4 is as near a perfect game as I've seen in a very long time.

It's coming out on the PS2 later but I'm feel that the graphics will really be downgraded because the PS2 is an older system and is not as powerful as the GCN.Resident Evil 4 is a must buy, if you don't have a GCN you need to buy a GCN and this game.Don't miss out on the best game this generation.

Brilliant
Just when I was loosing faith in my Gamecube, Resident Evil 4 came and saved the day.Awesome graphics make this game way way creepy, and the zombies running around yelling mierda (Spanish for sh*t), makes this game awesome.Its way fun to play over and over, just runnung around and blowing zombies up.This game is incredible and you need to stop what your doing right now and go buy it!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Gamecube (Game Cube, Game-cube)    3. Action    4. Adventure   

Editorial Review

The layout of PlayStation2's Dual Shock 2 controller is nearly identical to that of the original PlayStation's Dual Shock controller, which is good news for most gamers. The main new feature is that, when the buttons are pushed, the controller can register how much pressure is being exerted. This adds a completely new dimension to sports, racing, fighting, and more games. Aside from the Start and Select buttons, all of the functions are analog for greater control, a wider variety of operations, and a more compelling interactive experience. Two convex analog thumb pads and two force-feedback solenoid rumblers round out the features. This controller is also compatible with all software that supports the original Dual Shock controller. ... Read more

Reviews (186)

Best PS2 controller out there!
First of all, let me clear up something that seems to have alot of people confused around here. The Sony Dualshock 2 IS NOT the same thing as the Sony Dualshock Controller. It is, in fact, VERY different! The Dualshock 2 has fully analog buttons and D-Pad. For those of you who do not know what this means (and there seem to be many of you), it means that its pressure sensative. So, say, if your playing GTA then you can press gently to drive along very slowly, or jam the button down to floor it. You do not have any of these features on the normal Dualshock, and sony is not just trying to make you shell out money for no reason.

And so anyway, all that said, the Dualshock 2 is most likely the best PS2 controller out there. I owned a 3rd party controller for not very long until the analog sticks started going wacko on me and i was forced to get an official Sony one again, but i'm glad i did. It's very comfortable to hold, and the buttons are in very easy to remember places, unlike the Gamecube's controller, and i have yet to find a more durable controller than this.

With all that said, i hope you'll pay a little extra for this high quality controller and not be fooled into buying cheap, 3rd party knockoffs.

By the way, dont get confused and buy those PS2 controllers that look nearly the same as the official Dualshock. The only way to tell the difference is that thay don't say Sony Playstation on the face of them.

It's good enough for my usage.
I recieved this controller when I bought my PS2, and I have to say I like it, it's nice and comfey, but when I first used it, it struck me as lighter than the PS1 controller, which I later figured out why when I opened the controller up. I am sorry to say that, unlike with the PS1 controllers, the Dual Shock 2 doesn't have the feature that the PS1 did. That is, the rumbler wasn't as safely tucked in, as many of us like to toss our controllers around. I was dissapointed when the plastic casing housing the rumbler was snapped, and the rumbler itself was misplaced. This is a definite issue, as I like to play my racing games, and racing games require a rumbler. I also was disappointed by the fact that you can't switch components of PS 1 controllers into the Dual shock 2, but then I discovered I can use PS1 for my racing games. Overall, I'll only use it when I must, but if I don't have to, then I will switch with my Old Faithful PS1 controller. One word of advice, don't throw this too hard, you'll break the plastic around the rumbler.

Great Controller
This is one of the best controlers you can get for the ps2. It feels good when you're holding it and the buttons are easy to access. The pressure sensitive system works great and so does the rumbler. But like all other controllers, if you play for too long, your hands get sweaty and you hand slipps. If this is a problem you should get nyko's airflow controler, but either way this is a GREAT controller for all ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cables (Cable)    2. Adapters (Adapter)    3. PS2 (PSX2)    4. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    5. Playstation2 (Play station2)    6. Great Deals (Outlet store)    7. Cases    8. Storage    9. Video Games    10. Sony Playstation (Play station)    11. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    12. Controller    13. Rumble Packs (Paks)   

Features

• Realistic liquid Mercury properties combined with unique color blending.
• 6 fully 3D stunning graphical themed worlds full of bizarre abstract features.
• Over 70 levels of liquid mayhem
• Level types include Race modes, Challenge modes, Percentage, Combo modes and Boss.
• 2 Player gaming on all 72 levels using Wi-Fi / Wireless Battle Mode and ghost mode head to head style.

Reviews (12)

a definate keeper!
Metal Gear Acid was the first PSP game i bought, and thoroughly enjoyed it. So when it came time to picking up a second game for the Psp, this one was a no brainer. It's a lot like Marble Madness, but with the really fun dynamic of playing it safe with the liquid metal Mercury (which is really bad for your health in real life). You don't wanna spill it and the thrill of getting through the levels and playing it over and over again is a rush.
It actually reminds me of the same thrill i get playing through the VR missions on Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for PS2, you play each level over and over again till you're perfect at it, it becomes an obsession... people complain that the game is too short or gets hard too fast... well as far as it being hard.. practice makes perfect, the controls are very easy and tight, so the negative reviews to the gameplay being hard are really just a matter of taste.As far as the game being too short, my recommendatin is speeding through it at first, then going back through it 10 fold till you've conquered it, then play against a friend!

All in all this game is a great find for a great system. Its not a waste of money, its a definate Keeper!

Mercury is mercu-rific!
So I purchased Wipe Out Pure and got blown away by an amazing racing game on the PSP. Than I purchased Metal Gear Acid and was blown away by the depth of the game play and story line. With both games conquered I needed another PSP game fix and fast! There were quite a few to choose from but the beautiful graphics and unique game play brought me to the world of Mercury.This game is like a mixture between super monkey ball and marble madness. It provides really challening but not impossible puzzles. Even when you have trouble passing a level youare determined to finish. The more you play the better you get. The lush landscapes and tight control make this a great puzzle to get your hands on and will compliment your PSP game collection quite well. Another fantastic PSP game experience making this system a very worth while purchase. I hightly recommend it.

waste
Its fun at first but is way to short and you get bored of it after 2 or 3 days I highly sugjest you do not buy this but if you relly want it rent it but never buy it. ... Read more

Features

• Simple play controlled with analog sticks only; no buttons to press
• Dimensions change drastically as clumps grow; 2-player battle mode
• For 1 to 2 players
• Ball-rolling and object-collecting gameplay with quirky, infectious humor throughout
• Insanely cosmic animations; wacky musical stylings; royally contagious storyline

Reviews (90)

Very original game, if I do say so myself!
At first glance, this game doesn't seem great, but after 5 minutes, you'll find your eyes glued to the screen as you play KD.The object of this game is to build a huge ball of everyday objects to advance through levels.Sounds boring, but you'll find yourself saying otherwise.This is one of the few games that fully require analog controllers.The gameplay itself is original, and the sounds are quite nice to listen to.If you like odd-yet-original games, this one is worth buying.

