ONLY ONLINEHALF LIFE:GAME OF T YR
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Your gun had better be loaded if you're playing Half-Life: Game of the Year Edition, the smartest, shootingest, bloodiest game ever to hit the PC. Take control of a scientist charged with destroying the alien invasion force that arrived, courtesy of government experiments gone wrong. Of course, in the post-X-Files world, there's additional bad guys in the form of federal "cleaners" who want you just as dead as the monsters.

Power up your environmental suit and plunge through level after level of increasingly difficult and creepy challenges, rescuing your fellow scientists and ultimately clearing out the whole complex--if you're lucky. Game play is smooth and simple, after the obligatory false starts and botched maneuvers common to learning every new game. Persistence pays off, though: Half-Life rewards tenacity with increasing power and understanding of the virtual world.

Play on a network and cooperate or compete with folks across the world or in the next cubicle. For those who've mastered the intricacies of Half-Life , the Game of the Year Edition includes Worldcraft 2.0, which the designers used to build every detail of the base. Make your own levels and snicker at other players' pathetic attempts to evade your deathtraps. It's easy to see why Half-Life won Game of the Year from dozens of publications; try it and see for yourself--if you're not too squeamish. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Features

• Enemy AI: Half-Life's monsters are also remarkably--even terrifyingly--intelligent. Our proprietary AI has them running in packs, assessing threats and showing a marked distaste for suicide runs. You'd better think as fast as they do.
• Rendering Technologies: So you don't want to have to buy a special hardware accelerator just to get 16-bit color, colored lighting, blurring, translucency or other cool visual effects? Then don't. Half-Life has developed all these features in software so now they're an integral part of the gameplay, not just eye-candy. Of course, if you do have Open-GL, Direct 3D or MMX hardware, things will look mind-bogglingly cool.
• Skeletal Animation System: Our new animation system lets us create monsters that are more spectacularly menacing than ever before. Half-Life's monsters have the highest polygon count, and the most fluid and complex motion ever seen in an action game.
• Multiplayer: Joining a multiplayer game is now fast and easy, thanks
• to Half-Life's powerful interface. Find your friends, choose the type of game you prefer and let our master server do the rest. Choose from a variety of multiplayer gameplay scenarios, and use our decal technology to mark your territory with a personal or clan logo. Other Features:

Reviews (246)

Sierra Games
This game is really great. I own the following Sierra games:

Half-life (game of the year edition)
Blue Shift
Opposing Force
Half-life 2

All I can say is that in September of 2003, Half-life 2 was suppost to be released, but they delayed it many times. So finally it was released sometime around the middle-end of 2004, and in November 2004, I picked up the game. I wasn't too dissapointed, although it's not as hard/fun as the original Half-life game. I like Opposing Force and Blue Shift, except the only problem with Blue Shift is that it dissapointed me with it being way too short. There is not even a final monster like Opposing Force and Half-life. Still, Blue Shift is fun.

The Best Game Ever
When Half-Life first came out in 1999 I was about 11 years old, and I really wasn't into video games. But come late 2004, Half-Life 2 came out, and when I read the PC Gamer review(98%) and saw some screenshots, I went to GameStop to get it. The guy at the counter asked me if I had played Half-Life. I told him no. He then said, since I was under 17 he had no obligation to sell me the M rated game Half-Life 2, until I had bought, played and beaten Half-Life. So I bought Half-Life, went home, loaded it, and started playing. Imediatly I was suprised at how good the graphics were, especially for a game from 1999. The graphics in Half-Life could easily compete with many of the games in the 2000's. Also, the sound extremely good, hearing the slightest of noises. The story is pretty basic, but good enough to keep you interested in that area. You are Gordon Freeman, researcher at Black Mesa Labs. Your expirement has gone very wrong, releasing a bunch of aliens into the labs. The government has sent soldiers in to "clean things up" and you are faced with fighting for your life against aliens and human soldiers. The gameplay is awesome, and the weapons are very good. Online play is fabulous, especially if you have Counter-Strike. So, despite Call of Duty, Doom 3, the Battlefield series, WarCraft 3, Neverwinter Nights, or any other game that is mind-blowing, Half-Life is the best game I have ever played, and in my opinion, the best game ever.

Half-Life kicks ass
Half-Life is one of those games that you have to play and not read a stratedgy guide. I was reading some of the other reviews and people kept on reporting that their weren't good stratedgy guides and such. Well, here's a tip. Play the game!! You have to buy a stratedgy guide seperately and it's like that for most video games/etc.. The game has good graphics, good music, and excellent characters. The game is really realistic, one of the most realistic games out their that i've seen. On my computer it takes a while to load up but once it loads up it works pretty good. And of course you get the interloads afterwards. My advice before you get this game is check the requirements. I think the only reason some people rated this game at a low level is because 1) they didn't play it because it didn't come with a stratedgy guide, 2)they didn't look at the requirements needed before they baught the game. Their's a reason why video games require different settings for your computer. But that's beside the point. Half-Life has one of the best plots i've seen, and has a lot of action. So for those who like first person shooters, killing aliens and people, and love great graphics, this is the game for you. For those who don't like realism and don't like to play video games like these stick to your spongebob squarepants video games. Oh and for those of you who hate video games coming without a stratedgy guide here's another tip in half-life. Half-Life explains the game as you play along. Their's Hazard Courses you play to learn more about the game. You make your own controlls and etc. This is a must have for any video gamer who loves games like half-life. ... Read more

Asin: B00001KUII
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Shooters (Shooter)    4. Havas   

Diablo 2 Expansion: Lord of Destruction
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (25 June, 2001)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Not content to merely add additional levels, the creators of theDiablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion have improved the entireDiablo II game experience while concluding the story. The expansion hasbeen described as both an add-in and an add-on, and it truly is a must-have forDiablo II players.

