Games you're thinking of buying but not sure about . . .

[Kumo]

I see a lot of threads talking about one game in particular, but what about one thread where people can throw their ideas down on the table and get some feedback on how the game is, and whether or not they should buy it?

For example, I've been thinking of getting Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops on my PSP. There is a bundle deal on the PSN for $30 that includes the game, Prt. Ops PLUS, and the MGS comic. Is it worth it or should I try to find the game for about $10 cheaper at a game store? I'm also thinking of getting Grandia on the PSP and for the PS3 I was thinking of buying Resistance: Fall of Man. How are those games? Any advice?

[DMKA]

I was thinking about buying Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, but then I heard it's only ten hours long with no replay value.

[Roto13]

Portable Ops Plus is basically just the multiplayer from Portable Ops with some extras. I don't think anyone actually plays it any more. And the comic... is pretty dull.

[Flying Arrow]

I was thinking about buying Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, but then I heard it's only ten hours long with no replay value.

Yeah, I was looking at this for a bit too. Really neat setting, but ultimately it plays like a less fluid God of War paired up with the kinda dull auto-platforming of the Uncharted games. At least this is what I took away from the PSN demo. It could still be good, but I'll definitely wait for a huge price drop.

Vanquish looks pretty good. Fun demo. I heard the game was far too short, though, and doesn't have a whole lot of reply value outside of time attacks and challenges. I also still need to pick up God of War III. But, AGAIN, I heard it was actually disappointingly short even when compared to the first two games, and I'm wary of spending $55 on what is probably a weekend rental game.

[Wolf Kanno]

For example, I've been thinking of getting Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops on my PSP. There is a bundle deal on the PSN for $30 that includes the game, Prt. Ops PLUS, and the MGS comic. Is it worth it or should I try to find the game for about $10 cheaper at a game store? I'm also thinking of getting Grandia on the PSP and for the PS3 I was thinking of buying Resistance: Fall of Man. How are those games? Any advice?

Portable Ops is pretty good, it doesn't play as fluid as Peace Walker but its not bad at all. It just takes getting use to the new formula of using different untis for tasks and CQC is a little...simple. Still, the plot is pretty the gameplay is solid, and production values are pretty awesome. Still... I wouldn't pay $30 for it. Even with the expansion pack and comic thrown in for good measure. As Roto13 pointed out, no one really plays the online components and that's all Portable Plus is good for besides nabbing a few little extras like Old Snake and Young Campbell. So unless you are a die hard MGS fan, I would save the cash and just grab Portable Ops itself.

As for Grandia... The story is old school evil empire, mysterious girl with magic power, and supernatural terror that is at the core of it all. The cast is okay but the VA is terrible. I don't mean that lightly, the first time you have to deal with that US southern hick voice which is sadly trapped on one of the better characters, you will die on the inside... On the plus side, Grandia has one of the best battle systems in the RPG genre and its growth system is not too shabby either with the exception of a few characters requiring you to grind to high heaven to get their final spells. Still, its a pretty good game for gameplay, though the story and cast leave much to be desired.

[Pheesh]

Vanquish looks pretty good. Fun demo. I heard the game was far too short, though, and doesn't have a whole lot of reply value outside of time attacks and challenges. I also still need to pick up God of War III. But, AGAIN, I heard it was actually disappointingly short even when compared to the first two games, and I'm wary of spending $55 on what is probably a weekend rental game.

If you don't buy God of War III at least make sure you play it at some point, it really is pretty incredible.

I've wanted to get Resonance of Fate for a while now but I have to order it from abroad because no one here seems to stock it. Just wanted to know if it's worth the effort.

[Slothy]

and for the PS3 I was thinking of buying Resistance: Fall of Man. How are those games?

Resistance was quite enjoyable when it came out but is still fairly generic. It's easily trumped by any number of FPS games that came out before it on other platforms and since it's release even on the PS3 alone. I don't think I'd recommend it myself, in part because of that and also because Resistance 2 was terrible and there's no reason to get into the first when it ends without resolving anything and the sequel isn't worth playing. You're better off picking up something like COD4 or Killzone 2 if you're after a PS3 FPS worth playing.

[Dreddz]

If you don't buy God of War III at least make sure you play it at some point, it really is pretty incredible.

I've wanted to get Resonance of Fate for a while now but I have to order it from abroad because no one here seems to stock it. Just wanted to know if it's worth the effort.
Ill second your comment on GOW III. It really did surpass my expectations. Has the best "moments" in a game this year in my opinion.

Interestingly I also want to pick up Resonance of Fate. As well as White Knight Chronicles. Haven't played an RPG in quite a while. My next purchases though will likely be Vanquish followed by GT5.......if its even released this year.

[ChickenHeart]

Heavy rain, it looks really interesting but, i've been fooled before.

[Roto13]

Heavy rain, it looks really interesting but, i've been fooled before.

Don't buy Heavy Rain if you play on an SD TV.

[ChickenHeart]

Heavy rain, it looks really interesting but, i've been fooled before.

Don't buy Heavy Rain if you play on an SD TV.

It's HD =)

[The Last Illoran]

Katamari for psp

[Slothy]

Heavy rain, it looks really interesting but, i've been fooled before.

I'd repeat things I've said in the past about this game but that'd take too long. Short version is that it's an experience unlike any other and is easily one of the most unique and refreshing games I've played in a long time. Let yourself get immersed in it and it'll really wow you.

For a longer version, look here (and for god's sake watch out for spoilers. Knowing what happens in advance could ruin the whole thing for you): http://forums.eyesonff.com/general-gaming-discussion/130021-heavy-rain.html#post2798306

[Rase]

I'm sitting pretty happy right now. Plenty of games I question the worth of I just get on Gamefly and plow through.

[ljkkjlcm9]

I've wanted to get Resonance of Fate for a while now but I have to order it from abroad because no one here seems to stock it. Just wanted to know if it's worth the effort.
Interestingly I also want to pick up Resonance of Fate. As well as White Knight Chronicles. Haven't played an RPG in quite a while. My next purchases though will likely be Vanquish followed by GT5.......if its even released this year.

