Gaming What Are You Playing?

[Felix the Cat]

I JUST GOT THE LAST!! COPY OF POKEMON WHITE! WOOOOOOOO

In other news, I'm still addicted to Guild Wars.

[Sangome]

[quote name='Felix the Cat' timestamp='1299246627' post='705474']
I JUST GOT THE LAST!! COPY OF POKEMON WHITE! WOOOOOOOO[/quote]

[font="Microsoft Sans Serif"][color="#9932CC"]EUROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE!!!!!!!11!11!11!1 We still have to wait two more days. ;_;

As for me, I'm borrowing Spyro: Ripto's Rage from a friend. I have not played this in [i]years[/i]. I have been wanting to replay Spyros 2 and 3 for a long time now. Thus, I am a happy clam.[/color][/font]

[Ducky]

My brother got me into [b]Fallout 3[/b], using the hook that, "DUDE IT'S JUST AS AWESOME AS ELDER SCROLLS: OBLIVION!"

It's not (so far). But it is interesting. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded in the very beginning -- timeline jumps and bits and pieces of plot thrown at you. [SPOILER]The power struggles going on in Vault 101 were really realistic, I thought. I can't help but wonder if Mr. Plot leads me back there before the game ends.[/SPOILER] The environment (or I guess the concept) is disturbing in several ways, but there is something kind of alluring about it. That primal, survival of the fittest mentality, maybe. The characters that populate the game are interesting for that reason.

My initial judgment on the game is that it's graphically pretty and it could be super interesting (if it isn't super disappointing), but it's not as cool as Oblivion. Buuuuut, I guess I'll have to play more to find out. :V

(And also, WTF Fallout, I need to finish Tales of the Abyss!) Edited March 7, 2011 by Ducky

[Magus]

So I'm gonna be putting [b]Super Street Fighter 4[/b] on hold for a while (I suck at it anyway, so yeah lol). [b]Bayonetta[/b], [b]Batman: Arkham Asyulm[/b] will be taking up my free time (like 3 hours a day). I think I'll also go back and finish up [b]Devil May Cry 4[/b] (again) as well as [b]Mass Effect[/b] (again) and finally start and continue [b]Mass Effect 2[/b].

Batman and Bayonetta just arrived today. I think Friday, I'll probably buy a PS3 and order (if I don't see it) Metal Gear Solid 4 and probably both Uncharted 1 & 2.

[RedJ]

[quote name='Ducky' timestamp='1299258373' post='705478']
(And also, WTF Fallout, I need to finish Tales of the Abyss!)
[/quote]

No you don't. Fallout shall continue to make sure of that by consuming you soul â?¼_â?¼


Anyway, aside from playing [b]Pokemon Black[/b], I also picked up[b] Dragon Quest IX[/b] and [b]Megaman Zero Collection[/b]. MMZ is alright, but DQIX...I dunno. I just can't get into it. It doesn't feel...Dragon Questy ._. Oh, and I found a copy of [b]Kingdom Hearts 2[/b] ($5.95 at McKay's as compared to GameStop's $19.99. 'Nuff said) to play while my DS recharges from my constant [s]slave driving[/s] playing.

[Magus]

[size=1]I've been playing [b]Batman Arkham Asylum[/b] and while it's a great game and whatnot, it's not what I was expecting. I think I was expecting a little more from it, considering some folks were talking Game of the Year status, but I'm rather underwhelmed. The combat is great, and the story is nice, but I can't place my finger on what's missing. On 1 hand I find myself wasting money, but on the other I think it should be played or rather everyone should experience it at least once... (it's more of a rental) No doubt it's the best Batman/superhero game made, but like I said it just feels underwhelming.[/size]

Edit

So I finally got a chance to start playing [b]Metal Gear Solid 4[/b] and the first thing that happened was a freakin Gekko lands on me and then had the nerve to kick the crap outta me. That made me feel like a punk. Then I run into a guard pressing the square button trying to CQC him and Snake does nothing but keep on running into him. So now I'm caught looking stupid. These things happened because I'm still trying to get used to the controls. I am not used to the CQC button being the R1 button. I'm still trying to learn how to side roll as well. But I am liking the game so far. Saw some unnecessary cutscenes though.

