Amazon.com Review
The Baldur's Gate series redefined and reinvigorated the PC role-playing scene, and now Interplay brings it to the PlayStation2. Don't be fooled, however. This isn't a traditional role-playing game, but rather a fun, wall-to-wall action hack 'n' slash adventure in the mold carved by Gauntlet and the storied Diablo games--one that nonetheless conforms to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition rule set.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance casts you as one of three basic characters: an elf sorceress, a human archer, or a dwarf fighter. From there, you're set free inside a huge Dungeons & Dragons world replete with dungeons, forests, ice caves, and much more. Naturally, it's all filled to the brim with horrible monsters, wicked traps, treasures, and fabled magical weapons. As you go, you're constantly rewarded with new weaponry, new monsters to fight, and experience points you can put into your character stats to grow even more powerful. You can swap equipment in an inventory "paper doll" screen; those changes will be reflected in your onscreen character, so you'll start with simple weapons and a drab appearance, and you'll end up a big, mean superhero at the conclusion.
The graphics are simply wonderful, and the controls are accurate, responsive, and fun to use--which is necessary for the constant hacking and slashing required. The game is all the more fun when you recruit a buddy and play the game in cooperative mode. --Bob Andrews
Pros:
Amazon.com Product Description
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance combines fast-paced action and adventure in the popular world of Baldur's Gate. It features an epic tale of intrigue, alliances, explosive spell effects, and highly detailed creatures and environments, and allows for both single- and two-player cooperative play. Characters are customizable, each with unique powers, appearance, and abilities. This is the first console game to feature Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd Edition rules in real time. The game features Dolby Digital sound, comprehensive voice acting, and a completely original soundtrack.
Great Game. Very similiar to Diablo II.
If you like hack & slash dungeon crawling games like Diablo, then you'll like this game. It is the first game of this style for the Playstation 2.
In this game, you play as one of three characters. You will be given quests by other people and creatures. These quests take you thru dungeons, sewers, caves, castles, woods, and mountain paths and usually involve killing a boss enemy or finding specific objects. Along the way, you must kill (or run from) enemies while picking up items (dropped by enemies, found in treasure chests, barrels, etc.) that may be useful to you or that may be sold. Fighting is in real-time (not turn-based as in Final Fantasy). As you complete quests and kill enemies, you gain experience. This experience allows you the change your character's attributes and learn new skills/spells. There are numerous types of weapons and armor to be bought or found during the game. As the enemies in the game get tougher, your experience and improved weapons/armor allow you to still put up a good fight.
The graphics and audio are amazing. The movement of water as you walk thru it and the movement of the leaves on trees as the wind blows shows the level of graphic detail that they gave the game. Also, the detail on many of the creatures in the game is outstanding. Voices and music are great. As you walk thru the woods, you hear coyotes howling in the distance. As you walk on the mountain path, you hear chunks of ice falling in the distance. Controls are simple and intuitive. Every button on the controller may be used during a game, but you'll find yourself using them like a pro in just a matter of minutes. I really like that fact that my character can change between a melee weapon (such as a sword) and a range weapon (such as a bow) during battle with the simple push of a button.
Gameplay is great and is almost identical to that of Diablo II. Unfortunately, the game is too short. Your saved games tell you how long you've been playing. On the Easy difficulty setting, I completed the game in about 12 hours. However, if you enjoy the game, you'll probably want to play each of the three characters and take at least one of your characters thru the three difficultly levels. Completing the game opens up something called the gauntlet where you have 15 minutes and one life to defeat all the various types of creatures (not too easy). Completing the game also opens up an Extreme difficulty level. Completing the game on the Extreme level opens up a fourth character. Playing a two player game is also a blast. It's just like the one player game, but allows two players to work cooperatively.
Don't let the shortness of the game keep you from trying it. I feel that this is one the best games for the Playstation 2 right now.
D&D + Diablo = PS2 dynamite!!!
Although it's set in the Forgotten Realms D&D universe, BG:DA features a gameplay style closer to Diablo than the Baldur's Gate games for the PC. I loved both series, so that makes me happy. And those who worried that BG:DA would be a tepid port of the PC games, rest assured that it is an all new, all different adventure.
The graphics effects and sounds are fantastic, and the soundtrack is as good or better. It's almost worth getting this game just to show off what the PS2 can do.
