Dirt 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Coming from a background of Dirt, the Forza series, PGR series, Rallisport Challenge, and probably other racing games I have forgotten, I'm really enjoying Dirt 2. This review is based on about 10 hours with the demo, and 3 hours with the real game.
The racing in Dirt 2 is edge of control, white knuckle racing. The tracks are challenging, with most of those I've raced so far having a couple of nice high speed stretches, sweeping corners, and some tight, technical spots. One aspect that can make it that much scarier is that some tracks have multiple routes you can take. The differences are subtle, and the distance traveled is pretty much the same, but one will set you up for the next corner better than the other. This does introduce some intersection points in the track where the routes will cross which can lead to some nice t-bones. I found that I was physically cringing every time I ran through an intersection, full throttle, hoping for the best.
The different race modes include many types of off-road racing. There are timed point-to-point races where you won't see another car for the entire race, and there are rally cross style races where you can't seem to get through the race without hitting someone else. Both types are very entertaining. There are other types, but it basically boils down to whether or not there are other cars in your vicinity at the same time.
One feature in Dirt 2 that has made it much more enjoyable than the original Dirt is the flashbacks. There are few things more frustrating than coming to the end of a tight race, taking the last corner wrong, and getting 6th instead of 1st, or worse, totaling the car and getting a DNF. Flashbacks allow you to stop time, go back to a previous point in the race (seems like about 10 seconds or so max) and try that corner again. Obviously flashbacks are only available in tour mode, not in online play.
In tour mode you are able to set the difficulty for each race. Higher difficulty means the AI racers (which are quite good but also make mistakes) will be better and faster and that you will have fewer flashback, but you will also earn more prize money for winning the event.
Online play was available in the demo, and I spent 90 minutes playing with a close friend. We ran several races with others matched with us through xbox live. The rally type races were great. It was still point-to-point, timed, but everyone drove at the same time. The other cars on the track were only there for time reference. It was the other live drivers, but they were like ghost cars. In the other types, you are able to affect the other drivers by hitting them. I thought it was very enjoyable. Of course, the races can get dirty with people crashing into you all over the place, but that's a part of online play. I have not played online with the full version of the game, but I suspect the experience will be very similar.
I can see that I will be spending a lot of time in this game. The control is better than the original Dirt. The event selection is also a lot more engaging with real rally drivers inviting you to different parts of the world to compete. They have obviously put a lot of attention to detail in the game. The tracks and settings are immaculate. The cars are beautiful, and the other racers will even SAY your name. It's a pretty cool touch to hear Travis Pastrana say, "Hey Joel, nobody could touch you out there!"
I only have two gripes: One is that you still can't go very far afield when you wreck. If I really blow a corner, I would love to see my car roll over and over and over again. You only get that joy if your car happens to stay on or near the track. Unfortunately this is pretty standard fare for rally games.
My second gripe is that there is no split screen multiplayer. Once in a while it would be great to have a friend over and simply sit down and race each other. With this game he'll have to bring an xbox, a tv, and his own copy of the game and do system link, or stay at his own house and play over live. The live support is really great, so split screen will probably only be missed occasionally.
In summary, if you are looking for a real serious rally simulation, this isn't it. If you are looking for a very fun off road racing game with stunning visuals, great sound, good control, awesome tracks, nice cars, and edge of your seat action, this is it! I highly recommend it to the driving enthusiast.

