For any and all who are interested, here's my top ten games of 2010. The only criteria I used for considering these games were that they had to have been released between 1/1/10 and 12/31/2010, and I had to have played the game a significant enough amount to have formed a coherent opinion about it. If the game was released on multiple consoles, I'll list all of them but specify the version I played in bold text. Remember I am far from a professional games reporter, so there are quite a few games that are on other people's top ten lists that I simply haven't played. I'll mention some of them at the end of the list. That being said, I think you will get a more legitimate opinion from me about the games I have played because, unlike those in the games press, I actually paid full retail price for every one of them. I think people's opinions are more likely be biased when they are given to them for free, especially when you need to be positive about what you are given in order to keep on getting free stuff. Hence the major problem with games journalism these days. Anyway, on to my favorite video games of 2010!
10. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (iPad version)
Here's a game that truly shows off the very best the iPad has to offer. A super fun arcade style racer from Criterion, the makers of the truly excellent Burnout console racing series, this game breathes new life into the formerly tired Need for Speed franchise. There are multiple race types to choose from, where you play as a cop, trying to take down a syndicate of bad guy car racers wreaking havoc on the roadways, or you can play as one of the syndicate trying to outrun the cops. At your disposal are a host of fun weapons and gadgets to assist you, including EMP burst, roadblocks, oil slicks, spike strips, etc. The visuals are top notch, and the game controls very nicely using the tilt functionality of the device. There are two full campaigns, cop or criminal, to keep you playing for some time. I've read that the various console versions of this game are superior as well, but I picked up the iPad release for only .99 cents on sale, so this just might be the best gaming value for the money all year for me.
9. Darksiders (Playstation 3/Xbox 360)
This is a game for anyone that's ever wished that Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series of games was actually made for adults and not little kids. Darksiders has all the great mechanics and elements of a Zelda game, like incremental powers and weapons gained over the course of the game, dungeons to explore, brain bending puzzles, and huge epic boss battles, wrapped in a much more mature and adult themed package than Nintendo would ever dream of offering. You play as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as you explore the post-apocalyptic ruins of Earth to try to determine what exactly is going on. This game is a great example of a fresh take breathing new life into old gameplay mechanics.
8. God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Playstation Portable)
This is the second handheld God of War game released on the PSP, a follow up to the great PSP game God of War: Chains of Olympus from early last year. For those that don't know, the God of War series was a huge success on last generation's Playstation 2, and features brutal, bloody, hack and slash game play as you control Kratos as he terrorizes and murders his way through the Greek Pantheon. The games are known for their over the top violence and visceral gore, and Ghost of Sparta is no different. This game could very well be the last great game release for the dying Playstation Portable, and it's truly a shame because it shows better than almost anything that the little PSP is capable of offering some truly fantastic gaming experiences.
7. Heavy Rain (Playstation 3)
Heavy Rain takes the prize for the most original and innovative idea in gaming in 2010, maybe in the past ten years of gaming. You play as four major characters all involved in some way with the investigation of the kidnapping of a child, who may or may not be the latest victim of a serial killer known as the Origami Killer. What's so different about this game is the way you control your character: as you move your way through the gorgeously detailed environments, you interact with objects and events through timed button presses and manipulation of the thumbsticks on the controller. It's very difficult to describe accurately, suffice to say you have never played a game that controls quite like this. The coolest thing about this game is that it plays a lot like one of those old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, and there are supposedly over 30 different ways the story can play out. You can even have major playable characters die along the way, and the story continues on and adjusts to compensate for losing that character. There are some flaws here, the story gets a little bit ridiculous, and as fresh as the control scheme is, it can get a Little boring after a while as you don't ever really feel completely in control of your actions. This game is definitely not for kids, with a very mature storyline and perhaps the first truly interactive sex scene ever released in a mainstream console video game. Even with it's flaws this is a "must play" as the most original and unique leap forward in interactive storytelling.
6. Back To the Future: The Game (PC/Mac)
Telltale Games is a studio that does one thing, and the one thing they do is great. They are single-handedly keeping the point and click adventure genre alive and relevant in today's increasingly crowded gaming world. Anyone that played video games through the 90's remembers the fantastic adventure games like Grim Fandango, Tales From Monkey Island, Myst, and countless others. As gaming evolved in the 21st century, the humor and story focus of these types of games gave way to more visceral experiences intent more on delivering graphical fidelity and pulse pounding excitement. Telltale's Back To the Future: the Game picks up about six months after the end of BTTF 3. When out of nowhere, the time travelling Delorean returns with an ominous message from Doc Brown, Marty McFly is thrust into yet another adventure through time as he travels to prohibition era 1930's Hill Valley. All our beloved characters are here, including George McFly, the evil Biff Tannen, good old Doc Brown (voiced again by Christopher Lloyd who seems to be having the time of his life with this role) and of course Marty, whose voice actor sounds so much like the Michael J Fox from '85 that you would swear the developers had a time machine of their own. The game is being released in five chapters, one a month, so you pay full price now for the first part and get the rest as they are released incrementally. Bob Gale, one of the writers of the original trilogy, was heavily consulted in creating the story for this game which seems as authentic and interesting as Back to the Future 4 might have been if they ever made it. Super fun fan service.
5. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Nintendo hit another home run with Mario Galaxy 2. 3D platforming gameplay just doesn't get any better than this. Just like the first game, every level of Mario Galaxy 2 brings something new and unique to the table. Cute fun characters, hilarious boss battles, and seriously challenging gameplay that never gets frustratingly hard, makes this one of the best experiences of 2010. They can sure make great Mario games there at Nintendo, I just wish they would do something else that would justify my $250 purchase of a Wii that largely does nothing but gather dust in my living room.
4. Fallout: New Vegas (Xbox 360/Playstation 3)
You can read my full review of this great game elsewhere in the Games section of the Treks in Sci Fi Forums. You play as a double crossed "courier" in the post apocalyptic wastelands of Nevada, where you quest to find the reasons for your betrayal and to take your revenge on the men responsible. It's an extremely deep hybrid of a character based role playing game and action shooter. The world is huge, and you can explore for hours and hours on end without advancing any of the main storyline or quests if you so choose, and more likely than not you'll never get bored doing so. There's always something weird, funny, scary, or exciting around each corner. There's lots of really cool, creative quests to undertake, a variety of mutants and irradiated monsters to fight, and tons off cool treasure and new weapons to find. You can customize your character to play multiple ways, from a stealth based melee weapon specialist, or a smooth talking scientist that loves laser weapons, to a brutish, hulking lout that specializes in unarmed combat, or really any combination you can think of. I've spent about 40 hours in this game now and still am only about halfway done with the main story, so there's a lot of fun to be had here.
3. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC/Mac)
What more can I say about WoW than has already been said by me, Rico, and several others already here on these forums. WoW is an amazing animal in gaming, in that a game originally released in 2004 is still wildly popular and making hundreds of millions of dollars a year six years later. It's through patches and expansions like Cataclysm that keep this game fresh and interesting for so many players. With Cataclysm, Blizzard has totally remade this game from level 1 all the way up to level 85, reworking old zones and redoing old quests to give people wanting to start all over again with a new Goblin or Worgen character, races new to this expansion, have more reason to do so. The new zones geared for characters lvl 80-85 are gorgeous and brilliantly designed. That being said, some of you may be surprised to hear I've cancelled my WoW account. I've finished the new areas now, and although fun and interesting, the newly remade zones aren't different enough to keep me playing for months on end this time. After all, there was tons of content in "Vanilla" WoW I never saw, not having built every conceivable race/class combination or done all the end game raids through the first three expansions. Realistically, I do not have the time or desire to expend the effort that it would take to learn and succeed at the the content designed for end game players of this game. I'll keep playing through till my subscription expires at the end of this month, but I think I'll be okay putting this one behind me again after it lapses. Still, the new zones and fun time I had levelling to 85 makes this one of the best gaming experiences of 2010 for me.
2. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360/Playstation 3)
Rockstar Games, the makers of the infamous Grand Theft Auto series, have created one of the most amazing game worlds I've ever seen in Red Dead Redemption. They've taken the basic mechanics of the open world gameplay they perfected in the GTA series, and translated it to a character and world I find much more compelling and interesting, that of the Wild West. In it you play as John Marston, a former gunslinger and criminal who wants nothing more than to reform his old ways and retire to his ranch with his wife and son. When corrupt government officials kidnap your wife and son, you are forced to do their bidding and hunt down the members of your old gang. Your adventures take you all across the wild west and Mexico. The environments are breathtakingly gorgeous and the Rockstar signature sense of humor and charm is full force all through this game. There's so much to do, from treasure hunting, tracking and skinning animals in the wild, bounty missions, gambling mini games, and much morethat you can play for hours without advancing the main quest or story if you choose. By the end of the game, you feel truly attached to this character, and the story is so meticulously crafted that you feel genuinely for the plight of John Marston. The ending is probably the very best ending of any game I've ever experienced. I can't recommend this game more highly.
1. Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360)
Bioware Studios is responsible for some of the greatest role playing games ever made, including the much beloved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the original Xbox and PC. They have topped that game however with what in my opinion is their crowning achievement and the best game of 2010, Mass Effect 2. Many games have tried to combine role playing elements with action based shooting, but so far none have succeeded like Mass Effect 2. You create your character from the ground up, and the story is so brilliantly conceived that you truly feel like you have made that character your own by the end of the game. There are multiple character classes you can play, using pure biotic (magic) abilities, or more weapons combat focused, or a hybrid of the two. Bioware is known for it's deep conversation system, and characters you meet along the way in this game quite often have very interesting things to tell you. There's a rich and fully fleshed out universe available to learn about through the conversations you have with characters you meet as well as the incredibly detailed codex you can access at anytime through the game menu. Based on different choices you make through the game with your actions and conversations, you gain Paragon or Renegade points, which over time add up to open even more options which help you complete quests or finish conversations in unique and interesting ways. Nothing though is more satisfying than the combat in this game though. I played as a pure biotic user, and it is so much fun using my force pull to send an enemy helplessly floating into the air towards me as I pop them off with my handgun...or slam them into the ground, or toss them off a cliff, or suck them into a black hole...there's just so many options! Bioware Studios is currently working on a new massively multiplayer RPG based on their Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic universe, and as much as I am looking forward to checking that game out, I truly hope it doesn't come at the expense of the end of the Mass Effect trilogy. I just can't wait to see how they top this game with Mass Effect 3.
So there you have it, JobyDrone's top ten games of 2010. Like I said at the top of the post, this list can only be based on games I have actually played. I'm sure games like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Halo Reach, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Call Of Duty Black Ops, and God of War 3 might all have found places on this list had I had the time or money to play them. I know very few of you made it down to this part of the post, I am certain the majority said TLDR and moved on. But for those of you that do read this far, I would love to hear from you to see what you think of my choices and what some of your favorite games of the past year have been. Thanks for reading and here's to an epic 2011 for all of us!
What a great post Joby. I'm very intrigued to play a couple of those games - especially Mass Effect 2 (should I play number 1 first?) and Heavy Rain. If you feel like summarizing it into a 3-5 minute audio comment, send it in for the upcoming podcast.
Maybe I will Rico! It's been a while since I've contributed to the podcast. It's intimidating because the production value of some of your other frequent contributors is so high but I'll see what I can do.
I'd say skip Mass Effect 1. Mass Effect 2 is such a significant improvement in every way to the first game, and the original Mass Effect is a very long game, and there's a real danger that you could get bogged down in the first game and never see how much has improved in the second. Do a Wiki searrch of the story though, and that's not to say the original Mass Effect is bad. It's just that 2 is so much better in every way.
Cool. Is Mass Effect 2 as good (or the same - or better in any way) on the PS3? That's the system I have here in Rockford.
Quote from: Rico on January 03, 2011, 10:28:37 AM
Cool. Is Mass Effect 2 as good (or the same - or better in any way) on the PS3? That's the system I have here in Rockford.
Mass Effect 2 is awesome on the PS3, way better than on Xbox 360 and looks about the same on the PC. (Except that the PC one is designed for PC, obviously).
If your playing the PS3 version, you don't actually need to read the wiki on ME1 because ME2 on the PS3 gives you the story from ME1 in comic book form. Awesome stuff. :) I play it on the PC and its easily my favorite game of 2010.
@Joby, thank you for not quoting any games from Ubisoft. I haven't played many of those games so I can't agree or disagree with the list other than ME2. :)
King
Is it out yet on PS3? I thought it wasn't coming until later this year?
Ha ha King, I just finished assassin's Creed 2 from Ubi, and loved it! I plan to play Brotherhood soon. What do you have against them?
Mass Effect 2 comes out for the PS3 on Jan. 18th. Some info on the digital comic Tim mentions here:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/17/mass-effect-2s-ps3-exclusive-comic-how-it-works/ (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/17/mass-effect-2s-ps3-exclusive-comic-how-it-works/)
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 03, 2011, 10:35:32 AM
Is it out yet on PS3? I thought it wasn't coming until later this year?
Ha ha King, I just finished assassin's Creed 2 from Ubi, and loved it! I plan to play Brotherhood soon. What do you have against them?
ME2 is coming to PS3 later this month if its not already out. (Unsure, I don't pay attention to PS3 much).
I have big issues with Ubisoft's invasive and unnecessary DRM policies they have on their games. Its supposed to be anti-pirate measures, except that pirates have already found a way around their DRM so guess who it hurts? Their legitimate customers. If I cannot play Assassin's Creed 2 whenever I want without internet, then I will pirate it. I would have paid $60 for it, but since Ubisoft declared that we will play it whenever they decide we can (IE: Whenever their server is online), I blacklisted the company. Their games are good, I'll give them that, but they are not nearly as good as some of the big companies like Blizzard, Bioware and others. Even those companies don't use this DRM. So why does Ubisoft think that its software deserves the DRM?
Its the same as Microsoft's "Genuine-checker". Pirates have already gotten around it so who does it hurt? The legitimate customer. I have had my legit, bought from Newegg, Windows 7 OS give me the message: "This is not a legit copy of Windows 7". Thankfully restarting the computer fixes that, but I worry one day it'll quit working and then my copy will no longer be legit. And all Microsoft will say is: "PAY UP!".
MMORPG Online games are one thing since they have to be server-based to play and I fully understand that reasoning. But DRM that hurts the customer is wrong. Plain and simple. "The more systems you try to control, the more that slip through your fingers". -Lea. Words to live by, but companies try to control regardless. Ubisoft and Gameloft lost my respect and $$ when they said this DRM was the greatest thing they invented to counter pirates. I don't actively pirate much of anything. So Ubisoft's new policy only hurt me. I would have paid for the game. But I didn't. And I won't pick up AC: Brotherhood either. Or anything else they develop. Which is a pity because I probably would have bought about 6 games by now from them, but they chose this path...that I cannot excuse. And what happens when Ubisoft's Servers come down permanently? I have useless games that I cannot play because the server is no longer online. Fail.