One of the strangest games...ever
Katamari Damacy is far and away one of the strangest, most original games to come along in years. The gameplay concept, the visual style, the soundtrack, even the backstory are all conceived and executed with such a unique flavor that, when presented as a whole, it's difficult not to be drawn in by all the weird little idiosyncrasies. It's not a complex game, nor is it especially challenging, or long.

Using the analog sticks exclusively, you'll roll the katamari around with tanklike controls. Pushing both sticks up moves the katamari forward, pushing both sticks down moves it backward, and pushing one stick up and one stick down will cause it to turn. There are a few other tricks, such as moving both sticks up and down really fast to gain a quick boost, or pushing in on both sticks to hop on the other side of the katamari and quickly change directions--but this is basically all you'll need to know in order to control it. However, controlling it well is a more nuanced thing. The shapes of the things you collect will affect the overall shape of your katamari, thus affecting how it actually rolls. So, if you roll over a bunch of pencils or a ladder or some carrots, it can make your going a bit more challenging.

It will suprise you how fun this game truly is-
Whoever decided of developing this game, I give them my thanks. I never thought in a million years that rolling around a ball that collects junk would ever be so fun or would demand so much thinking. Then there is the fantastic quirky music and strange cinema scenes. The game is a complete package that will satisfy all ages, both boys and girls. Ironically, it was my older sister who introduced me to this game and she had never touched a PS2 before.

There are three basic type of levels. There are levels where you have to roll up your ball to a certain size before the time stops. Then there are the levels in which you collect specific items to create constellations- the first is crabs for Cancer. The last type of level is you grow the ball until you can collect the larges item of a specific constellation. Here is an example- for the constellation Taurus, you must pick up the Giant Cow to make a bright constellation. If you pick up a little cow, a cow man, a cow cone, a cow vending machine, etc. the level comes to a stop and you have to settle with what you got. These levels may seem impossible, but I have pulled them off.

When I first finished the entire game, it felt very short for me. Then I found out about how I can get falling stars and make my constellations brighter if I do a better job on the levels. I don't know how many times I have gone back and replayed the levels to get everything possible.

Don't wait any longer. This game will surprise you with how fun and funny it truly is. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    2. Playstation2 (Play station2)    3. Action    4. Adventure    5. Video Games    6. PS2 (PSX2)   

Features

• Use the magic of the cap to shrink and explore the world of the Minish lying hidden just beneath your feet.
• With the help of all-new items like the Gust Jar and the Mole Mitts, shoot blasts of air or claw through dirt to reach new regions.
• Unravel the secrets of the Kinstones to solve puzzles, unlock hidden areas, and restore happiness to the people of Hyrule.

Reviews (55)

Beautiful! Miyamoto brings back more fun!
Okay, hour 1 of minish cap: It's 6:00pm and I'm still stuck on this one puzzle, the size of a piece of dust and Ezlo isn't helping me... success! I found the Jar of Gusts! I suck the spiderwebs off (You're sick if you're thinking what I think you're thinking I'm thinking you're thinking.) with the jar and get out of the extra entrances, quite frankly I'm entertained.

Drowning in puddles... teardrops and getting jumped by pieces of pollen... what's not to want or need?! Mr. Miyamoto did not fail us, the gameplay engine was solid, the graphics, good for a GBA game, sound... wonderful! I swear, playing as a super-chibbi is fun, so if you want an affordable good game... don't buy this game... buy it if you want an awesome affordable game! Go Zelda!!!

Cool Game
This is fun, even when you play it again. There is a HUGE amount of kinstone fusions to do, it will take a lot of time to come up with everything. I had to make a separate game where I don't finish the four sword, since i miss a lot of fusions from the town. Also, try making your name dude or cheesy. People start saying really weird stuff.

So Much Fun
I had a ball playing this game. It took a while to finish but it was worth it. Going to start all over again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Action    5. Adventure    6. Role Playing Games (Game, RPG, RPGs, CRPG, CRPGs)   

Features

• Choose your own fighting style by customizing Dante to your advantage
• Style System allows players to select from Gunslinger, Swordmaster, Trickster, and Royal Guard type classes
• For 1 player
• The mysterious Dante is back in this adventure set before the first Devil May Cry
• Tells the story of the clash between Sparda's twin sons

Reviews (44)

Thank you, Capcom!
I am so suprised that after the god-awful Devil May Cry 2, Capcom was able to make this series great again! It totally gets the series back on it's feet, and I think Capcom's ready for more if they can make another sequel (this one's a prequel) that's either this good or better. Maybe not better because this one's even better than number 1! If you loved Devil May Cry 1, and you can't deny, this one will make you extremly happy.

Redemption at Last!!
I loved this game.In fact it is my favorite video game.I love the "Devil May Cry" series.I even got kinda used to the second one after the initial huge dissapointment of it.

To me, this one surpasses the previous two by a long shot.It has a great in depth storyline, great characters, and is just overall a great game.

As for the difficulty, well, the first time I played it(I've played it like 4 times through already) I found some of the bosses, namely Cerebus, Nevan, and Heart of Leviathan, to be VERY frustrating, but usually beat them after about the 3rd try.The first half of the game was much more difficult than the second half and there are some easier bosses that are actually fun to beat, like Beowulf and the Vergil fights.And truth is, I really am not good at playing video games(I can't get very far in 99% of the games I play without dying or getting so frustrated I give up), so if I can beat it, it can't be THAT difficult.

Speaking of difficulty, the replayability factor is great.In fact, I found the game to be more fun the second time through than the first, because it's just not as difficult.

The characters are great, and the storyline is very detailed, with over an hour and a half of cut scenes.Dante is at his prime in this game, however, I must admit that I thought that Vergil is a cooler character.He just seems more complex, whereas Dante is just kinda a smart a** with one liners.Of course, that's why we like Dante.Arkham is the ultimate in "eww" and I think that Lady fits perfectly in the game.

The game of course has it's negatives, like, the music on the game is good, HOWEVER, it's too damn repetitive.I love the main song from the game, but after listening to it every time you fight something, it gets old very quickly.

Also, while I liked Lady, she seemed a little too superhuman for being just a human.I mean, I don't know how many people would get stabbed, shot, and beat-up and just be "tired."

And I must say there are some cutscenes that are just a bit on the ridiculous side.Like getting a killer electric guitar that calls bats REALLY made me cringe.And driving a motorcycle up a vertical building, or falling forever from the tower.

