**Sorry double post.**

America's Army: Special Forces (Overmatch)

Well, after months of anticipation, the new release for America's Army is here. On the AA forums and throughout the community, the number 2.7 became the word for Nirvana. Well, on September 14th, 2006 it was finally released. After several days of hastle and a fifteen hour download (and a file size of 2.6 GB :O ) it was finally on my computer and running fine. And although it does have some problems, it's a solid addition to the America's Army game, that is avalible for free download from americasarmy.com and is among the top PC games of all time.

Graphics: 8 out of 10

Although it was designed to be playable on most machines old and new, and the graphics can be brought down so far that it looks like a game made in 1997, they can still be b-e-a-utiful. Due to the ambient fog on the maps, you can be running anywhere from 18-25 FPS and the game will still look and feel remarkably smooth.

Controls: 9 out of 10

This is mostly based on my personal experience. In AA you can map out the controls just about any way you please, so it vaires from person to person.

Playability: 7 out of 10

As I stated earlier, the 2.7 Overmatch release does have some problems. For one, they changed the server browser where it is much clunkier (there is a way to hide the filters section which clears up about 1/3 of the space and makes it easier to use) and only connects to the AA Master Broswer Server about half of the time. (Install Gamespy so you can play when the AA broswer doesn't want to work.) With the AA broswer they included a favorite servers option and Battle Buddies. (You can probably figure out what those are.)

Also new to AA is the inclusion of the first player-driven vehicles. This was originally going to be America's Army Stryker-Overmatch, (we had originally hoped we'd be able to drive Hummers and Strykers) it's just Overmatch. We can drive Hummers (you must first pass a semi-challenging qualification test) with the CROWS (common remotely operated weapon system) turrets (which you also have to pass a test to be able to use, although the CROWS test is easy.) This seems like a simple addition but it actually adds a lot to the game. Once you get used to the way they're driven, it becomes almost second nature.

They've also added the SAI (Situational Awareness Indicator) to aid. This replaces the compass that would normally occupy the top part of the screen. When we were first told about the SAI, may people in the community were outraged. They were thinking this would be like the radars found in just about every other FPS game. However, the SAI is NOT a radar and does not work like one. It shows you your teammates if they're within like three feet of you or so, or if they're in your line of sight. It DOES NOT show your enemy's location. There is now a report enemy position feature that displays a red diamond on your squad's SAI where you were aiming when you reported. Before 2.7 was released everyone was expecting abuse of the report enemy (abbrievated RE from now on) feature but actually, I don't see it used that much. The SAI helps out big time, and IMO, is much better than the compass we had before.

Value: 8 out of 10

The two biggest hypes with this release were the addition of vehicles (Hummers) and co-op missions against a much larger AI force. Unfortunatly, the AI is st00p!d. They have some serous bugs that need to be addressed. They always know where you are, it's impossible to sneak up on them, they make ridiculous headshots from across the map (and no human's aim is possibly that good with a moving targed when you have an AK-47 or RPK), they can actually see much further through fog than you can, etc.

For such a big release, there were only two new weapons introduced (the CROWS 50-cal machine gun and the CROWS Mk-19 40mm grenade launcher) and three new maps, two co-op and one multiplayer map that must be downloaded from DCDS (a new feature in AA. BTW, DCDS stands for Dynamic Content Delivery System to deliver content such as new maps right into the game instead of having to wait for a patch.)

I think the main reason so many people were dissapointed with Overmatch is that they were just expecting too much. This IS NOT a new game. This is the same game with a few additions and bug fixes, and is coded in a different way. (Which is the reason for the huge 2.6 gig file size. There was no Overmatch patch, because of all the changes to the coding they had to release a full reinstall.)

But, although it has some problems, by far the best part about this game is that it's 100% free! It was devoliped by the US Army and for a game like this, it's supprisingly good with some truly intense moments.

Overall: 8.25 out of 10

Sure, it has problems, but beggars can't be choosers. And hey, if you have nothing else to do and you haven't tried it, just check it out. Chances are you'll like it. And don't get discouraged when you constantly get your ass kicked in the beginning, AA has a pretty steep learing curve due to it's realism factor so it'll take a bit of time to learn.

