What Are You Playing Now?

[Calax]

I just finished Final Fantasy VII, bred my own Gold Chocobo and all, that was a blast winning the S rank races. I could not kill all the other Weapons, ugh... too much power-gaming to do that. It was interesting while playing, RPG mechanics that were present in it that are still missing from modern AAA RPG's today. Sad.

 

Now playing Final Fantasy VIII on my good old PS2..... except I forgot you HAVE to have an old PS1 memory card to save with it.... ugh. Off to this one store tomorrow to get one or two. Volo *highly* praises this game for music and story, and while I know Volo is.... welll Volo.... I guess I'll see why he places this on his top 10 list of RPG's. I must say the music I have heard so far was quite nice... untill I found out I could not save. heh

The music and art on VIII is great, but the story has a plot twist that'll make you stare at the screen and go BuhWAH!? It's a moronic twist that isn't even covered well by the story itself.

 

Also the dungeons and levels are broken in that if you REALLY wanted to metagame and spend that much time in the first dungeon, you could hit lvl 99 there becuase the mobs spawn to your level rather than to a specific level bracket.

[Maria Caliban]

Mass Effect. Must make carry over character.

[Nightshape]

Uncharted

Uncharted 2

Infamous

Metal gear (if you're into that)

FFXIII (you just know it's going to be better as it's native to the PS3)

God of War 3

Ratchet and Clank...

Although I own myself a PS3 and think it's a terrific concole, I only consider MGS4 to be a must-have in that list. Uncharted, while entertaining, is not the kind of game I'd get a PS3 for.

 

What I'm really looking forward however are HEAVY RAIN and AGENT. That's where the PS3 will shine.

 

The thing is MGS 4 is more an interactive movie than a game. Don't get me wrong I like it, but that doesn't mean it's worth having a PS3 for.

 

It took me a very long time to actually convince myself to get a PS3, on paper, it's the weaker machine, funnily enough I have found myself using it more than my X-Box 360 of late.

 

Uncharted is an excellent exclusive franchise. The problem is it's generic looking PC.

[Calax]

Uncharted

Uncharted 2

Infamous

Metal gear (if you're into that)

FFXIII (you just know it's going to be better as it's native to the PS3)

God of War 3

Ratchet and Clank...

Although I own myself a PS3 and think it's a terrific concole, I only consider MGS4 to be a must-have in that list. Uncharted, while entertaining, is not the kind of game I'd get a PS3 for.

 

What I'm really looking forward however are HEAVY RAIN and AGENT. That's where the PS3 will shine.

 

The thing is MGS 4 is more an interactive movie than a game. Don't get me wrong I like it, but that doesn't mean it's worth having a PS3 for.

 

It took me a very long time to actually convince myself to get a PS3, on paper, it's the weaker machine, funnily enough I have found myself using it more than my X-Box 360 of late.

 

Uncharted is an excellent exclusive franchise. The problem is it's generic looking PC.

Yeah, on paper the ps3 looks a bit weaker, but when you actually play I've found that the experience is smoother.

[cronicler]

Actually the cell (PS3 cpu) is better. On paper. However except for a handfull of studios that know how to use the architecture (Like Naughty Dog and it's Uncharted 2) most studios cannot use the full potential of the platform. (When you try to get the cell to work your code using the way traditional cpus process data, you run into memory and bandwith bottlenecks, which translates to the game being able to use something like less then 25% of the available processing power. This is as much as I can explain being a layman)

 

XBox games on the other hand can access %100 processing power as the platform is basically a pc platform with standartised parts, in fact the system always works at least %100 during the gaming and redlines during busy sequences, resulting in overheating that goes on to create hardware problems. (Edit: What I meant here is the fact that most devs are familiar with the architectures ins and outs and quirks and soft points, they are familiar with it so it is easier to use)

 

In the end it all comes down to the games. The PS3 games are usually more smoother because it can compute whatever is in the game (that the devs were able to feed through the weird architecture) but except a few exceptional titles, most of the games are either ports or made with the intention of being portable from/to weaker systems. Unless you play Uncharted 2, you won't believe how complex, detailed and beautiful scenes and background sounds (music, effects, far away sounds, the ambiance, all those parts) cell can create while still having a smooth gameplay and dynamic sounds

 

I am not going to touch how xbrick blows sony away in online segment in any way.

