Whatcha playin? (Video games wise.)

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
Playstation, of course. I thought about obtaining it for PC, but I spend enough time in front of a computer as is. Plus, I would rather sit on my couch.
You'll need to invest in a better chair, my friend.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
You'll need to invest in a better chair, my friend.

Y'know, if the Insane Edition actually shows up on these shores I'll pick up an additional copy on PC. It's stoopid, I know, but I want that damn bobblehead.


Groovy new trailer for the game's penultimate villain, Hoyt Volcker. I could work for him. Those rules aren't that hard to put up with.


I opted to pickup Medal of Honor: Warfighter in spite of the lack of reviews. I've enjoyed the singleplayer campaign so far despite some really odd bugs; i.e., getting shot through walls & enemies "shimmering" while under fire, then disappearing briefly only for the animation cycle to start anew where they end up killing you. Despite this the campaign has been very well done with a surprising bit of diversity.

There is one aspect that I've really enjoyed: sniping. Too often games portray the sniper rifle as the ne plus ultra of weapons -- it's perfectly accurate across great distances and, and it's even better in CQB! Which leads to ridiculous exploits like "quick scoping" and field of vision bugs. Not so in this edition of Medal of Honor.

I can't attest to how it was handled in the previous outing, but in Warfighter you need to compensate for windage, elevation and "bullet drop" a.k.a. external ballistics. It's not a simulation, obviously, but the simple fact that you don't just point n' shoot and kill an enemy over two-hundred yards away is a fantastic little touch.

It'll still get traded in as soon as I beat the campaign. Ghost Recon fulfills the need for a military shooter.

Task_Force_Mako.jpeg
 
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Nurhachi1991

Well-known member
I played the Witcher 2 for a while hated the game play though. I got Dishonored when it came out and only played the first 3 levels so far. I killed everyone in the golden cat :hat:
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Nurhachi1991 said:
I played the Witcher 2 for a while hated the game play though. I got Dishonored when it came out and only played the first 3 levels so far. I killed everyone in the golden cat
...and now you're eagerly awaiting for Black Ops 2 to come out?
 

The Drifter

New member
I've heard good things about Dishonered, but I'm saving my cash for Assassin's Creed 3 instead. And, I've always wanted to play Witcher 2, but my PC won't run it, and I lack a Xbox 360.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
...and now you're eagerly awaiting for Black Ops 2 to come out?

Probably. That and the Spring release of Grand Theft Auto V when he'll invariably ask where he can go to dress like a gangbanger. Or, where the best place to pick up a gently used pitbull is.

The Drifter said:
I've heard good things about Dishonored, but I'm saving my cash for Assassin's Creed 3 instead

Assassin's Creed III midnight release tonight! I'll be there to pick up the standard edition. Yes, there's some nifty objets de game in the North American release, but far less thought appears to have gone into it when compared to the editions available to the rest of the world. It's only at the last minute did Ubisoft even offer to include George Washington's Journal with the North American release.

Pathetic.

Revenge Would Solve Everything

disv2.jpg


Dishonored is a very, very good game. It's something that I would recommend that everybody pick up. For an industry that's rapidly starting to resemble Hollywood in its love for overwrought sequels, Dishonored is a proverbial breath of fresh air.

That said, it could have been great. I liken it to reading the abridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo and the full text; one's a really good story, the other's a masterpiece. Dishonored is decidedly abridged. It builds steadily, albeit predictably, throughout the rising action and climax, then almost completely falls on its face throughout the final third, the falling action.

But perhaps I've said too much. The levels as a whole are wonderfully varied and diverse, and allow you to complete your objectives in a lethal or non-lethal manner. There's a metric tonne of hidden objectives that you can complete if you stumble across them; otherwise, the game doesn't care if you find them or not. On a second play through, however, it's amazing on how much you find despite how thorough you thought you'd been.

I'll write more on it as time goes by, but Dishonored gets a very respectable 8 out of 10 from me.

In a bit of good news, Arkane Studios has just announced a series of challenge maps due out later this year and two additional story based campaigns that are to be released next year.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
The Drifter said:
...but I'm saving my cash for Assassin's Creed 3 instead.

