Who's Your Daddy!

[OldsterHolster]

Finished BioShock a few minutes ago, so I thought I'd share my impressions while they were fresh. (maybe a few minor spoilers)

First of all, since I just did it, the final boss battle is a cakewalk. I don't think I've ever beaten the big boss on the first try, before. It usually takes getting blown away a few times just to figure out the logistics of the battle, but this one is about as basic "run and gun" as you can get. Run, turn around and run backwards while firing, dodge, turn and run around the corner, change weapons or ammo and heal up, turn around and run backwards, fire, etc., etc., etc. What a wuss! Heh, heh. I think I still had eight of my ten health packs left after I beat him. I'm not complaining because I usually hate boss battles, so it was quite pleasant to ease out of the game so easily.

Other than an unexplained, corrupted, save, and the resulting hissy-fit and conclusion jumping I endured, the game was absolutely gorgeous on my new rig and never even hiccupped the whole way through. Cyclones whirling, electric bolts, fireballs, smoke, steam, water-water-everywhere, lights, shadows, intricate details, lots of shiny, and me jumping around in the middle trying to dodge a Big Daddy, and it all rendered perfectly. Actually, one time it did lag for a split-second, and I noticed some sort of update going on down on my icon bar. (I'm just bragging on my new computer, now. Heh, heh.) I kept playing and didn't notice any more lags.

Overall, I have mixed feelings. Even a bad game is worth playing if it's beautiful to look at, and this was beautiful and not a bad game. In fact, I did thoroughly enjoy the experience, and I am impressed by the number of innovative twists they introduced to a genre constricted by the necessity of certain, basic, elements. Vending machines, Ammo Banditos, U-invent, Gene-Banks, weapon's upgrade stations, Bot-Control boxes, plasmid upgrade stations, hacking, and searching, all were interesting variations on the shooter's goal to stay alive, healthy, and armed.

The "mixed feeling" part is that it began to get a little tedious toward the end. I got really tired of hacking, and the little musical jingle the Gene-Banks played evertime you passed by got downright irritating. lol. The common bad guys, Splicers, got a little boring, towards the end, too. I guess the overall environment didn't really appeal to me, either, in spite of being done beautifully and to perfection. There was no cool machinery to operate, and you never got a BFG, and, in my opinion, it just didn't match up to a Half-Life 2 or Far Cry in terms of variety of scenery, enemies, and motion. On the plus side, I don't think there was a single ventilation duct or jumping puzzle in the whole game. Ha!

I think I only "harvested" the first one or two Little Sisters, but I still got the bad ending. The ending was a little weak, anyway, and, in spite of all the diaries and other efforts to "tell a story," it all boiled down to the same old, same old. I actually think too much "story" can sometimes be detrimental to a good shooter; as can too many weapons, powers, and complications to the basics. By the end, this accounted for my "mixed feelings." It was fun, and it looked spectacular, but I'm ready for something else. I may replay it, but I definitely need a little break before I do. It did spoil me, though, and I'll expect everything to look and play that good from now on. Edward

[pcfreak]

Good to hear your thoughts on Bioshock Oldster.

I have spent about 2 to 3 hours on it and soon became bored with it. I never got around to finishing it and probably won't any time soon. The reasons I got bored are similar to the reasons you highlighted. I think the game developers worried more about the graphics than actual game content. Sure, there are some nice innovations, but they can soon become annoying. The initial wow factor soon wears off and then it's all downhill as far as I am concerned.

I have been a great fan of FPS's and enjoy them regularly. I have played many titles and played the good and the bad. For Bioshock to be lacking a multiplayer option, is one of the biggest turn offs for me. I know some have said that it would have been a hash job but I don't think that there is enough variety within the single player game to warrant extended play. If the option had been available, I am sure I would have shown the title more interest.

Graphically, the game was stunning. But that in itself isn't a reason for me to keep playing. The effects were really well done and I found myself impressed with it very early on but there should have been more variety to the levels and also the enemies. The cut scenes were done very well too.

