Garple

!!!

"...don't expect it to be the GTA of feudal Japan." (ign.com) that's a real quote. TwMac, can you be a little more specific as to what you like about the game? The review I read does sound good, but I'd like your input.

I think you mean Torchlight.

I do get kind of annoyed with my party members being such nagging pragmatists. They're always complaining about how we can't waste our time doing relatively minor tasks when we should be battling the darkspawn, and I'm like, "Guys, look...this is an RPG. You're honestly telling me not to do the sidequests? I paid sixty dollars for this game." And be careful when you give gifts to your party members. I gave something to one of them, only to find out later on that it would have been of huge sentimental value to a different character. But I guess that's part of what makes the game cool: your decisions don't always turn out as planned. I suppose it's also a case of a game's systems allowing for interesting, unscripted things to happen. I had a very good reason for giving the gift to whom I gave it, then all the sudden the plot gives me the old switcheroo. I know that I'm being super-vague in the above paragraph, but I want to put this concept out there without spoilers or spoiler-tags. edit: Also, the whole thing with your party bitching at your about side-quests offsets the issue that's been discussed in regard to Mass Effect in one of the first episodes of thumbs which is that there are a million people all over the place just spontaneously asking you, of all people, to stop and help them. It's interesting that characters in the game stop to say "this is bullshit" That way...when you go ahead and do the stuff anyway, there's a narrative tension and significance that makes it more than just padding for the main quest.

God, I loved choose your own adventure. I read one about apartheid once. This series was another favorite: Also: But only the first in the series (they were all the same after that).

Damn it, Oprah!

At least it's probably not something you'll read every day.

I haven't played both versions (I've read a lot about both) but I think the key there is whether or not you need the top down view. If you can work with over the shoulder third person while managing light tactics then the 360 version is fine (in my opinion). Keep in mind, you only ever have four characters in your party, so it's not like you're playing an RTS with a ton of units. You switch between the characters during battle with the right and left bumper and you can keep the game paused in the tactical radial menu while you're doing so. Basically, I find myself issuing commands, Letting them go for a couple seconds and then pausing again and checking up on how things are going. To me, it feels a little like the Fallout 3 combat with VATS (constant switching between real-time and psuedo-turn-based). Sometimes, the battle gets a little overwhelming for me with the console's camera view (and in that case, I switch to casual difficulty for a short time*). *will return to this point at end of post. The graphics and (to a lesser extent) framerate are lame in the console versions, but is that really important? Also, it depends on what you're used to, I'd say...I play console games almost exclusively, so, while I can certainly imagine the factors that make the PC version "superior", I've spent so much time with the 360 controller in my hands that it feels natural and enjoyable to play this game with it. I've played for about 8 hours and other than one or two VERY brief moments in-game, the cutscenes were the only time in which I experienced framerate issues. I doubt the graphics and framerate are worse than what you'd get on your Macbook (but then, what do I know). * Back to the difficulty issue... I've spent a little bit of time playing this game on the casual setting, and while it's a little too easy, it is nice, for the following reasons: 1. It allows me not to really have to worry about tactics, I can just pick a character and run around whooping ass, which is not how I'd want to play the whole game, but it's fun. 2. It makes my party of brave warriors seem so fucking badass when a we take out 5 or 6 low level baddies in about 20 seconds, and I feel like we should be able to handle those guys with relative ease, we're not hardened veterans, but, nevertheless, we're fucking Grey Wardens, bitches!!! 'Na mean? I think it would have been cool if they been able to convert this to more of a pure action RPG for the consoles but I guess that might have been cost or time prohibitive...or it just wouldn't have allowed for the amount of tactical management they wanted this game to have. I've heard this was originally going to be a PC only release, so I'm just glad the rest of us get to play it, and, again, I've very pleased that it seems like Bioware honestly tried hard to make this work on console (for the most part, it does). In my wildest dreams, I'd have had the tactical depth of this game wrapped around something like the combat engine from Fable II, and the option to switch between pause and play or direct control (I'd do a shitload of both). You're welcome to think I'm a philistine if you like.

