Game on! What are you playing? + E3 2013 + Console Generations

[leafinsectman (Dan)]

LA Noire is $3.74 on Steam.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/110800/

I'm tempted especially at that price but my gaming Regina is big enough as it is.

[Jeff B.]

Second "episode" of the Walking Dead game came out yesterday.  Play the first couple of chapters last night.  I am having a lot of fun with it.  Its not a tough game by any stretch of the imagination but it scratches that Walking Dead itch and drops you right into that world.  There are certainly intense parts and the game causes you to make some tough decisions.

Also purchased a FPS on Xbox Arcade called Nexuiz that I didnt know too much about.  It was only 200 points so I gave it a shot after playing some of the trial version.  It is a online multiplayer that pits teams of 4 against it other.  The backdrop is two races of aliens I believe that are in this arena like battle.  Regardless you basically jump/slide around and pick up different weapons over the map and its either capture the flag mode or team deathmatch and the first team to 50 kills wins.  Playing against players that knew what they were doing was tough but once you unlock the full game you have access to the training bots section so you can familiarize  yourself with the maps and play against easier competition to learn the ropes.  I am having some fun with it and while pretty straightforward as for as FPS goes, the maps are pretty cool and I am enjoying the ways you can interact with the environments during the matches.  For $2 I should get my money's worth and have some fun with it.

[The Questyen]

I finished up Walking Dead episode 2 yesterday. Some of the choices they make you do are brutal. So much better then the tv series.

I also finished the story mode of Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. It's far superior to the last couple games in the Lego series. I'm looking forward to getting to play as all the other DC characters while I'm going for 100% since you only get to play as Superman, Batman & Robin for 99% of the main game.

And I'm probably more then halfway through the new Penny Arcade Episode 3 which released on Xbox Indie Games this week. Really fun if you like their style of humor and old school NES/SNES era JRPGS.

[Kenney]

How is that new Lego Batman game? I've played the demos for Indiana Jones and the first Lego Batman game, and while they were ridiculously cute, the games felt hella mindless. I love that they exist, but I fear that playing them through just might not be for me. And for some context, while I loved the TMNT games as a kid (Turtles in Time was my JAM) I've found I can't really go back to them now, and the Lego games feel like the modern version of that style of game. 

Is Lego Bats 2 any deeper?

Has anyone played the new Spidey game? I heard good buzz about it when it was getting demoed earlier this year, but now that it's out the reception seems a little lukewarm.

[The Questyen]

How is that new Lego Batman game? I've played the demos for Indiana Jones and the first Lego Batman game, and while they were ridiculously cute, the games felt hella mindless. I love that they exist, but I fear that playing them through just might not be for me. And for some context, while I loved the TMNT games as a kid (Turtles in Time was my JAM) I've found I can't really go back to them now, and the Lego games feel like the modern version of that style of game. 

Is Lego Bats 2 any deeper?

Has anyone played the new Spidey game? I heard good buzz about it when it was getting demoed earlier this year, but now that it's out the reception seems a little lukewarm.

I'm pretty obsessed with the Lego games and I have zero interest in Lego's. I've played almost all of them and gotten every achievement in everyone I've played. The actual story mode of the games is pretty run of the mill platformer but if you like collect-a-thon's like I do getting 100% completion in each game will take you 20 hours + and is for me at least where the fun is.

Lego Batman 2 is better then the rest because first off the Legos now talk (the non-talking was cute the first couple games but it wore out it's welcome and humor a long time ago) and they added an open world to explore which doesn't have any actual story content but has a ton of stuff to do and collect.

[Kenney]

My library is bound to get a copy sooner or later, I'll check it out then. The open world sounds kind of neat.

[Kamakazi010654]

I have become pretty obsessed with two games recently.

Crusader Kings 2: A very hardcore realtime strategy game from Paradox. The best way I can describe it is Game of Thrones the game. A lot of concern with marriages and how happy your vassals are, and what people think of you and a much less of an emphasis on war which most strategy games focus on. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it.

League of Legends: A free to play MOBA that can be pretty intense. I picked it up after watching a few MLG games a few weeks ago and while I still get destroyed by better players it is still fun. I definitely wouldn't have picked it up if it wasn't free though.

For any PC gamers out there Amazon has a pretty massive sale going (including the aforementioned Crusader Kings 2), a list of games on sale can be found over at CAG here: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317580

[ala4]

I have been playing Spider-man Web of Shadows.It is really cheap now and in my opinion it's alot of fun.There are some guest appearances by Wolverine,Luke Cage,Moonknight and other marvel characters.

[Jon_Samuelson]

I've been working my way through another season in MLB 2K10.  I'm finally getting decent at strike-zone judgement, though I still whiff WAY too much.  But since I can put up 6+ runs every time on a reasonable difficulty-slider setup I think I'll be okay.  I haven't bothered getting 2K11 or 12, since they don't sound like worthwhile upgrades.  I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that EA sports will re-enter the realm of baseball games with a new MVP game next year though.  I can't express how close I've come to buying a PS3 just so I can play MLB The Show.

