Mirror's Edge Rating

Gameplay: 8.2
Learning the ropes is a little challenging, but once you get it, the game can play very fluidly and exciting. 

Graphics: 7.8
Pretty good, the white city gives an illusion that all is well, but as you know, once you scratch below the surface then all sort of other things come into view.

Sound: 8.3
I like how the sounds all work with one another. During conversations you can hear the sounds of the city and the wind in the background. It makes for a cool addition to the experience.

Difficulty: Medium
There are some challenges, but it never is so tough you can't get through it. Learning how to move to the rhythm can be rough.

Concept: 9.0
Years ago the Gizmondo game system was making a game based on freerunning, it never happened. I'm glad somebody decided to pick up where they left off.


Overall: 8.3
This is well-made, well-developed title. The end result isn't the new gold standard, but the idea and implementation sure are good.

Mirror's Edge Review

Freerunning is the sport that has been slowing working its way into mainstream culture. It's that exercise where men and women run around urban areas, leaping over walls and jumping incredibly far distances. You know, that Ford commercial features a couple of them and the really cool movie District B13 also features many, cool scenes of action in this vein. Well, Mirror's Edge is a game where the main heroine uses this gift of agility to move information around the city after an all-encompassing bureaucratic entity decides that any and everything needs to go through it. Basically most of the human race has given up their rights and you play a courier who moves this sensitive information to the people who don't much care for big brother.

Ok, now this title was also released on the PS3 and 360. The game moves at a breakneck speed (literally) and you will want/need a pretty hot system to run it on - not that it is so graphically demanding, but rather because of the movements of a quick-footed woman who leaps around the rooftops of a very big city. This movement is dictated by your customizable control scheme and various red objects that pop up as you run, letting you know that it is an item you may need to use. Want to jump to the next building? That red ramp will help you do it. As you run, you may need to slide or roll under that steam pipe; good thing it is red. The city is stark white and the red cues stand out easily amongst the backgrounds. 

Learning to freerun does take some effort as you will eventually need to learn how to find a running rhythm. Hopping from ledge to ledge while climbing up onto platforms and dodging gunfire takes some practice. And learning how to link all these movements together to form cohesive movements that keep your rhythm flowing is a pretty slick idea. But mastering it takes some real effort. I thought the developers did a good job of making the game feel like it had some real feel to it. Choosing to make it a first-person perspective literally can affect your stomach as some of the leaps can cause your stomach to flutter. It's really cool. 

The audio is better than your average game and the almost-futuristic techno beat of the soundtrack makes things move crisply. I felt the upbeat tempo of the music kept in line with the upbeat tempo of the game. Voice work was also really well dialed in. The voice acting along with the background noise of a busy city really brings you into the game. A well-scored, well-acted game.

Since our girl "Faith" has about the same amount of suicidal tendencies as a lemming, you can expect all sorts of crazy stunts and learning how to use the quick 180-degree button is essential for survival. Sometimes, you must jump across to a ledge, hit the 180 and then leap across to another six-inch-wide platform. The game is absolutely crazy and I really enjoyed the heck out of it. Some may liken this to the Prince of Persia games but I think it goes a bit further with the first-person perspective. You actually feel the excitement when you are attempting an almost impossible jump. I haven't sweated a game so much since Dead Space.

Now the visuals of the game do come in a bit higher than many other games. The design makes you see a city that is almost clinical in its appearance thanks to the almost gestapo-like regime. Buildings are accurate looking and even the physics of the game seem to fall into place, albeit a little stretched since you do make some leaps that are probably not possible. Either way the seamless way the city is put together, coupled with a smooth framerate and interesting looking character design makes the game come in a bit higher in the graphics dept. Its not phenomenal by any means, but rather, well done.

Mirror's Edge seems to find its strength in the actions that you do rather then the killing that is featured in many FPS titles. You will get your opportunity to dish it out, don't think you are helpless by any means, but the game is through and through an action title that makes you want to get out there and jump over concrete walls and across chasms 20 stories high. Do not, repeat, do not try this crap at home. Leave the crazy stunts to the digital action heroes.

