The Solid Snake Buys a PS3 (and Saves his Sanity) Thread

[Solid Snake]

(...If and only if he survives three weeks of hell first...)

So I have four law school finals in the next three weeks.
...If you know what law school finals are like, you now have an intense amount of pity for my poor, spurned, devastated, emotionally traumatized soul.

(And if you don't know what law school finals are like, let me paint a picture for you. For the next three weeks straight, I will be getting an average of five hours of sleep each night. Maybe six on the occasional Friday night, which will be something of a reward. I will wake up. I will take a quick shower. I will throw something on and walk to the nearest Starbucks. I will order three drinks at Starbucks -- one to drink right away, and two more to keep handy for lukewarm booster shots for the rest of the day, because I will literally not have enough time to spare walking back to Starbucks.
I will study law. I will study law for approximately 80-90% of my day. The remaining 10-20% of my time will be spent taking quick breaks reading your comments on the internet, pretending I'm with a beautiful naked woman for regular several-minute intervals, watching an episode or two of LOST, and crying tears of agony. I will write more than 150 pages of outlines over this time period, if past habits carry through this semester. I will spend a total of fifteen hours writing exam answers. I will wish I was dead. Then I will laugh hysterically when all is said and done because once this semester is over, I will be volunteering at a non-profit organization for the summer...meaning, yes, I spent tons of money to put myself into debt to go to law school and put myself through this agony and it's not even improving my career prospects.)

At any rate: there is a silver lining over this horizon. Do you want to know what this silver lining is? It is right here, in this very topic. This very topic is the thread that will keep me going. It is the thread I will check every time I feel down and depressed and miserable and cynical and jaded. It is the thread that will restore my faith in humanity, keep me pressing forward, keep my eyes on the real goal.

Because the real goal isn't surviving a year of law school.

The real goal is surviving to 5/14/10, otherwise known as The Day Of My Last Final, When I Will Immediately Proceed To Gamestop, Pay Tons Of Money, And Spoil Myself With A PS3 And A Shitstorm of Games.

You think I am kidding? I have saved $800 for this. ($300 in a post-survival gift from a beloved family member, so actually "only" $500 is on my credit card.)
I literally not only fully expect but fully condone spending every last penny. (If you were a 1L law student, trust me, trust me, you'd understand.)

So this is the thread I will return to during my darkest days of Torts, Criminal Justice and Constitutional Law readings to reflect on the single most important question that won't appear on an upcoming exam:

WHAT THE HELL DO I BUY?
I literally don't even know. I've splurged before, but never quite this much. The PS3 alone is $300, or so I hear, though I may actually put down the extra money for the better one because what the fuck I am that insane why not. There are two games I definitely have to buy, and those games are called Metal Gear Solid 4 and Heavy Rain. Beyond that there are plenty of games I'm at least mildly interested in, but I'm not sold on nuttin'.

So, this thread serves three purposes. First, you can chat with me about how I should blow the mind-boggling amount of money I should probably spend on a trip to Europe instead, except Europe ain't half as cool. (Or on several Matt Speroni commissions, which would be cooler but involve far less interactivity.) Second, you can feel better about yourselves because you're not in law school and that automatically makes you a better and/or luckier person than me. Finally, even if you don't own a PS3, I'm going to also designate this thread as Solid Snake's Place to Bitch About The Next Three Weeks, because Lord knows otherwise I'd be making several topics pitying myself otherwise, and who wants to knowingly subject themselves to reading that anywhere else?

...I suppose you could also try convincing me that this is a terrible idea, except it's not, I've been waiting nine months for this, so there.

[MSperoni]

I'm for the commissions, but y'know..

I mean, then I could spend your money on buying games myself and then..erm... talk to you about them on AIM! It'd be almost exactly like you were playing them yourself! Right?? :D

(at least you gotta do the 30$ one.. FF12 is beating your Persona 4 girls! ;) )

[Solid Snake]

Honestly, Matt, every time I stare at this lovely Franny commission I find myself snapping out of an awkward hypnotic trance about two hours later.
...So from that perspective it's probably better we shelve the commissions for now, unless you want to hear that I've missed an entire final because I was too busy ogling at whoever you draw next.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Uncharted 1 + 2.
INfamous.
Fallout 3; GOTY.
God of War 3.
Killzone 2.
Bioshock 1 + 2.
Wipeout HD + Fury.
The Orange Box.
Borderlands + expansions.

Those are the ones that immediately spring to mind. There are others, but some are a little more dated, like Unreal 3 and Warhawk, but I'm not sure if the online for those is still beg enough to justifying getting them now.

This is of course, without any prior knowledge of your preffered gaming genres or any knowledge of wether you've played any of these on other consoles.

Oh and I suggest holding back a 20 to spend on booze, then make your first night a massive drunken all night gaming session.

[Sky Warrior Bob]

You will want Uncharted 2, just for gameplay & on-line content. The story isn't dependent on Uncharted 1, but Uncharted 1 is very good too & worthy of a buy. However, if you have to choose, go with U2. As stated, you get free on-line content with this one.

I really like Infamous as well. Decent dual path storyline (Good/Evil), and great balance of powers to gameplay. (As you get more power, baddies get more difficult.) Also, every area has a distinctive look, and it all feels very much alive. (Plus, the random news broadcasts & pirate TV are always good).

God of War 3, is more of the same. Its clearly more violent, uses more nudity & is a bit more of a challenge. However, it isn't what I'd call a must buy.

Little Big Planet is a rental for me. The official levels are pretty fun, but it does get tedious after a while. Plus, there's far too crappy user created levels to find anything good.