And you're still saving? I've put in about a dozen hours into the campaign and I have yet to "ignite" the revolution. In fact, I've only recently met Sam Adams (and that might have been Paul Revere).

Full disclosure: I detested Assassin's Creed II. So much so that I quit playing about three-quarters of way through. Never beat it, don't care how it ended, and didn't play its offspring. Desmond Miles is a horrible protagonist (who's not really the protagonist) and the jumping back and forth in time is stupid.

For the third outing, Ubisoft has managed to redeem themselves... somewhat. The principle problems remain: Desmond Miles, the jumping back and forth in time, the needlessly convoluted storyline, and the really, really poor stealth mechanics.

Yet, hacking into a squad of lobster backs with a tomahawk is strangely compelling. There could be some anti-British sentiment at work there, but combat is decidedly more fluid and interesting. Connor's definitely a brawler which may be a better direction for the series to take since it staunchly refuses the "Assassin" part of its title seriously.

Check out the video below for a montage of Connor's killing prowess. Beware, though; it might contain spoilers. I haven't watched it yet.


Now, naval warfare on the other hand is superb. I've only played a couple of random battles, but they're thrilling. It reaffirms my hope that somebody will put the time and effort into making a good pirate game.

But now that the children are finally out of the pool, it's time for the adults.

 

The Drifter

New member
Le Saboteur said:
And you're still saving?

Nope, I've put about 15 hours into the game so far. You've about already hit the nail on it's head with your little review as I agree with your views on the game. I myself have just now started to cut into the meat of the main story. I've been doing Frontier and Homestead missions and general wondering around the frontier itself.
I like the game much better than I did ACII, it may be because I love the time period here. Also, I don't see anything as being anti-British as I have slain my fair share of patriots as well as lobsterbacks. Also, read Shawn's ADB entries to see the smack he talks about America. It's good for a good chuckle as I know someone who acts and sounds just like him in the real world.
 

I'mBatman

New member
I should be picking up Creed 3 later today on PC.
Would anyone o as far to say that Connor is a better (backstory/motivations-wise) character than Ezio?
 

Goodsport

Member
Mainly because my old PC system had been slowly crapping out on me the last few months, I took advantage of the recent Black Friday deals to finally buy myself a new PC system (including a new monitor) for the first time in almost a decade.

Once that was taken care of, I then finally bought both Guild Wars 2 and its Limited Edition Hardcover Official Strategy Guide, which also includes a Quick Reference Map Stand. :cool:

Better late than never, I suppose, as it was the first Guild Wars game that I hadn't bought the day it hit stores since Prophecies (which I bought about a month afterward), although this time around the delay cost me a chance to play the game's first two Live Events. :(


-G
 

Goodsport

Member
Shortly after setting up my new PC system, I loaded up Guild Wars 2 and created a Human Ranger with the same surname (but different a first name, of course) as my Guild Wars: Prophecies Ranger, as he's his direct descendent (with 250 game years separating the two, is my GW2 character the great-great-great grandson of my GW: P character? Or would there be more/less "greats" in there during that time-span?).

Once the game itself began, I immediately noticed that while most of my new PC's components work well enough, the video card included was pretty low end as even with most of GW2's video settings set at medium and some at low, the game was stuttering (frames-per-second were in the 15-20 range). :eek: So yesterday I went back to the store and bought a much better video card and, because most video cards nowadays seem to need a computer with a power supply of at least 400W, I also bought a 500W power supply for $50 to replace the 300W power supply that was included in the PC.

Once I installed both into my PC, loaded up the new graphics drivers and re-entered the game, the spike in visual quality and smoothness was absolutely amazing (in a good way)! Now running smoothly with most of the visual settings at high with a few at medium, I can now truly see how stunningly beautiful this game is. :cool:

Though I'm now still only in Queensdale (as of this posting, I haven't gone into Divinity's Reach yet) and thus haven't missed much before upgrading my graphics, I do regret having gone through the opening sequence with the choppy inferior graphics and won't be able to repeat the sequence with the now-improved graphic settings. :(

Nonetheless, I'm really enjoying GW2 thus far and can't wait to continue it in earnest, particularly that the graphics issue has been resolved that I can now devote all my GW2 energy into gameplay, following the story and further developing my Ranger. :D


-G
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
I finished my second playthrough of Fallout New Vegas today. After what could be described as four months of very meticulous gaming, as I hardly touched other titles during said time.