A few caveats:
- The game could be a bit longer, but the three character choices offer decent replay value. Still, it will leave you wanting more.
- It helps to have a handle on how to use the gamepad. The controls aren't as simple as the point-and-click interface of Diablo and the original Baldur's Gate, but they are well designed.
- Like Diablo, BG:DA is more of an RPG-lite experience than the original Baldur's gate. You only get to choose from three characters that are mostly pre-determined. It's still D&D enough to please me.
- Also like Diablo, the hack and slash action can get a little repetitive in spots. When it looks and sounds as good as it does, I don't mind.
BG:DA is a different experience than the original Baldur's Gate games for the PC, but it's a good one. And you gotta love the gelatinous cube! Definitely recommended.
A good, but not great game
As many others have pointed out this game is very similar to Diablo, only in 3D, and not as good. Which is not to say it's a bad game, it's not, it's quite good in fact, but its flaws keep it from being great.
First off I should say I've only played it all the way through as the Archer (you can also choose from the Sorceress or Dwarven Warrior) and only on the easy level. Be forewarned, the easy level is VERY, VERY easy - that's OK with me, these days I prefer my video games to be relaxing rather than frustrating, but if you're looking for a challenge use the hard setting.
On the easy setting it's easier than Diablo.
The things the game has going for it are:
1) A good control scheme - this is really designed for the PS2 controller, rather than the awful controls you often get when a game is adapted from the PC
2) Easy to get into, lots of places to save your progress - keeps it from getting annoying
3) Nice graphics, good use of the 3D environment
4) Simplification - they've removed things that can get tedious like having to have every item or weapon you find identified, and having to have them repaired - looses realism perhaps but I'd rather not have to deal with that type of thing in a game
5) It allows you to play in whatever style you like - cautious and conservative, going back to town often to load up on healing potions and exploring every inch of the map, or wild and reckless, running through at top speed. Again this is similar to the way Diablo plays.
On the down side:
1) It's fairly short - I was surprised how quickly I got to the end, only playing it a few hours a week
2) Not too much replay value - Diablo did this a lot better with more quests, randomized so you have to play it more than once to experience all the quests and randomly generated dungeon maps
3) Arrows never really became an effective weapon, and for the Archer they really should - even at higher levels with a good magic bow and magically charged arrows it was still much more effective to simply hack and slash through with a good sword or axe
4) The magic items you find stink right up until the end. At the very beginning of the game you start off with only basic equipment so the first few things you find are useful - after that though all the good items are in the shops - until the very last levels of the game (when you can no longer go back to the shops) when you find some decent things. There is plenty of gold to be found however, so at least you can buy the expensive items.
5) Could have used MORE. More levels, more monsters, more weapons, more character classes. The monsters especially get a bit repetitive
6) I would have liked to see a better mapping system. Again the one it's got isn't too bad but I'd have liked to be able to scroll through it and have a better representation of which areas I had explored and which I had not
7) It would have benefited from a better explanation of some things - certain characteristics of weapons and spells aren't explained in the manual or the game itself - also could have used more customization options, this is a D&D based game, why can't I choose my characters race, sex, etc.
In conclusion it's an enjoyable game .... better still rent it - quite easy to finish in 5 days if you play it a lot.
The good news is that if you are in traffic if they survive better than other competitors. The bad news is that this is a duel to the death, so we know that competition will be fierce. All steps are the obstacles that the intelligent use of the combatants to their advantage. With 80 different levels - some obstacle courses and exercise - and a variety of weapons to collect, Automatic Ball offers many battles action. Best of all, you can defy a friend in two player mode the game you get what you pay for if you want difficulty, you've come to the right place
Product Details
Customer Reviews
So far i'm not impressed at all by Take 2's $10 each collection. In ball breakers you play a robot and you basically kill other robots to complete levels. The levels all look the same, the robots are all about the same, the control is bad, music is bad, its just overall bad. I'd reccomend putting this $10 on a more expensive game.
At first this game seems pathetic. It seems simple and rather boring. I really don't know why I kept playing it in the first place but as time went on the difficulty of the game increased, the want of conquering the game was undeniable. Its a puzzle game to reach the highest score and the fastest time. If you want a challenge, this is the game for you. I guess its more for the old school nintendo player though. If you miss the nintendo challenge, which was a true challenge, then this is a game for you.
