Thursday Gaming Thread
Soooo Tomb Raider, how does everyone feel about this? I'm pretty sure I'll be picking it up. I'm interested to see if these controversy was just for PR or not. Reviews are singing it's praises and to be honest it will be nice to have a different type of game.
I picked up R6: Vegas the other night for 2.69 on XBOX Live, I hope these sales are regular like Steam because I like that model and it does get me buying more games.
So no news on Terraria or State of Decay yet? What is that about?
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Getting Tomb Raider next week.
Played the first two, but anything on this generation of hardware has passed me by. Don't expect this to be a problem given the reboot angle. It'll be nice to have a change of pace after recent gaming: DmC and MGR: Revengeance (for next column) and Vanquish just cos I wanted to play it again after those two.
Any great iOS games from this year so far? Commutes could do with a pick-me-up.
hearing some good things about Year Walk
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-19-year-walk-review
I like the idea of the companion app for this too, nice little touch
Cheers, DLing this now.
Sounds right up my street / into my woods / etc
There won't be anything in the story that you'll need to know
Especially as it's a reboot.
It's essentially always been a variation on: posh young girl left loads of money but her explorer dead father globe trots killing animals to steal artifacts from lost civilisations.
Occasionally she got stuck underground for a bit and killed off (Last Revelation), had some people talk about her exploits at her funeral (Chronicles) then got rebooted as an action hero (Legends). Then they remade the first one again.
Nothing there that'll spoil a new title I suspect.
my friend who's testing it at the moment say's it's
'quite good'.
Yeah I only played the first two myself.
Interested to see what they do with this one.
for iOS:
jtpck
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jtpck/id590205563?mt=8
I might have to buy a ps3 to play it
I adore the TR series. Read that there's not as much cave exploration as you might hope (my favourite TR games all involve being stuck underground) but reckon it'd be great regardless.
The PS2 latter titles were great.
Not had much chance to game. Played some Drop 7 and downloaded an intriguing title called Year Walk after a glowing Eurogamer review. Only 20 mins in but it's pretty atmospheric and vague. Liking it.
vamos,
I'm now on the 8th world in DKCR. It's absolutely impossible. The temptation to get through using the super guide thing is rising, but that'd be cheating, right?
But you beat that level?! Congratulations!
See, that wasn't 3 months of your life wasted at all.
It would be cheating, and we all know that cheating is bad. But I suck at platform games so will likely resort to it long before you do. All it does is allow you to get to the next level, you still have to play it without the guide to register as properly completing it.
Path of Exile. Still.
Getting mullered towards the end of the final act on the easiest difficulty, though. Might have to start playing group games.
Starting to regret calling my character Bumsnogger.
one or two romps in farcry 3
to tidy up some side bits before it gets snapped up on ebay, otherwise no gaming for a week or so...
revengeance is on my to play list, as will be bioshock infinite but can feel a gaming lull approaching me
Yeah I've been playing the story this again, it got REALLY intense.
Started loving it again. I've been playing lots of Skyrim though...I found a pirate's booty mission on the Dragonborn DLC.
some of the stuff towards the end is proper dark
Preordered Bioshock Infinate on Greenmangaming
in case people missed this offer I posted the other day they're currently selling the Infinite with Bioshock 1 and a choice of free game (Civ V, Spec Ops: The Line, Bioshock, Mafia 2 and Darkness 2) for a spanky cheap £23.99. I don't pre order digital media as a rule but that deal is just insane, getting Civ V and Infinite for £23.99 seems like a no brainer... but knowing my luck the game will be shit.
Been playing a lot of LOL (League Of Legends), it's kind of strange that this is the most popular video game in the world as it's not mentioned in mainstream media in the UK very often, I never really 'got' LOL until recently but now I know what I'm doing it's a very addictive team game that has a really competitive feel and providing I stay away from ranked games (assholes taking games too seriously) then it's good fun.
Also got DmC, love the boss fights, the combat isn't quite as fun as I had hoped but the level design is awesome.
Have you thought about trying DotA 2?
I know there are people with strong opinions of that vs LoL (don't worry, I'm not one of them).
I got a Dota 2 key 2 days ago
the transition from LOL to Dota 2 isn't as easy as I had hoped as Dota 2 is clearly far more difficult to learn.
