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[jshackles]

thanks ya'll. you're good people

No problem - let me know if you run into any issues with it.

 

[jaundicejuice]

People are nuts for Dota 2 trading cards, they sell almost as soon as I list them.

 

[littlegrasshopper]

As someone who has played AA and AC is AO worth playing even knowing the ending ahead of time? A friend told me how it ended a few months back. Asking due to the Steam Sale.

Thanks!

 

[Miguel81]

I have the games on consoles, but I'm tempted to double-dip on those Legacy of Kain games on sale...

...But then I hear they run like crap on PC, and don't have controller support? Is that true?

The original Blood Omen is nowhere in sight, and that's a damn shame. Higher rez and no loading are tremendous perks.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

The original Blood Omen is nowhere in sight, and that's a damn shame. Higher rez and no loading are tremendous perks.

I know right. I wonder if the PSN download has faster loading...

Soul Reaver 1 is so bad on PC. It's locked at what seems like 20fps and has no controller support. Not sure about the rest of the games but one wasted purchase was enough to keep me from trying out the rest.

Yikes. Okay, will avoid SR1 I guess...

Most have controller support, just not the warped version everyone thinks of "My 360 pad works automagically and it even has button prompts."

I'm obviously not expecting that, but they are originally console games, it boggles my mind that there is no controller support at all on the PC ports.

They're old games, so you might have to go into the menu and assign things depending on your pad, but they do have support. I think the first game doesn't, but I know for sure Defiance does.

How are SR2 and Defiance on PC compared to the console versions? Anything like better framerate or resolution or anything like that, or were they just straight ports?

 

[Syphon Filter]

Can I get an invite to the steam group please

Daww

 

[Miguel81]

I know right. I wonder if the PSN download has faster loading...


Yikes. Okay, will avoid SR1 I guess...


I'm obviously not expecting that, but they are originally console games, it boggles my mind that there is no controller support at all on the PC ports.


How are SR2 and Defiance on PC compared to the console versions? Anything like better framerate or resolution or anything like that, or were they just straight ports?

I recommend the Dreamcast version. It runs beautifully, and I'm glad that it was the version I first played. I haven't tried it on NullDC yet, but that emulator is pretty damn great.

 

[Cheddahz]

I have Last of Us as well, just no case for it yet. Planning on adding Shadow, Okami, and Journey at the very least to my collection. I have both SotC and Okami on PS2, but the HD versions are very good while the emulation is spotty.

I actually just got a PS3, so I'm currently playing some games on it!

 

[thesaucetastic]

So I've been playing Fez lately, and I have to say, it's a really good game. It's pretty and the geometry is really well thought out. I've been cheating and using a guide for the anti-cubes though... I just have no time to figure out the Fezian language and the rotation puzzles that unlock them and what not. I just want to get as many cubes as I can before going for the ending.

Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly apparent that I'm not a fan of collectathons, which this pretty much boils down to. So even if I can recognize this is a good game, I'm not having as much fun as I would expect...

 

[catabarez]

Figured out what was wrong with Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. The game doesn't like when I turn on V-sync through the Nvidia Control Panel. I'm actually enjoying this game.

 

[jshackles]

I'm going on vacation for 3 days starting tomorrow. I just got my phone signed in to NeoGAF mobile so I can stay tethered to the GAF.

 

[Dezzy]

Could someone take a few seconds to be awesome and send me a Steam group invite please? (Sorry, no cute kitten pics...)
My Steam profile. (link now removed!)
You'll at least enjoy my profile screenshot a bit if you've played Recettear.

..And I'm in, thanks!

 

[KenOD]

That's all it takes, a friendly word, a desire to be friends, and a link to your Steam profile and it gets sent.

I'm always tempted to get Soul Reaver again, but I know that To Be Continued would just annoy me too much and I wasn't a fan of how the series "concluded" due to all the changes on the fly.
For those new to the series, I do recommend looking up all of Mama Robotnik's posts on Legacy of Kain, great research done. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=367997

 

[Reg]

I have Last of Us as well, just no case for it yet. Planning on adding Shadow, Okami, and Journey at the very least to my collection. I have both SotC and Okami on PS2, but the HD versions are very good while the emulation is spotty.

Solid collection so far. Glad to see Valkyria Chronicles and Vanquish in there.

 

[Salsa]

Figured out what was wrong with Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z.

you should have told the devs

 

[catabarez]

you should have told the devs

I'll do that. If there is a bug thread in the Steam forum it'll be easier.

Edit: Wait which dev do I tell? There are three

 

[JaseC]

All of the original Dawn of War games now have the same "xpec internal test" branch that the sequels have had for a few weeks now. Bye-bye GameSpy.

