2012 - Gaming Pickups & Plays

[Lindz]

New year demands a new thread!

Got a new game? Say so! Finished a game? Say so!


Games coming out this year I'm looking forward to include Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom for visual novelly goodness and Atelier Meruru for more rpg cuteness. Possible interests include Twisted Metal and Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown. Also looking forward to the next .hack// game but no one know if that ones out this year or not!

My backlogs pretty short now so beyond finishing it off my only goals ta just take it easy an maybe not rush as much through games. Gotta replay all the .hack// games ta celebrate the series 10th anniversary which should be fun, even though I just played half of them recently ^_^;

[Holy Emperor]

Right now I am almost done with Dark Souls. I love difficult games like this. Although this game was easier in my mind than the first game. May8e it's 8ecause I did more grinding. Who knows.

[Jerichi]

Got Ico and SotC for Christmas. Ico is confusing.

Also, playing through Sonic Advanced 3 again. Such a fun game, even if it's really fucking frustrating sometimes.

[Blastoise]

Finished: Saint's Row: The Third (~18 hours)

This game has such dumb humor (dildo bats), but it knows it's dumb and more importantly it knows that for most people the prime directive in open world games is to cause as much havoc as you possibly can so it pretty much gives you all the tools to be the biggest anarchic douche you can be. The fact that the story missions are awesome in their utter insanity (e.g. having a gunfight on gimp-drawn horsecarts) doesn't hurt either.

About the only bad thing I can say about it is that a lot of the side stuff, while offering variety, isn't all that interesting in what it actually offers (insurance fraud, a few different flavors of escort missions). But really, at the end of the day you should still totally play this unless you hate fun because a wrestler voiced by Hulk Hogan makes you drive a tiger around the city in a compact to build up your courage.

Getto dazes

I bought a 3DS because I apparently feel like I have too much money. To start off I bought:
-Mario Kart 7
-Samurai Warriors Chronicles
-Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow Wars Electric Boogaloo Terrorism Fun Time

Also bought the complete X-Com collection off Steam for five bucks, further adding to my pile of old PC games that I will load up, play for ten minutes, and then never touch again.

[GrJackass]

Finished:
-Samurai Warriors Chronicles

A further adding to my pile of old PC games that I will load up, play for ten minutes, and then never touch again.

ITS ITS ITS!!!!! LUUUU BUUUUUU

and i do the same blast lol, steam is evil for that

[Tyranidos]

Beat: Skyward Sword (~43 hours)

Great game.

Dat Hylian Shield.

[UNowenwasme?]

I also beat Skyward Sword. I really enjoyed it but... The final boss was just disappointing in my eyes.

[KratosAurion]

New Year, so I might as well strat posting in this thread, although I'm still a wee bit nervous. Anyways:

Been playing Tales fo Vesperia PS3 since Christmas. Grinding my ass off to beat Hard Mode right off the bat, and complete most if not all of the SideQuests. Will probably grind more, a lot more, in the days to come.

[Blastoise]

Work's been kicking my ass, so haven't had much time to sperg out and game my nuts off. Most notable stuff I can think about recently:

Beat: Singularity (6 hours)

It's kind of like Half Life 2 minus all the shitty vehicle sections. I can kind of see why most reviewers were lukewarm to this being a $60 game at release, though.

Also beat: Bulletstorm (6 hours)

An interesting concept (score points to get cool shit), although I have no real interest in the score attack modes so the game was ultimately a lot of "kind of like most FPSes, but you can shoot a dude in the junk or throw him into a cactus for points" in terms of experience. A lot of people disliked the story, but I thought it was actually alright: it's nice to play a dudebro FPS that actually acknowledges that its lead character is a meathead fuckwit for a change.

Playing: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (~4 hours)

It's still Mahvel bay-bee.

Also, Heroes and Heralds is a lot better than I thought it would be. Still probably doesn't justify the fact that Japanese fighting games have dogshit story modes/single player content, but better than nothing and I was going to whore out for this game regardless because I am dumb.

Also playing: Dungeon Defenders (~4 hours)

...yeah, I think I'm done unless I really have the urge to co-op with people. As a single player game it just isn't that interesting: the "talent trees" aren't, the loot table is uninspiring (and the drop table was designed by monkeys: why the fuck am I getting level 60 staves when my mage isn't even level 20?), and all in all it just feels like this grindy slog that never really opens up to anything new or interesting once you get your final class towers early on. I'd rather just boot up Orcs Must Die!, which is similar but actually interesting/fun as a single player game.

Also there were clear design concessions made to have the game work on the iPad, as seeing a dark elf arrow fly at you like the air is made of molasses really is the saddest thing.

And also: Mario Kart (~3-4 hours)

Yo dawg it's Mario Kart.