Other than that, the game is a MUST!!It is the best game out there and I highly recommend it.

The Best From DMC Series
This is by far one of the greatest games for the PS2 to come in a while.
Action packed / capcom style arcade fighter, get it now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. PS2 (PSX2)    3. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    4. Playstation2 (Play station2)    5. Action    6. Adventure   

Features

• Picks up five years after Knights of the Old Republic left off
• Choose from three different classes of Jedi and the light or dark side
• features over 30 new Force powers and seven diverse worlds
• Chooose from new and returning characters and villians

Reviews (120)

A GREAT Game! Better than the fist!
I have to say this game was enjoyable. I loved it better than the first. Why? Because you start off as a Jedi. People are complaining that the game isn't hard enough? Please! It's perfect just the way it is! I want to enjoy the game not get upset because it is TOO hard to play. What enjoyent can you get out of that? The graphics are off the charts! You won't be disappointed I promise!The ending is, maybe not the best BUT think of it this way maybe the reason it ended the way it did it's because it goes directly into "Knights of the old Republic: 3" Please tell me there ispart 3 coming out!

Quite good, but with a few flaws
The original Knights of the Old Republic was a superb game, one of the best I'd played in quite some time. So naturally I was very excited when I heard that a sequel was on the way. Now that I've played through it a couple of times (once each for the light side and the dark side), here are my thoughts:

The first thing that struck me about the game was how similar it is to its predecessor. The gameplay has been tweaked here and there with a few new variables thrown into the mix, but for the most part it plays just like the first game. The graphics may have been slightly improved in a couple of areas, but for the most part the look of this game is indistinguishable from that of the first. This is fine, though. I was hoping to see some better visuals this time around, but the graphics suffice, and the gameplay was solid to begin with, so why make any drastic changes?

One area in which this game falls short, however, is in the story. I do like the characters, the dialogue is well written, and there are certainly some interesting events to be discovered, but the overarching story was often vague and uninteresting. I sometimes found myself getting impatient in long exposition scenes because I couldn't bring myself to care overly much about what was happening. That never occurred in the first KOTOR. The ending of the game was especially disappointing in this regard. I kept waiting for the point to come where the plot would reach a level commensurate with the level of tension and anticipation that the developers were obviously trying to create, but it never came. The last couple hours of the game were sadly anticlimactic.

My other complaint is in regards to the game's difficulty, or more appropriately, its lack thereof. Even if you turn the difficulty setting to High, a decent player will find that there's not one point in the game that presents any real challenge. Your main character will have no trouble annihilating everything that crosses his path. The first KOTOR was too easy as well, in my opinion, but the problem is more pronounced in the sequel.

Don't get me wrong; it's still fun, and I certainly recommend it. After the brilliant Knights of the Old Republic was released to such wide acclaim, the expectations placed upon this game were very high, and the fact that it fell short doesn't mean it's not worth your time. It's a good game. It just could have been better than it is.

Excellent game, but not as good as first
When I heard about the sequel to one of my favorite RPGs (Role playing games), I was excited by the fact that I might be able to pick up where I left off in KotOR I. Although I wasn't dissapointed, there are still some flaws in the game to keep it from getting 5 stars.

First the good. KotOR II uses almost exactly the same engine as the original which is perfectly fine because it was a solid engine that was easy to use and one that I was already familiar with from KotOR I. The other thing I liked better was the fact that you start off as a Jedi instead of getting halfway through the game and learning the ways of the Force as in KotOR I. Also the increased amount of force powers and the additional force prestige classes allowed the player to custimize the character better.

Now the bad. The story was lacking, plain and simple. Most of the time I am wondering why I am somewhere and why I am fighting this person. I had to play the game through three times to completly understand the end. To play through 3 times took me about a month compared to KotOR I which took much longer.

In conclusion, the game was a good extension to KotOR I, but failed to have that huge climax in the middle or end. The game just kind of ended. So, if you really liked KotOR I i suggest getting KotOR II but get the original first. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Xbox (x box)    2. Microsoft    3. Action    4. Adventure    5. Star Wars (Starwars)    6. Video Games   

Editorial Review

After the incredible success and acclaim of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, BioWare knew they had some serious shoes to fill. The wait is finally over! From BioWare and the Microsoft Game Studios comes the ambitious and head-turning role playing game, Jade Empire.

The game's designers have crafted an entirely new and unique world inspired by ancient Chinese myths and legends. In the primeval, arcane setting of the Jade Empire, you'll train under your master's watchful gaze and learn the mystical and magical powers of ancient martial arts. You'll travel widely -- from the rugged mountains of the Land of Howling Spirits to the luxuriant gardens of the Imperial City--as you make your way on your quest. Powerful human and supernatural foes will stand in your way, but with practice you'll learn to overcome your most powerful enemies. And as you venture forth through Jade Empire, you'll be challenged with questions that will ultimately lead you to discover the darkest secrets of the world.

The game begins when a series of sinister events disrupt the peaceful harmony of an isolated martial arts school. You'll be forced to confront a slew of shady characters, evil warlocks, demonic beasts, and other atrocious villains that protect the Jade Empire's deepest secrets.

Jade Empire offers you the chance to become a martial arts master. You'll assume the identity of one of six different characters and begin developing your skills. Each character has a unique appearance, voice, and fighting style. As you progress in the game, you'll decide whether to adopt the ways of good or evil, and your choices will affect your reputation.

Jade Empire matches the frenetic pace and fury of Hong Kong cinema. As you progress in the game, you'll upgrade your combat ability and learn new, specially tailored moves for your character. Only by mastering your moves and defeating the most powerful enemies will you earn your place as a master in the world of Jade Empire. ... Read more

Features

• Roleplay as a martial arts master.Choose a character with a unique appearance, a custom voice set, and a powerful combination of ability scores and fighting styles.
• Innovative fighting system: master fighting styles and mystical powers.You begin as an accomplished student, a graduate from the respected school of Master Li but your education has just started. As your character develops you choose which styles to enhance your warrior on the path to becoming a living legend.
• Epic adventure in a lush world based on mythical China.In the ancient and mysterious Jade Empire, you train under your master's watchful eye and learn powerful martial arts and mystical powers. Your journey has just begun into the unknown and deadly world of flashing steel and supernatural terrors.
• Build a living legend, recruit followers and agents, and send them on missions across the Jade Empire.You can't become a leader without followers to lead. Your decisions determine the rewards that you receive, and who shares in that glory.
• Battle monstrous creatures.The path to peace is never easy. You face terrors from this world and beyond with only your iron courage, your perfected skills and the weapons you carry. Study your opponents carefully: their weaknesses are few.

