Last game you finished, tell us about it

Crysis Warhead
Crysis Warhead doesn't feel like a standalone game but a few extra levels for Crysis. I noted some fixes (I didn't need to struggle to get my SLI working this time around) but I also had huge problems with the game seemingly overheating my graphiccards, causing graphical artifacts and eventually crashes.

Anyhow, a short game. Finished it in a day actually. It offered some more of what Crysis did but nothing really new. Best part of it was the opportunity to play Psycho who were just a NPC in the original game. He turns out to be much more human than his name suggests.
 
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Yeah, I finished Crysis:Warhead back in October (wrote about it 2 pages back). I agree it wasn't a very long game, but then again it wasn't advertised as such, and was priced as a budget title as well.

I had a lot of fun with both Crysis games. They weren't groundbreaking or especially innovative, but very solid overall. I will definitely purchase any sequel(s) that is developed.
 
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Both were fun games indeed. I didn't mess around with exploration as much in Crysis Warhead that I did in Crysis. I remember having a lot of fun with vehicles in Crysis, but mostly skipped them in Warhead (except where you are wanted to use one). In warhead I also used maximum-speed to just run past some enemies. This probably lead to me finishing the game much sooner than what I would have done otherwise. Still, I like the freedom to solve things your way and this seems to be this games primary feature.

Having tried both Far Cry 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R Clear Sky, if there's one thing I noted at once, it's how fluid the Crysis controls are. It seems to be a much more well-developed game in that department. It's at least possible to aim in Clear Sky but really difficult in Far Cry 2.
 
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Dead Space (7/10)

It started out ok, and quickly developed into quite a fantastic experience until it peaked around chapter 4 or 5 (out of 12). Sadly, from there the gameplay no longer evolved and the tasks became increasingly repetitive. The story - whilst never particularly good - also fell apart and ended up being disappointing.

This was worse for me, because I'm a huge fan of the games it steals from to appeal to the audience. It does what so many games do these days, which is to take from classics without understanding or caring about what truly made them classics (not merely good), but still manage to get enough to impress the new wave of casual gamers. Then, they cover it all with superior production values and dumb down the gameplay sufficiently so no one will feel truly challenged.

It's quite effective in terms of becoming a success - as Bioshock proved recently. I mention Bioshock, because both games obviously draw from System Shock to make their sale.

Anyway, if you're new to gaming or simply don't care about giving credit where it's due - then I'm sure you'll love Dead Space. Even if that's not the case, you'll most likely get enough out of it to warrant a purchase.
 
Yeah, I finished Crysis:Warhead back in October (wrote about it 2 pages back). I agree it wasn't a very long game, but then again it wasn't advertised as such, and was priced as a budget title as well.

I had a lot of fun with both Crysis games. They weren't groundbreaking or especially innovative, but very solid overall. I will definitely purchase any sequel(s) that is developed.

I was somewhat disappointed with Crysis Warhead as I stated here ... then I played the over-rated Far Cry 2 ... and I think we agree on that one.

Last Game for me:

James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace (PC) - uses CoD4 engine, developed by Treyarch, feels like a FPS with cover and hacking tacked on. Looks mediocre, plot is absolutely incoherent. Seems like it will be longer, but ends up at ~4-5 hours. MP is decent ... but you can never find anyone online. Utterly forgettable and not worth it.
 
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It's quite effective in terms of becoming a success - as Bioshock proved recently. I mention Bioshock, because both games obviously draw from System Shock to make their sale.

Funny you mention System Shock. It's not the first game I would compare Dead Space with, but I see why. However, the only similarities that I would see is the "find out what happened with the spaceship full with bodies and nasty aliens" scenario, that is quite common really. I found more similarities with DOOM3 in that regard. The UAC Research Facility on Mars and Ishimura/Aegis7 have a very similar design to them.
 
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Funny you mention System Shock. It's not the first game I would compare Dead Space with, but I see why. However, the only similarities that I would see is the "find out what happened with the spaceship full with bodies and nasty aliens" scenario, that is quite common really. I found more similarities with DOOM3 in that regard. The UAC Research Facility on Mars and Ishimura/Aegis7 have a very similar design to them.

