So I picked up Far Cry Instincts Predator for the Xbox 360 today. I must say, it's one of the most disappointing games I've played in a long time.
The graphics are average at best with textures that would be barely adequate on the original Xbox or PS2 and absolutely hideous character models. The game plays at a higher resolution but it still looks very last gen.
There are some serious problems with the gameplay: there are too many spots where you character will suffer a one hit death; snipers from guard towers can seemingly see you even if you're crawling thru the grass. The game lets you set elaborate traps to kil your foes but then makes the computer controlled players too dumb for you to lead them to the traps.
You cannot save your game when you wish; the game saves for you at specific checkpoints; said checkpoints are spread very far apart so there's a lot of retreading of old ground if you get killed.
The vehicles are very hard to control as you control the speed and direction of your vehicle with one analog stick, pushing forward or backward to speed up and slow down; left and right to steer. Conventional vehicle controls would have been much better (and as far as I can tell you can't change this setup).
The game has turned out to be almost a pixel for pixel port of last years Xbox game with a bumped up resolution and little else. Overall, very disappointing and not worth the $60 asking price. Caveat Emptor.
Hmmm...to bad, that game looked good. Well Little Italy has faced my wrath for 24 hours. I started playing THE GODFATHER and it is pretty fun. A bit difficult to contol on computer, bu the gmae itself is pretty good. The only drawbacks are the limited amount of weapons and Vehicles, though the ones that are there are pretty cool. In addition, exorting cash is alot of fun. I own a few shops as well as a hotel. Overall, I'd give it about an 8.9/10, however this is mostly because of the confusing controls on computer. I think that they would be better on a console.
Hmmm...to bad, that game looked good. Well Little Italy has faced my wrath for 24 hours. I started playing THE GODFATHER and it is pretty fun. A bit difficult to contol on computer, bu the gmae itself is pretty good. The only drawbacks are the limited amount of weapons and Vehicles, though the ones that are there are pretty cool. In addition, exorting cash is alot of fun. I own a few shops as well as a hotel. Overall, I'd give it about an 8.9/10, however this is mostly because of the confusing controls on computer. I think that they would be better on a console.
Just out of curiosity, do you use a gamepad on your PC or the keyboard and mouse to play a game like this?
First-person-shooters seem to be the favorite around here. If I had to pick one of these, I'd say Halo was really good. Excellent graphics and a great story, too. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out.
After glancing through the thread, I didn't see many RPGs. These have been my favorite, lately. One of these is the Final Fantasy series. I've only started playing them recently--I've finished FF7 and FF9--but from what I've seen in those two, they have to be the best games I've ever played. Great graphics for their time, very well-written music and brilliant storylines--stories that would be well-suited for film, except that they're much too long to fit into a two-hour time space.
First-person-shooters seem to be the favorite around here. If I had to pick one of these, I'd say Halo was really good. Excellent graphics and a great story, too. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out.
After glancing through the thread, I didn't see many RPGs. These have been my favorite, lately. One of these is the Final Fantasy series. I've only started playing them recently--I've finished FF7 and FF9--but from what I've seen in those two, they have to be the best games I've ever played. Great graphics for their time, very well-written music and brilliant storylines--stories that would be well-suited for film, except that they're much too long to fit into a two-hour time space.
If you're into RPG's, you may want to check out Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PC and Xbox 360. I've been playing the game for a while and it is absolutely H-U-G-E. Even though I finished the main quest a couple of weeks ago, there are still tons of side missions I've not even gotten to yet and lots of guilds to join and move up in the ranks. Not to mention the downloadable content. The game has a medieval quality to it with some similarities to the Lord of the Rings stories. The combat is in real-time and the plot is advanced thru the action and interactive dialog rather than cinemas. Highly recommended but it can be a bit daunting at the start due to its sheer size.
As for my all time favorite RPG ever, that would have to be Phantasy Star for the Sega Master System. Even though the game came out in 1988, it was way ahead of its time with very likable characters and amazing 3D realtime dungeons. To this day, I've still not played a RPG that pulled me in like that one.
Oblivion is closing in fast just due to the amount of stuff you can do.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the Xbox was another masterpiece RPG with a great open ended story that allowed you to follow the light side or become a Sith. Highly recommended for Star Wars fans or RPG fans.
Hey thanks for the heads up, TonyDP, I'm going to look into those.
