Music Reviews

I purchased "Sonic Heroes" for the Gamecube, however recently rented the PS2 version as I was curious as to how it fared against the GC version.

Let me begin by stating that if you have a Gamecube, you may seriously want to consider purchasing the GC version over the PS2 version. The graphics and sound quality are, overall, superior. (I believe "Sonic Heroes" was developed for the GC, then ported over to the PS2/X-Box.)

As for the X-Box version, I can't comment as I haven't tried it. I do own an X-Box in addition to the PS2 and GC, and perhaps will give it a rental try in the future. Given the hardware of the X-Box, I would be inclined to believe that the X-Box version is superior to the PS2 version as well -- but haven't played it, I really can't say.

(Note: By no means am I down talking the PS2. I have a PS2 and there are many PS2 exclusive games for it that I couldn't live without.)

I give "Sonic Heroes" 3.5 stars with the GC and 3 stars with the PS2.

Having played Sonic since the Sega Genesis, I had looked forward (with some hesitation) to "Sonic Heroes". Its a decent game, to be sure, however there are issues that I would like to have seen resolved since the Dreamcast (and GC) "Sonic Adventures".

The main issue being the camera control! The camera control has only been improved slightly since the "Adventures" and still has the player performing blind jumps in many situations.

Overall, if you are a Sonic fan, you'll probably find enjoyment out of this game -- as I do. Implimenting three characters in gameplay, switching on the fly, taking advantage of their individual strengths, was an excellent model that Sega put together. I really like the gameplay.

Its just unfortunate that the game wasn't "polished". Fixing the camera should have been the first priority.

If you are a Sonic fan, again you'll probably get enjoyment. If not, then you'd definetly want to give this a rental before purchasing.

People are all talking about how there are all funky glitches in the game but i havent encountered any yet and ive been playing the game for a while. people also say that the camera cant keep up with you and the game slows down at times??? what are they talking about? that has never happened to me. the camera stays with you the whole time and even when there are like 10 bad guys, it doesnt freeze. this is the best sonic game ever becuase the graphics are awesome, the controls are easy, and its super long. there are 14 levels plus 4 teams to do it with, and.... you need to get an A ranking on all levelss to beat it, which is really hard. I think that anyone looking to get this game should. because it is very much like the original sonic, but better grphics and cooler moves

How many ways are there to say this is the best sonic game ever? Come on i know the magazines rate it around two star but you wanna belive them or a palayer (yea i know you probly dont know me)but let me give you a summary there are four teams Team Rose Amy the speedster,Cream the flyer, and Big the power house for an easy mode.Then there is Team Sonic Sonic the speedster, Tails the flyer, and Knuckles the power house, for a medium gameplay. Then Team Dark Shadow the speedster, Rouge the flyer, and Omega the powerhou for a hard gameplay.Then there is team Chaotix with Espaio the speedster, Charmy the flyer, Vector the powerhouse for a hunting for things gameplay. Each team is different then the other making it even for fun my only comlaint is that they all have levels in the same setting.(each one has a slight different level)

This game is a great game because of the live experiance, but without live it would not be so good. On live you can cruise the city, circuit race, and play a destruction game and other things. The graphics look to PS2 and are not to nice. Also there are no licensed cars, but they still look cool. The menu screen is very difficult to find all of your options. I also have midtown madness 3 and it is much better because of the graphics and more online options and licensed cars. But Midnight Club 2 also has three cities including Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Paris. There are alot of nice jumps on this game which make it alot of fun. The option of riding motor bikes make the game alot better. I would recomend you getting this game if you like raceing games.

Midnight Club II is a decent but unspectacular racer that is pretty tough but fun if you have the patience to stick it out.

The game obviously has its origins in Rockstar's "Grand Theft Auto III". Everything from the feel of the cars to the look of the city and the behavior of the pedestrians can be traced to that game. MCII obviously adds lots of bells and whistles to the basic driving controls. You have nitrous boosts, can control the balance of the car in mid-air, and can earn "slipstream turbo" by drafting behind other cars until a meter fills up and turns red.

The cityscapes are great, with nice recreations of L.A., Paris and Tokyo. There are tons of hidden alleys, jumps, parking garages, and shopping malls to explore.

