The Video Game Thread

[Leeroy Atherton]

With the upcoming release of the long-awaited Modern Warfare 2, this year's autumn has been full of awesome video game releases, with exciting news on sequels to popular games such as the Halo and Bioshock franchises. While you may or may not be excited about the release of some of these games, this thread is meant to focus on what all of us here on IO are grinning ear to ear about, computer-game wise. The classics are also welcome to be discussed.

So, who's pumped, and what for? Or what would you recommend that might be an older game?

[∬: Erik Schneider]

Modern Warfare 2 murdered the Call of Duty series on the PC.

Not really into Halo, a bit overrated and I'm not a console gamer anyway.

Bisoshock, I've never played but looks pretty sweet. Might get it sometime.

So, I don't have much to get pumped up for.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

If Modern Warfare 2 follows suit it should rock!

I'm with Erik about Halo, a bit over rated, but I've heard ODST was actually really good.

I played the first Bioshock, never had the time to get into it very much, but I liked what I saw.

Borderlands just recently came out after being delayed for over a year, and it rocks

-JT

[∬: Erik Schneider]

Well MW2 murderer CoD series for me on the PC, because of their decisions and attitudes. They took away dedicated serves. This means, you can no longer choose your servers, have clan servers, etc. That ruins hardcore gaming (basically the people who won't buy it now). This also makes the serves 9v9 when we use to be able to go up to like 36v36 or more. The no dedicated servers is also for them to make more money. Modding is basically destroyed, when the community use to be able to make their own maps, gametypes, skins, etc. And we would get their map packs for free, which will now probably need to be purchased.

They have turned the game into a total console port, which I hate console for the most part. When asked, "Ignoring IW.net, is the PC version a direct port of the console version?"
IW answered "No, PC has custom stuff like mouse control, text chat in game, and graphics settings."

Yes. Basic stuff like mouse, typing in game, and changing your graphics is custom stuff. Damn you IW.

[PuNk! ™]

I have one thing to say...
1000 Gamescore for Borderlands - It rocks. I'm still playing it now.

I'm a massive game buff, but yeah I hate the fact that Microsoft have had me suffering with withdrawal symptoms all summer and early part of the year, with no great game releases. Soon as Christmas is on the horizon, they have the cheek to release all their top anticipated games all at one time... Cheeky beggars!

Anyway, Borderlands in my eyes is one of my current personal favourites for sure.

CoD: WaW was simply an "expansion" so to speak, to fill the gap of time between CoD: MW and CoD: MW2 coming out in a matter of weeks now. It didn't suck, but it was just different? The lags during gameplay were highly frustrating however, because the servers would choose the one member in the lobby with the highest internet connection and that person would become the host; particularly in Ranked Match terms, Player matched terms were hosted by the lobby/match creators for that game.

But yeah, where was I? MW2 should be awesome. If I'm honest, myself and my friends haven't really been hyped up about it... I guess the CoD series is becoming slightly same ol' same ol'. Storyline and then massive orgy online with all the versus game options.

I think you'd find games that offer online story-modes or online free-roam modes are more desirable. Hence why Borderlands has been a big hit, because they've put so much effort into their Multiplayer gameplay, however the storyline sucked in my opinion, but the gameplay just rocks so much, that you never get bored and I've completed the game at least five times now with different friends and altogether. I've peaked the maximum level you can go and the maximum hardness you can get, but I'm still playing it with friends finding random new weapons and stuff. Trust me, there is thousands of different weapons.

So games like that rule, take Fable 2 for instance, again, not a competitive game, but storyline based and although the online play wasn't great (you couldn't seperate, had to stick together in one camera view) it still rocked, purely because you had fun working together and finding new things, etc...

Anyway, my point being, the CoD series is running dry because they have no proper online multiplayer mode or free-roam mode, just loads of fighting against one another. Which is boring and frustrating, particularly when (boasting here) you keep killing the enemy and "owning them", I've never had so much hate mail in my life for being good at a game? Which puts a major downer on wanting to play it. People take things way too seriously.

So yeah, I'm not really hyped up for the CoD: MW2, but I shall be getting it, I'm more looking forwards to games like: Assasins Creed 2, Left for Dead 2, SAW and even Fable 3 next year!

Competitive FPS games online are getting old-skool now, particularly when people spoil it with a crap load of trash talk and hate-mail, hell I even had on guy send at least seven messages after the game calling me all the names under the sun for simply winning the match. For anyone who's played Gears of War 1/2 online too, you'll also know that game has a lot of trash talk too.

Some people...
~Danny

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

I don't usually keep eye on the news when it comes to upcoming games, but there are a few I'm looking forward to.

Mafia II, because the first one was pretty awesome and I love all kinds of gangster-stuff like that. Too bad Godfather II sucked so badly, I was expecting so much more from it. Max Payne 3 will be something that I'll automatically get, because I enjoyed the previous games and the whole film noir -feel of the games is something I really like.

Darksiders: Wrath of War, because it has huge swords! And angels and demons and... stuff. Could also mention God of War III here when it comes to epic fights.

Left 4 Dead 2 looks to be pretty good and I guess I'll enjoy it since I liked the first one and... it's kind of the same thing all over again. But why change something that works?

When it comes to shooting at stuff other than zombies, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with it's epicly funny characters and the new Aliens vs. Predator are on my list of games to play once they come out. The Saboteur looks kind of promising, but can't say if it will be good or not. Still, it takes place during WW2 and in Nazi occupied Paris, so I guess I'll be compelled to check it out just due to that.

