The Gaming Week thread

[Sly Reflex]

I have been playing Halo: Reach. Despite my indifference when I first started it, it's actually a really good game. So good in fact that I have played nothing else.

[HandsomeDead]

I'm still on Okami, not much further in but I'm still plugging away. I'm still on Halo 3: ODST, not much further in but I'm still plugging away.

As for new stuff, I've played some Space Invaders: Infinity Gene, and I'm very surprised, I don't like it. I loved Extreme on the PSP but I'm just not getting on with it, I don't like the style a great deal and it's quite frustrating. Along with Joe Danger I'm finding I'm downloading games I don't like a great deal, I need a word with myself.

I also bought DeathSpank: The Thongs of Virtue, I immediately regretted it, but after doing a few quests and a few chuckles I realised I'll likely be hammering it within an inch of its life like the first half.

EDIT:

At the weekend I played some online stuff. I got back into Super Street Fighter IV, slipped back into that like a comfortable shoe. Battlefield: Bad Company 2, got destroyed, I want to erase it from my memory. And Forza 3, I never really played this online as people kept crashing into me, but now the only people who play it are really, really good and I can't keep up, even when driving my arse off. Sucks.

[Craymen Edge]

Incorporating about a week and a half:

I completed my 2nd character's play-through of Fable II (360 in order to mop up the last 5 or 6 achievements before the sequel comes out. There were a lot of technical problems with this game, but I really like the world they've built, and playing through the story again was a lot of fun. One of my favourites this generation.

After enjoying revisiting Fable II so much, I decided to go through Fallout 3 (PC) again with a new character. This one wasn't so much revisiting an old favourite, as I haven't really stopped playing Fallout 3 this year, just a matter of getting the 6 or 7 achievements I missed on my original playthrough.

I wasn't sure about starting again at first but I soon got back into the swing of things. And I was determined to get all the achievements legitimately, not using the console command that exists in the game to unlock them instantly (as a certain-achievement hunter at a popular gaming magazine forum appears to have done). It was fun playing through being an evil bastard for the bad karma.

It's amazing how quickly you can progress when you have all that knowledge from a previous play-through. I went from level 7 to 20 in a day.

After completing the single-player in Split/Second (360) the other week, I went back to try and master the multiplayer, and did really well. I progressed my online "Form" from 95 to level 1 in a single sitting. It was a lot of fun, almost like playing an old-school Burnout game, and I got to turn the tables on some annoying online idiots by utterly dominatinng them, which is always a laugh.

I ended up getting the full 1000 point gamerscore by doing a couple of "beat the team" achievements. (Bascially some fastest lap type challenges, with some at first impossible looking times). Time Trial type events in racing games seem to be my brand of Zen gaming. I can keep going for lap after lap chasing after better times.

Am I turning into a score whore? That's 4 games I've 100%'ed in the last 3 weeks. I think it might just be a side-effect of not buying many new games in the last few months.

I spent significantly less time on the stuff below:

I bought Planescape Torment (PC) when it came out on www.gog.com this week, and spent an hour or so playing it after installing all the essential mods for getting to look and play as best it can. The timing of this release seems very fortunate, I'd been thinking more and more about digging out my old CDs and trying to get the game to work on my PC, and now I don't have to. Morte is still as great a character as I remember.

I also started Monkey Island 2: Special Edition (PC), which I bought in a Steam sale a couple of weeks ago. I like the HD makeover in this one better than the one they did for Monkey Island 1, I thought Guybrush looked a bit dodgy in that one.

[HandsomeDead]

I wasn't sure about starting again at first but I soon got back into the swing of things. And I was determined to get all the achievements legitimately, not using the console command that exists in the game to unlock them instantly (as a certain-achievement hunter at a popular gaming magazine forum appears to have done).

Noooo?

[Craymen Edge]

I wasn't sure about starting again at first but I soon got back into the swing of things. And I was determined to get all the achievements legitimately, not using the console command that exists in the game to unlock them instantly (as a certain-achievement hunter at a popular gaming magazine forum appears to have done).

Noooo?

All 72 achievements (1550 gamerpoints) on the same day. I don't think that's physically possible.

[Hendo]

That man's opinions on games are null and void seeing as the ammount of absolute shite he plays. Or not as the case may be.

[HandsomeDead]

Thinking about it, I dunno why I was surprised. To think of the things he'd missed doing that, accumulating a meta-score just isn't as good as playing some of these games first hand... I dunno, whatever.

[DANGERMAN]

thanks to everyone who's posted in the week. We're doing a podcast on Saturday if you've played anything else

[Craymen Edge]

I haven't played a lot in the last couple of days, so I just made a slight update to my post from the 3rd.

[stoobie]

I finally managed to finish Halo : Reach this week. I enjoyed it for the most part but there were some really frustrating sections. The thing is I dont think I am done with it yet - I have tried a bit of multiplayer (mainly firefight) and have really enjoyed it. I may put some more time into it further down the line after a bit of a break. I at least need to complete a weekly challenge and a full set of daily challenges!

