To be honest, I never really got into the first Deus Ex, the one that's supposed to be the best computer game ever. I never even beat the first level. It was a combination of the game just dropping you in the middle of it and expecting you to be good, annoying shooter mechanics, the stealth and puzzle bits, and me just not having the patience for it. Plus the whole conspiracy story didn't really draw me in. It just kind of... felt stupid. Yep, I was stuck on this island the entire time. On the other hand, I'm enjoying the hell out of Thief: The Dark Project, which is highly praised by many of the same people who love Deus Ex. Unlike Deus Ex, I was drawn into the story immediately, the stealth mechanic makes sense, and the world just draws you in. I actually got the feeling I was in some medieval village, running around a castle trying to nick some riches from the greedy baron. It's the first time I can remember playing a stealth game that actually made you feel... well... stealthy. And no, Splinter Cell doesn't count. In Thief, you're not this epic badass with a rifle that shoots electro darts and all that jazz. You're just a dude with a heavy stick, hiding in the corner, waiting for the guard to turn his back so you can beat his ass and grab that loot in the chest. It's really strange: in Deus Ex, all I wanted to do was run around and shoot people, and the game hated me for it; Thief actually made me want to hide and sneak, and the game gave me incentive to do it well.
While we're on the topic of trailers, here is the new one for Batman: Arkham City HD Game Trailers Link. Oh fuck yes.
I used to have a 360, but it broke and I haven't bothered to get it fixed. So I bought a PS3 a couple weeks ago, but I don't have any games yet. Any recommendations? ps I've been borrowing a few from friends, namely Metal Gear Solid 4 and Uncharted 2. Both are fantastic. On the topic of WoW, what servers do you guys play on? I'm on Boulderfist, but my main is only level 46.
Depends on what Genre you like, I suppose. MGS4 is a good one. If you're liking Uncharted 2, grab the first one, I'm sure it's out there pretty cheap at the moment. If you like Action/RPGs, check out Demon's Souls. Crushingly difficult, but still easily one of the best games I've ever played. For a more pure RPG, check out Dragon Age: Origins. You can get the Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition (with all of the downloadable content included) for 50 bucks. That is a TON of content, so it is worth the price. If you like free-roaming sandbox action games, check out inFamous or Batman: Arkham Asylum. Both are fantastic and are also likely to be found on the cheap. Assassin's Creed 2 and Brotherhood are, in my opinion, excellent games. Others disagree. It is apparently pretty polarizing, but I personally love it. AC: Brotherhood is also the only game on this list that is still $60. Someone else can give you advice for FPS games, though. I don't play those personally. Finally, if you want to go kind of old school, download Mega Man 8 or 9, Bionic Commando Rearmed, and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World on the Playstation Network.
Thief: The Dark Project and Thief II: The Metal Age are my favourite games ever made. Really a great example of the golden age of PC gaming. I would give Thief II a slight edge on account of the fact that the level design is generally superior and more non-linear, allowing you to really approach objectives in different ways. Dark Project is probably a bit better in terms of atmosphere and generally making you shit yourself, although Thief II will also has many pants-shitting moments. I've never seen a game with stealth mechanics that have come close to Thief's. The AI to this day still holds up really well, although I'm not sure whether that's a credit to the designers of an indictment of how little games have progressed the past few years in terms of providing deeper gameplay. Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, even the mighty Hitman - none of them have that combination of superb non-linear level design, moody atmosphere (in a completely unique steampunk setting), and well-thought out game mechanics. You have to really carefully think things through, especially if your resources are limited, which is often. Do I put out this torch or save my water arrows? Where am I going to put this guard after I knock him out so nobody sees him? There are a bunch of fantastic fan-made missions for Thief II created by the community, which is probably the most talented modding community for a game I've ever seen. A select few missions rival the best of the original game, although there are hundreds to choose from. You can find the community here: http://www.thief-thecircle.com I get a little sad when I reminisce about Thief because I immediately think of this picture:
I played the demo for this and it was just the first level from the original game with updated graphics and different dialog. Do the other levels offer anything new or is it the same game with updated graphics? Not that there is anything wrong with just rehashing the old game, shit I downloaded FF7, FF tactics and Castelvania SOTN with no update to the graphics, just wanted to know before I purchased.
Now that I think of it, this is really one of the things that made me lose interest in Splinter Cell. There's one right way to do every mission, and try as you might, you are playing what is essentially a corridor stealth game. Move over to that grate and the button pops up - "Open Grate". And in that instant you realize: so this is the way the game wants me to play; so this is how I progress to the next part. How does the HUD know that this grate is openable*, and not that one over there? In fact, why shouldn't you be able to open that one? Because to do so would necessitate a whole lot of coding, and you'd have to create multiple paths to get to the goal, and and and. *Apparently this is a word.
I'll second a lot of this, especially Demon Souls and Batman: AA. Demon Souls was absolutely ridiculous, I played through the whole game but never beat it because I could not fucking beat the final boss. Also, God of War 3 was excellent, especially if you played the first two although I don't think its necessary to enjoy it. I also very much enjoyed Heavy Rain. It's not for everyone but if you think you would like something that is heavily story driven with a lot of emotion, then definitely check it out. And for PSN games, I'm not 100% but I think Braid is on there (I played it on Xbox Live) and it is one of the best games I've ever played.
