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- Review count9
- Helpfulness votes3
- First reviewApril 13, 2013
- Last reviewApril 20, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
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dknvl's Reviews
![Moon Safari [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/3308/3308940_sa.jpg)
Posted by: dknvl
Moon Safari is the debut album from French electronic duo Air. The sound here is much more relaxed than contemporaries Daft Punk, almost hypnotic at its best points, of which there are several.
Generally the songs feature sparse, heavily electronic male vocals. There's a couple with more prominent, female vocals that don't work as well for me, though they aren't bad by any stretch.
My favorite song here is the last, "Le Voyage de Penelope" (which is instrumental, pretty sure all vocals are in English). That's my soundtrack if I ever portray a turn-of-the-century private eye. Whole album is worth a listen, but "Remember" and "New Star in the Sky (Chanson pour Solal)" are other highlights for me.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: excellent electronic album
What's not so great: songs with female vocalist
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The game-changing turnovers. The bitter rivalries. The sensational buzzer beaters. There are professional sports — and then there is professional hoops. Out on the hardwood, anything can happen with one second remaining on the shot clock. Here, underdogs triumph, dynasties fall and legends are born. You live for the thrill of game night, know the plays by heart and are loyal to your team to a fault. Now, it's time to get off the sidelines, lace up your shoes and step up for tip off as the grit and the glory of the NBA slam dunks into your world.This year, live the NBA action like never before, with more control, more realism and more ways to shape the history of pro basketball. After selling more than 5 million copies worldwide and winning more than 25 Sports Games of the Year awards, the industry-leading franchise that brought you NBA 2K12 further transcends the realm of sports video games, joining forces with Jay-Z as executive producer. NBA 2K13 propels the action into the next generation, colliding the newest kings of the court with legends of NBA history for epic matchups, including the one that's got everyone talking — Team USA of 2012 versus the Dream Team of '92. Create your own dream team by recruiting the league's top players and collecting your own uniforms, arenas and boosts in MyTEAM mode. Ensure you grab this season's freshest talent by tracking up-to-date performance stats in the talent marketplace. When your roster is ready to hit the court, take on worthy online competitors chosen by the new tiered matchmaking system. Launch your own NBA career in the enhanced MyPLAYER mode, and embark on new endorsement paths on your climb to the top. Whether you're playing as yourself or as pros like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, command the action with more precision than ever, thanks improved gameplay features, such as analog stick-controlled dribbling, dynamic shot generation, player-specific skills and revamped fast-break passing. Are you ready for tip off?
Posted by: dknvl
Age:25-34
Gender:Male
Summary pretty much says it all. Pretty standard sports title yearly update, with new rosters, new servers which cut online access for last year's version, and new ways to spend more money.
The most visible difference in this year's game is the addition of Virtual Credit. This currency can be earned either in-game (sometimes, some modes use the old offline skill points), by glitchy Facebook/mobile apps, or by handing over your credit card. Skill upgrades are pretty fairly priced, but the ability to customize your My Player without wasting valuable VC is pretty crippled, with basic wristbands (not even available in team colors that I found) costing as much as a few decent statistical upgrade points. Blacktop outfits are even more ridiculously priced.
Another addition to this year's game is the Signature Skill system, where players can have up to 5 special abilities beyond their normal attributes. Unfortunately, at least one which is supposed to help make tough layups is glitched and works against you. As a whole, the feature feels a bit more style than substance to me, but I think it is still a positive once (if) they get it fixed next year.
There's a new mode, My Team, which seems to be a weak copy of FIFA's Ultimate Team. Should be room for improvement there.
The main control change this year was swapping the shot stick for dribble moves, making shooting with the stick need a modifier. I think I prefer it, but it seems (cynically) a bit like busy work to be able to claim another new feature.
Online connection is pretty much required for My Player, since choosing to play offline with your player even once takes you offline permanently unless you start over. I think I've had at least 4 times when the server was down, and I wasn't playing until well after launch. Not good enough.
The soundtrack and pregame videos are the obvious influence of Jay Z's role as producer. The soundtrack feels deceptively small since Mr. Z (no one calls him this) selected several of his own and Kanye's songs. Still, it's an upgrade over the somewhat eclectic mixes of recent years, though I doubt anyone has ever been playing NBA and thought how much better it would be if they could hear that Coldplay song at the same time.
