Your best gaming purchase of 2008

[Forward Observer]

I posted this at previously as SimHQ and not surprisingly, the one decent flight sim that came out last year was mentioned most, but was curious what this group would list.

Some of these came out prior to 2008, but for the reasons given, I only got them in 2008.

For me on the PC, it was probably

1. Fallout 3--I actually got this in December with a discount coupon, but only started playing it in January. Due to erroneously transposing the first two digits of minimum NVidia graphics card nomenclature, I thought my current rig wouldn't play it, so I was just going to keep it until I got my new PC next month. When I later realized my error, I loaded it up and haven't stopped playing it since.


2. FEAR Gold Edition with "FEAR Extraction---I know this did not come out in 2008, but I found a copy for only $10 from a clearance shelf at Target about last June. Great FPS and Expansion--typical of the quality Monolith/Sierra shooters like NOLF and A vrs P II.

For the PS 3

1. Uncharted--Drakes Fortune--of course this came out in 2007, but I only got my PS 3 last year---just a beautiful and fun action/adventure/3rd person shooter.

1. Civilization Revolution--I've never really liked the Civ type RTS's, but due to the limitations of the console this game was like Civ light--easy to pick up and play anytime.


What are yours?

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

A new graphics card.

Although it's maddeningly difficult, Battle of Tiles is fun and unique. And like $3.

[Gregoshi]

Oblivion for the 360: no game has grabbed my attention quite like this one in a while.

[Zenicetus]

PC games only, no console:

Bioshock - Technically a 2007 game, but I had to wait for a video card upgrade in early 2008 to play it).

GalCivII: Twilight of the Arnor

The Witcher (Enhanced Edition) - Another 2007 game, but I waited for the EE to finish it.

Fallout 3

X-Plane 9 - A last-minute entry, I bought it in December as a way to get back into flight simming with a computer that isn't quite up to FSX (before I heard the news about MS dropping the franchise). It's quirky if you're used to MSFS, but a blast to fly. Feels good to get my HOTAS and rudder pedals back in action.

I guess that's the cream of the crop for me. There were others that I thought were worth the money but not up to the level of the games above, like Dead Space and Mass Effect. A few disappointments like Neverwinter Nights2 that I may re-visit. And inevitably, a few turkeys like Assassin's Creed (fun at first, but not in the long haul) and Far Cry 2 (which might be a fun game for all I know, but it doesn't like my sound card and won't even boot up).

[tibilicus]

Probably Fallout 3 although gears of war 2 is also up there.

I got Fallout in December and I've been playing on and off since. Currently playing through with my second character and still finding it as impressive as the first run through.

[seireikhaan]

My computer- went from struggling to play MTW on a 16 GB hard drive to blowing through Mount and Blade on a 150 GB hard drive.(laptop)

[Husar]

Hmm, hard to rate them but here goes my list:

- the PS3, a nice gaming system

- Titan Quest(PC), older game but IIRC I bought it in 2008, at least I played it a lot in 2008

- Battlefield: Bad Company(PS3), a very fun game and for the first of the series with a campaign, i actually liked the campaign, played it twice so far

- Call of Duty 4(PS3), was hesitating about this one but after a recommendation from a good friend I went ahead and I still like it and play MP often, also had a nice campaign

- GTA IV(PS3), nice game indeed, I like the somewhat grittier style and it gives some nice city feeling as well, even though the resolution is a bit low, a helicopter flight can look really great

- the Benq G2400W, the monitor I use with my PS3, it was cheap, it outputs the PS3s sound from HDMI to my 2.1 PC speakers, it can be connected to my notebook or PC as well, it has FullHD, it's my biggest screen yet and it was only 334EUR including shipping, probably some of the best value for money I got so far

[Crandaeolon]

If sales count, then Mount & Blade for $7.50 on Steam. Close follow-ups are World of Goo (cheap, original, fun) and Left 4 Dead (tons of fun with buddies.)

[pevergreen]

The mouse I am currently using.

[Boohugh]

Didn't really buy many games during 2008 and wasn't too enthused with the few I did get (mainly older ones I got on budget which were ok but nothing that really impressed me). I was mainly playing WoW for most of the year though (until I quit in October) so I guess if you could call the monthly subscription a purchase then it would be that.

I'm hoping that Empire will re-ignite my interest in playing games again (no pressure CA! )

[Jolt]

The mouse I am currently using.

Likewise. :P

[naut]

New PC.

