Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Review

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Feature

• Rid the land of chaos and monsters as you face a new threat to the legendary city of Baldur's Gate
• Five new characters with unique powers and abilities -- they'll accompany you through 40 levels of thrilling action, spread over 4 acts
• Master new skills, weapons and magic spells -- all-new spell effects and more detailed environments will bring the combat to life
• New item creation system lets players create their own unique magical weapons
• Discover hidden areas, secret characters, and hundreds of new items -- from magic potions to magic wands

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance took co-operative action role-playing to new heights on the Playstation 2 console. Alone, or with a friend, you could tackle giant rats, undead monsters, dark elves, and even a white dragon, as you uncovered a plot against the good city of Baldur's Gate. But the ending indicated there was more adventure to come. Fans were worried that the sequel wouldn't live up to original's promise when the original design team jumped ship to work on Sony's Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest. They need not have worried; Dark Alliance 2 is a worthy successor, retaining the weapons, monsters, Dungeons and Dragons action and rules, sharp graphics, responsive controls, and high adventure of its predecessor.

The plot is a bit darker this time, but you're given a wider range of character classes to help face the elevated threats. There's the mighty barbarian, a dwarf rogue, a cleric, the monk (a martial artist), and a necromancer. The quest is huge and there are character-class specific side quests you can embark on--an extra incentive to play again as a different character. The level design tends to be a little too maze-like, and there's lots of boring backtracking, but the annoying jumping puzzles from the first game are gone.

The biggest problem with Dark Alliance 2 is that it doesn't measure up to the competition. It's a 2-player game, while Dungeons & Dragons Heroes (on the Xbox) and Champions of Norrath (on the PS2 and Xbox) allow four-player play. Then again if you plan to play solo, or with a single friend, that shouldn't keep you from coming to the city of Baldur's Gate's aid once again. --Andrew Bub Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is a return to the addictive hack-and-slash gaming in the world of the Forgotten Realms! Two-player cooperative mode lets both players play on a full screen

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 Review

Guild Wars 2 Feature

• Guild Wars 2 provides a massive, online persistent world.
• Free online play. No monthly fee.
• Players have the freedom to play together even if their friends are at a much higher (or lower) level
• Players will be able to engage in organized, balanced PvP (similar to GvG in the original Guild Wars) without needing to first level up characters, find equipment, or unlock skills.
• You will be able to advance your character to the maximum level without ever joining a group if you so desire.

A full 250 years after the original Guild Wars, massive upheavals, cataclysms, and globe-spanning events have changed the world of Tyria. Human civilization is in decline. Other races are rising up, taking control over large portions of the world; the balance of power has shifted. The dragons have awoken.

Diablo III: Standard Edition

Diablo III: Standard Edition Review

Diablo III: Standard Edition Feature

• The Witch Doctor is a new character reminiscent of the Diablo II Necromancer
• The Barbarians will have a variety of revamped skills at their disposal based on the use of their incredible physical prowess.
• 1-on-1' dueling system coming into play.

This world was saved twenty years prior by a handful of unnamed heroes in Diablo II. Warriors that survived the onslaught of the armies of the Burning Hells have gone mad from their ordeals and it is up to a new generation of heroes to face the forces of evil threatening the world of Sanctuary. Players will have the opportunity to explore familiar settings such as Tristram.

Tera

Tera Review

Tera Feature

• Enter the world of Tera as one of seven player races, each with its own history, lore, and point of view. These are the races of the Valkyon Federation, leading the way into a new era of unity as they face a battle for their very existence.
• The eight player classes of Tera each contribute their own style of combat, their own method and approach to tactics, and their own unique abilities in solo and group play. Get to know them here-their fighting styles, their tools, and their talents.
• Tera is a world born of conflict. It's a place where gods scheme, armies clash, and the world can change in the blink of an eye. Thousands of years have passed since the two titans, Arun and Shara, lay down and dreamed the world and its inhabitants.
• Your enemies are many and varied. Some are strong, some are intelligent-all are dangerous. Consider this your pre-mission briefing on beasts and bad guys. Get to know them, where they come from, and how they fight.
• The world of Tera began millennia ago when two titans of unimaginable power, Arun and Shara, met in a formless void. For reasons we can only guess, they fell asleep. And as they slept, Tera took shape around them.

Tera is the first true action MMORPG. What does that mean? Tera provides all the depth of any MMO–quests, crafting, an intricate plot, PvP, and more-combined for the first time with the satisfaction and skill of a console action game. No more are you confined to tabbing and then standing around and eating a sandwich while taking on a boss. You're at the center of the action, hitting where you aim and reacting in real-time to dodge and move out of the way when attacked. In Tera, skill and substance combine for an entirely new MMORPG experience.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller - Glossy Black

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller - Glossy Black Review

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller - Glossy Black Feature

• 2.4GHz wireless technology with 30-foot range
• Use up to four controllers simultaneously on one console
• Adjustable vibration feedback for longer battery life
• Integrated headset port for Xbox LIVE play
• New left and right shoulder buttons are designed for ease of use

Unlike High-performance wireless gaming now comes in black! Using optimized technology, the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller lets you enjoy a 30-foot range and up to 40 hours of life on the two included AA batteries - and when they run low, you're given ample warning so you can connect a Play & Charge Kit for uninterrupted play. Plug the Xbox 360 Headset into the controller for full two-way voice communication: a wireless first. The same award winning Wireless Controller is back in black!

