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[Blotus]

I watched and played some of Joe Danger on PSN tonight. It was pretty wicked. It's basically Excitebike re-imagined with mad tricks. Only thing I saw that was shit about was that apparently (not certain) you have to exit out of your custom-built tracks to edit anything in them (like delete an obstacle), then load it up again.

[Zeus]

I watched and played some of Joe Danger on PSN tonight. It was pretty wicked. It's basically Excitebike re-imagined with mad tricks. Only thing I saw that was shit about was that apparently (not certain) you have to exit out of your custom-built tracks to edit anything in them (like delete an obstacle), then load it up again.

Waitin' for that to go on sale on the 360. It's an SE version there, more stuff. And it'll more likely go on sale on XBLA than PSN anyways...

[Zeus]

Will attempt to do.

Let me know if you get close on Wolverine :-)

[Shrinweck]

Got back into Mass Effect 2 more easily than I thought. Decided to finish 2-3 play throughs but I'm not entirely sure if I'll actually get through them all since the ME2 -> ME3 save repository is already available. At least going to finish my renegade play through.

[bovine]

Playing a bunch of games I find very boring...

Dues Ex - thelatestone
Skyrim
Zelda - slowest text speed in a game ever. What reading level do they think plays these games? Doing anything in this game feels like it takes an eternity.
SMT - devil survivor - please do not put cpu controlled characters in a turn based strategy JRPG. They just get themselves killed and when they do, you lose.
BF3 multi
Mario Kart 7 - FUN
Mario 3d Land - FUN
ico/sotc hd collection - enjoyable games both

[Shrinweck]

What don't you like about Deus Ex: Human Revolution? It was probably one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I had last year.

[bovine]

I don't feel like any of the characters have been developed in any meaningful way. The only character that you follow is yourself, so doing jobs for cops that I supposedly used to know, or doing any of the side content feels like a big waste of time. I don't like how any of the combat or sneaking around feels (the sneaking in particular just feels like you are trial and erroring your way through it), and so far nothing in the story feels particularly interesting. I do feel like I judge my "holiday season" games a lot more harshly than games released at other times, but it just didn't feel like deus ex really brought anything new or interesting to the table.

Some pretty middling sounding games that I found to be pretty enjoyable this year were Warhammer 40k - space marine and Rage. Warhammer gets a little tedious/annoying in places, but it feels very visceral and you get a great sense of weight in the game. Also, the story suffers from WAY TOO MUCH JARGON, but is amazing because the jargon is awesome space marine jargon (please tell me more about tech priests and exterminatus fleets).... and the story itself is pretty lame. Rage has some pretty neat combat, but REALLY drags at the end and has a ton of minigames you can just care less about.

[Shrinweck]

I wanted to argue with you but the only thing I can really say to your thoughts on DX:HR is "I disagree" haha. I can totally see why you feel the way you do and when the beta leaked I felt the same way. I don't know what changed in the months until the actual release, but maybe you should put off playing it until later, too.

When it got released it was right after my surgery so I was pretty fucked up on oxy the first time through. That and nothing else got released in a plus or minus one or two month period around it so I was very parched from a gaming drought.

[Julius Seeker]

I just picked up Resident Evil Revelations and Tales of the Abyss for the 3DS, and dropped pre-orders on Kid Icarus, Metal Gear Solid 3D, and Xenoblade.

I am impressed with how much production value Resident Evil Revelations has; and also how they've managed to bring back the terror elements from the PSX generation games, and without sacrificing the better controls of later iterations (controls in old RE games are fairly crap). This is the first one since Resident Evil 1 Rebirth that has really actually felt like a survival and horror game. The 3D effects really add an immersiveness that I haven't really felt in the series since the first time I played through Resident Evil 2 on PSX.

Tales of the Abyss is certainly a full console experience, it's a portable version of the PS2 classic in its entirety; but the 3D is not used well at all. Essentially there's very little depth between in game objects; with 3D on, it is essentially 2 planes, the front plane is the dialogue, the back plane is everything else in the game still in 2D with some slight pop-out for models - unfortunately, this slight popout is only enough to expose the jagged edges on polygonal models (they didn't enhance the models for this as other companies did with other ports). So whereas Revelations gains significantly from the 3D visuals, this game gains nothing, and it's better to play in 2D without the art mistakes exposed.

In short, Tales of the Abyss is a full port of the PS2 game; for those unfamiliar with it, it is one of the three games that is argued as being the best in the "Tales of"
series. It is the best version of the game, but with obvious room for improvement. The advantages over the original release include enhanced performance (framerate), on top of being portable.