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Promising a thrilling race experience and an extreme sports attitude that borrows from snowboarding and skateboarding culture, DiRT 2 will take players on a World Tour to diverse and challenging real-world environments to compete in contemporary off-road events. Specifically selected to deliver aggressive and fast paced racing, DiRT 2's garage will house a best-in-class collection of officially licensed rally cars and off-road vehicles; covering seven vehicle classes and players will be given the keys to powerful machines right from the off. In addition, DiRT 2 come complete with full online functionality that will be core to the overall experience, with head-to-head competitive online play and new social features to engage the racing community. Prepare for mud, gravel, dust and dirt too in DiRT 2. Turbo-charged Off-roading with Extreme Sports Attitude Defined by its multiple disciplines, encompassing the very best that modern off-roading has to offer and fuelled by the 3rd generation of Codemasters' world-renowned EGO Engine technology, DiRT 2 has more attitude, more adrenaline and more DiRT than ever – off-roading just got cool. Take it on Tour DiRT 2 will take players on a World Tour to compete in aggressive multi-car and intense solo race events in the most diverse and challenging real-world environments. Career paths will span the globe as players unlock tours in stunning locations spread across the face of the planet. Races within the USA, Japan, Malaysia, Baja, Croatia and others await as players climb to the pinnacle of modern competitive off-roading. It's All About the Event DiRT 2 is adrenaline-fuelled extreme sports with eye-popping visuals and presentation in stunning real-world locations. Events include exhilarating rally cross in the massive Los Angeles sports stadium's "Stadium King Shootout," edge-of-control canyon racing of Utah's "Creek Trailblazer" event, the "Rawang Rally Run" along treacherous Malaysian rainforest tracks and the "Battersea Battle," where night races are staged at the iconic London power station. Love Your Ride Embark on a game-long love affair with your favourite cars. Rather than being forced through a checklist of in-game cars, DiRT 2 enables players to pick their favourite rides and drive them across multiple disciplines. Upgrade them, cherish them - and then smash them to bits at breakneck speeds. Get to know which to use for what event and surface, tweak them to perfection, then push them to the absolute limit. The Complete Off-road Online Package DiRT 2 invites players to become part of an extreme sports community, with full online multiplayer race events and community integration across multiple disciplines. With leader boards, news feeds and 'scribbles' to keep you up-to-date on your friends' racing achievements, DiRT 2 will be a social hub for off-roading fans. Key Game Features
Turbo-charged off-roading action and in-game characters with extreme sports attitude
Advanced graphics fuelled by the 3rd generation of Codemasters' world-renowned EGO Engine technology.
A World Tour race mode that encompasses both aggressive multi-car and intense solo race options.
Diverse and challenging events set in real-world environments, including sport stadium racing at Los Angeles' "Stadium King Shootout," edge-of-control canyon racing of Utah's "Creek Trailblazer" event and jungle racing at Malaysia's "Rawang Rally Run."
The Ability to pick your favorite rides at any time and drive them across multiple disciplines instead of being limited to a few choices.
Access to a wide array of online multiplayer race events and community integration across multiple disciplines.
2-8 multiplayer support both on Xbox LIVE and via system link.
Teams, leaderboards, tournaments, player stats, voice messaging and voice functionalities supported via Xbox LIVE.

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Rise of the Argonauts Review

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(More customer reviews)Rise of the Argonauts is a strange game. The idea of creating a game around the saga of Jason and the Argonauts is a great one, and has lots of potential. The idea of creating a Mass Effect type game set in ancient Greece is a great one, with lots of potential. RPG-type power up system mixed with hack and slash gaming is a great idea too
The problems come in on the "but..." end of things. Great idea to use the Argonauts myth, BUT they basically wrecked that by making the game have absolutely zero to do with Greek mythology. All the character names are the same, but none of the characters are doing anything that they're supposed to be doing. The Argo is full of all new people, ie, NOT the actual Argonauts, and the quest for the golden fleece is still the same in name but they want it for a completely different purpose
None of the character relationships are the same either. People who are half-brothers in Greek myth are uncle and nephew in this game. People who are married in Greek myth are vague acquaintances in this game. People who live in completely different eras are united in the same time and place. No idea why they would do this, its completely unexplainable
One might as well have a Bible game that has Noah, Moses and Jesus wandering through the desert for 40 years together with the Jews, and at the end of it they fight the battle of Armageddon. That's the kind of hodgepodge you're faced with here
The dialogue trees are a good idea it seems, at first, until you realize that absolutely nothing you say makes any difference. Regardless of your choice, the people you're talking to will give you the same item or response. Occasionally you will talk to them and they will just repeat themselves over and over til you get to the part of the quest that causes them to change to a new set of selections
Tons of bugs too. Occasionally you'll talk to people who aren't there. People will appear and disappear for no reason. You select certain "god powers" which are basically just power up attacks from the D pad, and when you push down it gives you the power that's on the right, or you push up and get the down power. Just totally unexplainable things like that
Don't get me wrong, none of that makes the game unplayable. Its a pretty decent game, fun to play if a little unchallenging. I'm maybe 15 hours into it and plan on beating it before I put it down. Its by no means a 5 star game though, not another Mass Effect like some people here are claiming. Not a 1 star game either, like some people are saying
Basically if you want a game with lots of sword fighting and not much chance of actually dying, this is it. A game with lots of choices but no consequences if you make a bad one, this is it. A game that plays out like a movie, but not a movie you'd really want to see twice. Here it is
Hope that helps you make a decision on whether or not to give it a try