MGS4 is fun, if you like the prior MGS games. However, the story is difficult to follow, and nano-machines get way overused for explaining various elements of the plot.

Heavenly Sword, is a fantastic GOW style game, with a great plot. The only problem is that it is a bit short. Worth playing, and a used copy should be really cheap (it was one of the PS3's first titles).

The R&C titles for the PS3 are both flawed. Tools of Destruction is awesome in every way, except its way too easy to heal. Weapons computers automatically give a health upgrade. Absolutely necessary for city-wide battles, but they make the rest of the game too easy.

Crack in Time separates Ratchet & Clank, and I frankly feel development got flawed because of this. Clank's levels are really pretty & complex. However, much of the levels created for Ratchet end up being simplistic wastes of time as a result. As such, this title was a pretty big disappointment for me.

Can't comment on Resistance 1 or 2, as I'm not into the whole first person shooter thing.

[Solid Snake]

Oh and I suggest holding back a 20 to spend on booze, then make your first night a massive drunken all night gaming session.

I'll have a six pack of Stiegl, a six pack of Paulaner and a six pack of Guinness waiting for the occasion.

Also, I tend to be more a fan of RPGs and third-person action adventure games, and less a fan of platformers and first-person shooters. There's always exceptions for everything, though. I can already tell that I would not enjoy FFXIII, and I suspect that I would enjoy Battlefield 2 or the new Medal of Honor.

[MSperoni]

Well, I don't know what you have for 360 so I can't really say what you should get for PS3 since you could get most of them for 360 instead...

I guess if you just snatch up the best exclusives you ought to do okay. There's a jRPG exclusive for PS3 called Disgaea that I've heard wasn't all that bad.

I mean, aside from God of War 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4, my top 10 favorite PS3 games I own can be found on the 360 as well. I have Heavy Rain but still not played it enough to say for certain how good it is.

[Solid Snake]

Well, I don't know what you have for 360 so I can't really say what you should get for PS3 since you could get most of them for 360 instead...


I do not own, nor do I plan to own, an X360.
So that might help!

[Azisien]

Well I would say switch Heavy Rain to borrow or rent. It is really, really short, and pretty love/hate.

On the plus side, the latter means plenty of used copies floating around if you do purchase.

I say definitely grab yourself a PSN card when you get the PS3, there are many affordable and fun games to download and play.

And then download Pixeljunk Shooter.

[MSperoni]

Ohh, I assumed you had a 360 cos you said you were playing Mass Effect 2, but I guess you were playing it on PC.

Based on what I know about Snake, Heavy Rain would be a "love" game for him. But I could be wrong.

[Toastburner B]

Demon's Souls is a good game.

The downside, of course, is that it is also a notoriously hard game. Might not be the best "Argh! I've been stressed for 3 weeks and need to unwind!" game out there.

[CelesJessa]

Metal Gear Solid 4, It's been suggested but I'm suggesting it again x1000. I bought it and I don't even own a ps3. It's a lot of fun in my opinion. It seems to be mixed for other people but... your screen name is Solid Snake, if you DON'T buy MGS4 I will be very disappointed.

[Solid Snake]

Ohh, I assumed you had a 360 cos you said you were playing Mass Effect 2, but I guess you were playing it on PC.


...Yup, I've played both Mass Effects on PC.

Also, CelesJessa, how could you possibly insinuate that MGS4 wouldn't be the first game I'd purchase? Hell, it's the only PS3 game I've actually played and I don't even own a PS3 yet.

[Wigmund]

Seconding everything that's been suggested so far and adding:
Batman Arkham Asylum - excellent game and it has the voices from the animated series.
Dragon Age: Origins & Awakening - I've been hooked on this for weeks now.

[MSperoni]

Dragon Age is a good but not a game I'd buy first, besides, if you can run Mass Effect 2 on your PC you can run Dragon Age I would think.

Has anyone said Assassin's Creed 2 yet?

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

Assassin Creed 1 and 2. Quite theraputic assassinating random guards in a batman voice

Dragon Age Origin is utter shit on the Ps3. Save it for the PC

inFamous if you wanna be a hero, Prototype if you wanna kill shit

[MSperoni]

i didn't have any problems with Dragon Age for my PS3.. It wasn't buggy or anything, tho the difficulty spikes were annoying. But you could adjust difficulty on the fly so that was nice.

Still, as a personal rule of thumb when it comes to RPGs and FPS games I always go for PC first if the machine can handle it well enough.

[Regulus Tera]

http://i44.tinypic.com/9bdu08.jpg

Best PS3 game or best PS3 game?

Buy it. Buy it. Why haven't you bought it? Buy it!

P.S. MGS4 is crap.

[Donomni]

Brutal Legend.

I will warn it's an RTS-y game after a while in, but Tim Schafer games are fucking awesome.

That, and you can literally melt faces. As a guy who barely knows anything about metal, I can say it's pretty rad.

Do give FFXIII a rental, at least. Despite the story, the combat is pretty slick.

Oh, and Valkiyria Chronicles, because it's a strategy RPG that's also 3rd-person, and the fact that it's really good. It's also goddamn beautiful. Basically, what ninja!Tera said.

[The Wandering God]

A couple of months back you posted about a potential fuck up that could ruin your education.

Glad to see it worked out and you are still trucking.

Also, might I suggest meditation to help? Your brain will appreciate even a little bit of peace and quiet.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I'll have a six pack of Stiegl, a six pack of Paulaner and a six pack of Guinness waiting for the occasion.

Also, I tend to be more a fan of RPGs and third-person action adventure games, and less a fan of platformers and first-person shooters. There's always exceptions for everything, though. I can already tell that I would not enjoy FFXIII, and I suspect that I would enjoy Battlefield 2 or the new Medal of Honor.


