Jolt Country

I bought TWO (2) new gamez today, which I've had the chance to play both for no more than about two hours each:

GAME NAME: Mafia

REASON FOR BUYING: I like the Godfather, and I like Grand Theft Auto, and this was theoretically a combination of those two things.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Just as advertised, and appears to fix most of Jonsey's "game design" problems that he bitched endlessly about with GTA3. However, so far (and I'm just, JUST getting started, mind you) the overall "wow/fun"-factor which was so astounding in GTA3 hasn't quite hit me yet. But that could be because once you've been wowed once by this kind of game, you'll never get that experience again. Fair enough. And the cars are lame at the beginning of this game. We'll see how my impressions change as I get further into it.

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GAME NAME: The Thing

REASON FOR BUYING: John Carpenter's movie is one of the coolest movies of all time, and, by far, the scariest movie I've ever seen. Since this game is the official sequel to that movie, I pretty much had to get it. Plus, I like scary games, when they're done well, though the only one I've seen that actually scared me (until now, perhaps) was Half-Life. Oooh wait, and Anchorhead. Except I didn't finish that one.

REASON I ALMOST DIDN'T BUY IT: SomethingAwful recently trashed the hell out of it, though I didn't read the particulars, just so the game wouldn't be ruined for me.

REASON I WENT AHEAD AND BOUGHT IT ANYWAY: Saw a couple good reviews on other sites.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Veeeery atmospheric. I like that. Also, contains a really bad save-game feature (not only can you only save in certain locations, you have to HUNT for those locations, which is made all the more difficult by the fact that:) and doesn't appear to have any kind of map or compass, which makes finding your way around difficult.

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I'm quite surprised by the fact that so far I am enjoying The Thing more than Mafia. I was almost sure it would be the other way around.

But like I said, these are just very first impressions.

I totally agree with you on Mafia. While you cannot save "anywhere," it essentially saves right where I would anyway. If they want there to be a challenge and make it so that I cannot save my progress every two seconds, well, I am theoretically against that, but they did use the next best mode -- they pretty much write my status to disk right after something "important" happens.

And as much as I was impressed with how water looked in Morrowind I have to say that I have never before seen character models that looked as good as they do in Mafia, at least in terms of faces. It's really something to behold. I'm under the impression that their cut-scenes are all done in-engine and all (I haven't got far enough to see people outside the cab up close yet) and if this is in fact the case then whoever is responsible for making the people look so nice needs to get themselves some serious commendation.

But I totally hear you on this part, too:

However, so far (and I'm just, JUST getting started, mind you) the overall "wow/fun"-factor which was so astounding in GTA3 hasn't quite hit me yet.

This is totally true. If there is one game that I would attempt to stick a non-gamer in front of, it would probably be GTA3. It's just over-the-top in so many respects. (The only problem I ever had with the game all stemmed from the missions and saving.) Mafia, being more focused, doesn't appear to as of yet have that sense of random recklessness. But, again, I need to play it more. I know that there is a "free ride" mode that you can unlock that sounds a lot like free-form GTA3ness.

The Thing is intriguing. It got a really bad review from Lowtax on Something Awful. I may wait until it becomes an impulse buy, like how I did with the Jekyll and Hyde game that came out last year.

Also, contains a really bad save-game feature (not only can you only save in certain locations, you have to HUNT for those locations, which is made all the more difficult by the fact that:)

I don't want this BBS to become the place that is best known for the guy who just loses it when it comes to save games, so I will try to keep my comment on this amusing more than in desperation: it's funny that you mention that, because in Ico you have to get yourself and the girl that is following you in the game to both sit down on a couch before you can save. Sometimes it appears as if she doesn't want to sit down. Oh, and she only sits down to the right of you, so if you're sitting on her side she won't sit and you can't save. It's really starting to get ridiculous. I just wanna save, goddammit! I am personally waiting for the game that has a save section to it where you have to install a big giant hoop to your USB port or PS2/X-Box/Gamecube controller port, ala those Dance Dance Revolution pads, and jump through it six times in 60 seconds before any saving can be done.

Yeah, it's cute that I need to get the girl to sit next to me and that even though Ico lives in a world that is, by what I can tell, a good 400 years away from George Costanza's theory on successful couch-based navigation he still has to shimmy himself right but if they wanted to make it a puzzle they could simply assign saving to the "Start" key but leave it out of their manual. That's enough puzzle for me on that, sir.

Right then, it's a day later, and I've gotten a few more hours in on both of these games, and let me just say, I'm coming around quickly. For instance, Mafia is now more interesting to me than The Thing, and the truth is that I may never play The Thing again, after tonight's frustrating experience, due to the -- well, I don't want to say it, but let's just say that it rhymes with the "knave flame creature", and forces you to play the same couple minutes over and over and over hundreds of times until the point that all the spookiness and scariness that the game tries so hard to build up is just flushed away and you're left with the feeling rather that you're playing Whack-a-Mole, which isn't quite as scary as being chased by shapeshifting aliens.

