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Thursday, November 18, 2010

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

Product Details
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
From Blizzard Entertainment

Price: $39.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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Product Description

An ancient evil lies dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #11 in Video Games
  • Brand: Blizzard Entertainment
  • Model: 020626728478
  • Released on: 2010-12-07
  • ESRB Rating: Teen
  • Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X Intel
  • Format: DVD-ROM
  • Dimensions: .30" h x 5.10" w x 6.60" l, .50 pounds

Features

  • Two New Playable Races - Goblins and Worgen
  • Level Cap Increased to 85
  • Classic Zones Remade
  • New High-Level Zones
  • Flying Mounts in Azeroth

Editorial Reviews

From the Manufacturer
Amazon.com Product Description
logo-200An ancient evil lies dormant within Deepholm, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire.
Key Game Features
  • Two New Playable Races
    • Adventure as one of two new races--the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
  • Level Cap Increased to 85
    • Earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to improve characters.
  • Classic Zones Remade
    • Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been altered forever and updated with new content, from the devastated Badlands to the broken Barrens, which has been sundered in two.
  • New High-Level Zones
    • Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great Sunken City of Vashj'ir beneath the sea.
  • Archaeology
    • Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
  • Flying Mounts in Azeroth
    • Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms like never before.
And much more...
1-sm Click to view larger image2-sm Click to view larger image3-sm Click to view larger image4-sm Click to view larger image
© 2010 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Cataclysm is a trademark, and World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries. PC DVD ROM logo © and TM IEMA 2004. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Grand Ages: Rome

Product Details
Grand Ages: Rome

Grand Ages: Rome
From Viva Media

List Price: $19.99
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Product Description

Raise massive armies and embark on epic campaigns to expand the Empire and take control of the known world! Engage in grand-scale city building and create magnificent cities with creativity and control like never before. Intuitive controls make it easy to launch bone-crushing combat missions and manage every aspect of your thriving civilization. After decades in exile, your family name has been all but forgotten in Rome. But the departure of the tyrant Sulla has changed everything, and Rome stands on the brink of a new era. Sides must be chosen as Caesar and Pompey battle for control of the Republic.The stage is set for you to gain power and influence over one of the greatest civilizations in history. Build an Empire worth fighting for! Featuring 4X Real-Time Strategy: Explore - Journey to ancient Gaul, Britannia, Egypt, and more to colonize barbarians and establish new trade routes. Expand - Stake your claim throughout the known world in the name of Rome! Help build the empire through military conquest and economic prowess. Exploit - Natural resources are yours for the taking as you establish farming, mining, and logging operations. Raze barbarian villages for riches, labor, and property. Exterminate - Destroy all who stand in the way of Rome’s glory! Defend your territories by land and sea to secure peace and prosperity for the empire Set Your Sights on Domination!

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #477 in Software
  • Brand: Viva Media
  • Model: 507
  • Released on: 2009-03-20
  • ESRB Rating: Teen
  • Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
  • Format: DVD-ROM
  • Dimensions: .0 pounds

Features

  • Grand Ages: Rome lets you gain power and influence over one of the greatest civilizations in history
  • Advanced Battle System with detailed RTS combat with 18 military units
  • Intense online multiplayer modes for competitive and cooperative play
  • Non-linear storyline features over 40 missions
  • Use flow resources to create an intricate economic system

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description Raise massive armies and embark on epic campaigns to expand the Empire and take control of the known world! Engage in grand-scale city building and create magnificent cities with creativity and control like never before. Intuitive controls make it easy to launch bone-crushing combat missions and manage every aspect of your thriving civilization.
The stage is set for you to gain power and influence over one of the greatest civilizations in history. Click to enlarge.
Journey to ancient Gaul, Britannia, Egypt, and more to colonize barbarians and establish new trade routes. Click to enlarge.
Help build the empire through military conquest and economic prowess. Click to enlarge.
Take command of 18 different military units, including naval command, elephant cavalry, and mercenary forces. Click to enlarge.
Raze barbarian villages for riches, labor, and property. Click to enlarge.

Build an Empire Worth Fighting For

After decades in exile, your family name has been all but forgotten in Rome. But the departure of the tyrant Sulla has changed everything, and Rome stands on the brink of a new era. Sides must be chosen as Caesar and Pompey battle for control of the Republic. The stage is set for you to gain power and influence over one of the greatest civilizations in history. Advanced Battle System Take command of 18 different military units, including naval command, elephant cavalry, and mercenary forces. Recruit citizens of Rome, draft captured enemy forces, and pay foreign squads for their special skills. Defend and expand the Empire by land and sea with exciting RTS gameplay. Intense Multiplayer LAN and online multiplayer functionality with 6 different strategy modes Ð play competitively or cooperatively. Create buddy lists and challenge your friends to a battle, or use the matching system and take on an unknown foe with the same skill level. Advance your career and increase your rank from praetor to consul and beyond. Epic Campaigns Rub shoulders with Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Cleopatra and more in a non-linear historical campaign featuring over 40 missions. Choose your own fate as you create and destroy alliances with more than 20 different historical figures. Celebrate your victories by erecting legendary monuments such as the Coliseum, Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, and more. Complex Economy Flow resources eliminate tedious micromanagement, giving you the freedom to create thriving cities with multi-leveled economic systems. Information overlays visualize the city economy and satisfaction of the people on every location on the map.