Good man!

And yeah, Battlefield is pretty good, I've been playing that a lot lately. There's an abundance of snipers, and the M60 for the Medic class is slightly overpowered, but all in all it's very good, and about as close to a real war game I've played.

Batter than MAG and COD by far.

[Sky Warrior Bob]

Brutal Legend.

I will warn it's an RTS-y game after a while in, but Tim Schafer games are fucking awesome.

That, and you can literally melt faces. As a guy who barely knows anything about metal, I can say it's pretty rad.

Eh, I'd put this title on the back burner. Sure its decent, but the RTS combat is really, REALLY repetitive. As are the special combat techniques. Its fun enough, but given that budget is an issue, put it on the back burner.

Also, demos, DEMOS, DEMOS!!!

If you can access the Playstation Network (you have built-in WiFi, but you can also use a cable if needed), then you can get demos on most of the games mentioned. Try out a demo before you buy, just don't take our word on it.

SWB

[greed]

Disgaea 3 is pretty much more of the same. Only difference being the non battle art seen in dialogue and what not is high res and a few gameplay improvements. It still looks like a PSX game, is freaking hilarious and very addictive like the previous two installments.

If you like sandbox silliness Saints Row 2 is pretty great, way better GTA4, which is really goddamn boring. I've got the 360 version but there is a PS3 one. Dunno if there's any system specific issues though.

Assassin Creed 1 and 2. Quite theraputic assassinating random guards in a batman voice

Dragon Age Origin is utter shit on the Ps3. Save it for the PC

inFamous if you wanna be a hero, Prototype if you wanna kill shit

AC1's pretty flawed though, if you can buy AC2(which seeing as it's just started dropping price, I got it for $20 last week, should be easy) I wouldn't bother with 1. Just read a recap somewhere.

I agree DAO is considerably better on PC, but the console version is not terrible, just it doesn't control as well and has a few issues that you need DLC or the expansion to fix, whereas on PC you mod in stamina potions, character re-rollers and storage chests pretty easy. So if for some reason you can't get it for PC, get the inferior but still enjoyable console version.

I'd add that I enjoyed the gameplay in inFamous more, even if the story,powers and characters in Prototype were more interesting. inFamous just shows it's "exclusive to one system" polish very well.

Valkryria Chronicles is just great. Beautiful, fun and with a lot of detail to the background, which is important to me.Every character you can recruit has their own VA, history and personality(which are the basis for their various combat perks). Some of these are hilarious. The very powerful camp gay anti-tank warrior with a crush on the brigade's tough no-nonsense sergeant was a favourite.

[shiney]

I'd recommend taking a gander at the F.E.A.R. games, they were fun for me anyways! I am a whore for bullet-time games though so yeah.

[krogothwolf]

I'd recommend taking a gander at the F.E.A.R. games, they were fun for me anyways! I am a whore for bullet-time games though so yeah.

They were fun, but I never felt the next ones lived up the atmosphere the first one gave out and I thought that was what made the first one such a great game.

[shiney]

Next ones? I knew that there was a 2, but I thought 3 was yet to be released.

That said, I do agree that there was a much more dreadful feeling in the first game, it was much creepier than the second one. Still fun as hell they both were, though.

[krogothwolf]

Well, I was including the Expansion pack in the next ones because it didn't have the same feel. But yeah, they were still fun as hell.

[Solid Snake]

P.S. MGS4 is crap.

There is a line you should not cross, Regulus.
And you have just crossed it.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

There is a line you should not cross, Regulus.
And you have just crossed it.

No, for once RT is right. MGS4 is crap.

[Magni]

No one suggested Batman: Arkham Asylum?

Just punching someone in that game is wholly satisfying.

[krogothwolf]

No, for once RT is right. MGS4 is crap.

If crap = great then yeah he's right.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

If crap = great then yeah he's right.

You have no right to be mocking anyone for their tastes

[Solid Snake]

No, for once RT is right. MGS4 is crap.

Man, where's CelesJessa when you need her? Someone needs to whack some sense into you, and as a woman CJ has a valid excuse to get away with it.

In other news, any recommendations as to what version of the PS3 I should purchase? Should I cough up the extra $50 or so for twice as much hard drive space, or is the 120 sufficient? Any other recommendations as to hardware (controllers, etc.) I'm particularly curious as to whether there's some wiring I could purchase that would ensure I could simultaneously keep my PS2 and PS3 hooked to my TV.

[krogothwolf]

You have no right to be mocking anyone for their tastes

Yes, yes I do. I am allowed to mock everyone's tastes!

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

Man, where's CelesJessa when you need her? Someone needs to whack some sense into you, and as a woman CJ has a valid excuse to get away with it.


Oh yes because she is the absolute authority on everything.

MGS4 is shit, and Kojima needs to retire.

[shiney]

I'm guessing saying MGS4 sucks to someone nicknamed Solid Snake likely will not end up with anything even resembling concurrence.

[krogothwolf]

Oh yes because she is the absolute authority on everything.

MGS4 is shit, and Kojima needs to retire.

So, a game that won GoY awards, got crazy reviews and is the highest selling PS3 exclusive to date is shit? The game was freakin sweet. Awesome graphics, gameplay was great, combat was fun as hell. Sure it had long cutscenes but it was still a fun ass game. Go back to your Hello Kitty! Island Adventures game Mac :p

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

So, a game that won GoY awards, got crazy reviews and is the highest selling PS3 exclusive to date is shit? The game was freakin sweet. Awesome graphics, gameplay was great, combat was fun as hell. Sure it had long cutscenes but it was still a fun ass game. Go back to your Hello Kitty! Island Adventures game Mac :p

I play a game that does involve actual stealth kills. A little game called Assassin Creed 2. A much better designed game, and cutscenes only a few minutes long.