Perhaps I'll even dig out this old "Sega Smash Pack" CD I have lying around--it has Phantasy Star II ported for the PC on it. Do you think I should start with the first one, though? I tried playing the second one and I noticed a lot of references to things I apparently missed... :P
Still, I tried to play it, but could never get past the first dungeon. I've noticed older RPGs have killer difficulty compared to many of the new ones...
Hey thanks for the heads up, TonyDP, I'm going to look into those.
Perhaps I'll even dig out this old "Sega Smash Pack" CD I have lying around--it has Phantasy Star II ported for the PC on it. Do you think I should start with the first one, though? I tried playing the second one and I noticed a lot of references to things I apparently missed... :P
Still, I tried to play it, but could never get past the first dungeon. I've noticed older RPGs have killer difficulty compared to many of the new ones...
The thing to remember about the Phantasy Star (PS) games (along with most Japanese turn based RPG's) is that your characters really have to reach a certain level before hitting a particular dungeon. If you couldn't get thru the dungeon, go back outside, wander around a bit, level up some more, stock up on healing items, then try again. Even then it will be a crapshoot to a certain extent.
I don't really think you need to play PS1 to understand PS2; the latter game takes place 1000 years after the first; the main character is a decendent of Alis, the heroine of the first game, and you have to defeat the same evil Alis faced in the first game. Those are really the only major references. A word of warning though, the ending of PS2 is very vague; and you don't really find out what happens to everybody until PS4.
For what it's worth, I thought the first game was the best of the series. I had read somewhere a while back that Sega was remaking the original Phantasy Star for Sony's PS2 console with updated graphics; don't know if it ever came out but you might want to check into that as well.
If you're looking for an RPG with more of a western flavor, try Knights of the Old Republic instead. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not I guarantee you'll get sucked into the story in no time. Even though it's a Star Wars game, it is a 100% RPG with stats, leveling up, inventory management, etc., etc., etc. The sequel, The Sith Lords was also very good but not as well written a story as the original.
Games are something from my past really. I've hardly played games at all for a few years. I was a massive fan of the Command & Conquer series. I have all the games and expansion up to Red Alert 2 - Yuri's Revenge. By the time C&C Generals came around I had lost interest in games. I was always only a PC gamer. I've never owned any consoles. I quite enjoyed 007 Nightfire. Sadly the only Bond game I've been able to play since it's the only one on PC. Also I've always been limited in that I have never had computers good enough for gaming.
At the moment I am playing the Medal of Honor - Allied Assault series though. I really enjoy this series. They're great. They also don't need a very up to date PC so I can actually run them on my computer. I would try Call of Duty and Brothers in Arms if I had a good enough computer. I like most WWII fps games that I've played.
I also have always liked the FIFA games.
Does anyone else like Time Splitter series? They are first person shooters and I own 2 and 3. They are the best FPS I own for my PS2, I like Halo 1 and 2 also, but I do not have an Xbox, just a PS2, N64, and GameCube.
Does anyone else like Time Splitter series? They are first person shooters and I own 2 and 3. They are the best FPS I own for my PS2, I like Halo 1 and 2 also, but I do not have an Xbox, just a PS2, N64, and GameCube.
Yes, I played all three Timesplitters games on my Xbox. Great graphics on those and the multiplayer was a lot of fun. That should not be a surprise as a lot of the people who worked on the Timesplitters games also worked on Goldeneye for the N64.
I had a lot of trouble with Timesplitters 3 though. The action was great, but the puzzle sections really got on my nerves. The puzzles themselves weren't too hard, but throwing all the right switches and such with my gamepad proved to be a real nuisance. Another thing that bugged me about the last game was the distance between checkpoints. If you got killed or failed to solve a puzzle in time, you could have to replay quite a bit of a level and that also added to the tedium after a while.
Overall, they're great games though.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
I only played demos of TS2 and 3, and I didn't like 2. I really liked the demo of 3 though, and I always wanted to get it, although I never will.
I only played demos of TS2 and 3, and I didn't like 2. I really liked the demo of 3 though, and I always wanted to get it, although I never will.
The demo to TS2 was impossibly hard; much harder than the same level in the actual game. Oddly enough, I found TS2 to be the most fun the three as it focused primarily on the action without any cumbersome puzzles along the way.
TS3 had some neat levels but as I mentioned before, trying to solve the puzzles with a console gamepad was frustrating beyond belief for me. There was one puzzle where you had to rotate blocks on a screen to complete a circuit. Trying to move those blocks with the analog stick while a timer was counting down was the last straw for me. On about the 15th try I was finally able to get the analog stick to cooperate...only to have another block circuit puzzle come up. Once I failed to finish that one in the alloted time I got bumped back to before the first puzzle and had to start all over again. That was about when I pulled out the DVD and sold the game back.