Oh, and I also picked up the Sim City Box set last week with complete versions of Sim City 4 and Sim City Societies, although I haven't played either yet.

[Blotus]

Twistel Metal is excellent split screen fun. Most vehicles from 2 and Black return, piloted by one of four characters. Great vehicle diversity (even a helicopter), big maps, tons of destruction.

Drawbacks: online is broke; the three control schemes don't allow for customization and are difficult to acclimate to.

[Blotus]

David Jaffe is incredibly transparent about how the technical issues plagued the game on release. He's at the top of the project, yet he'll talk to anybody on Twitter about them and go as far as to get into games with them to test the broken online functionality.

He's a very WYSIWYG personality, and it's neat to see this kind of thing rather than customer support going through the normal channels.

Is this the way to go with support in the future, or is this just asking for trouble?

http://twitter.com/#!/davidscottjaffe

[Julius Seeker]

Now also playing Metal Gear Solid 3D.

[Shrinweck]

Anachronox is recently available on GoG.com and I just had to pick it up. Can't wait to jump into this game again. Been waiting for them to sell this game since I heard the website existed.

[Julius Seeker]

Tales of Graces on PS3 now in play.

[SineSwiper]

Bastian. Wow, talk about most bang for your buck. The gameplay reminds me of Secret of Mana with a New Game+ feature like Chrono Trigger. I'm playing through my 2nd time, though I covered most of the extra stuff on my first run. (Hint: pick the Restoration option the first time around, as the story works as if you did.)

[Julius Seeker]

Right now it's essentially Mario Kart and Kid Icarus (multiplayer only currently on both of those)

And three addictive type games: Theatrhythm, Dwarf Fortress, and Civilization 5 + Gods and Kings expansion. Theatrhythm much more than the other two currently.

[SineSwiper]

Any good games for the XBox right now?

[Alec]

Dishonored is amazing.

[Blotus]

Though probably not interesting to most here, NHL 13 is great. I think the last one I played more than an hour of was 2002. Once you get the stick controls down, it's wicked fun.

Once I find the time to devote to it, Dishonored will be mine.

[Zeus]

Almost done Borderlands 2, it's a ton of fun. Other than that, waiting for someone (Bovine) to give me a challenge on Pinball FX, working my way though an insanely long Resident Evil 6 with a buddy online, and waiting for Halo 4 and Assassin's Creed 3.

Sadly, other than Professor Layton, there's nothing else I'm waiting for this Xmas. There's actually more coming out between Jan and Mar than Sept to Nov

[Blotus]

I didn't think there was anything I really wanted for the rest of the year.

Now I want XCOM. And DishonoUred. And fuck, even Halo 4.

No time.

[Shrinweck]

Looking forward to buying XCOM and DishonOred the second they go on sale, but I think I can hold out until then... provided it happens by Steam's Winter sale. I was going to acquire them by other means, but I just have to support turn based squad games like XCOM and Dishonored just looks like it'll be too much fun to conscientiously pirate.

Also need to buy Assassin's Creed 3 when it gets released. Still need to grind through Revelations.

Get my free copy of Fallen Enchantress in a couple weeks that I'm kind of looking forward to.

[Julius Seeker]

Wii fit - I do this every year when the temperature cools. Essentially I just pick whatever aerobic exercises until I'm warmed up; then hit "My Wii Fit" which is a series of strength exercises, and then I cool down using whatever balance games I want. Muscle memory is good, I got perfect in soccer my first attempt =)

Other than that, Mario Kart 7 with co-workers at lunch, and Pokemon White 2 before bed. Console games on the weekend: Tales of Graces on PS3 and The Last Story on Wii
are my two most recent, but I play a lot of older games as well on and off.

[Shrinweck]

I forgot that the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition came out this week (today, but the preload still appears 'locked') so I'll probably be playing this exclusively until I'm satisfied. I loved the sequel and the expansion but never gave the original the chance it deserved. Even back then it some how felt dated to me (there are D&D mechanics in that edition that still confound me), so I'm very excited about it. Putting off finishing Assassin's Creed 3 and Max Payne 3.

I also picked up Dishonored which I chopped through in next to no time at all. Some time I'm going to have to play through that game again for sure. While I probably won't pour as many hours into it as some other games I really feel like it's GOTY for me in 2012. It's everything I want in a game except length, but I'm glad they didn't put a ton of filler into it to pad the hours. Also the ending was incredibly disappointing. But everything else was not, so I still love it.