Dead for 3 months...Need more people to post here...You all know this is an amazing idea for a thread...I will be back later with a new review!

Oh and good, I just got a new game.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent (PC)

Graphics- 7

They're okay. Don't get me wrong, some parts of this game are breathtaking, but we've just seen them all before. A lot more detail was added to Sam and the other characters, and most of them look quite nice. But like I said, nothing we haven't seen before.

Sound- 7

Get you a good pair of headphones and this game will sound pretty damn good. The only thing is the sounds don't always play when they're supposed to. Sometimes you won't hear your gun fire (I know it's silenced but you're still supposed to hear a "ptht" sound.) Sometimes the voice overs will stop playing half way through the loading screens, only to start up thirty seconds later and get cut off when the loading is done.

Plot- 6

Everything up until release made it look as though this was going to be an engaging story with nice plot twists and kept you guessing. As it turns out, it's pretty thin. It looked as though after Sarah's death (Sam's daughter) Fisher would slip into great depression, opening the door for some nice character devolipment. Instead, we get a two minute cutscene after the first little intro mission that has Lambert saying Sarah was killed and to prevent Fisher from losing his mind, he gave him the most dangerous mission of his career. Fisher is a double agent, who needs to infiltrate an American terrorist group known as the John Brown's Army (JBA.) First thing is to get his ticket in, by busting JBA member Jamie Washington out of Ellsworth. That's about where the intrest in the plot goes down the drain. It's also full of plot gaps and things that just don't make sense. In the PC and 360 version, it's unexplained how Fisher still has his government issue SC-20K assault rifle when he's sent on JBA missions, but in the Xbox, PS2, and Wii version, it's said that the NSA made Sam look like an arms dealer to get him into the JBA. However, you'll end up wondering why Sam can't just kill them all and be done with it. Once Sam plants a bug on the roof, the NSA knows where the JBA's base is, why could the not just send the Army or National Guard to take care of them BEFORE these guys get their hands ahold of the typical nuke? Occasionally (and I mean occasionally, I only counted two times) you'll be forced to make a choice between the NSA and the JBA. However, these are few and far between, and only two of them effect the plot at all. For example, you can choose to allow the JBA to detonate a bomb causing the loss of trust with the NSA, or you can jam the bomb, which gets a JBA member killed and you loose trust with them.

Playability- 3

This is one of the buggiest messes I've ever seen. Plagued with random crashes, bugs that prevent you from progressing the story, and other bugs that aren't as severe but prove to be almost equally frustrating. Sometimes the choices you make will activate bugs that will stop you from progressing the story any further later in the game. About 2/3 of the way through the game, it would crash every time I tried to load up my previous save after I failed the mission. This would force me to restart the game entirely, or at least go back to the main menu and load up from there. Not to mention, Ubi took several steps back with this installation. Gone are the multiple paths and open ended levels, back are the linear missions that are filled with the infamous trail and error gameplay and instant-fail situations that plagued the first two games.

Multiplayer- Undecided

Can't tell you much about the MP. Whenever I try to play online my FPS turns to crap anytime I'm around another player. It runs fine with just me and the bots but with other people it's just unplayable. Other people don't seem to have that problem, so it's probably just my terrible internet connection. Of course, if you look at the Ubi forums, a lot of players are displeased with the MP.

Controls- 8

They're complicated for someone who's never played SC before, but for vets like myself, they're a peice of cake. Only thing is, you're unable to customize your mouse controls without going into the .ini files and changing them that way. You can't just remap them in the options menu like you can with the other controls. But for the most part they're fine. I had to do a little tweaking because I don't use my keyboard for gaming, I bought a MERC Gamepad and the keys on it are laid out a little differently, but after I remapped them they worked fine. You probably won't need to remap your mouse controls (left click is primary/lethal CQC attack, right click is secondary/non-lethal CQC attack, middle mouse is holster/draw your weapon.) However, if you're a leftie you're probably going to feel a little uncomfortable.

Replay- 6

Like I said, this one is linear and plaged with bugs and crashes. There's usually only one path through each level and you'll see the same scripted events over and over again. Most people haven't even been able to finish the game because of these, and some just got frustrated with all the problems and gave up. The way I see it, if you can finish it once you're lucky. I've heard the two of the choices you make in the game will make the game conclude with multiple, and quite shocking endings, but alas, I haven't been able to see them yet.

