[Silencer]

Obtain Shredder. Profit. That thing makes rhinos into mincemeat. XD

[Mentalist]

Finished Arkham Origins + the Cold, Cold Eart DLC on normal. Still need to do a New Game + befroe it's considered complete though (I don't bother with the challenge maps)

overall impressions: a lot more combat. Probably due to the annoying 'crime in progress" mechanic.

I was a lot less annnoyed about the whole "only criminals on teh streets" thing than I expected. Until the end. Then I was annoyed again at the constant respawns (esp the respawning snipers in Diamond District).

boss fights were a lot more combat oriented--Deathstroke + Copperhead in particular. Can't say it necessarily made the game harder--I beat Deathstroke on 5th try, I think, beat Copperhead on 3rd--but it was a very tight combat focus, when combined with the epic gadget showpieces from Arkham City. Bane battles were very well done, imo, as tehy were a good test of most of the fighting tricks learned upt ot hat point. The final battle of btoh the story and the DLC was neat too.

The keyboard controls had a tendency to annoy me when my preferred grapple key (R. Alt) would sometimes start doubling as a crouch key, or if my prefered crouch keys (R control to hold, NUM insert to toggle) would stop responding. also had an animation bug when during a glide Bars would start jerking up and down.

Story wasn't gripping. it was serviceable, but there was no sense of urgency to it. I cared more about visiting every nook and cranny looking for Anarky tags (found 22/24 on my own, used the guide only for 2) then I did about following the main story. The "reverse the events to find the next clue" investigation bits were cool, but only like 3 out of the 10 had more than 3 parts, the rest were pretty basic.

one thing that annoyed ht ecompletionist in me was the new Dark Knight challnge system, and how you had to do the challenges in order so as to unlock the next one. it took me untill baout 2/3s into the game to figure that out, which is why some parts I've completed almost fully (Gotham protector), but the combat and predator challenges I've very few done. I preferred the Arkham City system more.

before wading into the New Game + think I'm gonna finally finish my Shadowrun returns playthorugh (played it up tot he last mission ad then stopped waiting for the DLC. Now I got both and I think I'll also patch the original to patch in the save anywhere system instead of the annoying checkpoints. May have to re-roll my char to start over, too. )

[Mentalist]

Finished the original Shadowrun returns, as well as the Excellent Dragonfall: Director's cut. That last mission wasn't anyhting to wtite home about, and I missed out on one of my runners' personal mission, which annoyed me.

there's definitely room to replay there, as I'm interested in several possibilties, ands there are at least 3 major choices I could have played differently.
Will deffo replay this. First however I think I'm gonna go back and replay Spellforce II Dragonstorm, since the last (4th) expansion recently came out, and I want to see how that story ended up.

[DeadHedge]

Behind the times a bit and Im currently playing Borderlands 2 and all its DLC. Got it while it was on sale on xbox live (3/4 months ago) and I am thouroughly enjoying it. (much better than teh first in my opinion)

Currently a lvl 47 Melee Zer0 (great fun and extremely challenging) playing through the Tiny Tina DLC on TVHM, recently finished the Torgue Campaign of Carnage and absolutely loving the game in general.

Is anyone else still playing this even occasionally or even the pre-sequal? If so I'm looking for some people to play co-op with.

[tiam]

360 or ps3?

So ive just loaded up mass effect 3 on my wii u (it came free with the console) and was wondering will it matter I havnt played the first 2? I dont just mean plot but like for example ive never played any of the Assasins Creed games as they didnt really appeal. yet everyone onsite was saying how good Black Flag is yet I dont want to buy that, enjoy it then go back to the previous ones as theyre cheap and find them a bit meh through no fault of their own.

So like playing Skyrim then playing Oblivion and being disappointed which is what happened with the gf.

[Aptorian]

I am not sure I understand the question. Are you saying you want to play Mass Effect 3 but might play Mass Effect 1 and 2 afterwards?

The difference between Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed is that the story is actually the core of the Mass Effect experience. You can play ME3 as a stand alone game but the third game is the conclusion of a trilogy. It wraps up pretty much everything that happens in prior games.

One problem would be that playing the third game ruins the earlier games (I might add that 1 and 2 have the better stories IMO). The other problem is that without actually having experienced 1 and 2, the third game might not be that fulfilling.

Seriously, just play the first games. The first one is a bit rough gameplaywise, but it's the best story. The second game is one of the best games of the last generation. Seriously, it's nearly perfect.

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah decisions you make in ME 1&2 do have an effect (a mass one? Haha I'm amazing) on how the game pans out, who you have left to you in your team etc.

[Mentalist]

Sigh. It turned out I`ve misplaced my Spellforce 2 save and don`t have Dragonstorm installed on this PC... SO I had to start the story all over.

Playing about a mission each session, or on some large islands just messing about with RPFG bits for an hour or so a day. The great thing about massive sprawling RTS games is that you can save anytime....

[Gothos]

There's a sliding scale between ME1 and ME3 on which top-notch story and mediocre gameplay morph into a mediocre (though cinematically brilliant) story and top-notch gameplay. To be honest, ME3 gameplay actually ruins ME2 for you gameplay-wise, as it's the same concept almost but done a trillion times better. ME1 is closest to an RPG game of the series and you can feel that in the gameplay - some people don't like it that much. It's also an expertly executed storyline with a well fleshed-out and menacing villain/rival and a Heroic BSOD towards the end, it couldn't have been done better imo. ME2 has more interesting gameplay mechanics on the shooter side, while the story goes from the high s-f setting of ME1 into the dark underbelly of the galaxy, with shadowy groups, merc companies and crime lords being your usual converstational partner. While its villain(s) fail to live up to the first game's, it's a great link between ME1 and ME3.
ME3 offers the best gameplay and a very enjoyable multiplayer that nobody plays anymore. The story's scope and epicness simply EXPLODES. While it's not the most thought-inducing storytelling, it's very, very enjoyable and you'll see MANY breathtaking moments of awesomeness. The game starts with an earthquake and proceeds to never slog down, upping the stakes as you go and making it feel more apocalyptic with each chapter.

