Civilization 2 (Jewel Case)
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $9.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (70)

Perfect Game
My father has civilization 2 (I am 7 years old).There is also the Map Editor, a program that allows you to create and play on your own map.As your civilization gets more advanced you can build more guys.You win by either capturing the world or building a spaceship.

Favorite game of all time
I was addicted to the original Civ, and then came along Civ II.I have tried Call to Power, Civ III, and Alpha Centari, but I always come back to Civ II.It is my all time favorite.It only takes a few years in a new game and I am totally engrossed.I lose hours and days at a time.

Want to lose weight?Start the Civ diet.You will choose Civ over food.Want to break an addiction?Civ will become your new addiction.Want to save your relationship?Well, you should take a break every once in a while.

Still #1 on my list
After playing this game for (yikes!) 9 years, I can say without a doubt that this is still the best turned-based strategy/empire building game ever.How can I say that?Simple.First, this game is not real-time strategy (RTS) in nature, so I clearly distinguish it from RTS games like Age of Empires (and others).Secondly, it never relied on graphics to sell itself.Way too many games today eat up RAM and require expen$ive video cards to do far less than this game does.

I had played the original Civilization (and loved it), but Civ II was a gigantic leap forward in game concept and design.The graphics were an improvement, yes, but I'm a child of the 70's, raised on Atari games.So I know that great games can have meager graphics.I also have learned that lousy games can have awesome graphics.Graphics get me to look at the game, but the game's overall concept and implementation keep me going long after the graphics have worn themselves out.Civ II is a game that long outlasted its graphics.Here's why:

1) Replayability: No two games are ever the same.That's even true of the scenarios.The choices for startup (world settings, civilization choices, game options, etc.) alone give you a fantastic variety that will allow you to keep trying the game from entirely new starting conditions.Even choosing the same options every time still leads to wildly different games each time, simply because the game is quite adaptable.

2) Strategy: Play the WWII scenario from nearly any of the 3 major sides (Axis, Allies, Russians) and you will find yourself learning-often times the hard way-that the European theater was not a forgone conclusion.The normal game mode is no less exciting for those who love exploring, building, expanding, and (of course) conquering.

3) Two different approaches to victory: This game is very good about not punishing the player for seeking a non-combative victory.The space race, while competitive, does not require direct aggression against the other civs.This can be a refreshing change for those who prefer to let their infrastructures do their fighting for them.I have tried both paths multiple times, and I can testify that both are equally challenging.I can also tell you that you get more points for winning the space race than for conquering everyone.

4) Scenarios: Whether building them or playing them, this feature of Civ II, along with a map builder utility, has provided me with countless hours of entertainment and challenge.It only gets better if you get the expansion packs.

Really, I can go on...and on.But these are the main reasons I will always keep a copy of Civ II on my computer.Even Civ III has not replaced it.
... Read more

Asin: B00004VXAZ
Sales Rank: 1867
Subjects:  1. Civ Two (2, II)    2. Computer Games    3. Strategy (Strategic)    4. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    5. Military (Wargames   

Civilization 3
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (31 October, 2001)
list price: $19.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Sid Meier's name is synonymous with outstanding games, particularlyturn-based strategy games. From the original Civilization toColonization to Alpha Centauri, Meier has been behind some of thebest games ever made. Now we can add Civilization III to the list. Thethird installment in Meier's signature series offers all the outstandinggameplay featured in the first two games while including new features andrefinements that keep the series fresh and engaging.

Civilization III offers 16 playable civilizations, and each has its ownstrengths and bonuses. The game begins in the year 4000 B.C., when yourcivilization is nothing more than a primitive tribe, and each turn progressesthe game forward in time. You manage growth, military production, citydevelopment, diplomacy, and scientific research as your civilization grows froma single village to several towns to a continent-spanning metropolitan sprawl.The fun is in deciding whether to research writing or the wheel, whether tobuild a musketeer to take out an encroaching enemy pikeman or direct your cityto work on the culturally significant Sistine Chapel. There are five ways to winthe game, ranging from wiping out the other civilizations with military power todefeating them through cultural dominance, which is one of several new victoryconditions.

Fans of Meier's other turn-based games will find the same addictive gameplaypresent in Civilization III. Building off the gameplay are several newadditions, specifically the new cultural rating and the new resource managementoptions. Every turn, each civilization earns culture points based upon how manywonders and other culturally significant structures are built within its cities.The higher the culture rating, the faster your civilization's borders grow. Ifyour border extends to an enemy city, it's possible to capture that city withoutshedding any blood; the city's citizens will be attracted by your culture andwillingly rebel.

The other big change is that you must collect raw materials in order to buildcertain units. For example, oil and rubber are required to build modern units,and if those resources aren't within your territory, you'll need to negotiatewith other civilizations for them. And because the game's negotiation process isvery deep and involved, you may find yourself cut off from key raw materials ifyou're at odds with other civilizations, which, in turn, will weaken youmilitarily.

