What video/computer game are you currently playing?

[muy_thaiguy]

Mass Effect 3 mulitplayer. Oddly enough, it's still going pretty strong on Xbox and PC (I hear the PS3 version has quite a few issue though).

How is ME3 multiplayer? I just finished the campaign playthrough, and immediately jumped back into ME1, but have going back 8 years to the painful combat system has made it frustrating to try another playthrough, so if multiplayer is any good I'd be tempted to switch over to that.

It's not bad. Squad up to 4 players with multiple classes and races to choose from, enemies include Cerberus, Reapers, Geth, and even the return of the Collectors. 10 waves, with the 3rd, 6th, and 10th waves having you complete a specified assignment while battle a number of enemies. You fight on enclosed maps against waves of enemies.

Bronze level is basically getting used to the system and leveling up low level characters. Silver is for a bit more advanced and leveling up higher level character, the enemies are stronger, faster, tougher, and smarter. Gold can overrun you with enemies, but with a well balanced squad, you can do well. Platinum, only do this if you are a level 20 character with fully upgraded weapons and equipment, otherwise you'll be raped by Banshees, Atlas', Geth Primes, and Collector Boss.

It's fun, and the higher level you get, the more chaotic it gets. You can play however you want, but it is advisable to play to your character's strengths. Except as a Vangaurd against Reapers on Gold and Platinum. The Banshee will pluck you mid charge and insta-kill you. And the phantoms of Cereberus are probably the worst to deal with.

[pancakemix]

I do think another ME playthrough is on the horizon for me. Haven't really touched it since after I finished ME3 and I'm wondering if time is favorable to the ending (though I doubt it).

[muy_thaiguy]

I do think another ME playthrough is on the horizon for me. Haven't really touched it since after I finished ME3 and I'm wondering if time is favorable to the ending (though I doubt it).

They made an extended ending which at least goes into more detail about your choices at the ending, making it slightly better than just green, blue, or red lights, but still a bad ending to an otherwise really good series.

They also made it so you don't have to do multiplayer in order to have a high enough manifest for one of the "good" endings.

[denominator]

I do think another ME playthrough is on the horizon for me. Haven't really touched it since after I finished ME3 and I'm wondering if time is favorable to the ending (though I doubt it).

They made an extended ending which at least goes into more detail about your choices at the ending, making it slightly better than just green, blue, or red lights, but still a bad ending to an otherwise really good series.

They also made it so you don't have to do multiplayer in order to have a high enough manifest for one of the "good" endings.

I never played the original ending, only the "extended" one. I found it did alright at wrapping a series like ME up, but ultimately with a story as in-depth as they've built with this series there won't be a satisfying ending. We're always going to be left wanting more.

If you do go back for another ME1 playthrough, keep in mind that they made significant improvements to ME2 and ME3, especially in the combat system. There's a steep learning curve going all the way back to the beginning.

[pancakemix]

I do think another ME playthrough is on the horizon for me. Haven't really touched it since after I finished ME3 and I'm wondering if time is favorable to the ending (though I doubt it).

They made an extended ending which at least goes into more detail about your choices at the ending, making it slightly better than just green, blue, or red lights, but still a bad ending to an otherwise really good series.

They also made it so you don't have to do multiplayer in order to have a high enough manifest for one of the "good" endings.

I never played the original ending, only the "extended" one. I found it did alright at wrapping a series like ME up, but ultimately with a story as in-depth as they've built with this series there won't be a satisfying ending. We're always going to be left wanting more.

If you do go back for another ME1 playthrough, keep in mind that they made significant improvements to ME2 and ME3, especially in the combat system. There's a steep learning curve going all the way back to the beginning.

I've gone back and forth between 1 and 2 before, so I've had that whiplash. I always liked 1's story the best and 2's gameplay out of the series installments. With 1, it's the Mako stuff that gets to me. There is something to be said for getting the N7 sniper with cooldown equipment so cooldown and recoil time are the same, though.

[muy_thaiguy]

I do think another ME playthrough is on the horizon for me. Haven't really touched it since after I finished ME3 and I'm wondering if time is favorable to the ending (though I doubt it).

