What are you playing?

[Hailey Knight]

I finished Half-Life 2. While I still felt more corraled than in the first game, I will take back a lot of the mean things I said a year or so ago when I had stopped playing during Water Hazard.

Spoiler

That said, if I had played it back in 2004, without have Episode One and Two to play as soon as I please and continue the story, I'm be damn pissed at that ending.

Well, onto Episode One.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

What was your issue with Water Hazard? I breezed through that level . . . except for that one little puzzle

Spoiler

where you gotta load a cage full of floating balls. I just never thought to dive in the water.

(Spoilered just because)

 

[Hailey Knight]

It was easy enough (besides that same puzzle), it just felt like a rail shooter for much of it, when I wanted more like Half-Life. I stopped playing then, and then my game was erased and I didn't bother. But playing through again, I started enjoying the game again after that and it was awesome.

I started Episode One today--I didn't expect to get the awesome version of the gravity gun again . Wheeeee!

Now that I've gotten Julie involved in watching it though, I'm starting Dead Space so to occupy my time and she won't miss any of Gordon Freeman's adventure. It's tense, but I'm not finding it too scary just yet. It is a slick game though. I like the way the menu and contact info work, and all the controls feel intuitive. Not as scary as people have made out, but I like it.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

I started playing episode 1 (without finishing HL2) but there's something about the game that just doesn't grab me. I just can't be bothered with it.

My interests may just lie elsewhere. After loving Saints Row 2 and being subsequently bored by GTA4, I picked up the first Saints Row today. Hopefully it gives me the fun I want.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Probably because HL2-Episode One feels like it's still HL2. It's not the next part, it's still busy concluding the previous events.

 

[figmentPez]

Probably because HL2-Episode One feels like it's still HL2. It's not the next part, it's still busy concluding the previous events.

I enjoyed HL2:Ep1 more than most, but that might be on account of the commentary. Or possibly Alex evolving as a character. Most of the gameplay, and certainly all of the setting, just felt like more of the same. There's not a lot that stands out.

Episode 2, on the other hand, is just stellar. The settings feel new and different. There are several points in the game that are among the best in the HL series. Absolutely amazing from start to finish. I've played it through three times myself (once when it first came out, a second time for commentary and a third to get the gnome achievement) and even now when people talk about it I get an urge to play again.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I am enjoying it; it just doesn't feel like Half-Life 2 ended exactly. While I'm waiting to see where things go with getting out of City 17, I'm still enjoying what's there. Returning to the super gravity gun was unexpected and nice, and the reactor sequence was interesting. "Lowlife" was really... unexpected. I thought I'd left Ravenholm behind entirely, and somehow this was honestly worse, maybe because of the claustrophobic tunnels and the pitch blackness. And I mean that in a good way.

Dr. Kleiner was hilarious too. "For those so inclined, now would be an excellent time for procreation."

 

[bhamv3]

Episode 1 felt like a mini-sequel to HL2. Very good, but sort of like an addendum, you know?

Episode 2 was pure awesome. The antlion turret battle is still the most exciting experience I've ever had in a game.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Super Mario Galaxy: This is one example of how NOT to do a final boss.

Haha, I get it, into the lava, just like all the Bowser battles in the first game, har fucking har. I'd like to think games have evolved from that, and even Mario has too. I'm not saying the final boss needs to be painfully difficult, but challenging shouldn't be too much to ask for. Or even just something different, and not a retread of the previous battles with Bowser throughout the game. When I finished him, I was thinking "Wow, the wizards were harder than that." Then it shows the escape and the camera heads back to Bowser and I thought "Oh, it's not over yet, awesome, maybe it'll be a cool fight after all." Instead it's the Mario Galaxy equivalent of Darth Vader's "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I'm less aggravated that it wasn't challenging, as I'm probably above the intended age group for this game (though I still have a hard time with Bowser at the end of Super Mario World, as an adult) and more aggravated that I'd already done this exact battle at least twice in the game, and possibly a third I can't remember.

Overall the game was easy, aside from a couple of the late galaxies. Ah well, we got it for Julie since it seemed like a platformer more at her difficulty level, and that seems true so far. I'm probably gonna try Mario 64 at some point to see if that's any more to my liking.

 

[figmentPez]

I started Fable: The Lost Chapters yesterday. So far the interface seems really clunky and I'm wondering if that's going to keep me from getting into the game. I'll give it a few more hours, but if I keep feeling like I'm fighting the controls I'm going to give up (it's on Gametap, so no loss).

 

[Bowielee]

I just started Republic Commando, I'm enjoying it for the most part, even though the graphics are getting pretty dated.

 

[Ravenpoe]

Super Mario Galaxy: This is one example of how NOT to do a final boss.