The AI powering rival civilizations is quite good, and is capable of negotiatingcomplex arrangements with both your civilization and other civilizations. Thesenegotiations run from simple trade agreements to complex mutual protectionpacts, and it's not uncommon to find an enemy civilization taking steps toisolate you from the rest of the world.

There are a few minor issues with the game, most notably with unit imbalancesand the tedious endgame, which can drag on forever. These are minor problems,however, and don't detract from the overall experience. Fans of Sid Meier'sother games, or anyone looking for a fun and challenging gaming experience, oweit to themselves to pick up Civilization III. --P. Meyer

Pros:

• Enemy AI is very impressive
• New additions really add to the experience
• Very addictive gameplay

Cons:

• Some unit imbalances
• Endgame is a little long-winded

... Read more

Features

Reviews (510)

Painful
Here in Amazon it says "Used and new for 2.50". Well, you get what you pay for. You're better off buying a chocolate or giving that money to a homeless person, trust me. I got this game for Chrismas if I remember well, and I have played it only a couple of times. Why? Because it's way too frustrating, tedious, hard. Just painful.

1)I've never managed to finish this game, even in the easisest difficulty setting. The game ends before I can even start the modern ages, and I had lots of scientists and dedicated 100% to science. I don't get it. It's like a race you can't win.

2) The AI cheats! And they don't hide it. I once attacked one civilization, but some moments later every other civ in the world teamed up with that civ and I soon find myself defending my last city against every other nation of the world. Now way. It's you vs. the computer, not you vs. different civs. Besides, you'll discover that the AI has infinite amounts of money and can build anything in a matter of 3 turns.

3) No videos for wonders. Call to power had small videos for each time you built a wonder.

4) You can't attack with more than 1 unit at a time. In Call to Power you could team up 9 units and use them as an army. It even showed the bigger battles with a video.

5) You need to expand your country like crazy to make sure your rivals can't attack you, but the bigger your country is, the more gold you lose by corruption? That's crazy.

6) Spies are completely worthless. They cost WAY too much, and fail 98% of the time.

7) No cheats. I had to download programs to be able to edit my save games. Call to power had a "Cheat" button right in the menu.

It's way too frustrating. The only time I managed to have fun was when I attacked a opposing civ (Which was already weak) and the campaign was very fluid. I took city after city, while I could see that their armies fled across their country when I took a very important spot.

If you are looking for a strategy game, get Hearts of Iron II. Civ III is pure frustration.

Not As Good as Civ II
Civilization I, Civilization II, and Civilization III are all outstanding games to various degrees. But on the "curve" with its two predecessors, Civ III comes up short.

Part of the "problem" is that most of the major weaknesses of Civ I were remedied in Civ II, which means that any improvements would likely only be incremental. For instance, the diplomacy function took a quantum leap in Civ II, which means that the Civ III improvement took place only at the margin. (I like the idea of being able to trade away a far-flung city to an ally to keep it out of the hands of a hostile third party.)

One interesting, if unfortunate, new feature of Civ III is what I call "nationalism." This is reflected in the fact that some civilizations are made more religious, and others are more industrious, or scientific, or commercial or militaristic, in line with their historical experience. Each civilization also gets one new military unit that is better than other civilizations' counterparts, which also reflects history. Finally, captured cities are less productive than home grown ones, because of "slackers" who pine for the old regime.

In other respects, however, the game designers "crippled" Civ III by taking discretion away from the human player. For instance, caravans are worth only about half of what they were in Civ II, because they can no longer be used to rush the building of wonders. The function instead, is the province of "leaders," usually heroes on the battlefield. While this feature accurately reflects Europe in the Dark Ages, it provides an unfortunate example for modern times. It breaks the link between the (human) ruler and the "common people" (computer-controlled population units in the cities) who get a permanent wonder in exchange for sacrificing temporary benefits from trade goods. And it puts too much power in the hands of elites who are wrongly believed to have a monopoly on the power to make things happen. (This is the main rationale for excessive CEO pay.) It also creates an incentive to go to war in order to solve internal problems, another dilemma that America has been facing in real life in places like Iraq.

The "spy" (diplomat) function is similarly hobbled, with spies being able to operate (and only rarely) in capitals, instead of out in the field, where they belong. In Civ II, this function did give a slight advantage to the human player (I would occasionally raise cash by selling all my improvements to make a "strategic" acquisition, something the AI wouldn't do), but the AI used diplomats competently, and had the advantage of being able to bribe my units without a diplomat.

Apparently, the designers tried to create a game that helps the AI enough to crush human players hubristic enough to play at the Deity level. In this regard, they succeeded, but they also made the game less playable at lower levels; "King" no longer gives an "evenly matched" game with one's peers. In so doing, they also set an unrealistic hurdle. The AI is still "less smart" than the best human players, but at least as smart as the average actual ruler in history. Thus, the challenge is for the human player to beat such "historical" rulers. In real life, America was founded because its leaders were much smarter than an "average" king like George III; it's possible that the American Revolution would never have succeeded against Elizabeth I.