The cars are mediocre. You won't find actual Acuras or Ferraris here. Instead, the game gives us cars loosely modeled on actual vehicles. The models are okay, but are not as polished as, say, Burnout 2, another game with fictitious cars.

The actual racing is pretty fun, though. Most involve having to hit a series of checkpoints scattered throughout the city. There is lots of room for finding your own path, taking advantage of the aforementioned alleys, ramps and passages.

However, the game is pretty tough. I found I probably have to replay each race about 10 times before winning. Also, in each race you basically have to come in first. There is no bronze medal for placing third, you'll have to start over. Basically it is impossible to win a race on your first time out, as you can do in Project Gotham 2 and Burnout 2. The difficulty may be one of the game's biggest drawbacks. In fact, when I first got it, I eventually just quit because I wasn't having any fun doing the same race over and over. But recently I picked it up again and have been having quite a bit of fun trying to figure out the best routes, even if it does take a dozen tries.

In short, I would dock this game one star for the bad graphics, and one star for the difficulty, but give back one star now that the price has come down. Gamers who like casual driving games should definitely consider picking this up.

Wow...how could you not give this game a 5 star rating?it's the first racing game to let you use NOS,the first racing game to have you involved in the game even when finding people to race instead of just signing up for events like in Test Drive or Apex.
The graphics are good,LA,Paris,and tokyo has insane jumps and good backgrounds,plus the the AI comes off challenging but still beatable.My only complaint is the lack of a custom soundtrack option.it would be awesome to drive around listening to the 2 fast 2 furious soundtrack or some 50 Cent or JT Money.Anyway you gotta go buy this game right now.get your a$$ out of that chair you're sitting in reading this and go to your nearest [local store]and pick it up!

When I got this game it said simple,it is simple but very hard. When I played it I could not beat the 2 leval not even my 12 year old brother cant get far. this is the most hard game I ever played!

This game tries to expand the notorious Frogger arcade hit from the 80's by bringing an adventure-type gameplay and increasingly difficult missions to accomplish.

Gameplay is easy to grasp, the instruction booklet is almost not necessary as hints and help are available throughout the game. You are still in command of little Frogger, moving him in the familiar directions: north, south, east and, west. You can also jump/glide, rotate him and use his tongue to catch insects and do other stuff. This time Frogger not only needs to avoid traffic, alligators and water, he also needs to overcome and conquer boulders, snakes, henchmen, mean bosses and the evil Mr. D in order to claim victory.

Game music is upbeat and modern, appropriate for the each level. You can set sound effects, music, lives and continues at the Options screen. The game can be saved in one of the 4 internal slots available eliminating the need to enter a cryptic, easy-to-lose continue code. A very nice feature is the language selection. There are 5 languages to choose from including Spanish, English, French, Italian and German.

Graphics are clear and colorful, control response is fair. The only thing I found was that the game gets too difficult too fast. That could be the only reason against recommending it. But if you consider yourself a game jockey then you are in for a treat.

3 stars

This game is hard to put down. Gameplay is addictive and can last hours at a time, although it is frustratingly repetitive to have to repeat the same parts of levels again and again and again until you clear the level. Still, it's quite entertaining and surely ranks as one of the better games for the platform.

The odd thing is that at 87% completion leading into the Temple level, the game crashes after collecting the balls to complete the boss level with the glowing electric spheres. As soon as you get all five balls, Frogger immediately runs into the left wall and is permanently stuck there. I've gotten this far twice now with the same result, so I'm doubtful if it's actually possible to finish the rest of the game. The game controls freeze as Frogger repeatedly smacks his head into the wall in what appears to be a graphics and/or programming glitch. I'm using a GameBoy Advance SP Platinum, so that should be to spec, but the code and/or the cartridge seems to have this nasty bug. Since just about all the other reviewers here don't seem to have gotten this far, I'd be curious to know if anyone has finished the game and gotten past this technical obstacle. Turning off the device and trying again with no luck has been a real bummer...

