Gaming What Are You Playing?

[James]

[quote name='Sangome' timestamp='1306711161' post='707658']
[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Man oh man I've been wanting to rave about Portal 2, so now's a good a time as ever. I spent last week playing and loved every freakin' minute of it. It's exponentially better than the already fantastic first game in pretty much every way imaginable, and AGH it's just...awesome. One of the best games I have played in a long time.

Favorite part was very easily [spoiler]old!Aperture Science. It had a lot of personality and atmosphere even in such a state of abandon, and of course Cave Johnson is a crazy awesome fountain of memes. Learning about GLaDOS's origin story was awesome too and I completely and totally [i]called it[/i] ever since I first saw her in the original game. I felt proud of myself for that. >>[/spoiler]

Also, Want You Gone >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Still Alive. Just sayin'. I've had it on a near-endless repeat for the past three or four days now. Very glad I didn't listen to it before I played the game, too, as the lyrics actually contain a decent spoiler. Granted, it wouldn't make sense unless you've played the game, but still...
[/font][/color]
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Agreed on all counts. Portal 2 is pure genius and it is also ridiculously beautiful - not just in the technical sense (although Source is still incredible), but more so in the artistic sense. I was pretty much in awe of the game's design at every single moment.

I think my favourite part (so far) was when [spoiler]Wheatley rescues you from the test chamber, just as you're about to pass it. There was something really crazy about it... literally escaping from the room while in the middle of a test. Going from the sterile, glistening white of the test chamber to the decaying (and almost frightening) darkness of the bowels of the laboratory - it was just out of this world! I even loved the way you'd walk up to a gap and Wheatley would say "wait, hold on, let me shine my light over there for the jump". Little moments like that made the game feel real. Wheatley's behaviour seemed natural and even slightly awkward - the fact that he would sometimes get a little behind, or that you could walk up and frighten him... this is the stuff Valve is so good at![/spoiler]

I could easily rave about this game for hours, so I totally get where you're coming from. :P[/font]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1306709729' post='707657']
[font=palatino linotype]How far are you in Portal 2? When you get a couple of chapters in, the game starts getting really crazy. It's ridiculously awesome. I don't want to spoil anything, but there are moments where you feel like you're breaking out of the Truman Show...and the way it all happens is just too cool. The twists and turns are very devious (and funny), too. :)[/font]
[/quote]

Not that far yet -- just finished the puzzle where [spoiler]GLaDOS vaporizes the companion cube a couple of times, and then vaporizes it again if you try to sneak it onto the elevator[/spoiler]. The addition of deadly lasers had me snickering, mostly because it's such a James Bond move and for me hammers home the loathing GLaDOS has for Chell, and I want more bouncing. Much more.

[James]

[quote name='Shinmaru' timestamp='1306714348' post='707662']
Not that far yet -- just finished the puzzle where [spoiler]GLaDOS vaporizes the companion cube a couple of times, and then vaporizes it again if you try to sneak it onto the elevator[/spoiler]. The addition of deadly lasers had me snickering, mostly because it's such a James Bond move and for me hammers home the loathing GLaDOS has for Chell, and I want more bouncing. Much more.
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Haha, awesome. I'm actually excited for you, Shin. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Once you've played for a couple more hours, your mind will have been blown several times. ;)[/font]

[Shinmaru]

Oh man, [b]Portal 2[/b] has left [b]Portal[/b] in its dust so far. The puzzles are as interesting (and tough!) as [b]Portal[/b], but the addition of a stronger storyline has ramped up the fun so much. I love Wheatley popping up everywhere -- the part where [spoiler]he and Chell escape from GLaDOS, leading up to the second half of the game[/spoiler] is [i]fantastic[/i]; like James posted, the visual design is breathtaking -- and the way the story is integrated into everything is so damn awesome. The writing and voice acting are absolutely spot on, as well. Wheatley and GLaDOS have me laughing every time they speak. And I'm just getting to the parts with [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler], which I am sure will be likewise awesome and hilarious.

