5 comments about Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. The book is very infomative and well illustrated, the only draw back is that the optional missions should of been included in thier own chapter, instead of strewed throughout the book. And a longer list of possible creations with weapons, armor and stones should have been provided.



2. this strategy guide is great for those who are a bit video game challenged, like me. the best thing in it, as is in all stategy guides, are the maps. very helpful in gettin around places, and for findin treasure. the coolest part is when you're able to unlock the famous r.a. salvatore charachter, drizzt do'urden. he's soo awesome to play!!!



3. The book that I ordered was in new condetion, and I received it
   very quickly. I am very pleased with mt purchase



4. This guide is essential to figuring out the best way to play a character the first time through. Without it, you will need to play the game and waste level-up points on worthless skills and attributes. The maps are not all that necessary, but they can save you a little time from backtracking. If you like making magical weapons and armor, this guide can be a great help.



5. I am writing this because I am now playing the game, and this strategy guide did not have what the cover claims it has. The cover says, "Maps Revealing Every Secret Area." But I am in Act III, and Skull Gorge has an Orc Cave with a secret area that is not in the guide. To learn how to access that area, I had to refer to a walkthrough posted at gamefaqs.com.
   
   Nevertheless I am giving this book 4 stars. This is because I do not recommend playing the game without a guide. You could follow the one at gamefaqs, but Prima's is much more colorful and you can have it right by your side without having to print out anything.
   
   Why do you need a guide? If you're a beginner, playing a Forgotten Realms roleplaying game for the first time, you can easily get into trouble by trying to develop a character without help. Even if you're experienced, you might want to feel confident that you can get through the game without becoming angry and frustrated. Having a good walkthrough at your side gives you that confidence.
   
   Prima's guide has many glossy illustrations and easy-to-read maps. So far for me, its most helpful features are the character guides and the Workshop section. The latter has been essential. The game itself fails to give me details that I want for making good magical items.

4 comments about Devil May Cry(tm) 3 Official Strategy Guide (Signature) (Signature) (Signature).

1. This Guide is alot bigger then the last 2 for the other Devil May Cry Guides, and helps alot more. It has pictures to drool over of Dante and Vergil as well where secrets are located and in depth boss battles. It helps getting through tuff missions and where to find all those blue orbs. This Guide also comes with a bonus fold-out for all of Dante's avaliable moves in each of his classes. So this is a must get for any fan of Devil May Cry, either for help or like me for the gorgeous pictures of Dante, with the bonus of Vergil, Dante's older twin brother. It's true what they say, Sparta's twin sons have differences to work out and it'll be an all out Bishonen Brawl with Dante vs Vergil. Get seats today ^__^



2. He's 10 and thihs book helped him get more ouf the game (which he probably should'nt have anyway).



3. Awesome strategy guide! Between Bradygames and Prima, nobody else can make strategy guides like them. All full color, maps, and tons of useful information. If you are like me and like to find everything in the game you can't go wrong with this guide.



4. This book is adequate in getting across the information, but it is difficult to read and the strange placement of writing on the pages makes people miss important information the first time thru.

3 comments about Kameo: Elements of Power (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Good walkthrough but would have benefited from having the extras (elemental fruit and elixirs) mixed into the walkthrough instead of at the end in an "extras" section. I had to go back and walk through many of the same areas to find the stuff I had missed.



2. Great guide for the money. Really help me through the end of the game. I would by more guides for my other games after using this one.



3. Occasionally the book was either wrong or would tell you a much harder way of doing things. In all it was a good book though. I would buy another book from them.

2 comments about Shining Force EXA Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games Official Strategy Guides).

1. As has become usual for bradygames releases this is a guide to the main game only, with incomplete item and gear lists and advise that can lead you pretty far astray.
   
   There are no guides included for secret arts, gear reforging or item location. There are no maps of optional areas. There is no world map.
   
   Honestly just hit a faq's website for this one.



