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PC game recommendations
-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
Okay, I've been out of the PC scene for about 2 years I think. I stopped buying anything new about when Crysis came out, but now I have a new quad core on it's way. What games really push a system? Is Crysis the game to test a new machine with? Anyway, I'm probably grabbing Crysis, DA: O, The Witcher, Mass Effect and The Sims 3 (for the fiancee) and DoW2 for starters, and I have Supreme Commander sitting there that I haven't played because it made my machine want to cut itself, so I'll probably give that a go. Any other big PC games I've missed over the years?
Well after Crysis you're going to want to get Crysis Warhead, because it's awesome and I think it's one of the best FPS's of recent years.
Orange Box is a given I presume?
Left 4 Dead assuming you like multiplayer / co-op games, L4D2 coming out soon.
Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 2 if you like RTS's. The campaign's good. Co-op (DoW 2) is awesome. CoH will also stress your system nicely.
World in Conflict if you want your RTS even more fast paced.
Zeno Clash is completely bizarre but is probably the first time anyone's taken first person brawling and made it work.
I'll throw in a recommendation for Shadowgrounds and Shodowgrounds: Survivor, just because I like those games. Top-down isometric shooters. Can be played co-op on the same PC (no internet play unfortunately).
Await Tycho because he's going to come in soon and dump a list on you.
I don't do the digital distribution thing unless I can't get a game any other way. Mainly because I'm in Australia and, well, bandwidth caps and all that shit.
Shattered Horizon has some pretty beefy requirements and is only $20, plus it's actually fun.
That actually looks pretty interesting, and I've never heard of it. Is this a mainly multiplayer game or is there a good single player campaign? From the video on the site, it looks like it could go either way.
Oh and for PC games.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R, but it seems like a love it or hate it type game.
I don't do the digital distribution thing unless I can't get a game any other way. Mainly because I'm in Australia and, well, bandwidth caps and all that shit.
The first step to playing games in Australia is not being in Australia.
Or: why not look at the top ranked games on Steam, then buy them in a store?
Though their ratings are, like any meta-critic, not really going to give you a complete picture. I usually trust that anything I'm interested in is worth it if it's over 85. If it's really interesting, a 75 or above.
durandal4532 on
We're all in this together
0
-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
edited November 2009
STALKER is something I might reinstall (I have it already) just to see what it looks like on a non-shit PC. I didn't much enjoy the game.
Left 4 Dead assuming you like multiplayer / co-op games, L4D2 coming out soon.
After the beating it took at our ratings board? Pffft.
Couldn't agree more, it's sad. Like a new standard, L4D2 is a great game to recommend, unless you're from Australia.
Don't write it off just yet. It's been confirmed that you can get the regular edition even if you're in Australia.
The way it works is that there are two (well, probably more if you count Germany and maybe some other places) versions of Left 4 Dead 2. If you're buying the game from inside Australia then you get that version. However, if someone were to buy the game from outside Australis (say someone in the US), and gift it to you, you'd get the international version, not the Australian version.
This has been confirmed to work with the demo by several PA regulars (including LaCabra), and various other boards, so it's highly likely it'll work with the actual game. All you need to do is get someone outside Australia to buy the game for you and gift it to you, then you can pay them via paypal or whatever. Quite a few people here did it just by getting in on a four-pack.
So yeah, I'd say at least keep it in mind, because it looks like you can still easily get the same version everyone else is getting. I can't guarantee it yet since obviously the game hasn't been released, but it works for the demo and there's no reason to presume the final product isn't the same. Those that received the international version have a different product identifier than the Australian version, so Steam just treats it as such.
subedii on
0
-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
Though their ratings are, like any meta-critic, not really going to give you a complete picture. I usually trust that anything I'm interested in is worth it if it's over 85. If it's really interesting, a 75 or above.
Because critical score doesn't mean a whole lot to me - I've bought and enjoyed critically 'bad' games. This board seems to have that mentality (in some capacity at least), from what I've seen, which is why I'm asking here.
