What PC game for a video game virgin?

michaeldf

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I'm fairly new to this forum, but I'm an absolute virgin newbie when it comes to computer games.

I've played virtually NOTHING.

Anyway, I bought a new computer (with the i7-2600 and 8 Gigs of Ram, and I intend to upgrade the video card - from a HD-5450 to a 5770 - when HP gets around to replacing my computer with a new one with a defect-free motherboard).

Anyway, while I've never been into computer games, I thought I'd like to get a game. And I mean A game, not 10 games (could change my mind later, but for now I'm just thinking of my time and willingness to get heavily into computer gaming).

I know there are role playing games, action games, strategy games, and that there are games you play yourself against the computer and games you play online.

Other than that I wouldn't be interested in the online gaming, I really have no idea what I'd want.

I also really don't want to have to buy extra stuff like game consoles. Just the game and the computer.

I'd also kind of like to get something that takes advantage of my new computers "young hotness." I'd want something that would look pretty good on the pretty good machine I've got (btw, my monitor is a ViewSonic LED w/ 1920 X 1080 resolution).

I've looked and seen that "Dragon Age: Origins" and "World of Warcraft" are pretty good games.

One other thing I've thought about is that I would like to be able to play for a few minutes, or for a longer period. I wouldn't want a game that if I wasn't prepared to play for at least 2 hours at once I might as well not bother.

I know I'm asking a hard question to answer. But how do you pick a game when you know nothing about games? And how do you pick a game when you really don't even know what genre of game you want?
 

namelessonez

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For your rig and requirements, I would recommend you get your hands on the Half Life 2 series. It's a gaming series which starts from Half Life 2, then goes onto the sequels Half Life 2 Episode 1 and episode 2. It's an epic and legendary game for any gamer...first person shooter and will keep you going for days, though not at a go if you want!

In order to get the above, you should buy what is popularly known as 'The Orange Box', which includes the above titles along with Portal and Team Fortress 2 (online play). Its a brilliant bargain as a single box gives you the opportunity to try Single Player games as well as Online games, IF you wanna try it! The graphics are great and will run very well even on your existing rig.

Once you're done with this one, the next suggestion will be Crysis and Crysis Warhead, another epic/ legendary FPS game....again, a must for all gamers. Though your present rig would not be able to run Crysis on max settings, it'll be good nonetheless!

Enjoy your first '(P)lay', if you don't mind the pun! :)
 

fjiekie

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play some demos of various genres.
http://www.fileplanet.com/demos/ (a good site for demos)
when you have a genre that interests you, come back and ask for the best games in that genre ;)
 


Great minds think alike, LoL! You took the words right out of my mouth.
 

thegamersblog

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This will possess some old games but I suggest you play them anyway. Starcraft 2, The Witcher, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 1 & 2, Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II(favorite game ever), Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, COD, Bad Company 2 and who can forget the Half Life Series. It really depends on what type of games you are into as well. Helps if you can narrow it down.
 

michaeldf

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Thanks for the responses. VERY helpful.

It would seem like my best bet would be to do the demo thing and then make sure to try all the games that you guys suggested (Half Life 2, Starcraft 2, and the ones suggested by thegamersblog).

Trying them is a very good idea.

I put your comments in a notepad file to make sure I have the game names right.

That leaves only one question:

I saw two "demo" sites:

One for "STEAM" and one for http://www.fileplanet.com/demos/ .

Do you need "STEAM" to download from fileplanet? Or is one better or even different than the other?
 

namelessonez

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;)

As far as possible, I'd recommend Steam. It's the most convenient way to maintain your games library. What you need to know is that Steam is a client which stores all your games (which you've purchased through Steam) on your hard drive and when you happen to uninstall/ format/ change your rig, etc, you can always download the games again. You don't get a physical copy of the game, the Steam servers save your purchase and allow you to re-download the game, no matter how many times. It is crucial that you save your Steam username and password and don't lose it, or give it to anyone else (unless really really trusted!)

Another thing with Steam, it gives you the option of always keeping your games up to date. While you can opt to update your games manually, the always up-to-date option is a good feature and recommended. I guess with file planet you download the game and do the rest yourself.

And then, there's always the brilliant sales that Steam comes up with every now and then. 'Definitely' worth it!! I got loads of games at brilliant prices on Steam sales!

In view of the above, my suggestion is that as far as demo's go, get as many as you can from Steam and the rest from file planet/ other sites. There's really no difference as such in the sites, just that I'd go with one platform for all my games/ demo's.....keeps it a bit organized. The play quality will be the same.