It defo doesn't help that the isn't currently a tutorial
beta is beta but come on Valve, give a duck a helping hand here.
I freaked out when I realised I had a courier
People who've played Revengeance
How have you found parrying? Maybe its because I don't normally play this type of game, but I find it really difficult. Thought I had it down ok when I tried it in the VR tutorials, but put me in battle and its just not happening. Spent a long time being chainsawed by blade wolf, until I gave up, and just ninja runned around him waving my blade about.
I have enjoyed the change in pace from MGS though. Its quite a nice change of attitude seeing the alert go up, and instead of running off to find a locker to hide in, just to go in swinging.
I have played Revengeance
I beat it twice on normal, and then started a new file to play it on hard without any upgrades, and i've continued from that until Very Hard (which is pretty much where the challeng begins outright)
Parry is really lenient, but a perfect parry takes much more timing. For Blade Wolf, the chainsaw attack needs you to parry three times in a row, if you weren't sure. You can also cancel out of nearly any attack into a parry, and make sure you're tapping the direction when you do it as well.
Very Hard mode is laughably tough though, and I love it. On the prologue there is a fight right before RAY (that you can skip) that involves 2 RPG soldiers and TWO (yes that's right) UG Wolf mechs, one with a long distance gun, and the other with a chainsaw, and they both attack from off camera.
Plus, very hard isn't even the highest difficulty. It's a short game, possibly a little too short to recommend for £35, but it is near perfect in its execution.
It's a short game, possibly a little too short to recommend for £35, but it is near perfect in its execution.
Totally my thoughts. Have only played through the once on standard difficulty but will go back into it to turn those Bs into S ranks.
Was chatting to someone on Twitter yesterday re parrying... I suspect it makes it tough to encouage you to, as mentioned above, "go in swinging". There's that boss battle with the mist (reprised later on, too), which absolutely necessitates careful parrying; but generally on 'normal' I didn't have much of a problem with it. Guess I wasn't hitting perfect every time (when you do it opens them up doesn't it - which is, again, 100% essential for that awful Sam fight in the badlands SPOILER (sorry).
Or you can just use Offensive Defense
to dodge 99% of attacks in the game, the quickest vid of Monsoon being killed involves nearly no parrying during the mist section. It really is Platinum at their mechanical finest, as usual. A heady blend of Bayonetta and Vanquish and probably one of the most consistently over the top games ever.
I believe it was short due to Platinum being renwoned for lateness, and Kojima Productions demanded a product by a set date. There are extra chapters as DLC which look like they'll be great.
The Sam fight is quite simple when you've done it a few times, parrying becomes second nature and you end up being able to with stand any attack, but if you look up S Rank Revengeance difficulty vidoes, people have cleared all the bosses with 0 damage, usually through dodge. It's sublime to watch.
If someone likes games like DMC3, God Hand and Bayonetta, i'd recommend this at RRP because it's just a more honed version of those. It's a little too lean, but there are a lot of extras (the VR missions are absolutely nails) the Codec is as brilliant as MGS3, there are lots of neat alternative strategies for various sections, and the speed of the campaign and ability to skip all cutscenes and 90% of codec chatter really encourage replayabilty. Very Hard mixes up the fights so much as well.
Damn it this sounds fantastic
I really need to clear some of my gaming backlog so I can justify splashing out on it.
You might be able to tell
But I really like it, haha. The music is sublime as well, in that it is so fucking ridiculous whilst still fitting the game perfectly. The way they made it dynamic in the boss fights was cheesy AND brilliant.
I adored all the games you listed
I'm a big fan of Platinum anyways and the dodging thing sounds like the kind of mechanic all those hours I spent on Ninja Gaiden will have prepared me for.
As soon as I finish Deus Ex/Far Cry 3/Demons Souls/Valkeria Chronicles/Uncharted I'll get on it. Sigh.
The camera is a bit of a bitch on Very Hard
as the enemies begin to attack from off screen with much greater frequency, but you can ninja run and hop over people to re-zone them and start your assault anew. Despite dodging being the internet-savant's weapon of choice, the parry is the main mechanic, dodge actually has to be purchased as an upgrade so heavy is the focus on parrying.
It'll be super cheap by the time you've cleared those, so hold on for it!
