Avatar wrote:Bah, I played it for a while...lost interest though. Pretty much a standard RPG/FPS hybrid.
--A
You might be interested in all the backstory on this game, tho. It's based on a movie not without some critical acclaim by a Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky, called Stalker, which itself was based on a pair of Soviet authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's story Roadside Picnic.
You have to make the good out of the bad because that is all you have got to make it out of.
Robert Penn Warren
I found both to be enjoyable, and it all helps to round out the atmosphere a little, for me anyway.
Last edited by The Laughing Man on Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Avatar wrote:Bah, I played it for a while...lost interest though. Pretty much a standard RPG/FPS hybrid.
--A
You might be interested in all the backstory on this game, tho. It's based on a movie not without some critical acclaim by a Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky, called Stalker, which itself was based on a pair of Soviet authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's story Roadside Picnic. I found both to be enjoyable, and it all helps to round out the atmosphere a little, for me anyway.
I watched the movie a month and found it incredible. I own the book but I have not read it yet.
Waddley wrote:your Highness Sir Dr. Loredoctor, PhD, Esq, the Magnificent, First of his name, Second Cousin of Dragons, White-Gold-Plate Wielder!
I'm playing through Psychonauts at the moment, winner of literally a dozen "Best Game Nobody Played" awards in 2005/2006, having been released too late in the original Xbox's lifespan.
It was created by Tim Schafer, who worked on Grim Fandango, Full Throttle and The Secret of Monkey Island and contains much of the style and humour you would expect from those adventure games, but in a 3D platform game with cool psychic powers. It's well worth picking up if you can find a copy.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
About to beat Metroid: Zero Mission. It's a remake of the first Metroid, including a graphical overhaul and several new areas/plot elements. The audio kicks arse, too. The only caveat is it's too damn short. On the bright side, beating the remake unlocks the NES original!
Speaking of Metroid-style platformers: I'm deep into Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Almost as good as Symphony of the Night, and that's saying a lot.
Definitely one of the non-linear platformers. Love how certain areas are inaccessible until one finds the right power-up/ability. The game's graphics were low-key, but the atmosphere was amazing: the music tracks were dark and brooding, almost ambient; the overall sense was one of immense detail: each part of the game world had a distinct environment, as well as new and interesting enemies to fight. Watching Samus become more powerful was kickass, too.
Not sure if I like it more than Symphony of the Night, though. Some parts were a bit too much like the NES Metroid (such as the ending sequence). But then again, the Japanese have a penchant for telling the same story through different mediums/in different ways.
And now I am going to move onto...Chrono Trigger! I'm not going to rest until I beat that damn game!!
Lord Foul wrote:And now I am going to move onto...Chrono Trigger! I'm not going to rest until I beat that damn game!!
Anyway, I was having a little break from video games (due to school and from having nothing new to play, heh). But I just got Metroid Prime 3, so I've been playing that. Pretty fun so far.
Just got into City of Heroes/Villains on my new PC. It's my first MMORPG, so I feel like I'm truly geeking out at the same time I'm learning to play chords on my QWERTY.
I've read in a couple of Metroid Prime 3 reviews that if you change the controls to the 'advanced' setting right away, it makes it much easier. Apparently there's an auto-tracking dealie going on with the default setup that takes some getting used to.
Q. Why do Communists drink herbal tea?
A. Because proper tea is theft.
Magus just joined my party, and I'm on the Black Omen (12000 B.C.) part. Some of the monsters are a little tougher than usual. I think I need to level-up, or maybe Magus/Frog/Robo wasn't a good combo (I have few double/triple techs between Frog/Robo).
Well, if you're going to be knee-deep in something, it should be Chrono Trigger. Best game ever.
Heh, I don't know if there's a need to spoiler a 12 year old game.
Anyway, your current party sounds like a good one. You shouldn't have to change it. Unless you want to throw Crono in there. Or Lucca. But I'm biased towards Lucca, since I have the hots for her. Heh.-jay
In addition to Chrono Trigger, I'm re-playing Planescape: Torment.
Along with Morrowind, Planescape has the most text of any video game. It definitely helps that Planescape arguably has the deepest story, best characterizations/descriptions, and some of the most compelling dialogue in any RPG you can find.
I've been playing Sim City 4 a bit recently. Finally starting to work out how to run a city on a stable profit (though I've still yet to have a city with more than 10,000 residents). I'm thinking of getting the Rush Hour expansion, so I can use the improvements to the transportation systems.
It uses all touch-screen controls, and it's surprisingly intuitive: I found myself moving as smoothly as I do with a traditional D-pad; you merely touch the part of the screen that you want Link to go to, and he's there. I had assumed you'd have to draw a line, but this is much simpler and far more responsive. The combat is equally slick, allowing you to do some nice combos by tapping/stroking the bottom screen with your stylus.
Only two problems: the game is too easy, and it has the same music for every dungeon, rather than each temple having a unique theme. I think the last Zelda to do this was A Link to the Past.
Still, there's a myriad of pluses: the controls are just fun, the graphics are astounding, and the puzzles and dungeons, despite their ease, are enjoyable and rewarding. Phantom Hourglass also does wonders with sailing: unlike Wind Waker, you know exactly where you're going; you don't have the feeling that the sailing aspect is mere padding/ filler. But most importantly, it's great to see a DS game that's so innovative; it uses practically every feature of the system to great effect (whether it be blowing in the microphone or jotting memos on a map).
