What are you playing?

[figmentPez]

I've been playing Aquaria. I got it as part of the Humble Indie Bundle over a year ago, and I'm only now getting around to playing it. So far it's not something I wish I'd rushed to play, but it is pretty good. Aquaria is a metroid-vania type of game set mostly (if not entirely) underwater. I'm not very far in, so I'm not sure where all the game mechanics will go, but they're a nice twist on the genre so far. The controls work pretty well, both using just the mouse and using WASD to move (though the latter does allow for greater manuverability while firing). I wish I could figure out how to get a gamepad working, I'd like to see how it plays with a twin-stick shooter type setup.

The graphics are pretty, though the animation is weak. The music and sound effects are solid, but don't strike me as memorable. The voice acting is pretty decent, though it's just been the main character doing occasional narration, thus far. The menu systems are bad, but not so bad that they're any great hindrance. The world is intriguing (and looks to be huge), but so far the actual plot is bland.

Overall, I really want to like this game. I'm just not sure if it'll live up to it's potential, or if it's rough edges will wear on me.

 

[Jiarn]

If I had any time to play, I'd be playing the hell out of New Vegas.... damnit.

 

[linglingface]

Dance Central and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved <3 Kinect <3
Also a little Epic Mickey and Donkey Kong in between.

 

[Frank]

Up to 1.945 million in Pacman. Game of the decade!

 

[Adam]

Been playing a lot of Transformers: War for Cybertron.

Kinda fun, and a lot like CoD. Just transforming constantly makes me happy Also, flying around as Shockwave.....SHOCKWAVE ><!

 

[ThatNickGuy]

I've been playing Aquaria. I got it as part of the Humble Indie Bundle over a year ago, and I'm only now getting around to playing it. So far it's not something I wish I'd rushed to play, but it is pretty good. Aquaria is a metroid-vania type of game set mostly (if not entirely) underwater. I'm not very far in, so I'm not sure where all the game mechanics will go, but they're a nice twist on the genre so far. The controls work pretty well, both using just the mouse and using WASD to move (though the latter does allow for greater manuverability while firing). I wish I could figure out how to get a gamepad working, I'd like to see how it plays with a twin-stick shooter type setup.

The graphics are pretty, though the animation is weak. The music and sound effects are solid, but don't strike me as memorable. The voice acting is pretty decent, though it's just been the main character doing occasional narration, thus far. The menu systems are bad, but not so bad that they're any great hindrance. The world is intriguing (and looks to be huge), but so far the actual plot is bland.

Overall, I really want to like this game. I'm just not sure if it'll live up to it's potential, or if it's rough edges will wear on me.

I played the demo for it a few years ago and I see what you mean. It's got a lot of potential and a certain charm to it. I think it might be more comfortable playing on console. Still, I keep thinking about buying it, myself. There was enough in it I liked.

 

[figmentPez]

It's a shame, I may not be able to continue Aquaria because of a bug. I entered a new area, and now every time a certain enemy shows up, I get this:

If I can find and defeat the enemy, with all those black boxes covering my screen, the glitch will go away, or if I leave that section of the map. However, until then the menu won't show (which makes it very hard to quit the game).

 

[KCWM]

I'm playing Golden Axe: Beast Rider for the 360 because it cost me $3. It sucks. But I keep playing it.
I also bought Borderlands for $10. I love pawnshops.

In the board/card game realm, I've been playing Settlers of Catan, Arkham Horror, Colossal Arena, Apples to Apples, and a couple of others with some friends. They want me to play Battlestar Galactica with them at some point.

 

[Officer_Charon]

I just beat, FINALLY, after playing, losing my save game, then being restricted to about an hour at a time, Mass Effect 2, with a Paragon Shep with a dash of Renegade to keep things interesting. Also, No One Left Behind, bitches, although Tali got a little toasty in the pipes, a couple times...

 

[rathkor]

Also, No One Left Behind, bitches, although Tali got a little toasty in the pipes, a couple times...

I managed to get this on my first playthrough without looking at a walkthrough. I was so excited. Congrats.

On a related not, I just played Dragon Age: Origin, and Between it and Mass Effect, I think Bioware's reputation for awesome games, stories, and characters is easily well deserved.

 

[figmentPez]

It's a shame, I may not be able to continue Aquaria because of a bug...

Well, the bug stopped, possibly because I had Steam verify the game files. Anyway, I have been playing way too much. So much that I hurt my shoulder from so much mousing. I'll have to lay off action games for a few days.

I've been playing Loom instead. Good gravy this game needs a remake, the interface is so clunky. The voice acting is decent, and I'm enjoying the world and story, but it's such a pain to do anything. I'd probably give up if I didn't really want to know what goes on in this game often regarded as a classic that broke new ground in adventure games. As it is I've stopped and started again several times due to frustration.

