Forums > Game Talk > Game Journal thread.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 12/31/2007 5:53 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Basically it's a thread where we talk about games we are currently playing.

I've been playing and have been positively surprised by Harvest Moon: Back to Nature lately. As a game, it has everything I hold dear in design in some form or another - npc schedules, every npc is also an individual, simple human stories (cartoony, but still simple), lots of freedom in choice for the future of your character, simple, intuitive and fun gameplay, variety in situations, world interactivity, etc.

I really like the game, it's also very addictive. I once was abhorred by it's cutesy appearance, but the game manages to almost satisfy my current cravings.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 12/31/2007 6:25 PM · Permalink · Report

i've enjoyed a couple harvest moon games, i might have to give that one a whirl if it's on a system i own.

just beat silent hill origins (psp) and will have to beat it again a few more times to get the extras. i was surprised by the touches of humanity throughout. story-wise it's not as great as the first two, but way better than the second two (actually i haven't played enough of sh4 so i can't really say that). my biggest complaint is the use of the analog stick for walking/running. very annoying. also, the screen changes cause directional changes so if you're pushing up to run and the screen goes left to right or worse down, you flip and start going in the wrong direction. can make runninig from enemies a real chore.

playing dragon quest v (super famicom) on my psp. shhhhh don't tell the suits i'm stealin their game! and this is one seriously amazing game. enix really packed it full of amazing features that have me wondering how they did it all on an snes. definitely ahead of its time and a real shame that it was never brought over to north america. (prolly b/c of the strict nintendo rules against things like alcohol and strip clubs. yeah those are in the game.)

also playing arcana (snes) and legend of ghost lion, which will both get full reviews on mobygames when i beat them.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 12/31/2007 6:39 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Drunken Irishman wrote--]B As a game, it has everything I hold dear in design in some form or another - npc schedules, every npc is also an individual, simple human stories (cartoony, but still simple), lots of freedom in choice for the future of your character, simple, intuitive and fun gameplay, variety in situations, world interactivity, etc. [/Q --end Drunken Irishman wrote--]

Well, yes, but, you know, it's about growing vegetables and washing cows. ;)

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 12/31/2007 7:30 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Santa Martyne wrote--] [Q2 --start Drunken Irishman wrote--]B As a game, it has everything I hold dear in design in some form or another - npc schedules, every npc is also an individual, simple human stories (cartoony, but still simple), lots of freedom in choice for the future of your character, simple, intuitive and fun gameplay, variety in situations, world interactivity, etc. [/Q2 --end Drunken Irishman wrote--]

Well, yes, but, you know, it's about growing vegetables and washing cows. ;) [/Q --end Santa Martyne wrote--] Ultima 7 was about baking bread. Your point?

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St. Martyne (3648) on 12/31/2007 7:43 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Ultima 7 wasn't about baking bread in the least. Don't confuse a small portion of one game's mechanics to a general idea behind the other.

My point is that the essence of Harvest Moon is simulating rather mundane and menial jobs. Something I might have enjoined doing in real life, instead of having to play a game for it.

I don't think a game that tasks you with over looking your farm and participating in the local village events is bigger than what it is.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 12/31/2007 8:18 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Don't confuse irony with serious statements either. Back to Nature is not the second coming of Messiah, but it's a good game that's not frustrating and incorporates some design elements that I admire.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 12/31/2007 8:27 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Drunken Irishman wrote--]Don't confuse irony with serious statements either. Back to Nature is not the second coming of Messiah, but it's a good game that's not frustrating and incorporates some design elements that I admire. [/Q --end Drunken Irishman wrote--]

Good for you, then. I just pointed out what prevents of seeing it the way you do.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 12/31/2007 6:44 PM · Permalink · Report

As for me I haven't played any major game since The Witcher. Just an occasional casual game or freeware treats like Tr3s Lunas or Maestro, The Desolate Room and others.

Today I had great fun with Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of the Spooky Manor and Golf Adventure Galaxy (in the process of adding it).

They are casual games to their utmost core, but I enjoyed them nevertheless.

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xroox (3895) on 1/1/2008 12:17 PM · Permalink · Report

I haven't played anything in quite a while. However, I have Deus Ex: Invisible War and Red Ocean newly installed. Plus I got to the final mission of Dune II a couple of months back, then, uh, got wiped out and demoralised. But if I don't complete it, I'll never be able to look myself in the eye again!

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/2/2008 10:58 PM · Permalink · Report

Okay, lately I've been playing a lot games - a lot of japanese rpg's like Tales of Phantasia, Ogre Battle, Wild Arms and a lot of western rpg's of the 90's (for my article) - but now I got hold of Valkyrie Profile and I've wanted to play this game for quite some time and thus I will put anything else on hold and instead spend some intimate time with this game.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/2/2008 11:37 PM · Permalink · Report

the first wild arms? it's excellent. haven't played any of the others tho. let me know how you like valkryie profile, always wanted to play that one. (it's too expensive now, but who knows i might find a discs-only copy or something.)

