Support NeoGAF

[Arthea]

That's what Christmas is all about man.

I didn't expect almost everybody to bring their laptops, to be honest, let alone for playing Skyrim (><)

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

bought lego marvel from amazon. Argh, no cards!?#?@$#

I haven't played a lego game in a while, this is actually confusing to me switching characters back and forth rapidly-getting too old I guess.

 

[Haunted]

I did my part.

*points to his button that says "Don't Blame Me, I Voted for MirrorMoon EP"*

 

[Last Baron]

Huh, coulda sworn BL2 GOTY was $15 yesterday.

 

[AkuMifune]

I kind of feel like playing Doom 3 today. Or Riddick. Hoping for a good deal today Gabe!

Wait, Dark Athena is off of Steam? Wait, was it ever there? I feel like it was....

isitorwasiteveronsteam.com

 

[Backlogger]

I didn't expect almost everybody to bring their laptops, to be honest, let alone for playing Skyrim (><)

That's what our family gatherings look like. Except that I gave up my laptop for an iPad about a year and a half ago which I only regret when visiting family and everyone is gaming on their laptops but me.

 

[PAULINK]

Huh, coulda sworn BL2 GOTY was $15 yesterday.

It was. 2k smartened up lol.

 

[Ezra2680]

Huh, coulda sworn BL2 GOTY was $15 yesterday.

it was, but then they changed it. Someone posted earlier that getgamesgo still has it for 15

 

[kurahador]

Huh, coulda sworn BL2 GOTY was $15 yesterday.

Dem Valve cuts man.

 

[Gvaz]

Not gonna bite, not gonna bite, not gonna...

As a shooter it's acceptable (especially in co-op; do NOT play it solo), but as a F.E.A.R. game it's an abomination.


Damn, I bit.

i was asking for an honest answer, it was an honest statement.

i did the first mission and it was fucking awful, and I just finished fear 2. What the fuck happened?

I'm playing it solo because i dont want to bother trying to setup someone to play

 

[woo and indeed hoo]

Anyone have a spare Sleeping Dogs key and feeling generous? I'm rather tapped out from all the holiday shopping

:|

Did...the one woo and indeed hoo post not work for you?

If it was taken, I hope somebody PMed him a thank you... :/

Actually, it was gifted to me and that is how it was gifted i.e. with that image.

This lovely fellow GAFer knows that I have an appreciation for Cary Grant, you see .

They also happened to cleverly pick one of my most wished for games too!

 

[Dusk Golem]

I voted Doorways as I thought that'd be a fun title to add to my horror-ific giveaway at the end of the month.

 

[Kadin]

Huh, coulda sworn BL2 GOTY was $15 yesterday.

It was. You can still get it for that price here and since it's a Steamworks game, you also get the PC version with this.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Since everybody will be buying nu-Tomb Raider from Amazon today for $5, I'll throw out my impressions along with everybody else:

It's a solid, fun little game that isn't likely to beat your expectations in any way, but is eminently playable and satisfying regardless. The story is jam-packed with cliches and you can guess the ending from the very first cutscenes, but it moves along at a steady pace and the cast isn't unlikeable so much as bland.

Lara's arc has been talked about a lot, and all the criticism leveled at her progression as a character is probably all valid. But here's the thing - I didn't really care, because it was goofy and empowering. If you're the type to laugh at games that take themselves seriously, as opposed to the type who waxes on about ludonarrative dissonance, chances are you'll have a good time despite the writing on display.

It plays like, well, Uncharted, and, uh, a more open Uncharted. It doesn't really play like the original games, as far as I know. The platforming is extremely generous in letting you grab onto everything, and checkpoints are insanely generous (you actually keep shit you collected after you die). The scenery and basic environmental puzzles were both engaging enough for me to spend time scrounging for scrap and relics and all sorts of almost-Ubisoft-tier collectibles, which is a compliment coming from someone who doesn't like checklists in games. It's 99% optional, so you can go from set piece to set piece if you'd like.