[krogothwolf]

I play a game that does involve actual stealth kills. A little game called Assassin Creed 2. A much better designed game, and cutscenes only a few minutes long.

Assassin's Creed 2 involves more stealth skills then MGS 4? GAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that's funny mac, really funny.

[Regulus Tera]

Yeah, okay, Acts 1 and 2 of MGS4 are admittedly pretty rad. It's everything else after that that's a dung.

P.S. Hey Snake buy Valkyria Chronicles. It's the best SRPG since the original Final Fantasy Tactics.

[krogothwolf]

Yeah, okay, Acts 1 and 2 of MGS4 are admittedly pretty rad. It's everything else after that that's a dung.

P.S. Hey Snake buy Valkyria Chronicles. It's the best SRPG since the original Final Fantasy Tactics.

That is one awesome game right there. Damn that was such a fun game. Took a bit getting used to some of the elements, but once you do the game is so much fun.

[Ecks]

Okay, dunno if you're into the hack'n'slash, and inb4 Devil May Cry 4 sucked, Devil May Cry 4. It took what I liked about 3 and RAN WITH IT ALL THE WAY TO THE MOON AND BACK. Granted, you spend the first half of the game with the gimped as hell main character, but once you're back in control of that maniac in the red coat, it's all ear-to-ear grin forever.

So, uh, RENT Devil May Cry 4 if you're NOT a fan of the series. If you can stomach Nero (and with Johnny Young Bosch doing the voice, it's not that hard to deal with) long enough to unlock Dante, cool beans.

Let's see, what else... I've heard a lot of bullshit slinging between Bad Company and Modern Warfare lately, I play Modern Warfare, so that's what I'm recommending. Someone else can delve into THAT shitstorm flame war.

Skip almost any and all driving/racing games, the few I've played (Need for Speed series mostly) do not live up to their predecessors.

I know everyone will say Dante's Inferno is just a God of War clone, and combat wise... it pretty much is, but DAMN some of the kills you make, alongside the interesting story (which, while it follows the general outline of the original Divine Comedy, takes certain theatrical liberties vis-a-vis killing everything in your path, including the guardians of each circle of Hell) and the nice VA work... I dunno, RENT it if you don't feel like buying it.

That's it for now, if I see/play anything else worthy of recommendation, I'll pass it along to you.

[Solid Snake]

SOLID SNAKE'S FIRST STATUS UPDATE:

Torts Outline: About 20% done. Through Intentional Torts and moving on to Negligence. Time Until Torts Exam: 12 Days
Criminal Justice Outline: 10% done, maybe less. I've made significant progress given the relatively small porportion of time I've invested, though. Time Until Criminal Justice Exam: 15 Days
Constitutional Law Outline: About 30% done, maybe slightly more, though I've been completing the outline a bit out of order. It's my hardest class and I'm terrified of the professor, which explains why I've worked on it longer and harder than classes with exams that are sooner. Time Until Constitutional Law Exam: 19 Days
Administrative Law Outline: Less than 5% complete. Not much beyond an intro. It's an easier class and it's my last exam, so it hasn't exactly been a priority. Time Until Administrative Law Exam: 22 Days

Now For The Good Part

Money Spent: $580
Playstation 3: Procured. I went shopping today. I settled on the 120 GB PS3 because I'm cheap, it seemed like more than enough space and I'd rather spend the extra $50 on another game. Also, a kind employee at Best Buy suggested I do so and none of you seemed interested in offering me tips on the subjects so, you lost out.

Wrapping Paper for the PS3: Procured. I bought the PS3 with every intention of playing fake Christmas, wrapping the PS3 and the games in discounted holiday wrapping paper, and staring longingly at my future possession for the next three weeks. Hey, you have no idea how fun it's going to be to actually open the sucker the minute I'm free from my last exam. I'm salivating at the thought already.

Games Procured: Heavy Rain (used, $54,) Uncharted (used, $22) and Uncharted 2 (new, $59)

I'm sure whichever reviewer gave Uncharted 2 an awful score on Gamepad Dojo is very disappointed in me. I purchased Uncharted 2 at the same Best Buy I purchased the PS3 at as an obligatory "comes with the system" game, but limited myself to just one purchase because I don't like buying new games when Amazon.com exists. I wanted to make sure I had at least one game, though.
Honestly I didn't think I was going to stop anywhere else as the Best Buy is nearby, I'm not exactly swimming in spare time and I'm nowhere near a Gamespot, but then I remembered a local music store actually had a (tiny) used games section so I checked that out. Whoever said Heavy Rain was a popular used title to find wasn't kidding (I do not regret this though because I loved Indigo Prophecy because storylines and character development are infinitely more important factors to me than gameplay.) I was hoping to find MGS4 used too but, no dice.

I did also find Batman Arkham Asylum used for $42 and Valkyria Chronicles used for $22. Both were tempting but I didn't feel comfortable committing to the purchases after spending all that money at Best Buy.

Other Stuff Procured: A $60 blue controller (ripoff, probably shouldn't have purchased it, only would use it for 2 player games anyway, regretted it not long after buying it, may decide to return it.)
A $30 controller charging system.
A $20 PS3 DVD-style remote.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Well I have about $220 more to blow and I want to blow the vast majority of it on games via Amazon.com.
Specifically, MGS4 is a necessity. I'm trying to find the cheapest copy used that's available.

