What are you playing?

[BobFromPikeCreek]

You want to like it so bad, but your hatred of Gearbox won't let you. Let go.

[cool breeze]

i played a little bit of MoH: Airborne (PC). Really surprised by this. The first mission is a lot of fun. There are some annoying control issues, like I hate having to hold right click to be in iron sights. Graphically it's dated but still good looking. Especially like the lighting. Will continue playing through.

I wanted to get this on PC but I tried the demo recently and it wouldn't work.  I might look up the problem and get it on steam in the future.

[bork]

PS3 gaming tonight.

Tekken 6: Same ol', same ol'.  No hate mail this time.   :'(

Uncharted 2 Multi: Been a little while.  I really, really enjoy this game's MP.  It seems to have fallen off a bit -due to MW2 I'm sure- as there were only 4900 players online.  Didn't have a problem finding games; did pretty well.  I wish this were more popular.

Street Fighter IV: Mainly championship mode as usual.  Fought a REALLY good Fei-Long player, but Justin Wong he wasn't, so he lost in the end.  Close match though.  For shits n' giggles, I decided to see if anyone was on in player matches.  Found ONE guy.  I play him, pick Sakura, he picks Abel...and the lag is pretty bad.  Turns out he's playing from the Dominican Republic (I looked up his tag), which explains it.  Then I go random.  He picks Abel again.  I get Rose.  I just do slide, throw, slide throw, and completely shut his game down. Then I go random again, and get Fei-Long.  He goes for Dictator.  Again I am able to shut him down, mainly with Fei's overhead kick, and some well placed pokes and throws.  I quit after this, since the lag just sucked.  Then he messages me with "SCRUB."     I sent him a nice little message, reminding him that he lost to characters I don't use, his connection sucked, I went random and he didn't-- he's a pussy, and he lost to dumb-ass shit.  Owned, scrub, etc.  First SF4 hate mail in MONTHS!

I think now imma play some more Tekken and maybe switch to the 360 for Modern Warfare 2, although it's about time to start Bayonetta on hard mode.

[demi]

1 year later and GTA4 is still one of the worst games I've ever played

[iconoclast]

1000'd Mini Ninjas. Probably the worst game I've played all year, besides Rag Doll Kung Fu.

Gonna try to rent Saw or Assassin's Creed 2 next. Kinda weary about AC2 though since the first game was shit.

[The Sceneman]

I think Im going to give up on 100%ing Gay Tony. This is just too unfun

[Fragamemnon]

Finished Dragon Age last night and adored it. Was this really from the same company that turded it up with Mass Defect? I can see how it might seem a bit lacking to console players-the combat is not elegant from the zoomed in viewpoint and the game's visuals are not quite so as attractive outside of the isometric perspective-

All of my "issues", with the game, if you could call them that, are really just small nitpicks and wishlist items. Most will likely be handled in the future by PC modders. I already sorta want to play it again, and I spent about 80 hours playing through the game over the last ten days or so-not a healthy pace at all! So I'll do some chores tonight and get to bed at a decent time for a change.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Man you guys really hate Mass Effect. It was decent.

[The Fake Shemp]

It was better than decent, it was pretty great.

Frag is just a grumpy, old guy that plays Excel games. If it wasn't for the fact that he's so damn lovable, we could actually mock him.

[Great Rumbler]

It was better than decent, it was pretty great.

Yep.

[The Fake Shemp]

Yet, he loves Advent Rising.

[FlameOfCallandor]

I really like Mass Effect, but at times it feels like a chore especially every aspect of the Combat. The game also has a terrible tutorial.

[Great Rumbler]

The combat's fine. Just let your party members do whatever they want and find some cover to shoot from behind.

[FlameOfCallandor]

That's exactly what I do which feels kind of empty. Also a lot of times your allies get in the way when you try to take cover.

[Bocsius]

I loved Mass Effect. The only complaints I had were

a) I'm not a fan of vehicular combat. So time spent in the whatever-it-was-called wasn't all that thrilling to me.
b) I wish the game would have implemented a temp-save before boss fights, particularly when there was a long dialog tree immediately before the fight. When I fought what's-her-name, I did a poor job strategerizing a few times, and therefore had to sit through the conversation a few times. Just let me pick up at the beginning of the battle if I immediately continue. If I quit out and come back later, of course make me do the whole thing as per the usual.