 

[crazyrabbits]

Arkham Origins, Deus Ex HR, Just Cause 2 all on sale...I never clicked add to cart so fast.

I only got a Steam account 3 weeks ago for DMC4, but these sales are making me lose my mind. How do you guys deal with this?

Just wait until the summer sale. Deals will be absurd. I deal with it by saving store credit until then.

Christ, this thread moves fast. We'll hit 400 pages by the end of next month.

 

[Vecks]

So I've been playing Fez lately, and I have to say, it's a really good game. It's pretty and the geometry is really well thought out. I've been cheating and using a guide for the anti-cubes though... I just have no time to figure out the Fezian language and the rotation puzzles that unlock them and what not. I just want to get as many cubes as I can before going for the ending.

Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly apparent that I'm not a fan of collectathons, which this pretty much boils down to. So even if I can recognize this is a good game, I'm not having as much fun as I would expect...

Even though I like collectathon platformers, this felt more like collecting random side quest junk in other games. I find it fine in other games as a side thing. But as the main idea for gameplay? Drives me crazy. I did enjoy the game at the start though, with all the exploration and puzzle solving. But after a while it just got tedious.
I can't even be bothered to finish it even though I'm only missing like 1 or 2 cubes.

 

[corrosivefrost]

User recommendations for upcoming games in April - How to submit

Know about a game that is coming out next month on Steam? Then tell us by posting in the steam thread on why it deserves to be on Gaf's radar, each month the games with the the best reviews will put on the OT.
We are doing this for the first time, so don't worry if it's not fantastic, as long as it's 50-100 words we should be good.

PM the post you want to submit so I know.

(1) Love the banner.
(2) Are you already covering the major releases like GOAT SIMULATOR?

aw yea

Gross.

I'll do that. If there is a bug thread in the Steam forum it'll be easier.

Edit: Wait which dev do I tell? There are three

Probably Spark Unlimited?
What was wrong?

 

[catabarez]

What's the cheapest I can get Fast & Furious? I've been waiting for a sale on this.

 

[$h@d0w]

Instructions for participants:
I am giving away a Steam key. To enter this giveaway, send a PM to ModBot with any subject line. In the body, copy and paste the entire line below containing the key.

Rules for this Giveaway:
- If you are a lurker you are not eligible for this giveaway. You need five or more posts in either the current Steam thread or the previous one to be eligible
- This giveaway is a raffle. The winners will be selected by random draw 3 hours after the draw was created. Any games not claimed after that point will be given away first come first serve.
- Do not trade keys you win off-site to enrich yourself. Don't try to claim games you have no interest in collecting or playing. Don't claim games to give them to friends off-site.
- If the key is already taken you will not receive a reply. Replies may take a minute or two:


Offspring Fling -- MB-A46D0C5851F738BA - Taken by Gravelord_Nito. 5 entrants total.

enjoy a free game

 

[corrosivefrost]

What's the cheapest I can get Fast & Furious? I've been waiting for a sale on this.

Check TF2outpost or Steam Trades?

 

[BoosterDuck]

What's the cheapest I can get Fast & Furious? I've been waiting for a sale on this.

quarter of a mile

 

[Thezez]

Aw yeah! Won a copy of Goat Simulator from a local ISP. I'm ready.

 

[catabarez]

quarter of a mile

Vin Diesel better be in the game.

 

[Reckoner]

I have Last of Us as well, just no case for it yet. Planning on adding Shadow, Okami, and Journey at the very least to my collection. I have both SotC and Okami on PS2, but the HD versions are very good while the emulation is spotty.

http://i.imgur.com/WR61gvy.jpg

Great collection you got there. I played Valkyria Chronicles recently and it was a lovely ride. I'm now on Demon's Souls myself.

 

[PandaPedinte]

Aw yeah! Won a copy of Goat Simulator from a local ISP. I'm ready.

A person wearing a horse mask playing Goat Simulator.

 

[Salsa]

I'll do that. If there is a bug thread in the Steam forum it'll be easier.

Edit: Wait which dev do I tell? There are three

I was making a joke cause the game is bad and you figured out what's wrong with it, dummie

 

[catabarez]

I was making a joke cause the game is bad and you figured out what's wrong with it, dummie

it aint dat bad. The music is pretty good thanks to Grant Kirkhope.

 

[def sim]

Aw yeah! Won a copy of Goat Simulator from a local ISP. I'm ready.

Hah, really? That's a pretty rad ISP.

 

[Thezez]

A person wearing a horse mask playing Goat Simulator.