4X Real-Time Strategy

Explore Journey to ancient Gaul, Britannia, Egypt, and more to colonize barbarians and establish new trade routes. Expand Stake your claim throughout the known world in the name of Rome! Help build the empire through military conquest and economic prowess. Exploit Natural resources are yours for the taking as you establish farming, mining, and logging operations. Raze barbarian villages for riches, labor, and property. Exterminate Destroy all who stand in the way of Rome's glory! Defend your territories by land and sea to secure peace and prosperity for the empire.
Military Units Archers Hastati Berber Raiders Gaul Berserkers Triarii Equestri Nubian Warriors Bow Maidens Highlanders Ballista Praetorian Guard Secutores Gladiators War Elephants Teutonic Raiders CatapultsFriends and Foes Julius Caesar Emperor Augustus Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Licinius Crassus Pompey Magnus Mark Antony Cleopatra Cato the Younger Marcus Junius Brutus Spartacus And more!

Customer Reviews

Intriguing Premise, Workable Gameplay4 A Roman city-building sim in the vein of such classics as the Caesar series, Grand Ages: Rome has an intriguing premise and workable gameplay, but falls short in other areas. Grand Ages is a game where you build an ancient Roman city and must keep it operational and successful against adversities and invaders. Providing citizens with food, entertainment, and religious fulfillment are as important as keeping your resources in order. Unlike Caesar, which relied on a road-based infrastructure (everyone has to walk on roads, things travel to and from buildings), Grand Ages uses areas of effect. In short, each building has a circle around it showing the buildings that it will influence. For example, if you put down an apartment complex, the inhabitants of that apartment will only staff a building within the circle. A food storehouse will only feed people within its area of effect, and so on. Some buildings produce global resources that are added to an overall stockpile that are then used by other buildings. A brickmaker produces 20 bricks, while the average house uses up one unit of bricks. Therefore, based on upkeep and the expanding size of your city, you have to maintain a balance between population and facilities. The problem with these areas-of-effect is that it's remarkably easy, given their shape, for buildings to get stuck with partial coverage. The fact that you can only build a short distance away from your current settlement prevents you from pre-planning where you'll need entertainment buildings or temples before you start building houses - and the effects of not having entertainment are immediate once those houses are plopped down, as the many riots my cities went through can attest to. In fact, the development of the city is often the biggest hindrance to the city. The nature of the areas-of-effect encourages growth (by spreading resources around the map) but also demands close-in urbanization (by requiring you to cluster your houses around facilities). Because of the fact that you can only build near your established buildings, it's often the case that you have to stretch out your town to get in a position to reach the very resources you need to build your town up in the first place. It's not a bad system, per se, it's just frustrating at times. The combat in the game is simple but effective. There are many units available - regular units like archers, cavalry, and infantry, as well as a wide variety of mercenaries. The middle class - the Equites - provides your regular soldiers, and when properly supplied with weapons and armor can be called into action. Mercenaries are hired for money and for certain other requirements (such as wine and entertainment). All units consist of roughly 30 soldiers. Units can gain experience through fighting, and can train when not engaged in combat to level themselves up. Some maps have barbarian villages spread around; subduing these (simply by engaging the guards they send out, then walking in once they're all dead) rewards you with additional resources provided by the conquered villagers. In addition to offense, you can also build walls and towers to defend your city from attack. One of the game's main features is that your profiles are represented by characters. A character is a member of one of five families, each with different strengths (one family is better with military matters, one is better with mercantile affairs, and so on). By completing campaign missions and bonus objectives, you unlock new abilities and bonuses that affect all the games you play with that characters - campaign, free build, or multiplayer. For this reason, it feels that the entire game is interconnected - there's no way to just play. Even the free build mode, rather than providing you with open maps and settings, is only about 15 maps with predetermined start locations and resources. This means that it's difficult to just jump into the action and make a nice city. The game's graphics are very good; the cities look beautiful, with paved stones and detailed buildings. Citizens walk around the city to their jobs, and always look busy if you ever care to zoom in and examine them. If it rains, citizens will cover their heads and run indoors. There are a lot of little touches that make it really feel like a city. The ability to put down plazas and fountains is nice in visual terms even though these things are also required for game reasons. There isn't a lot of sound, per se, but the music in each region varies and is generally nice without being distracting. Overall, Grand Ages: Rome is a good game, but the biggest problem with it is the lack of free-play. Everything seems too objective based, and there's no way to really make your own fun. Once you've gone through the missions, there's not a whole lot to do. If the Free Build mode had been more free-form, it would've been much better. Until you run out of missions, though, it's still a fun game. Rating: 7/10. Great game...Just different than we're used to4 Grand Ages Rome is not your typical city-building game. It incorporates the building style of an RTS game, rather than the style seen in the classic Caesar/Pharaoh/Zeus style games. The graphics are beautiful and much truer to Roman architecture than many other games I've seen. As I've said, this game is a bit different...It takes some getting used to. The fires and crime etc that others have mentioned is a problem for those of us who are used to other styles of gameplay in this genre. However, the mechanics work a bit differently, and once understood, the game is actually quite easy and enjoyable. First of all, each residence built only provides workers for one building within its radius. Secondly, in order to prevent crime and fires the people must be happy, quite frankly a very realistic idea...especially for the time period in question. Just make sure