Resonance of Fate is on my Wishlist on Amazon... I've wanted it but have other games to get through. It's actually offering decent prices in the high 20-low 30 dollar range. From what I've heard/read, it's certainly worth that price.

White Knight Chronicles is fun, but gets very repetitive in the long run. Playing through the story is fun at least, enjoyable battle system and great customization, then getting online and playing with some people you know. But eventually it just becomes the BIGGEST grind ever, like Disgaea level grind.

Other notable Wishlist games either waiting to drop in price or just til I have more time (preference wise):
Star Ocean: Last Hope International
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Red Steel 2
Dragon Quest IX
Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals (DS remake)
Nier
Megaman Zero Collection (own all on GBA)

then this month I already pre-ordered Donkey Kong Returns, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and Golden Sun Dark Dawn
but I want Epic Mickey too....
Thankfully (kind of) Little Big Planet 2 was pushed back, being nice on my wallet this November.

of course, all this coming from the guy who just started playing FFXIII this month, when I've had it since release day, have yet to open Bayonetta (got for 20 bucks at Best Buy) and have yet to open.... Modern Warfare 2 (still plastic wrapped), which was a gift last christmas. Not to mention all the games I just haven't gotten around to beating, like Arc Rise Fantasia, or further back Valkyria Chronicles.

THE JACKEL

[Levian]

Heavy rain, it looks really interesting but, i've been fooled before.

With before, do you mean Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy? It's hundred times better than that game because this one actually makes sense!

Heavy Rain is not a very long game. If it's possible for you to rent it or borrow it from a friend, by all means do it. It's impossible to get a game over as well, so you'll constantly progress no matter how much you fuck up as well. I personally think it's a great game, but I only played it for a week in February. If only there were more games out there like this one!

As for the topic. Epic Mickey. Artwork says ahmagawd, gameplay trailer says uh, wut?

Goldeneye remake could be hit or miss, as well.

[DMKA]

Vanquish looks pretty good. Fun demo. I heard the game was far too short, though, and doesn't have a whole lot of reply value outside of time attacks and challenges.

Do NOT buy it unless you really care about the multiplayer. The campaign takes less than four hours to complete, I kid you not.

[JKTrix]

Spoken like someone who doesn't own the game. Which is understandable, considering your opinion of it.

There's no multiplayer mode in Vanquish. End-to-end, the game is not long, but I would be impressed if anyone here finished it the first time through in 4 hours if they played it on anything higher than Easy. That's 4 hours of real-world time spent playing the game, as the game only counts the hours you play between checkpoints--so if you die a half hour after you hit a check point, that half hour does not count for your in-game time.

Get Vanquish if you like somewhat open-ended score-attack type arcade games. The controls are pretty perfect and allow for a vast approach to blowing crap up, and it looks stylish while you do it. If that kind of gameplay doesn't interest you--the desire to do things faster, more efficiently, more stylishly than you (or someone else) did it before--then don't bother trying to justify the full price of it. Maybe rent it.

It's a similar kind of argument for shooting games like Deathsmiles and Gradius and the like--it's all about doing better than you did before. Some people can't justify spending a lot of money on things like that. But then there are some people who absolutely love those kinds of games.


I love Vanquish.

[Depression Moon]

Chess and Magic the Gathering.

[DMKA]

Spoken like someone who doesn't own the game. Which is understandable, considering your opinion of it.

There's no multiplayer mode in Vanquish.
"Understandable considering your opinion of it"...huh? What does that even mean?

It doesn't have multiplayer? Jesus Christ then buying it at all is pointless.

And you're correct, I don't own it; I rented it, and I beat it in a single sitting, on the default mode in just under four hours.

Feel free to be impressed, and good for you in feeling your $60 for a four hour game was justified. I know I sure wouldn't, but different strokes. :p

[JKTrix]

Your opinion is that you didn't care for it. So it makes sense that you don't own it. Perhaps a redundant statement. And bravo, I am impressed that you finished it in four hours. (As a user of a site dedicated to Final Fantasy--a game with almost no 'gameplay'--I do have a pretty low assumption of gaming skill associated with most people I don't know here.)

Complaining about it being 4 hours is valid. I can admit that it's a short time for most people, particularly if you don't appreciate its brand of replay appeal. I'm not going to get into the 'you don't get it' argument because it's not your job to 'get it'. And I also don't have the time for the pointless back-and-forth.

I've made my point. My 'justification' is my own, and I brought up other examples that some people might be able to relate with. It's not for everyone.

[DMKA]

Your opinion is that you didn't care for it. So it makes sense that you don't own it. Perhaps a redundant statement. And bravo, I am impressed that you finished it in four hours. (As a user of a site dedicated to Final Fantasy--a game with almost no 'gameplay'--I do have a pretty low assumption of gaming skill associated with most people I don't know here.)

Complaining about it being 4 hours is valid. I can admit that it's a short time for most people, particularly if you don't appreciate its brand of replay appeal. I'm not going to get into the 'you don't get it' argument because it's not your job to 'get it'. And I also don't have the time for the pointless back-and-forth.

I've made my point. My 'justification' is my own, and I brought up other examples that some people might be able to relate with. It's not for everyone.

Fair enough. :)

[Mirage]

I think it's strange to assume that most users of a final fantasy board hasn't planed tons of non-FF games :(.

As for games I'm thinking of buying, let's see... There's Fallout New Vegas, at least. I actually have most of the released games that I want. There are a few games I might get when they're out, but nothing really springs to mind.

[Slothy]

I think it's strange to assume that most users of a final fantasy board hasn't planed tons of non-FF games :(.

That's not what he said.

And although I haven't played Vanquish, I understand where you're coming from with the replay value JKTrix, and that sort of thing does appeal to me. Maybe not enough to justify full price, but I could probably see myself getting it when it comes down a bit.

[VeloZer0]

I'm going to throw out mine:

Demon Souls
I am 100% with the concept behind this game, but I'm still not sold on the gameplay. I'm rather picky about such things, and there is no demo on PSN so I have been putting it off.

Resonance of Fate
Looks interesting, but I'm a little gun-shy by the fact I have been don't think I have played a JRPG made in the last decade that hasn't disappointed me.

