What are you playing right now? (3 Viewers)

[BobO'Link]

My grandson brought his X-Box 360 to my house. He got a X-Box One and didn't play the 360 much so it's here for both of us whenever he's not grounded from electronics (which seems to be all the time lately).

So... my son asked for Skyrim for Christmas saying he missed playing. I check it out and find it's a RPG, one of my favorite game types, and pick up a copy for the 360. I'm really liking it so far. My biggest problem is lack of game playing time. The real sad part is it's making me want to build a gaming PC and finally finish Baldur's Gate, start Icewind Dale, and others I'd purchased years back but just never got around to playing. I have the parts - just need to make the time.

 

[CraigF]

^ I built a "gaming PC" recently, or at least it uses all the stuff you'd use if you were designing a PC specifically optimized for gaming using current 2017 stuff. And I *hate* gaming on the PC. Go figger... At least it does the web thing *really* fast now (I'm surprised it made any diff at all actually, but it very much does). I much prefer playing games on a console, surrounded by my...errrr...surround sound in a treated room (to help muffle my descriptive language of the game designers to those outside the room, and to make it sound a lot clearer to those inside), sitting in my comfy chair with the big screen, etc. All the video vices combined in one easy place.

It's not like I can't put the new "gaming PC" in there too of course, but I could never get used to using a keyboard/mouse in there, it just wasn't comfortable like using the consoles was. I guess it could be. It does seem like PCs will be the future of gaming, I'm surprised consoles are still hanging on actually, perhaps even thriving (??). That's why I built that PC. But it just doesn't feel the same. Maybe I could/will get used to it.

I really do like those Bethesda RPG games. Never thought I would. Often I don't like the subject matter (fantasy etc.), but I like the games and the subject doesn't matter as much as I thought it would. Not a fan of Bethesda itself though, or at least the tools they use, or their QC, or whatever the excuse for their continuing very basic "mechanical" failings are.

Oh yeah: I think I'm going to start Skyrim (Legendary edition) on the *PS3* today or tomorrow, just wrap up the (Bethesda) game I'm playing and leave it in a clean state so I can easily return to it if I want. Have been waffling about getting a PS4 version of Skyrim since it's pretty cheap here now, but I think I'll stick to what I bought quite a while ago and see how it goes. Sometimes remasters are great, but sometimes there's not much diff, I haven't done any "research" on the PS4 remaster so don't have an inkling. I assume the PS3 version is similar to the XB360 one.

 

[Northgun]

you could always setup a console controller on your PC. Would work for most games. There are a few that require a few more buttons though, but even those can be setup on a controller with a little creativity.

 

[Northgun]

Started playing Minecraft again. Have two servers going, one is a really old world and the other one is only a week old. Got some new players too, been quite fun. Still looking for a few more players, but like the other server, in time I believe they will come

 

[Jeff Cooper]

I really do like those Bethesda RPG games. Never thought I would. Often I don't like the subject matter (fantasy etc.), but I like the games and the subject doesn't matter as much as I thought it would. Not a fan of Bethesda itself though, or at least the tools they use, or their QC, or whatever the excuse for their continuing very basic "mechanical" failings are.

Oh yeah: I think I'm going to start Skyrim (Legendary edition) on the *PS3* today or tomorrow, just wrap up the (Bethesda) game I'm playing and leave it in a clean state so I can easily return to it if I want. Have been waffling about getting a PS4 version of Skyrim since it's pretty cheap here now, but I think I'll stick to what I bought quite a while ago and see how it goes. Sometimes remasters are great, but sometimes there's not much diff, I haven't done any "research" on the PS4 remaster so don't have an inkling. I assume the PS3 version is similar to the XB360 one.

The basic excuse I see brought up all the time with regards to Bethesda QC is "Well the games are so big and complex, you have to expect those type of issues and bugs." And I totally bought into those excuses, that is until I played GTAV on PS4. A huge complex amazing looking open world with a billion different things going on at once, and not once did it crash on me. Sorry Bethesda, your excuse doesn't hold water anymore. Time to step it up.

