What Video Games Are You Currently Playing

[Guest Mirezzi]

Okay, I just went through the first major twist in the game in Bioshock. I've finished Olympus Heights and I'm now in the last stages of the game.

 

Admittedly, the game is better than I had let on. I still wish the gameplay were better, but it's incredible what one well designed level can do. Olympus Heights was a great level.

 

I took some bad advice early on and it hurt my enjoyment. I didn't bother with many plasmids except shock. That was dumb. Even the ones that aren't overpowering are still fun as hell to use.

 

My advice to anybody playing Bioshock would be to use any and all plasmids. Be creative in how you kill both splicers and Big Daddies. Then I'd suggest ignoring the hackable devices wherever possible. Destroy health stations and swipe the free First Aid. Don't bother with vending machines unless you absolutely need to buy something because there are millions of vending machines in the game.

[Guest Iain C]

Okay, I just went through the first major twist in the game in Bioshock. I've finished Olympus Heights and I'm now in the last stages of the game.

 

Admittedly, the game is better than I had let on. I still wish the gameplay were better, but it's incredible what one well designed level can do. Olympus Heights was a great level.

 

I took some bad advice early on and it hurt my enjoyment. I didn't bother with many plasmids except shock. That was dumb. Even the ones that aren't overpowering are still fun as hell to use.

 

My advice to anybody playing Bioshock would be to use any and all plasmids. Be creative in how you kill both splicers and Big Daddies. Then I'd suggest ignoring the hackable devices wherever possible. Destroy health stations and swipe the free First Aid. Don't bother with vending machines unless you absolutely need to buy something because there are millions of vending machines in the game.

 

The very ending is really shit. You'll see.

 

Agreed about the plasmids. I found that by using them creatively there were quite a few interesting ways to approach combat - the problem being that there was no real incentive to do so. It's like they had the potential for really great combat in the game, but it was missing some extra restrictions or environmental contexts that would have made creative combat necessary. A wasted opportunity.

 

But seriously. The ending. You'll see.

[Guest Mirezzi]

I found that by using them creatively there were quite a few interesting ways to approach combat - the problem being that there was no real incentive to do so. It's like they had the potential for really great combat in the game, but it was missing some extra restrictions or environmental contexts that would have made creative combat necessary. A wasted opportunity.

 

Dude, fucking exactly.

 

It's like they told their physics/engine team to work on all this unique weaponry, including plasmids, then totally neglected to write something that would actually require their use!

 

It shouldn't be left to user creativity and experimentation to use certain weapons or abilities.

 

I hear you about the ending and I trust that you're right. It feels like it's building up to nothing. Nonetheless, these last two levels have been enjoyable and I still like things about the game.

 

Another thing I'm noticing is the lack of a familiar or something...positive?...to complement the dreary atmosphere. The Tenenbaum stuff has been a HUGE relief in the game, but it's not enough, not by a long shot. I think developers and writers overlook this far too often. Every game needs a kind of "safe zone" where the tone and atmosphere is neutral or better yet, supportive? For instance, Half-Life 2 did this really well. You'd slog through a hellish level of killing baddies and figuring out puzzles but you'd find a safe zone where your allies would fluff you, build up your spirits, and stroke your pecker before sending you back out into the wilds.

 

Bioshock needed that badly IMO. It's too fucking depressing at times. Atlas (for obvious reasons) didn't come close to satisfying this requirement.

[kaini]

hotline miami is so fucking good. ultraviolent eighties top-down stealth/twitch shooter with an amazing soundtrack.

[mcbpete]

Currently continuing my replay of the oh so great Half Life 2 via the new update of CinematicMod that came out a few days ago (v12.21).

 

There's a new feature in this version which may sound small but the effect is quite considerable: light sources now affect one another, so for example the torch now with create dynamic shadows on other objects, objects can also occlude lighting again changing it, putting it more in line with lighting features of more modern day FPSs. The lighting realism has been generally improved throughout since v.12.0

 

There's also optional post-processing effects (i.e. colour grading) now if your graphics card can handle the extra demand on it.

 

It's getting quite a beast now at nearly 33Gb once unpacked...

[Guest Mirezzi]

Holy shit. Sounds fun though. Still one of my top 5 all-time video games, which is extra hilarious because I shit all over it when I first played it. I emo rage /quit when I got stuck on that first boat jump puzzle with the underwater barrels.

 

I was all like, "Physics? What's a Physics? Me Mirezzi. ME SMASH!"

[Guest Pennywise]

Currently continuing my replay of the oh so great Half Life 2 via the new update of CinematicMod that came out a few days ago (v12.21).

 

There's a new feature in this version which may sound small but the effect is quite considerable: light sources now affect one another, so for example the torch now with create dynamic shadows on other objects, objects can also occlude lighting again changing it, putting it more in line with lighting features of more modern day FPSs. The lighting realism has been generally improved throughout since v.12.0

 

There's also optional post-processing effects (i.e. colour grading) now if your graphics card can handle the extra demand on it.

 

It's getting quite a beast now at nearly 33Gb once unpacked...

Is there gibbing? I would like to blow off the combine soldiers heads etc.

[Guest]

devil may cry dmc.

 

@ the final boss stage. Not much of a looker, but the combat upgrade system is deep and I'll be playing through all secret missions to upgrade my favorite weapons. Also will try a higher difficulty setting as I brushed through this with relative ease. I like the psychedelic nature of some of the level designs, crazy shit.

[kaini]

the big problem with most HL mods is that they try and give alyx booty and giant tits. valve craft a decent female sidekick who isn't a caricature and the mod community promptly undo that step in the right direction. sigh.