Valkyria Chronicles II
I found the actual combat of the first one to be brilliant and quite enjoyable. However, I found the scouting and moving forces across huge maps aspect of be frustrating. I like the maps that are tight without a large dependence of scouting, or a huge map where I have to wait forever for my slower units to keep up. Is it exactly like the first one, or has it been tweaked a bit?

Final Fantasy Four Heroes of Light
Is this kind of like FF3?

[Depression Moon]

I'm also not quite sure about buying Chinese Checkers.

[Jessweeee♪]

Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. I had it before, but it's gone now.

Cons:
I didn't really like the whole "My legs feel stronger now!" thing. Okay, I opened something with a crowbar so now I have enough muscle to bust this door in. It was a neat idea, but very poorly executed.
Given the game's age, a used copy may not last for much longer, and a used copy is all I'm likely to find offline.

Pros:
Only $5 due to absolutely terrible reception amongst TR fans.
I really enjoyed the level design, apart from the above issue.
I liked the creepy feel of this game, and it was a nice change of pace from the usual wandering in old ruins.
Like any Tomb Raider game, it's so much fun to break with cheating devices. Moonwalk is pretty much the coolest thing ever.

[Mirage]

I'm also not quite sure about buying Chinese Checkers.

I'd definitely recommend chess over chinese checkers

ohyeah, i might buy the scott pilgrim game if i like the movie. going to watch it later today

[Roto13]

Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. I had it before, but it's gone now.

Cons:
I didn't really like the whole "My legs feel stronger now!" thing. Okay, I opened something with a crowbar so now I have enough muscle to bust this door in. It was a neat idea, but very poorly executed.
Given the game's age, a used copy may not last for much longer, and a used copy is all I'm likely to find offline.

Pros:
Only $5 due to absolutely terrible reception amongst TR fans.
I really enjoyed the level design, apart from the above issue.
I liked the creepy feel of this game, and it was a nice change of pace from the usual wandering in old ruins.
Like any Tomb Raider game, it's so much fun to break with cheating devices. Moonwalk is pretty much the coolest thing ever.
$5 is totally impulse buy territory. :P Even if you don't like it, you can probably buy a $5 without too much regret.


I'm also not quite sure about buying Chinese Checkers.

I'd definitely recommend chess over chinese checkers

ohyeah, i might buy the scott pilgrim game if i like the movie. going to watch it later today

You should by Scott Pilgrim if you like River City Ransom. Don't bother with the demo. The game doesn't get fun until you level up a few times and buy some upgrades.

[JKTrix]

Resonance of Fate is $30 used at Gamestop in the US right now. I went on a little store-hopping adventure to find it yesterday. It's better than I expected.

Valkyria 2 splits up the larger maps into different areas. You'll still have your fast people and your slow people, but it seems like Scouts aren't as broken as they were in the first game. Things are pretty different though. I haven't put a whole lot of time into it though, as I preferred the basic 'storybook' structure of the original game compared to the mission-based structure that this one has. I like a mission based structure, but at the time I was already full of Monster Hunter, Peace Walker and Phantasy Star Portable so I just didn't want that in this game.

Resonance of Fate actually plays a little like Valkyria/Sakura Wars.

This post is brought to you by SEGA.

My next planned game purchases are Fist of the North Star (360) this week and 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (http://www.aksysgames.com/999/) (DS) in a couple more weeks. Behind the age gate for 999 is a flash demo of the game. Check it out if you like sound novels/adventure games like Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton.

[DK]

My next planned game purchases are Fist of the North Star

Fuck yes, I am dying to get this game. When I went to Tokyo earlier in the year was right around they time it got released in Japan and promos for it were all over the place and I really wanted it, and then I got the demo when it came out and I want it even more. So much fun.

[Iceglow]

[QUOTE=eternal essence;2924600]followed by GT5.......if its even released this year.

And the official word on that game is sometime next year or when hell freezes over. I'm not kidding you man we had it all set to be out for christmas this year at work, was drawing up the graphics ect we're going to use in store working on our pre-order marketing strategies and bang it gets pushed back AGAIN. Longest running bad joke in PS3 history aside from the fanboys glossing over the yellow light of death fault whenever theres a debate over what console is better, like I've said in the past, theres always a critical death failure present in consoles. Sadly what makes the joke even worse for ps3 owners is the Forza series what has gone from strength to strength for microsoft over the last 3 games (Forza 3 ultimate edition got released last friday, 29/10) is that come the new year by Feb we're expecting Forza 4 to be out, reportedly containing even more cars and tracks than even Forza 3. Forza 3 mind needed a second DVD to store nothing but install content of cars and tracks plus has dlc granting even more of both which means Polyphonic Studios really need to make GT5 the best racing game in the history of the world bar none and the most comprehensive racing game in the world bar none to actually survive in a market fast forgetting that GT5 even exists. I think it's fair to say that if GT5 isn't released before Forza 4, if Forza 4 is as much of an improvement over 3 as 3 was over 2...they may as well not bother because Forza 3 killed any racing game to date out on the ps3 or any other format simple.

As for what I'm looking at getting...

I'm keen to pick up Fallout New Vegas but I've not even finished Fallout 3 yet so I'm going to hold off, I know New Vegas is "better" but forget it I can chew through the games I have on the go already before I spend on more. I'm likewise keen to get Fable 3 and Black Ops, though I am dubious about black ops, yes several developers are ones who previously worked at infinity ward but it's still a treyarch title and face it, the treyarch titles are a lot weaker in the series, unlike mw2 this isn't an instant buy for me. Black Ops is an I'll give it a go at work on a lunch break or something see how I feel it plays first" title. I'm also keeping an eye on Vanquish and Resonance of Fate. I'm definitely curious as to the Front Mission Evolved game, I love the Front Mission series, they're awesome games I particulary loved FM3 the first game in the series I got to play. I don't wanna go play Evolved which is a 3rd person shooter much like mech warrior (though Mech Warrior has the added value of being fps if you so choose to use the cockpit view) and find it's going to ruin my opinion of an otherwise fantastic series. Especially since the new Mech Warrior game looks brilliant and in news what made me feel absoloutely filthy to read but made my mind up about Kinect, there is a Steel Battalion game comming for Kinect, not a re-make of the original but an entirely new game....oh dear god yes!