The add-on is the new act, which finally concludes the epic tale of Diablo. Theend of the fourth act of Diablo II saw Baal, brother of Diablo and lastof the Prime Evils, reclaim his soulstone from the deceived mortal Marius.Lord of Destruction tells the story of Baal's destructive trek throughthe Barbarian Highlands of the north. The player must stop Baal before hecorrupts the magical Worldstone and opens hell to the mortal world. An ancientbarbarian tribe guards the holy mountain that houses the stone, and is the onlything that stands between Baal and Armageddon. The player must use a characterwho has completed the fourth act to access the fifth act (the expansion) andhelp the besieged barbarians.

The add-in is all the improvements to the core game. The most obvious is thegraphics. Lord of Destruction lets gamers ratchet up Diablo II'sgraphics resolution to 800 x 600. This means both prettier graphics and theability to see more of the battlefield at once, which effectively increases therange of spells and missile weapons. Best part: the graphics boost applies toall of the original game as well as the expansion's new act.

The graphics boost is nice, but hard-core players will most likely betterappreciate the gameplay enhancements. It's hard to pick the single best elementfrom the long list of substantial improvements: a larger character stash, moresocketable items, more unique items, new classes of weapons for high-difficultylevels, and new Horadric Cube recipes. Entirely new features include the abilityto craft unique magic items, runes (which function like gems but can be combinedto form powerful runeword combinations), totems (which add ability, combat, orresistance bonuses, but take up space in inventory), and hireling inventory(you'll hand down your old equipment to your hireling). All these improvementsare applied to both the new act and the four earlier acts in Diablo II.After playing with all these tweaks, you'll wonder how you ever managed to playwith the tiny stash, blurry graphics, and weak hirelings of the original.

Even experienced Diablo II players get to appreciate the improvements tothe first through fourth acts because the two new character classes (Assassinand Druid) must complete all four acts in Diablo II before you can usethem in the expansion. The Assassin is a stealthy warrior and wizard slayer whouses martial arts, traps, and mental discipline to defeat hell's minions. TheDruid is a feral whose spells, animal summoning, and shape-shifting abilitiessuit a wide range of playing styles. Both are cool enough to warrant playingthrough all of Diablo II once again. And the conclusion to one of thebest-loved and most-played games of all time is satisfying--well worth the hoursof sleepless nights and blurry-eyed mornings. --Mike Fehlauer ... Read more

Features

• Two new character classes (the Assassin and the Druid) each with 30 unique skills/spells
• One new Act set in the Barbarian Highlands
• Many new monster types, including bosses and uniques
• Interactive environments such as siege towers and fortified battlements

Reviews (267)

Lady Gamer's Review
In D2 LoD, you are following the path of Baal, the Lord of Destruction. He has ventured into the Barbarian highlands to find the Worldstone, the source of the Soulstones. The town you play in is Harrogath, NPC's include Malah the healer, Larzuk the armorer, Nilathak the Elder,(he's also a Necromancer, you'll see how in the fifth quest), Cain, who accompanies you through all the acts, and Anya, the Elder Aust's daughter. Two new characters are available, the Assassin and the Druid. Assassin skills feature lightning, fire, and blade Traps, Shadow Disciplines, and Martial Arts. An all new set of weapons was created- claws, of which she can hold one in each hand. This includes katars, blade talons, cestus', and scissors suwayyah. The Druid features elemental skills, like Hurricane and Armageddon, he can summon spirits like wolves and vines, and he can shape shift into a Werewolf or Werebear. He has a unique helm set of Sky Spirits, Antlers, and Wolf Heads. Of course, there are six new quests, and various monsters such as Minotaur demons, Sucubbi, and Enslaved. New "little" things include jewels, runes, expanded stash, and class-specific items. This is the game that completes the Trilogy.

game rocks like doom 3 and half-life 2
this game rocks. its better on the online and its not a waste of money. i got good chars with high lvl weapons and kicking sets. online is never boring and some people can be total dicks or friends. the only problem is that it doesnt let us use our spells and skills in town. :)

buy this game along with doom 3 and half-life 2. these games are great and worth money. i dont like to say this and start rumors but they are makeing a half life 3 and expansion for half life 2 and if u heard already this well dont bitch and if u think this game sucks go play hacky sack or that totaly gay halo 2.

so peace out.

Fun & Challenging, but Baal-runs ruins it.
Diablo 1 was fun and addicting. However, with duping (the ability to duplicate any item in-game), everything got just way too easy. You could beat Diablo without much of a thought as everybody had the most powerful of weapons.

