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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."
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)
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
Absolutely agree with Splinter Cell, but I'm going to suggest you play it on the PC if you've got one that can run it, the control is much smoother and easier to manage. I had a blast with it.
--
Francis
For the original question: the poster may wish to look at Game Rankings has a way to find out what the concensus ratings on games are, plus you can restrict the genre pretty well.
I'd suggest you start with Halo (XBox), but then you'd probably never get around to the other games. Here's two Halo tips: If 2-3 buddies are going to come visit while your wife's away, play multi-player. If one buddy comes over, play co-op mode. That's the best! In regular Halo when you die you start over from the last saved spot. In co-op when one of you dies the other keeps playing; when the coast is clear, the dead player re-spawns. My only complaint with co-op is at the very end; one of you is just a passenger on the warthog, with nothing to do.
If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
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
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!