So yeah, play them in order.


PS. Also, ME3 includes the single best piece of fanservice in the history of gaming (that doesn't mean skimpy outfits) - a shore leave at the Citadel... it's a heartwarming gift from the devs to the fanbase.

This post has been edited by Gothos: 05 February 2015 - 03:50 PM

[Defiance]

The story is written in such a way that you could jump right into the series with the third installment, but the story would lose the vast majority of its impact. Even putting aside the controversial ending, the third game offers a ton of great payoff on plot lines that emerge as early as the first few hours of the first game.

[Maark Abbott]

Agree with the advice to play ME1 and 2 first. ME2 is the only game I've ever completed on the hardest difficulty (ME1's combat mechanics prevent high difficulty gameplay from being any fun and ME3 ramped up the difficulty a notch too high on the last setting for me, plus enemies that can instakill you kind of make even the lesser difficulties challenging at times).

[tiam]

Apt, on 04 February 2015 - 09:20 PM, said:

I am not sure I understand the question. Are you saying you want to play Mass Effect 3 but might play Mass Effect 1 and 2 afterwards?

Gothos, on 05 February 2015 - 03:49 PM, said:

To be honest, ME3 gameplay actually ruins ME2 for you gameplay-wise, as it's the same concept almost but done a trillion times better.

Thats what I mean Apt. Where, as a result of progress, it makes the game unenjoyable to play because youve played the later more fluid/complex/streamlined/whatever mechanics and whatnot. Its the same reason ive put off starting Fallout 3 for a while.

Thanks for the replies anyhow. Im not too bothered about the plot in terms of long term story. Ive only played a few hours and im already enjoying the in game world with the constant updates about new races. The world is very intersting but I find the mechanics to be a clunkier Gears of War. I think part of that is that this is a squad based game plus im playing it on the unfamiliar wii u pro pad and havnt got everything nailed down. I dont want to really enjoy this game look back to the older games and, through no fault of their own, not enjoy them. Thats kind of the point I was making about the Assasins Creed games or, say, playing the Batman Arkham games out of order where the first one has the best plotline and atmosphere but the mechanics are nailed down better in the second one (and why the tech is more advanced in the Origins despite it being a prequel).

Anyway opening sequence was very good

[MTS]

Finally been going through The Last of Us after getting a PS4 over Christmas. Loving it as a game so far, but have to agree with Yahtzee in that it seems a bit 'safe' story-wise.

[tiam]

There is no game as enjoyable and frustrating as Mario Kart on the Wii u.

I slipstreamed* past my girlfriend to take first just before the end of the last lap and the full 30 second tirade of fuckingcuntingbastardsonofabitch was entertaining.

*not a euphemism

[Blend]

My friends gave me the Mass Effect trilogy for Christmas, so I've been slowly making my way through ME1. I only actually play it once in a while, but when I do it's always a whole lot of fun!

[Defiance]

I envy your first-time experience. Such a fun trilogy to play through.

Does the trilogy come with all the DLC? If not, I suggest you pick at least some of it up. In my opinion, these are essential: Kasumi - Stolen Memory (ME2, adds a character); Lair of the Shadow Broker (ME2 - if you only get one, get this); From Ashes (ME3, adds a very important character); Citadel (ME3, great send-off to the series).

[Serenity]

I've just finished Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut. Great writing/story/characters and brilliant turn-based combat. I haven't enjoyed a game that much in ages.

I also went back and finish XCOM: Enemy Unknown last week, after not having played it for a couple of years. It'll never replace Terror from the Deep in my affections, but it was still pretty damn good.

Probably going to play Shadowrun Returns next, as I didn't get far with it first time around and am now in the mood for more Shadowrun.

[Blend]

Defiance, on 14 February 2015 - 01:47 AM, said:

I envy your first-time experience. Such a fun trilogy to play through.

Does the trilogy come with all the DLC? If not, I suggest you pick at least some of it up. In my opinion, these are essential: Kasumi - Stolen Memory (ME2, adds a character); Lair of the Shadow Broker (ME2 - if you only get one, get this); From Ashes (ME3, adds a very important character); Citadel (ME3, great send-off to the series).

I'll check them out when I get to the respective games. I have no idea if it comes with the DLC, and I haven't finished 1 yet, so not certain either way!

[Primateus]

Blend, on 16 February 2015 - 03:31 PM, said:

Defiance, on 14 February 2015 - 01:47 AM, said:

I envy your first-time experience. Such a fun trilogy to play through.

Does the trilogy come with all the DLC? If not, I suggest you pick at least some of it up. In my opinion, these are essential: Kasumi - Stolen Memory (ME2, adds a character); Lair of the Shadow Broker (ME2 - if you only get one, get this); From Ashes (ME3, adds a very important character); Citadel (ME3, great send-off to the series).

I'll check them out when I get to the respective games. I have no idea if it comes with the DLC, and I haven't finished 1 yet, so not certain either way!

For Mass Effect 1 I suggest you get Bring down the Sky, a nice piece of DLC which adds a challenging quest to the story. For Mass Effect 2 I'd also suggest you get Overlord which is also a nice story. But yes, I would definitely suggest you get Lair of the Shadow Broker.

[Gothos]

Get all DLC.