4 comments about Versus Books Official Perfect Guide for Wild Arms 3.

1. This is a pretty good guide. I only have about two or three small problems with the guide (see below) but to be truthful it really is one of the best and most well-organized RPG guide I've seen.

   To start off, if you want a guide that won't take the fun out of WA3-then this one is for you! There are not plot spoilers in the guide making it more useful.

   The walkthrough is well organized and easy to use. Its quick, organized, and most importantly, to the point! With beautifully done maps, and clear screens. The boss strategies are good at first, but then begin to lack a little. Not to mention that the guide doesn't give a strategy for optional bosses, but it will say the stats at least.

   You can find all 15 EX keys relatively easily with this guide in hand. They also have all the Millenium puzzle solutions, and all the side quest.

   The world map is nice but as in most RPG games nowadays you probably won't need it. The other gripe I had, as I have with RPG guides from VERSUS off the past is that they have no battle tips for beginners and no game basics! What kind of guide doesn't help you get adjusted to the game first?

   Oh well, moving on, the items list could've used more detail than I got from it, but hey, its still there so don't worry about it. It would have also been better to have an Arcana list in the back instead of making me fish through the walkthrough.

   OVERALL: This was a great guide. Not a "Perfect" guide (their WA2 guide was much better) but not a "Strategy" Guide either. Its more like you companion rather than just a book that gets worn on the shelf.

   POSITIVE
   +Detailed maps
   +Organized walkthrough
   +No story spoilers
   +Find all 15 Ex keys
   +Millenium puzzle solutions
   +All side quests and secrets

   NEGATIVE
   -No game basics and battle tips
   -No strategies for most optional bosses

   Pretty good guide. I'd have given it a five if it didn't have all thse small little tweaks that they didn't work out.




2. Typos, poor explanations, no details. It helps, and you'll need it for this game - but it seems very rushed.



3. The whole book is okay but it seems rushed and not personally talking to you like some other guides and has no story explanations or add-ons anywhere. Giving spoilers is a bad but helpful thing and helps you learn what your character's personalities are like. Not even any character bios or explaning what the H**l force points are or what the heck is the point of the game. In this case the game is great and gives you a post-modern wild west feel...



4. The only reason I gave this guide two stars was because it had a walkthrough. Remember the good ol days? When Versus Books released all the good guides? You could never go wrong when you went with Versus Books. I remember their FF7 guide...it was the greatest RPG guide ever made! Then came their Resident Evil 2 guide which is arguably their best (competing with their FF7 and MGS guide for that title), next was MGS and then Zelda 64 and they went on and on.

   Is this guide another "homerun" like their Wild Arms 2 guide was? No...in fact its one of their worse guides. Versus Books has obviously started to fall where they once succeeded. Ever since their Grandia II guide on PS2 (never saw the Dreamcast one but I've heard its the exact same) their guides have only grown worse.

   First of all, the guide has a nice walkthrough but unlike past guides they don't have "Basic Training" section. They don't even have character bios. What ever happened to Versus Books going beyond your average strategy guide? Now they're BELOW your average strategy guide. The guide goes directly into the walkthrough from the get go. No introductions or telling you how to use the books or anything. They don't tell you stats for overworld monsters and the walkthorugh is full of typos. There was a key point in the game where I was supposed to return to Little Rock. The guide said I had to return to little twister, and while it was easy to differentiate it took a moment because the game didn't say where to go next at that point.

   The item appensix isn't detailed but they did cover the Millenium Puzzles. Also, while they didn't take the fun out of te game the walkthrough was very bland and unintersting to read. It was as if a robot was talking to me in my mind. What's worse? Not enough screenshots. They showed ONE measly screenshot for each task to do when you may need a few more.

   Also, this guide has no bestiary and that isn't a problem but they also do not tell you overworld monster stats. Also, should an enemy reappear in another dungeon, the guide forces you to flip back several pages (much like their Grandia II guide did).

   My biggest gripe...well not so big gripe, was that they gave no tips on how to raise your ARMS which I could've used some suggestions. Another small gripe that I had was that they didn't detail personal skills or arcana very well. I would've like if they had an Arcana table in the back or something but they coudln't even do that! It's all in the walkthrough which is an endless amount of pages!