I traded in some games and got it for five bucks. It was well worth that. Edit: And, yeah...you die a lot, but it's not the least bit frustrating (They must be geniuses to manage this...other game devs. should study with the team that made this so they can learn how to make challenge without frustration...the Demon's Souls guys are probably Zen masters or something (ign.com).

Holy Nike Track Suit! On your laptop? What are your Laptop's specs if you don't mind my asking?

For some reason, I assumed this would be terrible. I guess I was subconsciously associating it with the Dynasty Warriors games for some reason. I thought it was a spinoff of those.

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/namco-working-on-tekken-6-online-patch/1750/

Damn, I should get this game but I'm held back by the fact that I just spent over $400 on gaming hardware and software. (PS3, Trine, Dragon Age, LittleBigPlanet...all totally worth it). Our hobby is so expensive. Sometimes I feel like a sucker, but then I play something like LittleBigPlanet or Super Mario Galaxy and the pain goes away.

Fuck, that's pretty useless then, isn't it? Well, I would imagine it's something they could patch, hopefully they bother.

The frame rate is really goofy during cutscenes on the 360. I don't care that much, and it's a side-effect that doesn't surprise me since the game was designed for PC, but I wonder if there isn't something they could have done about it. Also: I know the toolset is only available for PC and that makes perfect sense, but given the online capabilities of current gen systems (esp. ps3), do you guys think there will come a time when we can access mods on consoles (at least for "indie" games)? Furthermore, I doubt this will happen, because it would be like consoles admitting inferiority to PC in this area, but I think it would be really awesome if console versions of games like this supported a mouse and keyboard, now that our consoles have USB ports and, in hardware terms, seem to be so similar to computers. edit: Please note that my questions may stem from the fact that I don't understand much about computers and don't be too harsh. Also: Lord Korax, I'm only kidding about the PC games thing, I respect it as a platform, but when it falls down a little bit, it eases my insecurities about being a console chump.

You bought it?

WHEN CHARACTERS GET FLUSTERED I WANT THEM TO HAVE A GIANT TEARDROP COVER HALF THEIR FACE AND FOR THEM TO FALL DOWN. Also: I would play the hell out of a Mario game with swords.

PC games!

And alliteration's pretty fond of your brain, big boy.

I do have to also comment on the fact that after combat...your whole party has blood ALL OVER THEM, even during the cutscenes. This is not technically illogical...it just seems excessive in a rather hilarious way. "Is there blood in 'Dragon Age: Origins'?" "yes there is." "How much blood?" "let's just say the amount of blood is: Extreme!!!

Yeah, it should be a given. But since it isn't... And why would you expect them to carry much music not published by major labels? They're not a niche retailer. go to an independent record store for that. I'm not saying Best Buy is objectively fantastic. But they're not too shabby for a big-time chain.

I walked into Best Buy today, and they had like 15 copies on the shelf. On its release day. Such a refreshing change from gamestop where, as Chris said, you can only get a brand-new game day and date if you preorder it. I've got the 360 version and I'm very pleased with how well they've designed the console interface. I don't really feel like I'm playing a hampered version of the game in any way. Also, as an rpg this seems quite sound so far. Without any spoilers, I genuinely felt motivated to go do what the intro was pushing me toward. It wasn't like: "you have to do this because you are playing a video game." It was, "let me go drop some knowledge on those mua'fuckas, I'm pissed." It doesn't seem like my actions had the consequences that it was suggested they would, but it does seem like each race and background has a totally different first hour of the game which is awesome. And so far I've encountered a minor decision where I chose the wrong dialogue option and could not try again, the consequences were permanent (they aren't significant to the game as a whole so far, but that sort of thing does serve to flesh out the world).

Is this game actually enjoyable? How and why? I watched the GB quick look, and I feel oddly compelled to play this...but I hesitate, because I can think of no logical reason why I should pay for and spend time on this. It doesn't really sound like a good game in any way. I understand that people find the level of challenge refreshing, but that sounds like its only merit. And yet... I don't know...It kind of seems like a Russian PC game.

I see a game that looks like it handles Greek Mythology in a somewhat non-clumsy way and I'm down like James Brown. (Does anyone know of other games that do this?) (P.P.S. You are not allowed to say "God of War").

I bought a ps3 today. I'm grouchoclub on PSN. Please play LittleBigPlanet with me.