Video Games; What are you playing lately?

[yo mama]

I've really been into the "pet hotel" app for my kids' iTouches. I play it more than they do.

[Vote Quimby2]

Picked up NCAA 12. I'm a pretty big into college football and seeing Osceola plant the spear is pretty awesome as a Seminole fan.

[Menudo]

Picked up NCAA 12. I'm a pretty big into college football and seeing Osceola plant the spear is pretty awesome as a Seminole fan.

 

I'll get this soon, as I do every year. I was a bit disappointed in it last year, what are your impressions of the gameplay thus far ?

 

I am so hooked on MLB The Show, which is the best sports simulation game ever made, hand down. I did enjoy Madden a lot last year, once I found some great sliders online that made for realistic gameplay.

 

Maybe this year, there will be extra mini games like "Ben's Bathroom Trap Game", "Tape Harrison's Mouth Shut", "Delete Mendenhall's Twitter Account ", and "Hide HInes Car Keys"

Edited July 14, 2011 by Menudo

[montster]

Mass Effect 2.

 

/end thread

 

Finally getting around to playing this. Started off a little slow but I'm really into it now. One of those games where two hours seems to go by in about five minutes.

[MrTed46]

Finally getting around to playing this. Started off a little slow but I'm really into it now. One of those games where two hours seems to go by in about five minutes.

 

Yeah, great game. The last 2 games I played and I loved (besides BlackOps) was Mass Affect 2 and Dragon Age 2. GREAT games

[Duchess Jack]

Finally getting around to playing this. Started off a little slow but I'm really into it now. One of those games where two hours seems to go by in about five minutes.

awesome series. I can't wait for the third. I love the dialog wheel and how the things Sheppard says match the selection but are so much cooler.

 

I picked up Red Dead Redemption after solving it when it first came out and have been playing it online. Great gang shootouts. As ironic as it may sound going all "cowboy" is not the way to go.

[Egret]

awesome series. I can't wait for the third. I love the dialog wheel and how the things Sheppard says match the selection but are so much cooler.

 

I picked up Red Dead Redemption after solving it when it first came out and have been playing it online. Great gang shootouts. As ironic as it may sound going all "cowboy" is not the way to go.

I bought Red Dead Redemption around Christmas. I've been playing it when I get the time. It's easy to lose a few hours playing it.

 

I usually play the downloadable Xbox arcade games. My two current favorites are Pinball FX and Splosion Man. There's a sequel to Splosion Man that came out this week that is very good. Other than that, Call of Duty still makes the rounds late night.

[Duchess Jack]

I bought Red Dead Redemption around Christmas. I've been playing it when I get the time. It's easy to lose a few hours playing it.

 

I usually play the downloadable Xbox arcade games. My two current favorites are Pinball FX and Splosion Man. There's a sequel to Splosion Man that came out this week that is very good. Other than that, Call of Duty still makes the rounds late night.

 

I have also been enjoying both Magic the Gathering downloads (as well as the three expansions).

 

Other fun Xbox arcade games:

 

Bomberman

Panzier General

The remake of the Monkey Island games.

Edited July 15, 2011 by Duchess Jack

[MrTed46]

I have also been enjoying both Magic the Gathering downloads (as well as the three expansions).

 

Other fun Xbox arcade games:

 

Bomberman

Panzier General

The remake of the Monkey Island games.

 

I used to play this PC game called panzer general..i wonder if its the same one. This game was old but good.

[Duchess Jack]

I used to play this PC game called panzer general..i wonder if its the same one. This game was old but good.

 

its on a kind of chess board with some hills and bodies of water. it uses the game board and cards. Some of the cards are "units" while others are will do direct damage, give bonuses or take bonuses away. Combat is determined by a units value, the cards played during combat and a couple dice rolls at the end. All in all good stuff. I've played against the computer but would love to play a "real" person.

[Cameltosis]

I'll get this soon, as I do every year. I was a bit disappointed in it last year, what are your impressions of the gameplay thus far ?

 

I am so hooked on MLB The Show, which is the best sports simulation game ever made, hand down. I did enjoy Madden a lot last year, once I found some great sliders online that made for realistic gameplay.

 

Maybe this year, there will be extra mini games like "Ben's Bathroom Trap Game", "Tape Harrison's Mouth Shut", "Delete Mendenhall's Twitter Account ", and "Hide HInes Car Keys"

 

 

I am curious about NCAA Football 12 as well. Menudo, have you played NHL 11? I havent played The Show much, but I will say that hockey game is the best sports game I have ever played.

[montster]

Yeah, great game. The last 2 games I played and I loved (besides BlackOps) was Mass Affect 2 and Dragon Age 2. GREAT games

 

 

awesome series. I can't wait for the third. I love the dialog wheel and how the things Sheppard says match the selection but are so much cooler.

 

I am absolutely addicted to this freakin' game.

