User Reviews

Call of Duty has been a prominent first-person shooter throughout the years. The gripping action and heart-racing missions have proven to be addictive amongst players. Now with Modern Warfare 2, all the factors have been improved and will surely make fans and gamers begging for more in the end.

Modern Warfare 2 continues the legacy of the Call of Duty saga but this version is the least traditional among the other Call of Duty games. The main game package is divided into three pillars of gameplay. Fans who like single-player games will still have their main campaign, gamers who like to cooperate with other players either through a local or online connection will have the new Special Operations mode, and last is the multiplayer which got even better. Each mode is 100 % standalone that it does not have any connection with the other modes, so you actually get to have three different experiences in one game.

Gamers should definitely try the single-player campaign mode first, which is absolutely back and more intense than past campaign modes. Fans will truly appreciate the improvement in the mode as they are thrown into the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro, the very cold mountains of Kazakhstan, the very dusty roads of Afghanistan and a whole lot more destinations. Modern Warfare also offers stunning visuals that are steps over Call of Duty 4 and World at War. There is an emphasis on intricate terrains in the environment, interesting weather effects, and a whole lot that adds improvement to the chaos and action of the entire game. A great audio also accompanies the stunning visuals with effects from returning weapons and a very captivating score by Hans Zimmer that will truly complement some game scenes. With the dazzling visuals and a captivating audio, you would feel like you are watching an action film when playing the game.

The campaign mode has its issues, though. For newbies, it’s quite short. But despite its shortness, Modern Warfare 2 is definitely more chaotic; brought by better visual effects, upgraded production values, and very tough scenario designs. Realism is even more exemplified in Modern Warfare 2 with better visuals, which is more pronounced when it comes to bloody scenes. There surely were effects in previous versions that showed blood with the screen getting red. But this time, blood splatter can truly be noticed as more real-looking on your screen throughout the game. Though others find this as a distraction, it’s still quite amazingly awesome.

Modern Warfare 2 is also the debut of the Special Operations or Spec Ops mode. This mode is actually an arcade-inspired challenge mode. The mode can be played with a single player for the most part, but is actually intended to be around two people’s team play. The Spec Ops mode is divided into 5 tiers that have missions where there are three possible stars to gain based on the level of difficulty in each of the 23 missions in the game. Fans and gamers will truly be surprised with this mode because of its entertainment value and is actually longer than the single player campaign mode.

The multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 got even better, as well. Being the front bearer in the Call of Duty saga, Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer visuals and effects indeed got a good boost. You are guaranteed to be in for an engaging experience with the multiplayer mode enhancements.

Overall, Modern Warfare 2 really proves to be one of the best first-person shooter games out in the market. But there’s a catch for those who prefer to play the single-player campaign mode. It is really short and it only forms part of the entire Modern Warfare experience. If you opt to immerse on all three modes, then you will definitely have one hell of an experience and action with Modern Warfare 2.

Sony Playstation continues to head on the right track in reforming their successful PS3 video games into PSP formats. From their popular Resistance series, here comes Resistance: Retribution, which continues the story of James Grayson, the British soldier on a fight against the Chimera force, aliens trying to invade the Earth.

In Resistance: Retribution, developer Bend decided to do some tweaking to the game for improvement and adjustment purposes especially to more restricted specifications PSP could offer. First off, instead of the first person point-of-view, they switched to a third-person over the shoulder perspective. It does not give you the same Resistance experience but is effective for the PSP version, which also becomes a solution on the tight controls it has been developing over the years.

Because it is smaller, the PSP handheld version has several limitations and adjustments have to be made. The left stick is used for movements; while aiming is done through the four face buttons found on the other side. This is actually a good thing because of the auto aiming and target lock-on features that you have to rely on. If your weapon is at the right direction, the game itself will guarantee that you hit the opponents. You can opt for free-aim by tapping the d-pad; but this is not recommended because it is so slow.