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Go back in time to an era where the Gods themselves walked the earth, and where the battles that occurred brought such fame to their heroes that their stories still resound today. With Rise of the Argonauts for the Xbox 360, gamers can immerse themselves in one of the grandest tales to be told in the history of modern civilization.
The Story Unfolds As the King of Iolcus, Jason had everything: a prosperous kingdom, the respect of his peers and a beautiful fiance, the princess Alceme. But when she was assassinated on their wedding day, Jason vowed to take revenge on her killers, and to restore her life. To accomplish this feat, you, as Jason, must seek out the Golden Fleece with the help of Greek mythology's greatest heroes. An epic-scale, action role-playing game (RPG), Rise of the Argonauts immerses gamers in a gladiatorial adventure engaged in brutal combat, with warriors such as Hercules, Pan and Achilles as they traverse a world ruled by mythological gods.
Incredibly Absorbing Play Rise of the Argonauts immerses players completely in the world of ancient Greece. One way this is accomplished is by streamlining the RPG elements in exciting new ways. For example, rather than increasing arbitrary stats like 'Intelligence plus one', items and upgrades give Jason unique, tangible abilities like the Fist of Ares, which causes shields to explode, ripping apart nearby enemies. And individual battles aren't dependant upon a hit-point and dice system. If you manage to get behind a shield and slice into your enemies' neck, their head will be cleaved from their shoulders. The developers also spent time researching the look and feel of ancient Greek artwork, crafts and architecture for a richness of surrounding that is astonishing.
As in ancient Greece, in Rise of the Argonauts players must curry the favor of the Gods. As you achieve deeds, you can dedicate them to different gods. A god's favor will also be affected by choices you make in conversations with non-player characters. As your favor, or disfavor, with a particular god rises, your abilities will be affected accordingly. But be careful, because the gods like few things better than meddling in the lives of their human subjects.
Amazing Battles are Loads of Fun The battle system in Rise of the Argonauts is simple enough to pick up quickly, but has more finesse than your typical button masher. In battling enemies you weaken their armor, then their limbs, eventually finishing them off. Weapons can be switched mid-battle to unleash devastating combos, while using god-granted powers can also cause serious damage. Players can also choose how to defeat their enemies, and in so doing find interesting new allies. For example, in one of your battles you will fight Medusa herself. If you kill her, her brother Perseus will grieve for her but join you on your quest. If you save Medusa, however, Athena will command her to join your crew as a beginning to her penance for her misdeeds.
In Rise of the Argonauts gamers will find a deep, and enthralling story that is matched only by the fun of playing it. With a wide range of upgradeable weapons, loads of different heroes to help you, gods to entreat, and an ever-changing story that is constantly affected by the choices you make, the possibilities seem endless. Add to that stunning visuals, a musical score created by film composer Tyler Bates, and a smooth blend of action and RPG that is new to the genre, and this is a game you simply must check out. You'll recognize characters from classic myths such as Medusa and her head of snakes.