The game also has some off-topic games for practicing and playing. A time trial mode really helps hone your moves and makes the game have a little more something to it. Sadly, there is no multiplayer mode, which stinks because it would be cool to race against others around the city, or even a really crazy version of tag may have added a bit more weight to the game. Seriously, if the sequel has tag in it I am going to want a cut, or the GameZone lawyers will be coming.

Lastly, the story is above par; the game does a good job of drawing you into the character's plight and then throwing some legitimate twists at you. Many of the levels are recovery missions and you are forced into action to help get your framed sister out of the jam she has been set up in. I won't go into too much about it because I don't want to ruin it for you. Much like a movie, there is some clever things going on in Mirror's Edge.

Mirror's Edge

STORY:
In a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called Runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, your sister has been framed and now you are being hunted.

You are a Runner called Faith - and this innovative first-person action-adventure is your story. Mirror’s Edge™ delivers you straight into the shoes of this unique heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat and fast paced chases. With a never before seen sense of movement and perspective, you will be drawn into Faith’s world. A world that is visceral, immediate, and very dangerous.

Live or die? Soar or plummet? One thing is certain, in this city you will learn how to run. From the makers of the groundbreaking Battlefield franchise, Mirror’s Edge is an action-adventure experience unlike any other.
Hardware Requirements:
Disk Drive : DVD Rom Drive
DirectX : 9.0c
Operating System : Windows XP/Vista
Processor : Pentium 4 @ 2.4 GHz/Athlon 64 2800+
RAM : 1 GB
Video Card : 256 MB (GeForce 6 Series/ATI Radeon X1350 or HD2400)

FALLOUT 3 PC GAME RATING

OVERALL RATING:9.2/10

Gameplay: 9.0

You can use your honed FPS skills to play and then switch on the fly to the VATS targeting system making it play more like a turn-based RPG. There is an absolute ton of things to do and you simply cannot find and complete every quest in one go round. This is a game that you can play over and over at least three times.

Graphics: 9.2
Very clean, very dialed in, very desolate and very, very bloody. The game has great characters, gruesome mutants and a heck of a lot of things to interact with, inanimate or not. Tons of things to find and places to explore and it all looks really top notch.

Sound: 9.6
A fantastic example of perfect voice work and actors, great sound effects, and killer soundtrack, this is a really great sounding title.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
You can approach things several ways, and sometimes that's the hardest thing to do. Utilize your charisma and talk your way out of a really tough situation, or go guns a blazin' and let your ammo do all the talking.

Concept: 9.0
Its a great idea for a game and those ideas are fully realized. I can't a wait for Fallout 4, this thing can keep on going for as long as it wants to.

Overall: 9.2
Fallout 3 is the best PC game I have played all year, the developers did a bang up job of making the series come alive once more and I for one couldn't be happier.

FALLOUT 3 PC GAME REVIEW

I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't amped up about this game. Having played the first two RPGs featured exclusively on the PC, the Brotherhood of Steel third-person adventure on the original Xbox AND the game Wasteland on the Commodore 64 like, 20 years ago (if you know your games, you'll know this was actually the first in the series). Regardless, the game series is actually very, very good due to its original story lines, innovative combat and leveling systems and some really cool humor. Well, the third in the Fallout RPG series isn't so much an RPG anymore, more of a hybrid RPG/first-person shooter, and the result is nothing short of gaming magic.Wow, its hard for me to get started as I have been waiting so long for this title. So I'll start at the beginning: the Fallout games are all based on the concept that before the third world war, which basically launched the nukes, there was a series of Vaults built around the USA where "supposedly" the human race would continue. Well, unfortunately many of the vaults were stocked with people of "ahem" questionable moral fiber and in some cases, faulty equipment. So while the first two games involve peoples from vaults further West, Fallout 3's vaults, and surrounding cities/locations take place in the area formerly known as Washington DC.