Another thing which put me off was the voice overs, while they conveyed the story well, I found them to be grating on my ears after a while. Also, as Oldster mentioned, the music from the vending machines had the same effect on me. Other than that, the audio was very good.

It may sound like I am being too critical of the game, but these are my honest opinions. Bioshock isn't going to warm everyones hearts and it didn't for me. The first hour on the game was a revelation, but after that first hour the tedium soon started to set in. I suppose that after hearing all the hype before Bioshock was released, I did have higher expectations. I should know by now, after 25 years of gaming - NEVER BELIEVE THE HYPE, or at least take it with a pinch of salt :D:

Cheers,

Stuart

[Kalbrecht]

Good to see you finally finished it, Ed!

I absolutely loved the storyline. It really hit me, and I thought it was incredibly well told. While the later stages really lacked a lot of the disturbing near-horror feel of the early stages, it was still brilliant. The atmosphere was one of the best I've ever played, and throughout it, I was never even curious to Harvest a Little Sister, mainly because I couldn't bring myself to do it as they'd given so much character to them and their Big Daddies.

I know what you mean about the lack of a real end-game. It was one of the biggest complaints, and the big thing that Irrational were also disappointed in post-release. The end-boss was dead easy. I wasn't too bothered, as I prefer to enjoy a good game than find a game that's challenging for the sake of it.

In the end, the closing of the 'good' ending is one of the most touching pieces of literature I've encountered in gaming.

Complaints-wise?
I feel that they tried SO hard to make the game content accurate to their vision and atmosphere, that it ended up being a little boring, especially in the second half of the game. Mainly because, in a situation like that, all you would 'realistically' encounter would be slight variations of the same zombie-like/insane humans and very little variation on monster. So there were definitely some balance issues as Bioshock felt more about the atmosphere and experience than an incredible 'shooter'.

My only complaint was that they made it too much of a shooter, and not enough customising RPG-style like System Shock 2. That would have forced some decisions and balancing which would have both allowed for a more unique 'character' and also more gameplay balance.

I recently began replaying the game to try and play it as a 'pure' human. My goal was to use as little plasmid and tonic as possible, and not to interact with any of the Big Daddies and Little Sisters. In the early game this is impossible, as you are forced to use the ElectroShock and Fire plasmids on a couple of occasions. And you have to choose Harvest/Save on that initial encounter. Plus, it seems impossible to NOT collect some tonics, especially if you use the research camera.

It's quite a nice challenge to play it this way, although it is still quite an easy game. I'm tempted to try it again without using the camera at all. But I'm up to Fort Frolic, and I'd like to see how this plays out.

Like I said in my complaint above, it's a real pity that there isn't MORE RPG-style opportunity. I would like to play this game as a pure human and see how challenging it is.

[SupaTroopa]

I feel similarly to Ed, liked the game quite a bit, but, over-all it was sort of an "eh" feeling ultimately.

I am playing through it again, but find myself disinterested after a half hour or so - the constant vending machine trips, and the samey environment makes me kind of dizzy. The rooms/areas are also so small, that combat is hardly strategic, and more of a "scramble for the right weapon before I die" affair.

I'm basically just passing time until Hellgate London comes out Wedsnesday any ways.

[yummyzebra]

I really liked this game but too found some disappointments.

I agree with Chai in that I would have preferred more RPG elements and was in fact expecting them after the developers boasting about it being a System Shock Spiritual Successor. I Love customisation, the more the better, and when someone here mention like 40 tonics or something I was really looking forward to it, but when I realised half the tonics are just upgraded versions of others I was a bit disappointed by that.

I was expecting more open areas and the game didn't quite meet the image in my mind of what I was expecting.

