Weekend Gamer - What Are You Playing?

[Spigot]

It's time to come out of your storm cellars and look around at the financial devastation the gaming tornado of the past few weeks has wrought on your wallets. Now that the flood has dwindled to a mere trickle, we can finally start to work on the stacks of games purchased over the last little while.

So, what are YOU playing this weekend?

On my shortlist:

Prince Of Persia (360) - I loved the first and third chapters of the Sands Of Time series, so I knew I'd be playing this at some point. The art design is delicious and the writing is some of the better writing I've heard in a game this year.

The Last Remnant (360) - I don't care what the reviewers say. I am really digging this game. The technical issues essentially vanished once the game was loaded on my HDD and I can't wait to start to sink some quality time into it this weekend.

Chrono Trigger (DS) - My favourite game of all time... and I can take it to my in-laws stupid Christmas party? SOLD!

And of course, I'm trying to get my little gnome mage up to level 68 or so and finally get out of Outland.

What's on your list?

[frederec]

Chrono Trigger DS, probably some more Shin Megami Tensei Online, almost definitely more Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and maybe torturing myself a little more with level 1 hard mode on Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. And if I sit down in front of a console probably some PS3 gaming.

[KamaItachi]

Grabbed Chrono Trigger while doing my last pre-Christmas shop. Haven't had a chance to sit down with it, since I've been out seeing the new James Bond tonight.

Interesting to see if it lives up to the hype.

[Jeffool]

Wait, they've released other games since Fallout 3?

[Purple Santa]

It's time to come out of your storm cellars and look around at the financial devastation the gaming tornado of the past few weeks have wrought on your wallets. Now that the flood has dwindled to a mere trickle, we can finally start to work on the stacks of games purchased over the last little while.

So, what are YOU playing this weekend?

On my shortlist:

Prince Of Persia (360) - I loved the first and third chapters of the Sands Of Time series, so I knew I'd be playing this at some point. The art design is delicious and the writing is some of the better writing I've heard in a game this year.

The Last Remnant (360) - I don't care what the reviewers say. I am really digging this game. The technical issues essentially vanished once the game was loaded on my HDD and I can't wait to start to sink some quality time into it this weekend.

Chrono Trigger (DS) - My favourite game of all time... and I can take it to my in-laws stupid Christmas party? SOLD!

And of course, I'm trying to get my little gnome mage up to level 68 or so and finally get out of Outland.

What's on your list?

Do we want to know how you are leveling up MagGnome to level 68? Does your wife know about such...activities? :eek: ;)

I'm not sure i'll be getting any gaming done :mad: I'm writing like mad to finish papers and studying for one exam. WTF...exams at graduate leve? I call BS...if I were wishing to play...trying Mirror's Edge which make left me so motion sick last night I had to lay down. I've never gotten motion sickness from a game...ever. Not sure why suddenly this happened. Maybe a good excuse to toss it back to Gamefly...

And what's a weekend without teasing Spigot i'll see you online to play some Left4Dead. Loved the voice message you left me on Live...no promises i'll be around but i'm once again going to try. My last weekend writing papers...gaming nirvana happening soon...

Thanks for the pickup Spig...

Now back to the grind...

[Rylos]

I've got a shit load of spare time this weekend, so I'll be hitting up the new Prince Of Persia (PS3), some Rock Band 1 & 2 and maybe some Guitar Hero:WT. I may even peel off the shrink wrap off Valkyria Chronicles and finally give that a shot. Throw the SSF2T remake into the mix and it's a weekend full of console gaming goodness!

[Gorvi]

Woohoo, 3 day weekend! Well, for me anyway, I'm off today. ;)

I started up God of War: Chains of Olympus this morning, so that will get a lot of time. I was going to finish up Gurumin first, but I wanted to play GoW before Chrono Trigger DS comes in the mail (thank you F.U.D.!), so Gurumin will just have to wait a bit.

I got back into WipEout HD a bit this morning, I'm in the mood for a racing game and that did it. I really should play more of Burnout Paradise, I only put about 20 minutes into it last week when I grabbed it on sale, but I think I'll save that for a bit later.

Depending on how my mood is, I may put a good amount of time into FFXI or Resistance 2's co-op, or I may not touch either, I don't know yet. I should get back into Valkyria Chronicles too. And of course LittleBigPlanet needs some love too. And I've been meaning to play more echochrome and Everyday Shooter.....

Damn it, this is why I try to not be like Spigot and buy/play too many games at once. :p And I'd been so good all year too.

[Ancalagon]

In truth, probably not much. Theres a social poker game going on tonight.

Tomorrow, I have Christmas shopping to do, and a friends birthday party at a local bar tomorrow night. Sunday, hopefully I will have some time for Pokemon. Either Emerald or Diamond. Or maybe Leaf Green.

[frederec]

I'm not sure i'll be getting any gaming done :mad: I'm writing like mad to finish papers and studying for one exam. WTF...exams at graduate level?


Most graduate programs I know revolve around exams, at least the first couple of years. Once you get past the core classes and prelims/quals/quants/whatever, then it's all about the dissertation. I never thought I could spend over a year studying for a couple of exams until I got to that point.

[Commissar Rob]

Just started up Gears 2 last night, so I'll try to get some time in with that. My daughter and I have been playing LBP...but that game gets wicked hard in some spots. We may just keep doing random levels online. Probably run a quest or two on WoW.

I started up God of War: Chains of Olympus this morning, so that will get a lot of time. I've just about finished up Squadron Commander, and Chains is next on my PSP want list. Let me know what you think of it!

[Spigot]

Chrono Trigger DS, probably some more Shin Megami Tensei Online, almost definitely more Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and maybe torturing myself a little more with level 1 hard mode on Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. And if I sit down in front of a console probably some PS3 gaming.How is SMT: Online? I was trying to get the client the other day but the site was SOOO SLOOOW.

Only 4 more days until P4!

[frederec]

How is SMT: Online? I was trying to get the client the other day but the site was SOOO SLOOOW.

Only 4 more days until P4!

Honestly I've barely touched it. I played through the prologue area right around the first night, then haven't gotten a chance to get to it again. Other people here have had lots of connection issues recently, so maybe it's for the best I haven't been playing just recently.

And like you said, Persona 4 is about to drop, so I don't know how much time I'll have for a game that's very much in beta.

[Spigot]

Phew. I was worried I was missing something awesome. I wouldn't mind trying it if/when it ever launches, but I'll content myself with finishing P3 and working on P4 over the coming months.

[frederec]

Phew. I was worried I was missing something awesome. I wouldn't mind trying it if/when it ever launches, but I'll content myself with finishing P3 and working on P4 over the coming months.

I don't think you have much to worry about. It's a free to play MMO after all. I see it as being the sort of thing I'll fire up in idle moments on my computer, but not being nearly as absorbing as the core games.

[Zrikz]

Only have one short paper to write and a little exam studying on Sunday for school so I will actually get some game time in.

For 360: Fable II, GHIII

PC: Fallout 3, L4D

Just got GHIII, first Guitar Hero game I've ever purchased and I'm enjoying it. Just beat medium last night, but I need to replay some stuff, I am not ready for hard yet.

Had Fallout 3 for a while, but L4D distracted me, so I'm going to finally get back into it.

[Gorvi]

I've just about finished up Squadron Commander, and Chains is next on my PSP want list. Let me know what you think of it!
I've played about an hour of it and it's...... God of War on a smaller screen! I know, the shock is pretty big. :p

In all seriousness, it plays great, feels like the PS2 games, and looks amazing for a portable game. I've heard it's fairly short (like 6-7 hours), but I can see playing it through a few times unlocking stuff. That, and I'm one of those OCD people who tries to find all the hidden chests and things, so it'll probably take longer for me.

[Spigot]

Yeah. Chains Of Olympus is a fantastic game but it further cemented the fact that I will NOT buy God Of War 2 for the PS3. I'll play it, but I won't buy it because I always end up playing through the GoW games in about 2-3 days and then I have no urge to ever go back to them, despite adoring the ride while it lasted. They're one and done games for me. I'm not good enough to survive the Titan difficulty level and don't care if I can unlock the Kratos Bikini Of Doom. I just really dig the story they tell and the roller coaster ride they put you on for the 5-6 hours it takes to go through it.

But yeah. Chains is great.

[Purple Santa]

Damn it, this is why I try to not be like Spigot and buy/play too many games at once. :p And I'd been so good all year too.
Spigot has that effect on us all. And Kelegacy. Luring us to buy obscure or bargain basement gems...then you feel overwhelmed by all the games just staring at you wanting to be played. Evil Spigot...


I've just about finished up Squadron Commander, and Chains is next on my PSP want list. Let me know what you think of it!

Chains is an awesome game on the PSP. One of the best reasons to own a PSP. It's like Gorvi and Spigot said...if you are a fan of the series you will love it. But it's good for a playthrough and that's it. Unless you like unlocking the "bikini of Doom" Spigot found in his copy :p

[jpublic]

Well, I'd *like* to be playing PoP, but they delayed the PC version to next week.

I'd also like to be playing Persona 4, but they also delayed that to next week.

I'll probably grind some more Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, maybe work on some more King's Bounty, and if I get a chance some Fable 2.

[Commissar Rob]

Unless you like unlocking the "bikini of Doom" Spigot found in his copy :p

Kratos in drag? :eek:

[TrackZero]

*looks up from 160 hours of Fallout 3*

Hunh? There's other games out?

[Widgetcraft]

Finding anything I can to look at on my new monitor. Such an awesome picture, it's like looking through a window sometimes. I'll also be playing City of Heroes, since they're having a free weekend for old accounts. I'm going to try to finish Chrono Trigger DS today so I can be ready to record the FUDcast tomorrow. That's it for me.

[Rakael]

L4D on the PC and maybe a little bit of Fallout 3 on the 360. I'm pretty hooked on L4D though.

[zarathstra]

Well, since I beat Fallout 3 earlier this week, I might start up a new game and be a total douchebag this time...and go on all the side quests, since I pretty much made a straight run at the main plot and missed a bunch of stuff last time.

I'm also just finishing up Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on the DS. That's another one I'm tempted to start over, since I had absolutely no idea what I was doing the first time through (I'd never played a Tactics game before. did I mention I was out of gaming for a long time?).

On the other hand, I also have Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 and Hotel Dusk coming in the mail from Amazon...so we'll see.

[shodan2020]

Well, more than likely I'll be Netflixing, but I'll probably toss some Saints Row 2, Arkadian Warriors, and DOAX2 in for good measure. I don't have anything in the way of new and exciting titles to play, so I play with what I have.

I'm also down for some Catan too. :)

[EternalGamer]

I have a Christmas Party to go to tonight, but I have a wide open weekend after that (next week is Finals week so everything is quite this weekend).

I'll probably be playing Last Remnant, primarily. Only played it about an hour thus far, so can't really comment on it either way. And perhaps if Dark Sector shows up in the mail on Saturday I may pop that in as well.

Also need to find a way to compelling myself to finish Gears 2. I'm sitting half way through Act 4 but really haven't felt the itch. And I've all but given up on the idea that I'm going back to FallOut 3 anytime soon. I think I may just send it back to Gamefly to see if I grab ChronoTrigger or Prince of Persia.

[National Kato]

I've been putting a lot of time into Saint's Row 2 and will likely continue now that I'm earning enough money from my real estate interests and neighborhoods to really run this gang.

[Variable Gear]

The Queue:
Ninjatown: I really love this game. The visual style is perfect for the DS, and the Tower Defense shit is rockin'. It was a steal at $18. :)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia: I'm still on that crab boss, just biding my time.
Pokemon: Pearl Version: Because I'm a Pokemon Master! Ok, not quite, but I was inspired by a recent thread (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=3158). I've gotta get back to the Sinnoh region.
Gears 2: I would enjoy playing some Horde...
World of Goo: I'm stuck on about five levels. Damn Information Superhighway!
Orbient: I've gotten to the third set of levels, and I'll try to progress further this weekend. It's tough to press on when you don't have those helpful outlines, though.
TWEWY: I can't remember where I am. Am I stuck on a boss fight?
MLAAK: I'd like to clear this, finally.
Weapon of Choice: I've recovered all the operatives and found three of the four endings. Now all I have to do is complete the fourth one! Wish me luck!
I'm also down for some Catan too. :)
I'm a newbie, but if you're willing to teach me I could play.

[Karak]

More fallout. I only have 102 hours, seems like everyone is farther than me.

Last Rem.

Beat Prince

Neopets for DS(I love those little cute shits:)

[Spigot]

I'd also like to be playing Persona 4, but they also delayed that to next week.Delayed? It has always been slated for December 9th, at least since the summer.

And Zarathstra, I envy you. Playing through Hotel Dusk for the first time? Mmm... Good times.

[Purple Santa]

Right now i'm continuing to play dragging out finishing writing paper #1948985983 for the semester...I need to shut off my internet access for a few hours...

[Spigot]

Right now i'm continuing to play dragging out finishing writing paper #1948985983 for the semester...I need to shut off my internet access for a few hours...Unplug your router!

[Wraith]

Ratchet & Clank Future (PS3)
Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)

[hunterx280]

Probably dabbling in a little Fallout 3 but it's a little less high priority since I finished the main quests. I would like to get through Assassin's Creed and maybe a few rounds of Left 4 Dead as I haven't had time for multiplayer games this week.

[MosBen]

I've really gotten into Fallout 3 this last week. Almost done with Moira's book, which I'm hoping to finish this weekend. I haven't really done much in the way of wandering/exploring (other than Sunnyvale school), so I might do some of that before picking up on dad's trail again.

Other than that, it's very likely that some Rock Band 2 will get played, and maybe some L4D if my friends can get some time scheduled.

[Kojak]

Might go a bit of fable 2 and possibly some old school Banjo Kazooie when I feel like not having to think too hard. Might throw in some crackdown since I'm so behind the curve so that I can finally play Grand theft Auto 4. I feel like if I play GTA4 before crackdown I wont want to play crackdown again.