Sounds like a lot of negative, but at its core, NBA 2K13 is still a fun game. You can still play My Player without having to crack open the wallet, although you'll probably not want to waste VC on anything cosmetic. I've sunk a ton of time into it, and I generally enjoyed it all, although My Player plateaus once your player gets good (the endorsements/billboards/shoe designing seems to dry up sometime in year 2, which is unfortunate).
If you're a big NBA fan, you probably already own it. If you are more casual, I think it's OK to miss a year or two and come back to substantial changes (although you won't get to play online when they close the server on you). I'd probably give it 85/100 overall, but more like 40/100 based on yearly improvement.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Maintains high quality of the series
What's not so great: VC is a cash grab, not enough improvements
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![A New Chance [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8991/8991772_sa.jpg)
Posted by: dknvl
A quick and breezy album which would be the last for Swedish electronic duo The Tough Alliance. Only having 8 songs isn't such a problem when it means there isn't any filler
The main guy ended up doing a solo album as ceo, and it's on my list of music to eventually get to. Worth checking out if you like The Tough Alliance.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Catchy, summery sound
What's not so great: Definitely on the short side for an LP
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9322/9322529_sa.jpg)
Posted by: dknvl
Fourth album from the French group, and it marks an expansion of the direction taken with the previous album It's Never Been Like That. Lisztomania is a standout track, but to my taste, you really can't go wrong with any (if you're trying to establish cred, though, you'll want to stick with largely instrumental Love Like a Sunset Parts I and II and express shock if anyone disagrees). Rome is a personal favorite. Highly recommend.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Tracks are all strong
What's not so great: nothing
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Puzzle-solving thrills are waiting for you in Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. Use the Wii Remote to explore incredible places with zany pirate Zack and his enchanted friend Wiki. Head out on an amazing journey to find challenging brainteasers and puzzle-based battles.Quest for Barbaros' Treasure makes full use of the unique Wii Remote controller so you can explore and interact with the environment. Move through seven themed stages, each with wild sub-areas, and visit jungle ruins, an ice temple and an ancient castle. Overcome a variety of difficult bosses and outwit more than 35 enemies as you help Zack and Wiki find success on their fun adventures.
Posted by: dknvl
Age:25-34
Gender:Male
Pretty unique for a console game, although it's similar to a lot of point and click adventure games on the PC. The Wii remote generally works well with the game, although moving around can be a bit of a task. Wii gestures allow you to manipulate objects and transform enemies into tools to help solve the puzzles.
The game consists of a series of levels filled with puzzles, each with a treasure chest at the end. The goal is to safely navigate any traps, hazards, and obstacles to reach the treasure. The game awards style points based on how many attempts you make and whether you reach the optimal solution. It also has a built-in hint system which doesn't always help enough in my experience. Fortunately, there's always the Internet.
Whenever you manage to figure something out on your own, there's a nice sense of achievement (rarely for me). As someone who isn't great at this sort of thing, there's generally some kind of idea about what needs to happen, but it's tough to get all of the steps in order. And sometimes it's just way out there.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Fun puzzles
What's not so great: Moving around is a chore
I would recommend this to a friend!
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SynopsisOne of the most enjoyed games of 2009, the original role-playing shooter and all its heralded add-on content are now available in one definitive collection. Expanding and enriching the critically acclaimed RPS experience of Borderlands, the diverse and explosive downloadable add-on content packs, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx and Claptrap's New Robot Revolution, offer loads of new enemy types, new missions, new game modes, new achievements and new...surprises.
Posted by: dknvl
Age:25-34
Gender:Male
One of the finest co-op games ever in my opinion. I have played this and Borderlands 2 for probably hundreds of hours with my brother and cousin.
Trying to get the best weapons/gear is addictive and provides a ton of replay value, as do four characters that play pretty differently thanks to unique abilities. The class mods and skill trees provide endless decisions on how to play as each character, too.