When I was a kid, I loved nothing more than playing with and watching Transformers. When the 32-bit era struck in the video game world years ago, I had hoped some developer would come up with the idea of a Transformers licensed game. A Beast Wars (based on the computer animated Transformers show that premiered in the mid to late 90's) game was released, but I longed for the days of the Autobots and Decepticons battling it out. Now, finally, Atari has crafted an action packed, and above all fun, game that fans have waited years for. Even though it's primarily based on the new lame cartoon and toy line; Transformers offers gamers the opportunity to play as Autobot warriors Red Alert, Hot Shot, and above all Optimus Prime. Playing as one of the three, you run and gun and transform your way back and forth through an onslaught of Decepticon baddies. Also, you can find scattered Mini-con which you can equip to gain new abilities and receive better weapons. Other than that, the game's main focus is on shooting, and on that it does a fine job. The game's combat system is surprisingly intense and is the main highlight of the game. You'll find familiar faces doing battle with the evil Megatron and Starscream, but playing as a few other different characters would have been welcome. The controls can be sluggish, and the game feels too short upon completion, and maybe a feature of being able to play as the Decepticons, are the game's only downsides. That aside, longtime fans of the original Transformers should check this out, and even with what it has going against it, the game succeeds mightily.

(...). What we have here is a well put together game, complete with a challenging difficulty, good graphics, tolerable voice acting (and despite what some reviews have said, Optimus and Megatron ARE voiced by their respective voice actors, Gary Chalk and David Kaye), and the real star of the show, GOOD gameplay. That in itself makes for a wonderful experience. But the added element of hunting down minicons(uuuuuuuugh....) is justified by actually having them enhance your "bot" with useful weapons and/or features.

All in all, a great experience.

Wow, imagine fighting a robot thats as big as an aircraft carrier.....that IS an aircraft carrier.....right after coming out of it!! THAT is fun! Driving up and down the beach, hiding behind mountains, transforming between vehicle and robot in order to move around quicker, and avoid enemy blasts....this is what boss fighting is all about!!
This game is awesome!! The graphics itself, are quite amazing. From the shadow/light detail, to the fumes, and also the visuals from items which are soooo far away from you (purple warp gate beams that shoot upward can be seen from across the level), and the explosions of the Decepticon robots. Just amazing......oh, this game is extremely fun too! :)

Grind session is not a very good game. If you are going to buy a skateing game, you should buy one of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games.

Grind session has 5 playable characters, about 10 levels, and lots of secret characters.on each level, you have to do tricks to get pro points, which you use to unlock other levels. there are also objects you can break to earn extra pro points. there are also 2 contest levels.

when you do alot of harder tricks, you can fill up a meter that makes your guy move faster. also it makes him spin easier.

This is a great game overall. One thing I liked better about Grind Session than I did Tony Hawk was that it's easier to land your tricks, the game always lands you wheels down so you can have a lot more fun worrying about playing the game and not trying to land. I've heard some complaints about the graphics, but for me they worked just fine, not overly flashly, kind of gritty and real, like skateboarding is. The only drawback is that there is no two player Graffiti game, but hey if they added that then the game would definitely be a Tony Hawk rip-off. Other than that, this is loads of fun and it's got great replay value.

OK this game is just plain cool.Heres a list.
COOLS
-levels ARE WAY better than tony hawk series.
-8 really cool pros that are'nt publicity freaks but actually good skaters.
-Graphics are decent as hawk series.
-Music is really good.about half rap and half rock.
-Im a real life skateboarder and can tell you that the tricks in the game are realistic unlike tony hawk with that coffin grind and handstand junk.
FOOLS
-The create a player mode is worth squat.
-the game is beaten easily in about 3 hours but still really fun to play.
All in all, a really good game.I'm not a tony hawk hater,i have most of his games and like him as a skater, but this game is more concrete and realistic than his series.If u want a skateboard game where u get crazy tricks and unrealistic air,this game is not for u.Try some games like tony hawk 1 and 4 for that.

Any enjoyment you might derive from this game is from playing as Jet Li in an old-school fight setting. When the novelty of that wears off, what you have left is an incredibly repetitive game with a godawful camera and an ill-advised control scheme.

Yes, bonus marks are in order for using Cantonese in Hong Kong with subtitles. (As a native Hong Kong person I can say the dialogue is less stilted, though still flawed, than usual) Though I might add that international espionage games like Syphon Filter has been doing that for years. The settings are authentic enough, with the battles in the Hong Kong settings being especially evocative of kung fu films.

