I too have found myself losing sight of what I am doing but I think it adds to the game. I hate to be led by the hand by games and although COD4 can be linear at times, you don't notice it as much as the battles are extremely distracting. At least thats how I've found it.
During one of the early missions, I was supposed to plant an IR Beacon at a specific location. I kept using my compass to follow the yellow marker but could never seem to find the damned spot as I'd always be a couple of meters off. After literally running around in circles for about 3 minutes I remembered to look down and realized that I'd been standing smack in the middle of the giant glowing circle telling me where to plant the beacon all along. Oops. ;%
Still waiting for my 360, gents. The wait is agonizing. What awful timing - right over break.
However, I've been playing around a little with the Rock Band peripherals, and I can't wait to play the game. It will be awesome.
If its any consolation Night, Xbox Live has beeen abysmal this past week. Nobody's sure what the problem is but it has been down more than up since Christmas. As such, you really haven't missed out on a lot as far as online gaming goes.
As for how Tony felt about CoD4, have you played the multiplayer? While the single player game was great, a lot of reviewers were very impressed with the multiplayer as well. As for Game of the Year, I agree. Mass Effect is my GotY, not CoD4.
Haven't tried online yet. As you know, I don't do too much multiplayer and as I mentioned Xbox Live has been FUBAR lately. As for GOTY, definitely Bioshock ... NOT!!! ) It's a tossup between Mass Effect and Halo 3 for me. Mass Effect was tons of fun and had a great story but I just loved the cinematic scope of Halo and the way it dropped you in the middle of these fantastic alien worlds. Also, getting to pilot all the different vehicles was a lot of fun.
Also, can everybody who played CoD4 post their FNG training time? I think it would be fun to compare (I don't remember mine, I think it was around 17 seconds, I'll get the real number once I get my 360 back).
Is that the little training run at the start of the game? If yes, I did it a couple of times; I think my time was around 40 seconds.
Sweepy the CatHalifax, West Yorkshire, EnglaPosts: 986MI6 Agent
Now I've gotten rid off all the useless crap that comes free already on the console I have almost 14gb! (I added a madness CD). My achievments are 14 and a gamerscore of 155. I've pretty much given up on 'Dead Rising' and am currently stuck on 'Call Of Duty 3' and 'Halo 3'. Does anyone know how to save DVD's into your harddrive?
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
you can't do that, unfortunately, just like you can't on a computer (without third party software which may or may not be illegal).
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Question for Barry Nelson: my Xbox should be at the repair center now: are they supposed to call me and discuss it, or do they just fix it and send it back? And is there anyway to check my repair status? Because I looked online, and since I couldn't register my device online, and I did it over the phone, I can't check the repair status online.
So basically I guess I'm just asking: if I don't hear from Microsoft, should I call customer service to see what's up?
Night - I never checked on my X Box, it was exactly two weeks from the day I sent it to the day it was returned, which I think was very fast so I didn't feel the need to check on it. I am not as hardcore gamer as you are, so you probably are going through withdrawal. I know UPS notified me when it was ready to be sent back.
You get a repair number from Microsoft to use when you send it in. Maybe you can try to contact X Box support and see if they can help you if you give them the repair number.
But, I do have a story that shows XBox had a very succesful Christmas. Halo 3 sales were phenomenal, Bio-Mass sales have been great and as Tony has stated recently, X Box has the best "attach rate" in the business. See article for explanation.
Bio-Mass? I must have missed that game. ) I think you mean Mass Effect; or maybe BioShock. Still, I like that title, you may want to get it copyrighted.
By the way, as some of you may have noticed, there were some problems with Xbox Live over the last week or so - lots of users couldn't sign in and even if they did response was often slow and matchmaking very inconsistent. Microsoft attributed the problem to a very high number of new users trying out the system over the holidays.
To make amends for the inconvenience caused by the disruption, they'll be making available an Xbox Live arcade title for free to all subscribers some time in the next few weeks. Details will be forthcoming over at www.xbox.com
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
hey Tony. I tried that website but because my 360 isn't registered, it doesn't work. I had trouble registering it when my 360 first broke, for some reason the serial number wasn't recognized.
Anyway I called and they told me to call back in a few days.
Bio-Mass? I must have missed that game. ) I think you mean Mass Effect; or maybe BioShock. Still, I like that title, you may want to get it copyrighted.
