Recommend me some GAMES! (PC)

[Raging Turtle]

So I'm finally back in the states, for at least a few months, and until I find something better to do (and deal with the fucking 10 hour time difference) I've got Time To Kill.  Therefore, your mission as HaRdc0re GaMerZ is to tell whats been good for roughly the last year.   

If this turns into a 'what are you playing' thread, cool.  I just want some ideas to look into.  Stopped by a Gamestop today at the mall, nothing looked that interesting.  Like I said, I only have a PC.  And a GBA that sees very little action. 

Things I've played in the past year:
waaaay too much Morrowind about a year ago.  Loved this game.
Doom 3 - somewhat tolerable.  Killed the final boss on the second attempt, blah.
HL2 - good but not robot jesus.   
Rome Total War - taught me I don't like RTS.  Plus, I suck at it. 
CoH - played for a month, enjoyed it, have no real desire to resub. 
WoW - played for about three months, burned out, doubt I'll resub.
Magic Online- Been playing again after a long break.  Probably going to take another break after 9th comes out. 
Civ 3 - off and on.  good stuff. 

Stuff I usually like:
Strategy - Civ, EU, MOO 2.  I love love turned based 4x. 
FPS - I'm pretty good at these.  I don't want to spend money on a game I'm going to beat in 6-8 hours.  Unless its Max Payne 2.
Some RPGS - grown out of FF style stuff. 

Stuff I'm looking forward to that comes out before 2094: 
Civ 4
Oblivion
Galactic Civilizations 2
FEAR.  AI in demo was somewhat impressive.

[Trippy]

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (the original *not* II, older than a year old though)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (if you like stealth FPSes)
Sid Meier's Pirates! (fun but hard to classify)
Evil Genius (might not like if you don't like RTS-style controls, the UI in the game is sort of wonky)
Battlefield 2 (if you like online team-based shooters and don't mind all the dumbasses)
Gunz Online (online FPS/RPG hybrid, in beta right now)
Galactic Civilizations (older than a year but you mentioned 4x games)

[Morfiend]

Things seem to have been pretty quite on the gaming front lately. If you have a decent computer and internet connection, battlefield 2 is really fun.

Other than that, I havent bought much in the way of PC games of late, since nothing is that interesting to me. I am hoping they will port that Xbox Western steampunk FPS game over to PC, but I cant recall the name of it, and Im to lazy to look it up.

[Hoax]

I'll leave shit like this to Schild but Trippy what is your name in gunz?  Or look me up on server3 name's Hoax.

[stray]

I've had more fun with consoles for the last year or so, so there aren't many PC games I can think of atm:

Seconded on Pirates and KotOR (but I'll recommend Kotor II as well).
For stealthers, I'd recommend Thief 3 rather than Riddick.
GTA:SA
Myst 4
Kohan II (I generally don't like RTS either, but this isn't really the clickity, clickity, click kind....[edit] Then again, neither is Total War, and you didn't like that.)

[schild]

Looking at my shelf behind me, the only things I can recommend are Pirates!, Painkiller, and uh...Bloodlines. If you don't mind installing unofficial patches for that last one, you'll have a blast. PCGaming has been shit for the past 6 months. I've gotten back into Console RPGs, I've got about 20 PS2 ones I'm playing through right now.

On that note: Shadowhearts 2 rules and I look forward to the sequel this fall.

[Merusk]

I hate to agree with Schild, but I do.  Thinking about recommending some PC games I realized everything I've played in the last year on my PC has already been mentioned in this thread, (Bloodlines, Rome:TW.. uh that's it) or was an online game/ MMO (WoW, BF2, Star Wars:Battlefront, etc.).  Uh, crap, no wonder I haven't seen any need to upgrade my machine.

 Maybe Sky has some better recommendations since he's obsessivly anti-console and would have a better idea of what's come out.  Personally, none of it's jazzed me in a while and Civ4 might be the last PC game I buy this year. (Gal Civ was fun, but Moo2 was better, imo.. so I dunno if I'll buy GC2.)

[Sky]

It's been a slow year for pc gaming imo. I've bought only a handful, and they've been listed :) GTA:SA is a great game, still not finished with it yet. I've taken a hiatus (for weeks now, heh) from BF2, the smacktards on public servers just get under my skin too much. As I always point out, that sucks because it's an incredible game.

I pulled out the copy of Sacred I hadn't played and started up a game of that, pretty decent game, but a bit Diablo-ish for me (I don't care for D1/2). Feels a bit like Divine Divinity (Beyond Divinity is on the back burner, too).

If you really dig Morrowind, I'll suggest Gothic and Gothic II, I liked both of those much more than Morrowind. Quirky but fun. The inventory system sucks (and really, combat isn't great, either, but I thought combat in MW sucked, too), but the game is worth getting past that.

