What Video Games Are You Currently Playing

[Danny O Flannagin]

Getting my ass handed to me in counter strike source. Its fun and it feels really get when i get a kill but i can only play it for half an hour to an hour in one sitting because it gets a bit mundane

[luke viia]

 

I liked Dear Esther. I'm still not sure if the main character is you, the guy talking to you, or that guy but he's already dead, or are you also about to be dead, or are you reliving his past? Are you Esther, presumably the narrator (Jacobson)'s wife? And are you maybe... in a coma? It seems like there's maybe another couple in the story at times, but I think Donnelly = Esther, so maybe not. It's like they had a mystery and just seriously refused to let it be solved. It's so full of symbology it's hard to know where it's supposed to start and stop... maybe the caves are your "inner self"? I mean, yeah, the lack of interaction was kinda disappointing, but my mind was still tickled.

 

Also, those white lines on the cliff - you know the ones I mean - what did you gather they were?

 

There's a lot of ambiguity in the narration. I thought it was too cryptic as well. I couldn't keep up with who was who. Here's a reasonable explanation I've stolen from a guy on Eurogamer:

 

 

Esther was the narrator's partner. She died in a car crash on the motorway.

 

The other car was driven by a man named Paul. He'd had alcohol prior to

his journey, but not enough to get him over the limit. It's also

speculated that a fault in the electronics of the braking system in his

car.

 

The narrator knows of this deserted island in the Hebrides. He withdraws and visits it constantly.

 

A book found in a library written by a man named Donnelly gives the

history of the island. As you may imagine, it's not the most interesting

read. The narrator occasionally refers to the last person to inhabit

the island, a Scandinavian named Jacobson who herded goats there, who

died of syphilis.

 

The chemical symbol for alcohol; the circuit diagram for a car braking

system; a neuron; some text about Paul on the road to Damascus. These

are the graffiti that litter the island, daubed in luminous paint, that

the narrator has plastered all over the island on his many prior visits.

In his grief, so acute that he's become a bit crazy - and crazily

creative, making bizarre mental connections in his prose - he tries

again and again to draw these diagrams in order to make sense of

Esther's death or perhaps see something underneath them that will

magically undo the mistake that the universe made.

 

The narrator wrote Esther letters, I think before she died, indicating

that they were apart for some time. He never delivered them, and now

they are folded paper boats drifting off a jetty on the island.

 

We join the narrator, still writing letters to Esther in his head, on his final trip to the island.

 

 

It's also probable that the narration becomes more wild near the end because your character hurt his leg and is on a lot of painkillers.

 

werd... I'm partial to the "Esther's in a coma and her husband is in the hospital talking to her" theory, (there's hints like the hospital equipment in the underwater highway, the "come back" + high heartbeat that you always hear if you attempt to get lost or die too early in the game, the red lighthouse dot resembling a beeping piece of equipment in an emergency room, the flatline you hear at the end of the game...) but there are holes all over the plot if you take that view too, so I dunno. There's definitely a huge air of pre-destiny throughout the game, as if this was always going to happen to the character. there's even that weird hooded character(s?) that you see on the cliff and (reportedly, I didn't notice) they're in a few other places as well... kinda looks like some version of a grim reaper when it's on the cliff.

 

the ambiguity & symbology might be the most intriguing part of that game, so props to the developers for that, even if it was short and there wasn't much to "do"

[Guest drukqs]

Are Shadow of the Colossus and Ico like Journey as well or is that a load of hooey?

[Ego]

They certainly share a lot of DNA. Same sense of exploration, a lot of focus on atmosphere and setting, very minimal, intuitive, natural feeling gameplay systems and the story telling and progression is a lot like Journey's. They're also similar in the way that they're the result of a very clear
and daring vision which gives them great artistic merit. ICO is dated so the game design can feel very sloppy in places but it's still an important piece of gaming history and very much worth playing.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Ego

[Guest zaphod]

beat dishonored. disappointed. it's a pretty cool combat system and an engaging world, but you don't get to explore it at all. the main story is lacking and the character's motivations don't really make sense. i would have preferred a more free form approach with the exact same combat engine and game world. it's also a really short game.

[Guest Mirezzi]

Jesus, that was quick. I was thinking of playing it next.

 

I just put in a couple more hours on Bioshock and had more fun than I did last night.