Sorry for the rant, but companies trying to control this stuff and hurt customers is something I'm passionate about stopping.
Case-in-point: Microsoft removed the Genuine Checker from Microsoft Office products because they found it hurt more legitimate customers than helped stopped piracy. Even MS admitted this invasive DRM is not working.
King
I should probably also mention that this only affects PC gamers. From what I've heard, PS3 and Xbox360 don't have this DRM on their version of the game.
King
I thought as much, I have heard about the problems PC gamers have been having with Ubisoft games, particularly those consumers with spotty internet conncections. Originally I believe that if someone's internet went out while they were playing the game, it crashed immediately without saving. Quite a huge deficiency. I believe they patched that particular problem quickly though.
I do the majority of my gaming on console unless something is simply not available there, so DRM is not an issue for me.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 03, 2011, 11:43:06 AM
I thought as much, I have heard about the problems PC gamers have been having with Ubisoft games, particularly those consumers with spotty internet conncections. Originally I believe that if someone's internet went out while they were playing the game, it crashed immediately without saving. Quite a huge deficiency. I believe they patched that particular problem quickly though.
I do the majority of my gaming on console unless something is simply not available there, so DRM is not an issue for me.
Ahh I see. And yes, if you spotty connections, the game tends to disconnect a lot. I can't trust my internet atm so games like these also present a problem. But its still the spirit of the DRM that I argue with. I don't care if internet is up 24/7, it fails time to time and Ubisoft is under no compulsion to keep their servers up. A worrying combo.
King
I would have to imagine that were Ubisoft to knowingly bring down their DRM servers that they would force a patch to their games so that people who purchased them could still play. No company would knowingly piss off their entire base of PC customers like that! I think the spirit of DRM is in general sound...publishers and creators want to get paid for the work they do, and piracy is rampant these days, worse than ever before. It's unfortunate that whatever steps companies take to protect their products, there are unscrupulous people out there that immediately undermine their efforts and continue to steal and to make it easy for other people to do the same. Then there's people like you, that claim to be honest, legitimate customers that are truly hampered by draconian DRM measures that prevent them from playing a game the right way. I don't know what the answer is, do you have a solution that's better?
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 10:33:25 AM
Mass Effect 2 is awesome on the PS3, way better than on Xbox 360 and looks about the same on the PC. (Except that the PC one is designed for PC, obviously).
King
How the hell is Mass Effect 2 better on PS3 when you have never played it and it's never been released? Would you like to explain that one? Other than fanboy rhetoric about PS3 being better, you pretty much decided to say something is way better than something else with nothing to support it.
As to your other points, it seems more like you are looking for a reason to pirate stuff more than anything. DRM has ALWAYS existed in computer stuff. If they don't have DMR, you can pass copies around the neighborhood and only need to buy one copy. I think that online DMR is a LOT better for people with computers that don't have internal Disc drives, which was the old standard of DRM in checking the disc.
PS3 and XBOX 360 both have DMR. You need to have the disc in the drive to play the game even if it's been copied to your system.
I don't see how them finding a way to protect their product from over distribution is a bad thing at all. Too many people complained about the disc verification and they changed it. Blizzard does the same thing. I'm pretty sure I need my internet to play Starcraft. Hasn't been a problem. I play when I want to play and when my internet connect fails ... I do the odd adult thing of getting off my games and trying to figure out the problem. I don't cry about my game not saving .... which, from what I've heard AC BH does have an autosave feature. Which, while something might be lost, the problem isn't the game, it's your internet connect.
I don't see how a crappy internet equates to hurting a game company when you should be going after the ISP.
Last point. If someone want to steal things, just be honest with yourself about it. I can't even see a hint of logic in stealing from one company because you aren't happy with the service provided by a company that has nothing to do with them. Yet you still pay the company that you have the problem with.
That's like deciding to steal cars and your justification is that you don't like airline delays.
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 12:05:38 PM
Last point. If someone want to steal things, just be honest with yourself about it. I can't even see a hint of logic in stealing from one company because you aren't happy with the service provided by a company that has nothing to do with them. Yet you still pay the company that you have the problem with.
That's like deciding to steal cars and your justification is that you don't like airline delays.
Actually, before you go bite my head off (sheesh), there is a video floating around that shows a comparison of Xbox 360's graphic engine VS PS3's Graphic Engine with Mass Effect 2. PS3 is visibly better. PS3 version also gives you the comic-book intro that has the ME1 storyline in it. I believe that video was produced by Bioware themselves. So I'm speaking entirely from their perspective. Now admittedly, I have no idea if Xbox 360 will get that comic book, but since it has ME1 in game form already on the XBOX, I'm assuming not. I am not a fanboy of either system and have gone on record stating both systems are flawed and a waste of $$. Seeing as I have neither system I don't know how you can even Begin to accuse me of being a "Fanboy". Both companies are equal in my mind atm as both have their ups and downs.
Discs doesn't compare to the internet/servers, because a disc doesn't just suddenly quit working or go offline. (Ignoring hardware issues). Ubisoft's servers aren't guaranteed. What would you do if Ubisoft's servers quit working forever next week? You would have wasted all that $$ on games because they no longer will turn on. I have PC games from 10 years ago that still work, but their companies no longer exist. If they did the same thing that Ubisoft had done, they would no longer run and I wouldn't be able to enjoy them ever again. What say you to that? Ubisoft's games are now put on a time limit of when we must play them, since their servers may quit working in the future. We all know how gaming companies come and go and there are very few that have survived the harsh landscape that is video games.
The internet comment is due to the fact that Centurylink has a monopoly in our area and they could care less about providing a decent service. As internet is required period for my school work, our hands are forced to have it available. I would love to change companies believe me. Every time I call their "Tech support", they just blame us and don't even try to send a tech out to help. Laughing all the way to the bank. My AT&T 3G speed is faster sometimes than our WiFi, that's how sad it is right now. I have tried many times now to fix it. But I've given up, since all evidence points to Centurylink and they won't do anything about it.
I don't pirate jack squat, and actually regret "obtaining" AC2 the way I did. I have removed it and I also mentioned I won't even touch the rest of Ubisoft's production. Legally or otherwise. So don't think I am trying to justify pirating when I really am not. I strongly disagree with piracy as a whole. Developers deserve their payment as it is their job. Ubisoft went a step too far in their greed. Many other companies have realized that DRM is not the answer as it gives them a bad customer reputation. The only reason Ubisoft has survived with this DRM so far is that their games are popular on Xbox and PS3. If they were PC-only, they would have been chewed up and destroyed by now.
And last I checked I could play Starcraft 2 without an internet signal. I can always check though. Starcraft Original is playable without internet.
King
Great review Joby
Especially was interested in your reviews of the Back to the Future Game and Red Dead Redemption, as those are two I am interested in playing. Thanks for taking the time out to write up these reviews, and giving them a good evaluation.
Thanks Jeff, I think Back to the Future should be played by ANY fan of the films, gamer or not. Telltale has purposely made the game so that non gamers could easily control and figure out how things work so as to appeal to everyone. The story so far is so good that absolutely everyone should give it a try. It's frankly almost too easy, and I'd almost just as soon simply watch it play out on it's own, the story is so good.
And Red Dead is so darn good, really the only reason I didn't give it my number one spot is because I love the genre of Sci Fi just a touch more than I love the Western. Both games are equally as awesome and Red Dead could just have easily taken the top spot.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 03, 2011, 01:13:14 PM
Thanks Jeff, I think Back to the Future should be played by ANY fan of the films, gamer or not. Telltale has purposely made the game so that non gamers could easily control and figure out how things work so as to appeal to everyone. The story so far is so good that absolutely everyone should give it a try. It's frankly almost too easy, and I'd almost just as soon simply watch it play out on it's own, the story is so good.
