The Gamer's Quarter

DaleNixon · . Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 179

I totally murdered that pop-singer girl as soon as I got the chance.

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

dhex · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:55 am Post subject:

i have enjoyed the original many times. as far as i'm concerned, warren spector + fps + rpg = gold.

well, at least until DX:IW. it's not a bad game, but the first sections in seattle are terrible, the skill system is kinda boring, the universal ammo is annoying, and the pacing is a trainwreck. for 4.99 it wasn't bad, but it wasn't up to the standards of the first by any stretch.

it's no system shock 2, that's for sure.
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Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Yeah, I wouldn't say I hate the game, but it's just so poorly designed that it doesn't really encourage me to push on. It's always a shame when that happens to a game which is trying to honestly be something.

System Shock 2 is quite impressive in regards to that. It really has the atmosphere going for it, and I just love how the plot becomes increasingly insane, yet almost conceivable and probable, in that sci-fi fashion, not to mention the underlying themes of individuality versus the group and such. That said, never liked the ending. Felt it fell short.

SHODAN, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the best villains in video game history. Looking forward to Bio Shock.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

Hopefully at some point companies collapse, NDAs expire and Spector can write a book about the development of Invisible War.

From the public appearances/interviews that he's made/given since IW was released and he walked away to do something else, it seems like there was quite the power-struggle going on.

Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

Dhex, I remember you saying (somewhat) good things about Painkiller. Something about comparing it to DooM.

Only I can't find them and I need you (or someone else) to explain why I should possibly spend more than 10 minutes with this game. Because that's all I managed last night.

dhex · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:48 pm Post subject:

it gets better, but it's definitely not super.
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Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

dhex · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:28 pm Post subject:

i have let you down.

i am sorry.
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Scratchmonkey · . Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439

No need!

I am borrowing a friend's copy to see if I would like it. I haven't, so I won't be picking it up. No muss, no fuss.

Alc · . Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 109 Location: UK

I'm lead to believe Painkiller is all about the multiplayer. Very Classic Quake-ish.

TheRumblefish · . Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 258 Location: Florida

I just played Deus Ex: The Conspiracy for the first time in my life. I turned it off about five hours later and had a moment of clarity. I am anxious to see where it goes.
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simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

Yeah, I deleted the Painkiller shortcut from my desktop last night after coming to the realization that I'd probably never play it again. I like to think of it as someone taking all the wrong ideas from the iD games and Serious Sam. Not worth my time at all.

On a whim I bought some classic Half Life pack through STEAM on friday night, cause I've never played Opposing Force or Blue Shift. I started up the former, and you can feel the ways in which Gearbox just doesn't get it. (On hearsay, much like Metroid Prime 2 doesn't get the first. But then I haven't finished the first or started the sequel)

However! There's a moment of glorious pacing at the beginning where you go from no weapon, running from headcrab zombies, to wrench, doing the headcrab quickstep, to knife, with which you can stab really fast! And the thrill of it is such that when you pick up the pistol minutes later, you ignore it and its lowly limited ammo because no mere alien can possibly harm Stabby McStabbenstabber! I had to quit shortly thereafter but honestly, I think this will remain the high point of the game.

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

I played a couple rounds of Jedi Knight (Dark Forces 2) at a LAN last night. It was an okay time. Everyone ended up just fist fighting, as usual.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

Game but...good question. I mean, really! I wish LANs usually ended in fist fights.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

dhex · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:15 am Post subject:

i've only conversed with "hardcore" lan gamers over the internet, and never in real life. that particular vangard seems like a bunch that needs a good fist to the skull.

i mean, guys, i'm really glad you have a nice computer, but i'm pretty sure it didn't fuck my mom. really. she's got better taste than that.
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Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

I'm glad my friends are pretty tame, by comparison. One is the hardware fetishist I'll never be, but most of our computers are pretty rough. There's a reason we're playing 5 year old games. The networking is basically just an excuse for social mingling anyway.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

TheRumblefish · . Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 258 Location: Florida

dessgeega · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:49 pm Post subject:

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

So, Black. Holy Hell, I'm having a really good time with this. Gleeful destruction. Check. Big fucking explosions. Check. Lots and lots of faithfully rendered real world weapons. Check.

The plot is paper thin, but then again this isn't exactly the kind of game you play the for the story. At least it's presented well and unobtrusively. The gameplay levels are actually narrations, recollections of what happened and when, between the two characters in the cutscenes, which are filmed with live actors instead of CG. It suffices overall, gives a little context to all your actions. That's about all I'm asking of it. It's kind of like Doom, but not as fast paced. Still a ton of fucking destruction. No gore either, which don't really notice through all the smoke and dust and rubble. It's a good game about shooting things and watching them explode.

There's also a bit of a collection element to it, if you're interested in that sort of thing. Top secret folders you can find. Evidence you can destroy. Lots of little things for the game to keep track of while you go about scoffing at the term "collateral damage". It's a real summer blockbuster of a game, kind of takes me back to a time when games were simpler in scope.

AI? Eh, haven't really noticed it which I suppose could be a good thing. It's not AI that you play with or have to fight with, so much as AI that you seek and destroy, and if it hides behind cover you blast away the cover. It's good at moving around while getting shot, which keeps you on your toes. The guys with RPGs that hide out in towers and fire at you from the windows of tall buidings can be a bit of pain though, but they explode real nice when you finally do manage to draw a bead on them.