) That's what I get for relying on my memory. It actuall was Bioware's Mass Effect. I'm old, what can I say.
Had some dead time last night so I downloaded Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End. I know this gaem probably would not interest that many folks here, but I enjoyed it. Not too difficult which is right up my alley. Beat the demo, which was fairly long. If I see it on the sale rack I might pick it up.
Barry, I've seen Pirates of the Caribbean selling for around $30 at electronics outlets like Target and Best Buy. Keep an eye out as I'd expect it to drop to $20 before too long.
BTW, it was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that Microsoft has inked a deal with MGM to begin showing their movies in HD over the Xbox Live network service. According to the MI6 article below, the James Bond films will be part of this deal.
Just finished the Call of Duty 4 single player campaign. Lots of fun, very intense, great gunplay, lots of cinematic moments, really, really short game. I'll definitely have to play thru it again at a higher difficulty now that I know what to expect. Overall, I'm glad I bought it, but I'm also happy I waited a bit and only got it for $40.
I bought Crysis the other day (even though my graphics card is rubbish), and wow, the BEST shooter i have ever played bar none. The story is gripping and the gameplay is insane. Many Many bondian moments if you play like i do. Two such events i will describe here.
The first: I made my way to a lab in the mountains, checked it out, and then had to escape...I grab a cargo truck, and proceed to crash through the barriers and escape the lab complex. Then, I scream down the side of the mountain (in a cargo truck, yes), sliding around curbs and throwing my pursuers into the valley below. Finally, I reach the bottom, and procede to bounce my way through the rice paddies throwing up watter everywhere. Then, right before the extraction point, I hit a road block, and, in a fashion more bournian than bondian, crash through all the cars in my way.
Second Scene: The tank part....oh yes, i had to have some fun here. I jumped my tank into a grove of of trees...then ran them all over. Just ahead i see my objective...the fuel depot. I wont be sneaky though, nor will i use the main enterance, no, I will simply go through the building. I hit a jump and go in one side and out the other as Koreans and parts of the building go flying. Awesome.
Its fantastic...everything can be destroyed, and even on my bad graphics card, it looks wonderful. The physics are life like and look great. So many CoD4-ish intense moments, and that super suit is absolutely a blast to play. Like i said earlier, best shooter ever, and definately the greatest shooter (possibly game) ever made...and I havent even got to the multiplayer.
HNY 0064; since you're enjoying your pray-it-doesn't-crash PC gaming so much, you may want to invest in a good monitor to play your games on. What do you think of this one...
Now that I got thru Call of Duty 4 and Mass Effect, I'm kind of stumped as to what to try next. I still have Ace Combat 6 to finish, but the game's storyline and cinematics are so melodramatically silly they almost ruin the flight combat. I might pick up Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PS3; it's a Tomb Raider-esque game with a heavier emphasis on action.
Sweepy the CatHalifax, West Yorkshire, EnglaPosts: 986MI6 Agent
A couple of days ago I completed COD3 and I'm currently stuck at the end of Halo 3 (Finding Cortina) The mainb thing that annoys me is no gamerscre unless you are playing it normal, hard or legendary. I'm also getting further on Stranglehold and The Simpsons.
A couple of days ago I completed COD3 and I'm currently stuck at the end of Halo 3 (Finding Cortina) The mainb thing that annoys me is no gamerscre unless you are playing it normal, hard or legendary. I'm also getting further on Stranglehold and The Simpsons.
For what it's worth Sweepy, I find it easier to focus on one game at a time. When I switch back and forth between several games, I can never keep all the control schemes straight or remember what I was supposed to be doing.
The Finding Cortana level was probably the worst (ie: most difficult) one in Halo3 - and its not the end of the game, there's quite a bit more to do after that. Just try to go slow, conserve ammo, hug the walls and look for alcoves to hide in and regenerate your shields. Also, you should see some cloaking devices scattered on the ground. If you see any, make sure to pick them up as those are invaluable at helping you get thru the more crowded sections of the level. Hope that helps, good luck.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Not to sound harsh, Sweepy, but you shouldn't be playing it on Easy. Normal is perfectly easy. I know you're only 13, but easy should only be played by those who have never played a game before in their lives.
Also, my friends, my 360 is back as of yesterday, and I've been playing the crap outta Rock Band. MAN that game is fun. I beat the Guitar solo game on Medium difficulty, now I'm going for Hard (but it'll take awhile- Hard is HARD, and I will probably never be able to play on Expert. Yikes.)