However as stated earlier I have old games on the go I haven't finished and new games I've not even popped in the tray yet the games I have on the go are:

Fallout 3, still doing vanilla story plus have all the expansion packs.
Halo Reach, still working on legendary solo plus the multiplayer...it's halo prick hearts represent :D (though Dan prefers the title of sexual assault)
Ace Combat 6, up to the final mission "Chandelier" on Ace difficulty
Gears of War 2, Half way through the game on insanity
Mass Effect 1, half way through the game on insanity
Mass Effect 2, start of game on insanity

Games I haven't even popped in the tray are:

Final Fantasy XIII, yes people tell me it's not very good but people say lots of things and frankly I want to play it for myself.
Dead Rising 2, got this for free from work, Halo eats the time I have for my 360 which these days is scarce little.
Last Remnant, picked it up dirt cheap second hand, wasn't complaining, SRPGs are among my favourite game modes.

[Roto13]

And the official word on that game is sometime next year or when hell freezes over. I'm not kidding you man we had it all set to be out for christmas this year at work, was drawing up the graphics ect we're going to use in store working on our pre-order marketing strategies and bang it gets pushed back AGAIN. Longest running bad joke in PS3 history aside from the fanboys glossing over the yellow light of death fault whenever theres a debate over what console is better, like I've said in the past, theres always a critical death failure present in consoles. Sadly what makes the joke even worse for ps3 owners is the Forza series what has gone from strength to strength for microsoft over the last 3 games (Forza 3 ultimate edition got released last friday, 29/10) is that come the new year by Feb we're expecting Forza 4 to be out, reportedly containing even more cars and tracks than even Forza 3. Forza 3 mind needed a second DVD to store nothing but install content of cars and tracks plus has dlc granting even more of both which means Polyphonic Studios really need to make GT5 the best racing game in the history of the world bar none and the most comprehensive racing game in the world bar none to actually survive in a market fast forgetting that GT5 even exists. I think it's fair to say that if GT5 isn't released before Forza 4, if Forza 4 is as much of an improvement over 3 as 3 was over 2...they may as well not bother because Forza 3 killed any racing game to date out on the ps3 or any other format simple.

Did you, like, go crazier over the past two years?

[Dreddz]

And the official word on that game is sometime next year or when hell freezes over. I'm not kidding you man we had it all set to be out for christmas this year at work, was drawing up the graphics ect we're going to use in store working on our pre-order marketing strategies and bang it gets pushed back AGAIN. Longest running bad joke in PS3 history aside from the fanboys glossing over the yellow light of death fault whenever theres a debate over what console is better, like I've said in the past, theres always a critical death failure present in consoles. Sadly what makes the joke even worse for ps3 owners is the Forza series what has gone from strength to strength for microsoft over the last 3 games (Forza 3 ultimate edition got released last friday, 29/10) is that come the new year by Feb we're expecting Forza 4 to be out, reportedly containing even more cars and tracks than even Forza 3. Forza 3 mind needed a second DVD to store nothing but install content of cars and tracks plus has dlc granting even more of both which means Polyphonic Studios really need to make GT5 the best racing game in the history of the world bar none and the most comprehensive racing game in the world bar none to actually survive in a market fast forgetting that GT5 even exists. I think it's fair to say that if GT5 isn't released before Forza 4, if Forza 4 is as much of an improvement over 3 as 3 was over 2...they may as well not bother because Forza 3 killed any racing game to date out on the ps3 or any other format simple
Well the official word from Sony is that it'll be released before Chistmas and Polyphony Digital have recently said that the discs are being made as we speak. I think chances are it will be released by December but Im not holding my breath. I'm not going to get into a GT vs Forza argument because I love both series. Although I do prefer GT just a tad. GT5 will be a great time sink for a broke guy like me.

[Iceglow]

And the official word on that game is sometime next year or when hell freezes over. I'm not kidding you man we had it all set to be out for christmas this year at work, was drawing up the graphics ect we're going to use in store working on our pre-order marketing strategies and bang it gets pushed back AGAIN. Longest running bad joke in PS3 history aside from the fanboys glossing over the yellow light of death fault whenever theres a debate over what console is better, like I've said in the past, theres always a critical death failure present in consoles. Sadly what makes the joke even worse for ps3 owners is the Forza series what has gone from strength to strength for microsoft over the last 3 games (Forza 3 ultimate edition got released last friday, 29/10) is that come the new year by Feb we're expecting Forza 4 to be out, reportedly containing even more cars and tracks than even Forza 3. Forza 3 mind needed a second DVD to store nothing but install content of cars and tracks plus has dlc granting even more of both which means Polyphonic Studios really need to make GT5 the best racing game in the history of the world bar none and the most comprehensive racing game in the world bar none to actually survive in a market fast forgetting that GT5 even exists. I think it's fair to say that if GT5 isn't released before Forza 4, if Forza 4 is as much of an improvement over 3 as 3 was over 2...they may as well not bother because Forza 3 killed any racing game to date out on the ps3 or any other format simple
Well the official word from Sony is that it'll be released before Chistmas and Polyphony Digital have recently said that the discs are being made as we speak. I think chances are it will be released by December but Im not holding my breath. I'm not going to get into a GT vs Forza argument because I love both series. Although I do prefer GT just a tad. GT5 will be a great time sink for a broke guy like me.

Last official word I had from the Sony representative in store is we're not getting it prior to christmas. Sorry to burst that bubble.

[JKTrix]

Dreddz was referring to the man that makes the game saying that the discs are being printed (http://jalopnik.com/5679823/kazunori-the-%5Bgt5%5D-discs-are-being-stamped-as-we-speak). That means it's gone gold, and they can likely start shipping it soon.

Shipping doesn't take long. They can release the game and just have it in short supply. Your manager is only going off of the information that he was most recently, officially given. Things can change pretty quickly, particularly for a franchise so important to Sony, so close to the holiday season.

[Bolivar]

Final Fantasy Four Heroes of Light
Is this kind of like FF3?