For the rest, I'm amenable to continuing to hear your thoughts. Valkyria Profiles was sorely tempting until I realized that its strongest recommendations came from people who bashed MGS4! (No actually in all sincerity Valkyria Chronicles sounded perfect untl someone compared it to FFT, because I happen to be the only person on Earth who loves SRPGs and who loved Front Mission anything but who didn't care for FFT for some reason, seriously, FFT was a mediocre experience for me.)
I'm holding off a bit though because I was recently reminded that a Prince of Persia game from the Sands of Time era is coming out for PS3 shortly and I love that shit.

I'm also keeping tabs on the likes of Dragon Age: Origins, as I don't have room on my PC for that title (but the insane $100 pricetag to own the complete game scares me) and Battlefield 2 (I wasn't fond of the original Modern Warfare, which I have played at a friend's, and while I haven't played MW2, I think the rebellious soul in me would prefer Battlefield 2 over its better known neighbor.) And I'm praying I resist the temptation to buy FFXIII just because it has "Final Fantasy" and a hot chick on the cover.

...That's it for procrastinating. Time to get back to Torts.

[greed]

For the rest, I'm amenable to continuing to hear your thoughts. Valkyria Profiles was sorely tempting until I realized that its strongest recommendations came from people who bashed MGS4! (No actually in all sincerity Valkyria Chronicles sounded perfect untl someone compared it to FFT, because I happen to be the only person on Earth who loves SRPGs and who loved Front Mission anything but who didn't care for FFT for some reason, seriously, FFT was a mediocre experience for me.)


And I'm praying I resist the temptation to buy FFXIII just because it has "Final Fantasy" and a hot chick on the cover.

...That's it for procrastinating. Time to get back to Torts.

Hey Snake, I share your opinion of FFT, always found it too boring to play. And I loved Valkyria Chronicles. The two are nothing alike. At all. Seriously ignore RT's very wrong opinions about MGS4(admittedly while it's not as good as MGS3, it's still better than 2, which is pretty good) and FFT, he's right about VC. It's great.

Edit: Also if you enjoyed the PS2 Prince of Persia, gonna recommend Assassin's Creed 2 again, it's like one of those dumped in a sandbox game.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

FFTactics has the best story. So glad I can play my PSP version on my Big TV

[Solid Snake]

UPDATE: Ordered Valkyria Chronicles and MGS4 from Amazon.com.

I'm looking at a bit less than $170 left to play around with. Assuming I don't purchase every game at the full $59 sticker price, I can probably afford three more. Tempted to wait it out and see how I feel in three weeks before committing to much more, though I do need a game I can play two-player with a friend in the same room. (I'm now hosting a PS3 party with a couple friends the day after finals end.)

[MSperoni]

I'm looking at a bit less than $170 left to play around with...

Dum dee dum dee dum

[greed]

UPDATE: Ordered Valkyria Chronicles and MGS4 from Amazon.com.

I'm looking at a bit less than $170 left to play around with. Assuming I don't purchase every game at the full $59 sticker price, I can probably afford three more. Tempted to wait it out and see how I feel in three weeks before committing to much more, though I do need a game I can play two-player with a friend in the same room. (I'm now hosting a PS3 party with a couple friends the day after finals end.)

If you like fighters there is Super Street Fighter 4 coming out at budget price soon. Can't think of many good in room multiplayer PS3 games, that's more the Wii's speciality.

And yes Mac FFT did have a good story, problem is it's not a book, you actually have to play it to forward the story.

Edit: Katamari Forever is a great relaxation game and has in room multiplayer. It's also old enough to be pretty cheap.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

And yes Mac FFT did have a good story, problem is it's not a book, you actually have to play it to forward the story.

Game play was flawed for the first chapter. But once you got the hang of it, you can break the game so bad. Plus TG Cid was the ultimate, Fuck You I win character.

[Regulus Tera]

Actually Snake, I just said that because both are like, my favourite SRPGs ever. It's just that if I had to choose one over the other, I wouldn't be able to do it.

Anyway, glad to see you did the right thing to cleanse yourself from the MGS4 delusion.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Other Stuff Procured: A $60 blue controller (ripoff, probably shouldn't have purchased it, only would use it for 2 player games anyway, regretted it not long after buying it, may decide to return it.)
A $30 controller charging system.
A $20 PS3 DVD-style remote.

Not sure why you bought any of this personally. I can understand maybe buying a 2nd controller, if you intend to game with friends, but surely you can get a cheaper controller than that?? Oh and make sure the controller is an official Sony one. Lesser brands are fairly crap.

The controller charger is utterly pointless, seeing as the console comes with a charging cable anyway.

And the remote... really? Why? Controllers work just as well and don't cost more money. You could get another 2 games for all that stuff.

EDIT; Oh and since you mentioned 2 player games, I submit Resi 5 for your consideration. No wait, hang on, come back, it's actually realy good.... so long as you play with a friend. I've had some good times playing that with a friend of mine on splitscreen and you can really make good use of teamwork to fight your way through the zombie hordes. Fun times.

Also resubmitting God of War 3 and inFamous. Those are both totally great.

[Magni]

2 player games:
S. Steet Fighter 4 (already mentioned)
BlazBlue

Resistance 2 is a good time assuming you're connected to the PSN.

Depending on if you and your friend(s) like JRPGs: Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesperia (not sure if that ported to PS3 yet, though.)
Also Borderlands. It's like Diablo, but with guns. Solo is nowhere near as fun than with an extra person or three.

[krogothwolf]

I enjoyed Army of Two for the co-op mode. I would say it's a must.

[shiney]

You fuckers are going to make me waste more money on games now. I have to try Valkyria Chronicles. And I'm probably going to end up playing FFT again.