When I re-installed the game, the plan was to simply check out the DLC content, using my previous character. But in the end, I ended up making a whole new Courier simply because I'd made some choices with the last one that felt a little off in retrospect.

Now, the game world in New Vegas is a sandbox in every sense of the word. It's not simply that the world itself is mostly void of invisible walls insurmountable fences, it's also a narrative sandbox. The thing is, most open world games still have a very linear story structure. You'll have to complete objective or mission or quest A to move on to B and then that to get to C and so forth. In the meanwhile, you can always roam the world in search of side activities, but the story doesn't really edge forward unless things are done in certain secquence. In the Fallout games, however, you can simply ignore all the pointers you're given and go your own way if you will.

Now, most of the games based on open narrative don't really have much of a narrative at all. One is simply given an overarching goal and then left to ones own devices pursuing it. Fallout 3 mostly does this (and is often berated for having a weak plot because of it). At the beginning the game simply tells you to find your dad and leaves it at that. There is a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, but they're very few and easily scripted into submission if the player decides to do things differently.

New Vegas, however, takes a very different path. Even if there's a way to ignore it all, it still constantly gives the player direction. In a sense, when most sandbox games still force you down the linear path and try to hide it in an open world, it felt as if New Vegas was an open world that hides a linear path. And soon it became sort of a game within a game or a goal that overarches even the actual main quest: to find this path.

Okay, now that I'm done, do I think I succeeded? Well... let's just say that I do, and leave it at that. There definitely is a way to play the game in a manner where you constantly seem to have some narrative motivation from moving from one place to another other than simple gamer's curiosity, and never run into a quest-giver and then notice you've already done the thing s/he wants you to do. Now, it does require some premature knowledge and willful ignorance at times, so it's probably something one is not likely to experience at first playthrough. But it's definitely there for those who want as story-woven experience as possible.

In the end, it turned out to be an experience that perhaps revealed me a little more about the nature of gaming in general than the game itself.


Okay, enough about that. When I began that little experiment in late July, I predicted I'd be done in a couple of months' time, so that I could then just move on and sample whatever the late-year release season brings along. Well, given how New Vegas is pretty much the only game I've played during the past few months... so much for that plan. Now I've got one loose-woman of a backlog to dig into, not only games released recently, but some from earlier quarters as well, since most of this year has been spent playing those epic RPGs, (first Mass Effect 3 in spring, then The Witcher 2 EE over summer and now this).

But some good came out of this as well, given how my most recent engagement kinda put these other interesting titles to the backburner and made me postpone pouring some of my hard-earned monies in them at the moment they were out. Now then, the recent Steam sale allowed me to pick up some of them with half the price already, leaving me a little more to invest than I originally predicted.

But now, time to go play... catch-up.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Finn said:
I finished my second playthrough of Fallout New Vegas today. After what could be described as four months of very meticulous gaming, as I hardly touched other titles during said time.

When I re-installed the game, the plan was to simply check out the DLC content, using my previous character. But in the end, I ended up making a whole new Courier simply because I'd made some choices with the last one that felt a little off in retrospect.

Now, the game world in New Vegas is a sandbox in every sense of the word. It's not simply that the world itself is mostly void of invisible walls insurmountable fences, it's also a narrative sandbox. The thing is, most open world games still have a very linear story structure. You'll have to complete objective or mission or quest A to move on to B and then that to get to C and so forth. In the meanwhile, you can always roam the world in search of side activities, but the story doesn't really edge forward unless things are done in certain secquence. In the Fallout games, however, you can simply ignore all the pointers you're given and go your own way if you will.