2. Was delevered earler then expected . was in great shape when it was opened. was as expected .

5 comments about City of Villains Binder (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Before ordering the guide I thought it was a great idea to be in binder format so that I could add my own stuff to it as well. Upon receiving it however I've changed my mind. Not only is the binder cheap in its construction, it is awkward to boot!
   
   I was disappointed with the content as well... I don't think it gave me anything new of any substance; it is basically a rehash of everything that is either in the CoV manual or online in the official forums.
   
   Quite some time ago when I bought City of Heroes (just before release), I also ordered the Prima guide for it... although a lot of the information was basic, it was hands down better than the CoV binder guide!



2. "When major updates or new Issues are released, Prima will release new, punched Update Packs for your binder." Or so says the product description above...not going to happen.
   
   Prima has made it clear that they will NOT be printing the updates for purchase - they will only be available for download (at no cost) from their site. Which is all fine and dandy, but to print that "free" download on your own and at your own expense in full color would be so cost prohibitive that it makes the whole binder system obsolete. (In fact, one person on the City of Heroes forums burned the file to CD and took it to their local major copy shop, who promptly quoted them a price over $200.00 to print in color.)
   
   So, it was a great dream while it lasted...and the cries of woe from disgruntled customers have fallen on Prima's deaf ears...



3. Cryptic/NCSoft have issued the latest update as an e-guide, and have stated that they have decided against the binder update format. So it's pointless paying more for this than the usual cost of a strategy guide.



4. As with the City of Heros book this one was a great idea and then Prima in their great marketing skills decided to not print updates for customers. My children love the book and use it constantly, but now that a new update is out it is getting out dated. Don't buy it because you can't print the updates at a reasonable cost.



5. Thank God, I didn't pay more than $5.00 for this binder. This item is pure garbage.

No comments about The Meaning of Video Games.

5 comments about Doom 3 (Xbox) (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This players guide is a must-have for Doom 3 fans, like myself. This guide contains the best information about the game that will help you fight your way through hell and back; full maps with the locations of all the key cards, items, secrets, weapons, and enemies, as well as the codes for all the storage lockers. This guide tells everything you need to know about the weapons, enemies, characters, and offers the absolute best strategy to playing the game. Because of the dark, mazy levels in Doom 3, it's rather easy to get lost. As a result, this guide certainly comes in handy to help find your way out of a certain level. I highly recommend this Official Game Guide for Doom 3; it's the best one out there!



2. A great must have. I played doom3 for 3 months and decided I needed help, so I got "The Guide" and it was a big help. I didn't realize what I was missing!! Besides, it gave names to my enemies,told me about the weapons(which aren't quite the same as the "old doom") and told a story. I like it and think it was worth the money. I think the games should be sold with the book.
   RC



3. This seems like a good guide for Doom 3. Of course all of the Prima's I have purchased are always good. Of course I am really bad when it comes to gaming. The Best way to describe my gaming is that I need a gaming eye dog to get me throught the games.



4. The book provides plenty of information on defeating the enemies you encounter in Doom. You will find it very useful.
   
   I especially liked abilility to find the storage cabinet code without reading the PDAs



5. My husband and I like to play computer video games. This was a necessary book since it gives us hints & help we would not have known to get us thru the levels.

5 comments about The Legend of the Syndicate: A History of Online Gaming's Premier Guild.

1. I picked up this book after reading about it on Slashdot. I play World of Warcraft and help manage a guild, so I was interested in the subject matter.
   
   
   The story and history of the guild is interesting, as is the explanation of the guild structure and how they've managed to last for more than ten years (which is remarkable).
   
   The book, however, was hard to read. The author writes in the third person about himself, which made for awkward reading and promoted a certain self-satisfied tone that I really had trouble with. As other people have mentioned, the editing is atrocious. Typos, missing words in sentences, etc. A lot of the chapters feel like standalone essays that were pieced together to make a book, so there is some repetition.
   