Reviews (14)

Everything Fable SHOULD have been--and more!
BioWare is certainly proving themselves an asset to Microsoft and the X-Box. Even if you didn't like KOTOR personally, you've got to give them credit for creating a Star Wars RPG that wasn't completely despised by fans. Jade Empire is a game that shows how nicely they're polishing their abilities.

Usually the good/evil (or compassion/indifference, which is a bit more accurate here) is interesting, but before now I'd never been compelled to attempt both paths. Jade Empire presents you with enough hints to really make you curious about how the game changes depending upon your choices. Certainly there was nothing in Fable or even KOTOR that really made me that interested in finding out what the other path is like.

The battle system is one of the fastest and most fluid I've seen yet. Increasing your speed or damage in an ability makes a noticible difference, more and more so as you gain levels. There's enough diversity in the different martial styles to keep them from getting monotonous, and I wouldn't assume at this point that I've even found them all. There are only two weapon styles, long sword and staff, but they also move fluidly and fast. Certain enemies are immune to certain means of attack, so you can't depend on a single one to carry you through the game.

BioWare is beginning to show some improvement with their graphics. Some of the textures are still too flat, but the movement is better and the colors are very rich and realistic. The character design is also more diverse and more interesting than KOTOR. Having six different starting characters to choose from is a definate plus, too.

Where a game like this often flags is the plot--such as Fable. JE doesn't suffer that ill-begotten fate. The story is compelling, with some unexpected twists and turns. It has a great deal of depth, with interesting bits and peices about the history of the Empire scattered throughout. The makers of Fable claimed that the choices presented in their game left little room for a good story, but JE proves you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Knights of the Old Republic: Kung Fu style
I've loved most of the Bioware games over the last several years.Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, the Baldur's Gate series and all the spin offs based on that same engine by Black Isle.So while I hadn't really tracked the development or feature set of Jade Empire, and I haven't been playing many games at all the last year or so - I decided to pick it up.

So I got it home, tried it out, and got into the old pattern of a week-long, late-night playing spree until I reached the end.

It was good.

The characters and writing were pretty decent.The quests were pretty varied (although I got really sick of ghosts and spirits by the end).The dialog was funny at times.You had choices about whether to be good or evil throughout the game.It definitely had an Eastern flavor and philosophy throughout.There were some really original segments and nice cinematic sequences and some fairly well-done plot twists.But overall I'd say the story and characters were just decent - not as good as an average novel.Not quite as good as Knights of the Old Republic.And not innovative - still plagued by the same issues that have affected previous games in the genre (e.g. no real freedom to make choices to avoid big plot quests or go in your own direction, not much subtlety in the good/evil choices and rewards given for being either as good or as evil as possible, smashing barrels and boxes and urns around towns and houses to find loot without any consequences).

Where the game really shined was in combat.Your character is skilled in Kung Fu, and starts with 2 fighting "styles" that he or she can switch between at any time.Each style is relatively simple in it's own right.There's a basic attack.You can sequence 2 or 3 attacks in succession before needing to pause a second.You can block.You can "power attack" which takes a second to warm up and leaves you open to regular attack - but can break through an enemy's block.And there's an area attack that knocks foes down but doesn't really hurt them.And you can roll and flip around to evade enemies.That's it.So basic strategy is "rock, paper, scissors."Block beats regular attack - power attack beats block - regular attack beats power attack (during warm up).

So in the beginning of the game you get used to this strategy against one opponent or a few at a time.But before long you start learning new styles.There are new "martial" styles (different forms of kung fu), there are support styles which tend to hinder opponents and set them up for finishing combinations, there are magic styles that usually let you blast enemies at range, there are weapon styles, and there are transformation styles (which let you become a big baddie of some sort for a short while to kick some butt).

Each of these styles has the same categories of moves described above... but very different versions.E.g. with the dire flame magic style, the basic attack fires a small flaming projectile at your enemy, the power attack fires a large flaming projectile that immolates the enemy for a time and makes it impossible for him to attack back, and the area attack summons a dragon to breath flame in the area.

So the core mechanic of the game stays fresh throughout, since you're continually collecting new styles, trying them out, learning their strengths and weaknesses, and investing your limited pool of points into improving the ones you like best.Then at some point you start to really experiment with the "hamonic combinations" in which you have to use a support or magic style, get someone with the slow power attack, then quickly switch to a martial style and hit them with another power attack to finish them off and produce a power up.This can be fun, and it very efficient when fighting large groups of enemies at once.

I have to admit - at times I really felt like a bad-ass kung fu master during the game.Start with my "Flawless" staff style, then switch to "Spirit Thief" to suck up some of their spiritual energy, then flip over their back and use "Thousand Cuts" for some quick punches, then finally to "Stone Immortal" to encase my enemies in rock.The switching between styles is very fast and natural - and before too long I became very familiar with many of the styles, and I could recognize and name the styles that foes were using against me.This really brought scenes of kung fu movies to mind such as "Ha - you don't think you can beat me using "Leaping Tiger" style do you?" or "Ahh, Tempest style.You must be a master who follows the way of the closed fist - and I must take care to avoid your vortex area attacks."

And in the end - that's what makes a game memorable.The way it made you feel when you were playing it.This game made me feel like a Kung Fu master in a way that straight fighting games with never could.