I can be two animals and a human at once, who says I can't!?

Hah, really? That's a pretty rad ISP.

Super rad considering I'm not even a customer of theirs!

 

[KenOD]

"If we get them addicted to simulator games, they won't noticed dropped speeds" Is how I imagine the pitch being done for such a nice giveaway.

Still, enjoy Tony Hawk Pro Goat.

 

[Big_Al]

Was messing around with a mod to remove GFWL from Bulletstorm (well it's a couple of DLLs basically) and ended up playing the whole first Act again. Damn I love that game so much, especially Rick Remenders script.

"Who's THIS giant dick! ?"

 

[PandaPedinte]

I can be two animals and a human at once, who says I can't!?



Super rad considering I'm not even a customer of theirs!

You can be anything, even a tall Goat.

 

[corrosivefrost]

I was making a joke cause the game is bad and you figured out what's wrong with it, dummie

Wrong.
Go back to playing with your 3DS.

it aint dat bad. The music is pretty good thanks to Grant Kirkhope.

Better.

Hah, really? That's a pretty rad ISP.

Yes, yes it is. TWC would never do anything awesome like that.

 

[Vazra]

Not bad for an 3DS Up port.

 

[Zero-Crescent]

Decided to bite on Arkham Origins (Had some card money to reduce the price a bit). Now I can finally redeem that piece of DLC that came with the Humble WB Bundle.

 

[corrosivefrost]

Not bad for an 3DS Up port.

Yeah, and it plays pretty good aside from the janky animation at times. (Watching your character gravitate toward a ledge after awkward jump and potentially not being able to make it to hang on the ledge is amazingly funny.)

The boss fights have been pretty good -- and once you start to level up, your weapon gets stronger so that impression the demo leaves where it seems like everything takes a billion hits is inaccurate.

 

[Shalashaska]

I have Last of Us as well, just no case for it yet. Planning on adding Shadow, Okami, and Journey at the very least to my collection. I have both SotC and Okami on PS2, but the HD versions are very good while the emulation is spotty.

Any reason why just Uncharted 2?

 

[thesaucetastic]

Even though I like collectathon platformers, this felt more like collecting random side quest junk in other games. I find it fine in other games as a side thing. But as the main idea for gameplay? Drives me crazy. I did enjoy the game at the start though, with all the exploration and puzzle solving. But after a while it just got tedious.
I can't even be bothered to finish it even though I'm only missing like 1 or 2 cubes.

I mean, the last collectathon platformers I've played were Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64, which was like... 15 or 16 years ago. So I don't exactly know if I still like them or not. The game definitely gets tedious... And I love exploration, but knowing that I'm missing something in a previous area bothers me enough that I don't go anywhere else until I collect all the junk around there first. So in that regard, the branching pathways are a complete headache.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

is Age of Wushu good

It looks like the closest to having a Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon game that's not that terrible CTHD game.

Any reason why just Uncharted 2?

The first is crap and the third is a couple steps down from 2.

 

[Levyne]

is Age of Wushu good



The first is crap and the third is a couple steps down from 2.

Don't tell corrosive frost that

 

[derExperte]

Don't tell corrosive frost that

Was about to say. This won't end well. :O Imo two is the only reasonable choice if someone wants the best of the best. Of course I'd recommend trying the other parts (including Vita) after that.

 

[crazyrabbits]

Don't tell corrosive frost that

Doesn't mean it's not true. UC3 was one of the most... underwhelming games I've ever played, for a number of reasons.

 

[Levyne]

I was just poking. I actually don't remember much of UC1-3. They all kind of just blend together for me at this point. My memory is so bad

 

[corrosivefrost]

The first is crap and the third is a couple steps down from 2.

Gotta disagree.
He must have a fetish for Smurfs on steroids.

Don't tell corrosive frost that

Hahaha, I see my opinions are well known.

Was about to say. This won't end well. :O Imo two is the only reasonable choice if someone wants the best of the best. Of course I'd recommend trying the other parts (including Vita) after that.

I've had the argument enough times that I don't really give a fuck what others think about the series. However, this won't stop me from telling them that I disagree.

Doesn't mean it's not true. UC3 was one of the most... underwhelming games I've ever played, for a number of reasons.

And it doesn't mean it is true either. It's all subjective. I could say the same thing about U2.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I've had the argument enough times that I don't really give a fuck what others think about the series. However, this won't stop me from telling them that I disagree.

Hey, same here!

 

[crazyrabbits]

And it doesn't mean it is true either. It's all subjective. I could say the same thing about U2.

