2 comments about Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Official Strategy Guide.

1. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin is a pretty large game. While the overall game itself is pretty easy to figure out, it's pretty easy to miss all those easter eggs and complete all those quests without some help. Well, the help is here and it actually works out fairly well. For the most part you'll get the information you need.
   
   The Guide begins with character introductions and then goes into the game basics section. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin is by no means a hard game to get a hold of, however, there are some pretty good tips here that beginners may not very well know. Experts and those who go on Speed Runs through Castlevania games probably won't need most of these tips however. Also, any Castlevania veteran who knows what to expect shouldn't need this section either. But if you're a beginner it's there just because. However, in this section the guide gives up the goods on a glitch in the game when completing Wind's quest. There's never been an easier way to get money, or more than one of a specific item.
   
   The walkthrough, the meat of all strategy guides, is what really counts in this guide other than the quests sections. Each section begins with a pretty basic map that shows you where all the itmes are locaated with numbered black dots. Numbered red dots represent objectives that need to be completed, and you can read about these points in the walkthrough, and they're pretty basic. Best of all the guide gets to the point. Also, on each map here, BradyGAMES has illustrated the path you should take to get through most places. Just following this straight-forward path doesn't net you every item or even uncover all of the in-game map, however.
   
   The maps are pretty much taken straight from the game, but they're good enough for you to navigate by. They also point out the location of portraits, save rooms and warp rooms.
   
   In each section of the walkthrough they also have a list of enemies that populate an area. Here you'll find HP listings, weaknesses, experience and so forth. This lowers the amount of page flipping by a considerable amount. More than likely, however, you won't need to refer back to this portion of each section too much.
   
   Boss strategies are surprisingly detailed. They give you some pretty helpful tips. I've always been an advocate for using your own strategies, but here these boss strategies not only help, but you get you through some boss fights with little or no damage at all. Considering how much of a challenge these boss fights can be, taking no damage sounds like a plan.
   
   The walkthrough gets you through the game with ease. There's not much left for you to figure out on your own. You've got puzzle solutions, boss strategies, enemy listings... all at your disposal. The game itself isn't too hard to figure out as it is, but with this leg up you'll conquer what you need to conquer. If you're lost, the guide will help you out quite a bit. Stuck at a boss? The strategies here help. In other words, this is exactly what a guide should be. There are also no spoilers, or catching you up on what needs to be done. This guide doesn't waste time. The walkthrough is fast and simple. The only real problem with the walkthrough is that there a couple of blurry or pixaled screenshots, but this is hardly a problem. You can still visually learn from them.
   
   After the walkthrough you'll get into all those secrets. Here the guide goes into the optional endings, New Game+, Hard Mode, Stella and Loretta Mode, Richter and Maria mode and other extras like Boss Rush Mode. There's no walkthrough for the different modes, but if Portrait of Ruin is like previous Castlevania games, you shouldn't need a full blown walkthrough for these extra character modes simply because the maps and such don't change. Therefore I can't really hold that against the guide.
   
   After all the secrets we get into the other part of the guide that's really good. The Quests which Wind sends you on. While the quests are indeed called out in the walkthrough, this little section in the back reduces page flipping. Here you'll get all you need to complete a quest. More than likely you'll need help with some of these quests, given that Wind's explanations are rather vague at times. This guide will help you get through each and every quest. Also, like I said, they give you a neat little trick that lets you duplicate the rewards that Wind gives you (but remember, that is found in the game basics section, not the quests or secrets section).
   
   After all the quests we get into the appencdices with weapon, armor, sub weapons etc. All this stuff is pretty standard for just about any guide. The descriptions are pretty helpful as well. Not only that but it tells you where to find them. So if you're missing a sub weapon and don't know where to find it and you don't want to flip all through the walkthrough, you can just as easily flip to the sub weapon appendix and it'll tell you where to find it. Again, the guide is very easy to use.
   
   Finally there't he bestiary. Which basically tells you all the monster stats that were presented to you in the walkthrough. There's a little more detail here, and for the bosses they'll repeat strategies, but for the most part, it's just an extension of the enemy stats already listed in the walkthrough. You more than likely won't need to use this, but again, like the game basics, it's there for those who might potentially need it.
   
