Ben-DutkaFinally, finally it seems the review blitz is mostly over. And I'm fairly well fried.
I might actually play The 3rd Birthday
I have never liked handheld games and although I've been turned on to several great PSP RPGs this year (thanks mostly to the stuff NIS America has sent me), I still can't see dedicating large chunks of time to a tiny screen when I've got my great high-definition living room setup. However, I was a big fan of the first two Parasite Eve games on the PlayStation and I've always thought the storylines were quite intriguing. Aya Brea is a great main character, too. And you know, now that we have a lot more in the way of gameplay information , I'm actually considering spending time with The 3rd Birthday . There's obviously a healthy role-playing core beneath that action-oriented surface, just as there was in the first two titles. Plus, I'm once again expecting another interesting plot and that stellar visual presentation courtesy of Square-Enix.
That being said, I really have no idea how I'm going to find the time. But I just wanted to make it known that I'm considering playing a PSP game through to completion…that's quite the departure for me. 🙂
Diablo, huh? Hey, I remember that name…
So it seems Blizzard is exploring the possibility of a console version of Diablo III and I have to say, I'm intrigued. I really don't have a gaming-quality PC and I really don't want one, either. There hasn't been a single PC-only game I've regretted missing in about a decade so I don't care. Still, I had some good times with the first two Diablo games and I admit to having most of that fun with friends. In that same vein, I'd definitely sign on for a new Baldurs Gate or Incewindale , too, even though I'm not expecting either to happen any time soon. I don't see why Diablo III couldn't work on the PS3 or 360; this isn't the late '90s when console technology was way behind PC technology. And I know people say the keyboard/mouse combination is the "only way" to play such games, but I've never bought into that.
So I suppose if they do make it for consoles, I might just have to play it. Man, I still remember my Amazon character…I was pretty damn strong, if I remember correctly. Had a high-level Druid, too.
Personal gaming update
Although Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is good fun, I'm all about Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood right now. The only thing that bothers me is that the latter is huge , and there's no way I'll finish before Gran Turismo 5 next week. …and I sorta have this rule of not playing more than one game at a time. Damnit. Well, I'll certainly break that rule just to at least see GT5 – and if Arnold doesn't plan to review it, I'll obviously have to play more – but I do intend to finish Brotherhood before dedicating the rest of my time to Polyphony's masterpiece. Beyond that, I will want to log in to Dead Nation every now and then, just as a way to unwind, and I still have Fable III sitting in the wrapper. 'sigh'
The only good news is that there doesn't appear to be anything I want until Dead Space 2 in late January, so I do have some time to kill. Then again, maybe some of you can tick me off and point to a title I'll really need between now and then… 😉
PGU
I'm about half way through the SP campaign in both Cop and Racer on Hot Pursuit. I'm trying to get as far as I can before GT5 arives.
Once GT5 is here, I don't think I'll play much of anything else for a while. I'll try to do a user review after about a week of playing with it. Unlike Hot Pursuit, I think it will take a bit of time to really scratch the depth of GT5.
PSP update. I got Crimson Gem Saga and a few other Atlus titles in their sale. It will take a while, but I have a long queue of games waiting for me on the PSP. I foresee a lot of lunchtime gaming on the PSP at work…
Sometime amidst all of this, I have to find a way of completing Atelier Rorona. That's a fun little game, and although it might be a bit niche market, the synthesis system is fun, and like a lot of these games there is the challenge of manipulating that system to produce the best possible equipment to beat the game with…
Highlander, I will be looking forward to your review, as well as Ben's. But please spend time on the physics and damage modeling. I am holding off buying it until I hear what you guys have to say.
Polyphony have stated they have started on GT6 already. I hope that GT6 is not an answer to critics because they felt they couldn't have put in everything they wanted in GT5. Maybe GT6 is supposed to be the GT Polyphony really wanted to make with a very detailed damage model and more enhancements to what is going into GT5.
There is also this mystery that some tracks have dynamic weather and others don't. Please try to explore this and see why you think technically dynamic weather was possible on all the tracks if the same game engine is being used through out.