[Great Rumbler]

I loved Mass Effect. The only complaints I had were

a) I'm not a fan of vehicular combat. So time spent in the whatever-it-was-called wasn't all that thrilling to me.
b) I wish the game would have implemented a temp-save before boss fights, particularly when there was a long dialog tree immediately before the fight. When I fought what's-her-name, I did a poor job strategerizing a few times, and therefore had to sit through the conversation a few times. Just let me pick up at the beginning of the battle if I immediately continue. If I quit out and come back later, of course make me do the whole thing as per the usual.

I don't mind the second issue that much since you can skip through dialogue fairly quickly. I agree about the first one, though, the Mako, while fun to mess around with, just doesn't work all that well in combat. Actually, the combat as a whole could have been done a lot better. I don't hate it, but it's pretty plain most of the time.

The biggest problem I have is that almost all of the sidequests, outside of the ones that can be done at the Citadel, or almost exactly the same: go through this bland building and shoot some stuff. Repeat. I hope that's something they fix in ME2.

[Great Rumbler]

Inventory is terribad, which is complimented nicely by terribad items. It's really weird considering that we're talking about a Bioware game.

The good overweights the bad and the TRIPLE AWESOME graphics, alien design, characters (WREX!), dialogues ("Wrex. Shepard."), cutscenes, planets etc. push this game into the AAA+ area.

I'd also add: one of the best overall scifi experiences in a videogame.

[TakingBackSunday]

Mass Effect was one of the most forgettable games I've played this entire generation.  I remember enjoying it while playing but honestly, I couldn't tell anyone about the game and it's intricacies a week later.  Lather-rinse-repeat missions, awful dungeon and planetary design with only one real mindblowing environment, and I never thought the battles were all that challenging.  I never thought I was taking advantage of my powers that they gave me - just shoot until shit's dead.

Definitely one of the weaker "big name" games of this generation.  KotOR was a much better experience for me.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

- MAKO driving with KB&M. I heard it was infinitely better on consoles, is this true?

Better in the sense that a solid turd is better than diarrhea.

[Bebpo]

Mass Effect was really great.  Far better than KoTOR and I haven't played Dragon Age but I doubt I'd enjoy it as much as the incredible Mass Effect.

The core story in ME is far too good for an rpg.  The combat is broken but sorta fun.  The graphics/music present an awesome 80s atmosphere and the characters are great with good character designs.  I'd take a scaley reptileman and robot over an elf anyday.

[Great Rumbler]

Mass Effect was one of the most forgettable games I've played this entire generation.

wut

[Fragamemnon]

I just wanted to chime in here that I thought that ME lacked strategic flair in its combat, had absolutely terrible, completely-segregated, tedious "side missions" with that dumbass Mako thing, and sported some of the worst itemization I've ever seen in a big budget RPG. I thought that they did a good job with worldbuilding ( which they doubled-down on in Dragon Age-the world and lore they created is pretty much on par with a fully realized D&D product ) in ME and conversation system was very good. The soundtrack is the best thing ever in a western game.

It just felt that it would have almost been a better adventure game than RPG. I didn't think the shooty nature of the game's combat was bad, it was just really shallow. Had the PC version had an isometric camera with full party control and let me play the game like Jagged Alliance, well, I'd probably give a much different opinion of ME than "Mass Defect".

I'm sorta looking forward to the sequel. Just getting better itemization alone and doing a better job with the sidequests would be a huge boost for me.

Frag is just a grumpy, old guy that plays Excel games.

Also, this. ME didn't pass the "hrm, let me stroke my beard and think about this" test.

[Don Flamenco]

Didn't realize it until now, but Dragon Age's story has some similarities to Mass Effect...kinda

[demi]

Didn't realize it until now, but Dragon Age's story has some similarities to Mass Effect...kinda

* You must become a Jedi
* You must become a Spectre
* You must become a Grey Warden

Nope, no similarities. Bioware is just brimming with creativity

[FlameOfCallandor]

I forgot how bad the item inventory screen was. Jesus that was terrible. It didnt help that there were alien specific armor. 