[darksuzakurera]

A while ago, I just beat [b]Shikigami no Shiro III[/b] on the PC. I dared myself going for the hardest difficulty using Koutarou Kuga Type-A. 1st stage was smooth sailing but on 2nd up to the last, got screwed up but managed to pull through...with 6 continues. Not bad on my first attempt!

[James]

[quote name='Shinmaru' timestamp='1306744884' post='707673']
Oh man, [b]Portal 2[/b] has left [b]Portal[/b] in its dust so far. The puzzles are as interesting (and tough!) as [b]Portal[/b], but the addition of a stronger storyline has ramped up the fun so much. I love Wheatley popping up everywhere -- the part where [spoiler]he and Chell escape from GLaDOS, leading up to the second half of the game[/spoiler] is [i]fantastic[/i]; like James posted, the visual design is breathtaking -- and the way the story is integrated into everything is so damn awesome. The writing and voice acting are absolutely spot on, as well. Wheatley and GLaDOS have me laughing every time they speak. And I'm just getting to the parts with [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler], which I am sure will be likewise awesome and hilarious.
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Haha, I'm actually excited for you, Shin. Isn't that lame?

I played again last night and I'm now closer to the end. And I have to tell you, even though you've seen some truly awesome stuff... there are still a ton of surprises around the corner.

For example, playing with the gels is fun when you first encounter them. But wait until you're using all of the gels at the same time! It's crazy and so much fun. There's one room in particular that I [i]really[/i] had fun with, without even solving the puzzle itself haha. I was just thoroughly enjoying the experience. I think you'll be able to guess which one that was. ;)[/font]

[Lilt]

[b]So is Portal 2 a longer game than the first one so far? It sounds like it's longer. (I didn't really care about the length the first time around, but more Portal is always good.)[/b]

Right now I'm waiting for Sony's Welcome Back program to kick in so I can try out [b]Modnation Racers[/b] on the PSP. Until then, I'm going to actually try to get somewhere on [b]Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days[/b]. Especially with [b]Disgaea 4[/b] coming out soon. Edited May 31, 2011 by Lilt

[James]

[quote name='Lilt' timestamp='1306815204' post='707692']
[b]So is Portal 2 a longer game than the first one so far? It sounds like it's longer. (I didn't really care about the length the first time around, but more Portal is always good.)[/b]

[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Yep, much longer. And co-op is essentially a whole separate game again - it isn't just a re-hash of the single player levels with two people.[/font]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='Lilt' timestamp='1306815204' post='707692']
[b]So is Portal 2 a longer game than the first one so far? It sounds like it's longer. (I didn't really care about the length the first time around, but more Portal is always good.)[/b]
[/quote]

Yep, it's definitely longer. I've already put in the amount of time it took me to beat [b]Portal[/b] (more, actually, I think), and I'm maybe a little more than halfway through [b]Portal 2[/b] right now.

[fujyoshi]

well I just beat no more heros 2 recently and I'm playing tales of the abyss now :D meh I know I'm late to the party I ALWAYS get to the good stuff late -.-

[James]

[quote name='fujyoshi' timestamp='1306876000' post='707720']
well I just beat no more heros 2 recently and I'm playing tales of the abyss now :D meh I know I'm late to the party I ALWAYS get to the good stuff late -.-
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Is Tales of the Abyss any good?

And don't worry about being late to the good stuff, haha. Although I do buy a lot of new stuff, I seem to discover some gems very late in life. For example, I'm [i]still[/i] playing through Fallout 3! For a lot of people that one is ancient history. :P[/font]

[Sangome]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1306886786' post='707733']
[font=palatino linotype]Is Tales of the Abyss any good?[/font][/quote]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Now I'm riding the bias steamroller like you wouldn't believe here, but Tales of the Abyss is fantastic. Unfortunately, the PS2 release is marred with terrible loading times and slowdown on the overworld map [as well as some other minor glitches that don't affect gameplay], but it's one of the finer RPGs out there, both in terms of story and character development. The Tales series overall needs more love [outside of Symphonia, which is kind of the FFVII of the franchise, being the only one a lot of people have played or know of]. Although the Tales series is also notoriously fickle with the PAL region [or any country not Japan for that matter, although they're getting better about that], so I'm not sure if you'll be able to play it without a modded PS2. But there's a 3DS port coming down the line, so maybe it'll turn up there.

