General Video Game Discussion Thread

[JGlass]

This is a general discussion thread for all video game related topics. Is there a new game coming out that you're psyched about? Want to talk about your favorite franchise and find fellow fans? Or do you just want to get some input on a new release before you head to the store to buy it? This thread will be the center for all that and more.

I'd like to start off the conversation by talking about Far Cry 3. The game's trailers made it look pretty damn cool, but since it's come out I've seen very little fanfare surrounding the game. It's gotten some pretty solid ratings, but it hasn't attracted the attention of Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Elder Scrolls, or Grand Theft Auto, four other successful series.

Has anyone played Far Cry, and if so are you a big fan of the Far Cry series or did you just pick up Far Cry 3 for the first time?

 

[Enlightenment]

I played far cry 3 the game is awesome I never got into the franchise I just picked up the last one because the trailer made it look good. So if your wondering about picking it up, I can vouch for its gameplay so its definitely worth the pick up.

 

[Thom]

Has anyone played Far Cry, and if so are you a big fan of the Far Cry series or did you just pick up Far Cry 3 for the first time?

Yeah, I got it from LoveFilm a little while ago. While I didn't really want it at the time, I'm glad that it came, because it's one of the best open world games I've played in a while. Like most, it can get a bit repetitive if you're playing it for long periods, but there's always a lot to do so it's never really boring. I'd recommend it, definitely. It actually reminds of Dead Island a bit, but that's probably just because it's first person. But yeah, worth a go.

I had Far Cry 2, last year maybe. Didn't like it at all, but this is a million times better.

 

[JGlass]

Yeah, I got it from LoveFilm a little while ago. While I didn't really want it at the time, I'm glad that it came, because it's one of the best open world games I've played in a while. Like most, it can get a bit repetitive if you're playing it for long periods, but there's always a lot to do so it's never really boring. I'd recommend it, definitely. It actually reminds of Dead Island a bit, but that's probably just because it's first person. But yeah, worth a go.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and the Dead Island connection interests me. I played the crap out of Dead Island and, while I thought it was an okay game, it was ridiculously repetitive and it wasn't really all that fun. It felt like a chore to get through at times, and while it certainly challenged me in a way that I enjoyed, I never really felt the thrill of zombie killing that games like L4D or even Undead Redemption provide.

That said, I did enjoy the scavenging and weapon upgrade aspect of Dead Island, which I thought was brilliant. It made finding that illusive (insert piece of trash you can make into a kickass mod here) all the more exciting.

Thanks for your input, it definitely has pushed me strongly towards the direction of buying Far Cry 3.

 

[Thom]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and the Dead Island connection interests me. I played the crap out of Dead Island and, while I thought it was an okay game, it was ridiculously repetitive and it wasn't really all that fun. It felt like a chore to get through at times, and while it certainly challenged me in a way that I enjoyed, I never really felt the thrill of zombie killing that games like L4D or even Undead Redemption provide.

That said, I did enjoy the scavenging and weapon upgrade aspect of Dead Island, which I thought was brilliant. It made finding that illusive (insert piece of trash you can make into a kickass mod here) all the more exciting.

Thanks for your input, it definitely has pushed me strongly towards the direction of buying Far Cry 3.

Yeah, I've still got it at the moment, I feel as though I should send it back soon, but I'm still enjoying it. Yeah, I know what you mean, I really enjoyed Dead Island, but you're definitely right about that, it's pretty much the same thing over and over. You could say the same thing about this, but there's variation in the side missions, hunting, racing, things of that nature. But yeah, things like the sprinting (thankfully unlimited) remind me of Dead Island in that way, I'm not really sure why. It's not really that similar in truth, it may just be the tropical island setting and killing things when they get in your way. I feel I've sort of lost what I was talking about and I'm making random points here. At least the shooting is a lot better than it is in DI.

Yeah, there are small customisation options in this too, just to touch on the DI mod thing) but most of this comes from money. That said, there are upgrades from hunting animals, so I guess that's a plus point.

All in all, I'd say it's definitely worth a play. If you want to go and get all the collectables, it's probably worth buying too. I'd recommend it, but I'd see why people may not like it at the same time. There's a co-op mode too, as well as some online stuff that I haven't actually been able to do as I'm just renting it, you need a uPlay passport. But yeah, glad I've been able to help.

