Playing any games?

[Azrael Strife]

Not completely sure about the exact price right now, but it's pricey.

 

To serve as some sort of comparison, the price of the Nintendo Wii last year was $1530 at the local GameStop.

https://www.mundoenfermoytriste.com/2007/02/game-stop.html

[FullAuto]

It seems like importing would be much, much cheaper. Although, so would hiring a group of crack mercenaries to steal you one.

[Strong Bob]

I get Wiis for friends, for cheap. Working in retail has that advantage. I have even "exported" a couple consoles. Although, I stopped when I was told that was illegal. Does anyone know what the laws are regarding sending Wii's overseas? Because I know some trouble was started when they were doing that with PSPs.

[FullAuto]

I know Lik Sang was sued in x amount of courts by Sony and shut down for importing PSPs to Europe from Hong Kong, but that was before the PSP had been released in Europe. Never heard of Nintendo having a problem with importing, and I know a few people here in the UK with North American Wiis.

[NKF]

I've just been playing Armored Core: Silent Line for the PS2 - partly because I love giant robots, especially modular designed ones like the ones featured in the game (aka, head, torso, arms, legs and the other doodads that go with it are all interchangeable). The other reason is that I picked up some AC model kits recently and think they're gorgeous (as can be seen by my current choice in avatar).

 

Now, I'm quite late getting into the AC game series, so I don't know if this is how it's meant to be, but I think Silent Line is built for pros of the earlier titles in the series. The mission difficulty is so variable that one minute it's easy-peasy, and the next it's way-WAY too hard (such as your first experience with an enemy AC). It's definitely not something I'd recommend for your casual gamer.

 

One of several things I did not like about the game was the programmer's choice in not letting you assign the right thumb stick to any of the controls except for its click function. I really wanted to use it to look left and right and up and down - I spent most of the game fumbling with the shoulder buttons for looking up/down and left and right. Not a wise decision on their part. Thanks to this I'm sad to say that I spent most of the game using a lock-on missile launcher of some kind for most of the combat since I was still trying to get used to the controls (even started thinking about the controls while I was falling asleep - eerie!).

 

Also the whole mission based scenario thing just doesn't work for this kind of game. It would've been better as some sort of adventure RPG-like game where you travel about from battle to battle ala Fallout or Silent Storm. But that's just me trying to fit some of my favourite genres into another again.

 

But all that aside, reconfiguring mechs to adapt to the various missions was part of the fun. Going from heavy bruisers to lightweight mechs or general purpose mechs with hover parts. Pity the enemy AI mechs spend most of their time performing bunny hops, and their ammo supply appears infinite, and their accuracy is unrealistic.

 

I'm wondering if this is one game where they swapped the easy and hard settings for the English release. I might grab one more title and see if that's any different.

 

- NKF

[FullAuto]

Metal Gear Acid: a spin off from the Metal Gear Solid games, which were stealth/action sneaky-sneaky snap-neck hide-in-box stuff. But MGA is a cross between a turn-based tactics game and a collectible card game. Actions, weapons, items, characters, etc are all represented by cards, which also fuel your movement. It's not a case of pre-defined turns, each card has a cost, and that cost mounts up as you use cards. You then have to wait for the cost to 'count down' before acting again.

 

You wouldn't think a TB/CCG spin off from a totally different genre would work, but it does.

[Azrael Strife]

Finished Mass Effect, recommendable for any RPG lovers, a nice Bioware product, the storyline is certainly top notch, and the gameplay isn't too shabby either

 

Now playing a real game, when they knew how to make them! Dungeon Keeper II

 

I miss Bullfrog

[Matri]

But MGA is a cross between a turn-based tactics game and a collectible card game. Actions, weapons, items, characters, etc are all represented by cards, which also fuel your movement. It's not a case of pre-defined turns, each card has a cost, and that cost mounts up as you use cards. You then have to wait for the cost to 'count down' before acting again.