The combat, of which there is a fair amount, is spread throughout the game pretty well. It's surprisingly satisfying, and I would personally put the shooting feedback relatively high up on my list of 3rd-person shooters (higher than Uncharted, for my tastes). Combat also follows the same gentle progression arc, so your guns get better and stuff (and have visual changes, which is always a plus).

I'd give it a solid 8/10 - dock off points if you're [1] tired of AAA games (I don't play them that often) or [2] concerned about ludonarrative dissonance or [3] just not interested in how it plays (like a more open Uncharted). It really is about as AAA as AAA games come, though, and if you're fine with that, go ahead and grab it - it's dirt cheap anyway.

If anyone's interested in another perspective:

Not to mention hunting, gathering, making camp or anything remotely related to survival are not at all central to the gameplay. There are a few very small/simple puzzles. At the game's core, it's a TPS with a bad combination of the following:

• Braindead, suicidal enemies
• Bullet-sponge enemies that barely/don't react to getting shot
• waves of enemies pouring out of monster closets
• regenerating health
• static, cover-filled environments

Each of those aren't inherently bad, but when they all come together, it tends to create a really uninteresting type of combat. The bulk of the game consists of this. Tomb raiding, hunting, Etc. only nets you XP that you use to augment your killing abilities (or your ability to gain more XP).

Lara should've been stranded almost entirely on her own. the preview material very clearly painted this as a survival game, but it's actually shooter with a "stranded on an island" theme. There's nothing wrong with the latter, but it's clear someone in the development team wanted to make the former at some point.

It was the bad kind of pap, mindless game for me. I disliked most of the story, characters and characterization, but it was the gmaeplay that was most disappointing. The only segments I enjoyed were running through collapsing structures, which was rare. the filler gameplay was dull.

 

[Altazor]

I'll take it. Because I voted for MirrorMoon EP and I regret nothing.

 

[chrominance]

Since everybody will be buying nu-Tomb Raider from Amazon today for $5, I'll throw out my impressions along with everybody else:

It's a solid, fun little game that isn't likely to beat your expectations in any way, but is eminently playable and satisfying regardless. The story is jam-packed with cliches and you can guess the ending from the very first cutscenes, but it moves along at a steady pace and the cast isn't unlikeable so much as bland.

Lara's arc has been talked about a lot, and all the criticism leveled at her progression as a character is probably all valid. But here's the thing - I didn't really care, because it was goofy and empowering. If you're the type to laugh at games that take themselves seriously, as opposed to the type who waxes on about ludonarrative dissonance, chances are you'll have a good time despite the writing on display.

It plays like, well, Uncharted, and, uh, a more open Uncharted. It doesn't really play like the original games, as far as I know. The platforming is extremely generous in letting you grab onto everything, and checkpoints are insanely generous (you actually keep shit you collected after you die). The scenery and basic environmental puzzles were both engaging enough for me to spend time scrounging for scrap and relics and all sorts of almost-Ubisoft-tier collectibles, which is a compliment coming from someone who doesn't like checklists in games. It's 99% optional, so you can go from set piece to set piece if you'd like.

The combat, of which there is a fair amount, is spread throughout the game pretty well. It's surprisingly satisfying, and I would personally put the shooting feedback relatively high up on my list of 3rd-person shooters (higher than Uncharted, for my tastes). Combat also follows the same gentle progression arc, so your guns get better and stuff (and have visual changes, which is always a plus).

I'd give it a solid 8/10 - dock off points if you're [1] tired of AAA games (I don't play them that often) or [2] concerned about ludonarrative dissonance or [3] just not interested in how it plays (like a more open Uncharted). It really is about as AAA as AAA games come, though, and if you're fine with that, go ahead and grab it - it's dirt cheap anyway.