But is it worth the very problematic gameplay? Just barely. If you've seen/played the demo already, you'll know that the entire fight system consists of slapping the right analog stick. While the array of moves you can unleash is impressive, motion-captured well from Li's own silhouette, this system is very ill conceived from a fighting-game perspective. Worse still, the camera is so restless that you could be in the middle of a combo against an enemy, and then the perspective shifts so that you're suddenly hitting at air and the enemy's to the side. So many game designers have misled notions about being filmmakers, not realizing that the best perspective for gaming is a fixed perspective. This problem came to a head during the ludicrous "escape from capture" stage where the camera actually cuts you off, preventing you from seeing what's behind you, even though there are guards sweeping flashlights that way that you're supposed to avoid! This is simply a moronic use of the camera.

Aside from this, the fighting gets tired awfully quickly, especially since the designers committed the ol' "this level never ends" sin. This game alleviates this problem by having lots of checkpoints where you can continue the game, but during some of the "one against 14" stages, the endless brawling still gets tired. And whose idea was it to have enemies pull of 18-hit combos, where if you get hit the first time, you get to watch your character get pummelled for 10 seconds straight?

I actually find the gunfight segments of this game more fun than the endless, endless hand-to-hand stages. This is where the dual analog sticks truly shine, allowing you to smoothly run from spot to spot forwards and backwards while your hands can aim independently and a top button allows you to do Time Crisis-style ducking. There's even a crazy level where you fight off about 100 enemies with two nailguns!

This game would probably remain tempting to Jet Li fans because of the role-playing aspect of it. And I wouldn't blame them -- this was my reason for buying this game, and there are a few levels that I truly enjoyed. The overall game, however, is really not that great, and I would recommend only playing it in small doses. It will get tired mightily quickly if you sit with it for more than an hour.

I am currently playing Rise to Honor, it is definately a different kind of adventure/fighting game. I know of no other PS2 game that doesn't use the triangle, Square, Circle, and X button.

This game uses only the Right and Left Analog, R1, L1 and R2, L2 buttons. For fighting you simply push the right analog towards your enemy.

The plot moves along briskly and there is alot of fighting.
I sincerly hope that you aren't looking for a great story with the game. This story is merely the excuse for fighting and shooting) Get ready for some tired fingers particularly during gun fights when you have to push the R1 button and push right analog forward everytime you want to fire. Diffculty wise I found it not too bad I've played a total of maybe 5 hours and am 80% finished.

Graphics are okay Jet Li looks a little fat and if you are looking for realism, remember this is like a remake of a Hong Kong action movie. (Where reality takes a back seat). But on the bright side your dual handguns, ala Chow Yun Fat, will never run out of ammo. However your stamina, and blocking ability will drain if over taxed. I hope I gave you some of the answers you are looking for.

If you remember the Playstation 1 game Jakie Chan Stuntmaster, then this game will suit you well. The idea of bringing a movie script to the Playstation 2 is a complete success, and the storyline, sound system, gameplay and graphics are great. The debut of Jet Li on the PS2 and it remains to be flawless. This game is great.

Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb is the best rendition of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's cocky action hero, and, supposedly better than the supposedly lackluster Tomb Raider: the Angel of Darkness. I have not played the Tomb Raider game, but from what I hear, I probably shouldn't bother. This game, however, is only just short of spectacular. The graphics aern't Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank, but they get the job done nonetheless. Indiana Jones looks good, almost looking exactly like the great Harrison Ford.

As Far as gameplay goes, this one handles it well, with a nice balance of action and platforming, with a dash of puzzles thrown in for good measure. Fighting is well balanced, with a good amount of moves and a simple fighting engine. The whip, while useful for getting around, falls short when used in combat. When faced by 2 or more enemies, it's difficult to attack one while another is coming at you. But it's still effective, especially for disarming enemies or yanking them in for a quick hit in the face.

Improvisation also comes into play, as you can lift and wield anything that isn't tied or bolted down. Having trouble with a martial artist ... ? Hit 'em with a chair, or break a table and use the leg like a baseball bat. This helps a lot in combat, seeing as how enemies don't go down easily.

Speaking of enemies, the AI acts realisticly in the game. Armed enemies will retreat until they can find cover to shoot from behind, while others will grab up a melee weapon before taking you on. This makes the game more enjoyable, as the fights never end the same way twice.