And it seems all is not well in the land of our former leaders. Raiders, slavers, super mutants, ghouls, mutated creatures, robots, a really big bomb and all sorts of other nasties await you as you attempt to save the people of the DC wasteland from a really, really bad fate. And only by following in the footsteps of your father will you be able to discover the mysteries and complete the missions the game throws at you. And, let me tell you, the game has a very distinct open-endedness to it that makes playing the game such a treat. 

In fact, the game is set up so you can pick your characters look, abilities and attributes. You make the game your own by answering questions and having conversations with the different NPCs you run into. If you answer certain ways, new options to deal with problems and even new missions will appear. The point is the game has a certain charm to it where you think you are speaking with a homeless vagrant of the wasteland and it turns out that he needs you to help him out. Regardless, the game is gonzo-crazy and there is all sorts of crazy things happening. It turns out, that in an apocalyptic wasteland, people don't really treat one another well - go figure.The game can be viewed in either the first- or third-person perspective, and it all looks fantastic. If there was ever an apocalyptic game that convinced people how awful (in a good way) things were, well the bar has now been reset. This is the greatest-looking nuclear, blown-out world ... ever. The whole world is one giant outdoor environment, where you can walk across it and run into all sorts of interesting things. Old trailer parks, the Library of Congress, a whole series of subway tunnels, destroyed freeways, rocky areas and about a gazillion other things and places. Heck, there is supposedly an crashed alien ship somewhere out there. But the game just looks fantastic, beautiful character sprites, smooth textures, brilliant lighting as the game's real time reflects the daylight or night light. You can see things in the dark that you can't see in the day and even missions are time specific. The in-game targeting system called VATS, is a clever way to target specific body parts on enemies and, in some cases, is the only way to hit monsters that have only one weak area. In-game menus are clean and appropriately rusty and dirty looking. The various armor and clothing you find and wear reflects on your character's appearance, the blood flows deep red and flows often as the game and the franchise is known for the over-the-top violence; if that isn't enough, there is an actual character perk that increases the chances of very bloody, gruesome deaths.

To go with all the great-looking graphics, the audio is really cool as well. Using your PIP boy (a computer on your arm that assists you in your adventures) you can access all sorts of information including recordings you find around the wasteland that you can play like a CD and various radio frequencies that are playing songs or propaganda or even requests for help. There is a ton of familiar voices in the game including Ron Perlman, Liam Neeson and Malcolm McDowell as the president of the U.S. All of the voices are done with great care to the material and quite frankly, it helps move the creative storyline forward. The music, too, is cool in a retro sort of way since the music featured is a lot of big band-era style music. This, too, is a trait that has followed the game's progression through three iterations. Very slick, very cool

The gameplay of the game can be pretty exciting too. Fortunately walking across giant landscapes in real time can be daunting and painful if you are low on health and stimpacks (like a health pack) are no where to be found or bought. Thankfully the game has a really neat way of helping avoid that particular nuisance. Once an area has been discovered, and the GS location locked into your PIP boy, you can instantly travel there rather than walk the sometimes very-long distance. So oftentimes I would battle my way to a new location and then instead of trying to complete the mission, I would teleport back to my own home (you'll need to discover this) and heal up by spending the night in my bed. Then I can sell some of the things I have scavenged off my enemies or found in one of the bazillion places I have discovered and then buy more health and ammo from any one of the shop keepers or roaming traders that you can have business with. One quick teleport back and now I'm fully healed, fully armed and ready to tackle the mission. The game is awesome.

There is much to see and do in the wastelands of DC, so don't let the pesky main mission stop you from having fun. With all of the additional perks and skills you can level up, you can play the game several times answering some things as radically or as safely as you want. But inevitably you will have to deal with the game's main problem, good or bad. The Fable games owe a lot to the Fallout series since you have been able to play like this since day one. Perks that increase your attractiveness to the ladies, perks that make you a kill machine when your health falls so low and tons of other crazy and really cool perks that make the game so much fun to play. I suspect that Fallout 3 will win some awards this year and is a strong runner for game of the year on at least a couple different platforms.