   Is there really anything wrong with this guide? Well, there are not that many perfect guides out there, and this is no exception. There's nothing mentioned about co-op play at all. It's hard to judge whether or not this is a big problem. They do cover boss rush mode and the rewards granted for it, but it seems like a no brainer that a guide would cover EVERYTHING about the game. There's not even a mention of co-op mode. Still, for what it's worth, you get everything you need from this guide concerning the single player experience. If you're stuck, I guarantee this guide will help you out.



2. I am impressed with the detailed instructions and screen prints. A must-have for those that get stuck in video games. Is is a completely detailed walkthrough of the entire game, a guarantee that you can finish the game.

3 comments about N3: Ninety-Nine Nights (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. I'm a habitual game guide buyer. I like knowing how to get the secrets, I like knowing where to find my super items, easter eggs etc. Sadly, this guide just doesn't deliver. It's vague and sometimes just plain wrong.
   
   Here are some examples:
   Weapon upgrades - each character has several weapons of different levels. Ostensibly it lists where and how to get each one. In reality this isn't so. Sometimes the weapon isn't there. Sometimes it says 'In a chest on this level'. So, you look at the map. There are 15 chests marked on the map. Which one is your weapon? Well, guess you'll be opening all of them to find out.
   
   How do you unlock the 'True Ending'? According to this guide you have to do a mission on a character and complete the game with all the other characters. Except... the mission is not one of that character's missions and there is no 'free play' mode where you can do any mission with any character.
   
   How about confusing items? There's the statue pieces... hey, the guide can tell you what text will be on the item when you get it! Even if the text isn't very helpful...
   
   In short, forget this book and go look at Gamefaqs or the xbox forums.



2. i got this gude this week and its told me nothing i couldent figure out myself exept the level of the charicters/enemies and thier stats on those levels. alot of the book is basic to say the least and dosent give more info on the things your looking for ie wepon location etc. when it does tell you about the treasure chests, thier in the wrong location in the book verses the real location in the actual game. so pretty much, the books a let down. but if you want to know charicter stats and enemys, then buy at your own risk.



3. I've been buying and reading alot of guides lately and I've noticed a trend. A lot of these Prima guides seem to be written by this Fernando Bueno guy (this guide's author). I don't know why they keep giving him these assignments, because if you scan the reviews of this guide and the other ones he has authored you'll see a lot of poor reviews. I know it's not really nice to call someone out personally, but it's not right that this guy can keep putting out such a shoddy, low-quality product that gives gamers nothing of value.
   Basically, if you get a Prima guide written by Fernando Bueno you can be guaranteed that it will be a dumbed-down, watered-down mess. He uses language and slang that is about the reading level of a 10-year-old, which is a real insult to the intelligence of anyone with higher than a 5th-grade reading level. Also, his guides are light on substance and rely mostly on gimmicky sidebars which could have easily just been presented in a bullet-point format. Instead these "nuggets" of insight are presented with an exaggerated font and cheap flair so that they take up more space on the page than they are worth. I've now read several guides by this Fernando Bueno guy and they are all the same: poor quality, dumbed-down products which at best provide nothing worth reading, and at worst provide misleading, inaccurate "tips".
   Bottom line: if you see a guide you're considering to buy, and the author is "Fernando Bueno" - don't buy it. You'll be sorry you did, and you'll just be encouraging Prima to put out more worthless guides by this two-bit hack. If you don't believe me, just read the other reviews; you'll be glad you did.

2 comments about Half-Life 2: Episode 1 (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Great guide it realy helps when you get stuck. Nice pictures and very helpful.



2. So far the "Steam" online loader will not allow my game to run.After the first scene the screen freezes up. My system is newer (Only 6 months old) so it is not due to an ancient computer/ graphics card. Once I can actually load the game I will give a more detailed review.

1 comments about .hack//G.U., Vol. 1//Rebirth - BradyGames Official Strategy Guide.

1. For those of you familiar with the .hack line of games this is a great first installation for the .hack//G.U. series of games. I almost can't wait for the next!
   