   The only reason to get this guide would be for the EX File Keys and puzzle solutions. Everything else is pretty much useless, no good boss strategies that only tell you to attack and heal. They don't tell you what to expect from a boss like they did in past guides. Maps are also very undetailed with minor flaws but they're difficult to navigate.

   Lastly, the world map isn't drawn to scale and they're missing some locations! Not only that but they don't give good directions in the walkthrough to get to those areas.

   Now for those red hot juicy secrets that Versus Books is really good at collecting. Wait...umm...there are no cheap tricks anymore! They cover basic secrets already mentioned in the game. They don't help you defeat secret bosses (no overall strategy like they did in WA2 guide.). They give you EX-File keys and they explain the secrets of "Finest Arts" but they don't cover the cheap tricks you can do (There IS an infinite money trick for this game!) and they don't tell you what you can steal from enemies either!

   Overall, there is no reason to waste money on this guide. The last good RPG guide I saw from Versus books was Grandia Xtreme. Now that was a good versus books guide, but eversince WA2 and their Pokemon guides, I haven't seen any good RPG guide (or very many good guides period) from Versus Books. Whatever happened to going BEYOND the game? Leave this on the shelf and go to GameFAQs.com for game info.

5 comments about Tomb Raider III: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. I needed this book to get through the game but there is so much to read...I had to up the time on my screen saver between moves. Also, there is an extra level in the game that you may partake in only if you get all the secrets. Well....if you notice, in London on the Aldwych level, there are 5 secrets in that level yet only 4 are listed in the guide. I made it through the whole game and collected all the secrets in the guide yet with cathedral key in hand, I couldn't enter the bonus level. Drats! So.....I took my time in that level once again and I found it (the fifth secret)....maybe I'll share if you really want it and can't find it. Only now, I'll have to play the whole game again to earn my bonus. Sigh.



2. hello im matthew o'boyl and im writing to you to ask for the tomb raider 3 guide



3. but this guide gives you lots of help but the only thing is the secrets and the guide has boxes and explains in more detail which is confusing and takes longer to complte than usual however this isnt really that much of a dilema also its interesting how it choses the levels this is worth buying yes



4. While this book CAN be helpful, it's not as well planned or as well written as the first two Tomb Raider guides from Prima. It's easy to see why Prima decided not to continue to print this book, as its walkthrough is sparsely populated with pictures or words, comparatively. The problem with this book, as opposed to the first two, is that it almost always skips over how to get every pickup, or which items are traps or simply larks - useless to go after.

   There is another book I have, "The Tomb Raider Companion," but I've misplaced it recently. I bought the Prima version, finally, because I liked the first two Prima guides and because the Companion is too wordy with not ENOUGH pictures. This makes it sometimes difficult to discern Lara's position or positioning within the game. But this review is about the Prima version; although written by the same author as the first two, it seems either that the editors decided to print less or that Mr. Ward decided that it wasn't necessary to write more. Reading over some of the other articles posted, it's difficult to understand why they thought that there was too much writing. The other book, the "Tomb Raider Companion", THAT book is too wordy...

   All in all, this book is good for those who want to explore more on their own and rely less on someone else's writings, and perhaps that's why this is so much less informative than the Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider II walkthrough guides -- but if someone just wanted small hints at various steps of the game, they would probably just look it up online or ask a friend instead of buying this particular walkthrough.




5. This book is...ok.

   The only quam i have with it is, there's about 6 secrets that aren't even put in the book. And for those of you who do know, Tomb Raider III contains a secret level called "All Hallows" which is accessable only if you find all 60 of 59 secrets. (no, that's not a typo.)

   ...ok four. Now let me think...There's 1 missing in "Temple Ruins", 1 in "The River Ganges", 1 in "Mudubu Gorge", and if you're going crazy trying to find that one in "Aldwych", its in the same room you get into with the "Ornate Star". Just turn around and look up.

   The only reason i did this is because we're waiting patiently for the "Angel of Darkness" to come out. But if you get bored...try getting all the secrets, because "All Hallows" is kinda fun.

   But yeah...the book gives good hints and tips on how to get through the game, and places to find medi-paks and ammo and all that good stuff.

   So, if you're buying a used one, i'd definately recommend it.

No comments about Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1 comments about Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Official Strategy Guide for PlayStation(R)2.

