The "What are you playing?" topic.

[CountArach]

Just finished FEAR 2 this afternoon and I found the ending a little abrupt, but I felt that it was still one of the best plot-lines of any game I have played in a long time.

[Monk]

Gears 2 horde mode:


Beat my previous best with a group last night and took it to 22 rounds before we got overwhelmed. There were some tight spots, including one section where it was me all alone hiding behind a Boomshield against twenty locust. All i can say is thank COG for the Gorgon pistol (semi-auto burst pistol)

I've also been playing a lot of Left 4 Dead versus, more than usual trying to get ready for the DLC. Can't wait to play Dead Air in Versus mode.

[frogbeastegg]

I gave Gears of War a second go. This time I got further than the first effort. Sad to say that the game wins special status with me: it's the only game I've played on my xbox and completely dislike. It's my 39th game.

Ugly colours, ugly character design, ugly sound effects and music, cumbersome controls, whimpy weapons with downright nasty sound effects, boring level design, a story and set of characters which set a new low for a genre already famous for being bad in those regards. It's packed full of idiotic AI team members who hamper you by getting killed, forcing you to battle hordes alone or get killed reviving them. On hardcore the enemies are bullet sponges and each kill takes a drearily long time. Above all and most damningly, the combat is plodding, dull, fiddly and boring.

There's nothing about it I like or find redeeming. Considering I can play games with plenty of flaws and still enjoy them, that's almost unheard of. I got it in a bundle deal with the sequel last year. The sequel will never get within 6 feet of my console's disc drive.

Next up? I don't know. I hated Gears so much it's kind of put me off games. Anything I play will be better; I want something so good it will obliterate the foul taste left by Gears.

[tibilicus]

I gave Gears of War a second go. This time I got further than the first effort. Sad to say that the game wins special status with me: it's the only game I've played on my xbox and completely dislike. It's my 39th game.

Ugly colours, ugly character design, ugly sound effects and music, cumbersome controls, whimpy weapons with downright nasty sound effects, boring level design, a story and set of characters which set a new low for a genre already famous for being bad in those regards. It's packed full of idiotic AI team members who hamper you by getting killed, forcing you to battle hordes alone or get killed reviving them. On hardcore the enemies are bullet sponges and each kill takes a drearily long time. Above all and most damningly, the combat is plodding, dull, fiddly and boring.

There's nothing about it I like or find redeeming. Considering I can play games with plenty of flaws and still enjoy them, that's almost unheard of. I got it in a bundle deal with the sequel last year. The sequel will never get within 6 feet of my console's disc drive.

Next up? I don't know. I hated Gears so much it's kind of put me off games. Anything I play will be better; I want something so good it will obliterate the foul taste left by Gears.

At least you didn't try the MP section..

God that was infuriating..

[Gregoshi]

Next up? I don't know. I hated Gears so much it's kind of put me off games. Anything I play will be better; I want something so good it will obliterate the foul taste left by Gears.

I have to try to return a favour froggy. Music Match showed up once again on my radar this week. An elegantly simple game with an absolutely beautiful and soothing piano piece to drive the game. If this doesn't do it, maybe it will remind you of another game that will. A frog without a game just doesn't seem right.

[frogbeastegg]

I have to try to return a favour froggy. Music Match showed up once again on my radar this week. An elegantly simple game with an absolutely beautiful and soothing piano piece to drive the game. If this doesn't do it, maybe it will remind you of another game that will. A frog without a game just doesn't seem right.

It's like catching the sparks created by fireworks. Nice little game. Thanks.

I got 788,651 on my first go.

[Husar]

Next up? I don't know. I hated Gears so much it's kind of put me off games. Anything I play will be better; I want something so good it will obliterate the foul taste left by Gears.

Have you played Drakensang yet?
I mean I don't seem to be the only one who liked it (though I started a second game before finishing the first, I just don't like really hard end-game battles with nothing really new to discover anymore but sadly too many good RPGs seem to have them) so you may like it as well.

[frogbeastegg]

Have you played Drakensang yet?
I mean I don't seem to be the only one who liked it (though I started a second game before finishing the first, I just don't like really hard end-game battles with nothing really new to discover anymore but sadly too many good RPGs seem to have them) so you may like it as well.