My experience with the game was very similar. I too noticed that Lara Croft is basically Superwoman for the whole game, and normally that really bugs me, but for some reason I didn't care while I was actually playing the game. Actually, a lot of things that looked really dumb or goofy when watching videos (BONUS XP FOR SAVAGE KILL, that one scene where Lara's basically all "I'll fucking kill all of you GRRRRRR," etc.) somehow were totally fine when I was busy playing the game.

Tomb Raider is my video game equivalent of Panic Room: a movie where you can poke tons of holes in the plotline as soon as it's over, but for the two hours you're watching the movie you're glued to your seat waiting to see what happens next.

 

[Dusk Golem]

i was asking for an honest answer, it was an honest statement.

i did the first mission and it was fucking awful, and I just finished fear 2. What the fuck happened?

I'm playing it solo because i dont want to bother trying to setup someone to play

As a FEAR game, it's dissapointing.

If you look past it and think of it as a multiplayer shooter, it can be fun. It's multiplayer modes, especially Contractions and F**king Run, are pretty fun too. And the campaign is fun with a friend.

 

[Archaix]

I'm interested in Darkout myself, but it seems nobody played it yet, so I'll leave it till next sale and more friendly price.

It looks like it just got drowned out completely by Starbound. I finally found something by somebody I know...and it was an RPS post saying the trailer looked pretty. It did, but it also looked a lot more like Terraria than I realized when I was reading the Steam page. Gamespot has a review which strengthens that concern by saying that it pretty much is a sci-fi Terraria.

I still find it interesting that almost nobody has even reviewed it, and out of a dozen or so indie game focused Youtube channels that I follow, none have done any videos on this game.

 

[Gvaz]

As a FEAR game, it's dissapointing.

If you look past it and think of it as a multiplayer shooter, it can be fun. It's multiplayer modes, especially Contractions and F**king Run, are pretty fun too. And the campaign is fun with a friend.

i dont play multiplayer

unless the game is only multiplayer. But it's likely that I don't play that anyways.

exception is Dead Space 3. That is great coop. RE5 was ok.

 

[Vazra]

Finally home. Did I missed anything?

 

[Ezra2680]

It looks like it just got drowned out completely by Starbound. I finally found something by somebody I know...and it was an RPS post saying the trailer looked pretty. It did, but it also looked a lot more like Terraria than I realized when I was reading the Steam page. Gamespot has a review which strengthens that concern by saying that it pretty much is a sci-fi Terraria.

are you still talking about Dark Out or Starbound now?

 

[Arthea]

It looks like it just got drowned out completely by Starbound. I finally found something by somebody I know...and it was an RPS post saying the trailer looked pretty. It did, but it also looked a lot more like Terraria than I realized when I was reading the Steam page. Gamespot has a review which strengthens that concern by saying that it pretty much is a sci-fi Terraria.

If that's true, it's not what I expected. Oh well, I have too many games already

 

[The_Monk]

<3 fellow SteamGAFers

Who ever did that, have horrible, horrible MS Paint skills...!

Spoiler

Enjoy!

 

[Camel Master]

Decided to grab Oblivion GOTY Deluxe from greenmangaming for 5€.

I now own
Morrowind GOTY
Oblivion GOTY Deluxe
Skyrim Legendary Edition

Spoiler

Total playtime with this franchise: 2 hours - yeah I have no idea whether I like these games or not but I just felt I need to own them

New dailies: Please be Sonic...and Dust: Elysian Tail would be nice too

 

[Dusk Golem]

i dont play multiplayer

unless the game is only multiplayer. But it's likely that I don't play that anyways.

exception is Dead Space 3. That is great coop. RE5 was ok.

I'll be blunt, the game is primaringly focused on multiplayer. I actually think the multiplayer modes are more fun than the campaign.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Tomb Raider is my video game equivalent of Panic Room: a movie where you can poke tons of holes in the plotline as soon as it's over, but for the two hours you're watching the movie you're glued to your seat waiting to see what happens next.

Do you consider the game's gameplay the equivalent of a movie's plot line?