-Mike Arcuri

A Great RPG Adventure.Some Hints Added.
Jade Empire is a third person RPG has an immersive storyline and lots of interesting sidequests .If you take the time to read all the diologuefrom as many charachters as you can find and also do as many or all the sidequests ,its about a 15-20 hour game. I finished the game in about 4 days. But you could easily stretch out the game into 3 weeks or more. There's about 5 different types of fighting styles that your player can use and upgrade that are grouped into different catagories. There's Martial Style which is a unarmed fighting.There's Weapon style with swords ,axes,spears,etc. There's Magic syle.There's Support style ,example, slow enemy or paralize. And finally there's Transformation style.Also Most Ghosts or Spirit enemies are immune to swords,spears,axes or weapon styles.Demons are immune to support styles and some martial styles. You realy have to experiment to see which enemies are immune to particular styles. The fighting system is very easy ,its free form you can lock on and switch targets by pressing left or right trigger ,or free target by pressing both triggers at same time. You can perform whats called harmonic combos by starting with certain styles & ending with another style.The charachters target ring will turn yellow when you have started one. Although its possible never having to use a harmonic combo .I beat the game never doing one.I loved the White Demon Martial style its good for taking out ghosts spirits,I wasnt a big fan of Legendary strikeit didnt seem as strong for some reason and I had it maxed out.There's tons of choices to make as far as fighting styles go in this game.You get to upgrade your fighter as you progress in the game. The choices you make you will either choose Open Palm (good) or Closed Fist (evil). To get Closed fist points you do have make evil type choices.Sometimes they will try to trick you into thinking that it isnt evil or a bad choice.The dam for example by destroying the dam controls you continue the towns suffering and make it a continued haven for drunk sailors and harlots,thats what the merchant wants ,he sells wine. But by fixing the dam you heal a town thats already been suffering for awhile already,by renewing there shipping abilities and access to food(fish).But first do all sidequests and xtras before fixing or breaking the dam, you'll greatly need to.You have alot of different power up abilities,that you canobtain by reading scrolls or searching containers for them,or buy the upgrades from different merchants,or you get certain fighting styles by either doing open palmed(good) or closed fist(evil) choice from certain teachers. Its not too hard of a game with the right fighting styles you can be deadly.The fighting system is pretty smooth free form ,you can sidestep,jump over the enemy hit em in the back , & block most attacks,pretty much free form do anything thers's no real restrictions.After defeating certain demons you then can Transform into there image &there fighting style and kill your enemies. The Jade Golem or Red Minister are very powerfultransformation styles ,but you dont get either until later in the game,definatly save some upgrade points for one of thosestyles.The graphics are pretty good in this game nice details and they get better as you go.I think there are three different endings ,I saw 2 of them just remember to save before the important decisions & battles.Before you start the game you can choose what character you wanna be either Strong Style,Magic Style,Fast Style, or Balanced style. You gain followers as you progress in the game that can either fight with you or be a support where they wont fight ,but they will replenish your Health,Chi,& Focus while you are in battle. You can have only one charachter with at a time,but you can switch them out at any time.Some negatives about this game are the load times while doingquests,especialy in the Imperial City there are lots of load screens when you go to different parts of the city it can get a little annoying.Also when you talk to anybody the talking animation isnt that great or interesting ,like other reviewers stated I also found myself quickly reading the text & not looking at the 'talking heads'. But for the most part definatly one of the better RPG'S out.If you like KOTOR part 1 , Morrowind or Fable.Definatly try this game out. Here's some good strong powerful style choices for an Open palmed(good) player.Martial style: (White Dragon) Weapon style: (Crimson Tears) Magic style: (Stone Immortal stronger with open palm player) Transformation style: (Red Minister almost unbeatable or Jade Golem very very powerful and looks great)Support Style: (Paralyzing Palm or Spirit Thief).These are just some of my favs styles,some people will be better or worse with different styles because there gameplay style might be different than mine.To get the Crimson Tears(advanced dual sabers) Talk to KHANAin the Imperial City Arena ,after you talk to everybody in the arena,you must tell her of the plans they want (you) to poison her,but tell her you will not poison her and you will fight her Honorably in the Imperial Arena,she then will train you in the advanced version of the dual sabers called Crimson Tears after you defeat her in the Imperial Arena Bronze Division.Its a deadly dual sword that is very powerful maxed out. Also save as many weapon upgrades as you can because you get a limited amount you can only max about 4 total. Concentrate on upgrading White Demon & Crimson Tears, & Either Red Minister or Jade Golem . Those will help in the tougher boss battles.The Support styles arent even needed ,there helpful but not neccessary. To defeat the Emperor switch to a different style then he's using.Example if he's using a weapon ,say a sword,then you switch to unarmed (Martial style).etc. Because he's immune to whatever style he is equipped with and he will quickly change his attack to match your style, he will then be immune,so you change your style attack again. Good Luck. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Xbox (x box)    3. Microsoft    4. Action    5. Adventure   

Features

• Comes with a free carrying case from ALS
• Just like the classic Nintendo Entertainment System
• Features the classic games Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Ice Climber
• Comes with headphones designed exclusively for the GBA SP
• Game Boy Advance SP Classic bundle

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Consoles   

Reviews (5)

just as tight on playstation 2
nice graghics easy to bat and play. I love this game it's great

Great graphics, pretty fun
First of all, the platform I was playing before this was N64 so I wasn't spoiled already by the Cube, PS2, or XBOX.MLB on PSP is pretty awesome to look at and very fluid gameplay.I tried to start out at "All-Star" mode (the middle difficulty) but kept striking out too much.Went back to "Rookie" and am really jamming with the bat though losing as much as I win.One of the problems for me is the baserunning which seems more difficult than necessary...I get thrown out a lot.

Overall, a fun game with great detail.Some have complained about no franchise mode and maybe it's the same thing but I wish there was an opportunity for a "draft" similar to Madden in order to test my administrative skills against the computer.

Solid
First off, MVP Baseball from EA is coming out shortly and considering how badly it beats up on MLB in other genres, it will most likely be better on PSP as well. So, if you can stand waiting a while for that game to come out then you should. I suggest most people to wait and compare all the reviews/ratings before making a purchase...
That is, unless you're like me, and you're to addicted to baseball to wait a month or so... If that's the case, then this game is a solid purchase to hold you over.
The graphics are exellent, almost as good as PS2, XBox. The gameplay is of a high quality... Realistic, smooth, decent controls. I don't like the fact that your throws in the field are so straight forward... you dont control how hard or accurate the throw is, you just push a button. other than that, I have no real complaints about the gameplay. It's not spectacular, but it's solid... I wish it had a dynasty/franchise mode, and I wish you could do more as far as roster managment goes, but none of the 1st gen., PSP sports game will have a franchise, so no use complaining about that.
So, in closing, if you just can't wait, you won't regret buying this game. Just know that it most likely won't be the best PSP baseball game available once MVP comes out. ... Read more

Features

• New playable characters.
• Enhanced battlefield stronghold system challenges your strategic decision-making in the midst of combat.
• More characters per screen for an added challenge.
• New fighting moves and attacks.
• Reduced fog and improved draw distance to show more detailed backgrounds.

Reviews (9)

Dynasty REPEAT
DW. 2, 3, 4, all great. But this is the same hack n' slash gameplay we've seen! I'm sick of this game! I could buy DW 4 and save some damned money!!! I'll leave it at this. It's like watching the same movie over and over and over and over and over and over and over again! The camera angles sometime get annoying. If your a DW fan, pick it up, otherwise, this game isn't going to turn you into one.

More dumb fun, but a bit hackneyed now...
CAVEAT: I love the DW series, having purchased all of them (even the original for PS1). I love this game as well, although it seems to be the most shallow of the bunch.

