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Gaming Suggestions For A Non-Gamer?
StephenLegge asks: "I'm a 33 year old computer programmer and I have not played video games since X-Wing came out. My wife is going away to visit her mom for a *month* and I'm thinking about getting a video game or two -- but I hardly even know where to start!" What games out there would you recommend for a non-gamer, especially those must-play-because-they-are-the-greatest games that are out there? We wouldn't want Stephen to miss out.
"If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?
What's a killer:
- action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
- driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
- D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?
Thanks."
I would guess, since you haven't played games in a long time you also haven't kept up on the gaming hardware, since the only reasons to have the latest and greatest video cards is gaming. What are you running? This makes the difference between a recomendation of Spinter Cell versus say red alert or even half life if it's been that long.
"as plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee" - Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz. (One man's humorous is another mans flamebait)
Spy/sneak around: Splinter Cell. /Incredible/ game.
Racing/Hot Cars: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. Nothing else comes close to the graphics, the cars, or the entire "feel" of the game. Fun, hop-in-the-car and ride.
RPG: Neverwinter Nights. "Pen&Paper sim", TONS of third party modules for more gameplay.
The SIMS. You'll definitely want to pick up a copy.
You essentially control a set of virtual "people" whose personality traits and attributes you define. You create a house, furnish it, etc. You can make the people do things.. you can have them interact with the objects and other people. You can have them form relationships with each other.
Very addictive.
If you want one or two games to occupy you for a month, I reccomend something in the MMOG flavor. EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, or Shadowbane. I'd reccomend one of the first two, personally.
If you're looking to grab a console and you haven't played a game since X-Wing, I'd actually advise the Gamecube. It's certainly got enough games to entertain for a month, if not longer, and its games tend to be a bit more "old sk00l", and will probably be just a bit more familiar in their style and reasoning than a PS2 or XBox game, which are really catered to the generation after those of us that grew up in the Nintendo era. Look into snagging Metroid Prime, the new Zelda, Star Wars: Rogue Leader, or Eternal Darkness.
Philip Sandifer's academic website
Any one of the Baldur's Gate games, from Shadows of Amn to the newer additions and such, are well put together and easy to learn. There is freedom if you like that, and also a strong enough plot line so you know what you're doing, and plenty of customization available.
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
It's cool - check it out.
There are 01 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and me.
You get all sorts of great games from Zelda to Splinter Cell.
I think Nintendo has the best exclusive games (Halo aside). Outside of that, all 3 consoles have pretty much the same games nowadays.
Pikmin alone is worth renting a gamecube.
You'll probably be familiar with more characters from Nintendo to reconnect to the whole youth thing, too.
The only downside is you can't play Grand Theft Auto 3.
Planescape: Torment is a superb RPG. The New York Times reviewer said "While computer games have not yet achieved Shakespearian quality, this one is perhaps as good as Marlowe." Although it is out of print (so you'll need to check the bargain bins or the web), it is not cobwebbed. This FAQ was updated in February 2003.
Things are a bit more complex now. So given that you like the shootem up, and you want an RPD also, lets get down to the nitty gritty.
Rent and X-box from block buster:
Rent:
Halo: (3 days no stop should get you done with that one. Best game on the x-box)
Splinter Cell(Tom Clancey): Best damn sneak around as a spy, shooting people, wacking them on the head, neato fun game on the market. Ghost Recon is very hot right now as well.
Wreckless: Will give you your driving jones a little run for it's money. Although not that best game in the world.
Not D&D but Knights of the Old Republic is a very fun StarWars game, and if your like anyone else our age nothing is better than beer and StarWars...well ok there are a couple things..but hell we are talking games here!
Only real D&d one is Reign of Fire, and it really is just a simple hack and slash, although very enjoyable.
If I had a week to play, X-box with Halo and Splinter Cell.....get ready to loose a couple shades of tan your going to be hooked.
have fun,
D&d Joes
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
Go to blockbuster and rent yourself a PS2. Get Splinter Cell for your covert ops FPS action, Grand Tourisimo 3 for your driving sim (you customise and spec out your cars with your winnings), Kindgom Hearts for a great action/rpg, and Final Fantasy X for your pure RPG experience. This will keep you busy all mont long, enjoy.
In my opinion you should get a Gamecube and Zelda The Wind Waker. ;-)
I am 17, but I can't see why I 33 year old wouldn't like this game
Note to self: get smarter troll to guard door.
Splinter Cell, Half-Life, Unreal Tournament 2003, Warcraft III, Jedi Knight II:Jedi Outcast, BF1942, Command and Conquer: Generals, Starcraft, Diablo II, Empire Earth, GTA3. Is that enough?
Hello Slashdotters,
I frequently game on my Linux PC sometimes 20 hours per week. How do I get my wife to go away for a month so that she'll stop nagging me? I want her come back after a month so that she can clean the house and make some more money for me to waste on games.
I never post here, hence the anonymous coward tag. If you only play one game this month/year/lifetime... you'd better make it the latest Legend of Zelda game, the Wind Walker. It is being called 'the greatest game of all time', and I have to agree.