your people have food, entertainment and religion (in that order) and you'll be fine. In some ways it's much like a real city. If people have food they'll be content, but then they'll want some entertainment. Once they have that they'll want religion. Through it all they'll want at a fountain to provide water, thereby preventing illness. This does require a certain density, as the relation between home and service must be one to one. Any unemployed home or service will eventually light on fire. There are three work types, like in Caesar IV, Plebs, Equites and Patrician. Plebs do menial industrial work, Equites are more skilles and Patricians mainly work in temples and some more important buildings. But with each, as expected, the demand in each of the three qualities above increase to keep them happy. The game makes for a good mix of more RTS style and City-Building. Military play isn't that great, though better than most with the ability to upgrade and use special skills. Everything is built based upon proximity, which makes for a dense city, and may cause difficulty if resources are far. But in the end, with a bit of practice you can make attractive cities, that will have you playing with the view to see the skyline and walk the streets. Only if you like this genre3 This game is very representative of its genre's style. It is essentially simplified city building and simplified combat. Here are some notes: 1) no micro-management of resources. This is either a minus or a plus depending on if you want this or not. 2) no real combat AI. Combat is not anything like a RTS. It is not clear at all if there is any strategy to combat. For example, I cannot tell if there is any advantage to attempting flanking moves. Additionally the AI is basic. For example, computer units will chase you within a specific radius and then retreat. You can use this to your advantage in many of the scenarios. If you wanted a combat game I am not sure how well this will satisfy, but then again, this is one of the traits of this style of game. Indeed, many of the scenarios give you a "BONUS" at the end of the mission when you finish without loosing any squads. I ask you, how simple must it be if you can finish every mission without loosing any units? 3) slow. The game's pace is sometimes very slow and there is no way to "speed up time" in order to bypass it. It once took 10 minutes to send a fleet of ships across a map to attack on opposite shore. But then again this is also one of the traits of this style of game. 4) the CAMPAIGN is mostly a tutorial. Use it as an opportunity to experiment with ideas. This is good because the manual is very basic, missing many things you would need to know and which will frustrate you at the begining of the game to the point where you may just un-install it and move on. As an example, SLAVE LABOR can make the difference between an easy or manageable mission or a difficult one, but there is only one short paragraph in the manual (50 words) to even tell you that slaves exist in the game and nothing to tell you how to actually use them. But there are clear positives: 1) a lack of information means you get to figure out for yourself how things work. This will cause you to devise your own strategies in the game. Once you figure out a few basics your game play will improve dramatically so if you are frustrated, go online for some tips. 2) there is no upgrading of units other than to gain experience in battle. However, there is a large assortment of unit types. MORE NOTABLY, each unit type has one special ability it can employ. These special abilities can be very effective. Even the most basic unit types have them and used well make a different in combat. As an example, the TRIARII unit type can "TURTLE UP" using its shields. In this mode it cannot fight and it moves real slow, but is almost invincible. This makes them great tanks. Indeed, coupled with the simple combat AI of your computer opponent, these guys can keep all enmey units occupied while your other units take no damage as they destroy the enemy. It suggests that the special ability of each unit type is worth investigating though I lost interest 2/3 through the game so never actually got to experiment with them all. 3) the most interesting aspect of the game may be off the main screen. There are five "Families" in the game, and you pick one of them as your family. The choice of family offers you a different set of upgrade options for your game campaign. After each mission you get one skill point with which you can pick one attribute to take. I suggest you concentrate on family attributes first since they are your only opportunity to change the game experience. Additionally, completing specific bonus objectives will open up ESTATES that you can then purchase as part of your families holding. Each estate grant specific bonuses that carry forward through the campaign. Thus you can select bonses that suit how you play and if you use your head, can make some aspects of game play easier. Still, this was a lost opportunity. I did not feel the variation was sufficient bewteen the families. Aside from a few obvious attribute selections, it seemed to me all the missions would be about the same difficulty and have the same basic emphasis. Too bad, I think this is where the game could have really excelled against its competition, if it had created very different experiences depending upon the family choice. 4) a nice very intuitive radial interface for town building. It looks pretty, is well organized, and is thus easy to use. In the end this is a niche game for those who enjoy its style of play. It is better than most in its niche but suffers from several lost opportunities to distinguish itself. If you want to play, make sure to exploit the following: 1) learn how to use slaves. 2) pay attention to the family differences. A couple attributes are significant to game play. 3) explore the different unit type special abilities. 4) exploit the benefits of higher citizen types, building upgrades, and fulfilling the needs of your populous. 5) map estate benefits to problems you are having in your game play and use them to help fix these problems. 6) USE THE PAUSE KEY to give yourself lots of think time. Hail Flavius!

Bejeweled

Product Details
Bejeweled

Bejeweled
From PopCap Games

Price: $16.95

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Average customer review:

Product Description

It’s the classic gem-swapping game that started the craze! Swap adjacent gems to match three or more sparkling jewels. The more matches you make, the higher your score. Relax to entrancing music and awesome hi-res graphics. Get hints-on-demand when you’re stuck. Ready for a bigger challenge? Try the Time Trial in both advanced and expert modes! Bejeweled is the first and only puzzle game since Tetris to be inducted into Computer Gaming World’s Hall of Fame. Play it yourself to find out why!