I started on Hard
Thought I was doing alright, but as soon as I had to fight two of those Gekko walker things I was like FUUUUCK OFFFF. I managed to bungle my way through those and get the first VR mission, and spent a lot of time practising on that.
It's odd they don't actually tell you about the lock-on (R2/RT) which makes parrying a lot easier when against a single opponent like the Wolf mech, since you're only ever having to parry forwards, or that there's an unlockable and very useful dodge move.
It's true that the camera is a bit too close to parry effectively when sorrounded, it could do with pulling back a bit in those situations. Even for its faults though, it's a really hyper-kinetic, just plain fucking cool game, and still manages to feel very Metal Gear.
Very Hard will ruin you!
I found it refreshing that stuff wasn't obviously stated to you as games have become quite hand-holdy these past few years. Revengeance just flips you off and then cuts you in half. Prompts for button presses do get briefly mentioned, but discovering the control scheme and learning little tricks is an absolutely joy in games. Plus there is a Movelist and Button explanation in the pause menu, so it's all good.
played super crate box in front of my mother last night
impossible to not swear
That game is so brilliantly difficult
i love it
i am so bad at it
what shall i buy?
x:com
mass effect 3
borderlands 2
dishonoured
?
A few questions
have you played the other Mass effect games?
Do you like turn based gameplay?
Do you have friends to play games with?
Do you like stealth?
Y
have played ME 1&2, assassins creeds, batmans, borderlands 1.
no xbox live at the moment.
Well
Borderlands 2 to me is an experience which is best in multiplayer, as with all looting games, but if you liked Borderlands 1 a lot in single player then it's like that except bigger and with more guns.
Mass Effect 3 would be a great choice if you have a save file because you might as well finish the story, right?
Dishnoured, rent it, not worth buying.... it's a very good game but it's quite short and can be finished during a rental, however the fact you can finish the games playing multiple styles does give it some replay value. IF you see yourself doing that then consider the purchase.
X-com is a timesink, I think this may be the best possible purchase for this reason but not sure if you should buy it first but it's probably my fav game from the list. But it's buggy as hell which is sometimes infuriating.
cool gonna get xcom
maybe ME3 too
Good call
any of these would make a great purchase
if you haven't played ME1 & 2 than that should be bottom of your list, if you have then you might as well finish the series.
would probably go with Borderlands 2, think it's also reasonably cheap
[obligatory Rayman Origins suggestion]
^ If you ever see Rayman Origins in a store and it's under £20 then but it instantly
not saying it's not worth full price but the impulse is a good'un if you're in that situation, one of the best platformer games ever.
you can quite easily pick this up for around a tenner
Dishonored.
remember the controls in the original Tomb Raider games?
holy shit
I hated those games for that very reason
Yeah!
Z to walk left.
X to walk right
SPACE to jump.
still infinitely more playable than Angel of Darkness
Yeah they were more an exercise in maths than a control system
Weirdly though, I persisted with them for 5 more games and kind of grew to love the mechanics they forced the environments to be constructed out of.
TR will always be one of my favourite games ever.
I went from playing on the Amiga to falling out of love with gaming. Then I was walking past an Electronics Boutique / Virgin shop window and seeing TR running. Couldn't believe gaming had gone fully 3D and I'd missed it.
Bought a PS1 after saving up several weeks' wages, got WipEout 2097 and TR. Didn't need another game for about a year due to how much I adored them.
So many moments in TR that I adored. Moving in 3D, being able to move the camera, orchestral music fading in (CD QUALITY SOUND?!?!), save points that I had to choose when to use, swimming underwater, all these extra buttons, secret areas...
Anniversary is a great remake of it and does almost everything right (bar the T-Rex battle)
i think the sublime controls of mario 64
was the death knoll for the my interest in the tomb raider series
Can totally understand that
The N64 controller to me is still why I regard so many good games on that system as great. There were really only 4 or 5 great games for the N64 but the controls elevated many of them to seem loads better than they really were.
In particular, I'M LOOKING AT YOU TUROK
Man, fucking Turok
that actually had the worst controls. The. Worst. I remember reading the instruction manual.