Regarding the PS3 vs. PS4 Skyrim: I don't have the PS4 version so I can't say for sure, but if the PS4 version has quicker load times, even if by a very little, then absolutely 10001% go with the PS4 version, especially if it is on sale. I did 100% the PS3 Legendary version, and the load times realllllly got to me in the end. out of 250 hours I put into it, I would say at least 60 of those were staring at a loading screen. Not even an exaggeration. It's especially bad at the end when you travel around a lot quicker spending less time in places. That experience killed any reason at all for me to revisit the title on PS4. I just said 'Nah, don't want to go through all that again.'

 

[CraigF]

you could always setup a console controller on your PC. Would work for most games. There are a few that require a few more buttons though, but even those can be setup on a controller with a little creativity.

Yes, I have already bought one. It's an XBox-style design, I understand it works with XBoxen, and I got it specifically because it works with my Android box. That was before I built the "gaming PC". A regular PS3 controller can also be made to work with both these, apparently, but I haven't tried it.

And the PS4 controller I got with my PS4 is the first version, which does not work with various Sony things (d'oh!) including a current-model Sony BDP I have. Only the latest PS4 controller version works (AFAIK nobody advertises which version of PS4 controller they're selling, and I can't tell the diff in stores). I don't even know if my PS4 controller works with the newish Sony RF dongle for PS4 controllers...I don't want to buy another PS4 controller to try, I just don't use the PS4 enough to make use of a "spare" controller if it doesn't...I'm always a gen behind in games/console use it seems.

 

[CraigF]

The basic excuse I see brought up all the time with regards to Bethesda QC is "Well the games are so big and complex, you have to expect those type of issues and bugs." And I totally bought into those excuses, that is until I played GTAV on PS4. A huge complex amazing looking open world with a billion different things going on at once, and not once did it crash on me. Sorry Bethesda, your excuse doesn't hold water anymore. Time to step it up.

Regarding the PS3 vs. PS4 Skyrim: I don't have the PS4 version so I can't say for sure, but if the PS4 version has quicker load times, even if by a very little, then absolutely 10001% go with the PS4 version, especially if it is on sale. I did 100% the PS3 Legendary version, and the load times realllllly got to me in the end. out of 250 hours I put into it, I would say at least 60 of those were staring at a loading screen. Not even an exaggeration. It's especially bad at the end when you travel around a lot quicker spending less time in places. That experience killed any reason at all for me to revisit the title on PS4. I just said 'Nah, don't want to go through all that again.'

That's what I meant by basic "mechanical" failings: loading and saving. These aspects should not even be an issue, they should be taken for granted they are so fundamental. Yet this is where Bethesda has major issues and is usually the source of all their problems. I can understand the occasional story or character glitch in such large open worlds, it's bound to happen. But I've seen when Bethesda tries to correct those story glitches, and screws up even more stuff in the process (probably because the people who know what really needs to be done have long since moved on to other projects/companies).

I must say though that I have become a LOT more patient since I started playing Bethesda games. I rarely even swear at them now. I think the people who give them a "pass" with their issues just forget how truly annoying and poor the fundamental performance is, they've just become used to it. But good games, a truly mind-boggling amount of detail in their worlds if you dig deep, it seems to never end the things you can find, it's like they're almost "alive".

 

[Bryan^H]

Swords of Fury-Pinball Arcade. A really fun table from 1988. Currently playing on my IPad. I'm waiting for its release on the PS4.

And Farsight just announced the first table for season 7.
Paragon from 1978. A dream come true for me. Something about the late 70's/early 80's 'Solid State' tables that I can't get enough of.