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/3/2008 12:54 AM · Permalink · Report

Haven't got far in the game... but so far it seems to be rather different. I just finished the first dungeon, so the dungeon crawling part seems bit similar to Wild Arms, meaning that you are required to physically interact with the obstacles (imo this makes the game more interesting than your typical "run through the dungeon and hope for the best" gameplay) and also get to see enemies before hitting the battle screen. The battles themselves are really quick and actiony, which is a good thing. This game also has voice acting in some of it's parts... not excellent but not too shabby either. The introductory part was really long and non-interactive but the story it told was really great (no "1000 years..." so far). And it has really beautiful 2D graphics and character portraits.

Anyway, so far I'm not really in the mood to play other games along with it (like I quite often do) so that should say something about it.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/3/2008 2:43 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Okay I'm in love. If this keeps on going as good it is now I'll have to change my "all time favorites" list.

Not only is the gameplay fun and simple, the writing and the content is one of the best I've seen.

Edit: It's a shame that no one has reviewed it yet. I might just do it myself if the game keeps giving more of this sweet sweet love.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/3/2008 7:25 AM · Permalink · Report

I could never get into Valkyrie, somehow neither the gameplay nor the story attracted me. Heard a lot of good things about it, though.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/4/2008 10:18 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start JazzOleg wrote--]I could never get into Valkyrie, somehow neither the gameplay nor the story attracted me. Heard a lot of good things about it, though. [/Q --end JazzOleg wrote--] Well there really is not a story in the classical JRPG sense. Even the main character is more of a spice to the food (a very nordic and beautiful spice) than the actual food itself.

But the content of this game, the stories of all those little people who die, now that's beautiful. There's an interesting contrast between the spiritual and mundane here. No matter how humiliating or painful deaths they died, no matter how many people hated them in their life, in the end it didn't really matter in the eternal scale. No matter their fears or decisions in life. It was just a small part to endure.

And how they die, their self-justification, their inner monologues, the most ridiculous things they think of during their deaths... damn those things are touching.

And I must admit that during the darkest hours of these characters, when that Valkyrie music starts playing, something inside me leaps in joy.

Did I already say it's a beautiful game.

Also Lenneth is so cool. She totally beats Cloud in the awesomeness factor. Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture that would do her coolness justice.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/4/2008 10:33 AM · Permalink · Report

However, Star Ocean (by the same developer) is by far my worst jRPG experience. Have you played it? How VP compares to it?

tri-Ace sounds like a Japanese variant of Troika. And it means exactly the same, three minds behind all the games.

But the their titles admittedly suck: Valkyrie Profile? Infinite Undiscovery? Radiata Stories?

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/4/2008 12:18 PM · Permalink · Report

I wanted to mention it myself. I tried playing Star Ocean games but they all bored me right from the beginning. Another Tri-Ace game, Baten Kaitos, was better, but still not good enough to join the high ranks.

I played Valkyrie Profile for a couple of hours and neither the story, nor the gameplay, or the setting or anything else in the game attracted me.

Lots of people love it, though. It's considered a cult classic.

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DreinIX (10472) on 1/4/2008 2:59 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start St_Martyne wrote--]However, Star Ocean (by the same developer) is by far my worst jRPG experience. Have you played it? How VP compares to it? [/Q --end St_Martyne wrote--] That may not help but I think that both games share same things with their "ancestors". I don't know about Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile (the first ones) but I can tell you about the third and second. The battles in these two have many similar traits (not the same) like the battle system in both games is a hybrid of action and turn based. In Star Ocean 3 though you can (you can didn't say you should) blindly charge to your opponents by pressing any buttons while in Valkyrie Profile 2 you need to take a more strategical approach to defeat enemies (especially bosses). For example you can divide your team and use that to create a diversion or have one team attack from the back. In ST3 you can control up to three characters but it's better to control only one and leave the others to the CPU. In VP2 you can control four characters at the same time and combine their attacks. For example you may do an attack that will throw an enemy to the air and then use another character’s attack to shoot him while still in the air (or something like that). About the setting Star Ocean 3 mainly consists of a medieval setting (and that’s probably the only thing that I didn’t like about this game) while Valkyrie Profile’s one is totally medieval. The graphics of the towns and dungeons look way similar like they were made with the same engine but the side-scrolling thing of VP2 kinda prevents that feeling (on second thought it doesn’t). The blips and blops sound when scrolling the menus in both games is exactly the same (I found it pretty amusing). Also the menus in the shops are done and work exactly the same way. For example a shop has the item and next to it an amount from 1-99 and if you buy let’s say 99 from a certain item you can’t buy that item again from the same shop. The stories are different. Although I have a feeling that they share one common theme (going against your creator the one and going against a god the other) I can’t say for sure cause I haven’t finished VP2 yet. I think VP2 has better cutscenes/fmvs than SO3 and SO3 has better dialogues though at times they tend to be quite boring.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/4/2008 7:34 PM · Permalink · Report

i really enjoyed star ocean 2, but the rest of the series is just pretty ... blah.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/4/2008 10:23 PM · Permalink · Report

St.Martyne asked a question.

