Music Reviews

When reading the previews of this game, I simply fell in love with it and reserved a copy immediately. The graphics are great, it's an amazingly fun game to play, but it can get frustrating at times. The camera sucks at times, but if you master the right analog stick to change the camera views, this wouldn't be much of a problem for long. The graphics are very nice, and the movie sequences after each stage keep you interested and the game really makes sense. The enemies fit in together to make sense with the story, so you don't have stupid enemies running around that have nothing to do with the story. If you're a spider-man fan, this game is definitely for you. It's better than all the other Spider-Man games that have ever come out and playing this through will definitely have you dying to see the movie more and more. You should probably rent it first, because it tends to be fairly easy. But I'm not disappointed in buying this game at all.

I really loved the movie and the pictures I've seen of this game looked great so I rented it. I was very pleased with what came out of it. I didn't play the other Spider-man games so this was a totally new experience for me. The graphics in this game are beautiful. Swinging through the city and climbing on buildings is wonderful. The busy streets below is a great touch. Everything is highly detailed. The only thing I don't like about the graphics is the character models. The game developers didn't seem to have put much time into it. They're pretty stiff and lifeless. Also, there are dark areas in this game where it's hard to see just about everything that is around you. It helps to make your TV screen brighter. The control in this game is pretty good. I was worried that it would be too difficult and frustrating but it seems pretty solid. I picked up all of Spidey's moves very easily. The sound in the game is pretty good. Tobey's voice is a little flat and boring but that's just his personality. The music and other acting is pretty good. Overall this game is not just a rental but would be a good buy for any gamer.

Graphics: 4.5
Control: 5.0
Sound: 5.0
Fun Factor: 5.0

My son got this game, along with a PS2 Spiderman controller, for his 4th birthday. I don't know how someone else said the villians are more demonic looking. I've seen more frightening characters in my husband's ESPN NFL 2K5!!! My son LOVES spiderman and this was bought to compliment the controller. I've watched him play it and so far NOTHING seems very violent. Sure, you beat up the bad guys. However, there's no bloody graphics. and the bad guys just disappear. What did you think it would be, saying No No and giving them time-outs?!? Anyway, my son loves this game and the web slinging and swinging. I'm VERY cautious about what he watches/plays (Tekken and WWF are BIG no nos in my house) and I have no problems with him playing this. Awesome storyline flows with the movie. Spiderman retains his boyish naivete' and charm. GREAT buy!

I was truly dissapointed with this game. For one thing the computer defence is unstoppable. For antoher, the gameplay is too slow and that makes running plays both difficult and boring. If you have played other football games(i.e. NFL Blitz Pro) you would find that it is much better because of the fast gameplay. And another thing, making players and teams gets old FAST. I thought two cool features were that you can make a playbook and that you can do mini camps. Despite some entertainment, this game is not worth buying. I suggest you pick your football video game out very carefully before you purchase it. Thanks for reading.

What's not to like about Madden? Well I feel that there are still flaws in the gameplay that have been around for the last 2 years that haven't been fixed.
1) Fieldgoals and punts by computer. The computer is money all the time. 58 field goal in a blizzard with a 15 mph cross wind? No problem. The football doesn't just creep over the bar either , it clears by 20 yards! I swear the computer could hit a 70 yarder. This is unrealistic.
2) Blocking punts or field goals. This is impossible. I have never seen this on PS2 and I play alot! Given that this is quite a regular occurence in the real game and was possible on Sega genesis version of Madden in the early 1990s this is rather strange.
3) Hard too run between tackles. Good yardage in this area is still tough going. I can't remember the last time I ran over a linebacker and busted a big gain down the middle. You always seem to get gummed up behing your offensive line.
4) Have you ever seen a defensive lineman engage his opposite number and then immediatly fall backwards on the ground with his legs and arms in the air like a dead ant? This happens frequently, especially on pass protection. Often 3/4 of my defensive line are on the ground a second or 2 after the snap!! You would think they were 150 weaklings.
5)Wide receivers still not able to get good separation from dbs. Often u will connect on a long pass as your man gets behind db, only to be tackled after a step or 2. There is not enough YAC.
If they could fix these problems I would have given it 5 stars. However the game has been improved in many areas , and overall is more realisitic. Still worth it.

With the exception of an utterly confusing combine system, the point of which I still havent figured out, this version is hands down the best ever.