 

[Archaix]

are you still talking about Dark Out or Starbound now?

Both. Starbound seems to add more and is advertising itself as not finished yet, though. Darkout's trailer and Gamespot's review don't really show Darkout offering much to differentiate itself. At least not when the entire likely audience for the game is playing Starbound.

 

[crazyrabbits]

I've been fairly restrained this sale:

Aliens: Colonial Marines (Amazon - $2.00)
Aliens: Colonial Marines Double-Barreled Shotgun DLC (Steam - $0.51)
Aliens: Colonial Marines Sharp Sticks DLC (Steam - $0.51)
Alpha Protocol (GreenManGaming - $3.00)
Assassin's Creed II Deluxe Edition (Amazon/UPlay - $5.00)
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Steam - $3.74)
Fallout (Good Old Games - $0.00)
Fallout 2 (Good Old Games - $0.00)
Fallout: Tactics (Good Old Games - $0.00)
The Orange Box (GreenManGaming - $3.80)
Quantum Conundrum + DLC (Amazon - $1.19)
Tropico Bundle (Indiegala - $5.99)
The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition (NeoGAF - gift)

Aside from collecting keys to regift down the road, I'm still hoping for a Ghost Recon deal. Also have 5 credits amassed from Amazon sales (buying .40 cent DLC, LOL) to use on January 3rd for the Editor's Choice awards.

 

[Arthea]

New dailies: Please be Sonic...and Dust: Elysian Tail would be nice too

I would approve that, I have it, but it's a nice game, the more people get it, the better.

 

[chronomac]

I played Tomb Raider for an hour and I really hope that isn't indicative of the rest of the game. Silly quick-time events (I had to try one of them 3 times, which kills momentum), flimsy writing, and a story that doesn't fit with what's presented on screen (for instance having an XP meter pop up after an emotional plot moment).

 

[Dusk Golem]

If I was home I'd have made a gameplay video with impressions on Darkout for you guys. I got it as it was in a bundle a long time ago that got a Steam key recently, and was interested as it pops up if you search horror on the Steam Store, so though/think it might
Be a horror-type game. Is it like Terraria/Starbound?

 

[zkylon]

that's uh a lot of friend invites over the night

yipes

 

[corrosivefrost]

Since everybody will be buying nu-Tomb Raider from Amazon today for $5, I'll throw out my impressions along with everybody else:

It's a solid, fun little game that isn't likely to beat your expectations in any way, but is eminently playable and satisfying regardless. The story is jam-packed with cliches and you can guess the ending from the very first cutscenes, but it moves along at a steady pace and the cast isn't unlikeable so much as bland.

Lara's arc has been talked about a lot, and all the criticism leveled at her progression as a character is probably all valid. But here's the thing - I didn't really care, because it was goofy and empowering. If you're the type to laugh at games that take themselves seriously, as opposed to the type who waxes on about ludonarrative dissonance, chances are you'll have a good time despite the writing on display.

It plays like, well, Uncharted, and, uh, a more open Uncharted. It doesn't really play like the original games, as far as I know. The platforming is extremely generous in letting you grab onto everything, and checkpoints are insanely generous (you actually keep shit you collected after you die). The scenery and basic environmental puzzles were both engaging enough for me to spend time scrounging for scrap and relics and all sorts of almost-Ubisoft-tier collectibles, which is a compliment coming from someone who doesn't like checklists in games. It's 99% optional, so you can go from set piece to set piece if you'd like.

The combat, of which there is a fair amount, is spread throughout the game pretty well. It's surprisingly satisfying, and I would personally put the shooting feedback relatively high up on my list of 3rd-person shooters (higher than Uncharted, for my tastes). Combat also follows the same gentle progression arc, so your guns get better and stuff (and have visual changes, which is always a plus).

I'd give it a solid 8/10 - dock off points if you're [1] tired of AAA games (I don't play them that often) or [2] concerned about ludonarrative dissonance or [3] just not interested in how it plays (like a more open Uncharted). It really is about as AAA as AAA games come, though, and if you're fine with that, go ahead and grab it - it's dirt cheap anyway.