Yes, I've played Star Ocean 1 with the fan translation... and I don't want to play any others. I've also played Tales of Phantasia, which was made by tri-ACE people before they were tri-ACE. Those games have horrible stories and banal cringeworthy writing, though Lunar is by far the worst game I've ever experienced. I'm done with that "1000 years, pendants, crystals and oh my" crap.

Also they play out like your typical JRPG's.

Valkyrie Profile is different. I can't currently exactly pinpoint the reasons what makes it different, but it doesn't follow the typical plot and gameplay style. For example, you don't die in this game because you are a goddess.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/4/2008 12:21 PM · Permalink · Report

No offense to anyone, but those typical Nordic warrior babes give me the creeps.

Alone from the way she looks, I'd choose her as "the most unattractive female protagonist". Well, maybe after Laverne from "Day of the Tentacle"...

Lenneth is so un-cute... and she seems to be taller than me... ugh...

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/4/2008 9:38 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

You're approaching it the wrong way Oleg. She is not cool in the "OMG!!! I so want to fuck you, bitch!!!" way. She is cool in that "OMG!!! I want to follow you into the battle way!!!".

She's more like Queen Elizabeth than Princess Zelda.

Edit: And I can't believe that no one said that ain't it cool how she seemingly steps out from that Mobygames white background.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/3/2008 9:14 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Drunken Irishman wrote--]Okay I'm in love. If this keeps on going as good it is now I'll have to change my "all time favorites" list.

Not only is the gameplay fun and simple, the writing and the content is one of the best I've seen.

Edit: It's a shame that no one has reviewed it yet. I might just do it myself if the game keeps giving more of this sweet sweet love. [/Q --end Drunken Irishman wrote--]

sounds awesome. i'll have to find a way to play this game. wonder if the psp port is any good...

beat silent hill origins (tho i want to play it again to get all the extras), and i'm back to playing dqv. i have to disagree w/ oleg about the dw/q series being overrated, every game i've played in the series has been awesome so far. granted i've only played 1, 5, 7 and 8 but... lord have they been awesome. 7 especially, mostly b/c i really enjoyed the time they took to allow the world and characters to become real and fleshed out rather than just rushing you off into an adventure.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/7/2008 7:16 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

Well, I've spent an evening today, playing Valkyrie Profile. Although playing might be too strong a word for the exposition of this game that literally lasts hours. There are plenty of great things to say about this game, that much is true. The stuff I liked:

Visuals are gorgeous, a pleasant selection of colors, without being being too overbright or toxic. Character's close-ups depart from traditional anime/manga style towards more realistic expressions and reminded me of Sierra games, but here they are much more varied.

2D is excellently animated. I have never seen such level of 2D animation in any Japanese PSOne game, so I was greatly surprised. Sometimes the fluidity of character's movements is similar to Heart Of Darkness, and that says a lot.

Backgrounds are effectively animated as well with different layers moving constantly, creating a nice depth effect. Well, as much as looks count, this game is much better than FF7 or FF8. Still, can't beat the stylistic coherency of FF9. But, we'll see.

Having played so little I am not ready to speak either of writing or story yet. But, so far (a dozen of periods played) I am not that impressed. The stories themselves are quite interesting, but the pace and writing are virtually non-existent. The horrible mess of the beginning and constant jerking back and forth between flashbacks is not helping at all.

The writing is on par with many other jRPGs, with characters always explaining their motivations orally and the abundance of out-spoken thoughts. A lot of dots used for "dramatic" effect is something I have already used to, though it still is getting on my nerves. Oh, and voice-acting is rather hideous.

Then again, things might improve and I will have to eat my words.

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Mobygamesisreanimated (11069) on 1/7/2008 7:42 PM · Permalink · Report

Not really playing anything at the moment. Hopefully I'll get around to finishing Gateway and starting with Gateway 2 soon. It's great, although probably a little too easy for more experienced IF players.

[Q --start mobiusclimber wrote--]the first wild arms? it's excellent. haven't played any of the others tho. let me know how you like valkryie profile, always wanted to play that one. (it's too expensive now, but who knows i might find a discs-only copy or something.) [/Q --end mobiusclimber wrote--]

I've always wanted to play Wild Arms. I don't like most JRPGs anymore, but Wild Arms is supposed to have some good puzzles, though I've heard that about other games as well (like the dead boring Golden Sun).

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/7/2008 8:28 PM · Permalink · Report

Wow. Gateway is a great game. I am sure you're (were) having a lot of fun with it. It maybe considered a bit too easy, but all the Virtual Reality related puzzles are extremely well done. And all of them are directly related to the story.