[zarathstra]

Delayed? It has always been slated for December 9th, at least since the summer.

And Zarathstra, I envy you. Playing through Hotel Dusk for the first time? Mmm... Good times.

I know how you feel, there are tons of games I would love to erase from my memory and play over again fresh. How awesome was X-Com the first time? or Deus Ex?

[Fubl]

Just finished banjo nuts and bolts before work today....
going to probably jump back into lego batman or start up COD5.
I think ive finished all ym novemeber gaems except cod 5.

Oh and get the no mercy campaign finished on l4d.... For some reason i keep missing that one or die trying:)

[Skull3r]

Just finished my last day of classes, have five exams over the next two weeks that I need to study for.

If I get any time, I want to take a peek at:
Fallout 3
The Last Remnant
Infinite Undiscovery.

[Mortis]

A lot of CoD5, and I think I am going to pick up Nuts and Bolts at lunch. Probably some L4D in there as well.

[KJAX]

Bioshock (PC): Taking a breaking from FFXI, I just dove back into this masterpiece I have yet to finish. I'm taking my time with it on normal difficulty, although I need to backtrack and take down a Big Daddy or two.

Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2): I started playing this game nearly 3 years ago, stopped in favor of finishing FFXII and have finally gotten back to it and still love it. I can spend an hour easily fooling around with the alchemy pot. I just don't want to kill Rhapthorne quite yet.

[rvieira]

RB2 - changing from medium to hard, and have some serious self steem problem! Damm stupid fingers!

[Bad Buddha]

My wife is out shopping all weekend with her sister and sisters-in-law so I've got some time to myself. :D

I'm going to be performing an Exchange server mailbox migration on Saturday so I'll be running the work stuff over VPN on the home-office machine and probably playing The Witcher on my gaming super-nova. Might take a stab at Crysis or Stranglehold. And I just grabbed a new Mah Jong game, too.

I'll probably be reading some Hemingway if I need a break from games.

[Jackel]

The Zombie apocalypse is continuing.

I will continue to fight them offf in Left 4 Dead

[jpublic]

Delayed? It has always been slated for December 9th, at least since the summer.


I distinctly remember it being earlier. *shrug*

Oh well, in the land of JPublic, if it isn't out when I want it, it's unacceptably delayed.

[Spigot]

I distinctly remember it being earlier. *shrug*

Oh well, in the land of JPublic, if it isn't out when I want it, it's unacceptably delayed.I hear ya. That said, I've been getting the Atlus e-mails for months now with December 9th being proudly declared "Shoot Yourself In The Head Day" (or whatever you do to summon things in P4). I have had the P4 Social Expansion Pack ordered on Amazon.ca since at least August or early September...

I still want them to make a Persona game that involves no combat and has only the Social elements. I love the setting, just drop the grinding and let me talk to people and have awkward discussions with my friend about why he shouldn't propose to his ethics teacher...

And they had better have a song on the P4 soundtrack that is at least as good as "Afternoon Break", which is probably the top played song on my iPod.

[Purple Santa]

Unplug your router!
And climb two flights of stairs into my attic? No way...i'm lazy :p You are stuck with me haunting you...
Might go a bit of fable 2 and possibly some old school Banjo Kazooie when I feel like not having to think too hard. Might throw in some crackdown since I'm so behind the curve so that I can finally play Grand theft Auto 4. I feel like if I play GTA4 before crackdown I wont want to play crackdown again.
I've played and loved both. You can play Crackdown and still go play GTA IV. Just cause they are "sandbox" games doesn't mean they don't have enough differences to enjoy.
Just finished my last day of classes, have five exams over the next two weeks that I need to study for.

If I get any time, I want to take a peek at:
Fallout 3
The Last Remnant
Infinite Undiscovery.
You plan on studying AND play some of these games? You brave soul...good luck with that :)

Finally received my copy of P3 i've been expecting from ebay. I'm going to have to rent P4 though...I just can't swing to buy another game right now...

[Kielaran]

L4D probably Expert to get that achievement and then who knows what...probably verses, though I really should work through my backlog, since it keeps getting bigger.

[menage]

Fallout 3, continuing on with the main quest leaving the exploring behind (It doesn't feel right to go explore while I should destroy the Enclave), and starting up a new character (already out the vault, leaning towards evil) to explore the northern most halve of the map. That's after I blow the shit out of Megaton of course.

Gears 2 solo campaign

Just received my copy of Mirrors Edge which I won in a sweepstake (wooh, free games), so a bit of that as well.

LBP with the GF.

[Purple Santa]

Just received my copy of Mirrors Edge which I won in a sweepstake (wooh, free games), so a bit of that as well.

It's a fun game. Even more fun if you don't have to pay for it :cool:. Just hope you don't get motion sickness to easy...

[menage]

It's a fun game. Even more fun if you don't have to pay for it :cool:. Just hope you don't get motion sickness to easy...

The demo didn't seem to bother me, so here's hoping. Although I'm already feeling nauseous at the moment (must be the soup, so maybe I'll wait a bit:D)

[Purple Santa]

The demo didn't seem to bother me, so here's hoping. Although I'm already feeling nauseous at the moment (must be the soup, so maybe I'll wait a bit:D)

I would wait. I was fine until chapter 6. For some reason after about an hour or more of playing...I had to stop. Maybe I just was to tired...but the bright colors and fast movement last night was awful. But let us know how you like it...it's a game that some like...others hate...and then there is Spigot and I where it's a love hate kinda thing. Although he finished it...i'm still trying not to vomit when i'm playing it at the moment...

[KingGorilla]

Far Cry 2(covered on today's News for Geeks Daily Update). Overlooked, and a damn fine shooter. It feels more like Just Cause 2, but that was so solid mechanically.

Probably more Left 4 Dead marathons as well.

[CptTripps]

I will be playing loads of L4D and Warhammer Online. Fallout 3 deserves some love, but I'm not sure if I will get to it. Fable 2 and Far Cry 2 are sitting on the shelf :(

On fable 2, I'm just not into it yet, does it get much better after leaving on the boat?

[MagGnome]

Do we want to know how you are leveling up MagGnome to level 68? Does your wife know about such...activities? :eek: ;)

Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who had that thought. You and I are of the same mind Mr. Claus.


I have a three day weekend, although so far I've spent my day off sitting here on COG, so it hasn't been very productive. I will definitely be getting in some gaming time though, including:

Eets - I'm hoping to wrap this up over the next couple of days. I'm completed almost ever puzzle, and I've really enjoyed this game. I highly recommend it (either Steam or XBLA) to anyone who enjoys puzzles.

Depths of Peril demo - I messed around with this last weekend and really enjoyed it, so I'm going to spend more time with the demo this weekend. It's basically a hack & slash Diablo-style game with a guild metagame and diplomacy thrown in. It also has some MMO elements in it. You adventure through the world killing monsters and collecting loot, all while maintaining a Covenant (basically a guild) and keeping up relations with the other Covenants. You can trade with them, declare war on them, etc. These other guilds have heroes who are also out in the world, slaying the same monsters and doing the same quests you are. This brings a lot of strategy and urgency into the game, as you have to complete quests before the NPCs do. I thought this would be frustrating, but there are so many quests that I haven't even noticed, and at the level I'm playing on the other guilds aren't too quick to get anything done. Your Covenant house can be attacked, and if the Lifestone in it is destroyed than you lose the game. You beat the game by either destroying the other Covenants or allying with all that remain. Pretty cool concept, and it's only $20! It's not the prettiest or most polished game, but it's from a small developer and I feel like they've done a great job.

A Kingdom for Keflings - I'll have my 360 back this evening, so I can finally play this game. I've been waiting to play it for months, and I'm really excited to finally sit down with it. Here's hoping it meets my expectations!

Rez - I bought it during the Black Friday sale on XBLA, but my 360 has been gone so I haven't had a chance to play it yet. Looking forward to playing past the level that I played in the demo, and finally getting to experience this classic.

NXE - I'll also finally get to play around with the NXE. I'm late to the party here, but I'm looking forward to seeing the new interface and streaming Netflix on my TV. Look for my avatar to appear soon.

Left 4 Dead - I haven't played this in over two weeks, and I really need to get back in. I'm hoping to have time to play this over the weekend with some of my fellow COGers.

I-Fluid - A new game on Steam that looks very cool. Basically a photo realistic puzzle game (less so on my crummy system I'm sure) where you control a drop of water and navigate various environments. It's only $10, so I'm sure I'll snag it sometime soon.

I may get into some other games as well, including Dungeon Keeper and Sins of a Solar Empire. We'll see what happens.

[Spigot]

Maggie, that I-Fluid game sounds fascinating. I'll take a look at it tonight.

Enjoy Rez and AK4K. And I'll never tell my secrets to levelling you up.

Menage: I enjoyed Mirror's Edge when it was doing what it was meant to do, which was jumping and running and pulling off cool stuff in that vein. I HATED it when I was forced to fight my way out of a room/section filled with cops. I didn't mind the cops when they were shooting at me from a distance but when you had no choice but to engage them in melee combat, the game had me almost ready to pop the disc out and never put it back into the machine again.

Word to the wise: The "By Faith Alone" trophy/achievement is not worth the utter anger and frustration it takes to get it. I wish I had just picked up a gun during the first chapter and shot my way through to the end as it would have made the combat areas much more tolerable.

Here's the review (http://buttonmashing.com/2008/12/02/2-minute-review-mirrors-edge/) I did for the copy I received. It pretty much sums up my feelings on the game.

[Evil Avnovice]

Having managed to finally tear myself away from Fatal Frame IV:

-Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)
-Taiko no Tatsujin DS
-Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken
-Metal Slug 7 (DS)
-Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS)

[Purple Santa]

Again I say to Avnovice...nice edit to your sig :)

[MagGnome]

If I buy the I Fluid game I'll come in here and post some impressions.

[Murtaug]

Well I just came home with a rental copy of PoP, only played through the tutorial type stuff but so far the game is fantastic.

The visuals are stunning, I can not wait to delve a bit deeper and see what they pull off, I imagine it will only get better.

Had planned on more Fallout, but that will probably wait until next weekend now.

[Evil Avnovice]

Again I say to Avnovice...nice edit to your sig :)

You like, Purpley? At least you're the only one who pays me just a "little" attention. :p

[Spigot]

Well I just came home with a rental copy of PoP, only played through the tutorial type stuff but so far the game is fantastic.Make sure you take every opportunity to have The Prince talk to Elika. The dialogue in the game is fantastic (and pretty funny at times).

I can't wait to sink a bunch of time into the game tonight. There are some visual effects that they've pulled off in just the little bit that I've played that really remind me of the stuff that Clover pulled off in Okami.

[Goronmon]

Final Fantasy XI and Chrono Trigger.

[rinichanraar]

Probably mostly L4D. Maybe some Gears 2 if anyone's still interested in trying to get as far as possible on Insane Horde. I also went back to CoD4 to try to knock down the campaign on Veteran, and I'm probably a little past halfway there (?), so I might go back and (try to) finish that.

[Spigot]

Can you imagine if they made Chrono Trigger Online?

*head explodes*

[frederec]

Can you imagine if they made Chrono Trigger Online?

*head explodes*

But one of the coolest parts of Chrono Trigger was changing the different timelines through your actions in the past. How the hell would you pull off something like that in an online game?

Not saying it's impossible. I'm curious how you think it would work.

[Spigot]

But one of the coolest parts of Chrono Trigger was changing the different timelines through your actions in the past. How the hell would you pull off something like that in an online game?

Not saying it's impossible. I'm curious how you think it would work.Hey, I'm just the idea guy. I let other people work out the details.

I could see them doing something like Guild Wars, where it's almost like a series of instances as opposed to a giant persistant world. Depending on what you did, you'd end up in another mini-instance whenever you travelled through time to a new Zone. The End Of Time would be one of the few wide-open areas where everyone just mills about.

That's probably the only way it would work.

I think I'll go continue this train of thought in the "What Do You Want From SquareEnix?" thread.

[Ondo]

Spigot has that effect on us all. And Kelegacy. Luring us to buy obscure or bargain basement gems...then you feel overwhelmed by all the games just staring at you wanting to be played. Evil Spigot...
Speaking of luring people to buy games... did you ever get your copy of Nuts & Bolts from Circuit City? Or pick it up elsewhere? Because Amazon has it for $26 today (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0019MLWL4/ref=nosim/cog-20)...

[Purple Santa]

You like, Purpley? At least you're the only one who pays me just a "little" attention. :p
Well how can I ignore someone who calls me Purpley :confused: ;)
But one of the coolest parts of Chrono Trigger was changing the different timelines through your actions in the past. How the hell would you pull off something like that in an online game?

Not saying it's impossible. I'm curious how you think it would work.
Aren't you the math professor? Can't you fool with some mathematical formulas or something? Make it work! ;)
Speaking of luring people to buy games... did you ever get your copy of Nuts & Bolts from Circuit City? Or pick it up elsewhere? Because Amazon has it for $26 today (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0019MLWL4/ref=nosim/cog-20)...
Holy shit! I just checked since you mentioned it...and i've about given up but never cancelled the order...it's shipped! One month later i'm getting the game...better late than never...thanks for the reminder! If it wasn't there I was going to Amazon to buy it there...so again, thanks for asking. See you online :)

[frederec]

Aren't you the math professor? Can't you fool with some mathematical formulas or something? Make it work! ;)


Shit, just because I'm a math professor doesn't mean I can't be lazy. And I don't play enough multiplayer games to toss around how these things would work. That's my excuse, anyway.

Buuuut...it would be cool if there would be a multiplayer game where the actions a person (or group of people) took could radically alter the entire gameworld. It would almost certainly be ridiculously unfeasible, but it would be cool if it were possible. Something like one faction changing the past, then another faction coming along to correct what they've done.

