The Unofficial Video Game & System Thread (Part III)

[Mario-Rijo]

The maps this go around are really geared toward the fast run and gun type player. Not a lot of long sight lines for sniping or those places slower players like me (shameless campers) can hunker down and pick people off.

A nice change is that you have point streaks instead of just kill streaks now, and shooting down aircraft counts toward a point streak.

I hate to hear that ORH, I am a bit of a camper myself at times. I have a tough time playing the same way all the time. I tend to play whichever style is best for the team I am playing at the moment or just like to change up the pace for fun at times. Also heard they got rid of the Dogs which stinks I really loved to watch the dogs dominate.

I'll be getting it for Christmas though and i'll catch a few of ya online (PS3 - JWILL35).

[top6]

So I have never been that serious of a video game person since I was a kid, unless you count spending literally 4+ hours a day my senior year of college mastering NHL Hockey on the Sega Genesis. And buying a Game Cube a bit later and TOTALLY mastering Diddy Kong Racing (god I was so good at that game. And leading a Bengals franchise in Madden to multiple Super Bowls and undefeated seasons.

But I have some spare time on my hands these days and was thinking of buying a new system. I have a good friend cross-country who has a PS3, so that seems ideal as we could play each other. Multiple stores are offering a 160 GB PS3 with the games LittleBigPlanet 2 and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One for $199. Any thoughts on if this is a good deal (even though I have no particular interest in either of those games)? Anyone know of any better deals, or would anyone strongly recommend another system? I would probably buy the latest Madden and this Skyrim game I've heard so much about as well, and do very little this weekend outside of play video games. (I guess I am trying to relive my college experience.)

[Stray]

So I have never been that serious of a video game person since I was a kid, unless you count spending literally 4+ hours a day my senior year of college mastering NHL Hockey on the Sega Genesis. And buying a Game Cube a bit later and TOTALLY mastering Diddy Kong Racing (god I was so good at that game. And leading a Bengals franchise in Madden to multiple Super Bowls and undefeated seasons.

But I have some spare time on my hands these days and was thinking of buying a new system. I have a good friend cross-country who has a PS3, so that seems ideal as we could play each other. Multiple stores are offering a 160 GB PS3 with the games LittleBigPlanet 2 and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One for $199. Any thoughts on if this is a good deal (even though I have no particular interest in either of those games)? Anyone know of any better deals, or would anyone strongly recommend another system? I would probably buy the latest Madden and this Skyrim game I've heard so much about as well, and do very little this weekend outside of play video games. (I guess I am trying to relive my college experience.)

Yeah that's a pretty sweet deal for the price. There might also be some deals on Playstation Move bundles which are really fun if you think you'd like that. PS3's are awesome since they also double as a blu ray player as well.

As far as games go, the Uncharted series is a Playstation exclusive. They're so good it's almost worth buying the console just for them. It's kinda a modern day Indiana Jones that plays out like a movie. If adventure games with a good story are your kinda thing you'd love it. Of that series you can't go wrong with 2 or 3 (just started on 3 not too long ago, but played enough to say it's awesome) Also, MLB the Show is a Playstation exclusive and is by far my favorite of all of the baseball games. I have Skyrim on my PC so I can't comment on how well it plays out on a PS3, but it's a lotta fun in a time sink kinda way.

[Ohayou]

Has anyone played the new GoldenEye yet? :o

[top6]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I went ahead and bought the $199 PS3 bundle on Black Friday. Well worth it so far. I also bought Madden 2012, and I picked up a used copy of Modern Warfare 2 (as I wasn't sure if I would like first person shooters). I cannot believe how video games have changed. I have mostly played Modern Warfare, and it is taking me a while just to get used to the controller, lol.

I also bought Skyrim but have not opened it yet, as it seems as if it will be the time suck to end all time sucks.

[AmarilloRed]

There's a bug involved with the new Skyrim patch for computer and Xbox-it negatively effects your resistances. I don't have Skyrim yet, I 'm getting it for Christmas.

[MikeThierry]

While I'm continuing to play Skyrim, my focus has gone to the new Star Wars game. Thus far the game is excellent. I love the fact that everything is voice acted instead of having to read what your mision is, etc. It's not that I don't mind reading but it just adds a different dynamic to the game. At first, I thought the way the graphics were layed out, it was going to be cartoonish but once I got into the game, the graphics are amazing. The action is really good and the worlds are massive.

The two downsides are that you have to pay monthly and the character creation leaves a little to be desired. That said, the price per month isn't a whole lot. Think of it as not going out for a meal or two per month. When putting in perspective to what else you do for entertainment on a monthly basis, it is a good way to spend your entertainment money. I would highly suggest trying it out.

[Caveat Emperor]

While I'm continuing to play Skyrim, my focus has gone to the new Star Wars game. Thus far the game is excellent. I love the fact that everything is voice acted instead of having to read what your mision is, etc. It's not that I don't mind reading but it just adds a different dynamic to the game. At first, I thought the way the graphics were layed out, it was going to be cartoonish but once I got into the game, the graphics are amazing. The action is really good and the worlds are massive.

The two downsides are that you have to pay monthly and the character creation leaves a little to be desired. That said, the price per month isn't a whole lot. Think of it as not going out for a meal or two per month. When putting in perspective to what else you do for entertainment on a monthly basis, it is a good way to spend your entertainment money. I would highly suggest trying it out.

Is the solo content worth buying? Because I could honestly see myself picking the game up, paying for a while, and then just selling / deactivating my account if the game is legitimately good enough as a single player experience.

