BBMB Gaming Journal

[synch]

Another dirt cheap steam game that I spent quite a bit of time on is "Bob Came in Pieces".

Cue Bob jokes.

[synch]

^ Perhaps not.

Steam now has 12 daily deals and a bunch of packs and publisher catalogues at very interesting prices.

http://store.steampowered.com/

50-80% off at the moment. Plus a rockstar pack that includes all of the rockstar PC games for 40 euro.

I'm strangely addicted to buying cheap games that I might not actually play :(

[Bob]

^ Perhaps not.

Steam now has 12 daily deals and a bunch of packs and publisher catalogues at very interesting prices.

http://store.steampowered.com/

50-80% off at the moment. Plus a rockstar pack that includes all of the rockstar PC games for 40 euro.

I'm strangely addicted to buying cheap games that I might not actually play :(

me too. i bought the deus ex pack when it came out for $5 even though i already own DX1 and don't like DX2

i'm not good with money maybe

[Kid Presentable]

My year in games has been SSFIV as per usual, but I snagged heaps of decent bargains and picked up a big-name title or two(Red Dead Redemption - which stank of win and of course Skate 3) in amongst it all.

So on the late train, I got Resident Evil 5 for a steal a few months back. I liked it, but only for the ways in which it reminded me of RE4. The things unique to it (co-op mainly) I didn't enjoy, but it was still fun enough.

I just got the Scott Pilgrim game off LIVE and that's fucking fun. Awesome party game, lots of amazing references to gaming culture in general.

And, every year EB Games put The Orange Box on their clearance table, and every year I forget to buy it. Not this year, though; and only 30 bucks to boot. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay late but I fucking love Half-Life 2.

One more - last Chrimbo I got the Episodes from Liberty City standalone and I beat Lost and Damned (i must be one of the few who really liked it????), saving the Ballad for this year. Started it and it's really stuff-to-do action-driven, and seems like it will be a solid send-off for IV to usher in the presumed Vice City instalment.

[Bob]

i tried the scott pilgrim game but i couldn't really get into it - i'm guessing it's much better if you play it with friends? i was playing it by myself and it just felt a little tedious. i'm not the world's biggest beat-em-up fan so that probably couldn't have helped.

[Kid Presentable]

I can see your point Bob, took me back to Double Dragon 2 on the NES

[HAL 9000]

This year I bought a relatively small number of games but played them all to death, getting the PSN platinum trophy for Fallout:NV and Red Dead Redemption. I am probably about 4/5 hours from the Bioshock platinum as well, which I will try and get if I have time.

Strangely the game I enjoyed least was probably Mass Effect 2, I think I even preferred ME1. I found the gameplay very repetitive in both (probably a mistake to play them one after the other) but ME1 had a much more interesting plot with ME2 feeling like a filler storyline. Anyway, in order of how much I enjoyed them these are the games I played in 2010.

1. Fallout: NV
2. Red Dead
3. COD: MW2 (multiplayer only)
4. Gran Turismo 5
5. Bioshock
6. ME1
7. Fallout Broken Steel DLC
8. ME2

What were other peoples top games?

[Kid Presentable]

SSFIV and Red Dead. Enjoying Half Life 2 at the minute, but that shit's ooooold.

[synch]

The games I played to death this year were Red Dead Redemption, Batman Arkham Asylum, Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin's Creed 2 (didn't finish it yet...) and the various football games.

Like I said before, I tend to buy more than I actually play. Setting aside the zillion Steam PC games that I bought that I haven't even installed once yet I still have Tekken 6, Ninja Gaiden 2, Dead Rising 2, Vanquish and Bayonetta in their respective seal :(

[Kid Presentable]

Backlog is good.

[Audio.]

Bayonetta is just pure boner. Very kinky game.

[synch]

Might play it to get into the christmas spirit then.

[Audio.]

I've been playing SSF4 less. I actually havent focused very much since SF4, which was last year, and now that SSF4 AE is there by my arcade I think I'll start focusing more on it. I had a feeling SSF4 wouldnt be last changes from Capcom.:rolleyes:

Pretty this sums up my whole weekend on Black Ops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmhrGJTYusI

Pretty much all I done was throw tomahawks at the other team. Yep.

[Bob]

The games I played to death this year were Red Dead Redemption, Batman Arkham Asylum, Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin's Creed 2 (didn't finish it yet...) and the various football games.

Like I said before, I tend to buy more than I actually play. Setting aside the zillion Steam PC games that I bought that I haven't even installed once yet I still have Tekken 6, Ninja Gaiden 2, Dead Rising 2, Vanquish and Bayonetta in their respective seal :(

don't forget assassin's creed brotherhood, if you haven't bought it already. it's every bit as great as AC2.

[synch]

What's the deal with Brotherhood? Are the additions that special?

New batch of Steam deals just went online. Nothing that I'm interested in that I don't already own, fortunately :)

[jabumbo]

i never realized steam had so many games...

i've been trying to piece together a new desktop pc so i can get back into some games (namely fallout 3 and half life 2), but having some hangups there.



has anyone tried gamefly (or any other rental service) ??

i've been considering subscribing for a while, but am not sure i would use it enough to make it worth while. i would think that you would have to cycle through games reasonably fast to have it be cheaper than just buying/selling used from the store. anyone?

[synch]

The added benefit of being patient and not bothered by not playing the newest of the newest is that the games are cheap as dirt and you don't need a beast of a machine to play them with.

If you buy games that are even six months old then you sometimes pay about a third or less of the normal price.

Well, having said that, there is one (http://xkcd.com/606/) disadvantage.

[jabumbo]

yeah, i'm pretty much that ^^ guy


i've actually had both of those games since they were relatively new, but i had to wipe out pretty much every game i have on the laptop to salvage space over the years.

plus, i tend to play games about 50-75% through then get suck and sort of forget about them for a while.

[synch]

I played deus ex for the first time today and still haven't gotten around to half-life 2. Come to think of it, I never finished the first one.

So yeah, I'm partially that guy :)

[Bob]

What's the deal with Brotherhood? Are the additions that special?

New batch of Steam deals just went online. Nothing that I'm interested in that I don't already own, fortunately :)

i wrote up a review of it earlier in the thread but it's more than just additions, it's a full fledged assassin's creed game. for some reason the marketing focused on the multiplayer aspect and almost made the game sound like an add-on or something, but it isn't, it's a new entry in the AC series. it's not AC 3 because it still takes place in italy with ezio, right after events of 2, but it's got a full single player campaign (a bit shorter than 2 but still longer than most games these days with dozens and dozens of side missions and shit to do outside the main story) with improved features and everything. i can't be bothered to write about everything again but definitely make sure you don't overlook it, it's a great game.



re gamefly: i use it, i love it. i guess it depends how many games you play in a month and how much you play recent games - if you want to play, call of duty black ops for example, good luck finding that for any decent price any time soon in any store, gamefly would be the cheapest way for you to get it. i don't really do trade-ins so i couldn't do a cost-benefit analysis and tell you whether it would be cheaper to buy it and sell it back and buy a new game, but gamefly isn't really that expensive, i can't imagine it would cost more than doing that.

it isn't perfect; they can be really slow to ship you newer games and you kind of have to game the system to make sure you get the ones you want. if, for example, you have five games in your queue and the two on top are low availability, you can pretty safely bet they're going to skip them and just give you the first game that they have that's available on your queue. you can get around it by only having one game in your queue at a time, but then they can take a few days, sometimes a week or more to get it to you. if you want to make sure you get a newer game, the best way to do it is to make sure the game is in your queue and send back whatever you have so that you'll have an available slot the day before the game comes out - they'll usually send it to you right away if you do that for some reason but if you miss it you'll probably be waiting a while. still, it's convenient enough that i don't really care.

they also have pretty reasonable prices in the store. and if you rent a game and decide you like it enough to want to keep it, you can just pay for it and hang on to it. those prices aren't bad either, usually a brand new game can be kept for $45. and if you're a member for long enough, you start getting discounts; currently i get i think 10% off used games and every three months they give me a coupon for $10 off any purchase (it replaces the previous one if i haven't spent it, you can't stockpile them). i'm pretty pleased with the site.

[synch]

Oh I realise it's a full game and not an add on, I was just wondering if what they did add (like the possibility to send someone to do your dirty work, if I interpreted the video review I saw correctly) made a big difference.

I'll see if I can dig up your post on the subject :)

[camo]

I've been playing SSF4 less. I actually havent focused very much since SF4, which was last year, and now that SSF4 AE is there by my arcade I think I'll start focusing more on it. I had a feeling SSF4 wouldnt be last changes from Capcom.:rolleyes:

Pretty this sums up my whole weekend on Black Ops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmhrGJTYusI

Pretty much all I done was throw tomahawks at the other team. Yep.

Props for the Video mate. Awesome skillz innit just?

[Bob]

Oh I realise it's a full game and not an add on, I was just wondering if what they did add (like the possibility to send someone to do your dirty work, if I interpreted the video review I saw correctly) made a big difference.

I'll see if I can dig up your post on the subject :)

the assassin underling stuff is cool - that, combined with the new crossbow makes it a lot easier to get around stealthily since it opens up new ways to take enemies down from a distance (you had the throwing knives in the first two, but the crossbow has more ammo and is more awesome).

in my mind though the biggest improvement is the new combat engine. the ability to chain executions makes fights with big groups of enemies a blast, it kind of reminds me of arkham asylum. not quite as fluid as arkham asylum but still damn good.

[BBboy20]

Bayonetta is just pure boner. Very kinky game.:cool:[/datass]

Pretty this sums up my whole weekend on Black Ops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmhrGJTYusII wasn't aware you can throw tomahawks while on a ladder.

[Audio.]

Thanks, Camo. You kick more asses than me!

@BBboy
yes, you can throw knives even grenades and flash bangs from climbing up. I think it can be done in MW2 if I recall.

I completely tired out from Gran Turismo 5. This game is going to take months to complete. geez! Liking it a lot. Very difficult game, maybe thats why I like it. (y)

And I got SF 3rd strike on ggpo finally!

[camo]

Haha that I do.

I like to go into combat training with my clan mates and only use Ballistic Knifes, Crossbows and Tomahawks. I need to sharpen up my aim though.

[camo]

I'll be on FIFA 11, CODBLOPS, Castlevania and Nier if people wanna pop along?

[BBboy20]

I'll be on FIFA 11, CODBLOPS, Castlevania and Nier if people wanna pop along?Lords of Shadow? That's single player.

[camo]

As is Nier, but I was saying people can pop along - and send invites for the MP's.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

In the Dead Space 2 demo all the necromorphs barf on me IMMEDIATELY. I don't remember that happening in the first one. I am sure some barfed but, like, all of them do it now. They do it immediately and I don't have stasis (not sure they include it in the demo) so it is really irritating.

I'm still going to play the full game, though.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

also this is 10 years later I know, but my HD bit the dust and I just got it fixed. I was finally able to download and play Scott Pilgrim and it's wonderful fun. (y)

[Audio.]