   I would recommend this book if you're interested in learning about guild structure and management, but I didn't enjoy reading it.



2. This book should be used as a blueprint for how to build a guild in a MMORPG. Yes, The Syndicate started in the perfect storm, but it was true leadership from Dragons and others that built this group into the power and friends they are now.
   
   The book covers the history of gaming as well as the guild, worth the read for that "insiders" look at the Syndicate.



3. The Legend of the Sydicate, while a good book overall for the MMO Industry, didn't live up to my expectations. The book goes over the same few topics over and over. In addition, there are TONS of 'facts' within' the book do not appear to have been researched. For example, they list they are the 1st guild to last 10 years, which is incorrect. It is just a bunch of little things, that add up for me to not reccomend the book. If you are just interested in MMO's in general then it will be a good read.
   
   If your going to base claims, you need to be sure that you are correct when you write them in a book, otherwise you look a little foolish.



4. This book really embodies a great idea that suffers from a very amateurish execution. This is one of the first (if not only) books focused on describing the history of an online gaming guild, and its an ambitious aim that I'm sure we'll see much more of in the future. To his credit, the author clearly knows a great deal about his subject matter, and his passion and enthusiasm for the guild being described is evident.
   
   The biggest problem unfortunately stems from the author's enthusiasm, as it tremendously colors the story. The author literally has nothing negative to say about the Syndicate, and every decision Dragons (the syndicate's leader, and the author) makes is one that ultimately leads to the triumph that is the guild today. The tone of this book reminds me of an autobiography of Kim Jong Il published by the North Korean government...in reality, a guild this long running must have had more interesting situations than the way they are described here (which is invariably 1) Crisis happens, 2) Dragons presciently thinks it over and decides on the best course of action, 3) said course leads gloriously to today's wonderful guild). Ultimately, the consistently glowing descriptions of everything involved with the guild are just boring.
   
   The less said about the tiresome fantasy sections, where the author describes the guild's activities as if it was a fantasy novel, the better. Suffice to say, your 12 dollars could get you two good fantasy paperbacks, and about 100 times more value if your looking for fantasy stories.
   
   On a more technical level, the writing and especially editing is really haphazard. In addition to numerous typos, grammar errors, etc, the chapters don't flow particularly well together, and occasionally it veers off into tangents that can't possibly be of interest to the casual reader; several chapters, for instance, are basically just recounts of happenings at the various conferences the guild has organized ("John got drunk thursday night", "the hotel guards let us use the pool late," etc.) A quick google search seems to indicate the publisher is an arm of this guild (their only other published book is a fantasy story by one of their guild members); the book definitely could have used the services of a professional publisher.
   
   The basic idea here is a good one (describing the history of a long running fantasy guild). Hopefully it will pave the way for other books like it that will benefit from a more experienced author and more professional development. I'd save your money for those.



5. The guild creator (and probably the same guy who is hocking this book + wrote it) runs The Syndicate like a business, not like a guild. It's a sad dilution of what the word "Guild" actually means. Basically he cares more for the reputation of his "pet creation" than the individual people/members that make it what it is. If you've ever been a part of The Syndicate you'll see how the turnover rate is that of Mcdonald's and it is quite the mass of cluster soup.

5 comments about Mortal Kombat?: Deception Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games Signature).

1. stupid. $14.99 for nothing. It has maybe 4 fatalities, and like 2 hara-kiris. And the konquest guide is no help. "Go to location A-8." Like I know where A-8 is! And there is no help for side missions. Only primary missions. And there are many grammar mistakes. And it doen't cover anything about the krypt! Of all things, this is one of the most important. Nobody cares about every single little move a character has. We want their fatalities! And some of the special moves are not even right. Don't get it look on the internet.



2. This guide is missing secret character moves and how to unlock them. No other secrets or krypt info was listed either.



3. I've never written a review before, because I've never been impressed enough or upset enough to do so. Believe me, I'm very much the latter right now.
   