1. Sure you COULD pick up this guide, but why would you want to? They cover all the VR missions and Snake tails and all the bonus stuff that MGS2 substance has to offer but that's all you get from this guide. Should you buy MGS2 substance on PS2 and you've never played the original SOL package and you want help for the main storyline you'd have to go out and buy TWO guides if its the PS2 version you're getting. That is, if you want the full walkthrough for the adventure. Otherwise you'll have to go and purchase the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Official Strategy Guide.

   Yeah, this guide covers all the extras in a nice easy to read way, but if you went through the story of the original MGS2 and you're looking for a guide to that, you'll end up purchasing two guides. My solution to this, go out and buy the XBOX version of this guide. Its the exact same AND it covers the whole story mode walkthrough. That way you'll only spend fifteen dollars rather than blowing off thirty.

2 comments about The Godfather (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Anyone who loved the original movies and novel will enjoy the game. Anyone who wishes to spend serious time not getting killed in the game should pick up this book.
   
   "The Godfather" is a richly detailed odyssey, and to make the most of its demanding and thrilling scenarios, you're going to need all the help you can get. This text offers an abundance of information on everything from character profiles, to scene maps, to instructions on how to carry out tasks. It's hard to get ahead in business these days, and if you want to get to the end with your wits about you, this is the best guide. Saves you a ton of trouble.



2. This book really tells it how and right to the point. If I didn't have the guide, I probably wouldn't play the game.

3 comments about Jet Force Gemini Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames).

1. The JFG stragety guide is almost needed for this game. It has the positions of the Tribals and totems plus many other important stragety tips.



2. I'm going to dissent somewhat with regard to what other people have said about this guide. I don't quite understand how it's gotten such glowing reviews.

   This guide was certainly useful - and you definitely need one for this game - but I was disappointed in it for a several reasons. First of all, the maps aren't as clearly labeled as they could be, so it's sometimes hard to figure out from the accompanying text which room is which. There are no individual room maps, which would have been really helpful for some of the more complex, large areas. The maps could also have shown where tribals and other important items were located, but they didn't - and it was sometimes hard to glean this information from the text alone. The screenshots are printed so small that they're pretty much useless. And finally, it was lacking in detail on some things like how to beat certain bosses - I was able to find more detailed info in some of the online strategy guides for free!

   This isn't to say the guide isn't useful. It's just not AS useful or as easy to follow as many other player guides I've seen.

   I don't know how this guide compares with the other player guide available for Jet Force Gemini, but I do wish I'd tried the other one first.




3. Well, I have to say that this is a pretty good strategy guide, but what can you expect: this was written by BRADYGAMES, and that company NEVER goes near the amount of goodness that Prima gives you. Nevertheless, this is good because you absolutely need a strategy guide for this game. The bosses, however, are hard to beat because this book doesn't give much in the way of bosses. The maps are pretty hard to go through, too, because they're confusing.

   When you buy this, make sure that you are a good video game player: Jet Force Gemini is a HARD game.

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.

1 comments about Might & Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. What can I say? Everything that was wrong with Might & Magic VII's Strategy Guide has been remedied in this one.

   1. Quest Walkthroughs have been separated into Main, Promotion, and Secondary (according to region) sections so you can get to the walkthrough you want with a minimum of page flipping, in contrast to that annoying jumble of quests in each region provided in the previous strategy guide.

   2. A serious flaw of the previous strategy guide was the lack of a Skill table. This guide not only provides a Skill table, which is nicely divided into Armor&Weapons, Magic, and Miscellaneous Skills, it even mentions them again in the Region Location tables, resulting in (u guessed it) a minimum of page flipping.

   3. The Walkthroughs in the previous guide were written in long winded paragraphs that mentioned too much useless information. When I'm playing a game and get stuck in a quest, I don't want to spend time reading a bunch of paragraphs, I want to find out the exact sequence of steps required to finish the quest, as in: (A) go talk to this guy who is in such and such a place to receive the quest. (B) go do THIS over THERE to THOSE people (C) go back to that guy and collect your reward. Quick and painless just like this guide.

   4. In general the guide hasn't forgotten anything. It provides ALL the stats on EVERYTHING: Spells, Items, Ores, Maps, Travel Schedules, Monsters, etc. The Maps are clearer, and the tips provided are very useful and great time savers.

