Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart - Oct 2012

You can use this hierarchy to compare the pricing between two cards, to see which one is a better deal, and also to determine if an upgrade is worthwhile. I don’t recommend upgrading your graphics card unless the replacement card is at least three tiers higher. Otherwise, the upgrade is somewhat parallel and you may not notice a worthwhile difference in performance.

Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart
GeForce	Radeon	Intel
Discrete: GTX 690
Discrete: GTX 590	Discrete: HD 6990, 7970 GHz Ed.
Discrete: GTX 680	Discrete: HD 7970
Discrete: GTX 670	Discrete: HD 5970, 7950
Discrete: GTX 580, 660 Ti	Discrete: HD 7870
Discrete: GTX 295, 480, 570, 660 Go (mobile): 680M	Discrete: HD 4870 X2, 6970, 7850 Mobility: 7970M
Discrete: GTX 470, 560 Ti, 560 Ti 448 Core	Discrete: HD 4850 X2, HD 5870, HD 6950 Mobility: 7950M
Discrete: GTX 560, 650 Ti Go (mobile): 580M	Discrete: HD 5850, HD 6870 Mobility: 6990M
Discrete: 9800 GX2, 285, 460 256-bit, 465 Go (mobile): 675M	Discrete: HD 6850, HD 7770 Mobility: 6900M
Discrete: GTX 260, 275, 280, 460 192-bit, 460 SE, 550 Ti, 560 SE, 650 Go (mobile): 570M, 670M	Discrete: HD 4870, 5770, 4890, 5830, 6770,  6790, 7750 Mobility: HD 5870, 6800M
Discrete: 8800 Ultra, 9800 GTX, 9800 GTX+, GTS 250, GTS 450 Go (mobile): 560M, 660M	Discrete: HD 3870 X2, 4850, 5750, 6750 Mobility: HD 4850, 5850, 7870M
Discrete: 8800 GTX, 8800 GTS 512 MB, GT 545 (GDDR5) Go (mobile): GTX 280M, 285M, 555M (GDDR5)	Discrete: HD 4770 Mobility: HD 4860, 7770M, 7850M
Discrete: 8800 GT 512 MB, 9800 GT, GT 545 (DDR3), GT 640 (DDR3) Go (mobile): 9800M GTX, GTX 260M (112), GTS 360M (GDDR5), 555M (DDR3)	Discrete: HD 4830, HD 5670, HD 6670 (GDDR5) Mobility: HD 5770, HD 5750, 6600M/6700M (GDDR5), 7750M
Discrete: 8800 GTS 640 MB, 9600 GT, GT 240 (GDDR5) Go (mobile): 9800M GTS, GTX 160M	Discrete: HD 2900 XT, HD 3870, HD 5570 (GDDR5), HD 6570 (GDDR5) Mobility: 6500M (GDDR5), 6600M/6700M (DDR3), 7730M
Discrete: 8800 GS, 9600 GSO, GT 240 (DDR3) Go (mobile): GTX 260M (96), GTS 150M, GTS 360M (DDR3)	Discrete: HD 3850 512 MB, HD 4670, HD 5570 (DDR3), HD 6570 (DDR3), HD 6670 (DDR3) Mobility: HD 3870, HD 5730, HD 5650, 6500M (DDR3)
Discrete: 8800 GT 256 MB, 8800 GTS 320 MB, GT 440 GDDR5, GT 630 GDDR5 Go (mobile): 8800M	Discrete: HD 2900 PRO, HD 3850 256 MB, 5550 (GDDR5) Mobility: HD 3850
Discrete: 7950 GX2, GT 440 DDR3, GT 630 DDR3	Discrete: X1950 XTX, HD 4650 (DDR3), 5550 (DDR3)
Discrete: 7800 GTX 512, 7900 GTO, 7900 GTX, GT 430, GT 530 Go (mobile): 550M	Discrete: X1900 XT, X1950 XT, X1900 XTX
Discrete: 7800 GTX, 7900 GT, 7950 G, GT 220 (DDR3) Go (mobile): 525M, 540M	Discrete: X1800 XT, X1900 AIW, X1900 GT, X1950 PRO, HD 2900 GT, HD 5550 (DDR2)
Discrete: 7800 GT, 7900 GS, 8600 GTS, 9500 GT (GDDR3), GT 220 (DDR2) Go (mobile): 7950 GTX	Discrete: X1800 XL, X1950 GT, HD 4650 (DDR2), HD 6450 Mobility: X1800 XT, HD 4650, HD 5165, 6400M Integrated: 6620G, 6550D