 

 

 

The Ryan and Fontaine twist was cool, even though I had predicted something was odd about Atlas since very early in the game. Still, it was a fun moment in the game and much needed.

 

 

[Guest drukqs]

 

Can someone recommend me more games like Journey? Something where you're exploring an amazing world or something with really great art direction that isn't just killkillkillkillkillkill based gameplay? Or Anyang that's really unique? I'm thinking games like the Neverhood, Machinarium, etc (but preferably without the point-and-click aspect.) they can be flash games, independent games, ps1 games, pc games or Xbox I really don't care.

 

Or anything that is the video game equivalent to Selected Ambient Works Vol II

 

Can't leave this thread without recommending Yume Nikki. If you're interested playing it do yourself a favour and just download the game rather than just read up on it. It'll be much more rewarding (if you like the game that is).

 

Also the games that mcbpete recommended are pretty spot on, Memory of a Broken Dimension looks amazing! Very reminiscent of Devil's Tuning Fork.

 

What the fuck am I playing.

[takeshi]

Just finished COD: Black Ops 2 and the ending had me saying wtf. I stopped being cheap and finally got Fallout 3 (rented it years ago) and I'm slowly working my way through it. And the girlfriend now has me hooked on Jewelmania. She asked me to beat a level and now I can't stop.

[Friendly Foil]

@takeshi

What ending did you get?

[Silent Member]

So, I bought Sleeping Dogs at a bargain price even though I hated the demo. I guess I just couldn't shake the Shenmue comparisons. It's pretty good, although the combat feels a bit unresponsive at times. "Hong Kong" is fucking lush though, I mostly enjoy cruising about town doing the odd side mission and picking up collectibles. Surpised me, this one.

 

Edit: ohboy I got duke nukem forever as well, played through the first couple of levels. Quit after the rape cave level. I feel like I need a shower. Never touching that shit again.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Gocab

[takeshi]

@takeshi

What ending did you get?

I didn't kill Menendez and he says he'll see me in a year and to study 'Ulysses'. Then he breaks out of prison, with the help of the virus, and goes to kill the marine in the wheelchair. But not before revealing his sister didn't die. The wheelchair guy just kidnapped her and refused to tell Menendez her whereabouts. Then it cuts to Menendez at his sisters grave about to set himself on fire. And that's the end.

 

Oh yeah and then there's a music video for Avenged Sevenfold with all the character models dancing to shitty patriotic metal, with Menendez on guitar and wheelchair guy on drums.

[Guest zaphod]

Jesus, that was quick. I was thinking of playing it next.

 

it's a quick game once you learn the basics. i guess the replay value is high since there are different approaches to beating a level, but there really isn't much to it.

[Squee]

Dear Esther was so fucking boring. It was good looking when you think about the engine it's running in, but it was overly pretentious and it felt like I was playing a poem...

[Guest Aserinsky]

 

 

Can someone recommend me more games like Journey? Something where you're exploring an amazing world or something with really great art direction that isn't just killkillkillkillkillkill based gameplay? Or Anyang that's really unique? I'm thinking games like the Neverhood, Machinarium, etc (but preferably without the point-and-click aspect.) they can be flash games, independent games, ps1 games, pc games or Xbox I really don't care.

 

Or anything that is the video game equivalent to Selected Ambient Works Vol II

 

Can't leave this thread without recommending Yume Nikki. If you're interested playing it do yourself a favour and just download the game rather than just read up on it. It'll be much more rewarding (if you like the game that is).

 

Also the games that mcbpete recommended are pretty spot on, Memory of a Broken Dimension looks amazing! Very reminiscent of Devil's Tuning Fork.

 

What the fuck am I playing.

[Guest drukqs]

 

 

 

Can someone recommend me more games like Journey? Something where you're exploring an amazing world or something with really great art direction that isn't just killkillkillkillkillkill based gameplay? Or Anyang that's really unique? I'm thinking games like the Neverhood, Machinarium, etc (but preferably without the point-and-click aspect.) they can be flash games, independent games, ps1 games, pc games or Xbox I really don't care.

 

Or anything that is the video game equivalent to Selected Ambient Works Vol II

 

Can't leave this thread without recommending Yume Nikki. If you're interested playing it do yourself a favour and just download the game rather than just read up on it. It'll be much more rewarding (if you like the game that is).

