Video Games

[Guest ParaBoss]

The last new character in the Super SF4 roster has been finally revealed - meet Hakan, a Turkish oil wrestler:

 

 

Behold the manliness!!!

[Guest Dark Ranger X]

does anyone know if dawn of war 2 for the pc is any good?

 

Hell yeah. It's awesome.

 

FFXIII should be on the top of ANY must get list.

 

I was going to get it. But, every single review I've read has not so much been negative, but has said that it gets boring because the gameplay is far more linear than any other FF game. Crap all sub quests, off the path towns to visit, and so on.

 

Man, I haven't played an FF game since FFVIII. THAT was brilliant.

[Guest Forge]

Never played an FF game in my life. (Well, I guess you can count Dirge of Cerberus. Problem was I never finished. Console got jacked.)

 

I might consider ithe newest installment. I would love nothing more if it came to PC, but I'm hoping to hard.

[Guest boston_celtics]

If you want a PC RPG, go no further than this.

 

Fallout New Vegas

 

Bethsheda will most likely once again turn out a masterpiece in gaming.

[Skirmisher]

If you want a PC RPG, go no further than this.

 

Fallout New Vegas

 

Bethsheda will most likely once again turn out a masterpiece in gaming.

Is that DLC or a whole Sequel?

[videogameman]

If you want a PC RPG, go no further than this.

 

Fallout New Vegas

 

Bethsheda will most likely once again turn out a masterpiece in gaming.

 

I thought Obsidian, i.e. the people who made KOTOR 2, were making this one?

[Guest boston_celtics]

I thought Obsidian, i.e. the people who made KOTOR 2, were making this one?

 

Were they? Never really checked.

[Guest boston_celtics]

OMG WTFFFFF YES YESSSSSSSSSS OMG!!!!!!!!!ZZZZZZZZZZ

[Guest silversurfer092]

I don't remember the Rachni playing a part in my ME2 file. I did like all the things that I did in ME1, yet didn't remember, come up again in ME2. The ending didn't really bring much out of me. I was too worried thinking about my decision to keep the Human Reaper data. I had everyone live in my first playthrough (thank you GameFAQs). As soon as I got Grunt, he was in my party 24/7. I used Grunt and everyone else kind of switched between Samara, Jacob, and Thane. Then I started using Jack and I really liked her. I used Garrus until I unlocked Grunt.

[Landon]

Bought FF13 when it came out. Played through a little bit of it.

 

The Good Stuff:

 

1: Cool combat system that feels like something from a REAL RPG and not a video game RPG (uses an action point system, you spend your action points each turn, all powers (even spells) cost AP)

2: Using an item doesn't take up your turn and can be done any time you aren't attacking (essentially a "free" action in table top RPing terms)

3: Shops are at each save point, so no backtracking to town to get items and stuff (not that I've NEEDED to buy anything so far, but I like the concept)

4: Looks pretty damn nice

5: Is mixing swords and sorcery with more "modern" sci fi stuff like the best FF games. Isn't skewing too much in either direction at this point.

6: Decent story that just throws you into the mix and isn't too heavy on exposition. Cutscenes, so far, aren't ridiculously long.

 

The Lame Stuff:

 

1: Hyper-Linear. Go down a path. Fight. Keep going. If there's an intersection, your choices boil down to A) the path that keeps going and a short detour with an item at the end of it. No overworld map at this point. Everything is spoon-fed to you location-wise. The only reason why they bother with a "mini-map" in the corner is because it shows upcoming enemies.

2: The token black dude sucks. He's spouted every "token" line you can think of. I think he's already recited every line Danny Glover said in Lethal Weapon, except it sucks in this context. His only saving grace is the chocobo that lives in his afro.

3: The rest of the cast is fairly mediocre. I don't find the rest of them annoying, but none of them really stand out. You have your "Cloud" type, except she's a chick. You have your hot-blooded type who's exactly like every other hot-blooded type ever. They don't suck, but I don't really care about them either.