I love the M16. It's so raw sounding.

Alc · . Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 109 Location: UK

My friend just bought it but completed it in a single sitting, so took it back to the shop disgusted and traded it in for something longer. Said it was fun while it lasted.

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

He couldn't have...played it again?

I've only had the time lately to play it for about 40 minutes at a time, so I'm only about halfway through it. It has a nice pace to it, and I think the compulsion to 100% every level is rising in me so I think I might be playing it for another week or two. I don't really mind shorter games anymore, but I think the price point could have been ten dollars lower for all the complaints I keep hearing about the length. I very rarely see a game through to the end these days though, unless it really grabs me. Which Black does. It grabs me by the balls.

Alc · . Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 109 Location: UK

He's a strange gamer. Likes chavy NFS Underground sort of games, but will also happily spend £40 on a Megadrive Landstalker game on ebay too. For a while he actually refused to play SMW2 Yoshi's Island because he wasn't 100 percenting every level. I guess fickle is the right term?

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

You're making me want to play it. I love that on the back of the box more space is given to muzzle flare than scenery.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

TheRumblefish · . Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 258 Location: Florida

dhex · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:50 pm Post subject:

i will pick up black eventually.

(for invasion usa style bandana action, farcry is hard to top)
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Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Friday night I took part in a Half-Life marathon. Half-Life and Half-Life 2. No Opposing Force or Blue Shift. Took us about 12 hours in total. I think I may have an even bigger appreciation for Half-Life 2 than I did in the past. Not that I didn't like it beforehand.

My neighbour liked to point out how the hunter-chopper sequence in the Water Hazard chapter was a homage to scrolling schmups, where you'd be hounded by a vessel before taking it out in a boss fight. I liked the idea muchly, especially considering how the helicopter in question likes to drop a seemingly endless supply of mines.

And now I have an itch for Thief.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

dessgeega · Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

I played the demo once. Why, did the real game actually get better?

Also, I'm still playing BLACK. Been a solid week now, every single day I've played it. I'm halfway through the game, playing it on hard mode, and have been getting every secondary objective every single time. I'm kind of proud of that.

I can't wait to play it on black ops mode.

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

dessgeega · Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:36 pm Post subject:

wait, did i say halo? i meant half-life, because it was actually relevant to my quote.

also demonstar sounds familiar.
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Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

Ooohhh, Codename: Gordan, you mean. Half-Life 2D. Yeah, I played it. Still got it, in fact. I was kind of disappointed with it though because I followed it for like half a year expecting it to be really great and got my hopes all up. It's not a bad little game though.

dessgeega · Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:29 pm Post subject:

dark steve · . Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 1110

Abuse?

dessgeega · Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:40 pm Post subject:

dark steve · . Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 1110

I think you're right?

I'm kind of disoriented right now.

TheRumblefish · . Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 258 Location: Florida

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

dessgeega · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:50 am Post subject:

that's the one!
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Alc · . Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 109 Location: UK

dark steve · . Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 1110

How could you play Timesplitters 2 on easy? All the levels are cut in half at that difficulty.

Alc · . Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 109 Location: UK

I played it on normal and only got about half way through before getting tired of endlessly repeating one level, may have been the stealthy Blade Runner-ish one. I tried the first level on hard, got pretty close to/managed to complete it, can't quite remember, certainly didn't get any further than the second. I didn't play it on my own for that long - multiplayer is where the hours went on that game.

I'm certainly no master at FPS games on a pad, maybe that's showing. I'd say I prefer a keyboard and mouse combo, but the evidence indicates otherwise these days, and besides it probably depends more on how the game's been designed

TheRumblefish · . Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 258 Location: Florida

I finnaly got a hold of Black yesterday. I sat down and played through the first level. This is the first time I have played a Criterion game, I didn't expect this level of detail. I could taste the gunsmoke and feel the rubble around me. This is really exciting. I made it to the foruth level today, which takes place at a metal refinery. I shot a soldier on a balcony, he flipped over, and hung on to the railing.

Until I shot his arm with a mangum, in which he fell to his death through a sheet of glass.
This game should have a bandana included with it.
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Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

Yeah, it's great isn't it? One time I shot a guy on a balcony and he flipped over and hung onto the rail like usual, except I let him hang there a few seconds before shooting him and when I did he didn't fall. He just hung there like he had a death grip on the rail, it was great.

Playing through the levels on easy or normal after you've beaten it is great because all the weapons are silver and have infinite ammo. I think the same is true of hard mode as well. Don't know about black ops mode, but I think you get an M16 with a grenade launcher attached, which is just sweet.

simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

I picked up Serious Sam 2 the other day. It's not bad! Its blue skies approach draws me in more than Painkiller or an iD game ever will. It manages to be more self referential than the first two even, and sillier too.

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

They wear the fact that they're basically tech demos right on their sleeves as well. I enjoy the co-op.

Fun fact: John Dick, the guy who does Sam's voice also worked on the indie game Egoboo for a while.
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

help! · . Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

soooooooooooo hw do you beat the giant crab in king kong!?!?!?!!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?! Confused

Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

what
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