The Good:

1) They implemented a challenge system, that unlike last years braindead version is INTELLIGENT and at times dramatic. The officials will miss calls from time to time that can swing a game and its up to the player to maintain a sufficient level of awareness to pick it up and throw the red flag.

2)Admittedly I thought they still hadnt fixed the problem of impossible to cover computer recievers after playing through a frustrating season, but I realized that you have to draft or sign wisely and let the computer control pass defense for you until after the ball is caught, picked off or dropped. If you let your DB's play they make quick cuts, knock down balls, and jump routes for picks on a realistically consistent basis.

The bad:

1)Player progression is solely based on production so if you run four wide alot or want to have a balanced run/pass attack your probably not going to build alot of superstars over time. You have to focus your offense on a few players or they wont get the numbers every year and their stats will stay mediocre. Worse yet, if a player doesnt have superstar production his stats will decline even in his second and third years. If you draft a player and he sits behind an established starter for the whole year you may as well cut him because he'll get -5's across the board during the offseason player progression.

2)Just like the last two years DT's and DE's will probably get between 5-10 tackles a year which is ridiculous. My entire defensive backfield has 50+ tackles a piece but Michael Strahan has 4. Same with pancakes (Computer controlled lineman has 70, your best guy has 1).

Other than that stuff the game is very balanced and realistic.

Tekken Tag Tournament is the Playstation 2 equivalent to Mortal Kombat on Genesis, or Tekken 2 on the Playstation. It's the precursor to what will probably be hundreds of button-mash, unlock the special move fighting games. As first generation games go, it is a success. The opening cine-scenes showcase the PS2's step up in graphics capability, while the familiar Tekken characters from all 3 Tekken incarnations are smooth and animation-like (no blockiness like earlier versions). Beyond the graphics improvement, there are a couple of new bells and whistles -- one is the "tag" element, where you and a friend (or three) can team up or fight each other using four characters. Interesting side effect in my house is the constant yelling of "TAG!" by players not currently in the fight. Another new feature is the bowling sub-game unlocked after winning in Arcade mode a dozen or so times. Funny, but with limited value (not unlike the volleyball sub-game in Tekken3). Some hints to keep in mind -- 1.) Mokujin (the wood/metal guy) is not seen on the select screen -- go to the bottom select row and go past the last character on the left -- he/she's hidden there (if unlocked first, of course); 2.) There are special costumes and reverse characters (Angel, Panda, etc.) to be found beyond the regular set, and consequently some final movies will change. My issues with the game are the extremely short ending movies (almost a letdown), the ease in which you can win on Arcade mode, and the repetitious music (echoing in your head), minor complaints of course. Looking for a good "party" game, a "bad day" release of tension, or if you just liked the other Tekken games, this one might be for you....

I was playing Tekken 4 the other day and missed the old characters. I went to play Tekken Tag and saw that the graphics are basically just as good.

The game rules. Tons of different characters. Tons of different moves. The most important thing is, this game is fun. I've spent hours trying to master all the characters and I never get bored. On a plus note, there is a "tag team" system. You tag in your partner whenever you want. Now there is even a cooperative (selected from the vs. menu) in which you and a buddy can fight trhough the single player game. There are also some tag combinations with people like Jin and Jun. These aren't used by many, but you can grapple an opponent and have your partner run in after you are done and do another grapple which looks really cool.

The awesome story is still there. Problems? It doesn't fit into any Tekken game. It does bring back every character from 1, 2, and 3. With the exception of Forest Law or Marhsall Law, I forget which. It also leaves out the dinosaur, and Dr. B who I never got in tekken 3. The new character is Unknown. She is pretty fun.

After it is all said and done, this game is the best tekken in my opinion. I'll still remember the countless hours I spent with tekken 2, but we all have to move on. Get this or Tekken 2 if you want the original tekken.

Tekken Tag Tournament added a realistic edge to tag-team fighting games. Not to mention that the music is masterful. Fighting is more fluid this time around, and the practice system of actually viewing a move as a cut-scene before you do it has also been added. This is definately a good party game, or something you could play just to fill up some time in your day. A veeeery good way to fill time....

I believe the title spells it out people. This game is the worst game ever. I'm a 17 year old and playing this was like torture. I love killing things and blowing them up as much as the next guy, and prolly a little more. But come on now! EVERYTHING IN THIS GAME DIES!