PRINCE OF PERSIA PC GAME RATING

OVERALL RATING:8.8/10

Gameplay: 9.0

Well set up, because you set it up, but an effective and fun combat system. Some control issues if you don't get the mouse the way you like it, but the options are there so you can have a smooth controlling game. Don't worry, you still do the Prince's patented wall runs and some other new nifty moves that make you wish you lived in a land with no real physics.

Graphics: 9.0
Gritty cel-shaded beauty. I like the new look of the franchise and I like the design of the monsters and villians. The game is sharp.

Sound: 8.5
It sounds good, the voice acting is good, but more audio options are needed for those of us surround sound-less.

Difficulty: Medium
You can choose your difficulty and depending on what kind of gamer you are, you will find some challenges, nothing horrible but just enough to keep things interesting.

Concept: 8.5
Its a given that the Prince will run afoul of some really nasty folks and other things, but the game never makes you feel bored. A decent enough plot, even if it is a rehash of many other games; still, this is what it looks like when you have a committed dev team.

Overall: 8.8
This is a heck of a good time to be had on your PC.

PRINCE OF PERSIA PC GAME REVIEW

The Prince of Persia series is something of an aberration in the gaming community. Each new title in the series seems to change things up in one way or another. The prince has taken on decidedly darker tones in some games and in others is practically a comedian. And while I have never obsessed about the series, I always associated them with some well developed talent behind the scenes who were always giving it a good try to make a fun game.So in this iteration, our man the Prince, doesn't seem too princely. He starts off the game getting lost in a sandstorm and losing his donkey that just happens to be loaded down with treasure. The Prince seems more of a vagabond adventurer than a prince, but hey, who am I to complain? The artistic new style of the game melds nicely with the look of our man the prince. Well, no sooner does the storm lift and the Prince is smack dab in a situation that has need for his particular uses.

Prince of Persia takes the series into a whole new visual and gameplay direction. The game has a cel-shaded look to it but with an almost gritty feel to it. The clothing worn on our characters has seen some time under the sun and in the sand. A battle hardened claw glove good for fighting and navigating the terrain gives the Prince a look of somebody who should probably not be messed with. In fact, once the sand storm dissipates and the Prince is face to face with his new partner, Elika, we learn how to use the combat system and exactly what sort of trouble our newly formed pair needs to deal with. And it all looks really cool; the smooth fluid motion of both the Prince and the different enemies is well mapped; the Prince's acrobatic movements as well as Elika's magic, which really lets the sprite effects pop, comes together really nicely. Combined with some genuinely wicked-looking bad guys complete with body parts merged with light in lieu of muscle, and this is shaping up to be a real kick in the pants. 

It seems Elika is a member of a magic-wielding family who has been charged with keeping the Tree of Life temple safe and the mystical tomb of Ahriman in place because, as luck would not have it, the seal has been broken and Ahriman escapes infecting his evil across the four lands. Further death and destruction will occur unless you and Elika restore the lands and Ahriman put back into place. Not an easy task but somehow these things never are. Fortunately for all of us, once you get things going you and Elika work as one, taking on enemies with a combination of sword, clawed hand, acrobatics and Elika's magic. Controlling this is surprisingly easy once you have mapped all the keys to your liking but when applied into actual combat, you can daisy chain combat moves from here to the bottom of a grave (you enemies, that is) and so things don't become boring or repetitive, you can mix and match these moves as well creating even more stunning attacks.

When you aren't in combat, Elika acts as your de facto guardian angel, always snatching you if you miss a jump and begin falling, or in some cases adding to your jumping ability. She is the perfect partner, never in the way but only a button push from aiding you. In all my Prince adventures, this has never worked better, as far as a combat and adventuring control scheme goes. Nice to see a high-octane adventure on the PC working as well as it does here.