They made an extended ending which at least goes into more detail about your choices at the ending, making it slightly better than just green, blue, or red lights, but still a bad ending to an otherwise really good series.

They also made it so you don't have to do multiplayer in order to have a high enough manifest for one of the "good" endings.

I never played the original ending, only the "extended" one. I found it did alright at wrapping a series like ME up, but ultimately with a story as in-depth as they've built with this series there won't be a satisfying ending. We're always going to be left wanting more.

If you do go back for another ME1 playthrough, keep in mind that they made significant improvements to ME2 and ME3, especially in the combat system. There's a steep learning curve going all the way back to the beginning.

I've gone back and forth between 1 and 2 before, so I've had that whiplash. I always liked 1's story the best and 2's gameplay out of the series installments. With 1, it's the Mako stuff that gets to me. There is something to be said for getting the N7 sniper with cooldown equipment so cooldown and recoil time are the same, though.

The thing that got me in ME1, even when it first came out, was how only the soldier could have heavy armor, which was the only armor that looked cool and gave you decent protection. And the melee was so freakin sensitive, like when trying to save the colonists, you could melee them or use the nerve gas on them for non-lethal means, you would accidentally shoot them in the head. On a Paragon playthrough, that's a royal pain.

ME3 gave you unlimited sprint (thank you!), heavy melee (some pretty cool ones, especially in multiplayer), grenades that work like grenades, and some really cool powers for biotics.

[denominator]

I do think another ME playthrough is on the horizon for me. Haven't really touched it since after I finished ME3 and I'm wondering if time is favorable to the ending (though I doubt it).

They made an extended ending which at least goes into more detail about your choices at the ending, making it slightly better than just green, blue, or red lights, but still a bad ending to an otherwise really good series.

They also made it so you don't have to do multiplayer in order to have a high enough manifest for one of the "good" endings.

I never played the original ending, only the "extended" one. I found it did alright at wrapping a series like ME up, but ultimately with a story as in-depth as they've built with this series there won't be a satisfying ending. We're always going to be left wanting more.

If you do go back for another ME1 playthrough, keep in mind that they made significant improvements to ME2 and ME3, especially in the combat system. There's a steep learning curve going all the way back to the beginning.

I've gone back and forth between 1 and 2 before, so I've had that whiplash. I always liked 1's story the best and 2's gameplay out of the series installments. With 1, it's the Mako stuff that gets to me. There is something to be said for getting the N7 sniper with cooldown equipment so cooldown and recoil time are the same, though.

The thing that got me in ME1, even when it first came out, was how only the soldier could have heavy armor, which was the only armor that looked cool and gave you decent protection. And the melee was so freakin sensitive, like when trying to save the colonists, you could melee them or use the nerve gas on them for non-lethal means, you would accidentally shoot them in the head. On a Paragon playthrough, that's a royal pain.

ME3 gave you unlimited sprint (thank you!), heavy melee (some pretty cool ones, especially in multiplayer), grenades that work like grenades, and some really cool powers for biotics.

The first game definitely focuses on the story more than the gameplay, and that's what hooked me on the series. I liked ME2's balance between the story and the gameplay, but the menu colours were incredibly difficult to read and I ended up missing a bunch of stuff just due to the colour scheme and difficult in finding things.

The biggest thing I have noticed going back to ME1 is how easily your squadmates go down and that unless you train your powers properly, you can't get them back up like with medi-gel in ME3 (and I think ME2?). I got used to being able to revive them any time to use their powers in ME3 so losing that is a pain. It balances with the ability to use multiple powers from one character without a long recharge, though.

I also think ME3 found the balance between modding all the weapons for the entire squad and just playing through. I forgot how tedious that was in ME1 but comes with such a big payoff.

I should go.

[TheProwler]

Playing Far Cry 2 on and off...I have no desire to play it for more than a mission at a time, because it is very repetitive.

I played Bastion over the weekend...quite a fun game...


