Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Essentials Review

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(More customer reviews)Picked up the game yesterday at a local Gamestop. Here are some initial impressions after the first hour of play.
Gameplay (7/10)
This is probably the most important department, and SC disappoints. It was clear from the start that developers had trouble mapping all the controls for Fisher onto the PSP due to the absence of a second analog stick, as well as the two fewer shoulder buttons (L2/R2). Movement is severely hampered by this physical limitation. You cannot rotate the camera while moving, which severely limits your ability to get a feel for your surroundings. In order to rotate the camera, you must come to a complete stop, hold the "O" button, and pan using the analog stick. On the positive side, Fisher has all of the classic moves from jumping, rolling, split jump, SWAT move, and more. I haven't tried all the moves but most seem to be there. Knife attack is also included. Another positive is that you can save anywhere; no need to wait till you reach a checkpoint. For some reason, there are no maps for you to follow, which forces you to run around quite a bit especially in dark areas.
Graphics (6/10)
The graphics were also disappointing, seeing how Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (SC:DM) was able to leverage the PSP so effectively. In the initial levels, the environment is really, really dark, so dark that it forces you to use the night vision goggles, which is fine except this view is extremely grainy (almost PS1 quality!) and does not enhance your vision much at all. Even at the highest brightness setting (PSP setting, not game; game does not provide brightness adjustment), it is STILL very dark. I cannot imagine playing this game in a bright room. I was in a relatively dark room, and had issues seeing most elements without using NV goggles.
There is noticeable tearing of the graphical elements such as walls; if Fisher moves too close to a wall, sometimes you can see right through it. In certain positions, you can even see through the back of Fisher's head and see his eyes! This was quite a surprise. I know a 6 out of 10 is harsh, but this is a Splinter Cell title; we have come to expect more than this!
Story (?)
Story in SC series has never been all that important or logical. This one is a bit different in that it takes place in the past when Fisher was a Navy Seal. I have not completed enough of the game to see the rest of the story line just yet.
Sound (8/10)
There was little music in the levels I have played so far; I expect it will improve. The sound volume seemed to be a bit low. The enemies whistle the same tunes that were heard in SC Chaos Theory or Pandora Tomorrow, which irritated me. I know this is a pseudo port to the PSP, but some new tunes would have been a nice change.
Replayability/Online (6/10)
As far as I am aware, there are no unlockables such as SC:DM offers, which limits replayability. There are 3 "bonus missions" in the main menu, but I have not tried these yet; these may require completion of standard missions first. Multiplayer is limited to ad-hoc only, and I do not expect to find much fun in this mode due to the quirkiness of the controls.
Final Score (7/10)
To sum up, this title failed to meet its potential. The SC series had set a high bar for the gaming industry, but this title failed miserably to meet its own standards. Do not get me wrong; there is much fun to be had here, despite the fact that the game feels rushed to market, is very much unpolished, and includes so many annoyances discussed previously. When compared to other action/shooter PSP titles in the market today, such as SOCOM and Syphon Filter, it simply does not compete. The absence of a playable demo also reinforced my original suspicion that this title was not quite ready for prime time.
Buy or Rent? First time fans should definitely opt for Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror instead. Long-time fans and/or SF:DM owners may consider renting first (if you can find it), or buying/selling after beating it/reaching end of patience with the bugs.
Update from March 27
After 3 or 4 hours, this game surprises you by getting much better. Once you get past the control issue, the game sucks you in with a high production value. I shall upgrade my rating to 8/10. A nice addition to the PSP collection.

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Iraq in My Eye: Memoirs of a Navy SEAL Review

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(More customer reviews)IRAQ IN MY EYE: MEMOIRS OF A NAVY SEAL is a misleading title for this extended essay/booklet. It is, instead, an opinion by a young man who has experienced the conflict in Iraq and has the courage to express that opinion in the form of the written word. While many readers will not agree with his rather simplistic 'solution' to ending the war in Iraq and bringing the troops home, writer Chuck Bravedy certainly has the right to express it - and at least he brings to the table of confusion over a war that should never have been started in the first place a dim light of hope.
Bravedy spends time reporting on the preparation of becoming a Navy Seal, and then shares his observations of how the US is missing the point in trying to 'win the war'. His observations about the squandering of tax payer funds in the most wasted of ways, the manner in which detainees 'benefit' from the income they make during their detention, and the examples of interaction between the citizenry of Iraq and the US occupiers - all of this information is interesting and useful. He views America as "the gambler who is unable to stop", a country that just doesn't know how to end the progression toward inevitable civil war, and a government that is in denial that the true need for this era of terrorism is bolstering homeland security. Up to this point the reader can easily stay with the essayist, even to the point of forgiving the substandard quality of writing.
But when Bravedy begins to place blame on the Democrats and those who fault Bush in his motivations and outcomes, his credibility diminishes. In the end Bravedy postulates that re-education of the Iraqi Muslims away from the militaristic aspects they attribute to the Koran and replacing the Koran with the Bible in the detention centers is the only way in which this war will be won and the US troops returned to their homes. What is missing here is a thorough comparison between the Koran and the Bible, two books that hold ancient principles that can be interpreted to fit the current needs of the bisected proponents. It is just a bit too skewed a thought process to be offered as a solution to the Iraq conundrum. But at least Chuck Bravedy is trying to cause reaction from an otherwise too somnolent public, and for that this little book deserves to be read. Grady Harp, November 07