   Could this guide have been better? Maybe, anything is possible. Still, I couldn't find a single thing to complian about, and thats something.

No comments about Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter Link (Game Boy Advance Version) (Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter Link (Game Boy Ssytem is not included), Game Boy Advance Wireless Link Device (Game Boy Advance System sold seperately)).

5 comments about Shadow Hearts: Covenant Official Strategy Guide.

1. Usually Brady's Walkthroughs are pretty good. Whenever it comes to the comparison between Brady's and Prima, Brady always score better. Nonetheless, the Shadow Hearts: Covenant walkthrough is something that takes you there but not really there.
   
   The book has a pretty good layout for the main story walkthrough. You will have no problem tackling the main story. However, the main drawback is it doesn't have an area map. The dungeons for each area are really big. So simply describing where to walk is not enough as there are places that can confuse you when it comes to how it looks like. There is a small compass map in the game which I think Brady's, if they want to spend more time to make a perfect walkthrough (like the FF X one), they could trace those maps so that we actually know where we are going. Of course after you spend quite some time inside the dungeon you will start to recognise the areas, but walkthroughs without dungeon map could be quite disappointing.
   
   Then it comes to the side quests. The arrangement of the side quests are quite random too as some are at the beginning of the appendix and then others are at the end of the appendix, with a huge section of glossary in the middle. So you will need to flip to and fro to look for the one that you are doing. Which could be pretty annoying. Further the description of how to achieve you goals are too simplistic that you sometimes can't figure out what they are talking about. For example, in the Dog Shrine, sometimes they address the name of the stone tablet but sometimes they describe the stone tablet. This causes more confusion than helping. It will be much better to actually guide the reader by naming the stones themselves. Further it will help a lot if they actually show how the puzzles are like. They did that in the Omnimusha walkthroughs, I cannot understand why they can't do it here this time. The Aromatherapy information of Lucia also lacks the details that one would expect too.
   
   Nonetheless, the section of what needs to be achieved by area and by character is very helpful and easy to access. This gives the reader a clearer idea of what needs to be done. The Solomon's Key solution and the Solomon's Trial solution are pretty good too, though there are one or two mistakes in the Solomon's Trial reward section.
   
   The walkthrough does have pretty good boss and enemy strategy though, which is a very good side of the walkthrough as some people might need to rely on this to handle difficult bosses.
   
   In all, the Shadow Hearts: Covenant walkthrough is not all disappointing, but it doesn't really show the depth and completeness that Brady's guides usually deliver. It's not bad and it's not good either, it's a lurk warm production for a very addictive and enjoyable game.



2. No Maps.
   Directions (NSEW) often reversed.
   Many, many items MISSED.
   No guidance on sidequests
   No information on Magic crests
   No information on items/armor/enhancements
   No "strategy" provided.
   
   Nice picture.



3. I'm very suprised that this game has only gotten a 2 star review. I LOVES THIS GAME and still do. It wasn't the best I've played but it's definitely on my favorites list. The characters make me laugh. I guess the reason people don't like it as much is because of the ending.



4. Sure this book has everything you need to get through Shadow Hearts II, but since it relies solely on verbal descriptions, you might as well not waste any money for something you can get for free on Neoseeker or Gamefaqs, or some site like that. The only reason I got one is because it was $1.25 at a game shop. $1.25 is cheap enough for me to pay for the convenience of not having to look up a good FAQ, but a price in the teens definitely is not. Don't buy this unless you are an extreme fan who wants to see some repetitive concept art.



5. I bought the guide on line after I had purchased the game online. I think I paid like $17 and had to wait at least two weeks for it because it was shipped from Switerland!??? When it came in I was so excited because I am a huge SH fan, but when I opened the package and took the book out, I was very dissappointed. I knew there couldn't be much to this guide when it only had roughly 160 pages to it. I mean, the game itself takes at least 50-60 hours to complete, and that's not including the side quests. Sure the guide mentions things I would not have other wise figured out on my own(maybe), but when you're really needing some crucial help, it's not there.
   
   I guess buy the guide if you're a big SH fan, you know , just to have, but otherwise, just look up a walk through online and don't waste your money.