 

[Hulktorious]

Yeah, I've still got it at the moment, I feel as though I should send it back soon, but I'm still enjoying it. Yeah, I know what you mean, I really enjoyed Dead Island, but you're definitely right about that, it's pretty much the same thing over and over. You could say the same thing about this, but there's variation in the side missions, hunting, racing, things of that nature. But yeah, things like the sprinting (thankfully unlimited) remind me of Dead Island in that way, I'm not really sure why. It's not really that similar in truth, it may just be the tropical island setting and killing things when they get in your way. I feel I've sort of lost what I was talking about and I'm making random points here. At least the shooting is a lot better than it is in DI.

Yeah, there are small customisation options in this too, just to touch on the DI mod thing) but most of this comes from money. That said, there are upgrades from hunting animals, so I guess that's a plus point.

All in all, I'd say it's definitely worth a play. If you want to go and get all the collectables, it's probably worth buying too. I'd recommend it, but I'd see why people may not like it at the same time. There's a co-op mode too, as well as some online stuff that I haven't actually been able to do as I'm just renting it, you need a uPlay passport. But yeah, glad I've been able to help.

Definitely, agreeing with the points here. I have had Far Cry 3 since it's launch day and it still hasn't really hit the "repetitive or boring" stage with me just yet. I'm focusing on taking over all of the base camps and then of course the watch towers & board posters. All of this is already giving me my bang for my buck. Also, I have rarely been interested in FPS Free Roams, so this is definitely a good game.

 

[IT Factor]

I think that there haven't been any real good zombie killing games since Resident Evil 1 & 2. I tried Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2. The original Dead Rising was decent enough but had an awful saving system. DR2 was better with saving but was too difficult to beat. I did like the melee weapon combinations and thought it was innovative. I bought Resident Evil 6 thinking it would be a nice combination of old RE zombies and RE 4/5 smart infected people. While it was fun in some ways, it just wasn't the same as the old school games. I never got around to trying Dead Island, because I believed it to be a shitty knockoff game just by outward appearances. Capcom is the major gaming company with all the zombie games. There needs to be another gaming company to entire the genre and try to change it and try something new. A new approach by EA Games or Rockstar would be nice[and I'm not counting the Undead Nightmare version of Red Dead Redemption either ] .

As far as shooter games, I thought Max Payne 3 was a good addition. It's fun while adding something new to an old concept. There's not much more I really play on PS3 besides WWE 13 or maybe the updated Mortal Kombat.

 

[JGlass]

Definitely, agreeing with the points here. I have had Far Cry 3 since it's launch day and it still hasn't really hit the "repetitive or boring" stage with me just yet. I'm focusing on taking over all of the base camps and then of course the watch towers & board posters. All of this is already giving me my bang for my buck. Also, I have rarely been interested in FPS Free Roams, so this is definitely a good game.

I already beat the game, but then again I played about 15-20 hours in two days since I've nothing better to do over Christmas break.

Gameplay wise the game is phenomenal. The concept of being able to choose how you complete your tasks (whether through stealth or bum rushing your enemy or sniping them from a distance) isn't new, but it's executed phenomenally well in this game. I can see why the missions would seem redundant, but the scenery and terrain is so diverse and exciting that the game never gets dull.

Story wise... the game pales in comparison to other first person adventure games like Skyrim, Fallout, or from what I hear Deus Ex. The whole story hinges on you being able to suspend your disbelief, and the game doesn't do much to encourage that as it's steeped in reality. Still, if you can appreciate the story for what it is, a completely absurd tale, it's a lot of fun.

Oh, and the missions grow increasingly better as the game goes on, so you have no complaint from me there. The second to last mission is likely one of my favorite missions of all time.

I think that there haven't been any real good zombie killing games since Resident Evil 1 & 2. I tried Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2. The original Dead Rising was decent enough but had an awful saving system. DR2 was better with saving but was too difficult to beat. I did like the melee weapon combinations and thought it was innovative. I bought Resident Evil 6 thinking it would be a nice combination of old RE zombies and RE 4/5 smart infected people. While it was fun in some ways, it just wasn't the same as the old school games. I never got around to trying Dead Island, because I believed it to be a shitty knockoff game just by outward appearances. Capcom is the major gaming company with all the zombie games. There needs to be another gaming company to entire the genre and try to change it and try something new. A new approach by EA Games or Rockstar would be nice[and I'm not counting the Undead Nightmare version of Red Dead Redemption either ] .

Have you tried playing the Left 4 Dead series? It's not as solid an RPG as the Resident Evil games, but they're great, zombie killing fun with a pretty straightforward story (zombie infection, fight your way to safety) and awesome gameplay.