Where do you think Doom 3 got the good parts of its gameplay from? :)

Audio logs from dead people ring a bell? ;)

The scenario in itself is the core of System Shock - so it's not really a minor element.

Anyway, I'm not saying System Shock is the father of all that is good. Arguably, it got a lot of inspiration from Xenomorph (and I don't doubt that game got something from even older games). The genre itself seems to have been birthed with Dungeon Master - which in itself drew a lot of inspiration from former games like Bard's Tale and so on.

The reason I bring up System Shock, is because it represents the pinnacle of game innovation and design - to me - but that's not to say it didn't "borrow" elements from previous games, and indeed Ultima Underworld from the same developers would seem to be one place.

But I remain quite firm that Dead Space is an attempt at bringing a modern System Shock to the casual audience, and it's most likely a result of the success Take 2 had with Bioshock. That's the cynic in me speaking, but I can't really see it any other way.
 
This was worse for me, because I'm a huge fan of the games it steals from to appeal to the audience.

Anyway, if you're new to gaming or simply don't care about giving credit where it's due - .


You might try looking up some of the Dead Space previews and developer interviews, Dead Space didn't "steal" from anyone. In fact, the devs went out of their way to mention the fact that DS was heavily influenced by other games and movies, and they talk about which ones. The game was basically a tribute to Alien, Event Horizon, etc, and the devs definitely gave credit where it was due.
 
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Penumbra Requiem
I have played each of the penumbra games which is a budget FPS/Adventure horror-game hybrid.

The demo prequel was enjoyable and back then a trilogy was promised. Chapter 1: Overture was a real treat but the combat was really annoying, I loved the lovecraftian story and the chapter ended in a cliffhanger that made me want more. Chapter 2: Black Plague was better than Overture much thanks to removing the combat sequences (which really didn't work out well), however, Black Plague seemed to finish the trilogy with very little left to tell. I knew there would be a trilogy, but there seemed no room for Chapter 3: Requiem. After playing it, it feels like the developers felt the same, but they simply had to make a 3rd game even if it made sense or not.

While Chapter 1 & 2 presents a story as you progress through old mines and science facilities that mostly made sense, Chapter 3 reminds me about Portal in being almost a pure puzzlegame. You progress through actual levels where in each level you must find a few specific keys that open a portal that you must go through. The story takes a backseat and very little of it makes sense. There was even some silliness coming about, such as one stage with a 3d rendition of Donkey Kong. Then it all ends in 2 endings (good/bad one), and I found neither of them satisfying.

Black Plague was really creepy, but Requiem isn't at all. It also uses nearly nothing of it's engine as you never encounter any monsters, you have no need for batteries, you never use your inventory even if it's still there.

Requiem, while chapter 3, isn't really a standalone game either, but an expansion for Chapter 2: Black Plague, and it was produced in a much shorter time than the previous two chapters, which might explain why the game turned out the way it did.

Needless to say, I am somewhat disappointed, but I would love to see another game from the same developer.
 
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I played the first 2 Penumbra games and enjoyed them, I thought the first one was better though. I had actually forgotten about the series, even though I knew a 3rd game was coming.

I have yet to see a copy of Requiem anywhere in the US, even though Wikipedia shows it was released on August 27. I'm assuming that was the local (Sweden) release.



*Edit* I understand now, Requiem is only available as a digital download.
 
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I played the first 2 Penumbra games and enjoyed them, I thought the first one was better though.

I didn't like the combat in the first game, that's my greatest complaint with it.

I had actually forgotten about the series, even though I knew a 3rd game was coming.

Requiem is the end of the series. That's pretty much the only reason to play it. It takes about 3-4 hours to run through if you are good with solving puzzles.
 
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Requiem is the end of the series. That's pretty much the only reason to play it. It takes about 3-4 hours to run through if you are good with solving puzzles.

Yes I know, Requiem is the "3rd game" that I was refering to. I didn't realize until recently that it was actually an expansion pack. I don't think I'm going to get it though, it just doesn't sound like my thing, even with the budget price.
 