It sounds like you're talking about getting a console and geeking out on it. I'll offer two recommendations for PS2 games, then.
Grand Theft Auto 3 (or GTA3: Vice City), as long as you aren't offended by senseless acts of violence. There's a certain joy in playing that game for the first time and the freedom you have to just walk up to someone, kick them out of their car, and go for a spin in it. If you're around 30, you'll definitely dig the Vice City vibe for some 80s retro action, and the soundtrack cannot be beat.
This is not a racing game, but you will get to drive around in fast cars. Plus, you can whip out an uzi in a mall, blow away a store full of gangsters, hop in your car, and escape to the beats of Michael Jackson.
Dark Cloud 2: I haven't played this, but a friend whose opinion I trust was totally sucked into it and spent far more time than makes sense playing this game. Great RPG-style goodness, lots to do, minigames, etc. A real great look at where "video games" have gone since you left the hobby.
Have fun with your video game craziness!
Not representing or approved by my company or anybody else.
If you wife is going to be away for a month, consider getting one of those cleaning services that does the job in a bikini.
If helping yourself isn't motivating enough, volunteer with your local Habitat for Humanity and help someone else.
If you insist on playing through your wife's vacation...try your local strip clup. The games are *much* more realistic! Look at those bezier's on HER!"
--jdp Maintainer of VisEmacs
Holy cow, get some p0rn, dude! You can game when the wife is around.
Where are your priorities, anyway? That's right, hanging between your legs!
If this were Usenet, I'd killfile the lot of you.
Assuming that you aren't up on the latest graphics cards or other computer components I would suggest the following:
Half-life (fps)
Baldur's Gate Series (rpg)
Civilization 2/3 (uhm, turn based strategy?)
Heroes of Might and Magic Series (turn based stragtegy)
None of these should beat the crap out of your computer, and all are fun to play.
EA, Maxis, Namco, Nintendo, Sony, MS, etc.
...seriously. It's a good strategy game, and it panders to your megalomaniacal instinct. Plus, it requires careful strategizing, so your brain won't turn to complete mush.
Of course, if your wife's going to be gone for a month, I hear there are quite a few hentai games out there. It'll give you something to try on her when she gets back.
...but it's being eaten...by some...Linux or something...
Unreal Tournament 2003
Quake III
GTA3
Max Payne
Jedi Knight II
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
I'd recomend Splinter Cell for spy action game, Grand Turismo for PS2 for racing, and Final Fantasy X for PS2.
If you get a Cube, go for Zelda and Metroid Prime.
Strategy: ;-)
Civilization III (and the Play the World expansion) is extremely good, and addictive. Better than cheesy poofs. The month will have passed before you notice if you get it
RPG:
Also, as another poster has written, Planescape Torment is good. D&D-based RPG, in a totally weird and twisted world. You can get it very cheap, but it's definitely a good game. The Baldur's Gate series is good too. Icewind Dale is not, it's got a plot more linear than a yard stick. Fallout and Fallout 2 are good too.
RTS:
Starcraft (with Broodwar) is good, even though it's old. Don't play it on Battle.net, the people there generally suck. Warcraft III is good too, but it seems quite a bit harder.
Puzzle:
Frozen Bubble is very addictive.
Sorry, but I don't know much about action games, because I hardly play them, but you might want to check out the Grand Theft Auto series. I kinda liked GTA.
I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
For D&D this is it. I was away from the game for almost a decade and this has brought me back in. The community is putting out great stuff (additional modules, rules & creatures). You can play it solo or on line. All depends on what you want. NWN is not an action game and the experience is greatly influenced by those you play it with. If I had the luxury of your situation, I would pick 2 or 3 and dive in. Many of the games mentioned here are can't misses. If the game doesn't hook you in the first 10 minutes it failed.
B O R I N G
Rent a gamecube and try out zelda, pikmin, splinter cell and metroid.
:)
Those are the best games that have been released in the past 12 months, and all could easily fill a month (unless you have no life that is).
You could try an xbox, but why? If you last played games in the x-wing era, you've already played all the games for the xbox
Ps2 has too high of a quality to crap ratio; you might get burned if you just rent random games for that system.
These pretzels are making me thirsty.
It rocks on decent hardware!
You will no doubt become slathered with suggestion, but for PC....
e x/
First go here:
http://www.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top50ind
This is Game Spy's top 100 games of all time, some may disagree to some extent, but virtually everythign worth playing is on this list.
Personally, my recommended must play PC games of the past 5 years are:
Homeworld
Half-Life
other Great PC games I have played for more than 1 month:
Netstorm (no longer around and virtually unheard of)
Quake2, Quake3
Battlefield1942
Wolfenstein 3d
StarCraft, Red Alert (both)
Duke Nulem 3D
Doom
For console:
N64 -- Legend of Zelda Ocinar of Time
ps2 -- METAL GEAR SOLID.. beats the crap out of splinter cell
ps2 -- Grand Turismo 3
ps2 -- Final Fantasy X
I hope this helps, I can't put them in any particular order, other than this and I hope you get a few more cross matches to pick something and have some fun.