Edited December 17, 2009 by cronicler

[Vilhelm]

Got Final Fantasy XIII today. It plays nice and even though I had played through the first 20 minutes of the game (via the demo that came with FF7:AC), it still felt fresh, since they have tuned the area and the battle system a bit.

 

Of course, the characters are designed by Tetsuya Nomura, which is really the only downside to the game so far. Oh, and that the storyline is pretty hard to understand, especially if you don't understand Japanese perfectly.

[Wrath of Dagon]

The advantage that the PS3 has is that there are some developers who actually write a brand new engine for it, instead of using the same crappy UE3 that everyone on the 360 uses.

[Majek]

Mass Effect. Must make carry over character.

Is it really worth it?

[Morgoth]

I wonder that, too. How much of a difference will we notice whether we start a char from scratch or import it from ME1?

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

I'm just wondering if I absolutely need an ME1 save to see those. I played ME1 on the 360, but I'd prefer playing ME2 on the PC.

[Hurlshort]

I wonder the same thing on ME. I finished it on the 360 but no loner have the system.

[Shryke]

I just finished Final Fantasy VII, bred my own Gold Chocobo and all, that was a blast winning the S rank races. I could not kill all the other Weapons, ugh... too much power-gaming to do that. It was interesting while playing, RPG mechanics that were present in it that are still missing from modern AAA RPG's today. Sad.

 

Now playing Final Fantasy VIII on my good old PS2..... except I forgot you HAVE to have an old PS1 memory card to save with it.... ugh. Off to this one store tomorrow to get one or two. Volo *highly* praises this game for music and story, and while I know Volo is.... welll Volo.... I guess I'll see why he places this on his top 10 list of RPG's. I must say the music I have heard so far was quite nice... untill I found out I could not save. heh

 

that in itself should be a warning sign

 

as Calax said, the plot is okay at first, but then you get to the "twist" and you just go blank for a while and think to yourself that surely they couldn't have done something so absurdly stupid

 

a lot of people villify it, but i quite liked the junction system

the draw system on the other hand....

[entrerix]

i love final fantasy 8, despite a couple bad plot decisions (at least one utterly silly plot point, that is largely irrelevant to the actual story).

[Hell Kitty]

The thing is MGS 4 is more an interactive movie than a game.

 

This isn't really true. It's the same as many other games, switching between cutscenes and gameplay. It's just that while the cutscenes make up a small percentage of most games, the cutscenes in MGS4 make up a pretty damn huge percentage. There are sections like the motorcycle chase that fit the interactive movie label, but it doesn't really describe the majority of the gameplay.

 

Is it really worth it?

 

From here:

 

Many of you may have played through Mass Effect multiple times, making different decisions in repeat sessions to see how sub plots would play out. Others may have played the game once, but in the years that have since passed forgotten which decisions they made. Either way, BioWare has you covered. At the outset of the game, a screen will come up that prompts you to import a save from Mass Effect, should one exist. Each time you beat Mass Effect, a special save file was created that stores all of the choices you made, what level your character was at, and where your Paragon/Renegade status sat.

 

Each save will be labeled so that you know which class and level character you're importing. Hudson outlined what happens from there, "You pick one of those saves, and then from there you go back into Mass Effect 2. Once that starts you go to a review screen where you can look at all of the things you did in that first game and then proceed from there knowing that you have the save you want."

 

There's still time to catch up and play Mass Effect in preparation for the sequel. Or, you can watch our Mass Effect in 5 Minutes video and simply pick up with the sequel. The game is set up to be inviting for newcomers, though some of the choices you could have made in the first game are decided for you. Hudson explained the process, "We kind of went through item by item. For example, when you've played Mass Effect 1 you know the characters and you've had some experiences with them, therefore it doesn't really make sense for them to have a big reunion when you've never played it. So for certain things like that, we set to canon that you haven't met these people or you haven't done certain things."

