I want to like this game more than I do
359112
Bora Bora has a lot going for it: beautiful design, lots of decision-making, well-scaled two-player rules, and interesting mechanics.  And yet, my husband and I just can't work up much enthusiasm over it, despite having played at least half a dozen times.

It's hard to pinpoint what exactly we don't like about Bora Bora.  One issue is that while it's complex, it's not very cohesive.  Now, we enjoy a nice complex game -- we play Castles of Burgundy, Twilight Struggle, and Agricola (in the original German, for an added challenge).  But in those games, all the different parts enhance each other and round out the game, like the different positions and formations and penalty rules in soccer.  Bora Bora is more of a decathlon, if you gather my drift.  The parts of Bora Bora do balance well (it's not a broken game) but the effect is linear rather than multiplicative, as if the game designer just kept adding things to balance it rather than adjusting any core mechanics.

The second big problem is that Bora Bora has little sense of journey.  I don't mean traveling around the island a la Ticket to Ride -- I'm referring to that satisfying feeling in a game when you carve out a strategy and accomplish more things towards the end of the game.  Usually by the third time I've played a game I can see where the designer is guiding me.  For instance, in Castles of Burgundy, you can work towards early or big completions, you can sell lots of goods, you can build up end-of-game bonuses, you can become a chicken farmer... there are many options.  Bora Bora is so scrupulously balanced that I feel like no action is better at a given time than any other action, because you need to do everything to get ahead (want to buy jewelry in Bora Bora?  Well, you'll have to upgrade your woman to get shells, which means you need to get a woman, which means you need to clear a space on your board.  So now it's taken you 3 actions -- a whole turn! -- just to buy a bracelet.  Yes, you can get shells singly by other means, but those also are time-consuming).  I don't feel any more in control by the end of the game than I did at the beginning.

And on reflection, I think that's the problem with Bora Bora: it sinks under the weight of all its checks and balances.  Usually it's the opposite problem with a game.  The only other game I can think of where I had that complaint was Le Havre (so if you thought Le Havre was great, you can probably buy Bora Bora with confidence).
2078631
The concept of this game is awesome.  It's an industry first on such a massive scale of a procedural generated world.  It's an indie game made by a company of 15 people.  So that's all great.  I hope a big triple-A studio takes this concept and makes a truly amazing game.  I think $60 was overpriced, and personally I'd rather have custom-made areas that are tailored to the gamer...  but the concept of having the computer generate a massive world is worth me supporting it, so I bought it and don't regret it and hope the industry uses this technology to flesh out some really awesome titles.  However, this isn't one of those truly awesome titles.  It's a good game, I had fun, but each of the 18 Quintilian worlds are similar enough to each other that I'm probably done playing it after two weeks.  There's a huge unexplored world out there, but I'm probably done exploring it.  It was cool, thank god there are so many game breaking glitches that let you cheat the economy, because without those this would have been one hell of a grind to farm and mine everything so often.  The game isn't very challenging, but it is beautiful, and I really enjoyed the space starship battles.
32500
While I wanted to like and support this game due to it being a niche product and something different from the norm, in the end it all comes down to how fun and well-crafted it is. And in the end, it isn't very much of either.

This game seemed to have a lot of potential, taking something from the Tycoon type games, where you have to create and sell a product, manage your funds, and so on, plus taking something from Harvest Moon type games where you add a more human element, talking to neighbors and trying to befriend people.

Where it falls down is how well these are implemented - in this case, poorly. While it's a bit interesting at the start to try to learn the ropes and manage your funds to keep from going bankrupt, and also a bit fun to find and unlock the various toy types, soon enough the game devolves into a boring grindfest of pressing the four directions on the D-Pad of the DS to try to make toys as quickly as possible, and pretty much nothing else. You can occasionally go out into the town to talk to people, but barring a very few, fairly obvious interactions where you get specific new toy blueprints, the people say the very same things day in, day out, and none of them are really interesting. The number of individual NPCs is very limited, and there's not really much to do in the end besides... make toys, in a very boring badly implemented mini-game.

