Holds true to Xcom for me - Player since '93 .
922072
This board game holds true to Xcom and will always be on my shelf.  I have played the games since '93 so i have a bias reaction to a making of a board-game itself.  The aspect people have bitched about since i pre-ordered it was how the combat isn't like the PC game; as being not the main focus.  This game adds all the aspects of the other 3 main tactics and decisions you had to make.  Whether it be sending your interceptors to take down UFO's over continents to choosing what technology to research.  Spending currency in this game is always tight, hence i love round 5,6&7 taking big downfalls in continent security to make sure your squads of soldiers can maybe ensure some alien Killings! .  Solo to 4 player this game crushes, and this comes from someone whose had it since release (years+ by now) :)  The app is brilliant, don't listen to morons who think the world will collapse tomorrow and you now can't play your game, hahah i think by then you would have bigger issues.  This is Eric Lang's best game for me; and i own a lot of his releases.
3067625
Those of you perusing the reviews herein surely have noticed mixed reactions to this game, to say the least.  I will describe my experience and you can judge for yourself.  Firstly, many people have described many problems with the game, anywhere from audio issues to bugs and random crashes.  I downloaded this game off of Steam because I felt that Steam would provide me with the most up to date version of this game with all patches and whatnot.  Basically may experience with this game has been flawless so far.  I have RealTek Audio like many others and have not noticed any problems.  The guns and sound effects sound great, like any other Call of Duty game. I also have not experienced any crashes or bugs and I have probably logged up to 10-15 hours of gameplay so far.  On to the game-

  One word I keep coming back to describe this game is 'visceral'.  The action is hectic and in your face.  Every moment is tense and keeps you on the edge of your seat.  There are many scenes and action set pieces that you don't see often in FPS shooters and they are done extremely well.  I have been around for a long time and have played every quality FPS I can think of, from Medal of Honor to previous Call of Duty, all 3 Halos, FEAR, STALKER, all Quakes, Dooms, Half-life, etc.  This game stacks up against all of those and is well worth the current cheaper prices on Amazon.  My computer is pretty middle of the road.  Here are my specs, and I have all settings on High, except no Anti-aliasing or Anisotropic filtering. (Still looks great and runs smooth as silk)
Processor AMD Athlon 3800 2 Ghz
Graphics card Nvidia GForce 8600 GT (only one)
RAM 2 gig  I have resolution set at 1680x 1050 with a 60 Hz refresh rate
This game also gets alot of flack because of DRM- I have no opinion on the topic and you must decide for yourself. I have no desire to get into a lengthy discussion on this topic. I have many DRM games and my system is fine.  'nuff said.
824827
I have been a fan of this game since the early 1990's when it came out.  It is the gameplay that stands out - it reminds me of playing Tecmo Super Bowl, but as a baseball game.  It's fun to jump and dive around on defense and the control feels fluid.  Batting seems a little broken with lots of pop ups but that's on the hardest difficulty and the CPU pitches well in that case.

I love playing 162 game seasons of the real teams (not the special teams with the silly pitches and hits).  Even though there are six AL teams and six NL teams, they are the real players with the real stats from 1990.  This makes the game in my opinion, to have a game this early with real rosters (well they have fake names but anyone with the internet can go to baseball-reference and see the 1990 rosters for those teams).