 

The game will be much more personal for those that did play Mass Effect. Everything all of the way down to little side quests will be shaped by your actions in the first game. "If you were mean to a guy in a little side quest," said Hudson, "then he'll show up in this one and something different will happen. It's not better or worse, it's just part of the ongoing story."

 

The bigger decisions, however, will have an immediately noticeable impact. Hudson listed the decision regarding the council at the end of Mass Effect as one of the choices with the biggest repercussions. "It's not like the entire game takes on a completely different story with different colors and different locations and things like that. It's more the collection of many different effects all throughout the game. If you let the council die so that human beings can take more control in the galaxy, or if you save them, that's one of the things that you'll see the biggest number of repercussions especially when you go to places like the Citadel where the council was based. You'll hear it as you walk around, you'll see things being different. There are different plots that open up for you."

 

Yes, you read that correctly. Different plots, and different side quests, will become available or be blocked off depending on your actions in the first game. Hudson elaborated, "The quests are different and the things that happen in them are different, and that's true of a lot of the plots. The things you have to do really only make sense if you made a certain choice previously or if certain characters are alive or dead."

 

I'm guessing that while big things like whether the council lives may perhaps be decided by dialogue for players not using a previous save, smaller changes will only be there for people using a save.

Edited December 18, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[Hurlshort]

Gah, I broke down and bought Mass Effect for the PC. It's cool, I've got a bit of time off anyway.

[Jaesun]

as Calax said, the plot is okay at first, but then you get to the "twist" and you just go blank for a while and think to yourself that surely they couldn't have done something so absurdly stupid

 

a lot of people villify it, but i quite liked the junction system

the draw system on the other hand....

 

I have NEVER played FF VIII and so far am enjoying it. I am NOT that far into it yet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the card game (After I spent.... more hours than I will admit to on learning it.)

 

The Junction system is.... interesting so far. Plot wise I've been enjoying the card game too much... perhaps tomorrow I shall advance with the story.

 

I am honestly just playing this and looking at RPG mechanics in it that (from a game made in 1999) that are actually better than our "New S*^&" AAA RPG's, out now.

 

The sheer fact you can COMPLETELY avoid all random encounters by walking on the road (In the beginning area) is..... mind boggling. A jRPG... with a no levelling area. *GASP*.

[Monte Carlo]

It's strange, because I like Science Fiction but I'm not really bothered about Sci-Fi CRPGs. Mass Effect left me completely cold, never played it and had no interest.

 

ME2 is the same. And I hate playing one pre-defined character.

[Calax]

as Calax said, the plot is okay at first, but then you get to the "twist" and you just go blank for a while and think to yourself that surely they couldn't have done something so absurdly stupid

 

a lot of people villify it, but i quite liked the junction system

the draw system on the other hand....

 

I have NEVER played FF VIII and so far am enjoying it. I am NOT that far into it yet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the card game (After I spent.... more hours than I will admit to on learning it.)

 

The Junction system is.... interesting so far. Plot wise I've been enjoying the card game too much... perhaps tomorrow I shall advance with the story.

 

I am honestly just playing this and looking at RPG mechanics in it that (from a game made in 1999) that are actually better than our "New S*^&" AAA RPG's, out now.

 

The sheer fact you can COMPLETELY avoid all random encounters by walking on the road (In the beginning area) is..... mind boggling. A jRPG... with a no levelling area. *GASP*.

I think that they were able to do that because of the way that leveling is done (everything is set around your level than having specific areas for specific levels). Otherwise they'd need to make it so you had to grind out levels as you walked between places.

[Nightshape]

I think I was misunderstood a little when I said, Uncharted and Uncharted 2 were worth getting a PS3 for, there are other reason's obviously, but the experience of those two games has to me justified my purchase. That is not to say that I'd recommend running out and getting a PS3 for those games alone, that would be lunacy.

 

Uncharted currently without a doubt managed to deliver 3 things which I enjoied.