Discrete: 6800 Ultra, 7600 GT, 7800 GS, 8600 GS, 8600 GT (GDDR3), 9500 GT (DDR2) Go (mobile): 7800 GTX, 7900 GTX	Discrete: X800 XT (& PE), X850 XT (& PE), X1650 XT, X1800 GTO, HD 2600 XT, HD 3650 (DDR3), HD 3670 Mobility: X1900, 3670 Integrated: 6520G, 6530D	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Discrete: 6800 GT, 6800 GS (PCIe), 8600 GT (DDR2), GT 520 Go (mobile): 7800, Go 7900 GS, 520M, 520MX	Discrete: X800 XL, X800 GTO2/GTO16, HD 2600 PRO, HD 3650 (DDR2), Mobility: X800 XT, HD 2600 XT, 3650 Integrated: 6410D, 6480G
Discrete: 6800 GS (AGP) Go (mobile): 6800 Ultra, 7600 GT, 8600M GT, 8700M GT, 410M	Discrete: X800 GTO 256 MB, X800 PRO, X850 PRO, X1650 GT Mobility: HD 2600 Integrated: 6370D, 6380G
Discrete: 6800, 7300 GT GDDR3, 7600 GS, 8600M GS Go (mobile): 6800, 7700	Discrete: X800, X800 GTO 128 MB, X1600 XT, X1650 PRO Mobility: X1800, HD 5145, HD 5470 (GDDR5)
Discrete: 6600 GT, 6800LE, 6800 XT, 7300 GT (DDR2), 8500 GT, 9400 GT Go (mobile): 7600 (128-bit)	Discrete: 9800 XT, X700 PRO, X800 GT, X800 SE, X1300 XT, X1600 PRO, HD 2400 XT, HD 4350, HD 4550, HD 5450 Mobility: X800, 3470, HD 5470 (DDR3), HD 5450, HD 5430, 6300M Integrated: HD 6310, HD 6320	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Discrete: FX 5900, FX 5900 Ultra, FX 5950 Ultra, 6600 (128-bit) Go (mobile): 6800 (128-bit) Integrated: 9300, 9400	Discrete: 9700, 9700 PRO, 9800, 9800 PRO, X700, X1300 PRO, X1550, HD 2400 PRO Mobility: X1450, X1600, X1700, 2400 XT, X2500, 3450 Integrated: HD 3200, HD 3300, HD 4200, HD 4250, HD 4290, HD 6250, HD 6290
Discrete: FX 5800 Ultra, FX 5900 XT Go (mobile): 6600, Go 7600 (64-bit)	Discrete: 9500 PRO, 9600 XT, 9800 PRO (128-bit), X600 XT, X1050 (128-bit) Mobility: 9800, X700, X1350, X1400, X2300, HD 2400	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics (Core i5-6x1), 2000
Discrete: 4 Ti 4600, 4 Ti 4800, FX 5700 Ultra, 6200, 8300, 8400 G, G 210, G 310 Go (mobile): 315M	Discrete: 9600 PRO, 9800 LE, X600 PRO, HD 2300 Mobility: 9700 (128-bit), X600, X1300 Integrated: Xpress 1250	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics (Core i3 5x0, Core i5-6x0)
Discrete: 4 Ti4200, 4 Ti4400, 4 Ti4800 SE, FX 5600 Ultra, FX 5700, 6600 (64-bit), 7300 GS, 8400M GS, 9300M G, 9300M GS	Discrete: 9500, 9550, 9600, X300, X1050 (64-bit) Mobility: 9600	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics (Pentium G)
Discrete: 3 Ti500, FX 5200 Ultra, FX 5600, FX 5700 LE, 6200 TC, 6600 LE, 7200 GS, 7300 LE Go (mobile): 5700, 8200M, 9200M GS, 9100 Integrated: 8200, 8300	Discrete: 8500, 9100, 9000 PRO, 9600 LE, X300 SE, X1150 Mobility 9700 (64-bit)	Integrated: GMA X4500
Discrete: 3, 3 Ti200, FX 5200 (128-bit), FX 5500, Go (mobile): 5600, 6200, 6400, 7200, 7300, 7400 (64-bit)	Discrete: 9000, 9200, 9250 Mobility: 9600 (64-bit), X300
Discrete: FX 5200 (64 bit) Go (mobile): 7200, 7400 (32-bit) Integrated: 6100, 6150, 7025, 7050	Discrete: 9200 SE Integrated: Xpress 200M, Xpress 1000, Xpress 1150	Integrated: GMA X3000, X3100, X3500
Discrete: 2 GTS, 4 MX 440, 2 Ultra, 2 Ti, 2 Ti 200	Discrete: 7500	Integrated: GMA 3000, 3100
Discrete: 256, 2 MX 200, 4 MX 420, 2 MX 400	Discrete: SDR, LE, DDR, 7000, 7200	Integrated: GMA 500, 900, 950
Discrete: Nvidia TNT	Discrete: Rage 128	Discrete: Intel 740

