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."

Comments

Here you go:

[BillYak]

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.

Advices

[Snowspinner]

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.

Tetris

[Drunken_Jackass]

It's cool - check it out.

OK, here we go.

[Neck_of_the_Woods]

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

Ask Slashdot: How did he do it?

[Darnit]

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.

Depends vastly on platform

[SnowDog_2112]

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!

Video games??????????

[ChaoticChaos]

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.

Games?

[water-and-sewer]

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!