   Everyone that has played Mortal Kombat knows that the main thing that sets apart MK from every other fighting game on the market are the fatalities. So I bought the guide hoping to learn how to do these finishers... Boy, was I wrong! Not only is the print so small and the colors so similar that I could barely read them (and even then I still can't make out some of the directional arrows), but more than half of them aren't even listed! Sure, it lists every single move possible during kombat, but I could have checked the move list to learn them.
   
   Next, Konquest Mode. Ugh, what an utter waste this "guide" is. The only quests it walks you through a blind hamster with a learning disability could have figured out on its own! And what about the subquests? If it wasn't for the tiny printing at the top of each map (which, by the way, are useless as well as you can check the map in-game anytime you wish) stating how many sub-quests exist in that world, I wouldn't believe that the author even knew they existed.
   
   Third, the Krypt. I was not pleased when I plugged the game in to discover that I had to 'unlock' half of the playable characters. But hey, it gives inentive to play the Konquest Mode (which I likely wouldn't have touched otherwise). However, there is ~nothing~ in this guide that tells me which koffin contains which secret.
   
   In short, this guide is hardly worth the pages it was printed on. Save your money, get your guide on-line. To those of you who I've saved $15 with this warning, you're welcome. To those who already bought it, my condolences.



4. I'm so glad I bought this guide at Wal-Mart as opposed to an actual videogame store. I bought it for the Fatalities, the Konquest mode, and the Krypt. This strategy guide had NO INFORMATION!!!! It actually said to look up info online! I even went to the website listed and it still had no info. Besides, I have gamefaqs.com if I want to get guides online. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!



5. One think I can say is that it sucks!It didn't help me finish the konquest game of mortal Kombat deception. Don't even waste your money on this!

5 comments about Star Fox Adventures Official Strategy Guide.

1. I didn't get mine until I was 86% finished with the Game.
   I really used it for the rest. It really saved me alot of internet time by looking at online guidebooks.Now I've beaten the final boss.



2. I liked this guide. It was clear and concise as most guides should be. I like the screens and how much time they spent getting you used to the game was an extra treat. They didn't jump right into the walkthrough which I was glad for. Also, the walkthrough was much more clearly organized and easy to read as compared to the other guides (I really didn't like the Nintendo Power guide for this game...).

   The maps are okay but not every map is 3-D like they say. This is absolutely no problem for me, but others might find it to be a problem. I liked that they took the actual map from the game. It made it much easier to navigate and find my way through the various worlds.

   I can't imagine much of anything wrong with this guide. All the puzzle solutions were there, secrets were mentioned, just about everything I'd expect from a strategy guide. Much better than some of the others out there. I think what went a little under explained were some of the Arwing Missions. But again, not much of a problem (there really isn't any "strategy" to getting through the Arwing missions).

   Overall, and easy to use guide that got me through the entire game with few problems. Making this an essential Star Fox guide to have. Not bad at all.




3. Strategy guides have always seemed to have a interesting effect to help people with video games. Nevertheless, third-party companies that make those guides for video games don't actually make them very well at all. For Star Fox Adventures, it has been one of the most surprising video games ever developed for the Nintendo Gamecube. However, the strategy guide Brady Games developed does have a lot of problems. The maps and details are really not detailed enough and quite misleading on certain courses. Another problem is that it doesn't display how to defeat the Star Fox menace, Andross. For so many, they are just better off passing this guide up, for the real deal by Nintendo.
   
   Overall: D-



4. I strive to finish a game and THEN buy the guide. This guide has pretty much everything you need to know. One major thing it's missing is strategy for the "final battle".
   
   I didn't need that much help with this game, but I'm sure this guide could help someone.



5. I got this for my grandson's 12th bday and he is having a great time playing the game, the book is great as it makes him want to read to find the clues and if it helps a kid want to read what more can you ask for:) Thank you for bring this our way on Amazon.