Random Bits - December

[blueonblack]

A new story entry has been added:

[drupal=589]Random Bits - December[/drupal]

There are three pieces to a game's success: mechanics, story and environment. A game that does well in two of these will probably be a success. A game that nails all three will be legendary... More.

[SXRguyinMA]

I'm a huge fan of Portal. That game sucked me in and wouldn't let go lol. I still go back and play it once in a while (in between MW2 and BF:BC2) just because it's so much damn fun

[DynamoNED]

I agree with Shane on practically every point. Truly great games require well-designed mechanics, a captivating story, & breathtaking yet thoughtfully created environments. I remember the first game to truly pull me in with all three was the first Knights of the Old Republic. I could not put it down, because the game engaged me, rather than the other way around. There have been a few titles since then that similarly engaged me, but there is nothing quite like the first time a game grabs you by the lapels and simply won't let go.

[Oneslowz28]

For me there are a few games that set the bar very high. The first would be Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. That game changed my gaming life forever. The last time I loaded it up on my x-box, I remember checking my stats and it listed over 300 hours of game play. I beat the game within the first 12 hours so the rest is just wandering play.

The next game to completely captivate me was TES Oblivion. I have well over 100 hours in it, and still have not visited every dungeon / cave. This game is so lare and immersive that I will start playing it, and when I realize that I am playing a video game, several hours have already past.

The Battlefield series is IMO the best military FPS games of all time. Battlefield 1942 was awesome, then came 2142 which was ok, and Battlefield 2 completely changed the way modern military shooters were made. Battlefield Bad Company 2 gets my vote for one of the top 25 games of all time.

As far as non military FPS games go, its hard to beat the original Unreal Tournament. I remember spending hours perched on top of one of the towers on the facing worlds map, sniping opponents as soon as they spawned. The other reason I love the UT series is its speed. I was never a spectacular player, but it was not uncommon for me to get 90-100 kills on a small map with decent sized teams. I could chain my kills together on some maps to "God Like" status in just a minute or two.

Another two games worth mentioning is Roller Coaster Tycoon 1 and 2. I played these games for hours, building theme parks that made hundreds of thousands of dollars an hour. The only other "Sim" style game I got into was a small game produced by Joe Wood Studios named Industry tycoon 2. I would take a break from RCT2 and play RTC for a few hours, building vast cities full of manufacturing industries.

[TheMainMan]

For me it was Age of Empires II (and subsequent expansion) that I still load up and play sometimes. It had great story arcs that intertwined history into the gameplay which would captivate me for hours.

[SXRguyinMA]

what started it for me was Oregon Trail on the old Apple IIc's in 1st grade lol

Sand Andreas took up WAY too much of my life. That game has everything, and there is a story line but you don't have to follow it! There's so much to do. I'd just fly planes and parachute onto a skyscraper and snipe till I had 5 stars, then sit there with the rpo and shoot down the helis and harriers lol

[Oneslowz28]

I did that same thing in GTA SA.

[msmrx57]

Portal is simply a fantastic game. I personally prefer games that involve problem solving. MYST is another of my all time favorites. It has good a storyline and incredible environment. As much as I would like to get into shooter games I just can't play them without getting ill after 10-20 minutes. What I don't understand is racing and arcade style games that have a similar point of view don't have the same effect. As far as racing games go the Grand Turisimo series is without a doubt tops just from mechanics and environment.

[blueonblack]

I'm a huge fan of Portal. That game sucked me in and wouldn't let go lol. I still go back and play it once in a while (in between MW2 and BF:BC2) just because it's so much damn fun

I couldn't agree more! Portal was a true gem. It included all of the elements I mentioned here and added a HUGE portion of humor on top of it. I've not had a game before or since that made me laugh like Portal. It was beautiful, innovative, mechanically superb, and hilarious.

For me there are a few games that set the bar very high. The first would be Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

Here we will have to agree to disagree. Maybe I got in on it too late, like four years after its release, but it really felt like a badly-made Nintendo 64 game to me. Mechanically I guess it was all right, since it played smoothly, but the graphics were awful, the voice work was hideous and just about everything that moved looked... well, just bad.

Like I said, maybe if I had gotten in on it at the first. Games go a LONG way in four years, and I had no doubt been jaded by the games that came out after it.

As far as non military FPS games go, its hard to beat the original Unreal Tournament.

Again, not so much. Unlike GTA:SA, however, this was a good game. I still play it in LAN from time to time. It was also mechanically excellent and the environment was good as well, but the "story" was window dressing at best. Not compelling in any but the most mechanical way. I can get that kind of compulsion from Pong.

Another two games worth mentioning is Roller Coaster Tycoon 1 and 2.

I've never tried any of the Tychoon games and wasn't into any of the Sim Whatever games, but I can see their appeal, if they are done well. Again, lacking in story but certainly a lot more complex and involving than "tournament" or "arena" shooters.

[billygoat333]

Doom 3 was a big game for me. It was (and still is) the only game to have physically made me jump. What an awesome atmosphere and fun gameplay. Warzone 2100 was another that was ahead of its time, for a real time strategy game. it was the first 3d strategy game (that I know of) that allowed camera panning. It also had an amazing unit building system where you could build your own units using different track/wheel types, main body armor types, and weapons turrets. very very cool.

The first Command and Conquer game was pretty epic as well.. that was the first game that i ever did multiplayer over dial up connections with. (when I was like 12 or 13 lol... my parents hated that I would tie up the phone lines to play a game)

The other games mentioned here I agree with as well, not so much gta san andreas (its fun, but not so much epic. I would say gta 3 before san andreas just because it was the first of its kind).