I don't think that third TS game sold all that well; I've heard nothing of the franchise since it came out.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Yeah, the game is much easier. I beat it on hard easily, TS2 is my favorite of the 3, straight-forward, action.
If you liked TS2's action, then you may like Red Faction II, Project: Snowblind and Area 51. All three games are first person shooters with great visuals and an emphasis on the action. And they can all be had for under $20 each (much less if you buy them used).
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Area 51 had a really good demo. It was a lot of fun.
Area 51 had a really good demo. It was a lot of fun.
Area 51 had a good variety of gameplay. The early levels had some pretty intelligent AI soldiers who fought alongside you. Later on, your character could morph into creature capable of launching melee attacks and radioactive projectiles. The graphics were also very nice with some very scary monsters and really cool weapons effects. There was also a level that took place on a soundstage made out to look like the surface of the moon (complete with the Apollo 11 lander); the suggestion being that the same scientists responsible for the mess your character is in also faked the moon landing.
About the only negative to the game was David Duchovny's coma-inducing voiceovers. They were so dry and monotone I almost fell asleep.
Area 51 would be another game that would benefit greatly from BC treatment on the 360.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
If Area 51 isn't made BC, Tony, I can almost assure you that a sequel will get the 360 treatment.
That was a good game.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
If Area 51 isn't made BC, Tony, I can almost assure you that a sequel will get the 360 treatment.
That was a good game.
Don't know how well it sold though. It was a lot of fun and I'd welcome a sequel (the ending clearly suggested that a sequel would be warranted). All I ask is that they keep "The Sandman" away from it.
In case anybody's interested, Star Wars: Battlefront II has dropped to $20 for Xbox and PS2. The Target stores in the US are selling it for $16.77 for a limited time. The Xbox version of the game is also on the backward compatibility list for the Xbox 360.
Comments
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Hmph, that makes two of us...but what is there to extort...especially from me :v . Anyways, can't wait to get the game...
The graphics are average at best with textures that would be barely adequate on the original Xbox or PS2 and absolutely hideous character models. The game plays at a higher resolution but it still looks very last gen.
There are some serious problems with the gameplay: there are too many spots where you character will suffer a one hit death; snipers from guard towers can seemingly see you even if you're crawling thru the grass. The game lets you set elaborate traps to kil your foes but then makes the computer controlled players too dumb for you to lead them to the traps.
You cannot save your game when you wish; the game saves for you at specific checkpoints; said checkpoints are spread very far apart so there's a lot of retreading of old ground if you get killed.
The vehicles are very hard to control as you control the speed and direction of your vehicle with one analog stick, pushing forward or backward to speed up and slow down; left and right to steer. Conventional vehicle controls would have been much better (and as far as I can tell you can't change this setup).
The game has turned out to be almost a pixel for pixel port of last years Xbox game with a bumped up resolution and little else. Overall, very disappointing and not worth the $60 asking price. Caveat Emptor.
Just out of curiosity, do you use a gamepad on your PC or the keyboard and mouse to play a game like this?
Did it come with a guide?
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Yes...and it came with the godfather books, soundtrack, trilogy DVD's....ummmm $150 later I have everything Godfather...
And Rogue, I don't mind at all...especially when it is that funny.
Glad to see that you've stuck your head in here after a brief absence, 0064. :007)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
After glancing through the thread, I didn't see many RPGs. These have been my favorite, lately.
If you're into RPG's, you may want to check out Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the PC and Xbox 360. I've been playing the game for a while and it is absolutely H-U-G-E. Even though I finished the main quest a couple of weeks ago, there are still tons of side missions I've not even gotten to yet and lots of guilds to join and move up in the ranks. Not to mention the downloadable content. The game has a medieval quality to it with some similarities to the Lord of the Rings stories. The combat is in real-time and the plot is advanced thru the action and interactive dialog rather than cinemas. Highly recommended but it can be a bit daunting at the start due to its sheer size.
As for my all time favorite RPG ever, that would have to be Phantasy Star for the Sega Master System. Even though the game came out in 1988, it was way ahead of its time with very likable characters and amazing 3D realtime dungeons. To this day, I've still not played a RPG that pulled me in like that one.
Oblivion is closing in fast just due to the amount of stuff you can do.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the Xbox was another masterpiece RPG with a great open ended story that allowed you to follow the light side or become a Sith. Highly recommended for Star Wars fans or RPG fans.