Summary

There you have it folks; the best cards for the money this month. Now all that’s left to do is to find and purchase them.

Don’t worry too much about which brand you choose, because all of the cards out there are close to Nvidia’s and ATI’s reference designs. Just pay attention to price, warranty, and the manufacturer’s reputation for honoring the warranty if something goes wrong.

Also remember that the stores don’t follow this list. Things will change over the course of the month and you’ll probably have to adapt your buying strategy to deal with fluctuating prices. Good luck!




Regards
Ram

Dishonored : PC Released

For Gamers who are itching for a good  stealth game , Dishonored has just hit the streets . Reviews from IGN and Gamespot are fairly good with gamespot giving it a rating of 4.8(must buy ). Go soon and grab a copy . Tested it yesterday , looked pretty good to me . Unreal Engine does have its flaws but it was smooth working as far as the two levels I saw ..Will get back to you with a review of the game as soon as I am done with it . cheers!!

Regards
Ram

Darksiders 2

THQ is back with an amazing sequel . This time with a more deadly and terrifying Protagonist DEATH . Even the sound of his name can cause fear in the very soul of his enemies , Pssh !!  atleast tats what Crowfather tells in the beginning of the game :D.. So coming back to the game  , You follow the story of Death a fellow brother of War ( protagonist of the First Darskiders ) which occurs parallel to the prequel too .When War is accused of the destruction of Mankind by Council , Death rushes in to find the truth  .

4 Horsemen - Strife, Fury, War and Death with dust on his shoulder

His quest takes him to Crowfather who gives hime the ultimate challenge ( i.e) to find the Well Of Souls which is capable of giving life again and therby resurrecting Mankind. Thus begins Death's journey through the Land of Dead ruled by demons and his meeting with the King of Bones , Land of Angels and finally comes face to face with  the heart of the corruption ABSALON ,who was once Death's second in command of the Nephelim. In order to restore order of humanity and to matain peace Death commits geonicide by killing his own people . And thus commits himself to a life of sin .