BUUUT like I said, I'm riding the bias streamroller, but it's hard not to since I consider it my favorite game ever. > >; Not perfect by any means, but still a darn fine game.[/font][/color] Edited June 1, 2011 by Sangome

[Lilt]

[quote name='Sangome' timestamp='1306711161' post='707658']
[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]
Also, Want You Gone >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Still Alive. Just sayin'. I've had it on a near-endless repeat for the past three or four days now.[/font][/color]
[/quote]

[b]I agree it's a good song, but better than Still Alive? Am I not hearing it because I haven't played through Portal 2 yet?

I don't know why I like Still Alive better after hearing Want You Gone. Maybe it's the discordant tune or something. Although I'm sure that part makes sense if you've played the game.

Oh and has anyone played Portal 2 on co-op yet? Is it split-screen only?[/b]

[Sangome]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]That could be part of it. I stubbornly refused to listen to the song until I played through the game, but overall it just sounds better to me than Still Alive. I still like it, but I think it got diluted in memetic mutation too much [like the cake is a lie and all related cake stuff] and kind of dampened it for me a tad.[/font][/color]

[fujyoshi]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1306886786' post='707733']
[font="palatino linotype"]Is Tales of the Abyss any good?

And don't worry about being late to the good stuff, haha. Although I do buy a lot of new stuff, I seem to discover some gems very late in life. For example, I'm [i]still[/i] playing through Fallout 3! For a lot of people that one is ancient history. :P[/font]
[/quote]


its pretty good xD I actually found it when I was trying to look for tales of symphonia xD but yea I hear ya I'm always late to the good stuff too. Like I got okam(wii version)i for christmas last year right, then a few months later I picked up no more heros 1(now I got no more heros 2 as well). I always say that even if you get to the good stuff late atleast you found it :D but hey if you REALLY wanna laugh then just a month ago I got kingdom hearts 2. Yea I'm pretty late but not that late because I beat the first one years ago after borrowing it from a friend. Back then my brother still had the ps2 ><


[quote name='Sangome' timestamp='1306888686' post='707734']
[color="#9932cc"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Now I'm riding the bias steamroller like you wouldn't believe here, but Tales of the Abyss is fantastic. Unfortunately, the PS2 release is marred with terrible loading times and slowdown on the overworld map [as well as some other minor glitches that don't affect gameplay], but it's one of the finer RPGs out there, both in terms of story and character development. The Tales series overall needs more love [outside of Symphonia, which is kind of the FFVII of the franchise, being the only one a lot of people have played or know of]. Although the Tales series is also notoriously fickle with the PAL region [or any country not Japan for that matter, although they're getting better about that], so I'm not sure if you'll be able to play it without a modded PS2. But there's a 3DS port coming down the line, so maybe it'll turn up there.

BUUUT like I said, I'm riding the bias streamroller, but it's hard not to since I consider it my favorite game ever. > >; Not perfect by any means, but still a darn fine game.[/font][/color]
[/quote]


ahh I've been trying to find ToS because I borrowed it years ago from a friend but my GC burnt out or something and I never got to beat it >: tales 'a the abyss does have alot 'a laggy parts I notice and slow loading times like you said but the plus is definetly story and character development so they even each other out xD And hey I think Luke ACTUALLY grew on me <,< I wanna cosplay Tear one 'a these days though.

