Aja on 20/11/2011 at 21:09
Quote Posted by EvaUnit02
In regards to recent memory I've seen countless tears shed over AMD drivers in relation to Rage, Skyrim and Saints Row 3. Do what you like, but don't say that you weren't warned.
I have an HD 6870 and I wouldn't call it reliable by any means. Couple times the drivers didn't install properly and I couldn't open the Catalyst Control Center. Several passes of driver-purging software later, I managed to get a clean install. But the card still isn't always stable; sometimes, during a game, the system freezes and I get a screen full of vertical lines. Requires a hard reset, then. During one bad session of Bad Company 2, I couldn't play for more than a minute without a crash. Other times it's fine, but I'm not sure I'll buy another AMD after this. Google search for "ATI Vertical lines crash" and you'll see cases dating back years.
Angel Dust on 20/11/2011 at 23:09
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Somehow by some miracle I
finally got past the dreaded Nazi frontline in Metro 2033. Every time I tried to put out some lights in a small room I was hiding in at the top of some stairs, I was immediately spotted, even though nobody was looking at me... but if I hung back and waited for a patrol to rush past, I could put out the lights with impunity. Once I was past that part and the Nazi trolley, everything was gravy. I'm now on the next stage and into unfamiliar territory- I ended up ragequitting before here last year.
If you were where I think you were, I had some issues in this room too. Eventually I realised I had been standing on a small patch of glass which of course made a noise and alerted the guards. I don't know why it didn't click sooner since the crackling when walking on glass is pretty clear and distinctive. Might have been the guard chatter and trolley noise distracting me.
june gloom on 21/11/2011 at 01:09
You know, that's probably it. The stealth guide I was using mentioned glass but made it seem like it was out in the tunnel proper. Hurrrr.
Can't wait to get home and do the next level.
SubJeff on 21/11/2011 at 01:53
Still playing GTA4.
I needed that long break because there is so much in it I don't like - the incessant "social" stuff, some of the mechanics that bork my well planned combat tactics, the tedious trips to the weapons store because Jacob "need to get new merchandise, seen?" and the way I've to go to a safehouse to save.
I've lost a little of the plot along the way (why am I friendly with Phil Bell again?) but of the bits I do get (the mafia war and the Russians, the Irish crew) I'm enjoying the progression a lot.
Some of the radio chat has aged a little but apart from that it's still pretty high quality all round. One thing I enjoyed in GTA3:VC that I still think works really, really well is the long drives (especially at night) to some mission whilst playing some great tracks that set the mood just right.
I'm looking forward to GTA5 after all, and I might have to get the GTA4 DLC after this.
Koki on 21/11/2011 at 06:45
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Can't wait to get home and do the next level.
Next level is an on-rails shooter so don't get your panties wet
june gloom on 21/11/2011 at 08:11
Yes, well, I'm past that part now.
The Alchemist on 21/11/2011 at 14:58
Battlefield 3. Still playing Skyrim, but that game has enough content to coast as my secondary for a long time. I also picked up the HD MGS and Ico/SoTC collection. Coupled with Minecraft I'm playing with some friends, and Frozen Synapse whenever I'm ... somehow bored of that list, my gaming is full. @_@
Not much to say about MGS and Ico HD. Amazing games, in 1080p. The control scheme for MGS2 feels archaic however, but the emphasis was obviously on stealth more so than newer incarnations, so it's nice to play by those rules.
As far as Battlefield 3, at first I was underwhelmed. I'm not sure what I was expecting or what I felt was missing, but having played a few games with some friends, focusing on teamwork and finally getting comfortable with my weapon loadouts and unlocking a few things, I was doing much better and enjoying myself quite a bit. The movement in the game also felt awkward to me at first. Having been praised for its smooth movement I was surprised that moving around felt a little strange. The controls werent as tight as expected and navigating corridors didn't have that strong CoD feel of control. However, I realized that this game simply has different focus. Once I learned the beauty of hoping over cover and diving into prone, I saw why people said it felt very smooth. In fact, the game does have some amazing movement animations. Once you start to understand what everything on screen means, the game really opens up. My only gripe was that despite us being in an organized group, we were pretty much the only ones doing so on our team (from what I could tell) and confronting enemy armored vehicles was still a thorn on our side if none of us had one as well. Perhaps we should make it a rule to always have at least one AT on our team or to move around with some vehicle for tactical placement/cover/cover fire. I was playing way late at night however, so I expect there to be more people at more reasonable times.