All said it was still a great game, it pulled on all the right heart strings, had a real dilema the 1st time I harvested a Little Sister, really felt guilty when you go to Tenenbaum's home with all the children there after harvesting all their friends, (I also nicked the one little girl's candy bar and she told me off!) and I also felt guilty and bad with myself at the bad ending I got. When a game can make you feel all the different emotions this game can you know you're really being emersed into the world.

[OldsterHolster]

My only complaint was that they made it too much of a shooter, and not enough customising RPG-style like System Shock 2.

Surprisingly, as a shooter, I agree with you. I'm easy, and a good ol' straighforward shooter, complete with ventilation ducts and jumping puzzles, is just fine with me. However, Deus Ex was the first (and probably best) game that wowed me with how much better a fps/rpg hybrid game really was. I can understand people getting bored with the similarity of shooters, and, frankly, pure rpg's bore me; but put them together, and Oh Boy!

What BioShock did was just use rpg style elements to accomplish standard shooter goals; resulting in less time shooting, and more time spent getting upgrades, ammo, health, powers, etc. I feel that, without the time-extending frills, it would have made a good, ten-hour, shooter; and I don't think most of the choices you have make any difference at all in the long run. If they would have simplified the shooter part, and added some real rpg choices and goals, they woluld have really had something.

Oh well, we do like to bitch, don't we? Heh, heh. My feelings of "over it" lasted about 24 hours, and, as I'm typing, I'm thinking I might as well go ahead and start a new game. The damned thing is beautiful, and I had Plasmids I never used, the first time through, so what the hell? lol. I've got all this horsepower sitting beside me and nothing else to play for another couple weeks, so let's see if I can get some more immediate mileage out of BioShock. Now that I'm a veteran, I'll concentrate a little more on finesse, and I think I'll use my rpg's on the Gene Banks to see if that stops the musical jingle. Heh, heh, heh. Edward.

[Kalbrecht]

You're right on the money, Edward. For all those plasmids etc, they are just special effects and could easily have been weapons in a space station - freeze rays? fire? insects? We've seen them before.

Which is why it's not actually that hard to finish the game as a pure human, using no plasmids. Everything is just a weapon.

If they'd really pushed the RPG side of plasmids, it would make being a pure human that much harder (as some puzzles would require ONLY plasmids, or very smart exploration, to complete), and the choice of plasmids mean so much more than they did.

More choice! :-)

You know, come to think of it, there are 2 major game elements that (for me) made the end game that much easier. The first is the "houdini" thing (research the houdini splicers completely and you can blend into the background after a second of standing still), and the modification to the grenade launcher that prevents you from getting damaged by it. With the availability of money and vending machines, this became an incredibly easy option.

None of these really 'broke' the game for me, though. It still ranks among my favourite games, because of the incredible immersion and atmosphere.

[Nyghtfall]

I found the camera last night, but am already growing weary searching things and collecting stuff. I've currently got 8 hypos, but have been dispatching Splicers with nothing more than the shotgun. I'm just so used to killing bad guys using conventional weapons that I don't even think to utilize plasmids. Just gimme a gun, a shitload of ammo, and I'm ready to go.

As for the game world, yeah, it's ******* beautiful! But I'm at a point where, by the time I've searched every nook and cranny of a room for stuff, I'm much less interested in sight-seeing than I am in advancing to the next room in the hopes of encountering another splicer to kill or completing the current quest.

EDIT: And I'm really tired of that ******' Pipe game. I've already passed by at least four vending machines and a couple health stations without even so much as a glance at the option to hack them.

[OldsterHolster]

Yes, it's easy to get impatient, and I agree that the Plasmids are more for fun than anything else. The little tornado plasmid is funny to use, but even when you get the ++ rating on the others, they just aren't that useful. The closest thing to a "one shot-one kill" weapon seemed to be the crossbow, and even the shotgun with "exploding buck" doesn't kill some of the Splicers when you shoot them point-blank towards the latter part of the game.