Diablo II was much more challenging as that bug has been resolved. The graphics were improved and the ability to learn only a certain number of skills added a real strategic portion to the game.

The only bad thing that Blizzard should have resolved is what is known as a Baal run.Baal is a new character in the expansion.He throws four groups of minions at you to defeat and you end up getting a lot of experience.If you don't kill Baal, you can do this over and over and over again racking up a lot of experience points.Unfortunately, this makes leveling up and advancing waaaay to easy and took the challenge out of the game.Now the only challenging thing is getting to Baal.So if you are playing online on Battle.Net, you are playing against characters who did Baal runs for a couple of hours and are now more buff than imaginable.Blizzard should have fixed this a long time ago.

After playing for several years, I think I'm going to "graduate" to World of Warcraft (also by Blizzard) which I've noticed is quite similar in many ways. But I'm sure I will return to the world of Diablo quite often as there are still a few challenges left to conquer. ... Read more

Asin: B00005A3I8
Subjects:  1. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)    2. Havas   

Max Payne
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (26 July, 2001)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Max Payne, the New York police detective, has had a bad time of itrecently, and it's time for payback. Three years ago, junkies high on amysterious new narcotic called Valkyr slaughtered his wife and child. Thetragedy drives him on a prolonged path of vengeance. It turns him from adetective looking for easy work to a deep undercover vice cop infiltrating theMob to a hardened vigilante. Max Payne is a film-noir-inspired gameabout revenge that is unflinching in every way possible. It's dark and moody,extremely twisted, and turns PC action gaming on its ear by featuringstate-of-the-art graphics, audio, and cinematic action.

Aside from its inspired use of photorealistic graphics and unique graphic novel(comic book) panels to further the plot, the game also features something calledBullet Time: a slow-motion toggle, usable for a limited time, that re-createsthe awe-inspiring diving maneuvers made popular by director John Woo and, ofcourse, The Matrix. At the touch of a button, Max can go into slow motionand leap forwards or back, and side to side, while pumping generous amounts oflead into his enemy's bodies. This toggle isn't just eye candy, it's a strategicdevice that evens the sometimes staggering odds the game throws at you. Theaction is made even more visceral by the interactive environments (glassshatters, plaster puffs into dust, and wood splinters) and generous amounts ofblood.

The game carries a Mature label, and this should be taken very seriously. Thegame doesn't pull a single punch, whether in flashbacks showing Max's reactionto his gunned-down spouse, or even, somewhat tastelessly, flashbacks thatinclude his slain infant daughter. And he mows down a virtual army of hackneyedJoe Pesci-style Italian mobsters or ski-mask-wearing terrorists with extremeprejudice. The plot is predictable, the script is humorously bad (intentionallyso?), but the action will definitely make a shooter fan drool. Max Payneis the übershooter, and as such, it should be kept out of the hands ofkids. But mature action fans will love it. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Fantastic graphics and unparalleled action
• The slow-motion Bullet Time is The Matrix or Hard Boiled cometo life

Cons:

• It's a little on the short side
• The script is, at times, hilariously bad

... Read more

Features

Reviews (343)

The Chinese take-out of computer gaming
There is a kind of deserved irony in mimicking a genre as silly and shallow as the graphic novel. The more authentic the caricatured pulp fiction hero is to the original formulas, the narrower the constraints of the story. And while no one denies that Max Payne is an "outsider" who "plays by his own rules" and "isn't tied down by the Man", he still walks a pretty narrow path.


Which is not to say Max Payne is a bad game. It does introduce a certain charm with a number of new innovations such as "bullet-time" and the nightmare sequences. Trouble is, about halfway through the adventure a serious feeling of "deja-Woo" sets in with the been-there killed-that repetition.


It would have helped the emotional impact of the storyboards had not the Man-Akin from those bizarre pseudo-50's "male-enhancement" commercials been chosen to play the hero. (Not Bob Dole, that other guy.) His constipated facial expressions rarely match the deadly serious dialogue, and turn parts of the story from tragedy to farce. But the schticky dialogue is largely intentional, and although often overcooked, usually works well to advance the story.

Graphically the game is a stunner. It looks like a million bucks, even on my average PC. The levels of object detail are (or were) unprecedented for shooters. Architectural design is often stunning, locations are both realistic and fantastically creative: Mafia hideouts are appropriately sleazy and opulent, a bizarre Goth-pagan nightclub thumps techno beats that become as chilling as any Resident Evil backgound noises. Object interactivity is high with lots of openable cabinets hiding powerup goodies, flushable toilets, and vending machines that drop snacks and pop!

