The Witcher
From what I've seen so far, the Witcher is a very nice "interactive movie"... apart from, perhaps, the interactive bits. :D
To be fair I've only played for about 5-10 minutes. I actually clocked in 1-2 hours overall, but actual playtime was less than 10 minutes. The rest of the time I was watching cutscenes and loading bars.
I trust the game will open up a bit more soon, once the initial story setup has been done, allowing me to play a bit more and get a more informed opinion on the gameplay. So far though, the fun factor has been hampered by crappy camera controls and a fairly annoying combat system, so I can't say I've truly enjoyed my play time thus far.
The camera has a few different modes and can be adjusted automatically or manually... I preferred the manual setup, but instead of allowing full control and playing nice, the camera jumped around a lot in a really shitty and distracting way. It seems like they've tried to allow for both a point-and-click style movement/auto camera model, while also allowing the option for WASD control for movement with a manual camera. So rather than being perfect for one of those styles, it ends up being pretty average for both.
The combat so far is a bit... meh. Rather than simple button mashing or auto-attacks, The Witcher lies somewhere in between - clicking on a bad guy will initiate an attack sequence, and you're required to press the mouse button at the appropriate times to perform extra attacks (bad timing will fuck up the sequence and you'll have to start again). It works well enough, but I'm not sure if I really like it or not yet. You can also change stances and cast spells, though I don't have many options yet (for spells at least) so it's hard to say whether those additional skills will make it interesting enough or not.
Ultimately if the game overall is good enough, I can see myself putting up with the less-than-ideal camera and combat... but only if the rest of the game is above average. So far it looks pretty good - the story is interesting enough, art is nice, voice acting is pretty good, etc, no complaints really, other than the aforementioned camera and combat issues.
Timeshift
#1493 posted by Shambler on 2007/11/15 23:10:27
JohnXmas wrote:
Somebody tried it? The time-suit generates great variations (slowmo, stop and reverse) on a known gameplay... At first, you have to get used to the kinda clumsy aliased visuals but once you're in, the well made lighting and design and colorful, quite cartoony textures add some olkskool fun to the experience. AI is correct, weapons are powerful. I'm not ashamed to say I really LIKE this game!
If you had fun with F.E.A.R. or HL2 (urban levels) and Painkiller type weapon effects, just grab the 1Gig demo (one full SP level) and see for yourself...
http://demo.timeshiftgame.com/
Settings and menus are plain and efficient. In the 'video' section, I found 'hardware quality' settings on 'good' might really boost fps without ruining the visuals too much. DoF might be turned off with no regrets too. And hey! There's a built-in FoV cursor in the 'game' settings!
Unlike Crysis or Jericho, this game runs fast and smooth in 1920x1200 here. Pent D 3.2 - XP SP2 DX9c - SLI GeForce 7900GTX (Forceware 169.04 beta required, but working well)
http://www.timeshiftgame.com
I tend to agree. Whilst it basically 100% IS Half-Life 2 + bullet time, it is still pretty fun. The FPS basics are all present and correct and done well, and there are a few things I like:
Timeshift is easy and useful and fun (although will probably get old?)
Weapons are powerful and feel good - death animations and blood are rewarding.
Destructable enviroments are a nice touch (although the enviroments and currently visuals are pretty cluttered).
Overall it seems to do the job, albeit a derivative one. I could be tempted.
So Games.
#1494 posted by Shambler on 2007/11/15 23:29:31
There seems to be a few shooters and stuff recently.
Am I right that I should be buying / playing:
Bioshock
Crysis
Gears Of War
and Timeshift since I like the demo
???
Any others??
I am so behind with gaming it's ridiculous. Have still got to start Dark Messiah, Vampire and Thief 3, and make progress on Guild Wars and Gothic 3....hmph. Still it's always good to have straight up shooters to play, right??
Shambler...
#1495 posted by bal on 2007/11/15 23:48:56
You should buy the Orange Box and have some Team Fortress 2 with us online!
/me votes TF2 best game of 2007.