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I'm playing through Mass Effect 2 again. This time my character is female and I'm pretty much taking the Renegade path. It's proving to be pretty interesting, with some notable changes. Plus, I loved ME2 so much that it is a real pleasure to play again anyway.

I'm also playing through Pokemon Black, which is starting to grow on me.[/font]

[Darth Vectis]

I'm on Bulletstorm right now, also been playing through Gears of War 1 and 2. Can't get enough of them meat chunks.

[Dovahkiin]

i've been playing a lot of COD: MW2 on live, a lot! lately

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I just bought Crysis 2. Has anyone else tried this? I haven't yet played it but I'm hoping it's good (considering I really like Far Cry 2). [/font]

[Magus]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1301005162' post='705899']
[font="Palatino Linotype"]I just bought Crysis 2. Has anyone else tried this? I haven't yet played it but I'm hoping it's good (considering I really like Far Cry 2). [/font]
[/quote]

I'm also curious about it. I've been reading the reviews and they've been positive for the most part. I think there's been some talk about linearity or something of that nature might be a put off to some.

[James]

[quote name='Magus' timestamp='1301007053' post='705900']
I'm also curious about it. I've been reading the reviews and they've been positive for the most part. I think there's been some talk about linearity or something of that nature might be a put off to some.
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Yeah, I've read that the game is solid but that it doesn't really do anything particularly new. In any case I'm sure I'll get the chance to play it over the next couple of days, so I'll post my thoughts either here or I'll make a Crysis 2 topic.[/font]

[Ellerby]

[color="#696969"][font="Tahoma"]I've been playing a lot of [b]DC Universe Online[/b] lately and am having a blast. I've been playing it for a few months now but I recently re-fell in love with it due to making a Hero (my main character is a clown-like villain named Happy) and joining an RP League (guild). I'm learning a lot about all the superhero lore from other members as well as actually paying attention to the storyline this time around.

This might actually get me into comics, heh. ^_^

This is my hero, Quickman. His mentor is Superman, his power is Fire and his role is Tank (reflect group damage, keep aggro of mobs). He uses dual swords to fight and Superspeed is his movement power (I'm also putting a lot of my skill points into the Superspeed tree for extra Superspeed abilities).
[center][img]http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/4296/quickman.png[/img][/center]

My favourite part about DCUO is the customization they offer throughout the entirety of the game (including end-game). All items in the game have 2 parts to them; they have stats and they have a style. Once you've collected an items style at any point in the game you can go into your menu and change how your character looks using the different styles you've collected (and of course you find more styles as you progress).

Basically you can equip an item for the stats, but still keep the look of a better looking piece of gear. This is especially nice at end-game when you're spending a lot of time obtaining the high-tier gear because I know that even if the next tier of gear replaces it at some point, I'll still have the style and can display it whenever I want without any repercussions.

Oh and this is Happy. His mentor is the Joker, his power is Gadgets and his role is Controller (restore power [mana] to the group and debuff enemies). He uses a tech rifle to fight (which includes but is not limited to a grenade launcher, a flamethrower and a mortar) and his movement power is Acrobatics (grappling hooks, zip-line cables, gliding, etc).