What impresses one as soon as you start playing the game is the agility of this guy . I mean he is almost as bulky as Kratos but moves like the Prince of Persia  :D. I mean it really is cool to look . The acrobatics do seem similar to POP series and gameplay to that of God of War  . But hey those games are the starting point of everything . So you can t make a game without it getting reflected here and there :D. But still Darksiders 2 has its own unique style . Like the way you summon Oblivion from the depths of the ground is so cool to look at . You have dust with you who shows you the way whenever you are stuck at some place . Dust is binded to Crowfather and Death and as a result has a unique connection.

Movement , likes of POP :D

Gameplay is extremely good in the game that it makes you wonder that if you are playin a game or watching a movie . Another thing which I noticed was the difficultly level in the game was literally so hard even while playing in Easy mode . I mean the boss fights were dead easy , If you have patience and can detect a routine in his attacks you can easily defeat those guys without not even having to use a life portion . But when it comes to minions tats where the game really rears its ugly head  . OMG , these guys made  a meal out of me most of the time . Damn!! 

They are divided into Five classes like Fodder , Soldier , Elite Champions, Brutes and Bosses. Fodder guys are easy . It only when u meet the Soldiers and Elite Champions u will start getting smashed . I mean these guys use a deadly combo that one dodge when they attack you, is not enough . You need to keep dodging if you ever need to escape unscathed from their attacks .I  was frustrated with them so much that I literally groaned whenever the elite champions appeared on the screen .Grrr !! and combine them with brutes and fodder u wont even know what hits you before you use all your Health portion or end up dead.

Weapons are a of a major variety . You have the primary Weapon which is usually a scythe which can be coimbined together to form a big blade while using special combos or While attaining the Reaper Form . The secondary is a slow and heavy attack which can be switched from a hammer , axe and arm anklets like gloves made of steel , blades and bones . This attack is sometimes very slow that even before you can attack once, the minions would have already beld you to death .

You also get a gun to fire at enemies from distance or shoot at things and stones which are out of reach . Especially usefull while attacking small enemies like insect swarm or flies or scarabs and souls of dead enemies where your Scythe literally becomes ineffective . No upgrades for this . And reloads are a little slow which can be a little pissing off.. But apart from that they are great .

Death on Oblivion

The puzzles are huge and refreshing in this game that you will absolutely love then in this . Especially the ones with the constructs . Man they are good . Like giant robots, And especially , one place where you have to smash the construct in order to get the ball from it :D .Quite innovative :D

Construct with Death on top Riding it.

You have a skill tree which you use to skill up whenever you level up and are awarded with a skill point. The skill tree is divided into two
1.Harbinger 
2. Necromancer

Harbinger :: 

Usually skills which makes death even more powerful like Reaping and Harvesting and Teleport Slash.

Necromancer ::

This involves Summoning dead beings from underworld , Aegis Shield around you , Crow attack , Lightning storm etc. Out of which I liked the summoning thing very much . Half of the bosses and in overwhelming situation I used them exclusively to get a breadth of air . My god without this power Darskiders 2 would have been even more tougher than hell.

Wrath ::

U get this when you land successful blows on your enemies . Necessary if you want to use your Harbinger or Necromancer Skill sets .

U get to upgrade your armor , hand gloves , shoulder plates and even your secondary weapon . But not your primary weapon . Which can be switched only when a new one comes in . Based upon the armor and Scythe u use ,ur basic strength and defense is calculated. This is very important if you are going to survive in this world . Without upgrading you have no chance of even standing up against the minions.

Apart from the above skill sets you also get unusual powers but which are compulsary to get so that you will be able to traverse the game . Like Devil's hand which glows Violet in your right hand and is used to pull yourself across chasms while holding onto a ring or pulling a small enemy towards you or pulling yourself towards a bigger enemy . An essential when you fight Azrael.