*Jumping: Master this basic skill if you hope to survive! Press the Right Shoulder (R) BUTTON to jump. The longer you hold the control, the higher the jump. Use with the C BUTTONS to aim your jump.*
THAT'S THE WORST JUMPING SYSTEM I'VE EVER HEARD OF! Oh well, it's a dinosaur shooting game, they're hardly going to put platforming bits in...
...OH SWEET JESUS THEY EXPECT ME TO PLATFORM LIKE THIS! WHO DESIGNED THIS AND WHY DO THEY HATE ME SO?
There was a jungle level where you had to traverse a canyon rope bridge
Never made it past it
Have you guys watched the Game Spot videos on playing the old games?
They are so funny and remind of all that frustration trying to press a simple button on the wall.
Link please!
http://uk.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/videos/falling-in-love-with-lara-tomb-raider-i-6403116/
you'll remember ALL of this.
He really sucks at this
It was always about holding down the button that stopped you running off edges, taking a step back then doing the jump + grab thing.
But pulling those levers underwater WAS an utter bastard.
Started playing Ico for the first time, after buying that double pack for PS3
What a beautiful, wonderful game.
That's another title I could rave about for hours
Probably the best game I've ever played.
Having just finished this again it stands up as a pretty poor 'game'
There's all sorts of problems with it in terms of controls, character movement, AI, camera handling, annoying smoke monsters and not some especially good/intuitive puzzles...
but it is utterly brilliant.
I can imagine it wouldn't be very good the second time round.
But i'm loving every moment now.
Is shadow of the Collosus good?
Ico is still brilliant the 2nd, 3rd, 4th... time
it's just that it's almost brilliant in spite of itself, which makes it all the more remarkable.
SOTC is also brilliant, and has video games' greatest ever horse.
BRILLIANT!
Yeah I've replayed it 4 times and never found it boring.
It's just a gorgeous 'world' to live in for a few hours. Same with SOTC. The controls sort of suck, there's limited secrets or replay value BUT it's all about that world and journey. In my mind, most of the best games are.
yeah, I completely get that
the AI of Yorda is so bad at times, but that feels completely right. Just want to go home and play it.
Quite looking forward to this game too
90s Arcade Racer
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/390816/90s-arcade-racer-set-for-wii-u-with-help-from-nicalis/
Essentially a return to when racing games were about being the very very best on 4 tracks rather than a sprawling campaign of a game where you never replay a level and they're all essentially the same anyhow.
Best racing games ever?
1. WipEout 2097
2. Colin McRae Rally 2.0
3. Virtua Racing
4. Ridge Racer (loved Rage Racer and RR4 too)
5. Driver. Maybe. Or F1GP on the Amiga.
Note I have never played Out Run 2, any F-Zero game properly or a Metroplois / Forza Racing title.
Grand Prix 2 for me
I probably wasted weeks of my teenage life playing that.
Is this the game with A, Z, < and > as the controls?
For PC?
Yup.
Spacebar for gearshift and Return (I think) to signal pit entry.
So many good times
Download the skins for the new season and away your go. It's PC gaming at its finest.
you appear not to have mentioned micro machines
or crash team racing.
had forgotten all about Micro Machines until this month's Retro Gamer feature
absolutely loved that game, series went progressively downhill after the NES original though
micro machines 96 turbo tournament!?
COME ON
The original Colin McRae Rally for me
TOCA Touring Cars
And yeah, Driver
and one of the first games I ever got for the PlayStation, Porsche Challenge (it was shite)
Actually CMR was better than 2 eh? Think I just loved the menu screens...
TOCA was brilliant. Only picked it up after I had a PS2 but still preferred it every racing game I played on the PS2.
i never got very far in TOCA
had it on the pc, just used to cause huge crashes :)
i remember porsche challenge! it looked quite pretty!
actually, it had a really great soundtrack
but only about 6 different courses and it was *really* easy
<3 TOCA
typing a swear name into the player name screen :D
the fuck is a swear name?
*WORD
My top 5
1. Super Mario Kart
2. Project Gotham 2
3. F Zero X
4. Burnout 3
5. Gran Tourismo (spent ages on the first one and then never played any of the others)#
I haven't played a good racing game in ages. Really want to play Burnout 3 again now. Didn't like the open world one much.
Oh wait am I thinking of Burnout: revenge?