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The dilemma we have today as Americans is that we have been lead astray by what we see in the news.The war in Iraq is an intricate conflict with various complications, and though the news companies do report the truth, it is simply not the whole picture. Iraq in my Eye is the account of a Navy SEAL who began to question the success of his country's occupation in the Arab nation of Iraq.The findings of Chuck Bravedy are revealed in this book for the enlightenment of the general public.

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Operation Caribe (Pirate Hunters) Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't generally review books, but this one was bad enough that I have to.
In short, its written at a 4th graders reading level. A 4th grader with a very militant/repressed view of how the world works. The plot doesn't follow at all, nobody makes realistic decisions, and the characters are the worst sort of 1-dimensional walking cliches as you can get.
Seriously, avoid this waste of paper like the plague. You will be dumber after having read it.

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Modern Pirates of the CaribbeanTerror stalks the Bahamas. Someone is killing wealthy seagoing tourists, leaving no clues to the identity of the marauders and no trace of their victims' bodies. The Bahamian police are baffled, and when a Coast Guard boat is discovered on a reef, its officers murdered, tourism authorities realize they need outside help, or this crime wave will ruin the islands' biggest business. Team Whiskey, U.S. soldiers-turned-pirate-hunters, have tangled with Somali pirates, retrieved millions of dollars of stolen cargo and thwarted other high-seas piracy. They run to ground a gang of ruthless Caribbean pirates, but before they can tie up the loose ends, they have unfinished business to settle with Asia's pirate kingpin. When they return, they face a threat more deadly than any piracy, a plot that'll blow the Caribbean sky high, unless the pirate hunters can do what even the U.S. Navy cannot . . .

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Operation Search and Destroy: SEALs Top Secret 3 (Seals Top Secret, 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)I read all three books and they are out of sinc, book one should be book 2 or maybe 3 it is hard to tell in any case they are really hard to read in any kind of order, the main seal is to hard to believe and it really borders on bordom and same thing over and over.

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A bloody civil war in Southeast Asia was spinning out of control. This was a conflict with no battlelines and no heroic causes. But they were SEALs and winning was their mission, their calling, their creed-and no one did it better, in the water, from the sky, and on the ground.And this was their first assignment. The Delta is no man's land and death lives here. Intel says that Charlie is still in residence, but not in large numbers. It's the SEALs' job to find the NVA's hidden supply dumps and to take them out. Hopscotching by PBR and chopper through a perilous labyrinth of islands and rivers. Team Two 1st Platoon plunges headfirst into a lethal maelstrom. New evidence suggests that a massive enemy buildup is underway-and the SEALs will be the first to brave the withering fire of a well-armed foe. But treachery has made this op doubly perilous. For, while most on their side truly want to win this war, there are others who would like to see more SEAL dead added to the body count.

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U.S. Special Forces: A Guide to America's Special Operations Units-The World's Most Elite Fighting Force Review

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(More customer reviews)I would recommend this book to people who do not have a very good understanding of US Special Forces. For those of us who have a deeper knowledge of the Special Forces that our country employs, I would not recommend this book.
The book reads well and includes chapters on the Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Operations (Combat Controllers and Pararescue Jumpers), Army Special Forces (Green Berets), Delta Force, Marine Force Recon, Army Airborne, Army 10th Mountain Division, Coast Guard Special Operations, and CIA Paramilitary Forces.
The inclusion of the Coast Guard "Special Operations" is a bit suspect as a special operations group, but that chapter is enlightening and informative.
The book does not go into very much detail on any of the special operations forces so I would only recommend this book to someone who wants a very general overview.
One of the major gripes that I had with the book (besides being overly simplistic) is on page 188. In the chapter about the 10th Mountain Division, the book mentions how a "young Lieutenant Bob Dole was badly wounded. After a couple years in a hospital he would go on to be vice president of the United States..." Umm, am I missing something here or was I asleep when Bob Dole was the Vice President?
Anyway, if you are a stranger to the world of US Special Forces, this is a decent book to get started. However, if one already has a pretty decent grasp of the subject, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