The drumming is awesome, too, although I've only played a little while.
I also played for awhile doing co-op, my sister on drums and myself on guitar- that was really like playing in a band, it was awesome. I've been sick the past few days and haven't really been up to standing up and really rocking, but when I did... boy was that fun.
Also, no HDMI port for me, either, despite my letter. Oh well.
If there's one problem I've always had with games, it short attention span. I'm bored of Assassin's Creed, and I've carried out one single assassination.
I'm stuck on Mass Effect (I can't seem to defeat Matriach Benezia on Novaria).
Bioshock is bloody hard too.
I think I need to really focus on a single game at a time. But, being rather a n00b, it's going to take me a lot longer than normal to complete each game
If there's one problem I've always had with games, it short attention span. I'm bored of Assassin's Creed, and I've carried out one single assassination.
I'm stuck on Mass Effect (I can't seem to defeat Matriach Benezia on Novaria).
Bioshock is bloody hard too.
I think I need to really focus on a single game at a time. But, being rather a n00b, it's going to take me a lot longer than normal to complete each game
IEU2D, you can't be more of a noob than me and I managed to defeat some games. My advice is start with the Halo games, any of them. I found them greatly entertaining, easy to figure out where to go (a problem I have with a lot of games) and although a challenge it never felt hopeless to me. I am not nearly experienced as some here, but the Halo games were the best I ever played.
Also, my friends, my 360 is back as of yesterday, and I've been playing the crap outta Rock Band. MAN that game is fun. I beat the Guitar solo game on Medium difficulty, now I'm going for Hard (but it'll take awhile- Hard is HARD, and I will probably never be able to play on Expert. Yikes.)
The drumming is awesome, too, although I've only played a little while.
I also played for awhile doing co-op, my sister on drums and myself on guitar- that was really like playing in a band, it was awesome. I've been sick the past few days and haven't really been up to standing up and really rocking, but when I did... boy was that fun.
Sorry to hear you're under the weather Night; hope you get better real fast.
Now I hope that I don't come across as harsh, but I've never understood the appeal of these Guitar Hero / Rock Band games. Am I missing something are are they little more than rhythm games where you basically press the corresponding buttons on the instrument as to what is shown on screen? Also, if you're having fun playing a guitar controller, why not consider buying a real guitar (or other instrument) and learn to play that? It's a lot more work but believe me, it will be far more satisfying to actually play a real song (any song) than following the colors on the screen.
Anyhow, owing the dearth of new games available, I decided to fire up Halo 3 again. I'm going thru the campaign solo on Heroic difficulty and all I can say is HHHEEEELLLLPPPP!!!! Actually, it's not that bad, but man is it a lot harder. You really need to use cover and make sure you have the right weapon for the task at hand. I also find that most of the human weapons to be pretty weak as you practically need to empty a whole clip to take out anything other than the little grunts.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
It may have been discussed already but have any of you played the new Conan game?
I saw it at Gamestop recently and no one could tell me about it...not even the people who work there.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Tony:
Thanks, man, I'll be fine soon I'm sure.
Yeah, you're pretty much right in that they are rhythm games. Of course they aren't as satisfying as being able to play a real guitar, and that is why I never bought the Guitar Hero games. But with Rock Band, the ability to play multiple instruments makes it worthwhile. Do you know where I can get a real bass, microphone, guitar, and drum set for $170? Also, honestly, most people are never going to sound as good as the real thing unless they spend years and years trying it. Here, you can have a bunch of people, 3 right now (or 4 if I get a second guitar) and no matter what their musical experience, they can have fun together making music. That is a pretty cool thing.
Honestly, your argument is valid, and my sister had the same argument; until she played it. However, couldn't you make the same argument with military shooters? "Just join the army." I understand it isn't that same, and you can't die by playing a real guitar, but there is something to be said for being able to sound like you have years of playing experience the first time you pick it up.
In addition, this game may drive me to pick up a real guitar, and I'm sure it has convinced many others to try.
As for Conan, RA, it got mediocre reviews. It is supposed to be frustratingly difficult.
It may have been discussed already but have any of you played the new Conan game?
I saw it at Gamestop recently and no one could tell me about it...not even the people who work there.