I highly recommend this game. Lots of depth... lots of sneaking around. You don't have to rent anything, and the story is great. I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me. And you should feel that you got your money's worth.
I have all 3, and here are my suggestions for the 3 categories you were wondering about:
... um ... yeah...
PS2:
Action Game: Spinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid 2
Driving Game: Gran Turismo 3 or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (not entirely driving, but enough of it... trust me, it's good)
RPG: Final Fantasy X or XenoSaga: Episode I
XBox:
Action Game: Spinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Driving Game: RalliSport Challenge or Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions
RPG: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind or
Gamecube:
Action Game: Metroid Prime (not spy or soldier, per se, but still excellent game) or Splinter Cell
Driving Game: XG3 Extreme G Racing (OK game) or Burnout 2... not too many good racing games for the Gamecube
RPG: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (half adventure, half RPG, all good) or Skies of Arcadia Legends... not too many good RPG-only games for the GC either
There are great games on each of the systems, the standouts being Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PS2, Halo for the XBox, and Zelda / Metroid Prime for the GameCube. All in all, I'd recommend the Gamecube.
"It's better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it." ~ Christian Slater, True Romance
The quote at the bottom of the page seems appropriate, even if not exactly what you were looking for:
Watch all-night Donna Reed reruns until your mind resembles oatmeal.
If you have a PC at home, certainly get a Fallout I and II. These are two best RPG games I have played ever - so far, between the very few that allow you to beat the game in really different ways.
Planescape Torment is also quite interesting if you are more into fantasy/D&D regions - very good storyline, but a bit more linear than Fallouts (but still, it is way better that main-stream Baldur's Gate and Relatives series).
When your wife will come back, I would suggest picking up The Longest Journey. This is old school adventure game, but with really nice dialogue, reasonable story and graphics - and protagonist is a girl. Both my girlfriend and wife of my friend enjoyed this game a lot - even sometimes just sitting next to me and looking at it.
For the FPS, I would suggest Americas Army (if you have nothing against a bit of propaganda). It is free, so you can try it anyway without obligation and while it is not as feature-rich as some of game with similar theme (like bf1942), gameplay is a lot better for me - you really see what is happening and why. Good reality check for people trying to run under fire of machine gun.
For spy game, I have not played full Splinter Cell, but demo was not very convincing (but it is probably my problem, as most people find it very attractive). My advice would be one of Commandos games - you control few people with special abilities trying to do some diversion at enemy camps. Mostly thinking, with a small amount of arcade sometimes to properly time few people of the team.
For your criteria, three of the latest (last 2 years) and greatest games I've ever played in these genres are on the PS2
- action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
METAL GEAR SOLID 2
- driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
GRAND TURISMO 3 (There is simply nothing finer, yet...)
- D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?
FINAL FANTASY X
As an aside you should also check out "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City", "Sly Cooper and the Thevious Racoonus" and "ICO".
My vocabulary is so huge it's enormous. if only I could think of a word bigger than enormous, like huge.
Ragnarok Online is the best RPG ever.
Best of all its in beta so its free.
http://enweb.ragnarok.co.kr
and if you can't download too well go here
ro.pak0.com
Trust me you will be spending days on this game.
5i9|\|3d, 5|\|ip3ri|\|di59ui53
I don't have an answer for the specific question (I find reality WAY more fun than any game I've ever played - and I have tried most of them! :).
:(
:)
But I do have to wonder why his wife is going to visit her mother for that long!
In the movies that's always a sure sign of a divorce in the next scene...
Hope I'm wrong!
Once you start playing PopCap games, you're going to be hooked.
Greatest... game... ever!
And, you don't even need that powerful of a machine considering it's a rather old game.
enochI second the recommendation of Grand Theft Auto 3. I play a lot of games, and IMO this is one of very few games in the last few years that you really should not miss.
Half-Life: Counter-Strike for multiplayer action. Deus Ex for single player everything.
... get a PS2 and
1 Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid
2 Gran Turismo (the best driving game)
3 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (little too action oriented but it's fun)
Don't get an XBox, there aren't games worth your time that aren't on the other two consoles.
For raw fun though, may I suggest a Gamecube? The top-notch games for the Cube put the other two consoles to shame.
Nosce te Ipsum
"action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?"
:)
I believe there's a PS2 port for NOLF. Great game if he likes playing a spy.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
Gamecube: Metroid:Prime will fill your fps needs.
Zelda: WindWaker will fill your adventure needs.
PC: BF1942 is great for multiplayer (IF you have the hardware good enough to run it).
And I'm still stuck on Thief II: The Metal Age for spy.
Deus Ex is VERY high on the list (and inexpensive to), which combines ALL the elements you need (put into a FPS). It has strategy, and INCREDIBLE story, stats for your RPG sense, etc...