PS: who the fuck thought Maple Treeway was a good track

PPS: The Wuhu tracks can join Maple Treeway in getting fucked

[DaisyInari]

Got: Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Eeeeeeeee, so excited! Just watching the opening cinematics right now. FFFF WHY DO I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAYYYYYY

[Lindz]

Kirby Mass Attack
- 10 hours 5 minutes 35 seconds
This was a nice fun game with few moments of frustration and many more of goodness! And cuteness! I can't help but wonder what the Kirbys thought of each other! The controls took some getting used to an even by the end I had some trouble speedily/accurately doing stuff but it wasn't real bad. 10 hours o' fun an 71% completion which is a passing grade I think? There's a buncha challenges but I'll pass on those. Unlocked a bunch of mini-games which I'll have to try sometime!

Canvas Curse justified my DS purchase an Mass Attack is a good sendoff for the system! (>'.')> Poyo!

[Roglef]

The Last Remnant.

I got to the final boss and lost my save. there isn't a time counter either.

Other than that, this game is definitely a lot better than it got credit for. It takes a second to appreciate, but awesome. The story is actually extremely short, but the way that the game is set up opens up so many sidequests. There are so many things you can miss if you just play through the game, and yet with the unique way they scale enemy power, you can beat it without doing any sidequests.

[Blastoise]

The Last Remnant.

I got to the final boss and lost my save. there isn't a time counter either.

Other than that, this game is definitely a lot better than it got credit for. It takes a second to appreciate, but awesome.

Well, if you don't feel like playing through the entire game for the ending, I suppose I can spoiler it for you:

NO RASHU, U IS TEH REMNANTS

But yeah, I liked it. Some of the jankiness in the systems turned me off to getting super deep into the side stuff, though.

[Roglef]

Yeah. Its ok. Not a spoiler really. It was a bit obvious.

[big bad birtha]

I've picked up a few things, and have finished one.

Played

New Super Mario Brothers Wii
This is actually really fun. I personally think some of the stage designs and obstacles are fairly challenging and unique. I've played through the main story, and I had fun with this.

Picked up

Metroid Prime 3
I played the first two, but have never touched this due to my fear of the Wii controls killing the fun of it. I saw it for $10, so I figured "why the fuck not?" I don't know what to expect, but this is another game on my backlist.

Dragon Age 2
$10! I heard this was bad, but I figure I'll pick it up and not eventually play!

Assasin's Creed Revelations
THIS is why I haven't picked up the last 3 Assasin's Creed games new. Only a couple of months after it releases, and I find it for $30. aaaaaand here's one more game to add to my backlist of games.

Good god I need to win the lottery so I can have the time to play all these damn games. While not immediate, I also pre-ordered RE6.

[Raptor Jesus]

If you liked Dragon Age Origins and figured Dragon Age 2 would be more like that... well you'd be wrong.

[InnerFlame]

Well, I'm not much of a hardcore gamer and I think this game is a little old but I'm currently playing Persona 4 for the PS2. I've played and beat Persona 3; I really enjoy the game. Maybe because I'm a bit of girl and I enjoy the whole dating sim like thing interaction thing they have in it (despite having to play as a boy). It also had some fighting monster as part of the plotline as doing quests.

I've also currently gotten Harvest Moon DS: The Tale of Two Towns for Christmas. I don't why playing a game where you work as farmer is so fun but I like the game series.

[CyberBlastoise]

Well, I downloaded and beat a 3DS-ware game called VVVVVV. It's a fun and challenging game.

I also played and beat Skyward Sword. :D :D :D I loved every minute of it Scrapper. That f#$%er can go die in a pit somewhere.

Finally I got Sonic Generations and am enjoying it. I don't see why people hate it so much, but whatevs.

I'm thinking about downloading FFIII (FFVI for those of you who prefer to call it by the Japanese name) for the VC.

[Roglef]

Well, I downloaded and beat a 3DS-ware game called VVVVVV. It's a fun and challenging game.

I also played and beat Skyward Sword. :D :D :D I loved every minute of it Scrapper. That f#$%er can go die in a pit somewhere.

Finally I got Sonic Generations and am enjoying it. I don't see why people hate it so much, but whatevs.

I'm thinking about downloading FFIII (FFVI for those of you who prefer to call it by the Japanese name) for the VC.

Ffvi is a good one. I emulated a good way through it. Fantastic soundtrack

[Raptor Jesus]

Got Unstoppable Gorg and Revenge of the Titans through STEAM.

Revenge of the Titan is lots of fun. Combining strategy and tower defense to create an easy enough game that is definitely challenging.

Unstoppable Gorg is lots of RAEG! Using campy 1950s sci-fi setting and a unique orbital spinning tower defense composed of weapon satellites, the game really pushes you to some crazy level of difficulty on normal mode.

[InnerFlame]

Well, I downloaded and beat a 3DS-ware game called VVVVVV. It's a fun and challenging game.

I also played and beat Skyward Sword. :D :D :D I loved every minute of it Scrapper. That f#$%er can go die in a pit somewhere.

Finally I got Sonic Generations and am enjoying it. I don't see why people hate it so much, but whatevs.

I'm thinking about downloading FFIII (FFVI for those of you who prefer to call it by the Japanese name) for the VC.