And the ending portion of the game is about the best one ever. Surely, it's one of the better sci-fi games out there. I totally loved the way it starts with you on a station, trying to get your bearings, applying for a job, chatting with guys and gals in the bar and then getting to do some discoveries.

Gateway 2 is a bit more difficult, but somewhat loses in novelty when compared to Gateway 1. It's essentially a big Rama-esque ship to explore. Granted there are different ecosystems recreated on it, but still it lacks the feeling of discovery Gateway rewards the player with. And visiting Heechee's homeworld felt a bit lacking, since their culture is portrayed very similar to our own (as opposed to books). However, it's still one fantastic evidence of Legend's great legacy. Be sure to play it through.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/7/2008 9:19 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm struggling through Brood War as usual. But I'm making this really cool Age of Empires 1 campaign. I'm not saying what it is, but once I finish it, I'll find some site where people can download it. And yes I said campaign not scenario.

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Mobygamesisreanimated (11069) on 1/8/2008 12:29 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start St_Martyne wrote--]I totally loved the way it starts with you on a station, trying to get your bearings, applying for a job, chatting with guys and gals in the bar and then getting to do some discoveries. [/Q --end St_Martyne wrote--] Yep. Of course, you soon realize that the game isnt't as open as it seems at first and that the conversations are very limited, but the atmosphere is fantastic.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/8/2008 6:57 PM · Permalink · Report

i loved wild arms and golden sun, but that had little to do w/ the puzzles. (actually golden sun had a little to do w/ it, the game felt like a throw-back to snes rpgs.)

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Pseudo_Intellectual (66248) on 1/4/2008 9:46 AM · Permalink · Report

Since the Dune 2 endgame is just a pile of piddly AI with an enormous headstart advantage for the computer, I didn't feel any hesitation in turning away from it.

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xroox (3895) on 1/4/2008 12:49 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Pseudo_Intellectual wrote--]Since the Dune 2 endgame is just a pile of piddly AI with an enormous headstart advantage for the computer, I didn't feel any hesitation in turning away from it. [/Q --end Pseudo_Intellectual wrote--] Unfortunately, in my case, there's a deep-rooted psychological reason for wanting to complete Dune II, above and beyond the usual strange 'must complete game' compulsion.

I got the game in 1992, played it for weeks, absolutely loved it but totally screwed up the penultimate mission. I somehow managed to turn that mission into a total epic that I played for days until every grain of spice had been wiped off the map and I was locked in unwinnable, flat-broke, stalemate with the computer. Admittedly, I was young at the time and playing my first game of the type so my playing style was pretty awful. Anyway, I was so disheartened that I gave up on the game, and it's been haunting me ever since. Sadly, 'Dune II' is the albatross around my neck which I've sworn to one day beat. I decided December 2007 would be the right time to give it another go. Uh... still need to beat it...

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Slug Camargo (583) on 1/8/2008 11:44 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Sam Jeffreys wrote--]I have Deus Ex: Invisible War [/Q --end Sam Jeffreys wrote--] Do yourself a favor and uninstall that piece of shit from your poor hdd before it's too late. And burn the cd :P

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xroox (3895) on 1/9/2008 8:55 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] [Q2 --start Sam Jeffreys wrote--]I have Deus Ex: Invisible War [/Q2 --end Sam Jeffreys wrote--] Do yourself a favor and uninstall that piece of shit from your poor hdd before it's too late. And burn the cd :P [/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--] That sounds a little harsh, doctor! I'm going to give the game a chance. Later on, you can say "I told you so" if it turns out to really stink.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/9/2008 9:07 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

It's certainly not a worthy sequel to Deus Ex, yet it is an interesting game in its own right.

Still, you're the one who trashed BioShock, so what would I know. ;-)

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xroox (3895) on 1/9/2008 10:08 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start St_Martyne wrote--]It's certainly not a worthy sequel to Deus Ex, yet it is an interesting game in its own right.

Still, you're the one who trashed BioShock, so what would I know. ;-) [/Q --end St_Martyne wrote--] I have higher hopes for Deus Ex 2. I loved the demo.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 1/10/2008 12:39 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Sam Jeffreys wrote--] [Q2 --start St_Martyne wrote--]It's certainly not a worthy sequel to Deus Ex, yet it is an interesting game in its own right.

Still, you're the one who trashed BioShock, so what would I know. ;-) [/Q2 --end St_Martyne wrote--] I have higher hopes for Deus Ex 2. I loved the demo. [/Q --end Sam Jeffreys wrote--] (((o_____O)))

OK, if you trashed Bioshock, I hope to hear some really negative criticism on Invisible War. Or I'm gonna send all those angry little sisters your way >:(

You know, the ones that took on you-know-who.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/3/2008 7:30 AM · Permalink · Report

I'm addicted to Gothic II. What an excellent series of open-ended, immersive RPGs. Interesting world, so many things to do, physical interactivity, great challenging combat... simply awesome.