Which runs into my next major criticism of Max Payne: control. Oh sure, it's easy and trouble free, but when you build a control scheme as simple as Max's, how can you make mistakes? Not only is there no analog stick support, there is also NO WALK FUNCTION! Max moves through his environment like Rain Man on an explosive easter egg hunt. And this highlights what I believe to be a major problem within the game devlopment hierarchies: the stratification and exclusionary attitude between different departments of game design. It's obvious that those who fleshed out the environments to the degree of a Zelda game were not on the same page with the slouches who built Max Payne's movement engine. And clearly there was little coordination concerning pacing and difficulty. Max Payne requires playing the easy level on the first go-round; it's far too easy for any experienced gamer. The result is a game best played carelessly and quickly. With liberal use of the quicksave feature, Max Payne is a breeze that can literally be run through in a few hours. Much like a filling Chinese meal, it may leave you hungry again in a few hours.

a very well done game
3 stars is pretty good for me as i have yet to give a game 5 stars and i would say max payne is maybe 3 and a half. i wont really go into the plot much of this game as its always the easiest info to come across. i'll just give you my positives and my complaints that lead to my score.

positive:
a good story!,
i find video games woefully deficient in this regard normally and when people talk about good stories at best i think it is relative. i am still waiting for a great story, but found mp to be one of the (few) reasonably solid ones. as a fan of cutscenes i thought i would miss them more than i did (the story is told through quite good graphic novel panels). the ending in particular is notably satisfying, with the gameplay integrating well and interestingly with the action itself to produce an actual, mostly reasonable, closed ending conclusion (shockingly rare in computer games!).

you can save the game anytime.

looks pretty nice for a dated game, not beautiful, but can be stylish.

good gameplay balance and feel, i liked the voice acting and characters, film noir theme worked quite well (i enjoyed the lack of monsters!) interesting progression of improved weapons, gameplay mechanics sound, self adjusting difficulty levels a little bit of an odd concept, but actually worked pretty well (the game adjusts the difficulty level according to how you're doing), i like my games a bit on the easier side of things and the level of challenge here was really pretty good for me. i had really only a couple notably frustrating times (one a run through a burning building), but i've hadworse. also, i LIKED the length of this game! it is a common complaint that it was too short, but i find very few games are actually anywhere good or interesting enough to hold my interest all the way through as they all end up as more of the same after awhile. 12 to 15 hours (a guess, i don't exactly recall) is a very good length for a shooter and seemed just right for max payne.

you might also enjoy that this game should work on even a pretty dated system today (i found the game very stable with its patch), and that you should be able to get it for dirt cheap.

negatives:

the extremely interesting bullet time feature, while cool, actually gives no advantage that i can tell. if anything it was a disadvantage mostly and you're better off just barging through or in (they fix this in max payne 2, but do worse on other accounts).

there are alot of locked doors as in "hmm this door is locked, i'll try that one, oh, i tried that already."

the gameplay is not notably diverse, shooting, navigating, a bit of light puzzle solving. the gritty urban world is okay, but not all that interesting to explore or anything.

conclusion: this is a very good meat and potatoes action adventure shooter. it will not blow you away but is pretty fun and as good as pretty much anything else in its genre (taking into account its age which probably means less than most of us "newest thing" addicts are inclined to admit). i recommend it.

Re:yeah!
to this day, this game still kicks! awesome graphics, awesome gameplay, etc. If your into games like this one, Pick this one up. a+ ... Read more

Asin: B00002SUOV
Subjects:  1. maxpayne    2. Third person    3. Computer Games    4. Action    5. Shooters (Shooter)   

Red Faction
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (19 September, 2001)
list price: $19.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (87)

Simply put...
Simply put, Red Faction is a good shooter.It's fun, the graphics are decent, and it's funny.It's different in that it's a game that doesn't take itself too seriously.I often chuckle at the things that happen in the game and the way my enemies will cry for mercy before I blow them up or shoot them.For the price you've got a very good value here.If you're a shooter fan, then get a copy of Red Faction.

Really Great FPS ( First Person Shooter )
Red Faction is 1 of the best fps of 2001. It has an exciting story that gets you hooked. It has tons of fun wepons for all your fragging needs. THis game has a exciting new game engine called GEO-MOD tech which basicly means that u can blow up the environment. Some fun things you could do with this is make a foxhole, blow holes in walls to get to secret areas, or even blow up a bridge to stop movimg tanks or forces in their tracks! This game is very good at lighting and visual effects too. This game has many fun and exciting secrets and mysteries to find. Just for a little tidbit the funniest thing i saw was lighting bots in multiplayer on firewith flamethrowers! They run around screaming like little girls until u see their burning corpse drop to the floor!!! I would recemend this game to anyone who enjoys action/adventure, first person shooters, or just blowing stuff to oblivion!!! :)

A great 1st person shooter
I bought this game recently, and I am REALLY satisfied.This game is great, especially now that its only $$$, it provides a great challenge, but not unbearably hard.it has many times of weapons, even a gun that shoots through walls.The multiplayer is also great, because there is always someone on it.The levels in it are also nice, some are big, some are small, and some are in between, and theres 3 game modes, such as Deatch Match, Team Death Match, and Capture the flag.Since this is only $$$ now, I would highly recomend it for anyone looking for a cheap 1st person shooter that is very good, I would also recomend it to anyone who just wants a first person shooter. ... Read more

Asin: B00004WHWF
Sales Rank: 2639
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Shooters (Shooter)   

Command & Conquer Red Alert 2
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (10 October, 2001)
list price: $14.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Sticking firm to the old "if it ain't broke" philosophy, WestwoodStudios conjures up memories of the original Command & Conquer gameswith Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. The game is set just a few yearsafter the events of the original C&C: Red Alert, and opens with asurprise Soviet invasion of the U.S. mainland. Playing as the startledAmericans, you must cobble togethera resistance and beat the invaders back into the sea. Playing as the Soviets,you must quickly establishcontrol of your new domain, wiping out all opposition you meet.