This game also has new enemies like the Boiler, a skinny creature with a swollen head that blasts when it is near you. The game does have exploding enemies but these Boilers are more irksome because you spend a lot of bullets to defeat them; unless you shoot them on their heads, then you save a lot of ammunition. The bad news is this is near impossible with the auto-aim on, so you just have to do it manually. Enemies that blow up charges at you anytime out of nowhere, is another source of exasperation, especially if you are caught off-guard. Good thing there is a polished cover system that automatically glues you into place when you are in close proximity to a wall, a doorjamb or a box, which saves you the trouble of a blind fire or the complicated motions of holding a direction, leaning over and firing.

Resistance Retribution may not be a purely original game with all those gameplays but they are the best on PSP pure shooting games with their polished controls and consistent action. They have great graphic designs that could compete with other PSP games and even exceed in some areas. The game is very detailed when it comes to enemy graphics and location. If you’re looking for snags, it is most likely be about the quality of the audio.

Besides being able to enjoy a single-player campaign, one of the unique features of this new PSP version is the availability of a multiplayer mode. This is all possible through a local wireless connection or play online with PSP’s Infrastructure mode. Eight players can tough it out with each other in teams or in everyone versus everyone games or the most popular of all, the Assimilation type.

If you loved the Syphon Filter games, this is definitely much better. Although they have a lot more in common, the adjustments in the new Retribution has made the game a lot easier and faster to play.

Wii Sports is undoubtedly the best seller in today’s video gaming, the Wii Fit bundle that comes with the innovative Balance Board closely follows and just slightly behind. Now here’s good news. Wii Fit Plus now takes the place of the original Wii Fit; so aptly named, because of the many enhancements that come along with it, including additional mini games and several new exercises with the much needed extra layers of tips for calorie burning.

Nintendo simply recycled the core Wii Fit package for its latest version, which is not bad really; most of these features – the menus, interface system, virtual trainers. Balance games and strength training exercises – are well-executed and definitely worth trying out. And here’s one delightful thing – you can even bring in you previous workout data from its predecessor so you can just continue from where you left off. What’s more; if you haven’t unlocked any of the advanced routines before because you weren’t really committed, you don’t need to sweat it out as they are now automatically opened for you in Plus. All other added features can also be accessed right away.
Speaking of added features, Plus does boast several worthy ones. For starters, three new yoga and three strengthening exercises have been added. Also noted is how Nintendo has emphasized putting on more balance games in Plus – a total of 15 well-planned extra modes that are really a lot of fun! The games are great but are too easy and as far as exercises go, you can’t expect to sweat and shed some pounds if you just play them and avoid strength training and yoga.

The one remarkable enhancement that is likely to become a favorite of many is the calorie counter. Get this – every activity in the game has a metabolic equivalent of task – also called METs – number. Most of the mini games are assigned MET ratings of 2, which is about the same as the most leisurely walk you’ve ever embarked on; but the more rigorous exercises, such as push-ups, have higher rates. Here’s how the calorie counter works: just multiply your weight by the MET ratings you get for each exercise you perform and you’ll get the amount of calories you burned.

This can either be encouraging or discouraging; encouraging, because you can envision a scientific demonstration of your workouts, and discouraging because the outcome don’t really register double or triple digit calorie numbers. Understandably, since the Wii Fit Plus workouts are relatively simple and easy, it will take you sometime to burn those calories.

Don’t get disappointed now but Nintendo has decided to warn customers not to make the calorie counter as the be-all and end-all indicator of calorie burning; rather, that you are well—advised to still rely on BMI or body mass index scale as your fundamental gauge of success or failure with regards to burning calories. In a sense, this can make you have second thoughts as to the accuracy of the results when you use Wii Fit Plus.