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
I imagine certain tracks would've incurred slow-down due to maybe more detail and level assets if they included weather effects, too.
GT5 will be running at 1080p and 60fps, with no screen-tearing and hardly any slow-down. So they did a lot to balance that with the content.
I have Gran Turismo 5 already.
It is freaking fantastic.
Robinhood might i ask how you have it already? or is it something you might not want to tell people around here?
Additional update….
I bought a tone of games off PSN last night. The 1 hour demo of Infamous that you get as a PlayStation Plus member persuaded me to take the leap and get the full game. So that actually got several hours of play last night, and NFS HP got a good deal less time….LOL!
So many games, so little time.
A bunch of people already have GT5 through various 100% legit means. Sometimes stores will accidentally sell it early or something. A few guys at GTPlanet have had copies for a few days.
From what i've heard its amazing minus a few little niggles.
What bothers me about the few niggles is that they will justify the subtraction of review points from an otherwise incredible game. It's like in some games there are a few small issues, and because the game is not so deep, such minor issues should, and do influence the final review and score. On the other hand a game like GT5 with the depth that it has being so much to the table that a few small niggles really do not affect the game in the same way. It'd be like having a few scratches on the hull of a ship. If it's your 50ft $1million yaught, you get pissed, but if it's the same few scratches on a 1000ft $1billion mega-liner you really don't care much at all. You know? But in this industry there is a hunger to find and point out the flaws in things. I am concerned that like they have in previous games certain reviewers will inflate the importance of such things. I still remember the utter stupidity of reviewers subtracting marks from GT4 because it lacked online play. A game with such incredible single player depth is not in the least affected by that.
So, we'll wait and see. However given that several publications handed NFS Hot Pursuit 10/10 or 100% reviews, anything less for GT5 will be – IMHO – a scandal, unless GT5 somehow drops the ball of course.
Sorry, bit late.
I work in a GAME store in UK, and we can buy games the week they are out. So, in theory, Sunday.
You guys will love it.
Don't worry… Be happy… The worst is past.
Now what the hell am I talking about?
I don't know. The Third Birthday certainly does sound like it will be interesting. I love playing the PSP, only mine is sort of on its last legs. The Square and X buttons stick, as does the Right shoulder tab. It doesn't lock either. :/ Oh, and it occasionally turns off when I just want it to go onto standby… It's a sorry state of affairs.
Back to Parasite Eve, and as I said, it is sounding very good, and it kind of makes me wish that S-E would just stick to portable titles, as their console games are either incredibly generic, or just average. Meanwhile, we've had Crisis Core, KH:BBS, Dissidia, and the upcoming Third Birthday, among others, and the consumers say that they are better than FFXIII. Very sad.
As I said the other day, I think that it would be better for a console Diablo to be a spin-off. If not, use a third person perspective, rather than the isometric one that is used on the PC. I would probably buy it if it became a reality, but I don't see it happening. Sure, they have the influence of Activision to persuade them to bring it over, but at the same time they also have Starcraft: Ghost… Or rather, they don't have it.
Personal Update:
I finished 'Catch-22' last night, and tomorrow I will start on 'Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. I absolutely loved it, particularly the ending in the way it shed much of the comedy to focus on the reality of war. What that means is that I will strive to find a copy of 'Something Happened' sometime in the near future.
I'm on my second playthrough of Ghost of Sparta, and what can I say, the game is brilliant. At the same time, I am finding it somewhat disappointing, but it is simply fun. And it's always a pleasure to watch Kratos wreck everything.
I've also almost finished Bioshock, and thinking it was a mistake to be determined to play it on Hard without Vita-Chambers. Not because it is too difficult, but because the choice to do so is going to leave me only four days to play through the sequel before GT5 steals my time for a while. Not impossible, but not exactly easy, and nor will it be pleasant, but I am determined.
Anyway, that's enough rambling from me.
Peace.
P.S. Ben, what about LBP2?
No, I'm not a huge LBP guy. The game will be brilliant, I'm sure, but it's not really my thing.
Hmm, in that case… I got nothing.