Red Alert 2 is very similar to the original Red Alert, withsome visual enhancements andgameplay improvements brought in from the recent Command & Conquer:Tiberian Sun game.You still lead a small group of infantry and armored units in most missionsand you still have to assemble abase of operations in order to accomplish just about anything. This timearound, however, you'll have aslew of new units to build and command in the field--most of which are prettyslick. The American PrismTank, for example, can take out numerous enemy units with a single, branchingattack. On the Soviet side,Tesla Troopers and Psychics help make ground troops a formidable asset.

Another nice addition to the game is the ability to garrison troops insidebuildings. Because much of thefighting is on city streets, it helps to give your troops some cover fromtime to time. Also, there are anumber of special buildings that provide unique advantages once occupied byengineer units. The airportallows you to call in air strikes, for example, while oil derricks provide aresource boost for your warmachine.

Multiplayer support is still the calling card of this series, and fans ofpast C&C games will not bedisappointed by Red Alert 2's multiplayer options. The basicfree-for-all mode that the originalRed Alert made famous is still intact, but the alternative multiplayermodes are the real treat. InUnholy Alliance, players get access to both American and Soviet tech trees,while the naval war variantstarts each player off on a small island. In addition, the game includesspecial cooperative campaigns.

There's no denying Red Alert 2's charm, despite the lack of a funky3-D engine and the game'sreliance on ultracheeseball video cut scenes to tell the story (Kari Wuhreror no Kari Wuhrer). For fast- paced, real-time strategy action that focuses on quick, intense firefights onAmerican soil, no other gameholds a candle to C&C: Red Alert 2. --Michael Ryan

Pros:

• More frenetic real-time strategy in the C&C universe
• Tons of new units and capabilities on both sides of the conflict
• Cool U.S. settings for most missions
• Great array of multiplayer modes

Cons:

• Not exactly a technical leap forward
• Video cut scenes are cheesy beyond description

... Read more

Features

Reviews (70)

Red Alert 2
This is the awsomest game! It is so much fun. It is easy to figure out, there are a lot of game options so you can set the game to your liking. The graphics are satisfactory, and if you have the right computer, the graphics will be very smooth. this game is good for beginners, or if you want a challenge, you can make it a lot harder. GREAT GAME!

exellent game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This game is a really exellent command & conquer
game. it is worth it; must to be bought!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red Alert 2 Could not possible be better
Lets face it, in this world we see before our eyes, (the computer screen) the ongoing war will indeed go on between soviet and Allies, I would be surprised if; a few years from 2005 a red alert three would be released. Red Alert 2 is the perfect sequal to Red Alert, more guns, bigger bullets and a huge range of units and structures to choose from. Compare the allies to the new allies, again lets face it, in RA they were totally appalling, completely useless, they had poor defence ie: Anti tank turrets that were feeble against anything - even tanks. The Pill Box, which I gRANT you did chop up infantry nice and clean, but compare to the soviet flame tower, that thing could fry an entire army of soliders in one puff! The Soviets had Mammoth tanks, Heavy tanks, MAD tanks, tesla tanks, V2 rockets. Wereas the allies lord help them had what, light and medium tanks, artilery trucks (A kind of one-shot-dead sort of thing) rangers, and a chrono tank. thats - about -it. Now look...

Emerging from the ashes of close and some how, someway a victory the allies had a somewhat growth in there arsenal light tanks probable tossed in the waste basket and medium tanks being replaced with GRIZZLY TANKS, artillery replaced with PRISM TANKS, mwah ha ha. And of course the Weather control device. I personnaly think that the WCD came from the chrono clouds generated in the first game when you used the Chronosphere to much, its quite a possibility, the of course the chronosphere itself got upgraded alot, infantry in RA2 for the allies is enourmously better than the soviet, noe allies have dogs as well (Like they should have done in the first place.

RA2 skirmishes are to easy and predictable, even now playing against brutal enemy is generally easy, the only thing that makes a skirmish on RA2 exiting is if 4 odd nuclear warheads are smilling at you war factory with a kind of sinister grin. Incedentally A1 do build superweapons of all availiable. Unfortunatly the game creators havemade it so all computer teams, regardless of contry, construct the bases in more or less the same way, which is bleedin' boring. In RA you were at least given one heck of a challenge! Even on easy all teams fought one another (including you) sent masses and masses of tanks and men to your base, were talking here full scale attacks and they never quit they threw everything at you until they were completely whiped of the map. Ok they never built specially advanced technology but I don't think they needed to since they proove that braun is better than brain if you know what i mean. Thats the only downside to RA2. The rest...

Missions are far, far more exiting and interesting since the terrain for one thing is great, and well designed. In cities its not just a matter of blowing some base up its all about the capturing, infiltrating, rescuring, beating the clock, invading and well, blowing stuff up. My personal favourite mission is the first and last of both teams.

Naval war has also taking a major role in the waging canflict. Soviets now have a majority of ships including dreadnoughts, sea scorpions (naff) and of course transports that look like transporters not that werid thing from the first game. Allies have the bloomin mavalouse Aegis Cruiser, generally unbeatable S.T.A defence. and air craft carriers.