Yes, somewhat. I played it at PAX in August. There's a lot of crazy jobs, it's definitely an old school RPG - get a quest from the king, go to a dungeon, beat some boss. It's made by the team who did the port of FFIII, and Akihiko Yoshida (FFXII, Tactics) did the character design in FFIII as well as this one. I actually think it's pretty cool since your characters can combine abilities, like I had two characters use Fire and they both cast it at the same time for a HUGE fire spell. My girlfriend actually has a review copy shrinkwrapped I might as well got on it and give ya guys some impressions.

I'm about to take the plunge in Valkyria Chronicles 1 DLC, get Motorstorm: Arctic Edge on PSP, and probably Black Ops on PS3 next week.

BUT!

I am seriously thinking about Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition. I thought of it when it first came out but passed because I had enough to play. I've never really liked WRPG's either (lie: i'm halfway through Diablo II now again). But now that the Ultimate Edition's out with a crapload of DLC, I'm really considering it. Any other JRPG fans here who hate the tedious/uninspired/too-open-world feel of WRPG's that can recommend it?


And the official word on that game is sometime next year or when hell freezes over. I'm not kidding you man we had it all set to be out for christmas this year at work, was drawing up the graphics ect we're going to use in store working on our pre-order marketing strategies and bang it gets pushed back AGAIN. Longest running bad joke in PS3 history aside from the fanboys glossing over the yellow light of death fault whenever theres a debate over what console is better, like I've said in the past, theres always a critical death failure present in consoles. Sadly what makes the joke even worse for ps3 owners is the Forza series what has gone from strength to strength for microsoft over the last 3 games (Forza 3 ultimate edition got released last friday, 29/10) is that come the new year by Feb we're expecting Forza 4 to be out, reportedly containing even more cars and tracks than even Forza 3. Forza 3 mind needed a second DVD to store nothing but install content of cars and tracks plus has dlc granting even more of both which means Polyphonic Studios really need to make GT5 the best racing game in the history of the world bar none and the most comprehensive racing game in the world bar none to actually survive in a market fast forgetting that GT5 even exists. I think it's fair to say that if GT5 isn't released before Forza 4, if Forza 4 is as much of an improvement over 3 as 3 was over 2...they may as well not bother because Forza 3 killed any racing game to date out on the ps3 or any other format simple.

You are insane. Like really, really insane. We're in a buying guide thread and you randomly start talking about the Yellow Light of Death (I remember when you seriously said that you had scientific proof from your store that PS3's YLOD just as often as 360's RROD) and the triumphant legacy of Forza.

Which is an atrocious argument in itself, to keep this thread on topic of people thinking of waiting for GT5. I almost fell off my chair laughing when you bragged about how Forza has an entire extra disc of cars to install, when Forza 3 doesn't even have half the amount of cars GT5 will. It's ironic that the latest entry of Forza doesn't even have as many tracks and cars as Gran Turismo 4 has - it can't even stack up to the damn game's last-gen predecessor, let alone GT5.

Also, don't kid yourself by saying Forza 3 killed any racing game on PS3 or any platform when Need for Speed: Shift was a highly celebrated competitor that gave F3 a run for its money - many sites gave Shift "Best Racing Game of 2009" over Forza III. So anyone who doesn't have a 360 - definitely check out the Shift demo in the PSN Store if you can't wait for GT5!

Just to finish off, I played Forza 3 at PAX East with 3 large monitors for peripheral vision, as well as the official Microsoft licensed steering wheel - it played like utter crap. That's not necessarily a sly against the game, but when it's official wheel is completely under and over-responsive, don't go propping it up on a pedestal.

That being said I played Gran Turismo 5 at PAX Prime a few months back (http://gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=11945&gameid=5893) with the new Logitech wheel, at both the Sony and Logitech booths, and it was utter, smurfing racing HEAVEN.

[Madame Adequate]

FANBOYS

What will they do next?

[Pheesh]

And the official word on that game is sometime next year or when hell freezes over. I'm not kidding you man we had it all set to be out for christmas this year at work, was drawing up the graphics ect we're going to use in store working on our pre-order marketing strategies and bang it gets pushed back AGAIN. Longest running bad joke in PS3 history aside from the fanboys glossing over the yellow light of death fault whenever theres a debate over what console is better, like I've said in the past, theres always a critical death failure present in consoles. Sadly what makes the joke even worse for ps3 owners is the Forza series what has gone from strength to strength for microsoft over the last 3 games (Forza 3 ultimate edition got released last friday, 29/10) is that come the new year by Feb we're expecting Forza 4 to be out, reportedly containing even more cars and tracks than even Forza 3. Forza 3 mind needed a second DVD to store nothing but install content of cars and tracks plus has dlc granting even more of both which means Polyphonic Studios really need to make GT5 the best racing game in the history of the world bar none and the most comprehensive racing game in the world bar none to actually survive in a market fast forgetting that GT5 even exists. I think it's fair to say that if GT5 isn't released before Forza 4, if Forza 4 is as much of an improvement over 3 as 3 was over 2...they may as well not bother because Forza 3 killed any racing game to date out on the ps3 or any other format simple.

Did you, like, go crazier over the past two years?

Yeah, I'm gonna agree.

GT5's obviously going to end up being an amazing game; it's a tried and tested formula, Sony puts bucket loads of money and time into it, and it's got an insane line-up of cars. I probably won't end up buying it, but it's still going to be one of the best racing sims around for a very long time.

[Pete for President]

I'm thinking of buying HAWX 2, but I think I'll wait for a price drop first. I liked the first one, but if it's more of the same I don't think it'll be worth the full price.

[G13]

I want some New Vegas action but I've been hearing about some glitches from friends so I'm gonna hold off on that a while I think. Fable III might be worth a look but I might wait for a price drop first. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood looks fucking amazing and I will be snatching that :bou::bou::bou::bou: up asap.

[Psychotic]

FANBOYS

What will they do next?this thread this whole thread why has this happened leave this thread alone you awful people

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. AC2 was cool, multiplayer sounds cool (although sadly I bet it will have a population of 0 after a month or so), but, like, Reach, and New Vegas, and RDR, and stuff. It may have to wait if I cba to get it at all.

[Roto13]

Brotherhood mutiplayer is what got me to finally buy AC 1 and 2.