I can tell right now why I (slightly) hated Sonic Genderations. I mostly enjoyed it except the final boss. That was the most annoying and difficult pain in the butt fight ever that I had in a Sonic game. Also to me, some of the places you go to is a seriously irritating but not as bad as the final boss, other than that I enjoy it.

I've played Skyward Sword but I didn't beat it. I got distracted by games I've recieved from Christmas and then my brother lent it out to his friend. And I played quite a few FF games but I've never actually beaten one. Maybe one day.

[Concept]

Well, I downloaded and beat a 3DS-ware game called VVVVVV. It's a fun and challenging game.

VVVVVV is an excellent game. It's on 3DS now? Got it off Steam last year sometime, streamed a run of it a while back.

Recently finished Bioshock (finally) and have started playing through the original Deus Ex (and streaming it because why not). At some point imma start Mass Effect again, with the intention of playing through one and two in time for three to come out on March 9th so I can have an uninterrupted storyline.

I also have Skyward Sword/Alan Wake/Bioshock 2/Deus Ex Human Revolutions/Halo 1-3/Fallout 3/New Vegas/Metroid Prime trilogy in a pile in my room waiting to be played through. That's not even half my backlog either.

[Blastoise]

Beat: Fear 2 (~7 hours)

HEY GUYS

WE NEED TO DO SOME "CLEANUP" TO HIDE THE FACT WE TRIED TO TURN AN 8-YEAR OLD GIRL INTO A SUPERWEAPON

BE SURE TO DESTROY ALL DOCUMENTATION AND KILL ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE EVEN PETTED THE DOGS OF ANYONE INVOLVED, BUT MAKE SURE YOU SCATTER ALL THESE BINDERS OF INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE ABOUT OUR PLAN ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE

Fear was a good shooter, but its story and tone were hard to take seriously. Fear 2 is even worse in this regard.

[Itzatrap]

I've been playing Dark Souls and just got to my second play through after 100 hours.

[KratosAurion]

Currently Playing: Tales of Vesperia PS3 (Japanese)

Breaking the bank and going for a Platinum here. Currently standing on 52% of the Trophies, although completing the Monster Book, Collector's Book, and Titles will take a good time. Currently on Ahmead Hill, if anyone around here has played it.

P.S.: I. Hate. Gattuso.

Status:
Trophies: 52% (1 Gold / 1 Silver / 30 Bronze)
Collector's Book: 57%
Monster Guide: 19%
Playthrough: Second
GRADE Shop Items: Exp 10x, All Skits Unlock, Keep Monster Guide, Collector's Book, Recipes, Crafting Skills, Records, Game Time.

Records:
Game Time: 89:10:00 (10:50 'till Trophy)
Max Combo: 663

[Blastoise]

Bought Warhammer 40k: Spees Mehreen

4VXUDlcr0qI

My only regret is having watched this first, knowing that the actual opening of Space Marine will not be nearly as awesome.

[big bad birtha]

Started

No More Heroes
Oh wow, this is totally not what I expected it to be, and I mean that in a bad way. The combat in this game is stale. The gameplay simply consists of block, attack, block, attack, block, attack, rinse and repeat until the enemy dies. I can't see this game as anything more than a watered down Godhand.

Dark Souls
I might not play too much into this. One thing I hate is having to use caution. Another thing I hate is being constantly forced to use melee even though I'm a freaking mage! I mean, the gameplay is indeed very nice, and I like the atmosphere/plot. However, this game is just too damn unforgiving of mistakes. I can't stand having to turtle my way through enemies and having to save my magic because I can only use a certain amount until the next bonfire. I'll see how far I can go without rage quitting.

[Talon87]

Dead or Alive 4:
Seven years after its release and two years after purchasing it off of eBay for $15, I finally got the chance to play this game for the first time in my life last night. I'd been avoiding spoilers on the game's plot for seven years now. Pretty much everything was fresh and exciting for me. Unfortunately, the game doesn't hold up to seven years' worth of high expectations. ^^; They really stepped up the A.I.'s abilities in this game, to the point that they're almost super-human in some of the stages (like Kasumi vs. Kasumi end boss). In other stages, the A.I. remains as easy to beat as ever -- something of a disappointment in some of the final matches (like Hitomi vs. Hitomi's end boss). The ending movie files are a little too silly, something I guess I'd forgotten the DOA series has always been plagued with ^^;, but ... complaints aside, it was really great fun to finally be able to play this.