   The story is about a game called The World, which is an MMORPG (*Massive Multiplayer Online Roll-Playing Game for those who don't know*). Haseo the "Terror of Death" is what is known as a PKK (*Player Killer-Killer*) and is after another player named Tri-Edge. When Tri-Edge kills players in The World, those players fall into comas in the real world. Haseo is after Tri-Edge because Shino, a player whom Haseo greatly respected, was killed by Tri-Edge.
   
   The graphics are top notch, the different areas that you go and visit are all beautiful.
   
   The story is really good. If you would like to know the story in the 8 months after the very opening of the game, you should purchase the series .hack//Roots which will start being released in late March/early April 2007!
   
   The combat is impressive and not turn-based, you can run around the battle area and attack or defend as you please.
   
   I recommend this as a great buy!

5 comments about From Myst to Riven: The Creations & Inspirations.

1. This gigantic book features stunning full page renders of key scenes from Riven, as well as various high resolution screencaptures. It also takes you through the entire process of making Riven, from the completion of Myst to the completion of Riven. It shows you how the story was developed (and additional bits to the story), how the stunning photo-realistic graphics were acheived, how the sound was done, how the design and visual look came about. In the background, it tracks Cyan's rise from a small company in a garage into one of the most profitable independent game designers in the world. Being a fan of the whole Myst universe and of computer technology in general, I absolutely love this book. I have it on my coffee table. While I have other things to attend to, my guests can flip through it until I have time to sit down. The process that went into making Riven was enormous and complex, and I salute Mr. Kadrey for getting down into words.



2. Most computer games don't much for me. I'm not into shoot-'em-ups, and I learned back in the days of the original ADVENTURE and ZORK that I wasn't that great at puzzle-solving. Oh the other hand, I've been playing MYST and RIVEN regularly for years, even though I haven't solved that many of the puzzles. I'm what this author calls a "tourist," a player who just likes to wander about the Ages of these games and gawk at the exquisite artwork and music, and marvel at the fantastic realism the design team has managed to put into their worlds. This book brings all that out in some detail, describing how Rand and Robyn Miller came up with the basic ideas, how Richard Vander Wende turned all their plans on their heads and made the game the masterpiece that it is, how even the sounds you hear are apt to be clues (I never knew that!), and -- above all -- how none of the team let themselves be hurried in their quest for something as close to perfection as they could manage. Like Tolkien, they even invented a detailed language for the D'ni. Amazing stuff.



3. "From Myst to Riven" is a positively amazing book that follows the arduous journey of the Cyantists from creating two of the greatest games ever made. All the way through Inception, Preparation, Construction and Completion, Kadrey takes such an in-depth look at the inner workings of Cyan that you feel as if you helped them along in making it. Breathtaking visuals and intriguing narrative make this a book that's a must-have for any hardcore fan.



4. Despite having read all the five star articles, about how wonderful this books is. I was still utterly blown away by it when i received mine. The book cost me about 85$ with shipping, but I live in DK so in addition I had to pay extra tax totaling a cost of over 100$, despite that this book is still well worth it. note however if you live outside the US. you might want to check shipping options since this book is very large (about 35cm in height)and it will cost a great deal to ship, thus you might get it via regular mail (witch takes forever). For anyone interested in CG, computer game history, Myst, D'ni, or Multimedia, This book is an absolute must!



5. Exquisitely illustrated, beautiful layout and easy to read, this book provides insight into the making of these groundbreaking computer games. Richard Kadrey has created this volume clearly showing his love and appreciation of the Myst game. This book should be included in the library of every design college, as it shows the development, mapping and design process of the creation of Myst.
   
   The book has an introduction by Rand and Robyn Miller and is divided into four parts: Inception, Preparation, Construction and Completion. Included is even a lexicon of the D'ni grammar.
   
   Well worth the wait and the price!

3 comments about Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. This book is just below mediocre in what it provides anyone who would open its covers. I have played AOE I and II a lot, and this book contributed nothing to my knowledge. I was hoping for the simplest of things: A complete listing of each Unit with its statistics, and instead got a first-grade primer on how to play a RTS game. Usually these lists of statistics on the units come in the games Microsoft puts out, but not from LucasArts. I would wait until a better book comes out instead of buying this complete ....... It is a part of the "manual" which should have been included in the game box, especially since the standard manual is lame, too. This support aspect of this game is the worst I have seen come from almost any gaming situation, and a rich company like LucasArts shows its disdain for consumers and gamers alike by packaging this ...... like this....



