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Post by ECM on Jun 13, 2011 10:45:45 GMT -5
Duke Nukem Forever (PS3 & PC): ignore the stupidity that is making its rounds on the Internet and play this game! It's a throwback to older FPS' (much more Doom than COD) and, as such, it can actually be played as FPS' were meant to be played: racing through levels, armed to the teeth, killing everything in sight, w/o pausing to hide behind something for ten seconds to replenish your 'invulnerability' (you *can* do this, but that takes the fun out of it when it's entirely possible to run 'n' gun it).
Sure, the writing is very uneven and, yeah, some of Duke's quips are lame but, on the whole, they are hilarious, and the NPCs, though incredibly over-the-top (it's DN, what did you expect?!), are thoroughly entertaining.
Edit: if you dug the humor in Team America, you'll be right at home here; if not, you're a humorless twat and should stick to a hobby more your speed--like base-jumping...w/o a parachute.
The most grating thing (on PS3 anyway) is that the loads are *long* and, every time you die it *loads* a lot, which, you'd think, is something Gearbox would have ironed out.
The only big 'flaw'1 is that, w/ a little more time and care (yeah, yeah I know), it would have been truly amazing, since it's pretty simple to pick out any number of spots where a few nips and tucks (and maybe some dynamiting) would have tightened things up immensely. (Of course, I'd also dynamite all of Halo or COD, so...)
So, yeah, ignore the haters2 (I hate that word) and at least go out and rent it. Then play it like it's meant to be played (balls to the wall, baby!), then I dare you to come back here and tell me it sucks. Christ, this is already a better game than Half-Life 2, the most overrated game of all time (yeah, even more-so than Halo et al).
(Note: I played it yesterday for a couple of hours on PS3 and, needless to say, get the PC rev if you have the option, if only because the graphics (despite what you may have read) and frame rate are much better than the console versions.)
1 There are numerous small ones, mind you. 2 Who hate it based on the demo and because it's OK to hate it since it's "misogynistic" (right, because near-naked, super well-endowed, women in EVERY videogame in creation is respectful of women) and conventional wisdom has already calcified to the point that you're not allowed to like it, you woman-hating troglodyte.
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Post by ECM on Jun 13, 2011 18:13:28 GMT -5
So wait: you get a texture-mapped hand for whatever character you're playing as, and that's the sole differentiator between the different, available, avatars?!
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Post by ECM on Jun 13, 2011 20:34:39 GMT -5
*face palm*
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Post by ECM on Jun 18, 2011 17:01:31 GMT -5
Those golden statuettes are deadly! More deadly, in fact, than most of the weapons in the game.
(And yes, there is something wrong w/ you.)
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Post by Borsalio on Jun 19, 2011 23:35:06 GMT -5
Currently juggling several games, as I am wont to do.
Trying to get the last few trophies on Yakuza 4 (gonna try and beat Fei to the finish on this one). I've become a big fan of this series (cinemas and all) in the last year or so, I really feel like it's a solid evolution of the beat-em-up, or, if I'm feeling trolly, I call it "Shenmue done right." Looking forward to the next one, even if it does replace the combat with iffy zombie shooting. At least I get to play as Majima.
Going through Wizardry PSN as well. I require at least one first-person dungeon crawler per year for sustenance, and this one fits well, even if most of the gameplay is cut and pasted from Class of Heroes. I think fitting into the traditional Wizardry mold actually helped the game though (as opposed to Class of Heroes's ridiculous number of classes and races).
Trying to finish up the Sly Collection as well by going through Sly 3. I loved Sly 2 (as in, if I had to come up with a Favorite X Games of all Time list, it would possibly be on there), so I'm not too bothered that Sly 3 is just more of the same. It can be surprisingly dark, though. One of the missions is basically, "Hey Murray, go toss some miners into the swamp to be devoured by a crocodile, so that he'll develop a taste for miner flesh and chase them out of the quarry!" This is a mission from the game with the talking animal characters.
And of course, Shadows of the Damned hits this week. Suda 51, Mikami, and Yamaoka, all combining for a game that can't possibly live up to my expectations (but I hope it does)!