4: Hyper-Linear. Just want to reemphasize this. It sucks, and anyone that tries to tell you the game is merely "streamlined" is wrong and should be punched.

 

I don't regret buying the game, and I'm sure I'll work my way through it, but I'm not all that impressed either.

[Guest Dark Ranger X]

I don't remember the Rachni playing a part in my ME2 file. I did like all the things that I did in ME1, yet didn't remember, come up again in ME2. The ending didn't really bring much out of me. I was too worried thinking about my decision to keep the Human Reaper data. I had everyone live in my first playthrough (thank you GameFAQs). As soon as I got Grunt, he was in my party 24/7. I used Grunt and everyone else kind of switched between Samara, Jacob, and Thane. Then I started using Jack and I really liked her. I used Garrus until I unlocked Grunt.

 

Did you save the Rachni in ME1? If so, you should have been hailed by an Asari on the same planet where you run into Liara (in ME2), and the Rachni queen gave this Asari a message to give to you. You should have also been hearing reports of Rachni ships being spotted in space when you listened to news broadcasts.

 

Then again, my save file screwed up in one point. In ME1, I was nice to Conrad Verner. If this was the case, in ME2, you're supposed to hear news broadcasts of him opening charities and so on and naming them after Shepard.

 

In my save, he was in the bar (in the same planet I spoke about above), and went berserk at me because I put a gun to his head or something. I'm guessing that's what happens if you're mean to him in ME1. Also, it seems I'm not the only person to have had this issue.

 

I'm going to assume there's more than one "file import bug".

[videogameman]

Did you save the Rachni in ME1? If so, you should have been hailed by an Asari on the same planet where you run into Liara (in ME2), and the Rachni queen gave this Asari a message to give to you. You should have also been hearing reports of Rachni ships being spotted in space when you listened to news broadcasts.

 

Then again, my save file screwed up in one point. In ME1, I was nice to Conrad Verner. If this was the case, in ME2, you're supposed to hear news broadcasts of him opening charities and so on and naming them after Shepard.

 

In my save, he was in the bar (in the same planet I spoke about above), and went berserk at me because I put a gun to his head or something. I'm guessing that's what happens if you're mean to him in ME1. Also, it seems I'm not the only person to have had this issue.

 

I'm going to assume there's more than one "file import bug".

 

that happened to me too. But there is a theory on that.

 

(taken from TVTropes)

 

...Paragon Shepards! Confused about why Conrad's on Illium? Can't remember pointing a gun to his head?

 

Well, it's likely you posed for a photograph because you're just that nice. When you did that all those years and that death ago, you raised your gun. It was quite clearly away from Conrad, but he's had two years of mourning and fangirling that you wouldn't have known about, being dead and all. As he remembered, he misremembered little details here and there until you met him on Illium and he was all, "You pointed a gun right at my head! That was so awesome!"

[videogameman]

Kasumi's memory lands April 6

 

I called it! Sucks you have to pay for it, but I'll get it anyway.

[Guest silversurfer092]

Did you save the Rachni in ME1? If so, you should have been hailed by an Asari on the same planet where you run into Liara (in ME2), and the Rachni queen gave this Asari a message to give to you. You should have also been hearing reports of Rachni ships being spotted in space when you listened to news broadcasts.

 

Then again, my save file screwed up in one point. In ME1, I was nice to Conrad Verner. If this was the case, in ME2, you're supposed to hear news broadcasts of him opening charities and so on and naming them after Shepard.

 

In my save, he was in the bar (in the same planet I spoke about above), and went berserk at me because I put a gun to his head or something. I'm guessing that's what happens if you're mean to him in ME1. Also, it seems I'm not the only person to have had this issue.

 

I'm going to assume there's more than one "file import bug".

 

I did save the Rachni queen. I don't remember anything involving it though. Oh well. But I was nice to Conrad and he was in the bar. I don't remember him saying I put a gun to his head or anything.

[videogameman]

So, how do you guys think of the new party member coming out, Kasumi? She seems to be paid DLC. Personally, I don't care. Anything that extends this game is money well spent.