Currently running through a season with the Chicago White Sox, with a rookie Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas and Jack McDowell...Just brilliant gameplay, thanks again Culture Brain!  This game is still greater than all the newer junk they throw out there now that looks sexy but is clunky and lacks in gameplay and overall fun.
3476975
Sometimes I feel the urge to play an older game. I don't know, it's just that today some of the titles require such high-end stats and make you wade through more menus that I yearn for the days of old when games were just much more straightforward. In addition there's just not that many single-player games in production these days and I remember a time when it was the single-player mode that a game was rated by, multi-player being more of a novelty.
Mechwarrior II:Mercenaries is a reasonable translation of tabletop BattleTech to computer gaming. I say "reasonable" because there are finer nuances that have been altered to make the computer gaming experience more palatable. More on that in a second, let's give this game it's due. Building on the slightly older Mechwarrior II and expansion pack this game gave you the viewpoint of the Inner Sphere (IS) domains. Coincidentally most BattleTech players I've ever dealt with play IS in one form or another, and so the first Mechwarrior II, while pretty, seemed a little odd. No Mechwarror game since this one has covered the Clan Invasion of 3051 and it's a crying shame, more classic combat scenarios came out of that era than any other, hands down.
You start out as a mercenary commander (your CO blown away in the awesome, totally BattleTech inspired intro). Over the years you acquire better Mechs and weapon systems, salvage partially destroyed equipment (and even more Mechs), and spend your money wisely upgrading. You can also hire up to 2 Lance mates, although as a BattleTech purist I really would have liked to have had 3, a Lance being 4 Mechs in number. You can also hire a single Aerospace fighter or bomber pilot, flying the classic 3025 models (Stukas, Lucifers, Corsairs, and more). As the game progresses your stature and fame in the IS grows, until strange stories come from the Periphery of a marauding army of souped up Mechs destroying all in thier path. In one of the most memorable game sequences I ever played (ever, to this day) you escape with some Periphery pirates (common enemies make strange bedfellows, eh?) and flee in a stolen Pegasus Light Hovercraft to a perfectly taut soundtrack.
The cutscenes were wonderful and the game exudes pure BattleTech. The new Mercenaries captures a lot of the dynamics of running an independent mercenary company in the BT universe but just doesn't take it from this era, which is a shame.
This game, good as it is, still has some flaws. If you flip through your 3025 manuals you'll see most of the Mechs are here, save for a few notable ones like the Rifleman, Warhammer, Phoenix Hawk, and my favorite, the Hatchetman. My understanding is there is an ongoing licensing problem with some of these designs, basically carbon copied from the RoboTech universe. Weapons don't seem to do as much damage, but I understand that's a necessary evil of the design. On a tabletop the average life expectancy of some units isn't even a full minute, and so while you may expect to obliterate that unwary Commando with your AC20 in one shot it's a little dissappointing to see it take up to 3. Your Lance members oftentimes don't know where they're going, although admittedly they can hit thier targets. The vaunted Aerospace Pilot works for only a few missions and then simply ceases to work, simply hovering in place over the battlefield, regardless of how many times you tell him to attack. And I won't lie, there are a number of impossible missions that will have you scouring the web looking for invulnerability cheats, the first and foremost on my mind being the set of missions on the ice freighter.
This game was so good though, the soundtrack was absolutely incredible, the graphics for it's day were great, that I simply cannot give it anything less than 4 1/2 stars. My hat's off to FASA, Activision, and Hanse Davion. Miss ya bud!
2403436
Hello, I don't usually do reviews but I would like to clarify some facts so that people make a wise purchase of this game. Being the owner of this game on Xbox 360 (and owning 2142, BF3, BF Heroes, and Battefield Play 4 Free) I was highly optimistic about the quality of the game on PC. To make things short, the game meet all of my expectations and played just as well as the console version. The graphics are excellent, the audio superb, and the gameplay is just what you would expect from a Battlefield title with an incredible amount of teamwork in multiplayer. The only flaws in the game are that: Single Player is too generic/too short and after playing Battlefield 3 on the PC, the game sometimes feels like a console port considering it was orginally built for console. Also, some of the PC bindings have some delay when pressed and if your controls are not customed to your taste, the game doesn't feel as smooth as the more refined Battlefield 3.

Blah Blah Blah...The game runs fine on my Radeon 6770 and 4 gb of DDR2 Ram
As of the moment, the game still has plenty of people playing and unliked my beloved 2142, the game has life still in it even after the great BF3 migration.

IMPORTANTE: Although this can be activated as BFBC2 DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION on EA's Origin (renamed EA Game Downloader)you still have to activate the Limited Edition and Vietnam Expansion codes in the main screen. The only code you get is the original game itself as the promotion for the Free Vietnam was for ORIGIN PC PURCHASES ONLY. If you buy BFBC2 from Steam/Amazon/ETC and not Origin, you will not be able to get the Digital Deluxe Edition unlocks nor the Vietnam Expansion.
PS: I've tried to "trick" EA support into giving me Vietnam Codes by saying there was  "Glitch" and I did have Vietnam unlocked but everytime and method, they always responded "Where did you buy the game".
PSS: Vietnam is not WORTH IT as even in the peak hours in the weekend, there are 2-3 occupied servers with most of them located in Europe resulting in relatively High Ping.

----From your friend----
  xProlesx
1882529
Its okay. XCOM for PS3 was better, had more customization of the unit members, and better gameplay. I can recommend it for fans of the series who remember playing the original on the PC.
197525
I've spent a lot of time playing the PC version of this game. Even years after it's release, it still looks and plays beautifully.

The Mac version is no different, although you should really have a powerful Mac to enjoy it properly. I have a new 2011 MacBook Pro 13", a computer that is not known for it's GPU. As expected, I have to play the game at very low graphic settings to compete online.

For those who haven't played COD4, the single player campaign is over almost as soon as it begins. What's funny is that the storyline takes place in 2011 ([...]) so playing this game is a lot like buying a BMW 2002 in 2002. Seriously, very few people buy the COD games for their single player campaign. Think of it as an introduction to the multiplayer component. Definitely fun, but not worth the price alone.

