Gaming Xbox 360 advice

[Shinmaru]

So I've been giving a bit of thought to buying an Xbox 360. Not totally decided yet, but I'm leaning toward buying ... just wanted some thoughts from those who have the console, particularly about what some of the better games for the system are.

Some of the games I'm definitely interested in: The [b]Portal[/b] games, [b]Marvel vs. Capcom 3[/b], [b]Red Dead Redemption[/b] (playing through a badass western sounds SO cool to me), [b]Mass Effect 2[/b] (maybe the first, too, but I heard it plays similarly to [b]Knights of the Old Republic[/b], which honestly bored the hell out of me), and the upcoming [b]L.A. Noire[/b] (much like RDR, playing through a badass film noir sounds like the coolest thing ever; I am so down for this). Maybe [b]BioShock[/b], too, but I'm not really big on first-person shooters these days. We'll see.

What has been everyone else's experience with the 360? What games would you recommend?

[Sangome]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]I rather like my 360; while I don't have Live or anything, I enjoy my library of games, and it's fun all around.

As for games, let's see...

[b]BlazBlue series:[/b] Fighting games are not everybody's cup of tea, but since you have MvC3 listed [which I would have also suggested], I figured I'd give it a shot. I also know you tend to play games with a more visual novel-ish slant to them [like Ace Attorney, Professor Layton, etc], which BlazBlue also has. It's a 2D fighter which, unlike a lot of fighting games, is very rich in story and plot. The story is laid out like a visual novel, with multiple endings to each character's story arc, so be prepared for clicking through a lot of dialogue [although, thankfully, they're all voiced -- with Japanese/English options, no less -- which takes the edge off it a bit]. The combat's also fun, and the games are just pretty addicting all around.

[b]Super Street Fighter IV:[/b] Quintessential fighting game series, really. Pretty fun [and frustrating...]

[b]Tales of Vesperia:[/b] I gotta give a plug for one of my favorite game series, and since Vesperia's a good entry in the series, I shall be recommending it all the same. The battle system's frentic [although kinda button mashy, but that's par the course for action RPGs], the graphics are [i]gorgeous[/i], looking like a real anime [and I am far, far from a graphics snob], and it's all around good times. It's also not a game to cut your teeth on if you've never played other games in the series. Also Yuri Lowell is like the best RPG protagonist ever and is amazing.

[b]Half Life 2:[/b] I am not a big FPS fan, either, but I found what I played of this really fun. The fact that it actually has a good story to it probably helps.

And I obviously encourage [b]Portal[/b], which you've listed. I want -- no, I NEED the second game, ugh.[/font][/color]

[Magus]

I've only played about 10 minutes of KOTOR and I didn't like that 10 minutes, but it would be hard for me to compare Mass Effect to other games since I've never played any other game like it. I have played Jade Empire and they feel like completely different games even though they were made by the same folks, but I certainly enjoyed the heck outta ME1 though.

With that said, you don't care about exclusives right (I'm assuming no since just about all the games listed are multiplatforms)? Anyway, I rather enjoy my 360 despite not having Live. However, I am playing my PS3 (I let my brother borrow my 360 for the time being)

As far as games go it depends on what you're into.

If you're into shooters and looking for a good single player experience then the [b]Gears of War[/b] games should be looked at. There's a collection I think with 1, 2 and some other DLC (or something) I came across on Amazon. If you want hack n slashers there's [b]Ninja Gaiden 2[/b], [b]Devil May Cry 4[/b] and [b]Bayonetta[/b], although I've yet to play it even though I already own it. Fighters, the only game I own is [b]Super Street Fighter 4[/b] and if you decide to get it I suggest you hold out until the Arcade addition comes out. There are more characters on it as well as I'm hearing characters have been even more balanced. Then there's [b]Halo[/b]. Like you though, I've also been considering getting [b]Red Dead Redemption[/b] even though I'm not a fan of Rockstar games. It looks very tempting to get. Another game I've been eye-balling is [b]Vanquish[/b]. Reviews had it classified as pure awesome even though the story is on the cheesy side (who cares about story anyway?) That's about all I can think of at the moment. Edited May 3, 2011 by Magus