Price: $17.47 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Amazon.com Product Description
Brought to you by the makers of Guitar Hero, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, Band Hero features the hottest chart-topping hits from everyone’s favorite acts including Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Lily Allen, The All-American Rejects and Jackson 5. Headlined by some of the biggest names in music as in-game artists and playable characters, Band Hero is the ultimate party game to play on the road or at home, where players of all ages will be able to experience the signature, easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master Guitar Hero gameplay.
Music sensation Taylor Swift joins forces with Band Hero for the ultimate family music gaming experience. Taylor Swift, global music sensation and best selling artist of 2008, will ascend an all-new virtual stage this November in Band Hero. Budding music stars, their families and friends, will all live their musical fantasy on the Band Hero stage, playing as Taylor Swift or alongside the singer/songwriter and guitarist, as she performs her smash-hits "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" from her latest album Fearless as well as "Picture to Burn" from her self-titled debut record. Adam Levine joins Taylor Swift as an exclusive, in-game playable character by lending his popular likeness to Band Hero. Fans will be able to play as Levine as he rocks out to the Grammy nominated "She Will Be Loved," Maroon 5's hit single from their debut album Songs About Jane, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and is Gold and Platinum in more than 35 countries. Key Game Features The Song List Band Hero features over 60 master recordings from some of the hottest bands of today and yesteryear. Some of the songs players can expect to be cranking through with their bands are: |
A Great Game For Family and Friends To Play and Karaoke Together!
Though Band Hero is similar to Guitar Hero 5 in term of gameplay, it still had a lot to offer. Guitar Hero 5 is said to be "extremely diverse" that players will find that there are songs that they like and there are also songs that they will never even touch. Band Hero done a great job in making the songs to be more specific to pop-oriented tracks.
In my opinion, the game is great in bringing family and friends together. There are a lot of more familiar songs to everyone like Love Story by Taylor Swift, She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5, Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney and more. The guitar and drum notes are relatively easy compared to Guitar Hero, so it will be more accessible to everyone especially beginners and not-so-hardcore gamers. The Sing-Along feature is a great addition to make the game more karaoke-like as multiple player can sing simultaneously on one song.
To conclude, you can enjoy this game at it fullest when you bring along your family and friends to play. It is more easy and the songs are more specific and mostly well-known to all. If you are a Guitar Hero expert wanting for challenge, then this is game is certainly not for you. I am giving 5 stars because I can finally enjoy my favorite game with my friends.
Edited 06:20 PM 12/12/09
Pros
- A good game for beginners and those who want to have fun together
- Sing-along karaoke mode is great for party
- Many known pop songs
- You still can transfer songs from other Guitar Hero games (DLC, World Tour, Smash Hits and 5) and vice-versa
- Party play is a blast
Cons
- For experienced Guitar Hero players, this game will be too easy
- It is basically the same as Guitar Hero 5
- May not be suitable for every Guitar Hero hardcore
Still a great game, but could use some updated features
The gameplay for Band Hero is at least as good as Guitar Hero 5 and it's nice to have songs that are more kid-friendly (there is an option to temporarily hide downloadable content and content from previous versions, too). Guitar Hero's main problem now that there is substantially more music that transfers from one game to the next is that with hundreds of songs they need to look at sorting and listing options like Rock Band currently uses. Because of the difficulty in navigating through the playlist, I only give 4 stars.
Rock band 5 with better track list
This is for all practical purposes another guitar hero game, except it is more pop oriented. So why should someone look at this vs guitar hero 5 or world tour. This offers the advantage of party play like GH5, but also during the tour mode has some specific challenges that require you to do specific things, like sing for a microphone sponsor ect... The characters have the same names, but are polished and slick, like Dawson's creek folks. The songs are family friendly and come from all eras of pop classics. I am fairly impressed with the selection, even though the "featured" artist is taylor swift, even though my preffered genre is metal. Overall, well worth purchasing, and I would recommend it over GH5.
Fragnstein complete comparison
Before I review the fragnstein, I'll point out the following: I will only speak for performance on modern warfare 2 and the call of duty series on the ps3 (playstation 3 console). I'm running the newest firmware (2.30) and have extensively tested the button mapping software from Bannco. I own the fragnstein, fragfx v2, the frag pro, and the XIM. I will try my best to give an unbiased review. Please note that the review below assumes you are planning on using the Fragnstein by itself, without the aid of the XIM.