You're far from alone in liking it. It's being talked about on other forums I read, and nearly everyone has good to say of it. I was waiting for the UK retail release quite eagerly; I had it pre-ordered the day play.com dropped the price to £17.99. Before I can play it I need to complete NWN2 plus expansions; one sprawling PC RPG at a time, anything else is overload.

I tend to have a PC game and a console game on the go at the same time. The PC game is invariably massive and quite demanding, while the console game provides a foil to that with something that's lighter. I've got a stack of console games to choose from and none really appeal to my current, except for Disgaea 3 and Lost Odyssey. Talk about inviting disaster! Big, huge ultra-long JRPGs do not pair nicely with big, huge and ultra-long PC RPGs!

[FactionHeir]

*points at post on the previous page*

[caravel]

http://www.openttd.org/en/

[frogbeastegg]

:stands on a mound of slain enemies, brandishes a katana and screams in triumph: Ninja Gaiden II, completed! On acolyte level, this game's 'easy' mode but still a sight more difficult than the hard mode on most games.

I'm rather proud of this. Not greatly so, just proud enough to have a warm little glow. This isn't the sort of game I play much, and I don't have super fast reactions or button bashing skills. I'm not a fan of games which are made with the intention of the player dying many, many times before the end; it gets boring. Ninja Gaiden is notorious for its difficulty and for the demands it places on the player. Most people don't get half way through acolyte before giving up.

With the exception of a few spots the game was highly enjoyable. Skill based combat that rewards care, attention and a willingness to learn. There's still loads for me to learn. Loads. I need to learn those many things and practice them until they become unthinking reflex if I'm to tackle the higher levels. Still, there's the rare moment where it all pulls together and I get a hint of what I'd fight like if I had mastered those skills. It's an elaborate, lethal ballet of evading at the last possible frame of animation, triggering the right move at exactly the right split second, and mowing a path of destruction through a mob without getting a scratch. Then the moment passes and the ballet reverts to a melee.

There are some cheap enemies. There are some badly designed fights. These hold the game back from the highs it should have reached. During the final boss gauntlet the game glitched on me and I was forced to reset the console, losing all of my progress. Sometimes the controls don't seem as responsive as they should be.

I've started a dragon sword weapon master run now, and I'll do some more weapon master runs once I finish that. Eventually I'll move to warrior level. Once warrior and all 8 weapon master runs are done I'll try mentor level. In the vanishingly small chance I survive that, I'll try master ninja.

Returning to level 1 and fighting with nothing but the dragon sword has been incredible. It's shown me how much I have learned. Fights where I nearly died on the first run I pass with mere scratches - or untouched - the second time.

[I of the Storm]

Returning to level 1 and fighting with nothing but the dragon sword has been incredible. It's shown me how much I have learned. Fights where I nearly died on the first run I pass with mere scratches - or untouched - the second time.

Ah, the joys of the learning curve...

[Monk]

Gears 2 Horde mode update: 39 waves survived!

I have to admit that for as shallow an experience gears 2 offers in its story, its actual gameplay is quite addicting when combined with a "Last Stand/Survival" mode, which is exactly what Horde is. I can only hope Epic keeps the mode when 3 comes out. If so I will buy it on the spot. The mode is that fun imo.

I've become quite adept with the Longshot Sniper rifle and the Hamerburst assault rifle. After using the Lancer for so long, focusing purely on precision fire weapons is an amazing change of pace. The Hamerburst especially really takes some getting used to with its kick back, and the hours of frustration learning to pull off headshots with the Longshot are finally coming to fruition. As for the actual "player vs player" of gears 2 online, I'm slowly getting into that as well. I really enjoy Annex (take and hold), mainly because its one of the few game modes where you can respawn. Though it still can't hold a candle to Horde!

[frogbeastegg]

Ah, the joys of the learning curve...

Learning cliff. :remembers how much is left to master: Learning mountain.

Based on various message board posts, the tiny percentage of players who complete the game on all 4 difficulties die around 1,000 times and take between 80 and 100 hours total. You can expect to die upwards of 500 times alone on master ninja mode. Finishing master ninja still isn't the end; the combat system is deep enough that there will still be plenty for you to work on.