Dead Rising 2 has had a bit more playtime. I got to a Psycho fight which I had no chance of completing so I restarted and am just messing around levelling up and going for some achievements. Strapping a chainsaw to the handle bars of a motorbike and driving up and down Platinum Strip is great. I am going to aim for level 30ish I think before trying to complete the game proper. Or at least until I get the final gift for Katey I'm not sure what makes this better than the original cos as far as I can tell it is the same game - I might boot the old one up at some point and see what it is that broke that game. I suspect it was the photography

I bought Legend of Zelda 3D Dot Game Heroes for the PS3. It is shameless in its copying of Zelda but its done in an affectionate way I cant help but like it. I've only completed one dungeon so far but it has had the desired affect of making me realise that big black chunk of plastic is actually a games machine and not just a Blu-ray player.

I've also played a bit of Guitar Hero 4 or 5 (not sure which - the one with Shirley Manson in it) and Lego Rock Band on PS3. Pressing buttons in time to songs I dont know is great fun!

On the handheld front I played a bit of Final Fantasy 8 (I've just saved the Garden from being destroyed in a missile attack) before downloading Phantasy Star Portable 2 on the PSP. No other games will get a look in now - not at least until my DSi is fixed.

[Hendo]

I'm not sure what makes this better than the original cos as far as I can tell it is the same game - I might boot the old one up at some point and see what it is that broke that game. I suspect it was the photography

Yep, certainly didn't do me any favours.

I've got that annoying mission stuck in my brain any time the original comes up, the one near the beginning where the arrogant photographer is trying to teach you to get certain photos, and you have to do everything just right to get past it. Hate that bit.

[HandsomeDead]

I've not done much since my last post, I'll also edit it to include any other bits.

[Hendo]

The main game I've been playing has been the Ballad of Gay Tony expansion for GTA IV. I picked it up for 800 points when it was Deal of the Week a while ago but haven't touched it till now.

The biker gang story from Lost & Damned had a bigger impact and had a more plausible thing going on, whereas this was all stealing trains, tanks, military choppers and parachute jumping from a guy who I just didn't buy that he would be able to do all that. I get the feeling this was Rockstar's answer to some people's critisism that the series had become too sour faced and serious. I prefer it that way though and all the people who complained that they'd lost their sense of humour clearly hadn't been paying attention to everything else in the world, like the razor sharp radio stations and TV shows.

It's been my third dip into Liberty City and I still need to use the waypoint GPS system to get around, it's a massive world.

I intended on going through my Indie collection and sorting out the trial versions, seeing which ones I would buy and which ones I might as well delete.

I got as far as the first one, Along Came A Spider, bought it and spent a few hours going through it.

It's a brilliant little platformer and well worth 80 points.

I'm still trying to finish Halo : Reach on Legendary difficulty but she's proving to be a harsh mistress. It's an enjoyable experience when you've beaten a section though.

The rest of my gaming has been on the phone.

One of the most notable has been Spider : The Secret of Bryce Manor which is a bit platformer and puzzler. You're in a single room of a house and you have to make webs to catch bugs. The controls are all flicking your finger to make the spider jump and create webs but it works. Just.

I'm also playing Soosiz which is a lovely platformer which is like a 2D Mario Galaxy, and still making my way through Plants vs Zombies, Angry Birds and the odd game of Solomon's Boneyard.

[HandsomeDead]

The main game I've been playing has been the Ballad of Gay Tony expansion for GTA IV. I picked it up for 800 points when it was Deal of the Week a while ago but haven't touched it till now.

The biker gang story from Lost & Damned had a bigger impact and had a more plausible thing going on, whereas this was all stealing trains, tanks, military choppers and parachute jumping from a guy who I just didn't buy that he would be able to do all that. I get the feeling this was Rockstar's answer to some people's critisism that the series had become too sour faced and serious. I prefer it that way though and all the people who complained that they'd lost their sense of humour clearly hadn't been paying attention to everything else in the world, like the razor sharp radio stations and TV shows.

\o

Though I did really like his relationship with his mother and old friends early on.

[Cyberpunk]

I'm still playing Gears of War 2 with my son, and I've still got F1 2010 on the go too. I did, however, add two other games to the mix this week.

I've started Halo 3. Yes I know it's an old game, and everyone is playing Halo Reach at the moment, But I won't get that game until Christmas. However, I'm really enjoying Halo 3. It's been played partially single player, and partially split screen co-op with my son. I stuck it on early this week to get some practice of playing a shooter with a game pad, so when Black Ops comes out, I'll only get my ass kicked, and not royally handed to me. The controls take a little getting used to for an old Pc gamer, but I do like the story. I've played the Pc versions of Halo, and Halo 2, so I've also got to complete Halo 3 before Christmas, when I get Reach, and my son gets ODST. We'll swap them back and forth anyway. Incidently, the Pc version of Halo 2 is still playable online, and is Hi-def, as it was a Direct X 10 showcase for Windows Vista.