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
The best (single-player) games I have ever played are:
Bionic Commando (NES)
Adventures of Lolo II (NES)
Super Mario Bros. III (NES)
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Super Mario World (SNES)
Legend of Zelda III: A Link To The Past (SNES)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
The Secret of Monkey Island (PC) (sequel is good too)
Quake I (PC)
Worms: Armageddon (PC, etc.) (also great multi-player)
Pyro II (PC)
Actually, I'm interested in what others think are "must-play" games given these tastes. I don't like these "new-fangled" 3D games much, to tell you the truth...
For PC get Splinter Cell if you have the hardware. Superior to the console versions.
If you want to rent a console rent a PS2 and play Grand Theft Auto and/or Vice City all weekend.
See if you can still get a copy of Tribes 2. I've wasted SO MUCH time with this one I finally had to resign from the clan I created.
Mod communities are the bomb. I played War2003 non-stop. Nice thing is if you come in without knowing how to play it, its fine because a lot of people are still "discovering" the mod.
Quack, quack.
If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?
And this is why the Gamecube is in 3rd place -- Nobody knows that it exists. The smothering ad placements of the PS2 and XBox completely drown out anything that the big N puts out there, and the only people that know anything about it are those that actively 'educate' themselves.
This is truly a shame, as some of the best games ever made are being missed by a large portion of the game-playing public.
Oh well. I've already consigned myself to liking non-mainstream music, TV, books, and movies, so I guess it was just a matter of time 'til it happend with videogames, too. Let the drooling masses have their Madden '*, I'll quitely enjoy Eternal Darkness.
--Jeremy
Jesus was a liberal
I haven't heard it mentioned here, but Midnight Club II for ps2 is a great driving game. It may not have the realism of GT3, but there's nothing like driving through the streets (and parks) of cities like Paris and LA at 150 mph! That, and it's a little more realistic to finish in a month than GT3 (especially if you're gonna play other games as well). :-)
As far as other games go, everyone's already mentioned the obvious choices, Splinter Cell, Final Fantasy X, etc. You can't go wrong with them.
- action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
;-)
I'd recommend either No One Lives Forever 2 (to be had for a bargain now). It's completely cheesy 60s style, with dialogues, equipment and attitude to match. Plus Cate is sexy
- driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
Try a recent Need for Speed or just Formula 1 2002, both from Electronic Arts. Both are great games in the visual, audio and gameplay department. For F1 2002 I'd strongly suggest getting a steering wheel, however.
- D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?
If you're happy with text-mode visuals, try the eternal classics Nethack and/or Moria (UMoria 5.5.2) ? There is simply an enormous amount of RPGs / D&D games available. If you want action, try games like Baldur's Gate or the Diablo series. If you're more into depth of gameplay, try Morrowind, Neverwinter Nights, etc.
H2H,
-- AE
-- Linux: Stays crunchy even in milk! --
My suggestion - get a PS2, not an Xbox, and give Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City a try. There's a good reason these games are so popular, they're extremely fun.
The top-ten list based on averaging out all the published reviews for PC games can be found at the bottom of this URL:
http://www.metacritic.com/games/pc/
Here are my picks for single player (SP) and multiplayer (MP)...they should run fine on older hardware (600mhz+) except perhaps NASCAR.
Action Game/MP: Half-Life (3 mods listed)
Popular - Counter Strike Mod
SciFi - Natural Selection Mod (awesome!)
WWII - Day of Defeat Mod
Action Game/SP: Deus Ex (awesome!)
RPG: Baldur's Gate II (SP)
Neverwinter Nights (MP)
Car: NASCAR Racing 2003 Season (based on reviews)
Spy game wise I'd have to go with Splinter Cell. The controls are better on XBox (mainly down to the rumble feature of the pad and analogue D-Pad. Picking locks is very cool) but the graphics are better on PC. It's a real "wow" game either way.
Metal Gear Solid 2 has a totally baffling plot and I didn't enjoy it as much as Splinter Cell.
If you are desperate to play it, I'd say go with the PS2 version as the controls don't quite work on the XBox pad. I'd probably make a point of playing the first one before you tackle 2.
Soldier-games... Operation Flashpoint on PC would be my first choice. It leans towards being a sim, but it isn't overpoweringly so. I especially like it because of the wealth of user made content. There now exist add-ons featuring everything from spacecraft right down to long-bows.
Halo was the XBox's "killer app" and is certainly worth a look.
I don't know how out of date "Project Gotham" is as racing games go, but I like it.
On PS2 there's a game called "The Getaway" which features driving and running around on foot. The hook is that the game is set in London and features just about the whole thing. An A-Z is probably a handy thing to have.
I'll second or third Planescape Torment. It's the only computer RPG I ever bothered sitting all the way through. Interesting characters, great setting and plenty of turn based AD&D goodness if that is your thing. Let's not forget the necrophilia gags, either.