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F1: 2010 Review

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(More customer reviews)F1 2010 is a great simulation-style racing game. If you're looking for power-ups, time extension bonuses, and crazy over-the-top tracks; look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a game that accurately represents the thrills of the F1 season and all the turns of each international track, then this is a good choice. I love how great this game feels with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. I've been playing Forza for the past few years, and this game feels even better with Microsoft's racing wheel. You can adjust the settings, but the defaults are suprisingly good. The "feel" of the handling is better than any other game I've played - and that's saying a lot since I own a lot of racing games.

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Race Pro Review

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(More customer reviews)I LOVE this game. I love racing in general. I watch Formula 1, ALMS, LMS, SCCA Racing, WTCC, and Rallying. Forza Motorsport 2 provided me with my racing fix on 360 for a long time, but RACE Pro replaces it almost completely.
RACE Pro is about one thing: racing. Don't expect to be able to buy new wheels, turbos, or cams for your car. Don't expect to be able to apply custom paint jobs or sell cars in an auction house. Don't even expect to take place in online tournaments (unless they are organized by a fan community) or play split screen.
DO expect to have realistic physics (seriously). DO expect to have a BLAST racing online. DO expect to be punished for any mistake you make when you have all assists off.
Overall, this game replaces Forza in the "I want to race online against my friends" catagory (thankfully, I have a group of friends who also have the game - racing against them is obviously more enjoyable than racing strangers). Unfortunately, it does NOT replace Forza in the "polished game I can have fun with when I'm not online" catagory. In RACE Pro there are only two reasons why anyone would want to race the AI: To unlock achievements and to unlock cars. In Forza, you really don't want to race the AI either... but at least you can have a slightly less-boring time doing it (you can rank up in career mode, and the types of races are much more diverse and interesting). But to me, there is no denying that the physics and actual racing are better in RACE Pro. For example, you can rub without spinning instantly (like in Forza) but if you hit someone on the wrong way, you both will end up in the wall - the way it should be. The tire model is fantastic, and the way the game treats braking without ABS is 100 times better than Forza's system. These are just small examples - you really need to experience this game (WITH A WHEEL!!!) for yourself to appreciate it.
The Good:
-Awesome physics
-Racing is great
-Microsoft Wheel is implemented beautifully (almost - see cons) - you don't have to struggle to be fast with it like in Forza
-Interior/Cockpit view
-Diverse range of race cars
-Sound effects are awesome
-Flag Rules! Both offline AND online!
-Qualifying rounds! Again, both offline and online.
-Cool lobby system. It's like NASCAR 09: you join a room and enter a pre-race practice mode where you can drive the track, adjust your setup back in the garage, and then head back out to check how your changes affect your lap time. The host can choose when to end the practice session and move on to qualifying (or skip to the race if he has qualifying off).
-My favorite console racing game I've ever played
The Bad:
-So far, the online service is kind of lame. Sometimes you randomly lose connection to the host and you are booted back to the main menu. Adding to the frustration, if the host goes off the track and gets frustrated, they sometimes just quit - closing the entire game for everyone else. Hopefully a patch can fix at least the game drops.
-Force feedback is very weak with the wheel. This doesn't seem to be a constant problem for everyone - some people report that their feedback is fine, and others, like me, feel amost nothing. Some people don't have any feedback. This seems to me like a bug in the way the wheel and the game see each other, but who knows. If you have a modified MS Wheel where you can adjust the FF level right there on the wheel, then you should be fine - but for the rest of us, you can adjust pretty much every parameter of the racing wheel in game EXCEPT for force feedback (so we're SOL).
-Graphics are pretty meh. I wouldn't say the game looks worse than Forza but it doesn't look better (except for Cockpit View! That makes everything look amazing - seriously).
That's it! If you are expect GRID, don't buy this. If you are looking for a sim, buy this.


