I advise you not to preorder Syndicate just because of its name and wait for the first reviews. The reactions to trailers and gameplay footage were overwhelmingly underwhelmed.
I advise you not to preorder Syndicate just because of its name and wait for the first reviews. The reactions to trailers and gameplay footage were overwhelmingly underwhelmed.
Or, y'know, play the demo.
As was said by the great Reduced Shakespeare Company, "A nose by any other name could still smell"Originally Posted by Revisor
Aye, I thoroughly enjoyed the demo. The only reason I haven't pre-ordered yet is because I'm waiting to hear how good the port is. But this is all going off-topic.
People being idiots because it's not a new isometric Syndicate isn't exactly a valid indicator of the game's quality - but yes, the port quality might be terrible. Hopefully not, though, because by all accounts it's a really fun game. :(
Last edited by Ansob; 20-02-2012 at 02:15 PM.
Multinational man of misery.
Today's Daily Deal on Gaben's Money Machine is Just Cause 2 for just shy of £5.
Not particularly a bargain (I've seen retail editions go for that for some time now), but still a good buy at that price. It's a pretty darned good sandbox game which opens up pretty much straight away, and you can have loads of fun with it. I tried the demo late last year and I was in tears of laughter, and I got it not much later in the GamersGate winter sale.
The voice acting is a bit hammy, the physics are absolutely buggered and there's a couple of issues here and there, but largely it's a very well-made and VERY pretty game. And it's a lot of fun. The DLC isn't necessary, and in fact I would even say don't bother with it because it's just pointless.
Oh - Vista & DX10 and upwards only, IIRC.
I can sell it better than that, Althea!
Do you like explosions? Do you like being the one to cause explosions? What if I said you can make massive explosions, with a variety of weapons and vehicles, sometimes leaping from vehicles that are about to explode to currently non-exploding vehicles?
Just Cause 2 is a game for you.
Do you like making one hell of a mess AND get rewarded for it?
Buy Just Cause 2. NOW.
What we're saying is, you should get Just Cause 2.
Also, have the James Bond theme on stand by. You'll know when to use it.
To offer a counterpoint: Just Cause 2 is the biggest, prettiest, emptiest sandbox you'll ever find. The missions suck, the controls are awkward even on a console controller, the game is painfully poorly balanced, and the explosions lack punch. Mercenaries was a much more entertaining version of the same basic idea, if you ask me.
Buying games you aren't going to play is a waste of money (no matter how cheap they are). Forcing yourself to play games you wish you hadn't bought is a waste of time. Both are best avoided.
Mercanaries 2 is out of print retail and only available (IIRC) via Origin for twice the price of JC2 ;)
Mercenaries (esp 2) plays like a freeware game - I got it for free and I'm still faintly embarrassed by it.
JC2 is a game in which you make your own fun - and that's something some people seem incapable of - and whilst you're doing it, it just sits there looking amazing :)
And worse yet, I'm not even talking about Mercs 2 (which I never played), I'm talking about the first one.
None of which changes the fact that I paid $5 for Just Cause 2 and still felt I got ripped off. It's a very pretty map with nothing on it. As a game it's just awful.
Last edited by vinraith; 20-02-2012 at 08:46 PM.
Buying games you aren't going to play is a waste of money (no matter how cheap they are). Forcing yourself to play games you wish you hadn't bought is a waste of time. Both are best avoided.
I remember the PC Gamer (maybe Zone) UK review of Mercs 2. Apparently it was utterly broken and wouldn't run properly even on any of the most ninja-beast of beastly ninja PCs at the time.
I know where you're coming from, but I disagree. I think it actually promotes exploration and stuff. At times, yeah, it's a bit too much - I remember all too well the rather dull 16km differences between some missions, and a lot of the Agency missions in particular felt too short, whereas the faction missions felt repetitive.
But I think part of the fun of JC2 was spontaneously dicking around. The best moments for me were when I just stopped in a town, called in the Yank to drop shit for me and then proceeded to blow everything up and collect the parts/upgrades. Grappling bells to cars was also something I particularly enjoyed.
Experiment 112 for £4.48 on GG.
It's innovative (even today) and has a tense atmosphere.
The controls are quite clunky, so you have to like adventure games with a story to press forward.
http://www.gamersgate.co.uk/DD-112/the-experiment-112
I liked the gameplay of Just Cause 2 but ultimately it felt hollow because of the bad script and story.
I have it, I played a bit and I stopped. It's so bloody weird...
I don't think the story was the main focus...
You say bad script and story of JC2, but I ask you; have you completed the final two missions? They are some of the most imaginative, crazy and utterly amazing set-pieces I've played in a game. They're so utterly bonkers, they transcend the notion of quality, become a state unto-their-own and are simply sublime to play. Think I'm kidding? [Massive end game spoilers]Finishing the last mission by fighting 3 generals on top of a 3-towered hotel, one of which uses a tank(!), you investigate an underground/mountain-enclosed base, have to escape from an entire army before the final mission involves you surfing on nuclear missiles, while simultaneously being shot at by someone else riding missiles and trying to defuse them.[/spoiler]
Just Cause 2 embraces the bat-shit insane and makes a game out of it. It is truly amazing.
See. my problem was that I love exploring in sandbox games, but I couldn't find any reason to do so in JC2. There are no collectibles, no neat hidden stuff, no weapons unlocked by finding a hidden stash or the like, everything is basically the same everywhere. You can blow stuff up, and you can shoot people, but the incentive for doing so is exactly the same on one side of the map as the other so what's the point or traveling? Once you're tired of the scenery (and I'll certainly grant the scenery is remarkable, but sightseeing by itself isn't much incentive IMO) there's no real reason to bother.
Buying games you aren't going to play is a waste of money (no matter how cheap they are). Forcing yourself to play games you wish you hadn't bought is a waste of time. Both are best avoided.
That sounds great but unfortunately I didn't see it through to the end. I finished a few Agency and a few gang missions and ultimately lost interest (eg to Saints Row 3 which is similar but tied better together). That said I loved flying the chopper and wreaking havoc and the hook was a lot of fun too. :)
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