AC3 is fun but feels very shallow. I bought Binding of Isaac since it and the DLC was $2 but I don't particularly enjoy it... Still for $2 I think I got my moneys worth already and I see why some people love it. The Defense Grid beta DLC has been getting slowly released in pieces for the last several days and the levels are satisfying. Can't wait for the finished product with challenges. Max Payne 3 is fun for the most part. It feels like the original two in most ways and I loved the shit out of those when I was younger (I probably beat them both 3-5 times). I miss the comic panel storytelling but I see the value in the new cinematics for the most part. When they're done well they're done very well and the voice acting is good. The whole hard boiled bravado is a little annoying, I miss the tongue-in-cheek nature of the first two.

[SineSwiper]

Still playing Half Minute Hero as a time waster. I can't believe nobody here is playing it. For something so basic, it's pretty fun.

[Blotus]

I played Half Minute Hero on the PSP a while ago. Didn't finish it, but it's fun.

[SineSwiper]

I played Half Minute Hero on the PSP a while ago. Didn't finish it, but it's fun.

It's hard to finish it. For all of these different half-minute quests, it's a LONG game, especially if you're trying to get all of the titles and speed runs. I think there's something like 100 different quests, a bunch of levels for those quests, and then Hero 300 and Hero 3.

Also, this looks insane:

[Julius Seeker]

Right now:
Trine 2: Directors Cut
Nintendoland
Super Mario Brothers U
Minecraft (this is sort of on and off).
Started replaying Mario Galaxy 2

[kali o.]

Really not playing much. Dabble in SWTOR/TSW for my MMO fix. Now that the walking dead series is done (for now), just loading up skyrim/new vegas occasionally for my single player fix.

Everything on the immediate horizon looks pretty boring, with the exception of maybe Omerta (but I am not expecting much there either).

Meh.

[Shrinweck]

Yeah we're in a gaming drought.. the Neverwinter MMORPG comes out soon (supposedly Q1 last thing I read) and is F2P so I'm giving that a shot for sure. But the only games that I'm probably going to buy for the next four months are probably Far Cry 3 and Crusader Kings 2 and I'm a late comer to those.

Aliens: Colonial Marines comes out soonish too but every preview I've read makes it sound buggy and not very fun past the initial premise of marines fighting aliens.

I've gone back to Guild Wars 2 and I'm still making my way through Borderlands 2 with Tessian... we're probably only half-way through the game after most of a month.

[SineSwiper]

The Splatters. A surprisingly addictive physics "action" puzzler. Includes a video save and view option, so you can see how Wolfenstein187 (the king of the leaderboards) does tricks you could never perfect. Still, as you progress through the levels and practice, you really do feel like you are learning how to effectively use the skills more.

Although, like some reviews have pointed out, some of the narrowly missed wins can cause much frustration, due to minute changes in physics.

[Julius Seeker]

Now Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

The Wii U and 3DS version can share an account so you can go home, play in the online communities on the Wii U, and then transfer it and play local multiplayer at work during breaks. You can also play local multi-player co-operative mode between the Wii U and 3DS. I recommend downloading, when you factor in the rebate for Eshop credit, and the fact that they don't include provincial sales tax, you can save about 15 bucks if you're Canadian =P

I've tried the sword and shield, switch-axe, great sword, longsword, and dual blades, but so far I am fairly set on the hammer. I would like to get more into crossbows while playing on the Wii U, but so far I have only been playing it on 3DS.

So far the initial DLC packs are all free. Kind of weird, because this is one of those games where Capcom could scrape a liot of extra dough up off of players who will definitely be willing to pay for this stuff.

[Julius Seeker]

Now playing a few Virtual Console games.

Super Metroid is on sale on the Virtual Console for 30 cents. I also picked up Super Mario Bros 2 for $1.00.

[SineSwiper]

Slowly building levels in BattleBlock Theater. Hadn't had a level creator game since N++, so this is what I gravitate towards, oddly enough. Overall, it's a fun little game with a great sense of humor.

[Shrinweck]

Nabbed Dust: An Elysian Tail on Steam and it's decent.

[Julius Seeker]

Picked up Kirby Superstar and Kirby's Dreamland 3 on Wii U Virtual Console for $1.50 each, and got Kirby's Dream Course (a Kirby SNES golf game which is regularly $8.00) free with both those3 purchases. Not bad, essentially 3 games for a buck each. Honestly, I just got Kirby's Dreamland 3 so I could get the free game deal, the only game of those three I am likely to play more than a couple of hours on is Kirby Superstar, which is still one of my favourite games ever.

[KluYa]

Battle Kid 2. I like it more than the first, and I thought the first was one of the best games on the system.

[Julius Seeker]

Now playing Ghosts and Goblins, I'm on level 6, it's hard! Luckily I have save states!

Oh, and you Christians will be pleased to know that I HAVE KILLED SATAN.