For all its faults, Civ III is a fascinating game, just not up to the standards of Civ II or an appreciable improvement over Civ I.

Civilization 3 commits the Ultimate Gaming Sin.
Here are its problems:

1.The AI:The AI cheats!On any setting beyond chieftan (easiest) you will generally never be able to keep up with the production and military might of the game's AI controlled civs.The most powerful nation on the map will always be the AI controlled civ.Its military will be bigger, it will expand faster, it will beat you to great wonders, out perform you in the tech tree race, and it will more likely than not eventually single you out for extinction.

2.Units: Much negative criticism has been directed at the game's unit imbalances and it's all true.The game's units are terribly unbalanced--all of which is exacerbated by the random nature (random meaning more often than not resolving battles in the AI's favor) of combat.

3.Diplomacy:Again, terrible.Other civs make ridiculous and uneven demands and make it ridiculously difficult to engage in mutually benificial negotiations.It is very easy to find yourself at war simply because you rebuffed a demand for tribute.

4.Did I mention the unit imbalance?

5.Combat:Managing your units is tedious and burdensom. Its awfully irritating to have to manually select unit after unit after unit to move across the map.A patch helps a little, adding the option of fortify or wake all, but it's too little.Also, this game generally frowns on your civ being too miliaristic and aggressive.Your citizens should be assuaged by the fact that they stand to reap the spoils of your regime if you are successful in combat but instead, often despite the type of government, they turn all whiny if you play the combat hand too much.This seems out of place in a game ostensibly designed to simulate WAR!!!

6.Cities:You lose a city (a valuable city loaded with painstakingly developed improvments) to an enemy.You fight to get it back because of its strategic value.Almost all the stuff you built is gone, save for a granary.Gee, thanks.

7.Population mood:Okay, I'm playing peaceful, but with a large military just in case.My government of choice is Monarchy or Republic.I get attacked.I'm ready.I'm putting the big smack-down on my invader (and the one or two AI controlled civs that inevitably pile on).Suddenly, five or six turns into the battle, every single one of my cities falls into revolt.The reason:"Give peace a chance."Excuse me, I was attacked.The game seems to relish punishing the player by forcing you into classical darned if you darned if you don't.

8.Realism:Someone mentioned the pollution problems you experience later in the game.They are right on. It becomes a downright pain to constantly micromanage workers sending them from one pollution hot-spot to another.The AI civs always seem to locate themselves in a primo spot, next to all kinds of goodies like luxuries, raw resources, fertile land.The human player?Right next to the mountains and desert.Roam around a few turns to find a better spot and you're behind everyone else for the duration of the game.

At the end of the day, Civ 3 commits the ultimate sin by not being what it says it is: an epic game designed so you can match wits with other opponents all in a quest to dominate the world.Civ 3's shortcomings are also not what you'd call obvious and apparent.You could play for a few hours and say, what are they talking about--this games is great.No, Civ 3s shortcomings hide in the details--that area that separates great games from the bad--and come to forefront as you play.Though I admit, for moments, this game is outright brilliant (hence 3 stars for fun), but one simply cannot overlook such fatal flaws.

What could be the best turn-based strategy game ever made is instead beset by just enough flaws to make it nothing more than a lie encompassed on disc, with just enough unattainable potential to keep you coming back for a fresh kick in the teeth.Not me though.After over a year of frustrations and lemons-into-lemonade travails, I've uninstalled Civ 3 and given it a one-way ticket to the back corner of my office clost. ... Read more

Asin: B00005JC8D
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Strategy (Strategic)    3. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    4. Military (Wargames    5. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)   

SimCity 2000 Special Edition (Jewel Case)
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The ultimate city simulator. You design, build, and customize any city you can imagine, and Sim City 2000 SE will bring it and its resident Sims to life. Includes the Urban Renewal Kit and Scenarios Vol. 1--all on one CD-ROM. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Irritating Game
I see some people love this game.I on the other hand, dislike it very much.Mostly because in order to make your city happy, you need money to make the city better.But you run out of money to soon and try to make some adjustments in the taxes and everything, which makes the city unhappy.And while your trying to do all that, the roads keep getting messed up and needing repairs, you have to add more police stations to keep the crime at bay, ect.Plus, if your playing with the crisis', you'll have aliens burning your hard work down, earthquakes, ect.It's just not worth the time.Now if you love a tough challenge and have nothing else you can think of to do, then go right ahead and get it.Otherwise, don't waste your time or money.This is unlike the regular Sims game, which is the best PC game ever.I really can't wait for The Sims 2!Save your money for that one!It will be so much better than the first!

Extremely dated but great vintage value!
I still come back to this game from time to time considering the immensely complex scope of the newest SC 4 game released recently.

I have such great memories of this game when I got in during Christmas of 1998 and played it for a long time afterwards and for most of that time, it was the most state of the art computer game that was ever created at least at that point in time.