My first character was Kasumi. Her end boss fight, Kasumi vs. Kasumi Alpha-152, has to be one of the hardest final boss fights I've ever fought in a 3D fighter. I must have fought her at least eighty different times before I finally beat her. And the way I beat her was so cheap too: an endless string of L-trigger mashing because it was the one button I had not tried any combos with yet and I figured "Why not?" Alpha-152 got stuck in a pattern and I never let off. Spammed that thing and pretty much perfect-KO'd her. :lol: :oops:

I really enjoyed Kasumi's story mode though. The cutscene preceding the Kasumi vs. Ayane fight was amazing and the fight itself just very beautiful. The cutscene before the Kasumi vs. Helena fight was very surprising. I had no idea Helena had gone and become the villain in our story! 8O I thought she was trying to take DOATEC back from Donovan!? Instead it looks like she ended up joining him and was working to take out the Mugen Tenshin clan!? 8O When she pulled that gun on Kasumi, I was like "Noooo! :cry:" When Ryu showed up to save his beloved his imouto his best friend's little sister :lol:, I was like "HELL YES! :D"

I was a little disappointed to discover that a Kasumi Alpha clone was the end boss of this game. It was also kind of disappointing because Alpha-152 looks like it's ripped straight out of the Metroid Prime series: it's basically what you'd get if you took Kasumi and Dark Samus and merged them together. But that disappointment soon gave way to awe and respect which in turn soon gave way to frustration as the impossibly difficult A.I. kept countering my every move, throwing my every counter, and attacking my every throw. An impenetrable defense with sickeningly powerful punishments for failure.

Of note, Kasumi was really revamped in DOA4. It looks like they let her keep a lot of her signature moves but they also gave her some of Ayane's playtoys (like the spinny-backflip-high-jumpkick move) and some other Ayane-esque features. Probably in an effort to make Kasumi more appealing to people who main Ayane but wish they could use Kasumi too. *shrug*

My second playthrough was with Ayane. Ayane is/was my main all through DOA2:U, having been my secondary main in DOA3, so my ability to use her was a lot better than my ability to use the revamped Kasumi. Story Mode for the most part didn't present any problems until the final boss. Once again, it was Kasumi Alpha-152. This time, however, I only lost four or five times before defeating her using good ol' traditional ass-whuppin' tactics. Clearly Kasumi Alpha-152's programming for the vs. Kasumi fight is quite different from her programming from any of the other fights she's in. If not, then I guess it just goes to show that the A.I. is a much better Kasumi than I am. :lol:

Enjoyed the final video, minus the silly song :roll:, since it showed Ayane doing some of her kickass mystical ninpou and just being awesome in general.

Third playthrough was with Hitomi. For me, the highlights here were Story Mode stuff. Enjoyed seeing her trying to fetch "Ein" (Hayate) and bring him home. Absolutely loved her final boss fight (vs. Hayate) where she's all "Onii-chan, let's go home! :cry:" and he's all, "Uhh ... you know, I'm not really your onii-chan, and I kinda sorta have a life here. ^^;" "If I beat you will you come home? :D" "Uh ... sure? :?" Oh boy. Don't make promises you can't keep, Hayate. :lol:

Fourth playthrough was with Lei Fang. Like Hitomi, she didn't really have many changes to her playstyle between DOA3 and DOA4. Even though she's really meant to be used as the Queen of Countering, I always end up using Lei Fang the way one uses Tina. She's got some pretty damn powerful elbow or shoulder shoves that send the enemy flying. Abused those quite a bit, along with her roundhouse stomp, and achieved victory. Her ending video was ... ¬_¬ ... Team Ninja being Team Ninja. I guess maybe I've gotten too old for DOA if I'm complaining about a comedy T&A video like this? :lol: But if DOA5 promises to be more serious, then given what I saw in videos like Lei Fang's last night, I might be more onboard than I'd previously thought myself to be.

I didn't have enough time/success with other characters to complete any other story modes, though I did make it all the way to Brad Wong with Kokoro (I just couldn't use her properly and didn't want to invest the time to learn how).
Biggest graphical complaint I have with the game has got to be the hair. It looks terrible. :| It looks very ropey and it ridiculously passes straight through characters' shoulders. I'm pretty sure DOA2:U has better hair physics than this, so there's really no excuse for the atrocities I saw in 4 last night.

But all in all, I had fun. Worth the $15 I spent? Absolutely. Worth the $60 it would have been at launch? I'm not sure I can say "yes," even as a long-time fan of the franchise. :| Could just be nostalgia glasses, but I feel like DOA2:U was the best game in the series. Would it be worth buying a 360 just to play this game? I'm not certain it would be. So now that I've had my chance to play it, I guess I can forget about needing to get a 360.

[Holy Emperor]

Dark Souls
I might not play too much into this. One thing I hate is having to use caution. Another thing I hate is being constantly forced to use melee even though I'm a freaking mage! I mean, the gameplay is indeed very nice, and I like the atmosphere/plot. However, this game is just too damn unforgiving of mistakes. I can't stand having to turtle my way through enemies and having to save my magic because I can only use a certain amount until the next bonfire. I'll see how far I can go without rage quitting.


I play a mage too, and the start is a little rough. However as you get more attunement slots and stuff, you can go nuts with spells. However I do have a magic weapon that I use to slicey stuff too.

[Lindz]

Get!
- Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring
Caught up in the FFVII hype I went an got this old PS1 fighting game I rented many times but never could buy!

Beat!
Final Fantasy VII
- covered in anniversary thread
Drill Dozer
- covered in last years thread

[Blastoise]

Started

No More Heroes
Oh wow, this is totally not what I expected it to be, and I mean that in a bad way.

