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The Most Fun and Intriguing Game You Will Ever Play...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Let me start off by saying that all of the official reviews you have read for this game have been completely wrong. I have yet to see any positive feedback from professional reviewers about Advent Rising, which is proof that every one of them needs to be fired from their jobs.

Now, with that aside, let me talk about the miraculous thing that is Advent Rising. I have never found myself so immersed in an experience as I have with this game. The gameplay is addictive, the story is compelling, and the music is to die for.

Bugs:
There isn't a game out there as unique as Advent Rising. Look past the glitches and slowdowns and you are clearly playing one of the most fun and incredible games ever released. Everyone has badmouthed the Flick Targeting, but all I have to say is that I play with an inverted camera, and I still found the targeting tolerable. Can you imagine targeting to the right and the camera moves left? It wasn't easy, but still, I gave the game a 5, so you know it can't be that bad.
-The framerate, in my opinion, isn't an issue, cause it only slows down about 4 times through the entire game, and not even enough to get you killed.
-Lockups are the same, rare.
-Music fades in and out, and will sometimes overpower the dialogue. (But music can be turned off)
-In fact, the only glitches worth mentioning are:
1. Every so often the camera will continue to lock on a target after they have been killed, meaning that you can't look ahead. It is quickly fixed though as another object is targeted.
2. While using Aeon Pulse alternate fire the character will get stuck in the air.
3. The health of the 2nd boss is inconsistent, one time it is easy to kill, other times it will take hours.

Gameplay:
Advent Rising delivers more surprises than any game out their. I've lost count of how many times I've just had to pause the game and think of how awesome what I've just pulled off was. You can do SO many things at one time that it is incredible, and I am STILL finding new things like...MINOR SPOILERS...the fact that you charge up the surge power and deliver a deadly blow that looks awesome. Also, that you can freeze the Seekers and then completely shatter them. Sure I'd heard people talking about it, but pulling it off is amazing. In what other game can I slow down time, kick a guy through the air, run across the room and then kick him again before he hits the ground? I can literally pick up 5 bad guys, throw them into Lava, and fire a rocket launcher at a mech-baddie while flying through the air in slow-motion, all at the same time. And then finish that one off by landing and spinning my launcher like some cowboy, it's incredible! End Spoilers.
-The coolest things however, are the RPG elements. Choices you make effect the storyline, and the powers/weapons you can level-up on create a unique character every time you play.

Story and Characters:
I won't spoil it, but it is the best storyline I've ever played in a game. This game made me cry, enough said.
-The characters are actually interesting! I want to learn about them, want to know where they came from. And Ethan is the man! One of the best characters out there. Gideon is cool too, but Ethan really made the game for me.
-(Minor Spoiler is you're sensitive like that) Just a hint that won't spoil it for people who haven't played it yet. If you want the story to reach its highest potential I'll just say this...pick the dude. The game makes more sense that way.

Problems:
-Other than the formentioned glitches, the character models other than Gideon and Ethan, and the Aliens, are rather dull. I would loved to have seen the females look better because during the city scenes there was only one skin for them, while the men had at least 4. Made it unbelievable.
-No subtitles. Without them it is hard to know what the characters are saying because the music, or mumble of their voice.

You have to play this game with an open mind, and whatever you do, don't play the entire game the same way. There are so many ways to kill things, that experimenting is so much fun. The landscapes are breathtaking and the weaponry is killer. And I don't care what anyone says, this game did not copy Halo with the Seekers. They look nothing like the Covenant, and the gamplay is actually much more fun than Halo.

Don't be deceived by the beginning of the game, I was, and I regretted getting the game, but by the end, I was completely immersed in the world and didn't want it to end. Let's hope the sequels fix the minor problems and expand on the already incredible gameplay.

I've already said this, but the game made me cry, and that's tough for me. It is truly one of the best games I've ever played, and IS the most fun.

Just remember, have an open mind, you'll love it! And as long as you aren't a picky and spoiled moron, the glitches won't bother you enough to keep you from this incredible experience.

We need more games like this!

A brilliant game with a great story!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I saw Advent Rising on last year's E3 and was amazed, so I pre-ordered this game for US-launch (yes, I live in Germany). When I read some of the first reviews, I was disappointed and almost cosidered cancelling the order.

Luckyly i didn't: I played this game for 6 hours now and it is just brilliant! Great graphics and sound (though some minor technical problems) are one thing, but the great story, voice acting and cutszenes are what makes Advent Rising a classic. This is one of the rare ocassions where a game's story truly captures me.

I read some complains about the controls, but don't agree: The auto-targetting system is efficient and fun, if you like running and shooting in fast pace, you don't have to bother with target-selecting and aiming - you just concentrate on the action.

I know this is a short review, but there is not much to say: Ordering this game from the other side of the atlantic was totally worth it and I can clearly recommend it to any Sci-Fi and Action-Fan!

An Amazing And New Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Advent Rising is the first in an epic trilogy. And to be honest, I think they started it off wonderfully.