Now I did have some problems with the audio portion of the game, I am only running a stereo setup on my PC and with the limited amount of options on the in-game audio, could only hear the voice acting minimally and had to turn down the sound effects and music substantially to do so. I know, I used to have a surround setup on my PC, and clearly this game is designed for that, but there should have been more audio options for those gamers who have a average sound setup. I would probably be praising the audio to no end had I had the 5.1 setup, but in this case I can't, even thought the voice acting was actually quite good, if I did not have the subtitles to read as the characters spoke, I would have been lost in terms of the plot. Other then that hiccup in not having enough options, the sound effects and adventurers score sound loud and well made. Good hard clangs when swords meet and a full lush sounding music theme.

Interestingly enough, the game really scratches that itch for those players out there looking for some big time adventure. I have always thought that the Prince series was a sort of Indiana Jones style adventure only made into a video game. The mystical cities, the magic, the locations filled with danger, yeah, I know that sounds cheesy, but I always thought of it in that way. My current version of the game was downloaded from Steam and I have never been happier with a game from those folks than this time. I've got plenty in my library, but this one is top dog now.

WORLD OF WAR CRAFT WRATH OF LICH KING PC GAME RATING

OVERALL RATING:9.5/10

Gameplay: 9.0

While it could use some balancing, the new Death Knight hero class is awesome and offers up some great abilities and a unique quest arc. Northrend is also a blast and chock full of excellent new quests for those looking to hit the new level 80 cap.

Graphics: 8.5
While not the most technologically impressive MMORPG out there, World of Warcraft is unmatched when it comes to art direction. The new areas in Northrend boast some impressive new details and lighting effects, and are a sight to behold.

Sound: 8.0
Basically unchanged since the original game launched, but still sounds pretty good.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.5
While it may not stir up the pot too much from the original game, Wrath of the Lich King offers some fantastic new story elements and tons of excellent additions.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Shortly after the expansion’s launch, queue times to get onto servers has been pretty high, proof that the game’s community is still going strong after four years. 

Overall: 9.5
While the majority of the content is geared towards higher-level players, there is still a lot of fantastic content for any WoW gamer. If you’re a fan, then there’s no reason that you should not have this expansion.

WORLD OF WAR CRAFT WRATH OF LICH KING PC GAME REVIEW

There’s no denying that Blizzard’s MMORPG title, World of Warcraft, is the most successful MMO in the history of the genre, as well as one of the most successful titles ever. Pulling record numbers for a subscription-based online game, World of Warcraft is a title that transcends its genre to become something that gamers and non-gamers alike can get together and enjoy. Early last year, Blizzard launched the first expansion for their beloved MMO, The Burning Crusade. The Burning Crusade not only added in two new classes and allowed for Horde players to play as a paladin class (as the Blood Elf race), but also added in some great new areas to explore, including some fantastic new high-level areas in the new Outland area.The latest expansion for the game, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King doesn’t add any new races, but adds plenty of fantastic new elements that no WoW player should be without. From the new Death Knight class that can be accessed by players with character level 55 and higher, to the great new story elements involving the return of the fallen king Arthas, and an awesome new continent to explore, the frozen land of Northrend. While you will need to be at level 55 or above to really begin to take advantage of the major updates that the expansion brings to the table, its added content makes it more than a worthy purchase for any WoW gamer.

Wrath of the Lich King adds some compelling new story elements for fans of the Warcraft universe, reintroducing the land of Northrend and the fallen king of Lordaeron, Arthas. For those unfamiliar with the story arc presented in Warcraft III and its expansion, The Frozen Throne, Arthas is somewhat the “Darth Vader” of the Warcraft franchise, a once promising paladin and prince who was corrupted into becoming the evil Lich King, ruler of the Undead Scourge and the frozen continent of Northrend. The Lich King’s powers are increasing and getting ready for a new assault on the land, thus requiring you to travel to Northrend in order to stop the onslaught.One of the biggest new features introduced in Wrath of the Lich King is the first of the Hero Classes, the Death Knight. Once you have a character who hits level 55, you’ll unlock the ability to create a separate Death Knight character on the same server (you need an open character slot to do this). Your Death Knight will start out at level 55, and will have their own quest arc to follow that is unique to the class.