Overall- 6.5

This was pretty dissapointing. Full of plot holes, bad AI, weak story, bugs, crashes, linearity, contradictions, etc. It really is sad to see such a great series fall on its ass so hard. The good news, this was made by Ubi Soft Shanghai, which also made Pandora Tomorrow. The next one we know will be made by Montreal, the ones that made the first SC and Chaos Theory, the latter of the two being the best of the series and one of the best Xbox games to date. Ubi Shanghai should fix Double Agent, then never again have anything to do with SC.

Can i requisition a review for knight online?

Knight Online (PC)

Graphics- 5

Eh, it's a free MMO, you can't really expect them to be all that good can you?

Sound- 7

The music is, you know, whatever. Not bad, not all that good.

Playability- 8

If I remember correctly, it didn't have a great deal of bugs. Only problem I had was the game would sometimes freeze at the loading screen, forcing me to ALT+F4 and restart the game.

Overall- 7

It's a stable game, but like almost all of those free Korean MMOs, it's just boring. This is of course just my opinion, but that's what reviews are right? I stopped playing a while ago, and I've removed it from my computer, so you'll probably have to wait for a recient or current player to post a more detailed review.

EvoChron Alliance 2.0


Genre: Action, Space Simulation
Console: PC


Graphics: 8/10 - The graphics have been upgraded a lot in the last updates, making the game a good-looking game, but you will never overdone graphics. Everything, while functional, looks as it might look in reality.

Sound: 7/10 - The ambient sounds are calming, and the FX keeps you in game. It is definitely recommended to play with a headphone with mic in MP, thanks to the in game team-speak support.

Controls: 9/10 - There is a control scheme for everyone and it is adjustable as one wishes. Might be one of the most flexible control options I have ever seen in a game. I have my EvoChron Alliance 2.0 set up just like Freelancer with Mouse, Keyboard and I cannot tell the difference control wise, it works great!

Replay Value: 7/10 - The game goes on endlessly. You can continue playing, extending wealth, completing the campaign - but it might be that at one point you do not want to do anymore. SP then, ends for you, and replay-incentive will be low as you have of course, reached everything. Then, luckily, there is a multiplayer-option for you to play. The great thing about MP is you do not have to start a new character. You use the one you have been playing with in SP so what you have gained in SP carries over to MP and vise versa.

Overall: 8/10 - The game, as said, is one that no self-respecting space gamer should miss. Grab the demo and check it out, I can assure you it will be worth the 22MB download.
P.S. You might want to read the instructions that the demo comes with first, then run through the tutorial, so you can get the most out of the Demo.
EvoChron Alliance 2.0 DEMO


A Description of EvoChron Alliance 2.0

EvoChron Alliance: seems to include everything one would expect from a good space-sim, including but not limited to immersive systems, many ways to make money and nice graphics. However, the one thing that it really does perfectly is the combat.

Combat is smooth, inituative, full of explosions and fast as light. Dodging incoming laser-fire while quickly positioning yourself for a new strike is easy-to-learn for new players (unlike most other games in the genre), while the experts can go all-out on the advanced control options - which enables players to fly backwards, use the many environments to their advantage and speed control.

It might seem that the other aspects cannot be nearly as good as the combat I described above, well, guess again the trading, pirating, smuggling and mercenary-aspects have been well balanced. Players will tune up their ships to fit their needs - as the Shipyard system enables players to add fuel capacity for exploring or missiles for combat, but no one can have it all. Players will have to choose wisely what to install, but can always undo their changes (against a small fee).

Reputation grows as the player advances, and a campaign unfolds as the player feels up to the challenge. This campaign is entirely optional, but does offer some tips on hidden secrets, including the awesome Fulcrum Torpedo (which produces a huge explosion that tears apart nearly everything that it hits). Moreover, none of the things is a simple gimmick, everything is necessary.

EvoChron: Alliance is the full rack - it offers it all for a relatively low price, and almost every aspect is good enough to say that it is worth it. Any space-fan will enjoy flying through massive asteroid fields with missiles slamming into these rocks behind them, flying through nebula clouds without loading time and descending into atmospheres without a single loading screen. An immense universe, balanced game play... what else could you wish?