I have a tendency to use a pistol in shooters, every chance I get. I noticed that in this game, the movement of the enemies is unrealistic and makes it very difficult to get in a good head shot. They bounce around and change direction so fast that you need a grenade or a fireball or something that doesn't require precise aiming.

The hacking game does get old, but, since money seems abundant, I found myself just buying hacking tools at the vending machines and using them towards the end of the game. Hacking the health stations was beneficial, not so much for the six bucks you save, but for the damage they do to the Splicers when they tried to use them.

I did always hack any security bots I could when the opportunity presented itself. I thought they were hilarious, as well as quite an asset. The way they smoked and sparked and bumped into the ceiling and other stuff made me laugh; and there were several instances where I just let them kill all the Splicers while I hid somewhere. It was also a relief when I discovered my invisibility tonic would protect me from them if I just remained still until the security system timed out.

All things considered, while it wasn't the perfect game, it does have a lot going for it; and I'm enjoying the second time through in a leisurely fashion. There are optional methods for dealing with enemies and goals, and now that I know how everything works, it's interesting to try different ways to deal with them. And, like you said, it is definitely pretty to look at. Edward.

[Nyghtfall]

Well, I'm done. I killed Wilkins last night, and about a half hour later lost any interest in continuing on. I like it when games keep me busy, but, there's just too much stuff to do and find in Bioshock. The game just piles it on past the point of reason.

On that note, I decided to look up some spoiler info about plot points in the game. I won't mention them here, but considering the fact that I couldn't bring myself to harvest any of the Little Sisters I'd encountered thus far, I'm feeling somewhat sorry for having decided to look learn what happens at the end if you save them all. Alas, what's done is done. It's unfortunate that the game was becoming more tedious as I progressed. There were a few other plot twists in the spoilers I watched that left me thinking, "Wow. Damn. Nice," and I know I would've loved to have experienced them myself.

[yummyzebra]

Sorry to hear you got bored with it Nyghtfall, the game can be repetitive but I found the twists and story rewarding enough to continue with it. Plus i was always busy upgrading stuff so that stopped me getting bored. I would have like some enemies other than splicers though (no idea how they would have fitted them into the story though.)

[OldsterHolster]

I guess I'm just easy. I find I'm having possibly more fun than the first time through. All the basic defects mentioned are still there, of course, but there is a ton of good stuff, too; and I'm definitely "in control," this time. Being a veteran has it's advantages, for sure. Knowing which weapon or Plasmid to choose, and improving my skills at changing them, has turned me into a Splicer's worst nightmare. heh, heh. The game has a large skill range, and that adds to the attraction of replaying it.

I've even figured out the Big Daddies and the way they move, somewhat, so I've only died and been resurrected maybe four or five times, so far. I'm up to Arcadia, now, and I got to a little alcove with some glowing goodies to pick up, but a red flag went up inside my head. The first time through, I picked up the goodies, turned around, and had the beJesus scared out of me! An ugly-assed Houdini Splicer was about two inches from my nose, and the bastard laughed at me as he did me damage and then vanished. heh, heh, heh. This time I was ready. I whirled around and plugged him six quick times right in his ugly mug with anti-personnel rounds, and that fixed his laugh in a hurry. lol.

Anyway, I'm still having fun with it. I'm a hacking fool and a hellava plumber, not to mention an ace photographer, and, for fun, I let Leadhead Splicers beat me with their wrench until they die of electrocution from my "electric flesh." heh, heh. I also get off on throwing stuff using "telekinesis." There are exploding cylinders and barrels, everywhere, and they are this game's equivalent to a head-shot with a nice explosion to go with it.

While I don't have the excitement of facing something new every night when I play a little while, I find that I'm still being fully entertained by the game on a more casual level. I think it will get me through until Crysis just fine. Edward.

[Kalbrecht]

HA! Nice, Edward :-)

[OldsterHolster]

The rooms/areas are also so small, that combat is hardly strategic, and more of a "scramble for the right weapon before I die" affair.