 

Also the games that mcbpete recommended are pretty spot on, Memory of a Broken Dimension looks amazing! Very reminiscent of Devil's Tuning Fork.

 

What the fuck am I playing.

I hate to be like this, but I keep coming back to this game hoping to find some redeeming quality about it, but it honestly just frustrates me and makes me want to hurt whoever made it. It honestly feels like I could make this game in a month or two, but why would I want to? Why would anyone want to make or play such an awful fucking game? If I did want to make a game in a month or two I'd try to make it actually worth playing.

 

Is it like avant garde or some shit? I honestly don't get it. Also I can't seem to get any abilities from other characters.

[SR4]

i bought arkham city on the cheap, none of my friends were around tonight, and i got a ton of work done, so I started in on it a bit. The controls seem far more awkward than on Asylum.

 

one thing that pisses me off is the camera during the fight sequences; I cant see the guys on my periphery and it drives me nuts...i cant remember if asylum did that too.

[Guest Aserinsky]

 

 

 

 

Can someone recommend me more games like Journey? Something where you're exploring an amazing world or something with really great art direction that isn't just killkillkillkillkillkill based gameplay? Or Anyang that's really unique? I'm thinking games like the Neverhood, Machinarium, etc (but preferably without the point-and-click aspect.) they can be flash games, independent games, ps1 games, pc games or Xbox I really don't care.

 

Or anything that is the video game equivalent to Selected Ambient Works Vol II

 

Can't leave this thread without recommending Yume Nikki. If you're interested playing it do yourself a favour and just download the game rather than just read up on it. It'll be much more rewarding (if you like the game that is).

 

Also the games that mcbpete recommended are pretty spot on, Memory of a Broken Dimension looks amazing! Very reminiscent of Devil's Tuning Fork.

 

What the fuck am I playing.

I hate to be like this, but I keep coming back to this game hoping to find some redeeming quality about it, but it honestly just frustrates me and makes me want to hurt whoever made it. It honestly feels like I could make this game in a month or two, but why would I want to? Why would anyone want to make or play such an awful fucking game? If I did want to make a game in a month or two I'd try to make it actually worth playing.

 

Is it like avant garde or some shit? I honestly don't get it. Also I can't seem to get any abilities from other characters.

It's very much a love it or hate it game, so don't feel too bad you're not into it. I on the other hand absolutely love it, it's a strange argument to make but the absence of anything redeemable is what I find rather enjoyable; the fact I can just get lost somewhere with no real purpose for some reason just really appeals to me. You could argue it's not a game at all but more interactive pixel art, the fact that it makes people frustrated as shit would make me say it's sort of fulfilling its purpose, but hey, different strokes and all that.

 

Also I'm not going to lie, I cried my eyes out at the ending to this game. That probably sounds even more ridiculous to you after playing it.

[Friendly Foil]

Zone of the Enders was really good. Both games, but especially the second one.

The story was super cheesy and the voice acting was pretty bad, but the rest was sweet. Now I finally understand why so many people are asking for another ZoE game, all over the place.

[triachus]

Saints Row The Third

 

 

I must say, this game takes itself way too seriously

[Vilwx]

I'm not really a gamer but I came to this thread out of boredom and watching gameplay videos. A previous gamer roommate of mine recommended Yume Nikki to me and I really got into it for the time, collected about half of the effects before I got bored from running through the same areas over and over.

I can't say however that it's a good game allegory to SAWII and I obviously won't have a good one to recommend.

The game is not structured at all and it's random by appearance. It's more trippy and unrealistic rather than still solid colored infrastructure that I hear in SAWII. If you play games to complete goals then you won't find anything exciting in this game. It's not avant-garde at all, just an ambient game for the sake of wandering, but not definitely not through any beautiful deserts. Taking walks and making turns for no reason with unexpected sickly changes in dynamic.

 

I don't know if this has been mentioned but someone made a "game" based on this that should be pretty neat:

http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-087

[Guest drukqs]

 

 

 

 

 

Can someone recommend me more games like Journey? Something where you're exploring an amazing world or something with really great art direction that isn't just killkillkillkillkillkill based gameplay? Or Anyang that's really unique? I'm thinking games like the Neverhood, Machinarium, etc (but preferably without the point-and-click aspect.) they can be flash games, independent games, ps1 games, pc games or Xbox I really don't care.