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Call of Duty: World at war
This is a definite take on World War II, primarily focusing on the conflict between the United States and the Japan, as well as the Russia vs the Germans. In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare I was amazed on how diversive the levels were and how you could never see what was coming next. CoD5 was not equally surprising. It is a step down from CoD4 but still a good game, especially for WW2 fans. I really liked to take the role of the russians for once. There were some really beautiful levels to play and some unforgetable scenes. I finished although the entire game in one sitting, so it's not a long one, but I did play it on Novice so the game was maybe a bit too easy. Running and using melee attack seemed to go faster than trying shoot stuff. :D
 
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I'm envious :D. I'm lucky to get through a game in 3 months. Spend too much time talking politics on gaming forums, I guess...

Yeah, that's more like it here, too :).

I guess I'm not so different :).

I envy these people, especially students who have plenty of time to play (and talk), and yet they don't suffer from a limited budget :).

(JemyM: Do you see yourself here? :) ).
 
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(JemyM: Do you see yourself here? :) ).

I have had a virusbased tonsillitis which kept me at home for two full weeks, besides that everything I had to do I had already done, so that means that I am finally free to play games again. I guess that shows. :D
 
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Ankh - Heart of Osiris
Ankh is a comedy adventure game in the same flavor as the Monkey Island series, except this one is set in ancient egypt. Heart of Osiris is the second game of the series and yet again it's absolutely hillarious. It doesn't take anything seriously and it poke fun of itself, it's own developers, the player, familiar game themes and pretty much everything under Ra. Uhm, the sun that is. I would love to check out the third game in the series, but it's not available in English yet. There's also a fourth game but it's only available to Nintendo DS. I might have to wait for the third game now.
 
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky
Oh, I loved S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl. It was a free-roaming game with superb graphics and atmosphere that is one of those games I just keep on playing due to the tremendous immersion, including watching the beautiful virtual sunrise... RPG style mechanics, horror themes and one of the better twists in gaming history... what's there not to like? Well, bugs probably. But Shadows of Chernobyl was an excellent game.

Then we have Clear Sky. The "prequel". Let me begin with what's new. Faction mechanics that have little impact on the game and then you must discover your own artifacts by using a tracker. Well, that's about it. And well, the story, which wasn't interesting, had no major twists etc. Clear Sky also have 3 new maps, including the Swamp in which you begin the game. And that's pretty much it, the rest of Clear Sky is reused maps, textures and content from the first game. So much in fact, that I kept feeling I was replaying Shadows of Chernobyl. The game is littered with bugs, including crashing everytime I quickloaded when dead and tons of quests that simply couldn't be fulfilled. It's also one of the most challenging games I played in a long time, due to a designer decision to not allow you to access any stores or previous areas after a certain point in the plot. That means that unless you have stacked up on healthpacks, a huge amount of money and ammunition, you will simply run out and your armor will be trash, making the game almost impossible. All in all, Clear Sky is a game for those who truly loved Shadows of Chernobyl and want more, even if that means replaying most of the original game with a weak plot. If they ever make a S.T.A.L.K.E.R 3, I would prefer if they come up with a new game. Granted, it took ages for them to develop the original one, and it shows, because the game have some of the most beautiful maps ever made in a computer game.
 
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Fallout 3

Although I was highly sceptical about this one i thoroughly enjoyed i. I think it was nicely done and almost bug-free (at last for me), which is a rarity in these times.
It had nice graphics and a nice atmosphere and the capital wasteland was really atmospheric.
I think it played a bit like deus Ex in the wastelands without the superb plot Deus Ex had.

However, for me it didn`t have the flair of the original Fallouts. It tried, but it failed. Despite the whole blood and gore graphical-wise it was kind of childish, at last for me. The plot was really clichee-like (the white knight from the vault comes and rescues the whoe wasteland....) and i missed the danger, the dirtyness, the shades of grey of the original, the choice and cosequences, choise-wise it was black-and-white.

So as a resumee, I enjoyed it, I will probably play its successor, but nevertheless i still weep for what Van Buren could have been..
 
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There's also a fourth game but it's only available to Nintendo DS.

As far as I know it's a kind of remake of the first game.
 
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As far as I know it's a kind of remake of the first game.

Yes, I was informed on adventuregamers that this was the case. Good, then I have one less game on my list to bother about :D
 
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