I WILL SHIT DOWN THE HOLE I WILL TEAR IN YOUR CHEST CAVITY

That said, yeah it's a spectacle fighter. Like something like God of War how much the game resonates with you will depend on how much the spectacle/absurdity grabs you.

Also,

Beat: Spees Mehreen (~5.5 hours)

O_Nox4gwLBo

Not a bad action game. Anticlimactic final boss "battle" though.

[uhhhhh]

Started
Suikoden: The Woven Web of the Century (Japanese)

Wow, it's really been a while since the last Suikoden too. o.o

[Talon87]

Half-Life 2:
The last time I signed in to Steam was apparently August 13, 2010. I know this because that was the time stamp on my last save file when I signed in today, on a whim, to go ahead and complete Half-Life 2. What is it with me and abandoning games at the 90-99% completion mark, I just don't know, but I was already halfway through invading the Citadel with Barney when I last apparently played. So, three de-orbings of energy barriers, five or more metal daddy long legs, and an electromofied gravity gun later, I got to the final boss fight of the game and ...

... wow. After all the trouble the first one gave me *shakes fist at glitch*, this was surprisingly easy. I honestly feel that this was more intuitively obvious and simple a boss fight than even the one in Portal was. Kind of surprising, really. I had been dreading this final boss fight but before I knew it things were exploding and a G Man was showing up and the credits were rolling. :lol:

Theoretically I guess this means I should move on to Half-Life 2 Part 1 now, but ... :lol:, I think I'll pass. Maybe in another two years. ;-)

[Lindz]

Get!
- Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
Yay I finally get to play a true blue visual novel and win the guy of my choice! Or not of my choice currently cause I'm getting hearts from the one guy I don't want >.<;

Beat!
Fate/Extra
- 42 hours 7 minutes
No one told me who to pick so I just went with Saber. I grinded alot an won the game pretty easily. Game was fun overall and Saber being someone else entirely in the game was pretty cool. Really coulda used more monster variety cause reskinning some of them 2-3 times in a game this "small" seemed lazy. Gotta replay this for sure later on ta see the other servants stories & the Rani path!

[Lindz]

Beat!
Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
- 7 hours~
I'm a failure! I didn't get any romance and the ending was all kinds of depressing! Thats what replays are for but it still made me sad. Didn't really like the drastic time jumps cause it seems like development was uneven? idk maybe it was the results of my poor choices. It was a nice lil story with thankfully only a few really creepy/icky bits. Will play again! Oh and I liked this games shinsengumi way better then Kenshins!

[Blastoise]

Thought I was getting bored with video games, due to having a backlog of shit that I don't play. Turns out, not so much:

Playan: SMT: Devil Survivor 2 (~10 hours)

I loved the original Devil Survivor, even though the story skirted dangerously close to the edge of going full retard by the end (lol Cain and Abel). That said, I like their take on the SRPG formula even if I'm beginning to see the contours of the derpy philosophical conflict that's brewing (although there's still a ways to go, so who knows what the ridiculous left turn will be).

Beat: Mass Effect 3 (25+ hours)

Maybe this belongs in the Mass Effect 3 thread, but spoilers below (so don't cry like a bitch if you click the button and you have the story ruined):

http://i.imgur.com/F3p6X.jpg

The story is otherwise alright (closes some character arcs satisfactorily, isn't stuck in the COMMANDER SHEPARD, SPACE THERAPIST rut that ME2 sometimes bogged down to), but the ending definitely stinks somewhat of Bioware writing themselves into a corner.

[Acio29619]

So I let my cousin borrow my Wii and Skyward Sword and in return he let me borrow his PS2 with FFXII. So far I am really liking how this game plays for the most part. I don't fully understand the story though but that's probably because I didn't pay much attention in the beginning or something.

Sometimes I feel the game can be a bit vague in what I am to do or where to go next, though all I usually had to do was wander around. The bosses seem kinda hard to me and I've had to battle nearly all of them multiple times, tough a bit of grinding and knowing what they will do helps me bring me down. Save points sometimes seem scarce, but since they fully recover you it would make the game easier.

I don't know how I should be filling out each individual's License Board. Is it possible to fill it all out save the quickenings and Esper tiles? And how long is the game roughly story wise? I'm at the part where I have to go to the village south of Giza Plains to find out how to use the Dawn Shard.

[Talon87]

Is it possible to fill it all out save the quickenings and Esper tiles? And how long is the game roughly story wise? I'm at the part where I have to go to the village south of Giza Plains to find out how to use the Dawn Shard.
You're at around the halfway point of the story iirc. I think the official halfway point (if you're someone who does every possible sidequest and such) is after the events on Mt. Bur-Omisace, which you've yet to reach, but where you are right now, I think, is about halfway through to the end of the game from my own experience.

As for filling out the license board, iirc yes you can potentially fill out everybody's license board. However, it'd take a ton of grinding to do that. I think when I beat the game everyone's license boards were ~75% complete. Everybody had (almost) every single block in the top half, and everybody had about half of the blocks in the bottom half.