Well, one could wish for fluid controls. There are over five different types of controls available, ranging from joysticks to keyboards and mouse point to mouse flight. (Again I have my controls set up just like Freelancer and it works fine.) On the other hand, you could wish for a living economy in which the smart trader can make a fortune by analyzing and predicting the market. Alternatively, for over thirty default sectors to explore, containing lucrative secrets and powerful weaponry. It is modifiable, allowing you to create extra systems, change ship messages and the HUD, add news to the news-console and change, well, anything. On the other hand, maybe one could wish for a real-time descending into atmospheres, semi-Newtonian physics, hiring crewmembers and fuel management.

It is amazing to see how an independent developer created a space sim that is so overwhelming in options, freedom and entertainment, and how SW3D handles bug fixing and community requests. The community itself is a group of friendly people who are always available for assisting new players through MP or tips. If the above did not convince you, you can always tell on the forum what you would like to see (after of course, checking the demo), but warning: you might just get it.

Now I have not even described the fun multiplayer-mode, the nicely constructed AI, the contracts, the busy trade routes, the dangerous 'Edge systems' and the customizing options... Well, too much to explain it all, but I think you get the point.

Many aspects of the better space-sims have been blended into a tasty cocktail that has been called EvoChron: Alliance, making it into a title that no self-respecting space fan should miss.

If you have anymore, questions try this link.
EvoChron Alliance 2.0 FAQ

Special Thanks to tha_rami

Hey there, I got here through the EvoChron attention around here lately, and I saw this thread. Although I'm not playing FreeLancer, I'm afraid, I couldn't let this topic slip. So, here goes - I'm discussing 3 games that, in my opinion are absolutely classics. With some luck, you can eBay them, or find them in the budgetcorner of your local gamestore. I was planning on 4 games, but I saw someone had already discussed the 4th good oldie: Deus Ex.

The scores:
Graphics for the graphics as one would see them now, but realizing that it is an old game. The lower the grade, the more annoying the lack of graphics is.
Sound for the music and FX.
Story for the plot and the drive for the player to continue playing.
Gameplay for the controls and enjoyability.
Overall the overall impression (NOT THE AVERAGE).


So, first of all, we start off with Metal Gear Solid . Metal Gear Solid is possibly one of the most respected games ever. It tells the story of Covert Ops specialist Solid Snake, retired member of special unit FOX-HOUND. The game starts after a group of FOX-HOUND members has defected under the leadership of Liquid Snake, the only one with the same codename as Solid Snake. They've captured a nuclear bases on Shadow Moses island, near Alaska. Snake is to infiltrate the base, rescue the DARPA Chief and ArmsTech president Kenneth Baker. However, as the game progresses, Snake runs into a dark secret hidden in the Shadow Moses base. The FOX-HOUND group had learned of the existence of the Bi-pedal Nuclear Tank, Metal Gear. Metal Gear is an unequalled weapon. Capable of launching a nuclear weapon from any point to any point on the planet, Snake is to take out the giant bi-ped.

The game plays as a stealth-game with action aspects. Most of the time, the player will be trying to avoid being seen, sneaking behind soldiers views, avoiding traps and security camera's. With a weapon OSP (on-site procedure), Snake collects weaponry ranging from a SOCOM pistol to a PSG-1 sniper rifle.

The pace of the game might sound low in the above description, but don't be fooled. Metal Gear Solid has a high pace and will keep surprising through the plot, which is brilliantly told through the numerous cut-scenes and conversations. The struggle of Snake will lead him past a cyborg ninja, a psychic, a tank, torture, Metal Gear and the most important enemy, love. Love, yeah. The romance between Snake and Meryl is directly influenced by the player.

The graphics are as to be expected from a PS1 port. By sliding up the resolution and enabling all effects you can get some pretty results, but don't expect HD-TV quality screens or top-notch textures. If you're of gameplay above graphics, and you enjoy action, drama, sneaking and most of all gaming, Metal Gear Solid is a must have for anyone who doesn't have an inbuilt aversion of any of the above aspects.

Graphics: 6/10 - Sound: 8/10 - Story: 10/10 - Gameplay: 9/10 - Overall: 10/10.