I'll get 3rd Bday too, but I think I'll wait seventeen years until I can get the UMD cheap. I've got plenty of PSP games to play in the mean time and there is no way in a swinging donkey's penis I'm giving SE forty bucks for it.
I'm playing Bioshock 2 and am (Bio)shocked at how much of a downgrade the technicals are from 1 to 2. It's got most of the goodness and it's great being a Big Daddy but the textures are uglier or just straight up PS1ish, there's a ton of pop-in, and the magical transport glitch is still in effect. It messes with the experience, but I only paid fifteen bucks for it so that's okay. I just hope Bio Infinite is a LOT cleaner.
Finished New Vegas, and while Obsidian DID mess up a few things and the freaking desert is wicked lame compared to exploring the ruins of DC, the game is still sweet and I was quite pleased with how my decisions actually affected the ending drastically this time. Because there are so many more factions and decisions to make I believe I'll be playing this again some time for vastly different outcomes.
Playing DMC4, Bio2, Alpha Protocol sporadically, Crisis Core, Chains of Olympus, and anything else I feel like. Yeah I used to have the one game at a time rule too, once I broke it, the dam came down.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 11/20/2010 10:34:23 PM
Promising dev talk has been shed recently that suggest the next Bioshock will be better designed at the engine level to work with the PS3's design =)
Of course we always hear devs claim things will be the same when they're not. But it's great when a dev actually gets a bit more specific and details foundational programming perspectives that seem to hold reliable weight.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 11/20/2010 10:40:11 PM
So Bio1 was actually better BECAUSE it was a port?
I'd leave Alpha Protocol alone. Trust me. Obsidian, King of Buggy Games, really made sure that you didn't enjoy that game as much as you should due to all that technical mishaps throughout that game.
Good idea, Good story, thats about where it stops.
@Wreckless
Yea I enjoyed it too (when looking at the sum of its parts). As a whole, the game is not good.
World, I think you messaged me when I was playing it. Go off of that answer. But IMO, there are a whole lotta of other, better games out there to play.
Last edited by King James on 11/20/2010 11:23:38 PM
World, who shot who in the what now?
I don't understand how my input generated your output–does not compute
Oh don't worry, I don't go into a poorly reviewed game with high expectations. So far though I think I'm getting my 8 dollars worth. Besides all the horrible bugs and pop in, there is actually a lot of promise there. A real game developer could have made it awesome. I like to look for diamonds in the rough. I got Dark Void for 11 bucks and had the time of my life with it. Sometimes the experience is totally personal.
Alpha Protocol is still okay, I'm just pretending that it's a Dreamcast game 🙂
I had an awesome time with Dark Void as well. One of those rare undiscovered gems.
World dont forget for Bioshock 2 they put out Minervas den which is that single player dlc. i have it and it is really good. i happen to love Bioshock 2 and the $9.99 didnt bother me one bit for how big the dlc is.
PSP games come out on PSN too, you'll be able to get it that way if you wish…
PSN is almost always full price.
Yeah, I've noticed that. I still believe that PSN copies of games sold at retail should be $5 (or more) cheaper because of the lack of physical manufacture and the lack of distribution costs.
Mouse and keyboard be damned. If Diablo III comes to consoles it'll be the version I get. The gamplay isn't much different than Sacred II and those controls worked rather well. I'm sure the Blizzard boys can even come up with something better.
I said good-bye to PC gaming several years ago and I don't miss it. Well, sort of. A good friend of mine showed off his PC gaming-rig to me a few weeks ago. I got to see Crysis running decked out at 1080p with 8xMSAA. It was great. but I refrained from crashing his party that, while Crysis has got to be pushing better technical numbers (polies, texture-size, and res) the quality of the artistry and presentation of content simply doesn't match something like Uncharted 2.
I decided I'd hold off renting AC: Brotherhood (a.k.a AC2.5) sorry I just had to poke that button =D
I do want to snag the first AC from Gamestop used for $10 and play that first.