[Seahawks21]

NCAA 12 is pretty good. I'm really waiting for some updates to their dynasty mode, as it hasn't changed much in a while. Gameplay is basically the same as last year with just a bit more fluid feel. The one thing that I do think is improved is the tackling sequences. Some awesome tackles. Not much else has changed. Also, the option is really hard to run this year. The QB won't pitch the ball if he is anywhere near being tackled. The AI seems a bit improved, as the Oregon QB took two runs for 60+ against me last night, rather than standing in the pocket all game waiting to get hit.

[Seahawks21]

I also have been playing a lot of Tiger Woods 12 (Love it!!!), and MX vs ATV Alive. Alive is the hardest racing game to get good at that I've ever played. A month into it and I'm still getting lapped by the best online racers. Just a tough, tough game.

[piratesownninjas]

I'll be getting NCAA whenever the roster downloads are available, which should be in just a few days. I've been playing LA Noir the past few weeks and only have a few more cases left...

Good game, but it gets repetative, it's also pretty easy. I look forward to where Rockstar goes after this though, as there are some incredible things in the game.

[tosberg34]

I'll be getting Battlefield 3 when it is released in November. Building a new PC to be able to handle it.

[Tford]

Been getting through some more video games lately to make some room for some new additions.

 

Dragon Age 2 (PS3/Action-Adventure RPG) - Major Gore and adult themes, not even close to kid friendly.

 

Graphics: 4.5 out of 5

Controls: 4 out of 5

Story: 4 out of 5

Replay value: 4 out of 5

 

A remarkable game. Dragon Age 2 takes everything that Dragon Age did correct and polished it up. The graphics are beautiful and controls are much smoother than its predecessor. The choices are much more in depth with real in-game consequences. The quests are more varied than the standard formula. My one complaint is that the story is a bit weaker than the original Dragon Age. The DLC is costly and as usual, not worth the money, but if you're like me, you will probably get it if you enjoy the main game. I played through twice and unlike many games, your experience is changed markedly by the decisions you make and interestingly enough, you can import your decisions from Dragon Age 1 and it will alter your game based on those choices. Well worth your $60, Dragon Age 2 is solid pickup for those who enjoy hack-and-slash and RPG nuts alike.

 

 

Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland - (PS3/JRPG) - Minor cartoon violence, kid friendly'

 

Graphics: 3.5 out of 5

Controls: 4 out of 5

Story: 2.5 out of 5

Replay value: 3 out of 5

 

I'm a bit of an RPG sucker, especially JRPGs. Living through the silver (SNES; Chrono trigger, secret of mana etc.) and the golden age (PS1; final fantasy 7, saga frontier etc.) of RPGs, I'm usually willing to give most JRPGs a run provided that they aren't ridiculous at face value (for price or story). Atelier Rorona starts out really slow. Lots of story development with little actual gameplay. It was a little frustrating. Once you get into the meat of the game, you find that the traditional JRPG battles are very much secondary to gathering of raw materials and synthesizing of finished products in order to fill deliveries and progress the story. Unlike other similar games where alchemy is secondary to a traditional JRPG find-the-boss-and-kill-it-in-a-heated-battle, you must create an order and deliver it on time. The story progresses as best it can but the premise of the game is weak and continues to be weak throughout. If Alchemy games are your thing and you actually prefer the gather materials and build approach, you will like this game. I didn't.

 

Monster Hunter Tri - (Wii/Action RPG) - Sword Violence, Monsters are a bit scary for a kid, probably wouldn't show it to kids under 8.

 

Graphics: 2.5 out of 5

Controls: 2.5 out of 5

Story: 2 out of 5

Replay value: 4 out of 5

 

On the surface based on my ratings, this looks like a terrible game. The story is weak at best and isn't progressed very much at all. The controls are clunky and frustrating with each weapon type causing you to need to relearn a new control scheme. The camera is a pain in the ass and will cause you to lose many fights over the course of the game. The graphics are weak even for a Wii game, everything is grainy. All of that said, this might be the best Wii game I've ever played. This game is tough as nails. The story centers around you protecting a small village from incessant monster attacks. You take jobs from the village to fulfill various requests. The standard fetch quests and "kill X number of a certain monster" are present but many of the jobs consist of tackling large dragons much larger than your character. The game is unique in that you don't level up, the game forces YOU to level up and get better. You also can build stronger equipment built from the spoils of the previous dragons you've killed. Many times, the errors you make in fighting these dragons will leave you vulnerable to getting killed in one or two shots. The online aspect of the game is fairly easy to deal with. Join a lobby and decide on a quest. Everyone gets the same loot. It's a great game if you can stomach the frustrations of railing against a dragon who is going to kill you 10 times before you get close to being a match for it.