Second, we continue with StarCraft: Brood War . StarCraft is Blizzards sci-fi equal of their succes series WarCraft. Expect tactical RTS gameplay and well-balanced races. The standard 4X formula is ofcourse available, which is eXplore,
eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate. Players choose any of the three available races - the human Terran, the alien Zerg and the wise Protoss and defend or attack as required. Mission objectives vary from building a powerful basis to withstanding ongoing attacks.

But what StarCraft does brilliantly is multiplayer. After completing the 6 diverse campaigns available in the game, the player can enjoy a wide range of multiplayer maps, and through the highly flexible map creator enjoy the creations of creative geniuses.

Expect isometric strategy, smart AI, overwhelming battles and innovative tech trees. Expect to create a unique strategy for fighting in multiplayer. Expect well, everything you'd expect from, as it is called, 'the prime example of RTS'.

Graphics: 5/10 - Sound: 7/10 - Gameplay: 10/10 - Story: 7/10 - Overall: 10/10

Finally, the last of the great three is a personal favorite of mine. A game by Terratools and Microsoft: Urban Assault . It is in the far future as the player is implemented into the last remaining SDU - the Host Station.

After the Great Mistake, in which all plankton died, thus leading to a classic example of collapse of a food-chain, humanity fought violently over the remaining resources. In the war, humanity split up in four groups: The Resistance, Ghorkovs, Taerkasten and the Black Sect. The air toxified and thus city's were engulfed by protective domes, and connected through Beam Gates.

However, the unstable situation exploded when the Alien Sulgogars and Mykonians invaded Earth. The Mykonians built Parasite City, a huge structure tapping the heat of the Earths core to fuel the Mykonians.

As defense, 7 host stations were built. Into every Host Station, a human being was integrated, irreversibly, to lead the forces. Six of the Host Stations failed. The player is the seventh.

Adapting Plasma Creation technology, the Host Station can create units from air, provided it has enough Energy. Energy is absorbed from Power Stations, which are spread over the map. The map in turn is made up out of sectors, which in turn provide energy if captured. Energy, being the only resource, is spread over Host Station Energy, Creation Energy and Beam Energy. The first is your HP, the second your traditional require-to-built and the third to teleport your Host Station. These three energies always try to balance, so if you create a lot, your Life and Beam Energy also deplete.

Your goal in each of the 30+ missions is to destroy the hostile Host Stations to open up the Beam Gate. Underway, the player will conquer Tech Upgrades which allow him to build new vehicles and building.

Controlling the units in a RTS map interface and a Squadron Manager, the Host Station has one very important ability: Virtual Presence Shift. VPS allows the player to instantly take direct FPS control of tanks, airplanes or helicopters, flak stations.

The missions are very dynamic, and the AI is quite responsive, and gameplay is to say, great. Fighting against the very diversive enemies, which all require special strategies, losing and acquiring essential power station and fighting aroung Tech Upgrades will suck you into the world of the final stand against the Mykonains.

Graphics: 5/10 - Sound: 6/10 - Story: 6/10 - Gameplay: 10/10 - Overal: 8/10.

More to follow - more than enough for today. Next Time: Quick Time-passers.


The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

Update on EvoChron Alliance 2.0

In the next update for EvoChron Alliance 2.0 3rd person view will be implemented so you can fly/fight in your ship just as you do in Freelancer.

If you have not tried this game I recommend you do so. If you buy it, you get all the extra updates free you do not have to buy "expansion packs" and it just gets better and better with every update. Reason it keeps getting better is that the Developer listens to the gamers and is very active on the forums. You also get one on one advice from the Developer if you have problems.

I recommend this game to all Freelancer fans you are going to love it. IMO it is a cross between Freelancer and X-Series you are getting the best of both games in one.

A Screen Shot
Click Here For ScreenShot


"When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of duties."

Edited by - FlyByU on 3/18/2007 8:23:24 AM

FlybyU, a question I have:
this MP in Evochron(EC), is it like fL MP?
I mean it is endless and free or it is like going trough campaign with other players?
Thanks inn advance.
P.S,
I've paid my attention to this game in 2005, but I decided to pay some serious attetention to it now only.

Some more questions on Evochron:
what's the max radar distance and
cockpits: do they differ from ship to ship?

