I'm in the same boat with both the Dreamcast and X-box.
X-box games I've played recently.....
Halo: Really not all that impressed by Halo I have to say, and that came as a bit of a shock as the Marathon games are still some of my favourites ever (Well.... Marathon 2 at least) and I've literally been waiting to play this since it was first announced as a mac-exclusive title. Maybe I just left it too long to play it. There's some inspired bits to it, but that whole, looooong section that takes place in a series of identical rooms and then introducing The Flood as the major threat (who, lets face it, are a really shite baddie) sort of made me a bit meh.
The games refusing to load up the next level (after meeting The Flood) and I have to say I'm not particularly fussed about that.
Fable. Liked Fable. Bit of a confection really. Not nearly as epic as it really makes out, but it's plenty fun pottering about while it lasts. Went through it first time as a goodie. Had intended to try again as evil, but I'm not sure if it's worth the time. From the way the game plays, and from what I've heard elsewhere it doesn't make a whole lot of difference.
Before Halo, and all during it, I thought I was getting a bit bored of First-person shooters, but then I bought Half-Life 2. Christing Fuck but that's an impressive game (as if anyone isn't already aware)! Fun and different and innovative from beginning to end. In fact, the worst bits of HL2 were the solo shooty bits, I could have played a whole game that ran like that incredible, incredible intro level. Even then though, it's kind of wrong to call them "worst". The first time you fire something into the air with the Gravity Gun, after making do throwing stuff without, is a Squee moment and a half. I also bought the original Half Life for the PS2 beforehand and made a point of playing through that first. Great for it's time, but those last, alien levels are such a woeful mistake it almost ruins the experience. I very nearly stopped playing at them to move onto the good stuff.
The Chronicles of Riddick. Only just started (and subsequently sidelined for The Sims 2 on the Mac) but it looks pretty good. Gets major points for being the first, first-person game I can think of where you can actually see the rest of your body. How hard can that really be to implement?
Also got Broken Sword 3 but colour me unimpressed. Big adventure game fan, but always more of the Lucasarts stable than anything else. Broken Sword never really did it for me, and this is the same. Akward, uninvolving and even feels a little amateurish.
Need to get my hands on JSRF, because I played the original to death back in the day, and always cursed the fact I didn't have access to the sequel. Shall be scouring the bins, or possibly biting the bullet and getting new online somewhere if poss....
-----------------
Dreamcast..... same as Proinsias, though I'll admit I'm not even paying pennies for most of my games thanks to recent Haxxor technology that opens up the entire hard-to-find catalogue and lets the Dreamcast open up like the beautiful flower it is. As well as the above I'd just like to give a mention to Space Channel 5 for the moment.
SC5 is hilarious, high-camp, 70's retro-futuristic dancing fun. Up to the last level now, but that final boss is a bastard. No controls apart from up, down, left, right and two different shoots (one for killing aliens, the other for rescuing hostages) but it's so well put together and so funny that it doesn't matter at all. Actually works with the lightgun (which I randomly picked up the other day for four quid), though all you're using it for is the D-pad and the trigger-button. Makes the game so much cooler that way.
That'll do for the mo.....
Randy, can you tell us your thoughts on Gunbird 2? Either here or the shooter thread, only had quick access to it recently and I'm not sure if I liked it or not. Also hoping to get my hands on a copy of Mars Matrix soon, so we'll see there..... Any other DC shooters worth tracking down (2D specifically. Rez is already long gotten) ? I think the Dreamcast is going to be my in to the 2D bullet ballets. |
