What are you playing? [SPOILER TAGS PLEASE]

[grayfoxz]

stalkers setting is allways great, post appocaliptic waistland in chernobil :D
so cool

[Heaven Sent Blossom]

I think people were disappointed by Alpha Protocol mainly because they were expecting it to be something closer to Mass Effect. AP plays more like a typical RPG. Once I got over that, it was a great game. A lot better than some games I could name, that still did way better in reviews and such. Damn you, critics!

It's no Mass Effect, though. Best. Game. Ever.

People were disappointed by Alpha Protocol because they had their souls replaced by diabolical constructs of blackest malice, engines of hate fueled almost entirely by the tears of kittens and the keening death knell of the video games industry. In short; because they were terrible people.
Honestly the fact that AP got slammed for things that the soulless releases from Bethesda got away with, coupled with some clearly woeful understanding of the AP mechanics, just goes to further prove my argument that most video game "journalists" should have their thumbs cut off.
Not that I'm bitter over the fact that METACRITIC RATINGS have been used to decide whether the game should get a sequel or not, no sir.

In other news I obviously had an aneurysm at some point this week because not only did I pick back up Bad Company 2 but I also got Modern Warfare 2--and I'm actually enjoying it, luckily I didn't buy it new so I'm not actually supporting the evil Activision Empire. Either way it's a much better core shooter than I remember being, sure you have to strip away some glitchy crap to get to that amazing core shooter, but honestly it's a small price to pay.

[Brandon]

You are correct. Most high standing critics either dont know what theyre talking about, are corrupt, or are pretty much being blackmailed into giving high scores to only good games. If you go back and look at the video's of people playing Alpha protocol and complaining that a dead center headshot doesnt kill someone, its almost always because theyre out of the maximum effective range for that pistol. If you want more fair reviews youre better off listening to people who are small time. Like me :D

Also Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has IMO the best and most balanced multiplayer of any FPS game out there

[grayfoxz]

Also Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has IMO the best and most balanced multiplayer of any FPS game out there

agree's. but it probably is a matter of taste as well.

[Heaven Sent Blossom]

While I wouldn't go so far as to call it balanced (M60 anybody?) I've always found Battlefield to be the pinnacle of multiplayer FPS games and Bad Company 2 is no different. However what I've played of MW2 so far does run it pretty close--plus Modern Warfare has the AUG, and I'm a real sucker for the AUG:-<

And yeah, the horrible corruption of video games "journalists" is matched only by how very, very, very bad at games most of them are. Honestly it's like most of the mainstream reviewers have never picked up a controller before, let alone spent a good portion of their adult life playing games, it's embarrassing. At least the "small time" actually know how to turn a console on without a quick start guide--that and we're always unbiased and never moved to hyperbole;-p *coughs*

[Jude]

You have to realize professional reviewers are coming from a completely different place than gamers; that's why the discrepancies exist (along with natural variation).  They play hundreds of games a year, are aware of the best and the worst titles, have little interest in length, and are simply looking to get the most out of they time they spend playing.  Their perspective is radically different from someone who is looking for a value buy, or a title to hold them over before new releases, etc.  They do their best to judge absolute quality impartially, but they don't always succeed because they aren't like us by lieu of the very thing they're doing.  But they are very likable people in every instance where I've actually heard them talk.

Check out the podcasts on Giant Bomb, Game Informer, IGN, etc.  It adds a human side to things and makes me seriously doubt all of the accusations of outright corruption.

EDIT:  Having said that, two of my favorite games from this year so far have been Deadly Premonition and Alpha Protocol:  they're hardly critical darlings.  So I really don't always agree with them either.

p.s. I hate Gears of War.