[SineSwiper]

Save states, bitches: http://tasvideos.org/853M.html

[Julius Seeker]

Animal Crossing 3D
Megaman X
Super Metroid

I put down Ghosts and Goblins for now, level 6 of that game is hell!

[Julius Seeker]

*Sigh*

You know you're addicted to animal crossing when you're disguising three phonecalls on a Monday morning as a casual "how did your weekend go" call, when the real deal is to get those people to check up on their local "Stalk Market" so you can potentially cut deals in the millions after only a week of the game being out.

[SineSwiper]

*Sigh*

You know you're addicted to animal crossing when you're disguising three phonecalls on a Monday morning as a casual "how did your weekend go" call, when the real deal is to get those people to check up on their local "Stalk Market" so you can potentially cut deals in the millions after only a week of the game being out.

What?

[Julius Seeker]

Animal Crossing has pretty much completely replaced Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the time being. The art direction is largely the same, but they have made humans taller and more human-like, and animals now have large variety in sizes; otherwise, looks largely the same. Gameplaywise, the game has made some very large additions. the jump is considerably larger jump than past iterations. There are dozens of additions, but some of the bigger things in no particular order:

1. Diving/Swimming.
2. Public Works and town development. Along with town ordinances.
3. Main Streat advances over time.
4. Traveling to islands, one main island, and other islands for tours.
5. Lots of minigames that cycle daily - I've played 8 so far, they burn time quickly with 4-player multiplayer.
6. Crafting system, and you can pretty much customize everything - certain things like beds you can put custom designs on the sheets.
7. You play the mayor; you can add other people into your town but generally everyone who plays has their own cartridge.

Also, it seems there is lot more contextual dialogue. A lot of people in the town are commenting on the large number of sharks and piranhas I keep in my house.

I also started a cult, and all of my townsfolk are Hermetic Apocalyptic Kabbalist missionaries. Totally not what Nintendo intended =P

[Eric]

Another victim of Animal crossingism.

[Julius Seeker]

Animal Crossingism, it's that fever I get every 4-5 years. This time it's serious!

I do say this because there's a lot more to do in this one than the last one. A lot more variety, and a lot more to build and expand. Also, it's on handheld, which is much more suitable for the game than a home console version like City Folk on the Wii. Especially when you can expand the town via streetpassing other people with the game.

[SineSwiper]

Before there was Farmville, Animal Crossing.

[Shrinweck]

I bought Unepic and the first hour or so is really high quality metroidvania shit. Looking forward to more of the same and the eventual multiplayer.

[Anarky]

Picked up a PS Vita, 2 weeks ago along with Playsation Plus. I've been playing:
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions PSP (classic game, already power leveled the fuck out of Ramza)
Guacamelee (metroid-vania game, super fun)
Wipeout 2048 (Not bad, not great)
Persona4 (have not given it more than 5 minutes of time and it was all dialogue, need to give it a chance when I want to read)
Gravity Rush (seems good, but only tried it for about 10 minutes, neat mechanics)

Fuck sony's proprietary memory cards, an 8gb card cost me $25 and I've already filled it. The 32 gb card is $80. -_-


I also have a Playstation 3 coming soon, so going to play a lot of games I missed.

[Eric]

Also bought a Vita($150 off Ebay with an 8GB card eeee)

Persona 4 Golden was the first game I immediately bought, and I fuckin love it, I loved Persona 3, and 4 seems to improve on this in alot of ways, the story, the characters, the music, oh god the music I also really really like the challenge of playing it on Very Hard. Most RPGs aren't exactly challenging in the difficulty department

PS Plus gives you a bunch of free games, but the 2 that caught my eye are Uncharted and Blazblue

Uncharted is...ok, but I can see that the devs basically used it as a tech demo to show off the vita's capabilities, bunch of touch screen gimmick crap and rotation movement with the back panel, the scale is alot smaller then your basic Uncharted games, hoping it gets better, but an hour or so in and I'm finding it a bit grating to play through, it's just not fun to FORCE the system's features down your throat.
BlazBlue, is just a fighting game, and I'm honestly shocked I can pull off some of the execution required on the Vita's tiny pad/buttons, I suppose it helps that the game is basically a 4 button fighter, also there's a nice tutorial, and even ranked online play if you get online, all things I dreamed of back on the PSP and owned Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX.

These are the 3 games I'm cycling through while @ work.

[Anarky]

Also bought a Vita($150 off Ebay with an 8GB card eeee)

I got lucky with the Cowboom deal and got my for $130.

I got to play Dragon's Crown this past weekend (buddy does PR for Atlus) game is fucking awesome. He got me a free copy of Persona4 and will do the same with Dragon's Crown