Though their ratings are, like any meta-critic, not really going to give you a complete picture. I usually trust that anything I'm interested in is worth it if it's over 85. If it's really interesting, a 75 or above.
Because critical score doesn't mean a whole lot to me - I've bought and enjoyed critically 'bad' games. This board seems to have that mentality (in some capacity at least), from what I've seen, which is why I'm asking here.
The aggregate scores are usually a good indicator of overall quality. Knowing nothing more then a few paragraphs, you might want to go and check out popular games because well, popular games tend to be pretty good.
You should probably give Zeno Clash a try. There is a demo available. It's not a perfect game by any means, but has a wonderful first person melee combat system that feels very staisfying and a crazy as hell art style.
Shattered Horizon has some pretty beefy requirements and is only $20, plus it's actually fun.
That actually looks pretty interesting, and I've never heard of it. Is this a mainly multiplayer game or is there a good single player campaign? From the video on the site, it looks like it could go either way.
Oh and for PC games.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R, but it seems like a love it or hate it type game.
Fallout 3
It's only multiplayer, there's only 4 maps at the moment but they're going to release more and add stuff like voice chat. There's also only the one gun (which can sorta double as a sniper rifle) in case that sort of thing bothers you. However the zero-g environment is pretty fucking cool since you have to think and fight in 3 dimensions, I love the 360 degrees of movement available.
How was Tropico 3? More tropical than the original?
It's really, really, similar to the original. Slightly more fast paced with some annoyances taken care of and it's fairly pretty. It's totally worth it if you're hankering for a city building game and loved Tropico 1, but not worth it if you got tired of the first one and can't see getting into it again.
STALKER is something I might reinstall (I have it already) just to see what it looks like on a non-shit PC. I didn't much enjoy the game.
If you didn't play it all the way through, I'd give it a shot. Install the Stalker Complete 2009 mod, too. Makes it look a lot better plus some other minor things. I bought the game about a week ago (it was $5!), hated it to begin with, but it gets much better as it goes on.
Await Tycho because he's going to come in soon and dump a list on you.
hooo
Games that can PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT™ graphicswise (most of these are on Steam btw)
Assassin's Creed
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Bioshock
Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
Crysis and Crysis: Warhead
Empire: Total War
Mirror's Edge
Oblivion
World in Conflict
Other fun games that you might have missed and that basically have widespread critical acclaim (these are all on Steam):
Braid
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Civilization IV
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Dawn of War II
Dead Space
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
GRID
Hitman: Something or other
IL2 Sturmovik: 1946
Left 4 Dead
Mass Effect
Men of War
Monkey Island
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident
Orange Box
Overlord
Painkiller
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 and 2
Psychonauts
Red Faction: Guerilla
Tropico 3
Tomb Raider: Whatever the good ones are, by Crystal Dynamics or whatever
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
The Witcher
World of Goo
X3: Terran Conflict
Zeno Clash
On GoG.com:
Arx Fatalis
Beneath a Steel Sky
Beyond Good and Evil
Descent 3
Fallout and Fallout 2
Freespace and Freespace 2
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946
Jagged Alliance 2
Painkiller
Sacrifice
Tex Murphy
And this beastie
Because you might as well roll in style
Robman on
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-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
edited November 2009
Nice list Tycho - a lot of those I either have (because they came out when my PC could at least run them playably), or I passed over the PS3 version or have the PS3 version. Seems like I'm pretty up to speed on PC games - I thought a lot might have gone by unnoticed. Thanks for the responses guys.
I play almost nothing on PC anymore, but I will chime in on 2 things: Civ IV and C&C: Red Alert 3. Both are everything I loved from the originals with plenty of good new stuff.
I completely, totally forgot about the Total War games! I missed out on Medievil 2 Total war and Empire Total War. What are they like? I kind of enjoyed Rome but I loved Shogun Total War.
edit - Spore and the Galactic Adventures expansion. Are they worth it?
