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[panama chief]

My current laptop was crap from day one. Got a Lenovo Ideapad for school but it could never run anything. The most i got from it was Super meat boy running at like 18fps and FFXI settings on low. sometime this week a laptop with these specs will be showing up:

Key specifications
• Operating System: Windows 8.1(1)
• Processor: 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7-4710MQ Processor(2b)(2g)
• Display: 17.3-inch diagonal Full HD(33) WLED-backlit touchscreen display (1920 x 1080)
• Memory: 12GB DDR3L SDRAM (2 DIMM)
• Hard drive: 1TB 5400RPM hard drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection(4b)
• Graphics: Intel® HD graphics 4600 with up to 1792MB total graphics memory(14)

what great platformers, fun indies, puzzle, shmups and other odd titles have i missed or are must haves now that i can enjoy a little of the Master Race?

 

[SparkTR]

What years did you miss? Try Aquaria, Amnesia, FRACT OSC, Gone Home, Grow Home, Banished, The Fall, Gunpoint, Endless Space, Astebreed, Ultratron, Wrack if you want smaller indie stuff. There's a billion indie games out there, like 1500 of them release a year on Steam so browse through the library a bit.

 

[rschauby]

F.E.A.R
Stalker
Half Life 2
Portal
Team Fortress 2

 

[5taquitos]

Just start throwing money at Steam, you'll end up with something you like before you know it.

Spoiler

buy Crimzon Clover

 

[AlphaStriker]

It's a simple concept; maintain the integrity of your ship, while you blast your enemies to smithereens. However the different ships, weapons and strategies add up to a lot of replay value.

One of my most played games on Steam!

 

[Overside]

Now that you hau hace a capable rig, you should see the bleeding edge eye candy that is dwarf fortress:

Yeah, check out that goblin invasion, shit is going down!

(Seriously though, dwarf fortress is fucking amazing)

 

[Erheller]

A small sampling of some more hidden gems.

Every Falcom game on Steam (JRPG for Trails in the Sky/Action RPG for Ys)
AI War (Strategy)
Super Hexagon (don't get squished by walls)
DEFCON (only if you can find other people you know to play with you) (Atmospheric strategy game)
VVVVVV (Platformer)
Geometry Wars (Arcade shooter)
Sunless Sea (Atmospheric sailing game)
One Way Heroics (Roguelite)
Hexcells (Puzzle)

 

[panama chief]

Thanks for the suggestions. I missed the entire time after super meat boy came out until now. I need to start looking up DC, wii, and GameCube emulation. Get my disks out of storage. I've never been so hype to get a computer before.

 

[Mubbed]

what great platformers, puzzle, shmups

Dustforce, SpaceChem, Crimzon Clover

 

[Call Me A Hero]

I highly recommend Guacamelee!: Gold Edition or Super Turbo Championship Edition.

 

[SparkTR]

Dustforce, SpaceChem, Crimzon Clover

Also Antichamber, one of the best puzzle/exploration games I've played.

 

[Hektor]

The binding of Isaac / TboI:Rebirth

 

[RecursiveFault]

Dustforce, SpaceChem, Crimzon Clover

These are fan-fucking-tastic games. Especially SpaceChem.

 

[SegaShack]

Thanks for the suggestions. I missed the entire time after super meat boy came out until now. I need to start looking up DC, wii, and GameCube emulation. Get my disks out of storage. I've never been so hype to get a computer before.

If you have the games use the consoles, why bother with emulation when you can play the games the way they were meant to be played?

 

[SparkTR]

Get a cRPG. Pretty much any of the big ones. Divinity: OS, Pillars of Eternity, Might and Magic X, Shadowrun: Dragonfall...

All these little indie game recommendations are nice and all (especially FTL) but if you really want to appreciate what you've been missing, go right in on a PC-ass PC game!

A list of some PC-ass PC games

• Age of Wonders III
• Red Orchestra 2
• Natural Selection 2
• ArmA 3
• ENdless Legends
• Endless Space
• Divinity Original Sin
• Divinity Dragon Commander
• Pillars of Eternity
• Legend of Grimrock 1/2
• Path of Exile
• Elite Dangerous
• Space Rangers HD
• Cities Skylines
• Banished
• Underrail
• Book of Unwritten Tales 1/2
• Kentucky Route Zero
• Total War Rome II
• Unreal Tournament
• Company of Heroes 2
• EYE Divine Cybermancy
• Starport Gemini 2

If you have the games use the consoles, why bother with emulation when you can play the games the way they were meant to be played?

