This is the new games thread

[nathansmart]

Looks like Nintendo's stated mission was accomplished!!

[Berliner]

Oh, and one other ironic thing about the Wii - isn't it also weird that it's pretty much the most hackable system out of the three?

Is it? I may have to pm you...

[nathansmart]

Basically, you just have to own a copy of Twilight Princess and an SD card reader for your computer and you are on your way. So far, I've played some backup copies of games, but mostly I've been messing around with backup copies of WiiWare and the Virtual Console. I was looking around and it looks like some people have even been putting old SNES and NES games that aren't available into VC channels and making them available to play. I also have a channel that lets me play games from other regions. It's pretty nice.

[Alex Mac]

Nintendo is made of Teflon. The Wii's success, in my opinion, is entirely due to casual gamers and what TimBuktu just said. There are a few games that are really great to play but in the end, it just doesn't measure up to the 360 or PS3.

I think that the gimmick won't last in the long run anyway. Even with how much Natal and the new Sony motion control have impressed me, I think that overall, motion sensitivity distracts from good game design in order to add gimmicks. The Wii's longevity is amazing to me because I think so many of the games are fundamentally dragged down by the developers worrying about how to the use the hardware to add some dumb waggle wave fest instead of making it fit into the story and the gameplay of their game.

[Berliner]

I'm guessing that 360 still outsells the wii in actual razor blades, right?

[MrDys]

I really enjoy a good FPS.....

I want to ask about this...why is that?

I used to play FPSs nonstop for a good section of my adolescence, but at a certain point I just lost all taste for the genre. In my head at least, it just seemed to be the same game with a different setting or some low-level gimmick tacked on (upgradeable weapons, RPG elements, some technology improvement that is absorbed by every subsequent game a couple months later, etc) to try to differentiate it from every other FPS out there. I'm not attacking your preference, I'm genuinely interested in what it is about the genre that keeps you interested and wanting to play new FPSs....

[Alex Mac]

I would think a good FPS would be something like Half Life (either of them) or Deus Ex. At least if we are looking at single player experiences and not multiplayer since that would Call of Duty. I think a great game has ambiance, a well crafted story, and action pieces that are well paced.

Or it is something completely different like Portal, which blurs genres.

[nathansmart]

I think a game like Metroid Prime is pretty much the pinnacle of what I like when it comes to FPS games. Really, any FPS game where it isn't basically just a re-spawn, re-shoot game like Halo or Counterstrike, I can handle it a bit more. It just has to have some sort of stimulation beyond bullets in order for me to enjoy it. Also, GoldenEye - I mean that's pretty much it for me. GoldenEye is the standard that will probably never be reached again, mostly because of it's unique N64 controller scheme that was perfect for me. Not to mention all of the opportunities for wait-and-shoot as opposed to the more normal run-and-gun.

[TimBuktu]

Honestly... I don't know. I don't like most FPS games, but I like the good ones a lot. I started with Doom/Duke Nukem... so I've seen pretty much every evolution of the genre. I agree that a lot of them just feel like tacked on gimmicks and new skins... but there are some like COD4 or BioShock that actually feel fresh and exciting. I also can only invest a few hours a week to gaming, so I like to get in and get out.......

There's something enjoyable in the fact that I'm usually pretty good at them as well, and like to play online. I like the competition. I've played the Battlefield series an insane amount of hours, and I keep going back to it even though it's basically shoot, die, respawn shoot at the heart. Something about the fact that scenarios never play out the same way...

I'm dancing around because I honestly just don't know. I know I tried that Fracture game, I tried Red Faction, I tried that game in the snow that I can't remember the name of... I tried Area 51..... All of those games, I quit for the reason you describe. They were just different skins.... but games like COD4, where the action is so well thought out... or Gears 2.... I don't know, good shooters are gratifying to me in a way I apparently can't put into words... but bad or average ones, I feel the same way you do. I'll play them for 5 minutes and decide it's not worth it.

[TomHicks]

I just got Killzone 2 last week and only played the first couple of scenes to get used to the control scheme -- which is almost the exact same button setup as Resistance: reloading, picking up weapons, switching between weapons, firing, crouching, etc. The graphics really are amazing, but I haven't played far enough into it yet to really check out the AI of the enemies, which is supposed to be a real challenge.

But one of the things I've noticed about the FPS games is that most of them now really go for online group play. All of the reviews for Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 mention how the single-player campaign story is a little blah, but they both really shine in the multiplayer mode. I never really have the time to try them (and I hate being called a fag by 11-year-olds).

[TimBuktu]

After thinking about it, here's the best way to explain it.... I don't watch action movies anymore, I approach videogames like I used to approach action movies. It's a simple, visceral thrill and I don't really want anything more out of it..... It's escapism to me. I don't have the time or patience to get into RPG's, most action games inevitably get to a point I can't beat, and I simply refuse to do something more than about five times...

I basically only play sports games and FPS's because it's just simple, dumb entertainment for me. I get more mentally stimulating fare from movies and good tv.... I just don't really need it in my mindless entertainment.

[ronfunc]

I like FPS's because Modern Warfare 2 is a FPS. anything infinity ward does is golden

[nadsat droog]

I was predisposed to liking Shadow Complex, but I will say that it's realllllllllllllly fun so far.

[nathansmart]

Anyone play Little King's Story for the Wii yet?

[Alex Mac]

/nerdmode on

I think a contributing factor to why Infinity Ward or Valve's FPS are so good is because they take advantage of the viewpoint. Most FPS, in addition to recycling the genre over and over again, don't always really use the fact that the viewpoint is the character's own eyes. They know it but use it little more than a camera angle instead of a window into the character's situation Scenes like the tanker scene in Modern Warfare or the G-Man interruption in Half Life 2: Episode 2 really make the difference. They make you feel like you are the character, caught in the middle of extraordinary circumstances.

[TimBuktu]

I can't believe I have to wait until March...

[ArchStanton]

what the helll? I thought this was supposed to be dropping in November??

[JPSpaulding]

what the helll? I thought this was supposed to be dropping in November??

also apply that shock to Bio2 as well as a plethora of other games...

I did preorder Brutal Legend based on the sound track, cant wait

[TimBuktu]

also apply that shock to Bio2 as well as a plethora of other games...

I did preorder Brutal Legend based on the sound track, cant wait

I thought it came out in Nov. too. As long as Assassin's Creed 2 doesn't get moved back, I'll be allright... guess I'll be holding onto the new COD game for a while too.

[Alex Mac]

The new Tales of Monkey Island episode is out today. Downloading it now. I really enjoyed the first, even if it was really short. But hey! That's episodic content for ya!

I think Telltale has done a pretty good job taking over the series. Dialogue is not quite as strong but it is still really good but most standards. Looking forward to this.