An oft-overlooked game on GC is Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. If you see it, grab it. It's what every incarnation of Resident Evil should have been, and what's more, it has tolerable voice acting! If you like puzzle games, GC's Super Monkey Ball (1, not 2) is great. 2 is more stunt- and multiplayer-centric, which prolly won't appeal to you unless you're also throwing a large party while your wife is gone. ^_^;; On PC/Mac I've always liked the Civilization games, and Civ III isn't bad, though FreeCiv (freeciv.org) is cool if you don't mind monkeying around to get it working. It's got a good learning curve tho, so it's not really a pick-up-and-play. If you have a Mac handy, iConquer (http://homepage.mac.com/azc/iConquer/) is really cool, and easy to pick up and put down. On PS2, I'm gonna start a flamewar by suggesting Ridge Racer V. I enjoyed it a lot, even though it's very limited in scope and a lot of people / reviewers said it blew. On XBox, don't take the Splinter Cell hype at face value, and Halo's only good multiplayer; the second half of the game sees you revisiting all the levels you just finished, but backwards, basically. It's amazing up until that point. A better bet for a simple weekend treat would be the Buffy the Vampire Slayer game. A good beat-em-up, and besides, you get to use pool cues as weapons. On gameboy advance: Advance Wars (I or II). That'll keep you busy for the rest of your mortal life. ^_^;; If you don't mind the translating, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (currently only available on import from Japan) is incredible, though difficult. ... and I'm spent.
- Cloud
If no one else has mentioned it, X-Wing came out in 1993. That's right - ten years ago! There have been a ton of great titles that have come out since then.
Here are some of the highlights, as I see them:
Quake (1995)
Quake II (1997) (only for multiplayer, though)
Baldur's Gate (1998)
Half Life (1998)
Unreal (1998)
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire (the best civ-type turn-based strategy game ever)(1999)
Unreal Tournament (1999)
Baldur's Gate II (2000)
NeverWinter Nights (2002)
I don't do driving games or real-time strategy, so I'll leave them for others to recommend.
I hope these help and don't cause you to lose your job - all nighters do not make for easy work days!
Rent these:
:-). The single most addictive game to come out in the last 10 years - unless you have some kind of disability, in which case, nevermind.
1. The Sims. You'll really enjoy it. A very different kind of game. Your wife will love it even more than you (when she gets back)...
2. Zelda - Windwaker. Genius.
3. Eternal Darkness. Really, really good survival horror fun. No other game does it better.
4. Crazy Taxi. Arcade racing pleasure.
5. Starfox Adventures. Looks beautiful, and I had a great time playing it.
Also...
I totally recommend buying a PS2, a good dance-mat and Dance Dance Revolution Max. Buy it for the kids, keep it for yourself
Need I say more.....oh yeah...and grab Splinter Cell for XBox too while yer at it!! For a non-gamer....those 2 alone should keep ya busy for a while !!Serious Sam for XBox is also a nice cheap little pickup too....don't worry! We won't tell yer wife.....hehehe!
A previous thread covered a lot of games that moved players.
Still, if I were to recommend for a month of gaming freedom, the main constraint would be games you can play and be done with in that time. After all, this is kind of assuming life has to go back to normal.
Max Payne - The writing is so beyond noir it's laughable but it's actually an incredible story, great graphics, the excellent implementation of bullet time and, most importantly of all, it only takes about 10 hours to complete. You'll get a great gaming experience that, even for someone who's out of practice, is completable in the time.
Ghost Recon - If you want a feel for how much first person shooters have advanced since Doom, this is the one I'd recommend. Half Life, Deus Ex, etc. are great games but, as a newbie, you'll be bogged down in them long after she gets back. Ghost Recon is a great game with small enough missions that you can complete it in a week or two.
Civilisation 3 - If you have no twitchy reflexes left but are older and want something that's absorbing, Civ 3 is an incredible game. It'll just keep you sucked in long after she gets back.
The Sims - Cheesy as it may sound, everyone loves The Sims for the first two weeks. It takes most people about that long before it all starts to feel samey. During that time, you'll actually have a fascinating, also non-twitchy, gaming experience.
Grand Theft Auto 3 - Possibly too immature but then it's strangely satisfying for its immaturity and you can get a pretty good fix in the time you have.
All of the above are old enough that you can buy a current $100 graphics card (Radeon 9100, GeForce 4200/5200 etc.) and play them well, even if you haven't been keeping up to date with gaming hardware.
Ones I'd argue against...
Any MMORPG - You'll either not get in to it enough or be so hooked you'll never leave. Either way, it's not a good one month only idea.
Any major RPG - The Baldur's Gate series are incredible but you'll likely not finish them. Same goes for Neverwinter Nights.
Quake 3, Unreal Tournament etc. - They're probably way too twitchy for someone who's out of practice. It'll just be depressing playing them against hopped up 13 year olds.
Click here to see what Apple themselves had to say about the game. Download is free and there are lots to do for free in the game.
Aloha and Enjoy!
Here's my suggestion: Try Extramarital Affair. It's great fun - no, really - the experience of a lifetime!
If you're looking for a good simulation type game that's very immersive, try Uplink. You can order it from their website for USD$25 or pick it up at a local GameSpot for about USD$30. You play a freelance computer hacker on the internet of 2010 and hack into companies and steel/delete/decrypt data, sabotage computer systems, alter/create/delete identities for people, all sorts of stuff.