I'm hoping they don't screw up Civ 4 too badly. Pushing back the release can go either way. GalCiv is a cool game, though as mentioned, not as good as MOO2.

I'm middling on Thief 3, the AI just gets so wacky once all the factions come into play on city streets, it's hard for me to play because there is almost no immersion, it's just the AI doing Keystone Cops. Funny, but not immersive. I'll give a nod to Pirates, that's a fun game, nice production values.

Can't beat a solid game of SimGolf imo.

[WindupAtheist]

Recommendations?  You can probably get someone to sell you a copy of Asheron's Call 2 for real cheap.   :-D

[Megrim]

Icewind Dale 2,

Temple of Elememental EEEEEVIIIIILLLLLLLL,

Kotor 2 (far, far better than the first one =p). Also, Bloodlines as long as your pc isn't allergic to it.

As far as fps go, i've heard good things about Farcry (although never having gotten around to playing it myself) as well as Pariah (same deal). Personally, i like to reinstall AvP2 every now and again. It also has great multi, but good luck finding a stable dedicated for it these days.

You could also go for the new version of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, along with the Splinter Cell series. Oh and you might try CS: Sauce (albeit i'm partial to the non-fruity older version).

And as far as turn-based goes: X-Com (or Silent Storm).

 - meg

[Merusk]

The opinion that this year has been a shitty one for games is now nearly unanimous.  I base that on the fact that most games recommended in this thread are far older than the past year.

Sad panda. 

[Daeven]

There was a burst of stuf around last christmas, but now we are in the long, dry spell before October (Age of Empires 3, Fear, Civ 4, Serious Sam 2, Rome: Barbarian Invasion, HL2: Aftermath .. Who knows what else).

Also, if you like strategy games but aren't into 'RTS' (I still love Rome TW for the tactical battles and the flexibility you can utilize in your engagements. But *shrug*) then go grab Gary Grisby's World At War.

http://www.worldatwaronline.com/main.asp

[HaemishM]

It's been a slow year for pc gaming imo.

Get used to that.

I'll third and fourth all the recommendations for Bloodlines, a really good story to go along with an absolute asston of bugs.

I'd also recommend Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich, unless you hate superheros or the first FF game.

[Threash]

Have there been ANY rpgs worth playing for the PC in the last year or two? Already did the kotor thing, i mean besides that.  They don't even have to be that good, just not completely suck.

[Nija]

You could pick up Gothic 2 and track down the europe-only expansion that adds about 50 more hours of gameplay to it. (Might be hard to do now since it's been out awhile)

[Merusk]

Have there been ANY rpgs worth playing for the PC in the last year or two? Already did the kotor thing, i mean besides that.  They don't even have to be that good, just not completely suck.

The only one I've bothered with (KOTOR2 will have to drop from $50 before I bother, what with all the bugs) has been mentioned like 8 times in this thread already.  

Checking the EBgames only lists 31 RPGs, including some as old as BG2. Of those only Bard's Tale or I of the Dragon looks interesting, though Sky mentioned Sacred up above. So.. no, no RPGs in the last few years.

[schild]

Fable: The Lost Chapters might be worth picking up in a few weeks. Isn't Bioshock due out within a year. I mean, I guess there's some decent stuff on the horizon. Horizon, that's funny.

[Daeven]

Didn't Dungeon Seige 2 just come out? Anyone have any impressions?

[Hoax]

For FPS I think that Tribes:Vengeance deserves a plug, while as a diehard T1 fan I dont appreciate the grapple hook as it just smacks of somebody ripping off the far inferior Quake CTF grapple (in a game that needed it because you know, you dont have fucking jetpacks).  It really was a good game but I knew that I couldn't be satisfied just pubbing in it after playing close to the top tiers of competition in T1 and I dont have time for practices/scrims/matches at this time in my life.

[Alkiera]

Didn't Dungeon Seige 2 just come out? Anyone have any impressions?

From the threads on the demo, most people weren't impressed.  Which isn't shocking, as most people thought the original was really bad.

IMO, there was little wrong with DS1, aside from some odd side effects related to having levels in more than one area... multi-classing was really a bad thing, eventually your class level was so high it cost more mana to cast some spells than you actually had in total mana.

Alkiera

[Samwise]

Just looking at the stack of CDs next to the computer...

I'll fifth the Bloodlines recommendation.  The bugs aren't even that bad if you install the unofficial patch.  Probably the best RPG I've ever played even though it looks like an FPS.

I also recommend GTA:SA very highly if you can find a copy of it.  I got a good solid month of play time out of that game and haven't uninstalled it yet because odds are good I'll play it through again.

And get American McGee's Alice if you're looking for a bargain purchase (it's something like $10 at Best Buy nowadays).  I recently reinstalled it because I had such fond memories of it from when it first came out.

[Bunk]

Kotor 2 (far, far better than the first one =p).


 - meg

*Bitchslap*

Seriously though, I enjoyed a lot of KotoR 2, but the last two hours repeatedly raped my virgin asshole.