Now, most of the games based on open narrative don't really have much of a narrative at all. One is simply given an overarching goal and then left to ones own devices pursuing it. Fallout 3 mostly does this (and is often berated for having a weak plot because of it). At the beginning the game simply tells you to find your dad and leaves it at that. There is a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, but they're very few and easily scripted into submission if the player decides to do things differently.

New Vegas, however, takes a very different path. Even if there's a way to ignore it all, it still constantly gives the player direction. In a sense, when most sandbox games still force you down the linear path and try to hide it in an open world, it felt as if New Vegas was an open world that hides a linear path. And soon it became sort of a game within a game or a goal that overarches even the actual main quest: to find this path.

Okay, now that I'm done, do I think I succeeded? Well... let's just say that I do, and leave it at that. There definitely is a way to play the game in a manner where you constantly seem to have some narrative motivation from moving from one place to another other than simple gamer's curiosity, and never run into a quest-giver and then notice you've already done the thing s/he wants you to do. Now, it does require some premature knowledge and willful ignorance at times, so it's probably something one is not likely to experience at first playthrough. But it's definitely there for those who want as story-woven experience as possible.

In the end, it turned out to be an experience that perhaps revealed me a little more about the nature of gaming in general than the game itself.


Okay, enough about that. When I began that little experiment in late July, I predicted I'd be done in a couple of months' time, so that I could then just move on and sample whatever the late-year release season brings along. Well, given how New Vegas is pretty much the only game I've played during the past few months... so much for that plan. Now I've got one loose-woman of a backlog to dig into, not only games released recently, but some from earlier quarters as well, since most of this year has been spent playing those epic RPGs, (first Mass Effect 3 in spring, then The Witcher 2 EE over summer and now this).

But some good came out of this as well, given how my most recent engagement kinda put these other interesting titles to the backburner and made me postpone pouring some of my hard-earned monies in them at the moment they were out. Now then, the recent Steam sale allowed me to pick up some of them with half the price already, leaving me a little more to invest than I originally predicted.

But now, time to go play... catch-up.

Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remain the most enjoyable games I've ever played. Not that I play many games now, though.

Other first person shooters seem lacking after being immersed in the world of Fallout. Your actions have real consequences on the world and its inhabitants.

I dipped into Far Cry 2 a few times recently, and the only thing it really has going for it over the Fallouts are driving, scenery and fire. (It's frustrating that it takes so many bullets to kill a person up close, but only one sniper shot if you can make it).

And the only real downside to Fallout: New Vegas is the inability to continue after the 'end', without using a cheat code.
 

The Drifter

New member
You would love Far Cry 3, Montana. I disliked part 2, but adore this one. It is my game of the year, and most likely in my top five of the past decade. All that was wrong in FC 2, they fixed. FC 3 is MILES better. It's even got an Indy reference in there. I implore you to try this gem out. I will review it here when I am done with it. 15 hours in so far.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
The Drifter said:
You would love Far Cry 3, Montana. I disliked part 2, but adore this one. It is my game of the year, and most likely in my top five of the past decade. All that was wrong in FC 2, they fixed. FC 3 is MILES better. It's even got an Indy reference in there. I implore you to try this gem out. I will review it here when I am done with it. 15 hours in so far.

It sounds good. I've been trying not to play too many games, as once you start it's hard to stop!

Checking the specs my system might just about handle FC3.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Montana Smith said:
Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remain the most enjoyable games I've ever played. Not that I play many games now, though.

Other first person shooters seem lacking after being immersed in the world of Fallout. Your actions have real consequences on the world and its inhabitants.
Might be due to the fact that they aren't really FPSes, but RPGs. The shooting mechanics are nothing but something that's been implemented on the top. The core game is elsewhere.

Montana Smith said:
I dipped into Far Cry 2 a few times recently, and the only thing it really has going for it over the Fallouts are driving, scenery and fire. (It's frustrating that it takes so many bullets to kill a person up close, but only one sniper shot if you can make it).
The fire mechanics that never got old and the novel setting were pretty much the only things that kept me connected enough with Far Cry 2 to warrant a playthrough. The gameplay got repetitive quick and some of the design choices (like those irregular malaria attacks) were downright silly.

