Video Games...Discuss Them

[Fezzik]

Star Wars: TOR is exactly what I thought it'd be, a pretty fun theme park MMO that borrow heavily from the WoW model and adds a decent amount of Bioware choose-your-own-adventure storytelling.

It's essentially a single player game though, at least while leveling, and I haven't seen a need to group with anyone through the first 15-20 levels. I assume that changes at the endgame with raiding, etc. Doubt I'll play it long enough to get there though.

The only time grouping is required are the instances/flashpoints. In my experience, the group "Heroic" quests are not worth the time they take to complete.

The core class storylines are fantastic btw, but I expect that from Bioware. They do story better than anyone in the game industry.

[Fezzik]

I think most fantasy-based MMOs have pet classes. Original EQ had mage and necromancers. Rift has like 6 different pet specializations.

TOR has slaves/companions that help you in combat but right now my Twi'lek is just added ranged DPS. There's probably a tank one coming though, hopefully soon.

Once you get more companions, its really interesting because you have to choose which one to take with you - once you do that you can send the others out on crafting missions (looking for materials, or crafting), so crafting doesn't keep you from playing the game - because your companions complete the tasks for you.

I'm currently loving TOR. My guild (which has been around since Diablo I and has had presences in every major MMO released) chose Sith Empire. Im not used to playing "the bad guy" but I've been impressed with the immersion. My Sith Marauder is a dark, twisted little bitch, but my Bounty Hunter is "light side" - both are viable, regardless of faction.

[shaun]

I find that I need to bribe my companion with gifts because she otherwise hates almost every choice I make. It doesn't help that the "Dark Side" choice usually involves letting slave children play with booby-trapped explosive COM units or something and I wind up with -30 to her favor every other quest.

It's a really fun story and I've just been given my starter ship, level 18 now.

[Dukefrukem]

Once you get to Gran Pulse it gets a little better, but I largely agree with you.

The problem is that is Chapter 10. At that point I am 75% done the game. It shouldn't take 20 hours for a game to get good.

[EyesWideOpen]

Picked up FFXIII, Viking, Assassins Creed for $18.

Three great pickups. Viking is one of the best "under the radar" games I played this generation and I loved Assassins Creed. FFXIII while not close to being my favorite FF game or even in my top five current gen JRPG's is still quite fun.

[EyesWideOpen]

And I'd just like to reiterate that Rayman: Origins is sooooooo good.

[megladon8]

So fun watching the GiantBomb top 10's. I look forward to this all year.

Love their honesty. Not trying to appeal to anyone in particular, just naming their 10 faves of the year. Don't have to worry about marketing bullshit.

[Dukefrukem]

So fun watching the GiantBomb top 10's. I look forward to this all year.

Love their honesty. Not trying to appeal to anyone in particular, just naming their 10 faves of the year. Don't have to worry about marketing bullshit.

Haha. I've been commenting on their youtube posts. Two of their top 10 lists are terrible. They have Gears 3 over Uncharted 3 because Uncharted 3 was "too much like Uncharted 2".

Really? Did they even play Gears 2 and Gears 3? They're the exact same game with an added sawed off shotgun and horde mode.

[megladon8]

Haha. I've been commenting on their youtube posts. Two of their top 10 lists are terrible. They have Gears 3 over Uncharted 3 because Uncharted 3 was "too much like Uncharted 2".

Really? Did they even play Gears 2 and Gears 3? They're the exact same game with an added sawed off shotgun and horde mode.

Yeah, I noticed you trolling Brad and Jeff's lists.

Seriously, Duke, you make statements that are blatantly wrong (you bashed Brad for having "Dead Island" at #2 when he didn't), you continue to spell "Deus Ex" as "Dues Ex", and you infer that Jeff only liked "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" because he's a fan of the franchise, even though he didn't make a single mention of the previous games and made a pretty clear argument for why he liked this one.

Maybe Brad liked "Gears of War 3" more than "Uncharted 3"? That could be the reason he has it above the PS3 game.

I don't get why you cannot accept people thinking differently.

[Dead & Messed Up]

My roommate's been gone for a while, so I played Arkham City on his PS3 while he was gone. Beautiful game, pretty good gameplay, but kind of a dull story, isn't it? I mean, it finds a mostly logical way to bring in all the familiar faces, and there's a neat twist at the end with the Joker, but otherwise, I found the whole thing slight. One of my beefs with so many "cinematic" games is that their cut-scenes are just the worst. Just dull, expository, lifeless, dull storytelling.

I got to 56% completion, even with beating the game, but the prospect of finding more Riddler trophies gave me a headache, so I deleted the game profile and put it away.

It is a stunning game, though. The production design is wonderful. The way different sections of the city fit seamlessly together, and how they're colored by the personality of whoever's "in charge" there.

[megladon8]

My roommate's been gone for a while, so I played Arkham City on his PS3 while he was gone. Beautiful game, pretty good gameplay, but kind of a dull story, isn't it? I mean, it finds a mostly logical way to bring in all the familiar faces, and there's a neat twist at the end with the Joker, but otherwise, I found the whole thing slight. One of my beefs with so many "cinematic" games is that their cut-scenes are just the worst. Just dull, expository, lifeless, dull storytelling.

I got to 56% completion, even with beating the game, but the prospect of finding more Riddler trophies gave me a headache, so I deleted the game profile and put it away.

It is a stunning game, though. The production design is wonderful. The way different sections of the city fit seamlessly together, and how they're colored by the personality of whoever's "in charge" there.

Yeah, you're not alone there. I found the ending to the first game frustratingly anticlimactic, bringing everything back to status quo and rendering the game pretty much moot from a story perspective.

This one seemed to be doing something different and thrilled me for a while, but around the time you discover what Protocol 10 is, I became disillusioned once again.