[BobFromPikeCreek]

I tried to replay ME again to get some achievements. Couldn't do it. Game is awful.

[Kestastrophe]

I just wanted to chime in here that I thought that ME lacked strategic flair in its combat, had absolutely terrible, completely-segregated, tedious "side missions" with that dumbass Mako thing, and sported some of the worst itemization I've ever seen in a big budget RPG.

I agree with this sentiment. I really loved the game and I have all of the tedious achievements, but it was not very polished in terms of mechanics or content other than the main story.

[Great Rumbler]

What's with ME and 80's sci-fi?

80's sci-fi was Aliens. ME has nothing on Aliens (Aliens >>> ME).

80's scifi was Empire Strikes Back.

[Fragamemnon]

ME was like the kind of epic pulp science fiction that was totally popular in the 70s and 80s. Give Bioware credit-that was the motif they wanted to have, and they freakin' nailed it.

[Bebpo]

Especially the music. 

[cool breeze]

Mass Effect was fun.  Thinking back, I have fond memories, but thinking about it more, I remember how much I really didn't like about it.  I'm going to replay it on the PC in preparation for ME2 on PC and only the fact that a lot of the technical issues being resolved, as well as other tweaks, give me some solace in the decision to replay it.  If I didn't have such OCD, I wouldn't put myself through the boring ass task of doing all those side missions.  And the conversation/morality system is a complete joke.  I think the top right options were all good, so you just kept picking that to remain pure.  I did think the best part of it was the actual universe and style.  The music was great, too.

ME2 looks pretty great, if only for them going even further away from RPG conventions.  It looks a lot more like a shooter, which is what I thought ME1 tried to do but failed because the shooting was garbage in it.

[about Dragon Age] the game's visuals are not quite so as attractive outside of the isometric perspective-

yeah, that's kinda strange but true.  When playing behind the back, the game doesn't look very good, but when you pull it up, it is a pretty game.

[TakingBackSunday]

Frag sums up my thoughts on the game much better than I did, so, yeah.

[bork]

OH BOY A HATE VOICE MESSAGE SESSION IN TEKKEN!  In another lag-filled match, I beat a guy just doing df+3, 3 every round.  

Him: "Look here you jockin bitch, yeah you don't even DESERVE that rank*, you punk-ass BASTARD!!  Learn some damn new moves!!!!" 

Me: lol u mad u got beat down with just one move lmao

Him: Well I'm BETTER THAN YO ASS USING HER.  I'LL PUNK YOU INO NEXT WEEK USING HER!!!  FUCKIN' WHORE.  YOU START JOCKIN'."

Me: u can't beat one move.  What a scrub.  lmao

Him: I hope you know you disgracing yourself.  You belittling yourself.  YOU SUCK.  GO FIND ANOTHER PERSON TO FIGHT WITH 

Me: hey, thanks for the voice messages-- comedy gold i can share with the interwebs.  maybe u should be mad at urself for being too stupid to know how to counter low, SCRUB.  OWNED. 

Him: "Scrub?  It's live.  It's gonna be laggy.  So if I was guardin, I'm not gonna be catching you low all the time.  YOU KNOW DAT."

Me: not my fault u can't play this game well.  u should sell it and go play madden or something, SCRUB.

---

You can counter that move so easily.  Just hit df on the second hit.  Doesn't matter if there's lag or not.

*[Thanks to this match, I'm now 3rd dan, 35-8.]

[BobFromPikeCreek]

But I thought the PSN community was so much more polite and sophisticated than the rabid 12 year old nazi griefer distinguished mentally-challenged fellows that are on XBL!

[demi]

lyte is just immature. You aren't funny, lyte.

[bork]

But I thought the PSN community was so much more polite and sophisticated than the rabid 12 year old nazi griefer distinguished mentally-challenged fellows that are on XBL!

No, this was on XBL.  You can't do voice messages on PSN.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

But I thought the PSN community was so much more polite and sophisticated than the rabid 12 year old nazi griefer distinguished mentally-challenged fellows that are on XBL!

You can't do voice messages on PSN.