Now for flaws. At times there are graphical issues in the game, like clipping or ugly textures, and the camera has problems too. Also, in combat, enemies take forever to take down; a normal enemy takes 10 hits with a machete to take down, or 3 shots to kill with a gun. Some enemies, like the flame throwing guys, are a real pain ... to kill.

Aside from these flaws, this game is one of the most enjoyable I have played. If gaming adventure has a name, it's Indiana Jones or nothing!

Stop what you are doing and buy Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb RIGHT NOW! It is a must buy, maybe even a keeper (we'll have to wait and see how it finishes up). The graphics are an A, the music is an A, the punches and revolver action is an A+, the story so far is good, just like a movie script, but I will wait on giving it a rating, the voice acting for Prof. Jones is an A+ (at first I thought it was really Harrison Ford, but it's not, that's how good it is!), great interaction with the environments (you can smash a chair or table and use it to fight bad guys (so even if you are low on bullets, you can find weapons to use in each room), and the missions are just the right amount of hard (I have it on normal) with good use of save points. I held off on getting Tomb Raider and reserved Indiana Jones instead and it was well worth the wait. So far, I have to put this in my top 10 games of all time and I've only just started it.

When I recieved it I wasn't expecting much, but when I started playing it I soon got addicted. I am a fan of these type of games...Tomb Raider...Resident Evil...Silent Hill. I have to say that this game is enjoyable as well as challenging. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, this is a must have game.

When I first played this game it was on a demo ... I had never played any previous versions so I didn't know what it was about. It only had one level (being a demo and all). But for only having one level, it was awesome. I knew that I had to get that game. So I bought it and played it all the time.

It's easy to play:

1. Pick a level
2. Pick a driver.
3. Right trigger go, left trigger stop, Y button hop, B button shift up, A button shift down.
Simple, basic, and most of all FUN. Overall, A MUST BUY GAME.

If you've never played a Crazi Taxi game, you've really missed out. If you have, you know how much fun they are. Well, if u liked either of the first two, I can promise u that you'll like this one. It packs it all in. Here goes:

One thing you'll notice about this game is that the controls are just like previous Crazy Taxi games (right trigger go, left trigger stop). You stop in a customer's circle, he hops in and you take him to his destination. Speedy, nice tip. Normal, good tip. Slow, bad tip. You can pick any of 12 Taxi drivers, and drive your Taxi in any of 3 locations. Either one: the coast (from the first game), two: The Big Apple (second game), and third: the new Glitter Oasis. Make as much money as possible, and you'll get a license (either A,B,C,D,E, and or F). Drive for 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. That's the game, now on to why it's so awsome.

Graphics: They're incredible. You really feel like you driving through a city, with beautiful buildings, scenery, streets, and cars. Sharp people and convincing worlds will give you the full expierience only Xbox can offer. There are hundreds of different people to pick up, and you'll notice your not picking up 3 people again and again during the run. I never see the same person in a run. It's weird. It's almost like really being a Taxi driver in New York City.

So, if you have a craving for more of the same great Crazy Taxi, with old and new people, envirements, and outstanding graphics, Crazy Taxi 3 is for you. An Xbox exclusive, a must buy for all current (or future) Xbox owners. Excellent game Sega, now on to Crazy Taxi 4! (*lol*)

I love crazy taxi,im a real big fan of it, I have the first one for gamecube.Then i bought an xbox with 3 games, i didnt buy this one because i didnt know if it was as good or not, so i rented it.WOW, i love this one the most, here are some reasons.

1.Graphics: Really great, they are cartoony graphics sometimes but are really the best.

2.Sound: The sound effects are really cool, and the music, I LOVE, if u like punk bands like offspring and bad religion you'll like this, both bands are in the game plus some band called citizen bird...????.

3.Controls: The controls are the same as the last 2 games, i'd recommend the controller s or the racing wheel for this.

4.Gameplay:I love playing this game.IT has 1 level from each of the 1st games and same characters, I Played this game for hours.

Overall:Crazy Taxi 3 is crazy, i'd recommend buying it, if u never played crazy taxi,(any of them), then i'd recommend u rent it before purchasing. That's All.............Have fun Playing

What a joke! This is just as bad as The Fellowship of the Ring game. I really don't see how this game is rated above 1 star. If you want to play a real LOTR game, get EA's Two Towers and Return of the King. Vivendi just doesn't know when to stop. Another useless game that will find its way into the discount bins.