To sum up only skirmishes let down RA2 the rest is excellent and avengfull, also, another good thing is that ever country has a special different unit. ***** ... Read more

Asin: B00005QJDS
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Strategy (Strategic)    4. Historical (historic) Recreation (Recreations)    5. Military (Wargames    6. Command and Conquer (C&C)    7. Westwood   

No One Lives Forever: Game of the Year Edition
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (01 October, 2001)
list price: $19.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

No One Lives Forever is an outstanding action-adventure gamethatcombines the campy 1960s-style spy-spoof story lines of the Austin Powers movies with thebest single-player gameplay we've experienced since Half-Life. Clever, funny, andstylish aren't words normally associated with first-person shooters, butNOLF is anything but normal.

Assuming the role of sexy UNITY operative Cate Archer, you must complete 15enormous and distinct missions to keep the world safe from H.A.R.M., anefariousorganization rife with colorful arch-villains. In true Hollywood style, thegameis laced with cutscenes that set the stage for your missions and advance theplot by showing H.A.R.M. higher-ups boasting about their evil plans. Thedialogue in both the cutscenes and the in-game action sequences is witty andgenuinely funny, and the voice acting is excellent. We found ourselves hidingindark corners just so we could eavesdrop on the bad guys.

The comic antics end abruptly when enemies catch wind of your presence.Whetherthey stumble across a body you carelessly left in your wake, hear you creepingabout, respond to a tripped alarm, or simply see you, these foes are allbusiness. They will stalk you, duck behind cover, and call for reinforcements.All the action is straight from a spy movie: shoot a guy on a balcony, andhe'lltumble over the rail and fall to the ground. Fire a gun underwater, and you'llsee the spiral trail of the bullet.

Most missions can be approached in a variety of ways, and althoughfull-frontalassaults are possible, stealthy progression is usually better for your health.Being a superspy, you'll have plenty of gadgets to help you along the way,froma lock-pick barrette to a robotic poodle capable of turning even the mostferocious attack dog into man's best friend. Players who like to send a moredirect message will enjoy playing with the game's full assortment of firearms,including Bond-worthy silencer pistols and briefcase rocket launchers.

The quality of AI and inventiveness of the single-player missions arefortunatebecause the multiplayer component doesn't compare to Unreal Tournament or Counter-Strike. Regardless,No One Lives Forever should be on the short list of any fan offirst-person shooters looking for an unbeatable solo experience. --T. ByrlBaker

Pros:

• Multiple approaches to nearly every level add to the replay value
• Loads of atmosphere
• Contains some of the most unorthodox and enjoyable missions we've everplayed
• Amazing detail
• Smart and funny

Cons:

• Not the prettiest 3-D engine on the market

... Read more

Reviews (53)

Simply Awesome
This remains my favorite game ever, even if other games had better graphics even when it came out.

Not only do you play an interesting character and you have a great story, the enemy aren't complete idiots. Best of all, the game makes you laugh. I can't count the times, I stopped to listen to a side conversation and was laughing to hard to avoid getting shot.

Valve updated the graphics for Half-Life; I wish Sierra would do the same for No One Lives Forever.

Awesome!
I'm a newbie in software games and this my first game and I must say its awesome! The game is funny it made me laughing in stitches and yet so exciting and fun I played like I was in the role itself! I'm glad I got the Original retail box version bcoz as a newbie, it gave a better description. I was quite slow but eventually I got the hang of it. I didn't regret trying out this game.

NoOne Lives Forever. But youll play it till the day you die!
I decided to buy this game after hearing some good reviews for it, and seeing as how I could get it for 15 bucks as a game of the year edition.I played this game nonstop for about 5 days till I finally beat it.This game would only have been a 3 - 4 without its humor though... humor, not a challenge for killing the oafs of HARM makes this game great.Thats not to say that using a silenced parabellum and sneaking into an area giving large unsuspecting quantities of HARM agents head shots isnt a blast.I believe that this game wouldnt be near as fun if you just played it like Quake or Doom, getting your baddest weapon out and mowing down hoards of them. I think that my goals of maybe getting detected once made the game much more enjoyable.

Buy this game while it lasts, the Game of the Year Edition truly is worth it, the extra level was a blast and among the most humorous of levels. ... Read more

Asin: B00005QX48
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Adventure    3. Action    4. Shooters (Shooter)    5. Havas   

StarCraft
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM
list price: $9.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Blizzard's release of StarCraft was eagerly anticipated by Real Time Strategy fans, and with good reason. 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 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 is 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. --Jack Gardiner ... Read more

Features

• 30 unique missions will challenge you across 3 different campaigns as you control the fate of the galaxy
• Control any of 3 different species, each with unique units, technologies, attributes, and abilities
• Included Campaign Editor allows players to edit units and create their own campaigns
• StarCraft boasts award-winning advanced control features, such as waypoints and training queues, to provide enhanced gameplay
• Multiplayer games for up to 8 players over IPX Networks and Battle.net, 4 players with Direct Cable Connection, and 2 players with modem Connection

Reviews (270)

One of the best
... titles in real-time strategy games.
Starcraft didn't really set a new standard when it was release for graphics, engine and gameplay. However, as people played it they realized how perfect this rts title really was. Easy to learn, difficult to master. It retains its flavor and fun even after all these years and so many other titles that came out after it.
A great sci-fi rts game that should be in the collection of any fan of the genre. Don't miss out and make sure you also pick up the expansion back: Brood War.