The Death Knights are a great new addition to the Warcraft class list, with some great new abilities and a unique gameplay feel to them. Death Knights can utilize heavy plate armor, making them suitable tanks, while they can wield a good variety of strong weaponry and are good at attacking as well. The real difference between them and other classes is their class-specific ability to use runes. Death Knights can use magical runes that function a lot like enchantments, allowing your Death Knight to perform more powerful melee attacks and spells.
Additionally, the quest arc for the Death Knight class that gets you started is very well done. Presenting a good mix of story and gameplay, the starting arc is excellently done, and very compelling from all fronts. The new phasing function, which basically allows players on a certain quest to experience environmental changes that are only visible to them, adds a great element to the world and shows the effects of your actions.However, there are some problems with the new hero class that will require some bugs to be ironed out down the line. The Death Knight class needs some more balancing, as they seem to be a bit too powerful at this point and don’t fit in terribly snuggly with the other classes in the game. However, this issue can be fixed through upcoming patches, and chances are that whatever Hero class Blizzard debuts next will be spot on.Additionally, players who are level 68 and above will benefit from a brand new continent to explore, Northrend. The frozen landscape that is the home of the Lich King himself, Northrend is filled with great new quests and tons of new features to explore.

Graphically, World of Warcraft hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years, but boasts a few subtle improvements. The game’s art direction is still unrivaled in the MMO genre, with excellently conceived environments and colorful areas. There are some improved lighting details in the expansion, especially apparent in Northrend, which is certainly a site to behold for fans of the game.World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King provides the majority of content to upper-end players who’ve hit the previous level cap of 70 and are looking for a great new class to try out or an awesome new continent to explore. If you’re just starting out and haven’t hit on the game’s higher level features, then chances are you won’t be able to get to the real meat of the expansion until you’ve done some leveling. Still, with the great new content, there’s really no reason for any WoW fan to not pick up this expansion.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE:MINES OF MORIA PC GAME RATING

OVERALL RATING:9/10

Gameplay: 8.8
There is a linear progression that you must go through that is not too well explained at times. And the new upper-level content is fraught with cut scenes, but if you enjoy the fantasy the lore of Tolkien, you will likely eat this up.

Graphics: 9.0
The halls are magnificent to behold, and the lighting effects are very well rendered.

Sound: 9.0
The musical score is sweeping and grand, epic in nature, and the voice work is very good.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Concept: 9.0
The overall design does not deviate from what has been seen before in other dungeons, but the graphical realization of this region and these mines is – at times – breathtaking.

Multiplayer: 8.3
The community seems relatively sparse and while reasonably helpful, it too seems to be exploring this new region.

Overall: 9.0
Ok, it is a tad linear, and there are a fair amount of run here and talk to this person quests, but if you are a LotRO player, this is a must-have expansion. There is a lot to do here and Turbine has done a very good job in expanding the game.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE:MINES OF MORIA PC GAME REVIEW

The moment you ride up alongside the Black Pool (that body of water near the gateway to the mines of Moria) and see those dwarves throwing pebbles into the water, you may feel the need to yell at them, in a very commanding voice …“What do you think you are doing?!? Don’t you know what’s out there?? Haven’t you read the book or seen the movies??”But alas, they are unresponsive to the screaming at the computer monitor and rather dense when it comes to the danger lurking beneath the surface of that dark water. Of course, you know the creature is going to attack and when it does, you don’t stand and fight, you take a cue from Monty Python’s Holy Grail and “run away.” Not really. You are going to find weapons that stand a chance of standing up to this beast, and perhaps other monsters you will find lurking in the darkened tunnels of what was once the great dwarven city of Kazad-dum. Moria, for those wanting to know, means the ‘black pit,’ and it houses the balrog, which is also known as Durin’s Bane.Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is an expansion that does exactly what an expansion should do. It caters to the upper-level characters with quest lines that are very linear, and not very well explained in places, but that pull you along and immerse the player in the story that was key to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic work.