Diablo III: Collector's Edition

Diablo III: Collector's Edition Review

A fallen star burns across the sky, signaling the rebirth of a long-forgotten evil, and calling mortal heroes to arms once more. This limited edition collector’s set commemorates your return to the darkened world of Sanctuary. Inside, you’ll find a treasure trove of rare and legendary items to aid you in your apocalyptic battles at the End of Days.

Hellgate: London Collector's Edition

Hellgate: London Collector's Edition Review

Hellgate: London Collector's Edition Feature

• Includes: Hellgate: London Game, 2 DVDs, Hellgate: London Map Poster, Bonus Disc containing: Making of Hellgate: London and the Official Game Soundtrack
• Infinite Replayability: Dynamically generated levels, chance events, and massive quantities of randomly created items
• Have it your way: Three unique factions with their own visual and gameplay style
• Beyond RPG: Experience new layers to the traditional hack-and-slash formula
• Hell Never Looked Better: Delivers a true, DX10 experience, while being fully scalable for optimal performance on older PCs
• Misery Loves Company: Don't be a glory hog - fight online.

It’s 2038, and London lies in ruins...

From Flagship Studios – creators of the award-winning Diablo® series and the fathers of the action role playing genre – comes HellGate: London, the next benchmark in the evolution of the RPG genre.

Combining the depth of traditional RPGs with the frenetic, visceral feel of first-person shooters, HellGate: London offers infinite replayability with dynamically created levels, monsters, items and events that gives each player their own unique hack-and-slash experience.

A post-apocalyptic London has been overrun by hordes of terrifying demons, leaving the city desolate and scorched by hellfire. Those who were unlucky enough to survive now gather in the only sanctuary left, the Underground, banding together in order to gain a foothold against the minions of darkness and ultimately save the bloodline of humanity.

It is no surprise that these sole survivors come from three of society’s most elite factions, each of whom are masters of a robust number of skills and weapons essential to demon-thrashing.

The Templar, a secret society preserving the rites of the original Knights Templar, mix futuristic technology with ancient artifacts to create powerful weapons and armor perfect for short-ranged and melee attacks.

The Cabalists are students of the dark arts and edges of science which often leaves them standing right on the line between good and evil. Their mystifying spells make them suited for mid-range combat.

The Hunters are mysterious, highly trained ex-military operatives who lay waste to their foes with hyper-advanced weapons that blend theoretical science and the latest in technology – and their bullets can come from almost any distance.

HellGate: London delivers an amazing gaming experience to PC gamers of all types – delivering the eye-popping DX10 visuals demanded by the hardcore, and scaling to ensure the masses of casual RPG players can still get the best performance on older PCs.

Key Features

• The RPG Authority – Flagship Studios was founded by the core creators of Diablo, one of the biggest PC gaming franchises in history with over 13 million units sold worldwide – they are the first, last and only voice in the world of action RPGs.
• Beyond RPG – Experience new layers to the traditional hack-and-slash forumla by experiencing the action RPG from the first-person perspective and through nontraditional character classes and playstyles.
• Have it your way - Three unique factions with their own visual and gameplay style, offering something for every type of gamer, whether they prefer the longer-range blasts of the Hunter or want to get up close and personal with the Templar.
• Infinite Replayability – Dynamically generated levels, chance events and massive quantities of randomly created items makes for infinite replayability -- no two experiences will ever be the same and every game will be it’s own unique event.
• Mad Skills – Each faction has three character classes that contain a wide variety of skills and spells that are fully customizable.
• London Calling – Explore post-apocalyptic London, even darker and gloomier than usual. From shattered cathedrals and landmarks to the ancient ruins buried beneath the shell of a once-great city, players will need to scour all of London in search of the unknown.
• Misery Loves Company – Don’t be a glory hog – fight online. Gather with friends or recruit strangers in Underground stations and venture out into mean streets of London together to erase the Demonic threat.
• Hell Never Looked Better – HellGate: London features all of the latest next-generation technology to deliver a true, DX10 experience, while being fully scalable for optimal performance on older PCs.

Minimum specifications:
OS: Windows XP SP2 or better
Processor: 1 GHz (or faster) Pentium 3
RAM: 512 MB or more
Video: 100% DirectX 8 compatible device w/ 64MB VRAM or better
(e.g., NVIDIA GeForce 3 (except 4 MX))
Audio: 100% DirectX 9 compatible device
Disc drive: DVD
Hard drive: 6 GB or more free space
Input: Keyboard and mouse
Internet: Connection required for multiplayer Hellgate London Collector's Edition PC DVD