 

[Richard_Hersey]

Started playing Minecraft again. Have two servers going, one is a really old world and the other one is only a week old. Got some new players too, been quite fun. Still looking for a few more players, but like the other server, in time I believe they will come

Playing minecraft on the weekend is quite fun. Btw, i have the VIta and PC version. I prefer the vita since i could play it anymore. Looking forward to play the switch version since it comes with special edition and the world is bigger. That would be the third time i am buying minecraft.

 

[DavidMiller]

Still playing Mass Effect Andromeda. I heard it takes 80-100 hours to finish so I maybe at it awhile. I have so many other games I still haven't started or finished I may not need to buy another game this year.

 

[LeoA]

Finished The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on my 3DS the other day, which I believe is the first game I've finished in 2017. Only took me 53.5 hours to 100% complete it. I finished it on the N64 in the 1990's, but didn't do all the sidequests back then.

I'm a slowpoke when it comes to games since I bet most would do this at least 15 hours faster...

 

[Sam Posten]

Mostly Diablo 3, Witch Doctor, Season 10.
Some:
Battlegrounds early access
Zelda
EQ1

 

[DaveF]

I had time to game today. I wasn't really in the mood to spend three hours playing Fallout 4 -- knowing that would advance me a quest or two but not give any satisfaction of appreciable progress in the game.

I played "Journey".

I'd bought it when it was on sale last year (a month after which, it was free on PS+, c'est la gaming). But hadn't yet launched it.

What a remarkable, beautiful, moving, and not fully explicable "game" experience.

If, like me, you've gone this long without playing "Journey", you owe it to yourself to play. If you don't have a Playstation, find a friend with one. Journey is, no exaggeration, two or three hours long. I settled down and played it through this afternoon while my wife was out shopping. (A friend had previously invited me over to play Journey on his PS3 (a couple years ago), saying I could finish it in a sitting. He wasn't kidding.)

 

[Ruz-El]

I'm still playing Fallout 4. Will I ever play another game? Will I ever get out of this stupid wasteland? I just found a new companion so I'm dragging around to max her perk thing before continuing on other quests.

 

[CraigF]

I'm still playing Borderlands 2, enjoying it, embraced the "use it and toss it" philosophy finally, I think. I'm "afraid" to get more into Fallout 4, or to even start FO:New Vegas, because of the black holes I know they'll be for me. I wish I was the type who could just leave a game knowing that I didn't do "everything" possible in it... Hell, I even got sucked into Journey for a long time, its simplicity belies the involvement you can have with it if you want to (I am far too unskilled to do any of the "good" stuff in it, and I've tried really hard too).

 

[Scott-S]

In my early years I was really into gaming. Starting with Doom, Quake, Unreal etc. all the way up to Half-life 2 (and episodes). Then I found I was just not interested much any more. It seemed (to me) the newer games were either multi-player only or just getting way to complicated for my late 40's and early 50's brain.

I recently have had a resurgence of my gaming fun. I went a long time (years) without playing much but my old steam library of all of the Half-life games (and portals). Then I got sucked back in about a year ago while having a bored summer and embracing YouTube videos of Playthroughs of some games to see if I would be interested.

These videos finally made me want to play the newer stuff. I ended up buying all the FarCry games up to FC4. Then Fallout 4. And now I just got Borderlands 2. I know, I am late to the game on all of these. I usually wait until the games are only $20 before I will buy them. $60 is just too much for a game. I got all the FarCry games together for $20 during a winter sale on Steam.

Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.

Now my old gaming rig will probably not be up to the newer stuff on the horizon. So this addiction will end up costing me thousands. Hell, I might as well embrace it all again and get into the HTC Vive.

 

[CraigF]

It seemed (to me) the newer games were either multi-player only or just getting way to complicated for my late 40's and early 50's brain.

I'm about a decade older than you, and I got more into games because they were good for the brain. So it's said...and I don't otherwise get a lot of "brain exercise" these days. I like solving puzzles, and so I like the more complicated/strategizing games. Not the way game development seems to be going (easier games = more sales??)... Thus I tend to gravitate to the older games and my PS4 stays cool, probably to be revived when I complain about the "PS6" games and the PS4 ones seem fine in comparison.