 

These kind of games never made much sense to me. I mean, you're in the perfect sniper nest, have a clear shot at your target, your rifle is primed, loaded and ready to fire, and you can't. Because your "Assassinate" card hasn't come out yet.

[Strong Bob]

These kind of games never made much sense to me. I mean, you're in the perfect sniper nest, have a clear shot at your target, your rifle is primed, loaded and ready to fire, and you can't. Because your "Assassinate" card hasn't come out yet.

 

And that is why I prefer to play real card games. For 15 bucks, as opposed to the 40 - 60 for the video game, I can play cards anytime, anywhere, and change whatever rules I want.

[FullAuto]

These kind of games never made much sense to me.

 

If you want to be critical, no game makes sense. They all feature limitations and nonsensical situations that do not occur in real life due to the way they are constructed. Or due to the way real life is constructed. Whichever!

 

For 15 bucks, as opposed to the 40 - 60 for the video game, I can play cards anytime, anywhere, and change whatever rules I want.

 

It's for the PSP, so you can play it anywhere you can play cards, and probably a few places where cards are impossible. As for the pricing, well, you can find games much cheaper than RRP.

[Strong Bob]

It's for the PSP, so you can play it anywhere you can play cards, and probably a few places where cards are impossible. As for the pricing, well, you can find games much cheaper than RRP.

 

Touche. Though I don't think I know what RRP stands for. XD I've seen PSP games range from 10 to 60 USD here. But it requires a 160 USD system to use any of them. Not economically feasible with my income. >_<

[Azrael Strife]

As usual I don't really have the time to play games, but I'm really happy with Batman: Arkham Asylum; I have never played a good Batman game, but this one is really something. Everything from storyline, graphics, voice acting to the gameplay is really excellent, the story is greatly developed, almost like reading a very good comic...

 

Another game I got a bit in pause for now is Dead Space, your traditional horror in space themed-game, nicely done game, think Resident Evil (1 to 3) in space, good stuff.

 

And finally I'm giving Resident Evil 5 a spin, so far it looks great, but I'm not sure it's my stuff, damn smart zombies always get to me and I'm only in first level oh well...

 

All in PC version, of course

[FullAuto]

I gave the Batman: AA demo a try and it didn't grab me. Presentation and style were top notch, but the only real gameplay in there was the combat, which felt shallow, the stealth sections were so basic as to hardly exist.

 

Dead Space I didn't get on with either, it had some jump scares but no real horror or frightening atmosphere.

 

RE5 seemed like one long effort to duplicate the high points of RE4, and a failed effort at that.

 

I don't know, maybe I've misjudged them and need to have another look...

 

Really enjoyed Uncharted. Bit of combat, bit of platforming, bit of adventure and exploration (not really). None of the components of the game are particularly good, but they're all competent, the presentation and graphics are solid, the audio is okay, there's actually some genuinely funny moments and decent dialogue. Nothing outstanding anywhere in the game, but it is fun. It's a bit like an Indiana Jones film but with Nathan Fillion as the lead.

 

I don't usually get on with driving games, but Stuntman Ignition has a score mechanic, and getting those multipliers keeps sucking me back in. One of those games that, although single player, is great to play with friends, taking turns and seeing who can perfect the scene, hit all the stunts and get the highest score. Betrayed constantly by my own shitness, I keep returning to it and then abandoning it only to return once more.

 

The Club. A score-based game, but with killing instead of driving. Kill enemies as you run through the level, chain them together for more points, perform special kills (headshots etc) for even more points, competing against other killers to see who gets the highest score. Good fun, but the camera can't turn fast enough to keep up with the action, needs mouse or Wii remote controls.

[Matri]

Mark Hamill as the Joker, Kevin Conroy as the Batman.

 

Sold it for me. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger don't come close in my books.

[Azrael Strife]

FA, as I read in IGN review, I do not really believe Batman's combat is the highlight of the game, instead it is a lot about solving puzzles (using Detective Mode), and just having a great time with the story I agree the combat is pretty basic, BUT it gets more depth as the game progresses, for example armored thugs wielding knives that need to be thrown out of balance using the batclaw and that can't really be countered, snipers later on, then there's the missions where you need to knock unconscious all thugs silently or they'll kill the hostages, etc.