[Guest Dark Ranger X]

So, how do you guys think of the new party member coming out, Kasumi? She seems to be paid DLC. Personally, I don't care. Anything that extends this game is money well spent.

 

Apparently she's just like Zaeed - a party member that you can't completely interact with aboard the Normandy (like Zaeed), and you can't have a romance with.

 

I'm not too sure how I feel about paid DLC. The whole point about getting people to buy the Cerberus Network or fork out more dough for the collector's edition (hence getting the CN) was to allow a method of getting non-paid DLC delivered straight to the game. Making users pay for DLC that's only going to take (apparently) 90 mins to complete might not be worth it, depending on how much it costs. If it's 800msp or above, I'll think long and hard about whether I'll bother.

 

Bah, I'll get it anyway. Who am I kidding?

[treacherous]

SUPER RETARDED AWESOME!!! Rygar x's 9000!!!

[Guest boston_celtics]

Let's take a break from mainstream, shall we?

 

I found this while surfing, and immediately fell in love with it.

[Guest Ruinus]

The whole point about getting people to buy the Cerberus Network or fork out more dough for the collector's edition

 

If it's 800msp or above, I'll think long and hard about whether I'll bother.

 

I bought Mass Effect 2 just last week, and it is, as far as I know, a normal edition. It still comes with the Cerberus Network. From what I understand, all versions of the game come with the Cerberus Network unless it's a used game. The Kasumi DLC is 600 MSP from what I read on a news story.

 

Anyways, on my first Mass Effect game I completed all the side missions, saved the Council, romanced Ashley (and I seriously regret it), nominated Anderson to the Council, saved Ashley and Wrex on Virmire, treated Verner bad (apperantly), gave the Geth data to Tali, saved the Rachni Queen and saved Shiala from the Thorian. Level 60 soldier, full Paragon/Renegade points. I'm going to go back and complete it all over again but this time let Ashley die, as it seems that even if you don't start a relationship with anyone in the first game, the game will assume you start a relationship with anyone you were even remotely nice to. Only way around this is to not talk to anyone of your opposite gender in your team (except the non-romanceable characters), or romance Ashley/Kaiden and let him/her die on Virmire.

 

As for the game: I'm quite happy the Mako segments were removed, though miss the great amount of side planets that are visitable (there are about 14 max planets you can visit in the second one), and I'm not too happy about the lack of an inventory system. Instead of fixing the messy inventory in the first one they simply decided to get rid of it entirely? Bad move IMO.

 

My favorite characters are Legion (his backstory just makes the Geth look soo much more alien) and Tali, because I

[Guest Dark Ranger X]

I bought Mass Effect 2 just last week, and it is, as far as I know, a normal edition. It still comes with the Cerberus Network. From what I understand, all versions of the game come with the Cerberus Network unless it's a used game. The Kasumi DLC is 600 MSP from what I read on a news story.

 

My favorite characters are Legion (his backstory just makes the Geth look soo much more alien) and Tali, because I

 

Hrm, odd. I thought if you didn't get the one of the collector's editions, you had to pay 1200msp to unlock the Cerberus Network. Strange.

 

I love Legion too. Just the fact that he reveals that the Geth as a whole aren't evil, and it was only a splinter faction that teamed up with Saren, was freaking awesome.

 

As for Tali, for some reason, I really can't stand her. I don't know why; I think I dislike her more than Ashley.

[Guest Ruinus]

Hrm, odd. I thought if you didn't get the one of the collector's editions, you had to pay 1200msp to unlock the Cerberus Network. Strange.

 

Mass Effect; Cerberus Network

Included in each copy of Mass Effect 2, for both PC (digital and box) and X360, there is a Cerberus Network card with a unique single-use code.

 

1Up

New purchasers get the unlock code for the portal for free, which will give players access to the game's DLC. Those who buy the game used will have to pay for the Cerberus Network separately, meaning EA will still get a small bump in profits from those who save some money at the check-out.

Everyone gets the Cerberus Network unless you bought the game used, although I suppose you could find a used game that didn't use the passcode to activate their account, but what are the chances of that?