48(!) characters join the fray this time as you once again take control of a personality of the time of the Three Kingdoms and do battle with your nemeses. Each character has their own storyline, complete with events seen only in that character's story (this is a plus, as it was quite tedious to fight through each kingdom multiple times in order to see all the characters in DW4). Weapons no longer need to be upgraded (another plus), and orbs are now rare items found by playing on hard mode. A "chaos" mode has been added, and it is NOT for the faint of heart (the difficulty is more like Very Hard mode in DW3:XL, as opposed to DW4:XL, but no one drops any meat buns!). The graphics are much better in this installment, and True Musou is actually more valuable than Musou in this game.

However, this game suffers from the same slowdown issues as the previous games (which is really unforgivable now, as this is the same game engine that has been used for six previous installments of DW). The siege weapons are even more useless here than in DW4 (unfortunate, since I thought that this could add a bit of depth to the strategy portion of this game). The camera is incredibly frustrating (not as much as, say, Samurai Warriors, but it's still pretty bad). Character balance is rather poor, though not as bad as previous installments (Lu Bu and Zuo Ci are incredible, Zhang Jiao and Meng Huo are horrible, the rest are OK). While large battlefields are nice, the game is frustrating until you obtain a horse saddle (another rare item).

All in all, I love the game. Why 3 stars? Well, I'm trying to diminish my bias. The fact is, if you are a fan of these games, you've probably already purchased this. If you didn't like the others, you won't like this one. And if you have never played a DW game before, this is probably the best of the lot. Still, I would have enjoyed a bit more originality and variety in this one (really, it plays exactly like DW2, which is five years old).

Huge leaps and bounds, major improvements in gameplay.
I had most definitely not expected this.I had a love/hate relationship with Dynasty Warriors 4, and Dynasty Warriors 4:Empires was so bad that I popped in for two days and then sold it off.Dynasty Warriors 5, however, seems determined to correct every flaw about the two above games and the results are surprisingly impressive.

DW4:Empires was a stinker to me because of endlessly respawning enemy generals, a tiresome "stronghold" system, worthless allies, and an inability to build up your fighters since they start at Level 1 at every new game.Much to my delighted surprise, all of the above problems were fixed.

PROS:
- The gameplay is now a hybrid of DW4 and Empires where enemy generals stay dead when you kill them (thank heaven), checkpoints and supply bases can be realistically captured without having to wait at one location for 10 minutes to defend it against endless enemies.The system of taking down enemy supply bases works very well; you actually see a marked turning of the battle in your favour as you proceed.
- No more levels where you kill a dozen enemy generals only to have a single, artificially enhanced enemy reinforcement pop up next to your commander to ruin your game.Your commander is no longer a dummy that can die with a poke.Obviously, this allows you to do more fighting and less running around saving your allies' butts.
- Fighter training is back (which was impossible in Empires), though a little more difficult than before because now your weapon doesn't go up in levels at the same time the character does; you have to find these weapon items while playing the levels, and the quality of weapons you find is proportionate to the difficulty of the level.Tougher than DW4, but manageable, and the system is logical enough.
- The biggest surprise:Allied AI became far, far superior.DW4 players will remember this hyper-annoying situation where if you slaughter every one of the enemies except their commander, your allied soldiers will run towards the commander like idiots, not attacking, and pushing the commander around so much that you can't get at him.That is, happily, history.Allied generals are now almost as skillful as enemy generals, and your bodyguard (now only one, rather than a team of eight at once) is now very helpful, aggressively attacking, healing themselves and you, getting you out of jams.About time!
- Happily, they kept the control system from Empires so that now you can fully control where your combos face.This was like a breath of fresh air.Now if you miss a hit, it is indeed your own fault, and not the computer messing you up.
- Marginally better voice work.Some of the changes in voice actors were for the worse -- Zhou Yu, Cao Cao and Lu Bu had good voices in DW4; now they sound silly.And new character Xing Cai is abysmal, sounding like a six-year-old reciting bad dialogue.But the overall quality of voice work has improved, with fewer stiff deliveries.Diao Chan, Yue Ying, Sun Ce, and Lu Meng all sound far better than before, and Jiang Wei's character lost that horrible accent and is now quite nice to listen to.
- Improved graphics.Seems like they added some shadowing, and the look is now more textured, a little grittier.
- Improved map design.You still have to do some running around, but aside from the labyrinthine "Battle of Chen Cang" level, no more levels like that insufferable He Fei map from DW4, where you had to run along the length of the map six to seven times to beat the level.
- The "peons" -- enemy footsoldiers -- are more numerous and less hard to kill.The later soldiers in DW4 were so hardy they were tiresome to fight; no such problem here, at least at Normal difficulty level.

CONS:
- No more duels.I personally don't miss this feature, but I know that one of the top requests from DW4 players was the ability to challenge computer enemies to duels.Instead of refining the duel system, they've dispensed with it altogether.
- No more customized officers of your own design.This was one of the more fun aspects of Empires -- gone with the wind.
- The new Musou Mode will not be to everybody's taste.Now, instead of choosing a side and having all of the officers of that side available to you, you choose a character who has a specific story arc, and you can't swap fighters midway.There are advantages to this -- more varied storylines, deeper gameplay -- but the downside is the inability to switch characters, and now you *have* to master every single character to finish the game.
- Enemy generals do an insane amount of damage.It's just not fun in any context to face an enemy that can take half your life bar with one single combo.It's nice that enemies do less of the "block you to death" trick, but to have to pay for one mistake with half your life bar is excessive.It doesn't ruin the game, but it mars the enjoyment.
- Cao Pi, Pang De and Xing Cai are all pretty unappealing as new characters.Cao Pi's moves are pathetic, Xing Cai is slow and unremarkable (terrible voice, too), and Pang De looks like a nameless general.It's as if they ran out of character-design ideas.Ling Tong's nunchaku are neat, but why not have a character use a mace ("liang ya pang", or "wolf's tooth club"), a whip, a quarterstaff, or tri-sectioned nunchaku?
- Character balance has actually suffered.The new weapons system, where each weapon has a "weight" rating which affects how fast you attack, actually skews the game even more -- the fast, powerful characters become overwhelmingly strong (Jiang Wei is almost unstoppable with the new weapons system), while "alternate", more joke-like characters like Zhang Jiao, Xu Zhu, and Diao Chan are now nearly feeble -- the slower characters are crippled by heavy weapons, short-ranged characters get overwhelmed by the increased number of peons, and slow-moving characters will get pummeled by the insidious enemy AI.They should have given these harder characters a little something to balance the odds.