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #7939 in Video Games
  • Brand: PopCap Games
  • Model: PCJ-BEJ-EN
  • Released on: 2009-11-11
  • ESRB Rating: Everyone
  • Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows XP
  • Format: CD-ROM
  • Dimensions: .48 pounds

Features

  • Enjoy three great game modes - Classic untimed, Action (time trial), and Online Multiplayer
  • State-of-the-art visual and sound effects enhance the Bejeweled experience
  • Feel the game move, shake and explode during the action
  • Voiceover sounds comment on your noteworthy moves
  • Animated tutorials effectively teach Bejeweled basics

Customer Reviews

Bejeweled5 I enjoy playing this game a lot and so do my grandchildren. I play it mostly for keeping my reflexes in good shape and it helps me conscentrate. Very good for keeping an older person's mind alert. bejeweled5 I really enjoy playing this game. My Boyfriend and I play for hours at a time, until our hands are so cramped we can't move the fingers any more. It is extremely addicting! Can't wait to get Bejeweled 2! working woman5 perfect game for passing the time. pretty graphics, easy to bring game up, easy to learn and play. great for small periods of time that you just need some pleasant mindless time filling. required you to pay attention and puzzle out the pieces, yet fun.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim [Game Download]

Product Details
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim [Game Download]

Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim [Game Download]
From Paradox Interactive

List Price: $29.99
Price: $6.16
Digital media products such as Amazon MP3s, Amazon Video On Demand video downloads, Kindle content and Amazon Shorts cannot be purchased on aStore. If you would like to buy this item, click here to go to Amazon.

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2 new or used available from $6.16

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #374 in Digital Video Games
  • Brand: Paradox Interactive
  • Model: 40284Majesty 2
  • Released on: 2009-09-15
  • ESRB Rating: Teen
  • Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows XP
  • Format: Download

Features

  • Majesty is the only game where your heroes decide on their own what should be done and when.
  • Real-time strategy with indirect control - your heroes have a will of their own.
  • Play through a 4-chapter, 16-mission campaign, as well as quick missions and a variety of multiplayer maps.
  • GameSpy multiplayer for up to 4 players over LAN or Internet, including support for ranking ladders and tournaments.
  • The official sequel to the best-selling game "Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim" of 2000.

Editorial Reviews

From the Manufacturer
    Majesty 2
    In the world of Majesty, you are the ruler of the kingdom Ardania. At your service are your loyal and somewhat obnoxious subordinates, who have their own minds about how things should be done. In fact, Majesty is the only game where your heroes decide on their own what should be done and when, leaving you to try to control them through monetary incentives.
    • Real-time strategy with indirect control - your heroes have a will of their own.
    • Play through a 4-chapter, 16-mission campaign, as well as quick missions and a variety of multiplayer maps.
    • GameSpy multiplayer for up to 4 players over LAN or Internet, including support for ranking ladders and tournaments.
    • The official sequel to the best-selling game Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim of 2000.
    System Requirements
     Minimum Specifications:
    OS:Windows 2000 / Windows XP / Windows Vista
    Processor:2 GHz dual core
    RAM:1 GB
    Hard Drive:4 GB
    Video Card:Videocard 512 Mb PS 2.0, better than GeForce 6800 GTX
    Additional Info:Unknown
Majesty 2
Majesty 2
Majesty 2

Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

Product Details
Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

Arcanum: of Steamworks & Magick Obscura
From Vivendi Universal

Price: $19.90 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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Product Description

Arcanum is the first game to come from the development house Troika Games, LLC, started by former Fallout team members Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky, and Jason Anderson. This team takes the depth of gameplay and world-building in role-playing games to entirely new levels of realism and excitement. Arcanum creates a compelling new world where magic and technology coexist in an uneasy balance. As Arcanum opens, the mechanical age has only recently arrived in this ancient land where Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and other races have learned to survive in the new sprawling industrialized cities. But this radical shift from magic to technology has created a potentially explosive situation. As the townspeople and other thinkers begin mass production of light bulbs, batteries, eyeglasses and guns, the Mages grow leery. This tightly wound setting is the starting point from which the character must set out on his quest. Classless, point-based attribute system allows for limitless creativity in guiding your character's development. Complex stat system underlies every event taking place within Arcanum

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #3905 in Video Games
  • Brand: Vivendi Universal
  • Model: 71047
  • Released on: 2001-08-22
  • ESRB Rating: Mature
  • Platforms: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 95
  • Format: CD-ROM

