A Solid Game for Gamers
588014
The game is unbelievable; simple as that. The storyline is rather intriguing how it is from a perspective other than Dante's, but it keeps Dante in the picture rather well as the story progresses. At first, it seems like Nero is an immature punk who is possessed with demonic power; as the story unravels, we learn that this is not the case. He does have a human side, and he does care, and he wants to know the truth. The mechanics of the game are awesome; thankfully, I purchased the XBOX 360 controller for PC and used that. This was the first Devil May Cry game that did not use pre-rendered scenes, nor were its movies pre-rendered either. This was able to push the graphics to a whole new level, especially with my Geforce 8800 GTS. The game never once glitched or stalled; the porting of it from console to PC seems flawless. I also liked the option to choose either DirectX 9 or 10 for Vista users (I always used 10, naturally). The soundtrack fit the game perfectly; the hard rock and industrial sounds gave it an edge. The game is split into two segments; the first part is Nero's perspective, while the second half is Dante's. When Nero is rendered helpless and needs rescuing, the player takes on the role of Dante and saves the day. Dante's part, unfortunately, is a little redundant, as we are forced to backtrack and cover the same ground that Nero had already covered. I think Capcom believed that this wouldn't bother some of us as Dante's mechanics and weapon usage are slightly different from Nero's. This part was boring to me, as I grew to like Nero's weapons and moves, and found myself disliking Dante's; this issue may have been due to the fact that Nero's moves and weapons were fresh and different from the traditional ones we've seen in the previous Devil May Cry games, while Dante's moves and weapons bring us back to those moments. The game ends well, and as always, it leaves it open for another future sequel. The replay value is addicting; the survivor mode has me coming back for more, and the weapon upgrades make the game much easier when used from the beginning. It can be rather irritating in the harder modes when a mob kills you and you have to start the zone from the very beginning, which could've taken you at least 10-15 minutes to get that far (there comes a part where resurrection orbs get expensive). All-in-all, it is money well spent; I'm not sure how the game functions without the XBOX 360 controller, but I can't imagine playing the game without it. I give the game a perfect 5/5 because any game that can keep my attention for hours at a time, and not bore me, is worthy of having such a score.
2717557
Unreal Tournament 2003 is the sequel to a fabulous game, Unreal Tournament. Unfortunately, Unreal Tournament isn't as ground-breaking and as great as its predecessor, but it is still a good game. Epic Games/Infoframes decided to take a sports approach to the revived version of Unreal Tournament which made me skeptical about the game initially. As I predicted, this new approach was its downfall.
First, let us discuss the graphics and physics. Quite frankly, they are stunning. The Unreal engine is most definitely the best graphics engine out there, and delivers the best graphics I've seen. The physics are also great. The damage modeling kits are almost perfected, as arms fly off when hit there. A blast from a flak cannon will leave just a torso, which is satisfying to blood-thirsty gamers like myself. Bodies will bounce on the ground when dead, which gives a realistic feel as opposed to the bodies being stiff as a board.
The sound is one of the worst aspects of the game. Since the game is taking a sports approach, there is an in-game announcer. After the first few battles, he annoyed me so much, I was forced to off the sound, and play some of my music. Also, when a teammate tries to send you a voice message, its hard to tell who it was from. This is because of the sloppy game interface (or HUD). Nothing is labeled, and it takes a while to get used to it.
The game is pretty much squad-based deathmatch, so you aren't expecting revolutionary gameplay, but after beating the single-player game in (and I'm not kidding) in just 3 hours, you are left with somewhat monotonous skirmishes/multiplayer modes. Despite its shallow gameplay and other problems, it (for some reason) is a good game, and satisfied me.
3041359
Like many others have said, this game is truly better as a whole than its parts. Still, some state that the
puzzler is mediocre as well as the action: nothing further from the true. As a platformer, Henry is a very capable title, with a lot off depth: Some jumps require very good timing, others that you stand on the very edge; you can customize the health and several aspects of the gameplay buying upgrades, you acquire several apparels that ease (a bit) the difficulty, given a certain amount of energy, you suit up as a robot, and so on. The puzzler is good, and it gets more difficult as you progress (as well as the action). The first 3 worlds are a breeze, but then difficulty really ramps up, which might turn some people off, but I welcome the challenge. Also, there are some 12 hidden levels (with no enemies, just to do some gem grabbing).

The gameplay is in the same vein as Puzzle Quest 1 and 2 (excellent games, both).

The music is catchy and changes according the action. From level to level there are some variations. Also the graphics are, overall, more than OK. Nothing snazzy, but clear and colorful.