There's a demo for the game available on Xbox Live (you really ought to invest in the hard drive Rogue). I played it a while ago - I thought it was an OK demo but it also seemed to lack any sort of personality. The graphics had a bland washed out look to them. The game employed a fixed camera system so that you could sometimes get caught on the edges of the screen or otherwise be unable to see what you were supposed to be doing. The voiceovers were very flat and bland (Ron Perlman really phones in his performan as Conan). Also, while I can't confirm this directly, I've read that some of the boss encounters are really cheap and full of situations where your chance of beating the boss has more to do with luck rather than skill (ie: a monster comes up thru the ground, you have no way of knowing where it will come up, if it comes up right under you you're dead, if it comes up somewhere else, you have a chance).
As such, I decided to pass on the game. It's already dropped to $40; I'd probably wait another price drop before seriously thinking about picking it up.
Sweepy the CatHalifax, West Yorkshire, EnglaPosts: 986MI6 Agent
edited January 2008
At the moment I have £40. Sell all my old XBOX and PS1/2 Games along with 'Dead Rising', 'Forza 2' and 'Viva Pinyata' and get XBOX Live Gold subscription for a year and a wireless adaptor 'Assassains Creed' and 'Crackdown'. The if I sell my first edition copy of TSWLM I'll have more money than I started with! (£65) So I'll be on Live soon and recently comleted The Simpsons Game and have 840 gamerpoints. (Games are too easy nowadays). See ya all soon!
FYI, from January 23 to January 27 Microsoft will be making their XBLA game Undertow available for free to all Xbox Live Gold and Silver members. The game is a highly rated underwater shooter. Here's a link to the official announcement.
HNY 0064; since you're enjoying your pray-it-doesn't-crash PC gaming so much, you may want to invest in a good monitor to play your games on. What do you think of this one...
If only Tony. Man, I can bearly spend any of my money as it is. Ive GOT to save for college. I havent bought a game in months (Crysis was on loan), and i need something to play. I was thinking of swinging by Circuit City on Monday and seeing what I can get. I was thinking of either buying the racer DiRT or The Orange Box. I need something to hold me over for a while.
Also, my brother is in the market for a console, and is deciding between the PS3 and 360, so there is a possibility that i might join you guys soon. But its all up in the air right now.
And Tony, crashing isnt my problem, its those dang framerate dives. They drive me out of my mind. They are caused by the latency issues, so they arent my computer, but they still drive me up the wall. And I got a virus the other day...so I had to restore my system. I think I got the virus from a Warcraft 3 mod...ticked me off majorly.
If only Tony. Man, I can bearly spend any of my money as it is. Ive GOT to save for college. I havent bought a game in months (Crysis was on loan), and i need something to play. I was thinking of swinging by Circuit City on Monday and seeing what I can get. I was thinking of either buying the racer DiRT or The Orange Box. I need something to hold me over for a while.
I just just playing a little DiRT on my 360 today; its a fun game with tons of different racing modes and has dropped in price so you shuold get a good price. Just be aware that the control is very loose and floaty (pretty much typical for an offroad racing game). Without a good analog gamepad, it may be a little tough to control.
I tried The Orange Box a while ago and can't say I liked it too much. I was never a big fan of Valve's games as they could never hold my attention from start to finish. I also think charging $50-$60 is a bit of a ripoff since the various components in the box have all been around for a while. Just my opinion of course, although you will probably enjoy Team Fortress.
Also, my brother is in the market for a console, and is deciding between the PS3 and 360, so there is a possibility that i might join you guys soon. But its all up in the air right now.
If he's into games the 360 is still the way to go. The PS3 is getting better but I've owned mine for about 6 months and actually own more BluRay movies than I do games for it.
And Tony, crashing isnt my problem, its those dang framerate dives. They drive me out of my mind. They are caused by the latency issues, so they arent my computer, but they still drive me up the wall.
Not sure how network latency would lead to choppy framerates; the worst that should happen is that the characters you play against disappear and reapper at different places on the map. Do you get framerate issued when doing single player?
And I got a virus the other day...so I had to restore my system. I think I got the virus from a Warcraft 3 mod...ticked me off majorly.
Another reason I don't game on computers; too many malicious hackers out there and Windows is too easy a target.
Hope all is going well with school and that you're keeping your grades up. Take care and stay in touch.
