Son of Videogames Thread

[Shryke]

You can't throw out items in ME. You can only sell them for credits (ie - cash) or turn them into Omni-Gel.

Credits buy shit from stores and vendors. Omni-gel is for skipping the hacking minigame and for reparing the Mako and that's it.

You description of the level in question isn't very helpful btw since every single non-storyline map is a room full of boxes. :P

But yeah, sounds like maybe Husks? Those are the skinny skeleton-looking blue-glowing guys. They tend to charge alot and can be really dangerous. Once they get close to you, they do this explode/nova thing that will kill your whole squad REALLY fast. You gotta run the fuck away from those things fast. Backpeddle and kill unless you have a really good biotics specialist.

Normal enemies with guns tend to charge too if they get close (Krogan especially who are the big guys that look like Wrex), but that's more a "charge and hit you with weapon" thing. Or they charge and like fucking circle-strafe you. Makes it annoying to line up a shot.

But yeah, in general it just sounds like you are still on the "hard" side of the ME difficulty hump. Also, I don't think Soldiers are the best class in ME1.

[Liffguard]

Also, what are all these gel things? I know that I can turn weapons into gel, but they dont seem to do anything but bypass hacks. I dont really have a clue whats going on in that aspect and the game never bothered to explain it to me.

Is Omni-Gel the currency of the game?

Omni-gel is used to, as you say, bypass hacking and decryption. It's also used to repair your vehicle. Any inventory item can be converted to omni-gel but not back again.

You also have medi-gel, which are just standard HP restoring items.

Currency is separate, your number of credits should be displayed in your inventory.

Also, like Shryke said, if you're looking for somewhere specific on the galaxy map, go to your journal and look up the specific quest. It will tell you what cluster and system to go to.

[Inigima]

ME1's combat is inferior to ME2's -- as said upthread, it's the RPG portions of ME1 that are compelling -- but I don't understand why you're having such a hard time. I didn't find most fights difficult til lategame. And I'm not exactly a talented player.

I would maybe not bring 3 soldiers. Bring a squad that complements you by bringing friends with different skillsets.

[The Anti-Targ]

Oh thank goodness that others think there is something wrong with some of the gameplay. I surely thought I was going to be alone in that after watching the game reviews.

I played the default character (I am guessing soldier) and I upgraded Rifles (because I thought it would help with that unforgiving bloom) and Health. I did the same for Rex and the other soldier guy (the Salerian?). I took them on this ship that was a side quest to rescue some dudes brother, and I just could not find where it was in the galaxy map for 10 minutes. When I got on the ship, me and my 2 fully HP'ed out bro's got shitslapped. I repeated this twice again and I realized there was nothing I could do.

The tutorial (or lack of) is the worst thing really. Not having a strong background in RPG's was a real kick in the crotch when it came to this game. I did not realize I had a map and I could checkpoint where to go, so I spent the good part of an hour running back and forth on the first level, looking for where to go.

Glad to hear ME2 gets better. Might soldier it out then. And I might also reduce the difficulty to easy, so I can play through it faster and with less stress.

Cheers.

Sounds to me like if you're playing but not liking ME1 for the main purpose of getting through ME1 so you can go into the rest of the trilogy. That seeming to be the case you might as well put the game on the exact opposite of insanity difficulty and walk through the game enjoying the story and the choices you make without having to suffer through the annoying gameplay.

Doing that also lets you build up multiple characters and multiple choice variations, for multiple starting conditions for ME2 and 3. So basically, move on to ME2 as quickly as possible.

Either that or get ME2 WITH the interactive backstory comic and bypass having to play ME1, but still get the chance to make some of the key story influencing choices. The interactive comic isn't as nuanced and there's obviously plenty of story you miss, but it does allow you to completely bypass all the stuff you find most annoying about ME1. I'm playing ME2 on PS3 so I have no choice but to bypass ME1. I don't feel like I've missed out too much.

[Jon AS]

Also, I don't think Soldiers are the best class in ME1.

What's the 'best' class is of course hard to determine, but Soldiers get Immunity, which is essentially god mode. You can take something like ten rockets to the face wthout dying if you have that active (which should be all the time at higher levels), so all you have to do is pick off enemies one by one.

Of course, disabling enemies with Lift and Singularity also means that they can't kill you and you can pick them off one by one, so at the end Biotics are just as broken.