What's the max radar distance?
1. 4000 in regular space - approx 1500 in a nebula(I think).

Cockpits: Do they differ from ship to ship?
2. The cockpit is the same for every ship. (Right now.)

The MP in Evochron(EC), is it like fL MP?
I mean it is endless and free or it is like going trough campaign with other players?
3. The former - mostly PvP - racing, dogfights, coop mining(what fun. ), Clan battles, etc.
Game-controlled contracts and campaign missions aren't available. (Right now.)

I've been to evochron.com.
Registered there.
Saw you there, flybyu.
As I get it, It is possible to give some suggestions to the creator, and he will put these suggestions in future game versions. Right?
Then the first I guess is radar range increased and the second is cockpits.
Will try to post something on evochron.com

EDIT: Added screenshots and download links for some of the mods, and added a new mod to the list. For those I didn't post links to just search for them on tessource.net (make sure that's .net and not .com because it won't work right.) Every mod on the list can be found there, as well as hundreds of others that aren't on the list.

I can't believe no one's done this one yet.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC)

Graphics- 9

I remember way back in 2004, when the next-gen hype was just starting, GameInformer did a story on the Xbox 2 (this was before we knew it would become the Xbox 360) and claimed to define "what next-generation would be." I only remember one thing about that story, and that was an early screenshot of Oblivion. I remember being totally blown away by that one shot. While it didn't look exactly "real," it was by far the best CGI I'd ever seen. Then, in the months and weeks before the launch of the 360, we were treated to more and more footage of Oblivion, although it didn't have the same impact as those first shots and videos. After a couple of delays, it was finally released. And it pretty much redeemed the 360 from an early death. It really showed the graphical capabilities of the 360. The PC version also looks spectacular, and with a good rig can look even better than the 360 version. My friends, this is what "next-gen" was supposed to look like.

Sound- 9

It would probably sound better with a good pair of headphones, but overall this game sounds great. Every line of dialogue is voiced and lip-synched pretty well. The music is good (but honestly, how many of us pay attention to the music when you're running for your life from eight angry Imperial City guards?) All the voices are pretty well done as well. Everything about the sound is pretty much what you'd expect, it just sounds really good.

Control- 10

The controls are very nice. They can also (if memory serves) be mapped in just about any way you see fit. I've never had a problem with them (although my FANG gamepad probably has something to do with that.) They all work pretty well and most are pretty simple. Most of the interaction you have with the NPCs and environment is context-sensitive.

Playability- 9

The CTDs (Crash To Desktop) I've had are rather annoying, athought they aren't exactly frequent (once or twice a day, and I usually play for a few hours each day.) Overall this game is pretty stable. There's a few things about the game that will probably annoy you, but most of them are nothing a few good user-created mods won't fix. For example, one of the most annoying things about the game (for players who broke the law often) was that you could be caught breaking into someone's house or pickpocketing someone, and the guards would start chasing you, then you hop on a horse or fast travel to a town on the other side of the gameworld and the second you arrive, the guards there start yelling at you and threaten to arrest you. It's almost like they're psysic. Of course, as previously stated, there are several user-created mods that will fix many of these little quirks.

From both a technical and artistic standpoint, the environment is incredible. Of course, there's one problem I (and most other players) have with the environment. It's this lush forest teaming with life and beauty, but that's pretty much all it is. There's a snowy area up near the mountains, and swamps to the south and a place that sort of resembles the Great Plains of North America, but they all look pretty similair. The plain of Oblivion also looks pretty nice, but my only real complaint is that the lava looks like water with red food coloring in it.

Overall- 9.5

Oblivion is simply one of the best roll-playing games ever made. While the completly unmodded version has it's problems, you patch the game and get a few good user mods and the lifetime of this game will multiply about three or four times. For just about any problem you have with the game, by now there should be a mod out there to fix it. You don't like the way that the NPCs level up with you? There's a mod that caps all NPC levels and stops that from happening. You don't like guards harassing you for pickpocketing someone on the otherside of the gameworld? There's several mods that get rid of that. Tired of your horse wandering off and you losing him? You guessed it, there's a mod for that.