Die in a fire, all of you bastards. Especially you.

[greed]

Tales of Vesperia (not sure if that ported to PS3 yet, though.)


Vesperia was ported a while back, doesn't look like it's getting translated though. Which is a real shame as it's the best JRPG of the generation hands down (not counting the SMT's for the PS2 that came out this gen). Especially shameful as that piece of shit Star Ocean 4's PS3 port got translated. Oh that reminds me, do not buy Star Ocean 4. Just.... don't.

[Solid Snake]

Not sure why you bought any of this personally. I can understand maybe buying a 2nd controller, if you intend to game with friends, but surely you can get a cheaper controller than that?? Oh and make sure the controller is an official Sony one. Lesser brands are fairly crap.

The controller charger is utterly pointless, seeing as the console comes with a charging cable anyway.

And the remote... really? Why? Controllers work just as well and don't cost more money. You could get another 2 games for all that stuff.


I felt the remote was a necessity for playing DVDs with my PS2, as the controller just made the DVD process inexplicably difficult to control, and operated under a similar assumption for the DVD remote.

How long do the batteries for a fully-charged PS3 controller last prior to needing a recharge? I'm just wondering insofar as I purchased the controller charger thingymagig in large part to avoid a scenario where both controllers needed recharging mid-game. I think this will be the most likely item I'd return (I have to confess I operated under the assumption that there'd be no way to recharge my PS3 controller if I didn't make that purchase. I think I was thinking about a friend's X360, which required purchasing new batteries until he bought an independent recharger.)

If you're convinced neither is a necessity, I'll take both back, but not the second controller. Despite the ludicrous $60 cost, I'm hoping the second controller will be worth the investment.

[shiney]

The charge lasts for at minimum 8 hours per my experience and probably even longer. There is very ltitle chance it will die mid-game unless you're on a marathon session, and the charging cable should more than suffice. The remote is entirely useless, the controller is easy to figure out:

x - play
square - stop / return to top menu
circle - opens option window to stop playing & exit dvd player function
triangle - opens in-play menu (subtitles, return to main menu, blah blah)
shoulder 1s - skip forward/back
shoulder 2s - ff/rewind

Simple as.

[EVILNess]

Take the charger back, it lasts many hours and IF it does start to die then just plug it up to the USB cable and keep playing. Take the remote back too.

As for the controller, I would take it back only if you didn't buy an official PS3 controller. Seriously, first party is the ONLY way to go with controllers. At the very least having two controllers allows you to keep one charging at all times so that IF you do run out of controller juice (Say you forgot to put it on the cable) you can just swap them.

Get some PSN cards for Christ sake! Some of the best games for the PS3 are on it! Megaman, MvC2, Turtles in Time Reshelled, Pixel Junk Shooter, Fat Princess! Not to mention the PSOne Classics (They tend to stretch the meaning of classics, but what the hey) Wild Arms 1 and 2, Suikoden, Final Fantasy 7-9, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Syphon Filter... I can go on. Some of the PSP minis are addictive as well. (They are playable on the PS3 as well as the PSP. Don't Confuse them with the regular PSP games though.)

As for games, Disgaea 3 is great and coming in MAY is 3D Dot Game Heroes at a reasonable price of $40!

This may strike you as odd, but I suggest getting a PSP 3000. It syncs up NICELY with the PS3 allowing you to take your PSOne Classics and Minis on the go! Since you like MGS so much you can grab the Gamestop exclusive combo pack of that new MGS game for $200 and be sporting a new camo PSP! (When it comes out!)

[krogothwolf]

The charge lasts for at minimum 8 hours per my experience and probably even longer. There is very ltitle chance it will die mid-game unless you're on a marathon session, and the charging cable should more than suffice. The remote is entirely useless, the controller is easy to figure out:

x - play
square - stop / return to top menu
circle - opens option window to stop playing & exit dvd player function
triangle - opens in-play menu (subtitles, return to main menu, blah blah)
shoulder 1s - skip forward/back
shoulder 2s - ff/rewind

Simple as.
If you make everyone realize how easy that is then Sony will lose a cash cow!

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah pretty much what Shiney and Evil just said. Controller is perfectly fine for dvds (trust me, I spend hundreds of hours watching any of my 50+ dvd tv series boxsets). All the buttons you would find on a dvd remote are there on the ps controller and work just the same.

The lifespan of the controller is irrelevent; if it runs out you just usb it up to the console and continue playing with the free cable that it comes with, same as you probably did with any pre-wireless console. You do not need to stop and wait for it to charge.

And again, if the 2nd controller is not first party then return it and buy a cheaper Sony one. If it IS a Sony then fair enough, but that still seems quite expensive for them.

[bluestarultor]

Some advice on the controller: if you're going to get a 3rd-party controller, get an Intec. They make a damn good product and that product is a controller with programmable autofire.

[Solid Snake]

RE: Fighting games, what's the general consensus between Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6, the new Street Fighter, and Soul Calibur IV?

Also, do Battlefield 2 and/or Modern Warfare 2 include two-player in the same room, or are the multiplayer modes online only? Are there any games like a Modern Warfare or Gears of War style FPS that include a mode where two can play in the same room?

Also: has FFXIII really been so disappointing that no one's going to try to convince me to give it a chance?

[krogothwolf]

Army of Two: 40 Days is similar to Gears of War

[Kyanbu The Legend]

RE: Fighting games, what's the general consensus between Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6, the new Street Fighter, and Soul Calibur IV?

Also, do Battlefield 2 and/or Modern Warfare 2 include two-player in the same room, or are the multiplayer modes online only? Are there any games like a Modern Warfare or Gears of War style FPS that include a mode where two can play in the same room?