I agree with DC (emulation isn't that great there), but GC and Wii emulation is insanely evolved. As a person who has a Wii U and GC hooked up to their TV right now, I'd opt for PC emulation for my games there because they look and run worlds better.

 

[Dryk]

Did you play many indies on consoles during that period? Because there's probably a lot of cool stuff you missed if you didn't and that helps narrow it down.

 

[Seanspeed]

Get a cRPG. Pretty much any of the big ones. Divinity: OS, Pillars of Eternity, Might and Magic X, Shadowrun: Dragonfall... The genre stormed back to prominence in the time you were away.

All these little indie game recommendations are nice and all (especially FTL) but if you really want to appreciate what you've been missing, go right in on a PC-ass PC game!

I think the indie game recommendations are coming from the fact that he'll be limited to integrated graphics.

 

[SparkTR]

<3 <3 <3

Is that new UT worth playing yet? It was crazy early last time I saw it.

Yes, map selection is slim but it feels great already.

 

[Dryk]

Is that new UT worth playing yet? It was crazy early last time I saw it.

There are only two textured maps at the moment, but those two maps are absolutely worth playing. All the weapons and mechanics are in there already.

 

[Circinus]

Roller Coastery Tycoon, Might & Magic: Heroes III, Age of Empires II, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.

Those are PC games I played and loved during 2000-2005.

 

[laxu]

Unfortunately the Intel HD 4600 is a pretty miserable GPU still so you'll probably be stuck with older 3D games and any 2D games available. Due to the GPU I doubt GC/Wii emulation would work well as emulation usually requires 10x the power of the emulated platform to work well.

That said, I highly recommend FTL. I have about 50 hours on that game and consider it one of my best Steam purchases ever.

Other than that FEZ, Hotline Miami 1 and Papers Please are worth a try.

 

[Corpekata]

Unfortunately the Intel HD 4600 is a pretty miserable GPU still so you'll probably be stuck with older 3D games and any 2D games available. Due to the GPU I doubt GC/Wii emulation would work well as emulation usually requires 10x the power of the emulated platform to work well.

That said, I highly recommend FTL. I have about 50 hours on that game and consider it one of my best Steam purchases ever.

Other than that FEZ, Hotline Miami 1 and Papers Please are worth a try.

GPU doesn't matter a lot in emulation, it's a good CPU that is required which is why we see so many mobile products having life as emulation machines.

Granted, it is still a laptop so probably not best to expect a ton there.

 

[mrlion]

The Stanley Parable if you're looking for a good mindfuck

 

[Corpekata]

I will add Frozen Synapse and Dungeons of Dredmor to the list. Binding of Isaac covered already. Pillars of Etenrity , Dragonfall, or Divinity if you want an RPG.

Might and Magic Clash of Heroes is on a lot of platforms but I have to recommend it as a puzzle type game.

Astebreed. One Way Heroics. Aquaria.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines are probably a bit before your asking period but worth a look if you never played them.

Longest Journey / Dreamfall / Dreamfall Chapters

 

[Defect]

World of Goo is great.

 

[Doctor Ironic]

DARK SOULS. METAL GEAR RISING.

Also: Hotline Miami 1 (sequel is meh), Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City (Origins is bleh), Bastion, XCom Enemy Unknown.

 

[Palculator]

Now that you hau hace a capable rig, you should see the bleeding edge eye candy that is dwarf fortress:

Yeah, check out that goblin invasion, shit is going down!

(Seriously though, dwarf fortress is fucking amazing)

I second this recommendation. Probably the most unique game on the platform. And yes, it is amazing.

If OP needs help I'd recommend this fine work by the computer science publisher O'Reilly:
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920022565.do

 

[Unicorn]

Now that you hau hace a capable rig, you should see the bleeding edge eye candy that is dwarf fortress:

Yeah, check out that goblin invasion, shit is going down!

(Seriously though, dwarf fortress is fucking amazing)

I love DF, but I am still so baffled by everything. I feel I need to bust out graph paper and plan my fortress, but I also just want to struggle.