I think I am.
nah revenge aint got NUTHIN on takedown
NUTHI
N
I honestly can't remember which is which
I remember liking them all up till Paradise. Can't be arsed driving across the map to join a race that takes me back across the map.
I was a massive fan of Burnout, mostly because I don't drive and I don't care for realism.
Oh man yeah, Burnout Takedown was AMAZING
Burnout 2 was the pinnacle of the series for me
just the right balance between good racing a bit of smashy smashy, they started going a bit too far down the destruction derby route after that (before Paradise got things back on track)
Burnout 2 on the Gamecube
pure bliss, absolutely amazing game, me and a friend had such a rivalry too
really enjoyed takedown on the xbox too, one of the only games i played at uni as a housemate left it behind
never got on with Paradise, i like menus in my racing games i guess
Likewise re Paradise.
Though I sometimes dip back into it. Far more likely to turn to Blur for my racing kicks -or OutRun 2, which generally runs fine on the 360. Few glitches (one time my car got blocked at the finish line, like there was a wall there, and I had to wait til the clock counted down... was a dark moment), but such a great game. So, so, so much better than Coast 2 Coast for the PS2.
Blur
is one of the greatest arcade racing games this generation
absolutely criminal it didnt do well, every person i persuaded to play a 4 player split screen games went away with a huge grin
Yeah I couldn't get into it
No need at all to have an open world racing game, it trivialises the racing and just opens the game up to timewasting and boredom.
Split Second - Now THAT was a game
Yeah I had 2 and 3 I think. Both were great fun, lots and lots of content, good fun to play with mates.
Last time I had fun with a racer, not really my type of game normally.
whens the next ridge racer out? rr4 was the pinnacle of gaming.
Played Gratuitous Space Battles during the free weekend.
Was pretty fun, although not a patch on FTL.
Last Of Us update
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZICxyLQDCU4&feature=player_embedded
This looks more and more amazing every time I see new content...
I need to get my hands on a cheap PS3.
ctrl+f metal gear rising
WHAT
IT'S AMAZING
Ctrl+F Revengeance
Loads of chat.
Just ctr+f'd as well.
Is it worth getting then?
Midway through episode4 of The Walking Dead
I've got a feeling something awful is about to happen :(
how are you finding the game?
I like it a lot
It's a very well executed piece of work and an excellent concept. There are times where it can be frustrating having to do everything so painstakingly slow, navigating back and forth around the train was particularly irritating but it's really fucking good tbh.
going to finish Alan Wake tonight
probably going to tackle X-Com next.
Antrim and Fallout 3 have been moved to the backburner until I can throw my whole life at them. Got Dishonored on the shelf too but not in the mood just yet.
We should, really...
...have a gaming club set-up. All play a game over a week and report back the next week. Has that been tried before? Something popular/cheap... Like a book club but, y'know, less rubbish.
like the idea, not entirely sure about the practicality
what with costs & various formats, etc.
Still worth a crack though, or for a cheaper version everyone could make a point of trying out the same demo/trial version.
I reckon if we stuck to older games
and kept an eye on sites like http://frugalgaming.co.uk/ for an obscene deal it could work out alright. Though platform exclusives wouldn't be feasible.
If Xbox live keep doing this ultra cheap sale stuff then that could work!
I like this idea
there's little to no chance I'd ever have the damn time to participate but I'd like to give it a go. If we plan it around live/steam/etc sales it could work.
Exactly... I guess keep em peeled for cheap deals, multi-format options or mobile games (Android/iOS)
Are many people going to get Bioshock Infinite? Tis the next BIG DEAL on my radar.
Or replay 'classics' that people generally have...
it's also a pretty good opportunity for some DiS-based co-op/multiplayer too
if people fancy friending up and playing the same games
Getting BS Infinite (as mentioned above)
it's so cheap on PC that it'd be silly not to get it :)
That deal is insane.
Opened up my Bioshock 2 collectors edition yesterday for a flick through the making-of book thingy... love love LOVE those games.
I think it's a good idea
could be viable on PC, the are a lot of weekends where games go free to play & it's usually the multiplayer component. (and the are a lot of free multiplayer games in general)
Xbox live if they start doing good deals.
Also PSN
if you have PS 3
How about old emulated games?