Features

  • Automatic character management features let you delve into the quest at hand for action-oriented players.
  • Explore a huge game environment, with dozens of cities, dungeons, and towns to find.
  • Meet more than 300 unique characters and 280 different monster types across the land of Arcanum.
  • Multiple paths to victory abound in the scores of quests surrounding the main storyline.
  • Accurate day/night cycles affect the gameplay, from combat to thieving skills.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review Most role-playing games are set in a fantasy world, and if they're not directly related to Dungeons & Dragons, they at least follow the blueprint of the D&D rules. Not so with Arcanum. Set in the world of steampunk--a genre of fiction that puts forth the idea that computers and other advanced technology existed back in the late 1800s--Arcanum's world is fantastic and instantly recognizable at the same time. The game begins with the crash of the L.F.S. Zephyr, which you were aboard. Things go from bad to worse as assassins try to kill you. Meanwhile, you struggle to understand why people think you are the reincarnation of "The Living One." Developed by Troika Games--which is staffed by many of the people who created the excellent Fallout games--Arcanum takes the conventions of the RPG genre and turns them on their head. Instead of binding players to a specific character class, such as Paladin or Barbarian, Arcanum lets you create a completely unique character. Experience points can be distributed in any area, so you can create a character that's a thief, magic user, and gunslinger all in one. In addition, you can specialize in either magic or technology, which will impact how the other characters in the game deal with you. The world of Arcanum is simply massive, and the story is extremely detailed. The main plot will provide you with 30 to 40 hours of gameplay, and the side quests will add another 10 to 20 hours to that figure. The quests run the gambit from fetching items to finding a cure for lycanthropy, and they're all well designed. Arcanum is viewed from a third-person isometric view--similar to Diablo II and Baldur's Gate II--and the graphics easily compare with any other RPG on the market. The characters are modeled nicely, and the backgrounds and structures are very detailed and really add substance to the game. Unfortunately, even on a high-end system such as an Athlon 1.33 GHz, the game suffers from long loading times, and will occasionally slow down during combat. Those minor problems aside, Arcanum is a sensational game. The open-ended nature of the character-creation system guarantees replayability, and the setting and story will offer relief for anyone tired of Diablo II's dungeon crawls. --Kilmic Robbins Pros:
  • Great story
  • Numerous quests
  • Ability to completely customize character
Cons:
  • Long loading times
  • Interface can be overwhelming at times
Amazon.com Product Description Imagine a place of wonder, where magic and technology hold equal sway, and an adventurer might just as easily wield a flintlock pistol as a flaming sword. A place where great industrial cities house castle keeps and factories, and home to dwarves, humans, orcs, and elves alike. A place of ancient ruins and steam works, of magic and machines, of sorcery and science. Welcome to the land of Arcanum. DailyRadar Review Arcanum's subtitle, Steamworks and Magick Obscura, sums up what is probably the most distinctive feature in Troika's forthcoming RPG title: the rabid antagonism between technology and magic. In a world securely based on high magic and low technology -- a fantasyland occupied by elves, dwarves, humans, orcs, and ogres -- the last 75 years has abruptly seen understanding of the principles of science escalate to roughly mid-19th century level. Such a development would throw any culture into turmoil. But Arcanum's universe is further challenged because these two methods of relating to the world are mutually exclusive. The more an inhabitant knows of magic, the less they're able to use a technology-based item effectively -- and the less it affects them, in turn. This works the other way around as well. Those who completely master the sciences won't get zapped by wands, but, by the same token, they'll discover that high-level mages laugh at the threat posed by a gun. This magic/technology dichotomy divides Arcanum as forcefully as religion split England under Charles I. No rapprochement is possible. Many villages and cities try to show a conciliatory face to the world, but they're only masks, hiding tensions that seethe beneath the surface between individuals and among groups. Arcanum isn't a postapocalyptic world, like Fallout, but one lurching toward disaster. All this you will discover firsthand, as your character crash-lands on a zeppelin (it was attacked by orcs in WWI-style planes) and alone, of all the crew and passengers, survives unscathed. In typical RPG fashion, you'll have many immediate opportunities to take on quests. Unlike the Fallout games, however, your quests will often deal with the ramifications of cultural disintegration. Some of these are on a purely personal level, like the request of a village alchemist who wants you to sabotage the local sheriff's steam engine out of spite and a lost sense of personal prestige. Others have more to do with powerful groups wishing to take advantage of the present malaise and change the social order to favor themselves. Your Arcanum character starts weak but has enormous potential. You can gain up to 50 levels in the game, investing character points on the technology and/or spell side of the equation. There are seven possible technological disciplines (Chemistry, Electrical, etc) that can each be increased seven times, from Novice to Doctor. It's the combination of expertise in various disciplines that lets a character read schematics that are found, purchased or gifted (after completing a quest) during the game. Once you've acquired the components described on the schematic, you can proceed to create some pretty nifty items -- like an Elephant Gun, or a Mind Marvel that boosts brain functions. (Can you say Jules Verne?) Spellcasters aren't neglected either. They have a choice of 16 spell categories, called "colleges." Each college provides five spells that must be studied in a specific order. Multiple spells can be held in effect at the same time, though all spells cause fatigue in the caster -- unless, of course, you're using magical artifacts that supply their own spell charges. Note that Arcanum, again like the Fallout games, encourages character choices based on attributes, rather than profession. An intelligent main character receives more dialog options, and charismatic souls will provoke favorable responses in those they meet. You can't create a mage or fighter, but you can design a hero (or villain, since you can play successfully either way) who concentrates over time on learning a specific skill set. An entirely separate area of character development (neutral, from a magic vs. technology standpoint) is that of generic skills. There are 16 skills that include subcategories of fighting, thieving and the all-inclusive other (healing, haggle, persuasion, etc). You don't put character points into advancing these skills, but seek out, Might & Magic fashion, a trainer who can improve a specific skill to the Apprentice, Expert or Master level. At lower levels, these trainers can be found in standard cities, but to find the best training, you have to search far and wide, pay potentially exorbitant prices and engage in major quests. Rumor has it that you may even be required to kill an opposing trainer in some cases, thus preventing you from acquiring all skills at their highest level. You'll be able to pick up a variety of followers in Arcanum. Some will join you willingly; others will come along only because they're required to do so, as a result, perhaps, of a quest. Each follower has a personal agenda too. I've had several that backed out of specific fights because they didn't like my reason for undertaking them (though they remained in my party). The Arcanum I've become acquainted with through a beta is a fascinating place, with a level of quest and social complexity and character configuration that surpasses Troika's previous work. Balancing is still in progress -- what else would you expect in a product like this? -- but the team is still promising a target date of February 2001. Pencil out a week or two now; every RPGer will want to check it out.