I just just playing a little DiRT on my 360 today; its a fun game with tons of different racing modes and has dropped in price so you shuold get a good price. Just be aware that the control is very loose and floaty (pretty much typical for an offroad racing game). Without a good analog gamepad, it may be a little tough to control.
I tried The Orange Box a while ago and can't say I liked it too much. I was never a big fan of Valve's games as they could never hold my attention from start to finish. I also think charging $50-$60 is a bit of a ripoff since the various components in the box have all been around for a while. Just my opinion of course, although you will probably enjoy Team Fortress.
If he's into games the 360 is still the way to go. The PS3 is getting better but I've owned mine for about 6 months and actually own more BluRay movies than I do games for it.
Not sure how network latency would lead to choppy framerates; the worst that should happen is that the characters you play against disappear and reapper at different places on the map. Do you get framerate issued when doing single player?
Another reason I don't game on computers; too many malicious hackers out there and Windows is too easy a target.
Hope all is going well with school and that you're keeping your grades up. Take care and stay in touch.
Thanks Tony, for the info. I have the DiRT demo and I also felt that the cars were a little too drifty. It is fun, but i dont think that it could hold my interest for 6 months. Also, the orange box looks really cool, but I can justify 50 bucks for TF2 and portal, as I dont want HL2. I need something that will last me a while too, so im still up in the air.
As for the consoles, my brother and I both have PCs and so we get to play most of the 360's biggest hits, so he's looking at the PS3 pretty heavily. We might pick one up when we are out today.
And no, in singleplayer, with the settings i have, i dont have too many framerate issues. I only have the occasional stutter when i run through a cloud of smoke either left by a grenade or a smoke grenade. So its very rarely.
Also, I fixed my computer by setting it back 2 days, a very simple process that took 10 minutes and has worked out nicely, so im back up and running.
Comments
During one of the early missions, I was supposed to plant an IR Beacon at a specific location. I kept using my compass to follow the yellow marker but could never seem to find the damned spot as I'd always be a couple of meters off. After literally running around in circles for about 3 minutes I remembered to look down and realized that I'd been standing smack in the middle of the giant glowing circle telling me where to plant the beacon all along. Oops. ;%
If its any consolation Night, Xbox Live has beeen abysmal this past week. Nobody's sure what the problem is but it has been down more than up since Christmas. As such, you really haven't missed out on a lot as far as online gaming goes.
Haven't tried online yet. As you know, I don't do too much multiplayer and as I mentioned Xbox Live has been FUBAR lately. As for GOTY, definitely Bioshock ... NOT!!!
Is that the little training run at the start of the game? If yes, I did it a couple of times; I think my time was around 40 seconds.
So basically I guess I'm just asking: if I don't hear from Microsoft, should I call customer service to see what's up?
You get a repair number from Microsoft to use when you send it in. Maybe you can try to contact X Box support and see if they can help you if you give them the repair number.
Good Luck, I hope your wait is over soon.
If you go there and sign in, I think you should be able to get an update on where your 360 is in the repair process.
But, I do have a story that shows XBox had a very succesful Christmas. Halo 3 sales were phenomenal, Bio-Mass sales have been great and as Tony has stated recently, X Box has the best "attach rate" in the business. See article for explanation.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/22495731/site/14081545?__source=yahoo%7Cheadline%7Cquote%7Ctext%7C&par=yahoo
By the way, as some of you may have noticed, there were some problems with Xbox Live over the last week or so - lots of users couldn't sign in and even if they did response was often slow and matchmaking very inconsistent. Microsoft attributed the problem to a very high number of new users trying out the system over the holidays.
To make amends for the inconvenience caused by the disruption, they'll be making available an Xbox Live arcade title for free to all subscribers some time in the next few weeks. Details will be forthcoming over at www.xbox.com
Anyway I called and they told me to call back in a few days.
BTW, it was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that Microsoft has inked a deal with MGM to begin showing their movies in HD over the Xbox Live network service. According to the MI6 article below, the James Bond films will be part of this deal.
http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=5748&catid=7
I bought Crysis the other day (even though my graphics card is rubbish), and wow, the BEST shooter i have ever played bar none. The story is gripping and the gameplay is insane. Many Many bondian moments if you play like i do. Two such events i will describe here.