In this game, you zone out the tiles of land for industial, commercial and residential development and manage your city's progress from a small unincorporated village into a thriving metropolis or town if you don't want it big. The game is incredibly simple compared to the newest reincarnation of the game saga.

This game is extremely dated today but tack in 1994 through late 1998, this game to me was the 'game of the future;! The graphics are quite low on detail and almost look silly by todays standards. The water pumps for example look more like pacifiers than real water pumps. The railroads are also a bit questionable by today's standards because although it makes it a lot easier to play, the railroads can be built at ninety degree angles, something that is impossible with real traintracks which can bend maybe no more than like 10 degrees. At the same time, it's quite entertaining just to see the freight trains pass the ninety degree bends with no problems at all.

This game holds a special place in my life not just because I played it so much but also because it was the game that brought the whole Simcity Saga into my life and is the grandfather of the simcity games. It's definatety a keeper just for it's vintage value and the memories that it holds for me.

A true classic in every way. This game is the grandfather of the Simcity Saga at least for me it is.

It looks good, but DON'T buy it!
This game is extremely bad. The only good sim games are the awesome "The Sims" games. In SimCity, th only way to build homes, hospitals, airports etc... is to use the urban renewal kit! If you build a city useing the regular game it does not build buildings at all! If you choose to make an area of land residential, it does not build homes, it colors the land green! This game is horrible! When you look at your finished city, it is a huge color coded land mass! ... Read more

Asin: B00005AG1J
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Great Deals (Outlet store)    3. Simulations    4. Strategy (Strategic)    5. World Building (Builders)   

Final Fantasy VII
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (27 March, 2000)
list price: $19.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Long recognized as role-playing games par excellence, the FinalFantasy series gets a technological makeover in this installment (and seriesdebut on the PlayStation). Shedding the two-dimensional graphics and limitedsound capabilities of its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII features lush3-D graphics, beautifully animated "movie" sequences, and soundtrack-qualitymusic. Coupled with the game's intricate storyline, endearing characters, andimmense yet highly imaginative world, these new advancements make for a quite anengrossing experience.

The story of Final Fantasy VII centers around a solider named CloudStrife, who joins forces with Avalanche, a group of resistance fighters, to takedown an evil mega-corporation known as Shinra. (The fate of the world hangs inthe balance, of course.) Truly epic in scope, this four-disc game requires aconsiderable amount of time to complete---this reviewer gladly gave up over 80hours of his life to finish it. But it's definitely a rewarding adventure thatevery PlayStation owner should consider undertaking, especially since it's nowone of the low-priced "Greatest Hits" titles. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Intricate and absorbing storyline with endearing characters
• Immense and highly imaginative game world
• Special battle system
• Beautifully animated movie sequences

Cons:

• Your friends and family may feel neglected

... Read more

Features

• Join AVALANCHE, an organization sworn to put an end to Shinra corporation's destructive practices
• Move around the world using flying vehicles, submarines, and Chocobos
• Fill the Limit gauge to perform each character's special attack
• Play 7 mini-games, from arcade-type to betting
• For 1 player

Reviews (1073)

Not as top notch as the other FF's!
To sum things up, FF VII is a good game, but I find it is overrated.When it was released in the late 1990's it set the standard for graphics not only for RPG's, but for all video games from there on out.But in terms of the game itself, it leaves some things to be desired.

The characters for example, were not as well developed as they should have been.The lead character, Cloud, got about 80% of the character development, while the others only small bits are known about them.But I will say that each character does have his or her own unique personality so this area may not bother players too much.

The music in FF VII unfortunately, was horrible in my opinion.Especially when compared to other Square titles such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and even Final Fantasy IV (which is well over 10 years old).The battle music was good, but the rest was flat and uncreative, especially the music on the world map.Those of us who are familliar with the work of Square had expected much better in this department.

The game play was good.The materia system was a nice touch that added variety to the basic magic-using RPG.Basically, every character in the game can use spells, but they have to equip a materia onto their armor or weapon, and gain points through battles to learn each spell the materia has to offer.The only downside is that once the materia has been unequiped, the spell(s) go with it.But nonetheless, the materia system had breathed new life into the RPG world of magic-using.

You also have side quests, secret/hidden items and weapons, and secret characters just like most RPG's.The graphics are good, although the characters look very polygonized in their smaller forms.The CG scenes are beautiful.This is one area Square always dominates.They did a great job with those in FF VII.

It saddens me to give this game only 3 out of 5, but I must be honest.I love RPG's, especially the classics from Square, but I just don't think that FF VII deserves to be up there with CT, FF IV, and FF VI.Even the ending of FF VII was disappointing, because they did no follow-up on the characters.It's a good game overall, but it had the potential to be great.