Nyghtfall, this might interest you, too. It's not a spoiler, because they tell you about it in the beginning, but maybe neither of you caught it. You can hit "shift" at any time to stop the action and choose Plasmids, weapons, and even ammo. It really makes the battles easy. For instance, you can wait until a Splicer is right in your face and then hit "shift" and choose the camera. Hit shift, take the shot, and hit shift, again. This time, choose the shotgun, or whatever, and hit shift and blow his silly head off.

I knew about it the first time through, but I didn't use it, because I like to work on those skills involved with keyboard actions other than movement; but I'm using it, this time, and it really makes the fights easy, and it's fun to have the time to pick and choose from the wide range of Plasmids and weapons you can access in this game.

Give it a shot. The shift key is a "home" key, anyway, usually under your left, little, finger; so, at the first first inkling of confusion or trouble, just use your "pinky-plasmid" to stop the action so you can think about things and make a plan. Heh, heh. It's quite fun and adds a new dimension to the game. I found an inattentive Leadhead Splicer so I charged up and set a couple whirlwind traps to get her attention, hit shift, chose proximity mines, hit shift, backed up and set one of those, hit shift, chose the Arctic Chill Plasmid, (or whatever the hell it's called) hit shift and watched her get sucked up to the ceiling in the whirlwind, at which point I froze her ass with the Plasmid, hit shift and changed to napalm, hit shift, toasted her good and watched her fall down and blow up from the proximity mine. Heh, heh, heh. Made me laugh out loud. Using this ability to "stop time" and choose from a Godlike array of weapons, ammunition, and powers, will give you a whole new outlook on the game. Edward.

[Nyghtfall]

Nyghtfall, this might interest you, too. It's not a spoiler, because they tell you about it in the beginning, but maybe neither of you caught it.

I appreciate the tip, but I was playing the XBox 360 version of the game. In case you missed this thread (http://forums.gamers.org/showthread.php?t=17763), I switched to console gaming a couple months ago. I might tinker around with the console equivalent of your tip though, just to see how much of an impact it has on battles.

[OldsterHolster]

Yeah, I know you say you've become a "console convert," but I was sure there's still a "pause" function incorporated somehow, and it does add a whole new dimension to the game. I just hate to see you get disgusted and quit a good game, no matter what equipment you choose to play it on.

I've never even held a gamepad in my hand, and I really have zero experience with consoles, so I can't make comments about which might be better or worse in any particular respect; and if you are happy with your decision, then that's all that matters. Personally, I think I take a certain amount of pride in knowing and being able to handle all the tribulations PC gaming involves. Upgrading, tweaking, configuring, patching, and trobleshooting, etc., etc., can piss you off and drive you nuts, sometimes, but I have learned so much from it all that I'm actually beginning to feel a little bit "special" for being a successful PC gamer.

PC's simply didn't exist for the majority of my life, and I'm still amazed by them in general. Something so big, so world-changing, and so fun, coming along during a lifetime is pretty special; and I'm probably more of a PC enthusiast than a gamer. The wonderful world of gaming is just ONE of the things I discovered the machine could do, and it does do it well, so I've just never even thought about buying a console, too.

It will be interesting to follow the evolution of this split in gaming hardware in the future. It could very well result in the PC morphing into a pair of glasses you wear projecting the display, and a pair of gloves for input; and the console changing into a total-body sensory input pod in your living room where you enter the virtual world, completely. It's a fascinating time to be alive, so enjoy your gaming to the fullest, whether you're consoling or keymousing. Edward.

[Nyghtfall]

I just hate to see you get disgusted and quit a good game, no matter what equipment you choose to play it on.

A large part of what happened to me is that I thought I'd enjoy the exploratory elements of the game - searching for stuff, hacking things, etc..; and I did, to a point. But when I noticed that most of my time was being spent exploring, and I realized I had another several hours more exploring left before I finished the game, that's when I said enough is enough. Unfortunately, by the time I killed Wilkins, I no longer cared about the story, either. I just wanted to kill more bad guys and blow more **** up.

Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake, Call of Duty, Unreal Tournament, FEAR, Half Life... those are mind kind of shooters. I bought Bioshock because I thought I wanted to a deeper, more involving game. Bioshock definitely has depth, just too much of it for me. If I want RPG elements, I'll play an MMO.

PC's simply didn't exist for the majority of my life, and I'm still amazed by them in general.

This, I'm certain, is where a significant portion of the difference lies between how much you find yourself continuing to appreciate PC technology, and how much I've come to take it for granted, and actually despise it for the purpose of gaming.

I was in 3rd grade when the first consumer level PC's came to market. My Math class had an Apple computer donated to it. I was so taken with the tech that, when my classmates were at recess, I was inside teaching myself how to operate and program it. Years later, my uncle gave my brother and I our first home PC - a Commodore 64 - for Christmas. I spent the 8-hour trip back home reading the instruction manuals so I could start using it once we got it plugged in. It was also my first gaming PC. A few years after that, I upgraded to my first IBM-compatible PC, by Packard Bell. Later, I switched to Gateway. By then, Wolfenstein 3D was released, and I became an instant FPS fan. Shooters were all I wanted to play, but consoles were still focused on side-scrolling games and 2D RPG's. So, I gave up console gaming altogether and became a PC gamer.

Today, that's no longer the case. Consoles have finally caught up with PC's, both in terms of visual quality and gameplay. Shooters are being developed with cross-platform compatibility in mind - save for a select few - and the only question gamers are now having to ask themselves is whether they want to drop just $500 on a console, or $2k on a new PC.

Just two months after buying my Alienware, newer and better hardware was already available. Now, I can't even play Crysis on any visual setting above Low and maintain good frame rates. My experience has basically reminded me of one of the most annoying aspects f PC gaming - the need to constantly upgrade if I want to play with all the bells and whistles maxed. Considering how visually oriented a person I am, being able to play with everything maxed is very important to me. At the same time, I can't afford to keep upgrading my hardware, and I can't in good conscience ask my friend to buy me another new computer. After weighing the options, I decided it was time for me to return to console gaming, and I've couldn't be happier.

With everything else I have going on in my life, no longer having to worry about how well the next hotly anticipated shooter will perform on my 360 is a piece of mind I can't help but cherish. As for everything else I do with my PC, I've got more horsepower than I know what to do with, so I don't anticipate needing to upgrade for many, many more years.

I'm really happy for you, Ed. I hope your new PC gives you years of good gaming. I've just seen and done too much with PC tech to feel as awed by it as you do anymore.

It's a fascinating time to be alive...

Indeed it is. Life is beautiful.

... so enjoy your gaming to the fullest, whether you're consoling or keymousing.

You, too! :)

[Kalbrecht]

Nyght - that works the same on XBox, with the same impact on battles - in other words, a BIG impact.

Shoot shotgun, pause game while you choose a new weapon. The same with plasmids.

[OldsterHolster]

OK, now I'm done. I finished the second trip through, and I think I might have had more fun than the first time. It was really easy, of course, but using the shift key to stop the action made the choice of weapons and Plasmids an interesting proposition. The right combination and sequence afforded everything from hilarious to deadly. I really had a lot of fun with the whirlwind traps, the trap bolts, and the proximity mines; and the rest of the weapons were fun, too.

I got the happy ending, this time, and it was much better than the other one. All the defects mentioned are valid, and I doubt that I play it a third time, but I still say it was a pretty damned good game.

I'm ready for something else, however, and Gears of War is due to be delivered the day after tomorrow. (Friday) I think a little more shooting, and a little less searching and hacking, will be a nice change; so I'm looking forward to it. Should be a good weekend. Edward.

[RangerRick]

Crysis Edward, Crysis!

