Advent Rising
by Majesco
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.00 You Save: $27.99 (93%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.45 (click here) Category: Video Games See more product details |
|---|
Video Game Reviews of Advent Rising
Customer Review: So much fun
Summary: 4 Stars
Being a fan of video games and Orson Scott Card, this seemed like a no-brainer. Not owning an Xbox, I had to wait for the PC version, which was delayed a few times. And now that it's here, what else can I say than - it was totally worth the wait.
First, the not so great - the targeting system took a little getting used to, it crashed to desktop twice (but immediately rebooted and ran fine), and I died... a lot. Also, one of the branching plotlines seems broken. (a character I thought dead showed up in the middle of a subsequent level)
But all of that aside, the game is so much fun. It looks and plays great on my PC. I loved the game's "practice effect" where the more you use skills and weapons, the more proficient you become with them. I'm playing back through, trying to build certain skills earlier in the game that I found came in handy later on (Which is how I realized the plot discrepancy). The ending was great (don't leave or quit when the credits start rolling - wait for them to end, and keep watching).
I would highly recommend this game for sci-fi or action gaming fans. If you like RTS or more slow-paced games, this probably isn't your game, but for those who like fast paced, cinematic action, you could do a lot worse for more money than picking up Advent Rising for the PC.
Customer Review: Incredible! This is what games should be like.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been waiting for a long long time to finally get this game for my PC. After so many postponed release dates, I finally broke down and rented it for my xbox. I have to agree that it's "only" a good game on the xbox (I think the other 2 reviews on here currently must be for the xbox version, since they've been up for weeks or months, and the game just actually came out this last Thursday). On the PC however, the game really seems to wake up and come to life. Wow! What a difference. The only lags now are when I do one of the slow-mo dodges, and the response is very snappy and precise.
The game does start off a little slow, but only in comparison to the rest of the game. There's definitely a learning curve, both for the player AND the character, Gideon. As you use different weapons and abilities, you gain experience with them and "level up" with that particular weapon/skill. Machine guns gain grenade launcher ability, sniper rifles get increased zoom and power, etc etc. Some of the alien weapons get some *very* interesting alternate fire modes. Even skills such as dodging and melee attacks level up the more you use them, and before long you're doing sideways slow-mo cartwheels while targeting and blasting enemies. The superpower abilities you learn halfway through the game also level up and unlock new abilities such as weapon grabs, freeze, and time dilation effects. If you think about it, both the character and the game itself get customized to you and your style of play (whatever you use most gets more powerful). I really like this aspect of the game. I also like the fact that you can customize what weapon or power each hand is using, on-the-fly. You just have to remember that if you're using a rocket launcher in your left hand and are standing in a close space, that you should only fire with your right hand (right mouse button).
Watching Gideon at the bottom of the screen is sometimes half the fun, as he fires weapons with each hand, sometimes targeting two enemies at once, and sometimes firing behind his back. Then, when you empty the clips, he does a really cool flippy-spinny reload trick with each hand, and you're good to go again. It's like watching a Master at work...
Visually, I'd say the game is very beautiful and stylized. There are definitely anime influences in the character's elongated bodies - I kept thinking of the old "Starblazers" cartoons I used to watch as a kid. I really like the simplified style and feel of the game. There's a school of thought out there that to be considered "good", things have to be very complex and ornate. I don't subscribe to that at all, and prefer elegance and style. This game delivers both.
I read a review on another site that said the game was boring - "I only played for an hour". That's the problem right there. The reviewer never gave the game time to develop the plot, or to unlock the nifty power-ups (which *really* change the gameplay). The character interaction is actually compelling for once, the music is gorgeous and *always* fits, and the story is an intriguing one. Even some details from Orson Scott Card's "Ender" series popped up at one point...
So when's the next one coming out? And the next? Hurry up, I'm waiting!!!
Customer Review: This Game simply sucks
Summary: 1 Stars
Never have I ever seen anything with this many glitches, it's almost impossible to even play. Besides that, there are also MANY other flaws, the names are inconsistent, for example, you have Gideon and Maryn, both fantasy names, and you have Ethan and Olivia, both modern names. The character models are EXTREMELY simple, and so is the dull storyline. The dialogue is also very strange, the characters are always making jokes with each other, despite their planet blowing up and all their loved ones dying. The framerate makes the whole game look like a slideshow. Bottom line, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, DO NOT RENT THIS GAME, DO NOT WANT IT AS A PRESENT, SIMPLY IGNORE IT. I can't wait for majesto to totally bomb when the try to sell TWO sequels! HAAHAHA, like that's ever gonna happen...Customer Review: Impressive despite its flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the most ambitious game I've ever seen Majesco put together. Story, Game play, Design; all these things have come together to make a great game that is not only fun to play, but has good enough dialog to make you give a crap about the characters. That's saying something when it comes to action games.
This Game does have its flaws, namely some unique technical glitches such as cinematic's being choppy and some minor clipping, neither of which takes away from the over all experience.
The cinematic's being slowed stems from (on XboX) the game trying to load up the next area in the back ground. Pausing the cut scene and waiting for ti to load (the skip cut seen chouse will appear) then running the cinematic will almost always help.
Over all a great game, I would have made it a 5 star if not for the glitches. Also, I fear that most will be shy away from this example of great gaming because of its deep story and technical problems. Don't' hesitate to try/buy this game!