Dead Island was just okay, and had two major flaws. First and foremost, guns took a huge backseat to melee weapons. Now I think there's a place for melee weapons in any zombie game, but when you can only carry enough bullets to take care of a few hoards of zombies and barely enough to take out any special zombies, you're going to have trouble. The other major problem was how redundant the quests were. You'd have to do a bunch of fetch quests or a search and rescue quest or other RPG staples in order to progress to the fun missions, and that was a real bummer. Another smaller problem was that there was really no room to sandbox because the island was so infected and going out to explore the island was always a huge waste of your resources.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I remember the original Far Cry back on the original Xbox. It had a crazy interesting premise, but it didn't go over well since they dropped it in number two.

I actually thought 2 was a solid game. It wasn't great and it was fairly drawn out, but it was worth a play. I feel like the stealth options were limited. I could get ready to take out an enemy base and want to do it stealthy so I would typically grab the dart gun sniper rifle, a silenced pistol, a silenced smg. No matter how much of a ghost you think you are they eventually found you. I think the developers mentioned it was a mistake, they set it up to where eventually the enemy always finds you in a base and they regretted it.

I just got 3 yesterday and have yet to start on it, but thanks to one of my XBL buddies, they spoiled one of the possible endings. I blame Pancake since I met the guy through him.

 

[JGlass]

I remember the original Far Cry back on the original Xbox. It had a crazy interesting premise, but it didn't go over well since they dropped it in number two.

I actually thought 2 was a solid game. It wasn't great and it was fairly drawn out, but it was worth a play. I feel like the stealth options were limited. I could get ready to take out an enemy base and want to do it stealthy so I would typically grab the dart gun sniper rifle, a silenced pistol, a silenced smg. No matter how much of a ghost you think you are they eventually found you. I think the developers mentioned it was a mistake, they set it up to where eventually the enemy always finds you in a base and they regretted it.

I just got 3 yesterday and have yet to start on it, but thanks to one of my XBL buddies, they spoiled one of the possible endings. I blame Pancake since I met the guy through him.

To be honest, ruining the ending of this game is like ruining the ending of Lord of the Rings. Neither of the endings are particularly interesting, especially compared to some of the more epic video game endings we've become accustomed to lately like that of Mass Effect 3 or Skyrim. The game is very much about the journey, not the destination.

Far Cry 3 has one of the most entertaining stealth systems I've played, perhaps even rivaling Assassin's Creed. As soon as guards see a dead body they continuously search for the murderer (you, or maybe an animal if you're lucky) until they've found you. Another great touch is the reinforcement system, where the pirates can sound an alarm to call for reinforcements. You can disable these alarms if you're sneaky enough, and if you do that and then become spotted the pirates will actually run to the alarm to try and set it off and then shout something like, "The alarm is offline!" when they can't get it to work. Small touches like that make the game a lot of fun.

 

[Slyfox696]

I tried to play Far Cry 2 and it was terrible. I hated it. I don't even remember why but don't really care.

I'm ready for NCAA Football 14 to come out. I'm still playing 12, and the CPU pass defense is ridiculously unrealistic. From linebackers being able to reach their arms 7 yards in either direction, DBs simply materializing in front of a receiver...awful.

I understand this year's game fixed that problem, but I didn't buy this year's game for many reasons. But with next year's game sure to have Notre Dame in the Top 10, combined with the fixed gameplay...I'm excited.

 

[JGlass]

I've found that most football games' pass defenses are either unrealistically easy or unrealistically difficult. It's not a rare sight to see a linebacker make a lightning fast reaction to intercept a bullet on some of the higher settings in Madden 13, but on the lower settings a lobbed ball on a fly route is a death sentence for the defense. It seems like every year these football games make a correction on one aspect of the sport but totally ruin another aspect.

Still, I've never seen a DB materialize in front of a WR, though I'm pretty sure that's part of Nick Saban's "Teleportation Zone" defense.

 

[The Crock]

I've found that most football games' pass defenses are either unrealistically easy or unrealistically difficult. It's not a rare sight to see a linebacker make a lightning fast reaction to intercept a bullet on some of the higher settings in Madden 13, but on the lower settings a lobbed ball on a fly route is a death sentence for the defense. It seems like every year these football games make a correction on one aspect of the sport but totally ruin another aspect.

