The Videogames Tab

Well, Microsoft just revealed their new app, that just may prove to give Nintendo a bit of a run.

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...uh the post is up there...

I dunno. Microsoft have got Peter Molyneux involved as one of the major players here and he's always been known for his ... errr ... enthusiastic attitude to promoting future projects.

On a Molyneux related note, I finished the most recent bit of Fable II DLC yesterday. It's excellent at giving some more resolution to the main quest line.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Star Ocean 4

Good grief. To think that this walking effing JRPG cliché was one of the reasons I bought a 360...

Spiky-haired androgynous annoying lead character? Check. And he's called Edge Maverick ... Jesus wept.

Camera constantly trying to look up the skirt of the squeaky voiced girl-women? Check. I worry about the Japanese sometimes, I really do...

Absolutely nothing happening in the plot that you've not seen 100 times before in better JRPGs? Checkmate.



The combat seems fun, though, but I ended up getting this today solely because I decided to trade some cack and Sacred 2 and Fuel hadn't been delivered to my local store yet. They're probably sitting on the shelves as I type this. Laughing.

I've had it with JRPGs - the only one that's been half decent this generation has been Eternal Sonata and that one had me involuntarily gagging with the sheer damned cutsiness of it. Maybe Final Fantasy XIII will buck the trend but, as the months go by, I'm starting not to care.

Picked up The Sims 3 for my wife yesterday, and of course, played it a little myself. I haven't had a chance to fully explore all the functions, but it looks like a significant step up from the previous release.

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"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

Edge Maverick? Seriously? A porn star would find that name absurd.

Oh, bought Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory the other day. Had read some confusing things about Vista compatability, but Woot had a special; they were selling 8 GB flash drives for $15...with one of four games pre-installed on the drive. Obviously, Chaos Theory was among them, so I had to jump all over it. $15 isn't bad for the drive alone (though I'm not sure if it's from a recongnizable brand), but given that I would've gladly spent $10-15 on the game, as well, it was a no-brainer.

Of course, I already have an 8 GB flash drive, but no matter! They're like squid-style surge protectors: you can never have too many.

Yep, it makes Cloud Strife and Squall Lionheart seem almost normal. There must be one of those random JRPG name generators on the web somewhere...

Funny thing is, I've been playing this bleedin' game all afternoon. The camera is absolutely atrocious (seemingly getting clamped to people's arses is one of the high points, trust me), the levelling is all done for you and I've just encountered the race of passive green-haired aliens/elves who are wetter than a vegan peacenik anti-seal clubbing conference.

I seem to remember Star Ocean 3 being quite good but am seriously having my doubts now.

Anyway, free games on flash drives? That's a groovy idea I've not encountered since Philips put movies on some of their blank VHS tapes.

Aye, it's a very cool idea, and the price is great, given that the game itself probably only goes for a few bucks less. Of course, they're invariably a couple of years old, given the size/price issues. But yeah, very cool idea...

Is it an exe or a disc image? I presume an exe.

I got a 16GB Sandisk flash drive a few months ago thinking it was as big as I would ever need. It is, but the transfer speeds are so darned slow that it negates the point of putting large files on to it.

For JRPGs, all I really play anymore is the Shin Megami Tensei stuff. At least it's still sort of creative in some aspects.

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They're a bit Emo for my tastes but definitely more original than what Square Enix has been putting out for the last few years.

I've got a funny feeling that Star Ocean 4 is getting traded tomorrow (a record only equalled by Lair in my collection) for Sacred 2 and/or Fuel. Other stuff getting traded - Resident Evil 5 (it's a run and gun, not survival horror), COD 4 (I just don't get FPS's, especially ones where you play an SAS soldier) and Shawn White Snowboarding (what was I thinking? It was so cheap that I'll probably get my money back on it, that's what).

What do you mean you "don't get" FPSs? Pretty straight forward, really.

I don't get the appeal, and I've been suckered into so many over the years by people saying "This one will change your opinion" etc but it's always the same result - apathy. I quite liked Half Life 2 and Operation Wolf when I was a kid but that's about it.

Once I get shot of COD 4 tomorrow (one which I fleetingly intended to keep, just to have one that people say is good but I thought 'why the hell should I? It never gets touched') I will own precisely zilch. Apart from HL2 which is on Steam so a bugger to get even installed...