Another thing that you’re going to miss with the Plus is the inclusion of any online functionality. It doesn’t even have leader board features. Wii Fit Plus would have benefited from similar online functionality such as that offered by Nike Plus, which lets users track how far they’ve run and compare the results of their efforts with family and friends online. It is truly a major lapse on Nintendo’s part not to include this feature; and offer instead a fast and easy local multiplayer mode where players take turns, which doesn’t even come close to motivational.

One thing that you have to be thankful about is the measures taken to address one of the biggest issues of the original Wii Fit, which was the inability ot create a customized workout program for individual preference and needs. This time, you can conveniently go to My Wii Fit Plus Routine section and choose your own set of exercises that are designed and aimed at trimming down specific body areas. This you can do either by using the presets that Nintendo has or creating your own routines from scratch.

To sum it up, Wii Fit Plus is a fantastic way to burn some calories while simultaneously having fun. There are issues that could have made the Plus even stronger, had Nintendo given the appropriate attention to resolve it and did not ignore those few shortcomings. Still Plus is a lot less expensive that paying for a gym membership. With proper diet and by using it right, you can actually lose weight and tone your muscles, while having a fabulous time.

The Sims is one of the most popular games of all time and has achieved so many awards over the past decade. Even non-traditional gamers find themselves wrapped up in this award winning game. In case you are new to the Sims you get to build a house and get to live your life however you see fit. There are all kinds of comical elements packed in the game. There are also important decisions that you need to make. So, Sims fans you will not be disappointed with the latest release of this game, The Sims 3.

The biggest change to The Sims 3 is you can now explore the neighborhood at anytime without having to wait for the world to load. In fact, a lot of people believed that the previous Sims games were too limited to just your house and your character. It truly does give you the feel that you are living your life in the computer realm world. However, I would also like to point out that you can just sit back and watch your characters, which will keep themselves amused and entertained on there own.

You really do get a real life experience with the Sims 3, or at least it feels like it. People still age and eventually die, but what really makes the Sims 3 great is that new characters will appear, so you get a real sense of change. The psychological system for the Sims 3 is really quite complex and different sims react different ways to other sims. Really, one of the coolest parts about this game is sitting back and watching how everyone interacts with each other.

What is really nice about this game is they have removed the fact that you don't have to watch them go to restroom multiple times per day. Instead they will only go once per day. This gives you a lot more time to interact with them. You can use your time to develop friendships, complete daily task, ect.

So with all the positive things about The Sims 3 there are a couple negative things that might be taken into consideration. For instance, when your sims rush off to work it would be nice if they just didn't disappear. It would be nice if you could complete some kind of task for their jobs to give this a real life experience. Another thing that people might not like is the fact that it takes a lot of trial and error to create an appealing house. But, then again that is part of the game.

There is an online feature that is quite nice in The Sims 3. You can interact with other Sims players. You can download and upload your own content, which really is a great addition to The Sims 3. For the hardcore Sims players you can even start a blog, edit movies, even record your games, and share them with other players. However, this is all extra features that you do not have to use to play the game, but it is a nice change of pace.

Overall, this is a great game and its performance is great. In previous versions of The Sims you might notice that it was laggish when you had a number of sims in a small area. It does function very smoothly even though you can roam the entire town. This is a massive improvement to an already great game. This is a highly addictive game that you can entertain yourself with for hours, and hours to come. One can only wonder what extras the expansion will be packed with!

Sony Computer has never failed to give us great gaming entertainment and now they give us Invizimals which brings fighting into an augmented reality by using your own Play Station Portable, along with a mini camera that recognizes a special card that serves as a trapping device for your little creatures.

Invizimals is very similar to the Pokemon series where you catch creatures for your collection; you train them and use them for fights. Through the mini camera, you look for these creatures and trap them with the special card. Fighting comes in the battle mode where you can try your skills against computer generated creatures or fight with your friends’ collection sitting next to you or online.