Do you have a Circuit City near you? They have it for 39.99 with a 10.00 gift card!

No, then I think you can order it online.

[OldsterHolster]

Yeah, I know. If they wouldn't have delayed the release for this last week, I would have gotten it first, but Gears of War was first out, so I ordered it. Don't worry, I'll get to Crysis next, and, as I mentioned, Crysis will most likely drop in price by the time I finish this one.

After waiting this long, another two or three weeks won't kill me, and it will be interesting to hear what everybody else has to say about Crysis before I get it. There's a little bit of "saving the best for last" feeling, also. Gears of War should be pretty good from what I've heard, and I'm looking forward to it. Edward.

[Karlsweldt]

Have you tried the Quake 4 game on that rig yet? It should run very fluidly!
From a Google, search, Crysis will officially be available November 16th?
Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crysis) has a bit on the game, but no mention if it will work with XP or W2K on DX 9. Shame.

[Kalbrecht]

Yeah, it does. Installed and played it on a DX9 based X1900 GT on XP64. On medium settings it ran pretty darned smoothly. Haven't tried it on high yet. It won't run at the very high settings so I wouldn't even be able to tell you what's missing. www.tomshardware.com and www.anandtech.com have some articles about various quality levels in Crysis though.

And the Crysis demo was extremely good. But then, I said that about the Far Cry demo, and ended up hating the full game, so go figure ;-)

[OldsterHolster]

Wow, you hated Far Cry, Chai? Next to the Half-Life series, I thought Far Cry was the best shooter I've ever played. I just loved the tropical scenery, and it's the only game I've played that had a hang-glider you could fly, as well as other vehicles, of course.

The game wasn't easy, by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I played through it at least three times; and it was big fun every time. Maybe I'm just a sucker for tropical flowers, colorful birds, and swimming in crystal clear water, but I was really taken by it; and I've already thought I may check it out on my new rig, someday, if I run out of new games, just to see what it looks like. Edward.

[Kalbrecht]

I just felt it was completely wasted. They could have stuck to a cheesy 80s style action movie on a tropical island (you know, dastardly dictator and his mercenary army, sort of thing), and I really enjoyed the early levels, with the hang-glider, and sneaking around in the water. I felt like a bad ass in an action movie.

But then they tried the whole mutants and stuff, and I just switched off. I'm funny like that - I hate big changes in theme and pacing like that - Half Life's Xen finale, Half Life 2's Ravenholm, even System Shock 2's finale in the Body. *shudder* some of the worst gaming levels I've ever played.

;-)

Back on Crysis though - I really hope that they haven't done something similar with the pacing. Unfortunately, the reviews have been a bit mixed on that particular subject.

[OldsterHolster]

Ha, I think we have stumbled upon basic differences in tastes, because I absolutely loved that Xen level in Half-Life. I know I'm in the minority because I've seen a lot of people state their displeasure, but it just thrilled me. Something totally different, out of the blue, beautiful in it's own rght, with different rules and goals, just seemed like the perfect break in the "main" game; and the super-low gravity jumping puzzle on this level was most innovative as well as just fun. I remember realizing I was holding my breath during those long, slow-motion, leaps; and it made me laugh. I thought it was great!

Same for Ravenholm. I think BioShock would have been better if they had thrown in a really 'off the wall' level, somewhere, and Half-Life 2 was a better game for leaving us scratching our heads and thinking, "What the Hell?" You gotta admit throwing those big, bad-ass, sawblades was satisfying, and a few Zombies never hurt any game. Heh, heh.

Anyway, I find that, even when I get to a level I don't care for, it often makes the whole game experience better. I enjoy being surprised. Edward.

[Terry Penrod]

.

I'm another of the few that actually liked the Xen levels in the original Half-Life Edward and honestly didn't find them jarring or illogical. After all, we even got to see a glimpse of that place during the opening Black Mesa accident scene and obviously all those weird creatures were coming from a very otherworldly place. Overall, H-L had a huge variety of level types throughout from extremely claustrophobic, dark, dank interiors to wide open, brightly lit exteriors and everything in between. So I felt entertained and challenged from beginning to end (although the ending was a bit abrupt).