Anywho, I have a consistent group of people (about 5 of us) who play together so I expect us to get better at handling these situations. I had a lot of fun, however, with the increased ability to be stealthy in this game, unlike the CoD games which have UAV's and other ways of identifying you. I was in many confrontations heavily outnumbered and managed to slaughter 3 or 4 of the enemy... and then I took advantage of this opening to get around behind them, many times staring at a group of people hiding behind cover looking in the wrong direction. Suppressed pistol + knife for the last guy is always fun.
So yeah, I see myself playing this for quite some time. The maps aren't nearly as large as advertised, however.
Now, about Skyrim. Still an amazing game. Still causes frisson when I stare off into the vast distances. I love the way space and terrain is displayed in this game. I wandered down to the coastline near Solitude and seeing that city perched on that arch above the bay was awe inspiring. Also, staring down the valley and following the river to Windhelm from that great waterfall NW of Riften was also godsmacking.
My stealth skills are finally reaching fruition, and the thieves guild quests are a lot of fun. I'm going to try to invoke the attention of the Dark Brotherhood now, and maybe visit some of the other cities. I've put so much time into the game already it amazes me how much of the map is left to explore, also the fact that I've only been to 4 of the 9 cities, and my visit to Solitude and Windhelm were brief.
Thirith on 22/11/2011 at 08:45
Since we have to send in our Wii, I did the final boss level on Super Mario Galaxy beforehand. My first Super Mario game, and while platformers aren't my favourite genre by far, I do admire the inventiveness of the design - except when it comes to boss fights, as these are pretty samey IMO.
Other than that, I finished Human Revolution (enjoyed it a lot, but Panchaea wasn't exactly a high point) and started Saints Row 2, which I played for about five minutes when I got it on PS3 but only now returned to it. Based on my first ~2 hours, I'm not a convert - what I miss compared to the Rockstar games is a strong feeling of location. Liberty City, San Andreas, Vice City and the landscape of Red Dead Redemption feel like real places, which is what I enjoy most about open-world games. Stillwater may be the better sandbox, but it *feels* like a sandbox to me: something put up for me to play in, but not anything real or tangible. At least for now I guess that's why I prefer the GTA games to the likes of SR2 or Just Cause 2.
Malf on 22/11/2011 at 11:57
Aside from Age of Conan still occupying the majority of my gaming time (fairly standard MMO features, but great melee combat and exemplary world building), I'm bouncing between Saints Row The Third and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is really what I want to talk about here.
Skyward Sword still has the Zelda charm and magic, and the bundled 25th Anniversary music CD would be the national anthem if a nation of gamers ever formed, but the Wii is really showing its age.
First off, having been spoiled by so many HD games recently across all the other platforms, Skyward Sword's low fidelity takes a LOT of getting past. Jaggies everywhere, blurry textures and a poor viewing range really don't do the excellent art style any favours, but the classic charm just about redeems the game.
The motion controls however are almost irredeemable. Every time I think about playing the game, I'm put off by the prospect of having my gaming experience ruined by fucking waggles.
There is nothing in this game that could not have been done better with a gamepad. Yet unlike Twilight Princess, there is no option to use one this time around.
You're constantly having to think about how you're using the controllers, with shield controls in particular being ridiculously offensive. This is in stark contrast to previous Zelda titles where controls were responsive and became second nature, essentially transparent to the player.
The sooner the industry abandons shoe-horning of gimmick controls into every title it can and gets back to implementing intuitive control schemes, the better.
Waggle and Stereoscopic 3D need to fuck off and die already.
N'Al on 22/11/2011 at 13:04
Quote Posted by Thirith
Liberty City, San Andreas, Vice City and the landscape of
Red Dead Redemption feel like real places, which is what I enjoy most about open-world games. Stillwater may be the better sandbox, but it *feels* like a sandbox to me: something put up for me to play in, but not anything real or tangible. At least for now I guess that's why I prefer the
GTA games to the likes of
SR2 or
Just Cause 2.
I haven't played any of the Saints Row games yet, but I had the same issue with Volition's RF: Guerilla. Admittedly there's only so much you can do with a Martian landscape where you're meant to be able to blow up any and all settlement structures, but this lack of sense of space to me is why I stopped playing RF:G after a few hours (I will go back to it eventually, I'm sure, but for now it's on hold). Still going strong though on RDR.