[center][img]http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/1032/happypu.jpg[/img][/center]

And yes, that's a sparking bomb in my chest. Courtesy of the Joker, lol.
[/font][/color] Edited March 25, 2011 by White

[Magus]

Alright, after buying lot's of games from Feb to now I have developed quite a backlog of games to play. I just bought [b]Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2[/b] yesterday and that's currently in my PS3. I'll probably be rotating between Naruto, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, or rather, those the games I've been playing little bits of. After them I'll probably end up playing [b]Yakuza 3[/b], [b]Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2[/b] and [b]Uncharted Among Thieves[/b]. I've officially given up on Batman Arkham Asylum. I'll be trading it in someday. It just didn't reach my expectations and to be honest it's given me a negative impression of Arkham City. Anyway, I'll eventually work my way back to the Xbox 360 so I can finally start playing Bayonetta, finish up Devil May Cry 4, continue with Mass Effect 2 and continue developing Guy on Super Street Fighter 4.

I'm still thinking about buying Uncharted Drakes Fortune. It'll depend on if I feel like going back to it after playing Among Thieves. And then I'm also thinking about buying God of War 3 as well as Vanquish, and Castlevania but none of them are on my "must have" list. Crysis 2 looks good but I'm the type that waits for a price drop. It'll probably be a bit before I buy another game, or rather, I probably won't purchase another game for the remainder of the month.

[CaNz]

I started playing through Dragonage. For some reason I am determined to finish the game I abandoned a year ago. I can't say I like his game very much... but I still want to beat it.

I also did a playthrough of Fable lost chapters, then Fable 2, and then Fable 3. I ab solutly love Lost chapters... and the gunfights in two are pretty fun. Fable three has fun missions until you [spoiler] become king. [/spoiler]
I have to say the Fable series has progressively gone downhill... and I doubt I will buy any more if Lionshead products... but I will probably keep these three games.

Lastly I am doing a runthrough for Borderlands with two friends online... (making this playthrough 8) so afterwords I will have all 4 classes with max levels. Its kinda difficult to wait for all people to be ready and willing to play... but it is worth it.

[Dovahkiin]

new halo reach map pack is pretty darn awesome, well worth spending the credits on :D....also can i have suggestions for games?! i keep playing COD:MW2 on live >_<;

[Magus]

[b]Yakuza 3[/b] is for those who need to find some way to release anger. The way people get hit on there, wow, it's over-the-top but they get hit hard. I wish I was introduced to the series earlier since I was dying for something similar to Shenmue on the PS2. I'm not far in the game at all (probably about 30 minutes in) but I am loving it already. I think I will be getting Yakuza 4 a lot sooner afterall.

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]This weekend I managed to squeeze in some time for [b]Crysis 2[/b] in between Uni work. I'm not all that far in yet, so I can't really draw any major conclusions but I've played enough to get a rough idea.

The most obvious thing about Crysis 2 is definitely how beautiful it is. I'd have to say that it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever played - possibly [i]the[/i] most visually incredible title ever on a console (and probably on PC, too). The game takes place in a near-future New York City and they absolutely nailed it. They even replicated all the real buildings, with a few touches to make it seem like a few more years have passed (for instance, the new One World Trade Center tower already exists in Crysis 2).

In terms of gameplay, Crysis 2 is a bit difficult to describe. It feels a bit like Half-Life 2 at times, especially given the fact that you can pick up almost any object and there's quite a lot of physics going on in the environment. However, there's an inconsistency in the environmental interaction that can also be annoying at times (i.e. some doors can be opened and others can't - and there's no obvious way to tell which is which - or the fact that collision detection can occasionally be very hit-and-miss). This is nowhere near a huge issue, but at times it really breaks your stride and can cause a bit of frustration (at least for me).

The biggest element of gameplay is probably the nanosuit, which basically grants the player various abilities. You can cloak and enhance your shields, both of which sort of become the fundamental balancing act of the game. I am only playing on the second-highest difficulty (I think there are four levels) and I've found that you really can't ever be exposed to enemy fire. I mean, you pretty much need to be in cover or cloaked 90% of the time. The enemies are not only aggressive, but they are overwhelming at times.

Having said that, the cloaking and shields do add a pretty interesting dynamic. Each ability drains your suit's power (cloaking drains very fast if you're running), so you need to be quite strategic in terms of how you use both features.

