I bought two games and also got Dead Space in the mail. I didnt have time to play all three because Im working a backyard project I have is keeping me busy. I only tried Little Big Planet for maybe an hour. It had one of the best art styles and graphics Ive seen. It looks pretty fun and cutesy. I decided to devote most of my time with Fable 2. Its a pretty good game but it doesnt seem to grab me through or make me addicted the same way Saint's Row, the GTAs, Oblivion, Mass Effect etc do. I like alot of the humor and details but something is still quite missing from the game. I found I liked Saints Row better than Fable 2 and I was looking forward to the latter more

I played Fable 2 some more. It seems to be much longer than Fable 1 which took just 8 hrs to complete. One thing I love about this game is still retains the old open ended gameplay the first one has by allowing you to have annoying fans surround you, marry and kill your wife and buying houses and businesses. The new stuff added also allows you to read books to learn more skills like training your dog and raising your kid just to name a few. The first Fable didnt have that many sidequest but Fable 2 should keep you very busy with alot of side missions and undertaking jobs like Blacksmithing and carpentry.Also you can buy furniture to decorate your house if you want to raise your assets. The best way to describe it is as a semi-Sims game with a bunch of roleplaying skill raising elements.

I tried Fable 1... I played a few hours, quit, and never finished. It wasn't a bad game... I think something better came along and I just forgot to finish it. It just wasn't compelling.

So, I'm torn on whether I want Fable 2. From your impressions, Roid, it sounds like it'll be almost the same feeling I had with #1.

I think it probably was because the art style reminds people of the newer Zelda games which could be a turn off for those who want more realistic and serious graphics for the type of genre the game is.
By the way, if any of you are getting Fable 2 and playing co-op with me, I will kill your concubine for the achievement point

Ha!

Can you be a female character with a lesbian concubine? Can I just wear skin colored pasties, stripper boots, a Bioshock helmet, and a few tatoos (ala SR2)? If so, I'll get Fable 2 tomorrow.

Ok. Just be warned that SR 2 doesn't have an amazingly compelling story or anything. So, I doubt it would be the first one you'd finish. On the other hand, if you only do the story missions, you probably could get through in under 12 hours.

yes,no but sort of if you buy different clothes. So If I do kill your lesbian concubine, that would classify under a hate crime wouldnt it? The funny thing you can steal someones partner right in from of their husband and wife just like in the Sims

One that I really hate about GTA:IV, that I was noticing on my 2nd playthrough, was that the scripted chases are crap. In some you can not shoot the person you are chasing until it gets to a certain point. Others you can shoot the person you are chasing right away. Problem is there is NO indication which is which.

So, you might be chasing a thug on a motorbike unloading hundreds of bullets into him until you realize he is invulnerable. Then you have to wait until it does let you shoot him, but there is never an indication when that is, so you have to keep shooting periodically to see when it actually works.

It makes the chase missions horrible.

I'm just about done with Saint's Row 2 - I've finished all the activities (except hitman and chop shop) and am just a few main story missions shy from the end. I'll probably go through and get all the tags and cds in the end. I'm at 39+ hours now.

Anyhow, let me say officially now:

Saints Row 2 > GTA IV

Beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Both are great games, but Saints Row 2 is MUCH more fun then GTA IV was for me. SR2 truly takes me back to the same feelings I had when I played Vice City and San Andreas. Time and time again I find myself saying "this is what GTA: IV was missing!" when I'm playing SR2.

For a small example, as you progress in SR2 you become a bigger badass in the town, and it appears to be leading up to you 'owning' stilwater, like how Vice City ended, and to an extent San Andreas. The ending of GTA IV? You're not in that much of a different situation then when you started. You just have a few more houses, but there is no feeling the town is "yours". There are many things like this that made me realize what GTA IV was lacking, and by the end I think SR2 made me like GTAIV less.

Above all, SR2 has a wider range of genuinely fun activities, a much bigger set of vehicles (planes, jet skis, boats, and cars), and a massive amount of customization (cars, cribs, character, gang). GTA IV does have more impressive small detail, a more fleshed out story, and better graphics, but in the end it's missing that large dose of fun.

SR2 will wind up easily in my top 5 Xbox 360 games (I have to think exactly where), and I give it an A+.

GTA:IV would likely be just inside my top 10 and an A grade.

Im only able to squeeze in 4 hours into Fallout 3. Basically it is really what it is which is Oblivion with guns and an apocalyptic setting. If you liked Oblivion's control schemes, you should like this game as well. I dont think theres a level curve with the monsters though

Fallout 3 sounds interesting (Oblivion, but actual weapons and a cooler setting), but there is simply no way in hell I could commit myself to a 80-100 hour game right now.