Might get Michael Jackson: The Experience for DS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FGjwUJSRXQ) because it's totally Elite Beat Agents in disguise.

[VeloZer0]

I'll add another 2 to my list:

Assassins Creed 2
I have the first one and I loved the whole game concept. On the first few assassinations I planned out elaborate hit and escapes, explored the city and was having a great time. Then I discovered you could just walk up to your mark, kill them, take on 20 guards at once, and all the citys were essentially re-skinned versions of themselves.
The review of Assasins creed 2 I read said it made AC1 look like a tech demo, which sounds like exactly what I want but I also have learned to not trust language like that. Do the missions in AC2 make great use of the game engine, or is more typical sandbox make your own fun?

Fallout 3 / New Vegas
I'm not a fan of WRPGs (Elder Scrolls, KOTORm etc...), but I have a friend recommending this one to me. It's also the same friend who recommended Borderlands to me despite the fact I don't like FPS game, and I absolutely loved that. If I were to get one which would your recommend?

[Jessweeee♪]

Not quite sure what you mean by making use of the game engine, but Assassin's Creed II was a phenomenal improvement on AC1. The cities are larger and more detailed (you get to explore Venice!) and there's just more...everything. More side missions, more weapons, more sandboxiness, and most importantly more characters and more personality. If you felt like Altair was a bit bland, then you'll most definitely enjoy Ezio's charm. They took pretty much every complaint AC1 had into account and fixed it.

I think they must have done a lot of research when designing the cities, because when we showed Venice to my boyfriend's grandfather he recognized several locations.

[Madame Adequate]

Fallout 3 / New Vegas
I'm not a fan of WRPGs (Elder Scrolls, KOTORm etc...), but I have a friend recommending this one to me. It's also the same friend who recommended Borderlands to me despite the fact I don't like FPS game, and I absolutely loved that. If I were to get one which would your recommend?

New Vegas. New Vegas every time a thousand times forever infinite. Fallout 3 was fun but I could never go back to it now, NV is superior in every single way imaginable except it still uses Gamebryo so it's hugely limited, but everything else is better, the story, the script, the voice acting, the setting, everything.

[VeloZer0]

My main complaint was that while your could run around and do a lot of stuff, the assassinations themselves were extremely trivial and didn't make use of all the cool things you could do in the game. I'm not really interested in sandboxiness other than it presenting me a whole bunch of different ways to accomplish my objectives.

For example, if I can still take on a large group of guards by myself it makes the whole rest of the game pointless.

[Roto13]

You could always NOT take on a whole group of guards. You can stay and fight them, or you can run and try to lose them, hide somewhere, throw a smoke bomb to distract them, dive into a canal and stay under water until they lose track of them, etc.

If you're determined to stand there and fight until everyone's dead just because you can, though, you still can. But if that's not what you want to do but you do it anyway, that's definitely a problem with you and not the game.

[VeloZer0]

My point was that all though they give you a ton of tools in the game it is all irrelevant because you don't need to use any of them to complete the task. What is the point in scoping out a targets route, analyzing possible entry and escape routs, making a take down plan when you can just walk up, finger knife him, kill his guards and walk away?

I just seems to me like you are 100% guaranteed of success no matter what you do, which kind of robs the game of its fun.

[Roto13]

My point was that all though they give you a ton of tools in the game it is all irrelevant because you don't need to use any of them to complete the task. What is the point in scoping out a targets route, analyzing possible entry and escape routs, making a take down plan when you can just walk up, finger knife him, kill his guards and walk away?

I just seems to me like you are 100% guaranteed of success no matter what you do, which kind of robs the game of its fun.

Uh, that's kind of the point, guy. It lets you do things your own way. It's not a matter of guessing the right way of doing something. You decide what way you want to do it (either because you think it will be the easiest way, or the fastest way, or the coolest way) and then you do it.

It gives you a bunch of tools you don't have to use, but it's a much better game if you do use them. Or you can just not use them and make it kind of boring. If that's your bag. Just don't complain about it later.

[Slothy]

I'm with Roto on this. This might be the first time I've seen someone look at a game presenting the player several viable options for completing a challenge as being a bad thing.

[Pete for President]

I'm with Roto on this. This might be the first time I've seen someone look at a game presenting the player several viable options for completing a challenge as being a bad thing.

I must agree with VeloZer0. I'm a big fan of stealth games, but Assassins Creed is a bit too forgiving for my taste. Sure you can decide how you kill the target, but I pretty much always ended up failing my spectacular stealth move and going "oh well, then I'll just slay everyone". That option just makes you kinda lazy.

I missed the incentive to act like a pro. Instead of being this awesome assassin I felt like a clumsy fool who's still (somehow) 10x better than the usual guard. That just didn't feel right.

Take the Metal Gear Solid series for example. They have rewards for different tactics, even for not killing anyone in the entire game. That's when I feel challenged. Failing means no reward. And getting spotted gets you into a lot more hassle, meaning it's way less forgiving and thus, more challenging.

[Roto13]

How about just playing the game the way you want to play it? Why do you need to be rewarded for doing your own thing? Or penalized for not playing the game a certain way?

[VeloZer0]

How about just playing the game the way you want to play it?
I want a game that forces me to learn, think and adapt. (You lose all points for telling me I picked the wrong type of game then, because I was inquiring if the sequel went this way or not)

EDIT: Thinking about it further, the way I like to play is to figure out how to utilize the tools at my disposal to complete my objectives as well as possible. In AC I quickly found out that the basic knife/run/fight worked faster/easier than using any other options at my disposal so I became bored with the game quite quickly. The part of the game I enjoy is figuring out which is most effective.


I'm with Roto on this. This might be the first time I've seen someone look at a game presenting the player several viable options for completing a challenge as being a bad thing.
My point was it is no challenge. I would like something that forces me to learn to use all of my moves as effectively as possible, not a 'use whatever you think is coolest because its impossible to fail'.

[Slothy]

My point was it is no challenge. I would like something that forces me to learn to use all of my moves as effectively as possible, not a 'use whatever you think is coolest because its impossible to fail'.