[Spigot]

Buuuut...it would be cool if there would be a multiplayer game where the actions a person (or group of people) took could radically alter the entire gameworld. It would almost certainly be ridiculously unfeasible, but it would be cool if it were possible. Something like one faction changing the past, then another faction coming along to correct what they've done.I know that Asheron's Call 2 was probably one of the few to even begin to come close to that level of player impact, though even it was severely limited (and the game itself was pretty crappy, which made me sad as a big AC1 fan).

One of the things I dream of is an MMO where you'd have these kind of world altering events that a clan or even one player could pull off. Since that will likely not happen for YEARS, I still think that having a lot of mini-instances (again, like Guild Wars) would be the only way you could really pull something like this off.

[Kelegacy]

If PoP and Mirrors Edge get here from Gamefly tomorrow, I'll be playing those. But I have a feeling I'll have to wait until Monday.

So if that's the case, I'll be finishing up Fracture--almost near the end now I think. I had a surprisingly good time with this action-heavy game. Some great puzzles too, and the terrain deformation is pretty neat.

Also, The Last Remnant. Digging it a lot.

And since my Amazon and Gamestop BlackFriday/CyberMonday purchases came in, I might open up Too Human, Infinite Undiscovery, Fuel of War, Brothers in Arms, Conan or Two Worlds.

I will probably leave the others sealed and just play Two Worlds though. For a "crappy" game, I had a bit of fun with the demo so I decided to use a wee bit of credit on it at Gamestop.

Man, that's just too much gaming. I haven't even finished Fallout 3 or Gears 2 yet. Too many games, too little time (and I've been on a 3 week medical vacation!!)

[Sonic Alpha]

Well I just received both Gears of War 2 and Red Alert 3 for my 360, so I'll be playing those for the most part.

I will probably jump on CoD 4 tonight for some games over Live.

[Kelegacy]

A Kingdom for Keflings - I'll have my 360 back this evening, so I can finally play this game.



How long did it take you exactly to get a reply from Microsoft saying they got the package initially? Like I said in the other thread, I sent it in on Monday, but haven't heard anything yet.

I also didn't realize you were getting it back so fast. It sounded like you had got emails saying they received the request for service but never got the system. But apparently you found out otherwise recently.

[Sl1pstream]

- Rock Band 2 - Solo world tour, unless someone wants to join me.
- Left 4 Dead - I feel like killing some zombies while taking some time to kill a few survivors too.
- Gears of War 2 - Maybe
- Call of Duty 4 - Depending on my friendslist

I'll probably throw in an XBLA title, possibly Age of Booty.

[Kielaran]

Speaking of luring people to buy games... did you ever get your copy of Nuts & Bolts from Circuit City? Or pick it up elsewhere? Because Amazon has it for $26 today (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0019MLWL4/ref=nosim/cog-20)...

I hopped on this one as well. :)

[MagGnome]

How long did it take you exactly to get a reply from Microsoft saying they got the package initially? Like I said in the other thread, I sent it in on Monday, but haven't heard anything yet.

I also didn't realize you were getting it back so fast. It sounded like you had got emails saying they received the request for service but never got the system. But apparently you found out otherwise recently.

I explained this in the other thread, but I did a poor job of it.

I never received an e-mail stating that they had received the system. Instead, I got two (maybe three) e-mails saying that the system had not yet arrived and asking me if I would like to cancel my order. Frustrated, I called MS and was told that they had indeed received my system, repaired it, and sent it back to me.

They could not give me a tracking number, so I had no way of knowing where the system was or when I would get it back. Hence I missed two delivery attempts, so now tonight I have a friend driving me to the UPS center to pick the thing up.

All told it took two and a half or so weeks for the full turn around. Not bad, but still very annoying, especially the silly e-mails.

[menage]

I would wait. I was fine until chapter 6. For some reason after about an hour or more of playing...I had to stop. Maybe I just was to tired...but the bright colors and fast movement last night was awful. But let us know how you like it...it's a game that some like...others hate...and then there is Spigot and I where it's a love hate kinda thing. Although he finished it...i'm still trying not to vomit when i'm playing it at the moment...

Played 3 or 4 levels now. I kinda like it, although it's a lot of trial and error. Some signposting is kinda weird. The tell you to go for the red but it isnt always clear until you move around a little, die by falling of a ledge and restarting. The running is great, really fluid. One thing I hate though, wall jumping at an area you can't look at (LR, RB, LR), feels more like a QTE than a gameplay mechanic, cause you don't really see what you're doing. One bit started you off by climbing up a pole, jumping to a shimmy and than jumping without seeing where you were going, I tried 12 times until I bailed.

I think I'm going to bail out for a little while I finish up other games, too many things going on at the moment to give it my full attention. Love how it looks and sounds, although the flash like animations could have been better or real time.

[rein]

I have a one day weekend this week so not much. :(

I will probably play a little Culdcept Saga on the 360 and and a little something on the PSP. I hate one day weekends especially since I have already worked close to 50 hours this week... ...and I am salaried. :mad:

[Spigot]

I explained this in the other thread, but I did a poor job of it.

I never received an e-mail stating that they had received the system. Instead, I got two (maybe three) e-mails saying that the system had not yet arrived and asking me if I would like to cancel my order. Frustrated, I called MS and was told that they had indeed received my system, repaired it, and sent it back to me.
When mine crapped out this September, I had an experience almost like yours only I didn't get any e-mails stating that they hadn't received it. I did have issue with the website though. A week after I'd sent it in it was still saying that they were awaiting the system. I called and it was already there and being serviced.

Hell, I had the thing arrive one morning and didn't get an e-mail about it having been shipped to me until about 2 days after I'd received it.

But it was only out of my house for about 2-2 1/2 weeks, so I won't complain too much.

[MagGnome]

My 360 is back now....and making this strange whirring sound. It almost sounds like it's broken.

GRR. :mad:

[Xerxes]

I might try to off Condemned 2. But I've been saying that for months.

[Kelegacy]

I explained this in the other thread, but I did a poor job of it.

I never received an e-mail stating that they had received the system. Instead, I got two (maybe three) e-mails saying that the system had not yet arrived and asking me if I would like to cancel my order. Frustrated, I called MS and was told that they had indeed received my system, repaired it, and sent it back to me.

They could not give me a tracking number, so I had no way of knowing where the system was or when I would get it back. Hence I missed two delivery attempts, so now tonight I have a friend driving me to the UPS center to pick the thing up.

All told it took two and a half or so weeks for the full turn around. Not bad, but still very annoying, especially the silly e-mails.

Ah, thanks. I did write down the repair # the guy on the phone gave me before shipping me out my coffin. So I used that at support.xbox.com and it gave me up to date info on the status.

Thankfully, I have another 360, but 2.5 weeks isn't shabby.

[Kelegacy]

I might try to off Condemned 2. But I've been saying that for months.

How far in the game are you? I found the game ended sooner than I expected. But I could have been just immersed, didn't realize it was ending until it did.

Still, I liked the game a lot.

[pomeroy]

I'm playing "go get drunk".

It's a pretty easy game, but it's more fun than Prince of Persia (HEY OH!).

[Xerxes]

How far in the game are you? I found the game ended sooner than I expected. But I could have been just immersed, didn't realize it was ending until it did.

Still, I liked the game a lot.

I'm walking on ice now. And I heard bear last time.

[J Arcane]

In truth, probably not much. Theres a social poker game going on tonight.

Tomorrow, I have Christmas shopping to do, and a friends birthday party at a local bar tomorrow night. Sunday, hopefully I will have some time for Pokemon. Either Emerald or Diamond. Or maybe Leaf Green.
Pokemon for me too. I just can't decide which. Originally it was probably going to be ping-ponging between Pokemon TCG and Fire Red, but then my friend got me to download Emerald just to see what it was like, and as OMGWTFBBQ the monsters were, there's a part of me that found it refreshing to have some new stuff to find.

It's basically a matter of deciding between the familiar and the unfamiliar. MAybe I'll just do both . . .

[drobvice]

Dammit, probably Pokemon Pearl as well. I'm so easily persuaded. Maybe some Gears 2 and Uno.

[jpublic]

I hear ya. That said, I've been getting the Atlus e-mails for months now with December 9th being proudly declared "Shoot Yourself In The Head Day" (or whatever you do to summon things in P4). I have had the P4 Social Expansion Pack ordered on Amazon.ca since at least August or early September...


*gasp*

(pause while JPublic restarts his stopped heart)

You scared the crap out of me. I was all panicked that said expansion pack (which I hadn't heard of, I'm not on the Atlus ML) might be a *content* expansion, not a music+swag set.

Cripes.

[MagGnome]

Ah, thanks. I did write down the repair # the guy on the phone gave me before shipping me out my coffin. So I used that at support.xbox.com and it gave me up to date info on the status.

Thankfully, I have another 360, but 2.5 weeks isn't shabby.

It's not really a long wait in the grand scheme of things.

I'm playing around with the NXE now. Pretty slick stuff! Nice avatars ladies and gents. :D

I suppose I should go into the Avatar thread here and post mine now.

[maharahaj]

I'll be sneaking in rounds of PixelJunk Eden (just finished collecting all Spectra and hatching all vines in the first 5 gardens!) and some Rock Band 2 on the 360. There is a shit ton of other stuff I have to play but I have been studying for the last 6 weeks for one of my professional licensing exams which I have tomorrow at 4pm. I have read the text book for it 6 times in the last 6 weeks. Oh, but then the coast is not clear. I have 4 more tests before the end of the month. God, I can't wait for January 1st to arrive.

[Talanvor]

It'll be EndWar (borrowed from a friend), GHWT and RB2 for me. Maybe some Folklore if the mood strikes me.

[Purple Santa]

If PoP and Mirrors Edge get here from Gamefly tomorrow, I'll be playing those. But I have a feeling I'll have to wait until Monday.


I hope it comes in Tomorrow. I would love to see what you have to say about ME. I had a lot of fun with it. But i'm sending it back. I'll let you play without ruining anything...
Played 3 or 4 levels now. I kinda like it, although it's a lot of trial and error. Some signposting is kinda weird. The tell you to go for the red but it isnt always clear until you move around a little, die by falling of a ledge and restarting. The running is great, really fluid. One thing I hate though, wall jumping at an area you can't look at (LR, RB, LR), feels more like a QTE than a gameplay mechanic, cause you don't really see what you're doing. One bit started you off by climbing up a pole, jumping to a shimmy and than jumping without seeing where you were going, I tried 12 times until I bailed.

I know many were annoyed by the trial and error but this type of game it's part of the gameplay. I don't expect to whip around with ease finding every route of escape the first time...nor do I expect to make every leap. That's part of the thrill when you do finish a chapter. But as many noted...the least fun part is when they force you to fight. I don't think you are up to the really poor point of that yet. I reached that point tonight. I even went with Spigot's advice of ditching the idea of the "Faith" achievement and used guns. I made it to Chapter 7 without a shot/killing someone. Then the game broke me. I swear there is a part if you make it through without killing the Blue bless anyone with those skills. I think Gears of War would be easier to get by without killing the enemy. It was beyond ridiculous and by then I felt the developers were just pulling my chain to pull it ...making it so difficult and one solution to get out...dragging out the game hours you play. I didn't mind that through the first 7 chapters. There was enough to keep me going...like the end of chapter 6...but after getting past Mr. GoW, and attempting to do a TR type move that I know I saw in TR III that made my thumbs cry...I gave in. I said fuck it to another wall jump. So back to GF it goes. Sucks too...almost at the end...not that the story was blowing me away or anything...

[Reverant]

I think I've beaten Chrono Trigger at least 30 times in the past ten years, but that didn't stop me from picking up the DS version. I'm going to hit up the Black Omen in the Middle Ages and Antiquity before trying the new dungeon, and then I'll finish her off.

[menage]

I know many were annoyed by the trial and error but this type of game it's part of the gameplay. I don't expect to whip around with ease finding every route of escape the first time...nor do I expect to make every leap. That's part of the thrill when you do finish a chapter. But as many noted...the least fun part is when they force you to fight. I don't think you are up to the really poor point of that yet. I reached that point tonight. I even went with Spigot's advice of ditching the idea of the "Faith" achievement and used guns. I made it to Chapter 7 without a shot/killing someone. Then the game broke me. I swear there is a part if you make it through without killing the Blue bless anyone with those skills. I think Gears of War would be easier to get by without killing the enemy. It was beyond ridiculous and by then I felt the developers were just pulling my chain to pull it ...making it so difficult and one solution to get out...dragging out the game hours you play. I didn't mind that through the first 7 chapters. There was enough to keep me going...like the end of chapter 6...but after getting past Mr. GoW, and attempting to do a TR type move that I know I saw in TR III that made my thumbs cry...I gave in. I said fuck it to another wall jump. So back to GF it goes. Sucks too...almost at the end...not that the story was blowing me away or anything...

Mmm, doesn't sound to good, but I'll give it a good go down the line. I didn't mind the trail and error, I kinda liked that, it's old school. Only the fact they tell you to go for the red and the red only appears if you're real close to it at times. Bad signposting isn't really the way to go if you've got a gunship chasing you. And I've already noticed the signposting isn't all that it's cracked up to be. It's difficult enough already to get to grips with the whole thing.

[Spigot]

*gasp*

(pause while JPublic restarts his stopped heart)

You scared the crap out of me. I was all panicked that said expansion pack (which I hadn't heard of, I'm not on the Atlus ML) might be a *content* expansion, not a music+swag set.

Cripes.Heh. I guess you're not a REAL Persona fan if you don't know about the Social Expansion Pack. :)

Giant stuffed teddy bear FTW!

As far as I know, they aren't doing something like FES for P4. I really hope they don't as I don't want to have to rebuy this game in 6-8 months like I did with P3, even though it was cheap.