I was a little annoyed after watching those junkies kill his wife and kid, and i said, ok maybe this is just the beginning. I played it until just after entering the bank through the subway, (for those of you who haven't experienced the misfortune, thats like the 2nd section of the 1st level) and by the time I got there I took it out of my XBOX, broke it, and through it away. I wouldn't even pawn this on another gamer because it was so bad! Crappy gameplay, script, graphics, story, everything. Bullet Time was OK, except he seems to dive everywhere, he can't just stand in one spot and shoot, but that coulda been just me.

If you are one of the few people who haven't played this game, be VERY happy! AVOID IT! I wish I could take back the few minutes I played on it, because they were completely wasted and I think i got dumber from playing it. (Not to mention disgusted as hell)

While the game is definetly violent and raunchy, the gameplay is awesome and addictive. Picture Tomb Raider with more action, tons of enemys and incredible graphics. Combine that with the "bullet time" mode which slows down time and gives Max incredible reflexs and is also extremely pleasing to the eye, and you've got a great game. The control, a combination of mouse and keyboard, is awkward at first, but becomes second nature after the first half hour. I also suggest taking the auto aim feature off so you will have to actually aim to hit an enemy. The bullet time mode is so much fun and adds so much to the game, it makes you feel like you are in the matrix. However, like the matrix, the story is a little lacking. While it is interesting and intelligent at first, it gets predictable after a while. But again like the matrix, the action is so incredible, it doesn't matter so much if the story doesn't hold up after seeing it 5 times. This game is definetly worth buying but be warned; you WILL become addicted. It's nearly impossible not to.

All we can hope is that XBOX picks up ALL the Rockstar Games (e.g., GRAND THEFT AUTO 3, STATE OF EMERGENCY, etc.). MAX PAYNE is an entertaining thrill ride. Definitely worth picking up, and here's a few reasons why:

>> Funny, intense and articulate story boards. Formatted in classic, adult comic book fashion.

>> Superb AI. Great visual and sound effects. Killer gun selection.

>> Ground breaking, slow-motion gun-play mode. Embodies a classic John Woo film.

>> Great plot twists, colorful characters. Gets a little complicated at times, so pay close attention as the game progresses.

With the exception of Halo, this is the best action, role-playing game yet released on the XBOX; guaranteed hours of rollicking good fun. Hope to see more of this genre in the near future.

I have had my Xbox for about 8 months and I have had no problems with it. I'm sure all of you know that it is the most powerful console, had a hard drive, and Dolby 5.1 support. But many people put down this system because there are no good games. in my opinion, the people that say this, either hate Microsoft or own a PS2 or GameCube and can't afford another console at the moment, so they put it down. The Xbox as a matter of fact had the best games and game lineup: Halo, DOA3, MechAssault, Unreal Championship, Brute Force(shooter w/4 player co-op-coming early 2003), Halo 2, Kung Fu Chaos(supposed 2 compete w/ Super Smash Bros Melee-coming early 2003), Perfect Dark Zero(Microsoft bough rareware so they get this exclusive title), Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon(xbox live compatible), and all the sports games you need.

Plus, the best feature of Xbox is Xbox Live. I played it at my friends house and it is an incredible experience. Being able to communicate in real time with people all over the country you don't even know, it just amazing. xbox Live has frineds lists, so you can host a private game if you want, and you can mute other annoying players. The features just keep going on and on. I don't have Live myself, but I contiue to argue with my local cable company and Verizon to get Cable or DSL to my area.

All in all, this is an excellent product with my features and possibilties, I can only imagine the incredible potential of this system.

I could not decide which system to buy. PS2 or XBox. I read all the reviews on this site and some in the gaming magazines. I still couldn't decide. So I bought them both and decided to return the one I didn't like. I went to the video store and rented identical games for both systems.
In my opinion XBox won hands down. The graphics were far better, no waiting a long time for games to load and no memory cards to deal with. Some of these reviewers have to be blind not to see the difference in quality of picture. Madden 2003 on my big screen TV is incredible. My ma thought it was a real football game being played when she walked into the room. As far as the two free games that come with it, they stink. No wonder they are giving then away. Playstation 2 was returned to the store.

xbox is way better than ps2 because it has so much games and the xbox live feuture kiks mager @$$ . xbox also just bought the company rare from gamcube who made tittles like:conkers bfd and perfect dark . they are all coming out for xbox and sony will be out of buisness , xbox has all the power and nothing can stop it. this the best console you will ever buy dont listen to those fools saying ps2 is better cause there just jealous