I remember in Madden '08 you used to be able to hit a Hail Mary down the sideline every possession, without fail, if you had a receiver with 90+ speed. It was beyond annoying. Madden has always had problems with gameplay, the last game I thought was great across the board was Madden '05 -- Madden '13 looked good, but the gameplay turned me off completely.

On a different topic, I saw a buddy of mine playing Far Cry 3, and it looks ridiculously fun. I'm a big fan of stealth-based games (Splinter Cell is one of my all time favorite game series) and I love the strategy it takes in taking a base, especially if you want to do it quietly.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I've heard good things about this years Madden, but I have yet to play it. I do enjoy the commercials with Paul Rudd and Ray Lewis though.

Madden has always had glaring issues though. J hit the nail on the head about the pass defense. Damn linebackers will make super human leaps to knock down anything over the middle. The only way to guarantee any success it to run short comeback routes.

They also have a long ass history of extremely juiced up players. The funny thing is that the guys who you can build a team around in Madden aren't great in real life.

Like Reggie Bush in Madden 07. He was only an 87 rating, which is still crazy for a rookie, let alone a guy like Bush who hasn't been great. He was like a crazy mix of Gale Sayers and Usain Bolt though. Just play as the Saints in '07, pitch the ball to Bush, and repeat.

Devin Hester in '08 was another. He had 100 speed rating, no one could catch him. At that time he was the best return man in the game, so I get that, but his rating at receiver was only 70 something, but he flew past defenders. Just set him on a hot route and watch him go. That same year the Tom Brady/Randy Moss combo was unstoppable. At least those are two legit future HOFers, but all you had to do was get to midfield, call a Hail Marry, chuck it to Moss and you had a touchdown.

The worst though was probably Michael Vick in '04. Holy shit. Just pick the Falcons, go from the shotgun the whole game. Drop back like 20 yards, roll out and throw a 70 yard laser guided missile while on the run. If no one was open just turn into a man among boys while running through the secondary like Swiss cheese.

 

[The Crock]

Reggie Bush on punt/kick returns and pitches was scary. His speed to the edge was unmatched. Hester was like that too. Hester's only problem was his awful hands as a receiver. He'd outrun his defender, but he could very rarely actually complete the play. Vince Young was another guy that Madden used to make out to be a beast. He was like Mike Vick-lite, and when you paired that with Chris Johnson -- whose speed was unmatched in the game -- you'd be able to rack up hundreds of yards on the ground, with ease. Though, to be honest, speedy QBs have always been overpowered in Madden. In Madden '09, I used to play with the Dolphins and use Pat White as my starting QB, and get ridiculous stat lines, even if his overall rating was in the 60s.

 

[JGlass]

I remember in Madden '08 you used to be able to hit a Hail Mary down the sideline every possession, without fail, if you had a receiver with 90+ speed. It was beyond annoying. Madden has always had problems with gameplay, the last game I thought was great across the board was Madden '05 -- Madden '13 looked good, but the gameplay turned me off completely.

Madden 08 (or maybe it was 07) had this one route you could run and score a TD on every time. The WR would take a step in towards the QB and then run a fly, and if he was fast enough it would stump the corner every time without fail. I remember because I was doing a 2 minute drill mini-game with the Jets and I had Chad Pennington at QB and Santana Moss at wideout, and I scored like, 70 points in those two minutes using nothing but that play. It was absurd.

The worst though was probably Michael Vick in '04. Holy shit. Just pick the Falcons, go from the shotgun the whole game. Drop back like 20 yards, roll out and throw a 70 yard laser guided missile while on the run. If no one was open just turn into a man among boys while running through the secondary like Swiss cheese.

Michael Vick was easily the most exploitable character in Madden between 04 and the time he got sent to jail. Hell, he could be one of the cheapest characters in video game history. You could send your speediest LB after him, nobody was catching Vick in the backfield, and once your DBs saw him scrambling they'd start to run forward, leaving their guy wide open, and all Vick had to do was get the ball nearby which he could because of his ridiculous arm strength and decent enough accuracy. I can't tell you how many online games I got trounced in because some douchebag used that strategy.

Michael Vick is to last decade's Madden games as Bo Jackson is to Tecmo Bowl.

 

[The Crock]

Madden 08 (or maybe it was 07) had this one route you could run and score a TD on every time. The WR would take a step in towards the QB and then run a fly, and if he was fast enough it would stump the corner every time without fail. I remember because I was doing a 2 minute drill mini-game with the Jets and I had Chad Pennington at QB and Santana Moss at wideout, and I scored like, 70 points in those two minutes using nothing but that play. It was absurd.