Or would we be on shaky ground encouraging that on a web forum?
Bored with Assassin's Creed?
I was a bit, but the idea of ACIV:Blag Flag *WITH PIRATES* has got me a bit excited.
Wish they'd adapt the character model a little more to the environment though, pirate him up a bit.
Games I've played/completed in the last few weeks
X-Com - brilliant game, just as much fun as the original. Completed it on normal with a epic and tense final mission. Def going to play through again at some point.
Dishounored - I really liked this, great atmosphere and setting. Much longer than I was expecting, I did it stealthily and collected everything must have taken 20 or so hours. Finished it with the low chaos ending killing as few as people as possible. Although most of the non-lethal endings for your targets tended to be the worse fate for them.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom - fun old school puzzle/action adventure. Feels like a PS2 era game but in a good way, light hearted and chaming and quite a change to all the more serious games around. Made me recall things like Ico/SotC, Okami, Zelda and Beyond Good and Evil (but myabe not quite up to those heights but still good) so worth checking out if you want something similar.
Dead Space 2 - just started it two days ago but seem to be half way though after about 4 hours. Definetly more linier and action based than the first one, with no hub based stuff. Combats still fun but I think the first was better.
Game club format
just as a quick straw poll to get an idea of how this might work, for those of you interested in Mike's game club idea which formats are you lot using (popular current gen only I guess)
please ^this accordingly
Xbox 360
PS3
PC
I do think the indie game scene on the PC would be ideal
cheap/free games, low spec will run on pretty much any machine + a way to be introduced into new games you would't have otherwise played.
But that fugal gaming site looks great if we end up doing it on consoles/cross platform games.
this to the indie thing
I have loads of games from the last few humble bundles to play
Yes to the indie thing
anything that involves actual graphics on a PC and I'm out I'm afraid.
Wii
iOS
Android
Mac
Yea, yea, I know.
Cross Format Games
ie
XBox 360
PS3 and
PC
PS VITA
16hrs into AC3
its good, but taking a frustratingly long time to get enough stuff to craft. Still unsure on that whole area. Plus some of the stealth stuff is infuriating and the camera/climbing can be turd. No turning back now though.
Played and completed THE WALK. Some of the puzzles took me quite a long time to figure it out but they all follow really simple principles. I completely guessed one puzzle though. For anyone who doesnt know you need to download the companion piece as well for when you complete it. I thought that stuff was pretty cool and gave the game more of a lasting impression.
SIM CITY and TOMB RAIDER next week. Still havent even started on CRYSIS 3.
Do you mean FC3 or AC3?
If you mean FC3, then I agree about the stealth stuff. It was ridiculously hard to kill goats, etc. The way that the compound bow worked was really REALLY rubbish.
no i mean AC3
Dont include me in your Far Cry hating, man. Its a great game.
Just found Tomb Raider for pre-order for 33 quid, not a bad price considering!
The ending of Alan Wake left me wanting more
then I started playing The Signal, the bonus chapter that comes free with it and is set immediately after the end of the game, and now I think the original game was right to end where it did and I'm not sure what the specials could possibly bring to the story and world of Alan Wake other than unnecessary padding.
Has anyone played the American Nightmare spin-off?
The idea of a whole new story still kind of appeals to me, although the stand alone tv show thing makes it sound like it's sort of filler that won't add anything either.
kickstarter for a game with studio ghibli style story set in Newcastle?
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2013/03/01/computer-game-that-s-set-in-tyneside-s-distant-future-72703-32905166/
it'll never raise the £270k they want surely
Was it Gibli who did Steamboy?
Remarkably accurate portrayal of 19th century Manchester for a Japanese anime. Right down to the giant steam-powered robots.
nah
steamboy was sunrise/otomo who did akira.
ghibli is totoro, spirited away, howls moving castle etc.
cant see them getting a decent game to market between april-november tbh.
You, people with PC's
I have got lots of keys to access the Beta of Dota 2 (the latest game under the valve umbrella) if you want one just leave me your e-mail address.
Who doesn't
got 3 I think sat in my inventory. Can't summon the energy to actually play the thing.