I've been playing all kinds of games this last week. I've really been wanting to get back into ME2. But, for some dang reason, despite how awesome I know it is, I just want to be playing Uncharted 2, T6 online, NGS2, Ratchet: CiT (everyone needs to play it!) While I've given them a ton of love'n already, I'm having fun playing them on harder settings and getting more value out of my existing great games.
oh and I reserved GT5 that came with a few of those pre-order perks 😉
Though, it waits till Christmas for driving =)
I'm still major stoked to see the glowing reviews next week.
I wouldn't even spend ten bucks on AC1.
Agreed.
True story…Today, my best friend told me that he bought AC1 on 360 and never opened it. I told him…good for you.
Last edited by King James on 11/20/2010 11:54:33 PM
I bought it twice… the second time used for twenty dollars in preparation for AC2, which I still haven't gotten around to getting. :/
Really, serious? I was about to snag AC the next time I saw it. But you guys make it sound like it's really bad. Is it a lot worse than AC2, or something?
I mean $10.. that, or Deadliest Warrior?
I don't know anything about Deadliest Warrior, but the problem with the first AC is that it was a monumental chore, and when something happened it was repetitious. I didn't finish it but spent plenty of hours mired in that particular circle of hell. But who knows, some people loved it.
They say ACII is way better but I haven't tried it. All I know is the first one felt like shaving my teeth with a razor blade. They should pay YOU to play that game.
Like World said, the biggest problem with AC is that it is morale-killingly repetitive. That's not to say it's terrible, but you can definitely say that it is more of a platform than a game. It's a springing off point. Worth ten dollars? Yeah… I'd go as high as $40AUD if I couldn't get it cheaper…
Peace.
I loathe AC1. Biggest waste of my money this gen.
Pour some sand in your girlfriend's vagina and ask her how it feels. That's AC1.
LOL! I honestly don't think it's that bad… It may be a chore, but it is most certainly bearable.
Okay World, that's two times now on this board you've referred to genitalia as a method of communicating meaning to your peers. Anyway, just an observation.
And gosh, Assassin's Creed sounds like it isn't worth my time. You guys honestly talked me out of it.
The first AC was fantastic. Not in comparison to ACII or Brotherhood but AC was a brilliant example of what this generation could provide. Plain and simple.
Ben, I sort of want to play it because I liked the story in AC2. And I also liked the game of course. Plus, before I move on to Brotherhood I'd like to get caught up on the series by playing the original game. $10 seems like a steal, but so many guys here seem to really dislike it. I dunno, maybe I'll lay down the $10. At the worst it's basically a cost of a rental so I could just find out for myself.
Go ahead and get it Temjin, ten bucks aint much either way.
Sensei,
If you do get it, just play it in smaller doses over time (like one assassination per day) rather than all at once. That should reduce the effect of the repetition somewhat.
I'd love Diablo 3 on console! But part of me thinks that this console version would be way too dumbed down compared to the PC version that I wouldn't wanna buy it.
I do plan on getting a new PC so I can finally play StarCraft II on my own, along with Shogun 2: Total War, WarCraft 4 (rumored) and <queue drumroll>… Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Idk about you Ben but PC gaming is back in my eyes! 🙂
Last edited by King James on 11/20/2010 10:57:34 PM
Starcraft II really isn't enough for me to think PC gaming is "back."
And is there really a way to "dumb down" Diablo? That game was just hack this, kill that, get gold, equip your character. …not exactly in-depth or intricate.
I agree that you don't think so. But IMO…PC gaming has made some gr8 strides. A couple of years ago this was not the case. PC gaming will never be "back" fully. But it has been more relevant in the gaming community as this gen continues to play out.
In Diablo 3's case…I meant in terms of graphics, interface, and presentation…kinda like Dragon Age.
And hey!…there's some strategy in all that hacking lol. 😉
Last edited by King James on 11/21/2010 2:05:32 AM
Ben, i think they'd have to dumb it down in terms of interface a lot for it to work on consoles. Compare the pc version of Dragon Age (or any bioware rpg lately) to its console counterparts, it could work on all 3, but its a game that just screams mouse and keyboard controls.
Especially for the player vs player scene. I doubt you ever got into that scene since you say you're not into competitive multiplayer that much (but i could be wrong). I have and i really couldn't imagine the pvp working nearly as well on console unless they find a way to make the control interface just as smooth without limiting options. Simple solution would be mouse and keyboard support for consoles.