Except it certainly is possible to fail, and if you fail at your stealth approach then you have the punishment of having to continue on using a method you don't prefer. And if you just suck at the game all around then you probably will die. Fact is though, if you want to use stealth you can use stealth. If you want to fight you can fight. If you fail at one you can fall back on the other. It doesn't make it a bad game, and it doesn't mean the game design is bad, it just means that for whatever reason you need a game to tell you how you should play it and force you into one style of play. There's nothing wrong with that, but there's nothing wrong with going the other way either.

[Madame Adequate]

Hey, different strokes people. If Velo wants a more structured game that's his prerogative. I think AC decisively fails as a stealth game though I still enjoy it immensely because I went in pretty much expecting a parkour magical gadgets thing and it's what I got. But if I bought it expecting full on Tenchu stealth and Hitman infiltration I'd be pretty disappointed to discover the alternatives were easier, as they very much are in AC regardless of 'reward' or 'punishment'. I mean, that's why we have genres, isn't it? To have particular modes of gameplay.

[kotora]

AC2 definitely fails as both an action game and as a stealth game (then again not everyone might agree on this, since this generation of console games is defined by low standards), but it's still kinda fun to play. It's still a huge improvement over the first one and the story is kinda intriguing.

But don't get it if you really want a challenge because you won't be getting that.

[Pete for President]

I mean, that's why we have genres, isn't it? To have particular modes of gameplay.

Agreed!

[Roto13]

Gran Turismo 5 confirmed for November 25th (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/11/12/gran-turismo-5-release-date-confirmed-for-november-24th-2010/).

Bu-bu-bu-bu-but Iceglow is an industry insider! He knows EVERYTHING!

[Madame Adequate]

Gran Turismo 5 confirmed for November 25th (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/11/12/gran-turismo-5-release-date-confirmed-for-november-24th-2010/).

Bu-bu-bu-bu-but Iceglow is an industry insider! He knows EVERYTHING!

hahahahahaahhHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

fucking learned

[*Devore*]

Going back to the original topic, I was thinking about AC:Brotherhood. But if it doesn't challenge you to be stealthy as possible then its a bit pointless.
Another one...COD: Black Ops. I don't want to buy it and find it has a pathetic 5 hour campaign and plays exactly the same as Modern Warfare 2. Although, the latter part isn't necessarily bad thing since since it was pretty epic, lol. Not really, it is a good game though.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2...bit of a mouth full. Ive heard both good and bad reviews. But I think the fanboys are giving the good reviews so I'm not sure.

[beema]

I'm wondering about God of War 3, Assassins Creed 2, and Demon's Souls.

How different is GOW3 from 2? I played 2 pretty recently, and it was kind of fun, but also kind of obnoxious with all the QTE's and button mashing. I feel like 3 will just be more of the same with updated graphics?

As for AC2, I feel pretty much the same as VeloZer0 has said. I found the first game to be repetitive to a fault, boring, and ironically restrictive in its openness (just poorly implemented sandboxiness). I don't want more sandboxiness if it just means a bunch of interchangeable fetch quest and other wastes of time.

I have to say, it is pretty frustrating that so many games these days make multiplayer such an important part of the game (like half the experience) and almost none of them have active multiplayer more than a couple months after release.

There were a couple other games like Bad Company and Resistance that I was kind of interested in before, but the demos didn't sell me, and I also hate console shooters with a passion so I wont even bother asking about those.

I'm tempted to get Black Ops but I would be getting it for PC and I've heard so much bad stuff about PC multiplayer. I'm also against paying $60 for a PC title, since we PC gamers get treated like redheaded step children so often with these games.

Demon's Souls I've heard great things about, and I've been looking for some more games to make use of my PS3 (I've mostly been using it for movies). Conversely, I've also heard it can be very frustrating and unforgiving and grueling. Knowing myself and my propensity for rage quits on frustrating games, I feel like it's probably a game I should avoid.

To people wondering about Heavy Rain, I would say get it. I bought it when it first came out, and although it has almost zero replay value, and there are a couple flaws which pissed me off, it is a very unique and amazing experience, like no other game out there currently, that is worthwhile to play, just as a refreshing change of pace. It's lightyears better than Indigo Prophecy, if you've played that. The QTE implementation is much more fluid and better integrated in to the gameplay. It's possibly the first game I've ever played where the QTE's did NOT piss me off. The story is really nice (until the very end), music and atmosphere are fantastic.

[Roto13]

AC II has a much wider variety of missions and they're not really interchangeable any more. No identical pickpocket, eavesdropping, beat up, etc. missions. (Ok, maybe there are some pretty similar beat up missions but they're optional.)

[Dreddz]

Debating whether to pick up Need For Speed Hot Pursuit tomorrow or just wait it out till next week and pick up GT5 (its coming people). Baisically do I want an arcade racer or a sim? Sometimes picking a game to buy is more hassle then its worth.

[Slothy]

Demon's Souls I've heard great things about, and I've been looking for some more games to make use of my PS3 (I've mostly been using it for movies). Conversely, I've also heard it can be very frustrating and unforgiving and grueling. Knowing myself and my propensity for rage quits on frustrating games, I feel like it's probably a game I should avoid.

Unforgiving and grueling? Sometimes, yeah. I never found it frustrating though, largely because there's never a part in the game where I felt like I died from something cheap, or that I never had a chance to avoid. Despite bein a really hard game, if you play it smart you don't tend to die very often, and it's surprisingly fair.

[Bolivar]

How different is GOW3 from 2? I played 2 pretty recently, and it was kind of fun, but also kind of obnoxious with all the QTE's and button mashing. I feel like 3 will just be more of the same with updated graphics?

If 2 was just alright for you, the standard is mostly the same. I will give GoWIII the credit of improving the combat system, where the weapons are more obviously useful in different settings, and your magic is tied to your weapon, and now there's items on top of that which add a lot of the variety to the play style. It allowed you to make more stylish combos and such like Bayonetta, but if those games are your cup of tea, it's still pretty far off the mark. I will say it has probably the best opening of any video game, but unfortunately it goes progressively downhill to what I found to be an extremely unsatisfying ending. The experience as a whole is still worth it IMO.