The game has charming visuals with tutorial videos but that doesn’t make the game easy. In fact, it is more complicated than you think because of the need to focus your camera during gameplay, which makes capturing and fighting harder. To be able to capture creatures, you have to move your camera around to stay behind a creature’s back and capture them. In order for your creature to be within view, your camera must have a clear vantage point of the special trapping card each time. Sometimes, while you are trying to go after your creature, you lose sight of this card; thus, the creature disappears.

As for fights, they use a real-time mechanic system instead of the turn-based one that was traditionally employed. They also make use of three attack moves, a block and a stamina gauge that should be monitored during game time. Invizimals also feature mini games cropping-up; but you don’t have to worry since they are really easy to accomplish.

This is indeed a breakthrough in video gaming because of the incorporation of the real world when capturing your own creatures and going on to an adventure with the use of the mini camera. Another great thing about this game is its slowly-voiced tutorials where instructions are given by an adoring cast of characters with videos to help you understand the game better.

Although the technology behind Invizimals fall short of expectation; and can’t quite deliver on its aspiration, it functions adequately enough to prevent it from failing dismally. There’s an obvious lack of real profundity in the critter combat and the mission structures are too restricted for sufficient satisfaction. There’s a real tendency for this game to become a passing fancy rather than a mainstay despite its undisputedly charming concept and implementation; which the younger players may find alluring for a while.

It can be treated as some kind of a cool novel creature-collection gimmick but the reality is it really won’t take long before the novelty wears off. Still, the chance to play in the image of your room and the minimal thrill of discovering the creatures hiding around is too good to pass and hold some level of challenge, if only momentarily.

Video games have stayed in the market for years but most of them become successful because of continuous upgrades and innovation. But, for over ten years of being in the gaming world, Virtua Tennis has hardly changed and their latest version Virtua Tennis 2009 is no different. Like other VTs, the series still comes with its three basic shots - the top spin, slice and the lob.

Virtua Tennis 2009 is not without improvement though. A tiny advancement is made on the players’ movement where they don’t dive for shots directed on the baseline; and you do need to practice a lot to be able to do powerful returns. But aside from that, the rest is basically the same, which is truly disappointing.

There are times when the AI doesn’t work. Even though Sumo digital has done away with the diving that has damaged the playing in the past, players in this new game still have to charge for the balls, sometimes going down on one knee just to hit back. This is fine except that sometimes during matches, the AI would blast off, running right after serving; taking away the challenge of the game – too easy. It feels like when you move to a direction before the opponent serves, they take that same direction after returning the shot. All of this could be a form of guessing and anticipating where you’re going to hit, based on the direction of your last hit. In any case, everything just doesn’t seem to add up.

Animation is also an issue, especially when you are about to hit a ball. Sometimes players make sudden jerks when doing their moves. Interestingly enough, this only happens when games are played on a Melbourne court or online.
The new sequel does not shout creativity when it comes to innovation. It could have been more exciting if they tried to develop new controls instead of doing nothing at all to expand the gameplay.

Most of the plays are done in World Tour mode where you get to create a player. Here the feature interface is a far cry from satisfactory as players often end up scaring gamers instead of creating tennis stars. This mode has not even changed a bit just like the gameplay. You still travel throughout the world in handpicked destinations. Everything from the home, to training in the academy to doing things with your partner or playing their mini-games; everything has stagnated into boring sameness.
The audio is even more of a let-down. They have this tennis music going in the background during each game that pervades like annoying little mosquitoes and their striking ball sound effects is pitiable to put it mildly. You bet gamers would rather opt for total silence while playing.

The one significant change that can probably save the day from a total rain check is the added feature of bringing your customized player online to improve career ranking by competing in multiplayer games. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that even that has a hitch, too. There is an awful lag in every match you play, which can really drive you to the edge of annoyance.

Virtua Tennis 2009 is just like any VT available on the market. Nothing is new that would excite gamers about this new installment. There is no innovation that would pique up your interests. Although some would undoubtedly love its consistency, those who are looking for something new will most likely feel even more frustrated than before.