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RACE Pro recreates a breathtaking reality giving gamers the ultimate racing simulation experience so that nothing gets closer to the action and thrill of professional car racing.RACE Pro provides unrivalled realism and deep immersion into the racing world through ultra realistic car models and official FIA championships and tracks. RACE Pro offers a wealth of cars ranging from 200 to over 1000 horse power, as well as a host of championships including WTCC (World Touring Car Championship), Formula 3000 and Formula BMW. Gamers and racing fans alike will experience the thrill of racing these powerful cars on 13 real life tracks covering all continents, of which Macau, Porto and Pau are city tracks exclusive to RACE Pro, and US tracks Laguna Seca and Road America are brand new to SimBin fans.

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Dirt Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a huge fan of Colin McRae Rally games from Codemasters. It's the realism. the car handling, the feel of actually driving a rally car. Rally games really haven't penetrated the US market. Only a handful of American enthusiasts cling to this very European sport. I'm one of those Americans. With the release of DiRT, it's pretty obvious that Codemasters toned down the realism of car handling and made it into a very arcadey type of racing. Codemasters went as far as changing the driver and co-driver's voice to an American. No more hard Scottish accents in this game. Now, all you hear is some guy saying American expressions like "I'm stoked! "Awesome all the way!" This is so cool!". I got this feeling this guy was more into surfing and skateboarding than rally driving.
Handling: No realistic powerslides in this game. This is arcade driving all the way. Very easy to do drifting and pendulum turns along tight corners. Cars feel like they're floating on air, almost the car is skating on ice. Braking has been changed to arcade style braking. When you hit the brakes, the car stops like somebody threw a brick wall in front of you. Slight touches on the brakes will put the car to a complete halt. Very unrealistic. Very arcadey. You've been warned.
Graphics: Excellent graphics. No slow downs. Have several driving views. I'm glad they have the dashboard view and bonnet view. I use these views to make everything realistic. Nobody drives behind the car in real life right?
Gameplay: Tons of rally modes. This is a mish mash of different rallies. One minute you're driving a Lancer Evolution and then the next you're driving a MAN trailer truck (without the trailer). Brings some unique driving experiene. They even have the buggy rally. All in all, game can be beaten in a few days. AI not too smart. You can easily dominate them around the turns.
Conclusion: If you're out for a quick rally fix without the real bells and whistles then this game is for you. If you're after realism, wait for the next release. This will disappoint rally loyalists.


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DiRT blends death-defying offroad action, precision control, and the tricked out intensity of street racing into one visually stunning motorsports masterpiece. Choose from a wealth of officially licensed cars and real-world locations, then go careening through gravel, dirt and mud, doing whatever it takes to bring the trophy home.

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Don King Presents: Prize Fighter Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me just say that I love boxing and am a sucker for any and all boxing games - from Mike Tyson Punch-Out (NES) to Evander Holifield "Real Deal" boxing which is probably my all-time favorite (Sega Genesis) to all of the Knockout Kings (PS1) to all of the Fight Nights - Round 2 was my favorite - (PS2/Xbox 360)to this game. When I opened it up, created my fighter, and "Rocky Balboa" lost his first 5 fights (in career) I was ready to put a spike through it. My review would have been much different. I gave it a chance and never looked back (and yes "Rocky" did become Heavyweight Champion of the World). I loved the game and the story (which is much better - surprising? - than Fight Night Round 3). I can't wait to create another fighter and start again.
Pros: Great story! You feel like you are in a move (a Rocky movie?) with live action video from your cut man, manager, promoter(s), as well as Don King himself.
Cons: Only 2 really: the graphics. Fight Night Round 3 definetely has better greaphics. The controls were different - although I got used to using the triggers to throw punches.
If you like boxing and boxing games you should pick this one up - especially at this price.

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Don King Presents: Prize Fighter X360

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