^ too bad it doesnt support online play :/


Finished DC Universe Beta. I dont like MMO combat, never, but this one feels like a single player action game mixed with the other rpg mmo features makes this game ummm FUN!

[BBboy20]

In the Dead Space 2 demo all the necromorphs barf on me IMMEDIATELY. I don't remember that happening in the first one. I am sure some barfed but, like, all of them do it now. They do it immediately and I don't have stasis (not sure they include it in the demo) so it is really irritating.You mean the Puker? It's generally identified by having a more normal humanoid shape. Unless you can draw and accurately shoot quickly, it's better to quickly back away or to the side if you don't have any stasis.

[Bob]

i like how you can actually float around freely in zero gravity in dead space 2. zero g was always kind of lame and awkward in the first one, all you could do was hop around. though i kind of wish you could still do that because it was useful to get away in an emergency.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

You mean the Puker? It's generally identified by having a more normal humanoid shape. Unless you can draw and accurately shoot quickly, it's better to quickly back away or to the side if you don't have any stasis.

I guess it's been long enough since I played the first that I couldn't recall the vomit. It's so immediate and violent and in the demo about 4 of them are all around so no matter how quickly you try to move another one vomits on you anyway.

I still killed those fools, though. :p

[BBboy20]

i like how you can actually float around freely in zero gravity in dead space 2. zero g was always kind of lame and awkward in the first one, all you could do was hop around. though i kind of wish you could still do that because it was useful to get away in an emergency.The suits have mini thrusters embedded in so you can freely move around.

[Bob]

I guess it's been long enough since I played the first that I couldn't recall the vomit. It's so immediate and violent and in the demo about 4 of them are all around so no matter how quickly you try to move another one vomits on you anyway.

I still killed those fools, though. :p

yeah, i noticed them way more in the demo than i ever did in the first game. though, it's been a while since i played the first game and i did read your post before i played the demo so...who knows

anyway the game still seems fun and i'm looking forward to it!

nolan north doing yet another voice notwithstanding

[Audio.]

THE DUKE IS BACK

Hail to the King, baby! Coming this May.


btw, I'm selling my copy of Black Ops. Fuck that game. Fuck it. To hell!:mad:

[Bob]

So I am still playing Fallout: NV - now 73 hours in. Just cleared out Vault 11 and I have got to say that is one of the greatest pieces of video game story telling I have ever seen.

It is not even a significant part of the game's plot, I only went in to get a part for an air conditioning unit, but you end up staying and exploring to find out what happened to the people that lived there. If you have the game, but not found that part yet, I can't recommend it enough. The way the story gets put together as you explore until the big reveal at the end is just fantastic. More of video games should be like that. (y)(y)(y)

i rented fallout new vegas and remembered this post - where is this place? you've got me curious! i'd check an faq but i don't want anything spoiled for me

[BBboy20]

THE DUKE IS BACK

Hail to the King, baby! Coming this May.


btw, I'm selling my copy of Black Ops. Fuck that game. Fuck it. To hell!:mad:BALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLS BALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLSBALLS BALLS (http://www.gearboxity.com/content/view/606/36/) of Steel Edition is now ready for the taking.

[HAL 9000]

i rented fallout new vegas and remembered this post - where is this place? you've got me curious! i'd check an faq but i don't want anything spoiled for me

You can find the entrance in the side of a cliff between Novac and New Vegas. Specifically it is just north of El Dorado Dry Lake and just south of a Trading post (due west of Boulder City). The enemies are pretty weak in there so you should be OK if you are quite early in the game.

Hope I have not oversold it!

[camo]

The new Duke game will be a guaranteed 7/10 unremarkable bullshit type thang - mark my words.

Also Mass Effect 2, sweet game, already banged 15 hours into it...it feels like 4 though. Magic.

[Bob]

You can find the entrance in the side of a cliff between Novac and New Vegas. Specifically it is just north of El Dorado Dry Lake and just south of a Trading post (due west of Boulder City). The enemies are pretty weak in there so you should be OK if you are quite early in the game.

Hope I have not oversold it!

i don't think i've found any of those places (apart from novac and new vegas, but there's a lot of ground between them). did you just find it from exploring, or did you get directed there for a quest?

i've been playing dead space 2. i like! it's like dead space 1 but new

[HAL 9000]

You get sent there later in the game, but you are not required to explore and investigate. If you were to head north out of Novac I think you would find the Dry Lake pretty easily. I didnt find it until quite near the end of the game, but I had walked past it a few times without noticing.

Im pretty much done with Gran Turismo now - just finished Heavy Rain (which I thought was really good) and am now playing Infamous, which has not really clicked for me yet.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

Also Mass Effect 2, sweet game, already banged 15 hours into it...it feels like 4 though. Magic.

I've played through that game 3 times now. I'm playing the first one again on a second run and once I finish that I'm going to play ME2 ...again.

It's an addiction. It is a problem. But IDGAF.

[camo]

I dont want it to end, I'm savoring every single last bit of it.

Btw, Mordin and Zaheed are my boys :D

[Bob]

I dont want it to end, I'm savoring every single last bit of it.

Btw, Mordin and Zaheed are my boys :D

mordin is the best, no doubt. i assume you've heard him sing! i only just finally got around to buying the game (i had it rented for like 6 months, then rented it again and kept it from gamefly) so i've only recently had access to the cerberus network DLC. zaheed rules too, i wish i'd had him the whole time.

i played ME2 to death but i still play it from time to time, it's really an amazing game. they did a decent job of making the classes play differently too. soldiers are basically a cover shooter game, infiltrators need to snipe and hide, engineers, adepts, and sentinels need to plink away with their ablities (kinda boring imo) and vanguards just charge into shit and melt faces with shotguns. there's so much in the game to keep you coming back.

if only the plot wasn't filler :/. I mean it's still a good story, but it doesn't really do very much to move the story of the trilogy forward. ME1 ended so ominously, with the horde of reapers on the edge of dark space, threatening the universe, and then ME2 starts with "shepard, an enemy we've never mentioned before is threatening human colonies, build a team and fight them"

oh...ok, i'll do that.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

if only the plot wasn't filler :/. I mean it's still a good story, but it doesn't really do very much to move the story of the trilogy forward. ME1 ended so ominously, with the horde of reapers on the edge of dark space, threatening the universe, and then ME2 starts with "shepard, an enemy we've never mentioned before is threatening human colonies, build a team and fight them"

oh...ok, i'll do that.

My guess is that it's the "bridge" that will line itself up with the first for the plot and thus the events that occur in the third make more sense. Or something like that.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

BY THE WAY...

Has anyone played Game Dev Story on the iPhone? HOLY ADDICTING, BATMAN!

[Audio.]

There is an ARMY of Marvel vs Capcom 3 going on in my friend list! I would join in on the fun its just I dont like VS games. This shot only shows a small portion of it. There were a lot more guys playing.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6323/img1523b.jpg

I'm still playing SSF4 AE, I'm waiting for 3rd Strike online to hit and praying, praying, praying for a new Vampire Savior game to launch!

I guess I'll be spending some time alone with SSF4 while they play MvC3. It aint fun.:(

[camo]

No, I've not heard him sing yet but I have read about it. I'm about 15-16 hours into it...so should I have done by now?

[Freebasser]

BY THE WAY...

Has anyone played Game Dev Story on the iPhone? HOLY ADDICTING, BATMAN!

Oh yes. That thing almost destroyed my life (y)

[brad f'in keith]

just wanted to let every one know that i finally quit my addiction: world of war craft since then i have got a girl friend lost my virginty got a job and my grades up...lifes good

[nodanaonlyzuul]

Oh yes. That thing almost destroyed my life (y)

I only started yesterday morning and holy F!

My eyes burn from staring at the phone screen for hours and hours.

[Freebasser]

Ahaha... it'll take you a couple of weeks to ween yourself off it. Seriously.

Once you develop your own console there's nothing much else left to do though - but it's still fun carrying on and producing Dungeon-based Dating Games for all eternity.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

Yeah I'm getting to the point where the next step is my own console. It has gotten a bit repetitive now, but I'm still playing it on the train on my way to work and on my way back everyday. :o

[Bob]

i played and beat nier and i'm waiting a little while before i go back in and get ending B on a new game+. it's definitely one of the most unique games i've played in recent memory in terms of the setting and aesthetics. the gameplay is kinda meh at points, but the setting, the story, the soundtrack, and some of the boss fights are pretty damn spectacular, i think it's strong enough to keep you playing to see what happens next.

it's also one of the more depressing games you'll play. i expected it to be super sad because i'd accidentally heard a lot of hype about it, and it wasn't quite as dark as i was expecting but still, it was definitely far more emotional than most video games.

anyway, if you like action rpgs and games that are different, i'd say nier is worth a rent. i'll probably just send it back to gamefly after i beat it, but i'm still glad i played it.


in other news, i'm having a really hard time getting motivated to finish fallout new vegas. i've started running into deathclaws and even on the very easiest difficulty those fuckers rape my face off and there doesn't seem to be a thing i can do about it, except grind and level up. except they're standing in the way of all the story quests i want to do and i really hate grinding. why is there grinding in a bethesda game? maybe i'm doing something wrong, i dunno, but i'm rapidly losing interest in playing it.

even if it does have some pretty awesome voice actors. dave foley and the guy who played odo on DS9 for example

[HAL 9000]

Even when fully levelled up, you will struggle against a Deathclaw - I think they are harder than in Fallout 3. There is a whole bunch in a quarry (which may be where you are), and I found that there was a small ledge around halfway up the quarry face on the left as I entered from the East. I could perch on the ledge and overlook the quarry and the Deathclaws could not get at me. I then used a sniper rifle to (gradually) kill them.

Apart from that though, I generally tried to go around them.

Did you find that Vault? I would be interested to see if you liked the story there (it might just appeal to me!).

[Bob]

yeah, the quarry is where i'm getting stuck. i also found one on my way to fish that b-29 out of the lake for the boomers (it ambushed me QUITE unexpectedly, it was not fun to turn around and see briefly before i died).

i haven't found the vault yet, no, i've been trying to work through the main story missions for now.

[Audio.]

Dragon Age II: Everyone has awesome boobs (Including 500 year-old witches)

prove me wrong

[Kid Presentable]

Finally played and beat Portal and it was superb. And found a cheap copy of EarthDefenseForce 2017 (which I almost couldn't believe). Aside from that, SSFIV (fuck MvC in general) and waiting on Arkham City.

[HAL 9000]

Finally played and beat Portal and it was superb.

Nice - I bought the Orange Box about 2 weeks ago and loved Portal - absolutely fantastic game, can't wait for the sequal. Now playing through Halflife 2 and the various episodes. I bought HL2 on Pc a few years back but got bored of it. Still feels a bit of a grind, but I am hoping for better in the episodes.

Also, bought a cheap copy of Terminator Salvation, just because I heard it was an easy platinum trophy (which it was - about 5/6 hours of terrible gameplay). I feel there is something wrong with me, I seem to be turning into a trophy whore (indeed the lack of PSN trophies in Half-life bothers me quite a bit).