Haha, I get it, into the lava, just like all the Bowser battles in the first game, har fucking har. I'd like to think games have evolved from that, and even Mario has too. I'm not saying the final boss needs to be painfully difficult, but challenging shouldn't be too much to ask for. Or even just something different, and not a retread of the previous battles with Bowser throughout the game. When I finished him, I was thinking "Wow, the wizards were harder than that." Then it shows the escape and the camera heads back to Bowser and I thought "Oh, it's not over yet, awesome, maybe it'll be a cool fight after all." Instead it's the Mario Galaxy equivalent of Darth Vader's "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I'm less aggravated that it wasn't challenging, as I'm probably above the intended age group for this game (though I still have a hard time with Bowser at the end of Super Mario World, as an adult) and more aggravated that I'd already done this exact battle at least twice in the game, and possibly a third I can't remember.

Overall the game was easy, aside from a couple of the late galaxies. Ah well, we got it for Julie since it seemed like a platformer more at her difficulty level, and that seems true so far. I'm probably gonna try Mario 64 at some point to see if that's any more to my liking.

While I agree that bowser wasn't a difficult boss at all, I think the same adage that works with all platformers works here: The level itself was the final boss, bowser was just the endpoint.

Spoiler

And if you haven't done the luigi levels yet, then you have plenty of harder to look forward to

 

[Hailey Knight]

I get that, and it was a rough level, though not as rough as some of those single-star galaxies. As for the spoiler, I don't have the patience to get 120 stars . But thanks.

Finished Half-Life 2: Episode 2... that was incredible. I hate fucking hunters, but that finale was amazing. And thankfully this game actually had a real ending. I'm kind of glad I didn't play all that until now, as then I'd have been waiting for Episode 3 since late 2007 like everyone else. But I'm hoping it'll come out this year. I have a feeling it won't; even in 2009 it sounded like they were still working things out. I hope not over demands for a Portal gun, because I could lose that in favor of finding out what happens next.

 

[AshburnerX]

There has been NO talk of Episode 3. At all. They are busy with Left 4 Dead 2's DLC (and the one for Left 4 Dead 1 as well), as well as the next update for TF2. They probably ARE working on episode 3, but it's probably not coming this year.

 

[Hylian]

I just picked up two games and just started of playing both of them. The first one is BlazBlue and the other one is Rune Factory Frontier. So far both are great games.

 

[Alucard]

Picked up the original copy of Left 4 Dead. So far its a fun game.
Tanks are a real bitch though. Depending on how I like this I'll probably pick up the 2nd one.

Waiting for Bad Company 2 to come out next week.

 

[Hailey Knight]

There has been NO talk of Episode 3. At all. They are busy with Left 4 Dead 2's DLC (and the one for Left 4 Dead 1 as well), as well as the next update for TF2. They probably ARE working on episode 3, but it's probably not coming this year.

I'd imagine something is coming down the pipe for late 2010 though.

Oh, and on Episode 2:

Spoiler

I cannot believe they killed Eli. I was so pissed, I wanted to jam a crowbar into that fucking slug's eye.

 

[AshburnerX]

There has been NO talk of Episode 3. At all. They are busy with Left 4 Dead 2's DLC (and the one for Left 4 Dead 1 as well), as well as the next update for TF2. They probably ARE working on episode 3, but it's probably not coming this year.

I'd imagine something is coming down the pipe for late 2010 though.
[/QUOTE]

Doubtful. They have these in the pipeline already:

- Two Left 4 Dead 2 DLCs (The Passing and one that has no details as of yet) on two systems.
- 1 Left 4 Dead 1 DLC for two systems.
- Two Team Fortress 2 free updates, as well as the next "Meet the Team" video.
- Numerous patches for all their games.
- Updates to Steam.

I really don't see it coming until at least mid-2011. They've had a lot on their plates for awhile now.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I didn't mean Episode 3 necessarily, but I guess all that would be the workload of a new game.

 

[bhamv3]

I found out yesterday that Championship Manager 01/02 has been released for free download by the developers. Well, there goes my social life for the next six months.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

Heavy Rain (demo)

Holy crap, I am so down for buying this game when I can. Might wait until June and get the special edition, since it comes with a soundtrack and such. My only qualm with it is the walking mechanics. You hold down R2 to move and then guide them with the left analog stick. No idea why they went with this because it doesn't add anything but frustration.

 

[phil]

I just got an emulator the other day and have been playing the first Zelda game. It's kind of amazing how good this game is considering when it came out. I never played it as a kid so it's all mostly new to me. I've done the first 3 dungeons and I did the 4th up to the boss which I died on. The game feels surprisingly open, which thank god I can look things up online otherwise I wouldn't know what the hell to do. I've got the magic shield, white sword and blue ring so I'm rolling through most of the enemies right now. The only ones that give me any real trouble are the knight guys who you can't attack from the front. If I have 5 or more of those guys in a room it can be pretty tricky to dodge them all, attack them from behind and get away before they turn around and come after you. A friend of mine says that link to the past blows this one away, so I'm excited to get a SNES emulator and give that one a try.