Customer Reviews

A Game for a Specialized Audience4 Arcanum is a game that appeals to a certain audience. If you like figuring out alternate solutions to problems, you may enjoy this game. Fans of the Fallout games will find a similarly well-thought-out setting and sense of humor. Fans of complex RPGs will be delighted by the depth and length of the game. If you thought Diablo was a great RPG, well, don't bother with Arcanum. The only thing they have in common is that you have a character that grows over time. Diablo was a linear hack-and-slash adventure with clearly defined characters and simple mechanics. Arcanum has a non-linear path and complex character options. Furthermore, if you try to bash through every situation, you will have your head handed to you, especially at the beginning of the game. Specific likes: The setting, that of a fantasy realm going through an industrial revolution (with some Steampunk-like technology thrown in), is fantastic. The character creation options are varied and give you a great deal of control. The plot is long and involved. Some of the voice acting is quite good, and the background music is very appropriate, if a little monotonous at times. The system for using technology is a lot of fun. Characters can literally take bits and pieces of things and assemble them into everything from hand grenades to healing salves. Specific dislikes: The combat system has a few odd points. Grenades and such somehow never harm you or your party, so you can throw them with impunity at folks standing right next to you. Critical hits and misses are ludicrously common, with sometimes drastic results, such as self-inflicted damage, dropped or damaged weapons, scarring or even crippled limbs. It reminds me of the old D&D Wandering Damage table some pundit proposed, with entries like, "Cut yourself shaving, consult limb loss table." Graphics are pretty bland. You can't really tell your party members from people on the street -- although the clothes they wear do make a difference in appearance, at least. The graphics seem to be at about the same level as X-COM: UFO Defense in terms of utility, although they are far more detailed in Arcanum than in that game. The interface for interacting with party members can be pretty frustrating. You can tell them what to do and what to use, but they have minds of their own, and sometimes they aren't so bright. They will quite willingly run between a gun and a target, and they pick up anything that might be lying around, including stones, old shoes, and bits of fluff. Sometimes, this is useful, but you'll find yourself scanning their inventories on a regular basis. Overall, if you are in the target audience mentioned above, you can expect a four or even five star rating for this game. If you are not, then three would probably be more acurate for the average gamer, and those addicted to different genres that require a fast mouse and a short attention span will probably rate it as a two or less. The Best RPG since Fallout5 This game has A HUGE about of depth and options. It has an incredible amount of re-playability and a giant world. (it would take 48 real-time hours to just cross the world... thank god for the map function :) ) It is NOT a Diablo clone! although I can see how one might think so... if you are accustomed to playing Diablo you will play a character that has emphasis on fighting skills, and not on such things as building items, gambling, thieving and diplomatic skills. That is the great beauty of this game. You can play it as a Half-Ogre brute, a wealthy Human upper-class gunslinger, a spell-casting gnome that builds grenades on the side, a halfling mage that ran away with the circus and wears gnomish chainmail... just about any character that you can think up you can play. Also Arcanum has GREAT re-playability. It is possible to kill every living creature in the game and win. It is also possible to kill nothing and win. The great amount of options will make you want to play again and again. For instance, each NPC has a unique personality and will respond differently to you based upon your race, magick/tech alignment, background, how beautiful or charismatic you are, and a host of other variables. People that snubbed you as a Dwarf will greet you with open arms when you play an Elf. All this makes sure that no two Arcanum games are EVER the same. All I can say is... If you like RPGs you will love Arcanum. It's what you expect, but that's about it3 Having played through Arcanum, I can't really say I either love or hate it. It was definitely one of those games that inspired both feelings at one time or another. Since I think it's about average in general, I would recommend you wait until the price goes down to about $20 before getting it. Let's start with the good things: Your character is endlessly customizable. This is immediately evident from the point system, which has few restrictions. About the only thing you can't do is have magic and technology at once, but otherwise you have a free hand. There's also a lot of trait and race-specific things to explore in the game, which makes it fun to play again. The story and quests are very well done. There's a TON of things to do, and you will actually have fun doing most of it. A lot of the quests are challenging, but none are impossible, especially if you're patient with them. You should find that you get at least double the experience from quests than you do from fighting, which goes to show just how many there are. The setting is cool. Who wouldn't want to see a place where magic and guns exist together? It's definitely a unique world. I actually liked the graphics, and I think that anyone who complains about them should (a) play Fallout, and (b) start focusing on the gameplay instead. This isn't Baldur's Gate. It's not supposed to look gorgeous. It plays like Fallout, for the most part. You really can't go wrong with a game that tries to emulate that one. In fact, the only places where it DOES go wrong are where it deviates from that tried-and-true formula. I wish the designers had stuck to the program. And now for the bad stuff: Load times are way too long. They're way longer than Baldur's Gate 2, which I find odd considering the simple 2-d graphics. The game often stops to load something (don't ask me what) during battles, which is highly annoying. It also seems to load small areas one at a time, making a walk through town a pain. The game is buggy. I'm not going to complain too much about this, since it can be remedied, but the version it ships in is absolutely full of problems. You'll find yourself saving pedantically to avert disaster at various crashes. Some quests don't work right, and your followers and minions act very stupid in battle. They are especially retarded when fighting around small doors. A lot of the features don't work well enough to be useful. Among these are the real time combat (very risky until you're of godly power), your follower's skills (you can't tell a thief to go look ahead for traps), the inventory (you'll notice this right off the bat), and multiplay (it's simply lousy). The game is too easy. I'm not sure if anyone else agrees, but I found the whole thing to be a milk run. I suppose if you don't bother to do quests, you might find it difficult, but I found that battles actually got easier as the game progressed. I suggest that any veteran Fallout player turn the difficulty up to hardest if you want a challenge. When all is said and done, I think Arcanum is a pretty decent game. The thing is, it could have been SO much better. It really is a pity they didn't streamline it a bit more.