[Magus]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1306886786' post='707733']
[font=palatino linotype]Is Tales of the Abyss any good?
[/font]
[/quote]

I gotta chime in on this. Hopefully you're nowhere like me who has a low tolerance for annoying characters. If you do then you may want to skip this one and go to Tales of Vesperia. Then again I'd still rank the game pretty high despite my irritation with the main character. My thing with the Tales games (JRPGs in general at the moment) is that they wore me out. I'm looking for something that feels new (I really should try out FFXIII). I'm tired of the same turn-based combat or button mashing (ala Tales) mechanics. Anyway, I don't want to turn you away from the game if you're interested, it's just that if you're anywhere near like me I figured I should warn you ahead of time (before I went on rambling)

I'm still going back and forth between games. Halo 3: ODST, Reach, Tales of Vesperia (I know, I was just talking about this), Gears of War triple pack, and Super Street Fighter 4 (PS3) just arrived yesterday.

[Sangome]

[quote name='Magus' timestamp='1307196791' post='707838'](I really should try out FFXIII). [/quote]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]If you have a low tolerance of annoying characters like you say you do, I suggest running as far, far away from that game as you possibly can. I myself personally didn't have problems with any of them during the brief time I played it, but I've heard a [i]lot[/i] of complaints about a few of the characters in that game [running from one to the entire cast]. Then [i]again[/i], the FF fandom is notorious for whining about any game that's not enough like their favorite entry in the series...

Like TotA and James, I don't want to dissuade you from playing if you really wanna, but I'm just throwing it out there. I don't think anyone gets into Luke-level annoying, from what I've read [although I kind of have a like-hate relationship with him, myself], but yeah.

Though, in regards to Luke's annoyance, while I can understand why that'd sour you, I think it's an instance of where the supporting cast more than makes up for it. Of course, that could be the Jade Curtiss fangirl of four years talking, but I know plenty of others [non fangirls :P] that would agree with me there, so.[/font][/color] Edited June 4, 2011 by Sangome

[James]

[font=palatino linotype]Thanks for the info on Tales, guys. I may give it a try one day. I only say "one day" because a) I am playing a ton of other stuff right now, b) my tolerance for Japanese turn-based RPGs is diminishing over time and c) I [i]do not[/i] have a really great tolerance for annoying characters, particularly if they happen to be anime-inspired teenage girls.

I thought the characters in FFXIII were mostly fine, with the conspicuous exception of Vanille. She is insufferable. So much so that I found it less and less easy to stomach her presence as the game went on.

Magus, one game I just started playing tonight is Halo 3: ODST. I picked it up really cheap at EB Games the other day (along with NFS: Hot Pursuit and Portal 2). I only played for about an hour tonight, but so far I'm really enjoying it. ODST has a very different feel to the "main" Halo series. But it's a pretty interesting diversion, at least so far.

Also, for all of your Portal 2 fans out there: I finished Portal 2 tonight! All I can say is [i]wow[/i]. This is easily the best game I've played this year (and probably including last year, too). The ending is superb and caps everything off brilliantly. Plus, you get a couple of nice little bonuses when you finish. :)

Now I just need to play the co-op mode...[/font]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1307200477' post='707841']
[font=palatino linotype]Also, for all of your Portal 2 fans out there: I finished Portal 2 tonight! All I can say is [i]wow[/i]. This is easily the best game I've played this year (and probably including last year, too). The ending is superb and caps everything off brilliantly. Plus, you get a couple of nice little bonuses when you finish. :)

Now I just need to play the co-op mode...[/font]
[/quote]

I'm almost finished with the game, myself. I think I'm near the end of Chapter 8 (there's no way for me to tell lol), and the game has been friggin' incredible. I liked [b]Portal[/b] a lot, but [b]Portal 2[/b] has blown it away. The [spoiler]Old Aperture[/spoiler] section of the game in particular is just soooooo good, with a really great, immersive use of the setting. And [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler] is just hilarious. I wish there were more of him.