Now, there are some technical issues though. These issues are pretty minor to me. The only people that will not play this because are a few nit-picky gamers. The issues are: a few framerate drops sometimes. When there's alot of of stuff going on, the framerate drops a bit. And another thing, sometimes the sound drops for a minute. But as I said, these problems are very minor indeed. I barely even pay attention to it anymore.

The music is one of the best parts of the game. It was done by Tommy Talarico Studios and they did an amazing job on the music. All the music fits in perfectly with the right moments. It really imerses gamers into the experiance. I would have to say that this is the best game music I've ever heard in a video game. Really!

The graphics are great as well. All the enviremonts are made perfectly and are large in size. The water and plants all around are beautiful. The cinematics are simply phenominal as well. All the animation is well done too. And it also gives you the option to restart, continue, or skip.

The gameplay is very good and extremely fast pace. All the action is fast and satisfying. You can dual wield any weapons together which makes for a great time! During the course of the game, you get powers, which are all unique and fun to exucute and watch. But like I said above, when alot of stuff is happening, the framerate drops a bit. But it isn't really a problem.

Overall, I say Advent Rising is a great game. Besides the technical problems and all that, it is perfect! I reccomend it completely!

Advent Rising- The Beginning of a Legacy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: June 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Advent Rising is the first in the Advent Trilogy. This is a great start for a franchise that is sure to have people talking for a long time. The game does have it's glitches, but they seem small and unimportant compared to the game's great aspects. I am really suprised by the low scores that have been given by IGN, GameSpot, etc. I think this trilogy will be a compelling, original experience, that will have it's fair share of glory before it is through.

First, I want to state that Tommy Talarico Studios has done a phenomenal job with the music. The music was what really brought together the whole experience for me. When the humans started to be attacked, I got a real sense of tragedy that only great music can deliver. Throughout the entire game, I was drawn in by the simple, yet effective, melodies. Advent Rising has some of the best audio of this year.

The next thing I want to talk about is the story. You play Gideon Wyeth. The younger brother of renowned captain, and playboy, Ethan Wyeth. The story is that you and your brother are to escort an ambassidor onto an alien shuttle, so that your races can become allies. The aliens, who are called Aurelians, warn you that the Seekers are coming to destroy the humans. The story draws you in so quickly, that you will find it hard to put the controller down, even to go to the bathroom. Some of the cinematics are very long. Advent Rising compensates for this by letting you pause during the cinematics, and letting you skip them, or restart it, but I digress. Back to the story. Very early in the game, you are faced with a tough decision. Both your brother Ethan, and your fiance Olivia are injured. You can only save one. It makes little difference in the end who you choose, but I found the outcome very sad.

Next comes the gameplay. This game is very interesting, because it is kind of a Third Person Action Shooter RPG. Let me explain. There are a variety of elements in the game, that keep it diverse and fun. The RPG element comes into play, when you have used a weapon or ability so much, that you become more proficient in the skill. Later in the game, you learn from Kehlem, an Aurelian, how to levitate objects. You gain different unerthly skills throughout the game, which you can become more proficient in.

Overall, Advent Rising is amazing. It is an original, fun, and extraordinary experience. The stunning visuals, beautiful music, and compelling gameplay, come together to deliver a refreshment from the same old games. This is a sure contender for game of the year. Advent Rising is the first in a trilogy that will take the gaming world by storm.

Advent rising the most UNDERRATED game ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Advent rising simply is a great game. The gameplay is fun and unique combining groundbreaking elements never before seen in a video game. It had top-notch sound as well as pretty good graphics and effects. The game does have a few visual glitches but these are soon
forgotten; lost in advent rising's greatness.
Gameplay-5
sound-5
story-5
graphics-4

Advent rising simply was given much hate and distaste undeservingly. The reviews for the game are great scratch a few from gamespot.

The greatest game for the X-Box?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

In this generation of gaming, a dark age if ever there was one, where great games are few and far between, and sequel after sequel sells while great aspirations so often go unrealized, swept away in the flood of mediocrity, comes a game that turns me back into a true believer...

I've been around. I've owned so many game systems, tried so many styles of games. I've looked and searched and hoped and dreamed...that there would one day come a game that took the strengths and lost the weaknesses that have plagued seemingly every action game.

What does a good action game need? What have they been lacking? Well, think of all those stupid first-person-shooters, all those mindless action games. They have you mowing down hordes of enemies...and then jumping across a gap and falling to your death! You're blasting your way through all kinds of madness, and then you can't find the key to open the stupid door to the next area! How often I would dream of a game where there's no stupid jumping puzzles! No stupid key searches! Instead...you blast enemies, the story progresses, and the doors OPEN when you approach them! YES!!!!! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This game is what every Star Wars action game wishes it was. It's what Jedi Knight should have been. It's what Gun Valkyrie shoudl have been. It's what I've been waiting for...a fun game!

The beginning of the game you're walking around and talking and training. Then you meet the aliens. And all heck breaks loose. And wow! Suddenly with both X-box triggers you're blasting through hordes of enemies as the ship breaks apart. And from there the action almost never stops.