2. This game is awsome if you like strategy war games there are 6 diffrent teams to pick from and there all pretty good the only flaw is that there are that you have to gather 4 diffrent kinds of crystals and stuff but other than that its one of the best starwars games ever. P.S. if you like this you have to check out the computer game starcraft its even better then this one.



3. I bought this guide because I love the game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (I'll assume anyone who reads this will already have played the game so I won't describe it). I recieved an excerpt with my copy of the game which had the chapter on tips on playing the game (times for moving through tech levels, etc.). I was excited, but slightly disappointed to find that a large portion of the guide details how to get through all the scenarios rather then the normal game, which I was more interested in.

   There is the (pretty good) story for the first chapter (although it goes in the some-stormtroopers-are-clones theory, where I go more for the (noncanon?) view detailed by Timothy Zahn's trilogy), and then the book goes into a overview of the main menu (what each button does). The next chapter was the excerpt included in my game (which is a good chapter). After that, detailed stats on every unit/building in the game, and then a neat transcript of a conversation about the different civilizations, along with a tiny chapter on strategies.. Pages 63-175 (out of 204) detail every single scenario. After that is another chat about multiplayer strategies, and then two appendices.

   All in all, it is a very handy resource, it just won't replace you playing and finding out how to win yourself.

3 comments about Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. Firstly, let me say that this walkthrough is very useful at helping you to get the job done with minimal fuss. However, some details are glossed over, in particular activating the alarm on the shogun showdown level. I get the impression that the book was put together quickly without much going over. If the author did explore the levels, then they certainly aren't sharing too much with us, e.g. no mention of the girl you can talk with in the shogun showdown level either.

   The book does serve the purpose of helping you to know where you are going and with screenshots that's much easier than just via a textual description you might download off the web. It will greatly reduce the time you take to finish each level. However, the depth of the advice is quite shallow and if you follow the instructions you miss out on all kinds of interesting encounters.

   Overall - the walkthrough serves its purpose but it does not do the game justice. But to be fair, this is also a reflection on the size and complexity of the game.




2. For the most part, strategy guides for video games are more than helpful. Not only do they give you a detailed walkthrough of how to get through certain missions, but they also let you in on some of the hidden goodies within the game itself, such as hints, tips, and cheats.

   Prima's Official Strategy Guide for "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" is not one of these strategy guides, sadly.

   The guide is just a dry outline of a walkthrough for all of the missions given. The details are brief and short, not giving you a full idea of what should be done. You'd think that they would have tons of multiple alternate routes to take, but they really don't. The only time that they do is when they do it very briefly. The guide offers a handy little intro that gives you some great techniques of how to move in the game, but that's the only extra thing that's in here. There are no cheats or hidden goodies within this guide.

   Is it helpful? Sure, to a point. It does give you a vague idea of how to get through these missions, but it offers nothing more. It certainly isn't worth what it costs. The people who created this strategy guide should really look at the "Grand Theft Auto" guides so they will have a better idea of what a real strategy guide should consist of. All in all, this strategy guide is a tad helpful, but should only be considered as a last resort--as it isn't extremely helpful to begin with.

   Let's hope they don't make the same mistake when the new "Hitman" game comes out. -Michael Crane




3. I purchased a used book, which arrived in a timely manor and in fair shape. the guide did help me get through the game, but it does leave a few things to be desired. All in all, i am glad I have the book, as it does help.

3 comments about Destroy All Humans!(tm) Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. This strategy guide is really not necessary to play Destroy All Humans. First, the game is simple and the missions are self-explanatory. And second, if you suck at finding the hidden items, buy this or you may die. Otherwise, don't buy it. Plain and simple.



2. After defeating the human race on my own, I purchased this book to seek out various DNA probes on the different levels. It turned out to be very helpful, and just kind of complete all the levels on a more thorough basis, as opposed to just beating the levels.
   