Maybe I'll finish it, maybe I'll just stop somewhere and move on... Mass Effect is waiting. I just need an Xbox 360 to play it on. Will check out Eternal Sonata and Bioshock while I'm at it. Got all three games, minus the console.

Mr.Bones is on the way to my home in Shanghai from Japan.

Des Blood is waiting to be explored. Great sex scenes, so far.

Witcher and Gothic 3 will have to wait till I get a new computer.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 1/8/2008 12:03 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start JazzOleg wrote--]Will check out Bioshock while I'm at it. [/Q --end JazzOleg wrote--] Hold it... My spider senses are tingling... I have a vision... there's a thread... a hateful thread from Oleg coming our way in a matter of weeks... One as full of negativity and wild outrage as we haven't seen since he played all the Half-Life's in a row... Watch out... :P

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/8/2008 7:54 PM · Permalink · Report

You think I'm going to dislike it? Why? :)

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Slug Camargo (583) on 1/8/2008 9:27 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start JazzOleg wrote--]You think I'm going to dislike it? Why? :) [/Q --end JazzOleg wrote--] Because it's been wildly overhyped all over the place, and it's nearly impossible to take on it without expecting way more than what you're actually gonna get. I'd suggest you to read St Martyne's review, as he puts it much better than I could ever expect to. I strongly disagree with the part where he wants to turn Bioshock into an adventure ¬_______¬ but it's certainly too much of a shooter where it could've -and actually should have- been much more.

At the very least, things like a more noticeable impact of the player's moral decisions in the storytelling (let me say here that The Suffering did a much better job with that and it wasn't nearly as acclaimed, thank you very much), a wider array of choices in that regard (for example, different possibilities when it comes to dealing with the baddies, like, I don't know, not forcing you to kill them), and a more complex game interface (it would've been enough with stealing some more features from SS2) were pretty much mandatory.

As it is, Bioshock is just a very, very clever shooter with a jaw-droppingly classy gameworld (you can spend hours on end just staring at every detail of it, I know I did) and a beautiful soundtrack. But gameplay wise it's just a shooter nonetheless, and that's painfully clear.

The only variety you can expect to find in this game comes in the many possibilities it offers when it comes to kill your enemies; that has to be noted. I know this guy who loaded a tonic that makes you invulnerable to explosions, he attached six proximity mines to a corpse, then grabbed the invention and ran headfirst into one of the Big Daddies, causing a mess that could have very well brought the entire underwater city down :P

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/9/2008 10:42 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] I strongly disagree with the part where he wants to turn Bioshock into an adventure ¬_______¬ [/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]

Of course, I didn't have in mind a classic inventory-based adventure. I thought that BioShock had all the means to bring some fresh ideas to the genre, since the primary elements ( full 3D exploration and continuous discovery) were already there.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/10/2008 6:23 AM · Permalink · Report

After having read St. Martyne's and Sam's reviews, I don't expect that much from Bioshock... that said, I'm very interested in the story. If this game still manages to bring across the philosophical ideas it was supposed to have, I don't care that much what kind of gameplay it has.

St. Martyne also mentioned interesting characters, which is always a big plus for me.

In case of Half-Life, it didn't have any philosophical idea to base itself upon, and it wasn't supposed to have interesting characters, so I could bash it freely :)

My guess it that I won't be disappointed by Bioshock to such an extent.

Oh, and I'll have to buy a better computer or an Xbox 360, too :)

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Donatello (466) on 1/3/2008 8:37 PM · Permalink · Report

Spending most of my gaming time on Persona 3. 6 days until full moon (in the game) and I'm slowly preparing for it. The exams are coming up and I'm studying quite a bit. I forgot to buy medicine last Saturday, so I can't spend much time in Tartarus. Fused a kickass persona who got some awesome power because I maxed out the Magician social link. Now I'm spending most of my free time dating Chihiro or hanging out with Keisuke (what a coincidence, I named my character also Keisuke). The main plot has taken a backseat, but the next full moon and it's accompanying plot development looks promising.

This game may take a while to complete, don't know when I continue with FFX and FFIV.

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DJP Mom (11333) on 1/3/2008 10:39 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm sort of playing Tr3s Lunas - if you can call it "playing" it, when there is really no goal to pursue. Come to think of it, though, that's right at the root of early childhood play - non-goal oriented, apparently aimless, geared to simple discovery. Hmm. Somehow I don't feel as if I'm blazing any new neural pathways, though, just enjoying the view and wondering when I'm going to start feeling "ho-hum" about the next surprise. Not so sure I will!

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Zovni (10504) on 1/4/2008 2:53 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm currently playing through the weird russian adventure Pathologic. Its got a cool vibe but the gameplay is a major bore and the story is overcomplicated and confusing enough without its shitty translation. I would't be able to put up with it if I couldn't switch back and forth to the sheer brilliance of Castlevania: SOTN an oldie but a goodie.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/4/2008 4:28 PM · Permalink · Report

The English translation just screws the game up (or are you playing the Spanish version?). The original Russian dialogue is pure brilliance, even though it does get too extravagant and sophisticated. Unfortunately the nearly incomprehensible English has reduced the game's conversations to pretentious babbling.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/4/2008 10:12 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm currently playing Brood War. I half way through the Terran campaign, and I've already finished the Protoss campaigns.