Hey it's your money, I just like buying games that are worth the money I spent. Fair warning: rent the fellowship of the ring and the hobbit first before buying!!!

As I've not yet completed "The Hobbit," I won't consider this a full-fledged review, but rather I'll note my initial impressions of the game (in which I've already invested three to four hours) in two distinct ways - first as a stand alone game and second as an avid J.R.R. Tolkien zealot (and hardcore gamer).

When you take the game itself, ignoring its namesake and the source material upon which it is based, it is a 3D action platformer with some very colorful, cartoon-like graphics. The art direction is regrettable, but it will surely appeal to younger gamers (and so will the "E" rating). Even so, children could become frustrated with some of the game's levels, which are challenging. I found sneaking past the trolls in "Roast Mutton" frustrating myself, mainly because of the game's less-than-stellar stealth-based gameplay (when the situation calls for it). Combat in the game is extremely basic and not overly exciting, but the platformming elements of the game work well enough. What's more, the levels are sometimes interspersed with charming animated sequences that further the storyline (but ususally are just bookended by cheesy artist's sketches that depict the happenings of the book). The game's soundtrack is quite good, and inspires images of rural Britain long ago. Voice-acting is not bad either. What you ultimately have is a game that is uninspired despite its source material (more on that in a moment), but should still provide some entertainment to gamers with a taste for the kinds of things it offers.

Now, as an avid Tolkien fan who grew up on "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," I must regretfully report that this video game adaptation takes unnecessary liberties that spoil the Middle Earth lisence. Aside from the childish graphics, which fail to accurately depict our beloved world, the game invents its own ridiculous bestiary and occasionally thrusts Bilbo Baggins and company into situations that are not found in the book. Purists beware, for you will be annoyed. Even so, the game does try to follow the overall storyline of "The Hobbit," and the rendered cut-scenes in particular do adhere to the novel. And yes, I know a game is about gameplay, and adapting a beloved book into a game requires some artistic license, but I can't shake my irritation at some of the game designers' decisions. Nowhere in "The Hobbit" should Bilbo have to face fish-men or things that appear to be giant mutant squirels.

If you're a Tolkien fanatic and an adult gamer, you would do well to either pass on this game completely (assuming you can't stomach the kiddish graphics or, worse, the game's departure from the source material) or wait a while for the price to drop. There's some fun to be had here if you're more open-minded than most Ringers, but I certainly don't recommend it heartily at this point.

When I first saw the graphics of The Hobbit I thought : "pf, just another kiddie game" - but then I played it myself and got hooked. Despite the colorful graphics it is more challenging than it looks like. Being a tough gamer myself and loving playing games like Hitman I must say The Hobbit was surprisingly good and for a change "not bloody". It is not as brutal and there is no blood or shooting; Bilbo has to fight spiders and ugly goblins thus making The Hobbit a relaxing game.But be aware: The Hobbit is not as easy as it might give you the impression! At times it is quite challenging and can be even frustrating. And there is a lot to do: exploring, solving riddles (you always find hints), fighting with a stick or the blue lighted Sting sword and throwing stones - (you get advanced tactics during gameplay making your hits stronger). What really makes it special is that you can use The Ring (I mean this is what the story is about, isn't it?) which you gain in a later level. The Ring makes you "invisible" to some creatures helping you to sneak past them. What is nice too is that there is no time limit to it (well of course there sometimes is e.g. opening those chests) so you can explore your surroundings. This to me was an extremely nice feature since Bilbo is small (he is a hobbit after all!) making some sceneries mostly impressive like the Dwarves'halls!
You have to cope with your tinyness here since some obstacles are huge! But there is always a way out and you will enjoy the victory of having made it. In fact some scenes kept me behind my PC for hours - I just couldn't stop until I finished them! I wouldn't exactly recommend it to younger kids under 10 since they might get frustrated when not being able to make their way but it is a hit for the older ones.
Get it and play it! Enjoy it! It is a nice challenging game that is good for your nerves as it is as I said not bloody - it is a great fantasy game!

This game is both good and bad, so although it is frustrating you will find yourself coming back to it more than once.