The problem I have: some of the older games, and not even that old (last decade), require young dexterity. I mean working full-time with both hands, carefully jumping and shooting/etc., while you also have to be actually thinking about what you're doing because the path isn't straightforward or obvious. Definitely for young(er) people! Makes my hands hurt after a while, really. I'm not talking strict platformers either, I totally avoid those.

Not that Borderlands 2 (what I'm playing now) requires much brain work, just a fair bit of stamina as it's always "just one more thing" in a mission to get to a save point if you don't want to have to repeat it all.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I finished Breath of the Wild last week (not even remotely interested in 100%ing the Korok seeds or buying the DLC). Now I have to get back to finishing Link's Awakening on 3DS then either play a couple of other Zelda titles I picked up but haven't tried yet (Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons) or one of the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest titles I picked up for 3DS last winter but haven't gotten to yet.

 

[BobO'Link]

I did some research on "good" games for the XBox 360 and picked up quite a few. I've played a little (1-5 hours each so far) on the following (Mostly testing the play mechanics):

Diablo III - Played the original Diablo on the PC and really liked it. This one's been pretty good so far.
Borderlands (been playing local coop with my grandson - considering "2")
Orange Box (Half Life 2, Half Life 2 Episode 1, Half Life 2 Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2) - I loved the original Half Life so... It's been fun so far but I'm really just getting started.
Rayman Origins (again, mostly playing local coop) - this one's quite fun for a platformer.
Bioshock - My grandson watched me play a bit of this one and pronounced it too scary to play himself (he's 13!?! and it's "too scary?!?" Oh well). I like it pretty well.
Darksiders - Also lots of fun.
Wolfenstein (my grandson really likes this one - I've watched him play but haven't tried it yet. Looks pretty good.)
Earth Defense Force 2025 (for the local coop - it's pretty standard but quite fun with both of us running around killing giant insects)
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Tomb Raider (grandson likes this one too - is about 1/3 the way through. Like Wolfenstein, I've not yet tried it but it looks fun.)

Purchased but not yet played (either of us):
Resident Evil 5 (He won't even try this one. I have one of the RE titles for the Wii and like it so this seemed like a good choice)
Bioshock 2
Batman: Arkham City
XCOM: Enemy Unknown

I have a list of others I'm considering.

If anyone has recommendations on "top 10" type games for the 360, throw 'em out there! I've been looking for more local coop games (but please - no GOW, Halo, or similar games - I don't care for 'em) and those are hard to find. Also, please don't suggest online games - I have zero interest in anything that requires online or a MS XBox Account to play.

 

[CraigF]

^ Since I'm playing it now: Borderlands 2 has local coop. I've never played it that way, but it's supposedly the "best" way to play, at least in normal mode. It's fine solo BTW. I've seen it for <$5 in Canada at WM lately (clearance), so maybe $3 there in the U.S.? Not sure if this is like the games you don't prefer, I've never played them. It's not realistic soldiers or gory anyway. I love driving the buggies around, and I imagine it would be better having somebody else sitting in/operating the main gun turret, or even 2 or 3 other people sitting in the back shooting at stuff for me. My understanding is the more people cooperating, the harder it gets, but also better rewards.

Yeah, Bioshock is creepy. I don't much like creepy/scary stuff either, but it didn't bother me. As an aside, this has the best audio quality of the Bioshocks. I played it in the full 7.1 audio mode, and it was kind of helpful hearing stuff moving behind/around/above you (and creepier...). Bioshock 2 is just plain creep, the whole notion behind the story is creepy. I know it's not a particularly popular Bioshock, but it's my favorite, the strategizing aspect I found very fun, and definitely a notch harder overall than the other BSs.

The Orange Box is good, also Portal 2 if you like to puzzle.