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Yearman (29385) on 1/4/2008 10:26 PM · Permalink · Report

I completed Mass Effect some days ago. The hardcore difficulty is now unlocked and I started the second playthrough with my previous character.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/5/2008 1:15 AM · Permalink · Report

I might be playing Tomb Raider soon. I plan on reviewing it before the month is over.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 1/8/2008 12:12 PM · Permalink · Report

I've played Half-Life 2, Episode One and Episode Two in a row, and then, I installed the first game to check something out... And turned out I was right: All the sequels are incredibly, mind-numbingly easy in any difficulty level when compared to even "normal" on HL1!! What's that about? Why are action games getting so stupidly easy nowadays?

Anyway, since I had the thing on my hdd, I went out for a walk in modland, and turns out there are a bunch of horror-themed mods for HL1, and a few of them received lots of positive criticism; so now here I am, right about to start a horror marathon with Mistake, They Hunger and Afraid of monsters.





Also, I'm replaying Bioshock for the third time.

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Sciere (923797) on 1/8/2008 2:30 PM · Permalink · Report

Give the Flipside TC a try, I wish I could add it as a game here.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/8/2008 5:18 PM · Permalink · Report

I started to notice that action games were getting easier when I bought Battle Front 2. And Tomb Raider Anniversary is much easier than the original. I suppose it's so they have more mainstream appeal. And I think after Brood War I'll try and find WarCraft 2 Battle.net and tackle that. I'm very obsessed with 2D games right now.

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Indra was here (20760) on 1/8/2008 8:38 PM · Permalink · Report

Currently just played Thief: Deadly Shadows. Uninstalled it after reaching the Clock Tower map. Will trash the game in my review sooner or later. Just finished playing Anno 1701, already trashed that game. Finished playing Civ 4 and Galactic Civilizations 2, already trashed those too. Now playing Spellforce 2 again, forgot to trash this game but will do so in the near future.

I'm taking my merc in JA 2 a little to literally: Merc (when enemies in vicinity): "Time to take out the trash!"

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/8/2008 9:38 PM · Permalink · Report

You're a sad little man Indra.

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Zovni (10504) on 1/11/2008 3:46 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Indra Depari of the Clan Depari wrote--]Currently just played Thief: Deadly Shadows. Uninstalled it after reaching the Clock Tower map. Will trash the game in my review sooner or later. [/Q --end Indra Depari of the Clan Depari wrote--]

Na-ah you won't. not on my watch!

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xroox (3895) on 1/9/2008 8:58 PM · Permalink · Report

After watching the great documentary, The King Of Kong, my brother and I have been playing the original Donkey Kong arcade game on MAME. It's hardcore!

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/10/2008 9:13 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

I think I'll start on the AoE 1 campaign again. Brood War has me pulling out my hair. 8(

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/12/2008 3:59 PM · Permalink · Report

Playing Mr. Bones.

One of the best platformers of all times. Worth purchasing a Saturn.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/12/2008 7:36 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

I replayed Monkey Island 2. It had been awhile. Played it with a friend and couple of beers. Took us 4-5 hours. Wasn't that amazing anymore, though some jokes were funnier - "Mr. Willy Gorilla, arrested for grinding his organ in public." I had forgotten a lot of puzzles, or remembered the solutions in a wrong way, so there were lots of frustrating moments. Stan's easily the best character in the game, others tended to annoy. Great artwork and IMUSE is one of the first examples of dynamic soundtrack. Music itself was so-so. Sierra's soundtracks were better.

It's an okay game, but... it was also pretty awful and unfunny at times (majority of Act II, that thing is too undirected).

My favorite parts remained the same - basically all the absurd or morbid parts like the bone song or Rapp Scallion.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/12/2008 7:59 PM · Permalink · Report

like the bone song

singing The leg bone is attached to the... rib bone!

Dude, that song was awesome :)

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Indra was here (20760) on 1/12/2008 9:09 PM · Permalink · Report

Some adventure games are never good the second time around. I remember playing MI again a long time ago. The first time I remember I was totally fascinated by the pirate-insult fencing process. The second time around it was alright but not as good as an experience. Same thing happened when I tried Loom again.

Some jokes aren't as funny the second time around it seems.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/12/2008 9:31 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

A lot of games aren't as good as they were when you first played them. Very few, if at all, have everlasting value.

I still think Monkey Island games > Sam and Max and Day of the Tentacle.