[Brandon]

M60 isnt that powerful, I dont even use it when I play my medic (which is almost all the time). I generally use the M249 all the time or if Im feeling gutsy or playing with friends Ill switch to the SPAS-12. Although I do find it hilarious that the M60 was nerfed pretty hard in an earlier patch and people still complain about it

As far as proffesional reviewers go. As I see it 7 is the new 10 for them. 8, 9 and 10 are all scores reserved for games with massive hype (Alan wake, Mass effect, anything Halo, or anything that a company will blackmail them with like Kane and Lynch). Personally I dont trust any reviewer that gives a game a score because I dont believe a complex and in depth opinion can be represented numerically without a massive flow chart on hand to understand how the Scorer in question rates games

[Wolfy]

Ill be getting Front mission as well. Its one of the few Sqauresoft series that has stayed consistantly good (well ok I didnt play the 5th one cause I cant find a copy). Plus I love the tactical battle system of the game. That said, Im not sure how Ill view this new game which is supposed to be more cover system but Im expecting lots of giant robot smashing gun shooting wanzer blowing up fun!

It's Thirdperson shooter..and if you have Xbox live..I'll play you! o3o

Also..I rented Alpha Protocol (Through the mail..should be here wednesday) and Singularity.

Singularity is Creepy in the same way that Bioshock was. o-o...It's rather atmospheric, especially for a game that flew in under the radar, as they say.

[Brandon]

Meh, I didnt think much of singularity. Seemed like it was trying to be the next bioshock franchise to hard

If Front mission has multiplayer co-op wolfy I might take you up on that

[Wolfy]

I dunno about Co-op, but it is Multiplayer..*tackles Brandon* 'Course, you'll have to give me your Gamertag. PM's only.

Apparently it's considered 'Personal information" o3o

But yeah..it's not going to be a Strategy game this time, Brandon..it's going to be a Third Person Shooter.

[Brandon]

well Ill rent it and play around with it first. If I like it enough to try the multiplayer then we can share :P

[Jude]

I don't know that Front Mission has remained consistently good.  The storyline seemed to get worse and worse as time goes on, and the strategy-based gameplay was super repetitive.  Nearly every iteration had the exact same mechanics.

I'm excited for FME though.  Been waiting for a good mech game to come along since Armored Core stagnated and refused to get with the times.

[Wolfy]

Well, FME is a reboot of the storyline..soo..*shrugs*

Also..I think what has turned Singularity into one of my favorite games is the mere fact that it contains a gun, called the Seeker..that lets you Guide the Bullet it fires from a third person perspective...so..fricken..cool. o3o...More games need weapons like these. lol

[Wolfy]

ok..I now officially condemn both Raven Software and Activision to an Early and well deserved grave.

Let me tell you why...I've hit a wall with singularity.


Forced Stealth section = Annoying, but fine.
Forced Stealth Section After a tough boss fight that leaves me with basically no ammo to defend myself with = Ok, starting to get shitty.
Forced Stealth Section After a tough boss fight that leaves me with basically no ammo to defend myself with, with enemies that can kill me in 2-3 hits tops = Starting to get shittier.
Forced Stealth Section After a tough boss fight that leaves me with basically no ammo to defend myself with, with enemies that can kill me in 2-3 hits tops, and putting the auto save point right before said section? F*CKING PRICELESS.

Guess which one Singularity falls in. GUESS. *ish pissed*

[Mudaline]

*Twiddles thumbs whilst waiting for R.U.S.E. to come out*

I preordered it!   ;D

Can't wait to see if the French are still as overpowered as they were in the Beta testing...

LOLUbisoftisaFrenchcompanyLOL!

But seriously...  A tad biased...  They had recon units that could take out German heavy tanks...   WTF?     :o

[grayfoxz]

But seriously...  A tad biased...  They had recon units that could take out German heavy tanks...   WTF?     :o

O.o wow. Serious overkill.....coooool :)

[Mudaline]

*Also.... currently playing Men of War.*

Oh... my... God...

Simulating one of the largest conventional wars ever fought, and half the game is sneaky-sneaky stealth and scavenging...  No lie...

......

