What's your favourite video game you've been playing?

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Merry Christmas all

I got an itch to replay the Mass Effect series. i think playing The Outer Worlds just opened up an appetite for sci-fi RPG. was weary of reinstalling ME1 and finding the graphics and gameplay a bit too out of date. but after playing Knights of the Old Republic II earlier this year I figured it couldn't be much worse, and more than likely better. going through the same process of sorting through lots of MOD discussions and Nexus pages I found some amazing game updates\upgrades through Modding. I was very much surprised in the end result after A LOT of texture, model, video & gameplay MODs. some of the facial expressions and some of the close up scenery are still a bit dated but >80% of the game would now compare to or even best a lot of more modern releases. is still an awesome game.
don't know if it'll hold my attention through all 4 games but i always loved the entire Mass Effect series.

 

[WildCard999]

@JohnBonhamsGhost, Merry Christmas! It's amazing to see continued fan support for mods for some of these older games. I was thinking of getting back in Fallout: NV and was pleasantly surprised by the Win10 support on Nexus.


I'm waiting for some extra money on Friday but has anyone bought anything they think is worthwhile on Steam's Winter sale?

 

[Frag Maniac]

I've gone back to playing Metro Exodus, this time on Hardcore. I'm definitely enjoying it more this time. The game is definitely pretty linear in a lot of parts, as it will script in sand storms and darkness in certain spots, which can be a pain with Humanimals popping up everywhere. It definitely delivers on shock value though, even the 2nd play through. I have to say I was a lot better at dealing with the spiders when getting the map from the archives building this time though. Last time they had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off, losing my bearings in the process.

Somehow the game seems more beautiful this time around too, but it's no doubt due to Nvidia's new Sharpen filter, and my having bumped gamma down a notch this time, which adds more richness to the color palette in deserts, and makes the HDR of the sun really pop. I am doing far better on stealth this time, getting through a lot of segments with just knockouts. I have to say though, there are places where the AI are very poorly scripted, especially when stealing the tugboat at night. A couple times I knocked out enemies that should have easily been seen by another standing nearby facing him.

There are also a lot of places where enemies will no clip into walls, crates when knocking them out. So the game definitely lacks polish in some ways. Overall it's still a good survival horror experience though. I'm still not convinced the sandbox design adds any value to the trepidation, but it does offer more beauty and exploration. I just got to crazy land dealing with the zealots at Taiga. Won't be long before I meet up with that nasty bear.

 

[Gman450]

Somehow the game seems more beautiful this time around too, but it's no doubt due to Nvidia's new Sharpen filter, and my having bumped gamma down a notch this time, which adds more richness to the color palette in deserts, and makes the HDR of the sun really pop.

I use the filter for all my games now too. The sharpen filter is so good! Once I turned this on in most games, the blurriness disappeared and the image looks really crisp. I also want to recommend you the 'Brightness/Contrast' filter. Enabling that will give you the same effect as reducing the gamma with much more richer colors. The dark areas really become dark rather than gray.

 

[JeckeL]

has anyone bought anything they think is worthwhile on Steam's Winter sale?

Ori and the Blind Forest is down from $20 to like $7 I think, I've been playing it, super fun game... platformer-adventure type stuff, lots of fun

 

[MadsModsat]

There's one game I always keep installed, and that's "Half-Life 2".
I've played it since it was released and I didn't even have an internet connection, and I still play the game fairly often.

I also have the Black Mesa mod, I began using it when it was free, and decided to buy it when they changed it to a paid version... -but I usually prefer HL 2 (and the two episodes)

Other than that, I mostly play "Battlefield V" online with a friend. It's not all that great, but it is great for gaming a little with a freind and talking a bit about this and that.

I recently received "Transport Fever 2" as a gift, which I also enjoy, it reminds me of "Transport Tycoon" which I used to play in DOS many years ago, and had a lot of fun spending time on.

I'm considering trying to get into "Control". I saw a review somewhere in which Twin Peaks was mentioned as a reference. Being a big Twin Peaks fan, I'm thinking I have to check out Control - luckily it was free with my graphics card. I just need to find some spare time

 

[Frag Maniac]

I also want to recommend you the 'Brightness/Contrast' filter. Enabling that will give you the same effect as reducing the gamma with much more richer colors. The dark areas really become dark rather than gray.

I think that might cause more harm than good on my sys. I have an IPS display that's cffl lit. I have to avoid things like SweetFX and Handbrake because they make dark areas look way too dark. I don't really have a problem with grays looking black.

 

[Gman450]

I think that might cause more harm than good on my sys. I have an IPS display that's cffl lit. I have to avoid things like SweetFX and Handbrake because they make dark areas look way too dark. I don't really have a problem with grays looking black.

You can still adjust the contrast, brightness in the filter. I have an IPS screen too and in SC: Blacklist I had to reduce the contrast down from the default 30% that was in the filter to 19%.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I have an IPS screen too and in SC: Blacklist I had to reduce the contrast down from the default 30% that was in the filter to 19%.