The first: I made my way to a lab in the mountains, checked it out, and then had to escape...I grab a cargo truck, and proceed to crash through the barriers and escape the lab complex. Then, I scream down the side of the mountain (in a cargo truck, yes), sliding around curbs and throwing my pursuers into the valley below. Finally, I reach the bottom, and procede to bounce my way through the rice paddies throwing up watter everywhere. Then, right before the extraction point, I hit a road block, and, in a fashion more bournian than bondian, crash through all the cars in my way.
Second Scene: The tank part....oh yes, i had to have some fun here. I jumped my tank into a grove of of trees...then ran them all over. Just ahead i see my objective...the fuel depot. I wont be sneaky though, nor will i use the main enterance, no, I will simply go through the building. I hit a jump and go in one side and out the other as Koreans and parts of the building go flying. Awesome.
Its fantastic...everything can be destroyed, and even on my bad graphics card, it looks wonderful. The physics are life like and look great. So many CoD4-ish intense moments, and that super suit is absolutely a blast to play. Like i said earlier, best shooter ever, and definately the greatest shooter (possibly game) ever made...and I havent even got to the multiplayer.
http://gizmodo.com/341413/alienware-curved-monitor-looks-like-its-from-another-planet
Now that I got thru Call of Duty 4 and Mass Effect, I'm kind of stumped as to what to try next. I still have Ace Combat 6 to finish, but the game's storyline and cinematics are so melodramatically silly they almost ruin the flight combat. I might pick up Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PS3; it's a Tomb Raider-esque game with a heavier emphasis on action.
For what it's worth Sweepy, I find it easier to focus on one game at a time. When I switch back and forth between several games, I can never keep all the control schemes straight or remember what I was supposed to be doing.
The Finding Cortana level was probably the worst (ie: most difficult) one in Halo3 - and its not the end of the game, there's quite a bit more to do after that. Just try to go slow, conserve ammo, hug the walls and look for alcoves to hide in and regenerate your shields. Also, you should see some cloaking devices scattered on the ground. If you see any, make sure to pick them up as those are invaluable at helping you get thru the more crowded sections of the level. Hope that helps, good luck.
Also, my friends, my 360 is back as of yesterday, and I've been playing the crap outta Rock Band. MAN that game is fun. I beat the Guitar solo game on Medium difficulty, now I'm going for Hard (but it'll take awhile- Hard is HARD, and I will probably never be able to play on Expert. Yikes.)
The drumming is awesome, too, although I've only played a little while.
I also played for awhile doing co-op, my sister on drums and myself on guitar- that was really like playing in a band, it was awesome. I've been sick the past few days and haven't really been up to standing up and really rocking, but when I did... boy was that fun.
Also, no HDMI port for me, either, despite my letter. Oh well.
I'm stuck on Mass Effect (I can't seem to defeat Matriach Benezia on Novaria).
Bioshock is bloody hard too.
I think I need to really focus on a single game at a time. But, being rather a n00b, it's going to take me a lot longer than normal to complete each game
IEU2D, you can't be more of a noob than me and I managed to defeat some games. My advice is start with the Halo games, any of them. I found them greatly entertaining, easy to figure out where to go (a problem I have with a lot of games) and although a challenge it never felt hopeless to me. I am not nearly experienced as some here, but the Halo games were the best I ever played.
Sorry to hear you're under the weather Night; hope you get better real fast.
Now I hope that I don't come across as harsh, but I've never understood the appeal of these Guitar Hero / Rock Band games. Am I missing something are are they little more than rhythm games where you basically press the corresponding buttons on the instrument as to what is shown on screen? Also, if you're having fun playing a guitar controller, why not consider buying a real guitar (or other instrument) and learn to play that? It's a lot more work but believe me, it will be far more satisfying to actually play a real song (any song) than following the colors on the screen.
Anyhow, owing the dearth of new games available, I decided to fire up Halo 3 again. I'm going thru the campaign solo on Heroic difficulty and all I can say is HHHEEEELLLLPPPP!!!! Actually, it's not that bad, but man is it a lot harder. You really need to use cover and make sure you have the right weapon for the task at hand. I also find that most of the human weapons to be pretty weak as you practically need to empty a whole clip to take out anything other than the little grunts.
I saw it at Gamestop recently and no one could tell me about it...not even the people who work there.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Thanks, man, I'll be fine soon I'm sure.