The multiplayer component of COD4 is still one of the best available. The game has generated a Counter-Strike-like cult following, where even today there are hundreds to thousands of players actively fragging online. The maps are architected beautifully; and while daunting at first, they grow on you until you think that all other COD games pale in comparison.

There is much more to the multiplayer component than the live action. Each player has a ranking that is promoted via experience points. By winning online matches, achieving goals and killing others, weapons and perks are unlocked. Players can then build custom classes to create their ideal combination of weapons and perks.

I love COD4. I definitely recommend it, even with the upcoming release of COD MW3 expected later in the year.

One thing to note: it is very difficult if not impossible to migrate your PC profile to the Mac version. Profiles are tied to the CD key of the original game and they get "corrupted" if you try to migrate them to another key.
4199949
I Tried this game about a year ago and have been hooked ever since. As far as improvements there have been several patches for it as of now (3/20/04). Yes, your AI can be stupid but apart from a few situations its all good because this game was written for YOU to do most of the work, not the AI.The Jungles r pretty realistic for computer generated foilage. Everything from stealth missions to tunnel clearing to ridiculous fire fights. The Multiplayer is SICK! Definately the best I have Played ( I have Counter-Strike, Medal of Honor, Etc. ) The Fist Alpha Expansion came out recently and improves even more. Even without the Expansion you can still play on the new patch v1.60 and Fist Alpha players can play with you. Look at the Vietcong-Game website for More Info and Demo of both the orig and Fist Alpha. My Favorite game for my Xp computer.
4031368
Wanted to give this game a try for I never played an XCOM game. So I gave it a shot because I like strategy. Then I bought XCOM 2 and will buy another XCOM game. One of the best strategy games EVER made. If you are a fun of games this is a must buy even if you don't like strategy.
717238
Turn based strategy games are not for everyone, but I can definitely say that XCOM has broken out of that stereotype and offers a little something for everyone. As a fan of the original game, I was excited when I got the opportunity to play the demo. After that, I was hooked and needed to have the game.

XCOM is a fun yet challenging turn based strategy game. The management of your research, engineering, special forces and technology are well laid out and intuitive. The combat phases are exciting and quickly ramp up in difficulty as your forces improve. I especially like the cinematic sequences when finishing off opposing forces.

I would have given the game a rating of 5 starts but I found the campaign mode to be a little repetitive at times, sort of like one would experience playing the original Halo. I also didn't not explore the online experience much but the fees games I did okay were fun.
4028894
Call of Duty 2 takes place more than half a century in the past during World War II. It is about as close as you can come to being there using today's commonly available technology. I played on a crappy 19'" color TV provided by the military, so I didn't get the full experience.

I plan to play through the single player campaigns again when I get home. The game is that engrossing.

You start off the single player campaign as a Russian private and you're thrown into battle almost immediately after a very short shooting and grenade tossing lesson.

Everything about Call of Duty 2 is scripted. It's so well scripted though, that I often felt as if the soldiers around me were actually thinking and breathing. Part of this effect is created by the game's amazing graphics engine; which allows you to see the frost rising as men breathe in and out in the cold Russian winter. The sounds of battle are ultrarealistic as well. The troops around you talk and you hear radio chatter that give you hints about what is going on as well as explicit instructions.

Back to the scripting though. At one point in the game, I found myself out of the action, because I'd wandered backwards through the scripted sequences into an area where the action was already over. The game's sense of "aliveness" had completely died. Everything felt static and two-dimensional. As soon as I hit an invisible map line, the chatter and living war environment picked right back up.

As you play through Call of Duty 2, you'll find yourself playing the role of sniper, machine gunner, grenade lobber, tank driver and explosives expert in a variety of stunningly rendered environments.

Overall, the environments and the storyline are superb. From the beginning campaign in the dead of Russian winter to the final climatic scenes storming German fortified positions in France, you'll die many times and watch those around you dying too. Until we have a Star Trek holodeck to play with, this is about as close as you can get to real war without losing the reset button. Trust me, the reset button in a good thing. War is a sobering experience.

If you're a World War II history buff and action shooter junkie, or either one, this game is for you.
3913654
As I'm a bit low on funds at the moment, I decided to hold off on new game purchases and started reinstalling some of the older games in my "library" - Bioshock was one of those titles. As I write this review, nearly three years have passed since the release of Bioshock. Dozens of shooters have been released in that time, several of which I've played, and Bioshock itself has a sequel on store shelves (which I've not yet played). So, three years later what's the verdict?

If anything, time has proven that Bioshock was not just another hyped-up title. It truly was, and remains to this day, a great achievement in gaming. It's not that it was particularly challenging or even revolutionary. The "plasmids" concept had been done, in different forms, by games before (Deus Ex's implant powers, for example) and even the hardest setting had few, if any, nearly impossible stretches. What set Bioshock apart back then, and which still makes it so engrossing today, is the depth and detail of the city of Rapture and the excellent story and characters.