The DLC increases the level cap and introduces new weapons and items (plus 3 more story/missions and an annoying survival mode). Very much worth it in my opinion, especially in bundle form.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Funny, lots of different ways to customize characters
What's not so great: Some guns/upgrades are glitched (minor, not game-breaking)
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Pacific City needs some spring cleaning. Mutants have infected the city's unfortunate inhabitants, turning them into crime-crazy, diabolical Freaks. With streets brimming with dirty criminals just asking to be taken down, this city is one big cleaning job — and one big playground for the likes of a special agent like you. Take whatever weapon you can get your hands on, and start playing. Don't be afraid to play dirty as you clean up Pacific City in Crackdown. In this interactive 3D world, you can use virtually anything — from grenades to rockets and everything in between — as a weapon to plow through a sea of mutant humanoids. The violent bloodbath begins as you roam the streets, putting criminals in their place, knocked out cold. Only you have the power, the guts and the sense of justice to make this city right again. Get cracking and Crackdown on these freakish criminals.
Posted by: dknvl
Age:25-34
Gender:Male
Crackdown was an early 360 title that exceeded expectations, spawning a sequel that didn't especially push the bar forward. As such, perhaps it isn't fair to compare it to later Rockstar sandbox games (GTA IV), but those are the obvious comparisons. It's kind of like GTA minus a compelling story and a lot of the depth, but with more focus on climbing/rooftop exploration, which is one of the most fun parts of the game.
The basic story sets you in a dystopian future where three violent gangs control three separate areas. The Agency, the peacekeeping group for which the player accepts missions, has made a technological breakthrough, creating a clonable supersoldier (you). Armed with infinite lives, it is your job to explore the three areas, find the gangs' underbosses and leaders and eliminate them, and ultimately rid the areas of gang influence by killing off a final wave of gang members.
Your supersoldier, true to form, is quite overpowered (though if you aren't paying attention, later enemies or large groups can take you out). You can rely on fairly standard guns, some overpowered punching, vehicular combat, or throwing items/bodies early on, and later rocket launchers are added to the arsenal. Lock-on targeting makes shredding through enemies pretty simple.
One thing that works well in the game is the leveling system. Your character starts out with lower damage, less jumping ability, less driving ability, less health, etc. Killing enemies with guns, your hands, explosives, cars, and from rooftops will add experience to the various categories, strengthening your character quickest in the sections that you use most.
Another strong feature is the rooftop transportation and climbing. Supply checkpoints (respawn after dying/fast travel/reload and change weapons) are usually found on buildings, and jumping from building to building after a fast travel can be the quickest, safest way to move between boss locations. It's also just a really fun way to get around, especially once your character approaches max athletic ability.
The way you gain new weapons is pretty unique, too. You have to kill a gang member and switch your weapon for their new one, but then you have to make it back to a supply point without dying. Perhaps the only consequence for dying in the game.
The main task in the game, as I mentioned in the story section, is going up the gang's hierarchy and eliminating important members. These members, which are housed in a solid variety of buildings/locations, functionally serve only to weaken the main boss's defenses once defeated, but you have to kill everyone to clear the islands/areas anyways, so might as well. In addition, though, there are rooftop races, car races, aerial orbs which give you athletic experience, and hidden orbs which give experience in all categories. The orbs serve as the main collectible, and there's a ton of them (not needed for experience, but good luck finding them all for the achievement).
All in all, Crackdown doesn't really break new ground, but it still serves as a fun experience that doesn't ask much in the way of strategy or investment. Especially worth a look now that it's bargain bin.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Great gameplay
What's not so great: Thin story, lacks polish
I would recommend this to a friend!
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After the goddess Hel is banished for defying Odin, Lord of Asgard, a fierce struggle begins within the realm of the Norse Gods. Not willing to accept her fate, Hel raises an army of resurrected Viking warriors and unleashes her forces upon the mortal realm of Midgard to wipe out all of humanity. Will she succeed in bringing about Ragnarok, the apocalyptic battle that that will destroy Asgard and the Gods themselves? There is only one hope for stopping Hel and defending the future of mankind: Skarin, a promising but deeply flawed young warrior. Burdened with this task, he wonders why the Gods have chosen him above all others to overcome Hel's wrath.Explore the vast Norse worlds of Battle for Asgard as the unlikely hero Skarin in three open-world environments. Power up your weapons with mythical elements and use them to dismember enemies in brutal melees. Tame mighty dragons, fly them through the skies and rain their fire upon your enemies. Take on hundreds of resurrected warriors at once in massive battles, and subtly influence the action through targeted assassination and sabotage.