And Red Dead is so darn good, really the only reason I didn't give it my number one spot is because I love the genre of Sci Fi just a touch more than I love the Western. Both games are equally as awesome and Red Dead could just have easily taken the top spot.
Are they making any more episodes of BTTF? I looked at the reviews, but the reviews were a bit too mixed for my taste so I'm waiting to see what they do.
King
Yes! You pay 25 bucks for the first episode now, then every month as the new episodes come out you donwload them for no additional cost. There's a total of 5 chapters.
You were one of those TLDR folks werent you? ;)
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 12:32:11 PM
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 12:05:38 PM
Last point. If someone want to steal things, just be honest with yourself about it. I can't even see a hint of logic in stealing from one company because you aren't happy with the service provided by a company that has nothing to do with them. Yet you still pay the company that you have the problem with.
That's like deciding to steal cars and your justification is that you don't like airline delays.
Actually, before you go bite my head off (sheesh), there is a video floating around that shows a comparison of Xbox 360's graphic engine VS PS3's Graphic Engine with Mass Effect 2. PS3 is visibly better. PS3 version also gives you the comic-book intro that has the ME1 storyline in it. I believe that video was produced by Bioware themselves. So I'm speaking entirely from their perspective. Now admittedly, I have no idea if Xbox 360 will get that comic book, but since it has ME1 in game form already on the XBOX, I'm assuming not. I am not a fanboy of either system and have gone on record stating both systems are flawed and a waste of $$. Seeing as I have neither system I don't know how you can even Begin to accuse me of being a "Fanboy". Both companies are equal in my mind atm as both have their ups and downs.
Let's start at the top. PS3 gets a comic ... wow. 360 gets the first game where you can actually import the character you play in ME1 to ME2 and be rewarded for that. Comic vs continuation ... I know which one I'd go with.
As to videos comparing graphics. I learned a long time ago to ignore that. There are way too many factors involved in it to just go by looks. 360 has tons of dlc for the game. Should we factor that into things before saying that one version is far better than another when that second version hasn't been actually played by anyone any of us knows?
I'm not going to go into the semantics of what pirating is, but if you have a game that someone else paid for and still uses while you use it, it's pirating. Doesn't matter if it was taken from the net or a hand off of physical discs in a back alley.
I don't see how you can say that you don't support piracy and then claim that Ubisoft went a step too far in their greed. Is it really greedy to actually want to get paid for your work?
Are you aware that a lot of companies are doing this? Valve uses Steam. Starcraft 2 disables certain features when you don't play them online.
Lastly, it's not like it's a hidden trick on the parts of the companies. I'm 100% sure that every game that requires a internet connection says so on the box right near where recommendations and requirements are listed.
I can understand internet problems, but it seems to me that you are blaming Ubisoft for your lack of choices in internet providers. If you had a decent one, I don't think that this would be an issue even for you because it would go unnoticed. Most people are keep a constant connection to the internet on their home PCs and I don't think that anyone with a stable connection would even notice the security.
The PS3 does have more graphic horsepower. I mainly bought it for the Blu-Ray player too, but I have seen a few games that do look a bit better on the PS3 than the XBOX (and we own both systems - actually two XBOX 360's, one is the Elite version). The best thing if you are a big gamer is to eventually own both systems.
@ Joby, I totally missed that you typed that, I must be off today. My bad. Not usually a tl;dr person.
Mass Effect 2: PS3 vs Xbox 360 - Jacob (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBRi2K10PgQ#ws)
This is the comparison of graphics I was talking about. I'll just let that stand as it is. PS3 is also going to have all the DLC already included on the Mass Effect 2 Disc. Or at least buyable, I can't remember which it was. Regardless, both consoles will have the DLC. But, from my perspective, for a new person coming into the Mass Effect series, Mass Effect 2 is the best on PS3, if you don't want the PC version. The graphics look tighter and the comic book intro imo, is superior as the first edition of the game is pretty rough in terms of how the gameplay works. The comic book idea works in my opinion. This is all my opinion I suppose.
Semantics on Piracy: I am arguing primarily that the anti-piracy methods do not work. Who is DRM supposed to stop? Pirates. Who does Ubisoft's DRM actually stop? Customers. Anyone that is a decent pirate will have found the Assassin's Creed hacked version and use it. Those that don't want the stupid DRM restriction will get it. All this DRM did was slap the customers in the face saying we have to live with DRM. Those who legitimately payed for the game get a worse experience than those that pirated it.
Yes, I am quite aware that DRM is used in services and by companies. However, DRM in my eyes should either: Not exist at all (there is a sizeable amount of developers who do this) or should be seamless as possible. If I paid for the product and/or service, I should be able to use it whenever I want. That is, after all, what I'm paying for is it not? (Note, I did not say however I wanted, just whenever.) Not on a company's dictation of a server. Idk what Starcraft 2 disables when offline, but Steam is still usable when offline. Just because I'm not connected to the world-wide-web shouldn't mean I'm stopped from using software. That is why I very much dislike their DRM.
I probably shouldn't have said Ubisoft is greedy as that is not the right word. Mistaken. That is the word.
Yeah, your right, we're usually connected 24/7 and our lives can go on if/when the internet crashes on certain days. But my point still stands. What happens when Ubisoft goes under and dies? Do we just accept that our games are now useless and unplayable? I don't. And it shouldn't be that way. We should be able to play Assassin's Creed 2 10 years from now. But with this DRM, it'll be as long as Ubisoft still sticks around.
King
Quote from: Rico on January 03, 2011, 03:15:52 PM
The PS3 does have more graphic horsepower. I mainly bought it for the Blu-Ray player too, but I have seen a few games that do look a bit better on the PS3 than the XBOX (and we own both systems - actually two XBOX 360's, one is the Elite version). The best thing if you are a big gamer is to eventually own both systems.
I don't doubt that, but I doubt most of the screen shot stuff they put out because they tend to use top of the line equipment that many consumers don't have. I also agree that a big gamer needs both systems. However, that being said, I don't think better graphics necessarily makes for a better game. In this game specifically, XBOX gamers are rewarded for playing part one and being able to bring their character into part two. I don't think a comic can cover all the choices that you can make in the actual game.
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 03:49:15 PM
Quote from: Rico on January 03, 2011, 03:15:52 PM
The PS3 does have more graphic horsepower. I mainly bought it for the Blu-Ray player too, but I have seen a few games that do look a bit better on the PS3 than the XBOX (and we own both systems - actually two XBOX 360's, one is the Elite version). The best thing if you are a big gamer is to eventually own both systems.
I don't doubt that, but I doubt most of the screen shot stuff they put out because they tend to use top of the line equipment that many consumers don't have. I also agree that a big gamer needs both systems. However, that being said, I don't think better graphics necessarily makes for a better game. In this game specifically, XBOX gamers are rewarded for playing part one and being able to bring their character into part two. I don't think a comic can cover all the choices that you can make in the actual game.
Your right in that comic book doesn't allow for all the choices you can make in ME1, but the major effects created by your decisions can be.
King
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 03:24:42 PM
What happens when Ubisoft goes under and dies? Do we just accept that our games are now useless and unplayable? I don't. And it shouldn't be that way. We should be able to play Assassin's Creed 2 10 years from now. But with this DRM, it'll be as long as Ubisoft still sticks around.