I even went with Spigot's advice of ditching the idea of the "Faith" achievement and used guns. I made it to Chapter 7 without a shot/killing someone. Then the game broke me. I swear there is a part if you make it through without killing the Blue bless anyone with those skills.I came THIS close to just saying, "Screw this!" and going with guns at that part. Chapter 7 is easily the worst level of the game if you're going for that achievement. That, and the tail ends of Chapters 8 and 9. The rest of the game is tolerable on the no-gunning front but there are at least 3-4 spots in the game that make me Hulk-out when I remember them.

Well, I'm off for a day-long Christmas shin-dig with the in-laws and all of their kids. Gah. I hate these things. I'll probably just do what I usually do: Sit in the basement, ostensibly looking after the kids while I play my DS and read a book.

[TheSilentDeath]

Since we just got a Wii, I'll be playing Super Mario Galaxy, No More Heroes, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

[Purple Santa]

I came THIS close to just saying, "Screw this!" and going with guns at that part. Chapter 7 is easily the worst level of the game if you're going for that achievement. That, and the tail ends of Chapters 8 and 9. The rest of the game is tolerable on the no-gunning front but there are at least 3-4 spots in the game that make me Hulk-out when I remember them.

Well, I'm off for a day-long Christmas shin-dig with the in-laws and all of their kids. Gah. I hate these things. I'll probably just do what I usually do: Sit in the basement, ostensibly looking after the kids while I play my DS and read a book.

Well in a PM if you want, please tell me how in Chapter 7 you got past Mr. GoW with his giant machine gun. It's in what looks like a parking garage...I got past that and then just didn't care anymore...

So you hide in the basement away from family? Well your in-laws...I used to do that with my xlaws...take your copy of TWEWY so you can REALLY finish it :).

@Menage: You are correct. The signposting is a bit of a downer in the game as well. If the game is about run/jump/grab type of play there does need to be better indicators than they had. I understand the thought of not wanting it to be so apparent to use giant arrows but certain parts certainly were trying in that respect. I'd go back to it, since you got it for free...when it's January and there is a lack of games to be played...a good backlog game if nothing else...and a game for the bargain bin pick-up of below $20...

I'm hoping to play PoP tonight...my GF copy should be in. I'd look for you again Spigot to be on but you will be busy hiding from your in-laws...have fun in the basement :)

[Spigot]

Well in a PM if you want, please tell me how in Chapter 7 you got past Mr. GoW with his giant machine gun. It's in what looks like a parking garage...I got past that and then just didn't care anymore...

So you hide in the basement away from family? Well your in-laws...I used to do that with my xlaws...take your copy of TWEWY so you can REALLY finish it :).

I'm hoping to play PoP tonight...my GF copy should be in. I'd look for you again Spigot to be on but you will be busy hiding from your in-laws...have fun in the basement :)It's all about Chrono Trigger right now, my friend.

Oh, and in that spot, you just run, run, run. After about, oh, 40 attempts you'll figure it out. I never really had a huge problem with 'signposting'. I had a bigger problem in some of the later areas where you'd have this tiny little 3-foot high radiator sticking out from a wall that would make a GREAT ledge to hop up onto the roof, but Faith would just scramble against the wall and act like it didn't exist. This is the same Faith who can find microscopic handholds on any other surface in the game...

And PoP is awesome. It's not the hardest game in the universe but it's damned fun and pretty.

[Purple Santa]

It's all about Chrono Trigger right now, my friend.

Oh, and in that spot, you just run, run, run. After about, oh, 40 attempts you'll figure it out. I never really had a huge problem with 'signposting'. I had a bigger problem in some of the later areas where you'd have this tiny little 3-foot high radiator sticking out from a wall that would make a GREAT ledge to hop up onto the roof, but Faith would just scramble against the wall and act like it didn't exist. This is the same Faith who can find microscopic handholds on any other surface in the game...

And PoP is awesome. It's not the hardest game in the universe but it's damned fun and pretty.
You realize what takes you 40 times to redo will require me at least double or triple that, right? I just put a few bullets in him. Made me feel better.

PoP=easy is fine with me. After ME, I need something a little less taxing.

Also thinking about starting up P3...I keep staring at my new setup and keep thinking I need to use this...

[Variable Gear]

You realize what takes you 40 times to redo will require me at least double or triple that, right? I just put a few bullets in him. Made me feel better.
That section took me at least 120 tries to beat. It's one of the worst sections in the game, by far. I would always clear the room of guys, but more respawn in to revive their fallen comrades. Then they see Faith climbing a red pipe, and they shoot her down. Honestly, the game is a mess. It does a few things well and a great many things poorly. Hopefully a sequel addresses the many issues.

In addition, I've heard lots of criticism from podcasts about the response of reviews to Mirror's Edge, and I don't quite understand what the hosts are saying. On the Joystiq podcast especially, I've heard the comment that reviewers should not have criticized Mirror's Edge for the things that it wasn't trying to achieve. I'm not certain that it was Justin's, Lugwig's, or Chris' intent, but I got the impression that they truly believed that the game's notable failures, such as the horrible combat, should be swept under the rug out of respect for the near-perfect first-person platforming. Reviews need to take everything into account. If a feature wasn't quite up to snuff, why did the developer include it in the game? For example, in Mirror's Edge, the situations where Faith is forced to fight reduce the game to an experience I'd prefer to avoid. The storytelling is another easy target. For unexplained reasons, DICE does most of their storytelling in Mirror's Edge with the third-person perspective, in animated sequences that do not translate the unique art style to an interesting two-dimensional look. This reduces the experience as well, especially when you consider just how well the first-person storytelling is done. Mirror's Edge must be criticized for these failures. If enough voices chime in, DICE will have no excuse if they don't tighten things up for the sequel.

[Purple Santa]

That section took me at least 120 tries to beat. It's one of the worst sections in the game, by far. I would always clear the room of guys, but more respawn in to revive their fallen comrades. Then they see Faith climbing a red pipe, and they shoot her down. Honestly, the game is a mess. It does a few things well and a great many things poorly. Hopefully a sequel addresses the many issues.

In addition, I've heard lots of criticism from podcasts about the response of reviews to Mirror's Edge, and I don't quite understand what the hosts are saying. On the Joystiq podcast especially, I've heard the comment that reviewers should not have criticized Mirror's Edge for the things that it wasn't trying to achieve. I'm not certain that it was Justin's, Lugwig's, or Chris' intent, but I got the impression that they truly believed that the game's notable failures, such as the horrible combat, should be swept under the rug out of respect for the near-perfect first-person platforming. Reviews need to take everything into account. If a feature wasn't quite up to snuff, why did the developer include it in the game? For example, in Mirror's Edge, the situations where Faith is forced to fight reduce the game to an experience I'd prefer to avoid. The storytelling is another easy target. For unexplained reasons, DICE does most of their storytelling in Mirror's Edge with the third-person perspective, in animated sequences that do not translate the unique art style to an interesting two-dimensional look. This reduces the experience as well, especially when you consider just how well the first-person storytelling is done. Mirror's Edge must be criticized for these failures. If enough voices chime in, DICE will have no excuse if they don't tighten things up for the sequel.

This is why I like to discuss the games i'm playing through the weekend/monday blues thread. I don't feel so alone when i'm retrying a section for the 1000th time. Well you like Spigot got skills and patience that I DON'T have. I decided to gun my out. Not that that was easy either. If you are going to give me that option, and I know it's not a first person shooter and Faith shouldn't be a crackshot, but come on...at least make it fair when I aim! I gave up trying to do it the peaceful way when I was constantly getting shot on that pipe...respawning enemies...cheap!!! Seven chapters in and NOW you respawn them? Still...I just got tired after that with the wall jump that was required...which is kinda sad since I made it out of the firing range better known as the car garage....

I like your assessment of the reviewers. What you point out is very valid. The game has some major flaws. I swear some of them are on purpose to extend the time of actual playtime. Which I don't mind, in the trial and error part of the game. As Menage said...it's old school. It's what I liked about the game. I just regret they "forced" me to have to gun my way out of a level...

All that said...the game is still in my xbox...someone please tell me to take it out and send it back. I must be unstable...i'm actually thinking of trying to finish it...the OCD in me...damn my family hereditary of mental disorders...

[Restlessavenger]

I've been trying to find a copy of Chronotrigger, but haven't had too much luck locally. I'll probably be playing some Banjo Kazooie along with Saint's Row 2 which has recently gotten it's hooks back into me. It's a shame that this game got overlooked with all of the other games that hit this year. I'm glad I got back into it though.

[Kelegacy]

Well, I beat Fracture last night and it ended up being surprisingly fun. It got a bit ridiculous in terms of "kill seemingly endless waves of foes" near the end, but it turned out to be good fun. A lot better than the reviews seemed to say anyway.

After I put that game to bed, I couldn't find anything in the 70+ titles I own that I wanted to taste last night...so I settled on Rainbow Six Vegas. I bought it last Black Friday for cheap (and bought the sequel this past week for peanuts) but only played through the first mission--before you get to Vegas.

Well, after I fired it up I became hooked and realized why people like these games so much. It's crazy at times, especially since you can die at any time from one or two bullets to the right spot. I'm still early in the game, but I'm glad I decided to pop it back in.

Got all my game shipments in (6 games! Jeez louise) so I think I'm going to play Conan tonight along with Two Worlds and leave the rest unopened. To my surprise, Gamestop shipped me the Collector's Edition of TW. Very cool.

[Wilkz07]

Toys R Us had a buy2 get1 free sale today. so this weekend its:

Prince of Persia
SceneIt Box Office Smash
Shaun White Snowboarding

[Variable Gear]

I like your assessment of the reviewers. What you point out is very valid. The game has some major flaws. I swear some of them are on purpose to extend the time of actual playtime. Which I don't mind, in the trial and error part of the game. As Menage said...it's old school. It's what I liked about the game. I just regret they "forced" me to have to gun my way out of a level...
I've also heard the point spoken that people shouldn't aim for the "Test of Faith" achievement, which requires the player to not kill any enemy throughout the campaign. It's great that you're given a choice, but, in my opinion, Faith is not a character that would choose to kill her opponents. Despite my complete and utter failure to clear several rooms, I didn't ever rely on guns. I agree that this contributes to the difficulty of the experience, as using a gun would allow players to get one or two easy kills after disarming a policeman, but I still think that people should aim for the "Test of Faith" achievement, if only to experience the world through Faith's eyes. However, the second time, feel free to shoot as many guys as you want.

I'd also like to say that there's a point in Mirror's Edge when you're forced to use a gun, and, due to my refusal to partake in ranged destruction, I had no idea how to pick up a gun. The game does a horrible job of suggesting how this should be done. Eventually I figured out that you are supposed to press Y to pick it up, but that was another confusing section of the game. The pressing of random buttons shouldn't be the way a puzzle is solved.

[JRR1285]

Toys R Us had a buy2 get1 free sale today. so this weekend its:

Prince of Persia
SceneIt Box Office Smash
Shaun White Snowboarding

I'm not seeing it, was it in store only?

Edit: I kept looking and it looks like a Canada only promo.:(

[Purple Santa]

I've also heard the point spoken that people shouldn't aim for the "Test of Faith" achievement, which requires the player to not kill any enemy throughout the campaign. It's great that you're given a choice, but, in my opinion, Faith is not a character that would choose to kill her opponents. Despite my complete and utter failure to clear several rooms, I didn't ever rely on guns. I agree that this contributes to the difficulty of the experience, as using a gun would allow players to get one or two easy kills after disarming a policeman, but I still think that people should aim for the "Test of Faith" achievement, if only to experience the world through Faith's eyes. However, the second time, feel free to shoot as many guys as you want.

I'd also like to say that there's a point in Mirror's Edge when you're forced to use a gun, and, due to my refusal to partake in ranged destruction, I had no idea how to pick up a gun. The game does a horrible job of suggesting how this should be done. Eventually I figured out that you are supposed to press Y to pick it up, but that was another confusing section of the game. The pressing of random buttons shouldn't be the way a puzzle is solved.

I agree completely that the point of being "Faith" is not shoot and/or kill anyone. It's why I played the way I was...less so for the achievement which I didn't know about until half way through. It's a flawed game. Not the first...certainly not unplayable...well certain parts almost are. The parts where you wish not to kill someone late in the game...let's hope the sequel is better...

[Spigot]

I'd also like to say that there's a point in Mirror's Edge when you're forced to use a gun, and, due to my refusal to partake in ranged destruction, I had no idea how to pick up a gun. The game does a horrible job of suggesting how this should be done. Eventually I figured out that you are supposed to press Y to pick it up, but that was another confusing section of the game. The pressing of random buttons shouldn't be the way a puzzle is solved.Yeah. I failed that section a couple of times due to not knowing how to pick up a gun. Sigh.

I understand what you're saying about Faith not being a killer and that was why I decided to get that achievement but unless you have the kind of patience to fight through that kind of nonsense, I'd just say gun away...

I have heard that if you dial the difficulty down to Easy, it's a lot nicer to get that achievement as the combat isn't nearly as punishing yet the jumping sections are the same.

And while I didn't think of Faith as being the killing type, by the end of the game I did start to get the impression that she didn't have a problem using a gun, she just didn't bother most of the time as it was more effective to run. She wasn't the girl scout that she'd been made out to be during the earlier portions of the game.

I wish there were more of the Runner Cops as they were more interesting enemies than the standard Blues and provided a fun challenge without making me want to put my foot through the TV.

It's funny to see Purple Santa say that I have skillz. I'm more stubborn than skilled. Just ask anyone who has played a match of Gears or L4D with me. I'm utterly unskilled in those situations :)

[MagGnome]

Isn't there a Mirror's Edge thread somewhere that you guys can post in?

I kid, I kid! :p

I just spent 3 straight hours playing Kingdom for Keflings. My eyes are bleeding, my ears are ringing, and I am addicted. I don't know if I'll get to any other games this weekend. KfK is great!