Also: has FFXIII really been so disappointing that no one's going to try to convince me to give it a chance?

FFXIII is worth a shot (rent it first!!). It's just that most gamers don't like it is all. And don't won't to mention it.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

RE: Fighting games, what's the general consensus between Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6, the new Street Fighter, and Soul Calibur IV?

Also, do Battlefield 2 and/or Modern Warfare 2 include two-player in the same room, or are the multiplayer modes online only? Are there any games like a Modern Warfare or Gears of War style FPS that include a mode where two can play in the same room?

Also: has FFXIII really been so disappointing that no one's going to try to convince me to give it a chance?

Street Fighter is full of uber-elite/cheapskate Ken/Ryu players who play the game constantly and have been for years and are virtually unbeatable/spam hadokens over and over and over again and think they're good players. Don't bother unless you're really good already or have a MASSIVE desire to be constantly frustrated.

Neither Battlefield or MW2 have splitscreen. The only games I can think of that do are Warhawk (3rd person online only, really awesome, but as I said earlier, not sure how busy the servers are these days), Unreal 3 (FPS, really good, offline and online game modes, though splitscreen is only offline) and Resi 5 (splitscreen co-op campaign, really awesome with a friend).

Personally I'd be wary of the first Army of Two, I found it to be utterly terrible. Playing felt like trying to dig my way through a river of quicksand it was so slow and awkward.


Can't comment on FFXIII because I haven't played it. It looks crap though.

[Solid Snake]

Street Fighter is full of uber-elite/cheapskate Ken/Ryu players who play the game constantly and have been for years and are virtually unbeatable/spam hadokens over and over and over again and think they're good players. Don't bother unless you're really good already or have a MASSIVE desire to be constantly frustrated.

But you can still play Street Fighter (and other fighting games, like Soul Calibur IV) on splitscreen offline, right? I'm more interested in the potential there then what the online scene may or may not be like.

[BitVyper]

Fighting games, what's the general consensus between Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6, the new Street Fighter, and Soul Calibur IV?

Don't bother with SCIV if you're expecting a single player experience like, at all.

Edit: That said, the character creator is awesome. I pretty much just make up characters and then once in awhile play a game. Also if you punch a girl's shirt enough times, it shatters.

[Ecks]

and Battlefield 2 (I wasn't fond of the original Modern Warfare, which I have played at a friend's, and while I haven't played MW2, I think the rebellious soul in me would prefer Battlefield 2 over its better known neighbor.)

Good for you man. Only reason I haven't played Battlefield 2 is because I'm a poor motherfucker and I already have MW2.

Apparently the online is FUBAR given the fact that everyone abuses the glitches, so if you don't care about that and/or are already getting Battlefield 2, y'know, whatever.

I still highly recommend at LEAST Devil May Cry 4.

RE: Fighting games, what's the general consensus between Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6, the new Street Fighter, and Soul Calibur IV?

Also, do Battlefield 2 and/or Modern Warfare 2 include two-player in the same room, or are the multiplayer modes online only? Are there any games like a Modern Warfare or Gears of War style FPS that include a mode where two can play in the same room?

Also: has FFXIII really been so disappointing that no one's going to try to convince me to give it a chance?

Modern Warfare 2 has up to four player splitscreen. HOWEVER! The coop modes and campaign mode are exclusive: you cannot play campaign cooperatively, but you can play certain retooled campaign missions in coop mode.

But the competitive multiplayer... 4 player splitscreen, and on one of the smaller maps... holy shit. Not to mention your offline profiles gain levels, and as you gain levels you unlock new equipment, achievements, etc. If you ever want more info, ask via PM, I don't wanna stretch this thread with unrelated drivel.

[BloodyMage]

RE: Fighting games, what's the general consensus between Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 6, the new Street Fighter, and Soul Calibur IV?

Can't say anything for Virtua Fighter 5 or Street Fighter since I haven't played them, but if you've played and enjoyed the older Tekken games you'll probably enjoy 6 because it's much the same, except for the Scenario mode, but don't expect to even try and play that more than once. As for Soul Calibur IV, BitViper was pretty much spot on. The shattering clothes part isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds though...

Also: has FFXIII really been so disappointing that no one's going to try to convince me to give it a chance?

Not that it's horrible. I think it's a pretty decent game but there are just a lot of minor flaws that just dampen the experience and make it seem like more of a chore than an entertaining experience. I'd certainly rent before buying.

[MSperoni]

I like all of those fighters, I guess Tekken 6 if I had to pick one, but I haven't played Super Street Fighter 4.

Virtua Fighter 5 is kinda technical and hard to play casually, which is kinda silly since it has no online capabilities (at least not the PS3 one) so you can never really "test" yourself. It might be my favorite one of the ones you mentioned as just a raw fighting game. The "quest mode" in VF5 is huge though, you could play it technically forever I think. The AI is very good. There are some neat characters and the fighting styles feel relatively real, not glamorized like in Tekken or Street Fighter or SC4 (I suppose). Which is a plus to me.

However there's a lot more to do in Tekken 6 than SC4 and VF5, and Tekken 6 can be very slow and methodical if you choose it to be. One thing I did't like about the DOA games was they felt very spammy. Tekken 6 you can plan what you're doing and since some moves do a lot of damage a fight isn't really over till it's over. It makes it a lot more tense because even if you think the opponent is beaten a few good clean hits can turn it 180 degrees.