This game does possess superb graphics, and the presentation is overall quite amazing, but repeated playing of the main missions can get boring. Some people like the actual spy parts of the game exciting, but others prefer straight shootouts like those offered by the original GoldenEye. The reason the main game loses its ability to provide fun gameplay is simply that the objectives and the way in which one completes them are set rather solidly. If you fail a mission near the end, you must go back to the beginning of that section and redo it all, and when you have to follow exact procedures repeatedly, that is when you begin to lose interest. Still, the main game is not a total loss--the driving missions are always fun, and some of the levels offer a real challenge to overcome, and the storyline is also immersing: you will want to know what happens in the next level. The real high-point of this game is the multiplayer features. The selections for each game are nearly limitless, and like in Perfect Dark for N64, you are able to configure custom weapon loadouts. The AI-controlled "Bots" can be extremely difficult to defeat at their maximum level, but a drawback is that you may only use four players total in each game, including the Bots. Some new and interesting features are available, such as the Q-Jet jetpack, grappling claws, and a low-gravity mode that makes the characters move as if they were on the moon. The levels are well designed for combat and other modes. In all, I believe that this is a great game, worth the price simply for the multiplayer options alone.

This is the best 007 game in all of 007 history not to leave out the best multi-player games. Might I suggest to try combat training with the "Q-Claw" on the town level and be Spiderman and get on the roofs to snipe the others out of buisiness.

...Now comes Agent Under Fire. Rare's attempts at making a FPS Bond game as good as GoldenEye were weak. They're closest ever was PerfectDark with better graphics, but gameplay not as great and besides...it's not Bond! EA has now stepped into the scene, finishing what Rare left out.
AUF is completely different, opposed to the other Bond games. It's the only game that doesn't follow a movie. It not only has your average "walk around and shoot everyone" missions, but it proudly includes rail shooting and driving missions, holding a similarity to Grand Theft Auto 1-3. It includes awesome cars like the BMW Z8 and 75Oil. There's great looking Bond girls that should have made AUF rated M.
The graphics could have been much better with GC's power. The sound is great. The talking scenes are well done. The music, however, can be frustrating after hours of play.
This game can be easily beaten within 3-8 hours though. The multiplayer is still nowhere near GoldenEye's, but the single player missions definitely make up for it. For, GameCube's first FPS, Agent Under Fire is looking good.

Better than the first, because the enemies are harder to kill and they're more interesting too. Especially the three at the end.

I picked up Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (BG:DA) for Playstation 2 after finishing Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes on the Xbox. I'm familiar with Bioware, who consistently makes games I really enjoy (including Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic). Additionally, Baldur's Gate came first before D&D Heroes, so I knew there would be some improvements. Still, Maleficent and I enjoy blowing stuff up together, so we needed a new fix and Baldur's Gate fit the bill.

Unlike D&D Heroes, BG:DA pretends it has role-playing elements and in doing so, just highlights how non-role-playing the game is. Similar to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights, there are conversation trees. When you speak to a character, you select a series of responses from a menu. There are maybe five characters you can talk to in total and your conversation doesn't really matter - we quickly discovered that clicking the top choice always meant we'd get to hear the whole story. But you can just skip the whole story too and get right to the matter at hand, which means the role-playing elements are just trappings to make it seem more like D&D.

Forget character customization too, at least at character creation. There are three character types, including an elven sorceress, dwarven (cleric? I didn't play him so not sure), and human arcane archer. Some warning flags should go off for folks who play the third edition of D&D - one cannot start out as an arcane archer, that's a prestige class. But that doesn't matter - the human, named Vahn, is whom you get to play. While he can hack things up in melee, Vahn's clearly optimized for ranged combat. The game gives subtle hints like dropping great heaps of arrows as the only equipment you find in treasure hoards.

BG:DA is obviously geared towards a particular breed of player - the young, [...], male kind. The first character you interact with is a blonde elf that is quite buxom and has a habit of leaning forward, gesturing towards her chest or thrusting her hips. Similarly, the elven sorceress is only elf-like in that she has pointed ears - the rest of her is quite human. [...]