I'll just echo several said here already - Bloodlines, KotoR, GTA:SA

[Furiously]

Bloodlines

[Flashman]

*Bitchslap*

Seriously though, I enjoyed a lot of KotoR 2, but the last two hours repeatedly raped my virgin asshole.

I'll just echo several said here already - Bloodlines, KotoR, GTA:SA

Well you might want to check this out if you thought the ending was poor.
http://www.team-gizka.org/

Apparently the devs left a lot of dialogue, cutscenes etc. on the retail CD that was supposed to be included in the ending but due to  rushed release date was dropped from the story. These guys are recreating the original ending as much as they can.

[Megrim]

Kotor 2 (far, far better than the first one =p).


 - meg

*Bitchslap*

Seriously though, I enjoyed a lot of KotoR 2, but the last two hours repeatedly raped my virgin asshole.

I'll just echo several said here already - Bloodlines, KotoR, GTA:SA

Don't clench so much duckling =) But despite the ending, Kotor 2 was the better game. I'd even go so far as to say the ending wasn't all that bad - it reminded me of a lot of 'middle sequence' novels and films. Sort of like Empire or the second book of the Wheel of Time (before he turned into a whore). It's a nice build-up for the third one.

 - meg

[Trippy]

I'll leave shit like this to Schild but Trippy what is your name in gunz?  Or look me up on server3 name's Hoax.

Hey Hoax my main is a level 27 named Milena but I haven't played since BF2 came out and I'm too old and decreipt to handle all the slashshotters out there now. I just patched up my game to the latest version, though, so I'll try to find you sometime.

[Stormwaltz]

Most of the games I've bought in the last year, I haven't even played. Bad Chris, no biscuit.

I did find Hearts of Iron II enjoyable, and Pirates was a good waste of a few hours here and there.

[Signe]

Both Righ and I seem to have done the same thing as Storm.  We must have about 10 games sitting around, unopened.  I bought a bunch for his birthday, including such gems as Pirates! and GT4, and some others for me, including Fatal Frame 2... all look good, all never played.  I have no idea why... I'm sure it's just temporary, like a head cold or sommat.

[raydeen]

I'll throw in my two cents here and reccomend Chidren of the Nile from Tilted Mill. It's a nice easy little city building game in the spirit of the Phaoroh and Caeser games but using the Empire Earth engine. Should be pretty cheap by now and runs pretty good on older hardware. Caeser IV is also now in the works from Tilted.

[Raging Turtle]

Bought Bloodlines, patched it up, good so far.  I'm still not farther than the first real quest because I keep making different characters.  I like the Brujah style and disciplines but the avatar just looks too stupid to play. 

Going to try to stick with a Tremere.  At least after I try out Nosferatu.   

[Merusk]

Malk is fun, but I found it more fun as the second character once I'd finished out the game.  They drop little hints you don't pick-up on unless you know the story.

Also, playing as a female > playing as a male if you go the seduction route. More seduction options, since you can seduce both men and women.

[Yegolev]

Thief: Deadly Shadows

[Morfiend]

Bought Bloodlines, patched it up, good so far.  I'm still not farther than the first real quest because I keep making different characters.  I like the Brujah style and disciplines but the avatar just looks too stupid to play. 

Going to try to stick with a Tremere.  At least after I try out Nosferatu.   

Do a search here. There is a whole thread basically about how I couldnt decide on a character. Ether they looked horrible (Bruja, Gangral) or didnt fit my playstyle (Nosferatu). Anyway. I ended up playing a Gangral with heavy unarmed spec. Its fun, but I kind of wish I had played my Tremere.

I am finally finishing KOTOR2 on xbox, I am on the last planet right now. Im also playing Hulk. HULK SMASH RRAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH! Which is pretty fun, and mindless. I am really waiting for Ultimate Spider-Man.

I remembered the name of the Western "Darkfall" (I think). I hope they port it to PC as I refuse to play shooters on the console. Its just wrong.

[Sky]

I refuse to play shooters on the console. Its just wrong.

Agreed, but we probably shouldn't get that debate going. When I met my buddy the eqholic, he was a console guy, the N64 being the one we hit alot: Goldeneye. I told him I'd crush him if it weren't for the controller. Brought him to a LAN party and played some Quake 2 with tons of mods (his avatar was some crazy demon, mine was a skinny alien)...now he's a pc gamer.

Bloodlines: played to completion with a Ventrue, enjoyable experience. I was in the midst of replaying as Malk (thanks to advice here), which was cool on the second playthrough when you knew what was going on a bit more. HD died, haven't reinstalled yet.

[Xilren's Twin]

Being a MtG fan, I assume you already have and played Etherlords 1 and 2?  If not, they should be in bargin bins...

Oh yeah, and Phantom Dust for the Xbox should you ever get one

Xilren