ME1's combat is inferior to ME2's -- as said upthread, it's the RPG portions of ME1 that are compelling -- but I don't understand why you're having such a hard time. I didn't find most fights difficult til lategame. And I'm not exactly a talented player.

Yeah, ME1 combat isn't difficult, it's tedious and broken. Shooting mercs with Immunity with the Mako's main gun is just about the most ridiculous thing, the way they bounce around the map without taking significant damage...

[The Anti-Targ]

So here's a question for you to ponder:

Could Game of Thrones (the HBO TV show) help broaden the market appeal of fantasy RPG games? Thinking specifically about Skyrim.

I stumbled across the Gametrailers panel discussion show (Bonus Round) where the panel was talking about Skyrim vs. Dark Souls (the panel was split as to which game they were anticipating most). One of the panelists obverved that back when the LOTR movies were huge they put medieval fantasy into the mainstream consciousness and perhaps it helped raise the profile of medieval fantasy games. Since LOTR there hsn't been much by way of medieval fantasy to grab people's attention. But now with GoT being really popular with a particular buzz around it it could have the effect of raising the profile of all medieval fantasy entertainment products.

What do you reckon?

I think GoT isn't quite in the same place as games like Skyrim. I think if there's something that might re-invigorate interest in medieval fantasy RPGs it will be the Hobbit.

[Jojen]

Maybe they'll come out with a new Hobbit game? I remember playing one when I was a kid, and that was a long time ago.

I played Assassin's Creed 2 a while back, and while I liked it a lot and thought it looked just beautiful, I got stuck about 3/4 of the way through because I couldn't reach the top of the tower in St. Mark's Square in Venice to see the glyph there. I know you're supposed to jump up to the next handhold, but I couldn't find a handhold to jump up to on any side. Since those glyphs are vital to finishing the game, it was pointless to continue without it. I did try, though, figuring I'd come back later and try climbing the tower again, but I couldn't finish that stupid race after getting the pistol from Leonardo and so I just stopped playing altogether, which seriously bummed me out.

[The Anti-Targ]

Maybe they'll come out with a new Hobbit game? I remember playing one when I was a kid, and that was a long time ago.

Well given the ongoing release of LOTR games even in the past year, I think it's a given that there will be Hobbit games. Some of the direct movie tie in games were really good games. I played both LOTR RTS games, and I played the ROTK PS2 game.

[Fiddler]

Anyone else getting Dead Island when it comes out this week? I for one can't wait. Its the first release of the fall for me with so many games following it. I'm hoping to get 1 more prestige on Black ops(want the gold camo for at least 1 gun) this weekend so I can spend next weekend killing some zombies.

There are just to many good/great games coming out this fall. All of which, for me at least, are building up to Skyrim. Can't wait.

[SamanthaofHodorsfield]

The one I'm looking forward to is The Last Guardian, but unfortunately its been pushed back from a 2011 release. So I'll just have to content myself with replaying Shadows of the Colossus instead.

I'm decided to cancel my Skyrim preorder as well and I'll wait for the GOTY that will inevitably come out. That way I don't have to pay extra on top of the £40 for any expansions, not to mention I get to avoid the gamebreaking bugs that unfortunately seem to a feature of new games these days. I can understand in open-world games such as Skyrim, as testers can't predict -every- possibility out there, but some other games (I'm looking at you Dragon Age 2) had so many bugs that should have been picked up at testing.

[dornish prince]

Good news for Persona fans.

There will be a fighting game featuring Persona characters, a Playstation Vita Persona 4 release called Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 has been announced for an unknown system (likely PS3 based on comments during Catherine development).

interesting. i'll certainly be checking that out. i'm really enjoying catherine right now. i've not been gaming much but it is a blast so far.

[devotee]

So, I finally bought myself a gaming computer back in May, been enjoying it immensely since. Last time I had a computer good enough to play games, it was Heroes 3.

Last couple of days I have been playing Dead Rising 2. Good a chuckle of a cut-scene after a boss fight - after you beat this hillbilly sheriff, he attempts to climb a scaffold, while unknowingly turning on a table saw thing (not sure if its the proper term). He taunts that he is twice the man the protagonist are, while predictably slipping and falling on the aforementioned saw. As the sheriff is in the process of being literally twice the man of your character, our hero smartly says in CSI Miami style, "I saw what you did there". I smiled.