A Game I Highly Recommend For Your Santa List
Space....the final frontier. In this final frontier, you embark on a journey to the outer reaches of the galaxy, where you encounter three races involved in a war for the future of the universe; the Zerg, the Protoss, and the Terran. At this time, the Zerg are invading everywhere and on every planet. Unfortunately, they have hit a couple of stops in the road of divide and conquer. On the planet of Earth; the Terran, future earthlings, are fighting to defend against the Zerg as they have been launching attacks without stop. However, the zerg are no match for the Terran unless the Zerg pull out the Mutalisks, flying beasts that can't be stopped without having great losses. In the meantime, the Protoss have also become a big pain in the BLEEP. The protoss seem bent on destroying their equals as the mission goes, but after the Terran put them in their place, the Protoss seem to want to leave them alone. Then, the Zerg have decided to launch one last offensive on the Terran people............
On the Protoss homeworld, the Zerg are also taking over. The Protoss are on the brink of destruction when one of their kind, disobeying the directorate, have called on the Terran to come to their aid. With the aid of the Terran, the protoss have new hope and more time to rebuild their armies. Most of the time, the Protoss go on their own, asking for help on the way. Then, in their final hour, the Protoss have to call on the Terran one last time. With their final attempt at a counteroffensive........
Now the Zerg, though they may be the "bad guys" in this game, are actually at war with the Protoss and Terran over a big misunderstanding. The Zerg only live to serve the cerebrate, to carry out the will of the Overlords, and just plain are slaves. The Zergs cannot exist without the cerebrate and the Overlords are the only reason the Zerg underlings can be created, to keep them in line. So, the Zerg are going to be on the brink of destruction as well until the Zerg capture Lt. Kerrigan, a Terran commander that now is infested with the Zerg parasite in their mind. She knows many of the Terran secrets and now the Zerg are planning to launch a MAJOR counteroffensive......

The Game of a lifetime of STINKAGE AND FUN!
Starcraft.....
the game of building a lot of stuff...researching as much crap as possible...and BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF THE OTHER PLAYER.

The game...it is partly strategic....but...the game is basically about building as many units as possible and hoping that the other guy doesn't have as much as you do.

if you are having trouble on the game...cheat...thats all there is to it...if the game gets so boring at times....Cheat.....thats all there is to it.

The game of Starcraft is complicated as you advance in the game....but..if you have friends in high places(wink wink)...you should be able to do just fine. But....the game is so easy at the start that you wouldnt even need to have friends in high places when you are going solo on it.

Now multiplayer........thats very complicated...you are basically battling against other players who have more experience than you do and you are HELPLESS to an attack by the people you are against. My advice....dont go into any rooms that say noobs only. the people in there are basically setting you up for the BIGGEST BEATING OF YOUR LIFE......i know.....it happened to me too. This is the area in which you NEED friends in high places. My advice..again...join clans...you will be surprised in what help you get there.

THE BAD POINTS OF THE GAME

Now my review basically looks like its all about bad points in the game....but it just goes to show that what i am about to tell you may be helpful....or u cant do anything about it...you decide that for yourself.

1. The game has LAG.....it has it in multiplayer and single..nothing you can do about it accept that you have to wait for it to stop.
2. You can get confused very easily as the game progresses further into the mystifying depths of starcraft.
3. You also can get very frustrated...easily...jist keep a cool head throughout the whole game or else get off and walk away for a while.

hope this helps you understand starcraft better...
W.G.J.T. ... Read more

Asin: B00001IVLY
Subjects:  1. Star Craft    2. Computer Games    3. Strategy (Strategic)    4. Science Fiction (Sci-Fi, Scifi)    5. Macintosh (Machintosh)    6. Mac    7. Apple    8. Havas   

Quake 2 (Jewel Case)
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (25 May, 2001)
list price: $9.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (15)

Best shoot 'em up for a Pentium III or less
I resorted to purchasing older video games, like this one, because my computer can't handle Quake III or the other new ones that ask for a Pentium 4 and a fancy graphics card.

I don't mind the age of this game one bit. It's great fun and brings me back to the good old days of Doom II, except this is better, graphics-wise. Extreme value for the money (I paid about $9 for a used copy from a third-party seller). Why buy new games at all?

I had to tinker with Quake II's video options for a few minutes before arriving at an optimum setting. It does not auto-detect your setup, unlike modern games.

Classic
A great game in its time and a true classic today. It's THE game to have for cyborg killing, big weapon shooting, ultra macho, adrenaline pumping, super violent action. Great for single player and multiplayer fans alike. No FPS library is complete without this game.