King
Nothing is meant to be used forever. I mean, I get what you're saying, but server space cost money and what are the chances you're going to have that stuff 10 years from now? Even if you do have it, your best bet would be to store it next to your cassette tapes, VHS player, and other things that have past their service life.
As to the side by side comparison, are the specs on the TV the same? because my game looks closer to the left than the right. Are both systems using the HDMI connection? There are too many things that we don't know to consider this an accurate comparison.
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 03:52:17 PM
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 03:49:15 PM
Quote from: Rico on January 03, 2011, 03:15:52 PM
The PS3 does have more graphic horsepower. I mainly bought it for the Blu-Ray player too, but I have seen a few games that do look a bit better on the PS3 than the XBOX (and we own both systems - actually two XBOX 360's, one is the Elite version). The best thing if you are a big gamer is to eventually own both systems.
I don't doubt that, but I doubt most of the screen shot stuff they put out because they tend to use top of the line equipment that many consumers don't have. I also agree that a big gamer needs both systems. However, that being said, I don't think better graphics necessarily makes for a better game. In this game specifically, XBOX gamers are rewarded for playing part one and being able to bring their character into part two. I don't think a comic can cover all the choices that you can make in the actual game.
Your right in that comic book doesn't allow for all the choices you can make in ME1, but the major effects created by your decisions can be.
King
Actually it can't unless the comic has 3 different endings, it can't be the same as the path you take as a character. It also can't relate on who you killed or allowed to die when you start you game.
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 03:55:54 PM
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 03:24:42 PM
What happens when Ubisoft goes under and dies? Do we just accept that our games are now useless and unplayable? I don't. And it shouldn't be that way. We should be able to play Assassin's Creed 2 10 years from now. But with this DRM, it'll be as long as Ubisoft still sticks around.
King
Nothing is meant to be used forever. I mean, I get what you're saying, but server space cost money and what are the chances you're going to have that stuff 10 years from now? Even if you do have it, your best bet would be to store it next to your cassette tapes, VHS player, and other things that have past their service life.
As to the side by side comparison, are the specs on the TV the same? because my game looks closer to the left than the right. Are both systems using the HDMI connection? There are too many things that we don't know to consider this an accurate comparison.
I'm assuming that IGN is neutral and intelligent enough to make sure both TVs are hooked up and the same. I would find it hard to believe they would have made the Xbox look bad on purpose.
As for the comic, they said that the choices you made (at least the big ones) in the comic book would be the same as if you played ME1. No, not every little decision you could have made would be in the comic book, but as far as I'm aware the comic probably has three different endings. But really, this is Bioware we are talking about, they have shown themselves capable and I'm sure they thought this out.
King
My final thought on the DRM, frankly, I don't want all my games to suddenly become Server games without the multiplayer experience. While I can stomach server downtimes, crashing, and the other large amount of issues that comes with running a server on games like WoW, EvE, LOTR, STO and so on because that's just the nature of the beast of those games. I long ago accepted that as reality. But I'm not ready to accept server-based games on games that do not require it nor need it. To suddenly have downtime on games like Plants VS Zombies or Mass Effect 2 just seems ultimately silly. No, I have no idea if the servers are like that with AC2 (and the rest) but server crashing and related has been prevalent for those games.
No thank you.
King
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Preach on brother! I could agree to that. More like I don't like Sony and went with the lesser of two evils, but yeah I do like my xbox ... there's now 5 of them in the house. I'd get a iPAD before I got a PS3.
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 04:21:21 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Preach on brother! I could agree to that. More like I don't like Sony and went with the lesser of two evils, but yeah I do like my xbox ... there's now 5 of them in the house. I'd get a iPAD before I got a PS3.
I'm actually curious why you hate Sony so much, (I don't like em much either, but to me they're equal to Microsoft in terms of evilness) but tbh, don't want to drag this thread down any farther than it already has. Just me posting here depreciates the value of threads ;).
King
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 04:24:58 PM
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 04:21:21 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Preach on brother! I could agree to that. More like I don't like Sony and went with the lesser of two evils, but yeah I do like my xbox ... there's now 5 of them in the house. I'd get a iPAD before I got a PS3.
I'm actually curious why you hate Sony so much, (I don't like em much either, but to me they're equal to Microsoft in terms of evilness) but tbh, don't want to drag this thread down any farther than it already has. Just me posting here depreciates the value of threads ;).
King
Sony has some very bad business practices that they tend to use. They pretty much rigged the format war between bluray and HDDVD by using their movie house to make it exclusive to their proprietary format. When the XBOX was released, Sony released specs for the PS3 a few days earlier that had a lot of things that ended up not happening. Sony has a habit of making big promises and failing to deliver.
While making a profit off their owning bluray with each sale, they made profit off of the licensing of the tech and then used the PS3 to undercut the the other manufacturers. All in all, it was a very shady move. PS3 promised backwards compat, then only included it on certain devices.
I have more respect for Apple than I do Sony because Apple hasn't outright lied about things and used pressure tactics to get they way. Apple presented a good product and people wanted it. The have never lied about their specs. Sony gives you smoke and mirrors to delay you in buying something else and then fails to deliver on their promises when they do get around to releasing something.
As much as people like to attack microsoft, they are pretty honest about their tech products.
Hmm, some interesting points X. I knew something went down to make Blue-Ray the ruler no matter what, had no idea Sony was behind it, I figured it was Warner Brothers or someone similar. I guess I always figured something shady had gone down, since the race had been so close for a long time and then suddenly it was declared the winner. So do you buy Blue-Rays? I'm just curious.
I always did wonder what happened to the compatibility of the PS3. It was there, then gone, then there then gone again. (Or at least it seemed like it.) The last product I bought was a Sony CD Walkman years ago. Err, oops, that blue-ray player I have is Sony, but otherwise, I don't tend to buy from Sony because their products are unattractive due to higher cost. Apple may be pricier but I have the assurance that their software and hardware will work. Sony doesn't have this.
Microsoft...well, I think I blamethe hardware designers more than the software, but long rant short, their products tend to be bloated and I strongly dislike genuine-check. Only because it tends to fail and call legitimate software bad. Oh the headaches. And the viruses and all that crud. Admittedly, if Apple and MS switched places, we'd probably be dealing with the same issues, just with prettier machines :P. So I can't entirely blame MS for that. And Windows 7
was a success as I've had very few issues with the OS this time around.
King
Also I should have said this before, while I did say that the graphics are better on the PS3, what I really should have added after that is that gameplay should be equal on either platform. I blame my visual-minded self for putting PS3 on a higher platform than Xbox. My bad. Guess that Fanboy comment put me off as I prefer to be called a fanboy if I actually have the product and love it. But since I don't have much Sony stuff and certainly not a PS3, well, yeah. Call me a fanboy when I really am darnit! ;)
King
A couple comments then I'm going to bed...
The benefits of carrying over a character from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2 are cool but not worth slogging through the first game for at this point, particularly if you don't have a ton of time for gaming. I'd suggest reading the comic or the Wikipedia entry.
There are exclusive games for Wii, PS3, and Xbox that I want to play which is why I own all three. I have no brand loyalty other than a slight preference for the PS3 because it's quieter than the Xbox and the version I have has a bigger hard drive.
Piracy is wrong, and while the big game companies have not figured out how to stop people from stealing their products, I believe they have the right to do whatever they can to stop it. The actual legality of the situation is that when you buy a game you are buying a license to play it, you don't actually own any part of the data. That being said companies like Ubisoft wouldn't be in business if all they did was anger their customers. They would not allow their games to be rendered unplayable because of their servers failing or closing up shop or whatever. They patched the DRM issues with Assassins Creed 2 within a week of the problems being reported.