Ive put in enough time to Fallout 3 to at least finally give it a flexible grade. 20hrs in and I've barely scratched the surface. My character is only level 12 but I think you can get as high as 40 or 50. The game is very difficult for a rpg, Ive literally died so many times fending off multiple enemies that can literally kill me in 3 to 5 shots. I still dont know if theres a npc level curve because there was no easy encounter at all except for the occasional vermin. You can pick about 3 stations you can listen to so its like a minature GTA. Options also is you can be good or bad but looks like the game is encouraging you to be in the middle of the road or bad because that way you can obtain the services of followers who would lend you a hand in combat. What I like also about the Fallout games is the perk abilities. For those of you that arent familiar with the series, the perks act like certain abilities and advantages like the ones you have seen in Bioshock. The game hasnt disappointed me so far but you need to at least put in 12-15 hrs to learn and enjoy the game. Also like Oblivion, you can play the character anyway you want. If you want to play a theif, you can. Your impression of the game wont be that great if you judge it only a few hours of gameplay. I had the same thoughts when I played Fable 2. If I were to put a grade for it, I would say its probably my second best game of the year behind GTA but that thought may change when I put more hours into it. For money value, Fallout 3 is worth it

Madden 09 - Best Madden of this gen so far. The updated graphics look sharp. Having real commentators back is a nice, but it's hard to credit EA for fixing something that should have never been broken in the first place. The IQ feature is an interesting feature. Being able to save replays is finally included - another feature that was long overdue. All in all, it's like EA is almost putting a game together that could halfway compete with the 4 year old ESPN 2K5. In a few more years they may have a good game, had it been released years ago. Grade: B+.

NBA 2K9 - Grade: B (reasons detailed in NBA 2K9 thread)

Saints Row 2 - Essentially all done with the game now, except for farting around with it here and there for fun. Better than GTA:IV. One of the best on the Xbox 360. Grade: A+

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

The sequel to my favorite game of all time. Over 700 Hours, 5 Completed Files, and the first game since the Pokemon Games (Pre-Diamond and Pearl) that I know every stretch of land, where every random character is located, which shops have specific items, basically every line of dialogue, everything. So Dawn of the New World doesn't have THAT much to live up to from me.

So far I'm only five hours in. Emil, the new male protagonist is a nice change from the usual headstrong young hero. He's a bit annoying early on (still is a lil bit) because he's pretty, well, emo I guess. But that's part of the reason I'm liking him. Marta, the new female protagonist, is more of the typical headstrong hero that most RPG's feature. Really, switch the personalities of Lloyd and Collette from Tales of Symphonia, and that's Emil and Marta at the core. Main characters are extremely important, especially for RPG's, and Emil and Marta are great so far.

The game runs on the same engine I'm sure, which is nice. Some complain about sequels being "more of the same", but really, why would you want sequels to your favorite games to change too much? Thank god, Nintendo hasn't changed Zelda or Pokemon over the years. The most notable change in Dawn of the New World is the combat system. Before you could pretty much only battle in a 2D/3D environment (not sure how to describe it), but not it's free roaming and you can go anywhere you want at anytime during a battle. It's a very nice addition they added to the game from past Tales games.

The next notable change however isn't one I like. You can no longer journey across land to different areas. Instead it's point and click. Saves time, gets you where you need to go and everything, but I much rather prefer free roaming in this area. So this isn't a welcomed change. But And I'll go ahead and talk about the only other slightly unwelcome different/change from the original. The voiceovers. Tales of Symphonia had some of the best voiceovers in any video game. Dawn of the New World has solid voiceovers, but sometimes it falls a little flat and there seemed to have been a little trouble with the translation. Not the written dialogue, but the spoken dialogue. Nothing severe, not even close to being a problem, but it's clearly weaker this time around. I will say though that the skits so far are better than those of the original. There were times in the original I wanted to skip them and ignored them, but so far in Dawn of the New World I'm anticipating them.

The story, so far, is enjoyable and solid. Already prepared it won't be a Tales of Symphonia, because there isn't that "originality" of it now, but so far the story is solid. Of course if it's anything like the original the story will have some extreme and sudden shifts as it progresses, so it's hard to tell how I'll take those when they happen yet.

The score/music is very similar to the original. I would say the majority are older pieces with a few of those being altered a bit. Which is perfecly okay for me since it just reminds me of the original even more. So with the same areas so far, similar music, and the old main characters beginning to make appearances, it really feels like I didn't really stop playing Tales of Symphonia and I'm just continuing right where I left off. The fake Summon Spirit of Wind even showed uP!!


Dawn of the New World, so far, has been great. Already love it, can't wait until the twists begin, to know what is going on with the old main characters now, everything. But being a very direct sequel will mean it won't top the original or how I was completely consumed by it, but it can build on the already fantastic series.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

15 hours in now.

