5 comments about Forza Motorsport 2 (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. UPDATE TO THIS REVIEW
   
   There is another review giving this book FIVE STARS.
   
   The poster's name is "B.D.Anthony".
   
   The book was authored by a "Brad Anthony".
   
   This is the only product on Amazon that "B.D.Anthony" has authored.
   
   Coincidence?
   
   END OF UPDATE
   
   -----------------------------------------------------
   
   Given the delays in bringing Forza 2 to market, you'd think they could get this one right, but no.
   
   Most of this book is reference material that rightly belongs in appendices, but they chose to insert it in many pieces into the middle of the text. This makes it very hard to find the reading material.
   
   So that could have been solved by a good index. There is NO index. What about a Table of Contents? Yes there is one, but it is very brief and EVERY page number reference is incorrect. Yes, every single one.
   
   Early in the book, page 4, you are referred to the Multiplayer Chapter. There is NO Multiplayer Chapter. So there is no coverage of Online Exhibition races, Quickmatch, Custom Match, Create Match or Online Career races.
   
   Very few words are devoted to multi-screen, certainly nothing that could provide guidance in setting up multiple screens. And there are two glaring errors, one implying that the only number of screens supported is three, and another claims there is a "replay view" which is just not true.
   
   Often the "why" is not explained, such as why would you hire a driver to drive for you if he/she takes 100% of the prize money?
   
   The sequence of the material is somewhat random and they even take topics and split them. Pit strategy is covered on pages 20 and 187. And that coverage doesn't even explain how long a pit stop may take or how to even initiate a pit stop.
   
   My recommendations are:-
   
   1. Have low expectations
   2. Be prepared to use a lot of Post-It tabs to mark useful things you find
   3. Be very, very patient when trying to find information
   4. Do NOT assume "it must be here somewhere" - it probably isn't



2. The logistics involved in writing a book like this while a game is still under development are quite challenging; rarely do authors and their editorial teams see any appreciation for that fact.
   
   This guide is a must for fans that want the extra edge in the game, from very specific tuning tips to unprecedented track detail to all the car stats you need when making pre-race comparisons to your competition, even in-depth racing theory to improve your on-track performance.
   
   It's a massive tome of racing reference and how-to material jam packed into 240 pages - twice the size of most guides! If you want an edge over your competition, both online and off, you need the info inside these covers!



3. This is a good resource, lot's of pictures and good detail. It's great for the beginner, but not too detailed on the tuning, setups and really specific information. It gives the basics and you have to build on that. That said, at the Amazon price, it's a worthwhile purchase.



4. its ok, but all info you can get from game itself doesn't describe tuning or have any andvanced tips, more for someone who would rather read than play game



5. This game is, overall, great. Customization of the cars visuals, possibilities are endless. You even get information about the manufacurers of the vehicle. The car list is way more than the first Forza. However, there is still a problem with the available cars. Example, they have at least six or seven EVO series mitsubishi, But I have seen no VR-4. They have several skyline GT-R's But no GTS-t, and no ceferio. Despite this, I still say it is a five star game. The realistic car reaction and thought that went into this game reflects in the final product. So I say give it 5...

2 comments about Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (Xbox360): Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Good guide,it really helped having as fast as I did.



2. I like RTS games and C&C3 is a great game but it's can be difficult sometimes, especially in missions and this guide make a real good job with its walkthroughs of the three campaigns. If you get stucked in some mission, this guide can help you a lot to pass the mission, not only with primary objectives but with bonus objectives too.
   
   The guide asumes you are playing in "hard" difficult so you can get all the achievements. It also give you in-depth stats about units and structures and a table comparison of all of this.
   
   It contains multiplayer maps with tips and strategies for xbox live gaming. In addition, the guide contains a controller scheme card, very useful if you are new to C&C3 in Xbox 360.

2 comments about The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II (Xbox 360) (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. I recently purchased the strategy guide for the EA games title: Battle for Middle Earth II. I was primarily looking forward to the customary (and advertised) information on unit statistics and upgrades etc.
   
   Unfortunately the tables that are supposed to contain this information in the book are riddled with typos.
   
   - Many units have blanks or dashes instead of the appropriate stats
   
   - Many units have letters in columns that should contain numbers and numbers in columns that should contain letters
   
   - The unit upgrade information is referenced, but was totally omitted from the tables
   
   If you are primarily interested in the unit statistics I would not recommend this guide.



2. 
   This is an excellent game I enjoy which isn't addictive as those crazy MMORPG's around today, and also very fun. I have been playing it alone and with my family (including my wife)for 9 months now and we had lots of fun at it. We havn't got bored of since we can change the game style in our skirmishes.
   
   Its a huge upgrade compared to older fantastic strategy's (back then) such as age of empires.

5 comments about Official Saga Frontier Strategy Guide.

1. this stratagy guide had a lot of stratagy, but all the lists were incorect, it seemed like David cassady (writer) had played the game but he should go back and check how many hit points the bosses have. I recomend it but don't depend on the stats.



2. this stratagy guide had a lot of stratagy, but all the lists were incorect, it seemed like David cassady (writer) had played the game but he should go back and check how many hit points the bosses have. I recomend it but don't depend on the stats.



3. I tried numerous times to finish the game without buying a guide and it was next to impossible (for me) and once the guide arrived I understood what the game wanted from me without telling me what to do word for word. I highly recommend it.



4. Oh man oh MAN! This guide is one of the worst pieces of garbage that I've ever had the misfortune to have picked up. I think I was MORE lost with it in my hand than without it. Poor maps, lousy boss strategy, inaccurate information all help to make this strategy guide bad. Very very VERY bad. This man (David Cassaday) has never played a video game in his life and it shows.