For me, Tomb Raider was a better Uncharted than Uncharted. There was enough exploration and puzzles to bring in that Indiana Jones vibe and when there was combat, it was well done. The guns felt pretty good too. I don't mind the way the narrative wrapped up either, as I'm okay with that sort of thing as long as it doesn't involve (Uncharted 2 spoiler):

Spoiler

Smurfs on steroids

.

I highly recommend it for $5. I did 100% for the single player but did not touch the multi. The game was good enough that I would buy a sequel someday where as, of the older Tomb Raider games, I liked Guardian of Light the best. I only played through the newer remakes of some of the games that came in the Tomb Raider collection that came to consoles and even then, I wasn't enamored with them completely. I really like the reboot.

YAY! Tomb Raider and Mass Effect Trilogy will be mine!

Good choices, I think. Shame that ME trilogy requires Origin though -- I caved and bought ME3 last night because I figure at this point it's never coming to Steam.. :\

 

[The_Monk]

Finally home. Did I missed anything?

Nope, we missed you instead!

 

[Gvaz]

I'll be blunt, the game is primaringly focused on multiplayer. I actually think the multiplayer modes are more fun than the campaign.

That's disappointing, because that's not what I go to fear for. I go to fear for bullet time, rad guns, interesting AI, good audio. Everything else is ignorable. I'd prefer a concise single player experience than one based entirely on rankings of how good or bad you did vs others.

 

[Caerith]

I kind of feel like playing Doom 3 today. Or Riddick. Hoping for a good deal today Gabe!

Wait, Dark Athena is off of Steam? Wait, was it ever there? I feel like it was....

isitorwasiteveronsteam.com

It was removed at some point. Most people would say it's a good thing because of its DRM (TAGES I think?) and tell you to play it on GOG.

 

[Arthea]

If I was home I'd have made a gameplay video with impressions on Darkout for you guys. I got it as it was in a bundle a long time ago that got a Steam key recently, and was interested as it pops up if you search horror on the Steam Store, so though/think it might
Be a horror-type game. Is it like Terraria/Starbound?

In which bundle was it?
What are your impressions of Darkout? Is it any good?

 

[zkylon]

brothers be a daily

yesterday's atrocity must be corrected

 

[Leon Belmont]

So there wasn't a "Hidden Gems" thread after all!!

 

[Dambrosi]

Me too. No regrets, no surrender.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

So last night right before I went to bed I caved and bought Skyrim. It's free, anyway, since I had like $19 in Steam wallet credit from selling Dota 2 and CS:GO item drops. I should have enough credits left for one or two cheap games.

 

[kulapik]

I'm late to the party, but, hey, add me

 

[TronLight]

Man, Far Cry 3 runs like shit.
I had hope for a good framerate, given that Blood Dragon ran fine.

 

[Miker]

I've been fairly restrained this sale:

Aliens: Colonial Marines (Amazon - $2.00)
Aliens: Colonial Marines Double-Barreled Shotgun DLC (Steam - $0.51)
Aliens: Colonial Marines Sharp Sticks DLC (Steam - $0.51)
Alpha Protocol (GreenManGaming - $3.00)
Assassin's Creed II Deluxe Edition (Amazon/UPlay - $5.00)
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Steam - $3.74)
Fallout (Good Old Games - $0.00)
Fallout 2 (Good Old Games - $0.00)
Fallout: Tactics (Good Old Games - $0.00)
The Orange Box (GreenManGaming - $3.80)
Quantum Conundrum + DLC (Amazon - $1.19)
Tropico Bundle (Indiegala - $5.99)
The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition (NeoGAF - gift)

Aside from collecting keys to regift down the road, I'm still hoping for a Ghost Recon deal. Also have 5 credits amassed from Amazon sales (buying .40 cent DLC, LOL) to use on January 3rd for the Editor's Choice awards.