Also I completed Uncharted which was sitting untouched in the back of my gaming drawer and thought that was pretty good, I really liked the environments, althought the gameplay was quite repetitive.

Anyway, getting 3DS tomorrow, but no idea what game to get. Nothing in the launch line-up really grabs me. SFIV looks like the pick of the bunch but I actually don't like 1 on 1 fighters (I suck at them anyway). Maybe now is the time to learn to get into them.

I will probably get one game and then put together a best of DS complilation until Zelda and others come out.

[Audio.]

Duke Nukem announce for MP they will add the CTB feature mode. Capture the Babe mode. Unlike capture the flag, the babe will will try to run away once taken, your solution is to give her a light slap of calmness. Yo-you slap her.

Duke Nukem 11years after still keeping it real. :)(y)

[synch]

Too bad it was postponed.

Again.

They are 'keeping it real' in that sense as well.

[Bob]

dragon age 2 is...disappointing. it's not as "HOLY SHIT THIS GAME IS LIKE BEING RAPED" terrible as people love to scream about, but it definitely feels rushed and blergish for the most part.

it's not all bad - i actually kind of like the more action-oriented gameplay (though having to mash the A button for basic attacks on the console is pretty shit, especially since PC got auto-attack) and streamlined equipment and skill system - maybe that makes me everything that's wrong with modern gaming, i dunno, sue me, but i like not having to worry about what kind of hat and gloves my teammates are going to wear into battle, and i like having a solid set of skill trees to look at when i'm deciding what kind of spells or whatever my character's going to have. dragon age 1 was kind of a mess like that, i thought it cleaned up nice for 2. but i respect the opposite opinion on that one - based on the continuing popularity of diablo 2, i acknowledge that some people like comparing the ring of +2 lightning resistance vs. the amulet of +1 willpower; i just kind of like being able to look at the stars, say "great, that one's better" and move on with the game.

and the story is kind of nice (when they actually get around to telling it) in that it's not a big huge "YOU MUST SAVE THE WORLD FROM THE ORCISH HORDE" plot that you usually get with video games - instead it's a cool little story about a local conflict between local factions. i thought that the lore surrounding the mages in dragon age was really well done, so i'm glad they focused in on that for the sequel. even if it does get a bit heavy-handed at times, especially at the end (but it's a video game, these things happen)

but the story's really poorly paced, on account of the game being a collection of short quests that you can do at your leisure. it's like they just mashed a bunch of short stories together, some of them being a small part of a larger plot, and then it's up to you to sort the story out in your own brain. it's...unsatisfying.

but for me the most annoying part of the game is how in dragon age 1, they set up this big huge world, with all the lore, and only put you in ferelden, a small part of it; but with all the codex entries and everything else you get the sense that there's a lot more going on out there, and you get all excited to see more of it in the sequel, and then the sequel comes out and it...takes place in literally one city. ok, that's stupid.

i'd give it a 7/10. it's still basically pretty fun to play, it's just really disappointing compared to what it should have been (especially in light of mass effect 2, which proved that bioware knows how to make a great sequel; i guess they just decided not to this time). it's nowhere near as terrible as people seem to be saying though; people just like to shit on popular things to feel big i guess. i know i do sometimes!

[Bob]

i did get around to beating nier for the second ending though - well worth it! well worth it indeed! not so much for the second ending but on the second play through, you get a few extra scenes in the game, usually around the boss fights, that gives you some extra insight into the setting in light of the facts that you learn from beating the game the first time. i don't know how to describe that in a way that's not spoilerrific but now i see what people were talking about when they said how super-depressing that game is. it's almost a little over the top at times, but in general pretty damn excellent

i highly recommend it at least as a rental - the art style is unique and generally pretty awesome to look at, the music is different and stellar, and i've come around to actually enjoying the gameplay, whereas before i was just kind of tolerating it. i dunno what changed, i guess it just took me a while to get into it. get it, play it, beat it twice, i dunno i liked it. just make sure you avoid spoilers

[Audio.]

What I learned in Dragon Age 2 is that every single women, no matter what age, have a fantastic rack! Prove me wrong.

[camo]

To Crysis 2 or not to Crysis 2? Hmmm...

[Audio.]

mmm I say wait. Wait if you want play Crysis 2 for the multiplayer. For campaign, go for it! Have you seen Battlefield 3? Looks deliciously fantastic! Very eye candy!

[HAL 9000]

OK so I got SFIV for 3DS so I am giving fighters another shot. This one seems better for me as it allows a number of automated moves to be launched from the touch-screen. The purisits will hate this but I hate all that 'cirlce 180, up, down, kick' stuff anyway (or at least I can never pull off the moves).

So for those who are good at this game, how should I approach the online mode? I am guessing I should focus on one or two characters and get good with them? Any particular characters good to use for a beginner or are they pretty balanced? I like Zangief early on, because his piledriver does a lot of damage....

How important is it to learn masses of moves vs finding a few combos that go well together?

[Kid Presentable]

Balrog is very powerful, solid defense, and as you said a few basic combos and subsequent variations. The nuance of the game is more about your opponent though; you do have to switch your play style according to the match up. I use Rog now more out of habit (been maining him for 2 years) but since I work a lot it suits me to intensely understand one character. I picked up Cody and am average with about 60% of the remaining cast. Just my 0.02. If the 3DS version has trial mode (the combos) then work through them.

[Lex Diamonds]

I know I'm like 2 years late or something but I got Assassin's Creed II on Wednesday and it's fucking awesome.

Normally I like to start from the beginning sequel-wise but I did some research and read that it's worth skipping the first. So I got up to speed on the plot and shit and just got this one.

The game's fucking sick, the storyline and the settings and the mechanics are all amazing. It's actually got me interested in/learning about Renaissance Italy which is fucking cool for a game to do. There's so many moments where the nerd in you just goes "OMG AWESOME!" and if you were still at school you would totally be telling someone about it in class the next day with cartoon diagrams and shit.

Wicked game. I've eaten through it, just had to get all the Codex Pages so I guess I'm about to go into the final showdown.

Definitely going to go on and get Brotherhood. What's the multiplayer like, does it work?

[Bob]

I know I'm like 2 years late or something but I got Assassin's Creed II on Wednesday and it's fucking awesome.

Normally I like to start from the beginning sequel-wise but I did some research and read that it's worth skipping the first. So I got up to speed on the plot and shit and just got this one.

The game's fucking sick, the storyline and the settings and the mechanics are all amazing. It's actually got me interested in/learning about Renaissance Italy which is fucking cool for a game to do. There's so many moments where the nerd in you just goes "OMG AWESOME!" and if you were still at school you would totally be telling someone about it in class the next day with cartoon diagrams and shit.

Wicked game. I've eaten through it, just had to get all the Codex Pages so I guess I'm about to go into the final showdown.

Definitely going to go on and get Brotherhood. What's the multiplayer like, does it work?

yeah, you made the right call skipping the first game. it's not bad exactly, it's just really repetitive and kind of rough around the edges. the second game blows it so far out of the water it's incredible.

one of the cool things about AC2 is that the cities are actually kind of geographically accurately modeled. i was trying to find all of the glyphs to unlock "the truth", and i couldn't find one of the venice landmarks, even using a walkthrough. so i looked it up on google maps and it was exactly where it was supposed to be, it was pretty awesome.

brotherhood's definitely worth getting - it's awesome in all the same ways that AC2 is, and it improves on the combat to boot, so that it's more than just "wait to be attacked, counter attack". i haven't really tried the multiplayer though, so i can't comment on that.

[Lex Diamonds]

Good stuff. It is indeed the shit, looking forward to checking out Roma.

Anyone got a multiplayer review to share?

[Audio.]

Balrog is very powerful, solid defense, and as you said a few basic combos and subsequent variations. The nuance of the game is more about your opponent though; you do have to switch your play style according to the match up. I use Rog now more out of habit (been maining him for 2 years) but since I work a lot it suits me to intensely understand one character. I picked up Cody and am average with about 60% of the remaining cast. Just my 0.02. If the 3DS version has trial mode (the combos) then work through them.

In 3DS, Guile has no charge time for his sonic boom ahahah. And I heard you can add specials with the touch of a button. Supposedly Guile and Honda are the best in 3DS, of course, no charge time on Sonic Boom. hahah

[HAL 9000]

I did play a bit as Guile, and I was spamming Sonic Booms. Might try playing with him a bit more then. Also will give Balrog a go.

[Bob]

pick zangief and spin. NEVER STOP SPINNING FOR ANY REASON except to trick your foe into thinking that you aren't going to spin anymore (but you will, of course)

[HAL 9000]

So I won my first 10 fights online with Guile (albeit 6 of them against the same chump). Mostly spamming the Sonic Booms and then Flash Kicking people when they tried to jump over the Sonic Boom. I imagine that pissed off the other guy! I tried a few other moves too as I got better, a couple of throws and stuff...

The cool thing about the 3DS game, is as you win fights, you earn points with which you can buy these Streetfighter figurines. You then make a squad out of the figurine characters and set fight tactics, then when you walk past another player with the game, a simulated fight takes place.

It makes me want to play the game more to get more figurines although I have only encountered 4 other 3DS so far. I was in Northern Ireland most of this week, I connected to 2 3DS at the airport, one on the motorway on the way back from the airport and one while my 3DS was sat in my kitchen (which is creepy). Noone in Northern Ireland has one though it seems.

[Audio.]

thats what happens when there are no charge time added to Guile's sonic booms.

[Audio.]

heheh Guile is so cheap in 3DS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he0tuVgHJZg&feature=player_embedded

[HAL 9000]

Based on Padster and Bob's comments I am going to pick up AC2. Will hopefully fill the gap between finishing Halflife 2 and LA Noire coming out!

[HAL 9000]

Seriously loving Assassins Creed II - thanks for the tip Padster and Bob. It is basically the sand-box game that I always wished Red Dead and GTA were.

Everytime I think, 'This game is great but it would be better if it had [feature X]', I find in the next stage of the game, Feature X is added.

Probably the Hal 9000 game of the year so far!

Great stuff. Now not getting Portal 2 so I can finish this first (probably get Portal 2 second hand as I hear it is quite a short game).

Anyone else got a 3DS? I am really enjoying mine, but it really benefits from the streetpass feature and I only seem to get one or two hits a day.

[Audio.]

Yep. Thats the only negative criticism I hear of Portal 2. Thinking of rather getting GOTY edition.

[synch]

Got Portal 2 and am loving it.

Stuck on chamber 18 though :(

Must. Not. Check. Walkthrough.

[BBboy20]

Got Portal 2 and am loving it.

Stuck on chamber 18 though :(

Must. Not. Check. Walkthrough.You can do it!

[synch]

Pah. I was completely stuck on this level realizing that I was missing something obvious. I was so focused on finding a way to use the light bridge things that I didn't even consider the fact that I could launch a portal on the back wall of the section I was trying to reach :o

I think I'm close to the end now but I don't want it to be over so quickly!

Luckily there is still co-op.

[BBboy20]

Luckily there is still co-op.Which version?

