the Gamers thread

[Dustin]

Okay, I just broke down and bought a PS3 a little while ago… Something I wasn't planning to do for a while, but once Sony suckered consumers by halting production on all the 60GB and 80GB models (which are backwards compatible with PS2 and PS1 games) and only selling their surplus of 40GB models which ARE NOT backwards compatible, I decided to get an 80GB before they were gone and leaving me to get gouged on eBay or Amazon.
Although it is rumored that Sony will be releasing a "white" 120GB model that is due out in the fall that may or may not be backwards compatible, I didn't want to wait that long, nor do I want a white gamming consol… all my electronics are black.

So far, I love the PS3 - great graphic, faster load times, and I LOVE the wireless internet that it comes with! This things is loaded with great stuff. I haven't had time to really hit many games that I bought due to my schedule, but I can tell you that Medal of Honor: Airborne has consumed much of my free time, as well as Uncharted. I have Holy Sword and Assassins Creed that I need to tackle… although my daughter is two and has no idea how to play these things (I give her a unplugged older Ps2 controller) she loves Motorstorm.

But my real motivation to upgrade to the PS3 from the Ps2?

GTA IV which I'll be picking up this weekend, and the highly anticipated Mercenaries 2 coming out this fall! Seriously, if these game are as good, if not better than their predecessors, I won't need any other games this yea!

 

[OrbWeaver]

I'm more of a tabletop gamer, myself. AD&D, Munchkin, Ninjaburger, Kobolds Ate My Baby! and the like. I used to play Unreal Tournament back in high school, and I was pretty good at it. But had borrowed a friend's disc to install it, and as such do not have it on any of my newest computers. The only computer game I play now is Horse Isle. Yes, I'm a nerd.

 

[EricT]

GTA4 has done the impossible and surpassed the hype it was getting. The game is absolutely amazing.

Should keep me busy till Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out.

 

[Dustin]

I'm more of a tabletop gamer, myself. AD&D, Munchkin, Ninjaburger, Kobolds Ate My Baby! and the like. I used to play Unreal Tournament back in high school, and I was pretty good at it. But had borrowed a friend's disc to install it, and as such do not have it on any of my newest computers. The only computer game I play now is Horse Isle. Yes, I'm a nerd.

Tabletop games? ... as a female, you may want to be cautious in mentioning that in mixed company. You might find yourself being stalked by many o' young adolescent males!

 

[Dustin]

GTA4 has done the impossible and surpassed the hype it was getting. The game is absolutely amazing.

Should keep me busy till Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out.

Oh great... you are making me that much more anxious to get GTA4!

I actually went to go get it yesterday, and go figure... every place in the Salt Lake valley was SOLD OUT! Apparently, there were lines in front of many places like Gamestop and Circuit City, and it even made the news briefly with a fist fight and other squabbles at a few location.

I haven't played a Metal Gear game since I had a PS1... but I am also looking to try out the MGS4 when it comes out. If I'm not mistaken, this is the last game they are putting out under the Metal Gear Solid name?

Hopefully Mercenaries 2 isn't a disappointment... like Soldier of Fortune: Payback. Hopefully it comes out shinning like GTA4. After Playing Medal of Honor: Airborne and testing out Call of Duty 4 - extreme gore or not - Soldier of Fortune was pretty lame and felt rushed.

 

[OrbWeaver]

Yeah, I'm often the only girl gamer when I play D&D. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to play it in ages. There's been geek-talk of running an AD&D game at ProgPower this year, but I don't know if that'll happen for sure. But if it does, I'll probably still be the prettiest one gaming.

Granted, I AM a gamer geek, so that may or may not say much.

 

[JazzMX5]

Yeah, GTA IV was and is exceptional. Hell, I'm still playing it, on and off, although on the 360.

I've only played the first act of MGS4 so far (it's a little tricky to do, what with not having a PS3 and all - yet), but based on that it definitely seems to be a worthy conclusion to the revered series. MGS3 is still my favourite, though. Since you did the wise thing and got a PS3 with the backwards compatibility, Dustin, I HIGHLY recommend checking it out. Grab the MGS Essentials bundle if you can find it - MGS1 (PS1), MGS2 and MGS3 (PS2, and both in "director's cut" form) for $30.