I bought a bundle of Steam games that includes a few that I already own....if someone wants me to gift them the key, just let me know...I can send a PM. The games are a couple of Indie games...Tiny & Big in Grandpa's Leftovers and Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians. Both are supposed to be pretty good.

[JPcelticfc]

Playing the first Dark Souls.

I hate the game!! at times..... but then I love it at other times. It always compels me to go back!!

20 hours in and I'm determined to finish it.

[AndyDufresne]

I just realized I don't think I've ever posted this here before: http://isthereanydeal.com/

It tracks PC game deals across multiple websites, so you can see where you'll get the best price. Moreover, it has Steam Integration, so if you have a steam wishlist, you can import it, and get a digest or view a digest of things currently on sale and where, etc.

It also has nifty filters for narrowing searches if you are looking for just interesting deals, or deals for mac or linux, etc.


--Andy

[macbone]

Battleheart Legacy has been a lot of fun, but I'm stuck on the third Crystal. My weak tactics are no match for the boss, and if he ain't the final boss, I shudder to see who is.

I downloaded Dark Meadow a while back, but for some reason, it kept crashing. I tried starting it again recently, and it worked fine. Weird. It's from Phosphor Games, and I liked their fantasy game, Horn, although the battles got a bit repetitive after a while. I liked the story, though, and the world was fun to explore. Dark Meadow uses the Unreal Engine, too, and I was expecting similar combat, but the combat's even worse in Dark Meadow. You just stand in the hallway, block, dodge, or attack. The story's intriguing, though, and the voice acting's nice. Props for atmosphere and narrative, but the combat's pretty sub-par.

Also, Dragon Warrior VIII is available on ios now. Has anyone played it? It's not a port of the US PSP version, though. It's a translation of the Japanese mobile version designed to play one-handed in portrait view only. It's meant for Japanese commuters on trains (so I guess it's good for HK commuters on trains, too?) US $20 is pricey for an ios game, but XCOM was worth every penny, and I might pick up Dragon Warrior, too. I played several of the FF games on ios, and the visuals are great, but the battles get repetitive after awhile. This seems to be a thing with RPG makers.

[Gillipig]

Has anyone here tried Tropico 5 yet? It was supposed to be have a brand new gameplay, kinda curious how it's like.

[DiM]

Has anyone here tried Tropico 5 yet? It was supposed to be have a brand new gameplay, kinda curious how it's like.

i have tried it and i really like it. however i haven't played too much (maybe 3 hours) as i got it at the same time with watch dogs and wolfenstein the new order and i decided to finish those first.

[AndyDufresne]

Here is a game I will be playing at the end of this month, once it is released -- it is a game I backed on Kickstarter sometime ago:

Divinity Original Sin

An isometric, single player and co-op multiplayer RPG with tactical turn based combat, featuring an innovative co-op dialog system, a highly interactive, systemic and reactive world, classless character development, and lots of choice and consequence situations.




--Andy

[AndyDufresne]

Hope you are all paying attention to the GOG.com and Steam summer sales. Lots of games I'd recommend picking up that are discounted -- too many in fact.


--Andy

[pancakemix]

Finishing up Link's Awakening. Been a long while since I've played it and thought it could use revisiting.

One of my most interesting observations: the colorization in the DX version makes a huge difference in the experience. I've been playing it on my Super Game Boy (which doesn't have color capabilities) and I'm realizing how much the color really brings the game to life. It doesn't change the gameplay at all (outside barring access to the color dungeon) but the feel is very different.

[TA1LGUNN3R]

Finishing up Link's Awakening. Been a long while since I've played it and thought it could use revisiting.

One of my most interesting observations: the colorization in the DX version makes a huge difference in the experience. I've been playing it on my Super Game Boy (which doesn't have color capabilities) and I'm realizing how much the color really brings the game to life. It doesn't change the gameplay at all (outside barring access to the color dungeon) but the feel is very different.

Great. Now I have to dig out my game boy and play that game again.

-TG

[pancakemix]

Finishing up Link's Awakening. Been a long while since I've played it and thought it could use revisiting.