PhaseWalker : 

Realm of King of Bones 

Used while traversing throught the Realm of Dead/Bones. U summon the dead Lords to make them float past gates and stand on a plates that activates a door .And also an updgraded version of which is used while in Land of Dead and you go to get the Demon Key . U use this version to traverse in and out of Past and the Future.( POP : Warrior Within , huh ;-))

Soul Spiltter :: 

Another innovative power which splits Death into two persons (one in violet and one in green ). And a stone Reaper Statue will be created once you deploy  the soul splitter which acts as an anchor for you to return to once ur job is done .This power is so cool when you realise how to use it and is quite essential to crack through some really innovative ideas of the developers. Awesome to look to :D..

Reaper Form ::  

Reaper Form

This is the power which you can use when the meter above your health bar increases gradually. During Which Death will attain the cloaked Form with a Big Scythe .Quite cool to look and is used mostly while Executing finishing moves on Bosses .

Crowfather with Amulet of Nephelim on his neck

After a long time a game which engrossed me so much and took up about 16 hrs of my time to complete it fully . Thoroughly enjoyed it to core . Don t ever miss it . If you can , please buy the game ..

A small teaser of wat u see in the game :D

Rating : 9.8/10

Regards
Ram

Bioshock 2

Another awesome sequel to a Solid game , Bioshock 2 really takes us back to the beginning stages of how an FPS should be . Be it the difficulty levels or the inhuman ways in which enemies just storm us , It grasps the basic FPS standards nicely . Story takes place about 8yrs after the events of the prequel in the under water city of Rapture . Players  take the role of a big daddy who is a special prototype in big Daddies .

Your daughter Eleanor is cruelly snatched away from you by Sophia Lamb by her hypnotising u to commit suicide . But Eleanor's power grows with her as she becomes a teenager that she re awakens you with her power and physcic connection between you and her .From then your journey starts through the remains of what Rapture once was . U meet Sinclair who acts as ur aide and guides you through out the game .

Big Sister 

 Like the first part your morality is also calculated through out the game depending upon if you kill little sisters by harvesting them or just rescue them. Based on this the end of the game changes a little . But the story entirely revolves around you and Eleanor . I dont want to be a spoil sport and tell what would happen in the end . Play the game throughout and find out :D..

Big Daddy with Little Sister

You have the usual Plasmids which you fire from your left hand while on the right you start with the Drill . But later you can switch to your usual weapons like machine gun , double barrel shotgun , Hack tool gun , Camera , Rocket / grenade launcher , Rivet gun and Spear Gun . Out of which only Rivet gun and Spear gun .are the most powerful ones which u will find u will be using a lot . Rocket Launcher is good but will have limited ammo so u wont be able to use it often . Machine gun is useful only when u need to keep on firing with less reloads , when a swarm attacks you .

Game surely has its horror filled moments and creepy music etc. But still Bioshock2 stands for its unique Story and ambience. A great game . An expected sequel of the game Bisoshock infinite is expected to come next year . Don t miss it .

Rating : 9/10

Regards
Ram

Xbox 720: 6x Performance Increase, Kinect 2, 3D, 1080p

A leaked document has provided us with a heap of information about the upcoming Xbox 720.

With E3 done, we thought we'd have to wait until June 2013 before we learned all about the next generation of Xbox, the Xbox 720. That may be the case, but a recently leaked document has given us an awful lot to chew on in the mean time.

The 56-page document was hosted on Scribd until this past weekend, when it was spotted by the Verge. It details Microsoft'svision for the Xbox 720 and dates back to August 2010.

Microsoft's kept pretty quiet about its Xbox 720 plans since rumors started circulating about a 2013 launch, but thanks to this document we now know that the company has big things planned for the new Xbox. The Verge reports that before the document it was pulled, it promised a 6x performance increase with the Xbox 720, as well as true 1080p output, full support for native 3D output and glasses, an always-on state for the console, support for Blu-ray, concurrent apps, additional sensor and peripheral support, and the ability to record TV content in the background.