Mods I'd recommend:

Ocsuro's Oblivion Overhaul- Changes the way pretty much the entire game works. The main thing is that it eleminates the NPCs that will level as you do and puts caps on them.

The Pirate Isles- Adds two new islands, each that look pretty different and two towns. The smaller of the two, Blackhorn Isle is the pirate town. The other, Cape Yakurda has the feel of a fishing town, complete with an Imperial Navy outpost (there's guards on Yakurda that will fine you, kill you or throw you in jail just like everywhere else, there's no guards in Blackhorn.) However, the greatist thing about this mod is that it's more than just a new area to explore. It actually gives you things to do. You can buy a ship at Blackhorn (or do a simple quest and get it for a hugely discounted price), hire a first mate, hire up to eight pirates and actually go pirating. This is still in BETA, and we're hoping for the final release that adds a lot more pretty soon.

The Pirate Isles Screenshot #1
The Pirate Isles Screenshot #2
The Pirate Isles Screenshot #3
Download

Natural Environments- Changes the weather system. Makes just about everything as far as the sky goes look much more realistic, and is overall much more visually pleasing. The moons now have high resolution textures and and look much better. The night sky has thousands of new stars. Clouds and rain look better. It also adds butterflies, birds and several other little critters (you can't interact with them at all, they're just eye candy.) Just google it and look at the screenshots and you'll see what I mean. It also redoes the water. The surface of water is no longer opaque and you can actually see while you're swimming underwater.

Natural Environments Screenshot #1
Natural Environments Screenshot #2
Natural Environments Screenshot #3
Natural Environments Screenshot #4
Download

Noscosto Isles- Adds a beautiful island paradise (which also contains Tamriel's first toilet!) The scenery is simply breathtaking. There's rivers, waterfalls, caves, fountains, etc. There isn't all that much to do there, there's a couple dungeons to explore and a house to own, but mostly it's to show just how beautiful this game can look. (Especally with the Natural Environments mod.) The environment here actually feels like you're in a lush Hawaiian jungle, and the island itself is pretty big for a mod.

Nascosto Isles Screenshot #1
Nascosto Isles Screenshot #2
Download

Oblivion Enhanced- Adds a bit of realism to the game. (OOO kind of does the same thing, but this has a couple of features OOO lacks.) It's kind of a big download for a mod, especally for me because I only use three of the twelve things that come with it, but it's worth it. What I use are the two Realistic Law Enforcement files and a Hunger Effects file. Part 1 of the RLE increases fines (especally for murder, which takes the fine up to 6000 coins as opposed to the original 1000), and part two creates manditory jailtime for any fine over 5000 coins. It also adds the ability to attempt to bribe guards (of course, there's also another fine that gets tacked on if they refuse your bribe), and if you have a bounty of 15000 or more coins, then a death warrant is issued. If you surrender to the guards and allow the execution, you're taken to the Imperial City Arena and have enchanted wrist irons put on that prevent you from moving, and the guards just shoot you with arrows until you're dead. The Hunger Effects actually gives a use to all the food you can find lying around in the game. If you don't eat for too long, your strength and other stats will start declining. You can die if you don't eat for two weeks.

Dark Dungeons- Ever feel like the torch was a useless piece of crap? This makes dungeons (and nights) much darker. Now you'll actually need those torches and that Night Eye spell for whatever the hell it's called.

Open Cities- Brings the cities into the actual game world and eleminates the loading screen each time you enter a city. You simply open the gate and walk in. You might get the brief "Loading Area" text, but you won't see the loading screen each time you enter and exit a city, you simply walk in and out.

Unique Landscapes- Adds some diversity to Cyrodiil. Now the environment doesn't look the same everywhere you go, and most places look radically different. Probably the most destinct place from the rest of Cyrodiil is the Dark Forest.

Download Full Package (Roughly 45MB.)

Download the Individual Parts (There's a bunch of them, but the filesize is much smaller for each of them.) <-- Just type Unique Landscapes in the search bar. I couldn't get it to display all the different results and then link that.

There's another mod, but I can't remember its name for the life of me. It makes it so the far off lands don't look like pea soup. It increases the texture resolution of distant lands and makes them look so much better.