While there is new areas to explore, Mines offers new material for younger players as well – like two new classes that may appeal to the veteran MMO games. Not recommended for new players, the Rune-Keeper and the Warden are spell-casters and melee, respectively. There are three zones to explore – Eregion and Lothlorien as well as the crowning glory that are the mines themselves. Seriously, Moria is one of those environments that will have you stopping, staring and then (occasionally) picking your jaw up off the desk. Before you actually get to enter the Mines of Moria, there are several prerequisite quests you have to undertake. And there are some side quests, like entering the Brackwater caves in search of missing dwarves. And with regards to the Brackwater, the caves are menacing with great theme music. Just as it is in Filgogan. Sooner or later, though, you get back to the main quest line that will drive you along the path to enter the mines.To enter Moria, you have to replay the fall of Moria session, and this is the first treat of the interior of the once-proud dwarven hold. You play the part of Nafni, called before Durin VI on the eve of a visit from the elves in Kazad-dum. This is the beginning of the grandeur that is the Mines of Moria expansion. It tells how Kazad-dum became known as Moria, the Black Pit. Sure, there is lots of running back and forth, but the reasoning is to create the sense of the scope of the Tolkien work. This is not just about running about and shooting or stabbing things. Oh, don’t worry, there is plenty of room for that. But most of the entry quest is obeying instructions and being treated to a visual display that is quite impressive – even up to and including the death of Durin at the hands of the balrog.In addition to the quest load that is the prelude to the mines, the quests also help you upgrade armor, equipment and adornments. And you will need them all. Moria is a deadly adventure, full of twisting tunnels that can have you turned around and completely lost in minutes. The denizens of this dark kingdom are plentiful and very deadly, especially when they attack in a pack.

Turbine should be extremely proud of what it has created here. This is a visual treat that sparks dreams and nightmares. Yes, there may well be things that go bump in the night, but usually that bump means its getting closer and hunting you. It is wise to not venture too far into this cavernous kingdom without a group.The vision of the dev team is truly impressive and it is backed up with a musical score that is magnificent and totally in tune with the surroundings and circumstances. Yes, there are a lot of cut scenes, but LotRO is one of those games that does have numerous side quests, but the main goal is to make you a part of the living adventure that comprised Tolkien’s classic trilogy. In that regard, the cut scenes are bliss.The Mines of Moria expansion is a great reason to play LotRO – more so if you are a Tolkien fan. Sure, there have been other expansions for existing MMOs that have gotten a lot of hype, but Mines of Moria certainly has to rank up there with the best MMO expansions of 2008.

GTR 2 PC GAME RATING

OVERALL RATING:9.2/10

Gameplay: 9.0

The thing about this game is that there are so many options for you to tweak that it might seem overwhelming, but don’t give up just yet. Once you get the hang of the game you will love racing against other cars on the various tracks. Playing the game with pedals and steering wheel will give you a lot more enjoyment than just playing with the keyboard.

Graphics: 9.0
The actual graphics to the game are good, but not great. What really makes this stand out is the wonderful physics engine to this game that makes the game so fun. Seeing the various collisions and how it affects your car is a blast.

Sound: 8.9
The music to this game is very fitting and keeps you coming back for more. The various engine noises are really authentic and they all sound like they are coming out of the real cars. Also hearing the tires squealing on the payment, the suped-up engine as the gears are changing, and everything else will have you so pumped up to get in your car to race around your neighborhood.

Difficulty: Hard
GTR 2 will be very hard for you to master, but that is a good thing since it keeps you coming back for more.

