Beta play has calmed me down - but it's still essential

I've been in the beta for WOTLK for around one week now. I'll just say that I'm still as excited about the release as I was before I played it - in fact probably more so.

As for the people worried that they won't get their copy on the day of release I'd just like to say that waiting a few days may actually improve the game for you. While every man and his dog are fighting for every mob in the 2 starting zones in Northrend, I'll be spending the time doing something with my family/friends. Once it's calmed down a bit I'll jump in and save myself the hassle of fighting it out with the entire server.

I'd also like to say that anyone who has a PC thats struggling currently with TBC content will likely have to upgrade. On full detail at 1920x1200 it looks gorgeous. With everything turned down to minimum it loses a lot and looks pretty awful to be honest.

This is an essential purchase for anyone currently playing WoW and is a massive upgrade in almost every way.

Avoid Avoid Avoid

This game contains crippling DRMs that invade your OS horribly, and turn your 'purchase' into nothing more than a glorified rental

Disgusting. Do not buy. Do not allow this kind of software onto your PC any more than you'd allow a dirty syringe into your skin.

The game of games

Ah yes,the long awaited return of the management game leviathan,waking once more from its year long slumber to grace us with its presence again.as always,the developers have been trawling forums and feedback and given the fans and gamers exactly what they asked for,and taken a giant step forward with the 3d match engine.far from it being something to compete with actual 3d football games,it is a massive leap forward in technology,and the most sought after request for the series since the first 2d view many many moons ago.created with the developers of virtua striker,its to add another level of realism and to enhance tactics,not something merely to please ones eye.i for one wait,with baited breath,for the game that has actually been cited in divorce cases.

And yes,football manager 2008 works perfectly fine with vista,methinks anyone having trouble has deeper issues...

Can finally quit WoW :-)

Yes I've been playing WoW for about 2 years and I play an embarrassing number of hours per day. I've given other MMOs a go (EVE, Age of Conan) but ended up coming back to WoW becuase I just couldn't immerse myself in the characters. At last I can, but at a price - new graphics card (X1650 cheapo) and another GB of RAM (now 3GB in Vista, 2GB was ok tho) - but only because I love to have all the options maxed out. And it's worth it with this game. Why?

It looks fantastic. You can almost smell the marshes. Mozzies buzzing u through the grass and the sun glinting on the water which has splashes and ripples.

The progression is fun to do and with as much humour as WoW. As I play greenskins I love the irreverent atmosphere. You can easily progress using PvP, Public Quests (where u just muck in with whoever else is there) or questing. The quests are short tho (kill 3 dwarves, for example). And the gear rewards look good almost straight away. The PvP Scenarios bump ur effective level for the duration so u can contribute from L1 - which u need to do to unlock rewards.

The races seem to look their part more. Goblins don't melee, Orcs make good tanks, elves do mystical stuff or dance about with skill. No more gnomes tanking dragons - which while amusing made u see game mechanics more.

The PvP areas outside the warcamps are awesome. Huge battlefield landscapes of forests and hills and swamps. Even when there is no-one fighting u cross gingerly keeping and eye out for a roving band of elves. Pick up some scouting objectives and scurry back through the stockade gates.

Finally, it's Warhammer figures come to life and I've been a fan of the models and games for years. Their gear, their gestures and their stances are just like the models - huge fun.

Some downsides? Hardware upgrade was required from WoW but nothing major. My realm is quiet. I look at battlefields longing for an epic clash to unfold. Maybe at higher level, maybe as the realms fill? Neither of these I think are major - for me it's just progress :-)

wicked game

had no probs with this game it's good fun if you got probs with it then it's ither your comp or hacked objects i don't think they would sell a game with bugs and anyhow they will prob do a patch ive had no probs at all

SecuROM alert.

This game contains the nefarious copy protection SecuROM.
I refuse to be treated as a criminal when I pay for a product. The game is unopened in my shelf, and will not be played.
Take2 can take 5 and shove it.

The Doctor

I have travelled in time to the future and can tell you that this game is excellent. The only thing i was unhappy about was the lack of a sonic screwdriver. Oh, and no daleks either, shocking!