What's the cheap DLC you can buy on Amazon for Editor's Choice promo credit?

I played Tomb Raider for an hour and I really hope that isn't indicative of the rest of the game. Silly quick-time events (I had to try one of them 3 times, which kills momentum), flimsy writing, and a story that doesn't fit with what's presented on screen (for instance having an XP meter pop up after an emotional plot moment).

Yes and no. It eases up on the QTEs after the first hour, but the flimsy writing and story/XP clashing are there the whole game.

If anyone's interested in another perspective:

Not to mention hunting, gathering, making camp or anything remotely related to survival are not at all central to the gameplay. There are a few very small/simple puzzles. At the game's core, it's a TPS with a bad combination of the following:
Braindead, suicidal enemies
Bullet-sponge enemies that barely/don't react to getting shot
waves of enemies pouring out of monster closets
regenerating health
static, cover-filled environments

Each of those aren't inherently bad, but when they all come together, it tends to create a really uninteresting type of combat. The bulk of the game consists of this. Tomb raiding, hunting, Etc. only nets you XP that you use to augment your killing abilities (or your ability to gain more XP).

Lara should've been stranded almost entirely on her own. the preview material very clearly painted this as a survival game, but it's actually shooter with a "stranded on an island" theme. There's nothing wrong with the latter, but it's clear someone in the development team wanted to make the former at some point.

I'd say the same criticisms can be made of Uncharted (and to a greater extent for some of them, e.g. bullet sponge enemies). I can definitely see why someone wouldn't like it - hence the "dock off points" in my post. I went into it knowing that it was going to play like that, and I don't necessarily mind AAA games, so I was okay with it.

 

[Dusk Golem]

That's disappointing, because that's not what I go to fear for. I go to fear for bullet time, rad guns, interesting AI, good audio. Everything else is ignorable. I'd prefer a concise single player experience than one based entirely on rankings of how good or bad you did vs others.

In a similar boat, though actually most of FEAR 3's multiplayer is co-op. the campaign is co-op, Contractions is a wave-based modes where you build shelters and collect supplies while staying alive and going to higher ground as the matches continue as a dark fog keeps on rising which has these invincible enemies in the fog, and F**king Run is a mode where you run through basically an obstacle course with enemies, mines, traps, multiple paths, and more as a giant wall of death chases you, with checkpoints popping up occasionally for a breather. If one person dies, you all die, but getting downed people up is very fast in the mode.

Other two modes involve you playing as these
Grim Reaper-looking soul kings. One mode has three humans fighting for survival while one player plays Soul King and tries to kill the other three humans by possessing and spawning enemies, and when they die they turn into soul kings. The other is you all are soul kings and must kill each other by possessing enemies as soul kings are pretty weak outside of possessing.

 

[Arthea]

that's uh a lot of friend invites over the night

yipes

I think I added about 60 people during our orgy yesterday (><)
Not a problem, I have 300 or so friend slots still available and I like busy activity page.

Man, Far Cry 3 runs like shit.
I had hope for a good framerate, given that Blood Dragon ran fine.

look at the bright side, at least it runs!

 

[NewFresh]

I'm interested in Darkout myself, but it seems nobody played it yet, so I'll leave it till next sale and more friendly price.

I gifted it to someone on the thread the other day.

 

[Vazra]

Nope, we missed you instead!

 

[Divius]

How do I already have over 7 hours in Rogue Legacy, I only got it yesterday.

Welp

[Rogueing intensifies]

 

[Derrick01]

I played Tomb Raider for an hour and I really hope that isn't indicative of the rest of the game. Silly quick-time events (I had to try one of them 3 times, which kills momentum), flimsy writing, and a story that doesn't fit with what's presented on screen (for instance having an XP meter pop up after an emotional plot moment).

It's like that for all ~12 hours. It's unbelievably bad and a lock for worst game of the year on my list.