Reel Deal Slots American Adventure

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Reel Deal Slots American Adventure

Reel Deal Slots American Adventure
From Phantom EFX

Price: $19.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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Product Description

Reel Deal Slots American Adventure takes you on a fun-filled tour of the United States of America! Visit all 50 states and beat each state’s challenges to unlock new slot machines and other surprises! Beat each state’s Silver Challenges to unlock new slot machines, or try to conquer the Gold Challenges to earn enchanted super high payback machines! Reel Deal Slots American Adventure has 20 of Phantom EFX's most popular Slot Club Downloads that you can play via a menu or in the 'American Adventure Mode’, giving the off-line Reel Deal Slot line a fun new twist! Slots included in American Adventure are: Carnival, Cash Climb, Chocolate, Dance Electric, Dinosaurs, En Fuego, Fireworks, Fishin’, Fortune, Going Once, Ho-Ho Dough, Mirage, Order in the Court, Penguin Dance, Rock & Roll Diner, Shady Acres, Spellbound, Spy Games, Think Ink, Works of Edgar Allen Poe, and World of Sports

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #5061 in Video Games
  • Brand: Phantom EFX
  • Model: 11715
  • Released on: 2010-03-13
  • ESRB Rating: Teen
  • Platforms: Windows XP, Windows Vista
  • Format: DVD-ROM
  • Dimensions: .30 pounds

Features

  • Slots included in American Adventure are -
  • Carnival
  • Cash Climb
  • Chocolate
  • Dance Electric

Customer Reviews

Another great slot adventure!5 As a player who enjoys most of Phantom efx's slot releases, I was a little bit apprehensive about buying Adventure last year. It had a quest mode I wasn't sure that I'd like, but I ended up LOVING it!! So when I heard that American Adventure was coming out, I preordered it right away. And I wasn't disappointed! This is the BEST gaming value for your money if you like slots. For only 20 dollars, you get 20 slot machines with a bunch of fun and inventive bonus rounds. And the American Adventure mode is a ton of fun. You complete challenges in each of the 50 states. There are easy ones and hard ones. If you beat enough easy ones, you unlock new slots. If you beat enough hard ones, you unlock slots that pay out super super high. It's a fun challenge, and I love the music and graphics of the slots and the map that shows all the states that you have beaten. Great job Phantom efx! Enjoyable Game, New challenges, Fun5 Enjoy the game and the challenges. Love the option of dream world and real world. If you like slot games you will enjoy this one. Good slots game4 I'm a big fan of the bonus video games, which this one has. However, I have found most of these bonus games to be rather boring free spins. I prefer bonus rounds that are actually "games" with choices to make to advance to higher levels. While this one does have some of that type, I prefer the Masque games for more action. The best games on this DVD are only available after you have completed a certain number of the Adventure mode challenge games. Most of the Adventure mode challenges are fairly easy to achieve, but some are darn near impossible. Also, I have Windows 7 and had to choose a compatibility mode for XP to run this game properly. I have enjoyed playing this game, but I am only giving it 4 stars, because it is not as good as Masque games. Masque Slots WMS Double Pack is the best for bonus games!

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack

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Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack
From 2K Games

List Price: $29.99
Price: $3.57

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Expansion Pack to the Game of the YearProduct Information[Requires Sid Meier's Civilization IV to play]Civilization IV is more than just a great combat game: you can also achieve victory through diplomatic cunning cultural or religious alliances and technological dominance. Civilization IV delivers faster mid and late game AI turns and offers greater control over your civilization's government and religions while at the same time de-emphasizing the less fun micromanagement (cleaning up pollution for example). And there’s more! Civ IV has been designed from the ground-up to deliver fantastic multiplayer gamingoptions.  Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords is the firstexpansion pack for the award-winning game that has become an instant world-widehit. Paying homage to some of history's greatest military leaders theexpansion delivers six unique and interesting scenarios giving players the chance to changethe course of history with the help of their new powerful"warlord" unit.  Civilization IV: Warlords includes new civilizations leadersunits and wonders that offers even more fun and exciting ways for players to expandtheir civilization's military power as they strive for world domination.Product Features Warlords – A new great person type called the Warlord will be an indispensable asset to any player bent on world domination. Vassal States – You no longer need to obliterate an enemy to defeat them. Conquer your enemies and subjugate them to your rule. Game Scenarios – The expansion will deliver six new historical scenarios spanning Alexander's conquests through Genghis Khan's dominance of Asia in addition to other scenarios that challenge the way that you currently play the game. New Civilizations – Six new civilizations will be included giving you even more options when

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #3508 in Video Games
  • Brand: 2K Games
  • Released on: 2006-07-24
  • ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
  • Platform: Windows XP
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 1.18" h x 5.25" w x 7.50" l, .40 pounds