[Nerdsy]

[quote name='Shinmaru' timestamp='1304460044' post='707081'] [b]Mass Effect 2[/b] (maybe the first, too, but I heard it plays similarly to [b]Knights of the Old Republic[/b], which honestly bored the hell out of me), [/quote]

[color=deeppink]This depends on what you mean. It's completely different from KOTOR, gameplay-wise. It's not based on d20 tabletop rules and the combat isn't automatic. It's a third-person shooter with some rpg elements, and it's far more focused on action than the passive KOTOR system.

It is, however, extremely similar to KOTOR in terms of how the game progresses. You start on this one planet, then you have to travel to 4 other planets, then the final planet. It's also superficially similar in terms of story, and there's still a healthy amount of conversation (although now it's highly skippable in most cases).


I definitely recommend Bioshock. Not really for the gameplay (it's a mediocre to good game based on that), but the presentation is wonderful.

THe Left 4 Dead games are also fun (if you have enough people who want to play), Batman: Arkham Asylum is divine, Orange Box is a damn must-have, Resident Evil 5 is enjoyable (again, only with somebody else). If you're into Sims-type stuff, Viva Pinata is awesome.

That's all I got for now.[/color]

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='Nerdsy' timestamp='1304463554' post='707085']
[color=deeppink]This depends on what you mean. It's completely different from KOTOR, gameplay-wise. It's not based on d20 tabletop rules and the combat isn't automatic. It's a third-person shooter with some rpg elements, and it's far more focused on action than the passive KOTOR system.[/color]
[/quote]

That makes me feel a bit better about it. The battle system was the biggest thing that turned me off about [b]KOTOR[/b]. Maybe it's just me, but I felt really detached from everything that was happening. If it's more active, though, I can get into that. Thanks for the clarification!

My brother played [b]Left 4 Dead[/b] with some friends of his, and he's really into it. I imagine he'll probably buy that if I pick up the 360.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Dunno much about the 360, not having one myself. But if your PC can run them decently, I'd recommend getting Portal/The Orange Box/Left 4 Dead on PC instead. You actually get free and fairly regular updates to the games that way instead of being at the mercy of Microsoft's DLC restrictions.[/color]

[Lilt]

[b]My Xbox 360 broke down, so I'm actually thinking of buying a PS3. But here's my experience with it so far. I'll list the first-person shooters first, since you said you were into those, Shinmaru. Then everything else below that.[/b]

[b][u]First-Person Shooters:[/u][/b]

[b]Mirror's Edge:[/b] My favorite first-person game of all time. It's a bit short and a little difficult to control at times. Also the story can be a little weak and I wish they had actually removed the guns so you can just kick and punch. It's a great game for the experience though. It does a good job making you feel like you're the character and you're freerunning. Also, it's one of the only games out there that I know of that has a first-person hug! XD

[b]F.E.A.R.2:[/b] One of my favorite first-person shooters on the Xbox 360. You can get it for a pretty cheap price too. Also it's a good time to get it since the third one is coming out.

[b]F.E.A.R.1:[/b] I liked how it played out, but it got repetitive at times. Actually, you might be able to say that about both 1 and 2. But get this one if you don't want to start off with the second one. It's cheap, but harder to find. If you can't find it though, look up the story and just get the second.

[b][u]Third-Person[/u][/b]

[b]Saints Row 2:[/b] It's a third-person GTAish game that's actually a lot of fun. You can have a lot of fun just doing non-story related things. It does get frustrating on some of the missions, but the character customization is a lot of fun. Also it has a two pack that's out now with the first game. Although I didn't like the first one as much as the second one. Oh and your character is definitely not a 'silent protagonist' in this game, so that was fun too.

[b]Red Dead Revolver:[/b] This is the first game in the series, although I don't know how much Redemption is related to this one besides the name and the same company. Honestly, I liked this one a lot. But it's really only good if you have three friends to play split-screen with. Also, it's an XBOX game not 360 so it might look dated.