Posted by: dknvl
Age:25-34
Gender:Male
Viking is a pretty fun game in the God of War mold (I gather, I haven't owned a PS). A fallen Viking warrior, you have been resurrected by a goddess and... I forget. The story is fine, I guess, but not really memorable or a focus. There are some creepy cut scenes that serve as the bulk of story development, since in-game character interaction is lacking.
Unsurprisingly, the main objective in Viking is to kill bad guy Vikings. Sure, there are variations on the theme, like stealth killing Vikings, or using dragons to kill Vikings, but it's never too far from that mode. The game gives you a map with pretty clear objectives, so exploration is purely optional since you'll be directed to everywhere in time. Mostly the objectives consist of clearing different settlements and freeing fellow Vikings to prepare for the city assaults.
The city assaults are somewhat unique to this genre, I think (similar to Dynasty Warriors though). Good Viking army vs. Bad Viking army, with you free to hack away or ignore the battle as you see fit. You usually have to kill minibosses or giants while the battle rages, and eventually you will be able to call on a dragon or two to help take out some enemies. Definitely a highlight of the game.
There are stealth sections (and stealth is generally a good idea with more than 3 or 4 bad guys around) which are somewhat annoying but offer more variety. You can collect skulls for achievements in these sections, but I wouldn't have even tried without using a guide, even without consequences from dying.
There is a move upgrade and elemental system (fire/ice/lightning) that seems pretty standard. Usefulness of the moves varies quite a bit, so you'll probably find yourself going with only a couple and ignoring the rest. The elements seem almost like an afterthought (though maybe it was just me not using them enough). You can use them in the city assaults to power up your army, but nothing really demands that you ever use them. Once you use an element, it drains the whole bar, too, which discourages using it at all.
The world itself is pretty varied and interesting. You do your killing in towers and caverns and ruined castles and huge cities. There are some pretty fun platforming sections. While the game doesn't really break any new ground or have much in the way of personality, it still has solid enough gameplay to be worth the time.
As I mentioned, there is no penalty for dying, so the game is pretty forgiving... at least until the final boss battle, which is not especially similar in concept or difficulty to any other section of the game. Be prepared to fail repeatedly, at least if you're playing on Hard (which you should for the achievement, since there's not much of a difference between it and Easy until that last battle, which was still a pain on Easy). Maybe if you're really good at multi-enemy combat (which generally you don't have to be unless you just completely forgo stealth) it's not as bad.
Anyways, solid game, especially for the bargain price it can be found.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Epic city assault battles
What's not so great: Final boss battle
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Learn more about Assassin's Creed. (Flash demo) SynopsisYour name is Altair, and you are a deadly assassin living in the year 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart, and you must take it upon yourself to become an agent of change and put a stop to the war. Your mastery of the skills, tactics and weapons of the world's most secret clan of warriors makes you the ideal person to defeat both sides of the conflict. Plan your attacks, strike without mercy and do whatever it takes to achieve your objectives.Assassin's Creed thrusts you into a living, breathing world in which your decisions and actions all have consequences. Relive the epic spectacle of the Crusades as you explore the Holy Land in the 12th century, complete with lifelike graphics loaded with subtle details and nuances. The intense action features fluid and precise animations as you do battle using a variety of medieval weapons. With an incredible blend of technology, emotion, violence and chaos, Assassin's Creed gives you the chance to shape events during a pivotal moment in human history.
Posted by: dknvl
Age:25-34
Gender:Male
First game in the popular Assassin's Creed series, introducing the frame story for the sequels. I would recommend starting with this one, since later titles are more refined (so if you play the sequels, you notice improvements rather than taking them for granted and enjoying the first game less).
Probably the biggest flaw with the game is its repetitive nature. Each chapter involves going to a section of a city, completing a few tasks to gain intel about a target, and eliminating the target. The tasks aren't especially varied to begin with, but by the 8th or 9th go around, they start to wear thin, especially with a particular timed stealth mission (which accounts for a large part of the game's difficulty, although you can skip if you don't care about 100% completion, which includes a lot of flag collecting. If you do care about 100%, I would glance at a guide first because there is a missable achievement).
The assassination missions are well done, though, and the game itself is pretty fun even accounting for the repetition. I enjoyed the playthrough, even with the late frustration from that stealth mission and missing one flag, having to explore for a couple hours to get 100%.
My Best Buy number: 575305463
What's great about it: Fun gameplay
What's not so great: Repetitive
I would recommend this to a friend!
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