I completely, totally forgot about the Total War games! I missed out on Medievil 2 Total war and Empire Total War. What are they like? I kind of enjoyed Rome but I loved Shogun Total War.
edit - Spore and the Galactic Adventures expansion. Are they worth it?
I completely, totally forgot about the Total War games! I missed out on Medievil 2 Total war and Empire Total War. What are they like? I kind of enjoyed Rome but I loved Shogun Total War.
Haven't seen that pack here. I was asking because I saw it on the shelf for $17.99 and wondered if it was worth it to someone only looking to fight AI.
-Loki- on
0
DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
Haven't seen that pack here. I was asking because I saw it on the shelf for $17.99 and wondered if it was worth it to someone only looking to fight AI.
The AI puts up a pretty good fight. It's a fun game to play solo. If you can get it bundled with GalCiv II for a deal, I'd say go for it. Either one of them is good, and GalCiv II is focused on single player so you may want to check it out anyway.
Posts
Orange Box is a given I presume?
Left 4 Dead assuming you like multiplayer / co-op games, L4D2 coming out soon.
Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 2 if you like RTS's. The campaign's good. Co-op (DoW 2) is awesome. CoH will also stress your system nicely.
World in Conflict if you want your RTS even more fast paced.
Zeno Clash is completely bizarre but is probably the first time anyone's taken first person brawling and made it work.
I'll throw in a recommendation for Shadowgrounds and Shodowgrounds: Survivor, just because I like those games. Top-down isometric shooters. Can be played co-op on the same PC (no internet play unfortunately).
Await Tycho because he's going to come in soon and dump a list on you.
Played everything I was interested in on my old PC (so I already have it).
After the beating it took at our ratings board? Pffft.
I have CoH lying around, so I'll reinstall that too. I should put DoW2 in my post - I forgot I'm grabbing it asap.
I'll check them out.
Got it on PS3.
Go to GOG.com and get yourself freespace 1 and 2 and get the enhancement mods.
Get Mount and Blade and the Prophecy of Pendor.
Maybe UT3
Gears of War
Batman Arkam Asylum
Fallout 3
Dragonage
b) Top Rated
c) Profit!
Couldn't agree more, it's sad. Like a new standard, L4D2 is a great game to recommend, unless you're from Australia.
I don't do the digital distribution thing unless I can't get a game any other way. Mainly because I'm in Australia and, well, bandwidth caps and all that shit.
That actually looks pretty interesting, and I've never heard of it. Is this a mainly multiplayer game or is there a good single player campaign? From the video on the site, it looks like it could go either way.
Oh and for PC games.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R, but it seems like a love it or hate it type game.
Fallout 3
http://www.metacritic.com/games/pc/scores/
Pretty good list to walk down and check off games from
EDIT I found out some reviewer gave MS FS:X a 4/10. That person should be fucking shot, that's the worst single review I've ever seen in my life.
The first step to playing games in Australia is not being in Australia.
Or: why not look at the top ranked games on Steam, then buy them in a store?
Though their ratings are, like any meta-critic, not really going to give you a complete picture. I usually trust that anything I'm interested in is worth it if it's over 85. If it's really interesting, a 75 or above.
Don't write it off just yet. It's been confirmed that you can get the regular edition even if you're in Australia.
The way it works is that there are two (well, probably more if you count Germany and maybe some other places) versions of Left 4 Dead 2. If you're buying the game from inside Australia then you get that version. However, if someone were to buy the game from outside Australis (say someone in the US), and gift it to you, you'd get the international version, not the Australian version.
This has been confirmed to work with the demo by several PA regulars (including LaCabra), and various other boards, so it's highly likely it'll work with the actual game. All you need to do is get someone outside Australia to buy the game for you and gift it to you, then you can pay them via paypal or whatever. Quite a few people here did it just by getting in on a four-pack.