As far as games go, Steam is the way to go! Don't worry, it's totally safe. :)

EDIT: As far as Valve titles go (Half-Life, Team Fortress, Portal, etc) you will require Steam to run nonetheless, even if you download the demo's from fileplanet, etc. So getting Steam is strongly recommended in any event.
 

mr_flappypants

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Be very careful. This is not necessarily true. Some games released through Steam have DRM protection which gives you a limited number of installs. You may be *technically* correct if you factor in a grueling procedure with Steam customer support (some people have been able to get their games downloaded past the limit). Games that come with this limitation are easy to spot if you goto the game forum pages. Someone will nearly always bring this up.

Please don't misunderstand me. I love Steam and have nearly stopped buying physical copies of games from the store in favor of the more convenient digital format.
 

mr_flappypants

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Don't forget Ubisoft. They still try to pump out DRM-protected titles. In some cases, enough pressure by the fanbase will cause them to remove this protection later on down the line. It helps to speak up in forums and to vote with your wallet.
 

thegamersblog

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Thank you for the addition i completely forgot about them.


 

knk2009

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I definitely do not recommend world of warcraft unless you are sure you won't mind being casual and not progressing much in the game... because you will have to play atleast a minimum of 2 hours per day and probably a lot more to get very far in that game.

If you go to gametap.com or gamegameweb *edit the site is webgamegame.com (not gamegameweb) you can buy a subscription for 10 or 15 dollars a month respectively and get unlimited access to over 1000 downloadable pc games. Also steam sometimes sells online downloads for less than game but if you want the physical CD stay away from these. I personally like these because I usually and finished with a game in 1 to 7 days and move on to the next one depending on the game.

I personally played a lot of world of warcraft but find that it is too time consuming... in classic I was top rank pvp and did a lot of raiding... but it takes up like 40 plus hours a week or more for me I found to keep up with high end content... I have cataclysm and leveled to 85 got a few boe epics and left it at that it is way too time consuming with epeen headaches to boot... trolls etc online lol.

You might enjoy tombraider underworld, mass effect 2, batman a a, crysis, crysis 2, depends if you like shooter and action games or role playing games better most of ones I have mentioned are shooter action games... some have both single player and multiplayer options.
 

michaeldf

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Well, it sounds like I should a) try some demos and b) download and purchase via Steam.

I am quite amazed and appreciative at how helpful all y'all are.

I was in Wal Mart doing my grocery shopping and stopped first in the video game area. After chatting with an electronics guy for a couple of minutes, he led me to a console for "Call of Duty." It was playstation (I think), but he said it was pretty much the same game on a pc. He played it a little bit and shot a few bad guys.

Then he stepped aside and let me try it out.

Within about thirty seconds I had been killed (with my blood splattered all over the screen), and I had literally fragged myself by inadvertantly dropping a grenade.

"Call of Goofy" was probably more like it.

Still, I could grasp that it would probably be fun to play. Assuming I didn't die every 15 seconds.

I appreciate the head's up about World of Warcraft, knk2009. I kind of see myself taking little "play breaks" for a few minutes at a time, rather than taking long periods of time to play all at once. I'd like a game that allowed me to move along at my pace.

That's the only thing that would keep me away from a good role-playing or strategy game. If I could play, save my progress, and then come back from that point later, that would be okay, though. Maybe I'd live for than a few seconds at a time!

Btw, I downloaded the demo of starcraft 2 from this link: http://www.bigdownload.com/games/starcraft-ii-wings-of-liberty/pc/starcraft-2-wings-of-liberty-demo/

It was a mere 1.5GB. It took about 20 minutes (I'm using my old wireless G router until it either dies or I really need to replace it).

I haven't installed the zip folder yet.

Thanks again for the help. I've learned a lot already.
 

Ten1220

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Save yourself the trouble and get Grand Theft Auto 4. It's every single game in one and the replayability is out of control. Racing, shooter, adventure game, an excellent rpg, etc... It looks gorgeous on the PC that can run it.
 

mr_flappypants

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GTA 4 is terrible for PC. It was a poorly ported console game. Not sure about post-mods by users. I tried it a few times and could not STAND it. I just stick with San Andreas. Besides, GTA4 gets really repetitive fast.
 

Ten1220

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I did not know that. See, you learn something new every day!
 

ArcSec

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I recently played the game Braid (which I bought off Steam during a ridiculous sale). It is a really good puzzle platformer type game that I think would be a decent introduction to basic game mechanics. It is an independently developed game so it is inexpensive even when its not on sale and it is level based with each level taking maybe 10 or so minutes from first unless you have trouble figuring out how to solve the level (which did happen to me a few times towards the end). It is a 'pretty' game but it would not tax your hardware to its limits.
 

michaeldf

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I am beginning to get the sense that the "one video game" limitation thing probably won't happen.