[James]

[quote name='Shinmaru' timestamp='1307202252' post='707842']
I'm almost finished with the game, myself. I think I'm near the end of Chapter 8 (there's no way for me to tell lol), and the game has been friggin' incredible. I liked [b]Portal[/b] a lot, but [b]Portal 2[/b] has blown it away. The [spoiler]Old Aperture[/spoiler] section of the game in particular is just soooooo good, with a really great, immersive use of the setting. And [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler] is just hilarious. I wish there were more of him.
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]Haha, those were two elements that I really loved. [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler] is awesome. A couple of people were over when I was playing the part where he says [spoiler]Let me answer that question with a question: how'd you like sixty bucks?[/spoiler] The entire room laughed at that, haha. It was just one of those little moments where the game got everyone's attention.

As you move on from [spoiler]Old Aperture[/spoiler], you'll find that things start to really get crazy. [spoiler]"Wheatley Laboratories"[/spoiler] is pretty funny, especially as [spoiler]Wheatley simply smashes two test chambers together and boasts about how clever he is and how he's shaking things up.[/spoiler]

And the ending is just such a blast. When the very last "puzzle" dawns on you, I guarantee you'll be grinning from ear to ear. It's such a small thing, but it kind of exemplifies the overall genius of the game.

Portal 2 really gives me the same kind of feeling I had when I first played Half-Life 2. That is, it really feels like something well ahead of its time. Now I want to go back and play Half-Life 2 again, actually. [/font]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1307202960' post='707843']
[font=palatino linotype]Haha, those were two elements that I really loved. [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler] is awesome. A couple of people were over when I was playing the part where he says [spoiler]Let me answer that question with a question: how'd you like sixty bucks?[/spoiler] The entire room laughed at that, haha. It was just one of those little moments where the game got everyone's attention.

As you move on from [spoiler]Old Aperture[/spoiler], you'll find that things start to really get crazy. [spoiler]"Wheatley Laboratories"[/spoiler] is pretty funny, especially as [spoiler]Wheatley simply smashes two test chambers together and boasts about how clever he is and how he's shaking things up.[/spoiler] [/font]
[/quote]

Bahaha, I was actually playing the game while on Skype, and some of the folks here were listening in while I was playing. [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler] consistently brought the house down ... can't remember which line in particular made people laugh the most, but I remember lots of people laughing at the asbestos line. And, of course, the lemons rant is amazing.

[Magus]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1307200477' post='707841']
[font=palatino linotype]
Magus, one game I just started playing tonight is Halo 3: ODST. I picked it up really cheap at EB Games the other day (along with NFS: Hot Pursuit and Portal 2). I only played for about an hour tonight, but so far I'm really enjoying it. ODST has a very different feel to the "main" Halo series. But it's a pretty interesting diversion, at least so far.[/font]
[/quote]

I've heard a lot of mixed opinions about it. Most of the negative reviews I remember seemed to have come from some of the hardcore fans while I think folks like IGN and Xplay gave it high praise. "shrugs" Either way I hope I'll enjoy it like I've enjoyed the previous titles. But right now I'm going to let my brother be my test subject and have him test it out for me since I let him borrow my Xbox.

Oh, as far as FFXIII goes, it's the only game I hear that does something practically different even though it's turn-based (or is it?) Edited June 4, 2011 by Magus

[James]

[quote name='Magus' timestamp='1307205306' post='707845']

Oh, as far as FFXIII goes, it's the only game I hear that does something practically different even though it's turn-based (or is it?)
[/quote]

[font=palatino linotype]I'm not really sure what you mean by "practically different". The game is definitely turn-based, but I would just say that it's a lot more streamlined than previous Final Fantasy games. It feels like a Final Fantasy that is designed for almost anyone to enjoy, even if they are not regular RPG players.

In some respects it's a step forward - and I like the battle system - but the story is a convoluted and uninspired mess and Vanille is incredibly annoying. For me personally, it was mostly enjoyable for the battles and the beautiful graphics. It didn't feel nearly as interesting as XII, but I am aware that a lot of hardcore Final Fantasy players didn't like XII. So, who knows. It's worth playing though, at any rate. :)[/font]

[Magus]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1307206454' post='707846']
[font=palatino linotype]I'm not really sure what you mean by "practically different". The game is definitely turn-based, but I would just say that it's a lot more streamlined than previous Final Fantasy games. It feels like a Final Fantasy that is designed for almost anyone to enjoy, even if they are not regular RPG players.

