What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[replayme]

Played Aliens: Colonial Marines recently. It's alright. Certainly not as bad as online reviewers are making it out to be, but that doesn't mean that it's good. Because it's not. It's average at best, with the redeeming feature being that it's set in the aliens universe.

I wrote a review on the 360 version. You can read it if you're so inclined...

http://prankster101.com/review/aliens-c ... -xbox-360/

[Moniker]

Playing Perfected Doom 3 and Tribes: Ascend.

PD3 mods the game to be more survival-oriented. Enemies hurt a lot but you can kill them much more quickly if you've got good aim. The upgraded graphics chug a bit at parts, but nothing game breaking. I'd say it ranks up with Dead Space to get the blood running. Not really a proper sequel to Doom 1&2, but pretty great in its own right.

As for T:A, I remember playing the original Tribes way back when and being blown away by the freedom of movement. The jetpacking and skiing still hold up, but some of the magic is gone. Only have Team Deathmatch and CTF unlocked; I don't normally go for deathmatch modes, but it's really well-implemented here. There's a flag that both teams fight over to get the boon of double kill count so long as its held. Keeps things focused and team-oriented. Right now the huge environments make the games feel kind of empty, but I'm guessing that'll change as I get more experienced at it.

[Hagane]

Kurovadis. A very solid Megaman / Metroid type of game, with challenging difficulty and nice platforming. Sadly, there's one small detail that will drive a lot of potential players away: it has porn. If you can look past that, the game stands on its own and is extremely fun.

[Shelcoof]

Kurovadis. A very solid Megaman / Metroid type of game, with challenging difficulty and nice platforming. Sadly, there's one small detail that will drive a lot of potential players away: it has porn. If you can look past that, the game stands on its own and is extremely fun.

lol I swear some people would view the porn part the other way around.

[Ed Oscuro]

Doing an unfiltered image search on kurovadis was rather surreal in what it came up with. Anyway the game looks really plain. Stuff.

[Hagane]

It has crappy 8-bit wannabe graphics, but it also has some really precise platforming requiring combinations of wall jumps, air rolling and stuff. Nice melee system too. It's really worth trying if you can ignore the negatives.

Dude should add an option to toggle the adult content, so it scares less people away.

[mortified_penguin]

Been working my way through System Shock 2 since it came out on GoG last week. Sold the box copy years ago without ever getting more than an hour or two in, what an idiot move that was.

[Ed Oscuro]

I've still got my SShock and Thief Gold boxes lying around. The discs and jewel cases have been loved to death though.

I wish I could find a boxed copy of the Mac version of System Shock sometime. Scratched-up disc I've got didn't want to run in a Mac

[Mortificator]

It's weird that so many people will be playing Shock 2 without having ever touched Shock 1.

[EmperorIng]

Been working my way through System Shock 2 since it came out on GoG last week. Sold the box copy years ago without ever getting more than an hour or two in, what an idiot move that was.

Same here. I just got to the big reveal at the halfway point, and while Hydrophonics area really dragged, the game has otherwise been fantastic thus far. Such great horror atmosphere.

It's weird that so many people will be playing Shock 2 without having ever touched Shock 1.

Well, hey, if GoG could release System Shock 1 as well, I'd definitely pick it up.

[Mortificator]

It's not a criticism of the players, I was just thinking about the same reveal you've just mentioned.

SPOILERS FOR FIRST PORTION OF SYSTEM SHOCK 2




















Being forced by circumstance into working with SHODAN probably has more impact to people who spent an entire previous game locked in battle with it. When I saw that face appear I thought "OH FUCK is it too late to side with The Many?"

On the other hand, I introduced a friend to Shock 2 after I'd played through it for the first time, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stomach the graphics and interface of its predecessor, and he was impressed enough to complete it himself. I'm sure Shock 2's a seriously good game even without Shock 1 to frame it.

[Ed Oscuro]

It's weird that so many people will be playing Shock 2 without having ever touched Shock 1.

That's the way it was for me back in the day - I still haven't played the original. System Shock 2 was one of the "new wave" of PC games that were more accessible to people due to the DirectX revolution and cheaper / more PCs being out. I wouldn't be surprised if it simply sold many more copies as well.

And I would agree that the game was very well framed without the original. The texts, intro training sequence, and the whole supercapitalistic economics of gameplay kept you well appraised of what kind of world it was.

Weapons could've been better balanced and some weren't very useful in any situation, but a few were quite satisfying to use, at least. I tended to neglect the Psi powers but those were awesome as well.

[mortified_penguin]

Was working my way through the original SS at some point last year for my Twitch Channel but got stuck a few days in and never went back, maybe some day.

That said, just wrapped up SS2, and wow, best 10 hours I've spent gaming in a long long time. Not sure whether I should leave it be for a bit or dive back in with a Psi build.

[null1024]

Rez [DC].
aaaaa, I keep getting hit by missiles in Area 5 for no good reason
And Fear is amazing. Such a cool song. Area 5 is probably the most fun thing in the whole game, especially with the boss rush at the end, but I really need to stop getting shot at.

and sure, the PS2 version is 60fps and I should be playing that, but as a Sega fan, I'd rather do it this way

Star Ocean: First Departure [PSP].
Wow, the Star Trek references are awfully blatant.
It's Star Ocean 1, except it looks like Second Story.

and the enemy balance in all these games bugs me a bit, every thing seems to cause terrifying amounts of damage really quickly, but also die ASAP
and I like how my character without a weapon equipped still has a sword on his sprite, haha


I should get back to playing SO3 and Wind Waker, haven't played either in a week.