:)
best characters and storyline iv ever played....plot twists..great character development..this game does everything right.. Cloud:the main character is a bad ass, manley man..despite the fatc it probaly takes him 3 hours in the morning to do his hair..but hes cool none the less..barret: a black guy who is also manley and has a really bad temper...tifa:huge boobies, wears short shorts and is probaly really pretty if the graphics were better..oh and shes nice and obviously wants to get into clouds pants...aeris: a good girl who probaly shouldnt stand under balconys or anything somebody can jump on top of her... cid: foulmouth badass...this game has a lot of bad asses...red XIII: plays the role of the wise old man...though hes not a man and techinically in his years hes onky a teenager

GET THIS GAME...ull love it...if u like rpgs ull love this game and follow it like a religion

"I don't care where, Cloud, Just stop it!"
I love this game. It is absolutely THE BEST vg i have ever played.

Follow the life of Cloud Strife, an ex-soldier who joins AVALANCHE, a club who is full of crime fighting agents such as Tifa, Barret and Yuffie. One time on a dangerous mission, he meets Aeris, a flower girl from the slums.they THEN set out on an adventure to defeat Shinra! ... Read more

Asin: B00000JRSB
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Role Playing Games    3. Fantasy    4. Sony Playstation (Play station)    5. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    6. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    7. Adventure   

StarCraft Battle Chest
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (24 October, 1999)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The full versions of StarCraft and the acclaimed expansion pack Brood War, as well as complete strategy guides for each, make StarCraft: Battle Chest a treasure chest for real-time strategy fans.

Instead of two similarly powered enemies facing off, the three distinct races in StarCraft have unique capabilities and strategies. Everyone still competes in the RTS genre's typical race for resources, but that's the only shared trait. Terrans can move their bulky mechanized bases as necessary, while the reptilian Zerg grow their colonies and warriors from mutating larvae. Meanwhile, the noble Protoss warp in equipment from their home world using psionic powers.

Not only does game maker Blizzard juggle the races' playability and match it with superb art and sound effects, it also weaves together an engrossing three-act plot. Early on, as a Terran magistrate, you spend a breathtaking 30 minutes defending against a Zerg onslaught. As the story unfolds around you, you'll experience the Zerg's hive mentality and decipher the mysterious Protoss by the game's dramatic conclusion.

Missions vary in scope and are effectively framed with dialogue, chapter screens, and in-mission exposition. Multiplayer games are also very well represented by Blizzard's own free Battle.net service. If you'd rather play over a local area network, StarCraft will generously "spawn" up to seven copies so your friends can join in.

In keeping with StarCraft's groundbreaking design, Brood War presents you with three sides of a galactic conflict. Scheming humans, insidious Zerg, and proud Protoss collide again, with stunning new cinematics setting the stage. Old friends and foes and ominous new arrivals give the story a breakneck pace, while a handful of additions to each race's arsenal makes for tense battles. Brood War also features stellar new environments and ambient art, as well as more than 100 additional multiplayer maps.

Some missions require a bit of finesse, breaking the resource-gathering routine while making good use of the new units. Humans now have Valkyrie missile frigates as well as medics who automatically try to heal your grunts. New for the Zerg air force is the acid-spewing Devourer; the new Lurker unit provides heavy-duty (under)ground support. Along with the Corsair fighter, the Protoss reenter the fray with Dark Templar, which can merge to form the devastating Dark Archon. Unfortunately, units old and new still suffer from weak artificial intelligence in path finding.

Real-time strategy games don't get any more epic or any more satisfying. --Jack Gardiner ... Read more

Features

• 3 unique alien species: Whether you command the nomadic Terran, mysterious Protoss, or voracious Zerg, you must devise totally unique strategies to survive the acid-drenched, fire scorched battles of the future.
• 44 explosive scenarios: Dominate or die in 55 complete missions set within 6 epic campaigns.
• Intense internet competition: Challenge players worldwide with free access to Blizzard's Battle.net Gaming Service.
• Offical strategy guide: Includes the official Starcraft and Starcraft Expansion Set: Brood War strategy guides from Prima Publishing.

Reviews (218)

Starcraft is the best game ever.
If I had the chance to buy just 1 game in my whole life, I would pick Starcraft, without any doubts. I want a copy of it, not because I don't have access to battle.net, but because I do believe that this game is really WORTH spending money and some of your time. I would pay 10 times more for it.

Game for the Ages
This game gets old like breathing gets old -- it doesn't.This game has been out over 10 years and it is STILL the dominant multiplayer game featured in just about every group I've ever LAN'd with.

The thing is this:It's not graphics that make a game great, it's the concept.When describing Starcraft to new players, I compare it to chess.You have a small number of brilliantly simple "pieces" and the game is about putting them to best use.

There are no complicated combat systems, overly-elaborate frills, special rules, blah, blah, blah.Each unit does what it does and it's easy to understand.Most importantly, new players can pick it up quickly.The variety is enough to keep you interested, but not so much that strategizing is a crap shoot.At the end of the day, pieces move in straight lines and diagonals, except for templar which move two spaces up and one to the right (just to keep you on your toes).

One of my absolutely most favorite-est games of all time.