 

[wiggleb0t]

Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Company of Heroes

 

[Velurian]

HD 4600 is by no means a gaming card, but it can handle a fair amount great games nontheless!

Child of Light (plaform/RPG) - awesome!
Southpark the Stick of Truth (rpg) - awesome!
Valiant heart (puzzle platformer) - awesome!
Runner 2 (its a runner, but really good one)
Machinarium (awesome point and click adventure)
Mark of the Ninja (stealth platformer) - awesome!
FEZ (platfromer) - awesome!
Braid (puzzle platformer) -awesome!
Hotline Miami (toptown gta1-2 style action) - awesome!
La Mulana (platformer) - awesome!
Magica (isometric rpg kind of, with a very cool spell system) - awesome!
Monaco (top town stealth/action/tactics game) - awesome, but even better with friends/splitscreen
Shadowrun (rpg) - really great cyberpunk rpg
Speedrunners - probably the best splitscreen game ever made
Spelunky (procedurally generated survival platformer) - awesome!
TowerFall Ascentsion - very good pvp spltscreen action with friends!
Transistor - artsy RPG - pretty good!
Bastion - adventure/rpg - awesome!
King's bounty series - heroes of might and magic like game - AWESOME!
Valkyria Chronicles - turnbased RPG - AWESOME!!!


... this will get you started!

 

[Dictator93]

A list of some PC-ass PC games

• Age of Wonders III
• Red Orchestra 2
• Natural Selection 2
• ArmA 3
• ENdless Legends
• Endless Space
• Divinity Original Sin
• Divinity Dragon Commander
• Pillars of Eternity
• Legend of Grimrock 1/2
• Path of Exile
• Elite Dangerous
• Space Rangers HD
• Cities Skylines
• Banished
• Underrail
• Book of Unwritten Tales 1/2
• Kentucky Route Zero
• Total War Rome II
• Unreal Tournament
• Company of Heroes 2
• EYE Divine Cybermancy
• Starport Gemini 2

This list is full of some PC-as-fuck PC GAMES.

 

[panama chief]

Wow. My Steam wanted list went from 0 to overflow thanks to you all. Pray for my wallet please.

If you have the games use the consoles, why bother with emulation when you can play the games the way they were meant to be played?

Portability mainly. My new position at work finds me working remotely with travel gaps in between. Also at home space is limited so I only have ps4, xbone, and a wiiu out on the shelf. And I'm seriously thinking about putting the wiiu back in its box for a bit.

I don't expect amazing things from the laptop. I know I'm not playing GTAV at 60fps with 4x AA or anything like that, which is mainly why I'm seeking indies and smaller unknown games. Anything multiplat I can get on console.

Thanks everyone!

 

[SuperChoco]

I would recommend Torchlight 2 if you are into loot based action RPGs.

Legend of Grimrock 2 is superb, but it's definitely an old school cRPG.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

A list of some PC-ass PC games

• Age of Wonders III
• Red Orchestra 2
• Natural Selection 2
• ArmA 3
• ENdless Legends
• Endless Space
• Divinity Original Sin
• Divinity Dragon Commander
• Pillars of Eternity
• Legend of Grimrock 1/2
• Path of Exile
• Elite Dangerous
• Space Rangers HD
• Cities Skylines
• Banished
• Underrail
• Book of Unwritten Tales 1/2
• Kentucky Route Zero
• Total War Rome II
• Unreal Tournament
• Company of Heroes 2
• EYE Divine Cybermancy
• Starport Gemini 2

A fantastic list, but one small suggestion, swap Rome II out with Shogun II. Way easier to get into, while similarly deep and arguably more fun (especially the 19th century expansion pack). Rome II is still great though, as it's now been heavily patched from it's shaky launch.

 

[Delusibeta]

I will put a warning here in that you bought a laptop without a dedicated graphics card, which is a pretty major blunder IMO if you want to game on it. Don't expect graphically intensive stuff like recent Total Wars and Arma 3 to run particularly well on your laptop.

 

[panama chief]

Don't expect graphically intensive stuff like recent Total Wars and Arma 3 to run particularly well on your laptop.

I dont. This is another PC for school. Got it through a work/education program. Luckily it's mine to keep. Wanted to keep the cost down, but get some screen real estate. Honestly I'm golden if the thing can play FFXIV at 30ps on medium settings.