[Acio29619]

Okay thanks. I don't know how much longer I'll have the game so I should try to play as much as I can. I don't think I'll touch the side quests then if I find any.

Now I feel better about how I have been filling out the board, cause I had no clue how filled it should be as I went on in the game.

[Raptor Jesus]

Depending on what point in FF12 you're in, you can actually program the gambits to basically have your characters auto-grind themselves.

[Gemini Spark]

There are a few games I'm looking at possibly getting. One of them is Tales of the Abyss; it looks like a nice jRPG, and you can never have too many jRPGs. Another is Sonic Generations. I've heard it's a good game, so hopefully it lives up to its reputation. Then there's Kid Icarus: Uprising. That may well be a LoZ ripoff, as far as I could tell, but I'd still go for it.

Also, I've just gotten into League of Legends, and it's pretty fantastic, I gotta say. I just unlocked Nasus, so hopefully I can use him instead of Ashe in some situations.

But what I'm really looking forward to is KH3D: Dream Drop Distance. That just looks awesome, and hopefully it'll continue where KH2 left off.

Then there are games I want to see announced. I'd like an Earthbound 3D at some point; I mean, it's been a while since they've done Earthbound games, so maybe they'll pull something like they did with KI:U. Also, where's the next Golden Sun game?? Dark Dawn leaves you hanging, and I want to see more!

[phoopes]

Just picked up the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. I want to play the games in chronological order, so I started with MGS3: Snake Eater first. I've played it for about two hours, and already enjoy the game. However, there is one little complaint I have with it: cutscenes.

I didn't mind the opening cutscene; I actually found it pretty epic. (And seeing "Metal Gear Solid 3, Snake Eater" on Naked Snake's helmet made me laugh) However, the first codex call... it drags. Horribly. A bunch of it is backstory between Naked Snake and the Boss, which probably will be neccessary to know later in the game. However, it just seems like a big info dump to me. I think they could have spread it out over the course of the game, instead of giving me everything in a 15 minute long cutscene.

Also, the first time after I saved the game, a five minute long cutscene initiated between Naked Snake and the paramedic. What was it about? Godzilla movies. I have no clue why the game developers would put something like that in. Personally, I found that it was just a waste of time. I really don't care about Godzilla movies when I'm playing a video game. Unless that was some sort of symbolism that will be present later on, I really don't think it should be there at all. If it was humorous, it would get a pass. But it's not, so it doesn't.

However, other than that, I'm really liking the game so far. Can't wait to play through the whole series.

[Talon87]

Well, you've probably already spoilered yourself then about that game, but ... had you told us "I got these games and am thinking of playing them in chronological order ..." I'd have shouted "NO! 8O" to you and told you to play them in the order they were published. Really, it's not an issue from here on out anyway since the chronological order is 3-1-2-4 so you'll be playing the remainder in proper order anyway, but ... you kinda just went and spoilered yourself on a big surprise in Game #1. Oh well.

I played 1 a few years back and enjoyed it. Moved on to 2 and, despite the criticisms from the fandom (and yes, I agree it's generally less fun than 1 was), I enjoyed it all the way up until the final boss fight. Never was able to beat that (I could only get ~12% or so of the way through that final boss fight) so I said "Fuck this shit :evil:" lol and put the series down. I didn't want to move on to 3 until I had beaten 2 ... and before I knew it, the weeks turned to months and the months turned to years and now here I am. But yeah. Despite the old graphics, I think you'll enjoy Game 1. And Game 2's graphics honestly aren't too bad. (For their time, I'm sure they were amazing.)

[phoopes]

>Chronological order

Oh. Well now that I've gone down that path, might as well continue. Chronological order according to Wikipedia is...

MGS3
MGS Portable Ops
MGS Peace Walker
MG
MG2
MGS1
MGS2
MGS4

So I'm going to play them in that order, I guess, since I've already started. I should've probably thought about playing them in published order a bit more, but I really don't like it when timelines jump around, except in extreme cases like Legend of Zelda, where the timeline really doesn't matter. I currently don't have Portable Ops, MGS1, or MGS4, but I'll pick those up when I get there.

[Talon87]

No, this is one of those "I just watched Star Wars in chronological order" cases, dude. And you just spoiled Darth's whole backstory for yourself. [/way2go] But meh, what's done is done. You're young. Live and learn. Make this mistake with the MGS franchise and (hopefully) learn from your mistake and never repeat it again with other video game franchises.

Also, I assumed from your post that you were only going to be playing the Solid series. You specifically mentioned getting the MGS HD Collection, so yeah. =P

[Silver Wind]

>Really, it's not an issue from here on out anyway since the chronological order is 3-1-2-4 so you'll be playing the remainder in proper order anyway, but ... you kinda just went and spoilered yourself on a big surprise in Game #1. Oh well.

I jumped right into MGS4 and loved it. Should I bother playing backwards?