Overall, this game has successfully restored my faith in the series.It was more appealing to pick up than DW4, and leagues above Empires in design and gameplay.Highly recommended for fans of brawler games -- not perfect, but the best example of this game series I've seen and played yet. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. PS2 (PSX2)    3. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    4. Playstation2 (Play station2)    5. Action    6. Adventure    7. Fighting    8. Strategy (Strategic)   

Features

• One of a Kind: Brothers in Arms is the only first-person tactical shooter set in WWII.
• Real Military Tactics: Intuitive and easy-to-use squad controls appeal to both the hardcore and mainstream gaming audience.
• Real Soldiers: Featuring a cast of more than 20 characters, each having a distinctly unique personality, appearance, and style.
• Revolutionary AI System: Allies and enemies use the standard operating procedures of fire and maneuver to flank and kill their foes.
• Unprecedented Authenticity: Historically accurate and detailed battlefields, events, and equipment recreated from Army Signal Corps photos, Aerial Reconnaissance Imagery, and eyewitness accounts.

Reviews (34)

PRETTY GOOD WWII SHOOTER
Oh joy, yet another WWII era game with their antique weapons!That's what I thought when I saw this.I mean why did we need another WWII action game?But hey, surprise the heck out of me but this one is fantastic!In this game you play Sgt. Matt Baker a member of the Airborne rangers taking place at the dawn of the Normany invasion as you jump behind enemy lines into the French countryside.EAch mission level begins with a narration by your character and wonderful cinematics that bring a movie-like feel to the game which I really love.

The variety of missions involves capturing towns, taking out tanks and machine gun positions, etc.You can control various infantrymen and even your own tank and following traditional military manuevers to carry on to success.The combat is fast-paced and exciting.Aiming is a bit haphazard though.There are times when you'd swear you hit a guy with a kill shot and he keeps on trucking so that is a bit of a problem and the main reason I drop my rating down to four stars.

Graphically the game looks great with terrain features culled from actual locations in France (not that most of us would know this, of course).The character models are very good and move smoothly.The sound is very strong as well as the din of battle is almost deafening in surround sound and very authentic.The narration while perhaps being a bit on the overly dramatic side still lent some authticity to the game.

The game can be played online in multi-player mode but I really have not played it much online.

Awesome game with minor flaws!
Brothers in Arms brings gaming to a whole new level with tactical squad commands! The graphics are great and make you feel like you are actually in Normandy. Situational Awareness view lets you make the best decisions possible. The guns look and sound authentic. However, sometimes the game makes a strange noise that sounds like a machine gun that lasts the whole level.
Overall, I'd give this game an A-. Hope you buy and enjoy this great game!

Best game.....EVER
BUY THIS GAME!!!!
Gameplay-100/10-Amazing, i mean AMAZING gameplay, First person TACTICAL shooter......Havent seen that in a while, aye!Supress, Flank, and KILL!!!!!!!YAY how fun, Great controls that flow with the game, control up to two squads(Assualt Team, Fire team)
And control, yes yes its exiting...TANKS!!!
Graphics- 99/10- Amazing Graphics. although theres mouths dont move MUCH when they talk its still all GREAT. When you shoot the water, it will splash up ie: when you shoot dirt it will fly up, so on. Amazing level design(i havent gotten to play multiplayer yet so i'll have to get back to ya'll with that later.
Sound-99/10- AMAZING, MUSIC FITS CUTSCENES PERFECTLY!!!!!!!!... So on. they curse ALOT.... like so much a sailor wood hang hisjaw slightly open....But none the less it fits the game perfectly
Replay value-???/10- im still beating on round 1!!!!!!!
multiplayer-????/10- Sorry :(, i dont know yet i'll get back to you when i do
Addictivness-100000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10.
Hasnt left my Xbox yet( most likely mever will!!!!!!)
Overall-101/10- Buy this game, trust me, you wont be dissapointed!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Xbox (x box)    3. Microsoft    4. Action    5. Adventure   

Features

• Execute synchronized attacks coordinated with other characters to attack enemies
• Lush, fully polygonal graphics, cut scenes, and an orchestral score create a magnificent environment
• Contains all the features of the Japanese Director's Cut version
• Set in SD 772, the hero Fayt Leingod searches for his family and loved ones
• Move through fullly 3-D battlefields and control three characters simultaneously

Reviews (25)

it's official
i got a chance to play this game when i first played it in my friends house. it wasn't the best rpg ever made. but the gameplay is worth playing and the graphics are nice.

Largely Disappointing
Probably one of the biggest surprises I've ever enjoyed during my years in front of a video game console came when I first tried my hand at an unsuspecting little package dubbed Star Ocean: The Second Story. This old, overlooked two-disc pack for the PSone had been literally gathering dust on my shelf for years before I bothered to even test it out, and I suppose that complete lack of any kind of previous expectation was a big part of why I was so totally impressed and engulfed by what I found within the game itself. Unfortunately, by overwhelming me so effectively in its first American offering, my expectations for the future of the Star Ocean franchise went through the roof. In a way, it's funny; I loved the precursor because I expected nothing of it and received everything I ever could've wanted, and then subconsciously built up the sequel to the point that nothing it could muster would ever be enough to appease me.

To start with, the story is beyond terrible and the characters are even worse. When I first met Fayt and Sophia, the two leads, I couldn't help but grimace. They're so paper-thin, so incredibly dull and intelligence-insultingly bland, I initially mistook them for a heavy-handed satire of the role playing genre in general. This is, honest to god, the most uninspiring cast I've seen since console RPGs were just gaining their footing in Final Fantasy I back on the NES. They'll say and do things that'll just make you stare blankly for a few seconds and then explode into unrelenting laughter. Fayt, in particular, is the very epitome of a stereotype. He has no flaws, and as a result he makes an incredibly boring leader. The characters seem so out of touch with reality that nothing ever seems to carry the kind of magnitude you'd hope for, even when entire worlds are exploding and individual races are being completely wiped from existence. By the time the third act comes around, bringing with it the one really interesting revelation in the storyline, you're forty hours in and have cemented your opinion of the game as a whole. Before that, it's cliche after cliche, with absolutely no originality thrown in to keep things halfway interesting.

Like its predicessor, TtEoT's gameplay is its greatest triumph. The battles have remained every bit as enjoyable and strategically brilliant as I remembered, and the controls are incredibly easy to comprehend. You'll have, at most, three characters in your party at any one time (which is a major gripe I've had with the RPG genre in general for years now... why would six people stand by and watch their three buddies struggle in a fight with monsters, rather than joining in and cleaning house?) and they're all performing individual actions at the same time, to say nothing of the monsters on the other side of the battlefield. At a glance it would appear to be mildly organized chaos, but in action it's really pretty simple. Before, after and during the battle, you can set a specific attack style for the characters you won't be directly controlling, so they aren't wasting all of their strength on a meaningless enemy while a tough boss fight is just around the corner. If you want your weakest character to avoid physical confrontations and concentrate on healing, it's as easy as changing a setting. Usually, two members of your party will be following these instructions at any time, while you'll be directly in control of the third. Yet, despite the seemingly-obvious directions, the computer AI will occasionally find a way to screw up. Whether they're running headfirst into an explosion with low HP or repeatedly casting heal on a teammate who doesn't need it, your comrades will generally leave a lot to be desired. I even ran into a few instances where I'd found myself single-handedly taking on half a dozen enemies while my two teammates stood off in a corner somewhere and cheered me on.