 

Or anything that is the video game equivalent to Selected Ambient Works Vol II

 

Can't leave this thread without recommending Yume Nikki. If you're interested playing it do yourself a favour and just download the game rather than just read up on it. It'll be much more rewarding (if you like the game that is).

 

Also the games that mcbpete recommended are pretty spot on, Memory of a Broken Dimension looks amazing! Very reminiscent of Devil's Tuning Fork.

 

What the fuck am I playing.

I hate to be like this, but I keep coming back to this game hoping to find some redeeming quality about it, but it honestly just frustrates me and makes me want to hurt whoever made it. It honestly feels like I could make this game in a month or two, but why would I want to? Why would anyone want to make or play such an awful fucking game? If I did want to make a game in a month or two I'd try to make it actually worth playing.

 

Is it like avant garde or some shit? I honestly don't get it. Also I can't seem to get any abilities from other characters.

It's very much a love it or hate it game, so don't feel too bad you're not into it. I on the other hand absolutely love it, it's a strange argument to make but the absence of anything redeemable is what I find rather enjoyable; the fact I can just get lost somewhere with no real purpose for some reason just really appeals to me. You could argue it's not a game at all but more interactive pixel art, the fact that it makes people frustrated as shit would make me say it's sort of fulfilling its purpose, but hey, different strokes and all that.

 

Also I'm not going to lie, I cried my eyes out at the ending to this game. That probably sounds even more ridiculous to you after playing it.

Ah. I do keep coming back to it though. It just seemed a bit lazy in its design at first but there are a few interesting things. I guess I was expecting some kind of story to start unfolding. I wish you could talk to the girl in the cone house though.

[Guest Aserinsky]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can someone recommend me more games like Journey? Something where you're exploring an amazing world or something with really great art direction that isn't just killkillkillkillkillkill based gameplay? Or Anyang that's really unique? I'm thinking games like the Neverhood, Machinarium, etc (but preferably without the point-and-click aspect.) they can be flash games, independent games, ps1 games, pc games or Xbox I really don't care.

 

Or anything that is the video game equivalent to Selected Ambient Works Vol II

 

Can't leave this thread without recommending Yume Nikki. If you're interested playing it do yourself a favour and just download the game rather than just read up on it. It'll be much more rewarding (if you like the game that is).

 

Also the games that mcbpete recommended are pretty spot on, Memory of a Broken Dimension looks amazing! Very reminiscent of Devil's Tuning Fork.

 

What the fuck am I playing.

I hate to be like this, but I keep coming back to this game hoping to find some redeeming quality about it, but it honestly just frustrates me and makes me want to hurt whoever made it. It honestly feels like I could make this game in a month or two, but why would I want to? Why would anyone want to make or play such an awful fucking game? If I did want to make a game in a month or two I'd try to make it actually worth playing.

 

Is it like avant garde or some shit? I honestly don't get it. Also I can't seem to get any abilities from other characters.

It's very much a love it or hate it game, so don't feel too bad you're not into it. I on the other hand absolutely love it, it's a strange argument to make but the absence of anything redeemable is what I find rather enjoyable; the fact I can just get lost somewhere with no real purpose for some reason just really appeals to me. You could argue it's not a game at all but more interactive pixel art, the fact that it makes people frustrated as shit would make me say it's sort of fulfilling its purpose, but hey, different strokes and all that.

 

Also I'm not going to lie, I cried my eyes out at the ending to this game. That probably sounds even more ridiculous to you after playing it.

Ah. I do keep coming back to it though. It just seemed a bit lazy in its design at first but there are a few interesting things. I guess I was expecting some kind of story to start unfolding. I wish you could talk to the girl in the cone house though.

You can! You need to flick the switch on the wall and turn the light off, although sometimes she still wont respond. If that's the case, flick the switch back on, go out the house, go back in and flick the switch off again. It can take a while, but you'll certainly know when you're able to speak to her again, so don't give up if it seems nothing is happening.

[Guest drukqs]

 

dolan are u tryin to trick me

 

I already did the Uboa thing lol

Edited January 28, 2013 by drukqs

[Guest Aserinsky]

It was worth a try I suppose

[skotosa]

Dear Esther was so fucking boring. It was good looking when you think about the engine it's running in, but it was overly pretentious and it felt like I was playing a poem...

Poems need some playing to you know.