Anyways yeah, so many games coming out these days! Have to play Gears of War and Crysis, but will probably get a 8800gt first to play them in proper quality.
And have to get Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 on Wii! And if I had a 360 I'd be playing assassin's creed. =\
Oh and been wasting time on Hellgate a bit, Frib, what do you think of the full game?
Asassin'cs Creed
#1496 posted by nitin on 2007/11/16 08:46:57
checked it out for a bit at the local shop, that looks like a great game. Although I wonder if the missions would get repetitive? WIth good level design they shouldnt. Either way, it looks cool. anyone know if its coming out on pc ?
Nitin...
#1497 posted by bal on 2007/11/16 09:38:47
Yeah, apparently early 2008.
Raisins' Creed
#1498 posted by czg on 2007/11/16 11:23:37
I heard it gets a bit repetitive yeah. So far I've done only one assassination though, and I'm really enjoying every aspect of it. I take my time to explore and shit and just chill out on the rooftops. So far very little action for me, which I love, because I hate action.
It's a brilliant groping sim.
HL2 Ep2
#1499 posted by Shambler on 2007/11/17 17:03:39
Okay, this will sound dumb but can someone inform me here.
I played HL2 a while back, it was cool. I played HL2 Ep1 a while back too, it was also cool.
Ep2 is the one just out, that's been delayed for ages??
Now, what purchase options does this come with?? I presume you at least have to buy it with TF2 and Portal included (which is fine by me). Can you just buy it like that, or do you have to buy this Orange Box bollox with HL2 and Ep1 as well??
Yes!
#1500 posted by RickyT33 on 2007/11/17 18:15:14
As far as I know you have to buy it all!
Still - Its OK for me - I now have 360 versions of all of them, I preveiosly had HL2 on xbox1, [HL, HL2, HL2 ep1 - PC] and now [HL2, HL2 ep1, HL2 ep2, Portal and TF2 - 360]
Oh well...
360 versions all look better...
Eventually
#1501 posted by pjw on 2007/11/17 18:56:02
There will be stand-alone versions of them all, I'm sure, but I'm not sure how eventual that will be.
There was talk of "The Black Box" version for a while (that contained the three new games without the earlier content) but I seem to remember reading that it was shitcanned entirely.
Shambler
#1502 posted by bal on 2007/11/17 19:15:48
You can buy HL2 ep2 alone if you want on steam, it costs $30 though I think, so it's really not worth it considering the Orange Box is $50, and ep2, portal + tf2 are worth $80 total, and all 3 games are great. Just think of it as HL2 and ep1 being free bonuses you can give away as gifts to someone else. =)
I kinda wonder how much they were planning on selling the black box, cause the orange one is already really cheap.
Yeah
#1503 posted by DaZ on 2007/11/18 12:13:02
Orange box is insanely good value for money, even if you already own HL2 and EP1.
Hell its worth the entry fee for TF2 alone, and with the amount of custom maps that are no doubt gonna be released for Portal it will have a huge lifespan if you enjoy the 1st person puzzle gameplay.
I would seriously pick it up Shambler...
Under The Radar
#1504 posted by jsHcK on 2007/11/19 17:28:28
Soldier Of Fortune: Payback
www.sofpayback.com
Built on engine used for Chaser.
No demo released.
SoF Payback...
#1505 posted by bal on 2007/11/19 18:33:46
The 2 first games were fairly average, and the gratuitous violence completely puts me off now.
Err
#1506 posted by megaman on 2007/11/20 04:04:34
i hate marketing like that. let's all not buy the game.
Timeshift.
#1507 posted by Shambler on 2007/11/20 23:49:32
Ordered the game yesterday, playing it today. Just what I felt like.
For anyone who was worried it might wildly deviate from it's HL2 + bullet time shooter on rails theme, don't fret...
It's fun though, and the slow mo deaths are great - shooting some dude jumping off a platform in slow-time and blowing him back onto the platform, very nice.
Does what it says on the tin, though that's a pretty small label.
Kawaaiiiiiiiiiiiiii Kitteeeeeeeens!