Yeah, but my guess is it's LED lit, which is a big difference from what I have. The mention of grays was a dead giveaway. Again, I have no such problems. With mine if I so much as bump the color warmth up a bit, everything looks good, and I can quickly do it with the remote. The only games I really do that in is the ones that show colors as overly weathered and washed out, like post apocalyptic titles, and ones that take place on islands with drastic weather changes.

 

[anort3]

I finally jumped on the Epic bandwagon after managing to avoid it until now. They were giving $10 off coupons and everything was on sale. So I bought Mechwarrior 5. Then they gave me another $10 coupon and I got Metro Exodus. And they gave me another coupon ( I see why they're stealing Steam's business ) so I got Outer Worlds. And yes it came with a $10 off coupon. I spent about $90 on three AAA games and that's pretty amazing. I never would have bought them like this at Steam because they never would have been that cheap for all 3.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I finally jumped on the Epic bandwagon after managing to avoid it until now. They were giving $10 off coupons and everything was on sale...

They just had a big selection of free games too over the last week or so. Just got The Talos Principle for $0. The Epic Games launcher has gotten a lot of negative feedback since it launched but i really haven't found anything worse about it than any of the others i've had to use over the years.
Though still think it's stupid that any game needs a 3rd party program launched to be able to play whether it be Steam, Rockstar, Epic, etc.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Just finished Metro Exodus after beating it on Normal, Hardcore, and Ranger Hardcore. I actually grew to like it more the more I played it. Now I'm finishing up The Outer Worlds on Normal and I have to say, it feels a bit lackluster.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

over this last couple days of time off for xmas and then for new years i spent my time at a big console fan's residence. we logged in and played a couple hours of Gears 5 and it was a major disappointment vs what others had described as a major upgrade in story & gameplay vs the earlier releases of the franchise. was still just a corridor shooter with minimum allocation of armor attributes and weapons. really saw no intriguing value in dialogue or choices for anything that had to do with the further venture of the game.
we ended up finishing a run through of Shadow Warrior 2, and that was much more fun.

Happy New Years everyone.

 

[Frag Maniac]

...we logged in and played a couple hours of Gears 5 and it was a major disappointment vs what others had described as a major upgrade in story & gameplay vs the earlier releases of the franchise. was still just a corridor shooter with minimum allocation of armor attributes and weapons. really saw no intriguing value in dialogue or choices for anything that had to do with the further venture of the game.

Shame you didn't like it, I rather enjoyed it, and felt it had quite a different feel. It not only gives you more open areas you can approach sandbox style, it makes you think about how to use Jack. Gears of War 4 is better for challenge, but it's fatal flaw is the Vulture battle, which is way too hard on Inconceivable mode and kills replay value.

 

[anort3]

The Talos Principle is awesome if you like puzzle games. And the first Shadow Warrior was an absolute blast. I need to get 2 one of these times it drops to $10.

 

[Mrgr74]

I finally jumped on the Epic bandwagon after managing to avoid it until now. They were giving $10 off coupons and everything was on sale. So I bought Mechwarrior 5. Then they gave me another $10 coupon and I got Metro Exodus. And they gave me another coupon ( I see why they're stealing Steam's business ) so I got Outer Worlds. And yes it came with a $10 off coupon. I spent about $90 on three AAA games and that's pretty amazing. I never would have bought them like this at Steam because they never would have been that cheap for all 3.

Exactly. I love Steam but damn, (good) low priced games are few in between on Steam. I'm a poor man, so I'll take whatever deal I can get. If Epic wants to give me free games AND offer lower prices on games I'm interested in, well, then I'll use them. Case in point, I have about 25 games in my Epic library, 23 of which were free. I also have Origin (Battlefield series) & Rockstar. (Red Dead redemption 2)

 

[Gman450]

I finished Splinter Cell Blacklist a few days ago. I missed stealth games. Very much reminded me of Metal Gear Solid V. I liked the story here. The characters were all well written. Not sure what to feel about Sam Fisher's new voice though. I have played Chaos Theory and Conviction but never finished them, so I do know of Michael Ironside's iconic voice.
Stealth gameplay was good. I never felt too frustrated with the enemy AI but I was not really a fan of the forced action segments. They have some really good open environments where you are provided with multiple paths. But this game really forced some gunfights on you which felt out of place. There was even a forced first person view that felt super wonky.

I just finished Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order too. Absolutely superb game! I've nothing but high praises for this one! Really well made and this is definitely the kind of Souls clone I was hoping for. It had just the right amount of challenge and great story telling. Boss fights were very reminiscent of Dark Souls/Sekiro but more easier here.
I struggled at the very end when.....

Spoiler: Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

...fighting Trilla in the interrogation room. Damn man, I had to try like 15 times to beat her (I'm playing in Jedi Master difficulty). She was THE MOST trouble I've had in this entire game. No other boss comes close. I will agree that the Ninth sister, Gorgara and Malicos were also well made but I was able to beat all of them in my second attempt. I guess my main problem during the Trilla boss battle was my lack of stims. I had 4 with me but I just learned from reading online that you can have a max of 10! That would really have helped me beat her faster but nonetheless, I was victorious.