I can say the following about Uncharted 3, which I wrote in a previous topic:

I read through most of the comments after beating the game, and you know what? The review is right on the money. Yes, the characters are as good as ever, yes, the setpieces are still awesome, and yes, there have been several tweaks made to the engine (you can have more allies assisting you in gameplay, the graphics are sharper, the environments are more expansive).

However, Among Thieves took the original game (which was very good), added a spit-shine polish, totally boosted the gameplay, selection of weapons, a full multiplayer mode, lots of hidden secrets, treasures that felt like they mattered, a plot that upped the stakes, a villain who was a complete monster, compelling new side characters - in short, it codified everything great about adventure games, and became a pinnacle of the genre as a result.

Drake's Deception had a lot to live up to, and in that regard, it tries way too hard, almost to the point of ridiculousness. The setpieces have become completely madcap. After the fifth time a ladder/pipe/walkway I was climbing broke in half, I just about swore at the screen. Not only that, but several of Thieves' interesting mechanics are missing - Drake originally checked items, high locations or switches to aid other characters getting up to him easier (i.e. hitting a ladder for Elena to climb up, assisting her with operating a device in tandem). In this, almost all the characters can do the same things Drake can - Sully can clear ridiculous jumps without missing a beat (he and Drake outrun both a collapsing chateau and collapsing city breaking apart beneath their feet), while Elena has somehow gotten absurdly powerful (to the point that she can take on multiple enemies by herself).

Nathan may as well be called "Calamity Drake" for all the improbable shit that happens to him in this game. Not to mention that it suffers from "cutscene power to the max" - you can plow through twenty or thirty mooks, but the second one of the lead villains pulls a gun on you, the main characters give up.

Marlowe and Talbot are nothing compared to Lazarevic from Among Thieves. Lazarevic shot a hostage Nathan was trying to use as leverage, compared himself to Pol Pot and Hitler, had no qualms about executing people once they outlived their use and was willing to steamroll and execute an entire village for one man. By comparison, Marlowe whines about how Cutter "wasn't supposed to kill" Drake and Sully in the opening, prefers mind-games (most of which Drake either rejects or just laughs off) and ends up dying in a pitiful fashion. Not only that, but the previous game gave us an awesome (if ridiculous) controllable battle against Lazarevic. U3's endfight is mostly a quicktime event. Not only that, but there's a polar difference between both games - in Among Thieves, you were always one step behind Lazarevic. In Deception, you're usually one step ahead of Marlowe.

There really aren't any "breather" moments in Deception - you always feel like you're being pushed towards the next objective, and that there's no time to simply stop, walk around and take in the sights. That's why the village sequence in Among Thieves (where you can just walk around and interact with the villagers) always felt so powerful - you made a connection with the people you had to save later in the game. The entire middle-third of the game is basically one long chase sequence (get information before Marlowe does, escape soldiers, escape Marlowe, chase Talbot, chase a pirate - yes, the desert sequence is amazing, but it still feels like a race against time to find water before you die. All of Deception's breather moments happen in all-too-brief cutscenes. There's no flexibility, either - when you want to go fast and activate an object, you have to wait for characters to finish their speeches about the room/area you're in. When you want to slow down after a huge mission, there's no time because it's either a chase sequence or scripted event.

The linearity is noticeable because many of the areas appear to be smaller than the previous game. With the exception of the chateau and the desert, many of the game's setpieces are set in cramped spaces (villages, towers, an airplane, temples).

In addition, the game is more of a father-son tale between Drake and Sully - to the detriment of the returning and new supporting characters. Chloe is back for more "men are pigs" witty dialogue, but she doesn't grow or change in any conceivable way. Cutter was a very cool addition to the cast (he got one of the few "fuck yeah!" reactions from me when he bluffed Talbot and told the team to escape), but he's gone by the second half, and the sheikh who takes his place is never developed or characterized - he's just window dressing to get Drake to and from his destination.

Also, Elena and Drake apparently married, had adventures and separated between games - it would have been nice to have more time to develop their relationship (again) than the last third of the game.

The stakes weren't high enough in this game - in Among Thieves, you had to stop a general before he became invulnerable. In this, you have to stop a woman who wants to control people with hallucinogenic water (and this is accomplished in a cutscene).

I get where the reviewer's coming from - yes, it's a very good game, but it didn't "up the stakes" like the previous game did, and in a fall/winter full of triple AAA titles, it fell a bit short for me.

I can't say the same about Uncharted 2, which I still consider the best in the series.

 

[neoanarch]

How are the Dungeon Siege games? That pack is looking pretty tasty if its worth it.