Finally, I love the conversation, but just to bring this a bit back on topic could all the people that have posted here just leave a quick note listing your favorite games of 2010 and what made them great?
Well, after having such a fun conversation here, I might as well add my two cents.
1. Mass Effect 2. This game is just awesome and has been the most fun I've ever had with an RPG. It is rich, deep and with a great storyline and balanced gameplay and classes, there is nothing you cannot love. Plus, plenty of eye candy ;).
2. Ai War: Fleet Command + Expansions. A strategy game developed by indie developer ArcenGames, they recently overhauled their game from the ground up with better video, sound and gameplay while keeping to their core, which is a strategy game VS an incredibly intelligent and difficult AI in space. Lots of spaceships duking it out in a very well done strategy game. They even have a micro-expansion devoted to charity. Heavily recommend this one, its cheap, no DRM and the developers listen to their fans. It is on Steam and arcengames.com
3. Tidalis, also developed by Arcen Games is definitely my favorite Puzzle game. And I do not like the puzzle genre much at all. Its a rich game that really challenges a genre that is oversaturated right now.
4. Angry Birds. iPhone, Droid and more. Do I really need to say more, its Angry Birds killing fat pigs in a action-physics game.
5. Starcraft 2. I'll give Blizzard kudos, Starcraft 2 is a lot of fun and a great sequel to the original.
X. We Rule. iPhone. Anyone who has read my blog knows I'm currently at odds with this developer atm, but I still have to say it is one of my favorite games for iOS and I might return to this title in the future, but in a lot less supporting manner. Its like Farmville but set in the medieval times.
And that's it, not 10 titles because I was busy this year and not a lot of titles grabbed my attention. And those that I did grab just weren't as good as they could have been. All in all though, a good year for gaming.
King
Ha ha, thanks Tim, you're awesome!
I played mainly WOW in 2010. "Star Trek: Online" didn't really grab me, but I want to give it another go this year. Oh, and I played a little "Uncharted 2" which is a cool game. Hope to do more in 2011.
I have a very odd list of top games for 2010. I have a range of games that I play, but I think it says more about the games that I keep coming back to.
In no real order:
Call of Duty: Black Ops: As much as I didn't want to get this game, I have several days worth of play time invested into it, but I've yet to start the campaign. It's a great game for league play and has better balance than MW2 in that aspect.
Battlefield Bad Company 2: Now this is a tricky one. I've only played this game a handful of times, but I've put a lot of money into the DLC. I'm still not sure why I did that, but I think the fact that you can buy the unlocks without having to play for hours sold me. I also like the new DLC Vietnam expansion they have. For a game that I've next to rarely played, they got a lot of my money, so I'd say they were successful.
Starcraft 2: I haven't bought a real PC game that wasn't a MMORPG in something like 20 years. When my brother in law gave me the guest pass, I was paying for the digital download before it expired.
Hydro Thunder: Hurricane: This revamp of the old arcade and Dreamcast game had me buying it only second after my first multiplayer race in the trial version.
Risk Factions: Another XBOX arcade game, this game brought me back to being at IHOP for 16 hours playing risk with friends over a pot of endless coffee. The new features of the game brought some freshness to it without taking away from the simple fun that was the board game.
Rock Band 3: If there was ever a family game, I think this is it. With the vast collection of songs and the new pro mode, I think it might be just the thing that the doctor ordered. It has made me want to go back and relearn all of the instruments that I played in school and tossed aside as I grew older because I couldn't see a career playing half a dozen brass instruments. It's also a game where you can teach the kids to enjoy a good song outside of the things that they listen to today.
Plants vs Zombies: I actually don't play this game, but my wife and daughter do. I have it on two computers and two xboxes. It's been able to give me hours of peace and quiet. To me, that's a good game. The credit song isn't half bad either.
Red Dead: Great game. I think I need to get back to it and finish at some point.
Crap - I need to play Starcraft 2 soon too! So many great games - so little time!
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
BUT...he's unwilling to allow others their views. He gets angry when someone believes other than the way he does...Hmmph.
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 04:21:21 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Preach on brother! I could agree to that. More like I don't like Sony and went with the lesser of two evils, but yeah I do like my xbox ... there's now 5 of them in the house. I'd get a iPAD before I got a PS3.
Wow...the lesser of two evils. Hmm. I'm thinking greedy Bill Gates and Microsoft is the NOT the lesser of those two evils. Never saw the PS3 suffer from CONSTANT system crashes or the "Red Ring Of Gates"...er, I mean the "Red Ring Of Death". Dude, you get so uptight when someone comes out here and makes any sort of statement, yet you ALWAYS make statements of preferance. It's a free world dude. If I want to post on a forum that PS3 is WAY better than XBox, why in the world would I need to provide references to you to support my statement? It's MY OPINION (or, Kings in this case). Chill brother...
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 04:24:58 PM
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 04:21:21 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Preach on brother! I could agree to that. More like I don't like Sony and went with the lesser of two evils, but yeah I do like my xbox ... there's now 5 of them in the house. I'd get a iPAD before I got a PS3.
I'm actually curious why you hate Sony so much, (I don't like em much either, but to me they're equal to Microsoft in terms of evilness) but tbh, don't want to drag this thread down any farther than it already has. Just me posting here depreciates the value of threads ;).
King
No kidding. I mean, X goes on to defend a companies right to make tons of money, yet slams Sony for doing exactly that...hmm. Double standards perhaps?
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 05:12:18 PM
Quote from: Kingisaaclinksr on January 03, 2011, 04:24:58 PM
Quote from: X on January 03, 2011, 04:21:21 PM
Quote from: Bryancd on January 03, 2011, 04:07:06 PM
This thread is funny. Chris loves Xbox like I love Apple. :)
Preach on brother! I could agree to that. More like I don't like Sony and went with the lesser of two evils, but yeah I do like my xbox ... there's now 5 of them in the house. I'd get a iPAD before I got a PS3.
I'm actually curious why you hate Sony so much, (I don't like em much either, but to me they're equal to Microsoft in terms of evilness) but tbh, don't want to drag this thread down any farther than it already has. Just me posting here depreciates the value of threads ;).
King
Sony has some very bad business practices that they tend to use. They pretty much rigged the format war between bluray and HDDVD by using their movie house to make it exclusive to their proprietary format. When the XBOX was released, Sony released specs for the PS3 a few days earlier that had a lot of things that ended up not happening. Sony has a habit of making big promises and failing to deliver.
While making a profit off their owning bluray with each sale, they made profit off of the licensing of the tech and then used the PS3 to undercut the the other manufacturers. All in all, it was a very shady move. PS3 promised backwards compat, then only included it on certain devices.
I have more respect for Apple than I do Sony because Apple hasn't outright lied about things and used pressure tactics to get they way. Apple presented a good product and people wanted it. The have never lied about their specs. Sony gives you smoke and mirrors to delay you in buying something else and then fails to deliver on their promises when they do get around to releasing something.
As much as people like to attack microsoft, they are pretty honest about their tech products.
So X, why is what Sony does make them "shady" and " has some very bad business practices that they tend to use", when for years Microsoft has cornered the market in software/computers and such? Huh? If you're going to slam Sony, you need to slam EVERYONE for doing the same thing. And oh...thought you said it was ok to make money? :)
Quote from: X on January 04, 2011, 05:56:11 AM
I have a very odd list of top games for 2010. I have a range of games that I play, but I think it says more about the games that I keep coming back to.