For me it is a solid 8.5 out of 10, specially considering the price (20 new and about 12 used like new).
2819757
This is a good solid shooter, with a decent story campaign. Sadly the single player campaign is only about 6-7 hours long for most people, and this just never justifies more than a $20 price for me.

The controls are alright, I would suggest remapping some of the buttons to match that of other mainstream shooters, like tap for scope which I turned to hold. The speed of the x/y axis take a few minutes to get used to but don't let it turn you off.

Over all its great fun, even if it is a little short.
1762967
This is a fun game.  It plays much like god of war, and the ability to mix in magic is awesome.  The graphics are not that great, they are OK.  The storyline is solid, the characters are good, and the voice acting is decent.  The only problem I have with the game is that there is no compass or directional mission help of any kind.  I get lost or go in circles too much.  The cut scenes are actually pretty cool, and they fit the game well.  This game will not change the gaming world, but it is fun to play.  It's not perfect, but it is a lot better than what most magazines give it credit for.
1250683
A lot of fun. This game is complex enough for serious gamers to enjoy, but approachable enough that novice/non-gamers can jump in and have fun.
I strongly recommend it.
1095329
This game is a pretty dang good game. I'm in the US Army and I know my weaponry and equipment very well. The weapons are very well balanced and the unlockable weapons are not a lot better. Like the G3 replaces the M203 for US Assault class. I like the M203 better because of the underslung 40mm grenade launcher and the little extra power and smaller clip just aren't worth it.

The vehicles are pretty well balanced though it seems like the Main Battle Tanks are a little weak and a lack of any real good mobile anit-aircraft for infantry.

The bugs can be lived with. I have a $1200 Hp desktop from a year ago that my parents bought me and a cheap 9600 radeon graphics card and I can still run it with damn good graphics.

People complaining that you have to play for countless hours in order to get good and have fun is bullshet. I have only been playing online games for a year and a half now. My brother has been playing constantly since the very first Multiplayer games like Mechwarrior 2. I kick his [...] at this game. In fact I usually finish in the top 5 every game I play and I don't play that much.

This is a good and realistic game. Realistic within reason as the playing field has to be decently level. If you like games at all this is a good one. The only bit of advice I have for it though is to try new things online. I rarely try the same tactic more than twice in the same game and this keeps people guessing and keeps the game fun for everyone, and don't think of it being high end as extending the period of time over which the game will sell, but as extending the period of time that the game will remain popular and fun.

And five stars once the new patch comes out.
4960618
The prototypical third-person cover shooter, "Gears of War 2" is a solid rush of now-standard gameplay conventions and action movie dialogue. It has its charms, and is a pretty solid game, but isn't without its problems.

GoW2 operates under the same basic principles as the first game: you play as a bulky space marine, using cover-shooter mechanics to carve through waves of enemy monsters. Most shooting is either done "blind" (shooting from behind cover) or popping out and shooting. Like in the first game, there are a few things that separate it from other cover shooters. The first of these is the "active reload" system, where timing your reload properly allows you to do it faster or even improve the damage of your next magazine. The second is melee combat, most famously the "chainsaw bayonets" mounted on the standard assault rifle. However, for the most part GoW2's combat is formulaic, like the first.

There are a few new weapons to spice things up, though. These include a gatling gun (that must be mounted on cover and cranked to fire) and a mortar launcher (good at distances, but less so at close range). The action is intense and fast-paced, but the main issue is that even with varying weapons, you're still basically doing the same cover routine over and over and over. There are a few sequences to break up the monotony, but they don't disguise the fact that the main game is kind of simplistic.

Multiplayer is one of the game's strongest points. There are basically three kinds: cooperative, competitive, and horde mode. Cooperative refers to the ability to play through the campaign with multiple players. It's simplistic, but fun. Competitive refers to the standard set of multiplayer modes - deathmatch, capture-the-flag, etc. Horde mode is an expansion of cooperative mode that allows up to five players to try to survive against waves of enemies. It's probably the most interesting mode, and allows for the most strategic options (figuring out where to hole up, setting traps and killzones, etc).

The game's production values are good. It's visually exciting, if a bit repetitive. The guns sound neat, and there's certainly nothing more ominous than the revving of the aforementioned chainsaw-bayonets. Gears of War 2 is most fun as a multiplayer game - it's the kind of game where you can get some friends together and play all afternoon. As mentioned, it gets kind of repetitive, but the multiplayer experience is enough to overcome that.

Rating: 8/10.

We purchased this game with our own funds from a game store.
1530283
This game is all about action, and it has a highly addictive combat system; which is based in the numerous weapons that Ryu can hold. The single player campaign is polished, and the huge amount of mid-boss and bosses is a very nice touch for this genre. Despite the fact that the PS3 version has less blood and gore, it shouldn't be a detriment for not considering this game, especially if you have never played the Xbox 360 version.