Cheers, Terry

[Karlsweldt]

One great feature about the original Half-life series was the 'interaction' with sprites. You could "E-click" them to give different command modes, with different responses. A needed feature in other games! Having a squad as backup was handy at times.
Still haven't found a solution to mouse inversion with BF1942. Shame on EA, shame!
Will have to try a Crysis demo on my P4 gaming rig with W2K. Looking for a "light my fuse" excuse to upgrade from a 6600 video card.

[yummyzebra]

Im having Crysis for Christmas, I made sure the missus got me the Special Edition one, cant wait! But its just tormenting me that I know its in the house and I just cant play it!!

[gridiron whirlwind]

I am currently going thru Bioshock for the 2nd time.

I really, really like this game...I think this is going to be my own personal game of the year.

I love the story and having multiple ways to make the kill and set up the traps is just really fun for me....I just love it and have played it different this time around.

I must have stood on a ledge high atop of the garden in Arcadia for about an hour....just waiting for multiple Big Daddy's to come into the area so i could hit them with the enrage plasmid.....then just relax up on the ledge and watch the BIG fight occur! Much fun.

I have not had this much fun since playing around with that crane in Half-Life 2.

Anyway...since Gears Of War stutters so bad on my machine and I am broke and can not get COD 4 yet....I will just stay busy finding different ways to amuse myself in Bioshock.

[OldsterHolster]

Ha, that's a good one, gridiron. I'll have to remember that if I ever play it a third time. I used the "hypnotize Big Daddy" Plasmid several times, but I never thought of waiting for two of them together for the "enrage."

In retrospect, it was a pretty good game, and, in spite of my bitchin' about some things, the second time through was probably more fun than the first; and I'm happy with the experience.

I put that Stripped Gears of War back in the box, myself, and put it on the shelf. That's the worst excuse for a new release that I think I've ever come across. It's only been out for a week, and the official, Epic Games, Gears of War, forum has over thirty pages of posts complaining about my problems, your problems, and even other problems for the lucky few who can get it to actually play. There's just no excuse, and I won't forget. I saw, this morning, that GoGamers has already reduced the price to $32, so the word must be getting out that it is FUBARED.

I just used the credit card and ordered Crysis. I've heard that CoD4 single-player is kind of short, so I'm going to wait for it to hit the bargain bin before getting it. Edward.

[Kalbrecht]

Hey Edward - I'm most of the way through CoD4 on the 360, and I HIGHLY recommend it.

Yeah, the single player campaign is kinda short, but this is easily my favourite CoD game, and one of the best formula-based shooters ever. It's the game equivalent of a good Michael Bay movie (like Con Air, or The Rock etc) - full of cliches, formulaic situations and characters, but OH MY GOODNESS the action will get your blood pumping. The story's not too bad either, in a Tom Clancy kinda way.

The graphics are great - not Crysis "very high" wonderful, but extremely good. I'm loving it.

[gameraddict]

I've read that playing COD4 on hard mode is the way to go, to really appreciate it. Is that true?

I usually play games in standard mode because I just want to enjoy the game and not have to feel like I'm saving and reloading all the time, but the single player mode is so short, that I'm told COD4 should be the exception.

[Kalbrecht]

I've found the standard regular mode to be pretty fun, and would be a challenge for a casual FPS gamer or if your head isn't switched on.

On PC I'd definitely bump it up to hard mode.

[OldsterHolster]

I'm glad to hear you giving it a thumbs-up, Chai. It will probably be next after Crysis. Although I prefer sci-fi over WWII shooters, I did really enjoy the first three CoD offerings, so I'll look forward to it; especially now that you are saying it's pretty good. Edward.

[urgod]

Which difficulty setting did you play?