Concept: 9.3
Simbin has gone above and beyond my expectations on creating a game that sticks to real life as much as possible yet still remains fun to play.

Multiplayer: 8.8
With the ability to play with up to 28 players in one race will create a lot of tension yet you will have a lot of fun at the same time. You can also run your own dedicated server which means you can create your own custom leagues and what not.

Overall: 9.2

If you are a racing fan, there is no reason why GTR 2 should not be in your game library. You will get many months of enjoyment out of racing in the various races and if you ever get bored with that then you can take the game online and prove your driving skills to the rest of the world.

GTR 2 PC GAME REVIEW

There are numerous simulation games out in the world. These games allow people to participate in various activities that they normally wouldn’t get to try. For instance there are tons of flight, train, ship, and even car simulators. Last year the developers at Simbin released a game entitled GTR FIA Racing and it was one of the better simulation racing games on the PC. This year they have pulled out all of the stops with their latest game GTR 2 to create on of the best racing games on any system. Read on to find out more.There are a lot of modes for you to participate in this game that will keep you entertained for months on end. The first thing that I highly suggest you go to is the driving school, which lets you get acquainted with driving the cars. There are four sections in this mode that help you out. The first is theory, which shows you how the school works and gives you the knowledge to master the art of racing. Next up is the tradework that gives you specific lessons on how to win golden gears, which give you access to various custom championships later in the game. This is the real training mode as it shows you how to do various skills and try them out yourself. Then there is FIA GT which gives you information about the various racing series and how to prepare for them. Last up is the assists, which explain the functions and effects of driving aids in the game. It is in your best interest, especially if you are new to this series, to check out this mode firstThe next mode you will spend some time in is the open practice, which helps you learn each of the tracks' little quirks so you will be prepared when you are actually racing on them. You can adjust many things before you race on here such as the eater controls, circuit, and car type. Next up is the time trails which allow you to improve on your lap times in order to get the best time possible. Race Weekend allows you to compete in stand-alone races against the game’s AI. 

If you think you have what it takes you can participate in the 24 Hour Races. Each event spans four days and totals up to equal 24 hours. You can use time scale in this game, which means you can choose how long you want the race to be in real time and the game will scale the race into 24 hours into race time. In this mode you will see real day and night changes as well as various weather changes, all of which affect your driving. 

The real meat of this game is in the championship mode, which allows you to race in the official 2003 or 2004 season of FIA-GT. In there you will race on the very tracks in the same order as the real drivers did during those seasons. This mode right here will really tests your skill as a driver to see if you have what it takes to become the top dog during these races.

The main area where this game really shines on is the physics engine. I have not played a racing game before that shows this much dedication to making sure the physics engine is as close to perfect as you can get it. For instance, if you cream into the wall you will watch your hood pop off your car and see the damage your front end will do. Then you can ride behind another racer and bash into him hard enough you can get him to do a 360 and fly off the track. It is a real treat to see a developer that is that dedicated to making sure the game is as close to real as it can be, yet still remains fun to play.Then you have the weather conditions that make your car behave differently than if it was a normal sunny day. The weather will make you drive differently just like it would in real life. You wouldn’t want to take a turn as fast in the rain as you would if it was dry outside due to a higher risk of hydroplaning and having a head-on collision with the wall.

The graphics for this game are pretty good and like I said earlier the physics engine really helps make them stand out even more. The developers of this game spent a lot of time making sure that every little detail was covered. Seeing the driver in the car is also a blast. He will act realistically to what is going on, from steering the car to shifting. The developers did a great job with the motion capture to make sure it is all there. The day and night settings also make the game a blast to see in action. Just like everything else in this game the developers made sure that GTR 2 would have some of the best sounds heard from a racing game of this caliber. All of the cars sound differently as you are stomping on the gas pedals as if your life were depending on it. If you pay close attention you will hear the gears change and you will get this surreal feeling as if you were actually racing in the game. I also like the different sounds of the various track surfaces.