Did you get an HDTV yet, Dustin?

 

[Dustin]

LUNA!!!!


I have yet to bust out my GTA4 yet... I've been going the rounds with Half-Life 2. I can see now why this game was so popular for PC gamers. For one thing, the scenery/graphics and story line are amazing, and became a really cool game the more I got into it. I'll eb moving onto episode 1 and 2 very soon.

...at which point I am finally saving the best for last and am going to dive into GTA4!

On the MGS front - the last one I played was (i believe) MSG2 on the original playstation. It was pretty good, but oddly enough, I never got around to picking up the other games. I still remember playing the first MGS on the old Nintendo platform! I loved that game, and played the hell out of it when I had it on the NES.

 

[JazzMX5]

Metal Gear games:

Metal Gear (MSX, NES)
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX)
Snake's Revenge (NES) (non-canon)
Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel (Game Boy Color) (non-canon)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PS2, Xbox)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
Metal Gear Acid (PSP) (non-canon)
Metal Gear Acid 2 (PSP) (non-canon)
Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (PSP)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops + (PSP)
Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection (PS1 & PS2 - contains MGS, MGS2:S and MGS3:S)

I think that's all of them! MGS2: Substance and MGS3: Subsistence are "director's cut" versions of their previous releases, more or less, with extra stuff (including both MSX games playable on the PS2 in the latter's case - the two-disc edition, at least - although the online component in the same package is sadly no longer up. MGS Essentials only contains disc 1 of MGS3:S, which is the whole single-player game). The Acid games are card-based strategy games with "parallel universe" type stories. And as silly as the idea of a GBC game sounds, it was really remarkable.

Yeah, I'm a bit of a Metal Gear nut.

And yes, Half-Life 2 is pretty awesome. Don't forget to check out Portal, also included in The Orange Box; it's short enough to go through in an evening or two, but it's completely, totally awesome.

 

[Dustin]

okay, just started jumping into GTA4... better late than never!

LOVE the graphics, but is it just me, or are the controls sluggish as all hell on this thing? Maybe I'm not used to it yet.... not to mention, it seems to be pretty slow moving right now. Of course, they all seem that way at first, but after 10 missions, it still seems to be more about dialuge and story than game play.

Only a few hours of time into it, but these are my first impressions so far...

 

[JazzMX5]

It's a slow start, definitely. I felt like the first couple of hours was story wrapped around a cab-driving game. Not that I minded, I really dig a good story and interesting characters, and GTA4 has those in spades.

But it will ramp up. Trust me. Shit gets nuts.

It also took some getting used to Niko just walking, so remember you can hold down the run button if you like. But Liberty City is so nicely detailed that sometimes I like to walk just to soak it all in, it's so atmospheric.

 

[EricT]

I'm honestly excited about the PC release of GTA 4 coming. The city looked amazing on my TV, but with the power of my computer, the city's looks will never be better!

Looks aside, it's a great game. Some problems that annoy me, some of the tedious activities of pleasing your in game friends, but none the less, excellent game.

Each GTA seems to start off with that cab driving feeling, except for Vice City (the best of them still, gameplay wise), but once you fight through that and get to the more open world, GTA4 really shines.

 

[Dustin]

That's right, I have been reading about the PC version of GTA4, and I guess there are going to be a lot for added bonuses not found on the 360 or PS3 as well, including a fully customizable radio station that can/will tap into your winamp, itunes, realplayer or whatever... if that is true, that alone would be a selling point for me.


I've been pluggin' away at it for a few days now and am nearing the end of the first chapter. It is starting to get a bit better now, with a lot more interaction in the city and a lot less "taxi"-style missions. I agree, the pleasing your freinds activities are a bit tedious, but a hell of a lot easier than the dating missions in San Andreas... I hated those!

Anyone run into a sketchy drug addict at random in the game? he shows up on the radar as a green icon shaped like a mens bathroom sign. He'll give you a $100 bucks on the first encounter, and after that it's all missions. I've run into him twice now, and I'll be damned if I can find anything on him in any of the online walkthroughs....

I have to agree though... Vice City was easily the best playable GTA of the franchise.