Posts in Home AV

Total 77 pages : 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 » ... Last

Grand Theft Auto IV review (PlayStation 3)

Justin Calvert   |  Apr 30, 2008
Stepping off a boat in the shoes of illegal immigrant Niko Bellic as he arrives in Liberty City at the start of Grand Theft Auto IV, you can tell immediately that Rockstar North's latest offering is something quite special. Yes, this is another GTA game in which you'll likely spend the bulk of your time stealing cars and gunning down cops and criminals, but it's also much more than that. GTAIV is a game with a compelling and nonlinear storyline, a game with a great protagonist who you can't help but like, and a game that boasts a plethora of online multiplayer features in addition to its lengthy story mode. It's not without some flaws, but GTAIV is undoubtedly the best Grand Theft Auto yet. For more on our good, bad and sometimes ugly take, check it out here.

Liberty City has changed a lot since 2001.

One of the many things that sets GTAIV apart from its predecessors is Liberty City, which is more convincing as a living, breathing urban environment than anything that you've seen in a game before, and bears little resemblance to its namesake in 2001's GTAIII. Liberty's diverse population believably attempts to go about its daily business, seemingly unaware that several criminal factions are at war in the city. Niko has no such luck. He's compelled to start working for one of the factions shortly after arriving, when he learns that his cousin Roman has some potentially fatal gambling debts. Niko's military experience makes him a useful freelancer for employers in the business of killing each other, and though his reluctance to carry out their orders is often apparent, he does whatever is asked of him in the hope that completing missions for other people will ultimately give him the means to complete his own.
Read more »
Filed under:  Home AV
1 Comment  |   Bookmark  |   Share
Add tag
To add tags, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
 

GTA IV: The good, the bad, and the sometimes ugly

Dan Ackerman  |  Apr 30, 2008
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you're very interested in a video game that' just been released called Grand Theft Auto IV (actually something like the eighth game in the series, depending on how you count).

We previously tried the game out a couple of times while it was still in development, and now that we've had a chance to give the final shipping version a serious run-through over this past weekend, here are our initial thoughts on the final game's pluses and minuses.

Grand Theft Awesome:
  • The main attraction is the city itself, and it's beautifully rendered and full of activity. The game's random characters occasionally get involved in amusing bits of action--we saw a pedestrian get hit by a car, and a minute later, an ambulance pulled up and a paramedic got out (he just stood around after that, but it was still impressive).
  • The game starts out slowly, giving you a chance to get comfortable with the environment and controls, and giving the story and characters a chance to breathe.
    Read more »
    Filed under:  Home AV
    Leave a comment  |   Bookmark  |   Share
    Add tag
    To add tags, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
     

    • More Xbox 360 joy for less

    Philip Wong  |  Apr 29, 2008

    While Sony has pulled a quickie and slapped on a pricier S$599 (US$394.08) sticker tag on its 40GB PlayStation 3, Microsoft has gone the exact opposite direction across the board for its Xbox 360s. Effective from April 29, the Arcade, 20GB Pro and 120GB Elite models will be priced at S$399 (US$262.50), S$499 (US$328.29) and S$699 (US$459.87), respectively. The price revision makes perfect sense, too, since this will give its hard drive-equipped Pro package a lot more leeway against its rival's offering.

    Photo credit: Microsoft
    Filed under:  Home AV
    5 Comments  |   Bookmark  |   Share
    Add tag
    To add tags, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
     

    Groovy Philips flat micro theater

    Philip Wong  |  Apr 28, 2008

    Smaller and flatte--that's the way Philips likes it when it comes to the MCD299 micro home theater. For Bang & Olufsen Beosound 9000 wannabes, this may be your cheap ticket to owning something remotely similar for just S$529 (US$348.03). Consider that a bargain, too, with a four-disc changer for uninterrupted music and DVD movie playback, groovy motorized sliding door and Moto Razor phone-like metallic buttons.

    We're only apparently touching on the surface here as this kit also covers JPEG, MP3 and WMA via CD or USB. Under the hood is a respectable 140W digital amplifier driving a pair of flat-panel speakers reinforced by a bass-centric subwoofer. What's not so "hot" is its onboard DTS decoding omission and a legacy component-video interface for TV output. Well, for that price, you can't always have the best of both worlds.

    Photo credit: Philips
    Filed under:  Home AV
    Leave a comment  |   Bookmark  |   Share
    Add tag
    To add tags, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
     

    Hands-on with the Nyko Perfect Shot (Wii)

    Jeff Bakalar  |  Apr 28, 2008
    We've seen our fair share of Wii accessories by now--most of them meaningless plastic encasings providing no real advantage over just using the Wii remote by itself. But with the Perfect Shot from Nyko, we're finally seeing a practical application for use with most Wii shooter games. The snap-on housing gives your Wii remote the look and feel of a pistol. It retails for around £13 (US$14.99).

    Strengths: The Perfect Shot is heavier than you might think, and with the Wii remote loaded in, it feels very solid. The only moving parts you'll find are the trigger and mounting bracket located on the tip of the gun. To load the Perfect Shot, simply slide the Wii remote into the top of the gun, locking the remote into place. We recommend removing the Wii wrist strap before you do so. Then, slide the orange securing mounting bracket over the remote, near the 'power' button.

    Don't worry about scratching your remote--the mounting clip has a padded bottom. The Perfect Shot also supports the use of the nunchuk attachment as well--just clip it in to the bottom of the Perfect Shot's handle.

    As for fitting the Wiimote into the Perfect Shot, just be aware you'll need it to be stripped down to just the basics. That means the Wii remote sleeve and the wrist strap will need to be removed, for instance. Even the rubberised covers found on the rechargeable batteries of the Nyko Charging Station were a tight fit--we were just barely able to snap the orange mounting bracket over the top of the "barrel" when using one.
    Read more »
    Filed under:  Home AV
    Leave a comment  |   Bookmark  |   Share
    Add tag
    To add tags, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
     
    Total 77 pages : 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 » ... Last
    advertisement

    Crave is...


    The name says it all. Crave is our new blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

    Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.
     

    Crave for...


    » Mobile Phones (569)

    » Digital Cameras (350)

    » Notebooks (358)

    » PC & Peripherals (367)

    » Handhelds (210)

    » Printers (34)

    » Home AV (385)

    » Music & Play (353)

    » Gadgets (836)

    » Future Tech (121)

     

    Previously...


    2008

    » May

    » April

    » March

    » February

    » January

    2007

    2006

    2005

    2004