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Good Games For Christmas?
Since nothing really interesting seems to be happening today (unless you count some lame overpriced scooter) I figured I'd throw this out. We've discussed christmas presents in general, but what about refining the subject to just video games? With Final Fantasy 10 not due out until the day after christmas, what new games are coming out? Please mention systems in your subject line. Personally I just finished Klonoa 2 and enjoyed it, I'm maybe half way through Grand Theft Auto 3 and am absolutely in love, and just picked up Metal Gear Solid 2 but have yet to break the celophane, but can't wait. On the PC side, The Sims Hot Date expansion pack is pretty smooth if your idea of fun is micromanaging an armada of virtual people. I hope a psychiatrist never analyzes my Sims style.
Oh how I loved this game in the earlt 1990's, and oh how I love it with a modern graphics engine. This one is one not to miss. I literally sweat while playing this game!
5 fps stars!
This is one of the best traditional console RPGS I've played in a LONG time. My current fave it Final Fantasy 5, but this one is catching up. AWESOME graphics, and a huge storyline!
Check out this review:
http://pocket.ign.com/reviews/15255.html
You crazy man? You piss off supahfly!
Even though it's done by Microsoft, I'm a big fan of the Age of Empires series. I thought Star Wars, Galactic Battlegrounds looked good enough to play.
Basically, it's AOE2 with Star Wars themed races, units, etc. with all the graphics, Y-wing fighters, and sounds.
I'll probably pick it up once i'm done with my second round through MGS2!
Oh, and a review of the game can be found at http://pc.ign.com/reviews/15959.html
But /. folks should love it- it's a hacking simulator. Break into computers, copy or trash data, delete logs, break bank computers to get funds, create fake credentials... Who, me amoral?
Highly idealized, of course, but the basic ideas are sound. There's a short demo available-sold me on the idea.
Eric
"Seven Deadly Sins? I thought it was a to-do list!"
See the LucasArts page on it
The best thing about the super-customizable characters is the ability to put your favorite PHB on a skateboard and drive him into the bucket of molten steel on the Foundry level...
lysergically yours
If you want a very high-quality game, go for Wizardry 8. Not only will it take a long time to fonish, but it is feature-rich, entertaining (sometimes downright funny!), and completely enjoyable.
As a bonus you could first purchase Wizardry Gold for cheap, play it for a good hundred hours, then import your party to Wiz 8 and start from there.
Moderation: Put your hand inside the puppet head!
Hehe...I love the customization features. Tony Hawk in a top hat, big sunglasses, purple vest, red pants, and flippers skating in Canada is utterly hilarious. The game kicks ass too.
Tired of sitting at that karma cap? Start a flame war today! See just how low you can go!
unless you count some lame overpriced scooter...
I tell you, I just don't understand the animosity toward this amazing technology. I was hoping the subject would come up again today after people had actually SEEN it, but no such luck. For those of you who haven't seen it in action: this machine actually keeps balance. It reproduces an extremely intricate function of our brain and nervous system. Here's what the story on Time.com says:
Pulling off this trick requires an unholy amount of computer power. In every Segway there are 10 microprocessors cranking out three PCs' worth of juice. Also a cluster of aviation-grade gyros, an accelerometer, a bevy of sensors, two batteries and software so sophisticated it puts Microsoft to shame.
If that's not news for nerds, I don't know what is. Non-closed-minded people should check out the story at the link above. The rest of you can carry on with the discussion about which amazing new game you can play while your fat ass is plastered to the couch.
Evil is the money of root.
Xbox is pretty great. I picked one up a few days ago and have gotten four games. I did a lot of research before buying. Here's what I've found.
-Halo - Wow. This is seriously one of the best games I've ever played. For a FPS, the play and control is actually pretty good for a console. The graphics are good, and I find myself really getting into it. It's a great game, and anyone that enjoys immersive action games would appreciate it. You can check out an IGN review at http://xbox.ign.com/reviews/15922.html.
-Dead or Alive 3 - WOW! I find it exceptionally hard to stop playing this game. The graphics are *stunning* and the fighting is great. This is really a game you get to play with someone else. It's fun the first 20 or so times by yourself, but after that, there's not much to go for. It also did very well with an IGN review, which you can get at http://xbox.ign.com/reviews/16249.html.
-Project Gotham Racing - This is a very cool game indeed. Great for those that like racing and want something new. The tracks are pretty good and the cars are awesome. I personally don't have the racing wheel yet, but I find controls with the standard Xbox pad to be pretty good. Definitely enjoyable. IGN review at http://xbox.ign.com/reviews/16195.html.