At least the Russians were being realist-   *Sees map editor with 16 IS3's against a Panzer division*

...Nevermind...    -_-

[Heaven Sent Blossom]

M60 isnt that powerful, I dont even use it when I play my medic (which is almost all the time). I generally use the M249 all the time or if Im feeling gutsy or playing with friends Ill switch to the SPAS-12. Although I do find it hilarious that the M60 was nerfed pretty hard in an earlier patch and people still complain about it

Before that patch though (and I haven't played since, so I don't really know what "the new M60" is - but this is a Dice game so SOMETHING must be OP, that's just their way) the M60 was a destroyer of worlds. I'm not a bad player to begin with, with the M60 Lazor Canon of DOOM (patent pending) in my hands it was literally unfair for the other team. However I always think it's a credit to Dice that no matter how screwy their balance is, no matter how laggy their net code is and no matter how many times they flat out break their game with their "patches" you will ALWAYS come back to a Battlefield game because there is no better FPS experience online.

I really want to try Singularity, and honestly if it weren't for my Activision ban (only time I support the used game market) and the fact that I blame that game for Raven not developing Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 then I probably would've grabbed it by now. However I don't think I want to pay anymore than around £10 for a slightly better version of Timeshift/slightly worse version of Bioshock (delete as you find applicable) which means I must wait patiently and live vicariously through others on this one.

As for "professional" reviewers, they're heartless abominations. 90% of the negative reviews aren't even because they dislike games, it's because they need the page hits for their woeful opinion pieces and everybody knows that being "edgy" is the best way to get people drawn in. Don't get me started on the "5 to 10 scale" that reviewers use now, such an archaic and pointless system and anybody who willingly uses it should be ashamed of themselves.
Not all reviewers are terrible of course, however for every Tim Rogers and Kieron Gillen there are a thousand Gerstman's--and that's really the crux of the problem for my money.

[Hemingway]

Reviewers are so full of shit it's not even funny. I could give you a list of upcoming games, along with my prediction of the scores they'd get, and I bet a vast majority of them would come out exactly true. A few wouldn't, of course, because sometimes critics apparently need to be unpredictable.

[Wolfy]

Do do do..waiting for Alpha Protocol to come in the mail..o3o

Then next week, I think I'll go buy a used Copy of Resonance of Fate or Nier just to have something to play until Spiderman comes out. o3o

[Brandon]

you just need to keep replaying alpha protocol.

Besides I didnt have much fun with Resonance or Neir and while I wouldnt recomend that you dont buy them I wouldnt recomend that you do either. They were just kind of there without anything memorable for either one.

or another idea is, if you havnt played it go looking through the bargain bins for a copy of deadly premonition

[Jude]

Nier is an interesting game with a combat system that I thought seemed terrible.  Lack of precision, control, agility, and satisfying special moves really ruins it.  The main character his hideous.  The world is beautiful as well as the story however; it's just too bad that they completely borked some elements in my opinion.

Resonance of Fate is supposed to be a super-difficult game, but I've found it to be grind-heavy and brainless once you learn the basics.  The story is almost non-existent.  Still is a fairly enjoyable game.  It couldn't hold my attention enough to finish it, unfortuately.

[grayfoxz]

The saboteur, love the setting (nazi occupied paris) anf love the free roam/destruction options.

[Tonalberry]

Just got Darksiders today from GameFly, having some fun with it.  So what if it 'stole' elements from Zelda and other games, it's still fun.  Plus, Watcher sounds suspiciously like Mark Hamil voicing the Joker, so I need to check on that.

[Wolfy]

Just got Darksiders today from GameFly, having some fun with it.  So what if it 'stole' elements from Zelda and other games, it's still fun.  Plus, Watcher sounds suspiciously like Mark Hamil voicing the Joker, so I need to check on that.

..That is The same person who did Joker in Arkham Asylum. There is only one voice like that. o3o

Anyway...Can't wait..3 more weeks until Halo Reach. :D

And..2 more till Spiderman..and 5 till FFXIV...and 6 (I think) till Front Mission Evolved.

Dunno if I'll get them all (definetly reach and FFXIV) but I'll be trying! o3o