I've also started Fable 2. As some of you may remember I got this one and Gears 2 for fathers day. Ed has told me how good Fable 2 is, and recommended that I play it before Fable 3 comes out. I think it's really good, and quite a relaxing game too. I just chill on my bed, playing this, and time goes by. Still got lots to do in it. I can see this game lasting a while.

[retroed]

Here's what I've been playing recently.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future arrived from the States a couple weeks back, and it's been my handheld game of choice over the past week. I'm only around 30 puzzles in, but already I can tell the story is a good'un. Lots of story talk, involving time travel as its title hints, and some genuinely good puzzles add up to another quality addition to the Layton series.

I purchased Assassin's Creed II again, this time the game of the year Classics edition with all the DLC on the disc. I bought it last year when it was released, put a bit of time into it then sold it on as I was hooked on Modern Warfare 2. I saw the GOTY version cheap so picked it up and carried on where I left off. I've now done four of the sequences and two of the tombs. It's still a great game, and those tombs emulate Prince of Persia oh so very well indeed.

Halo Reach campaign was finished on Normal, and very enjoyable it was. A lot of kill a ton of these enemies and then defend it for a while missions, but there was enough other stuff to mix things up that it didn't get too repetitive. I was thinking of trading it in once the campaign was done, but I had a little go on multiplayer the other night and Reach will be staying in my collection for the foreseeable future. It's just plain fun, and should provide a nice alternative to Black Ops.

I've just started Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. I'm part way through Chapter two, and am very impressed with it despite initially being slightly put off by the controls in the demo. The demo that was released was the whole of the first chapter, which was mainly just a tutorial for the controls and fighting mechanic. Now the game has started proper, and some of the visuals are so lush and vibrant. It's nice to see Unreal engine being used in such a way, rather than the usual drab colours. I'm looking forward to putting more time into Enslaved, from the little I've played I can see myself enjoying it a lot, and I think I made the right decision in going for this over Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

[Craymen Edge]

This week it's pretty much just been Enslaved : Odyssey to the West (360)

I had a bit of a setback mid-week when my progress up to the end of chapter 8 was wiped out by a corrupted save, so I had to start over. (an unexpected autosave kicked in just as I had started to press the off button)

I really enjoyed it. Their post-apocalyptic world is colourful and visually interesting, and although there's not a lot of challenge in traversing it, climbing and scrambling around is still quite entertaining.

The best part though, is the story and character interaction. The developing relationship between Monkey and Trip is great to watch, and enhanced by the quality of the voice acting and performance capture. Pigsy's off colour and inappropriate comments in the later parts of the game are very fun.

I also played a little bit more Comic Jumper (XBLA). I'm loving the Silver Age style graphics of the Paper Lad levels the and humour is still great, but it's getting very hard now.

[HandsomeDead]

Okay, Okami, still on it, I reckon I will be for ages. I'm now really, really enjoying it. It really feels like a folk story, and it has character around every corner, but I do think it os drawn out a little too much, they obviously have so much to tell and they've crammed it in one game, I dunno where I stand with that, it's good value I guess but pacing is slow.

I also played some good old fashioned local multiplayer. One of the games was>>MW2<<, now I'm not a fan, but playing it locally with two other people was the most fun I've had on CoD for years, it was a constant laugh. I think the problem with CoD is it tries to be so many things, it's maybe why it suffers against Battlefield as an online game, but playing locally I saw that it is a game that has the problem of being a shooter of all trades and master of none, but playing it on the most basic level, I saw it really is a game for a lot of occasions, you couldn't play Battlefield in that situation. I also played Blur locally, a lot of fun, well not that fun, I lost all but one and it was my game! I hate it when that happens.

And just tonight I started A Shadow's Tale, a 2D puzzle platformer on the Wii, you are a shadow, and you have to get back to your body, in a Peter Pan-esque way, you even have a fairy. I'm 13% through the game going by the stats screen, seems nice, but I'm stuck.

[DANGERMAN]

Again thanks to those who have posted already (I'm looking forward to hearing more about A Shadow's Tale). We're recording on friday if people want to add some stuff

For what it's worth I've been playing Sonic 4 on the triple. I've got Super Sonic which has unfortunately killed the game for me. He works great but doesnt suit a few of the levels, so it more acts as a marker that the game is done

Also played quite a bit of Castlevania. Really enjoying it, I keep wanting to put it down and move onto something else, but it's dragging me back. I want to make it last too, I cant think of too much on the horizon that I'll be picking up, so something with the depth of Vania will keep me away from trying to get back to where I was on Borderlands

[Cyberpunk]

Unfortunately, due to other commitments, and my wife being very ill, all I've played this week is some Trackmania United Forever online with my racing clan, and Angry Birds on my Android phone.