Edit: Also, explain why you didn't like Thief 3.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/13/2008 9:25 AM · Permalink · Report

i just started playing castlevania: symphony of the night b/c i just bought it to resell and it looks pretty beat up so i wanted to make sure it worked. original idea was to play it as close to the end as possible but... this is yet another castlevania game that i will get nowhere in and just give up on. in fact i'm trying to think of ways to sell this w/o playing it any further. i just can't get into the castlevania series at all. i love the style but beyond that they're frustrating and boring. also while the dialogue in this is interesting (if not wholy original) the voice acting is jarringly out of place.a guy who sounds like he stepped out of an abercrombie commercial shouldn't be denouncing religion and mankind. it just doesn't work.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/14/2008 10:10 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm still working on Brood War. (That's getting very tired I know.) Level four of the Terran campaign had me pulling out my hair! So I relented and used the "show me the money" cheat. And now that I'm on level five it's TWICE AS HARD ! Now to keep myself safe from nukes and battle cruisers (eerrrgg those cruisers) I have to use the cheat again to get myself established! And I normally only use that cheat on the last level of every campaign. Oohh, this is going to take forever. And now I don't know what I'll be playing after Brood War seeing as it's going to take forever.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/15/2008 9:56 PM · Permalink · Report

And now I'm also playing Flash Back.

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Zovni (10504) on 1/20/2008 5:46 PM · Permalink · Report

I think everyone can pretty much agree that the voice acting on SOTN is among crap ever recorded for a game. But the game itself is fantastic, not to mention that SOTN is pretty much the easiest Castlevania ever... Boring and frustrating? Are you sure we are even talking about the same game?

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/21/2008 6:35 PM · Permalink · Report

i meant the series was boring and frustrating. and while sotn does appear to be the easiest there are still plenty of stupid design flaws that cause endless suffering. for instance, the ham-fisted way rpg elements were crammed into what is essentially a platformer, thereby making it all the more slow and tedious and boring, while also adding a level of confusion that shouldn't be in a castlevania game. maybe when i get more used to the controls it won't be this bad, but having to stop and select a turkey to eat every time i need to get my health back up just seems stupid. it's like this game used to be on the pc and everything was hot keyed, but they had to port it to the console. (i know it wasn't, but that's how it feels, like there used to be a good system in place that they had to do away w/ and put something difficult and slow in it's place instead. it's like playing half life on the ps2.)

anyway, i started playing kirby's adventure and i think i've finally found a platformer that is my speed. fun and easy, just like i like em. also started up silent hill 4 but my first impression of that still stands: it sucks.

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Zovni (10504) on 1/21/2008 9:01 PM · Permalink · Report

Well SoTN's is universally regarded as a masterpiece precisely because it "crammed" those rpg elements, and it is what makes the game much more dynamic and deep than a generic platformer. Not to mention that unlike previous attempts (Simon's Quest for instance) it managed to pull it off perfectly, or near perfectly (again, this is one of the easiest Castlevanias, and that's mostly because you can overpower Alucard quite easily)... Well nevermind. I'm not gonna drag this any longer, it just felt weird to read about someone who actually didn't like SoTN. Well, live and learn.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/21/2008 9:32 PM · Permalink · Report

maybe i didn't give it enough of a chance, i dunno. the interface just felt counterintuitive and slow. it seemed like every other castlevania game, just slowed down by a semi-rpg system. if there's a way to map things to different buttons, it might make the game more enjoyable, dunno since i didn't really spend more than an hour playing it. and b/c i didn't know there was a save room there (the first one), i had to restart the whole game and go thru it all again after i died the first time. that was just seriously annoying. but i realize that that was my fault. (still don't see why that intro isn't skippable, it's not like it's possible to LOSE that first battle.) maybe b/c this game has been so hyped that i expected more from it. like, i can see an rpg version of castlevania (or rather an action-rpg version), it's just that sotn doesn't seem to be what i'd envision.

and you have to realize that i don't like ANY of the games in the series. so it would be like going "you don't like mario 3?! it's a masterpiece!" to someone who doesn't like any of the mario games.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/21/2008 9:48 PM · Permalink · Report

No disrespect meant. But, please, can you use capital letters as well? It's rather painful to read your posts written with none.

As for Castlevania, it's a great and addictive game, but it's concept was pretty much wasted upon me. The whole atmosphere of a vampire castle was ruined by a platfrom approach to level design. So that a common screen always look like a platform level rather than a room in a dark castle. It takes away everything there was to the experience.

And of course the miserable plot, writing and acting do not contribute much to the Transylvania setting as well.

Having said all that, I have to admit that the game is imaginative and creative and I am sure, that if you give it more time you'll enjoy it.

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/21/2008 10:13 PM · Permalink · Report

I certainly can but I've never understand why some people have a hard time reading a posting without capital letters. It's funny because when I write, I print all in capital letters and when I type it's all in lower case. It's just what's easier for me.

And I'll give the game another shot at some point. It's in bad shape (ie the discs are scratched up) so I really can't sell it like that. I'm going to try to find a place that buffs games when I have some free time. Which is never.