-Amped - This is probably my favorite of the bunch. I cannot take this game out of the console. Besides looking absolutely stunning, it's really addictive to play. There are tons of ways to go down the mountains, and I find myself making 15 or 20 runs in a row just trying to get the trick off just right. Very satisfying game experience. Highly recommended. IGN review at http://xbox.ign.com/reviews/16174.html.
I'd strongly recommend buying a second controller. They're $40 each but you really wanna play this thing with someone else. Especially Dead or Alive 3 - it's great fun having the guys over and playing DOA3 for a few hours. If you're only going to be playing Halo or Amped and you'll be by yourself, don't bother with the extra controller. Also, if you're getting it for someone that's likely to just play games by themself. But personally, I need the second controller - I'm all about gaming with friends.
Anyway. That's what I'd want for Christmas if I didn't already have it. The games that I listed above are great and they'll undoubtedly be appreciated by any gamer.
Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
Personally, I'm a big fan of racing games, such as the Need For Speed series (I like the varied environment there, as opposed to a set track from, for instance, Formula 1 games). High Stakes was good, but that's a bit old now. And, Porsche Unleashed only has Porsches, of course.
;).
Are there any new racing games that I should check out? And, before you suggest it, I'm not particularly interested in Motor City Online, as I prefer non-Internet play
Alex Bischoff
HTML/CSS coder for hire
In my opinion the C&C series went downhill since "Red Alert", the problem being that the game complexity kept increasing, allowing people to develop pre-cooked strategies which could only be defeated with other pre-cooked strategies, reducing the opportunity for creativity in playing the game.
While I am still getting accustomed to it, I think Real War has the potential to get back to the simplicity that made the early C&C games so much fun. Combine that with impressive graphics, and the knowledge that the US military actually uses the software upon which this was based to train people, and I think we have the makings of the best RTS game yet.
The guys at bungie said that there would be pc and maybe even mac versions of Halo. How long M$ will keep that little gem boxed up is anyones guess.
As a long time fan of Civ, Civ2, and SMAC I was rather disappointed with Civ3. Especially with all the tiny features that helped build Alpha Centuari into a great game, many of the features I've come to expect in the Civilization line are conspicuously absent.
The wonder cinemas are gone, keyboard shortcuts feel clunky and missing, the tech tree feels a bit bare as they've cut out a few techs and reduced a few others to mere filler roles, air power is radically changed and feels a bit lite, and the new quirks with Corruption and Culture and the throwback combat system make Civ3 a totally different game than it's predecessors.
While not a bad game by any means, it doesn't really give me the same feel of quit-my-job-and-leave-my-wife addiction that the originals did. I tried giving myself the time to get used to the new changes, but I'm afraid I just can't get into this version. Maybe I'm just old now. :(
A steaming cup of soykaf would be real wiz right now.
Wizardry was the THE game back in the day. This was the first "real" computer game i ever saw being played and as i recall that was on the Apple II My UberGeek pal recieved a Diploma of sorts for finishing up or scroring high in one of the series. IIRC. I was never a huge geek myself, but 2 weeks ago i rushed right out to grab it at EB, only to find no one else i know is playing it ?? I guess FPS and such have realy over run a good ole RPG in terms of popularity. Or maybe everyone is all tuckerd out fm playing Baldurs Gate 2, perhaps a more intelectual RPG. ?
My wife and I were recently browsing through the local Best Buy, and she found something called CookiesandCream for PS2.
In a nutshell, this is exactly what you're looking for. Up to 4 people can play (2 people can share a controller!). The basic idea is that the screen is split in half by a vertical divider, and each player (or team) is racing from the bottom to the top. The catch is that you're really only trying to beat the clock, and the players have to help each other. I.e., the left player has to pull a rope that pulls an alligator out of the path of the right player, and the right player has to launch a catapult to launch a cabbage into the water in front of the left player so that a hippo will come and eat it and the left player can hitch a ride on it.
It's hopelessly cheesy at first; I was tempted to try to return it after the first 15 minutes. However, once you're into it, it's a blast to play. Even more importantly, my wife, who has literally never played a video game before in her life, picked up the controls pretty quickly and is now a pretty competent partner.
See if you can demo it at your local game store. If you can get past the goofy into and the Fisher-Price graphics, you'll love it, and your girlfriend will appreciate you bringing something home that she can play with you.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
I think the best game to buy would be Quake3 or Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
Games are so cool!