D3 on console would be like having SC2 on console, id welcome it for sure so others can play them but unless the interface runs as smooth and console players could interact with pc gamers on battlenet ( thats pretty important too ) id have to step into the console versions with a bit of caution
"Dumbing down" PC games to work on a console does not prove anything other than the fact that those particular devs are clueless as to what a console can do and what kind of gamers are using them.
I point to Civ Revolution as an example of a good console game that could have been great if they'd simply given us Civ 4.
Don't forget The Witcher (and it's upcoming sequel)! That's one of the finest RPGs this generation, hands down. The PC is also where you'd want to play Dragon Age: Origins for the best experience (probably gonna be the case with DA2 as well). I've been a console guy ever since I got my first PSX, but this generation has had/will have quite many games worth getting a decent gaming rig for.
aaron: Dragon Age wasn't dumbed down for consoles and the interface worked exceedingly well. And there certainly wouldn't be more options in Diablo III begging for the keyboard.
The idea that PC games have more commands these days in comparison to console games is a fallacy in my eyes; the sheer number of commands that can be mapped in any number of ways to a game pad is actually pretty amazing, when you really think about it.
pgu: last monday morning very early my 80gb 4 usb YLOD on me. the worst part was i was playing Fallout New Vegas when it shut off on me. i only had some of my game saves on a sd so i lost quite a few of my games.i am thinkin of fixin it my self but that is a lot of work. i may just send it in. cant decide.
i had to sit on the phone with sony to get a system cleared so i could get a new system as i was at 5 already. once that was done i went and scored a 160gb slim.
so hours into this and i have not really gotten any of my disc based games on the system, though i am done with everything from online. Mag was not affected which was awesome. since the game has a cloud type of save where all your stuff is on their servers, i lost nothing. a buddy is letting me borrow his copy of new vegas til i get mine out of my system as he is caught up playing call of doodie: bathroom ops.
still so much work to do to get back to where i was. to anyone who read my post, go back your saves up. i was able to transfer 10-15 i had on a sd card to my slim. luckly i still have my fallout 3 file with like 300+ hours on it. backing up your game saves takes less time than redoing all the games you played.
Frylock… did it simply freeze and switch the red light to yellow?
A couple of questions…
1] Where is your console situated? Do you have resting just off the floor above your carpet, or is it on a higher shelf which is well ventilated with nothing around your unit?
— if it has been near the floor and you do not dust your system or vacuum the vents often you could have suffered an "overheating" issue. I know yellow lighting can be something to do with the paste that is used for contact between the cell and rsx and the cooling system. The original Sony paste that is used is not good quality and they did not put enough on. I have seen some articles online whereby users have had to re-paste their chips with a special more robust paste for heat dispensation. You would need to check online to see if that could be an issue.
2] Other common problem is the lense on the blu ray drive, however in your case it doesn't seem to be a disc mechanism issue.
3] Is the general temperature in your room warm or cool? Do you have a fan on sometimes blowing across the room to help cooling, or do you have AC running?
In my case, I always have my AC running and my room is temperature controlled to be about 18 degrees, on the cool side. I also have a fan blowing on low to move the around the PS3. My original phat 60 gigger is still going strong 4 years on… I am sure my vacuuming and cooling antics have helped it survive this long…
Hope you get yours sorted out sooner rather than later…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
Last edited by Qubex on 11/21/2010 12:03:46 AM
uh lets see
1. its on a low sitting entertainment center. the shelf is open and it was the only thing on it. i am pretty sure it is the over heating issue as it was hot as hell in my room. i was trying to cool it down at the time. it was about 85 in here i want to say. i do try to keep it clean and vacuum it often. i have looked into what you are talking about.
2. cant see it being the drive.
3. its pretty hot in here but i have a window fan for cooling the room because of the electronics in here. i try to cool it off in here but cant sometimes.
if i want to do this myself i just need to figure out what that paste is. ive heard it called flux or something like that. when it comes down to it when i open it up i am sure it will be really dirty in there.