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Zovni (10504) on 1/22/2008 1:10 AM · Permalink · Report

You do just that. One hour of SoTN means nothing. You haven't even scratched the surface of the excellent level design, gameplay features (familiars, vampiric forms, spells, exotic weapons,etc, multiple endings, etc.). Oh and the Richter intro is a true part of the game, that's why its unskippable. Its not an obvious thing, but the way you play it affects how Alucard starts the game. There's a free hint for you :)

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Indra was here (20760) on 1/22/2008 11:06 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

[Q --start mobiusclimber wrote--]I certainly can but I've never understand why some people have a hard time reading a posting without capital letters. It's funny because when I write, I print all in capital letters and when I type it's all in lower case. It's just what's easier for me. [/Q --end mobiusclimber wrote--]

Common consensus for standard writing etiquette and discipline. Easier to identify for us who speed-read...among others.

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chirinea (47504) on 1/22/2008 11:12 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Indra Depari of the Clan Depari wrote--] [Q2 --start mobiusclimber wrote--]I certainly can but I've never understand why some people have a hard time reading a posting without capital letters. It's funny because when I write, I print all in capital letters and when I type it's all in lower case. It's just what's easier for me. [/Q2 --end mobiusclimber wrote--]

Common consensus for standard writing etiquette and discipline. Easier to identify for us who speed-read...among others. [/Q --end Indra Depari of the Clan Depari wrote--] Yeah, it's just more comfortable, like having seriffed fonts, I guess...

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/22/2008 7:31 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

But no one cares whether it's more comfortable for me or not! Boohoo... sob

I really need to work on finishing legend of ghost lion so my NES can be freed up for Dragon Warrior 2. B/c DW5 is awesome and so far i've yet to play a BAD DW/Q game.

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The Fabulous King (1332) on 1/25/2008 2:36 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Well, I've been playing a bunch of RPG's lately for my article. And one of them is Betrayal in Antara. I have played the other Krondor games, and this one's something of an unofficial sequel to Betrayal at Krondor. It certainly plays the same. Nothing wrong with that, but.. the magic just ain't there. It's too pulp fantasy, well Krondor was pulp fantasy too, but the presentation was better, this one just screams "farmer boy on a quest" from the start, while there was no farmer boy in Krondor. Also, some of the voice actors sound like they are from Space Quest 6, which means everyone sounds like low-budget Californian actors looking for a job. And the music, while pretty, is just not working. The game lacks atmosphere.

Edit: Well, according to credits, most of them voice actors are from Torin's Passage, but still, I knew I had heard them from some previous Sierra game. Torin had also that too american voice problem.

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/25/2008 5:34 AM · Permalink · Report

Definitely agree with you here. I didn't even had to put in Disc 2, just dropped it somewhere in the beginning. Looks the same, plays the same, but a totally different game.

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xroox (3895) on 1/25/2008 4:37 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

I just took a look at Legend of the Ghost Lion and I have to say, it has one of the worst covers I've ever seen! All you need is courage, a sword, your trusty lion and a beautiful set of '80s gym-wear!

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/25/2008 4:59 AM · Permalink · Report

oh yeah, the cover is terrible. but if you avoid NES games based on the box art, you'll never play a mega man game, for one thing.

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xroox (3895) on 1/26/2008 6:00 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start mobiusclimber wrote--]oh yeah, the cover is terrible. but if you avoid NES games based on the box art, you'll never play a mega man game, for one thing. [/Q --end mobiusclimber wrote--] Ah yes, of course - Now we're in legendary territory :D

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St. Martyne (3648) on 1/25/2008 5:36 AM · Permalink · Report

Actually, I wouldn't mind playing a modern fantasy game with completely 80's stylistic. Just try to imagine it! ;-)

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mobiusclimber (235) on 1/26/2008 12:13 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start St_Martyne wrote--]Actually, I wouldn't mind playing a modern fantasy game with completely 80's stylistic. Just try to imagine it! ;-) [/Q --end St_Martyne wrote--]

i thought that's what the shin megami tensei games were like.

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Unicorn Lynx (181788) on 1/26/2008 7:25 AM · Permalink · Report

i thought that's what the shin megami tensei games were like.

That's right. Especially the early Persona games.

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GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) on 1/30/2008 1:23 AM · Permalink · Report

I'm exactly half way through the Zerg missions and I expect to finish it some time next week. I'll be reviewing it after I finish it. And I made HUGE progress in Perfect Dark over the weekend. I only have one level left.

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xroox (3895) on 1/30/2008 5:19 PM · edited · Permalink · Report

I am pleased to say that I've been playing Deus Ex: Invisible War over the last few days... and it's a good, fun game! Full report when I'm done.

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Slug Camargo (583) on 1/31/2008 4:31 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Sam Jeffreys wrote--]I am pleased to say that I've been playing Deus Ex: Invisible War over the last few days... and it's a good, fun game! Full report when I'm done. [/Q --end Sam Jeffreys wrote--] I'll be waiting eagerly, and not forgetting you thrashed my Bioshock >:(