Aside from the cutscenes, this is generally a visually uninspiring game. The characters look about as stale and unexciting as they act, and the environments and spells are nothing that hasn't already been done better by a previous title. To be frank, the Sega Dreamcast could have more than likely produced graphics equal to the ones seen here, and that's a tremendous knock at this stage in the PS2's life cycle. With the PS3 peeking over the horizon, this should be the point in time when game developers are really starting to stretch Sony's aging console to the limits with amazing graphical effects, not leaning back and kicking out weak, flat displays such as this. Occasionally you'll run into an enemy or dungeon that's up to par visually with its contemporaries, but on the large I wasn't impressed. The graphical direction and wardrobe designs are solid enough, but it looks like a lot of the charm was lost in the translation from pen and paper to fully interactive three-dimensionality. As I alluded to earlier, the cutscenes are outstanding, but you'd expect that from a Square-Enix RPG.

This current-gen revisiting of developer tri-Ace's shining star feels like a hollow, emotionless shell more than it does a sequel five and a half years in the making. Rarely have I been more disappointed in a big follow-up title than I was with this one. It's strictly average, with passable graphics, weak voice acting, horrible characters and a mind-numbingly slow story killing any forward progress made by the battle system, which is still quite a blast. I feel dirty for considering this as a contemporary to The Second Story, although I'm beginning to question if even the PSone rendition was actually as good as I remember it. I don't think the ultimate goal of a sequel should be to force its fans to re-evaluate their feelings about the original.

Horrible battle system
The latest installment in the Star Ocean series has a battle system that's unreasonably tedious, insulting, badly-planned and frustrating. The concepts of "fury" and the "battle guage" were bad ideas that slow down the story to a crawl, debilitating your characters in any fight.

Here's how it works: After every single action you take in battle, your "fury" (or stamina) decreases. When your fury is low, your character just sits there panting or doubled over in exhaustion, leaving you vulnerable to being critically hit. I can see how that seems realistic with fighting, but how is that the case with short movement and using items?

Being vulnerable to attacks in this way wouldn't be so bad (after all, none of the battles for the first half of the game are challenging at all) if it didn't break down your battle gauge.

The only method of gaining experience (and thus growing more powerful) is bringing the battle gauge to 100% and gaining the experience bonus from it by initiating attacks in the first few moments of battle. But after all the time you put into raising the battle gauge (it can take hours), it breaks when the character is critically hit- when can happen when your fury is low.

So here's the typical scenario: spend a boring, mind-meltingly tedious amount of time raising the battle gauge in hopes of gaining a reasonable amount of experience. Achieve 100%, use an item, pant in exhaustion, get hit, and the gauge breaks. Repeat process.

The battle system takes away a good chunk of enjoyability from gameplay. Maybe next time, Square. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. PS2 (PSX2)    3. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    4. Playstation2 (Play station2)    5. Action    6. Adventure    7. Role Playing Games (rpg, rpgs)    8. Strategy (Strategic)   

Features

• Mini receiver plugs directly into console
• Experience the freedom to play anywhere you want and eliminate cable clutter in your living room
• Highly reliable 2.4 GHz radio-frequency technology delivers precise control with no lag and a range of 30 feet (10 meters)
• Smaller, lighter, more comfortable, and more familiar than other controllers
• Requires 2 AA batteries (included) to achieve 50+ hours of battery life with vibration on

Reviews (43)

Almost perfect!!
This is a great control, the batteries last long (I think even more than 50 hours without vibration) and it works almost perfect. I would have given a 5 star if the X bottom didn't stay pressed down (sometimes) when I am playing. Maybe is the logitech design that the X bottom doesn't work always right. The orignal ps2 control, in the right, the bottoms( square, triangle, circle and x) are on a flat surface and that's why it works great. But this logitech design, the surface is not flat that's why the bottoms don't work as good as the original ps2 control. They should design a better control, but with flat surface for the bottoms to make it as functional as the original ps2 control.

Best replacement controller - cordless or otherwise
I'm glad Logitech fixed the D-pad functionality with this new controller. I had an older (corded) Logitech controller where it was almost impossible not to generate a diagonal move when all you wanted was a pure up/down/left/right input. It made fighting games and even some shooting games impossible to play. Fortunately, this model doesn't suffer from that defect. The buttons and joysticks have a good crisp feel with slightly (and I mean very slightly) more dead space under the buttons than the standard Sony controller. By this I mean that fraction of a mm that you have to push down on the button before the plastic 'cap' engages with the sensor under the button is little bit bigger. I got used to making more definitive button pushes to adjust for this.

With the AA batteries in it, this unit has got pretty good heft. It's bigger size makes it more comfortable for adult hands than the stock Sony controller. The additional weight is actually a nice feature because the controller feels stable under my thumbs without my needing to squeeze as much with my other fingers. The plastic also has some texture to it (unlike the smooth, glossy plastic on the Sony controller) that also makes it easy to hold onto. Those two features mean less hand fatigue since you don't have the grip the controller so tightly which makes for very comfortable extended gaming sessions.

I've been using mine for about a month now and have never noticed any lag or glitchiness in its response. This is a great relief to me since the room is full of other wireless gizmos like cell phones, cordless phones (also 2.4GHz) and wireless routers. Works great with the 'shooter' type of games (SOCOM, Splinter Cell, etc.) that I like to play online. The first set of batteries (included) is still going strong even with the vibration function on. This is a great controller for the PS2.

Greatest Third Party Controller Made
I read these negative reviews on this controller, and I honestly wonder why theirs doesn't perform flawlessly like mine does. Us military guys are known to break everything and go through equipment like its nothing. I have yet to manage to break this controller or find a flaw. It's fallen from my desk countless times, I spilt a drink on it, even my rucksack fell off my bed and landed on it and there was no problem with it. As long as you maintain the batteries in it (50 hours should keep you goin for a while if you are a casual gamer, and if you're a hardcore gamer then you should be used to spending money). Another note to mention is not all wireless routers will interfere. My router is aprox. 6 inches away from my PS2 and still the controller functions as you would expect. If you need a controller don't waste time getting the sony dual shock when Logitech has a surperior pad. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. PS2 (PSX2)    3. Sony Playstation (Play station) 2    4. Playstation2 (Play station2)    5. Controller    6. Game Controllers (Controller, Joystick, Joysticks)