1.The fragnstein (currently as of 3/3/2010) has acceleration whereas the splitfish fragfx v2 does not. The fragnstein has a noticeable "dead spot" whereas the fragfx v2 does not. Translation: fragfx v2 gives linear movement whereas the fragnstein does not, at least in this game, and alas micro-movements are not possible with the fragnstein. Moving the mouse very slowly translates to NO movement on screen: this is a major handicap. The youtube video(s) comparing the fragnstein to the fragfx v2 are incomplete as they fail to mention this very important fact, and they never show "how" slowly the user is moving the mouse. Furthermore, the apparent "jerkiness" of the fragfx v2 is flawed since the user/video-maker had the dial set too high (4 instead of 3). This infamous video, to my understanding, was created by a man who works for Bannco, not an unbiased customer.
2.The frag pro is not worthy of comparison really, as its performance in MW2 is worse than the v2.
3.The fragnstein has a scroll wheel, whereas the fragfx v2 has a button for R3. The scroll wheel is intended to give the user the ability to turn, and look up and down quickly... but it's actually quite useless and CANNOT but disabled even from within the config software. I dislike the scroll wheel; it's an annoying gimmick that just gets in the way instead of improving your gaming skillz. You will need to upgrade your firmware to remove this unwanted feature.
4.The Splitfish products have an extra button dubbed the "frag" button, intended to ease headshots with a sniper rifle. However, I've never been able to use this in any game as it is impossible to press while pressing L1... I only have so many fingers. In other words, we really don't want/need this button so don't even consider it when comparing Bannco to Splitfish.
5.Build quality of the fragnstein is much superior to the splitfish fragfx v2 and the Pro. So, in terms of hardware quality and durability, the fragnstein wins BIG TIME.
6.There is NO lag with any of the three products I've mentioned, so I can't compare them in that respect.
7.The left grip of the fragnstein is far superior to the Splitfish products. My hand does not cramp even after extended periods of use, I find it much more ergonomic. The joystick is centered instead of off to the right, it's is much more comfortable.
8.The mouse on the other hand, is not contoured to the hand and I do get cramps in my pinky. The Splitfish mice are more comfortable to hold, but much MUCH lower quality mice, physically.
9.The fragnstein and the dual sfx frag pro are advertised to have a 2000 dpi laser, whereas the fragfx v2 is a mere 300 dpi optical mouse. However, the fragfx v2 still outperforms the fragnstein in MW2 due to the aforementioned firmware related problems (acceleration and deadspot).
10. The fragnstein can be used as a regular pc mouse, the fragfx cannot. What this means is you can also use it for PC gaming! It also means is that you CAN combine the fragnstein with the XIM to fix all of the aforementioned problems: deadspot and acceleration... if you're willing to shell out another $90 and have a computer running next to your PS3, that is.
So there you have it. Until further firmware/software releases from Bannco and Splitfish, I rank these products in terms of performance on the call of duty series including the latest, Modern Warfare 2:
1. XIM + Fragnstein - BEST
1. Fragfx v2 - Decent
2. Fragnstein (by itself) - Eh
3. Dual sfx frag pro - Bad
Finally, I would like to point out the optimal settings I have found for Modern Warfare 2 to be "playable" with the fragnstein: Button mapping software's sensitivity set to max, In-game sensitivity set to 4, and with the "F" button held down, 10-12 clicks forward on the scroll wheel.
Feel free to comment. Thanks.
-----------UPDATE 3/3/2010--------------------
I have now tested the XIM1. The XIM blows the Splitfish Fragfx and Bannco Fragnstein out of the water. You can completely remove the deadspot problem and have complete linear movement with the XIM. Combining the XIM with the fragnstein is THE ultimate setup for a serious gamer. You get all the benefits of having all the buttons next to your thumb, plus you're lethally accurate. Although for all the money you're going to spend (XIM + Fragnstein), and the fact that you'll need to have your computer running anyway in order to use the XIM, you might as well just buy MW2 for the PC.