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Post by Borsalio on Jun 20, 2011 0:25:14 GMT -5
They're...huge and mostly empty. They have the usual set of traps (electric floors and walls, trap doors, warps, anti-magic zones, and dark areas), plus the occasional mini-boss or hidden message (which they actually do a very good job with). Treasure chests are comically worthless, my thief disarms a trap that could one-shot my party and all I get are some Shoes and a Dagger. And this is on like floor 8 of 10. All the good loot in this game will be from monster drops.
Objectively, it's an average first person dungeon crawler (especially compared to something like Etrian Odyssey), but since this particular subgenre sees about one release a year, it ends up being pretty satisfying. Most of the fun comes from the lootwhoring and the usual ridiculous danger (the fifth floor has an enemy type that will do about eight times your fighter's max HP in an average attack).
It's not a game for trophy whoring, though. One of the trophies requires you to play for 200 hours.
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Post by Borsalio on Jun 20, 2011 0:57:21 GMT -5
I did, though I didn't get far in it. I got it about the same time as Class of Heroes, and ended up playing CoH more (since it gets ramped up a bit quicker). It's one of those games I'll go back to if I ever happen upon a pocket of free time. Awesome music, though.
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Post by feilong80 on Jun 20, 2011 9:04:54 GMT -5
Update on Now Playing: Borsalio will probably obliterate me in the "race to platinum" on Yakuza 4 because that one has fallen down the ranks to "play one or two times a week." I'm not good at trophy whoring... I have never taken a game platinum. But I'll still try! I at least want to finish Saejima's entire "fighter maker" series. Started playing Mega Man 9 again on the Wii, because It got bored of playing Mario Kart with the kiddo again and again and again and again and again.* Forgot how good it is! Finally got through another stage (Jewel Man), and learned that I had been doing the stages in a stupid order; I actually took down some of the guys you are supposed to do last, first. Oh well. Much love to the bolt system for buying powerups though. Great modern bit of design that works well with the game. Playing a lot more of Shadow Wars on the 3DS. It has really grown on me. It takes way too long for the game to develop; I can tell the devs were really trying hard to sloooooooowly introduce the mechanics, which means you play a lot of missions that are basically: move guy to square, wait for enemy guy, shoot enemy guy. But when the game finally opens up with all of its mechanics, you get a fun little tactics game. I especially like how going into buildings works and the simple but effective cover and height modifications to attacks and defense**. Finished Portal 2 co-op. Since I don't really care about single player, that got traded in. Fun, not revolutionary like the Valve slappies think. Just started Ocarina of Time 3D. Ok, the reviews totally downplay how beautiful the game is. It isn't a "subtle" upgrade in graphics like many seem to say. It is more of a "HOLY CRAP THIS IS BEAUTIFUL" kinda upgrade. For reference: play OoT for a bit on Virtual Console or N64 and then this, there is no comparison. Also, the 3D really looks gorgeous in a third person game. Borsalio: Wizardry sounds like a good time; it is on the "want to play at some point" list. *lil' kids love repetition! **the 3D helps to see the terrain height, so score one for the 3DS on that.
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Post by elchevalier on Jun 20, 2011 18:52:37 GMT -5
Don't remind me of trophies and Yakuza. The last one i need for platinum in 3 is the mini-game master trophy, and beating the AI in pool and darts is pure hell.
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Post by ECM on Jun 20, 2011 20:15:24 GMT -5
Thanks! I'm still gonna get it eventually because I'm a dungeoncrawler whore, but it's good to go in with proper expectations. On the subject of dungeoncrawlers, did you play Dark Spire? I really liked that one. It wasn't particularly long, but I enjoyed its dark humor and each floor was packed with interesting things to stumble across. Damn dude, if we were any more alike in tastes, you'd be me (which would be pretty awesome for you 1), though I wager we diverge on actual games loved in genres like shooters and dungeon crawlers (I did not like Dark Spire, for example...but what about Cladun? Or Etrian Odyssey? And Class of Heroes, even though I played a lot of it, was too shallow in general to be considered much good). (And those same dc questions apply to Borsalio.) (And no, I haven't played Wizardry yet cause, honestly, I barely have time to post here most days but I will! Someday! 2) What I am playing (again): Soldner X-2: I freaking love this game. It's also the only thing I have any time for lately. (And, for those that were scared off after the first one, they are *nothing* at all alike.) El Shaddai: I still don't really like this, but I'm going to finish it if it kills my PS3. Why? I'm not sure... 1 Well no, not really. 2 And, btw, if you missed it, Wizardry on PS2 (the one that actually came over here via Atlus) is a wonderful, old school, dc.