Mafia, on the other hand, is beginning to impress with the sheer richness of its environment. I'm going to do a little "free-riding" tonight to start to appreciate more of it, but it's definitely starting to grow on me.

Plus, that tobacco smoke effect is just the coolest!

I should say, though, that the plot is stretching credibility to its utmost. I half expect the next mission to be, "Tommy, we'd like you to fly to an Antarctic research station and hunt down shapeshifting aliens. And whack some moles while you're at it."

The plot in Mafia is losing credibility, you mean?

People state that they are going to puke in the Thing, right? You know, that was supposed to be a feature in FoD but I cut it towards the end. "Bill the Cop" from the movie "Street Trash" yacks on some guy (a self-induced vomit, actually) after bouncing his face off a urinal and I was hoping to homage that, or at least allow players to do that do the characters that they defeated for extra points. And look what happens -- I cut that bit and some other game comes along and has interactive puking. The indie scene lost the technicolor yawn race to the commercial monolith. A sad, sad day.

Morrowind,

It's a game. can anyone fill in the blanks?

I hear its a 3rd person perspective. thats all though.

Is it worth buying?

the trem buying obviously means; do I invest my time downloading it from a Mirc server?

give me the skinny about it, please!!


THE
NEXT IN QUEUE
AARDVARK

AArdvark wrote:Morrowind,
It's a game. can anyone fill in the blanks?
I hear its a 3rd person perspective. thats all though.
Is it worth buying?
the trem buying obviously means; do I invest my time downloading it from a Mirc server?
give me the skinny about it, please!!

I was all over Morrowind when it first came out. There is a thread right here on it. It's one of those where I talk to myself for the whole thing, but feel free to add to it, bump it, ask questions, everything.

I then put up a mini-feature on just why I stopped playing it. That's right here.

I've actually given the game a great deal of thought since writing the feature, and I would say my current, distilled take is this:

1) It's a very deep game. There's an enormous amount to do. I will never, ever finish 5% of everything there is to do and see in this game.

2) The PC has yet to be created that will run it properly, especially with their Safedisc protection on it. I bought a new video card for this game, and it was definitely worth it. But there are user patches to remove the Safedisc stuff and get every last frame out of the game. But it's quite upsetting that the publisher allowed it to happen.

3) I think, when I return to this game (and I will) I am going to go bump my character up some. You can build your character by spending money to train him, but it's going to take me at least a solid month of playing to get him (actually, "her" but please don't tell anybody that -- I don't need anyone thinking that I deal with my female domination issues by playing exclusively female characters in role playing games, so thanks on that) to the point where he is as dangerous as the world around him. The level-building thing is fun, and an RPG staple, but I think that I may cut out some of the busy work and get more into the "meat" of the game.

Is it worth buying / er, downloading? Absolutely. You may get frustrated if your PC isn't a ninja one, but it's a mini-world inside one's computer. I've kind of cooled on the fact that there really isn't anything more than a barebones interpretation of friendships (something that was absolutely lacking in Daggerfall), so if you go into the game not planning on making "friends" I think that you'd enjoy it a lot more.

Also: New Game Update, Con't:

MAFIA: haven't been back to it yet
THE THING: ended up getting it, haven't installed it yet


This has been... New Game Update, Con't!!!

Whoosh! sounds a little too deep for me. I thought Starship Titanic was on the deep side, but a whole mini world? I'll have to pass. I was looking for something that would hold the interest long enough for me to play it more than once a month. (Medal of Honor; Diablo2; DMK2;)

getting tired of just shoot 'em ups. Heard Myst was good but I don't have the free time.


Maybe I should go back to Microsoft Arcade, part 2...NOT!


THE
PIRATES!
AARDVARK


(Now that was a good game)

AArdvark wrote:Whoosh! sounds a little too deep for me. I thought Starship Titanic was on the deep side, but a whole mini world? I'll have to pass. I was looking for something that would hold the interest long enough for me to play it more than once a month. (Medal of Honor; Diablo2; DMK2;)

Ah, gotcha, gotcha. Well, I can recommend Grand Theft Auto III and Mafia. Though, they are shoot 'em ups.

Heard Myst was good but I don't have the free time.

This is quite fortunate, then, friend.

Maybe I should go back to Microsoft Arcade, part 2...NOT!

One day I am going to get the Jolt Country Direct Connect Hub setup, and when that happens I'll have all my MAME roms hosted on it. Need to get a router first, though. But -- there is bound to be a recommendable game out there for ya, Vark. I'll give this some thought and try to come up with something.

Cool! I really stopped playing Medal of Honor after my 15 year old beat it square (no cheats) and I'm still on the second mission with god mode on half the time. BALLS!

I need to start freeloading off my parents again so I can sit around after school for 6 hours like I used to be able to do.



THE
NOT A LOSER
BUT FAR FROM
A WINNER
AARDVARK