[EternalGamer]

I played Last Remenant virtually ALL DAY today. Turned off my cell phone, turned on some podcast (only pausing for cutscenes) and spent a good five to six hours of my Saturday with it. I'm enjoying the game quite a bit. It actually seems like a RPG-lite to me. The dungeons so far are all pretty small so far, you can save anywhere, and, while some of the battles can get pretty long, you are aren't micromanaging things. It's an interesting alternative to FFXII's method of dealing with the tedium. I still wish it wasn't so B-grade in its production values, but, after playing it around 15 hours or so, I can definitely say I don't think it deserved the critical thrashing it received.

[EternalGamer]

And Kelegacy, what in the world are you doing buying Two Worlds? Have you played that game? I understand a bargain, but I don't even think I would take a free copy of that game.

[Kelegacy]

And Kelegacy, what in the world are you doing buying Two Worlds? Have you played that game? I understand a bargain, but I don't even think I would take a free copy of that game.

Yay! I'm glad you are enjoying it.

And Two Worlds isn't THAT bad. I gave the demo another try, found some fun in it so I ordered it (and Conan) from Gamestop via my credit and some sweet online discount codes I found on Cheapassgamer. They send me the collector's edition instead, and right now it's not a bad investment. It feels like a PC-game with middling production values, but it's a great randomized-loot RPG and tons of exploration. But lots of fighting wildlife...ugh.

I can find fun in nearly ANY game. It's a curse and a blessing I guess. :)

[Purple Santa]

Isn't there a Mirror's Edge thread somewhere that you guys can post in?

I kid, I kid! :p

I just spent 3 straight hours playing Kingdom for Keflings. My eyes are bleeding, my ears are ringing, and I am addicted. I don't know if I'll get to any other games this weekend. KfK is great!
Well tell us what you like about it so much. ADD was asking me if I heard of it...only because of you and she asked if I was going to play it. So? Do tell :). This thread goes beyond "just what you play". Few weeks ago it was Dead Space. Sometimes it's about bargains. It's a very ADD type thread. The mental disorder not the gamer :).
And Kelegacy, what in the world are you doing buying Two Worlds? Have you played that game? I understand a bargain, but I don't even think I would take a free copy of that game.

BBK will play anything he sees cheap enough to buy. I'm not at the point yet of Two Worlds though. Cheap yes...just not my type of game I would bother with...otherwise I would play almost anything cheap enough. Of course that's after BBK has taught me how to hunt for bargains everywhere...

And just for Mags...Mirror's Edge update. Taking Yoda Spigot's advice I foolishly left the disc in the 360. So of course I did decide to play this game again. Why...i'm not really sure. And of course finished chapter 7. Except the volume was down to low and I couldn't hear the one cutscene you want to hear if you are playing this game. Surrounded by sleeping cats and ADD snoring...I couldn't find the remote...arrrrggghhh.

[drobvice]

By the way when was the election held for Weekend Gaming/Gamer submitter? I missed it. :P

[Purple Santa]

By the way when was the election held for Weekend Gaming/Gamer submitter? I missed it. :P

Spigot rigged it. He won but I keep waking up to early and posting :p. This week he got up earlier than me...

[MagGnome]

And Two Worlds isn't THAT bad.

I actually enjoyed the demo for that game, in a messed up sort of way. It was so bad that it was almost good. Not worth buying it, but I'll probably add it to my Gamefly list just so I can run around for a while.


Well tell us what you like about it so much. ADD was asking me if I heard of it...only because of you and she asked if I was going to play it. So? Do tell :). This thread goes beyond "just what you play". Few weeks ago it was Dead Space. Sometimes it's about bargains. It's a very ADD type thread. The mental disorder not the gamer :).


I'm about to go eat a REALLY late dinner (almost 10pm), but I'll post some impressions in a bit.

[Xerxes]

Two Worlds is partly fun cause it is bad.

[MagGnome]

I'll try to keep this brief, but I did want to share some impressions about Kingdom for Keflings.

The game brings me back to my youth in some ways. I've always been a fan of building and "god" games, and this game falls squarely in that genre. You control a giant - I'm playing as my avatar - and you help these small people build up their city. You do this by gathering resources and using them to build parts, which you in turn put together in certain combinations to form buildings. Each building gives you access to new abilities and new buildings.

The gameplay is very laid back, and I've had a lot of fun running around putting things together and seeing my keflings at work. The game is really simple, but there are a lot of buildings to unlock and make, so it lasts quite a while. My only real complaint so far is that I wish there was a screen where you could see how many keflings you have assigned to each task. Each kefling wears a different hat depending on the task it has been given, but I wish I could see an overall breakdown. That's the only thing that bothers me at all though - the rest of the game is perfect. It is light, whimsical, and overall very addictive. Definitely worth the 800 points, and I'm really glad my 360 is back so I can finally play it. It was one of my most anticipated games of this year, as crazy as that sounds.

I'm already dreaming of a sequel. ;)

[EternalGamer]

Two Worlds is partly fun cause it is bad.

You know, I never buy this argument with other media, especially when it is being used intentionally, but a poorly constructed game is its own special kind of train wreck to examine.

I have vivid memories of playing Virtua Hylide on the Sega Saturn. It was a game that ran at probably 5 frames a second and it felt like the world would crumble around you at any moment. You could get stuck in walls, walk through trees, etc. And yet, that poor construction made the game all that more interesting to explore.

[zarathstra]

Well, my lovely GF got me a Wii for Christmas, so I guess I'll be doing THAT for the rest of the weekend. :)

[Spigot]

Well, my lovely GF got me a Wii for Christmas, so I guess I'll be doing THAT for the rest of the weekend. :)Get your hands on deBlob if you can. It's fantastic.

[Purple Santa]

*Mags long thought*
I'm already dreaming of a sequel. ;)
Thanks for the mini impression. I think based on what you said, i'm going to try it.
Get your hands on deBlob if you can. It's fantastic.
This is another d/l I need to do and play.

[MagGnome]

You know, I never buy this argument with other media, especially when it is being used intentionally, but a poorly constructed game is its own special kind of train wreck to examine.

I have vivid memories of playing Virtua Hylide on the Sega Saturn. It was a game that ran at probably 5 frames a second and it felt like the world would crumble around you at any moment. You could get stuck in walls, walk through trees, etc. And yet, that poor construction made the game all that more interesting to explore.


I put up with some really bad games when I was younger. I spent hours playing ET on the Atari 2600, for example, even though I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing in the game.

Edit - de Blob is one Wii game I'd love to play. It would be great if they ported it to PC, and put it up on Steam.

Let me know what you think Santa! At least give the demo a try.

[Spigot]

Yeah. AK4K was a fantastic way to unwind after getting my rage going during Mirror's Edge sessions. We'll have to all get together and build a village. I didn't really touch the multiplayer aspect of the game at all.

And deBlob on the Wii is great, but alas, isn't a d/l. There is a PC freeware version, but the Wii version is leaps and bounds better. The things they do with music in that game...

[EternalGamer]

Thanks for the mini impression. I think based on what you said, i'm going to try it.

This is another d/l I need to do and play.

I believe De Blob is disc based.

[MagGnome]

Yeah. AK4K was a fantastic way to unwind after getting my rage going during Mirror's Edge sessions. We'll have to all get together and build a village. I didn't really touch the multiplayer aspect of the game at all.


I'd definitely be up for playing the co-op sometime.

I put over 6.5 hours into the game today. I'm almost done with it. :o

[Purple Santa]

I put up with some really bad games when I was younger. I spent hours playing ET on the Atari 2600, for example, even though I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing in the game.

No one playing that game had any idea what to do in the game. Including the person who programmed it. It says something about your patience that you were able to play it for more than 10 minutes.
I believe De Blob is disc based.

It is. I was confusing it with a Wii Ware title that for the life of me I can't remember what it was. In any case I want to play both of them :) I hate my swiss cheese memory...

[Xerxes]

You know, I never buy this argument with other media, especially when it is being used intentionally, but a poorly constructed game is its own special kind of train wreck to examine.

I have vivid memories of playing Virtua Hylide on the Sega Saturn. It was a game that ran at probably 5 frames a second and it felt like the world would crumble around you at any moment. You could get stuck in walls, walk through trees, etc. And yet, that poor construction made the game all that more interesting to explore.

Well I buy it for movies as well. TV shows and Music, no. That would be like buying K Feds album. It just wouldn't be any good. That's something you limit to small doses. You hear 10 seconds laugh and move on. Same for TV. With movies, you get stuff like MST3K out of bad movies so it's funny there.

[Gorvi]

It is. I was confusing it with a Wii Ware title that for the life of me I can't remember what it was. In any case I want to play both of them :) I hate my swiss cheese memory...
World of Goo? Yeah, I keep getting those two mixed up as well.

[Purple Santa]

World of Goo? Yeah, I keep getting those two mixed up as well.

Thanks! Yes, that is the one. Ok, now both are on my list of games to be played in 2009...

[Kielaran]

AK4K is the most relaxing game. It is nice to turn it on befoer I head to bed and just veg out with my Keflings. :)

[Kelegacy]

You know, I never buy this argument with other media, especially when it is being used intentionally, but a poorly constructed game is its own special kind of train wreck to examine.

I have vivid memories of playing Virtua Hylide on the Sega Saturn. It was a game that ran at probably 5 frames a second and it felt like the world would crumble around you at any moment. You could get stuck in walls, walk through trees, etc. And yet, that poor construction made the game all that more interesting to explore.

It's funny, I've bought a bunch of "bad" clearance titles this year that I've played through (and then traded in usually). For instance, Open Season, which you were so kind enough to rip me for. Oddly enough, I had fun with it. Beat it in a sitting while the girlfriend was gone shopping, and it probably wasn't the best way to spend my gaming time, but it wasn't terrible. Maybe it's just me and being able to find some sort of fun with them, and I also think having achievements helps this as well. Makes me strive for and do different things in games I normally wouldn't, prolonging the fun.

Two Worlds, in all honestly, isn't close to great. The world itself isn't designed badly, but the developers tripped up in crucial areas. First--combat. It's basically boiled down to a hack and slash title. The item drops and chests are still randomized, which I like, but when I fight it usually sees me using magic until I come up close, then I slash slash slash, dodge, then repeat. Also, quests aren't as excitingly diverse or open as Oblivion or Fallout 3, but those games' quests are in a different class altogether anyway.

The character models are ugly, as is the voice acting most of the time (though everything is voice-overed completely). No matter how hard you try to design your character with the terrible character creation tool, you'll wind up cross-eyed and ugly.

You are subject to a ton of fighting (and dying--I should have put it on EASY mode as some reviews suggested), mostly wildlife unfortunately. Boars, wolves, bears, that sort of boring crap. Fortunately dying has no penalties and you warp back to life at the nearest shrine.

Item customization/crafting is fun, as is exploring and the alchemy pot. The world is bigger than Oblivion's, and I like to traipse around exploring...usually with wildlife chasing me because it gets annoying to stop and fight so often. Also, dialogue and setting make it feel like an actual medieval game, set somewhere in Europe. Which makes sense because it was developed there.

The best part is actually developing your character as you want. Really, this is probably the best pure character-developing RPG I've played on the consoles, if only because of it's freedom. No classes, just many skills and traits to upgrade if you want. You can craft your own type of character without preconditions of class limitations.

So while the combat isn't the most exciting--right now anyway--I've found glimmers of fun in it to overcome some of the more obvious issues. I'll update you on if I stick with it, but after slamming the game for so long it's odd that I gave the demo another chance and wound up buying the game. Probably because I've been pining away for a quality PC-style RPG for a while. And it's obvious this was a PC title first and foremost just by the way the game plays. I hope the sequel, which is in development (the game actually helped make Southpeak lots of dough oddly enough), will fix some of the many issues the game has.

[Spigot]

I still couldn't stand Two Worlds because I couldn't figure out how to get out of the starter dungeon. Gah. That and I figured that if I wanted to play Oblivion, I'd just play Oblivion instead of Bad Oblivion.

I do think that a lot of the time what you pay for a game can influence how much you enjoy it. If I were to drop $60 on Two Worlds or Open Season or some of these other crappy games, I'd be so livid for having to pay that much for crap that I'd probably never be able to fully enjoy it, no matter how good an experience may lie underneath the dross.

Dropping $10-15 on the same game is much more palatable and can help you see past the faults.

I have no problem with B-Games (like B-Movies) that have interesting quirks or are just such train-wrecks that you need to see them to fully appreciate how bad they are but I can't stand the idea of having to pay the insane prices for them. There's also the fact that at this stage of my life, I just don't have nearly the amount of free time that I used to and if I am going to play a few hours of a game, I'd like it to be enjoyable. I kind of regret that I'm not as willing to take chances with off-beat titles as I used to but the realities of having to pay for the upbringing of two kids, basement renovations and all of the good games that come out doesn't leave much for experimentation. Sigh.

When can these kids get off to college so I can play videogames again? :)

[Kelegacy]

Starter dungeon? You walk in, doing the tutorial commands like the game tries to teach you--open the door, draw your weapon--and then you kill the 2 groms. The game then tells you to turn around and walk back outside (since you discovered the two dead villagers where the groms were). Ta-dah! You're done!

And cost does directly affect my fun of a game. For $10, a game can be mediocre but be very fun. At $60, I'd feel angry at my stupid self for buying it--not that I buy many $60 anyway...that's for suckers. :)

I'm going to play some more of it today. The exploration is my favorite part of the game, as is the loot hunting, so we'll see if my experience sours.

[EternalGamer]

It's funny, I've bought a bunch of "bad" clearance titles this year that I've played through (and then traded in usually).

Hey, I didn't rip you for your tastes. When I saw you playing it, I merely inquired as to whether or not you were a pedophile.

[Kelegacy]

Hey, I didn't rip you for your tastes. When I saw you playing it, I merely inquired as to whether or not you were a pedophile.

Ass is ass.

[Purple Santa]

Starter dungeon? You walk in, doing the tutorial commands like the game tries to teach you--open the door, draw your weapon--and then you kill the 2 groms. The game then tells you to turn around and walk back outside (since you discovered the two dead villagers where the groms were). Ta-dah! You're done!