Generally though, its a more inventive game in terms of weapons and missions. Survivors are also easier to deal with this time around, they are easier to herd and not as prone to annoying deaths due to A.I. retardness as before. Massive positive, I hated having to reboot when the survivors felt like picking fights, or just running into walls and getting killed in the first iteration. Still, for all the funny combos of weapons available, you pretty much only need the easily acquired one to beat all bosses. So, I dunno, not the best game around, difficult for the wrong reasons (long cooldowns after attacks, meaning if you lock your self into a combo and get countered, you lose a lot of health), but still entertaining.

Looking to try Bioshock next, anybody have any experiences with the series?

[AverageFinger]

Anticipating the L.A. Noire port to PC, heard a bunch of mixed reviews on the game so far. What are your thoughts?

[TheEvilKing]

Anticipating the L.A. Noire port to PC, heard a bunch of mixed reviews on the game so far. What are your thoughts?

Hated it. Awful game.

Currently playing the new Deus Ex game and also Fallout 3.

[Merentha]

Deus Ex is totally a worthy sequel. I'm in love. My favorite moment and realization so far: No plot spoilers, but it deals with themes and a choice I made while picking augs that might make people chose to pick an aug or not. If you liked the first one and are uncertain as to whether this is worthwhile, read on.

I picked the CASIE aug early on, since it seemed like a social "I win" button and I generally like to play speech related characters in videogames that allow it. Now, obviously, one of the major themes of the Purity First/Humanity Front groups is that augs make you less than human or strip you of some essential indefinable level of humanity. Alright, all well and good, I'll sit and ponder the implications of that while I'm plummeting six stories down to slice up streetpunks with my vibrating wristblade thingies. Thing is, the social aug gives you a really gamey interface on top of what was a very good dialogue system. Like, I found myself thinking about what and how Sanders was saying and making guesses about his personality and what would work best with him (and loved that if you wait too long, he yells at you about not having anything to say). When you get the CASIE aug, you get a little series of bars that show you whether their personality is alpha, beta, or omega, and basically tells you everything you ever could have figured out during the conversation. It also lets you release pheremones that basically skip several stages of the conversation and is, in fact, a win conversation button.

Now, the upshot of all of this was that I found myself in conversations, looking at their heartrates, vitals, and other stats while I watched little bars tell me what type of pheremone they would be most susceptible to. I stopped watching the people, listening to what they were saying, or relating to them in a conversation, which I had previously done. And, right there, is one of the best anti-aug statements I'd heard, and it was given to me by the simple choice of interface during a social aug. Brilliant.

So, since there's no respec, I'm running around with an aug I can't remove and I am refusing to use it. Two praxis points gone, and I don't care because of the roleplaying.

edit: I hate spoiler code, I'm still awful at it.

[Liffguard]

Finished DXHR yesterday. Overall, a very good game IMO. I had a lot of fun playing it as a stealthy assassin type character. I've restarted (there aren't many games I've immediately restarted) to do a total pacifist/ghost run.

That said:

The ending was pretty weak. The game had done a good job of slowly building up the conspiracy plot and everything felt like it was simmering away nicely (though did they really have to use the literal Illuminati? Anyway). And then suddenly BAM you're fighting zombies and find out about the Hyron project and you have to choose whether to embrace all augmentation technology including the potential for corporate mind-control or you have to convince humanity that all technology ever is a bad idea. Where was the option for "technology, including augmentation, has the potential for good but should be treated with respect and transparency so as not to violate people's bodily autonomy"?

[snookyrump]

If you can get past the retro 16-bit graphics, Terraria is a freaking cool game.

And addictive.

[Galactus]

Feeling a bit nostalgic, so I'm replaying Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

Bronn, have you reached Novaria yet? Matriarch Benezia is a real bitch to fight. I would considering leaving that planet to last; although, I remember the Krogan on Therum being a real bastard. Honestly, ME1 does get easier. Also, it's worth slogging through to fully enjoy ME2, which is a great, great game.

I'm nearing the end of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which has been great. If you’re playing a stealth character you should fully upgrade the Typhoon Explosive System. I know it's not very stealthy; however, it does make the unavoidable boss fights, the games weakest element by far, a lot less frustrating. Hell, it makes them almost trivial.

Devotee, the Bioshock is a great game. Try to stay away from spoilers because the game has a few great moments that would be ruined if spoiled.

[Kosciuszko]

I recently bought a bunch of PS2 Shin Megami Tensei games on Amazon. All, by a weird coincidence, arrived today.

Am playing Digital Devil Saga. Love it. Random encounter rate feels a bit wonky but the game gives plenty of health/sp restoration items so it's not that big a deal.