[synch]

I think I'm close to the end now but I don't want it to be over so quickly

Finished it *pout*
Which version?PC

[camo]

Finished it *pout*
PC

how long did it take you to complete?

[HAL 9000]

Pah. I was completely stuck on this level realizing that I was missing something obvious. I was so focused on finding a way to use the light bridge things that I didn't even consider the fact that I could launch a portal on the back wall of the section I was trying to reach :o

I think I'm close to the end now but I don't want it to be over so quickly!

Luckily there is still co-op.

I ended up getting Portal 2 for my birthday. I also got stuck on room 18 but for a different reason, I didnt notice that the light bridge was a light bridge, I thought it was just some shield / glass wall.

Anyway, this is a very good game, although I am guessing that I am around 80% of the way through the game now, so I think the whole single player campaign is 5-6 hours. I only have a small percentage of the trophies though which suggests that there are lots of secrets and challenges I have missed and which should add longevity.

Steve Merchant was born for this role!

[synch]

I ended up getting Portal 2 for my birthday. I also got stuck on room 18 but for a different reason, I didnt notice that the light bridge was a light bridge, I thought it was just some shield / glass wall.Heh, sometimes you just miss dead easy stuff which makes a room almost impossible. I was stuck in that room for a loooooong time but once I realised what I had been overlooking I finished it in minutes.

Anyway, this is a very good game, although I am guessing that I am around 80% of the way through the game now, so I think the whole single player campaign is 5-6 hours. I only have a small percentage of the trophies though which suggests that there are lots of secrets and challenges I have missed and which should add longevity.I got a couple of things and missed a few as well, was just considering to go through some of the parts again (but I'll probably just go through the whole thing again... perhaps with commentary!).[/quote]

Steve Merchant was born for this role!Heh, didn't realise it was him, but yeah, it was perfect for him.



how long did it take you to complete?
Not sure, I'm at 15 hours now but that includes a loooong session of co-op and restarting single player about a third in because I switched laptops (although I realised later that steam cloud probably syncs saved games as well...).

[Audio.]

PSN is still down. I blame Geohot. Errr actually I dont know who to blame. What he did was stupid but it wasnt his intention to create this mess. Now some one most likely hacked the network.

So keep on waiting. They are changing security in the network.

[camo]

PSN is still down. I blame Geohot. Errr actually I dont know who to blame. What he did was stupid but it wasnt his intention to create this mess. Now some one most likely hacked the network.

So keep on waiting. They are changing security in the network.

I've had to go outside and speak to people and such....ewwww outside is a scary place.

[Audio.]

I have to admit I've been more productive lately while this is going on.

Also, it just got serious

Check your bank accounts
http://www.destructoid.com/psn-update-sony-says-private-info-may-have-been-stolen-199701.phtml

[camo]

Ah so they've finally admitted to the fact that info could have gotten out there.

Better get a check on then :(

[Audio.]

Date has been delayed and I have a feeling it might be because of PlayStation Europe's idea of adding that $1,000,000 Insurance fraud to it's customers. The issue is that some laws from certain countries in Europe kinda have problems with this. So, Sony has declared that they will put PSN back once security is all fit and ready annnnd when that insurance passes.

They're guessing that network will be back before May 30th. Soooooooooo........... do some bowling?

[camo]

The hysterics around the PSN breach have become incredibly hyperbolic. At this point it kinda seems clear that no one got any credit card info, Sony just has to warn people to be cautious since, in theory, someone could have downloaded the entire database, although they have no evidence of this, and by some miracle of brute force decode the whole thing. besides the credit card info in encrypted. Likewise, identity theft isn't too big a problem since Sony didn't have anybody's N.I number or social security numbers which is the most salient piece of data. No, the real biggest problems are compromised passwords which you may have used elsewhere, and downtime for the service itself. In both cases this isn't really any worse than any number of well publicised hacks in recent memory.

so change your passwords peeps.

[Audio.]

haha you are right on the money, camo.

But game developers are losing a lot money, too.

[Lex Diamonds]

So... LA Noire? Had it pre-ordered for a minute now, just watched a load of videos of it a couple nights ago. Looks incredible, I hope they don't fuck it up.

What else have Team Bondi done? They got a good track record?

[Kid Presentable]

Xbox version is 3 discs. That's kind of weird, but I suppose it goes with the turf.

[Lex Diamonds]

Cue a load of childish fanboy bullshit (http://www.1up.com/news/la-noire-spans-three-dvds-xbox-36) (comments). It doesn't bother me at all. The PS3 still doesn't compete as a gaming console, in my eyes.

The important thing is, there's so much shit to see/hear in the game it needs 2 more discs than everything else I've played. That's got to be a good thing, surely.

[camo]

^^ open your eyes then son.


So... LA Noire? Had it pre-ordered for a minute now, just watched a load of videos of it a couple nights ago. Looks incredible, I hope they don't fuck it up.

What else have Team Bondi done? They got a good track record?


They did The Getaway and it's sequel Black Monday. Both full of innovations but they kinda fell short of the mark due to wonky controls and clumsy shooting mechanics.

But yeah LA Noire is looking shit hot - I have massive hopes for it.

[Bob]

^^ open your eyes then son.





They did The Getaway and it's sequel Black Monday. Both full of innovations but they kinda fell short of the mark due to wonky controls and clumsy shooting mechanics.

But yeah LA Noire is looking shit hot - I have massive hopes for it.

i remember the getaway because it was the first game i ever played that had gratuitous uncensored "fuck" in it

also it was based on a real life model of london or something but mostly it was the swearing that stood out

speaking of games based on real cities, i wish they'd make another true crime game, except make it properly good this time

[synch]

Cue a load of childish fanboy bullshit (http://www.1up.com/news/la-noire-spans-three-dvds-xbox-36) (comments). It doesn't bother me at all. The PS3 still doesn't compete as a gaming console, in my eyes.Gotta love irony of slagging off "fanboy bullshit" just before giving a wonderful example of it.

The important thing is, there's so much shit to see/hear in the game it needs 2 more discs than everything else I've played. That's got to be a good thing, surely.Absolutely. I don't particularly like this suggestion though.

One would think Microsoft would step things up as well, or it might opt to funnel more games through the Xbox Live Marketplace. If the game needs a full single layer blu-ray then I definitely wouldn't want to fill up my hard drive with it.

My only hope is that they won't be as lazy about the ps3 version as they were about the ps3 versions of RDR and GTA4. Lower res technically inferior versions on a higher spec'ed machine? Fuck you.

I have both machines and bought the 360 versions of those games.

[camo]

i remember the getaway because it was the first game i ever played that had gratuitous uncensored "fuck" in it

also it was based on a real life model of london or something but mostly it was the swearing that stood out

speaking of games based on real cities, i wish they'd make another true crime game, except make it properly good this time

Yeah it was a great and accurate model. I could find my way from Kingscross station to my mates apartment through real life directions!!

I just liked the adult and gritty nature of the game. It was pretty peerless in terms of it's mature approach in it's day.

Oh and there was another True Crime due to come out but sadly Activision canned it. You can read about it here (http://www.1up.com/news/true-crime-hong-kong-canceled) mate.

[camo]

oh and here's the first 15 mins of LA Noire (http://www.thegamingpod.com/forum/showthread.php/363-First-15-minutes-of-L.A-Noire-gameplay) (spoilers alert). I just wanted to see a little of the driving mechanics and gameplay. It's looking epic (y)

[Audio.]

PSN is back up along with their third party services. Now we wait for those free swags :)

[camo]

I've just updated but no psn as of yet.

[camo]

also...does anyone have a gameboy micro in decent condition they'd like to sell/swop.

I'd get one on ebay but I don't do paypal anymore...

[synch]

Don't have a spare one but I'll keep an eye out for one for you.

I got one for about 50 euro when they started dumping them in stores.

The screen looks ridiculously tiny but it works well once you start playing with it.

[camo]

I found a blue one for £10 but it's in pretty bad shape so I'm definitely looking for one in better condition.

Thanks sych (y)

[BBboy20]

Xbox version is 3 discs. That's kind of weird, but I suppose it goes with the turf.Audio data tend take up more space then the actual 3D graphics...or maybe the DVD format can't handle that much FaceCap. Hell, a game like Dead Space 2 needed 2 discs on the 360 version.

[camo]

I'm sure I read that there is around 6 hours of cinematics in LA Noire so maybe a lot of the data is from that.

Also the maps looks pretty expansive (y)

[Audio.]

LA Noire looks wonderful. Downtown looks liked downtown haha.

Now The Witcher 2, thats something people I know have been giving high praises to. (y)

[Lex Diamonds]

No one playing Noire yet? I have to wait til my return to the UK on the 2nd of June.

[BBboy20]

No one playing Noire yet? I have to wait til my return to the UK on the 2nd of June.We are now.

[camo]

No one playing Noire yet? I have to wait til my return to the UK on the 2nd of June.

couple more days for us bruv.

[Audio.]

We are now.
(y)


lol Justin Tv kept banning broadcasters who refuse to stop streaming LA Noire with out permission by Rockstar.

[camo]

worth a buy then fellas?

[BBboy20]

If you enjoy being a detective without the paperwork then yeah.

[camo]

I've never been a detective so I don't know if I'll enjoy it then.

[camo]

El-Shaddai is looking pretty impressive. Part hack and slash, part platform, part art form and mostly mental.

LOOKY LOOKY (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/japanese-hack-el-shaddai/713964)

[synch]

Reminded me of Ico more than Okami, even before seeing the shadow creatures rise from a black puddle in the floor.

Odd graphics style though.

[Bob]

i got la noire yesterday, played it for a few hours

it's really cool and unique and i like it, but i'm concerned about how fun it'll be after the first play through (which, based on the 3 discs, should be long, but still...). the real fun of the game is solving the crimes, it seems, but the crimes are all predetermined, in that the clues are always going to be in the same place, the witnesses are going to react in the same way, the culprit will always be the same person, etc. etc. i mean right now, when it's all fresh and new it's exciting to comb over a crime scene and think about what to do next and try to figure out if the witness is lying and all that, but once you've already done it...i dunno, we'll see

i'm only a few hours in, i don't know if i've seen everything the game has to show me yet.

i will say that i am really impressed by the acting and facial animations, even on my standard definition TV. the facial animations are expressive without being uncanny valley-ish weird, at least in my opinion. and it's good that the acting and facial animations are good because they are pretty much the only thing you have to go on to tell if a witness/suspect is lying to you most of the time. i'm still getting the hang of that.

looking back, i sound like i don't like the game - i do! i like it a lot! i'm just hoping i can find stuff to like about it after i'm finished with it so i can justify having spent $60 on it. the action sequences are ok, but they're not amazing and they're certainly not the draw of the game.

[BBboy20]

Reminded me of Ico more than Okami, even before seeing the shadow creatures rise from a black puddle in the floor.

Odd graphics style though.The Director of El Shaddie was the art lead for Okami. ;)

I swear though, he must have seen or played Out of this World with some of those platforming camera angles and designs.