Sigma 2 has a co-op multiplayer that in a brochure sounds wonderful, but for some reason the speed connection is very slow, and it can get to a point that it's unplayable. I've played other multiplayer games and have never experienced the lagging that this game has; I really had fun with this game even with its flaws, and would recommend to anyone that enjoys games like God of War and Devil May Cry.
1418564
I originally passed over this game when it came out because I figured it was just another Call of Duty clone.  Turns out, I was wrong.  This game avoids what I consider the two main flaws of CoD.  Those are 1) an incoherent story, and 2) chaotic gameplay.

Spec Ops' story explores the darker side of war.  The line (as implied by the title) between good and evil, right and wrong, is not always so clear cut.  You (and the character you play) will second guess your decisions, and wonder if you made the right one on a couple of occasions.  Tension also builds among your squad as each has his own opinion on what you should have done.  The story also explores how this morally ambiguous situations affect a soldier's psyche.

The gameplay is a solid cover-based third-personsed shooter, sort of like Gears of War.  I played on the default difficulty, and found it just challenging enough, though there were a couple spots where the difficulty spiked.  The use of a cover-based system helps to slow the action down a little bit, so you can try to use a little bit of strategy.  This is a welcome change from the chaos of a CoD fire fight, where I'd be getting shot by enemies I couldn't even find.  The gameplay doesn't really do anything innovative, but it is very solid, and works the way you think it should.

The graphics are great, in my opinion, but not because they do anything technically amazing.  The game has the advantage of being set in a unique environment, so seeing giant sky scrapers half-buried in sand is a sight you won't see anywhere else.  There's also skillful use of lighting, and elements of the game's story used to create some slightly disturbing, but interesting scenes.

The game is fairly short, coming in  at 6 hours, according to my Steam account, but it felt just about the perfect length for the game.  Any more, and it probably would have started to feel stale.

If you buy this game, I recommend activating the CD key (which is in the email you receive) on Steam.  Amazon's downloader estimated that it would take about 6 hours to download the game.  When I activated and downloaded it on Steam, it took about 25 minutes.
1211641
Binary Domain certainly has its faults (the dreadful cover art is definitely one of them), but it feels more original than many games I've played. I'm honestly not a huge Third Person Shooter fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed Binary Domain. With many TPS the controls feel clunky, but Binary Domain's controls feel quick, fluid, and natural.

The gameplay is rock solid. The sound of metal on metal as your rounds splinter off android armor is satisfying. Annoyed that some video games take half a dozen shots to take down a human enemy? Well in this game every bullet counts as you'll peel off enemy android armor depending on where you place your shots. You also get more money for head shots, type of enemy, etc. in which you can use to buy upgrades. The battling never gets old. There are plenty of boss battles, quicktime events, etc. that keep the game varied.

A thrilling story that initially seems bland like most games, but as it progresses it propels into one that Sci-Fi greats like Isaac Asimov would appreciate. The setting/environments are definitely above average. The entire atmosphere of the game is one that adds to its quality. One thing this game does exceptionally well is the banter between the squad mates during gameplay. They are continuously chatting making it actually feel like you are in a squad instead of playing a videogame with AI teammates.

There are a few issues. One is the commands. Some responses just simply don't make sense. Additionally, some of the lines your squad uses was insanely repetitive (more prevalent in the beginning) that happens so often in videogames. Sometimes your squad mates feel completely useless. Next, the boss battles are frustrating. You'll be on the ground for most of them as it is way too easy to get knocked down and your health depletes far too quickly.

The singleplayer is one of the best campaigns I've played in awhile. I haven't tried the multiplayer but so far I've heard that this isn't a game that it's known for. Overall, it is a solid value.
4482130
Awesome game to play, very graphically dynamic.
4278155
This is a very solid rail shooter.  It has a weird but good control scheme regarding the Dualshock 4 motion capability, essentially allowing you to tilt it up/down/left/left to control the on screen cursor without the need of a Playstation camera or anything. It does occasionally get off center unfortunately, but there is a quick 1-button press to recenter the cursor. It isn't as elegant as a proper lightgun setup but is worlds better than standard controller based gameplay with using a dpad or analog stick to control the cursor. The game's humor is pretty good overall but some jokes and lines fall flat. I love the art style of the game, though the graphics could probably be done on a PS3 or 360. The game is just filled with a lot of style mixing up pulp style comics and gritty crime action movies. Definitely not a $60 type game, but I think the $20 asking price is more than fair for what you get here, and it is especially worth it on sale, I personally got it for $4, well spent.
3182806
My girlfriend and I have played this game a LOT since acquiring it, and we've each come away with a different reason to like it. She likes it more than me, because she feels the dice-based mechanics allow her to play casually, without necessarily putting all her focus into the proceedings. I like it because while there are dice involved, the dice lead to a number of different potential actions, each with their own tactical and strategic benefits/drawbacks.