Spigot's brain is soaked from all the obscure games as he says "used to play" but no longer (liar liar...). So that is to "simple" for him to know. He was expecting some odd metaphysical part to the dungeon. Where's the transcendence of the characters? Did the character feel bad about the groms? You can't expect Spigot just to go in, follow directions and then...gasp...start the game :)

Edit: I just looked at the Tags...ya bastard Spigot. I see what you did there...

I expect to be totally smacked for this from Spigot...but luckily Spigot takes my ribbing in stride...usually ignoring me...which is a good plan...

[Variable Gear]

I played close to three hours of Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core last night with my sister. She was a little rusty with Ky at the start, but as she attempted to find the right combination of version and face button to equip his pink outfit, she got legitimate (button-mashing) skills. If I didn't know all of Sol's combos, I might have been in trouble. :p
I have heard that if you dial the difficulty down to Easy, it's a lot nicer to get that achievement as the combat isn't nearly as punishing yet the jumping sections are the same.
I'd do that if I played through the game again, but I don't have my copy anymore so...

I also have this strange tendency to think that the developer built their game to be played on the medium difficulty setting. I have a strange feeling that many of the high review scores for Mirror's Edge were inflated due to the reviewer playing on Easy instead of Normal. Note: this is just a theory.

[MagGnome]

World of Goo? Yeah, I keep getting those two mixed up as well.

Thanks! Yes, that is the one. Ok, now both are on my list of games to be played in 2009...

World of Goo is a fantastic game. I have the demo on Steam, and I love it. I'm definitely going to pick up the full version soon.

I recommend that all of you guys buy that game, even if you don't have a Wii. It's $20 on Steam, and I'm sure the game has really low system requirements.


AK4K is the most relaxing game. It is nice to turn it on befoer I head to bed and just veg out with my Keflings. :)

You should add me to your 360 friends list! I know we are friends on Steam, so we should be Live friends as well. :)

I'm pretty sure I will be finishing AK4K today. I'll probably replay through it before too long, but I want to spend some time with some other games first.


Two Worlds, in all honestly, isn't close to great.

I was really hoping that Two Worlds would be a decent game. I've been pining for a good PC RPG since I finished Gothic 2 - an amazing game that really sucked me into its world. I need to play The Witcher, but I know that my iMac wouldn't do it justice. Hopefully I'll have the money (and the skills) to build a nice gaming rig in a few months time.


I do think that a lot of the time what you pay for a game can influence how much you enjoy it.

This is one of the things that I love about Steam. Left 4 Dead is the only game I've bought on there for anywhere near full price ($45). Everything else I've picked up for $20 or less, including a lot of games that turned out to be really great. The only stinker I bought was Indigo Prophecy, but considering that I've bought around 45 titles on Steam in the last six months, 1 bomb isn't so bad.

[EternalGamer]

Goddamnit. I just lost an hour of fighting in LR. I knew I hadn't saved in a while and I took a really dumb risk in a battle. Ugh. But if I don't work on getting back to where I was immediately, I may not be able to compell myself to do it again.

[Kelegacy]

Mags, have you played the Gothic games? If not, you can score them for cheap these days.

Two Worlds isn't going to rank in anyone's top PC games, but it's not terrible IMO. Some places have given it okay reviews, other places hammered it. It all depends on what you're looking for in a game. I haven't played enough of it yet, but I will be firing it back up in a bit. I've enjoyed what I've played so far anyway. And sometimes the game does look pretty stunning, like when you exit the tutorial dungeon Spigot got lost in (the "dungeon" with one room) and step outside into the world.

[Kelegacy]

Goddamnit. I just lost an hour of fighting in LR. I knew I hadn't saved in a while and I took a really dumb risk in a battle. Ugh. But if I don't work on getting back to where I was immediately, I may not be able to compell myself to do it again.

It's fairly easy to have a union die in combat. I think I need more tinkering with my unions though. Sometimes bad luck comes out and can wipe out one of my unions, but thankfully everyone heals after each encounter. I love that.

I will fight a bit, save, fight a bit, save. Just in case. And I always save before I enter a new area...you never know when a boss will come about.

[Purple Santa]

This is one of the things that I love about Steam. Left 4 Dead is the only game I've bought on there for anywhere near full price ($45). Everything else I've picked up for $20 or less, including a lot of games that turned out to be really great. The only stinker I bought was Indigo Prophecy, but considering that I've bought around 45 titles on Steam in the last six months, 1 bomb isn't so bad.

What was wrong with Indigo Prophecy? I loved that game on the xbox. Not sure how well it plays on the PC though. I wish I still had my copy, i'd send it to you. One of my favorite games ever.

[EternalGamer]

My problem was I got greedy, trying to link as many enemies together as possible into a single fight. Then, one of them ran into me before I could start the fight and I had 4 or 5 of them with an "enemy advantage."

One thing I don't like about the mechanics is the right trigger "summon fight" ring seems pretty iffy at times. Not nearly as precise as Blue Dragon's. I think they should have taken a prompt from the way that game handled it and froze the action when you hit the right trigger allowing you to see who is in the circle.

[MagGnome]

Mags, have you played the Gothic games? If not, you can score them for cheap these days.

Two Worlds isn't going to rank in anyone's top PC games, but it's not terrible IMO. Some places have given it okay reviews, other places hammered it. It all depends on what you're looking for in a game. I haven't played enough of it yet, but I will be firing it back up in a bit. I've enjoyed what I've played so far anyway. And sometimes the game does look pretty stunning, like when you exit the tutorial dungeon Spigot got lost in (the "dungeon" with one room) and step outside into the world.

In my post I specifically mentioned Gothic 2 as the last PC RPG I really enjoyed, so yeah, I've played them. :p Thanks for the heads up though! I've been wanting to play the first Gothic at some point, and possibly even the third.

I'm hoping that Steam puts Two Worlds on their weekend deal sometime. I think they might have already done so, so maybe I missed out. Still, the game would be worth the $10 I'm sure.

[MagGnome]

What was wrong with Indigo Prophecy? I loved that game on the xbox. Not sure how well it plays on the PC though. I wish I still had my copy, i'd send it to you. One of my favorite games ever.

I hate QTEs. The only game that they were ever decent in was Shenmue, the first game that did them, AFAIK.

Indigo Prophecy is full of the things, and they bug me to no end.

[Spigot]

Yeah, I got stuck in the starter dungeon in Two Worlds. I couldn't figure out how to open the door. Keep that in mind the next time anyone starts to praise my l33t sk1ll5.

I don't mind QTEs. God of War uses them to great effect. It's when they're tossed in with no real connection to the gameplay that they can get on my nerves.
One thing I don't like about the mechanics is the right trigger "summon fight" ring seems pretty iffy at times. Not nearly as precise as Blue Dragon's. I think they should have taken a prompt from the way that game handled it and froze the action when you hit the right trigger allowing you to see who is in the circle.I agree with you on this. I'm still getting a feel for linking monsters together and wish that you could pull the camera back a bit more so you could see the field better.

Variable: I tend to pick the medium difficulty as well. I don't need to be destroyed by a game to feel validated as a human being (ie. I don't play on Insane mode or anything) but it always feels like I'm cheating if I dial down the game to Easy.

And Purple Santa, I do too play my old obscure games! At this time of year I don't dabble with them as much as I'd like to, but once the flood has finished and we get into the mid-December to late-August drought, well, that's when I start to look at my older games and bring take them for a spin.

[Kelegacy]

My problem was I got greedy, trying to link as many enemies together as possible into a single fight. Then, one of them ran into me before I could start the fight and I had 4 or 5 of them with an "enemy advantage."

One thing I don't like about the mechanics is the right trigger "summon fight" ring seems pretty iffy at times. Not nearly as precise as Blue Dragon's. I think they should have taken a prompt from the way that game handled it and froze the action when you hit the right trigger allowing you to see who is in the circle.

Happened to me too. I was in Blackdale after another route opened up, I linked up a big bird that I could take and two groups of...werewolves? (called Imps) As soon as I did that I realized I hadn't encountered these things before. Even my team uttered phrases like how tough they were even before the fight started.

I then proceded to get annihilated.

I also don't care for the link ring w/o using Timeshift. At first I was missing the enemies and instead it was creating an "Aggro Pull", basically a missed link ring attempt that makes enemies come after you. It can be useful, but not what I was going after.

However, with the Timeshift feature that Rush has, you can slow down enemies and link many without the ring. Well, you still need to use the ring, but you don't need to be near the enemies after they've turned red.

[Purple Santa]

And Purple Santa, I do too play my old obscure games! At this time of year I don't dabble with them as much as I'd like to, but once the flood has finished and we get into the mid-December to late-August drought, well, that's when I start to look at my older games and bring take them for a spin.

I stand corrected. Spigot's addled gaming skills are corroding from the continued play of obscure games :D. And I won't say you have skills anymore...i'll just say you have saintly amount of patience to get past broken parts of games. Either way...it's admirable. Well to me anyway. I have no patience.

[Murtaug]

Two Worlds is partly fun cause it is bad.

What does it say about me that I can say, genuinely, that I liked Two Worlds?

It definitely had a lot of issues, but something kept bringing me back.

[Purple Santa]

What does it say about me that I can say, genuinely, that I liked Two Worlds?

It definitely had a lot of issues, but something kept bringing me back.

Depends. Did you buy full price for the game? Rent it? Bargain bin purchase? It might say something if you payed full price and enjoyed it...maybe that you are a sadomasochist...otherwise it's like what others have said, a deeply discounted game is looked at different. You put up with a lot more...which is odd since you paid less for it but enduring more pain...

I wonder what makes me keep playing certain games that obviously are causing more pain than joy. I think it's just the simple need to see the end, although I can go to Youtube and do that too. This madness explains why I had to finish Assassins Creed on the DS...

[MagGnome]

I'll readily admit that I sometimes play games on Easy. I want to experience the game and explore the game world, not be frustrated. I'll usually go for normal mode, but there are times when I'll go with Easy just so I can't get by with minimal challenge. Playing Left 4 Dead on the PC, everyone wants to go through on Advance or Expert. I always suggest going with Normal, just so I can finally see one of the scenarios all the way through, and they laugh at me. :(

I guess my gamer cred just went right out the window.

[Bad Buddha]

I ran an Exchange server migration from home Saturday. Took from 8:00am until 5:00pm; didn't have to spend the whole time watching it, just queued some mailboxes, hit "GO" and checked it an hour later. Geez! One employee had 17,000 emails in their "Deleted Items" folder. :eek: Played hours of The Witcher while it was running. Once it was all done, I drove into work to start a tape backup of the whole system.

I was pretty tired of computers by the time I got home, so I baked some Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies! Yum! :D

Got up early this morning with a splitting sinus headache and played a mission in Startopia! Little stress and no "Bang! Bang!" to aggravate the head. Took a hot steaming shower and dove back into The Witcher. Got a CTD in the swamp cave and here I am!

With all the talk about Two Worlds, I might have to run down to BB and pick it up! Mmmm! Crappy Game! ;)

[Bad Buddha]

I'll readily admit that I sometimes play games on Easy. I want to experience the game and explore the game world, not be frustrated. I'll usually go for normal mode, but there are times when I'll go with Easy just so I can't get by with minimal challenge. Playing Left 4 Dead on the PC, everyone wants to go through on Advance or Expert. I always suggest going with Normal, just so I can finally see one of the scenarios all the way through, and they laugh at me. :(

I guess my gamer cred just went right out the window.

Nothing wrong with that, Gnomey! I play games for fun and often play on the easy mode just to avoid frustration and stress. I get enough stress in the real world and feel no need to torture myself to maintain any supposed level of gamer cred.

If it was my job and I was rated on how far I was able to get in Extreme mode before my eyeballs exploded from the stress, then I might run that gauntlet. Or I would look for a less stressful job! :D

Enjoy your games, Mags! You paid for them; play them the way you want to.

[MagGnome]

Enjoy your games, Mags! You paid for them; play them the way you want to.

Thanks! That's exactly the way I feel. I don't see the need to get so frustrated with a game that I start cursing or throwing the controller around. I'm under enough stress at work, so when I'm gaming I want to relax and enjoy myself.


Kelegacy - I hope my reply about Gothic earlier didn't throw you off. You were trying to give me a recommendation, and my reply to you might have been a little snarky. Would you recommend the first Gothic game? I really enjoyed the second a lot - the world was very fleshed out and a lot of fun to explore, even if the combat was weak.

[Purple Santa]

I guess my gamer cred just went right out the window.

Allow me to step in front of you to restore your gaming cred. I play on Easy. All the time. I'll stand up and shout I have no gaming skills. I don't have the time nor patience to hone my skills where I need to play on above normal. But I don't want to play on Normal and be that frustrated. I get enough of that on easy.

I'm with you Mags about the game playing being about exploring..wanting to check out the world...I want to experience it the best way I can. For me that's on easy. I want to challenge myself I can find other ways to do that. I argue the same way when it comes to discussion of save anywhere, shorter games etc. Of course, I never had any gamer cred...so I don't lose anything jumping out that window for you Mags :D. You PC game...you still got cred :cool:

Edit: The sage of our forum BB beat me to it. What BB said :)

Edit, Edit: I find it funny that an awful game like Two Worlds is getting so much talk a few of us now are going to run out and pick it up. I tried it once...not sure if I want to go back...

[Karak]

What does it say about me that I can say, genuinely, that I liked Two Worlds?

It definitely had a lot of issues, but something kept bringing me back.

Not Much.
You sound like pretty much everyone else I know or have talked to who actually played for a bit of time. Of the 15 odd people I know in my personal life only one dislikes it...and that is simply because of its fighting mechanics. over 10 of them own it and the rest borrowed and beat it.

[Kelegacy]

What does it say about me that I can say, genuinely, that I liked Two Worlds?

It definitely had a lot of issues, but something kept bringing me back.

Hey, I'm liking it too. Issues, yes, but I'm still having fun.