I've never been a detective so I don't know if I'll enjoy it then.Ever wanted to feel like a FBI agent who knows the deception within the human face while feeling you want to say "OBJECTION" when a suspect downright lies about something and you have the evidence to prove it? This game is pretty much the closest thing to that experience.

[Bob]

one thing i'm finding kind of frustrating about the game is trying to guess what it's thinking with the interrogations. basically the interrogations are a multiple choice game where you either A) believe them, B) doubt them without having solid proof, or C) catch them in a lie by confronting them with a clue you've found.

getting the difference between truth and lie is kind of fun (though also kind of frustrating, because it's hard to tell when the game/actor is making the character act shady because they're nervous versus when they're lying) but the difference between B) and C) can be a REAL bitch sometimes, and only one is ever the right answer.

for example, i played a case where, when i arrested a guy, he was carrying a piece of jewelry that was missing from the victim's body. in the interrogation, there was a question about the jewelry, and the suspect denied knowing anything about any jewelry, so i confronted him with the brooch that he was carrying and he says something like "nah, i told you, i didn't steal that, i found it" and it counted as a wrong answer. how the hell was that not the right answer?

i mean, you don't fail the case if you get wrong answers, you're allowed to screw up a few times, but still, it can be really frustrating sometimes trying to figure out what the game is trying to get you to think. i think that there can be several reasonable answers for some of the questions, but the game only allows one and it's kinda rough sometimes trying to figure out what it thinks it is.

[Lex Diamonds]

So your issue with the game is that you're not very good at it yet?

[Bob]

So your issue with the game is that you're not very good at it yet?

you sure zinged me about my skill at this game you haven't played yet

yeah it's possible i'm just not getting it yet, sure, but right now there doesn't seem to be a lot of predictable logic behind some of the answers is all i'm saying. the multiple choice format is kind of rigid

[Audio.]

I've never been a detective so I don't know if I'll enjoy it then.

Ask Batman. He's a detective.

[camo]

On it.

[HAL 9000]

Just got LA Noire and am doing the first interviews. Agree it is very hard to deal with the interview questions correctly. Even the first interview, you have to doubt a piece of information which is perfectly consistent with the physical evidence you gathered. Hopefully I will get better at it with practice, although I can't read people's faces in real life so it will be interesting to see how I go here.

As an aside, I also got Pokemon black - I have never played Pokemon before or watched the cartoon or bought a stuffed toy. I just keep hearing they are good games and need something for my 3DS until some decent 3DS games come out. Any Pokemon fans?

[Bob]

Just got LA Noire and am doing the first interviews. Agree it is very hard to deal with the interview questions correctly. Even the first interview, you have to doubt a piece of information which is perfectly consistent with the physical evidence you gathered. Hopefully I will get better at it with practice, although I can't read people's faces in real life so it will be interesting to see how I go here.

As an aside, I also got Pokemon black - I have never played Pokemon before or watched the cartoon or bought a stuffed toy. I just keep hearing they are good games and need something for my 3DS until some decent 3DS games come out. Any Pokemon fans?

Yeah, the difference between truth and lie (or is should say, truth and [lie or doubt]) takes a little getting used to. it seems like you have to pay attention not to what they're saying, but how they're saying it. so even if what they said is perfectly consistent with the information you have, if their eyes are darting left and right and they're stammering, then you need to either doubt or lie them. i'm getting the hang of that part of it but there are still some crazy-ass "are you kidding" moments where i'm sure i should have had the right answer.

for example i had one case where the victim was found with half of a letter from her mom on her body. i found the other half in the suspect's apartment, and during the interrogation the suspect said something like "no, i've never met her, she's never been in my apartment" so i confronted him with the letter and it was the wrong answer. seriously?

[HAL 9000]

I think I am getting better now - it seems doubt can be used when the person is saying something true, but they are omitting a detail, which makes sense.

But then, also in the first case, There is a part where a witness tells you that a) the murder victim racially abused the killer and b) the killer shot the victim

So when the killer denies the shooting I can successfully confront him with the witness statement. But then when he denies that he was racially abused, I confront him with the same witness statement but now it doesnt work...

Also, I would be a terrible cop, I just finished an interview where I realised at the end I forgot to bring up the fact that I had found a handwritten note in the accused apartment saying 'thanks for dealing with my wife'. Just totally slipped my mind.

I am enjoying it a lot though, when it works it is really fun.

[Bob]

yeah, i'm still really enjoying it, and the failed interrogations aren't game-ruining, because you're allowed to make mistakes and proceed with the case. it's just frustrating because i feel like the mistakes aren't my fault.

one thing i'm curious about is whether, when you're supposed to confront a lie with evidence, is there only one clue that will work, or can there be several? for example - there's a crime scene, and you find a prop shrunken head on the scene. later you investigate a suspect at a prop warehouse, and you find a mold for making shrunken heads. the suspect says "i had nothing to do with that crime, you got nothing to link me to it". do i show him the shrunken head at the scene, or do i show him the mold? i used the head found at the scene, but it was the wrong answer. would the mold have worked? was i supposed to doubt him?

i dunno. i guess i just need to learn to live with it.

[synch]

I had a problem with the same interrogation, trying to get a right answer on the racial abuse thing was a bitch. I'm not sure whether the game mechanics are slightly flawed or my (our) approach is. If inconsistencies like these keep going on during the entire game then I'm blaming the game.

It's just easier than blaming myself.

The expressions are amazing though, really really good.

[Bob]

real life la noire (http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/a4fd788ce7/real-life-l-a-noire?playlist=featured_videos)

i played and beat the witcher 2, and it's really pretty damn good (and also just really pretty, but good luck finding a computer that can run it well on high settings), despite the fact that i never played the first and had no idea what was going on in the plot or the setting and the game doesn't really sit you down and explain it.

worth it though! in my opinion! now that i've beaten and it and have a vague clue about who everyone is and what's going on i'm playing it again and it's actually a pretty cool fantasy universe, where the people are morally gray at best and powerful actors do bad, selfish things because they're shitheads at heart. it's pretty dark. very george r. r. martin-esque.

also the game's fun and junk

[BBboy20]

I'm surprised they didn't get the actual actors from the game to reprise their roles since every single one of them was in it.

[HAL 9000]

Got quite far in LA Noire but dont really feel like playing it right now. Been playing Zelda on 3DS which is lovely!

Also I have started writing a game, I am OK at programming so I thought I would give it a try, I have a great concept for a mobile game and am learning C# to see if I can make a working prototype (the game hardly requires any graphics which is handy because I can't draw). Been going about 4 weeks and it is coming along pretty nice, although I just lost about a week of progress when my hard disk broke (which makes its quite like Game Dev Story).

I'm using XNA 4.0 which means I could put the final product on XBoX Live if it was any good! Anyone tried anything like this? Any tips?

[Bob]

i'm still playing the witcher 2, and it's really, really, really damned good. it's definitely worth playing at least twice because a choice you make at the end of act 1 completely changes your role in acts 2 and 3, so you get two drastically different play throughs of the game. there also lots of other little choices you make that can affect things, so it's cool to go back through and see how things might have played out differently. but the main story fork is pretty cool because both paths reveal certain facts and leave out certain other facts, so that your first time through the game, you're missing out on certain information that when you learn it on your second run you at times kind of sit down and go "damn!"

that was a poor explanation but it's a damned good game. well worth checking out, even if you have to run it on low settings and at a shitty resolution like i do (on a big monitor no less).

[cosmo105]

My boyfriend is starting to play Arkham Asylum again and I'm so excited to watch it again :o I can't WAIT for Arkham City.

[Lex Diamonds]

My boyfriend is starting to play Arkham Asylum again and I'm so excited to watch it again :o I can't WAIT for Arkham City.
I never finished it! I have a poor attention span at the best of times but it's just one of those games that I kind of gradually forgot about. Got it around a year ago and really enjoyed what I did play but I feel like it's too soon to restart it and too late to pick up from where I was, if you know what I mean. Damn this shit memory of mine.

[camo]

AA was one of the few games (of late) that I started to play and could not put down. I couldnt stop until I had done all of the Riddlers parts - they were brilliant and some were so tricky (but never unfair).

I need to do a second play through...

[Kid Presentable]

My boyfriend is starting to play Arkham Asylum again and I'm so excited to watch it again :o I can't WAIT for Arkham City.
That game is criminally good. I expect City to do big things. AA is one of the few games where I made an effort to secure lots of the cheevos and I'm tempted to replay on the hardest difficulty, now that I think about it.

If anybody here hasn't played Vanquish, get on it. Lots of the team that worked on Resident Evil 4 were responsible for it. But it's more like Gunstar Heroes in 3d with an amazing time manipulation mechanic. Get it. (y)

[camo]

Yeah, plus you get to slide around on your knees whilst shooting mechs in slow mo (y)

[camo]

Just bought a 3DS, it's charging but it's a super sexy little piece of kit. I love the charging cradle.

I needed to re live Ocarina (y)

[BBboy20]

Catherine

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Anyone else have a 3DS? Here's my friend code...

2191-7796-1173

[Lex Diamonds]

So, Dirt 3: what's it like?

[TurdBerglar]

i haven't played any new games in a looooong time.

i'm still playing team fortress 2.

[BBboy20]

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Play it, now.

[Rock]

My boyfriend is starting to play Arkham Asylum again and I'm so excited to watch it again :o I can't WAIT for Arkham City.

Seeing Arkham City ads made me pick Arkham Asylum up again this week (that and my 103 fever). Shit is still solid as the first time I played it. Its just put together well. I even got over the whole "wahhhh I can't jump waaahhhh" thing.

Arkham City = Boner City

[Audio.]

Catherine

I fapped(y)

[Kid Presentable]

Got nba2k11 for like 10 bucks off a clearance table. Good times.

Waiting for Gears 3 and Dead Island.

[Audio.]

Been playing the Resistance 3 beta... Kinda feels like Killzone2 in the mulitplayer sense. I like it, but its very team based so you can't really lone wolf your way out.

Uncharted 3 MP beta is far better than it's previous title, way better. You can customize emblems, characters, weapons, connect to facebook and leave notifications every time you get on multiplayer. I'm liking it. Uh, it can get a little competitive, and if you dont like that play some CO-OP! You'll dig it!


OH LAWDY, EVO2k11, what a fucking, FUCKIN' AMAZING event! What fuckin' hype! Poongko, and Kayo Police ( I <3), jesus! (*≧▽≦)

going to EVO next year for sure!

[Lex Diamonds]

I just got 21 new games and a 50 inch plasma and a PS3 (all for free), don't ask how.

[Kid Presentable]

I just got 21 new games and a 50 inch plasma and a PS3 (all for free), don't ask how.

Did you get the HD Shadow of the Colossus?

[silence7]

Just bought a 3DS

It so happens, Walmart is selling the reduced price $169 3DS's early, which would qualify me as a 3DS "ambassador" and I'll get the 20 free games as an "early" adopter. ;) I have a DSi, and play it a lot...

Convince me to get a 3DS... 3D yeah, but there's no games?!!