Your suit also has the ability to take certain upgrades. I've only unlocked two, which are reasonably helpful. I think as time goes by, these suit upgrades will become more and more important.

Aside from that, the gameplay is pretty straightforward. There are the typical explosive barrels and there are also some vehicular segments, which not only break up the game, but which are pretty fun in their own right.

In terms of plot, well...so far nothing too spectacular. The actual characterisation is great, as is the voice acting. The story plays out "in real time" using scripted sequences, a lot like Half-Life and Halo. I guess it's become the standard in first person games these days. It's done very well in Crysis 2, but again, the plot is so far pretty thin.

So far I've been enjoying Crysis 2, even though there are a few niggling annoyances. Admittedly they are only annoyances - all the fundamentals work very well (fantastic game control, great weapons, challenging enemies, brilliant graphics and sound). So it's a worthwhile purchase, but it doesn't really reinvent the wheel. As a fairly straightforward shooter, though, it's very much worthwhile.[/font]

[Charles]

I just received Crysis 2 in the mail from Gamefly and boy are you right about the graphics; from a visual standpoint Crysis 2 is easily the best-looking console first person shooter I've played (I'm not a fan of Killzone 2's muddy visuals). The lighting effects in particular impress. The way light bleeds through open windows and doorways is quite attractive. I am literally only about fifteen minutes into the single player campaign, but my primary criticism at this marginal point is that sometimes I feel that I am suffering from a bit of visual overload. Everything looks a little "busy." Sometimes I find it difficult to identify the enemies. I suppose the HUD is supposed to alleviate that problem, but I am going to have to adapt. Additionally, I find the enemies to be rather bland and generic. I know that narrative shifts later on and allows for some more creativity with enemy designs; I just hope the shift occurs sooner rather than later.

Otherwise, my 3DS arrived from Amazon today, along with my copy of Pilotwings. I should also be receiving a copy of Ridge Racer later in the week.

So far it's a nice little system that feels a bit heavier and sturdier than I expected. The glossy finish is quite alluring too.

I found myself enjoying Face Raiders and the AR Games for a lengthy period before I even popped in Pilotwings. Although neither diversion really stands alone as a fully-featured game, they are both cool tech demos. In Face Raiders, you take a picture of a face and, which then morphs into an enemy. Afterward, you spin around the room with the DS shooting the faces as they attack you. The whole experience is very surreal, but enjoyable. I can imagine people taking pictures of other body parts though, which could be very disturbing....

I have only played one of the AR games, but it was neat doing battle with a dragon that had popped out of my kitchen counter.

Pilotwings is a little bland, but I'm having fun with it in short bursts. The 3D is used subtly, but it is very effective. Screens do not do the game justice. The way the sun glints off the water and wind streams off the plane's wings is very eye-catching. There aren't a lot of effects that "pop" off the screen, but the sense of depth is commendable. As I play the game, I feel as if I am staring through a window.

Now I'm just anxious for what's to come. :D Edited March 29, 2011 by Charles

[James]

[quote name='Charles' timestamp='1301370989' post='706046']
I just received Crysis 2 in the mail from Gamefly and boy are you right about the graphics; from a visual standpoint Crysis 2 is easily the best-looking console first person shooter I've played (I'm not a fan of Killzone 2's muddy visuals). The lighting effects in particular impress. The way light bleeds through open windows and doorways is quite attractive. I am literally only about fifteen minutes into the single player campaign, but my primary criticism at this marginal point is that sometimes I feel that I am suffering from a bit of visual overload. Everything looks a little "busy." Sometimes I find it difficult to identify the enemies. I suppose the HUD is supposed to alleviate that problem, but I am going to have to adapt. Additionally, I find the enemies to be rather bland and generic. I know that narrative shifts later on and allows for some more creativity with enemy designs; I just hope the shift occurs sooner rather than later.[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]I think one of the hardest things to get used to in Crysis 2 is actually tagging your targets using the HUD. If you tag your enemies (or most of them) in each area, you'll have an easier time. It also helps you a lot in terms of choosing the best routes through a level.