I get what you're saying. I love first-person shooters personally, but I can imagine how they're not for everyone. Dogfighting sims are comparable since they're point-and-shoot, and often use a first-person perspective, and I have no interest in those. Really, many FPS titles lack variety or innovation: they're just various flavors of the same experience. The COD games in particular are beginning to run together like Madden: they're all the same thing.

Tatty, I'm guessing you probably like more variety in gameplay from a first-person perspective, since you're so fond of Oblivion. I hesitate to even call that a FPS, but that's what it is... with RPG, puzzle-solving, and platforming elements thrown in. A lot of FPS titles never aspire to do the same, in large part because military simulation is still so hot. It takes someone who enjoys thinking tactically on the ground level and coordinating with CPU troops to even prefer the vast majority of FP shooters out there. I certainly do, and there are still some games of that type I won't even play.

And?

Oh yeah, I can definitely see why some people love aspects of shooters (not so hot on 3rd person shooters or shmups either) but they just don't float my boat. I can see why something like Bioshock is a great game (and it's another one I really tried to get into) but it's just not for me.

People probably feel equally apathetic here about driving sims like Forza, GT, rFactor and the Simbin games but I love them even though superficially they're just punting a bit of pretend metal round a track. I like the technical aspect of setting up your car for a particular track and watching my Integra lapping those poor noobs who think that an Enzo is the quickest way round Laguna Seca. Errr...

You mention those war simulation games - can't bloody stand them either! Them and any RTS I've ever played.

I'm a bit narrow-minded but that's ok, I'm cool with it.

EDIT - Now that I remember. Anyone want a 48 hour XBL code? I got one with RE5 but never used it because I pay monthly. Dunno if it'll work outside Europe but if anyone's interested, throw me a PM and I'll send it back.

If this isn't legit by the site's rules then a mod can delete the last few sentences. It's all perfectly legal and above board, though - I've not even scratched off the silver coating on the card yet.

The order was from Woot, so it hasn't arrived yet. I'll probably have it sometime next week.

I get what Taccy's saying about FPS. I like them fine, but I'm a little underwhelmed by them at times. Seems like every 2-3 years a new FPS comes out that's apparently sooooo much better than anything that's come before, and every time I try them they feel awfully similar to all the other one's I've played. All that seems to change is that they just get a little better at executing the same basic idea.

I think I had some disagreements on this board about this. Perhaps it's just me. Either way, I just don't find enough to differentiate one from another, even when I enjoy them. Except for the missions, of course; I've got to be one of just a handful of players who buys the game more for the single-player than the multiplayer battles.

You and me both. Although, I think that one suffered from a larger problem. The story concept and presentation were both great, but the gameplay was ultimately disjointed and repetitive. Gun controls were wooden, forcing you to utilize all the crazy bio-weapons in your hand... which were cool, admittedly, but the resulting variety was pretty superficial. I got bored.

I've got a friend who bullied me into getting COD4 for the 360 and every time I meet him he tells me that he never sees me playing it when he's signed into XBL (whereas it's the ONLY thing I've ever seen him playing).

The multiplayer is, apparently, where it's 'at'. He even tried to get me to join 'a clan' for Resistance FOM or something but I made my excuses and left, imagining all sorts of white pointy hats and stuff. What made things worse is that this 'clan' is made up exclusively for 'local guys like you and me'. I kid you not...

Re: Bioshock. The art direction was fantastic but ... you know where I'm going from here.

I'm on the other end of the road here, I'm a big fan of FPS. The COD series has really stepped it up a notch in my opinion. I usually play them on-line more then for their story. I just recently beat Resistance 2, a game I've had since December, because I was too busy playing online. Online Cooperative is an amazing experience in this game and is leaps and bounds over the single player and competitive modes.

I'm also a big fan of Bioshock. I agree the controls were a bit stiff, but you get use to them, I hope they improve them for the sequel. I am more fond of this game then Fallout 3. That game looks beautiful, but it's way too much "conserve your ammo while these monsters come at you who are pretty hard to kill."

Nor am I a big fan of Far Cry2 and Killzone 2, basically for their motion controls on the movement of the gun. Too lazy. I try to adjust, but it's all the same. COD4 is my favourite next gen FPS (Goldeneye is still a classic and #1 for me)

Played a bit of Wipeout HD, not a fan.

Just got 100% of the Trophies for flower.

And my next game to get is Ghostbusters.

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

Im getting bored of the COD series. After completing COD4 and almost finished COD 5, i have noticed it is all pretty much the same. It's just running through check points and shooting your enemy on the way there.

I think i need to connect my X-Box to the internet, but i realy can't be fuc*ed.

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