[Spigot]

Edit, Edit: I find it funny that an awful game like Two Worlds is getting so much talk a few of us now are going to run out and pick it up. I tried it once...not sure if I want to go back...
Stay strong, Mr. Claus.

I was starting to get concerned over the past week or two when I started seeing not one, not two, but at least 3 or 4 people on my Friends List playing Two Worlds.

I'm just waiting for someone to arrange a mass "Play Blue Dragon" day so that I'll see wall-to-wall Shu when I log onto Live. That'd probably do me in, Scanners-style.

On a note actually related to the thread, I got the SMT: Imagine client and fired it up yesterday. It's interesting. Low-rent, to be sure, but it's just in beta and is a free-to-play MMO, so I'm cool with that. I love the aesthetics though and might actually give it a shot later in the month when I have a bit of free time.

[Purple Santa]

Stay strong, Mr. Claus.

I was starting to get concerned over the past week or two when I started seeing not one, not two, but at least 3 or 4 people on my Friends List playing Two Worlds.

I'm just waiting for someone to arrange a mass "Play Blue Dragon" day so that I'll see wall-to-wall Shu when I log onto Live. That'd probably do me in, Scanners-style.

On a note actually related to the thread, I got the SMT: Imagine client and fired it up yesterday. It's interesting. Low-rent, to be sure, but it's just in beta and is a free-to-play MMO, so I'm cool with that. I love the aesthetics though and might actually give it a shot later in the month when I have a bit of free time.
So you are saying Two Worlds ranks up there with Blue Dragon and Star Wars Unleashed? Now that is some bad company. Yeah, this thread seems to bring a quality of want to bad games. At times that isn't bad...but i'm still passing on Two Worlds. And I always love to read your "love" for BD. Some of the funniest stuff from you is about BD. At this point if i'm laughing out loud ADD says it must be a Spigot comment...

[MagGnome]

Allow me to step in front of you to restore your gaming cred.

You PC game...you still got cred :cool:

Thanks Santa, I feel much better now. Perhaps I won't show myself the door after all.


Hey, I'm liking it too. Issues, yes, but I'm still having fun.


Did you see my post about Gothic?

[Kelegacy]

Thanks Santa, I feel much better now. Perhaps I won't show myself the door after all.





Did you see my post about Gothic?

Yeah, sorry to ignore you. Gothic is a great game, definitely worth trying, and is a lot like Gothic 2...right down to the clunky combat. Otherwise it's the most 3D incarnation of the Ultima series that I can think of. At least, by Ultima I mean the best one--Ultima VII. :)

I never beat Gothic and never played II as a result. Because it's a continuation of the storyline, though I guess it's not a big deal. Gothic on modern computers might not look great because of the polygons, but I bet the gameplay holds up fairly well. Just be careful where you venture, as it can be difficult just like the rest of the series if you wander into the wrong place too soon.

I really think they could port a future Gothic game to the consoles fairly easily. I mean, Two Worlds feels like it at times, at least in spirit. It's probably because of the common CRPG blood that flows through their veins though.

I'm actually getting stronger in Two Worlds and because of the random loot in chests, I've found some really great armor and a great primary weapon (taken from a fallen enemy). I'm also not dying anymore since I've learned how to play better. Now that I've given the game a fair shake (after SLAMMING it when I played the demo when it was first released) I have done an almost entire 180. I'm actually enjoying it not just because it's a bargain bin title, but because it's a decent RPG. Now I feel sorry for all those people I ribbed for liking shitty games whenever Two Worlds was mentioned.

[EternalGamer]

Yeah, sorry to ignore you. Gothic is a great game, definitely worth trying, and is a lot like Gothic 2...right down to the clunky combat. Otherwise it's the most 3D incarnation of the Ultima series that I can think of. At least, by Ultima I mean the best one--Ultima VII. :)

I never beat Gothic and never played II as a result. Because it's a continuation of the storyline, though I guess it's not a big deal. Gothic on modern computers might not look great because of the polygons, but I bet the gameplay holds up fairly well. Just be careful where you venture, as it can be difficult just like the rest of the series if you wander into the wrong place too soon.

I really think they could port a future Gothic game to the consoles fairly easily. I mean, Two Worlds feels like it at times, at least in spirit. It's probably because of the common CRPG blood that flows through their veins though.

I'm actually getting stronger in Two Worlds and because of the random loot in chests, I've found some really great armor and a great primary weapon (taken from a fallen enemy). I'm also not dying anymore since I've learned how to play better. Now that I've given the game a fair shake (after SLAMMING it when I played the demo when it was first released) I have done an almost entire 180. I'm actually enjoying it not just because it's a bargain bin title, but because it's a decent RPG. Now I feel sorry for all those people I ribbed for liking shitty games whenever Two Worlds was mentioned.

Don't worry, both I and your former self feel sorry for your current self.
Yes, you can enjoy yourself by lowering your standards and expectations, by being willing to play with any and everything. You can also catch syphilis that way.

Sex with a whore may be enjoyable, but its still sex with a whore. Playing Two worlds is having sex with a toothless whore behind a alley dumpster whose female parts look, smell, and feel like the contents of a two year old jar of mayonnaise.

[Kelegacy]

Don't worry, both I and your former self feel sorry for your current self.
Yes, you can enjoy yourself by lowering your standards and expectations, by being willing to play with any and everything. You can also catch syphilis that way.

Sex with a whore may be enjoyable, but its still sex with a whore. Playing Two worlds is having sex with a toothless whore behind a alley dumpster whose female parts look, smell, and feel like the contents of a two year old jar of mayonnaise.

Don't knock it til you try it. Sex is the currency of the world, and even the toothless aren't COMPLETELY poor if they still have genitals.

[Spigot]

See! SEE! I've been saying the same things about Blue Dragon for years!

Now you know how it feels!

A ha ha hahaaaaaha!

*Spigot runs off cackling into the night*

[Xerxes]

Two Worlds had some solid play mechanics that work well for the game. I'll be checking out the sequel as well. I'm not sure what to expect, are what it is I want from the game.

[Kelegacy]

See! SEE! I've been saying the same things about Blue Dragon for years!

Now you know how it feels!

A ha ha hahaaaaaha!

*Spigot runs off cackling into the night*

I think you dislike the game for the wrong reasons. It's almost become an obsession of yours to dislike the game. I find Blue Dragon to be an easily recommended for anyone looking for a traditional JRPG--doesn't do anything truly new for the genre, but doesn't do anything really bad either. I think you enjoyed it for the most part, but the black-tainted glasses are ruining it for you. :)

Two Worlds had some solid play mechanics that work well for the game. I'll be checking out the sequel as well. I'm not sure what to expect, are what it is I want from the game.

I think my playtime is only 2 hours so far, but I agree--and the update has fixed some of the reported slowdown or issues that shipped with the game. The sequel is called Two Worlds: The Temptation or something like that. I'll definitely be interested, as I bet Southpeak will fix many of the mistakes from the first.

Believe it or not, Two Worlds helped put Southpeak into the black. They had a 220% increase in revenue the year they launched it, along with some other titles. It was more successful in Europe, where it was created, but it didn't get negative reviews across the board. Gamespot gave it like a 7 or something. It's not a terrible game and doesn't deserve all the hate. Instead, it instead has some clunky issues, which are evident because of the PC nature of the title. Pretty much it's just a straight port. And for the most part, I'm glad of that. It's a PC game on the consoles, not a PC game torn asunder to make it "fit" on a console.

Now, I may play some less than stellar games now and then(though I can't think of a single truly bad game I've played this year, perhaps Bullet Witch--but I still found a tiny bit of fun in that as well for a short spell) but a game has to REALLY fuck up to make me dislike it entirely. I don't have a lot of time to game, especially with a live-in pregnant girlfriend, a full time job, and an adult life, so I don't like to waste my time playing crap. But as of 2008 I will give any game a fair shake, mostly because this was the first year I've bought so-called "crap"--games that didn't review or sell well--and I found that most of the time that "crap" turned out to be either diamonds in the rough or something that didn't deserve the hammering it got.

In the past reviews were the first and foremost resource for game playing for me. And they still are very important, especially for newly released titles. But I will give games a chance at $20 or less, especially after this year. Reviews have made me miss out on a LOT of games in the past I think. Games aren't cheap and don't allow much room for mistakes--I can't afford to spend $60 on many games, especially bads one I'll regret buying--but I will never write a game off completely. I've found myself having too much fun this year with critical or retail "failures" than I thought ever possible. Alone in the Dark was a failure in both sectors and still became one of my most overlooked gems of the year. I really REALLY enjoyed it despite some flaws in the way it was designed (mostly the controls, as innovative as I think they were).

[MagGnome]

Yeah, sorry to ignore you.

I'm used to it. :p


You should really play Gothic 2. It's one of my favorite CRPGs. It has a really fleshed out world with a lot of places to explore and things to do. There are some really wicked monsters hiding in the far corners of the map, and a lot of cool touches that make the game world seem alive.

It's a brutal game, in that you can easily die if you wander off the beaten path, but the things that you will find make it worth it. I've thought about going back to play it again sometime, but I spent so much time with it the first go around that I feel as if I've pretty much seen it all. There was one giant chest deep in the forest that I could never find a key for - I've always wondered what was in there.

[MagGnome]

Kelgeacy - I think it's great that you give games a chance even if they didn't review well. I had the most fun gaming when I was younger and wasn't so involved in the forums and the hype. I played and enjoyed a lot of games back then that I probably wouldn't touch today.

I've decided to go ahead and add Two Worlds to my Gamefly queue. I was going to pick it up for the PC, but I might as well try it on the 360 first.

[Purple Santa]

I agree I won't write off titles anymore. Just means i'll look for them in the bargain bin. Especially old JRPGs. But i've followed your lead and found some hopefully decent titles for dirt cheap. And I rarely buy full price games. In the fall season I will because most are worth it for me to buy cause they will last me (FO3) or i'm a big fan (TR). As for reviews, i pick out information that might be helpful to me such as how the controls are in the game or other minute details. But overall, I don't take them seriously. They have their use though. Besides for fodder for the game forums...

Btw...Kelegacy, what's your list look like for games played this year? that would be interesting...

[Kelegacy]

Kelgeacy - I think it's great that you give games a chance even if they didn't review well. I had the most fun gaming when I was younger and wasn't so involved in the forums and the hype. I played and enjoyed a lot of games back then that I probably wouldn't touch today.

I've decided to go ahead and add Two Worlds to my Gamefly queue. I was going to pick it up for the PC, but I might as well try it on the 360 first.

Did you play the demo for Two Worlds yet? I think you might want to do that first. It's on the Marketplace.

Do you know how to manipulate your Gamefly queue? You don't want to have too much on there, despite having the ability to place 50 games on it. Because if you put Two Worlds #50 and it's the most readily available title, you'll probably get that instead of the 49 other games before it.

Basically I started just keeping 5 or so titles on it. If the game states "Available Now" instead of "Low, Medium or High Availability", you will probably get that before other titles. It's a bad system unless you know how to manipulate it. I had to get rid of all my 50 games and cut it down to the most wanted because I kept getting ~ #15 on my list despite other titles before it showing up as High Availability. My first two rentals were Turok and Viking. As if I'd rent them over newer games, as a new subscriber especially. And every title before it was listed as being Highly Available, including CoD4 and other titles that had been out for awhile. Until I learned the tricks, I thought something was fucked up because I kept receiving games far down on my list.

And I really don't want you getting Two Worlds as one of your first games from Gamefly. It isn't quality enough to be wasting your monthly subscription renting. Rent the most expensive or most wanted titles first (that way you are saving a lot of cash) and then when you've played all the latest and greatest put some other titles you've been intersted in. I could have rented Two Worlds, but it was more cost effective for me to buy it cheap and rent PoP and Mirror's Edge instead, which should both be here tomorrow. :)

And Gothic 2 is definitely the better game, according to user and critical reviews. I have it around here someplace, but wanted to finish the first before. I played through most of it in college and even restarted it years ago so I could play the sequel, but fuck it. I will pop in Gothic 2 sometime as it will definitely run on my PC.

[J Arcane]

I done been playin' me some Pokemans.

I just went through the grueling experience that is Mt. Moon and am taking a break for dinner. I actually had to go back and redo a part, because I was rushing to get to the next town and didn't realize it wasn't gonna let me go back the way I came to finish exploring the route after the cave. I know I can go back later, but I didn't want to miss out.

Now I've got to level the shit out of my team, especially Pikachu, so I can beat Misty for the Cascadebadge. THat's gonna be a bit of a grind, because the only patch I can get to to level at the moment only seems to spawn lvl9 Spearows.

[MagGnome]

Did you play the demo for Two Worlds yet? I think you might want to do that first. It's on the Marketplace.

Do you know how to manipulate your Gamefly queue?


I did play the demo for a few minutes several months back. I was chased by wolves or boars, ran into a lake, and then quit after being mauled by a bear.

You're right in that I don't want to game to be one of my first rentals, so I'll take it off my list for now. I really appreciate the heads up as to how Gamefly works. I figured it was like Netflix, but I guess not. I'll have to keep a separate list of all of the games that I want to rent and then just add a few at a time. Again, I appreciate the advice. :)

Let me know what you think of Gothic 2. I think you will love it, especially after Two Worlds.


I done been playin' me some Pokemans.


I was a huge Pokemon fan back in the day. I have a lot of good memories of my friends and I playing the Blue and Red versions.

[Xerxes]

Didn't play a damn thing. Netflix videos.

[EternalGamer]

Most of the time it isn't that reviews are wrong, it is just that they put more emphasis on problems that don't concern me as much. In general, if a game is in a genre I am currently in the mood for, I will gladly pick it up (especially if it is cheap) despite bad reviews. In general, reviews are more of an encourager to try games I might not otherwise pay attention to.

But you guys have me baffled with Two Worlds. I guess I can understand it for someone that has already drained all they can out of Oblivion and Fallout, but why someone would chose to play a second tier game like that when there are very similar titles that do the same thing much better and remain unplayed is beyond me.