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President George W. Bush has told all Americans that the war against terrorism would be like no other war. But what does this mean? Who will fight? How will they fight? What weapons will be used? Most informed commentators agree that the war against terrorism will be fought largely by "special forces"-that is, by a relatively new community within the American military known as Special Operations Forces, or SOF's. This new "branch" of the armed forces was created in the mid–1980s and is organized under its own unified command, called U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Consisting of special units from the other branches of the armed forces, such as Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs, and Delta Force, this new fighting command is recognized internationally as the most well-trained and well-equipped special operations force in the world. Their missions are varied-including combat terrorism, search and rescue, reconnaissance, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping duty, and conventional and unconventional warfare.Despite special forces' international reputation for excellence, Americans know little about this remarkable fighting force. U.S. Special Forces provides a handy and comprehensive compendium, including descriptions of the units and their operational specialties, training, and organization, as well as the equipment and technological gadgetry, weapons, armor, planes, helicopters, and support vehicles used by each unit.

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The Tactical Marksman: A Complete Training Manual For Police And Practical Shooters Review

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(More customer reviews)Lauck places a heavy emphasis on equipment in this book and talks very little about deployment and tactics. Not only does he emphasize equipment but absolute top-of-the-line custom-built one-of-a-kind equipment.
I think that most precision rifle scenarios could be resolved with something less than the equipment that Lauck describes in this book. I suspect that with proper deployment an expert rifleman with high-quality factory-made equipment would be able to resolve the issue.
The book does not address the questions "when is the tactical marksman the right tool for the job" or "how should a tactical marksman deploy" in any depth.
Lauck really does seem to have an extensive knowledge of precision shooting equipment. But I would not call the book a "complete training manual."

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Marksmen, cops and practical and competition shooters alike will benefit from the expert advice and firsthand experiences contained in this indispensable guide. Going beyond "hype for hire" and tall tales, it reveals what it really takes to succeed in situations where one shot is all you'll get - and lives hang in the balance.

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The Navy Seal Workout : The Compete Total-Body Fitness Program Review

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(More customer reviews)As a senior in college, I've had trouble finding time or motivation to follow a workout program. On top of that, it is hard to pick a routine from the hundreds available (each telling you that their workout program is the best).
I came across THE NAVY SEAL WORKOUT and thought I'd give it a chance. Let me tell you, this workout is really great. First, you don't really need any major weight equipment, the program uses your own weight. The only equipment you need is a pull-up bar and a dip bar (which saves time, because you won't have to wait in lines at the gym). Second, the system of reps De Lisle has you do is really effective (2-3-4-5-4-3-2, etc.). And the exercises are easy to understand.
Don't get me wrong. They are challenging. When I fist flipped through to book I almost put it down because the exercises almost looked too easy. I couldn't have been more wrong.
If you keep with the program, steadily, for a couple weeks, you WILL see results.

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"Many people believe the only way to get in shape is by putting a lot of money into trendy fitness centers, or spending hard-earned cash on a variety of workout videotapes. In the end, these methods seldom provide the results we're all looking for. But don't get me wrong--I am not demeaning gyms or workout tapes; in fact, I still enjoy the benefits of a gym to keep fit. Weight-lifting rooms and other facilities can be extremely beneficial. However, to obtain and maintain supreme cardiovascular fitness and a rock-hard body, I must continually use the training regimen I learned as a member of the Navy SEALs." -- from The Navy SEAL WorkoutAs the world's most elite combat unit, the Navy SEALs have long been known for their tremendous physical fitness and mental stamina. Their training program has also carried somewhat of a mystique, as so few people actually enter and stay in the program. Now Navy SEAL Mark De Lisle reveals the no-frills workout that has conditioned some of the best bodies around. From stretching through cooldown, including a variety of running and swimming workouts as well as tips on top-notch nutrition, The Navy SEAL Workout can improve any committed participant's cardiovascular fitness and overall shape and tone. "After 27 years as a Navy SEAL, I feel The Navy SEAL Workout program is the best one on the market, encompassing the physical training regimen required of a Naval Special Warfare Warrior. The levels of intensity, from beginner to advanced, are so well laid out that both the biggest 'couch potato' and professional athelete can see improvement after a short period of time." -- Allan Starr, Command Masterchief, Naval Special Warfare Command Group One"In The Navy SEAL Workout, Mark De Lisle has developed a program soundly based in a state-of-the-art knowledge of exercise physiology and principles. This book would be a valuable addition to the library of anyone who is interested in peak performance." -- W.K. Prusaczyk, PhD, Exercise Physiologist, Navy Health and Research Center"It has been interesting to note the numerous SEAL-related materials that have come out in recent years. As a former Marine, I salute you for your fine work with the SEALs and in promoting fitness to the masses." -- Harvey Newton, Director of Program Development National Strength and Conditioning AssociationMark De Lisle became a U.S. Navy SEAL at age 27. He lives in San Diego, California.

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