Game's certainly value for money provided you can take the heat.



I had chance to play Rise of the Arognauts. As I have been waiting for the game to go down to an acceptable price since before Christmas I didn't dither about. I'm several hours in, on the second island. So far it lives up to its reputation: a rough around the edges 'poor man's Mass Effect' with oodles of slightly warped Greek mythology. If you like talk-heavy RPGs, or if you like Greek myths and don't have an apoplexy when the traditonal story is altered, you will like the game. If neither of those apply, stay far away. I like both, and that's why I was waiting.

[Fragony]

Having a blast with the Red Faction demo, excellent. Destroy everything

[Monk]

Was raging really hard over the weekend when I learned that microsoft points are hoplessly gouged by retail stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart by upwards of 30%. I checked their prices on Live only to find you can get 5000 points for a little over 60 USD. Good thing i didn't buy any of those shamelessly overpriced pre-paid cards.

Anyway. I got the Snowblind map pack for gears 2, the Mass Effect DLC that i never got and downloaded Jade Empire from Live.

Yeah, i'm four years late to the party, but I have to say I am really enjoying Jade Empire. The combat system is really fluid and despite the serious damage enemies do with a single swing, I am enjoying myself quite a bit. I haven't gotten deep enough to see the plot, tonight though!

[frogbeastegg]

Was raging really hard over the weekend when I learned that microsoft points are hoplessly gouged by retail stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart by upwards of 30%. I checked their prices on Live only to find you can get 5000 points for a little over 60 USD. Good thing i didn't buy any of those shamelessly overpriced pre-paid cards.

Really? That's shocking! When looking at MS points for the UK market, buying the cards is the only way to get a good deal. The RRP for the cards keeps the individual point->pound value identical to the online store, and the cards turn up discounted in a lot of places. Play.com have them on 2 for £30 at the moment, meaning a £6 saving compared to buying directly from MS. I never buy my points online, and I never play the RRP of £17.99 for 2100 points.

I have to say I am really enjoying Jade Empire. The combat system is really fluid, and despite the serious damage enemies do with a single swing, I am enjoying myself quite a bit. I haven't gotten deep enough to see the plot, tonight though!

Don't hold your breath for Jade Empire's plot and characters. The lower your expectations of it the better chance you might like it. I found it to be the ultimate Bioware-by-numbers, to the point where I guessed everything that would happen within the first hour. I didn't like the combat much either, or the deja vu quest design. This game is the reason why I left Mass Effect sat on my shelf for months; I was afraid it would be as bad and then I'd have to scrub Bioware off my list of good developers.

If you like the combat then that's a good sign. Just keep those plot expectations low and you should be pleasantly surprised. I had high hopes for another KOTOR style hit and that was fatal to it.

[Monk]

Don't hold your breath for Jade Empire's plot and characters. The lower your expectations of it the better chance you might like it. I found it to be the ultimate Bioware-by-numbers, to the point where I guessed everything that would happen within the first hour. I didn't like the combat much either, or the deja vu quest design. This game is the reason why I left Mass Effect sat on my shelf for months; I was afraid it would be as bad and then I'd have to scrub Bioware off my list of good developers.

If you like the combat then that's a good sign. Just keep those plot expectations low and you should be pleasantly surprised. I had high hopes for another KOTOR style hit and that was fatal to it.

Ugh. Froggy, why must you be the screen door on my submarine?

I was happily diving into something not Gears of war for the first time in a while and you come by and just crush my dreams so thoroughly. If this were Fallout 3, you'd have the Dream Crusher perk.

If you like the combat then that's a good sign. Just keep those plot expectations low and you should be pleasantly surprised. I had high hopes for another KOTOR style hit and that was fatal to it.

In all seriousness, thanks for the heads up. I too was thinking "Bioware did KOTOR, this must be great!" when I made the purchase off Live last night. Your post brings me back down to earth a little in that I won't be expecting much, only to be entertained.

I only got to play around with the combat a little but I liked it, I thought it worked well with the 360 controller. It does take some getting used to though.