In terms of enemy designs, I've found that (so far) they don't vary much...but this changes when you begin to fight the aliens proper. There's also some interplay between CELL and the aliens, which adds some variety. But thus far I have not really come across anything hugely varied.[/font]

[quote name='Charles']Otherwise, my 3DS arrived from Amazon today, along with my copy of Pilotwings. I should also be receiving a copy of Ridge Racer later in the week.

So far it's a nice little system that feels a bit heavier and sturdier than I expected. The glossy finish is quite alluring too.

I found myself enjoying Face Raiders and the AR Games for a lengthy period before I even popped in Pilotwings. Although neither diversion really stands alone as a fully-featured game, they are both cool tech demos. In Face Raiders, you take a picture of a face and, which then morphs into an enemy. Afterward, you spin around the room with the DS shooting the faces as they attack you. The whole experience is very surreal, but enjoyable. I can imagine people taking pictures of other body parts though, which could be very disturbing....

I have only played one of the AR games, but it was neat doing battle with a dragon that had popped out of my kitchen counter.

Pilotwings is a little bland, but I'm having fun with it in short bursts. The 3D is used subtly, but it is very effective. Screens do not do the game justice. The way the sun glints off the water and wind streams off the plane's wings is very eye-catching. There aren't a lot of effects that "pop" off the screen, but the sense of depth is commendable. As I play the game, I feel as if I am staring through a window.

Now I'm just anxious for what's to come. :D
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]I'm glad you're enjoying 3DS. I'm kind of eager to read these "every day" accounts of what it's really like. I'm not sure if I want one yet.

By the way, is Pilotwings just planes? Or do they have the jet packs and birdman and all that stuff too? I really want Pilotwings to be resurrected, but it sounds like the 3DS version is not as good as the N64 version.[/font]

[Charles]

Pilotwings also gives you the option to use a jet pack or a hang glider.

I've actually never played any other version of Pilotwings (I know, for shame lol) so I am not sure how this version compares. Thus far I do find the game to be a bit on the derivative side though. Almost everything I've played has consisted of collecting balloons, flying through rings, or some combination of both. Once again, I haven't really played far into the game so the variation may open up. My initial impression is that--I still like Pilotwings. It's mellow and enjoyable in short plays, but it is not even close to being a "must have." I'm sort of glad I only paid about 12 dollars for it thanks to the Amazon deal. :D

Ridge Racer, on the other hand, is a pleasant surprise. Initial previews had the game looking lackluster. On the actual 3DS screen, it's another story. There are all sorts of cool touches, like leaves flying at the screen, confetti, flower pedals, water splashing. A nice showcase. Also, although the game isn't 60fps like the PSP version, the colors are substantially better. On the gameplay side of things, it's all familiar. If you've played a Ridge Racer to death recently, or don't enjoy the series, this one won't change your mind. I've always been a fan, so I'm happy.

And, I suppose--that's sort of the problem with the 3DS lineup so far. There's nothing really compelling out of the gate. I almost considered Super Street Fighter IV, but I own the console version already.

If you're still on the fence about the system, I would recommend waiting for a hardware revision or the must-have games. As much as I enjoy the 3DS, the battery life is as brutal as you've probably heard, the stylus holder is awkwardly placed, and the power button placement is clumsy (I often finding myself trying to press "start," only to hit the power button. Sometimes, I also find it annoying trying to keep the "3D effect." If you stray too far from the optimal viewing angle, the screen sort of looks like it's blinking, which is annoying.

So, the system is awesome and I am glad I bought it, but it is not without some nagging issues that should be considered before anyone dives in. Edited March 31, 2011 by Charles

[Magus]

Jumping back and forth between games right now. It feels strange doing all this rotating because I've never owned so many games that I've never completed. I'm usually beating one game at a time and then moving on to the next. I will go back to doing that eventually but right now I have so many games that I want to play all at the same time. Anyway, I went back to playing [b]Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2[/b]. The last fight I did was Kakashi vs Itachi. I'm suppose to head to some location I cannot remember at the moment, but I do know that I'm still doing the rescue the Kazekage chapter.