So yeah, I'd say at least keep it in mind, because it looks like you can still easily get the same version everyone else is getting. I can't guarantee it yet since obviously the game hasn't been released, but it works for the demo and there's no reason to presume the final product isn't the same. Those that received the international version have a different product identifier than the Australian version, so Steam just treats it as such.
Because critical score doesn't mean a whole lot to me - I've bought and enjoyed critically 'bad' games. This board seems to have that mentality (in some capacity at least), from what I've seen, which is why I'm asking here.
The aggregate scores are usually a good indicator of overall quality. Knowing nothing more then a few paragraphs, you might want to go and check out popular games because well, popular games tend to be pretty good.
It's only multiplayer, there's only 4 maps at the moment but they're going to release more and add stuff like voice chat. There's also only the one gun (which can sorta double as a sniper rifle) in case that sort of thing bothers you. However the zero-g environment is pretty fucking cool since you have to think and fight in 3 dimensions, I love the 360 degrees of movement available.
It's really, really, similar to the original. Slightly more fast paced with some annoyances taken care of and it's fairly pretty. It's totally worth it if you're hankering for a city building game and loved Tropico 1, but not worth it if you got tired of the first one and can't see getting into it again.
If you didn't play it all the way through, I'd give it a shot. Install the Stalker Complete 2009 mod, too. Makes it look a lot better plus some other minor things. I bought the game about a week ago (it was $5!), hated it to begin with, but it gets much better as it goes on.
hooo
Games that can PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT™ graphicswise (most of these are on Steam btw)
Assassin's Creed
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Bioshock
Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
Crysis and Crysis: Warhead
Empire: Total War
Mirror's Edge
Oblivion
World in Conflict
Other fun games that you might have missed and that basically have widespread critical acclaim (these are all on Steam):
Braid
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Civilization IV
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Dawn of War II
Dead Space
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
GRID
Hitman: Something or other
IL2 Sturmovik: 1946
Left 4 Dead
Mass Effect
Men of War
Monkey Island
Nexus: The Jupiter Incident
Orange Box
Overlord
Painkiller
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1 and 2
Psychonauts
Red Faction: Guerilla
Tropico 3
Tomb Raider: Whatever the good ones are, by Crystal Dynamics or whatever
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
The Witcher
World of Goo
X3: Terran Conflict
Zeno Clash
On GoG.com:
Arx Fatalis
Beneath a Steel Sky
Beyond Good and Evil
Descent 3
Fallout and Fallout 2
Freespace and Freespace 2
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946
Jagged Alliance 2
Painkiller
Sacrifice
Tex Murphy
Flight Sim X
And this beastie
Because you might as well roll in style
King's bounty - a TBS game kind of in the vein of HoMM, but with RPG elements
Plant's vs Zombies
Peggle
I completely, totally forgot about the Total War games! I missed out on Medievil 2 Total war and Empire Total War. What are they like? I kind of enjoyed Rome but I loved Shogun Total War.
edit - Spore and the Galactic Adventures expansion. Are they worth it?
"Exorrent news, mah rord! Your assassin was triumphant!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gim3Jb8XsLM&feature=related
Let me introduce you to one of my threads.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
I don't know if it's available in Australia for cheap but there was a pack that looked snazzy with SoaSE and GC2.
http://www.gogamer.com/Space-Unlimited-Compilation--I--for-PC-Front-Page_stcVVproductId86459249VVcatId444710VVviewprod.htm
Haven't seen that pack here. I was asking because I saw it on the shelf for $17.99 and wondered if it was worth it to someone only looking to fight AI.
The AI puts up a pretty good fight. It's a fun game to play solo. If you can get it bundled with GalCiv II for a deal, I'd say go for it. Either one of them is good, and GalCiv II is focused on single player so you may want to check it out anyway.
Steam Name: Dr.Oblivious
If you can't live for the now, at least live for the future.