I'm currently playing Dragon Age: Origins and the game truly owns. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes good old RPG's like this one and has enjoyed playing the Baldur's Gate -series.

[∬: Erik Schneider]

Oh boy, I almost forgot. Mafia 2 looks epic, loved the first one and hope to get my hands on the second one.

L4D2 is a vast improvement to L4D, believe me Dieter. I've played the demo, it's incredibly fun. Wouldn't hesitate on getting that one. Valve can be trusted to make good games.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looks interesting to me as well, which I will check out and see if it will replace the CoD series for me. Dunno, I want a good World War 2 fps to come out sometime.

Saboteur looks like a good game, which I might buy way down the line to play. Been keeeping my eye on that one as well.

Stop reading my mind and the games I like Dieter.

[Heiko Alkema]

Et tu, IW?

'Tis all I have to say about CoD6.

[Nathan Whyte]

I thought this would be the best place, Erik and I want to share a game we discovered.

Alliance of Valiant Arms is a free, online FPS which is a cross between the multiplayer of CoD4 and Battlfield: Bad Company.

Basically, you have your character which can flick between one of three classes each life, Point Man, a lightly armoured fast bloke with an SMG or, (after the pdate on 11/11), a Shotgun. A Rifleman, the backbone of the attack with a great big Assault Rifle or a Sniper.

You can customise your character from your armour/uniform, your backpack where you can add items such as extra magazines, extra grenades, makign yourself faster etc, to your weapons, and with most weapons past the issue ones, you can customise them with stocks, custom triggers, sights, and all that jazz.

Erik and I had a blast playing it this afternoon across the world from each other with next to no lag issues, and we'd like more of you to join to the extent where we could create an IO clan on it for us all to join.

I'm not sure on the Specs, but I don't have a particularaly hardcore machine, but it runs fine, and I have a distinctcly average connection about as far from the server Erik and I were playing on as possible, and my Ping was fine. It's about 1.3GB in total, but the provider, Ijji, have you download a program called Reactor which has that done at an average of 1MB/second, so it doesn't take long at all.

So I'd thoroughly reccomend you all playing it, and I hope to play you all. Fair warning, Erik is epic at it, though.

[PuNk! ™]

Nov 10, 2009 8:14:40 GMT Nathan Whyte said:

I thought this would be the best place, Erik and I want to share a game we discovered.

Alliance of Valiant Arms is a free, online FPS which is a cross between the multiplayer of CoD4 and Battlfield: Bad Company.

Basically, you have your character which can flick between one of three classes each life, Point Man, a lightly armoured fast bloke with an SMG or, (after the pdate on 11/11), a Shotgun. A Rifleman, the backbone of the attack with a great big Assault Rifle or a Sniper.

You can customise your character from your armour/uniform, your backpack where you can add items such as extra magazines, extra grenades, makign yourself faster etc, to your weapons, and with most weapons past the issue ones, you can customise them with stocks, custom triggers, sights, and all that jazz.

Erik and I had a blast playing it this afternoon across the world from each other with next to no lag issues, and we'd like more of you to join to the extent where we could create an IO clan on it for us all to join.

I'm not sure on the Specs, but I don't have a particularaly hardcore machine, but it runs fine, and I have a distinctcly average connection about as far from the server Erik and I were playing on as possible, and my Ping was fine. It's about 1.3GB in total, but the provider, Ijji, have you download a program called Reactor which has that done at an average of 1MB/second, so it doesn't take long at all.

So I'd thoroughly reccomend you all playing it, and I hope to play you all. Fair warning, Erik is epic at it, though.

The spec requirements are:

Minimum Requirements:[/b]
OS: Windows 2000, XP, VISTA
CPU: P4 2.4GHZ
Graphics Card: Geforce 6600
Memory: 1GB


Recommended Requirements:
OS: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 2003 server
Direct X
CPU: P4 3.0GHZ
Graphics Card: Geforce 7600GT, Direct X 9.0C
Memory: 1GB

Hope that helps guys, the game is pretty good for a FREE FPS shooter, I've been playing it some and it's quite addictive too. Think of CoD4, well it's just like that.

Nathan, Erik and whomever else shall play the game, my username on there is: PuNkY_WuNkY

Anyone reached the rank to make a clan yet? (Staff Sergeant right?)
~Danny

[Nathan Whyte]

Thank you PuNk.

I should reach Staff Sergeant some time today, assuming I get experience at a similar rate as yesterday. My username is seri0usly, whilst Erik's is Pyske, and for those interested, we usually ghang out on USA EAST SERVER.

[PuNk! ™]

Well I've reached Corporal...
Gonna' take a break from the coding, just completed the German aircrafts, Italians left to go and then it should be a breeze with the artillery. Won't have to edit/find pictures.

Anyway, I'll see about adding you guys, if you don't beat me too it!
~Danny

[∬: Erik Schneider]

Ranking up fast, aren't ya PuNky?

I'm a Sgt, will reach Staff Sergeant after a few more thousands of XP. Nate will probably make SSgt when I play with him today and start us a clan. I'd recommend this to everyone, even you consolers, who just want to get together with IO in a game every now and then and kick some ass, for IO of course .

I guess you could say I'm pretty good at the game Nate. Got years of PC gaming experience under my belt.


NOTE: When downloading off the site, click like GAME START instead of just Direct Download. You'll need to register an account and get their reactor. The reactor takes like 10 minutes compared to the hours it would take for a direct download. Doooo it.

[Nathan Whyte]

Just to say taht the IO Clan has been accepted. Find it at ava.ijji.com/IO