Debating whether to pick up Need For Speed Hot Pursuit tomorrow or just wait it out till next week and pick up GT5 (its coming people). Baisically do I want an arcade racer or a sim? Sometimes picking a game to buy is more hassle then its worth.

Well, what's your personal preference? Hot Pursuit is supposed to be insanely good, everything you'd expect from a Criterion game and everyone's saying "NFS is BACK!" so if you were a fan of the older games you should definitely check it out. That said, GT5 is definitely 5 years worth of effort from what I played at PAX in August. I'm getting it, I'm sure a few others here are, so hopefully we can take advantage of the community features to get a little EoFF thing going on :D

[Shiny]

I think people should just rent Heavy Rain in all honesty. You could probably finish it in a week or even a day. Unless you want to get all the endings, there really is no point in buying it. As for Assassin's Creed 2, definitely far superior to the first. I pre-ordered AC: Brotherhood, but I'm going to wait until around Christmas to get it. That way I can have more time to play. :shiny:

[kotora]

AC2 is also a game you should just rent. After you've finished the storyline and found all the not-so-hidden symbols there's not much else to do.

[Kumo]

I'm wondering whether or not I should buy the actual PSP games or just download them. I heard that the US PSN store has MGS Peace Walker on sale for $19.99 and FF Dissidia on sale for $9.99. Out of this list of games I want, which ones do you think would be better to own the physical copy of (for reasons of them being rare, or possibly being worth money in the future at resale)?

-God of War Chains of Olympus & Ghosts of Sparta
-Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
-Any of the Shin Megami Tensei games
-Killzone: Liberation
-Valkyria Chronicles 2
-Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
-Silent Hill Origins
-MGS: Portable Ops


I'm going to guess most people will say to download Ratchet and Clank . . . but which others?

[Wolf Kanno]

Atlus titles tend to disappear quickly so if you are looking for future cash, I would suggest titles by them. I'm not sure about Persona 1 for the PSP though in this regard... It doesn't seem like it was well received here in the West after so many people got accustomed to P3/P4. The game is incredibly old school and an early pre-VII PS1 rpg to boot. A physical copy comes with the games soundtrack though.

The others you could probably download but some of them can be found for pretty cheap as physical copies and you might need that cause it will get expensive buying memory sticks that can hold the titles.

[Kumo]

I was thinking about that memory stick issue as well. I have a 8 GB now, so hopefully it will be be able to hand most of my games, but I think I should have a separate one for Downloaded games.

[Roto13]

You can download Media Go (for your PC, not your PSP :P) and use it to manage stuff from your PSP. You can backup your downloaded PSP games to your computer's hard drive and move them back when you want to play them. So that's an option.

[Vyk]

Does the Playstation Network remember things you've bought so you can re-download things in the future if need be? Probably too much of a hassle deleting things and downloading them again in the future though

But if you're looking into extra memory, last time I checked there was this weird thing going on where MicroSD cards were a lot cheaper than Pro Duo cards. And their storage capacity was increasing at about the same rate. So it was a lot more economic to buy the Duo adapter for MicroSD cards. I got a double-slot adapter for like a buck off amazon, and the 4gb cards I currently have were 12 bucks total, also on amazon. If I remember correctly an 8gb Pro Duo woulda been around 20 bucks. Its been the better part of a year though, so things may have changed

On topic, I was looking into getting Valkyria Chronicles for PSP, but just watched the review on GameTrailers and they said the story took a :bou::bou::bou::bou:, that the characters are lame and forgettable, voice acting is okay at best, and the plot is centered around Japan's favorite place in life: Highschool. I'm honestly getting sick of Japan and its obsession with High school. And I don't think I could do it with forgettable and poorly voice acted characters. I can't play an RPG just for the battle system. I have to like the story.. So I think this might be a bust for me. Here's hoping #3 pulls it off. I may check out Disgaea Infinite though. Those kinda games are extremely rare this side of the Pacific

[Roto13]

Does the Playstation Network remember things you've bought so you can re-download things in the future if need be?
Of course. :P

[Kumo]

You can download Media Go (for your PC, not your PSP :P) and use it to manage stuff from your PSP. You can backup your downloaded PSP games to your computer's hard drive and move them back when you want to play them. So that's an option.

Same thing for a Mac?

[Roto13]

I have no idea if there's a Mac version of MEdia Go. If not, you can still copy your games to your hard drive, but it might be a little more confusing. I don't remember if PSP games have gibberish file names like Wii games or not.

[Kumo]

Moving on, I see there are some new releases on the PSN this week. The 6 player X-men game from the 90s has been released. Anybody play it yet? And if so, how's the multiplayer work?

Also, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD is on sale for $15 as well. Worth it or wait for a price drop?

[Roto13]

I haven't played the PSN version of X-Men Arcade, but I've heard the netcode is really :bou::bou::bou::bou:ty so playing online sucks. Offline multiplayer was great in the arcade version and I'd imagine that's unchanged. If you're asking about the specifics, it's a basic arcade beat-em-up like Final Fight.

Warrior Within isn't worth playing for free. If you want to play a Sands of Time game, I say get the first one or wait for The Two Thrones.

[Kumo]

I have and beat the first one, so I guess I'll wait for the next release then. Thanks for the tip!

[あるはずのないピカチュウ]

Marvel 3.

Wasted 200ish on importing Catherine and Disgae 4 in the same month, don't feel like spending it on a good game ...

[Kumo]

This is more about hardware than software, but has anybody bought a new battery for their PSP 3000 in order to have a longer battery life? How did it work out? Satisfied with the performance?

I also bought my PSP used without a box, and I'm wondering if anybody could recommend some PSP storage cases that would allow me to put some games inside, as well as some of the cables. Thanks if you can help or link me!

[Jessweeee♪]

About downloading PSN games for your PSP: you don't need to re-download them if you delete a game to make room for another. Go into your PSP's memory and just copy the game's folder to your PC for later use. You need the .rif file in the license folder to play it, so it doesn't hurt to make a back up of that too while you're at it. (And in case anyone was curious, you can't just download a .rif file from the internet and make a bootleg game work. They're signed to each individual PSP!)


Also, to anyone thinking of buying New Vegas, only do it if you really really really enjoy the voice of Liam O'Brian.