I wouldn't want to have too many, but there are too many pieces of hay to find the needle, which is to say there are too many games and even too many genres to find the one you'd most enjoy in one attempt.

I am understanding that a game that is great on playstation or whatever doesn't necessarily mean it will transfer to a PC.
 

mr_flappypants

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Listen, the limit that will happen is the limit you decide on. Since you are new to games, it will be a challenge (should be a fun one) to try out the numerous game genres that exist. Trying a new game is always hit or miss. This is where demos come into play. Also, as I've kind have hinted before, check the online forums (either through Steam or at the game company's website) to see what others are saying. Look for that thread that says something like "Is it worth it?", "Terrible...", or what-have-you. You will nearly always get mixed opinions about a game. Still need more information? Check out Amazon for a boiled down '5-star rating'.

The console-to-PC porting thing is very true indeed but again, this is information you can find out with a little bit of hot Google magic (really easy to do). Research intelligently. Check out various websites for ratings. Check comments and forums to see what others are saying. If there is a demo available, check that out FIRST. I nearly guarantee it that you will find plenty of games in a variety of genres that will tickle your fancy.
 

namelessonez

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Buddy, when you learn to ride a bike, you fall lotsa times! But you don't stop until you've learnt cause practice makes perfect! :) I remember my yesteryears when I first started gaming on the pc. It sure took some time to get used to it, but now I can't imagine there used to be a time when I DIDN'T play! Once you get the hang of it, you won't be worrying about getting yourself fragged/ shot/ splattered, etc! Also remember that the "guy" at Wal Mart probably plays the game 30 times a day to show customers, which is why he wasn't 'dying'! Plus, he showed you the game on a console....different feel altogether! If he can show it to you on a PC, that's a different thing....but hey, that's not gonna happen at Wal Mart now, is it! Hence, playing at Wal Mart for a few minutes and playing at home for a couple of hours is totally different! I'm sure you'll like the same game at home after you've been 'at it' for a while.....on the PC that is! First Person Shooters are definitely meant to be played on the PC only.....imho that is!! The accuracy you get with the mouse is far better than what you get with a gamepad/ console.

The Call of Duty series is plain awesome on the PC! Try Call of Duty Modern Warfare 1 and 2...they have the best graphics of the series. I would've suggested Call of Duty Black Ops too, but its been a real let down for me compared to the other COD titles. Plus, it was meant for the consoles.

As for the limitation, You're quite right that the limitation would not be of much help to you, considering the ocean of titlesd out there! :) Hence, for starters, get the tried, tested and affordable Orange Box first! Later, you can try other demanding titles like Crysis, Metro 2033, Aliens v. Predators, BattleField: Bad Company 2, etc.

"Every problem has a solution....and that solution starts with taking the first step"
 

michaeldf

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Interesting story about that: I NEVER fell learning to ride my bike. My dad had put training wheels on it, and he saw me leaning on the training wheels and figured I wasn't ready yet.

But I actually WAS ready. I was leaning on the training wheels for something to do.

Finally I convinced him to take them off, and when he did I just took off.

Is there a way to have my dad put training wheels on some of these video games???

Other than that one, I actually have one more question:

There are a lot of games out there, and some are a couple of years old. Will these games work on a Windows 7 64 bit system?
 

michaeldf

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Oops. It turns out I've got one more question besides the above one about the Windows 7 64-bit thing.

I went to a Steam download site and ran into these complaints:

i've got steam for 3 months now. in the beginning it seemed very cool: downloading the latest updates and paches, free demo downloads and news from game-world every day. But that changed when i bought my first steam-game: Left 4 Dead 2 from Valve. The game itself is very cool, has beautiful graphics and the gameplay rocks. But after playing it for a week, steam came up with an update... i could not believe my eyes: it had to download 2GB! with my download rate of a miserable 31KB/sec. it would take hours to download it.When i did so everything worked, but next week it had to do it again: a download of another 1 GB. Now it has to do a download of 3 GB and it drives me crazy. Its one of my favourite games and i can never play it because of steam...

Another one said:

I really do hate Steam because even Single Players of games have to go through steam. Or it'll keep on downloading random stuff or even completely deny an official key.

Best:
Free download and no cd crack when added the game to Steam

Worst:
Connection required almost always
Constant updates and downloads
Very annoying interface and super slow downloading (at around 25% of my usual speed)
Crashes a lot... A LOT!

I get the sense that you guys aren't having this experience with Steam. And it took me about 20 minutes to download 1.5GB, so my connection is clearly faster than the top guy's.

But I wouldn't want continuous massive updates interfering with my life.

What do you think???
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