SC4 is pretty fun if you like those weapon based fighters. SC4 aside from a few things to do outside the main fighter is very thin. You have a very short story mode, a "quest mode" (which isn't that great), and that create a fighter mode, which is fun, but Tekken 6 sorta has that too (SC4 you can create one from scratch, T6 you simply play dress-up with fighters that already exist). The AI on SC4 isn't that great either, they're very vulnerable to throws and generally perform the same dumb tactics over and over again (I was practicing against Seong Mina on Hard and I swear she attacked low like 75% of the time).

Tekken 6 and SC4 have online capabilities tho.. which is a plus.

I also have a soft-spot for Tekken, Tekken 1 was the second game I got for the PS1 (Doom was the first) and so the series is just something that goes way back w/ me :)

[Krylo]

One thing on controllers, re: Charging.

The charging USB cable that comes with the PS3 is short as fuck. If you're getting a second controller, this doesn't matter, at all, as you can have one plugged and charging while playing on another and switch every 8-16 hours or whatever stupid time frame it takes them to die. Also, it charges much faster than it burns power, so even with one it's only a mild inconvenience. Within a fifteen minutes to a half hour of 'playing' charging you'll have a good hour or two of charge.

However, it's still pretty annoying if you forget to charge your controller and want to keep the PS3 in a cabinet or anything where you won't want to be pulling it out of.

THUS, I suggest returning the charger and then buying a longer cable.

On games, I'm going to suggest Heavenly Sword, and second most of the other suggestions.

Didn't really like Batman, though. It gets boring/repetitive after awhile, and just kind of seems to drag on forever. Still haven't beaten despite having easy access to it for months now. Just kind of quit after awhile 'cause, meh.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

But you can still play Street Fighter (and other fighting games, like Soul Calibur IV) on splitscreen offline, right? I'm more interested in the potential there then what the online scene may or may not be like.

Yeah you can still do 2 player offline. But aside from that, a 10 fight arcade mode, and some survival/time trial challenge rooms, there's not much else. At least in the original SF4, duno what might've been added to Super.

[Donomni]

I think FFXIII is pretty good, what with not being fucking absurd with "blink and you'll miss it" inane shit, and as I've said before, the combat is pretty good, very fast paced and flowy. The leveling system also prevents grinding your brains out(After games like Disgaea, this is always a plus) and keeps your characters from acting almost exactly the same like FFXII.

Most of the characters you probably won't like, but Sazh and his Chocofro are fuck-all sweet. He's literally just a normal dad in an FF game. The story is... well, I thought it was alright, but the ending gets pretty hard to follow or understand(Not as much as FFVII's, but close).

Once again, I suggest a rental, as a lot of people have differing opinions on this game.

[BitVyper]

SC4 aside from a few things to do outside the main fighter is very thin. You have a very short story mode, a "quest mode" (which isn't that great)

It should be noted that the story mode doesn't actually have much story, and is basically the same five levels for every character with none of the branching plot paths that the previous games had. It's pretty much just "hey, there's a Solar Exalted at the top of this tower. Go kill him for ."

The Star Wars cameos suck too, and I usually [I]love random crossovers. They just didn't really try at all with this. Like, where's my laser-calibur/edge? You're telling me we can have invisible swords, flaming swords, friggin Sun Wukong's size-changing staff (in SCIII anyway), but you can't give me Vader wielding laser Soul Edge? Crossovers are fun when you go nuts with them. Have Yoda give sage advice to Seigfried while Vader is in a contest of wills with Nightmare or something. Here it's just like "hello, we are Star Wars characters. All of our weapons look pretty much exactly the same, and we do not interact meaningfully with any of the characters in the game."

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah and the Arcade mode is basically just random fights until about round 8 when that dude from Force Unleashed will appear and proceed to kick your arse repeatedly because he's stupidly broken and unbeatable.

[Solid Snake]

UPDATE: After several hours of Torts / Crim Justice outlining today I decided to take a brief break and return the Energizer recharger and the DVD remote items.
I had planned to purchase and wrap up a new game with an exchange, and specifically I was looking for RE5 Gold and/or Tekken 6.

Neither title was available at the Best Buy I went to, believe it or not. I tormented myself for five minutes or so debating picking up FFXIII, as it was available, prominently featured and that chick on the cover is drop-dead gorgeous, seriously now, but reason overcame me and I decided against it. Batman was there too, but it was nearly as expensive as a brand-new title and decidedly more expensive than it would be on Amazon.com. So I just returned the stuff and got my money back.

I'm also beginning to feel increasingly confident about the probability that I will ultimately (maybe not under the budget for this post-law school exams celebration, but eventually this will happen) purchase FFXIII. It's not even that I necessarily truly believe it will be good, but rather that I've owned every FF to come before it and I view the experience as something special even when I intensely dislike the game. (My enthusiasm for a game's great experience is subsequently replaced by a nearly equal enthusiasm to keep playing a mediocre FF so I can knowledgeably criticize the crap out of it in gaming forums. Seriously, I think in a warped way I've actually derived just as much pleasure from FFX-2 as from the FFs I've loved, but just in a different sense -- FFX-2 is just so fun to mock.)

Anyway, that aside, I now know that I will definitely be picking up RE5: Gold for its split-screen co-op mode. Once that purchase is done with I'll still be left with enough expendable money for a couple more games. I'm thinking Tekken 6 is going to be the winner for the fighter, as Soul Calibur IV sounds a bit of a bust. Super Street Fighter still feels awfully tempting, though. I'm also leaving a bit of money until reviews for Red Dead Redemption and the new Prince of Persia come out (both games are released 5/18.)

Finally, I now have an absolutely obscene amount of imported Hofbrau beer (imported from Munich, Germany) stashed away in my room. This post-finals celebration is going to be epic.