Assassin's Creed 2 rocked, as did Arkham Asylumn. I enjoyed Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, though it's somewhat repetitive. But fun. Just Cause 2 also gets repetitive, but is hilarious and fun, grappeling onto a helicopter, punching out the pilot, then using it to blow up a boat is always good times. I prefer playing RTS and FPS games on a PC so no real advice for you on those genres. Soul Caliber 4 is a decent fighting game, with Darth Vader randomly thrown in as a character.
I recommend Valkryia Chronicles, its like an RTS FPS RPG. Download the demo, you'll understand. Also God of War III, but if you haven't played the first two, get God of War Collection. Also Killzone 2 is a must play, amazing graphics, intense action and fun AI. I second the thought to get the first Uncharted. I may not be picky enough but people scream and yell about the second one being better than the first by leaps and bounds, but you're talking about the difference between an A and A+ respectively. I'm not in love with Resistance 2, but it has some pretty awesome fucking moments. I liked the first one better. Also, if you're a a little adventurous, I'd suggest getting Folklore for the PS3. It was one of the launch titles, and an exclusive, interesting little story and fun concept to the game. Also speaking of that FPS graph, jesus christ. I've had the Orange Box for my PS3 sitting around for some time and I pop it in to play Half Life 2 once in awhile. If you put that game down for more than a week you forget what you have to do. No hints, no voice over telling you what to do every 5 seconds or anything. There are literally 30 minute to 60 minute stretches where you're not reminded of the story or have ANY interaction with any character. Fucking nuts. I mean I knew this used to be the norm, but all this next generation gaming has really changed my thinking of how FPS game should play.
How could I forget God of War 3? Holy shit, get this game asap! And yes, play the first two of them first. God of War 1 is Clash of the Titans, but good.
They've even rendered both games in full HD and put them on one convenient disc. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/God-War-Collection-Playstation-3/dp/B002NN7AKU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292278111&sr=8-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.com/God-War-Collectio ... 111&sr=8-1</a> (Amazon must be a little busy today as the site is kinda slow to load) As for PS3 exclusive titles, try the Ratchet & Clank series if you like the lighter-hearted fare and maybe give a go to Resistance: Fall of Man if you don't. Depending on what you think of Resistance, you might pick up Resistance 2 also.
Yeah, I think I forgot to mention that inFamous was a PlayStation exclusive series. I also forgot about Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. I found that to be a pretty fun game, too. Also the only Marvel game I've actually played through multiple times.
Did you ever play X-Men Legends 2? I don't dislike UA or UA 2 at all, but I feel like they are ridiculously inferior to their PS2 predecessor. Basically it's the same type of game except with way more leveling up options and more equipment combinations. Playing UA 2 after XML 2 is almost like going back in time in terms of game play while going forward in terms of graphics.
You could not be any more correct sir. I'm not a huge fan of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance stuff because they made the funnest fucking game ever with X-Men Legends 2. But back to the PS3, if you like FPS games, get Resistance: Fall of Man before the second one. The story is more interesting, the usage of the guns are better, and there are some really fun vehicle levels. The second one continues it but you know when a game blew its load on the mutliplayer. Has anyone seen the trailer for Ace Combat Assault Horizon? Ever gamer does (or should) have that one game/series that causes them to eschew any and all social life and take priority over responsibility? Ace Combat is that for me. I fucking love airplanes and Ace Combat makes it so awesome. I almost spent money to fly to Japan and murder all of Namco Bandai for not putting Ace Combat 6 on PS3. Especially since Ace Combat Zero sucked huge fucking balls after AC 5 was the best ever. They've completely redone the game, and it looks like they played a little Modern Warfare 2. I cannot wait.
Season 9 of WoW arena starts tonight. It'll be interesting to see how things play out. Some observations from random BGs so far: * Frost Mages are so OP it's not even funny. Too much CC and their spammable spells (e.g. Ice Lance) crit too hard. * Feral Druid's bleed is ridiculous. Hitting for 15-20k PER TICK is just outrageous. * Priests are almost worthless, especially Holy and Disc. * Ret Paladins are garbage. Better off going Prot or Holy. It looks like the team we're going to have will be a frost mage/feral or balanced druid/holy pally for 3's. That should be a pretty damn good squad. Anyone else doing arena?
I've always sucked really bad at pvp for some reason, probably because I never do it and thus don't get any practice. You're right about Frost Mages though, those Ice Lance crits are delicious. I've seen it crit for 15k at 83-84 and its instant cast with no cooldown. I love stringing back to back 13k+ crits on frozen targets. I would like to do a little more pvp and get better at it, but I always end up focusing on the PvE route instead.
PvP is pretty much all about positioning and knowing as much as possible about all the classes. Things that seem OP right now are usually just things that people haven't figured out how to deal with yet. That and ret paladins have pretty much always been garbage in pvp.