Xbox 720 will also bring us Kinect 2, which Microsoft's document says will have higher accuracy, stereo imaging, improved voice recognition, support for four-player tracking, an improved RGB camera, dedicated hardware processing, four player gaming, and a pair of augmented reality Kinect Glasses, which are apparently similar to Google's Project Glass.

Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there's also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an "always on" state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox360 titles.

Of course, Microsoft hasn't confirmed any of this news, but then we didn't expect them to, really. However, if you're looking for proof that it's a genuine Microsoft document, you mind find it interesting that Scribd says the document was pulled at the request of Covington & Burling LLP. What is Covington & Burling LLP? Just a law firm based out of Washington. According to the firm's website, the company helped Microsoft out with its Skype acquisition last year.

Regards

Ram 

Battlefield 3: Armored Kill Review

This, the third in Battlefield 3's conveyor belt of downloadable content, finds DICE showboating in style. If the developer were a rock star, it'd have its foot on the monitor right now, as the audience held their lighters aloft. Back to Karkand's updated fan favourite maps was the obligatory run through the classic hits from yesteryear while Close Quarters, with its blatant COD tempo, was a punchy, punky cover version thrown into the mix to shake things up. To stretch the stadium rock metaphor to breaking point, Armored Kill is the epic ten-minute blow out, all guitar and drum solos, a ballad of fire and smoke.

This is Battlefield at its biggest. Quite literally, as one of the four new maps - the sprawling Bandar Desert - takes the crown as the largest Battlefield map ever. Over twice the size of Caspian Border, it occupies five square kilometres of digital real estate, taking in a crescent bay front with residential buildings and construction sites dotted around its circumference. Further inland there's an artillery base for the taking, surrounded by an expanse of open desert and rolling dunes and with a highway slicing through the centre. It's all hemmed in with rocky outcrops and cliffs that direct the action down and into this vast crucible of mayhem.

All the new maps can be used in the existing game modes, as well as Tank Superiority.

That's not to say the other maps are slouching. As the name suggests, Alborz Mountains, set in Northern Iran, has a ruddy great big mountain in the middle. The first snow map in the game, this has acres of forestry to provide cover and a large frozen lake for those bold enough to venture into open ground.

Death Valley also earns its name. Set at night in and around a ruined highway overpass, it balances out lots of higher ground - not least on the exposed but strategically useful road bridge - with a rabbit warren of containers, pillars and structures at ground level. Dash into action against an organised team here and you'll be pinned from all sides, trapped in a killing box of your own stupidity.

Finally, there's Armored Shield, the least interesting of the bunch. Set in the Russian countryside, it's mostly fields and dirt tracks with a few pylons scattered around as cover for the hapless soldiers who find themselves traversing it on foot.

And you really don't want to be a pedestrian on these maps. The addition of quad bikes cuts down on wandering time, but quite apart from the sheer scale of the larger maps making it unfeasible to jog to the nearest hot spot in anything less than five minutes, your lifespan is directly related to how much steel you can put between yourself and everyone else. Armored Kill is more than a name. It's an order.

Selling this concept is new game mode, Tank Superiority. The title doesn't leave much room for ambiguity, and it's as simple in execution as it sounds. Two teams, each with access to plenty of tanks, battle it out for control of the sole capture point. The maps are constricted to accommodate this more focussed objective, but that doesn't stop it being one of the most ferocious ways to play an already fearsome game.

The mountain in the centre of the Alborz map is Damavand Peak, which you should already be familiar with.

It makes sense for DICE to spotlight the tanks, especially since it was that dazzling footage of the single player tank section, Thunder Run, that really established the game as a contender for Call of Duty's throne last year. Not coincidentally, Thunder Run takes place in the same Bandar Desert that now expands Battlefield even further than before. The challenge to COD supremacy may not have been won in terms of sales, but Armored Kill sees Battlefield drawing its line in the sand, confident that no other shooter franchise can pull off the scale on display here.