[BBboy20]

Did you get the HD Shadow of the Colossus?I don't recall it releasing that early in Europe.

[HAL 9000]

Convince me to get a 3DS... 3D yeah, but there's no games?!!
I like mine and use it everyday (around 130 hours of gaming according to the system records) I am a little annoyed at paying so much for it though in hindsight. In terms of reason s to buy it, I would make the following points

Good things

- There are a couple of good games now which will probably last you until bigger titles arrive in the future. Good titles coming by the end of the year.
- The Ghost Recon turn based strategy game is very good and looks great in 3d (like you are looking into a little model world with tiny people running around)
- Zelda is Zelda – it is great if that’s your thing, I have put about 60 hours in and am now working through the master quest. I think its fantastic (but had not played it much on previous systems)
- Streetfighter is pretty cool, it looks great in 3d and the online functionality is solid. It also has a ‘streetfight feature’ where you build a squad to fight others who have the game that you pass in the street. I find beat ‘em ups boring but I didn’t trade this in because I actually like the streetfight bit more than the proper game.
- I hear Ridge Racer is also very good and also allows you to compare lap times with people you pass in the street (I don’t have this though).
- There are a couple of good downloadable games too, one new 3d golf game which got good reviews.
- I really like the Streetpass functionality although I would like to see them do much more with it, it gets kind of dull once you have all the collectables.
- 20 free games through Ambassador Program.

Bad things

- Poor sales threaten the system, if I was a software company I would be postponing 3DS development now until sales pick up.
- Not sure that the downloadable games are going to give good value, old NES and Game boy games for £5 does not seem great to me (although free Excitebike was good).
- 3D pictures on the camera don’t look very good for some reason, you really need very good lighting conditions for a good 3d pic.
- The free downloaded 3d videos have been fairly lame so far. It is great being able to download 3d footage of up-coming games though.
- When I first started using I felt as sick as a dog. But then I got used to it. I think my brain’s best explanation for the apparent witchcraft of the 3d effect was that I had been poisoned, so it decided to make me want to vomit.

[silence7]

I like mine and use it everyday (around 130 hours of gaming according to the system records) I am a little annoyed at paying so much for it though in hindsight. In terms of reason s to buy it, I would make the following points

Thanks for all the input. Found out today the GameStop is giving 70 trade-in for old DS's towards a 3DS. Unfortunately I gave away my old DS lite a month or so ago. I have a DSi but I'll be giving it back to the person who bought it for me. Hmmm Still thinking about it...

[Audio.]

Who's getting Deus Ex Human Revolution?

[camo]

Lets see some reviews (y)

[BBboy20]

Lets see some reviews (y)94% (http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/29/deus-ex-human-revolution-review-scores-94-and-an-editors-choice-award-in-pc-gamer/)

[Audio.]

I'm selling COD: Black Ops (PS3) over the Glyde.com store if anyone wants to purchase it off from me.

You can try this link not sure if it'll work, LINK (http://glyde.com/stores/1-166849889?rid=u6ctc1&utm_campaign=raf-sell&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=glyde#!item=8932450&open=true)

and if that doesnt work you should find a direct link in my tweet, twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/Audio_C5005)

US only and you save 51% off from market price. Haha, sorry to advertise here

[BBboy20]

Caspian Border Gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDfPxF3EFE)

This changes everything.

[Audio.]

Awesome just sold my copy of BOps (y)

I hated that fuckin' game, hehe.

[Audio.]

Caspian Border Gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDfPxF3EFE)

This changes everything.

yeah that's pretty nuts. I like that aspect of BF, but I, I just want like a hybrid of this concept (BF) and flexible game mechanics in MW series. I love MW's way of customizing your load-out.

Heard that in MW3 they've taken out death streaks so no more Second Chance or Pain Pills, haha.

[Bob]

Caspian Border Gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDfPxF3EFE)

This changes everything.

i can't wait to run that at minimum settings at a crappy resolution on my computer

[Audio.]

Also in MW3, following objects in modes like Capture the Flag or Demolition you will be rewarded with points that add to your win streaks. Meaning that kill streaks wont get you the rewards like UAV, Chopper Gunner or Care Packages, so you gotta follow the objective of whatever mode you're playing in order to earn those rewards to use during play. Thats awesome!

[BBboy20]

Also in MW3, following objects in modes like Capture the Flag or Demolition you will be rewarded with points that add to your win streaks. Meaning that kill streaks wont get you the rewards like UAV, Chopper Gunner or Care Packages, so you gotta follow the objective of whatever mode you're playing in order to earn those rewards to use during play. Thats awesome!That actually is interesting. Now if they bring back dedicated servers, I might become less cynical about IWCOD.

I just want like a hybrid of this concept (BF) and flexible game mechanics in MW series. I love MW's way of customizing your load-out. Homefront comes closest to that.

[Audio.]

Deus Ex: Well Sheeeeeeeeeeeiiit Revolution :D
lmao that character was so racist, haha

[Bob]

so deus ex is really really good.

there are some questionable design decisions, like requiring energy to do stealth takedowns, having lethal takedowns (which make use of your awesome robot arm blade things) be noisy, having ammo take up space in the inventory, and others, but despite all that i like it a lot. it takes almost everything that made the first game fun, cleans it up, and adds a bunch of new stuff as well. it's extremely well done.

i never really played the first deus ex as a stealth game but in this one i can't stop. it's pretty satisfying to completely bypass a whole group of enemies because you found a vent or stacked two dumpsters to climb a wall or something like that.

[Waus]

so deus ex is really really good.


Sounds amazing. If I wasn't wasting my life away playing TF2 (now that it's free) I'd buy it. Anyone else n00bing around Team Fortress 2 now?

[TurdBerglar]

i haven't played any new games in a looooong time.

i'm still playing team fortress 2.

i wouldn't call myself a noob though

[Waus]

i wouldn't call myself a noob though

I just crossed the 500 hour line. At what point can I consider myself "intermediate?"

Seems like TF2 is sort of like chess. There are people playing it somewhere on insane levels, but most people who genuinely enjoy the game hang out at the park and punch little timers.

Also - if you want to steam friend me send me a PM, I can help your team lose. ;)

[TurdBerglar]

these are the servers i pretty much exclusively play on:

http://www.no-heroes.com/

they're pretty strict when it comes to people cheating or screwing around. that's a good thing.

steam profile you can add me there:

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970830645

[Waus]

Whoa. I did a double-take when I saw your steam name. Me and a friend of mine ran a Minecraft server a few months ago, and one guy who joined had the name "Soaponapope."

[TurdBerglar]

yeah not me. never played the game.

[BBboy20]

Resistance 3

[silence7]

yeah not me. never played the game.

What? Never played Minecraft??!!! That's outrageous, egregious, preposterous!!!

[Bob]

i'm nearly finished with space marine and...i really wish i liked this game more than i do, but it's kind of meh, which is what i was afraid of

so the story of it is that they started making it a generic cover shooter, and then someone came up with the fairly cool idea of "hey what if instead of a cover shooter, we made it so that you had to execute enemies in melee to get your health back, like a space marine would?"

and that's a cool idea, only the problem is that they kind of forgot to make cover unnecessary. you get punished so badly for charging into melee, which is disappointing, because the game seems to encourage you to do it. instead it's smarter to keep your distance and shoot them at range and only go in close for the kill when there are only a few enemies left.

and the problem with that is that there are so many damn points where a cover mechanic would be useful, when you're hiding from enemies waiting for your armor to recharge so you can pop back out and plink at them again, only you can't take cover because they didn't put in a cover mechanic and if you don't take cover you're dead because you're getting shot too much...it's kind of off-putting

also the levels are kind of bland and it's too short

if it weren't a warhammer 40k game i don't think anyone would care. but it is! so it's kind of cool despite itself. i'm really shocked that it took this long for someone to make a video game where you play as a space marine. basically every player character in every first or third person shooter ever made has had the characteristics of a space marine, this is just the first time that they actually made you one. they even made a warhammer 40k fps before this where you played as a tau. a tau for god's sake! who cares about the tau?

6/10. worth a rent if you like the franchise.

[Kid Presentable]

I try to avoid buying full price games when they've just dropped, but I copped Dead Island. Once I got over the initial disappointments (i.e. it's not very slick in terms of presentation, cut scenes, voice acting) I found myself firmly embedded in the world.

It's great first person melee combat - which to me makes perfect sense for a zombie infested world - and a pretty cool setting. The comabat is tense and fast-paced, which sort of accurately reflects how I'd imagine engaging a zombie, with say, a meat cleaver, knowing that my life depended on winning the fight.

It's not always ideal to kill (destroy?) the zombies, and that's a touch I really appreciate. Managing supplies, making on the fly decisions to flee an area, questing it up, it's all pretty good. Beyong creating weapons, even just chucking a gas tank into an area and throwing a knife at it for detonation is fun.

Not perfect but very cool.

[Bob]

Dead Island

good to hear...it's on my rental queue, i kind of forgot this game was coming out until it actually did.

[Bob]

so i rented it! it's interesting, it reminds me of farcry 2 except with zombies instead of mercenaries

i'm not very far into it yet but it's cool, it's very different, which i'm always a fan of. i read literally nothing about it going in so i had no expectations except for the inevitable "how is this not left 4 dead?" feeling that you're left with from watching the TV commercials but it's nothing like left 4 dead at all. it's more akin to fallout 3 really.

[camo]

I try to avoid buying full price games when they've just dropped, but I copped Dead Island. Once I got over the initial disappointments (i.e. it's not very slick in terms of presentation, cut scenes, voice acting) I found myself firmly embedded in the world.

It's great first person melee combat - which to me makes perfect sense for a zombie infested world - and a pretty cool setting. The comabat is tense and fast-paced, which sort of accurately reflects how I'd imagine engaging a zombie, with say, a meat cleaver, knowing that my life depended on winning the fight.

It's not always ideal to kill (destroy?) the zombies, and that's a touch I really appreciate. Managing supplies, making on the fly decisions to flee an area, questing it up, it's all pretty good. Beyong creating weapons, even just chucking a gas tank into an area and throwing a knife at it for detonation is fun.

Not perfect but very cool.


I'm about 20 hours in and playing it co-op with a mate. The game is laggy, looks awful and has possibly the most boring missions known to man. Delivering insulin anyone!?!?

But it's so much fun running around with a couple of mates, spending hours twatting zombies, making weapons and exploring new parts of the massive map.

If you play your games alone stay well clear, otherwise - get stuck in!

[cubsfirstplace]

i picked up dead rising 2 a little while ago its fun (killing zombies never gets old) but hard as hell. some of the bosses are sooo frustrating. luckily it has co op and its easier playing with someone else.

[Bob]

I'm about 20 hours in and playing it co-op with a mate. The game is laggy, looks awful and has possibly the most boring missions known to man. Delivering insulin anyone!?!?

But it's so much fun running around with a couple of mates, spending hours twatting zombies, making weapons and exploring new parts of the massive map.