[Xerxes]

Netflix is killing my game time. But it's also getting my 360 more action.

[EternalGamer]

I did play the demo for a few minutes several months back. I was chased by wolves or boars, ran into a lake, and then quit after being mauled by a bear.

You're right in that I don't want to game to be one of my first rentals, so I'll take it off my list for now. I really appreciate the heads up as to how Gamefly works. I figured it was like Netflix, but I guess not. I'll have to keep a separate list of all of the games that I want to rent and then just add a few at a time. Again, I appreciate the advice. :)


Best way to handle Gamefly is to ONLY put the game(s) on it you really want to play immediately. Whenever a big release is coming out I want, I take everything else off my queue and send back at least one of my titles 4-6 days before the release date. Using that system, I have gotten most of the big releases day of release. But you definitely don't ever want to keep a lot of stuff on your queue. They won't wait to send you the top games on your list, they'll just send you whatever they have the most of if you do that.

[Kelegacy]

I agree I won't write off titles anymore. Just means i'll look for them in the bargain bin. Especially old JRPGs. But i've followed your lead and found some hopefully decent titles for dirt cheap. And I rarely buy full price games. In the fall season I will because most are worth it for me to buy cause they will last me (FO3) or i'm a big fan (TR). As for reviews, i pick out information that might be helpful to me such as how the controls are in the game or other minute details. But overall, I don't take them seriously. They have their use though. Besides for fodder for the game forums...

Btw...Kelegacy, what's your list look like for games played this year? that would be interesting...

The titles you bought at CC cheap are all incredible investments. Nothing stinker there.

As for titles I played this year, it would be staggering. As of the beginning of September, 2007 I had around 4k achievement points. Right now I have over 33k. After I bought an HDTV at the beginning of September '07 my playing on 360 took off like wildfire. It really did make the experience that more enjoyable, and this is coming from a guy definitely NOT a graphics whore.

I bet if you took a gander at my gamelist on 360, you can go all the way back to the first game I ever played. I think they're all in order of last played. Some of the oddities I played this year were Meet the Robinsons (alright, but kinda meh), Bionicle (designed by the Lego developers, but I liked this MUCH more for some reason), Bullet Witch (don't bother), Fuzion Frenzy 2, Crash of the Titans (thoroughly enjoyed it, I recommend), Viva Pinata Party Animals (girlfriend favorite)...and that's just a tiny snowflake on the tip of the iceberg. These were probably the "worst" games I bought, which says a lot since I still had some fun with them, but many others I grabbed from the bargain bin and enjoyed immensely. Not all my bargain purchases are worthwhile, but they've never been worth shedding a tear over because of the ridiculous price I paid for most. I could usually turn around and trade them in for the same price or sell them on eBay for even more. :)

For the record, GTA IV was the only game I spent a full $60 on this year--and it came with a $10 gift card at Circuit City. And I've played and bought a lot of AAA titles like Gears 2 and Fallout 3. Just was able to score them with a discount or deal (or gift card from a previous purchase) to loosen my wallet a bit.

[MagGnome]

Best way to handle Gamefly is to ONLY put the game(s) on it you really want to play immediately. Whenever a big release is coming out I want, I take everything else off my queue and send back at least one of my titles 4-6 days before the release date. Using that system, I have gotten most of the big releases day of release. But you definitely don't ever want to keep a lot of stuff on your queue. They won't wait to send you the top games on your list, they'll just send you whatever they have the most of if you do that.

On the advice of Kelegacy and yourself, I trimmed my list down. It only contains 4 games now - Civilization Revolution, Gears 2, Mirror's Edge, and Ninjatown. All games I really want to play, so I should be good no matter what I get. Gears 2 and CivRev have the highest availability, so I'll most likely receive those.

Kelegacy - I've looked through your games list before, and my jaw dropped at all of the stuff that you have on there. My gamerscore is about to crack 2,800. :p

[EternalGamer]

I bought a ton of sub-$15 games this year including Phantasy Star Universe, Sonic The Hedgehog, Saints Row, Sega SuperStar Tennis, Lost Planet, Just Cause, Stranglehold, Quake 4, Call of Duty 2, and Beautiful Katamari. Most of those were sub-$10 and I just ordered 6 more such titles from Gamefly. Most of those purchases turned out to be pretty great (Sonic The Hedgehog excluded--stay far, far away).

My all time best "cheap" purchases though had to be about four years ago during the famouse $1.99 Circuit City Sale. I picked up around 20 Xbox and PS2 games for $2 each. Among them were some great titles like La Pucelle Tactics (Strategy RPG from the guys that made Disgaea) and I-Ninja (charming little Namco platformer that reminded me somewhat of Croc for the PS1/Saturn).

Also, I second Kelegacy's recommendation of Crash of the Titans. It is one of the rare few traditional platformers on the 360 and it is actually pretty decent. Really got overlooked. It's not amazing, but it is fun for the 6-10 hours it will take you to run through it.

I was actually anticipating that "Brave" game for the 360, which I know is a re-release of a PS2 platformer. I think it got delayed though, because I haven't seen it anywhere.

[Kelegacy]

Most of the time it isn't that reviews are wrong, it is just that they put more emphasis on problems that don't concern me as much. In general, if a game is in a genre I am currently in the mood for, I will gladly pick it up (especially if it is cheap) despite bad reviews. In general, reviews are more of an encourager to try games I might not otherwise pay attention to.

But you guys have me baffled with Two Worlds. I guess I can understand it for someone that has already drained all they can out of Oblivion and Fallout, but why someone would chose to play a second tier game like that when there are very similar titles that do the same thing much better and remain unplayed is beyond me.

I think I'm just hungering for a CRPG experience so badly that I'm willing to overlook some issues. The sometimes clunky melee combat and stiff dialogue, along with the crappy looking characters, are the extent of my issues, and even the combat can be enjoyable at times, especially now that I can kill some simpler enemies after leveling up. Thankfully, unlike Oblivion, this gameworld doesn't level up WITH you. But that means getting killed easily in certain zones before you're ready.

With my computer no longer to play new games, Two Worlds is as close to a CRPG as I can get currently--and it's satisfying that urge a bit by letting me craft a character I want, explore a massive gameworld, and acquire great loot--and complete a huge number of quests. Fallout 3 is still being played, but it's an entirely different game altogether. TW is not a great game, but the things it does right has me wanting to keep playing.

But I need to play PoP and Mirror's Edge from Gamefly when they come in tomorrow. I like to mix up the AAA with other titles, but Gamefly games always take precedence. It seems like I sometimes I just want something I don't need to think about too much. I like to couple a wide array of games. I recently beat Fracture while also playing The Last Remnant. I get burned out easily, sometimes, unless I mix it up. All these second tier games have somehow made me leave Gears 2 and other great fall games sitting unplayed. I guess that says something for them. Sometimes it's just a craving I have, like a pregnant lady. Right now Two Worlds is that weird craving. Heh.

[Purple Santa]

Best way to handle Gamefly is to ONLY put the game(s) on it you really want in to play immediately. Whenever a big release is coming out I want, I take everything else off my queue and send back at least one of my titles 4-6 days before the release date. Using that system, I have gotten most of the big releases day of release. But you definitely don't ever want to keep a lot of stuff on your queue. They won't wait to send you the top games on your list, they'll just send you whatever they have the most of if you do that.

A Gamefly thread needs to be stickied and THIS put in there. That's all that is ever to be needed. EG, you need to save that and just repost when someone asks about GF.

If you follow that advice Mags, you will get every new game you wish. I do exactly that and I got all the hot fall titles in two days.

[EternalGamer]

Thankfully, unlike Oblivion, this gameworld doesn't level up WITH you. But that means getting killed easily in certain zones before you're ready.

Well, that alone is a pretty big improvement. As you know, that is one of the things I hate most about Bethesda's games. The lack of unique enemies in zones and the lack of the ability to level up to deal with them.


I like to mix up the AAA with other titles, but Gamefly games always take precedence. It seems like I sometimes I just want something I don't need to think about too much. I like to couple a wide array of games. I recently beat Fracture while also playing The Last Remnant. I get burned out easily, sometimes, unless I mix it up. All these second tier games have somehow made me leave Gears 2 and other great fall games sitting unplayed. I guess that says something for them. Sometimes it's just a craving I have, like a pregnant lady. Right now Two Worlds is that weird craving. Heh.

I'm the same way. I like to play those types of games while listening to videogame podcasts and/or surfing the internet. I still haven't finished Gears of War 2 yet either. To be frank, I'm enjoying Last Remnant at lot more even though it clearly is not a game that is as well made.

Speaking of cheap B-grade games, Kel, what did you think of "Viking"? I have Conan on the way from GF for $8 but I noticed they have Viking for around $12. How would you compare the two?

[MagGnome]

A Gamefly thread needs to be stickied and THIS put in there. That's all that is ever to be needed. EG, you need to save that and just repost when someone asks about GF.

If you follow that advice Mags, you will get every new game you wish. I do exactly that and I got all the hot fall titles in two days.

I did as you guys recommended and cut my list down to four games.


I'm really overwhelmed by the number of games available to me now. I have so many that I own and need to spend time with, and now I'll have a steady stream of new ones coming in the mail.

I should try to spend less time posting here and more time gaming.


Gaming Update: I finished A Kingdom for Keflings today. Really fun game, and I'll definitely play it again sometime down the road. It ended up being the only game I actually played this weekend. 7 hours total.

[EternalGamer]

I should try to spend less time posting here and more time gaming.


That's what JRPGs are for. You can do BOTH simultaneously.


Gaming Update: I finished A Kingdom for Keflings today. Really fun game, and I'll definitely play it again sometime down the road. It ended up being the only game I actually played this weekend. 7 hours total.


Just bought this last night but haven't played it yet. Nice to hear some good impressions.

[Purple Santa]

this (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?p=98842#post98842) for Spigot :). It's early this week. I'm trying to behave when i get up tomorrow so I can finish editing a paper that is due tomorrow night. To bad I couldn't use someone like Schnoogs for a case study...

[Kelegacy]

Speaking of cheap B-grade games, Kel, what did you think of "Viking"? I have Conan on the way from GF for $8 but I noticed they have Viking for around $12. How would you compare the two?

I passed on Viking for $20 @ Target on clearance over the summer, hoping it would drop again. It did, but they sold out. So I rented it from Gamefly...by accident. Scroll to the end of this "novella" of a post for the conclusion, or read it all. I didn't mean to type all this. I guess I'm more passionate about games than I thought.

Here's Viking in a nutshell: the artstyle is reminiscent of Fable (and a very good looking game), the various missions and brutal killing are fun, there is a ton of stuff to do on each of the 3 maps, and all around I enjoyed the game quite a bit. The game is also very forgiving of death, and once you explore enough of a map you are able to teleport around at your leisure instead of explore on foot. The 3 islands in the game are quite big. The siege levels have hundreds of people on screen at once without slowdown and create a sense of a real battlefield.

The downside is that the game's missions are repeated on each island, so if on island one you are liberating supply points, towers, bridges, rescuing and recruiting soldiers and retaking entire towns/cities on island 1, you'll be doing the same on island 2 and 3 for the most part. By the end of the game I had my fill of the repetition, but overall I really liked the game. It wasn't what I expected, which was a good thing. $12 is a good price for the game I think, and you'll definitely find a lot to enjoy about it. You are always busy doing something in the game. I was under the impression it would be a quick title but it lasted me a weekend of playing A LOT. I must have put in 10+ hours into it easily.

Like I said, the only bad things are similar missions from island to island. The combat can get a bit stale after you've killed thousands of enemies every way possible, but it took until island 3 before I got sick of it--and now that I think of it, the game kicks to a slo-mo camera sometimes to make dismemberments and kills even more brutal, which was probably the reason I got annoyed eventually; I just wanted to kill and move on to the next dude. And that's probably because I was playing a marathon of it so I could send it back to Gamefly. For some reason I seem to hurry when I rent, which is strange. I guess time is money?

Conan is a game I'm enjoying about 100% more than I thought I would. It really does feel like a God of War clone, and it satisfies the bloodthirst in my masculine side. It's one of the goriest and most brutal games I've played. Ripping a man's guts out with your barefist is something to behold.

What is up with my long posts tonight. Jesus. Again, I'm high on a pain pill. Go figure.

Bottomline: Viking is a ton of mostly mindless fun. I'm glad I played it, I will probably buy it cheap down the road even though I already beat it, but for $12 I think it's worth it--and I'm sure you'll get similar answers from many other gamers here that loved Viking. You could always wait to see if it drops in price some more, but Conan is definitely the better of the two games. Both are similar in their brutal killing, but Viking has other aspects that make it a bit more diverse, like the mass-scale battles and simple, yet fun, missions. Conan is a bit more restricted and linear, like God of War.

And where else can you play as a stealth-viking if you so choose?

[MagGnome]

That's what JRPGs are for. You can do BOTH simultaneously.




Just bought this last night but haven't played it yet. Nice to hear some good impressions.



I think you'll really enjoy it. Let me know what you think when you do play it.

I finally started up I Fluid tonight. I'll post some impressions tomorrow in the Monday Blues thread.

[Spigot]

Speaking of cheap B-grade games, Kel, what did you think of "Viking"? I have Conan on the way from GF for $8 but I noticed they have Viking for around $12. How would you compare the two?
I think that Viking is the better game of the two, though Conan is no slouch. Conan is basically God Of War with more blood and breasts. It was a fantastic game up until the last level, where not only did the level design change completely from everything that had gone before it, it also contained one of the most annoying final bosses that I have ever encountered in a game.

It didn't help that after my epic battle with the SOB, the game glitched during the final cinematic and I never got that last little achievement. Sigh.

Viking can get a little repetitive but it's probably the more epic of the two. I really need to sit down and finish that puppy off one of these days. For $12, you can't go wrong.