There are no new tanks here, but there are new vehicles that help provide balance to the shift in emphasis away from infantry combat. Both US and Russian forces get their own anti-tank options - the M1128 for the Americans, or the 2S25 Sprut for Russians - both of which are faster and more agile than their lumbering prey, but less protected. Tactical use of the terrain means they can easily stop the heavier vehicles in their tracks.

Mobile artillery also enters the fray, an option that players in this early access stage for PS3 Premium subscribers are still getting used to. Successful use of these long range bombardment weapons requires both a good understanding of the maps with regard to range and elevation and also a canny touch when it comes to aiming. Right now, most people seem to jump into the gunners seat, loose off a few rounds into the sky, then get bored and go and find a tank for more immediate boom-bang-a-bang action. The player who masters these vehicles, however, will be able to dominate almost any match.

Also dominating is the AC-130 Gunship. Rather unusually, you don't get to actually fly this beast of the air. Instead, you gain access to it by capturing its base. The plane itself circles the map on autopilot, following a preset route. Players can spawn into its gunner seats and absolutely lay waste to whatever is below, as well as operating powerful anti-air turrets to fend off attacking choppers and jets.

You can also use the AC-130 as a persistent spawn point for paratroopers, making it both versatile and a powerful strategic tool. The downside is that it's slow and poorly armoured, and it's predictable movement pattern and unmissable size make it an easy target. Even so, between the gunship and the existing helicopters and jets, the majority of the Battlefield action on Armored Kill maps seems to be in the sky.

Perhaps in a nod to Valve's Gnome Chompski, there's a hidden gnome on the Alborz Mountains map.

Get all these elements working in harmony on a Conquest or Rush game and you've got the closest thing to what long serving fans would call the classic Battlefield experience. This is true warfare, not just carefully contained skirmishes, and lone wolf run-and-gunners will get creamed with hilarious regularity. At this size, the maps simply don't lend themselves to the tactics that lead to success in typical deathmatches, and nor are there any obvious spots designed to aid the player.

These aren't maps with pre-defined "bits" to use. These are actual maps, in the Ordnance Survey sense of the word, and it's up to you to make the terrain work to your advantage. Master the dips and peaks of the Bandar Desert dunes to hide a tank or to gain an advantage. Decide in the moment if charging through the trees surrounding the Alborz Mountains is a better bet than taking it slowly around the rocky passages above. What makes sense in one match might be suicide in the next. It's thrillingly organic, and devoid of the sort of generic map design that might as well put up neon signs saying "great sniper spot here!"

The downside, for console players, is that these maps are pushing up against the limits of the maximum lobby size. With up to five capture points, DICE does its usual great job of subtly directing the flow of the match into interesting spaces, but 24 players are easily lost on maps this size. It's also not much fun to wait around at a spawn point for a vehicle, drive all the way to an objective only to be wiped out by an AC-130 and have to do it all over again. PC players, naturally, will have no such concerns - 64 players and seven capture points will fill these maps far more effectively.

That minor annoyance aside, there's not much criticism you can throw at Armored Kill that won't just bounce off its battle-hardened exterior. The maps show DICE at its best, crafting natural looking environments that throw up thrilling possibilities on the fly, and the new vehicles have been shrewdly chosen and balanced to enhance the gameplay while still offering the thrill of the new. For Battlefield fans, this is an essential expansion.

Regards
Ram

Coutersy : http://www.eurogamer.net

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Tom Clancy's games always had the authenticity of how real time Miltary Ops would be . There are still hardcore fans for the Ghost Recon Series , Rainbow 6 ..Tom Clancy's Endwar and H.A.W.X brought a new level to how the updated games would look like . Well its time to upgrade to the next level now . Say hello to Ghost Recon : Future Soldier .