Your abilities level up as you go, and after a few levels you get POWERS. Then the game immediately goes from good to AWESOME. All powers have level ups that come from usage. And as the game progresses the powers get progressively cooler. But the real greatness comes not from the powers but what you can DO with them. You can grab weapons out of enemies hands, then shoot them with them. You can freeze time and run to enemies and take them down in hand-to-hand combat. You can put up energy shields and then backflip and cartwheel in and out of their path while firing energy blasts out of your hands. You can snipe with guns and toss enemies around with with telekinesis. And because you of the awesome targeting system and excellent control menus, it's painless to target enemies and switch weapons and powers.

Most of the complaints in this game seem to center around said flick-targeting system, glitches in the system, slow-down, and camera issues. Some also don't like the difficulty. To all of this I say...what's your problem?

The flick-targeting system is brilliant. It allows you to easily switch targets and focus the camera instantly. You can adjust it's sensitivity if it's not working for you quite right. Same with the camera. But honestly, this is an ACTION game. AJUST TO IT! Every game has camera issues! Most action games have slowdown! And as games with bugs go, please keep in mind that Knights of the Old Republic has more bugs than the state of Florida and people got over that! Honestly, the bugs, slow-down, jaggies, WHATEVER simply aren't big enough to even be an issue.

The game has INCREDIBLE level design. It has loads of cool weapons. It has GREAT boss battles (fighting a flying tank single-handedly for the first time was so much fun the first time!). It's LOADS of fun. It has a great story, great music, great controls, adjustable difficulty, inspired characters, good voice-acting, and simply limitless possibilities for gameplay.

For a long while I thought this was a four star game because of the bugs and slowdown and whatnot. But in light of the slow-motion dodging, the music, the gamespy, and the incredible amount of FUN that this game is, I simply cannot give it fewer than five stars. This is one of the most under-rated games I've ever played, and probably the best game for the X-Box, with only the phenomenal KOTOR games challenging it. Everyone who likes action or sci-fi games should definitely play this game. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. It's just too deep and fun a game!

Star Wars of the videogames...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I first saw a commercial for Advent Rising while watching TV maybe a couple of months ago and when it first came out I bought it without second thought. This is mainly becuase I went online and researched the game and found out that Orson Scott Card helped write the scripting for the game, and I love his Sci-fi work. It was one of those situations that I just couldn't say no to.

Let me first start off with saying that the plot, characters, and just the whole concept of the game are 2 thumbs up across the board. A little rundown is that a race of aliens, the Seekers, have it out for humans becuase all across the galaxy humans are worshipped as gods for the powers and nobility, but are thought extinct. The Seekers know that this is not true and are hunting down all human survivors after they originally destroyed Earth.

You play as Gideon Wyeth, and the humans, after moving to a different planet, but having been isolated for so long, have forgotten their pass, finally meet friendly E.T.'s. This other group of aliens has come to warn the humans of the imminent destruction of their race and advises them to evacuate their planet as fast as possible.

The bad news is that the Seekers show up right then and destroy everyone except Gideon, his brother, and a female captian who they escaped offworld in her ship. Gideons wife was taken, and after his brother also dies in the endless struggle for freedom, he's basically pissed.

Thats about the some of the game, in a nutshell of course, because the in-game conversations aren't corny as many games are, and many of the in game movies have been leveled up from just cut scenes using game graphics to just below Final Fantasy: Spirit's Within. This gives the game on hell of a cinematic experience. Graphics are great, along the lines of Halo and Halo 2, and the powers that you have are also very creative.

Most of your powers are very like Star Wars ones, but in-game text explains how these powers really work. Many are such things as Surge, which tightens all the threads of surrounding space-time and whips it back, which can be aimed at an enemy. You can also do the opposite, and steal weapons from other enemies. This is just one of the six powers that you have, and all are very unique, not just different names that basically all do the same thing.

This game does have many technical glitches, but I find that many of these are experienced by other gamers. I have only had Advent Rising freeze on me once, and I have never gotten stuck behind or in anything. The in-game A.I. can be a little slow at times, but I also play on easy (not very good of a video gamer) and I'm not complaining.

Overall: Definitely a 5, including the glitches, which I'm guessing will all be soothed out in the two upcoming sequels to one of the greatest games created.

Great story, music, gamplay, O.K. controls. Great GAME!!1

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 5
Date: December 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

One, I'm 13, I hate logging in. This game is great. The stroy and music is grand. I would rent it, if you like it, by it!!!!!

P.S. Halo is good!

advent rising

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game kicks ass. Plain and simple. The technical issues are insignificant compared to the overall quality. I found the flick targeting glitch to mildly annoying, but it rarley was a problem for me , actually i found it to be very useful when firing while moving. Somebody mentioned something about the abrupt narrative clip segues, but I think that's just nitpicking an otherwise beautiful, incredibly entertaining ride.

Remake

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: January 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Wonderful game with intriguing story despite it's many technical problems. I think we should start a petition to remake the game for xbox 360/PS3 fix the technical problems, update the graphics,and leave the beautiful story and original gameplay as it was.

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