NO COMPETITION

I had been waiting for the release of this title for ages, and when it was delayed another week i was a bit annoyed. However, i picked up my copy yesterday and boy was it worth the wait. I am a hardcore gamer and to be honest, this game offers alot more than your standard fps. Dont get me wrong cod4 is gr8...but it can get a bit boaring after a while. My fav ww2 shooter is the darkest hour mod for red orchestra because of the realism. This game has went straight to the top of the list.

Graphically the game is gorgeous...you could just sit and look and the scenery and forget you are being shot at. There are also some gr8 suttle effects like mud splattering onto the screen and blood. This was in previous games but its done better in the new game. The gears of war/rainbow 6 vegas style cover system is a gr8 new addition to the game, n it just looks gorgeous lol.

The sound is probabably the best i have ever heard in a game, especially if you have a 5.1 or higher setup. you can hear the bulletts wizzin past you. the weapon sounds are the real deal aswell...so its actually how they sound which also adds to the realism.

Gameplay is just perfect and the ability to control 2 squads is a joy. It adds a new dimension to the gameplay. You can set up an mg squad and assault squad and watch them do there thing whilst you swing round from the flanks...it really is breathtaking when uv got a big battle kicking off. The slow motion action is another spectacularly gorgeous element to the game. If u throw a good grenade into as few enemies it will go inbto slow mo n you can c the blood n cuts and limbs coming off....nice. Also the slo mo can occur when u get headshots which is gr8 also.

I havnt been playing long, just maybe 30 mins in n to be its honestly just phenominal. This game cannot be beat for gameplay and tactics....its just amazing. BUY IT

The only place this game lacks is perhaps online. I looked into the multiplayer and it looks like it could be fun but there is NO CO-OP ...which for me is a big no no. This game would be phenominal co-op and i dont understand why they didnthave it. Anyway apart frm being upset about no co-op the rest of this phenominal game makes up for it. totally outstanding game that brings something different to the gaming world and delivers it with breathtaking graphics and first class gameplay. its almost orgasmic.

Don't be so negative

I have never written a review before, but decided that I must for Crysis Warhead.

I just having so much fun playing this game that the DRM issue does not bother me. It really is highly entertaining even with my modest Nvidia 8600 GTS OC video card.

If you liked the original game, you'll enjoy this more, if you've never player either of them buy this game.

Best PC game ive bought in a while!

This game is fantastic the gameplay is great!!
Graphics 9/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 9/10

Also i recived this version completely upto date therefore i just installed it and started playing withing a few mins.

this game runs smoothly at max settings for everything on my PC [Q6600 intel core2 quad - 4gb ddr2 800mhz - 8500gt 512mb]

I highly recommend this game it is a MUST buy in my opinion...
Anyway G2G need to carry on playing Civ 4 XD

Contains malware, poorly thought out end game, buggy

Once reaching the space-age you realise that it is nothing more than a series of minigames, shoot pirates with your ship, do repetitive missions. There are no macromanagement features, you must attend your homeworld every time it is attacked, even if its capable of defending itself without you because they accuse you of not helping. This does not add a challenge, it adds boredom and frustration.

This also contains the malware SecuROM, this limits the installs of the disc to three, if you install it on 3 machines thats it your disc is now useless, if you upgrade your hardware 3 times your disc is useless, if you have to uninstall for space, if there are errors in installing the game they can all make the disc uselss after three installs, either forcing you to buy another copy, crack it or not play. Essentially EA are renting software which you are purchasing, here is how SecuROM works:

No installation option for SecuROM? Check.
Installed without my knowledge or consent? Check.
EULA for malware contained in a hidden directory so I cannot read it? Check.
Games bundled with SecuROM malware? Check.
Difficult for me to identify, locate and remove it? Check.