 

[Jay]

All the talk of Morrowwind has got me to want to play the game again. I do however feel little interest to update the game with all the million awesome mods. Has anyone heard of any places that provide mod packages to the game, for an easy install? (plus the CDs are in a box somewhere)

 

[Hailey Knight]

What am I playing? More like, what am I not playing? My list of unfinished games:

Assassin's Creed 2
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Fallout 3
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Red Dead Redemption
Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 4
Epic Mickey
Dead Space
Persona 3
Zelda: Wind Waker
Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Okami
Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

That list fails to convey the scope of some of those games, their lengths and depth of extra content. This is truly abominable. The fact that I'm even considering picking up Radiant Historia next month or Portal 2 in April disgusts me. And I can name three on the list above that I'll probably never finish.

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

Just played through Jade Empire. Fun game.

 

[figmentPez]

I'm playing through Darksiders, and I've got mixed feelings about it. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good game, but it's a mix of things I really like, and other stuff I don't particularly care for. The combat is more fast paced and complex than I like, but at the same time lends itself to repetitive tactics. The dungeons are very zelda-esque, and the boss fights work fairly well. In fact, some of the boss fights have been easier than some of the tougher recurring enemies (which are kind of annoying.) The one thing I really don't like about fighting is that it's hard to tell when you're doing damage to an enemy, and how much. With all the over-the-top gore they show in finish kills, it's totally incongruous that most hits just cause a shower of sparks. Most of the secondary weapons don't play into combat very well, unlike in the Zelda games, and that's a shame.

I'm not fond of the way health is handled. I can't say it's unbalanced or anything, it's just not very elegant. I find killing tons of cannon fodder enemies for health to just be busy work, especially when most enemies will just leave you alone while you do your finishing move over and over and over again during a fight. Seriously, if that's the route you're going to take, at least give me some sort of area attack to do the same thing and get on with playing. More often you get health from chests (that never respawn) or from bought "potions", though, so maybe it's just the current area that's making me feel that way.

The graphics are nice, though I'm not particularly fond of the Image Comics meets World of Warcraft character design, it just doesn't do anything for me. The gore is kind of annoying though, since it serves no purpose other than to be extreme! More than anything this makes me long for a real Zelda game in HD.

The voice acting is great, especially Ulthane. The dialog is a litte cheesy at times, but it's delivered well. The sole distraction is Vulgrim the shopkeeper, who keeps repeating the same lines over and over as you browse through potential purchases.

Overall it's a pretty solid game, that takes a lot of the cliches of action-adventure gaming, and ties them up in a mostly appealing package.

 

[JCM]

After finishing Ghost of Sparta and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded I have now cast aside the DS and PSP as my mobile gaming platform. What I'm playing now-

-Dead Space HD - Amazing how iPad games blow away the DS, PSP and even the Wii, with a Dead Space game that isn't an on-rails shooter, and actually feels like the original.

-Shadow Guardian HD - A Gameloft shameless ripoff of Uncharted, but almost as good.

-Modern Combat 2 HD - See Shadow Guardian, replace Uncharted with Call of Duty 2.

-World of Goo - Just downloaded it, I'll try it out on the commute to work.

 

[Covar]

Dead Space.

 

[figmentPez]

Played a little Magicka today. I love this game. Even if it's horrible from this point on, I love it. I got an achievement for being indecisive in choosing the color of my character's robes. I flipped between green and purple and up popped "Blue… No Yelloooow!" in the lower corner. Awesome.

The gameplay is pretty good. It's got some similarities to Diablo, but it's mostly simpler, and it's complexity is in different areas. It's more arcadey (I've heard it called a modern Gauntlet) in that there's no levels, almost no loot gathering and no mana. What it does have is a fun little spell casting system (and a great sense of humor). There are 8 main elements (Water, Life, Shield, Cold, Lightning, Arcane, Rock and Fire... I think. I might have some names wrong) each assigned to a key (Q, W, E, R, A, S, D, F) Spells consist of one to five elements conjured and then cast. For instance: Shield, Life and Cold creates land mines that slow your enemies, but don't do any damage. Fire alone shoots a short fan of flame, but fire and arcane fire a beam of flame across the screen. Some elements are incompatible (summoning them in the same spell just cancels both) while others combine into secondary elements (fire and water make steam).

It's also multiplayer, and I hear that is an absolute blast. If anyone else picks this one up, I'd love a chance to play it with friends.

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

Fig, once I finish one of the PA games, I'm definitely purchasing Magicka from Steam. We should play sometime.

 

[Allen who is Quiet]

Well, I'm a liar. Anyway, with experimentation, I've concluded that Meteor Shower is awesome but impractical. I'm definitely using it in multiplayer.