The artwork, especially for a PS2 game, is fantastic. The backgrounds and sound effects are impressively crafted and filled with a loving attention to detail. The characters themselves move smoothly and act like real people in their hand gestures and emotions - even the lizard man acts slightly inhuman in how he speaks and moves. The voice acting is well done, but that's something I've come to expect from Bioware.

There are some lazy shortcuts that were very irritating in their exclusion. One lizard man sends the heroes through an elemental plane of water, spends five minutes explaining how dangerous the journey will be and then we see a cut scene focusing on some random tower. POOF! That whole water/drowning thing? We never see it - we don't' even see animation explaining the journey. We have to trust on faith that it was a tough swim through the elemental plane of water. When everything else is narrated and explained in such painstaking detail, I expect to see animation explaining it.

There is, of course, all the good stuff that some people think equates with a role-playing game: you can buy equipment, switch out arms and armor, and train particular feats and spells as you advance. Little of these powers resemble third edition D&D - fire shield is considerably weaker than its tabletop counterpart. Strangely, my character was unharmed by Maleficent's burning hands (even when she was blasting right through him) but her fireballs hurt him. Go figure.

Some of the monsters are radically different from their tabletop equivalents in weird ways. In Neverwinter Nights, umber hulks are wusses with an irritating confusion gaze. In BG:DA they are terrifying juggernauts, sans gaze. Drow are still as sneaky as ever (it's clear Bioware has a soft spot for the dark-skinned elves), dragons are still a pain in the ass, and giants are suitably fearsome. Bulette burrow and are extremely difficult to kill, which is appropriate, although they waddle like fast moving turtles...not how I envisioned them (or how they move in D&D Heroes).

Perhaps the most unforgivable flaw in the game is that it crashed. That's right folks, just like a PC, the screen went white and the game crashed hard. Considreing we were at a critical point in the game and a lot of objects were on the screen at the same time (magic missiles, multiple enemies, arrows, etc.) I imagine it overtaxed the PS2. But what the heck - if I wanted a game that would crash I would have played it on a PC!

As a game developer myself for RetroMUD, I was surprised to see that every corpse and item stays where it is. That means there's no object cleanup. This means that the system has to determine the location of every item, corpse, and monster at all times. Corpses stay right where they are, which is alternately cool and disturbing, especially in rooms of mass slaughter. This problem was resolved in D&D Heroes (the corpses disintegrate) but it's a big mistake for a game of this size and probably led to the aforementioned crash.

I also got stuck once in an area due to clipping errors. These are amateurish mistakes that I haven't since seen repeated (certainly, not in D&D Heroes) so I'm willing to forgive the developers. But it's their first foray onto console games and it shows. It's a good game, but there are better games now with less boring, click-so-they-shut-up "role-playing" elements.

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.

Medieval: Total War is a great game that makes many demands on the player. Unlike the glut of shoot-em-up, kill-em-all, skate-until-you-drop games out there (many of which are FUN), this is a highly strategic game that requires total concentration. However, the battle sequences are gorgeous! (See? I like kill-em-all stuff too!) Some of the random events do get infuriating, but hey, that's the way things go. Nobody said ruling the medieval world would be easy.

Please excuse my bad English, it's not my mother tongue.

Pro's:
How do one list the pro's of such a great game? Rather I'll try to name the factors distinguishing MTW from other "war" games, making it stand out heads & shoulders:
1) Well, basically it's the fact that it's a turn-based game, giving scope for more detail because the computer's RAM memory can be used for a battle scene or world map etch. instead of accommodating the whole game like in real-time games.
2) Excellent artificial intelligence except enemy generals who practically commit suicide by charging into the heat of the battle. I keep my general in the background, my hand-to-hand soldiers protect my archers & my archers all aim for the enemy general. Once the enemy general is eliminated the battle is a push-over. It also serves to gradually weaken the enemy by removing it's leadership one by one. My suggestion is that the general gives 50% morale when not locked in battle, 100% when locked in battle (or shooting).

Cons:
By listing the cons I'll mostly compare MTW with another great turn-based game, "Lords of the Realm". There are several things in LoR that I'd like to see in MTW. This is the "wish list":
1) 3 map levels: a) World Map; b) Provincial Map; c) Battle Map. If the armies can march on the provincial map & destroy facilities it shall be nice (see "Lords of the Realm").
2) More detailed provincial management: resources like money, wood, food, iron, stone etch. Every province must separately have enough resources to sustain itself. Armies eat food of the province it's in. Resources can be bought or be send from province to province, which (caravan of resources) can be destroyed by enemy armies (see "Lords of the Realm").
3) a Sanction if you brake an alliance, like decline in influence.
4) Sieges must be more detailed: moats, battering rams, siege towers, defending missile units on walls with an advantage, hot liquids, more detailed castles etch (see "Lords of the Realm").
5) Can we have naval battles please?