 

1./ A PS3 game with gunplay using a cover system. The gunplay in Uncharted 1 + 2 is in my opinion, better than any other game which employs this style of gunplay, GoW may have been the first, but Uncharted makes it readable, fun, and functional. Where Gear's is about filling an enemy's face with a clip(something i deplore actually), Uncharted avoids that an makes the experience alot more class and skill based, Ahh super armoured guy, needs a few well placed headshots, ah that guy will die with a single headshot or three pistol shots etc...

 

2./ Cinematic semi-interactive story which is well written. The writing is on par with your general hollywood movie (so it's crap, but exceptional for a game). The game flow is nice, you're in and out of cutscene's or commiting actions during cutscene's. It's well done, and I believe that Naughty Dog have built some excellent technology. I've not experienced any other game which have achieve'd this in such an elegant fashion (Maybe God of War...).

 

3./ Nice readable platformig, and puzzles. Makes for some nice pacing so you don't get sick of the gunplay.

 

I'm sure I shall play other PS3 exculsives which will justify this....

 

Meanwhile... I'm playing Alien Breed : Evolution now, a good friend of mine worked on it (Tom Mejias), and I'm a long time fan of the franchise in general (one of the reason's I got into games development in the first place... I started early ).

 

Anyroad, next year, an awesome project I've been working on for AGES is going to be announced .

[Maria Caliban]

Mass Effect. Must make carry over character.

Is it really worth it?

 

For me, it is. I like the idea of taking a single character through the entire game and having my decisions acknowledged. My biggest gripe with ME1 was that at the end of the game, I didn't feel as though my choices meant jack. I

[Bos_hybrid]

It's strange, because I like Science Fiction but I'm not really bothered about Sci-Fi CRPGs. Mass Effect left me completely cold, never played it and had no interest.

 

ME2 is the same. And I hate playing one pre-defined character.

 

Does that mean you hate PS:T too? And that you won't be purchasing AP when it's released?

 

I'm still playing King Arthur, got a bit annoyed with it when Welsh rebels and Saxons were having their way with me, but I eventually recovered. I haven't come across Lancelot yet, perhaps that's due to my alignment. Which probably means I didn't need to marry Guinevere to one of my Generals out of fear of him appearing. Haven't seen Morgana yet for that matter either, I don't like that.

Edited December 18, 2009 by Bos_hybrid

[Monte Carlo]

^ I think I've made clear my general feeling of meh-ness towards Planescape: Torment on these pages many times. I don't eulogize it in the same way as many of my fellow-forumites do.

 

As for AP, I will definitely be playing it. Admittedly, the unique setting and some of the features have sold it to me more than the pre-defined character, also (and I know it sounds a bit hokey) I want to support Obz in my own small way.

 

Cheers

MC

[Monte Carlo]

Oh, and about re-starting Mass Effect for a character to carry over...

 

I did the exact same thing for BG1 to take the same character into BG2. If you love the game it just gets you fired up for the next one and adds a bit of personalization and continuity.

 

So I totally understand it. My gimpy dual classed thief-to-fighter wasn't exactly optimal, but it was fun anyway...

[Calax]

WoW...

 

I just realized I need about 560 badges of frost PLUS five tier tokens in order to have all of the best items for me. This is going to hurt (you get 2 emblems for a daily dungeon, 5 per week from raid, and 2 from every boss in icecrown(there is sixteen))

 

Also I've played a bit of Civ IV... I actually had a civ come to me and say "LET ME BE YOUR VASSAL MASTER!" after I used tanks to beat up his pikemen.

[Enoch]

Also I've played a bit of Civ IV... I actually had a civ come to me and say "LET ME BE YOUR VASSAL MASTER!" after I used tanks to beat up his pikemen.

Voluntary vassaling is fairly common for certain AI civs when they are losing badly and have the tech needed for vassalhood. The more obstinate ones won't do it (Monte, Shaka, etc.), but the more peaceful, tech-focused rivals will do it surprisingly quickly. You've just got to be careful that they capitulate to you and not to one of the other Civs that joined in your war. (There is actually a "dogpile" variable in the AI's warmaking decisions-- they are likely to join in for part of the spoils when a rival is being crushed.)

 

But if you're rolling pikes over with tanks, you'd probably be having more fun playing on a higher difficulty level.

Edited December 18, 2009 by Enoch