So while I really wanted to enjoy this game a lot, and I think it had some potential and some grains of fun buried underneath, I wouldn't suggest it for everyone, or even most people. Maybe if they try to *really* polish it hard and release a sequel there can be something there worth playing, but for now, I'd give it a pass.
3339481
First off, this game has great looking scenery, and realistic landscapes which gives it a great overall look and feel.  Second, the voice acting is also terrific and draws you into the game, and gives it a very naturalistic feel.  Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is not as well executed.  The individual missions are pretty similar, and there's not much incentive to accomplish them since you aren't really trying to accomplish any goal that you're aware of at least.  There are some vague allusions to fame and redemptive characteristics that you're trying to build up, but no really exciting weapons or other goals that you're trying to accomplish.  The individual missions are disjointed, and at least the first fifteen or so that I've played left me sort of empty after completing them.  In fact, several times I wasn't sure that I'd even completed a task because there was no narrative afterwards indicating what i'd done.  There isn't much interaction available with your surroundings -- you can't talk to anyone, or do much except shoot them or tie them up with your rope.

The worst part of the game though is the sparse map with large expanses that you need to travel alone on your horse in order to get to the next mission.  I feel like most of the game is spent with the "A" button held down so my horse keeps galloping through the empty plains.  I'm going to keep playing a little longer to see if there's anything else worth doing, but so far (after about 20 hours) I'm pretty disappointed and bored.
30893
Kinda confusing, though I like the concept.  Maybe I'm not smart enough for this game,  :)
1533488
Its an outstanding concept in cooperative gaming, but I just don't find myself having that much fun with it repeatedly.  A strong memory is key if you want to enjoy this I feel
3370172
It's a little overwhelming for a casual gamer who can't devote their every waking hour to this game. I guess it's not the fault of the game but I can't get into it with the limited free time I have as a contributing member of society.
4352857
I have enjoyed spending hours playing this game.  A couple of things that I wished it had, or maybe is has but I have not found it yet.  1. A list somewhere of what you need to accomplish at each stage. Sometimes I forget the objectives and just have to play along trying to keep from getting overthrown until that happens or it says I won.  Would be nice to see that I need to do 1,2,3, 4, etc. 2. There needs to be a 'kill switch' to escape and 'nuke' the island.  Yeah, I know, I can go to the menu and restart.  3. It would be nice if there was a bank I could borrow some money rather than just printing more.  4. Having to set up speeches is a pain.  Wish there was a simple choice to select from a list of various promises and 'one click' it.
I have learned that you cannot always be a 'nice guy', be pro-USA, and hate the Communist if you are going to win.  I don't like this but I don't have to play the game either.  I have only made it to 11 but it is a blast.
2590922
I bought this game when it first came out, expecting to be able to just jump into dozens of arenas, handle a huge arsenal of the usual weapons, and enjoy some good split-screen deathmatch after tiring of Halo. (I don't have Xbox Live, so shoppers needing details on that should look elsewhere in these reviews).
My first reaction was disappointment. It is complicated to set up a character and to figure out how to play splitscreen. Most of this is due to a patchy instruction manual. The action was also very frenetic, almost too chaotic for me after months of playing the more moderately paced Halo. The graphics were pretty good, but I'd heard only glowing things about the characters and maps, and it just didn't look that good to me. Most disappointingly was a seeming lack of cool arenas for deathmatch -- only about eight or so. I wasn't interested in playing the other game styles, like capture the flag, double domination, and bombing run. I would have only given the game about three stars based on that experience.
That's where my mistake lay. I recently launched into the single player mode, which takes you through all the various kinds of matches. To my surprise, I discovered they are much more fun than I had imagined. There are seven or eight different arenas for each kind of match, and the outdoor ones really shine. Also, in the full-screen single-player mode, the graphics rock. The textures, detail and colors are great, and easy beat Halo in my estimate. I've also gotten a chance to get used to the weapons, and when you learn the ins and outs of them, it becomes fun to frag opponents in new and inventive ways.
A couple complaints still remain. It is hard to tell some of the weapons apart, so sometimes I'm not sure what I'm using until I fire it a couple times. And I still haven't fully masterd the arsenal yet -- it shouldn't be this hard to get a handle on the weapons. Though I may just be dense, I haven't fully figured out the health/shield/adrenaline power ups. I just pick up every power up I see, but don't really have a sense of how they are applied.
I wish I could play this on Xbox Live -- the awesome full-screen single player experience really makes me pine for some live opponents and teammates. But as a standalone shooter it actually plays a lot better than I orginally thought.
4580611
With the right people you have a blast even with bad players some times, It can be repetitive but I barely notices it since I am having fun. I do agree the game is too expensive when it more of a free to play kind of game.
Little to no story line you have to unlock things, not to mention cash shop its not pay to win but still.... I had my share of fun
But we know this game is not worth the price.
2579443
This game is fun to start, but not fun to finish...  It's too much "reading" on the screen.  Dungeon Siege is much funner.
3122730
I want to like The New Era a lot more than I do. The theme is great, and the gameplay feels like a rough approximation of a real-time strategy PC game (though this is of course turn-based). Each of the factions has certain strengths that can alter your overall strategy, but the luck of the draw ultimately decides what each player is able to focus on in order to win. However, the game is bogged down by what seems to be a poor translation of the original Polish rules, with many terms that are similar to each other but mean distinctly different things, some unclear examples that confuse as often as they answer, and a ton of symbols that you need to either memorize or have a cheat sheet readily available to avoid bringing the game to a standstill every turn.