 

I love Legion too. Just the fact that he reveals that the Geth as a whole aren't evil, and it was only a splinter faction that teamed up with Saren, was freaking awesome.

 

As for Tali, for some reason, I really can't stand her. I don't know why; I think I dislike her more than Ashley.

 

Yeah, and that Legion shows the major differences between organics and inorganics.

All geth talk to each other before making a decision, Geth don't really die (they are restored from backup), the Geth don't want a war with the Quarians, they have no moral quandaries about rewriting each other, and other things.

(Spoilers added, just in case no one wants anything ruined.)

 

I love Tali because when it comes down to it, she's a shy cute nerd girl. She's also the girl out of the entire cast who has to achieve the most in the face of most adversity.

Her entire civilization is on a fleet of ships that is falling apart, her father was killed by the very machines her people made, she has to deal with anti-Quarian bias all her life, a suit rupture could kill her, and she had to deal with thinking Shepard would never see past her helmet oh and being intimate with Shepard might also kill her, or make her sick.

. (Again, spoilers included for people who dont want... well spoilers.) To me all of that stuff makes me thing that Tali *deserves* love more than all the other characters. Ashley is a borderline anti-alien nut (she even admits so herself), Liara is cute and all but she's almost naive to the point of childishness (and, if I remember correctly she is considered a child by her people, think about that why don't you?), Jack is a murderer end of story, Miranda is a

genetically engineer

stuck up girl who thinks she deserves everything. Yeoman Kelly Chambers is the only other normal girl on the ship, but Tali beats her hands down. She's also IMO prettier than the other girls and has a sexier accent. That's win in my book.

 

But yeah, almost everyone hates Ashley.

[Guest Dark Ranger X]

Awesome post.

 

Liara is only considered a child amongst her people because she is on the lesser end of the age scale of an Asari Lifespan, I think? She'd be a mature version of a female human I guess.

 

I chose Miranda as my love interest. She starts out as stuck up, but once you do her loyalty quest and start talking to her heaps, you find out that underneath that genetically engineered perfection is a confused woman who's never really had to deal with emotions before.

 

The Tali post-romance did crack me up. "I've got all these things wrong with me now...but it was totally worth it."

 

Oh, one more thing.

 

This is Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store on the Citadel.

[Guest Ruinus]

Liara is only considered a child amongst her people because she is on the lesser end of the age scale of an Asari Lifespan, I think? She'd be a mature version of a female human I guess.

 

Yeah, it was more of a joke than anything, considering she is old enough to consent, and the cross-species age thing probably got worked out long ago.

 

I like Liara, but I like Tali better. Both of them are cute nerdy chicks, but Tali wears glasses. (A visor if you want to get technical.)

 

Glasses on a chick is a +10 to attractiveness for me.

 

I chose Miranda as my love interest. She starts out as stuck up, but once you do her loyalty quest and start talking to her heaps, you find out that underneath that genetically engineered perfection is a confused woman who's never really had to deal with emotions before.

 

I do know she begins to soften up, her side mission

with her long lost sister did get me, actually, as I have a little brother I care deeply about, so I could put myself in her shoes, and imagine never seeing your sibling. Plus, the Paragon option was beautiful "It can't hurt to tell her that she has a sister that loves her." "No... I guess not." Then she walks over to her sister, scared almost uncertain, she comes back changed. Great writing IMO.

 

 

But shortly after that I persued Tali, and so she probably never openned up more dialogue options.

 

The Tali post-romance did crack me up. "I've got all these things wrong with me now...but it was totally worth it."

 

Oh, one more thing.

 

This is Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store on the Citadel.

 

I agree about the post-romance Tali. Her accent at the end makes it perfect.

 

Oh yeah, that Citadel thing is hilarious. The entire Citadel seems to be a joke on real life, with all the advertisements, geeky aliens talking about games, and-ASUMMING DIRECT CONTROL.

[videogameman]

Tali and Legion may be cool, but only Garrus is..... impressive

[C.T.]

I rushed the main mission in my first try. That was a mistake.