-----------UPDATE 2/27/2010-------------------
The firmware keep disappearing from Bannco's site. You will need to dig through the forums in order to find the "expert" firmware mentioned in the previous update as it is no longer posted on Bannco's firmware page. The current available firmware is 2.30 and still has massive acceleration problems as discussed in the above review. The best firmware I've found for Modern Warfare 2 is 1.2a (no longer available directly from Bannco) :(
Bannco has promised to create an advanced config tool similar to the XIM interface in the future, but there's no set date. I waited 3 months now, when they first said "it should be available sometime next week." Well... there's still no advanced config tool. As soon as it's released, I will update this review.
As this device works both on a pc and the ps3, it can be used in conjunction with the XIM1. I recently purchased one, and I will test out this combination extensively and give you guys another update.
------------UPDATE 12/8/2009------------------
The latest firmware, "expert 1.2" (available at [...]) for the Call Of Duty series is AMAZING to say the least. This is THE controller to have. Here's what they fixed:
1. The deadspot has almost been completely corrected, both X and Y
2. The mouse movement is somewhat linear now.
3. The scroll wheel has been disabled (THANK YOU BANNCO!)and acts like a button now for R3.
Note that this product currently ships with firmware 2.0. You will need to upgrade to Expert 1.2 to really enjoy it on Modern Warfare 2 and the other Call Of Duty games.
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"The best wireless console mouse"
Been testing this product since December 09. I still prefer wired mouse.
Things I did to get the most performance out of this mouse. You may or may not get the same results depending on gaming surface "mousepad" and also Radio frequency issues.
EXACTMAT black speed side 11-25 give or take on the "QUALITY" scale
EXTENSION usb cord so the usb DONGLE is less than a foot away from your mouse
Main reason is I found it started getting jitters from 4 feet away after a few games.
Mousepads I tried
Everglide
Ratpad
Razer Megasoma
Numerous generic
Fragfx1 mousepad
Razer exactmat
Pros
Great movements MAG 1.0 firmware
Best wireless console mouse
Cons
Left stick controller goes to sleep at 3 minutes "cannot be changed with firmware"
very slight delay possibly RF issues possibly.
Extension usb cord to help jittery aiming More RF issues possibly.
Doesn't perform on many mousepads
Will keep you updated if theres any changes.
Better than FragFX and a must for PC gamers going console
Background you can skip
I lost interest quickly in my new PS3 in 2007 when I figured out that I would simply never truly master the controller like the next generation of kids. In my 30's I had all of my serious gaming skills built up on PC's using the mouse and keyboard as my weapons.
I could never really control my thumbs so well as to place a perfect sniped headshot and I could never aim fast enough before someone pumped me full of electronic lead. So I gave up, kinda. Started to use the PS3 more as a blu-ray player and skipped key new releases of games. But out came CoD5 WaW and I really wanted it badly. At that time there was one mouse option for the PS3: Splitfish's FragFX. It was cheap plasticky and did not get that many great review but I shelled out the 80 bucks. I went through 3 of those as the build quality was poor and they did not last long but man, was I getting good.
Out comes the MLani, redubbed FragNStein. It looked like the much promised-nver-delivered FragFX Wireless and for a mere 80 bucks it was a steal.
About this item
It truly feels and handles like a quality gaming mouse. Both pieces are heavy PVC and feel 'right' in your hand. Setting it up on the PS3 requires no work: plug it in, sync it (much like a bluetooth) and everything works.
What I noticed is that is actually moves the reticle in Cod games VERY smooth. You can increase sensitivity but factory default is really good. I had to get used to the large item in my hand for a few days but then I picked up where i left off with the fragFX and never looked back.
Here are the pros:
- Smooth movement of reticle
- Very customizable settings via PC software (no Mac)
- Heavy duty quality parts
- Can be used as a common mouse as well
- Controller part has motion sensing
- Customizable turbo shot, works on all games
- Customizable DPI
- Low power usage and auto powersave built in
- Good online support (needed help and Bannco responded and helped on Sunday!)
Cons:
- Little tricky to get it setup on computer for configuration
- Keys cannot (yet) be programmed for pressure sensitivity
- R3 button for PS3 is wheel and not great for knifing in Cod for example, however, is programmed for superfast cornering
Conclusion:
Old schoool PC gamer wanting a PS3? This is your ticket to be able to compete. Love it.