The actual pieces of the game are well-made, though there are some odd design choices to note as well. The cards are sturdy enough for the amount of shuffling that goes on in the game (once per game, at the start), and the cardboard tokens are not flimsy. However, the resources are all wooden cylinders - except for the "wildcard" resource, which is a cardboard token the same size and shape as the faction tokens. Those faction tokens, notably, are too large to fit on the spaces of the scoring track, which also acts as the quick-reference guide to the game. Since you have pieces sitting on the outer edge of that sheet as soon as the game begins, your provided quick reference isn't very mobile during the time that you would actually need it.

Most of the problems of The New Era can be mitigated by finding third-party rules summaries and cheat sheets for the symbols, so if the theme interests you enough to put in some extra work, this can be very enjoyable. Don't expect a good time straight out of the box, though.
3635243
Compared to other games of this nature, this one is fun to play but leaves you wanting for something more... some reviewers say the expansions, which I have not tried, bring more depth to the game.  As for me, this game just lacked some depth on the strategy side and some new players that I have tried to introduce it to got a little board from trying to learn about all the races and modifiers... so it takes a couple games to get used to the gameflow.
4144376
The game in itself is cute and entertaining. It does well in suggesting challenges to get moving and actually thinking about what you're eating, but it has definite room for improvement.

I was aghast when it told me I was in a healthy BMI range. I know from experience that I'm healthiest and at my fittest weighing 30lbs less than I do now, so I had to actually lie to the game to make it suggest weight loss goals to me. I had to tell the game I was 30lbs heavier than I am, and 2 inches shorter. I don't think a game should decide for you if you should lose or maintain weight; that should be a personal decision and you should be able to adjust goals accordingly.

The way of keeping track of calories is pretty cute, selecting options from a list and feeding your little avatar person. What I don't like about it, is that the calorie content of the options is very generalized, estimating calorie content for the different food options. I'd like to be able to enter in my own calories if it differs from what it presented. Also, I wish there was an option to judge your diet based on nutrition and healthy choices, not just calorie counting.