   Another poor effort by Brady Games. I wish there was a half or no-star rating, because this effort certainly deserves them. The only way this guide could be worse is if it was for another game entirely. AVOID this guide at all costs!




5. You need maps? Get this. Don't need maps? GameFAQs has much, much better. The FAQ by Matt Hobbs is literally a million times better than this. It's every bit as good as this guide, but actually useful with an accurate item list. Save your money for the actual game.

1 comments about Playing Chess With the Heart: Beatrice Wood at 100.

1. Absolutely stunning, glorious and sensual black and white photos of Beatrice Wood.
   
   B. Wood conveys in her photos that life can be lived with enthusiasm and zeal at 100 years old.
   
   She inspires me on every level as a woman.
   
   A small yet magnificent book.

1 comments about Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. I've always loved the Soul Reaver series, so when I heard a 2nd installment was going to be issued a couple of years back I was elated. But much like the original, your going to need some help if you want to minimize your frustration with Soul Reaver 2's complicated puzzles and obstacles. That is where this book comes in. Prima's guide was to the point and provided clear instructions on how to master Soul Reaver. Beautiful color illustrations, some background information of the games characters, and combat tips made Soul Reaver 2 a much more enjoyable game to play. Thegame by itself is a masterpiece with stunning graphics, great story line, and very realitic environments, Prima's Soul Reaver 2 guide enhances the magnificance of this epic game.

3 comments about Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. This is an awesome guide for anyone who has Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. I got this book when I was stuck at a certain level and it helped me beat the level. This book has info on all enemies, all the secret exits, all the dragon coins, and info on how to beat every boss. It also has very detailed walkthroughs. This is a must-have book for anyone who owns this game!!!



2. I have the original 1991 walkthrough, on Console Xpress, a British magazine, for the SNES, which has detailed maps, the maps are extremely useful for anticipating obstacles, jumps and enemies, other then that, this updated guide is very good.



3. Super Mario World-one of the bect games for GBA, but quite large.
   This book-helps you find every exit, beat evey boss, and finish the game!

5 comments about Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Official Strategy Guide.

1. Overall I would say the book is very complete. I have found very little about Warcraft III that was not answered in this book. This book has two parts.

   The first part is the game play detail. This part provides details such as damage, armor, range, hit points for every unit and building; a "tech tree" for each race; and details about the special abilities of the heros. This part is essential for any serious player.

   The second part is a pure spoiler for the single player missions. It gives every detail about the missions including: items, enemies, power ups, and tactical strategies. This part would be most useful to younger players or those who are new to strategy games.

   I personally do not enjoy the single player game nearly so much as the multi-player game. I have owned the game for 6 months now, and have not-yet finished the single player game. Conversly, I have played over 200 online games.

   I would recommend this Strategy guide to two types of people: those who are serious about developing a winning strategy (using the first part of the book), and those who are new to strategy games and may have trouble completing the single player missions (who would use the second part of the book).




2. Bought this for my husband for Christmas. I couldn't believe how nice the graphics and color were. I personally can't stand these games because they take so long to play (it's solitaire and Mah Jongg for me), but my husband called me over just to look at it, and it's pretty neat. Guess I won't be seeing him for another 6 months while he plays it...



3. Grading just on the basis of a guide, this book would have received 5 stars easily. The failing in this case is not in the guide, but in the game: Warcraft III is not sufficiently difficult to justify spending hard-earned money on a strategy guide. There are certain missions that one may get stuck on, but after trying again once or twice, most players should be able to figure out each mission's 'trick' strategy and beat it with relative ease. This applies even to hard mode, which, with the exception of a few missions late into the third and fourth campaigns, is not very hard at all.

   That said, this guide is a walkthrough, in every sense of the word. It tells you what structures/units are available (and, most importantly, which ones you should use), shows you the entire map from overhead complete with a suggested path to follow, and what pitfalls need avoiding on a certain missions. After I had beaten the game several times on my own, taking a look through the walkthrough I noticed several ingenious strategies or shortcuts that I had never thought of that would have saved me a few hours of aggravation. And of course, it gives you a fairly good summary of unit tactics and general strategy, such as scouting, creeping, etc. to use on Battle.net. Like most guides, however, this one is not designed to make you the perfect B.net player, so most of the in-depth strategy and tactics must be gleaned from websites such as warcraftiii.net

   It is an excellent guide, so if you have the money to spare and need a quick way out of that inanely annoying mission you're replaying for the 30th time, this is a good buy. But if you can stand a little trial and error, I doubt you'll need help to the degree to which this book offers it.




4. This guide is excellent for getting through the single player campaign missions. The information about each race and their units is very detailed. It helped me through some tuff spots in the game and showed me more I can do than what I already knew. The only downside is the lack of multiplayer tips and tricks.



5. This is a good strategy guide, it really helps your game once you get into the tougher missions by helping you to find things you most likely would have never found without looking at this. I give it 4 stars because it would have been really worth the buy if it was in color, its hard to see the pictures, but aside from that, its a great guide for only 10 bucks. Really good to have if your new to the game and havent beaten the campaign yet.

No comments about American McGee's Alice: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

2 comments about Shadowrun: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I wouldn't recommend it. Hard to get a game of people because noone plays. Things are imbalanced. Save your money like I wish I did.



2. I have been playing Shadowrun at least 5 nights a week since it was released. So I bought this guide mainly to have a nice manual on hand since I like the game so much.
   
   However, I was pleasantly surprised. There were many great gameplay tips which I hadn't seen or thought of before. There are STATS for every single race, weapon, and magical item (I bet you don't know how many health points a tree has), and there are detailed drawings and descriptions of every single map.
   
   This is an awesome game guide and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shadowrun, even experienced players like myself.