From what I've gathered from Far Cry 3 from external sources, it goes miles inroad to amend it all. It's still not a deep RPG of course, but the best bits from FC2 still seem to be there, and the rest of it is actually fun this time around. Definitely one to look into, once an opportune moment comes.

---

The thing I'm playing currently is Assassin's Creed III, and I guess there isn't really need for that many elaborate words for this one. It's a little different, yet deeply familiar. One who liked the series from AC II onwards will no doubt enjoy this as well.

While I did get some early warnings, I was still surprised how long it took for what is technically an open-world game to open up. Folks who were saying that it's as if the game's got a tutorial that lasts for hours weren't exaggerating, at least not much. In fact, the game even got pretty annoying at times how it dangled those sandboxy bits in front of you, let you have tastes of them, but still took its sweet time before really letting the player sink ones teeth to them with all the player character's abilities unlocked.

But once that finally happened, I have to say I've been enjoying it since. And even that overly long "tutorial" part wasn't all that bad, since the setting is again something not too often seen in games.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Finn said:
Might be due to the fact that they aren't really FPSes, but RPGs. The shooting mechanics are nothing but something that's been implemented on the top. The core game is elsewhere.

Yes, the Fallouts were like "grape juice plus". You could play the combat like a first person shooter, or use the RPG time freeze. And then there's everything else on top that makes the combat relevant.

Finn said:
The fire mechanics that never got old and the novel setting were pretty much the only things that kept me connected enough with Far Cry 2 to warrant a playthrough. The gameplay got repetitive quick and some of the design choices (like those irregular malaria attacks) were downright silly.

Another thing that bugs me with FC2 is that the outposts are manned again almost as soon as you've cleared them. Some just aren't avoidable without huge detours.

Makes me wish for some level of fast travel.

Finn said:
From what I've gathered from Far Cry 3 from external sources, it goes miles inroad to amend it all. It's still not a deep RPG of course, but the best bits from FC2 still seem to be there, and the rest of it is actually fun this time around. Definitely one to look into, once an opportune moment comes.

Definitely one to look out for.
 

fenris

New member
Right now all I'm playing is a mindless video game... Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2012 edition.

Not really playing it seriously yet. I'm just driving around smashing into billboards and playing tag with the cops.

I do love the crash animations... Especially if you hit another car at full speed and your car flies through the air! Hehehe.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
I'mBatman said:
Would anyone o as far to say that Connor is a better (backstory/motivations-wise) character than Ezio?

Yes. Especially considering that I never bothered to finish the first game he appeared in, and didn't pick up any of the subsequent releases. Can't even be bothered to watch the various Youtube videos featuring the endings.

The "First Civilization"= STOOPID.

Finn said:
The thing I'm playing currently is Assassin's Creed III, and I guess there isn't really need for that many elaborate words for this one.

I've put around 50-hours into the game so far. Haven't beat it yet, but I'm close. It's a welcome diversion into U.S. history. Well, an alternative U.S. history.

Hopefully they continue this for a couple of games. The logical path: The Quasi-War of 1798 between the United States and the French Republic and right into the War of 1812.

The Drifter said:
You would love Far Cry 3, Montana.

Yes, we dat blaze da fi-uh mek it bun dem. I needed a break from Assassin's Creed, so I installed this thing. Knowing nothing of the first two outings, I wasn't sure what to expect of Far Cry. It's sufficient to say that I've enjoyed myself greatly.

I hate my friends. I want the option to execute each and every one of them. Well, maybe not my girlfriend. No, her too.

Finn said:
The fire mechanics that never got old and the novel setting were pretty much the only things that kept me connected enough with Far Cry 2 to warrant a playthrough.

I ended up watching a couple of videos from Far Cry 2, and the setting was definitely interesting. I might've been interested in giving it a whirl had I known about it.

Oh, and I was completely taken by surprise when the fire started to spread to the surrounding huts I was hunkering behind! Why am I losing health? Oh, crap I'm on fire!

Nice pick up thus far. I've cleansed the North Island of pirate scum and am working on the story-driven missions. Though, Hoyt's Privateer army awaits. Canadians do know that privateers are government sanctioned, right?
 
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