If you play your games alone stay well clear, otherwise - get stuck in!

i am kind of getting a borderlands vibe from it, which i found boring as shit playing on my own, but everyone who played it multiplayer loved it.

i picked up dead rising 2 a little while ago its fun (killing zombies never gets old) but hard as hell. some of the bosses are sooo frustrating. luckily it has co op and its easier playing with someone else.

yeah, dead rising 2 (and 1, for that matter) is frustrating as hell the first time you play it, especially when it comes to bosses. your character levels up, so starting at level one you're pretty damn vulnerable.

the thing to keep in mind is that it's a pretty short game, designed to be played multiple times, and all the experience and levels you gain carry over to subsequent playthroughs, so if you're having trouble with a boss, fuck it, skip it, get him on the next run around. you don't need to do everything your first time through (chances are, you won't pull it off even if you try).

[BBboy20]

Gears of War 3
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Ico

[camo]

i am kind of getting a borderlands vibe from it, which i found boring as shit playing on my own, but everyone who played it multiplayer loved it.

You're completely right! I'm playing it with my Borderlands crew as well. They really are different games in and out of coop.

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Ico

(y)

[camo]

I always found Ico frustrating. I'm not really a big fan of escorting missions in games. It was the worst thing about one of my favourite games as well (resi 4). The best bit of Ico are when the game lets you explore without the fear of the darkness taking yorda.

SOTC is the better game of the two for me. I can't wait to play it with a decent and solid frame rate.

[camo]

arrggh double post.

ummmm ummmmm super mario.

[nodanaonlyzuul]

Getting Deus Ex, Gears 3, and the Ico/SOTC collection in the mail soon.

I returned to college though, and right now I have five classes and therefore an asston of homework. Not sure how the hell I'm going to have time to play all of this. Not to mention the fact that I swiped Star Wars Battlefront II and KOTOR on steam while they were on sale two weeks ago ($5 each!)

:mad:

[silence7]

Getting Deus Ex, Gears 3, and the Ico/SOTC collection in the mail soon.


ICO, SOTC, and LittleBigPlanet are the only reason's I wish I had a PS3. I have a 360, but it doesn't have THOSE games... Prices getting cheaper all the time, I may have to crack and buy one... That, and this game called Journey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH5pnb_uotY)... Wow, It has ICO art style all over it.

Whatever happened to ICO2, this footage (http://www.pcworld.com/article/165226/playstation_3_exclusive_ico_2_trailer_leaked_pree3 .html) is from 2009


Good news though, Fez is coming to the 360 soon. Been waiting for this game forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H54u4VmDFc

[Bob]

Getting Deus Ex, Gears 3, and the Ico/SOTC collection in the mail soon.

I returned to college though, and right now I have five classes and therefore an asston of homework. Not sure how the hell I'm going to have time to play all of this. Not to mention the fact that I swiped Star Wars Battlefront II and KOTOR on steam while they were on sale two weeks ago ($5 each!)

:mad:

it doesn't get any easier when you have a full time job. i almost miss unemployment :(

well, no i don't actually, but i do miss having time for video games, i feel your pain is what i'm saying.

steam sales are killing me too. i have so many games i haven't got around to playing yet because they were like $5 on steam. some of them i'm barely even interested in, i always just see the insanely low price tag for the insanely limited time and fall right into their trap.

speaking of which i hope you all bought alpha protocol when it was $2. some people love that game, some people don't (i absolutely do) but for $2 you had no excuse except for not knowing about it. i should have said something earlier

[Bob]

speaking of steam sales, portal 2 is now $15 on steam for two days. i have no idea why i haven't picked this game up yet but if you're like me and you haven't either, this is probably a good time to get it

[BBboy20]

Whatever happened to ICO2, this footage (http://www.pcworld.com/article/165226/playstation_3_exclusive_ico_2_trailer_leaked_pree3 .html) is from 2009That was test footage for The Last Guardian, the upcoming third game from Team Ico.

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

ICO, SOTC, and LittleBigPlanet are the only reason's I wish I had a PS3.

(y)

[KingPsyz]

(y)

LBP2 is pretty excellent, but I find I hardly have time anymore... I messed around in the beta build and made some cool stuff like lightcycles and weird logic tools, but when my last PS3 died and I lost my savefile I just don't have it in me to start over...

But it's okay, I'll have Arkham City a week from tuesday to make it all better.

[Lyman Zerga]

mister nintendo should create a nintendo disc or something else with tons of GB loadage so we can download all of our (favorite) old nintendo and gameboy games on it

my old games eat up alot of space but they are too good and childhood memorized to get rid of them

my super nintendo isnt correctly working anymore either so hurry up mister nintendo!

[Audio.]

DARK SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOULS


I'm at lvl 232 :cool:

[cubsfirstplace]

A metal gear solid collection is coming for for the xbox 360 and ps3. it is going to have 3 games. Since i've never had any playstation console so i've never played played any metal gear solid. (except a little metal gear solid 2 when i rented it) I'm not big into stealth type games, do they have more action then games like splinter cell?

[BBboy20]

A metal gear solid collection is coming for for the xbox 360 and ps3. it is going to have 3 games. Since i've never had any playstation console so i've never played played any metal gear solid. (except a little metal gear solid 2 when i rented it) I'm not big into stealth type games, do they have more action then games like splinter cell?Technically, yes, but like SC, most of the time, you have player choice rather you want to be a sleuth or charge them head on is up to you.

Batman: Arkham City

[Bob]

saints row the third is incredible

i rented it on console and want to buy it, but i'm thinking of getting it for the PC...i remember hearing that saints row 2 had all sorts of shitty issues with its PC version though, can anyone say whether 3 is stable or not?

[camo]

Lag compensation has pretty much killed my COD exploits now.

Fuck activision for this...why gimp me because I have shit hot innerwebs?

Twats.

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Mario Kart 7 just came out for the 3DS...I've been playing it non stop. If anyone wants to swap codes and race, drop me a line!

[Kid Presentable]

2012 patched Super Street fighter 4 AE, plus free time = Cody renaissance

[BBboy20]

Mario Kart 7 just came out for the 3DS...I've been playing it non stop. If anyone wants to swap codes and race, drop me a line!Super Mario 3D Land for me.

[cubsfirstplace]

saints row the third is incredible

i rented it on console and want to buy it, but i'm thinking of getting it for the PC...i remember hearing that saints row 2 had all sorts of shitty issues with its PC version though, can anyone say whether 3 is stable or not?

i read that instead of porting the game like for the pc like they did for saints row 2, the developers made the pc version in house.

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Super Mario 3D Land for me.

It's pretty damn excellent too, if not better. I think I did everything in the game...5 stars on my save file. I refused to do the "play the whole game without dying on a level more than 5 times" thing, though.

[camo]

Resistance 3 is a seriously good single player shooter. I've read it didn't sell very well due to number 2 being a little samey but I implore you to try it out

(y)

[BBboy20]

Resistance 3 is a seriously good single player shooter. I've read it didn't sell very well due to number 2 being a little samey but I implore you to try it out

(y)You up for co-op sometime?

[camo]

You up for co-op sometime?

Possibly, I've just got to go through the last bit first though.

[Lex Diamonds]

Haha boyment.

[camo]

Unintentionally boyed.

When I'm through with RES3 I've got Batman AC and Infamous 2. SP'ing it (y)

[weez]

just bought a ps3, finally (i wanted to stay away from having one before i graduated, but i'm not in the mood to wait any more). over the christmas break i beat:

uncharted
uncharted 2
uncharted 3
call of duty modern warfare
modern warfare 2
modern warfare 3
the new medal of honour
assassin's creed

and am still working through the assassin's creed storyline. video games are awesome.

[weez]

my point was, what are some awesome game suggestions. i sort of spaced out there, my bad.

[camo]

For your PS3; Heavy Rain, Little Big planet (1 or 2), Modnation racers, Killzone 2 + 3, Dark Souls, Darksiders, Infamous 1 +2, God of War III and the HD collections, Metal gear solid 4, The Orange box, Gran Turismo 5, the Resistance trilogy, Batman arkham asylum and city, Burnout Paradise, Borderlands, Skyrim, Dead Space 1+2, Vanquish, BioShock 1+2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Saints row 3, Red Dead Redemption, Portal 2, Mass Effect 2.

No stinkers at all in there and most you'll find pretty cheap (y)

[na§tee]

um, i haven't posted on the board for ages so zelda: skyward sword is probably oooolllldddd news by now, but i'm playing that.

much slower than any other zelda game i've played before due to various boring being old stuff. i got a lot of time in over christmas but the boyfriend and i started to have very platform-stylee dreams so we cooled off on it a bit.

i like it, but can't be arsed with the whole flying pish. plus is that fi bitch condescending or what? "i predict that there's a 98% chance of enemies ahead" yeah, THANKS!

[camo]

Yay! Hello you! (y):)

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Gotta do a quick plug....I've started posting 3DS news stories on a local game shop's website....give it a look! Anything put up by "El Spencer" is me!

http://www.westsalemgamers.com/3DS/

[Laserface]

what do you guys think are the best games of 2011?

dark souls, despite its flaws, holds a special place in my heart. but my vote would probably go to portal 2. for the writing alone.

skyrim was solid but it didn't have enough innovations from the previous elder scroll installments. it's like the elder scrolls 4: oblivion, but with dragons (which is pretty cool, don't get me wrong... it's just not enough for me to be blown away i guess)

[fonky pizza]

I'm just a Tetris addict:)

[camo]

what do you guys think are the best games of 2011?

dark souls, despite its flaws, holds a special place in my heart. but my vote would probably go to portal 2. for the writing alone.

skyrim was solid but it didn't have enough innovations from the previous elder scroll installments. it's like the elder scrolls 4: oblivion, but with dragons (which is pretty cool, don't get me wrong... it's just not enough for me to be blown away i guess)

Uncharted 3, Batman AC and Duke Nukem Forever.

(I might have lied about one of them, can you guess?)

[Bob]

i was really blown away by the witcher 2, because of how fun it was to play and how solid the story was (kind of took 2 playthroughs to really grasp, but that's ok, because the two main story branches were so totally different and worth it)

it really nailed the whole gritty, morally grey feel, steered clear of the "kill the evil bad guys and save the world and maybe make an inconsequential choice here and there" thing that other games tend to do, it was solid.

when did alpha protocol come out? was that 2011? i'd rank that as another sleeper hit

[venusvenus123]

um, i haven't posted on the board for ages so zelda: skyward sword is probably oooolllldddd news by now, but i'm playing that.

much slower than any other zelda game i've played before due to various boring being old stuff. i got a lot of time in over christmas but the boyfriend and i started to have very platform-stylee dreams so we cooled off on it a bit.

i like it, but can't be arsed with the whole flying pish. plus is that fi bitch condescending or what? "i predict that there's a 98% chance of enemies ahead" yeah, THANKS!

omg, that has happened to me recently. I guess it happens most if I play, or watch husband play (I'm that sad), before bed. Bizarre to dream about trying to use a grappling hook to get around town.