An awesome game, trust me
I've had Quake II for over 4 years, and at one point played it for over 4 hours a day, every day.I've waisted thousands of hours on this game, and know everything there is to know about it.I was once one of the top thousand in the world.Take it from me when I say this truly is THE best game ever produced, and that's saying something since it was released in 1998.The single player mode gets old quick, but online multiplayer is so intense and down-right FUN that it can drain years off of your life.I've moved on, I haven't played it in several months.But I owe it to this game to say it really is the best and anyone assembling a PC game collection needs this game.

As for buying hints, don't buy this game for any of the game consoles, because they stink; stick with the PC/Mac version.Also, don't buy it unless you have a internet connection and intend to play multiplayer, because it will get old quick otherwise.Also, don't buy this game unless you have at least a medium-good graphics board (usually at least 16MB), along with other elements of your PC being relatively robust. ... Read more

Asin: B00005KAY0
Sales Rank: 3675
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Shooters (Shooter)   

Half-Life: Counter-Strike
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (14 November, 2000)
list price: $29.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Half-Life: Counter-Strike contains all the elements of the popular online multiplayer game originally built as an add-on for Half-Life. While the version of Counter-Strike available online requires a copy of Half-Life, this standalone version contains the Half-Life engine on the CD-ROM. The team-based gameplay divides players into terrorist or antiterrorist squads. Each team has access to different real-world ammunition and equipment, and all players have unique attributes plus the ability to upgrade their gear after completing missions. Missions have different goals, such as defusing a bomb or rescuing hostages. All the multiplayer maps and gameplay from the original Half-Life Multiplayer and Half-Life: Opposing Force Multiplayer are included, plus Team Fortress Classic. Half-Life: Counter-Strike also contains four new gameplay modes of Counter-Strike: firearms, wanted, ricochet, and redemption. ... Read more

Features

• Counter-Strike is a team-based online action game that pits terrorist teamsagainst counter-terrorist squads in strategic squads in strategic scenarios.
• Players can choose to play one of variety of characters, each with theirown unique ability.
• Weapons and equipment can be upgraded with funds earned for successfullycompleting a mission.
• Each mission contains a unique objective that encourages strategiccooperation.

Reviews (295)

Older Game Better Than Any Newer Game Out There!
Counter-strike! Oh yes, the pc game that seems like it was released 15 years ago is still the #1 online game in the world.Thousands of people can write reviews on this game, all having different opinions and views of the game.But shall we look at the obvious for a minute?After 5 years after the game was released, Counter-Strike is still the most played online game, withstanding the ultimate test, the test of time.What other test of greatness can Counter-Strike achieve?Millions of people still play this outdated game opposed to the newest, more advanced games.To me, that is a sign of perfection, an achivement worth reconizing.I am tired of people putting down Counter-Strike."The Graphics are bad, the realism is overrated...ect."The game is older. Accept the game for what it is.It is still an awesome game that everyone should play and support.

So many times people simply look at the graphics of a game to make reviews or opinions on the game.What ever happened to the most important aspect of games, gameplay?Counter-strike has the best gameplay of any game ever made. Period.Newer games may hands down beat Counter-Strike in graphics but will never even come close to the gameplay that the original Counter-Stike has.

Its a truely incredible pc game.I've played the original Counter-Strike since its beta.Hours upon hours I have spent on this game and no other game will ever match the ultimate enjoyment of gaming than that of Counter-Strike.I still find myself, after all these years, in awe of the game.Trust me, I've played Counter-Strike Source, Doom III, Battlefield 1942, Call of Duty, and Half-Life 2, and I choose counter-strike 1.6 over all of them any day of the week.

king o' fps'!
ahh cs, what would online games be without you... cs is an addicting, great, fun, addicting, freind-making, addicting, cool, popular, addicting and king of online shooters. oh did i mention its addicting? when i first saw this game, i thought, wow, i wanna play that!(but my dad said no young man, ur not old enough!!:() ever since then, ive dreamed about it every night.finnally, i got it! it was a long and hard time when i had to update steam, install hl, uninstall hl, find out that i could have just bought the goty edition of hl instead of platnium, (hint hint) and install all this other crap, and finnaly, i registered, played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and played and ... yea you get my point right? you might be thinking, o this game is sooooooo old and it has archaic graphics and theres hackerrs and blah blah blah blah. trust me its worth it (unless u hav 56k modem... god, it really can scar you for life....) and it has so many people playing and so many people to meet... its really a good community of gamers but sometimes annoying people pop outa nowere... *cough*hackers*cough* and also...THERES SO MANY MAPS AND WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT AND STUFF!!!!(for rpg players, it also has an rpg twist to it. u pick weapons, armor, get ranks, etc) its a great experience(sorry for repeating myself over, and overagain) so buy or live as a hermit to the gaming world.

It really is the best game ever made
In the April 2005 PC Gamer magazine, it showed the top 50 computer games of all time. Half-Life was #1. This is basically a sequel to that game. VERY fun, except when you're in a server with hackers in it. Just make sure to never give your CD key out and to go to steampowered.com and download steam to play it (For version 1.6). Then go to Browse games and register your CD key. Once you do that, you won't be getting as much sleep as you had the past few years. ... Read more

Asin: B00004TJCL
Subjects:  1. Action    2. Shooters (Shooter)    3. Havas    4. First Person    5. Science Fiction (SciFi, Sci Fi)    6. Counterstrike CS    7. Computer Games