Decus, why does he have to be so difficult?! I've lost three times to the fool. Errgg, but at least it's challenging, I hate easy games.

Emil has grown more likeable, he wasn't before just a little annoying at times, but he's more enjoyable now. Except when he's in his Ratatosk Mode dammit. Marta is still a very fun character, as is Tenebrae (I think something is up with him though!!). And I've ran across/teamed up with all the old characters now except for Presea, and they are still great characters. Though I believe half of them have different voices, Lloyd being the most noticable.

The story, while who knows what the heck is going on at the moment, is still soilid. I'm sure much will be revealed once I beat fucking Decus too. It sometimes seems like you're playing the original Tales of Symphonia over again, visiting the same locations, etc. Which is fine, but kind of seems a little too often. It's the same world and everything of course, but I think more new locations could have been added besides than I've seen so far.

Still not a fan of the point and click approach to traveling from town to town. I'd much rather travel there myself like in the original. Not a major issue, but it's something I'm not a fan of right now.

The skits are still enjoyable, and I still don't feel like ignoring them like I would at times in the original. They play a much bigger role in the character development than last time.

Nothing to add to the score of the game. The difficulty of the game seems to have increased some. There are some battles I have used simply too many gels and life bottles than I really should I think. But I haven't lost to anyone until I ran into Decus, grrrrr! His character is cool though, I like him at least.

Still just 15 hours into the game, but I think it's clear I won't like it as much as Tales of Symphonia and it won't be an equal either. So far I love it, it's just missing the "wow" factor I felt when playing TOS for the first time and doesn't have it's own "original" story going for it right now.








Animal Crossing: City Folk

Before I say anything, yes, the reviews are very average right now. Far below Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing Wild World. However, if you enjoyed either of those games, don't let the reviews make you have second thoughts on picking City Folk up. The biggest complaint from the reviews is that's it's the same game ported to the Wii with Online Features. Which is pretty much true, there's nothing new going on here at all. That is unless you skipped Wild World, it is Wild World ported over with slightly better graphics and more in depth online features.

With that out of the way, the game is well, Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing was easily one of my favorite games on the Cube. Wild World expanded on Animal Crossing in several ways and made it better, and it's what you get on the Wii. Kinda sucks nothing new (besides online play) was added, but it's nice starting over again and playing a second life.

No need to play it anymore, I've played maybe 2/3 hours, but it's the same thing again (literally), which is just fine with me.

It seem

Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords


FABLE IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THIS.


The complexity of the storyline and the dialogue is amazing and is beyond any recent RPG.

The bugs are annoying and once you get lightsaber the game is so easy, however the story is great.

A

i will agree with you.

KOTOR 2 has 2 things holding it back.

- its list of bugs
- the fact that you wait so long for a light saber and once you get it .... its all simple

PGR4 - I was a fan if PGR, PGR2, and PGR3, but I think the series is starting to feel a little stale, and had little desire to play this one when it was released (about a year ago). PGR4 is basically PGR3 with some weather effects and motorcycles. Neither add a lot to the game. The only other minor changes all suck - the career mode structure is too confined and the tweaked kudos system is limiting. But, there are a lot of race modes, vehicles, decent graphics, and solid controls. The core game can still be as addictive as ever, as you try to pull of that perfect race. Grade: B

Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) - A toughie to rate... it's very fun, very replayable, and one of the best co-op games to date. However, it's not deep, is short, has virtually no story, and as a single player game it's just 'good'... but, it isn't intended to be any of those, and most of that is what makes it have high replayability. The fun factor and replayability is clearly what the developers were focused on... and they succeeded in a big way. But, I still can't shake the feeling that the game feels like half a game... Grade: A-.

NBA Ballers: The Chosen One (Xbox 360) - It's NBA Street/NBA Homecourt (EA) done by Midway - and not done quite as well. There is some acrade-y style fun to be found, but the controls are frustrating at times (rebounding, blocking, and stealing feel random), and it just doesn't do anything to further this genre. Grade: C-

then again, we all noticed that tony pretty much played the entire game on easy.

hahahaha

i'm wondering if thats how he plays all his games now.

He should have his gamer's card revolked or have him own a Wii as his only game system. Its built for casual folks like him

I think it is Bill Gates that loves to play poker, but only bets $5 a hand, despite being one of the richest people on Earth. I am much the same way... despite possessing oodles of natural/genetic video game talent, I choose to mostly play at the normal/average difficulty selection.

You see, expert difficulty is as hard to me as the easy or normal difficulty. Just like to Bill Gates losing $1,000 is no different than $5.

Truth be told, the only real challenge any more is co-op type play... where you have to keep really bad players out of trouble... people like bABA. Playing co-op with him in L4D was kind of fun, he was constantly doing things like shooting me or making me carry an explosive propane tank around. It creates a whole new difficulty level/challenge.