MAC Fans rejoice ...
I am not going to tell you how awesome this game is ... you can get that from the other reviews.What I want to tell you is this:I took the 'Starcraft Battlechest' home, expecting to play it under 'Classic';there is no mention on the box of OSX, and the game was made well before OSX was.However, when I installed it, there was an OSX native version right on the disk!So, Mac fans, if you want a good RTS, here ya go. ... Read more

Asin: B00001IVRD
Subjects:  1. Apple    2. Havas    3. Star Craft    4. Computer Games    5. Strategy (Strategic)    6. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, Scifi)    7. Macintosh (Machintosh)    8. Mac   

Diablo 2
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (29 June, 2000)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Everything that made the original Diablo great--nonstop action, wicked monsters, dark gothic atmosphere, and fantastic magic items--has returned. But new enhancements such as the class skill system and cheater-proof multiplayer competition make Diablo II even better than the original.

The millions of gamers who fought their way through the horror of Tristram'scatacombs in the original Diablo realized that all was not well aftertheir hero destroyed the demon's physical body. Diablo II opens with avivid animated vision of that mad, doomed hero, who unwittingly spreads chaos ashe moves toward a fate of Diablo's choosing. With the original character classesgone, players choose from a new cadre of champions: the Barbarian (can wield twotwo-handed swords at once, one in each hand), the Necromancer (raises the deadto fight his battles), the Amazon (master of bow and spear), Paladin (holycrusader), and Sorceress (wielder of elemental magic). These warriors follow adiabolical plot through four acts, and each act is roughly as big as theoriginal Diablo.

Diablo II looks and behaves very much like Diablo. Players areassigned quests by nonplayer characters and adventure through dark catacombs andcrypts. Hordes of vile monsters assail the hero, who survives by force of arms,powerful spells, and through the use of varied and exotic magic items. Randomlygenerated dungeons guarantee fresh adventure each time a new game is started.But unlike the original game, characters must fight their way through the above-ground wilderness before entering a dungeon. Fortunately, some of thefrustrations of adventuring have been lessened in Diablo II, thanks to thenew ability to run and the clever implementation of "waypoints" that let yourcharacter quickly travel to and from the safety of town.

Along with the new character classes comes a new character skill system. As inthe original game, players improve their character's ability scores as they killmonsters and gain experience. But unlike the original game, players get to addspecific skills, spells, and powers each time they advance. For example, aftergaining a level you could choose between taking a skill that improves yourattack speed or a skill that allows you to scatter your foes with a mightyshout. With this customizedadvancement system it is unlikely that two high-levelcharacters, even characters of the same class, will be alike. Instead ofprogressing along a set path, you can choose skills and powers that complementyour own particular playing style. Interestingly, this new customizable classsystem closelyparallels the changes made in the new editionof Dungeons & Dragons.

Other enhancements include a method for creating and customizing magicitems, 3-D accelerated spell effects, anticheat multiplayer code, and a place to safelystore excess money and equipment. But even without these tweaks, even withoutthe sophisticated story line and all the cool new features, Diablo II isjust a great game. The sound, music, and graphics combine to create atantalizingly eerie setting. Players will willingly let their game-playing hoursslip well past reasonable bedtimes, suffering bleary-eyed classes and meetingsin exchange for "just one more" magic item, dungeon level, or characterskill.

Diablo is back. Say hello to the game that will once again dominate gamers'computers, and say good-bye to your free time. --Michael Fehlauer.

Pros:

• Diabolical, engrossing story line told through brilliant cutscenes
• All five of the new classes are distinct and fun
• Fantastic music and sound effects
• Random dungeons allow unlimited replayability
• Millions of magic items, including rare items and sets of unique magicalequipment

Cons:

• Addictive gameplay may cause loss of sleep, significant other, job
• Virtually no improvement in graphics

... Read more

Features

• Five all-new character classes with unique attributes and abilities.
• Four different, fully populated towns complete with wilderness areas.
• Multiple dungeons, caverns and crypts in every town for players to explore.
• Expanded world filled with all-new quests, weapons, spells, armor, monsters and non-player characters.

Reviews (533)

Best of the Genre
Diablo II is a helluva lotta fun.I'm not so much a single player person, but a multiplayer person.The gameplay is well thought-out and engaging.The plot is corny, but, then again, this is an RPG.

The graphics are kinda mediocre, but the gameplay makes up for it.The expansion is a must.Playing online is incredibly addictive, which I don't like, but I get a kick out of it.What makes this game is the interaction in multiplayer.

(...) is easy to use.They catch a fair few cheaters.

My main complaint is that there are many lamers.There is a group of people that buys duplicated items of the internet at like 10 dollars a piece.This is what I don't like.There are other people that hack accounts and steal characters and equipment, and that is just lame.Thankfully, this has not happened to me, although my brother got hacked a long time ago.

Even so, the fact that your account might get hijacked just adds to the reality that it is, after all, just a game.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The single player is a lot like the multiplayer.It is a good way to learn how to start out independently.In fact, the multiplayer is like single player, but just with more people.(surprise)

There aren't many glitches, and there is skill involved, up to a point.