[MikeThierry]

Is the solo content worth buying? Because I could honestly see myself picking the game up, paying for a while, and then just selling / deactivating my account if the game is legitimately good enough as a single player experience.

I guess I'm not understanding the question. It's an MMO so there is no single player content to where you can play off line. That is the downside to this game. It isn't like the original Knights of the Old Republic in that regard.

Now if you are talking about soloing within the game, there is plenty of content to do by yourself that you will keep busy for a long time. I just bought the game so I don't know about the content once you get to the later levels of 30-50. However, there seems to be tons to do whether you like to group with people, play on your own. or pvp. Plus, if you get bored with one side such as the Jedi, you can go play Sith and have a totally different experience with completely different missions.

[wolfboy]

Is the solo content worth buying? Because I could honestly see myself picking the game up, paying for a while, and then just selling / deactivating my account if the game is legitimately good enough as a single player experience.

Since it's an MMO, there's no solo content per se. You have to log onto Bioware's servers to play the game. That being said, a lot of the game plays like a single player game. The best part of the game is that you can really immerse yourself in the story. The stories are a lot of fun to go through, and it has a lot of KOTOR like elements. So far, it seems like you can navigate a lot of the story without having to group with other characters. From an early point in the game, you get a "companion" that tags along with you throughout your gameplay. That helps solo play since the game provides a built in buddy. If you enjoyed KOTOR, I'd recommend the game. Like any Bioware game, it's story driven and they've intentionally avoided the "grinding" elements of most other MMOs.

[MikeThierry]

Since it's an MMO, there's no solo content per se. You have to log onto Bioware's servers to play the game. That being said, a lot of the game plays like a single player game. The best part of the game is that you can really immerse yourself in the story. The stories are a lot of fun to go through, and it has a lot of KOTOR like elements. So far, it seems like you can navigate a lot of the story without having to group with other characters. From an early point in the game, you get a "companion" that tags along with you throughout your gameplay. That helps solo play since the game provides a built in buddy. If you enjoyed KOTOR, I'd recommend the game. Like any Bioware game, it's story driven and they've intentionally avoided the "grinding" elements of most other MMOs.

Totally agree with your analysis here, wolfboy. It just doesn't feel like a grind and it feels like you are accomplishing something. Unlike in many MMO's there is a central storyline, much like there was in Knights of the Old Republic. Another thing I discovered last night was the space battle aspect to it. Seeing the previews earlier this year, I thought it was going to be cheesy and arcade like. Boy was I wrong. They are a ton of fun. You can even upgrade your ship to make it better in combat.

[Caveat Emperor]

Since it's an MMO, there's no solo content per se. You have to log onto Bioware's servers to play the game. That being said, a lot of the game plays like a single player game. The best part of the game is that you can really immerse yourself in the story. The stories are a lot of fun to go through, and it has a lot of KOTOR like elements. So far, it seems like you can navigate a lot of the story without having to group with other characters. From an early point in the game, you get a "companion" that tags along with you throughout your gameplay. That helps solo play since the game provides a built in buddy. If you enjoyed KOTOR, I'd recommend the game. Like any Bioware game, it's story driven and they've intentionally avoided the "grinding" elements of most other MMOs.

That's more what I was referring to -- from the sounds of things (fully voiced story, branches in plotlines based on choices) it looks like there's an actual KOTOR "game" buried in the MMO garbage. If that's the case, and there's enough content to get by without having to group up or do silly MMO stuff, I might be intrigued enough to buy the game, subscribe for a month or so to do all the solo content, and then dump my subscription after I've played through everything.

Really, I just want KOTOR 3. If I can get the equivalent of that, I might throw down for a monthly fee for as long as it takes to do everything in the game.

[wolfboy]

That's more what I was referring to -- from the sounds of things (fully voiced story, branches in plotlines based on choices) it looks like there's an actual KOTOR "game" buried in the MMO garbage. If that's the case, and there's enough content to get by without having to group up or do silly MMO stuff, I might be intrigued enough to buy the game, subscribe for a month or so to do all the solo content, and then dump my subscription after I've played through everything.

Really, I just want KOTOR 3. If I can get the equivalent of that, I might throw down for a monthly fee for as long as it takes to do everything in the game.

Not sure what you mean by the "silly MMO stuff," but as I mentioned, there's little (so far) in the way of grinding for hours. The story moves along quite well, and most of the crafting/gathering type stuff is handled by your companions. On the other hand, if you just can't stand grouping with other people, then maybe it wont' be your thing. I think for an MMO, the need to group is at a minimum. That being said, it's still an MMO.

There absolutely is a KOTOR game hidden in there. In fact, I'd hardly call it hidden, as it's standard Bioware fare a la KOTOR, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, just in an MMO format. I understand your suspicion since it's an MMO, but I think it's worth a shot if you were a big fan of KOTOR. It's a great game that you can take at your own pace and really immerse yourself in the story of your character.

One other thought: since the game is in its early stages, it may behoove you to wait until they iron out some of the bugs/kinks. MMO launches can be messy and TOR is no exception. I've seen a lot of little bugs similar to what some have reported for Skyrim.

[MikeThierry]

One other thought: since the game is in its early stages, it may behoove you to wait until they iron out some of the bugs/kinks. MMO launches can be messy and TOR is no exception. I've seen a lot of little bugs similar to what some have reported for Skyrim.

I doubt you will find an epic giant glitch in TOR, lol :

Skyrim giants don't mess with them. - YouTube

[izzy's dad]

Just started playing Zelda: Skyward Sword. Pretty good so far. Using the Wii motion controls is a pain, but after a while you forget you are waving your arm about like a maniac, and just enjoy the Zelda experience.