I would recommend this one to all. It really is a well made game. It must've taken me around 20 hours to beat.

 

[anort3]

I got Blacklist with a graphics card a few years ago. I think it and Assassins Creed IV came with a GTX 780. I really enjoyed it but it didn't have any replay value for me. I tried to play it again twice and never finished it either time. That first run was fun though.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I finished Splinter Cell Blacklist a few days ago. I missed stealth games. Very much reminded me of Metal Gear Solid V. I liked the story here. The characters were all well written. Not sure what to feel about Sam Fisher's new voice though. I have played Chaos Theory and Conviction but never finished them, so I do know of Michael Ironside's iconic voice.
Stealth gameplay was good. I never felt too frustrated with the enemy AI but I was not really a fan of the forced action segments. They have some really good open environments where you are provided with multiple paths. But this game really forced some gunfights on you which felt out of place. There was even a forced first person view that felt super wonky.

I think it's sad Blacklist drew so much hate, mainly for a different voice for Sam and the forced action segments, which to me were very few, very short, and no problem at all to get through. I mean they were literally well under 10% of the total content, yet people acted like the game was overwhelmed by them. To me all they did was give the game some needed contrast to break up the monotony a bit. I actually worry what the next game will be like from those reactions. IMO Blacklist was the best SC ever made.

 

[Printed Circuit Bro]

Escape from Tarkov!

 

[toniplavna]

Top games for me ever are:

1. GTA San Andreas
2. Rome Total war (played 3 years non stop without any mod)
3. Max Payne 1 and 2
4. Civilization 4
5. Need for Speed
6. Witcher
7. TES: Oblivion (best one <3)
8. CS 1.6
9. Call of Duty 2
10. Life is strange
11. Half - Life 2
12. World of Warcraft- Wrath of the Lich King (still only game that are playing)
13. Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines
14. Age of empires 2 The age of kings (first rts game ever)
15. Empire Earth
16. Warcraft 3 ROC and TFT (best campaign in gaming history)
17. Company of heroes 1
18. Sid Meiers: Pirates
19. Dragon Age origins
20. Sim City 4
21. Sid Meiers: Simgolf
22. The Sims 1
23. Black and White 2
24. Medal of honor Allied Assault
25. Red alert

 

[ubercake]

I usually latch on to one multi-player shooter and play the heck out of it. It all started with BF1943 on Xbox 360 and then BFBC2 on PC and progressed through BF V (all gaming on PC ever since). I couldn't stand BF V as the live service was one by which everyone looked forward to seeing if it would finally fix all the issues that plagued the game as the map releases were as slow as molasses. Until BF1 became a finished product (1.5 years after release), I played nothing but Titanfall 2. Titanfall 2 is fantastic, but the player base diminished over time. I look forward to the Titanfall 3 release and hope EA doesn't mess it up with their input. I have loathed the COD series as every few years I would try the latest release and be thoroughly disappointed until the recent Modern Warfare. It's a blast. I would almost consider myself an addict at this point. I suck at it and will likely be a forever-noob, but it is so addicting and I enjoy playing it daily. Also, it feels as close to a finished product as I've encountered with game title releases in the last decade.

I still look forward to Titanfall 3 and hope they don't go the battle royale route with it.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

don't know if it'll hold my attention through all 4 games but i always loved the entire Mass Effect series.

got through ME1 again. being almost 10 years later since my last playthrough it was amazing to see it modded up to pretty much modern standards. is still an awesome game and story. have gone through the same process of modding the hell out of ME2 now and have gotten a few hours into it. the gameplay isn't quite as fun as ME1 but it's growing on me. more just playing to finish the story now though it seems.
i know i had ME3, but cannot find the box anywhere. will have to start browsing for VERY cheap deals before i finish 2 i guess.
with most of 2, 3 and Andromeda still to go again, hopefully these will hold me until April when Cyberpunk 2077 releases.

 

[anort3]

I replay Mass Effect all the way through every few years. The story and just the overall aesthetic are as good as the gameplay to me. It should be done with all the DLC for the fully fleshed out experience. Pinnacle Station from the first game is the only one I don't care about. It's just a combat sim and doesn't advance the story. Andromeda is also better than it got credit for although leaving the end open for some amazing DLC and then never getting anything released is a major bummer.


Mechwarrior 5 Mercs is eating all my game time. I started Metro and The Outer Worlds for about an hour each but I keep going back to stomping things in giant mechs.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I still look forward to Titanfall 3 and hope they don't go the battle royale route with it.

You have to wonder if there's even going to BE a Titanfall 3. Ever since Respawn crushed all speculation that TF3 was being worked on, they've said nothing to confirm it ever will be made. All they've said is, no, we're making Apex Legends instead, and of course they made Jedi Fallen Order too, but AFAIK there's been zero confirmation a TF3 will even be made.

If you can post something concrete proving otherwise, please do, but until then it's just wishful speculation. Trust me though, I'd love to see a TF3 too, but I'm more inclined to want a good length sp campaign like TF2 had.