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Post by Borsalio on Jun 20, 2011 20:47:16 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm not too much of a trophy whore...I'll get trophies for the games I own, and if I really like a game, I do make an effort to platinum it because of that, but I'm not about to go out and buy a game just because you can plat it in ten minutes. I want the Yakuza 4 platinum because I loved the game, and also to make up for not getting the Yakuza 3 platinum (because, yes, Minigame Master is just brutal).
Fei, I am sad that you traded in Portal 2 without finishing the single player...I'm not a Valve worshiper either, but it was pretty impressive. I mean, it had a funny British guy in it!
Dungeon Crawlers! I feel like Etrian Odyssey is the current standard for the genre. The third one especially was solid, though easily breakable with the right class combos. But one of the things I look for in my crawlers is customization, and EO has that. It has a few downsides (overly anime artstyle, and I say that as someone who doesn't mind anime, and the map drawing, while novel/nostalgic, slows the game down a lot).
I did like Class of Heroes, though I can't argue with the shallow comment. It had more classes and races than were necessary, but at least it did offer a lot of customization. But the actual dungeons were boring, which Wizardry PSN only slightly improves upon. I'd like to get a chance to play Class of Heroes 2 or 3, to see if it got better, but it looks like Atlus isn't interested in the series anymore.
Never played Cladun (is it any good?). Of course, that one's not first-person. While I don't mind the other kinds of dungeon crawlers, I've got a special place in my heart for first-person ones, probably stemming from my memories of playing the original Bard's Tale with my aunt and uncle as a wee child.
Wizardry PS2 was fantastic, and I am eternally sad that we never got the sequel. Other crawlers I've enjoyed over the years: Shining the Holy Ark (very impressive with great dungeons, probably one of the best story-driven ones out there), Wizardry 8 (fantastic game that offered tons of classes and races without each being too shallow), Arcana (mostly nostalgia here, but it was pretty decent back in the day), and the aforementioned original Bard's Tale games. I played most of the early Wizardrys and Might & Magic games too.
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Post by ECM on Jun 20, 2011 20:56:25 GMT -5
I have very, very fond memories of C64-based Bard's Tale games and they were just sprawling in size, which was something that wasn't actually that unusual back then, but something, the more technology improves, we seem to get less of, paradoxically (or at least counter-intuitively).
Cladun is good! it's ARPG, of course, but it's got a very good sense of humor, even if the whole 8-bit aesthetic has kinda run its course w/ me (including chip tunes!): it has a *ton* of levels, crazy-insane1 character customization and it's just very endearing and whimsical, something that goes a long, long way w/ me in this era of sturm & drang and its close friend, the irrepressible (and mostly unlikable) 'hardcore' gamer.
Shining the Holy Ark (and Darkness, actually) are probably among the only DCs I don't like and they're also pretty much the only Shining series entries that I don't like. I dunno, something about them just doesn't gel w/ me (I couldn't even get through StHA--it just wore me out).
(And speaking of awesome Diablo clones, SF EXA and NEO are great!)
I, too, tip my hat to most of the PC Wizardry games, which are about as classic as classics get (along w/ my beloved Ultimate IV and V).
1 Just like regular insane--but crazier.
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Post by feilong80 on Jun 20, 2011 21:58:35 GMT -5
Yeah, I just can't get that excited about Portal. It is, to me (here comes trololololo), the video game equivalent of the Dave Matthews Band or Cold Play: something I'm "supposed" to like. Now, the single player could be mindblowingly awesome for all I know, but I just can't get into it. Yeah it is dumb and unfair and all that, but.... I'm eccentric!*
*Something I say about ECM!
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Post by ECM on Jun 20, 2011 22:00:46 GMT -5
I *may* be eccentric BUT you are right about Portal! Hell, we should have a thread of "games you're supposed to like".
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Post by Justin on Jun 20, 2011 23:33:54 GMT -5
Isn't there a new Wizardry coming out here?
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