 

[Null]

I've been going back to some older favorites (mind you, I don't have a current-gen system; I'm still playing a PS2) - Soul Calibur 3 and the surprisingly fun Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. Yes, the one that plays mostly like FF-X. And that's not a bad thing at all. But The Third Age also has a very minor feature that I wish every RPG had - every piece of equipment looks different, and when you equip it, your character graphic changes to reflect that. I LOVE THAT. I know it's a little thing and it adds a lot to the programming, but it is one of those little things I truly enjoy. Berethor's Gondorian Steel Citadel Guard Chestplate is visually distinct from the Gondorian Steel Fountain Guard Chestplate, and when you equip them, it shows.

 

[Jiarn]

Finished New Vegas on "Good" with Mr. House. Was a sneak/sniper style with Cass as my backup.

Going back through this time on "Evil" with Caesar's Legion. Going with melee/unarmed brutal style. Not sure who I'll use as a companion.

 

[AshburnerX]

Going back through this time on "Evil" with Caesar's Legion. Going with melee/unarmed brutal style. Not sure who I'll use as a companion.

I recommend Raul. He's been to Arizona and saw the hellhole it was before the Legion pacified it, so he's willing to work with the Legion, if not exactly thrilled. Lilly doesn't care ether, mainly because she's too messed up to notice.

 

[Jiarn]

Don't remember either of them, what about Arcade? Isn't he some kind of healer? Might work with my melee style.

 

[AshburnerX]

Don't remember either of them, what about Arcade? Isn't he some kind of healer? Might work with my melee style.

Arcade does NOT like the Legion. If you do too much pro-legion stuff, he will leave. However, if you REALLY want to fuck with him, you can actually sell him into slavery as Caesar's personal Doctor.

Anyways, Raul is actually pretty useful. His maintenance perk keeps your stuff from degrading as fast, he's great with a pistol (and can become even better with pistols and lever action rifles/shotguns), and he can get a different outfit where he becomes a vaquero! Plus his quest is really easy.

 

[Jiarn]

Hm, I'm pretty fond of self-repair with the perk that allows you to use "similar" products to repair anything.

Cass was fantastic with her shotgun support and the Brotherhood girl was good as a melee, but neither of those will fit into my style coming up....

 

[bhamv3]

I'm replaying Deus Ex, in preparation for Human Revolution. I'm using the Shifter mod this time.

I find Deus Ex is actually more fun the second time around, because I'm better prepared for the OMGWTFPWN difficulty level this time.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Radiant Historia: Pairing a weekend with three sick days meant I ate through this far too quickly and am now at that "end game" point of an RPG where you can hit the final boss at any time.

I had a blast going through it. Loved the combat, loved the story--great characters. I apparently have a fuck-ton of side quests seeing how there are so many events left according to the White Chronicle. The time travel is occasionally very plain, but at other times is wonderfully creative, particularly with how the non-time traveling characters react, or having beaten the same guy in two timelines, changing what happens in one, and then saying to him after skipping ahead, "You know I'd never get in a fight with you."

Otherwise, this game really does feel like it jumped out of the SNES days, but not in that lazy ass, boring way of Final Fantasy: Quest of the 4 Heroes of Light or whatever the hell it is. This has actually been a nice few weeks for handheld RPGs, with Radiant Historia, new Pokemon games, Okamiden, and rereleases of Dragon Quest VI and Tactics Ogre.

 

[Vrii]

Speaking of, I've been playing Tactics Ogre. Pretty much all of the changes from the old SNES/PS1 version are improvements, and I'm so much in love with this game.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Finally finished Okami today. Goddamn that was great. I still think they blew their load early, giving the best boss fight about a third of the way through the game, but the others were still fun and the final battle felt like the struggle it should. I was really surprised to see a New Game + feature, so at some point I'll have to go through again.

No idea how anyone would play this on the PS2.

 

[AshburnerX]

Finally finished Okami today. Goddamn that was great. I still think they blew their load early, giving the best boss fight about a third of the way through the game, but the others were still fun and the final battle felt like the struggle it should. I was really surprised to see a New Game + feature, so at some point I'll have to go through again.

No idea how anyone would play this on the PS2.

If your not playing on the PS2, your missing out on a beautiful credits sequence... which they took out of the Wii version because Clover Studio no longer existed and it would have cost them more money to alter it. This miffed a lot of people because it essentially meant that the original team wasn't getting credit for their work on the original version. Here's the ending sequence from the PS2 version.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Thanks for posting that; I was puzzled by the lack of a credits sequence (I always sit through them when I finish a game). It's a shame it didn't sell better.

 

[Jiarn]

Currently playing (when I even have a moment for gaming): DCU: Online (Highest level is a 18th Hero) and Metal Gear Solid 4 (just hit Chapter 5)

 

[Adam]

DCU Online.

Not really enjoying it. It's about as deep as my plate. Playing on the Vice and Virtue server which is apparently one of the more populated servers in the game and it's still very, very sparse.

Ingoodhands - Healing Sorceress extraordinaire

Tony Spark - He's the CEO with a heart of gold.

 

[AshburnerX]

Just got back from buying Pokemon Black. I'm going to disappear for about a month now.