Overall, this makes it friendly to casual gamers, while not alienating gamers hoping for a deep and meaningful sequence of decisions. Luck will not determine the winner, although it will create a few unexpected roadblocks and opportunities now and then. It's a very good blend, and makes Castles play like a more measured and complex Carcassonne. There may not be direct interactions between players, but the indirect interaction involved will often be more than enough to create an entertaining level of tension as the game progresses.

The instruction booklet is somewhat short, and is unfortunately unclear at times. It will take a game or two played before turns move quickly. The game itself is intuitive, however, and outside of dealing with fiddly bits as you end each set of 5 turns (and need to replace the board's tiles) it is simple to manage.

There are a goodly number of boards to start with that should keep the gameplay fresh through at least a couple dozen games. An expansion pack at some point would be appreciated to liven it up again.
3751824
The game starts off pretty slow, but once you start unlocking your abilities and weapons and really get into the game it actually becomes quite fun. I would have liked so see some more in-depth RPG elements, and leveling up your characters is quite simple and one-sided, but the real-time combat is fun and challenging. Overall, I think this game is worth owning.
1968573
It's a very solid multiplayer shooter. Well worth it's current $20 price tag. If you have a multiplayer FPS itch to scratch while waiting for future titles, it won't hurt to try this. Its launch day price point was much too high for the amount of content, and has caused a lingering bad taste in many Gamer's mouths, but try not to let that overshadow it if your thinking of picking it up now. It's still a fun game to kick back and play few rounds after work.
4035228
Cold Winter is indeed a sleeper, as other reviewers have stated here.

It will remind players of both GoldenEye (N64) and Half Life.  It deserves to be kept in a first-person-shooter collection.

I'm glad I found it!  Like a lot of casual console gamers, I am sticking to my PS2 until there is a must-own game for the PS3 (which will probably be GTA4).  So I searched the back catalog for quality shooters to add to my game collection.  I found Project Snowblind, the Socom series, Killzone, Freedom Fighters, and this gem.  It could have been published in 2000, given that its traits and engine are strongly influenced by Half Life (my favorite FPS ever).

Cold Winter has 8 medium-sized environments, split into 15 levels total.  An experienced gamer could breeze through the game in under 14 hours.  There is nothing groundbreaking in its puzzles, interactive environment, or graphics.  But Cold Winter does everything very well.  Smooth frame rates, great voice acting and sound effects, fair cut scenes, descent story, good AI, excellent real-world weapon inventory, and most important, excellent gameplay and intuitive controls.  You will be engaging in firefights within minutes of saving your profile.

As is the case with older, less sophisticated first person shooters, being stealthy only delays the inevitable - you are going to have to engage the enemy and get into serious firefights.  But at least with being stealthy you can take-out the bad guys more swiftly (usually with a grenade or a shotgun).  The bonus objectives are hit-and-miss.  One early bonus objective is to pick your way into an armory to obtain an AK-47.  But you'll end-up with an AK-47 in the next level (possibly minutes later) when you encounter enemies using them.  The tools and weapons you can build from found objects adds a simple puzzle feature to the game (not annoying but not essential to building a winning strategy).  During the game you will gather intelligence, which adds nice details to the story.  Sound design and mixing are top-notch, if a little dated.  So is art and character design.  And the ability to search bodies for tools and armor is a welcome addition to the genre.

Like Half Life, you will feel like the action is unfolding on a giant Hollywood set.  For example, there's a battle in a town square that is a highlight of the game.  How you get through that battle depends on how well you use the environment and seek higher ground.  It's simple by today's standards, but the execution is awesome.  The comparisons to GoldenEye were right on the money.  It is a very fun game you will want to replay (assuming it hooks you early).

This is the kind of game where finding enough ammo will get you through most levels.  Or you can build tools and time bombs and find alternate ways to win.  But either method will take you through the same storyline.

Voice talent as mentioned before is very good.  Actors include Nathaniel Parker, Colin McFarlane, Enn Reitel, Kristy Wu (from Buffy), and Tom Baker (from Doctor Who), who adds his famous velvet baritone as the villain.  Great work.

If you liked the gun battles against the Marines in Half Life, you will certainly enjoy this game.  And I found the action to be far better and more replayable than Red Faction (Red Faction II is a big improvement over the original).  I sold Red Faction.  I am keeping this one.  It is a great find.

Cold Winter does something that has been done before and does it extremely well.  It is fun, engaging, and cinematic at times.  Go get it!