[TinCow]

EU3: Complete - Never played a Paradox game before, and I'm now hooked. I spend an absurd amount of time playing this game. It's nearly perfect.

[Freedom Onanist]

A q6600 intel quad chip. Used to chug along with an e4300 overclocked to 3.0. I got a q6600 at Xmas whih I've overclocked to 3.6 and everything runs at higher resolutions and sooo much smoother! The TW games that is (M2TW & RTW) but the other ones too GTAIV, Fallout3, etc...

So much better.

[Fragony]

Resistance 2, awesome single player just like the first, the gameplay of Halo with the epic setpieces of Half-Life 2, and it completely annihilated both, Resistance was truly a terrific game. The second has even better single player, more epic and longer, but the real meat is the multiplayer, especially the coop mode is FANTASTIC I have been waiting for something like this, most complete shooter ever released a solid 10/10 for value.

[Decker]

Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord- With the latest installment from BFC sucking wind I thought I'd purchase their first foray into that type of game. Good fun graphics and gameplay.

[Spino]

Sins of a Solar Empire - Realtime, Homeworld style tactical battles meets empire building goodness...

Oh, I forgot to mention...

Warhammer: Age of Reckoning - PvP with a purpose. I love the look, feel, class variety, humor and rock/paper/scissors class design approach of WAR. The endgame campaign needs some work but the pvp carnage is great!

[Veho Nex]

Red orchestra and Civ 4's expansions.

[Furunculus]

My PC.

after that:
1. GTA4
2. Fallout 3

[Scurvy]

Sins of a Solar Empire, X3, EUIII and Football Manager 2009,

4/5 of the games i brought, so not bad, all fun and long-lasting

[Duke John]

Battlefield 2 + Project Reality mod. Never experienced so much teamwork in an online game.

[Sigurd]

2008 was the year when I started gaming again. It's been a while and it showed.
(Husar stumped me in a Bad Company online game (demo) ... or I am good but Hus is better ).

Somehow my old RTW game cd was all scratched up and I bought a new copy of the game:
Rome:Total War gold edition with Alexander expansion for £ 9.99 on play incl shipping.
Still haven't finished the Julii campaign.

PS3 80GB - bought without wife's permission
Grand Turismo 5 prologue - fun
Assasins Creed - probably the best game I played in 2008
Fight Night Round 3 - Boxing fun
2K7 basketball - much fun
Midnight club: Los Angeles - mighty fun.

[Jolt]

Battlefield 2 + Project Reality mod. Never experienced so much teamwork in an online game.

You obviously never played RTCW: Enemy Territory. :P

[cambovenzi]

definitely COD Waw for me.
i didnt really buy that many games this year.
(as shown by me playing MTW2 the past week straight, no sleep half the time)

[Incongruous]

Prince of Persia XBOX 360

Mass Effect XBOX 360, pretty much the best RPG I own on the BOX.

M2TW Gold Edition, loving Kingdoms very much.

Glactic Civs 2, awsome game and humerous at times.

[Major Robert Dump]

I'm gonna have to go with Left4Dead. It's also the only game I purchased in 2008 (besides mount and blade, which i already had)

[ajaxfetish]

Mount & Blade

Where M:TW (the original) fulfilled my longstanding desire to share the experience of a medieval general, Mount & Blade fulfilled my longstanding desire to share the experience of a medieval soldier. It has the most satisfying combat gameplay of any game I've ever played and is just a blast all around.

Ajax

[Hooahguy]

Crysis: Warhead
for $30 i got 2 games. the campaign, which i have finished 4 times already, is amazingly fun, and runs smooth on medium settings, and the mp arm of crysis, Crysis Wars is also fun....
but not many people play Crysis wars, so good servers are limited.
oh well.

[Ferret]

FIFA 09 all the way.

[Monk]

A tie between Mass Effect and Left 4 Dead.

Mass Effect was purchased at the start of the year and was the first game I got for my 360, despite being conversation heavy I really liked the story and the combat bits were pretty fun. (except Geth snipers. WHAT THE ) When i heard ME was gonna be worked into a trilogy of some sort with a sequal already planned I was pretty happy I had gotten the first and experienced the start of the story-arch.

Left 4 Dead was something I bought at the end of the year. At first I wasn't impressed, playing offline, but once I went online with a few friends i saw just how fun this game could be. It's currently one of my most played PC games right beside Fallout 3, which lands in the top 3 right behind those two.