Allegragf.com Review:
Allegra Solutions - Allegra Solutions provides both digital and offset printing, Signage, Vehicle Wraps, T-Shirt Printing & Garment Printing, Print & Web Design Services.
Country: North America, US, United States
City: Boston, Massachusetts
- Edithann - Great ReadI found Wolf Hall while in Dublin this summer and just about swallowed it whole. Fantastic view of the Tudors from Mantel's Cromwell iteration. Couldn't wait for Bringing Up the Bodies and highly recommend this writer, no matter what she writes. Can't wait for the next book. Any Tudor buff would be remiss in forgoing these reads.
- MSA - I'm naming both of my children Denon.I was told by fertility doctors 10 years ago that I would never be able to conceive. I bought this cable a few months ago and blammo! I'm pregnant! With twins! Worth every cent. I can't wait until the kids are old enough to hear this story.
- Gregory Magnuson - Beaten once through, here are my thoughts!So I have been reading a LOT of negative reviews on here. Yes, we all know that there were server issues for a while upon launch. Let's be realistic, there were several MILLION people attempting to log in within the first few hours. Anyone who has ever been a part of a launch for a massively talked about game that's online only should know to expect issues like this. Personally, I was logged on in the first 4 minutes after launch, and played for about 5 hours without a hitch afterwards. However, I was also prepared for large issues logging on. The open beta could not prepare them for the sheer number of people trying to play. I can say that Blizzard, in the few days since release, have made a huge effort to fix the issues, and accomplished so with some success. With the log-in issues out of the way, which seem to account for most of the 1 star reviews on here, let's look at the actual game.
First off, I think Blizzard did a wonderful job on this game. It retains a lot of the old Diablo II-ish feel, satiating the itches of the older generation of gamers who played D2. It is also fresh enough to attract and entertain a broad range of new gamers. It is easy enough (normal mode) for the casual gamer, while still being fun. It will definitely be a challenge for people in the Inferno difficulty. People sit around whining about how easy it is. You are most likely reviewing the game in Act I of normal mode. Give it some time. Having just finished the game on normal mode, and started into Nightmare, I can say from experience, that the game gets more challenging. Every difficulty level comes with new monster abilities, new gear, and new experiences.
Combat-wise, it is exactly what it needs to be. Cooldowns for some abilties keeps spamming to a minimum, which adds another degree of balance and challenge to the game. No potion spamming forces people to play smarter, not just rushing into a boss fight without some preparation. The animations are well-done, easily distinguishable.
Skills can be changed and modified with runes, as long as they are not on cooldown. I love this. It lets you try any of the billions of builds without total commitment, which I personally think is fantastic. Having to worry about misplacing a skill point in many conventional MMOs I see as a sort of boon. Not only are there 4-5 skills per skill "type," but each skill has a number of runes, which completely change the looks/effects/damage of the skill. There is no penalty for changing skills until later difficulties, at which point the penalty will be losing your magic-find buff stacks.
The items are nice, I especially like that the item tiers(looks) are split up by sections of the game. The gear gets progressively cooler looking the further you progress. At most points in the game, you should have a close to matching set of gear at any given time. Most upgrades dont feel gigantic, which is perfect, because unless you're already playing the end game, you still have a long way to go gear-wise. The models dont look amazing, but it's a Diablo game, it wasn't created to have incredible graphics. It was created for everyone to be able to enjoy, regardless of whether they have a high-end gaming rig or not.
I enjoy the crafting system. It supplements gear that you don't find as drops, doesn't require you to farm materials, and is a good money-dump for that excess gold you have sitting around. It is definitely not necessary to level, but has provided me with some decent gear throughout normal mode. The gem crafter is a bit more important, but also cheaper to train up.
Overall, the game has been extremely satisfying so far. The cutscenes are well made, combat is ever changing, and there is something for everyone to enjoy. If people can get past their initial disappointment with the server errors after launch, I think this is a game that can be enjoyed by a wide market, from casual to hardcore, for years to come. - Tracy L. - Incredible debut...This book is one of those rare gems that had me riveted to the pages. STILL MISSING provides everything one could want in a thriller/mystery, and while I highly recommend it, be for-warned: There are parts of this book that will make you very uneasy.
Author Chevy Stevens has devised a very clever way to present this story. Each chapter (or "Session" as it's referred to) begins with Annie O'Sullivan talking to her Psychiatrist. Annie suffered through a yearlong ordeal as the victim of an abduction, which has left her trying to regain her very self. Annie begins each session by describing what has been happening in her life since her last session, and then she talks about what happened during her captivity. She refers to her abductor as "The Freak", and talks in detail about what she went through.
There are certain chapters that had me on the edge of my seat. They were creepy and unnerving, but as a reader, I could not put the book down. I HAD to know what happened next, and while I'm not revealing a spoiler by mentioning Annie does escape her abductor, what happens after her escape is just has engrossing and compelling as what happens before her escape.
Kudos to Stevens for writing such a remarkable debut. I cannot think of a single thing a disliked about this book. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.