#1508 posted by bear on 2007/11/22 07:41:46
Bear
#1509 posted by ijed on 2007/11/22 13:00:46
That looks pretty nice - the soundtrack is pretty manic / insane though.
GTA Vice City
#1510 posted by Spirit on 2007/11/23 21:22:19
Yeehaw, finally finished this sucker (years after everyone else)! And what great fun it was. Some missions were super hard because of the "bad" movement and control (laggy compared to Quake, but one gets used of it). I love the car feeling, greatest fun driving I have yet encountered in any game. I wish there was a patch to give a higher distance "cut-off" of the buildings and especially the entities. It's pretty weird to turn your back and make cars behind you disappear.
All the npcs are pretty cool characters. NPC AI sucks big time, I had to restart missions so often because of it.
The open ending is kinda nice, I have 50% completion (played 13 hours apparently, but this probably does not count reloads, duh) and will have fun exploring the city. Can't wait to try a race in the stadium. Also I need to get 6 stars. :>
But what a disappointing ending sequence. No, dear development team, you are NOT cool or famous or whatever enough to justify a 10 minute movie-style name text-wall with gay music and still pictures of the city which is not interruptable by the player. Nice wanking there...
Well, San Andreas is waiting for me. And its shiny manual & map already gave me the impression it will rock even more (seriously, what a great manual book!) :)
PS
#1511 posted by Spirit on 2007/11/23 21:23:49
There is a fun GTA Vice City multiplayer mod. Easy to install and great fun to play even with only 2 people (played with a friend last weekend). It's basically exploration, hunting down the other player, pursuit, racing, whatever you want it to be.
http://www.vicecitymultiplayer.com
Cool
#1512 posted by negke on 2007/11/24 08:37:09
I'd sure like to give it try. Maybe even with a few more players (#tf?).
Aquaria
#1513 posted by bal on 2007/12/08 10:10:24
This indy game has been in the works for quite a while, it's finally been released, and there's a demo, might be worth checking out. It's a 2D underwater exploration/action game, looks fairly pretty, and the basic gameplay seems nice and smooth.
http://www.bit-blot.com/aquaria/demo.html
Not Found?
#1514 posted by necros on 2007/12/08 16:51:45
404...
#1515 posted by bal on 2007/12/08 18:13:49
Ah yeah... seems their whole site went down cause of too much traffic I guess, they had quite a bit of publicity going. =\
Oblivion Expansion: Shivering Isles
#1516 posted by Kinn on 2007/12/14 01:38:32
Shivering Isles is to me final, definitive proof that Bethesda's designers and scriptwriters are largely unimaginitive and witless nerds, who just happen to be fortunate enough to be working on a vastly ambitious and successful game series. It really doesn't add up.
To set the expansion in the Realm of Madness was a brilliant move; if anything, Oblivion's dodgy-as-fuck NPC AI could be largely excused under the pretense that, now officially at least, everyone is meant to be badger-boilingly batshit.
Whilst it's true that everyone in the main Oblivion game still comes across - completely unintentionally - as barmier than a bag of carrots, unfortunately transitioning into the Realm of Madness doesn't amount to much more than the NPCs adopting a slightly eccentric theme to their conversation topics. Let's see, you've got that Orc who's a bit camp and calls you "Sweetie", then there's that one who talks in made-up words (but not that far-out so you can still kind of follow the conversation), Oh yeah then there's that lizard guy who steals forks...
To make the quests in the expansion so bloody mundane (the majority are basically just your standard dungeon-crawling fetch quests), and the NPCs such banal, one-dimensional, and childish caricatures of what are supposed to be "mad people", is a huge missed opportunity. The voice acting is just as painful as it ever was in Oblivion, but coupled with the turgid, humourless "crazy talk" of the expansion, meant that it was a race every time to skim read through the text dialogue and exit the fuck out of the conversation menu before I popped a blood vessel from cringeing too hard.
When all's said and done though, like Oblivion, I'm still playing the bollocks out of it and I can't see that changing anytime soon.
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