[Talon87]

I dunno. I haven't played 4 myself and have avoided spoilers on it since it came out after I'd already read up on the series and decided to try it for myself. My impressions from 1, 2, and what I know of 3, though, would lead me to believe that maybe you should (as you put it) "bother" with the other titles but that at the same time you probably shouldn't expect many surprises. Like ...

(spoiler for game 1/2, safe to click if you've played the first mission in game 2 or have played game 4)
You have no reason to suspect that Revolver Ocelot is alive or a major character when you complete 1. A lot of the operatives die in 1 and, as you find out in 2, they stay dead. But Ocelot comes back and it's all "WHOA! 8O" For you, that whoa moment will be missing since, duh, you already know he's alive thanks to his role in game 4.
A lot of little things like that. But on the flipside, MGS 1 is where you first meet Otakon, so that could be fun for you. And MGS 2 is where you first meet Raiden (and good lord is he bright-eyed and optimistic in that title! :lol: ^^; ). So that might be fun for you to see as well.

[Blastoise]

Beat: SMT: Devil Survivor 2 (~25 hours)

So the central moral conflict in the game is between communism and libertarianism.

uh

Of the SMT games I've played though, that's at least more relatable than the standard "the demons are chaotic dicks, the angels are fascist dicks and despite the rest of this game being a metaphor for how shitty humanity is here's a nebulous middle road that cops out by clinging to vague notions of human potential" SMT plot.

Also, my attempts to complete the game with everyone alive are apparently doomed to failure:



First run:

Get Keita death clip, dick around too much and arrive to watch tsundere orphan go flying down the stairs. The only save I have far back enough to make a difference requires me to do the entire day over again.

fuck

New game+:

Save Keita, work on grinding rep with everyone I didn't reach fate stage 5 with on the first run. Neglect Io, reach day 6.

"Oh BTW if Io's fate isn't a high 3/4, she fucking explodes in a gory mess after being possessed."

At fate stage 1 with Io and not enough events to even reach spitting distance of 3, much less 4.

FUCKING FUCK

[Itzatrap]

Anyone get Xenoblade Chronicles? Got it myself but I want to finish ME3 before starting it and not sure if I should finish ME3 right now with the talk about the conclusive endings coming in the Summer I believe. Have quite a few games to finish though. More like 40. ._.;;; I know I should finish my backlog first but can't help getting games that I want to play and I will get through them...someday.

[Lindz]

.hack//Infection
- 15:54:01 (100%: 24:31:11)
Still a decently challenging game to this day. That I got game over 4 times shows as much! And of course its still fun! For the first time ever I played this while watching .hack//SIGN 1-5, reading AI buster Vol.2 Chapter 2, reading Another Birth Vol.1 Chapters 1-6, and of course watching Liminality Vol.1. Seeing how many stories fit together concurrently is pretty cool.

Up next AB Vol.1 Chapter 7, SIGN 6-10, AB Vol.2 Chapters 1-?, Mutation, and Liminality Vol.2!

[deoxys]

Get! : Bastion

Beat! : ...Bastion

Honestly?

One of the best games I have ever played. There is quite simply nothing like it. Beautiful art, the soundtrack was perfect, the storytelling bit was absolutely superb... and the ending was chilling.

Did it have it's flaws?

...


...

... No. I honestly cannot think of any. I think I can honestly say it was perfect, and it had enough content to make you want to come back for another run when it is over.

$14.99. You absolutely cannot go wrong. I would have probably paid a standard price for it.

[phoopes]

I've never even heard of Bastion. Though I'm definitely going to have to check it out now.

[deoxys]

OF COURSE 2 days after I buy Bastion Steam puts it on sale for $5.99

IF YOU DO NOT GET THIS YOU ARE A CRAZY PERSON.


CRAZY PERSON!

[Talon87]

"I would have probably paid standard price for it," remember? ^^;

deoxys: Yeah, but ... :|

Hey: at least it wasn't a $60-to-$20 price drop like what would happen if you bought a hot game right before the Classic Hits label hit store shelves.

[Raptor Jesus]

Or the ultimate version is released and no DLC to update your regular version to it.

Thankfully, no Capcom.

[Rangeetsuper]

I've played like ten minutes of it. And..

WHO THE HELL VOICES THAT GUY

[Raptor Jesus]

Are you referring to the narrator, played by Logan Cunningham? Although when I was playing it, I thought it was Ron Perlman.

[big bad birtha]

I have a few.

Fallout New Vegas
This isn't as large as Fallout 3, but was still very fun to play through. The story mode was difficult, not because of game difficulty, but because I had difficulty telling what was the right thing to do. Alot of the people you can support seem very antagonistic, and in the end, I went down the Yes Man route.

Ar Tonelico
This game is so cheaply made it's ridiculous. That usually doesn't bother me, but with boring gameplay, and a meh story (so far), I'm having difficulty getting into this. I was mostly curious about this game because alot of the OSTs I've heard from this game were fantastic. Sadly, that alone is not enough to keep me interested. I've also noticed alot of JRPGs are cheaply made. Fucking Bethesda games have spoiled me.