One of my most interesting observations: the colorization in the DX version makes a huge difference in the experience. I've been playing it on my Super Game Boy (which doesn't have color capabilities) and I'm realizing how much the color really brings the game to life. It doesn't change the gameplay at all (outside barring access to the color dungeon) but the feel is very different.

Great. Now I have to dig out my game boy and play that game again.

-TG

If time's the issue, it's actually a pretty quick play, considering later Zelda games get into the 15-30 hour range. You could knock it out in a day or so.

[TA1LGUNN3R]

Finishing up Link's Awakening. Been a long while since I've played it and thought it could use revisiting.

One of my most interesting observations: the colorization in the DX version makes a huge difference in the experience. I've been playing it on my Super Game Boy (which doesn't have color capabilities) and I'm realizing how much the color really brings the game to life. It doesn't change the gameplay at all (outside barring access to the color dungeon) but the feel is very different.

Great. Now I have to dig out my game boy and play that game again.

-TG

If time's the issue, it's actually a pretty quick play, considering later Zelda games get into the 15-30 hour range. You could knock it out in a day or so.

Oh that's not the issue. I've played that game so many times, and yeah I could beat it in a day. Due to the way I came up, I didn't have a lot of chance to play consoles often. I did have a game boy, though, and a few games. Link's Awakening was the only game I had that had an engaging story, and I loved the shit out of that game.

But I have to dig through my storage to get at my game boy, and last I played it was a fritzy.

-TG

[natty dread]

Finishing up Link's Awakening. Been a long while since I've played it and thought it could use revisiting.

One of my most interesting observations: the colorization in the DX version makes a huge difference in the experience. I've been playing it on my Super Game Boy (which doesn't have color capabilities) and I'm realizing how much the color really brings the game to life. It doesn't change the gameplay at all (outside barring access to the color dungeon) but the feel is very different.

Oh yeah, that's one of the few Zelda games I've still yet to play (apart from the very latest ones). The other is Majora's Mask, which just seemed so much like a poor man's Ocarina of Time that I kinda lost interest...

Lately, I've been playing some GBA games. Most recently Castlevania: Circle of the moon. That's got to be one of the best Castlevania games I've played. The bossfights are so much fun and actually make you think how to beat them. The item system is a bit dull since everything is just random drops so there's not much joy of discovery, but at least you get to find secret powerups.

But I have to dig through my storage to get at my game boy, and last I played it was a fritzy.

Just load it up on an emulator. If you want the portable experience, there are emulators for Android, and you can attach a USB gamepad to an Android phone and then pretend like you're playing on an actual gameboy.

[Gillipig]

Tropico 5 is better than Tropico 4! I still have a huge problem avoiding traffic to get stuck but that's probably due to my poor city planning, I just add another piece of road when I can't fit buildings around the road anymore and go from there. Seldom create another dock as well, and I don't build many parking spaces, I'm good at placing military buildings strategely though.

[TheProwler]

Just finished F.E.A.R. 2.

Really good shooter with a good story (same story as F.E.A.R., but adds some details).

[macbone]

Link's Awakening was actually the first Zelda game I played. It's great. And Natty, I definitely recommend Majora's Mask. It's less the poor man's Zelda and more the red-headed step child. It's a rewarding game.

If Ocarina of Time was a perfect 100, I'd give Majora's Mask a 95.

[mrswdk]

Pokemon Fire Red. First time I've ever had the patience to evolve a Dragonite. Definitely worth it.

[natty dread]

Link's Awakening was actually the first Zelda game I played. It's great. And Natty, I definitely recommend Majora's Mask. It's less the poor man's Zelda and more the red-headed step child. It's a rewarding game.

If Ocarina of Time was a perfect 100, I'd give Majora's Mask a 95.

I've tried... I just find it hard to get into it for some reason. Maybe I'll try it again one of these days.

I keep wishing Nintendo would make the ultimate Zelda game:
- the story of A Link to the Past
- the gameplay mechanics of Ocarina of time
- the visual style of Wind Waker

Now that would be awesome.