 

I dunno, I'm having fun so far maybe you were a bit rash on your judgement.

 

Oh! I also got Temple of Elemental Evil, Greyhawk's classic D&D adventure; turn-based-combat RPG using D&D 3.5 rules; it's a bit old (2003) but it is of the style I just love, it's very similar to Baldur's Gate and not that shitty NWN, full party and isometric view and all

 

@Matri: Seriously? I wasn't aware that Mark Hamill was the Joker; The Joker is just a delight to hear, he's really excellent.

[FullAuto]

Could be, demos aren't always representative! It seemed shallow, but that could have just been the nature of the demo, the very beginning of the game is hardly likely to have much depth. I'll see if I can borrow a copy from a friend, cheers Az.

[SoulBrotherKab]

Ah, I'm glad someone else has checked out Dead Space. At first when I saw it I thought it was just a RE4 clone. But after it dropped in price I picked it up for $15 and couldn't have been happier. I went through the damn game 3 times...I was Achievement hunting, yes. But also it was fun.

 

Unlike most "survival horror" games it actually manages to be scary. There were a few times I'm walking along minding my own damn business when, all of a sudden, something jumps out and made me go, "Mother******!"

 

Also, it had a pretty cool story. And remember, "There's always Peng!"

 

Hey, Azrael Strife, wanted to ask you about ToEE. I've heard that game mentioned a lot, especially when talking about the first two Fallout games. How does the combat system work? Is it like Baldur's Gate-style where it's a hybrid of real time and turned based, or is it like Fallout/Jagged Alliace/X-COM turned based style? No one has ever been very clear about it to me.

[Azrael Strife]

Combat is completely turn based a la Fallout using the complete D&D 3.5 rules

[SoulBrotherKab]

Awesome. I'm not a D&D nerd or anything, but I do like the 3.5 system with the whole perks thing. Such as what's been used in Knights of the Old Republic. I know KoTOR wasn't D&D per se...but a heavily modified version of the 3.5 rules.

 

I'll see if I can track this game down somehow.

[NKF]

It's been a couple of years since I last played ToEE, but yes it's a good game. Only thing that really counts as a strike against it is that it's a short game. You won't clock the same numbers of hours as you would with Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale or Planescape Torment .

 

But in a way that's good though, as it makes itself replayable and you can try different things on various play throughs.

 

- NKF

[Matri]

Luke Skywalker has been the Joker from the start of Batman: TAS, and on through the entire DCAU's run, including the two episodes in Justice League and the Batman Beyond movie Return Of The Joker. If you've ever watched Jay & Silent Bob you should be able to recognize the insane laugh.

 

They both also play their respective roles in the earlier game Batman Vengeance.

[SoulBrotherKab]

Yeah, Mark Hamill is quiet the prolific voice actor these days. Does one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite games, Goro Majima from the excellent PS2 series Yakuza. Majima is delightfully insane, much like the Joker, though more violent...but ultimately a good guy. As far as anyone in the game could be considered good, since most of the characters are freakin' Japanese mafia, including the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu.

 

BTW, when we say short what does that mean? I mean...Oblivion is a short game compared to Baldur's Gate. BG can run into the hundreds of hours, if I'm not mistaken.

 

An example would be Fallout 1...generally considered shorter than the second. I put in like 35-40 hours. Fallout 2, I put in roughly 70.

[Matri]

Well, Oblivion is open-ended, so depending on the number of mods you have installed and the way you play, it can run into hundreds of hours.

 

... So, yeah.

 

EDIT: Oh, and if you've watched Nickelodeon's Avatar series, guess who plays Firelord Ozai?

[SoulBrotherKab]

I keep forgetting you guys are mostly PC people. My Oblivion is on the 360...so no mods for me. Just some DLC.

[Azrael Strife]

Oblivion sucks anyhow... auto-levelling monsters my ass...