Aliens vs. Predator has always been a fan favorite. The idea of it coming back is already enough to make headlines. The older ones who were really part of the whole AvP era couldn’t wait for its release. The younger generation is just as excited but not for the same reasons as the older ones. The mere thought of aliens, predators, and humans clashing is already adequate reason to make them sit at the edge of their seats.

The whole idea of a great game coming into existence is buried deep in the game. You can play three different campaigns each offering a different point of view. Players are given the opportunity to take the role of the aliens, the predators, or the marines. Put these three in one game and you expect to have a great game, right? Unfortunately, each game comes out mediocre and even if you put all of three together, it still doesn’t make up for all the good stuff that it lacks. What’s really sad is that you have high hopes for this game because the PC game was good and this version just disappoints you further in almost every aspect of the game.
To make it worse, the controls are hard to manage. You could have played each different campaign in different strategies but because of control constraints, you can’t really do much.

Although fans of the movie get to relive the thrill all throughout the game; it falls short of the expected way you want it to play out. The visuals are not as good as those in other consoles, for one. Luckily, what it lacks in great visuals, it makes up for in sound. The music is so spot-on that it’s like you are actually watching the movie all over again. The minutest sound is replicated to really sound like the real-thing counterpart. The beeping of the tracking device, for example, is probably the best reproduction to date. The voice acting is equally of high quality. You hear dialogues that are taken from the movie itself and acted out even better than the ones in the movie.

The whole feel of the game is a little old school though. From the character development, to the machines and onto the battle fights, we’ve seen them all before. The aliens and the predators don’t move and fight as good as the ones in the movie. Things even look a bit clumsy at some points. It’s a good thing the concept is great since it saves the game from downright disaster.

Sadly the game doesn’t live up well to the expectations, compared to the movie series; and even the previous game. It actually makes you rethink about playing this version and maybe just opt for the older one. The controls are at least easier and the game is a bit more polished in the earlier version. You have high hopes for this game and you don’t want to give up on it; but it just seems the creators are not trying hard enough.
Aliens vs. Predator has the making of a truly great game. All the possible ingredients are there; but the poor design and the general lack of quality just rip it off of the possibility to make it grand. Sure, it’s by no means the worst game; it’s not even a bad one in the strictest sense. But when you start comparing it with other first person shooter games on the market, the difference becomes blatantly obvious.

There might not be any real substitute to the actual football game but what 2010 FIFA World Cup offers is the closest thing out there. The developers do their best to make them as authentic as the real thing with the help of great technology. You might not actually be part of the World Cup in the real world; but you get to play it in the game world.

This game allows you to actually experience all the different thrills, if you were right there watching the World Cup being played. The game captures almost each aspect of the real-time setting and puts it in the game. When players start coming out from their respective corners, you see confetti here and there and even some fireworks from the back. The whole stadium is also filled with a lot of advertisements, and dancers getting everyone fired up, with the audience just as lively as the ones we see on TV when the World Cup is on. It gets you smiling even before the actual game kicks off.
But with all of these things going on – often times exaggerated – you get the feeling that the game in itself is over the top. Luckily, you don’t see anybody in the audience getting suffocated with all the confetti, no stadium is burned because of excessive fireworks, and no dancers become exhausted since you can control these too. Apart from the typical control you have over players, being able to lay it on thick is a great addition.

The graphics has also improved really well. There’s plenty added from the previous installment. You get a better lighting system; the pitches look more real this time and the players move a bit more fluid. The players appear more life-like, especially those who are really famous. They really captured the “realness” to the game this time. That’s not to say they didn’t in the previous ones; it’s to point out how much things are even better. It’s interesting to find out what they have in store for the gamers in upcoming releases.

The gameplay is likewise enhanced, making players a lot more responsive to the controls. They also move faster and the opponents are a lot smarter. They don’t rush things and you get the feeling they are really studying your moves and try to beat you in almost every way possible. Stamina and performance are now vital in playing the game. So learn not to tire your character or he’ll get exhausted and you’ll eventually lose.