MTW is not the game for a person who likes a lot of fast action. It's for the person who's interested in history & like to "replay" history. I couldn't get hold of the "Viking Invasion" expansion pack yet.

(First, a patch was released months ago (in 2001) that fixed the problems that N. Ferguson referred to, especially the one involving reinforcements. Find the patch at Totalwar.com)

This is a game that in complexity is more difficult than most RTS games but less complex than most wargames. The gameplay combines a turn-based strategy phase in which the player using a RISK-style map of Japan makes long-term decisions as to which province to invade, what buildings to construct, and where to deploy his armies. The real-time phase occurs when a battle is fought and the player attempts to defeat his rival. The battles are tactical and success depends on many different factors: troop numbers, experience, weapons, formations, weather, battlefield maneuvering, and terrain.

Although the graphics are usually highly-praised by most people (and in truth, there is much to praise), I was VERY disappointed with the troop graphics. Despite having a high-end machine, and the latest graphic card, the 2D troop sprites are too tiny, and difficult to distinguish (even before combat). When cavalry aren't easily differentiated from archers, and archers can be mistaken for spearmen, and a gamer with 20/20 vision like myself has to move to within 2-3 inches of the computer screen to fight a battle, something is wrong. I don't care how beautiful the terrain is, or how interesting the cut scenes,other non-game graphics may be equally stunning but it doesn't matter.

The troop graphics are extremely tiny. Many reviewers defend this with sarcasm: Well, so what if you can't see the trooper's faces? If you want Age of Empires, go play that! Hey, how else can you get 5000 men on the screen?

I say, "So what! Why bother with troop graphics in that case? Why bother trying to make them look like anything then?"

I don't care about making out tiny details. I do care about spotting my archers easily from my arquebusers. I do care when my spearmen look much too much like my cavalrymen.

You may not care about the graphics and enjoy the game regardless. You should be aware however that it is an issue that have put off many other players.

This is an easy to store controller, and long cord so theres no need for a wireless controller! It comes in diff colours so its cool!

At first glance, Sony's Dual Shock Playstation 2 controller is just a black version of the original standard controller with analog sticks. However, upon extended play one will notice some differences. The materials the D-pad and buttons are made out of are not the same, and they are set further down into the controller. After a while, the D-pad becomes loose (something that did not happen with the standard controller) and the buttons become soft...almost mushy. The result is more difficulty while playing games that require precision timing, movement, and simultaneous button pressing. The analog sticks are of decent quality, though not quite up to par with the newer X-Box controllers. While I usually despise using any kind of analog stick, I have found some games actually work well with it. For free roaming games that require you to move in all 360 degree directions, they are surprisingly useful (like Gauntlet: Dark Legacy or Ecco The Dolphin). Despite my complaints, the Dual Shock is still a great controller for general use in any PS2 game. Casual gamers probably won't even notice it's flaws. Even though the analog sticks seem to serve no other purpose than to get in my way while playing my favorite fighting games, it's leagues better than the standard Dreamcast controller.

I have always been in love with the Sony controllers back in the early days of PSONE ,I always found it comfortable and intelligent piece of technology ,When the Dual shock got released with the late versions of PSONE I never thought to upgrade and I have decided to stuck with my old controller ,But I was a bit wrong ,That's what I have discovered when I bought my PS2 the last year ,I was amazed by the Dual shock Controller 2 .

This controller is undoubtly is a value added for any PS2 Console ,I was thrilled by the interactive shocks and vibration it offers with so many games ,And I always thought to myself that the PS2 experience wouldn't be completed without it ,With more and more advanced games to emerge and even some games with digital sound technology like Dolby Digital and THX Certified it became a must for the gamers ,The two square sticks in the middle of it is comfortable to use and I even use them for directing my character in various games .