[Tratorix]

I've been playing Sword of the Stars a lot recently. Really fun turn based strategy with total war style battles. It's basically a somewhat less deep Gal Civ 2 with tactical real time battles. The game has 4 playable races( with a new race added in each of the 2 expansions) all with different engines, meaning no two races really play the same in the way they expand. The tech tree is also slightly random, meaning you have chances of getting different weapons and upgrades each game. Hopefully it should get me through sending my 360 in for repairs.

[Monk]

Jade Empire:

Oh boy. Where to start. Well i got to really dive in last night, with froggy's words still ringing in my ear but I was feeling optimistic. The combat, while equating to a button mashing fest was engaging enough in the manuvering it challenges you to do that it had my interest. Yet for all the fun I have in combat I am continually surprised with how the game treats me. I am actually convinced this game doesn't like me, that Jade Empire is anti-social and does not want to be played.

I have reason to believe this for the symple fact that, while the combat is very satisfying, it becomes mind-numbing and easily exploited. As soon as I discovered that my first support character, if set to the right 'stance' would continually regenerate my Chi, i set her to regenerate my energy while i tossed fireballs at the enemy's face. Suddenly the only challenge that came from the combat was negating by the fact I had a walking chi factory behind me, enabling me to spam heal on myself every 5 seconds.

The camera has really earned my ire. I'm trying hard not to compare this game with KOTOR but in this aspect I have to. In Kotor the Camera is behind and a little above, in fact, in MOST good third person games that's the case. Behind and above. In Jade Empire you're just behind, with no control over the camera in how low or high you can tilt it. Sure, you can move it from left to right, but you're still stuck at a frustratingly low level! It's like someone paid me to run behind the protaganist, 5 feet behind. Mercilessly focused on their rear despite all obstacles.

The dialogue really.. really makes me hate this game. I know the genre lends itself to it, and honestly I don't mind reading a novel in game form (I rank Mass Effect on my list of "best games evar!" to attest to that) but not when the subject matter is so, soul crushingly, boring. This is the biggest drawback for me. The plot and the surrounding dialogue. In the words of the Nostalgia Critic, all it is is just fighting and explaining.

How do we stop the antagonists?

Oh let me explain.

Where do we go next?

LET ME EXPLAIN!

It's just... ugh. I hate it so much, I can't stand it. I think I was around the Pirate cove when a character repeated himself 3 times in the course of one line of questioning that I just threw my hands up and exclaimed 'Done.' and shut off the console. This is my biggest peeve in writing, and anyone who is a regular in the Mead Hall will tell you I often tell writers to show, not tell. Well jade empire is just one big tell fest and I can't subject myself to that.

My last arrow of hatred that I intend to burry deep into the back of Jade Empire is actually one that made me laugh. There's a part after the first dramatic plot device that mades you get on a flying machine and take off for parts unknown... and then the game turns into R-Type. I'm not kidding. You go into a mini-game that is an exact clone of 1942/R-type genre. it would be so laughable if it wasn't right in the middle of a serious RPG! Here I am, trying desperately to like my characters and suddenly I'm playing R-type. What. The? (if you don't know what R-type is, google it. Its a great game, its just a mini-game clone of it doesnt belong here..)

I only spent about $13 USD.. so I guess i got my monies worth, but I am actually glad I never bought this thing when it came out.

[frogbeastegg]

Ugh. Froggy, why must you be the screen door on my submarine?

I was happily diving into something not Gears of war for the first time in a while and you come by and just crush my dreams so thoroughly. If this were Fallout 3, you'd have the Dream Crusher perk.

:froggy gains 250XP:

:froggy gains a level! froggy is now level 72!:

Sad to hear you didn't like the game. I hoped lowered expectations would be enough to smooth out the wrinkles; it's amazing what you can forgive in a game if you don't expect the heavens from it.

I shall never forget that terrible, terrible moment within the first hour when I stared at my TV and realised I knew exactly what would happen with the plot. Each time I met a new companion I recognised them as another Bioware character reborn into a new model, name and voice actor. Then I made the same combat discovery as you, except I spammed sword attacks instead of fireballs. I slogged on for as long as I could, only to give up close to the end. I've tried to play Jade Empire twice, once on release and once years later. Never finished it, never will.