Yeahhhh
I mean I recently 'got' LOL but I still don't have the energy to learn Dota 2, I have tried a couple of times but I just end up in a blind panic and end up dying with a very bamboozled look on my face. I don't dare go near to the multiplayer community which is where the meat and 2 veg of the game is.
Amazingly geeky article on the original TRaiders mechanics
And why the controls weren't bugged but an excuse for the user to experiment.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/187601/untold_riches_the_intricate_.php
Downloaded Masters of Orion 1 and 2
On Friday evening, after a guy at work said they were better than Civ. I was pretty dubious but thought I'd have give it a go for @ £5
Gave 1 a go yesterday, seems decent enough, but either I've been a bit timid in my expansion or the whole game unfolds horribly slowly. Its going to take a bit of time to get my head around how you need to develop your fleets for the best.
I got to the point of knowing if it was worth carrying on with a game of Civ after @20 turns of exploration of my start point. I think MOO looks like it'll be a lot harder to identify a start that leaves you too far behind to recover.
spent an afternoon playing through some demos from xbox
Spec-Ops: The Line - seemed very impressive. I liked that it doesn't seem like the usual COD war wank, and that stuff like the coverbased gameplay made some narrative sense rather than just being a clunky game mechanic.
Sonic Generations - a bit weird seeing the classic Green Hill Zone in sort of 3d. A fun distraction but a bit pointless.
Bioshock - yeah what? I've only had my Xbox360 since Christmas. Very Atmospheric, felt very fitting since I'd just watched Dark City the night before.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 - my flatmate described all the menus, gauges, and general presentation as looking like a Namco title. I think the game slightly objected to the fact that it needed us to play it and would have been quite happy playing cutscenes to itself and trying to look pretty.
Rage - meh
Lego Lord of the Rings - looked nice but since all the Lego games are the same I got bored before the end of the demo. I'd basically played everything it had to offer on other titles on the DS.
Batman: Arkham Asylum - Batman moved around in quite a stiff wooden way but it looked great and it was fun getting to zip around as a 'dark' Batman.
Spec-Ops, Bioshock and Batman go on the Amazon wishlist with Spec-Ops possibly being the first purchase.
Anything else I should try out?
Bioshock is a classic, it's proper cheap on xbox live at the moment I believe.
I enjoyed the demo of spec-ops but I didn't get around to getting it.
I've saving myself for Tomb Raider tomorrow.
it was £4.50 the other day (not sure if that was a daily deal or not)
Also can get Bioshock free with Bioshock infinite
and another game
I went back and played BS recently, the actual gunplay is pretty wank, made up with the incredible atmosphere
it was a bit weird hanging around in the dark without a torch
as the last two games I played through have been Alan Wake and Doom 3 BFG Edition
I'm no getting on with MGS Revengeance.
It's not that it's a bad game, because it isn't. I love the dizzying pace and the over the top c0ck rock soundtrack.
It just doesn't have the same atmosphere as the first MGS games. It's almost like they've done a Resident Evil 6.
And the parry system doesn't work.
MGS, dizzying pace?
that doesn't sound right
Dizzying is putting it lightly.
They've also pointlessly left the enemy alert system in defunctly, for
nostalgic reasons more than anything else.
It's not part of the same series line as MGS
that's why, Platinum developed it and it's a spin off of the universe.
They've still kept some of the functions from the old games as well, though.
Like the alert system (which has no use) and the Codec (which has little use at all now).
picked up a cheap copy of Spec-Ops The Line
played through the first three or so levels before bed, actually contemplating starting over and trying to blitz through the whole game in a single sitting - it seems like that would be the best way to appreciate the narrative and the escalation of things, and the feeling of isolation and exhaustion that seems likely to come to me and my crew.
I wish that the reviews I'd read of it hadn't all mentioned the names of a certain book and film, since it would have been cool to see this stuff unfolding cold.
I have Tomb Raider on my desk.
Realllllllyyyyy excited about playing it. I've always been jealous of the PS3 owners and their uncharted games so finally I get to have something similar.
You guys hear about the new Skyrim patch? Pretty exciting news to know that there isn't a level cap now.
I've bought the arma 3 alpha
Got it remotely downloading and it'll be waiting for me when I get home. Haven't been this excited about a game in a long time. Looks like they've improved on a lot of the control issues that made arma 2 a bit of a pain at times.