I have only Two objection on this Controller ,It's not covered by the Console's Guarantee (That's here in my Country ,I don't know about other countries) so when it's facing a problem or something or stopped working you have nothing but to buy a new one ,The other thing is that Sony doesn't include two controllers but only includes one ,That's of course profitable for them but I thought it would be cool to provide a console with two controllers instead of one ,To let the gamers enjoy the thrills of modern day games and multi users experience without the need to buy another (somewhat) costly one ,Well we will also have to wait and see what Sony is going do with the next generation of Controllers when it releases PS3 ,Surely it would be a technically marvelous ,but in the meantime let's enjoy this generation and play till we drop un conscious!!

I hated this game at first but now I think it's OK.The graphics are fine and the sound is solid,apart from the horrible dialogue(blech)in this game.The gameplay is allright,except I would've liked to see some more off-road exploring but otherwise it isn't so bad.And the A.I espicially needed some work.The multi-player arenas are also kind of small(but none the less fun.)
I still reccomend Nightfire or Everything or Nothing over this one though(which are both much better than this,but overall,not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Well, whenever someone sees "James Bond" on a game, its probably gonne be picked up. Well, I was walking around at blockbuster, and that exact same phenomenon happend to me. I took it home, popped it in, and began the first mission. I was at parts amazed, at parts extremely disapointed while playing "007: Agent Under Fire." (by EA Games).

1. Gameplay: Okay...but not very good in a lot of parts. First, it just feels too easy. You go around shooting people who don't usually shoot back. The game is based on AUTO-AIM, which really kills gameplay. The people don't look half as good as they should, and missions overall are short and easy. There isn't much of a variety of guns. There is hardly any ammo, and for that case, what you come with isn't very much. The guns aren't very creative either. Just a handgun, maybe a rifle here or there.

Vehicles: You normally control just one or two every 5 levels. One time you get to control a car with a ton of weaponry, but it's gets old after awhile. The ability though, when you have an assistant in the car, to shoot from the headroof was extremely COOL. That was one of the few places you got all kinds of guns. Vehicles are here, they're just not that common.

Story: Pretty good; it actually has one at least. You must save a hostage, escape the terrorists, take out people in stealth, break into the room, etc... It actually went by a story line, but the [bad] part was Jame's girlfriend gets...

2. Graphics: Decent, but not good. People's hands don't have 5 fingers, the backgrounds and guards and such don't have faces. Bullet marks disapear after going into the wall. No weather factors, collapsing buildings, etc... The graphics here were, once again, good, NOT GREAT! Better than most PS2 games, but way short of awsome!

3. Sound: Probably the best part of the game. The voice acting (while people's mouths don't move when they talk) is excellent. The sounds of gun shells falling to the floor after re-loading brings the gameplay alive! The cars squel when they start fast, explosions rock the screen. Overall, it's pretty good. The music in the background is...BOND, of course. The sound was the best part of the game in my opinion, that and:

Multiplayer: Very fun! The levels are fairly large, and the variety of weapons is huge! From jump packs, canons, bazukas, shot guns, snipers, handguns, etc...there are tons of guns. The game keeps score, and you can work as a team in 4-player; 2 on 2 combat! There are life vests to keep your health up, and the overall gameplay is good. I loved only one part of this game. it was the multiplayer!

This game, overall, is a good game in terms of how much is costs (a twenty should cover it at most stores). Persounally, I'd buy it for the multiplayer, not the story mode. Something to chill on the couch and play with yours buds in multiplayer, or even watch someone breeze through the story in a matter of an hour or two. This game is a blast in some ways, and a MAJOR disapointment in others. I plan on buying it...maybe (after renting it for a week, not really sure).

Thx!

obryanstars*

No matter what, 007 Goldeneye for N64 (developed by Rareware), will be the best first person shooter for this classic series. Not only because of the high fun factor, but also because of the high replay value it has. You can play it again and again, not to mention the multiplayer mode, which is great. 007 Agent Under Fire, by EA Games, got close enough. Levels have great graphics and details, there are different modes including driving the BMW Z8 in the streets, multiplayer is fun, after you get the hang out of it. To synthesize:

Highs:
-Enemies have high IQ's
-Cool graphics
-Nice weapon arsenal, very detailed
-Great multiplayer mode
-Two words: Bond Girls.

Lows
-Bodies disappear after you have shot them
-Only 12 levels in the whole game
-Bond's face is horrible

Verdict:
You'll definitely finish the game fast (even in Agent mode), but if you like a good multiplayer game, this is the closest you'll get to Goldeneye. Fun factor (4/5)