 

[@Li3n]

There has been NO talk of Episode 3. At all. They are busy with Left 4 Dead 2's DLC (and the one for Left 4 Dead 1 as well), as well as the next update for TF2. They probably ARE working on episode 3, but it's probably not coming this year.

I'd imagine something is coming down the pipe for late 2010 though.

Oh, and on Episode 2:

Spoiler

I cannot believe they killed Eli. I was so pissed, I wanted to jam a crowbar into that fucking slug's eye.

[/QUOTE]

That was especially irritating because you don't get to kill anything afterwards... and with Ep. 3 nowhere in sight you're just left with that.

 

[Math242]

I'm playing Mass Effect 1 because i'm not satisfied with my canon save game anymore and i want badly to do a second mass effect 2 run

Playing Eve online as casually as i can.

trying to find time to finish DA: Origins a second time before the xpack comes out

Ditto with DoW 2 (except it's my fourth playthrough)

yeaaaaah, i may need to quit my job

 

[Occasional Poster]

I just ordered Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) for 23.50 euros from play.com, so I know what I'll be playing in a week or so.

Great timing on the price drop as I am currently finishing up my third character in Dragon Age: Origins. I saved the mage for last and I'm having a blast with the different spells. Looking forward to Awakening!

 

[Enresshou]

My friends and I are doing "Fight Nights" in preparation for Super Street Fighter IV, so--in addition to buying Marvel vs. Capcom 2 off XBox Live--we're swapping the following into our lineup:

-Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
-Street Fighter IV
-Capcom vs. SNK 2
-Soul Calibur II
-Rival Schools
-Street Fighter 3rd Strike
-Soul Calibur IV

EDIT: Also, goddamn MVC2. I forgot how annoying that damn "select character" song was.

 

[Math242]

SC IV is the best fighting game ever.

it's just flawless

 

[Hailey Knight]

I stalled on Phantom Hourglass for some reason at the island with the cemetery in early January, but I finally got back into it yesterday and finished it today. That was pretty damn fun. Honestly, it was better than Twilight Princess. Now I can finally play Spirit Tracks; been waiting exactly two months.

 

[Frank]

Been getting on the Supreme Commander LTTP bandwagon. It's pretty fun. I really dig the size and scope of it but wish it was a little faster paced. In these early missions, it takes forever to cruise across the map.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

Midnight Club Los Angeles.

Gorram fricking traffic always getting in my way, smurfing up my line and wrecking my paint. Plus, I bought a Ninja yesterday, first race I tried it in was for pink slips. rammed head on into that gorram fricking traffic right near the finish. Lost my Ninja. I am a sad zombie pirate kitten :tear:

I can haz cowasaky?

 

[AshburnerX]

I am playing the hell out of Mass Effect 1, now that I've gotten it to run.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

Ratched & Clank: A Crack in Time

When I bought my PS3 back in late December, I also bought a second controller. At the time, they had package deals where they included a Greatest Hits game with it (Uncharted, for example). It was the difference of $54.99 for just the controller or $59.99 for the game packaged in. So, on a whim, I snagged Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction.

...and by God was it a lot of fun. It was like a playable Pixar movie with all the fun but half the deep story. It was just so comically well done that I enjoyed every step of it. The Groovitron (whereby a spinning disco ball forces your enemies to drop their guard to get funky)...even the bosses...had me pausing the game to laugh.

So, to continue the fun, I bought and downloaded the second part of the story and had even more fun.

Now I've started playing A Crack in Time and I'm just having so much fun.

 

[Fun Size]

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters was a pretty good one on the PSP.

I've finally moved out of Silent Hill for a time and started Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. I'm not much for shooters these days, but hopefully it'll change my mind.

 

[AshburnerX]

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters was a pretty good one on the PSP.

I've finally moved out of Silent Hill for a time and started Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. I'm not much for shooters these days, but hopefully it'll change my mind.

I disagree: Size Matters is BY FAR the worst Ratchet and Clank game. If your going to play any of the others, you should play Going Commando or Up Your Arsenal. Deadlocked is OK, but it really shifts away from what made the other games great.

 

[Fun Size]

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters was a pretty good one on the PSP.

I've finally moved out of Silent Hill for a time and started Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. I'm not much for shooters these days, but hopefully it'll change my mind.

I disagree: Size Matters is BY FAR the worst Ratchet and Clank game. If your going to play any of the others, you should play Going Commando or Up Your Arsenal. Deadlocked is OK, but it really shifts away from what made the other games great.[/QUOTE]

It's the only one I've played, and while you can disagree that I thought it was pretty good, I think I'll still be right about it.