It's a lot of fun and runs on Windows and Linux and should run on older hardware that doesn't have the latest and greatest video cards, mainly because it values 'fun' more than 'flashy graphics'.
If you're looking for a fun game that's a break from the standard mainstream genres (FPS, RTS, MMORPG, etc), this is definitely the game for you.
Things you think are in the Constitution, but are not.
I think I'll be the first to mention the Game Boy Advance. Personnaly, I think recent console games have lost substance and are focusing too much on graphics/FMV and not enough on gameplay. Must play on the GBA:
;).
:)
;)
;) but overall, you can't go wrong with the GBA... and you might like it's games better than the current console games. Bonus: it's a portable system, so you can play it anywhere.
Castlevania: Circle of the moon
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Aria of sorrow
Metroid Fusion
Kirby: Nightmare in dream land (kiddy look, but it's a blast to play nonetheless)
Lord of the rings: the two towers (plays a lot like diablo)
If you like VERY hard games, try Megaman & Bass (original title - rockman & forte) and Megaman Zero. If you like beat'em up, Final Fight One is a good choice, though like a lot fo Capcom games, it's very hard (till you learn the AI, then it's a piece of cake
If you can find it, Dodgeball Advance is a fun and relaxing game, its dodgeball but with special moves to knock down your opponents.
If you like kart racing games with "weapons", get Mario Kart Advance or Konami Krazy Racers.
Another game worth mentionning is Doom 2 (the first one wasn't any good though, the port was bad). Who can live without Doom?
There's also a couple of RPG, but they are mostly ports from other consoles or bland remake. Golden Sun is brand new, but I didn't like it that much, though if you like console style RPG, you will like it. The follow up, Golden Sun: the lost age is out too.
There's a lot of good games that I didn't mention (would take too long
- action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
I guess Deus Ex qualifies. A couple of years old, but not having looked at games in a decade, I'm sure you don't mind. Easily the best game I've played. First person shooter with a cool story line, a nice skill system, really cool settings and truckload of conspiracy theories. I absolutely love it.
- driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
Not my area, I'm afraid. NEXT.
- D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?
Not really my area either, as I've grown a bit tired of the D&D style of RPGs. But a very good RPG is Morrowind. It's so open and non linear it's just silly, the setting and scenery is astonishing and the character development system is very appealing (you train skills when you use them, rather than just collect a bunch of xp you allocate between skills).
To be honest, I'd say that Deus Ex and Morrowind both are the peaks of what gaming has come to in the later years. If you really want to get an understanding of how far from Pacman the game concept has developed (apart from cool graphics - if that's what you want I guess picking the latest title from ID (whichever it currently happens to be) is the thing to do) in the last five years, those are the titles to get.
Besides, Morrowind can easily kill off a month alone.
I'm sure Morrowind is available on the X-Box. I doubt Deus Ex is... Both are really PC titles.
May we live long and die out
Get descent III, it is really hard to find in stores but you can find it used on amazon/ebay/whatever. It's a shoot-em up kind of game but unlike doom and its clones it is truly tridimensional (i.e. you manage a ship that can move, slide and bend in every direction in the tridimensional space). There is no gore and you only shoot robots, not people. There are amazing levels and the AI is really good.
were going away for a month or whatever, I don't think I'd be focused on getting a couple of -video games-, for chrissakes.
;>
What kind of sad dork are you?! Carpe diem, dude!
Now wash your hands.
Action/Spy: Splinter Cell and/or Ghost Recon work well. As for soldier, Medal of Honor is good, Battlefield 1942 is excellent as well
Car: Uhh... Gran Turismo (PS2)? Grand Theft Auto is about as far as my racing goes.
RPG: Neverwinter Nights, hands down. That is by far the best (and using new rules) D&D game out right now. (For Playstation, any Final Fantasy game works very very well. Also, on same console, try Suikoden 1 and 2! AWESOME games)
Gaming system? I'd say PS2 just because of game diversity: You can play PS1 AND PS2 (plus DVDs) on it. XBOX only has limited, but some alright, titles currently.
G'luck!
X
Xhentil Do'ana
Most of the comments I have seen have missed the original posters requirements:
- action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
- driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
- D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?
Hire an XBOX.
For 1 - Splinter Cell
For 2 - Sega GT
For 3 - Morrowind
Thanks for coming.
Get either something with a strong storyline (Neverwinter Nights or Planetscape:Torment) or something with mindless fun (Diablo2 + expansion).
All are for the PC.
Reason being is that your reflexes are slower and your interest/intellegence have changed too.
The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
Your wife is going out for a month, leaving you alone and what you want is to play videogames? What about the good ol' porn??
It's probably 2 years old, but I'm still stuck on it. Nothing newer has held my interest. It's available for less than $20 bucks now. Great multiplayer FPS.
If Chaos Theory has taught us anything, it's that we must kill all the butterflies.