Yeah, you're pretty much right in that they are rhythm games. Of course they aren't as satisfying as being able to play a real guitar, and that is why I never bought the Guitar Hero games. But with Rock Band, the ability to play multiple instruments makes it worthwhile. Do you know where I can get a real bass, microphone, guitar, and drum set for $170? Also, honestly, most people are never going to sound as good as the real thing unless they spend years and years trying it. Here, you can have a bunch of people, 3 right now (or 4 if I get a second guitar) and no matter what their musical experience, they can have fun together making music. That is a pretty cool thing.
Honestly, your argument is valid, and my sister had the same argument; until she played it. However, couldn't you make the same argument with military shooters? "Just join the army." I understand it isn't that same, and you can't die by playing a real guitar, but there is something to be said for being able to sound like you have years of playing experience the first time you pick it up.
In addition, this game may drive me to pick up a real guitar, and I'm sure it has convinced many others to try.
As for Conan, RA, it got mediocre reviews. It is supposed to be frustratingly difficult.
There's a demo for the game available on Xbox Live (you really ought to invest in the hard drive Rogue). I played it a while ago - I thought it was an OK demo but it also seemed to lack any sort of personality. The graphics had a bland washed out look to them. The game employed a fixed camera system so that you could sometimes get caught on the edges of the screen or otherwise be unable to see what you were supposed to be doing. The voiceovers were very flat and bland (Ron Perlman really phones in his performan as Conan). Also, while I can't confirm this directly, I've read that some of the boss encounters are really cheap and full of situations where your chance of beating the boss has more to do with luck rather than skill (ie: a monster comes up thru the ground, you have no way of knowing where it will come up, if it comes up right under you you're dead, if it comes up somewhere else, you have a chance).
As such, I decided to pass on the game. It's already dropped to $40; I'd probably wait another price drop before seriously thinking about picking it up.
http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2008/01/18/UndertowFreeofCharge.aspx
If only Tony. Man, I can bearly spend any of my money as it is. Ive GOT to save for college. I havent bought a game in months (Crysis was on loan), and i need something to play. I was thinking of swinging by Circuit City on Monday and seeing what I can get. I was thinking of either buying the racer DiRT or The Orange Box. I need something to hold me over for a while.
Also, my brother is in the market for a console, and is deciding between the PS3 and 360, so there is a possibility that i might join you guys soon. But its all up in the air right now.
And Tony, crashing isnt my problem, its those dang framerate dives. They drive me out of my mind. They are caused by the latency issues, so they arent my computer, but they still drive me up the wall. And I got a virus the other day...so I had to restore my system. I think I got the virus from a Warcraft 3 mod...ticked me off majorly.
I just just playing a little DiRT on my 360 today; its a fun game with tons of different racing modes and has dropped in price so you shuold get a good price. Just be aware that the control is very loose and floaty (pretty much typical for an offroad racing game). Without a good analog gamepad, it may be a little tough to control.
I tried The Orange Box a while ago and can't say I liked it too much. I was never a big fan of Valve's games as they could never hold my attention from start to finish. I also think charging $50-$60 is a bit of a ripoff since the various components in the box have all been around for a while. Just my opinion of course, although you will probably enjoy Team Fortress.
If he's into games the 360 is still the way to go. The PS3 is getting better but I've owned mine for about 6 months and actually own more BluRay movies than I do games for it.
Not sure how network latency would lead to choppy framerates; the worst that should happen is that the characters you play against disappear and reapper at different places on the map. Do you get framerate issued when doing single player?
Another reason I don't game on computers; too many malicious hackers out there and Windows is too easy a target.
Hope all is going well with school and that you're keeping your grades up. Take care and stay in touch.
Thanks Tony, for the info. I have the DiRT demo and I also felt that the cars were a little too drifty. It is fun, but i dont think that it could hold my interest for 6 months. Also, the orange box looks really cool, but I can justify 50 bucks for TF2 and portal, as I dont want HL2. I need something that will last me a while too, so im still up in the air.
As for the consoles, my brother and I both have PCs and so we get to play most of the 360's biggest hits, so he's looking at the PS3 pretty heavily. We might pick one up when we are out today.
And no, in singleplayer, with the settings i have, i dont have too many framerate issues. I only have the occasional stutter when i run through a cloud of smoke either left by a grenade or a smoke grenade. So its very rarely.
Also, I fixed my computer by setting it back 2 days, a very simple process that took 10 minutes and has worked out nicely, so im back up and running.