Buy this game.It's worth your money.So is the expansion.

Great game!
Diablo 1 players. Yes, I know you have suffered, but Diablo 2 fixed all their problems and this game is 700 times better! Get it!

Learned some lessons from DIABLO, but quests more restricted
DIABLO 2 can be summarized as "like DIABLO, but more so." DIABLO 2 has more locales, more varied scenery, more (and more elaborate) AIs, more control over developing your character's skills, more types of characters to play, better play balance, and so on.

Like the original, DIABLO 2's settings are (mostly) randomly generated, so that with the exception of some set-piece areas (like the Skeleton King's lair in the original), no two games follow exactly the same map. DIABLO 2 has four acts covering 5 locales (including Tristram, the setting of DIABLO). Each act has very different climate/geography and monsters differing accordingly.

You're following the trail of the Wanderer (the hero of the first game) as he locates the other Prime Evils, Diablo's brothers, before leading you into Hell and the final confrontation with Diablo himself. The settings in general have much greater variety and eye candy, and include outdoor segments as well as dungeon crawls.

Act I is a generic-Europe setting, with a lesser-demon Level Boss rather than a Prime Evil. Act I most closely resembles the earlier stages of the original DIABLO, and contains references back to the original, as the player's task is to help the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. (The Rogue from DIABLO was a member of the order; your closest-equivalent player character in DIABLO 2 is the Amazon, who has a different backstory.)

Act II is a desert scenario, with a sort of Egyptian flavor to the tombs, and a different, more formidable type of undead. Act III, by contrast, is a rainforest, emphasis on poisonous insects, water monsters, and fast-moving little AIs with blowpipe attacks. Act IV's revamped version of Hell is much more larger and elaborate than that in the original, with an assortment of demons and new attacks. The succubae weren't retained, but as a tradeoff Act I has hordes of renegade Rogues.

Many of the AIs have been revamped to make them tougher and to give them more distinctive appearances. While the distinct colour schemes were retained, the details are more elaborate and they're tougher opponents. The carver-type AIs now include shamans, who in addition to their own magical attacks can raise the fallen. Animated skeletons on higher difficulty levels may now have mages as well as archers with them.

That's one of the biggest changes from the original. Monsters not only regenerate after you've cleaned out a level (even lesser "unique" monsters, though not Level Bosses that have to be killed to end an Act), but many monster types can raise the dead or harvest energy from corpses. There are also delayed-action attacks, as poisons and antidotes have been added.

Other changes from original:
- Multiplayer and single player now use the same limited set of quests, rather than single player having a random selection of a larger set of quests.
- Play balance on character abilities now includes active and passive skills, differing by character type. Not just any character can learn spells.
- In addition to mana and life, player has stamina. While you don't have to eat or sleep as in, e.g. DARKSTONE, you either have to pace your character, stock up on stamina potions, or be content to move slowly.
- In addition to Town Portal spells, each Act contains a set of fixed waypoints, and the player can return to earlier Acts if desired.
- Towns are more elaborate. Apothecaries selling potions are now separate from magic sellers, and at least one NPC per Act can "gamble" with you. You can hire and equip NPCs who will follow you and fight what you fight. If they're with you, your experience points are divided with them, but they level up and become more formidable over time.

Some lessons learned by the designers:
- Local smiths can upgrade weapons, e.g. installing runes or gems in them. Partway through Act II, a quest item allows you to combine multiple gems of the same type to get a single gem of a better grade, so strategy is a factor.
- In town/camp you have a chest in addition to the inventory on your character's person. Items in the chest are safe, but if you're killed and resurrected, anything you were carrying has to be retrieved from the body. Since you're fined a large amount of your total gold when you're resurrected, you're motivated to scavenge your own body anyway just to get some of it back.
- Partway through Act I, you revisit Tristram and rescue Deckard Cain, who now has enough gratitude to identify items for free instead of gouging you.
- Some unique items now come in sets (e.g. helmet, breastplate, gauntlets) that are stronger together than apart, and mostly effective for specific character types (e.g. bonuses apply only to a paladin). Strategy comes into play: is it worth saving an item in the hopes of acquiring the rest of the set?

In summary: the thing I miss most from the original is the randomized quest mix on single player. The active/passive skill system is interesting enough to make up for restricting the player's ability to create super-powerful spell-casting Rogues and the like.

As in the original, even in single-player a game can't be saved in multiple states; you can only have multiple characters working through different scenarios. In multi-player, items can be transferred between characters by drop-and-switch, but that's about it.
... Read more

Asin: B00002CF9M
Subjects:  1. Diablo2 (Two, II) Dialbo    2. Fantasy (FRPG)    3. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)    4. Havas   

Diablo
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $9.99 -- our price: $9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Diablo is a fantasy role-playing game that captures the spirit of original face-to-face games like Dungeons and Dragons. With a straightforward story line based on fulfilling quests assigned by nonplayer characters, you equip yourself, venture into a dungeon, and slaughter legions of hideous foes. Along the way, you unearth magical treasure, discover mighty spells, and earn experience that can be used to increase your combat abilities.