And the final nail in the coffin is the amount of bugs, including but not limited to:

* Random crashing (primarily in the Space Stage)
o Many cases is when zooming out to galaxy from Homeworld
o Dasmx86Dll.dll is the cause mostly.
* The bug related to the DasmX86Dll.dll file and the WINMM.dll file
o Also people have got the d3dx.dll error. (I think thats spelt correctly)
* SPORE not loading upon startup
* Unable to download user content
* License Server Issues
* Graphical Glitches
o Texture Corruption (In some cases, Major corruption)
o Main menu freeze
o Planet fine, Galaxy map just black (Toolbars etc still work)
* Mobile Graphics Card Issues (Even supported ones)
* Possible SECUROM issues
* Public Content / Buddy Sharing issues
* EA Downloader not detecting SPORE installation

Brilliant!

Andy - Prepaid Game Card means you get a prepaid game card to play the game.. It is clearly stated, no fault of Amazon's or Blizzard for not stating this information!

Anyways - This product is best if you do not want a re-occuring charge on your credit/debit card or if you dont play World of Warcraft constantly. It is no dearer buying a subscription this way so if you are not a constant player, i highly recommend this product.

Instantly supported

The controller itself is very good, a far better fit for my hands than Playstation's design, and the analogue sticks are better because the bowl shape cups your thumbtips. However, I prefer the shoulder buttons on the PS3 controller and the D-pad on this one is near-useless.

It's the best choice for a modern PC gamer though, due to its instant compatibility with any Games for Windows branded game, and the third-party software"xpadder" makes it easy to get it working for any other game too, making it as close to the definition of 'plug and play' as any controller.

The vibration feature is also strong and an excellent inclusion for the price you pay. For games like Devil May Cry 4 and classics such as Beyond Good & Evil (or a Playstation/N64 emulator if you're being a bit naughty), this pad is invaluable.

Wont buy with this level of DRM

Sorry EA, I wouldn't let this DRM anywhere near my PC. One definite lost sale.

Bug ridden and poor PC release

Note: I've been trying to play it with my 512MB 4670 at 1680x1050 on max settings. This system can run Bioshock, STALKER, UT3, Gears, etc all on full settings.

If you have a console DO NOT BUY THIS POS, the console versions sadly are FAR superior. This is coming from a true PC gamer, I don't have a console...

EA really have let the ball drop here. The game is great on my friends XBoX 360; however, this is a terrible game in comparison. There are a number of severe issues/bugs with this game. Knowing EA nothing will be done, but I hope they do get round to fixing this....

Here we go:

1. NG graphics are only for close ups. Zoom in on the players on the standard tele cam and you will be appauled.
2. Still stuck with PS2 game play/AI/physics. Play in on a 360/PS3 and the game is far btter.
3. Try using a game pad for the menus. On half the screens you can press thr 'ok' button on your pad to continue; the other half require you to press advance on with the mouse.
4. Mid game tactics changing is pathetic in comparison to PES/Console Fifa.
5. Crippled multiplayer features.
6. Stuttering bugs -- many top range cards (Ati 4870, 4670, 8800s, etc) suffer from a stuttering camera. Despite running the game above 60fps...
7. No anti-aliasing or anistropic filtering options... resulting in saw like graphics...
8. Poor team selection menus. On the consoles you choose the country, then the league. On the PC we have all the leagues mixed together...
9. Half of the game pads on the market seem to need the game setting hacked to work properly.
10. The DRM sucks...

Well worth being patient for

The deluxe edition is essentially FSX, but with added scenery and a few axtra missions. If your computer is the type that will struggle with FSX, it is possible that you won't be able to appreciate the added content.

Having said this, I would recommend buying the deluxe edition of this game simply because it will pay off in the future, becuase it really is worth seeing the game in all its glory. I personally had many teething problems soon after installation, even on my brand new computer with an 8800GTX and a quad core processor. My inability to hit the ground running with this game is testament to the amount of fine tuning that is required in order to squeeze the very best in terms of performance to quality ratio.

If you own add-on software such as PMDG or alike, you may want to be slightly more apprehensive about buying this game. Having said this, the new release of the PMDG 747-400X will make the game worth while to play on, but like I say it's a matter of fine tuning the display settings to be able to enjoy FSX!