These were big right about the time X-Wing came out (according to the copyright date on the cd cover: 1992-1993)
SNES RPG's-
Final Fantasy: VI
Tales of Phantasia
Secret of Mana 1/2
At least, those are games that my friends recommend I play through...
Failing those, I'd go for the Marathon series (FPS) and Myth 2 (gory real time squad strategy game).
Newer Stuff:
Deus Ex is often highly regarded (FPS+).
Oh yeah.. I'd also recommend at least trying Halo (FPS), especially if you can get some friends together to play it. I've heard it compared vs Metroid Prime (FPS) a lot, but imho, its considerably better, and creates a much better feeling of verisimilitude.
btw, the Wind Waker is not the greatest game ever created... really. It's good, just not THAT good.
I support those Neverwinter Nights suggestions. Tis a fun game.
Sounds like chances are you don't have all the latest video cards, etc. I'd definately go with System Shock 2, it'll scare the crap out of you.
/shrug
Unreal Tournament is fairly old, can run off a Voodoo3 No problem, and is IMO the best FPS ever made. Some people might suggest Quake 3, but I just did not like that
Masters of Magic is way old but a classic
Are you looking for a Console to buy while your wives gone? If you like to tinker, I'd say go with Xbox, bit low in the titles, but more then gamecube, and has some awesome games for cheap as hell. Also when your done playing it for the month, you could always Mod it and turn it into a Media Center for your Living Room. Personally 1 of my Xbox's is just in living room to play media... Also if you have broadband, Xbox Live is king. If you like online games you have to go with Xbox, Gamecubes online plan is shit and has like 1 game, and PS2 while free only has Socom that I liked, and people can easily cheat on that.
PS2 has a TON of games for it, and a ton of really awesome games. Also has GTA3 and Vice City which most people love, I just thought they were ok. Dynasty Warriors 4 is a good time killer but a bit repetative. Onimusha was fun and cheap as hell now. I didn't care for Final Fantasy X, was just eyecandy. Socom is fun online, although people can cheat. Also Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, Silent Hill 2(Also on Xbox and PC) and Clock Tower 3, were all great.
Gamecube - Eternal Darkness was freakingawesome game. Much like Buffy for the Xbox as in it just wasn't played a whole lot, or advertised well, but both were awesome. Metroid was alright, lots liked it, not enough action for me, and no multiplayer I didn't care for. I've heard Super Smash Brothers Melee was awesome. My neice liked Luigi's Mansion, and Super Mario Sunshine, but I didn't care for them. Zelda, I didn't try for long, I couldn't get past the graphics, and I don't beleive there was any challenge to it what so ever from watching my friend play it.
Well anyway, just my opinion.
for what you are looking for, get the xbox, splinter cell, morrowind, and brunout 2, and you will be set for the month
"If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?"
By all means, if you're renting, get both. But, if for some reason you only want one, get the PS2, mainly because then you can also play the excellent PSX games you missed.
Get Metal Gear Solid, the one for PSX. Its about as "spy/soldier" as you can get, and absolutely excellent.
Try Gran Turismo 3 for the racing game.
Finding a D&D game for consoles is tough. On PCs, of course, you can go with Planescape and Baldur's Gate, but consoles are more hack and slash. Perhaps Vagrant Story for the PSX is as D&D rpg-ish as you can get (and still be an quality game).
Nintendo know how to make games.
Here's what I do when I'm looking for a good game. The first thing to do is to figure out what you think you'll like (you seem to have a grasp on this)... And then go to a site like GameFAQs and figure out what the top games and most active boards are...
The games in the top 10s are the games people are actually playing. They have played the game long enough and enjoy it enough to read a FAQ or post a message related to it.
Another idea to find good games is the PS2 "Greatest Hits" line. These games are a little older, but they sold alot of copies and they are highly rated titles. Sony isn't going to "taint" the line by releasing a POS under the "Greatest Hits" line.
Don't let anyone tell you what you'll like, just make an educated guess...if you're really hurting for titles to pick, you can try some games like...
For PS2:
- RPGs from SquareSoft (i.e. Final Fantasy X)
While these games aren't really from the D&D line, you will probably find the plot lines much more compelling...
- Grand Theft Auto games (but I'm sure you will hear too much of this)
- The Getaway for a little more story in a GTA-style game
- Gran Tourismo 3 or Midnight Club
- Metal Gear Solid 2 for a good spy game
- the new Spy Hunter...yes, same name from the 80's, but it's 3D now
- Devil May Cry (Kinda fun...run around killing the undead with magical swords and guns)...don't get Devil May Cry 2
- Crazy Taxi
XBox:
- Halo
From most of the suggestions here, ppl are only listing the most recent games...most of the games I listed should be available without too much difficulty... Some games like Metal Gear Solid and Crazy Taxi are available on the XBox as well, but for most ppl, the PS2 is the only way to go...there's just more games for it...
If you're interested in a game, go to GameFAQs and figure out how active the boards have been in the past (don't have to read posts and FAQs, just get an idea how many ppl are there)...if you see alot of posts, you can be pretty sure that the game is fairly popular and therefore probably a good game.