 

 

Mass Effect 2 - (PS3/FPS-RPG) - Gun violence, blood, cursing, adult themes, not kid friendly

 

Graphics: 4.5 out of 5

Controls: 5 out of 5

Story: 5 out of 5

Replay value: 4 out of 5

 

Maybe the finest game I've ever played. No other game ties in a solid FPS with good graphics with real time strategy and decision-making RPG elements that affect the story as well as Mass Effect 2. I make no protests about being called a Bioware honk. Every game they make has a rock-solid story and are genuinely fun to play. Mass Effect 2 regularly had me playing late into the night and I was hanging on the next bit of the current storyline. Romance options, team building, planet exploration; this game has it all. The deep storyline highlights moral and ethical dilemmas that delve into subjects that hit home (albeit veiled under the guise of human-alien interactions). Things like racism, family distrust or neglect, torture, experimentation, artificial intelligence, assimilation among other things. Your own moral compass will be tested in this game. You will need to think. And if a game can get you to invest personal attachment in your character, it has succeeded. Mass Effect 2 does this better than any other game I've ever played. Knowing what I know now, I'd pay twice what I did to get a game of this caliber. It's that good.

 

White Knight Chronicles 2 - (PS3/JRPG) - Sword Violence, fairly kid friendly.

 

Graphics: 4 out of 5

Controls: 4 out of 5

Story: 3.5 out of 5

Replay value: 4 out of 5

 

After playing WKC2, I felt like story leans much too heavily on WKC1. This would be a big problem but the developers (Level 5) included a copy of WKC1 on the disc. Two games for the price of one. Kind of a burn on a guy who bought WKC1 18 months ago but it is what it is. If you played WKC1 and liked it, you will enjoy this game. It's basically the same game with storyline changes. In fact, much of the areas are exactly the same with palette swap enemies. A bit lazy for sure, but the formula worked before. I didn't find the item synthesizing process to be nearly as fun as before in WKC1, perhaps because all of the hard work I invested into weapon and armor online in WKC1 was rendered useless in the first hour. Speaking of online, the concept is great. The game gets extended by hundreds of hours as players grind out harder and harder team quests for difficult to find materials. In practice, the free servers struggle mightily against the demand. It is not close to reliable enough to play with any regularity. I played close to 100 hours of WKC1 online. I played 3 hours of WKC2 online. Case in point. For what it's worth, the game teases WKC3 at the end despite a fairly neat story wrap-up. I would recommend it but the online can be frustrating.

Edited October 22, 2011 by Tford

[Pope Flick]

Took the summer off after playing through LA Noire, which is quite excellent if it's your thing.

 

Wrapping up Arkham City now and WOW is this better than the first: they've expnaded the gameplay - the gliding is now the tits - and ratcheted back some overused elements (you not pulling a grate to sneak into an air duct on every level).

 

But the main thing is the storyline and the fantastic use of Batman's rogue's gallery: Joker, Penguin, Freeze, Quinn, Ras al Ghul, Clayface, Hugo Strange, Catwoman, Deadshot, etc... and the combat is vastly improved as well.

 

Getting ready for MW3 and Uncharted 3, that's this Holiday play through.

[boltnlava]

Playing RAGE at the moment. It's an on-rails shooter that has racing elements in it. The enjoyment factor is high I just wish it was more free roaming and had more exploration. The action is fast paced and I LOVE the engineered weapons. Too much talk of that may be spoiling so I'll just say if you like shooters and racing get it. Just don't expect a Fallout experience. It's not as wide open as it looks in ads and poster art. Think FEAR (minus the creepy Alma and time slowing) in the desert and you'll get the picture.

[tonorator]

new batman out ... last one (arkham) was awesome!

[cliaz]

I just started Final Fantasy XIII tonight

[boltnlava]

Those of you wondering about Deus Ex: Human Revolution-

 

Get it. Open world sandbox game with lots to do and a great storyline. After finishing this game I was saddened to see it end. I will restart this game again with a new set of skills and to try to get it at 100% completion sometime soon after I finish RAGE and Arkham Asylum. I can honestly say that this game will appeal to everyone and all gamers style. Try it! Also a tip: The turrets are movable once you get a strength upgrade. lol. I found this out at a critical time by accident. Wish I had known sooner!

[tosberg34]

Totally stoked for Battlefield 3 this Tuesday. Anyone else? I play on PC only.

[Tford]

I got RAGE and Batman:Arkham City in the queue. Probably going to prevent me (yet again) from finishing Two Worlds 2 and Fallout.

 

Just DL'd the latest Dragon Age 2 DLC. Will let you guys know how it is.

[Vote Quimby2]

I liked Rage but found the ending to be a bit of a let down. I also thought, as boltlave said, that it would be more open like Fallout. Still the fighting/action makes it enjoyable.

 

I'm currently playing Batman and I've beaten it, but there is still plenty to do. It's a great game and I like it even more than the first one.

 

I also picked up BF3, but haven't really gotten into it too much. Not sure I will for a little while either since Uncharted3 comes out today. Too many good games are out this Oct/Nov.