[b]Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly - The Director's Cut:[/b] I don't know how you feel about Survival Horror games, but I was never a big fan of Resident Evil or anything (now I am though,) and when I tried this one I was really happy with it. It's for the XBOX not the 360 but it plays fine and it's the most complete copy of Fatal Frame 2. It even has new modes that the PS2 version doesn't have and a first-person view. Also, it's a really scary game with a good story. (In my own opinion, at least.)
[u]
[b]DLC Games:[/b][/u]

[b]A Kingdom For Keflings:[/b] Not the greatest action game or greatest story around but it is pretty relaxing and a lot of fun. There's also a sequel out there too. It's fun to see your player character as a giant helping the little Keflings build their kingdom too. It's really cute. ^^

[b]Well, those are my recommendations. I tried to give you ones you might not have thought of but are still pretty good. Have fun with your new Xbox 360!

EDIT: Also, I've always wanted to give an Armored Core game a try and I heard there are a few good ones on the Xbox 360. I could never find a good one for co-op, but if you play it as a single player game it should be good. But only if you like stuff with giant robots.[/b] Edited May 4, 2011 by Lilt

[CaNz]

Well, I don't know how or if you plan on getting one, but I suggest geting the newest version if you can.
The older systems like mine have horrible hardware malfunction rates so this isn't a good one to go used with ( I did and it got red rings within a month, Luckily I faked a warranty and sent mine in for repairs)
As for game choices I think the titles the 360 has brings more variety than the PS3, so that is really good if you play a lot of different videogames.

If you are a fan of online play, this is a must have. Playstations online access may be free, but they don't have an online community as large as the Xbox 360, so the experience is not quite the same.

Lastly there are a few cool things like being able to link your computer with your Xbox so that you can play music, movies and such through your internet. It is really easy to set up since.... well... Microsoft does both.

[Dovahkiin]

the xbox 360 is a great console with a lot of great games, and of course there is live which, yeah it is a tad on the expensive side, benifits most games. As canz said, go for the xbox 360 slim...wayyyyyy better than the xbox 360, or xbox 360 elite.

Some of the good FPS games:

Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach (there is a fourth Halo in the works at the moment)
Gears of War 1 and 2, i haven't played GOW 3 beta yet but i hear it is great
F.E.A.R 2
COD: MW and MW2, also there is a MW3 in the works as well.

Mirrors edge is ok, but if you want something that is like mirrors edge but better then i suggest getting Brink which comes out very soon.

Some other great games are:

Assassin's creed 2 (1 was kinda bad)
Devil May Cry 4

BioShock was ok, but for me it wasn't all that great.

[JCBaggee]

[color=darkred][size=1]I found [b]The Orange Box[/b] is a great deal; $20 for Half-Life 2, HL2 Ep 1 & 2, Team Fortress 2 (great if you have Live, since it's still populated) and Portal. If you enjoy action titles like God of War, I've been having a lot of fun with [b]Dante's Inferno[/b] lately, which plays like the most disturbing parts of God of War cranked up to 11. Also, don't forget Xbox Live Arcade titles. [b]Castlevania: Symphony of the Night[/b], [b]X-Men Arcade[/b], and [b]TMNT 1989 Arcade[/b] are quality buys, as well as original titles like [b]Shadow Complex[/b], which plays a lot like Super Metroid and [b]Castle Crashers[/b] are definite games to pick up. There's a few gems in the Indie Games too, like [b]Being[/b], [b]Jonny Platform's Biscuit Romp[/b], and [b]I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1[/b] are really, really fun for a nominal fee.

In terms of RPGs, I highly recommend [b]Lost Odyssey[/b], a classic turn based JRPG from the director of Final Fantasy I. It gets a lot of flack for a slow start, but when it picks up it gets really, really good. If you want a more rounded RPG experience, [b]Fable II[/b] might be more your speed.

Also, Shy will tell you you have to get [b]Age of Booty[/b]. It's alright. I don't hate it, it's just not my cup of tea.[/size][/color]