Really?

Huh.

[bork]

But I thought the PSN community was so much more polite and sophisticated than the rabid 12 year old nazi griefer distinguished mentally-challenged fellows that are on XBL!

You can't do voice messages on PSN.

Really?

Huh.

With fighting games, it doesn't matter which platform it is you're playing on.  Hate mail will come from scrubs who can't take a loss, and even sometimes from "sore winners." 

[BobFromPikeCreek]

I just think it's funny when people imply that there aren't distinguished mentally-challenged fellows in every online community (not that I'm saying you were).

[duckman2000]

You want to like it so bad, but your hatred of Gearbox won't let you. Let go.

It's like playing a really shitty Deus Ex. 

[demi]

No way man. Deus Ex is shit period. Bro-derlands is awesome.

[bork]

I just think it's funny when people imply that there aren't distinguished mentally-challenged fellows in every online community (not that I'm saying you were).

I'm doing the opposite.   

I love trash-talking and hate-messages from distinguished mentally-challenged fellows online.  It's always satisfying beating someone down and watching the shitstorm that follows, all over a dumb video game.

There's something about that move in particular that a lot of people just can't seem to get.  I fought another Alisa player who tried to do the same thing right afterwards, and beat him soundly.  IT'S TOUGH TO SIDE-STEP OR ROLL OUT OF THE WAY.     And then I beat a Lars player with a rank of mentor and beat him using that move quite a bit.  If people can't beat a simple strategy, I see no reason to change it up.

[muckhole]

Finally home, setting down for some Borderlands. I love this game.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

I just think it's funny when people imply that there aren't distinguished mentally-challenged fellows in every online community (not that I'm saying you were).

I'm doing the opposite.   

I love trash-talking and hate-messages from distinguished mentally-challenged fellows online.  It's always satisfying beating someone down and watching the shitstorm that follows, all over a dumb video game.

There's something about that move in particular that a lot of people just can't seem to get.  I fought another Alisa player who tried to do the same thing right afterwards, and beat him soundly.  IT'S TOUGH TO SIDE-STEP OR ROLL OUT OF THE WAY.     And then I beat a Lars player with a rank of mentor and beat him using that move quite a bit.  If people can't beat a simple strategy, I see no reason to change it up.

Yeah, my friend who is amazing at SF4 frequently sends me the messages he gets and they're hilarious. I wish I was good at fighters just for that reason. You don't really get stuff like that in shooters since it's not 1 on 1.

[bork]

I just think it's funny when people imply that there aren't distinguished mentally-challenged fellows in every online community (not that I'm saying you were).

I'm doing the opposite.   

I love trash-talking and hate-messages from distinguished mentally-challenged fellows online.  It's always satisfying beating someone down and watching the shitstorm that follows, all over a dumb video game.

There's something about that move in particular that a lot of people just can't seem to get.  I fought another Alisa player who tried to do the same thing right afterwards, and beat him soundly.  IT'S TOUGH TO SIDE-STEP OR ROLL OUT OF THE WAY.     And then I beat a Lars player with a rank of mentor and beat him using that move quite a bit.  If people can't beat a simple strategy, I see no reason to change it up.

Yeah, my friend who is amazing at SF4 frequently sends me the messages he gets and they're hilarious. I wish I was good at fighters just for that reason. You don't really get stuff like that in shooters since it's not 1 on 1.

Instead you get distinguished mentally-challenged fellows trash-talking and trying to insult you in-game.      You don't have to be amazing at fighters or anything; I'm a total Tekken noob.  You'd be surprised at how many people just hop online and think they are going to win outright by button mashing or trying to spam the same move/combo with no idea how to do anything else, offensive or defensive.  That pretty much sums up the guy I was playing-- he sucked, and it's because he had no idea about the core fundamentals of the game.  Only a shitty player would be defeated by what I did to him.  Your average Tekken scrub can be beaten just by backdashing and side-stepping.  Too many people online seem to think the game takes place on a 2D plane.  If you get Chreddy spammers, you just need to find a move or two that stops it, and everyone seems to have 1-2 moves that do just that.  Shuts their "game" down completely.  When I get beaten by someone, I don't bitch about it, even if they were just doing one or two moves/combos.  Instead, I learn what to do to stop it.  That's why fighting games are such a niche genre...too many people don't want to take the time to actually learn how to play.