In some respects it's a step forward - and I like the battle system - but the story is a convoluted and uninspired mess and Vanille is incredibly annoying. For me personally, it was mostly enjoyable for the battles and the beautiful graphics. It didn't feel nearly as interesting as XII, but I am aware that a lot of hardcore Final Fantasy players didn't like XII. So, who knows. It's worth playing though, at any rate. :)[/font]
[/quote]

Hmm.. Lemme see. I guess I'm looking for a new way to play JRPGs. The only way I can really explain it is how I felt after playing Mass Effect. I can't say I've played RPGs for a long time (Final Fantasy 8 was my first and that was back in 2005), but considering the games that I've actually experienced playing from then to now I'd say those games followed the same basic formula in terms of combat. Now during that time I've always turned a blind eye towards WRPGs so when I finally decided to try out ME1 earlier this year I felt that it threw something new at me entirely. There we go, a different way to play these games in terms of combat (I'm terrible lol. Took a paragraph to come with that 1 statement).

I remember a thread I made a while back (I think it was Star Ocean: Last Hope) a member (don't remember who) was expressing their tiredness (I think?) of seeing JRPGs having the main character fight with a sword or something of that nature and other members (myself included) disagreed. I can understand where that member is coming from now. I guess after seeing the same formula used over and over again it wore me out. Now I don't care about weapons and whatnot, but I suppose I'm looking for more variety in terms of gameplay when it comes to JRPGs. Do something different with turn-based combat. Going by your words they seem to be stepping in that direction hence why I'm still a bit curious about FFXIII. Edited June 4, 2011 by Magus

[Sangome]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1307200477' post='707841'][font=palatino linotype] c) I [i]do not[/i] have a really great tolerance for annoying characters, particularly if they happen to be anime-inspired teenage girls.[/font][/quote]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Haha well, I wouldn't call Luke fon Fabre an "anime-inspired teenaged girl", but he can kind of angst. I personally think it's justified [for reasons I don't want to spoil], but to his credit, he spends most of the game trying to overcome it. The main point of contention for me [and a lot of people] is a point near the end; without giving too much away, he basically backslides. While from a psychological standpoint, it makes sense, because backsliding does happen a [i]lot[/i] for people with mental illnesses and the like, from a [i]writing[/i] standpoint, it seems like a horrible copout for more drama. I myself can see it both ways, but a [i]lot[/i] of people either see it one way or the other.

But I'm gonna stop talking about it now, before I either overhype the game or drive you from it entirely. [/font][/color]

[quote name='James' timestamp='1307200477' post='707841']
[font=palatino linotype]Also, for all of your Portal 2 fans out there: I finished Portal 2 tonight! All I can say is [i]wow[/i]. This is easily the best game I've played this year (and probably including last year, too). The ending is superb and caps everything off brilliantly. Plus, you get a couple of nice little bonuses when you finish. :)[/font][/quote]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Indeed! The ending was fantastic. [spoiler]GLaDOS returning the Companion Cube to you[/spoiler] was one of the best [url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrickJoke]brick jokes[/url] I have ever seen, and gave me the goofiest grin on my face. Such a fantastic game; I'd gladly play co-op, but I'm on 360 without internet capabilities. :( [s]or friends[/s][/font][/color]

[quote name='Shinmaru' timestamp='1307203916' post='707844']
Bahaha, I was actually playing the game while on Skype, and some of the folks here were listening in while I was playing. [spoiler]Cave Johnson[/spoiler] consistently brought the house down ... can't remember which line in particular made people laugh the most, but I remember lots of people laughing at the asbestos line. And, of course, the lemons rant is amazing.
[/quote]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Oh man, that was so much fun. XD I'm always up for hearing more of [spoiler]Cave[/spoiler], whether over Skype or playing it myself.[/font][/color]