Features

  • Bring new leaders into pre-existing Civilizations to help them advance
  • Strive for world domination in this expansion pack to the award-winning game
  • Play as legends like Alexander The Great and Genghis Khan
  • 6 new civilizations and associated unique units; 3 new wonders
  • 6 unique and interesting scenarios; 10 new leaders; 2 new leader traits

Editorial Reviews

From the Manufacturer Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords is the first expansion pack for the award-winning game that has become an instant world-wide hit. Paying homage to some of history's greatest military leaders, the expansion delivers six unique and interesting scenarios, giving players the chance to change the course of history with the help of their new powerful "warlord" unit. Civ IV: Warlords includes new civilizations, leaders, units, and wonders that offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization's military power as they strive for world domination. Features:
  • Warlords: a new great person type called the Warlord.
  • Vassal states: conquer an enemy and subjugate them to your rule.
  • Game scenarios: the expansion delivers eight scenarios.
  • New civilizations: the pack provides six new civilizations and associated unique units.
  • Civilization leaders: 10 new leaders, including leaders for the new civilizations as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations.
  • Leader traits: two new leader traits.
  • New wonders: three new wonders.
  • Unique buildings: each civilization has a new unique building as well as their unique unit.
  • New units, resources, and improvements: many new items are presented throughout the scenarios.
  • Core game tweaks and additions: expanded features and gameplay tweaks made to the core game.
  • Post-release patches and game upgrades: the pack contains all of the patches and game additions (pit boss, etc.) yet released for Sid Meier's Civilization IV.

Customer Reviews

Obsolete Piece of Software1 DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ALREADY OWN BEYOND THE SWORD! All the core game changes, including wonders and civilizations, are included in Beyond the Sword. Only get this game if you want to have the scenarios that were included in Warlords. An average expansion that's essentially been phased out3 This was a decent expansion to the highly addictive Civ4 release but as of the release of Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword the Warlords Expansion pack is really moot. Now, if price is a factor, you do pay less for the Warlords expansion but the Beyond the Sword expansion not only retains the Warlords features, it adds tons and tons of new material. Yes, 2K games should have just skipped Warlords but they didn't and to those of us who bought both Warlords and Beyond the Sword, most of us may be a bit peeved. Alas, that is the nature of the computer gaming industry. Excellent expansion5 Long term civ fans may groan when an expansion appears, offerings to previous games in the series having offered little in the way of interesting play, but merely offered a few ornements like a new civ or some new units. Not so with Civ 4: Warlords. Of course this offers the usual, a few new civs like Koreans, Vikings, Carthanaginians, and the return of the old favorite Zulus, but that is what makes this a worthwhile expnasion. On the side of the mundane and worthwhile, the game now does things like dispalys the odds for each encounter when you attack, a useful addition to learning players. Of strategic interest the game gives each civ a unique building, really a variant on a pre-existing structure, but a wrinkle that will give players some food for thought. Where the expansion really shines is on the creative side. The designers truly went out of their way here. THings like the chance to play the barbarians -- a faciniating idea that gives interesting perspective -- or highly creative scinarios such as one being the mongols in the conquest of asia where you have no cities and develop techs through conquest -- an excellent strategic metaphor for nomadic expansion. Overall, those who did not like civ 4 should not bother. But for those who found them perpetually moving their cursor for "another chance" this game proves well worthwhile.

Polar Games 2

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Polar Games 2

Polar Games 2
From Mumbo Jumbo

List Price: $19.99
Price: $4.14 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

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From the tropics to the poles, Polar Golfer Pineapple Cup and Polar Pool promise hilarious good times in the l atest installment of Polar Games. Reunite with your Polar Games friends to stroll and shoot down tropical fairways in Polar Golfer Pineapple Cup¿ ocean hazards, erupting volcanoes and brand new comical characters make Pineapple Cup a hole in one! Swing away with one paw and improve your score with power rings that keep you sailing over scorching lava rock! Grab your favorite Hawaiian shirt and head for the green in Pineapple Cup. Take off your lei and travel down to the arctic in Polar Pool, a billiards game played only the way an inner-tubing polar bear can play! Send your bear sliding across the icy billiards table to slam balls into pockets in 8-ball, 9-ball and Power Pool! Play in single or multiplayer mode to unlock new characters and pool tables during play. Chalk up your cue and prepare for Polar Pool¿billiards like you¿ve never seen them played!

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #7214 in Video Games
  • Brand: Mumbo Jumbo
  • Model: 1028-10438
  • Released on: 2008-04-29
  • ESRB Rating: Everyone
  • Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows
  • Format: CD
  • Dimensions: .44 pounds

Features

  • Hit sequel to Polar Games
  • Two zany games in one - Polar Golfer Pineapple Cup and Polar Pool
  • Unlock new tables and new friends in Polar Pool
  • New comical characters and crazy hazards in Polar Golfer Pineapple Cup
  • Windows XP / Vista

Customer Reviews

Great Fun!!5 I'm not a big game person but this is fun & addictive. I bought it for my husband but I've gotten more use out of it than he has. The graphics are great! Polar Games 25 Absolutely great! My Grandkids and I love it, though the Hawaiian golf is pretty tough. the pool makes me want a table again, thanks Polar Games 2 is great!5 We purchased Polar Games 2 for our nephews and they love it, especially Polar Pool. We love it as adults as much as they do. It has cute animation, bonuses, and characters that make it even more fun than regular pool but every bit as challenging. We highly recommend it for all ages.