They still have plays like that in Madden, I'm sure. I remember Madden '07 had the dirtiest play ever, especially if you were using the Chargers: the Flea Flicker. The second you'd hand it to Tomlinson the defense would give up everything else (because he was the best player in the game, basically) and just book it after him, then you'd have an open field to throw to once LT pitched it back. That second of hesitation was crucial -- easy TD. Madden '09 had a pitch play that I used as the Dolphins that gave you the option to throw as the RB (I'm pretty sure the play was called "RB Throw") and it would be an easy gain of 20 yards, if not a TD, because the defense was screwed however they tried to play you (and Ronnie Brown had ridiculous accuracy throwing the ball, for some reason).

Oh, and on the subject of Michael Vick, he was a beast in Madden '10 too. He was the third string QB (with a rating of 72, I think), but his speed and throwing power were still too much to handle. Sure, his accuracy was the drizzling shits, but if you can lob it within 5-10 yards of DeSean Jackson, you're still gonna score.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Has anyone played Assassin's Creed 3? I think I'm having my girlfriend get it for me for Christmas (we're exchanging gifts after New Years) because it sounds awesome, but I could always go for hearing another opinion. I didn't play 2 or Brotherhood, but I thought 1 was incredibly redundant.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Has anyone played Assassin's Creed 3? I think I'm having my girlfriend get it for me for Christmas (we're exchanging gifts after New Years) because it sounds awesome, but I could always go for hearing another opinion. I didn't play 2 or Brotherhood, but I thought 1 was incredibly redundant.

3 is amazing. I think J will say something similar, but 1 did get redundant. As the series progressed they got better. The combat got more complex, and the missions had enough variety to keep it fresh. I'd definitely recommend it.


Yeah as far as Madden goes, the mobile QBs always have a huge advantage. It was so drastic that I rarely played as the Colts despite them being my favorite team. Anytime my younger brother and I would do a fantasy draft in dynasty my QB was usually Rodgers, Roethlisberger, or Cutler, guys with some mobility. Still you could take guys like Vince Young or Tavaris Jackson and easily put up 250 passing yards and a 100 rushing yards.

 

[MrAnderson123]

I'm addicted to the online multiplayer on Black Ops 3.
Now, some of the maps are awful. Like Plaza, Hijacked, the small maps. None will ever compare to Nuketown.

But it keeps dragging me back to it. DOn't get me wrong, it's a good game. But I still prefer Black Ops 1 and MW3.
I honestly cannot put my finger on why I don't like BO2 as much as the others.
The zombies are alot better though. The gameplay, the puzzles, the fact you can build stuff. It's good.

 

[JGlass]

I started playing AC3 yesterday... and it's taking me a while to get into it. It's weird because I live in Boston and it's cool seeing the city in the 1700s, but it seems like Ubisoft tried too hard to make the game epic. I feel like such a nobody walking the crowded streets of Boston, a stark contrast to AC2 where I felt like a badass Assassin walking the streets of Italy.

What also hurts is that all the mysteries surrounding the ones that came before has BARELY been touched on. AC2 is my favorite game in the series because of the mystery video presented through the glyphs, but there's been nothing apart from the cave and Desmond's bleeding effect that reveals anything about the mystery.

Also, HOW THE HELL did the animus get into the cave before the Assassins did? They didn't even make any sort of mention about that!

I do like petting the animals though, especially the dogs.

 

[Lee]

I finally started Uncharted.

I like how it throws you in with things kicking off straight away. The mix of third person, platforming and adventure are spot on.

 

[justinsayne]

I finally started Uncharted.

I like how it throws you in with things kicking off straight away. The mix of third person, platforming and adventure are spot on.

I have yet to play a game franchise that I love as much as the Uncharted series. I has pretty much everything I could ever want in a game. Make sure you play the whole series.

 

[JGlass]

I have yet to play a game franchise that I love as much as the Uncharted series. I has pretty much everything I could ever want in a game. Make sure you play the whole series.

If you liked Uncharted, I can only assume that you'll love Far Cry 3. Similar principal except it's a FPS instead of 3rd person, and probably a lot more insane than Uncharted, but I'll leave that up to you.

 

[Lee]

I got 1 and 2 together for £15 at Blockbuster so that's pretty cool. Yeah I'm digging it so far. I prefer third over first person but I'll give farcry a try as well.