In no real order:
Call of Duty: Black Ops: As much as I didn't want to get this game, I have several days worth of play time invested into it, but I've yet to start the campaign. It's a great game for league play and has better balance than MW2 in that aspect.
Battlefield Bad Company 2: Now this is a tricky one. I've only played this game a handful of times, but I've put a lot of money into the DLC. I'm still not sure why I did that, but I think the fact that you can buy the unlocks without having to play for hours sold me. I also like the new DLC Vietnam expansion they have. For a game that I've next to rarely played, they got a lot of my money, so I'd say they were successful.
Starcraft 2: I haven't bought a real PC game that wasn't a MMORPG in something like 20 years. When my brother in law gave me the guest pass, I was paying for the digital download before it expired.
Hydro Thunder: Hurricane: This revamp of the old arcade and Dreamcast game had me buying it only second after my first multiplayer race in the trial version.
Risk Factions: Another XBOX arcade game, this game brought me back to being at IHOP for 16 hours playing risk with friends over a pot of endless coffee. The new features of the game brought some freshness to it without taking away from the simple fun that was the board game.
Rock Band 3: If there was ever a family game, I think this is it. With the vast collection of songs and the new pro mode, I think it might be just the thing that the doctor ordered. It has made me want to go back and relearn all of the instruments that I played in school and tossed aside as I grew older because I couldn't see a career playing half a dozen brass instruments. It's also a game where you can teach the kids to enjoy a good song outside of the things that they listen to today.
Plants vs Zombies: I actually don't play this game, but my wife and daughter do. I have it on two computers and two xboxes. It's been able to give me hours of peace and quiet. To me, that's a good game. The credit song isn't half bad either.
Red Dead: Great game. I think I need to get back to it and finish at some point.
Great list! I really want to play Starcraft 2 as well, but I have zero experience with that series, and my RTS or TBS experience is limited to a few games of Civilization and Panzer General for the 3DO. I'm planning on checking out Risk as well, I've heard that is one of the best new downloadable games on the Xbox. You should try Pvs.Z, normally I hate the whole tower defense type of game but the humor and addictive quality of that game won me over.
Quote from: Rico on January 04, 2011, 05:34:04 AM
I played mainly WOW in 2010. "Star Trek: Online" didn't really grab me, but I want to give it another go this year. Oh, and I played a little "Uncharted 2" which is a cool game. Hope to do more in 2011.
I want to play STO more than almost any other game from last year, but until there's a Mac version it's not in the cards for me...unless I figure out Boot Camp or some other way to do it on my iMac.
Other games in the too many games, too little time category for me:
Limbo: an Xbox live arcade title, supposed to be the best independent game of the year. It's a puzzle/platformer with a dark theme and beautiful visuals. Really want to try it out.
Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare: an expansion for the original title has the wild west overrun with a Zombie invasion. Supposedly really fun and a four to five hour expanded single player campaign. Can't wait to play this
Halo Reach: The final Bungie created Halo game is being hailed as the best of the series by many. I just started Halo 3 ODST though so it will be a while before I get to this one.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood: This game kind of came out of nowhere, and is on many peoples top list of best games of 2010. I loved Assassin's Creed 2, although I took a long break in between before I actually finished that title recently. The story for Brotherhood is supposed to be top notch. I'll play this one for sure but probably not for a while, as I kind of need a break from this series and everything I have read stated that this is very similar to AC2.
I also have a stack of half finished games I want to complete, including Darksiders, Fallout New Vegas, Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories, Wolverine, Red Faction Guerilla and Demon's Souls. I hate not finishing games but I am definitely an ADD gamer.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 03, 2011, 01:13:14 PM
Thanks Jeff, I think Back to the Future should be played by ANY fan of the films, gamer or not. Telltale has purposely made the game so that non gamers could easily control and figure out how things work so as to appeal to everyone. The story so far is so good that absolutely everyone should give it a try. It's frankly almost too easy, and I'd almost just as soon simply watch it play out on it's own, the story is so good.
And Red Dead is so darn good, really the only reason I didn't give it my number one spot is because I love the genre of Sci Fi just a touch more than I love the Western. Both games are equally as awesome and Red Dead could just have easily taken the top spot.
Thanks Joby, for the BTTF game, I am a person where easier is better for me ;), so that does sound very appealing to me, and extending the story sounds awesome as I am a big fan of the movies. The Red Dead Redemption really appeals to me because of the western genre, and I have been looking to getting into a game of that type. Thanks again Joby for taking the time to right it up.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 03, 2011, 07:16:34 PM
Finally, I love the conversation, but just to bring this a bit back on topic could all the people that have posted here just leave a quick note listing your favorite games of 2010 and what made them great?
I did not play/buy a lot of games this year. But I have to say, I am very impressed with the Microsoft Kinect. Got it for my Wife for Christmas, and it is a lot of fun. Some of the titles like the Kinect Sports and Dance Central are pretty good. I am looking forward to what they come out with for games as this device matures some more.
Also like Chris mentioned, I downloaded the Plants vs Zombies, and for low cost game, you can spend quite a few hours on it. If a person has an XBOX 360 and a few extra Microsoft Points, it is not a bad game to have, if looking to play a game that does not require a lot of investment in, or something to break up part of your day for a bit.
The only other game I got this year was F1 2010 from Codemasters. I have not played it much yet, but it is nice to have Formula 1 racing sim, as it has been a few years since I have played one. I am hoping I will play it more in 2011, but I need to get a new Chair, as my recliner makes it hard to use the steering wheel. I probably need to get something as well to brace my Steering Wheel as well, so going to take a bit of an investment to get setup the way I want. The only thing so far that I can negatively think is that the interface is sort of awkward, and doesn't make a lot of sense to me at times. I really like driving games a lot, but it has been a bit of a hard transition for me from Computer to Console, again, mostly for how the Steering Wheel is setup, and I am thinking for what I want in the end, will probably mean another TV, console, and supporting furniture in the basement, so that I don't have it in my main family area.
Not to get to deep into the Microsoft/Sony debate. I used to feel that I had a dislike against Sony, but looking in my living room, some of my main components are Sony. My TV is a Sony Bravia LCD, and I have a Sony Blu-Ray player. Like Tim had stated, in the past, I always felt Sony was higher priced then other brands, but the TV I got on sale and made sense to buy over the other options I had. The one thing that has bugged me about Sony in the past few years was the Root Kit fiasco, as I felt that was a bit low and went a bit to far, that was a bad decision on their part. Microsoft has their detractors, and some of their enterprise software has caused me a lot of heartache and long days/nights over the last few years and I will never like it. I have had a XBOX and a XBOX 360 and have been very satisfied with both. I never have had any issues with them, and I really like the XBOX Live experience they have. Some of my friends had issues with their 360's red ringing, but they got them replaced. I had a PS2 years ago, and it was alright, but sold it after getting the network adapter and being a bit underwhelmed. But for the time I had liked it for some of the games like the EA NHL series. I don't really play enough games to warrant owning both consoles, though I do miss the Gran Turismo games, and a co worker of mine has been going on quite a bit about GT5. I have a Wii as well, but don't play it as much as I used to, but a good system for when my Niece or Nephew come over, or if I was better at the Mario games, but can see now where they might want to play Kinect in the future.
I totally forgot about Plants VS Zombies, that was my favorite turret defense games of 2010. I have a pretty good idea which game will be my favorite of that genre next year and it may not be PVZ2. But otherwise I spent a lot of hours in PVZ, great fun.