I mean, really, I play the game(s) because it's fun as hell to be Batman, but when a game seems to so lovingly develop a story for the action, it's disappointing when it all comes together in such an inert way.

The ending "shock" was anything but, and I fully expect it to be undone in the next game.

[Dukefrukem]

Yeah, I noticed you trolling Brad and Jeff's lists.

Seriously, Duke, you make statements that are blatantly wrong (you bashed Brad for having "Dead Island" at #2 when he didn't), you continue to spell "Deus Ex" as "Dues Ex", and you infer that Jeff only liked "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" because he's a fan of the franchise, even though he didn't make a single mention of the previous games and made a pretty clear argument for why he liked this one.

Maybe Brad liked "Gears of War 3" more than "Uncharted 3"? That could be the reason he has it above the PS3 game.

I don't get why you cannot accept people thinking differently.

Their boss battles were among the worst I've ever played. That's what happens when you contact it out. It didn't fit with the rest of the game. Then of course there's the air ducts which everyone already knows I hate... It's very easy to see he was a fan of the franchise by breaking down the negatives as "A handful of small annoyances".

[megladon8]

Their boss battles were among the worst I've ever played. That's what happens when you contact it out. It didn't fit with the rest of the game. Then of course there's the air ducts which everyone already knows I hate... It's very easy to see he was a fan of the franchise by breaking down the negatives as "A handful of small annoyances".

No, that's a big assumption to make.

I'm loving "Skyrim" despite a handful of small annoyances and technical glitches. I haven't played a previous entry in the series.

Maybe the air ducts were not a bother to him, and the boss battles were balanced by lots of other stuff he loved about the game. Like how he mentioned the exploration of the world being the main reason he kept coming back.

[Dukefrukem]

The world wasn't even that big! You can't even free travel!

He mentions lock pics and computers. I got news for you (and him), mini-games are not supposed to be the biggest draw of a game. If I knew i would be spending 70% of my time picking locks, hacking computers and crawling through vents I would never have bought it.

[EyesWideOpen]

Meg you're better then this. Don't get sucked into Duke's RT style trolling. He's once again claiming everyone's opinion but his is wrong.

[Dukefrukem]

Meg you're better then this. Don't get sucked into Duke's RT style trolling. He's once again claiming everyone's opinion but his is wrong.

C'mon. I don't troll. And I resent being compared to RT. If there were actual legitimate reasoning behind certain choices I'm fine with that. But saying "Uncharted 3 was too much like Uncharted 2" is not a reason. In fact, Uncharted 3 isn’t anywhere close to being like Uncharted 2. They added an entirely new combat system!

[Spun Lepton]

[

Show Spoiler

Too many air-ducts.

]

[Dukefrukem]

I have to admit that made me smile Spun.

[megladon8]

I think the Thor table in the recent "Vengeance and Virtue" pack for "Pinball FX2" might be my favorite of the Marvel tables thus far.

Really awesome layout, easy to activate missions that have challenging goals requiring really precise shooting.

It's pretty neat.

X-Men isn't so good because I find the use of so much silver and blue on the table makes it very hard to keep track of where the ball is. If the ball was permanently red (the way it is during the Cyclops skillshot) it would solve this problem, but as it is, I think the colour scheme for the table was a very poor design choice.

[Dukefrukem]

Aw come on Meg, you don't have to ignore my posts because EWO told you to.

[Dukefrukem]

Steam Sale:

Dungeon Defenders - $3.75 (DLC On sale too)
Serious Sam 3: BFE - $19.99
Serious Sam HD Gold - $3.99
Serious Sam HD Double Pack - $2.99
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - $3.74
Two Worlds 2 - $13.59
Section 8: Prejudice - $3.74

[Dead & Messed Up]

The ending "shock" was anything but, and I fully expect it to be undone in the next game.

[

Show Spoiler

I was referring to the Clayface reveal, and not the Joker death. Obviously the Joker can't continue to be dead, although he may be different, since Hamill said this is his last go-round with the character.

I actually dug the Clayface reveal, although I was confused that he was able to issue forth clay minions. Is that a power Clayface has?

]

[Skitch]

Three great pickups. Viking is one of the best "under the radar" games I played this generation and I loved Assassins Creed. FFXIII while not close to being my favorite FF game or even in my top five current gen JRPG's is still quite fun.

I've heard the same. Viking seems right up my alley. FFXIII...too cheap to not give it a shot.

[EyesWideOpen]

The 2011 games I played (bolded are the one's I beat the single player):

Alice: Madness Returns
Bastion
Batman: Arkham City
Beyond Good & Evil HD (since it's not a new game not counting it)
Bulletstorm
Catherine
Child of Eden
de Blob 2
Dead Space 2
Dragon Age II
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
The First Templar
Fruit Ninja Kinect
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Islands of Wakfu
L.A. Noire
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes
Outland
Portal 2
Rango
Rayman: Origins (I just started it a few days ago so not on the list yet)
Scene It: Movie Night
Shadows of the Damned
Skyrim
Stacking
Virtua Tennis 4
X-Men Destiny
You Don't Know Jack

My top five:
1. Dead Space 2
2. Bastion
3. Portal 2
4. Batman: Arkham City
5. L.A. Noire

[Ezee E]

[

Show Spoiler

I was referring to the Clayface reveal, and not the Joker death. Obviously the Joker can't continue to be dead, although he may be different, since Hamill said this is his last go-round with the character.

I actually dug the Clayface reveal, although I was confused that he was able to issue forth clay minions. Is that a power Clayface has?

]

I took that as a "Boss" power and didn't really care about it.

What else is left to accomplish? I guess Penguin and/or Two-Face can take more of a prominent role. And I guess they can use The Ventriloquist and Mad Hatter...