I've nearly finished it but am saving the final bit on skyloft ... kind of eking it out a bit. Haha, I love Fi. Her percentage predictions are hilaire. I predict that there's a 85% chance you'll dream of dragons chasing you tonight if you play after 11.

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

what do you guys think are the best games of 2011?

Super Mario 3D Land
Portal 2
Mario Kart 7

[HAL 9000]

Portal 2 & Skyrim for me. I think I also played Portal 1 for the first time this year which is probably the stand out gaming experience. The sequal is a better game overall but I expected to love it - the original had the surprise factor in terms of how good it was.

I had a lot of fun with the various Kairosoft games on IOS as well.

Question for Deep Sea Rain as you are a Mario Kart fan (like the blog btw) - when you exchange Streetpass laps with someone do you know if the ghost you get is actually that persons lap or if it is just there Mii's head stuck on an AI ghost lap? Also, if it is an actualy lap, how do I know which one of my various ghost laps I am sending out to people?

I cant find the answer on the web!

[BBboy20]

6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BmC1lZeQad4)

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

Question for Deep Sea Rain as you are a Mario Kart fan (like the blog btw) - when you exchange Streetpass laps with someone do you know if the ghost you get is actually that persons lap or if it is just there Mii's head stuck on an AI ghost lap? Also, if it is an actualy lap, how do I know which one of my various ghost laps I am sending out to people?

I cant find the answer on the web!

Yo! Thanks for checking the site out. I'll be posting at least one story a day, and more when I get home internet back up and running.

Yep...when you Streetpass someone, you'll get that individual's actual ghost for a specific track and send out one of your own. Unfortunately which track ghost you send/receive is chosen at random. I've had more luck contacting my friends outside of MK7 and inquiring their specific track times, and aiming to beat them.

I really hope there's an update to fix this, as well as the Maka Wuhu glitch, and if you'd ever like to race online drop me a line!

Oh and speaking of Resident Evil....anyone with a 3DS needs to check out the free Revelations demo that came out yesterday.....good stuff.

[Bob]

i just remembered: another underrated game that blew me away, but i can't remember if it's technically a 2011 game, is nier

maybe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGtnBnmJ8MA) because (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFmlU3vByfY) of (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiDI4GZMVF0) the soundtrack

but it just had a really unique aesthetic, and a storyline that was pretty goddamn fantastic for a video game, if not a pretty good sci-fi/fantasy story in general (pacing was a bit off at points, but it is a video game, after all). it's genuinely emotional at times, especially during your second play through, after certain facts are revealed and then emphasized in a way that only happens on your second time through the game.

it was just really damn unique (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW14pLD8PH0). you should play it

[Kid Presentable]

I started Nier, it was sick, but for some reason I never beat it. I'll probs go back to it, this Skyrim shit is just too big.

RE6 looks good; they're kind of hemmed in because the series needs to really take a step back from the last game (in my opinion) and the trailer seems to show it leaping forward from 5's template. We'll see, I guess. It will be a must-cop regardless.

[camo]

I started Nier, it was sick, but for some reason I never beat it. I'll probs go back to it, this Skyrim shit is just too big.

HA! Same same here mate. I do love a good RPG though so I've been keeping a close eye on this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-KY8CHacr4).

[Bob]

yeah i've been watching that too, but i don't know why. i guess i'm secretly a sucker for fantasy stuff like that

def give nier another shot. like i said, the pacing is a bit off, and it starts to lag a bit in the first act, but it picks the fuck up again at the end and the rest of act 2 (you'll know the act change when you see it)

it's worth a second play through as well, because the story's a little different. i mean it's the same story, but you get different cut scenes, showing you another side of it.

the second play through is way shorter: it starts in act 2 and you keep all your levels and equipment so you can just power through it for the cutscenes

[Kid Presentable]

That sounds choice. I must be early on - I think the little sand people who talk that unintelligible language (racist) had me doing some shit. Puzzles in a dungeon, done a few boss battles. And yeah, it was dragging. I will try it out again based on your recommendation Bob.

[Bob]

yeah, the game gets a bit hum drummy around that point, you just gotta power through it a little. then it starts fucking with your heartstrings and it starts ruling again

also! under no circumstances should you ever feel obligated to do any of the sidequests. if something in your head says "hey this feels boring" just don't do it, there's no need for it. do the ones you want, skip the ones you don't.

i don't mean to overhype the game or anything, it's not the game of a lifetime or anything, it's just really refreshingly different, and i feel like it didn't get the credit it deserved (ie, people ever knowing it existed) so i bring it up a lot

plus i really like that soundtrack

[nodanaonlyzuul]

Finally got around to finishing up Dragon Age 2. I really can't blame people that were fans of the first for not liking the second. It was trying to do something different in the story telling, and I appreciate that, but it felt like there was so much drag to it that I'd have to force myself through it. The ending did make it worth it though, but I doubt I'll play through it again.

Saints Row: The Third is ridiculous in the best way possible. God damn.

I'm also getting through Skyrim and it's great, but yes, overwhelming in a lot of ways. Trying to finish up Saints Row before I really dedicate the hours necessary to finish it.

I'm wishing that I could afford a decent computer to play games on too though. The Witcher 2 and now TOR? Dang it.

Uncharted 3 is on the way in the mail.

[Bob]

Finally got around to finishing up Dragon Age 2. I really can't blame people that were fans of the first for not liking the second. It was trying to do something different in the story telling, and I appreciate that, but it felt like there was so much drag to it that I'd have to force myself through it. The ending did make it worth it though, but I doubt I'll play through it again.

Saints Row: The Third is ridiculous in the best way possible. God damn.

I'm also getting through Skyrim and it's great, but yes, overwhelming in a lot of ways. Trying to finish up Saints Row before I really dedicate the hours necessary to finish it.

I'm wishing that I could afford a decent computer to play games on too though. The Witcher 2 and now TOR? Dang it.

Uncharted 3 is on the way in the mail.


the thing that bugged me about dragon age 2, is how disappointingly small the game world was. dragon age origins set up this big huge colorful fantasy world, and only showed you one country. through conversations and codex entries, you learned about stuff that was happening elsewhere in the world, and by the end of the game you got all excited like "man, i can't wait to see how much the sequel opens it up" and then almost the entire game takes place in one city, in the same locations over and over and over again. playing through the game felt like work more than anything else...like you were just checking things off of a to-do list. "oh, 3 of my quests are in the market district, guess i'll just head there and knock those out", etc. etc. in origins, the quests felt like quests, you know? you set out to orzammar, and you get invested in a story, you fight through a quest that takes some time, and has its own characters, and so on. in DA2 all the quests were just "go here and do a thing. quest complete". blah.

i actually kind of enjoyed the gameplay and i really liked the streamlined inventory and combat skills systems. i hate the wacky equipment stats that most games throw at you, being able to look at a star value was nice for me, though i understand that some more hardcore rpg gamers hate that--to each their own. but i couldn't get past how samey and small the game world was. blech.

still, i did appreciate that the story veered away from the standard "YOU MUST SAVE THE WORLD" trope and made the conflict much more esoteric. the conflict between the chantry and the mages was one of the most interesting elements set up in the first game, so i'm glad they followed through on that. hopefully DA3 will fix the second game's mistakes.


agreed that saint's row 3 is amazing. i've beaten it 3 times and i'm still not bored of it.

the witcher 2 is an amazing game, but you really do need a beefy computer to run it, yeah. i even bought a new desktop PC like a week before the game came out and even on this, i can only run the game at the lowest settings and at almost the lowest resolution. still worth it! still fun! just not as pretty as it could be.

i guess they're working on a console version, might be worth holding out for that

[Bob]

how come the only times i ever make long posts, it's always about video games? i need a hobby

or a girlfriend that gets turned on by long internet posts about video games. i'm sure they're out there somewhere

[camo]

Uncharted 3 is on the way in the mail.

I've only just gotten round to finishing this off. I can't really figure out which of the sequels I prefer. Number 2 completely blew my socks off but number 3 felt slightly familiar...that's not a criticism though...it's just that 2 felt like a real leap forward for this (gaming) generation and number 3 is a slightly more polished version.

(I'd highlight the points but I don't want to spoil it for you or anyone else).

I've just restarted Dead Space 2. I have no idea why I ever stopped playing it (probably COD).

[Audio.]

there is no END to Skyrim.

-_______________________________________-


fuuuuu my life.

[Bob]

kingdoms of amalur is looking to be pretty cool based on the demo. i'm more excited about it than i should be about something called "kingdoms of amalur"

[camo]

kingdoms of amalur is looking to be pretty cool based on the demo. i'm more excited about it than i should be about something called "kingdoms of amalur"

HEY BOB! OVER HERE. LOOK AT ME! (http://uk.ign.com/videos/2012/02/03/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning-video-review)

[cubsfirstplace]

I'be been playing Vanquish recently, the campaign is short but really fun. The graphics are very good and the game started the whole boosting things that games like Bulestorm have. Before I played it, I kept hearing it being compared to Gears of War, which kinda made me not want to play it. The only things they have in common are that they're both TPS's and the cover mechanic. The challenges are very hard though, I can't even beat the first one. (hard but fun)

[BBboy20]

I'be been playing Vanquish recently, the campaign is short but really fun. The graphics are very good and the game started the whole boosting things that games like Bulestorm have. Before I played it, I kept hearing it being compared to Gears of War, which kinda made me not want to play it. The only things they have in common are that they're both TPS's and the cover mechanic. The challenges are very hard though, I can't even beat the first one. (hard but fun)Given it was Shinji Mikami's work on Resident Evil 4 that inspired Epic Games to develop Gears of War, it's not exactly surprisingly that Shinji would make his own Gears and my god, gaming really needs more faster then light gameplay.

[Kid Presentable]

Vanquish is beyond good, it's amazing. I would definitely like to get back into that on a higher difficulty for some more cheevos.

Nier has progressed well, second half is interesting and I'm looking forward to subsequent playthroughs.

Bought ultra-cheap copies of Dead Space (so I can beat it and get the sequel) and the Megadrive (read: Genesis) Ultimate Collection.

This is the first time in ages where I've felt like I could concentrate on and enjoy a game. Good times. (y)

[Echewta]

Mass Effect 3 demo/multiplayer. *smokes cig*

[Bob]

i played it 6 times, just to try out all the different classes. no regrets

i've purposely been avoiding all press about it, so this was really my first taste of the game. i think i like

at first i was kind of like "what?" about the uncharacteristically brutal heavy melee attacks but then i combined it with the infiltrator class's cloaking ability and became totally ok with it, so i think i know what class i'm picking for my first playthrough


i haven't even tried the multiplayer yet. is it gonna be an included feature of the full game, or is it gonna pull some dead space 2 bullshit and make you pay extra for it?

i kind of don't care because i've never played mass effect for the multiplayer (because it never existed) and don't plan to start now, but charging extra for multiplayer is pretty fucky

[BBboy20]

but charging extra for multiplayer is pretty fuckyWelcome to the gaming industry.

[Echewta]

I haven't read anything that they will be charging for multiplayer. Isn't that what X-box gold is for?

Then again, thats a lot of server power for free if you don't pay.