The Games Room

For tabletop games, computer games...if it's a game other than WoW, feel free to discuss here!

This is the thread where I'd usually rant about how they don't make games like they used to, and give you a list of 'old' games that I enjoyed at the time, but that nobody really has the stomach to replay now. You know the ones I mean!

This time is different though, because there have genuinely been some blinding flashes of genius from the games industry over the last 6 months! So in order of personal preference:

Dragon Age: Origins
The first killer by Bioware for some time, DA:O was heralded as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate - and I almost dare say it's a title well deserved (don'tkillmeplease!). Gritty, conceptually sound, a decent story, difficult moral choices and voice acting that doesn't put you in mind of a nativity play enacted by adults make it a definite player for anyone who considers themselves a fan of isometric RPGs.

Bioshock 2
Oh come on, who doesn't like subaquatic art deco horror flicks? People have argued that the first was better, and that may be true, but this is still just as playable. The sheer hair-whitening terror of the first game is somewhat lost (provided you've already played game and therefore know what to expect) in the sequel, but the story and the further development of the frankly awesome setting brought me many a smile and startled yelp!

Mass Effect
Yes, yes, I know Mass Effect is like the Dan Brown of RPGs, but it's still a very enjoyable (if perhaps a little short) game. The dialogue is smooth, the voice acting mostly convincing, and it has some surprisingly well thought out characters (and some slightly less well thought out costumes). I'd suggest playing the first one before deciding whether or not to dip your nose into ME2, but it's a worthy sequel. Kudos Bioware!

I also played and enjoyed Dragon Age and look forward to the expansion, my only disapointment was the lack of different armour models, seemed to me like they got a bit lazy!

I should look into getting mass effect at some point heard good things.

I've played Mass Effect 1 and 2 a bit, and also Dragon Age. I'm very much into my MMOs at the moment though, and when I play single player games I tend to miss the "big world immersive" aspect you get with MMOs.

My all time favourite single player RPG has to be Ultima 4 - google for some screenshots if you want a giggle ;o)

the last Single Player game that I played intensively was Oblivion but since WoW took hold of my soul... I am lost!

I love all sorts of games. Computer-wise, I remember nights being lost to Day of the Tentacle with some housemates, a long and torrid love affair with Neverwinter Nights, and a short but sweet Planescape dalliance.

Boardgames wise, I'm a sucker for Settlers of Catan, Ave Caesar (go out and buy it now, trust me, I had this on order from the day I knew it was being reprinted!) and Carcassonne. I have a dream of playing Carcassonne in Carcassonne while drinking Carcassonne. Maybe, one day....

Cardgamewise, I adore the simple and evil elegance of Fluxx and Coloretto, a very basic, but trickly little game.

berylia wrote:I've played Mass Effect 1 and 2 a bit, and also Dragon Age. I'm very much into my MMOs at the moment though, and when I play single player games I tend to miss the "big world immersive" aspect you get with MMOs.

My all time favourite single player RPG has to be Ultima 4 - google for some screenshots if you want a giggle ;o)

Oh dear... Nostalgia does terrible things to the mind! Surely that can't be your favourite RPG of all time?

Sadly, I'll always be a console gamer, and I guess you could call me a bit of a Sony fanboy (I can't help it!) Games I've been playing recently: Final Fantasy XIII, Mass Effect 2 (on 360), Bioshock 2, Mirror's Edge (fantastic game) and Assassin's Creed II. And obviously WoW!

Oh and I've been playing through the entire Metal Gear Solid series again (by far my favourite game series of all time!)

Just started playing The Settlers 7, I've always loved the more base building focused RTS's and mixed with the cartoony, almost Team Fortress 2-ish, graphics this might end up eating into my WoW time.

Aeranduil wrote:

berylia wrote:I've played Mass Effect 1 and 2 a bit, and also Dragon Age. I'm very much into my MMOs at the moment though, and when I play single player games I tend to miss the "big world immersive" aspect you get with MMOs.

My all time favourite single player RPG has to be Ultima 4 - google for some screenshots if you want a giggle ;o)

Oh dear... Nostalgia does terrible things to the mind! Surely that can't be your favourite RPG of all time?

Hehe ! Although the graphics have dated badly, Ultima 4 was the 1st RPG to really put a different spin on things. As well as questing and killing mobs, you actually had to behave yourself and play the game in a particular style, in order to gain status points in "virtues" such as valour, compassion etc. For example, if you killed non-hostile creatures, you lost points in compassion. iirc, you could only get into the final phase of the game once you'd attained a certain level in all the virtues.

(And note that Felicia Day's character in "The Guild" is called "Codex", which is taken from Ultima 4 !)