The game’s appeal to the audience even has that addictive factor that keeps you hooked on playing the game. It is neither because of the different game modes available nor the improved graphics; it is a lot more special than that. It captures the whole experience of the World Cup so well and the improvements are so exquisitely done that even if you already have FIFA 10 you’d still be raring to go and buy this game.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Mac) Review – Present Day Conflict with a Grittier and More Realistic Plotline.

A marquee video game series sometimes has a good reason for becoming a best-seller; and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one such game. The latest installment of the COD series has just done a complete break-away from its typical World War II-themed origin and has decidedly focused on modern-day conflict involving super powers (i.e. US, UK and Russian forces) in a story conveyed from the perspective of a US Marine and a British S.A.S. operative.

If your hardware is up to it, you’re definitely in for a totally awesome visual treat. Call of Duty 4 graphics is pure delight with its realistic lighting, incredible texture and fantastic modeling and the result is simply stunning and one of the most enthralling experiences on any first person shooter game up to this time.
But the credits surely can’t be monopolized by the outstanding graphics.

It is actually the overall combination of the whole products that makes the game astonishing. The superb sound and vocal work are so vividly realistic. The potent combination can be seen and heard, especially in the midst of a full-scale heavy combat where the player gets the feeling of a full blown chaos that create an almost real temporary disorientation with the sounds of explosion, falling debris and smoke. It’s all so mind boggling that the player actually needs to gather and sort out their thoughts to respond with a counter-attack. Sure, you may have seen that sort of effect on some games; but it has never been this good on the Mac platform.

The other edge Call of Duty 4 has is its multiplayer mode, which seems to have nothing negative to it. It’s simplicity to the core – you just sign in, create a character and voila! The whole gamut of a great first person shooter and splendid role playing experience is all in your hands where every assist, kill and completed mission rewards the player with experience points and a level up status. When a new level is reached players can start unlocking rewards for new weapons and other add-ons or perks. Solid networking is also a big plus as the game rarely lags and works well with its server browser.

Because there are no medical classes within Call of Duty 4, it brings about a gritty feeling to the game – nothing is polite; there’s no mercy and there are no second chances. When you get shot, for instance, there’s no one to save you and it’s only a matter of seconds before you die. As the game goes, it’s no quarter asked, no quarter given. The players have to be on their toes and be aware of what’s going on around them.

Despite its being superbly crafted, COD 4, like all other games, is not perfect. It has its own flaws to contend with. There are certain things that can do with some fixing. Characters sometimes get stuck on some scenery, although it’s quite rare. Also the single player mode of the game seems to be too short-lived and it’s over before you know it.

Be that as it may, the bottom line is it’s close to perfect and Call of Duty 4 really does an astounding job as far as single and multiplayer game plays are concerned. Something you don’t easily get in most video games.

StarCraft 2 (PC) Review: Can Blizzard’s Latest Outdo Itself.

Even before its release, Starcraft 2 has already been one of the most hyped games ever; more likely because of the tremendous popularity of its predecessor, the original Starcraft. The agonizing wait came to an end and the result is simply astounding – a game par excellence. It is absolutely worth the excruciating wait. Be aware though that it still isn’t a perfect game. Despite the extensive improvements from the original, there are still a few flaws and it certainly isn’t the be all and end all of video games everywhere.

The new version is a lot like the original at its most basic level but so many adjustments have also been made; the most obvious of which is the single-player campaign, which basically boil down to the solo-portion focus on the Terran. In other words, you don’t get to play the Zerg and Protoss campaigns until much later (well, except in some instances and missions) when the next installment is released. Hopefully, Blizzard won’t take another 12 years to do that. While the decision to split the entire story is a really disappointing one and affects some of the game’s impact, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s not enough meat here. Starcraft 2 is a huge campaign that can take any number of hours to finish, depending on your style and the level of difficulty. With a completely revamped narrative and inter-mission upgrades options, it actually feels like the series of missions exist solely to prepare you for the greatest obstacles in Multiplayer.

