Whatcha been playing lately?

[CovenantJr]

First time I tried Summoner, I was killed in a random encounter while trying to find the city and had to replay from the beginning (d'oh). Made sure to save the second time round. Never did get further in the game than the city, though.

It's by no means one of the best games I've played (so far) but the last two RPGs I tried to play were Golden Sun on GBA (ok but dull) and Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call (interesting premise but too badly flawed to be worth sticking with). Compared to those, Summoner is distinctly enjoyable, aside from the steep jump in difficulty.

[Nav]

Went on quite a Mass Effect binge at the weekend, having put the game down for a while out of fear for an impending boss encounter. As it turned out, after some experimentation I was able to kick Counsellor Troi's blue behind in what was quite a fun fight.

I've discovered that the default setting to only let your party use defensive biotic powers (like force powers), makes the biotics a bit weedy unless you really plan to micromanage them. They're much more effective if you just cut them loose. I've also figured out how to use my tech powers more effectively, so I'm no longer limited to shooting with my pistol and sniper rifle. I can make weapons explode, shields overload and dampen explosive and biotic attacks. The power wheel system makes using powers more intuitive than KOTOR's queuing system and because you're aiming and shooting manually the whole time, you feel much more involved in the combat.

I've just started the third mission world and I'm hoping there's at least another one I have to visit before I go and find Saren, I don't want the game to end yet!

[CovenantJr]

I've set Summoner aside for the time being in order to take up Shadow Hearts 3: From the New World. So far, this is very much in the Final Fantasy mould, except for three things: 1) It's set in the real world (with some important changes) 2)It has a pronounced sense of humour 3) The Judgement Ring system. The Judgement Ring actually seems to be a really good way of handling things. So far, I'm impressed. I do, however, find it somewhat distressing that the main character, Johnny, looks, dresses and sounds very much like Tidus.

[Worm of Despite]

I think I'm going to stop emulating SNES games for a while. I gotta get ready for my exit exams, and all these 16-bit RPGs are too distracting!

In other news, I've been playing Team Fortress 2 every night since late October. I've logged over 30 hours with the demoman.

[Holsety]

First time I tried Summoner, I was killed in a random encounter while trying to find the city and had to replay from the beginning (d'oh). Made sure to save the second time round. Never did get further in the game than the city, though.

It's by no means one of the best games I've played (so far) but the last two RPGs I tried to play were Golden Sun on GBA (ok but dull) and Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call (interesting premise but too badly flawed to be worth sticking with). Compared to those, Summoner is distinctly enjoyable, aside from the steep jump in difficulty.

Eh, I've played through golden sun series maybe twice, just because of long car trips etc. I like the general plot, but the characters are soooooo boring. However, I thought psynergy was a pretty cool touch. The attack stuff is kinda useless in battle compared to unleashing/summoning djinni, which takes no PP and just weakens you temporarily, but implementing the spellcasting into solving puzzles (albeit rather easy ones) was a pretty cool touch.

I would like to see a sequel to Lost Age on the DS sometime.

[Queeaqueg]

I've set Summoner aside for the time being in order to take up Shadow Hearts 3: From the New World. So far, this is very much in the Final Fantasy mould, except for three things: 1) It's set in the real world (with some important changes) 2)It has a pronounced sense of humour 3) The Judgement Ring system. The Judgement Ring actually seems to be a really good way of handling things. So far, I'm impressed. I do, however, find it somewhat distressing that the main character, Johnny, looks, dresses and sounds very much like Tidus.

The first two Shadow Hearts were great, the story, battle system, characters, the way it grabs myths, legends, stories from all parts of teh world(like from Religion n stuff) and puts them all into one game.

I am playing Crysis and UT3... not at the same time though.

[Spiral Jacobs]

Playing Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay at the moment.

[Nav]

I got Golden Axe from Xbox Live Arcade the other day and I've played through it 3-4 times now, great fun. I didn't realise that the Genesis version was expanded though, in that one you had to go into the dungeons behind Death Adder's throne to defeat his boss.

I kind of suck now though, I haven't got my ranking above a 'C' yet. I'm having difficulty getting the character to run consistently with the 360's analog stick, it's easy to miss one of the taps and the shoulder charge/flying kick/flying headbutt is such an important move in Golden Axe.

[Cleburne]

I havent had much time lately still playing GTA Vice city stories when I get the chance Also trying the game Marc eckos Getting Up if you are familar with that game

[Worm of Despite]

I just downloaded Kirby's Adventure on my Wii. Released in 1993, it was the swan song for the NES, and it looks amazingly good for an 8-bit title: pastel colors, detailed sprites/animations, and memorable music. It'd say it rivals or surpasses Mario Bros. 3 in the graphics department, and the gameplay is just as strong.

[CovenantJr]

I just downloaded Kirby's Adventure on my Wii. Released in 1993, it was the swan song for the NES, and it looks amazingly good for an 8-bit title: pastel colors, detailed sprites/animations, and memorable music. It'd say it rivals or surpasses Mario Bros. 3 in the graphics department, and the gameplay is just as strong.

I've always been fond of that game. You're right that it does have some of the best graphics ever seen on the NES. It's an easy, easy game, but crucially it's a lot of fun. I still play it from time to time.

[Worm of Despite]

Kirby is the only game where I feel good about constantly sucking.

[[Syl]]

I got a PS3 recently and Guitar Hero III yesterday. My wrist hasn't been this sore since I was a teenager.

I mean I played a lot of video games back then. SFII, MKII. Killer on the hands.

[Nav]

I go away for a few days and this turns into a thread about sucking and excessive wrist action!?

[Loredoctor]

Forces of Corruption.

[Nav]

I played through some of Super Paper Mario on the Wii. It plays like an old mario game and the 3D flip aspect is interesting, I may have to get a Wii in the next round of price cuts.

In other news my 360 wireless controller has ceased to be. At first I thought the 'play and charge' cable had failed but it looks like it doesn't work with batteries either. I'd open it up and poke around inside, but what I'd taken for ordinary Phillips-head screws are actually some bizarre flower-head affair I've never seen before. Thanks a lot MS, what a crock.

[Loredoctor]

Sins of a Solar Empire - it's looking likely to be a fantastic game.

[kevinswatch]

I haven't had much time to play video games this semester, but I did pick up Odin Sphere recently, since I read some good reviews about it. However, an hour into the game, and I was already bored with it. Not very impressed.

So instead, I've been trying to finish Super Paper Mario (Or as I like to say, SuPaper MaRPGio). Almost at the end of that one.

I may try Odin Sphere again after Mario.-jay

[JazFusion]

I've been playing a lot of Doom and Doom 2 lately. My nostalgic binge is nigh.

Other than that it's been Oblivion and pwning in Halo 3 on Xbox Live (not really).

[I'm Murrin]

I'm getting back into Medieval 2: Total War. Playing the Retrofit mod version--the original campaign, but with changes from the Kingdoms expansion applied to it.