Edit:

Hmm. I'm currently on the Hebi Formation chapter and while it is a good game I find that there are some things dragging it down, mainly some of these missions/requests. Honestly, I would rather rush through the game than do some of these missions. I know they're optional and whatnot, but I'm only doing them because there's no telling what could be missed for not doing them.

[spoiler]Hide-and-Seek with Konoharmaru... A mission that could be done within mere seconds after talking to him is a complete waste.[/spoiler]

Traversing from place to place is on the boring side as well simply because all you're doing is going from point A to point B while searching for items along the way. This is a small problem but because there's a lot of traveling (at least I've been doing a lot of traveling) it tends to build up into a bigger problem overtime. But hearing that this game is only about 15-18 hours makes it less of a problem. (I had a similar issue with Tales of the Abyss)

Fighting has been good. Nitpicking at the controls here and there. The only other Naruto game I've played was the first Ultimate Ninja and I had the same issues in that game as well. 1 attack button. I'm so used to my fighting games having a kick and punch button. The 1 attack button makes things feel, I don't know, watered down (not sure if that's the term I'm looking for) but it does even itself out because I'm terrible at using substitution lol. You should see me here trying to do all this substituting only to fail in the process. That's why I've been losing so many fights.

There are some things that should've/could've been handled differently to make it feel a lot like the manga/show.

[spoiler]The first encounter between Naruto and Sasuke. We all know that Naruto didn't win that fight. That should've been a fight you can't win (I hated that cutscene where Naruto pretty much got the best of Sasuke while he managed to not get touched at all... Come on.. That's some one-sided stuff even though it looked good.[/spoiler]

Overall though, the game is sitting at a low B. Edited April 10, 2011 by Magus

[Evilucian]

Currently playing Fallout: New Vegas. Being from Vegas myself it's pretty cool to see all of the landmarks that the developers were able to get into this game, from the Hoover dam, the Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, McCarran airport etc. That's probably why I like this game better than Fallout 3 because I have never been to D.C. so I have no frame of reference to where monuments and such were supposed to be. I have already beaten it twice and I keep finding things and situations that I didn't encounter the first 2 times. I usually get bored with games that I have to do extensive exploration but that isn't the case with this game.

[Magus]

So last weekend I beat [b]Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2[/b]. The cinematics and the fighting was nice, but the RPG elements really threw the game outta wack for me. Navigating the terrain and the missions were wasted space. Honestly, except for the Cursed Doll mission each mission could be done in mere seconds since the objective is right next to you (next screen). When you're navigating it's like doing nothing but running from point A to point B. Then near the end of the game you run around as Sakura for nothing... I liked where Namco was heading with the game overall but these aspects of the game really brings it down. It went from a B to a low C for me. It's definately more for fans of the series though.

Anyway, today, I continued playing [b]Ninja Gaiden Sigma[/b]. The platforming and camera continues to haunt me in this game. I don't recall having much platforming issues on the original Xbox game until near the end of the game. In any case, I'm still having a blast with the game though. I'd still probably call this the best action game out there but to be honest, Devil May Cry 3/4 is right on it's heels since I've had a lot of fun with those games.

I also started playing [b]Uncharted: Drakes Fortune[/b] a little while ago. This game is pretty to look at on my new tv (I'm so happy I bought a tv). I've died about 5 times already due to trial and error. I've never died so many times before at the beginning stages of a game. I'm only on chapter 3 as well. I can't say dying is turning me away from the game either.

[CaNz]

I am playing quite a bit of Minecraft.
The Beta has moved on a lot since I had left....
I am currently in the process of constructing a castle. ( I will post a screen-shot or two when it is finished.)