Sure, the graphics will eventually show their age, and the concept will be redone and reworked by various sequels and knock-offs, but Bioshock has earned a place among other milestone shooters like Doom and Half-life. Definitely worth picking up now that the price is coming down a bit or if you waited to upgrade your computer to get the full effect of the graphics.
3973057
Battlezone II may be an older game, but it's still one of the better games that I've played. A mixture of FPS (first person shooter, not frames per second) and RTS (real time strategy), this game can be addicting in both ways.
 The story of the single player mode is very good, and the game allows you to make decisions that add re playability to the game.
 While the multi player mode only supports up to four players, it's still highly enjoyable. The tactical options are endless, and the thrill of seeing and defeating your human opponent's personally crafted defenses is highly rewarding.
 The game is slightly older, so the graphics aren't pushing the current technology, but the game is so good that it more than makes up for anything that technology couldn't do at the time it came out.
377267
Been XCom fan since XCom 1 in the 90s.  This is probably my favorite XBox game of all time.  I was really frustrated at first.  When starting off, your soldiers die often.  You'll be pulling your hair out!  Just be patient, once you get your upgrades, missions are extremely fun.  I highly recommend this game.
1557499
Hmmmm... I've just clicked "4 stars" for this review, but I'm umming and ahhing over whether or not it should be 3.

Grrrrr... OK, I've changed it to 3.

I've been a big fan of the X-COM series since 1994, when, as a stupid child, I would while away hours staring at the back of UFO: Enemy Unknown's big cardboard box in a department store. That game (a year later when I actually got it) was my introduction to turn-based tactical combat (although Civ 2 had already broken my strategy hymen). So it was crushing when XCOM: Alliance was cancelled (even after the relative disappointment of XCOM: Apocalypse).

So I was pleased to fire up The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and find a smooth, playable, third-person shooter with an interesting aesthetic twist.

Actually... I'll just change that back to 4 stars.

The setting isn't quite used to full effect as it is in games like Mafia 2, but it still sets the game apart from other similar titles, like Gears of War.

Ugh. And I didn't like Gears of War. Back to 3 stars.

Yes, it's basically a cover-shooter, but there are some interesting twists in the gameplay mechanics. Well, not THAT interesting. But, without wishing to spoil anything, they add variety to the solid gameplay, and the story does keep rolling forwards at a surprisingly good pace.

Hmmm. OK, 4 stars.

The difficulty is pleasantly challenging, too (whatever hardest setting was available at the start was what I used) - I think that any easier would have been too easy, really - EXCEPT FOR ONE BIT. There is one timed section of the game that I had to retry several times, and without my DLC Plasma Pistol, I really don't think it could have even been possible. Really. Which is a shame, as that encounter aside, the difficulty was pitched very well.

Hnnnngh? Down to 3 stars again...? No, I'll leave it at 4 stars - but with the caveat that this game is NOT a ground-breaking game like the original UFO, nor is it a fantastic refinement like the recent XCOM: Enemy Unknown (+ Enemy Within). It's not a classic like Dark Souls, nor is it a deep, engaging RPG like The Witcher 3. It's a decent cover-shooter with a good plot and solid gameplay, and if you can get it for $5, it's worth installing.
2888642
This is simply the best space shooter I have ever played.  I was surprised to see how old the game was after witnessing the graphics.  Of coarse the graphics aren't the best now... but if you think of when the game was released (probably back in 2001 or 2002), it's pretty impressive.  I also enjoy the plot and the Newtonian physics.  I like how the game allows you to "free-fly", in other  words, stray from the mission.  You don't have to do a mission that you just received right away, you can go pirate some cargo to get stuff to trade for more equipment or whatever.  Overall, awesome game!!!

Though this game is great, I did have some of the same problems that I have read in other peoples' reviews.  When I was using my Windows Vista machine I had compatibility issues with the graphics card (something about needing a Nvidia graphics card) that allowed me to install the game but did not let me play it.  But since I have switched to Windows 7, I haven't had that issue (I still have some glitch that won't let me complete a mission but it's probably just my machine).

If you wish to avoid glitches and compatibility issues, I believe Windows XP is best platform for this game.  I don't recall having any problems when I was running it on a XP machine.  Remember that the game is "old" and may require "old" hardware to accommodate it.
1760574
This is the first game that I have ever immediately gone back to the beginning and played it through one more time. Like the headline says, previous XCOM players will find this to be an excellent continuation to the series.  For first timers, the turn-based system at first may seem to slow things down from standard action or shooter games, but it brings the strategy to the forefront. While I like running around blowing stuff up as much as the next guy, there is great satisfaction in this game in trying to figure out the best plan to bring all of your squad home in one piece.