[Collarbone666]

• Mass Effect 3, going into Priority: Horizon

• Skyrim, playing all around trying to be completist

• Minecraft, on and off trying to make recreations of the canals of Amsterdam & Tenochtitlan (ancient Aztec city that later became Mexico City)

[Kamakazi010654]

For the PC gamers of the group here, all signs point to the summer Steam sale starting on Thursday, so get out your wallets.

[The Questyen]

Games I've played to completion this year:

Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Asura's Wrath
FEZ
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Mass Effect 3
Max Payne 3
Penny Arcade Episode 3
Rage
Rayman Origins
Saints Row: The Third
Skylanders
Walking Dead Episode 1 & 2

I'll probably start Final Fantasy XIII-2 next and also play Journey.

[Lucien21]

So far this year I have finished.. http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/lucien21/games-finished-in-2012/46-70330/

1.  Jurassic Park 2/5
2.  Need for Speed: The Run 3/5
3.  Grim Fandango 5/5
4.  The Longest Journey 5/5
5.  Gabriel Knight 2: Beast Within 5/5
6.  Shadow of the Damned 4/5
7.  Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars (Director’s Cut) 4/5
8.  Resistance 3 4/5
9.  Riven 3.5/5
10.  Portal 2 5/5
11.  Day of the Tentacle 5/5
12.  The Last Express 4.5/5
13.  Stacking 4/5
14.  Syndicate 4/5
15.  Secret of Monkey Island SE 5/5
16.  Mass Effect 3 5/5
17.  Dreamfall: The Longest Journey 4/5
18.  Uncharted: Golden Abyss 4/5
19.  Wing Commander Saga 3.5/5
20.  Still Life 4/5
21.  Still Life 2 2.5/5
22.  Syberia 4/5
23.  Walking Dead Ep 1 3.5/5
24.  Syberia II 4/5
25.  Max Payne 3 4/5
26.  Runaway: A Road Adventure 3.5/5
27.  Under a Killing Moon  4.5/5
28.  Pandora Directive  5/5
29.  Walking Dead Ep.2  4/5

[Jeff B.]

Finished up Walking Dead Episode 2, still playing through Batman: Arkham City and having a blast and playing some XBLA titles here and there, Nexuiz and Magic 2012.

[the other mike]

ghost recon: future soldier- overall, very good and a worthy addition to the franchise.

pros:
-your team of ghosts are pretty smart and actually very useful.
-difficulty level (i played it at hard) was just right. difficult enough to be challenging, but not too easy either.
-enemy AI is aggressive and smart.
-solid graphics
-good mission variety; nicely constructed levels.
-the active camo suits are pretty cool.
-gunsmith is an interesting time waster.
-cover system and tactical maneuvering is silky smooth.
-synchronized sniper kills are bad ass.
-the robot

cons:
-i had much higher expectations for the graphics. early videos led us to believe that it would look next gen.
-again, misleading advance press materials; i thought there would be way more robots and automated drones and portable shoulder launched rockets.
-story is pretty standard. nothing new there.

i'd give it a 4/5.

regular observation:
i just noticed ubisoft's games are kinda blending together gameplay-wise. ghost recon=splinter cell=assassin's creed.


-mike

[Papercut]

DAMN YOU, STEAM SALE!!

 

[Kamakazi010654]

DAMN YOU, STEAM SALE!!

 

LOL!

More like OH GOD YES STEAM SALE THAT FEELS SO GOOD, RIGHT THERE, OH BABY OH BABY

[Jeff B.]

Playing a lot of Magic 2013 on Xbox.  They made some nice changes from the 2012 addition.

[aelfinn]

Playing a lot of Magic 2013 on Xbox.  They made some nice changes from the 2012 addition.

been playing a lot of this on the iPad, its a fun nostalgia trip for me.  Bringing up fun geeky memories of hanging out in friends basements listening to TMBG and playing Magic

Finished thru the campaign (I think thats what they called it) on one deck, working thru on a second deck now. 

[JasonF]

I have become pretty obsessed with two games recently.

Crusader Kings 2: A very hardcore realtime strategy game from Paradox. The best way I can describe it is Game of Thrones the game. A lot of concern with marriages and how happy your vassals are, and what people think of you and a much less of an emphasis on war which most strategy games focus on. Definitely not for everyone, but I like it.

I, too, am obsessed with CK2.  It's such a deep game and I'm definitely still learning it.  I've had it for about a week and a half.  It feels like I bought myself a high performance sports car and I can't figure out how to take it out of second gear.  But I'm slowly learning ...

BTW, since you mentioned Game of Thrones, there's a mod for the game that turns it into GoT (replaces the map with the GoT map, replaces the characters with GoT characters, etc.)