The Missions, ranging from attacking to defending and surviving certainly challenge you to think of new strategies; there simply is no room for boredom in this game. The ability to customize holds a lot of appeal but it’s mainly the captivating design that gets you hooked. Putting in so many missions yet giving each one a unique feel is no mean feat but Blizzard has beautifully achieved this. Every mission can be dissected into basic and recognizable commando, defense and assault task types but a special element is always thrown in within each of these. A good example is a giant wave of fire gradually sweeping across a particular map, forcing you to relocate your base frequently while pursuing your objectives. Other times you’d only have one unit to control and must therefore stealth into enemy territory with only AI controlled allies to rely on in wiping out detectors, so you can proceed with the snipe-slice-nuke strategy to bring down your enemies into submission. Seasoned RTS players should really bump up the difficulty level to Hard for a more challenging experience as Normal is pretty easy. Regardless of the level, though; the game is just extremely fun with the diversity that each mission objective provides.

The 2.5D graphics that Starcraft used back in 1998 looked fine; but with the colossal 3D changes, Starcraft 2 graphics is simply stunning. Terrains and buildings have that fantastic realistic feel to it that you’d think you are actually on another planet. The cut scenes are absolutely fabulous. The game has done a perfectly wonderful job of being able to put heaps of great-looking units on the screen and blasting the hell out of everything. Veterans shouldn’t have any problem as most of the units and buildings are echoes of the original Starcraft. But if you’re a newbie, you may want to check first the many tutorial videos to get the hang of it and hone your skills; learn the hotkeys and when to use them. There’s also a bit of a downside here though. Although the graphics are pre-rendered, they are still based on the applied settings; so if your computer is not quite high end, it may struggle to produce the great graphics result you expect.


The Multiplayer

Now comes the best part. The most intense part of Starcraft 2 is in the multiplayer portion and the games are nothing but awesome fun, even excitingly frantic at times. I’m particularly biased to how VoIP can make shoutcasting a better experience for competition – it certainly adds up to the adrenaline rush, if you ask me. The catch to this is you need to connect through Battle.net to get in the game. Unfortunately, there’s no LAN, which is really frustrating to many. The good news is that if you don’t have a reliable Internet connection, you can at least log on to Battle.net offline and play the single player. You won’t earn any Achievement points this way but at least you can still play; it’s still a lot better than most products these days that require you to be constantly online even to play on your own.

Battle.net has no chat rooms, so either you prearrange your choice of people you want to play with from those you already know or pick out people you don’t know from the score screen. You might be interested to know that Battle.net 2.0 has a new system that can systematically match your skill level with opponents and automatically pair you with these players.

The gameplay has so improved that everything now moves a lot faster and smoother; its speed really makes Starcraft 1 look like a crawl. Likewise the races have changed quite a bit; combats are faster and definitely run more smoothly. Even though a lot of what you’d find in Startcraft 2 is quite familiar, you still have to figure things out with all the infused additions and tweaks.

You also have to be aware of some flaws that can hamper you from completely enjoying the delights of the game. Starcraft 2, despite its being an RTS game, has extreme requirements. You had better not assume anything and make sure your computer can handle it. Moreover, you have to have that reliable Internet connection. Multiple accounts are practically non-existent – let me rephrase that: they are not allowed anymore; you only get to register one name and one name only, and that’s it. If you hate your character later, that’s really just too bad because you are stuck with it. So be careful when making a choice.

It’s not like Blizzard trying to make some dramatic and drastic changes to Starcraft 2. The core of the game has been well-preserved and is pretty much the same but with all the tweaks, new abilities and additional units the game can sure provide new approaches to more competitive battles. It may not be a big leap forward for the genre but Starcraft is certainly one of the most excellently crafted and most sophisticated real-time strategy games out there.