Edited by - Killa on 5/8/2007 5:42:32 PM

Edited by - Killa on 5/8/2007 5:44:41 PM

The Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Shivering Isles Expansion (PC/X360/PS3)

Well, I just finished the bulk of this expansion and thought I'd share my impressions with everyone, since I know some of you are probably wondering if it's worth the $30 to dive back into this immersive game.

Graphics : Not much has changed since the original game, meaning that the graphics remain stunning visually, especially if you have a high-end PC. Killa already discussed the bulk of the awesomeness of the graphics in his review for the original game, so I want to talk about what has changed in the environment you'll be encountering. Basically, the world you'll be seeing is a lot different than what you saw in Oblivion. I think it's similar in a lot of ways to what you saw in Morrowind, basically, it's more fantastic and whimsical. It's nice because it provides a nice change of scenery. Also, there is a major difference between the two duchys or halves of the land: Mania and Dementia. Mania is bright and colorful, with lots of big colorful mushrooms right out of your latest drunken stupor, lol. Dementia, on the other hand, is dark and gloomy; not evil like the planes of Oblivion but just... dark. Think Halloween, so it's great fun for the more evil-minded of us. Other than that, it's nice that there are different interiors for dungeons and stuff to set it apart, and some new animations for the characters.
SCORE : 9


Sound : One of the low points of the expansion, in my mind. Basically, it uses the same musical soundtrack as Oblivion. While I like that music, I don't quite feel it fits with the exotic Shivering Isles as well as it does with the standard medieval themes of Oblivion. However, there are some nice new sounds for creatures, doors, and background noise. And, of course, all the NPC dialogue is lip-synched and spoken, with certain major characters actually being very humorous.
SCORE : 7.5


Gameplay : Abosolutly the high point of the game for me. While vitually all of the core aspects of Oblivion's combat and skill systems remain the same, Shivering Isles does an outstanding job of doing what an expansion should: adding loads of new stuff. All sorts of new weapons, many with fun twists in their attributes, as well as a totally new entourage of ingrediants, clothes, and armor provide a great change of pace. But, my favorite part of all has to be the quests. The main quest itself is amazingly entertaining, involving your character working their way up through the court of madness to become a duke of the realm and eventually even a demi-god in your own right.

The quests and the story behind them are a notch above even Oblivion itself. Quests involve the player doing all sorts of different things from Oblivion. Yes, there are plenty of dungeon crawls, but there are a lot of new things mixed in. Whether you're walking through the city of New Sheoth with a court touturer in tow, zapping random citizens to try and uncover a plot, or fighting alongside a small army of the familar Golden Saints or new Dark Seducers against an attack on the realm, you'll soon find that there's a lot more diversity to the quests in the Shivering Isles. There's even a lot of fun twists to the traditional dungeon crawls and step n' fetches that'll suprise you. And, once you finish the main quest, there are some fun perks that are different (and more fun) than the rewards you got for beating questlines in Oblivion.

The only downside that comes to mind is that there isn't a huge amount to do after you've finished the main quest, as it's sort of the backbone of this expansion. Yes, there are some pretty simple sidequests avaliable in cities and towns, and of course there are some large dungeons to explore on your own, but don't be expecting to join the equivalent of a Fighter's Guild or Dark Brotherhood. Also, some people may be glad to know that they've brought back the armor forging found in the Bloodmoon expansion for Morrowind, and expanded and improved it. Now you can get enchanted versions of the armor and there are two different sets to choose from.
SCORE : 9.5


Playability : Overall, a very playable game, especially for an expansion. Because of Oblivion's leveling system, an existing player or new player of any level can enter the isles and face enemies and get loot that are matched to their level. And since all the controls and stuff are essentially identical to Oblivion, it's easy. However, there are some mods that are incompatible with the expansion, generally not to the point that they'll mess up your game, but just that you can't bring things like companions and horses to the Isles, and you also can't bring people back from the Isles with you to Cyrodiil. However, all equipment transfers back and forth fine.
SCORE : 9


Overall : In general, an awesome and deserving expansion for an astounding game. It'll provide you with many, many hours of entertainment. You'll laugh for sure, you might cry, and you might wet yourself, but I'm certain you'll enjoy it. A must-have for any fan of the Elder Scrolls universe.
SCORE : 9

Edited by - ww2jacob on 4/6/2007 7:55:24 PM