Perhaps I'll even dig out this old "Sega Smash Pack" CD I have lying around--it has Phantasy Star II ported for the PC on it. Do you think I should start with the first one, though? I tried playing the second one and I noticed a lot of references to things I apparently missed... :P
Still, I tried to play it, but could never get past the first dungeon. I've noticed older RPGs have killer difficulty compared to many of the new ones...
The thing to remember about the Phantasy Star (PS) games (along with most Japanese turn based RPG's) is that your characters really have to reach a certain level before hitting a particular dungeon. If you couldn't get thru the dungeon, go back outside, wander around a bit, level up some more, stock up on healing items, then try again. Even then it will be a crapshoot to a certain extent.
I don't really think you need to play PS1 to understand PS2; the latter game takes place 1000 years after the first; the main character is a decendent of Alis, the heroine of the first game, and you have to defeat the same evil Alis faced in the first game. Those are really the only major references. A word of warning though, the ending of PS2 is very vague; and you don't really find out what happens to everybody until PS4.
For what it's worth, I thought the first game was the best of the series. I had read somewhere a while back that Sega was remaking the original Phantasy Star for Sony's PS2 console with updated graphics; don't know if it ever came out but you might want to check into that as well.
If you're looking for an RPG with more of a western flavor, try Knights of the Old Republic instead. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not I guarantee you'll get sucked into the story in no time. Even though it's a Star Wars game, it is a 100% RPG with stats, leveling up, inventory management, etc., etc., etc. The sequel, The Sith Lords was also very good but not as well written a story as the original.
At the moment I am playing the Medal of Honor - Allied Assault series though. I really enjoy this series. They're great. They also don't need a very up to date PC so I can actually run them on my computer. I would try Call of Duty and Brothers in Arms if I had a good enough computer. I like most WWII fps games that I've played.
I also have always liked the FIFA games.
Yes, I played all three Timesplitters games on my Xbox. Great graphics on those and the multiplayer was a lot of fun. That should not be a surprise as a lot of the people who worked on the Timesplitters games also worked on Goldeneye for the N64.
I had a lot of trouble with Timesplitters 3 though. The action was great, but the puzzle sections really got on my nerves. The puzzles themselves weren't too hard, but throwing all the right switches and such with my gamepad proved to be a real nuisance. Another thing that bugged me about the last game was the distance between checkpoints. If you got killed or failed to solve a puzzle in time, you could have to replay quite a bit of a level and that also added to the tedium after a while.
Overall, they're great games though.
The demo to TS2 was impossibly hard; much harder than the same level in the actual game. Oddly enough, I found TS2 to be the most fun the three as it focused primarily on the action without any cumbersome puzzles along the way.
TS3 had some neat levels but as I mentioned before, trying to solve the puzzles with a console gamepad was frustrating beyond belief for me. There was one puzzle where you had to rotate blocks on a screen to complete a circuit. Trying to move those blocks with the analog stick while a timer was counting down was the last straw for me. On about the 15th try I was finally able to get the analog stick to cooperate...only to have another block circuit puzzle come up. Once I failed to finish that one in the alloted time I got bumped back to before the first puzzle and had to start all over again. That was about when I pulled out the DVD and sold the game back.
I don't think that third TS game sold all that well; I've heard nothing of the franchise since it came out.
Yeah, the game is much easier. I beat it on hard easily, TS2 is my favorite of the 3, straight-forward, action.
If you liked TS2's action, then you may like Red Faction II, Project: Snowblind and Area 51. All three games are first person shooters with great visuals and an emphasis on the action. And they can all be had for under $20 each (much less if you buy them used).
Area 51 had a good variety of gameplay. The early levels had some pretty intelligent AI soldiers who fought alongside you. Later on, your character could morph into creature capable of launching melee attacks and radioactive projectiles. The graphics were also very nice with some very scary monsters and really cool weapons effects. There was also a level that took place on a soundstage made out to look like the surface of the moon (complete with the Apollo 11 lander); the suggestion being that the same scientists responsible for the mess your character is in also faked the moon landing.
About the only negative to the game was David Duchovny's coma-inducing voiceovers. They were so dry and monotone I almost fell asleep.
Area 51 would be another game that would benefit greatly from BC treatment on the 360.
That was a good game.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Don't know how well it sold though. It was a lot of fun and I'd welcome a sequel (the ending clearly suggested that a sequel would be warranted). All I ask is that they keep "The Sandman" away from it.