I finished Rise of the Argonauts. What a game! So many things it did right. What a shame! A handful of things it got wrong. I would still recommend it to the right kind of player, provided it can be found for half price or less. Are you the right kind of player? Answer the following:

Do you think a game which is 70% dialogue and 30% combat is boring? If yes, leave now and don't look back.

Rise dumps the traditional good/evil choice in favour of courage, compassion, wisdom and wit and the result is head and shoulders above the black and white, often childish selections in other games. There's a lot more nuance in dialogue with these 4 choices, a lot more. Another game might give you the task of finding information about a criminal gang and offer you the choice of threatening the old lady into giving you information, or paying her for it. Rise will allow you to appeal to her sense of justice to bring down the criminals, to offer words of understanding for her plight and promise to see to her safety, to give a courageous speech about not giving in to fear of the criminal overlords, or to trick her by pretending you are one of the criminals.

All of the talk, talk, talk goes on to offer set pieces which aren't on offer in other RPGs. For one boss fight I joined a formal debate on the merits of the golden fleece, weighing my opponent’s words with care and choosing the right aspects to counter them to the satisfaction of the audience. The answers were seldom clear; it was anything but a simple job of choosing the obviously correct answer as it would be in most games. I helped write a poem to remember Jason's murdered wife. I matched wits with Pan. I spoke eulogies for the fallen.

Rise is a well-written game, a game where words and stories were at the heart of the design document. Each of your companions is fleshed out and are something more than the stereotypes that people most RPG parties. They are familiar figures from Greek myth, and thus believably flawed in nature, and at the same time they are new, the creation of the game's designers, and so they offer surprises even if you are familiar with the mythology. Pan, in particular, stands out as one of the most intriguing companions I have ever adventured with. Hercules? He's not the standard big 'n strong dumb ox version. He's big and strong - and debates philosophy, questions his own self-worth, and reminds you of the costs of your quest. Achilles? Yup, he's vain as can be. Also a faintly damaged personality, dominated by the prophecy and hype surrounding him. And so on.

The voice acting for all of the principles is good to great. Jason in particular sounds as I'd always imagined him. The lesser voices are ... er, varied. As for the music, wow! This is the first game in a long time where I want to get the soundtrack. The score is by the composer who did the film 300.

There's no XP to gain. Instead you earn deeds, each one recording a specific act of heroism. There's a massive variety of them, from killing 5 enemies to listening to all of a child's song. You dedicate each deed to a god, and that wins you their favour. Earn enough favour and you can buy a god power. You also earn favour by selecting a god's particular aspect during dialogue, for example wisdom gains you points with Athena. This allows you to tailor Jason to your style.

The game doesn't have a journal. No. Your actions are recorded in the very heavens themselves! Constellations of stars, with each star being a specific part of your quest. Complete all of the optional quests on one island and you complete the relevant constellation, and another for the main quest on that island, and others for combat and for the 4 gods.

Greek mythology allows for some cool moments. An entire town turned to stone in the midst of an attack was my favourite. Bittersweet; in order to save the town you are forced to cause the death of many of the inhabitants. The survivors are left to wander the ruin of their home, shell-shocked by the discovery that centuries have passed.

That's the good, a very focused good which makes up around 70% of the game. Now for the bad.

Combat. Most of it occurs at the end of the game, and that's why I hated the final 2 areas. It's spongy, clumsy and not fun at all, and it suited me very well indeed that much of the game featured little combat. Then the final areas are little but combat, and combat against the same couple of enemy types in cramped arenas. Yuck!

Lack of polish. The game has rough sections, and it has bugs. The controls can be clumsy. Jason occasionally can't fit through gaps which are wider than he is. Kills and combat feats don't always register.

The final 2 areas. They take everything good about the game and toss it out of the window. Fortunately they only make up around 10% of the total experience.

Spasmodic difficulty. I played on the hardest level. Most of the time it was easy. Then suddenly the very enemy type I had slaughtered loads of would start doing a move which would leave me at death’s door from full health. Certain boss fights were stupidly hard compared to everything else.

I’m going to play it again, try to get the things I missed on the first play through and try out some of the different dialogue responses.



Now that Broken Steel for Fallout 3 is out I'm going to play through that and The Pitt.

[Fragony]

Dead Space. Asteroids, worst idea in an otherwise good game ever, whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired on the spot.