To its credit the game gives you a mass of units and unit types making it enticing to WWII buffs. Everything on the map explodes nicely and for the most part the sounds are above average (except for the previously mentioned ambulance drivers).

But the overall game plan leaves a lot to be desired. As stated before the units have no AI whatsoever. The units are not true to life in either speed, range or firepower. Mortars can decimate everything including tanks, and AT guns can't fire 10' in front of them. But the single most annoying factor is that your units are literally blind. No one can see anything except the officers, and the computer is really good about hanging just back into the fog of war and blowing them all to hell. In fact, the computer can blow just about anything you have to hell without you ever seeing half the units. Strategy is out the window and a blind rush only works if you don't get surrouned. Save your money and buy it used - cheap.

I would say this is C&C WWII style. The action is fast paced, and hard hitting, especially when you call in a full scale bombing run. Although, my only complaint is that there is very little realism. Sure there are some aspects to the game such as towing AT guns, but overall its more of a free for all than having any real strategy involved. But let me say, this game is very fun to play, and you'll be at it for hours. The sound in the game is great. From the sound of bombs and planes, to the "fruity" ambulance drivers (you'll know what I mean when you play!). When guys get shot they pull a William Shatner over reacting death pose, which is funny to watch. The explosions are really cool as well. You can pretty much level and destroy anything on the maps, be it trees, buildings or bridges. You can also play as a variety of countries, such as America, France, Brits, Russians or Germans. All have their own neat weapons and features. For example the Americans have paratroopers which will fill the sky when you call them in, and the Germans with their arsenal of Panzer tanks. Another cool feature is that the maps are very large and you can have hundreds of different units to control. Personally I would like to see teams or groups of soldiers, as it often becomes tough to keep track of everyone. In the game you can choose from single missions or campaigns, both of which are very well done and will keep you busy for a long time. Playing online is very fun as well and is much more challenging than playing against the computer. So, overall I really recommend this game. If you like games like Red Alert, and you like not having to build anything, this game is for you. Its an excellent, fun and entertaining World War 2 real time sim.

If you are into WWII or strategy games this is the perfect game.I love this game, the graphics are incredibly detailed, my favorite are the soldiers, their really small but very detailed and funny too, they overact a little when their shot, they moan and keel over while blood gushes out of them ( I find the german soldiers to be the funiest). If you leave them there for a while they hum and sing songs to themselves and sometimes you can catch them smoking. The detail on the vehicles are incredible as well you can see the countries insignia all over them, and the blasts from the the tanks are clear and realistic. The sounds are great the explosions almost sound real (you can even hear the metal sheels from the cannons clank on the ground before they explode). You can command several different kinds of tanks, vehicles, and troops, as well as call in paratroopers, supplies, and bombing raids (Very devastating if the bombers don't get taken out by flak first). It is programmed perfectly to, I have had it for at least 5 months and haven't encountered a glitch or bug yet ( and I've played almost every mission available, speaking of which a second disk came along which gives you extra missions, including one very fun one called saving private bryan were you get to play out the entire saving private ryan movie!!). There are a few bad aspects to the game though here's what they are.

1)Difficulty: The game is incredibly hard since youu men die in one hit and don't get replaced (once you get you reinforcements you don't get anymore....) so it requires a high amount of strategy to win without out using cheats.

2)... AI: I'll be frank, The enemy AI ..., the enemy runs straight into to death, don't get me wrong the game is still extreamly challenging, it's just that say your playing a mission in the game and your their is a field and you have it locked down with snipers, and machine guns, and cannons, and a wave of enemy soldiers comes along and they get slaughtered and the next wave comes along, they run straight through the same field and get slaughtered again, now I don't know about you but if I was fighting in a war, and I saw a field full of the ... corpses of my fallen comrades I wouldn't want to run through the same field, because I know what would happen to me. The game is still fun but it would have been more fun to see smarter soldiers.

3) Lack of mission creator: This would have been fun, but I know that this is going to be fixed.It's been announced that the expansion sudden strike: forever which comes out later this month ( you might want to check me on that at the website) is going to have a mission builder, as well as new units and desert terrain.

Overall the game is great and if you are a strategy game fan or a WWII buff do NOT!!!!! pass this game up it is definitly worth your money.