[Brehvolution]

Finally home, setting down for some Borderlands. I love this game.

We need to play soon. 

[The Sceneman]

I've put down GTA Episodes, had enough for now.

Need to finish up Mass Effect and Tales of Vesperia before the xmas gaming season.

Going to Australia in 2 days so no gaming for a week  well I might play some PSP on the plane

But yeah Ive got heaps of gaming to catch up on.

Holiday buy list:
AssCreed2
Borderlands
Scene It! 3
GTAIV

[chronovore]

I've put down GTA Episodes, had enough for now.

Need to finish up Mass Effect and Tales of Vesperia before the xmas gaming season.

Going to Australia in 2 days so no gaming for a week  well I might play some PSP on the plane

But yeah Ive got heaps of gaming to catch up on.

Holiday buy list:
AssCreed2
Borderlands
Scene It! 3
GTAIV

Why are you buying GTA IV if you aren't finding Gay Tony fun? I mean, I'll happily go co-op some of the vanilla GTA IV missions and MP with you, but it doesn't make a lot of sense if you weren't even having fun with the superior Gay Tony stuff.

Also, what, no interest in Brutal Legend?

[The Sceneman]

Oh dont get me wrong I enjoyed Gay Tony and Lost and Damned, completed all missions in both of them. I got all Lost and Damned achievements and started going for the 'mission percentage' ones in Gay Tony but they are boring and time consuming. With tons of other games to play atm I decided to shelve it for now. I only got about 1/4 into GTAIV so Im keen to pick it up and finish it off.

I'll probably rent Brutal Legend at some point too.

Anyhow we should play something soon, Im overseas for the next week or sothen Im moving house but I should be settled and ready for some serious gaming catch up time mid-december. Argh so much shit to play!

[chronovore]

Since you've got the mechanics down from mashing on the DLC, and already know you're not interested in GTA IV's story ('cos you'd have finished it the first time) you can just go for the "Liberty City Minute" 'cheev right out of the gate. Screw the cutscenes, the game doesn't stop the timer for them. (lame) Even so, I think my "minute" run came in at 14 hours, and the last 2 hrs. of that was me just giving up on a fast time and repeating the last mission from its all-too-rare mid-mission save point. God DAMN that last mission sucks my salty, dangling, aged, hairy ballsac.

Don't buy too many games during your vacation. You're only a month away from XMAS. But no-one's going to buy you an old-ass copy of GTA IV, fer sure.

Yeah, let's play again soon. We could probably do some pretty good stuff if we Ranked play in GTA IV. That game is just a chaotic mess, and whenever I see people team up, they clean house.

[Crushed]

HOLY FUCK LEFT 4 DEAD 2

this game is fucking amazo

Much harder than the first one, too.

[Kestastrophe]

Little Big Planet PSP

I haven't been able to access any of the downloadable levels yet, but the rest of it stacks up very well compared to the PS3 release. Very impressive

[Bebpo]

Much harder than the first one, too.

I've noticed the difficulty depends completely on how good your team members are.  I play advanced in L4D1 and sometimes we die; sometimes it's easy depending on who is in the team.

Then again the levels seem longer in L4D2 so more time to die.  Tank battles seem less frequent and deadly though.  Also it might just be me but it seems like there's way more weapon/item points along the way.

[duckman2000]

Rainbow Six Raven Shield

[Robo]

Made it to Championship rank G1 in Street Fighter 4! 

Finally playing good people!

[bork]

Made it to Championship rank G1 in Street Fighter 4! 

Finally playing good people!

Congrats!  I need to finally catch up myself, but I'm still at around 6000 GP on 360 and less than 4000 on PS3.  Too many player matches with friends and losses in the last fight of the championship mini-tourneys.  Don't know if I'll make it there before Super...

[demi]

I found this vid of Himuro playing his PS3

[bork]

[Fragamemnon]

the no-interest financing part of the commercial  made it even more funny

good jon demi

[FlameOfCallandor]

I found this vid of Himuro playing his PS3