   I highly recommend this book, especially if you get stuck. Some of these levels are tough, and I encourage you to try to win on your own, but if you find it too tough, this book is a must, and it comes in handy when seeking out the DNA probes. This game rules!!! And this book rules too!!!



3. helpfull book, got me through a couple tough spots already, hard to find in the stores too!

5 comments about S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This game is unique. I advise buying the Prima Game Guide and obtain a download of the IGN FAQ on the game. Even with these you will find it a confusing and tough game but it is worth the effort. I sculled around in the game at first and got used to its strange russian ways. Its a good idea to do this because you then get used to some of the rules and the odd morals of the game. Good gun battles - fun wepons - good monsters - the the humanoid phychic mutant has a mind weapon that really puts the wind up you but if you can take it he can be shot in the head dead.
   It is a big game and some mistakes mean you have to go back to NEW GAME.
   Great fun and quite a challange.



2. It wasn't as open ended as I had hoped but still and amazing game. The atmosphere alone is worth the money. Really sweet concept and monsters however I was really disappointed by the online play. I have horrible lag problems with it and I'm running cable internet with dual 4200 processors, 2 gigs of ram and a x1900 pro video card which leaves me to believe it's simply the servers. Oh well, single player is definetly enough fun. Buy this game, you won't be disappointed:-D



3. If you are looking for the best path through the game, it may be better to find a free online walkthrough, especially since I heard that there are bugs in many of the side missions, making a fair number of those unstable. So, it is possible that some of the book's information about side missions is useless. I'm unsure how well the new patch, or future patches, fix these problems. The character and weapon art in the margins is extremely good, except that there is no closeup drawing of the fascinating gauss rifle, which I *REALLY* wanted to see. There are no closeups of the knife, binoculars, anti-radition drug kit, or other medical kits, either. The kits are just featureless boxes, so they do not stimulate the imagination or allow you to imagine what is inside. Some of the margin art does show excellent conceptions of what Russian special forces troops, fully loaded with their equipment, might look like in the future. Some people might like the pictures of the mutant creatures, if they like violent and horrifying stuff.



4. This guide is more buggy than the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game it purports to bring to light. It is basically a hard copy of the guide which is already installed at the \Program Files\THQ\S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl\ directory created at installation. I will not get into what I think about the game, this review is for the guide and I am trying to save some people a ten spot or more in avoiding this inept work. The primary usefulness of this guide is to beginning players, but even then it is hardly worth the effort to get it, never the less the money spent. It lacks any depth in any area, the weapon, artifact and area descriptions are taken right out of the in-game PDA write up. There are no useable maps and the run down of missions is laughable as they lack the maps and simply give a general theory of completion. What I did like about this guide is that it has a rundown of all the weapons, but since the information is already in the inventory interface, it doesn't warrant purchase for that reason alone. Even in that area, the guide furthers the typos inherent in the game and copies them into the guide which had the Obokan rifles description all confused. There is some very good artwork in the guide in full color, but really most text in the book is ripped right from the PDA entries. The combat tips are in the level of explaining straffing and leaning, so if you have ever played another FPS, it is worthless in that purpose as you already know the basics. The other thing that is annoying is that the guide never attempts to shine a light on the broken side quests in the game and is seemingly unaware that item / personnel locations in these types of missions are often randomly generated every time you take a job from a character in the game. It states exactly where they will be in the guide and although they are sometimes there, they can be at multiple locations from the random generation. It also does this with artifacts that sometimes randomly generate and it will say to pick up some artifact at some location only once you arrive - it's either not there or another artifact altogether. The layout of the guide is haphazard at best and downright schizophrenic most of the times with no apparant order that is discernible. I simply cannot think of a worse guide then this. Players who have gotten even a quarter of the way through the game will not learn anything from it and even newbies should just save their money and read the PDA entries.



5. Not a lot of specific help issues. Maps not of great help. No one-page overview map of the whole game. Had to consistantly flip back and forth to find specifics for even the same section of game. Overall, not very well organized or of great help.

1 comments about Resident Evil?: Outbreak 2 Official Strategy Guide.

1. This is a good item for die-hard Resident Evil fans. It offers in-depth strategies, character/enemy profiles, and weapon/item assessments that are valuable to beginners. I am very pleased with this purchase.