I've had the game for about 3 days now, and it really isn't bad for being the first one like this on the DS. It's not as comprehensive as I'd hoped, but it's good for what it is. I agree with the other review that said they should release a second one with more customization options.
2251920
I had the Division pre-ordered for months.  It was the game to which I was looking forward the most.  The idea of a third-person shooter in a pandemic-stricken New York was very appealing to me.  After a week of playing it every night, I have developed some opinions of it that are both great and disappointing.

The Division is an MMO.  You can play solo or match up with other players.  For most missions, it behooves you to go at them with a team.  Going at it alone can be a daunting task that typically ends badly for you.  It operates as sort of a role-playing game as you can customize your player by picking up loot, purchasing armor, weapons, etc. as well as upgrading abilities as you gain experience.  I really like this aspect of the game.  It's a large sandbox with certain areas being higher or lower in difficulty.  The representation of the city is excellent.  Even though, it is perpetually winter.  Controls are spot-on for a third person shooter.  Snapping into and moving along cover is easy and just feels right.  Movement, shooting, switching weapons, etc. all feels right and are mapped to the controller perfectly.

If the Division were an offline game, I'd give it 5 stars.  Yet, here we are.  Not that I dislike online only games.  Destiny is a fantastic MMO that I've put countless hours into and have nothing but good things to say about.  The Division falls short of Destiny's level.  Why?  Let's start with my first and largest complaint: SERVER ISSUES.  I have an extremely fast internet service and have never had any problems playing online games such as Destiny.  After one week with the Division, I have experienced a ton of problems.  For example, lags.  I could be in the middle of a firefight, just for my weapon to suddenly stop firing and enemies stop taking damage, although I would continue to get hit.  A few seconds later, the server catches up, the damage applies to the enemy and my weapon fires again.  This happens VERY frequently and it's very annoying.  Another issue I've experienced is waiting for matchmaking to load, just to be kicked out and returned to my last safe house (which could be considerably far away from the mission I was trying to play, causing me to fight my way all the way back).  Annoying.  Now, these complaints may sound trivial, but after happening over and over again, it really takes away from the enjoyment of the game.

The other gripe I have is the effectiveness of your weapons (or the constitution of the enemies).  You can literally fill an enemy will 2-3 full clips of ammo before he or she falls.  Head shots are not even instant kills.  It seems sort of stupid that I can line up a head shot with my high-powered sniper rifle, land the shot and the guy simply moves to cover.  What's the point of having a sniper rifle if I can't pick off enemies from a distance?  It's really best to simply load up a heavy machine gun and unload on enemies.  While it's true that lower level enemies eventually fall much faster as you level up, I still feel there needs to be more emphasis on the effects of your weaponry.  Again, maybe a trivial complaint, but just wait until you're playing a tough mission, and you've filled a boss with about 300 rounds, he doesn't fall and ends up ending you easily with a blowtorch.  You will be annoyed, I promise you.

Complaints aside, this really is a very good game.  Hopefully, Ubisoft will release a patch that addresses them.  If they do, this game would be elevated from very good to great in my opinion.  For as much time as you can put into this game, it's very much worth the $60.00.  However, the season pass is being peddled for $40 (really, Ubisoft?).  I will be waiting for the season pass price to come down some before considering it.
1776751
I want to say a lot about this, but I really don't want to at the same time.  Just know that this was one of my favorite games, and this version is even better.
331401
I loved the first Dead Rising and though it was a great game despite the flawed save system. Dead Rising 2 has improved on the first games system, removed the photography element but lost much of the story and plot along the way. There is a story here with the heart pulling need for the character to keep his daughter supplied with the medicine to keep her from turning into a zombie, but I just didn't find myself caring much. The plot of the game was also sort of out there even for a game where there is a game show about killing zombies. I wanted to love this game as much as the first but I think the time had just passed for me. The elements are all there, lots of cool outfits and weapons, tons of zombies, a more forgiving save system and story counter, but I just had a hard time getting into it. I applaud the downloadable content to expand the story that is available for this game. It helps to add some much needed story and to keep the game alive and somewhat fresh while waiting for the next installment.