[MommysBestGames]

Deadly Premonition
Taken a few years but finally started this! I did really like most of Twin Peaks, so I'm definitely intrigued by the bit I've played. I enjoy the general strangeness and warped pairings (the early music with the horn was pretty funny). I don't even mind that it's been lots of little movies sprinkled with gameplay, seems like it could be a good late night, low stress game. Hoping it stays this interesting as long as possible!

[EmperorIng]

It's probably one of the best games of last generation, in my estimation. Great quirky atmosphere and characters, coupled with a hilariously bad control scheme and shoe-horned combat. The game's numerous faults actually make it more fun to play, especially with other people around.

[blackoak]

Got on the high score board for the local Black Knight 2000... first time for me, so it feels special. 9.2m, nothing amazing, but I was really enjoying myself.

[BIL]

BDOOMin'.

[Ed Oscuro]

the secret is DEATH

all those glowin' helmets are trying to reverse-form a corpse to fit around with...it's like the old animated suit of armor myth turned inside out

[BIL]

And meanwhile, the soulsphere is just appalled at how depraved things have gotten since the halcyon days of 1993.

[Acid_Rain]

I just played through Limbo. I really dig the art- and sounddesign and the constant tension.

[null1024]

Tales of Eternia [PSP].

Damnit Meredy, stop complaining.
[a good 4/5ths of everything she has said [in Melnics] amounts to "the worlds are going to collide, please stop screwing around"]

It really doesn't help that she acts totally unlike any reasonable person [especially when she decides to climb on the desk and yell, and when she busts in the lab and "accidentally" fries everything], although I guess you wouldn't be particularly reasonable if you know the world is going to end soon...

[BrianC]

Been playing Crimson Shroud 3DS, Fire Emblem Awakening 3DS and, Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii. I beat normal and started new game + on Crimson Shroud. Very nice game that mixes pen and paper with modern JRPG elements. I love how it uses dice. Fire Emblem is very fun so far and I'm loving the new support system. I'm also enjoying Super Mario Galaxy 2 so far.

I know it's completely unreleated, but the title of Tales of Eternia makes me think of He-Man. Speaking of tales, I need to start playing Tales of the Abyss since I have it for 3DS.

[null1024]

I'm also enjoying Super Mario Galaxy 2 so far.

I know it's completely unreleated, but the title of Tales of Eternia makes me think of He-Man. Speaking of tales, I need to start playing Tales of the Abyss since I have it for 3DS.

SMG2 is probably the only 3D Mario game that I really really like.

And Tales of Eternia was called Tales of Destiny 2 in America when it came out on the PS1 way back when because of the He-Man trademark IIRC.

You definitely should play Tales of the Abyss, it's good fun. Free run is the best thing they've ever added to Tales combat. Actual 3D dodging!

[Obiwanshinobi]

and sure, the PS2 version is 60fps and I should be playing that, but as a Sega fan, I'd rather do it this way

I doubt it's 60 fps at any point (seems 30 at best to me, sometimes way below). I believe Rez HD is, which makes for easier aiming. Mizuguchi said something along those lines in some interview.
P.S. Actually I can't find that interview, article or whatever it was about Rez HD. Can't see why would they keep it at 30 fps, though. Sega aren't THAT silly after all. Although after the omission of split screen in Virtual-On, who knows...

[MommysBestGames]

It's probably one of the best games of last generation, in my estimation. Great quirky atmosphere and characters, coupled with a hilariously bad control scheme and shoe-horned combat. The game's numerous faults actually make it more fun to play, especially with other people around.

Sums it up great. I really had no idea it was going to be so old-Silent-Hill-like. It's funny because the bad controls do make it feel more tension-filled but also like your character is an amateur fighter, which makes sense in Silent Hill. In DP, I think your character is supposed to be trained, so it doesn't make sense, but still makes the fight pretty tense which is exciting. On to see what crazy thing happens tonight...

[rapoon]

Fist of the North Star: Kens Rage 2.

Better than the first in some regards but falls short in other areas. legend mode is faithful to the manga. lot of playable characters (juza is the tits). most
returning characters have the exact same moves + more signature moves. jump has been removed. that's fine, jump was almost worthless in the first and several
characters couldn't jump in the first. It's been replaced with a dash/dodge system, which is awesome except that dodging an attack and countering (weak damage)
depletes aura and that's bullshit. the leveling system is good and bad. meridian chart is replaced with a scroll system. its nice because w/ chart, maxed out
characters were still very weak in the first. with the scrolls you can heavily boost your stats, but it's a clusterfuck, a pain in the ass to manage them and you gotta
farm em and hope you get the 1 or 2 scrolls you need to create a full meridian. all that shits done by equiping the scrolls. each scroll alters up to 3 stats in different
order. you equip up to 5 scrolls and create synergies between them all. its a decent game.

[BIL]

Don't-stop-meh-naooo ♫

[MadScientist]

Endless Forms Most Beautiful - the Locomalito remake of the homebrew ZX Spectrum game. One of my favourite games of last year. I've beaten it a few times, but I keep playing it to see if I can squeeze a few more points out of it. Getting in the mid-900's at the moment, but I think I might be able to make 1000 with a bit of luck.

[Moniker]

Path of Exile (PC)

Had planned to wait for an official release, but curiosity got the better of me. This game is freaking amazing. Just started Act 2 with a witch, trying for a necromancer build. Also tried out a bit of the Duelist class, which is also a lot of fun to play. I have to say that I had my doubts about the skill gem system and passive skill tree, but they really work and work well. Even bartering works far better than I expected. Looking forward to sinking hours and hours into this one. Sorry, Torchlight 2.