If there are no FAQS for a game or no posts in a board, noone's playing it right now and noone liked it enough to make a FAQ or it's too easy to need a FAQ...for instance, Gran Turismo 2, a good game from the PS-One has a ton of FAQs and still has a fairly active message board...
Spy Hunter for the PS2 or X-Box is a cool driving game. Not only do you drive, but you have machine guns, oil slicks, missiles, and other toys, and you use them to blow up dozens of bad guys.
When your car goes into the water, it morphs into a boat. If your car takes too much damage, it jettisons you in a motorcycle escape vehicle. If the motorcycle goes into the water, it morphs into a jet ski!
I feel this is a bit of a sleeper game -- hardly ever mentioned on websites I visit, yet it is really fun. I love locking missiles on the bad guys and blowing them up. I also really like the music. This is one of my favorite games; I finished the 13 levels long ago, but I don't get tired of going back and playing them again.
Recommended!
steveha
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
1. Solitaire
2. Minesweeper
3. Freecell
4. Space Cadet Pinball
The following games are the greatest: Serious Sam, if you like being scared Fatal Frame, if you love hockey NHL Hitz, and if you love to blow away Nazis with tons of weapons Return To Caslte Wolfenstein. Check all of those games out ... those are serious reviews. Oh, yea ... if you love being addicted to a game and not really knowing why ... check out Phantasy Star Online (I call it Phantasy Krack Online). There you go ... a serious fix round-up of serious games for the XBOX. And they all totally own!
... free) and Melting Mitsubishi (if you liked Missile Command ... you are going to love Melting Mitsubishi). And they are totally free!
If you want to play some great Flash games online check out Shawn's Dance Grooves (online, live dance game
Hope that helps.
Visit the Mother Site !
Just one comment to make here, GranTourismo III A-Spec for PlayStation 2. By far the best racing game ever made, period! Others aren't even close. If you don't agree...then I don't think you really played it.
If you are a movie fan, check out either MEdal of Honor, or Black Hawk Down.
:)
For good RTS fun thats not too complicated, C&C GEnerals is cool and easy.
Another no brainer thats alot of fun is Diablo II.
don't get an MMORPG. If you are not a gamer, they will not appeal to you and 2 months is not long enough to get any kind of fun end result.
Alternatively go buy a Sega Dreamcast, for $50 plus $5 a game, you can't beat it!
I would recommend Half-Life as a good title... it changed ways I looked at games when I first played it.
GTA3 is another good title. Both of these weren't completely different from anything that came before, but they managed to balance certain aspects of their gameplay that were never quite balanced before. Definately recommended.
I really didn't think this game would be any good (stealth games seemed to me like one-trick-ponies) but this game ROCKS. Though, once you get the hang of the controls...it goes pretty quick. It's the best "spy" game out there and one of the most fun games I've played.
No...it's okay...I wasn't using my Civil Liberties anyway
C&C: Generals is my pick. There's a learning curve involved but it's short and leads to a smooth straight-away. I *acquired* this game a little over a month ago and fully intend on paying my tithe to the developer gods. Me and the roomies play at least one sweat-soaked, verbally abusive, match per night.
It's free .. ... ...
...
It's funny
It will pump up your adrenaline
It's the 5 against 1 game
(otherwise you would climb wall the entire month)
joystick included
ps: It prevents the prostate cancer too!!
Have fun
That sounds like a prescription for Ninnle Linux to me!
When I got my new job my coworkers wanted to know if I was a gamer. I hadn't been since Doom II but I said I'd be up to getting back into it. We play action/FPS games. My recommendations:
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (modern version of a game I'm sure you are nostalgic about)
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (very popular and our favorite group game)
As for sneaking around spy type stuff you can't beat the Hitman games. Hitman 2 has better game control than the first one but if you have older hardware (DirectX 7) you can play the first one which I think has slightly better missions. Either way if you want to combine thinking and blazing guns, Hitman is the series for you. (I just saw the first Hitman game in Microcenter for $20)
Get a PS2. SSX Tricky Gran Turismo 3 GTA: Vice City You won't leave your house with these three. I promise.
These should be more than enough for a month, in fact you probably won't be able to put them down when she gets back.
They have versions for all three systems, however the xBox and Gamecube versions are considered to be more polished.
My Blog Sucks.
Don't be like the rest of the SHEEP and get a PS2.. get a REAL system if you want to experience console gaming - get the Xbox.
Highly suggest Halo 2 (better than ANY PS2 game), Splinter Cell (far better graphics on the XBox than PS2 or GC), Need for Speed 2 Hot Pursuit, Mech Assault (fun game for a first-timer) and/or Morrowind for that all inclusive RPG experience. Shenmue II is also a FABULOUS adventure game, highly recommend that as well. Metal Gear Solid is overrated.
Sorry, hard to stop thinking about Halo 2 when I get to see the demo at E3 next week..
Have you tried ikaruga yet? You'll convice some old-timers to get a cube with that game.