Muramasa for the win this week, great game, I'm not sure if it's going to have lasting power but the initial presentation is fantastic.
While DDO Unlimited is actually a lot of fun, I've been playing it since last week because I was in the beta. I've been saying all along that this is the pricing model DDO should have gone after from the beginning. This is a very instantced game similar to Guild Wars. Allow players to access a good chunk of the game but temp them with small purchases to tweak things out along the way. Of course for those that want the full VIP treatment you can still pay the monthly. Aside from the graphical improvements and new areas the game hasn't changed significantly beyond tweaks. What keeps me interested in DDO is that it's the only MMO game so far that really plays like an Action Game. The whole point-click-kill approach is gone and it's refreshing to skulk around, tumbling, jumping and actually fighting from advantaged positions. This is about as close to actually playing D&D as you can get. It's biggest problems before were that it didn't feel like enough game for $15 a month and I agree. For free though it allows pick up and play and for that it's fantastic.
If you are a race game fan Dirt 2 is an absolute must. On every platform and just all around awesome. It dances on the line right between arcade and sim perfectly, enough simulation to add depth without becoming a chore to play, its the perfect balance and every race fan should add it to their library. With Race Driver GRID and the Dirt series, there is not a better race developer than Codemasters.
With Race Driver GRID and the Dirt series, there is not a better race developer than Codemasters.
*cough* Polyphony *cough* I liked DiRT and GRID and will definitely check out DiRT 2 but I still think Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 3 are going to be better.
I don't like the heavy sim racing games, never have. I like a little sim balanced into an experience that is a little more pick up and play. All of the games mentioned are quality, but not really my cup of tea.
For real, if you did not play the original Dirt there is a great playable PC demo online for free, you owe it to yourself to check the series out. Codemasters has really steeped up their game in the past few years to produce some extremely high quality racing titles.
GRID is good as an evolution from TOCA Race Driver 3, but I prefer Gran Turismo/Tourist Trophy. Polyphony Digital's drive for accuracy is well-documented among the automotive community.
GRID is good as an evolution from TOCA Race Driver 3, but I prefer Gran Turismo/Tourist Trophy. Polyphony Digital's drive for accuracy is well-documented among the automotive community.
Not knocking Polyphony at all, I respect the attention to detail, but for me, accuracy does not necessarily equal fun.
Personally I couldn't get into Dirt and I thought Grid was nearly unplayable, at least the Demo I had of it. The controls were ridiculously touchy and I just couldn't get a feel for the sense of speed.
What I like about Forza is that with all the safeties turned on it's rather forgiving. I mean follow the line mode is extremely newb friendly. The new Forza looks amazing.
It takes a little while to get into it but GRID is an amazing game once you play it for a few hours. The rewind system encourages you to push your car to its limits at all times which makes it a lot more fun and the controls make it easy to do so.
Ugg the rewind system. I want to race, I don't want to redo the same exact corner over and over and over again. It's fine as a practice mechanic but not in the bulk of the game. To me it felt more like an admission of a design flaw. Our game is hard to drive, the controls are as jumpy as a greased squirrel. Not to worry let them rewind it a bit and try, try again.
huh, someone actually bothers to use the rewind function in GRiD.....I thought everyone just turns that off. Also how are the controls jumpy, I have seen pro racers play Forza and GT only to complain about the grip physics not being correct.
I often slaughter my friends who refused to use the rewind feature because they were never willing to take the same risks that I've already figured out long ago.
Scribblenaughts is most excellent. I wouldn't say it's a compelling reason to buy a DS. But as far as puzzle/platformers go it's going to be hard to top. It's similar to the creativity presented in Drawn To Life only with the dial turned to 11. The only annoyance is small, in that the early levels are to easy and that the get you up to speed portion takes to long. Once the game comes into form properly though it's truly a sandbox experience. Interestingly enough it then becomes more fun to go back through earlier levels to try and force yourself to think of even more creative and less obvious ways to come up with a solution.
Comments
While DDO Unlimited is actually a lot of fun, I've been playing it since last week because I was in the beta. I've been saying all along that this is the pricing model DDO should have gone after from the beginning. This is a very instantced game similar to Guild Wars. Allow players to access a good chunk of the game but temp them with small purchases to tweak things out along the way. Of course for those that want the full VIP treatment you can still pay the monthly. Aside from the graphical improvements and new areas the game hasn't changed significantly beyond tweaks. What keeps me interested in DDO is that it's the only MMO game so far that really plays like an Action Game. The whole point-click-kill approach is gone and it's refreshing to skulk around, tumbling, jumping and actually fighting from advantaged positions. This is about as close to actually playing D&D as you can get. It's biggest problems before were that it didn't feel like enough game for $15 a month and I agree. For free though it allows pick up and play and for that it's fantastic.
Forza.
For real, if you did not play the original Dirt there is a great playable PC demo online for free, you owe it to yourself to check the series out. Codemasters has really steeped up their game in the past few years to produce some extremely high quality racing titles.
Not knocking Polyphony at all, I respect the attention to detail, but for me, accuracy does not necessarily equal fun.
What I like about Forza is that with all the safeties turned on it's rather forgiving. I mean follow the line mode is extremely newb friendly. The new Forza looks amazing.
DiRT 2 LAUNCHES TOMORROW ON 36 and PS3! PC has to wait until the end of the year.
-drasnor
That game makes me want to go out an buy a DS today.
Scribblenaughts came out this week according to my press release.