You take the role of Kozak, A member of Elite Special forces Unit who have access to advanced tactical gadgets and weapons and are termed as GHOSTS.Ghost Leader Captain Cedric Ferguson, Staff Sergeant John Kozak, Master Sergeant Robert "Pepper" Bonifacio, and Sergeant First Class Jimmy "30K" Ellison. The team ships out under the supervision of Major Scott Mitchell. Ghost Team is unstoppable or should i say more aptly as invisible . The enemies never know what hits them before they end up with a bullet in their head. Thanks to the camfoulage suit which u wear ( Similar to Crysis ) u literally become invisible for enemies .

GHOSTs

Tom Clancy has never gone stringent in the usage of Gadgets or Miltary Terms or Weaponry with the most hi fi tech.But wat lacked and pissed the hell out of people in the old games was the gameplay . Bcos being a game that depends on reality so much , that even ur wounds which u recieve in the game is fatal like real world bullets . I mean u wont even get a bearing on who is shootin at you before u end up dead. GoD!!! that is the one that irritates . But this time , so is not the case . The game takes place in Modern World with 3rd person perspective and over the shoulder camera , that became quite famous from 2007's Gears . You have the same cover system here too .But the movement from cover to cover has been made a little more easy than ever. And it looks more dramatic and cool.

What impresses you as soon as you take command of your charector is the agility with which ur guy moves around . I mean you can actually relate with him being a guy from a elite Spec Ops Unit. This guy is lithe and can move faster than what Marcus does . Be it sliding over barrels and other man made obstructions or rolling over the barricades and getting into cover , this guy really impresses u like hell .Once you get the hang of this u really are going to Enjoy him like anything.

Takedown of Runaway Flight

The are a total of 12 Missions in the game which takes you around Nigeria ,Pakistan , Norway and  Russia. Each level is diffrent and challenges you in a diffrent way than the other.I especially liked the second Mission where u try to take out a guy in Desert . It will be cooler than anything to look . The thing which is worth mentioning in this game is the  SYNC SHOT . U being in a team which has a member of 4 , u can give out orders to your team mates to take down 4 guys simultaneously with each of you taking down one guy . This will be cool to look and the most efficient strategy which you would be using through out the game if you wanted to survive easily .

Air Strike of Heli - BINGO !!!

And the way you pull out a Rescue operation with a guy on your shoulders is much more realistic and diffrent. Usage of Drones is another awesome feature in this game which gives u a vantage point and therby tells you where the enemies are and making it easy for you to mark them for your teammates.If you use your teammates correctly then there will be no need of wasting your ammo at all . They can take care of all your work easily.

Drone in The Air

Being a console port , I thought the game would be easier and went for the hard mode and dammn .I got spliced at many places . The game has a difficlut parts too. Although you will be revived by your teammate if u fall down hurt , there is a limit where you can get back up again. Weapons are cool and are damn effective . Be it a sniper rifle or Assault Rifle they are deadly in your hands if used in situations correctly . Guys with Riot Shields are there whom are a little hard to hit and you will face the Enemy Spc Ops team also who have the same camouflage gear that you have too. The game certainly has its WOW moments in it . Graphics looks stunning with beautiful environments , although the explosions could have been made a little more powerful.

The level with which you take the Gaurdian with you will be much cooler . Because it will blast everything on your way with mortar fire and for heavier objects there is the guided missile from it .The list of levels in this game include

Prologue + Mission 1: Nimble Guardian
Mission 2: Subtle Arrow
Mission 3: Noble Tempest
Mission 4: Tiger Dust
Mission 5: Silent Talon
Mission 6: Firefly Rain
Mission 7: Ember Hunt
Mission 8: Deep Fire
Mission 9: Valiant Hammer
Mission 10: Gallant Thief
Mission 11: Invisible Bear
Mission 12: Shattered Mountain

Camo Active - Ghost Code :-)

Conclusion : A game that ought not to be missed by hardcore Action loving Gamers ;-)

Rating : 9.2 / 10


Regards
Ram