[deoxys]

GET! Section 8, Poker Night at the Inventory, Batman Arkham Asylum (again), Batman Arkham City, Dustforce, and League of Legends.

I bought Batman Arkham Asylum for $6 from GamersGate before, but it never installed properly due to a key shortage. Their customer service was absolutely dreadful and never solved my issue after me constantly bugging them.

Then I saw the Batman Arkham Bundle on Steam for $30, and I just said fuck it, we'll do it live.

Dustforce is surprisingly fun and is a side scrolling 2D platformer. It's like a calmer version of Super Meat Boy, more relazed, and the soundtrack is great.

[Rangeetsuper]

FINISHED Bastion.

Stop asking me how it was and get it yourself.

[deoxys]

How was it?

[Rangeetsuper]

Too short. :P

Seriously though, that was an amazing package. The art, the music, the gameplay, but most importantly, the narrator. Made the game come alive.

Morgan Freeman has a contender for "Guy whose voice you want to read stuff in."

[Itzatrap]

PixelJunk Monsters: Played this a few weeks ago and it is still quite amazing. <3 Can't go wrong with it being $1 in the PSN right now or the 3 for 1 PixelJunk pack for $2.

[Blastoise]

Playing: Warlock, Master of the Arcane (12 hours)

Does Civilization V's combat system give you a huge boner? Do you think having to manually instruct your workers is a pain in the ass and diplomacy is for queers? You'll love this game!

Yeah, this is pretty much a 4X with an emphasis on the "extermination" part of the equation. You get a lot of units with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses, an experience/upgrade system that feels significant and makes losing a treasured unit feel legitimately painful, and an AI that has a basic idea of how to play the game when you come charging in with your hordes. That said, a lot of the other stuff falls by the wayside: diplomacy is quite literally limited to Montezuma-style "gib monies or I war u", and while there are alternate win conditions besides "murder everyone" at least in the game I'm playing I would have had to go significantly out of my way to win by them (even beyond some of the more esoteric win conditions in some Civ games). There's also other niggling annoyances like the lack of an in-game encyclopedia and the lack of hotkeys, and the fact that the AI (on normal at least) is very passive on offense: why declare war on me if you're not going to fucking attack until you ask for peace twenty turns later?

You could do worse for $20 bucks, though.

Legend of Grimrock (~3 hours)

I want to like this game more than I do. Dungeon crawling is fun, the "old school" clunky controls not so much (especially the combat part, which you will be doing a lot of).

[deoxys]

Beat: Batman: Arkham Asylum (12 hours)

An excellent game. Can't believe I've waited so long to play it. The gameplay is essentially Assassin's Creed but better, except instead of Ezio you're the dark knight. Most of the voice actors were brought back from Batman: The Animated Series. The Characters were done very well and the stealthy action was definitely suspenseful at times. Some curveballs were thrown late in the game to curb certain strategies I was using up to that point so that I had to find new methods of sneaking around and fighting. Also, guns hurt!

Playing: Batman: Arkham City (4 hours in) - This game is probably one of the best looking games I've ever played, and it's on a dated graphics card, too. It's essentially Arkham City all over again, but in a much more sandbox environment. It's giant collection of all of Batman's greatest enemies all at once, exceptionally well done and in a very realistic way.

GET: Alan Wake

[Gemini Spark]

Too short. :P

Seriously though, that was an amazing package. The art, the music, the gameplay, but most importantly, the narrator. Made the game come alive.

Morgan Freeman has a contender for "Guy whose voice you want to read stuff in."

Um, Morgan Freeman wasn't the narrator.

But yeah, I loved playing that game too, mainly because of everything you said! And the soundtrack was voted Best of 2011 in the VG Awards. Such a great game overall too. I hope SuperGiant Games can deliver more stuff like this!

[Talon87]

Um, Morgan Freeman wasn't the narrator.
"Morgan Freeman has a contender for [title]" = "Morgan Freeman has competition"

He knows the narrator was not Morgan Freeman. In fact, his very point hinges on that knowledge.

[Muyotwo]

Get: Pilotwings 3DS. Nostalgia-ing hard for Pilotwings 64, I've been waiting anxiously for a price drop for this. Today it happened and I picked it up- it's not as cartoonishly funny as Pilotwings 64 so far, but it is quite a bit of fun.

[Blastoise]

Get: Diablo III (~3 hours)

Error 37

Error 37

Error 37

Error 37

..Blizz, can I trade the always-on DRM for not being able to use your blatant admission that you want your cheddar from the Chinese gold farmers the real currency auction house? I'll be okay, I promise.

Also, maybe it's because I'm too dumb to find it but I'd like to be able to start a little higher than Diablo "normal" (ie "I'm worse at video games than unownmew is at coherent thought") difficulty kthx

[Rangeetsuper]

Randomly: Can you enjoy the MGS series if you don't play the very first game? THAT site doesn't have functioning version, and it's way too old for me to buy anywhere.