King
I've been watching allt he Kinect hoopla with a wary eye, mostly because my experiences with the Xbox 360 Vision Camera were so terrible. I bought the game You're In the Movies for my family, and they absolutely loved it in theory, but in practice it absolutely sucked. Maybe it was our living room, but we could never figure out how to set things up so the camera actually worked the way it was supposed to. The other problem is our living room being too small, you are supposed to have at least five to six feet free in front of your TV for it to work, and we don't have that. I know my kids would love Kinectimals though, that looks so cool.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 04, 2011, 08:30:07 AM
I've been watching allt he Kinect hoopla with a wary eye, mostly because my experiences with the Xbox 360 Vision Camera were so terrible. I bought the game You're In the Movies for my family, and they absolutely loved it in theory, but in practice it absolutely sucked. Maybe it was our living room, but we could never figure out how to set things up so the camera actually worked the way it was supposed to. The other problem is our living room being too small, you are supposed to have at least five to six feet free in front of your TV for it to work, and we don't have that. I know my kids would love Kinectimals though, that looks so cool.
You are right, you do need a bit of space for it to work the best. I am lucky in that my house has some good space in our TV room, but I had to move the coffee table out of the way when I play. But It seems to pick up the players pretty well. A friend was telling me that they are working on a firmware update to the device that will allow it to pick things up even better, such as fingers. But I have to say, having played it and Wii for motion games, I like the idea of using your whole body well playing. I thought Wii (Wii Motion) made good use of it technology, but Kinect takes it a bit farther in what you can do, as you can really throw your whole body into the game. But again, more space the better for the device, and your own personal well being ;) , as a friend of mine hurt his toe a few weeks ago on a Soccer game. Maybe with updates, the playing space needed will not be as large.
Joby - get Boot camp going and a Windows 7 disc for that iMac. It's very easy and then you can turn it into a real computer. ;)
Oh ha ha Rico! :) :)
My list is very short...I played only two games throughout 2010 and got very hooked on both:
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare2
Call Of Duty: Black Ops
Both for the XBox 360
I am a long time gamer - back to the original NES. Love all the Zelda games, all the Metroid games, Residen Evil...etc. But I just got kind of burned out on those types and stumbled across Fallout 3 and got totally hooked on 1st person shooters. From there went to the COD games. Just kind of mindless, senseless mayhem. An outlet for those stressful days! :)
Oh, and X, PLEASE understand that I'm just sparring with you dude. I hold absolutely NO ill will toward you and have come to enjoy our random disagreements. Peace out dude. Keep your Zen mellow! :)
Quote from: Rico on January 04, 2011, 09:02:42 AM
Joby - get Boot camp going and a Windows 7 disc for that iMac. It's very easy and then you can turn it into a real computer. ;)
I came back from Christmas with Boot Camp and Windows 7 loaded on my MacBook. :) Mass Effect here I come!
Not to diverge too much, but I just used Win 7 for the first time on a secondary machine I put together over the holidays. Very smooth running OS.
P.S. And honestly, I do want some type of Mac computer someday too.
Rico, all fun aside, Mac's are fun machines. I think you'll plug right in with no problem at all.
Quote from: Rico on January 04, 2011, 09:02:42 AM
Joby - get Boot camp going and a Windows 7 disc for that iMac. It's very easy and then you can turn it into a real computer. ;)
I know, but so far the iMac has been more than sufficient for my simple needs. Star Trek Online is not enough of a carrot for me to drop a couple hundred bucks on a Windows operating system. I'll wait for a Mac version or just suffer in silence. ;)
eidt: I just read this post and might check out Wineskin. Anyone know anything about this program?
Run Star Trek Online without resorting to Boot Camp
Feb 10, '10 07:30:00AM • Contributed by: unclecal
Frustrated that the Star Trek Online MMO game left out support for Macs? If you have an Intel Mac, you can get around that problem, even though the game has no official support for OS X. Of course, you can install it using Windows in a Boot Camp partition.
But if you don't like leaving the safety of Mac space, you can run it in OS X using the brilliant open source utility Wineskin. It's quite simple to set up, and works amazingly well. You'll need the free Wineskin setup file for Star Trek Online [44MB download], and here's some more information about it from the Cryptic/Atari forum site.
Even if you take this route, I suggest you leave a message on the Star Trek Online board stating your interest in an official Mac OS X version in the future.
I have no idea what year it came out i thought it was 2010 but i'm thinking it was 2009 but I loved batman Arkham Asylum which i finished this year, Assasins Creed 2was just awesome and sooooo much better than the first Creed game which i went back to play after completing 2 and couldnt get on with it. I know Saboteur is old hat but i completed that and enjoyed it. Gran T 5 i found to be a lot of fun especially if you are a fan of the Brit tv show Top Gear. Assasins Creed Brotherhood i will pick up, not sure about Black ops maybe when the price comes down.
Angry Birds on Iphone, toooooo addictive and i will keep on playing.
Oh Meds...Joyce and I just got hooked on Angry Birds too...DAMN IT! That game is so ADDICTING!@#$#(* $^(#*$#@
I forgot I'm in the middle of Saboteur too...fun game. Killing Nazis is always fun.
They are doing the sequel at the moment, not sure when it will be released though.
A sequel to Saboteur? That's news to me, I heard that team got the axe as soon as that game came out. A shame too, i always though that Mercenaries 2 and Saboteur were good games that were unfairly harshly criticized. I'd be in line for a sequel, especially if some of the flaws are ironed out.
I know that the sequel to Arkham Asylum is out this year, they're calling it Arkham City and I'm sure it will be awesome.
The guy at my game shop said he had played a very short demo of Arkham City and its amazing. A serious contendor for opening my wallet. I asked another guy yesterday about the saboteur sequel and he said they know its in progress but not release date etc. they are taking orders for Arkham City though which i contemplated putting a deposit down.
I think ME2 was the best game I played this year. ME1 was also good and I'm glad I played it first. They are both rich in story.
I also completed Dragon Age 2 this year (started it last year), and enjoyed it a lot.
I bought and played a little of Starcraft 2. Not really my type of game. I didn't get much out of it.
I've recently bought Sam and Max 3rd Season. Haven't played the first two, but wanted to try it. It's the same company that did Back to the Future. My wife and I really enjoyed the Grim Fandango, Monkey Island type of adventure games that used to be around and haven't found a good substitute yet.
Looking forward to Portal 2. Don't know what else the new year will bring.
Quote from: Surak on January 08, 2011, 05:21:03 PM
I think ME2 was the best game I played this year. ME1 was also good and I'm glad I played it first. They are both rich in story.
I also completed Dragon Age 2 this year (started it last year), and enjoyed it a lot.
I bought and played a little of Starcraft 2. Not really my type of game. I didn't get much out of it.
I've recently bought Sam and Max 3rd Season. Haven't played the first two, but wanted to try it. It's the same company that did Back to the Future. My wife and I really enjoyed the Grim Fandango, Monkey Island type of adventure games that used to be around and haven't found a good substitute yet.
Looking forward to Portal 2. Don't know what else the new year will bring.
Yeah man, great games! I loved Dragon Age and still I'm planning on going back and playing some more of that game to see some of the other origin stories. I've heard the sequel is coming soon and is going to be a lot more combat focused than the first game. Also the expansion to the first game, Awakenings is on my "to be played" list.
I've wanted to try the Sam and Max games for w while now. It sounds like you were a little disappointed by it?
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on January 08, 2011, 09:49:42 PM
I've wanted to try the Sam and Max games for w while now. It sounds like you were a little disappointed by it?
I haven't played much yet. Soon, I hope.