Almost all of your time with Diablo is spent underground, exploring and conquering ever-deeper levels of the gloomy dungeon. Combat is fast, brutal, and constant. Whether your weapon of choice is a sword, axe, bow, or spell, all forms of combat employ a simple two-click system, which is elegant without being simplistic.

Replayability and customizability are Diablo's strong points; the incredible number of options and possibilities--and the fun that can be had experimenting with different strategies--keeps players coming back for more. All the dungeon levels are generated anew each time you draw up a new character, and are packed with an entirely different set of textures, features, items, traps, creatures, and quests. While one game may stock the fifth subterranean level with an army of skeleton warriors, the next game may pack that level with hordes of winged gargoyles. Multiplayer options exist for two to four players, so you don't have to take on the world by yourself unless you prefer solo play.

Released in 1997, this game is far simpler than newer titles that have expanded on its original concepts; there are only three character classes and a limited number of ways to truly distinguish your character from others. But sometimes there is no beating a classic. Three years old and with a sequel due in mid-2000, the original Diablo has aged remarkably well. Many of its features will seem familiar to seasoned fantasy gamers, just because so many of them have been incorporated into later RPGs.

Players who yearn for uncluttered adventuring and those with older computers will definitely want to check this one out. --Alyx Dellamonica

Pros:

• Endless replayability
• Fun, classic dungeon hack-and-slash game play
• Cool magic items
• Cooperative or competitive multiplay

Cons:

• Magic items tend to define character
• Multiplay is lousy with cheaters

... Read more

Features

Reviews (126)

An action classic
This game was and still is a fun adventure.While the game mechanics are fairly repetitive, click to hack and slash, it does offer random maps, a large assortment of items, and strategy in the form of monster resistances/immunities.

By today's standards this sounds weak, yet in reality it has the simple style that makes it easy to learn and hard to put down.Quickly, you get sucked into doing just one more level since you flew through the last one so quickly, only to spend an hour or more carefully picking your way through, so as not to be overwhelmed.

Easily accessible and playable again and again by yourself or with a group of friends, keeps Diablo a worthwhile value.

I'm a non-gamer and I LOVE IT!!
I had a co-worker back in 97 that had this game.I almost had to threaten his life to get him to do any work for playing this game.Now almost 8 years later, I finally picked it up just to see what the big deal was.

This game is like software crack.I haven't had it two weeks yet and I've spent some crazy hours playing this game.I started with a rogue and got up to the 10th level of the dungeon with her before I hit a dead-end.Go down the steps to the next level and DIE!She was surrounded immediately and suffered a severe beat-down EVERY time.

I then started a second game with a warrior.I got him all the way to Archbishop Lazarus where I had a similar situation.Death at every turn and no way out to fix it.Then I found the beauty of Diablo.Just click New Game.You flush the old game but NOT the character.Yes, you're starting back at the first level of the dungeon but you've still got your 23rd level warrior who now laughs at the pithy little creatures of those lower levels.

The Butcher, who made both my rogue and warrior suffer mightily on the first trip down, died after only three hits from my warrior and 10 arrows from my rogue downed him without her suffering even a broken nail.

Diablo II and the Lord of Destruction expansion set are waiting in the wings, but this game still has a few miles left in it before I move on.I still have to bring a wizard up - which stands to be much more challenging.I am looking forward to it.

This game is incredible - I probably won't be able to handle the sequal.

My drug of choice for about six months
When I discovered this game, I lost six months of my life. I went to work, came home, and played this game. Loser? I guess. In my defense, I did maintain contact with the outside world during this period of darkness (I always played the game with the lights out), although perhaps to them I seemed somewhat pale and inarticulate. (I'm kidding.)

For me, this game was hard to master at first. I'd never played a PC game of any kind, for the simple reason that I was afraid I'd become addicted. And, of course, it happened. I struggled with every character through the first few levels of the church, and it must have been two or three weeks of serious playing - well past 3am even on a work night - before I finally made my way down to Diablo's lair.

Maybe it was the lateness of the hour, the darkness of the room, or perhaps more likely both, but when Diablo finally came out he literally scared the tar out of me. What an incredibly well rendered "monster". The rendering of Diablo in Diablo II did not evoke similar fear, even if it was somewhat more impressive.

One of the things I liked about this game was that I never played with any cheats, unlike Diablo II (maphack, etc.). So the game was always dark, and it was always scary. In some ways, it was better than its successor - but not in enough ways. Diablo II (expansion) is the superior of the two, but this isn't a game to overlook. ... Read more

Asin: B00001IVBL
Subjects:  1. Fantasy (FRPG)    2. Dialbo    3. Computer Games    4. Adventure    5. Macintosh (Machintosh)    6. Mac    7. Apple    8. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, crpg, crpgs, rpg, rpgs)    9. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)    10. Havas