[skotosa]

Yea everything is great with the Cinematic mod except for the Cinematic booty, tits and face.

 

Its like Alyx underwent heavy plastic surgery for her future porn career where she stars as Alyxxx Vancy.

Edited January 30, 2013 by ZiggomaticV17

[ambermonk]

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...

 

I played that almost a year ago and never finished it due to boredom. I like the idea of a playable interactive narrative in the first-person perspective, but this one just feels lifeless.

 

I'm kind of surprised people are still playing HL2 mods. Valve's latest game is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive from last August. I guess that was their attempt at reviving the CS community. Aside from a few new maps, guns, character models, and a couple of new game modes, the overall gameplay is basically unchanged from CS: Source. It costs only $15 though.

 

Now let's see if Valve will release HL2: Episode III next Let's see how Valve will manage to survive from here onward.

[ambermonk]

Sorry if I sounded like a judgmental prick in my last post regarding HL2 mods. I like to revisit older classics on occasion as well.

Just pre-ordered Bioshock: Infinite about an hour ago. I mistakenly thought it was to be released 26 February, but it's actually 26 March. Still, there are plenty of game options in the meantime.

Edited January 30, 2013 by ambermonk

[mcbpete]

Yea everything is great with the Cinematic mod except for the Cinematic booty, tits and face.

 

All the characters (particularly Alyx) have configurable models using the options thing when you first set it up so you can have the original model or nearly original model or completely different model based on your perversion level.

[Squee]

 

Yea everything is great with the Cinematic mod except for the Cinematic booty, tits and face.

 

All the characters (particularly Alyx) have configurable models using the options thing when you first set it up so you can have the original model or nearly original model or completely different model based on your perversion level.

 

Can I make her face real clean like in Skyrim?

[ambermonk]

A new indie adventure/dream scape game just released today: Proteus (http://www.visitproteus.com/)

I haven't tried it yet, but it's a cool idea.

Edited January 31, 2013 by ambermonk

[Guest zaphod]

i like the music in that video. what is the game's concept?

[Ego]

I enjoyed it. No real gameplay to it. You run around a randomly generated world throughout a few seasons. Plants, structures and regions have different sounds and melodies so you run around looking for pretty sights and ambient melodies. Mostly melodies since the art is barren and the music can be very beautiful at times. Sometimes it subtly takes control back in a certain way and does something special and there are certain cues to guide you to progress. The synergy between the music and visuals can really work. It does feel a bit magical.

 

But for such a lo-fi world they should have a better draw distance. The far clipping plane is very obvious. It's also very short. Played through it in 40 minutes or so and wasn't playing in a hurry. Maybe I'll see and hear different things on another playthrough since some of it is procedural?

Edited January 31, 2013 by Ego

[mcbpete]

i like the music in that video. what is the game's concept?

You know on Skyrim where you have to walk from point A to B and just take in the scenery and frolic through fields? Imagine that but remove point A and B and render it on an Atari 2600 (and have every object emit a pretty noise). It's not a game you'll want to play too often but now and then you'll have a hankering to chill out with it for half an hour or so. Tom Francis from PC Gamer summed it up nicely with his quote - "The best song I’ve ever played"

 

But yeah it's a lovely little diversion, been playing it since 0.1 and although not heaps of stuff have been added since then (they've been more subtle incremental updates & bugfixes) it's still been fun to play through it again on each update.

 

Ego - There's an option in the settings menu to increase draw distance, it's still kinda foggy but I think that may be more intention of slowly discovering the island rather than limitation. The procedural generation is mainly of island shape generation and object placement - you'll have pretty much seen/heard all there is to see/hear on your first play through but it's still nice to revisit the island once and again in a slightly different configuration.

[Blir]

I would love it so much if a big budget game came out, something like Skyrim, where they had the balls to go all out and create a universe with that graphical style. Or just some sort of style, instead of all these realistic looking games which just end up being grey, brown and boring.

[gaarg]

It kinda reminds me of a game I made about a forest that randomly grew and regenerated and that. You just watched it like a screensaver from top, but it was fun for me to be making it.

[Guest Frankie5fingers]

I would love it so much if a big budget game came out, something like Skyrim, where they had the balls to go all out and create a universe with that graphical style. Or just some sort of style, instead of all these realistic looking games which just end up being grey, brown and boring.

i gotta agree. i play video games to escape reality, not experience it. i cant think of the last big budget game i played that was super artistic and universe-y at the same time. so it mustve been awhile, or i have a bad memory.

 

on a side note: i dusted off my DS and started playing a couple games. mainly Shin Megami Tense: Devil Survivor, fantastic game. ive also been playing Taiko No Tatsujin quite a bit too, another really fun game.

[mcbpete]

The last big-budget 'arty' game I can think of is El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron but I've never investigated it enough to know if it's any good or not

 

 

My concern is that it's just Devil May Cry but with esoteric textures.

 

 

I had no idea that this had come out today, I know what I'll be buying when I head home -

 

[Friendly Foil]

El Shaddai is an awesome looking game. The story did nothing for me, but damn, dwm viauals.

[Guest Frankie5fingers]

El Shaddai is an awesome looking game. The story did nothing for me, but damn, dwm viauals.

yeah, the visuals look really cool. but the gameplay looks a little "flat."

[eugene]

man, it's really dry lately in the pc gaming world, sure i could play crusader kings 2 non stop but sometimes i really need to shoot/hack/bash/drive something in a beautiful 3d environment. is there anything interesting off the mainstream radar going on ?