What are you currently playing? 4.0

[Foggle]

There are some light puzzles, platforming, 2D segments, and the world is pretty big and well designed. The soundtrack is great, too. Story's not too bad, either. Something tells me that you would enjoy this, Foggle.

That DOES sound like something I'd like!

I got intrigued by the plot of Dead Space 2 (apparently it's more psychological and interesting than the first one), so I picked up the original Dead Space on Steam for $5. I didn't really enjoy this game at all the first time I played it on the Xbox 360, but I'm currently playing it again on the PC and I love it! Once you figure out that the in-game V-sync completely destroys your performance/aiming and turn it off, it actually looks and runs quite a bit better than the console version. My main problem with this game is that it simply isn't scary, but that doesn't stop it from being slick and badass.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I always wondered why you never liked Dead Space before. I played a good chunk of the game (though I never got to beat it), and had a lot of fun with it. Its not really that scary, but neither is any other game that I have played before. What counts for me is the atmosphere, personally. I played the Dead Space 2 demo and had just about as much fun with it. I may look into getting that game later on this year when it drops in price.

[Foggle]

I always wondered why you never liked Dead Space before.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time remembering why, myself. It's pretty much RE 4 in space but with atmosphere that's actually kind of creepy and no lame (read: AWESOME) jokes/one-liners.

[Foggle]

Dead Space 2 is surprisingly much, MUCH better than the first one. The atmosphere has really been improved, the action is more fast-paced, the story is more interesting (Isaac talks now!), and it's actually managed to scare me a couple of times (something the first one was never able to accomplish). Great game.

[Daxdiv]

Okami on the Wii. I'm finally getting the hang of using the Wii Remote as a controller for this game.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

My friend gave me Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for free, since he no longer plays it, so I guess I'll be giving that game a shot sometime a little later.

[Spark Of Spirit]

You should play it before playing a Banjo Kazooie game. It might be easier playing it without expectations attached to it.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I beat most of the World 1 missions, if not all of them, and I certainly fail to see anything downright bad about this game so far, in terms of the type of game it is (in other words, not judging it as a platformer or in comparison to the previous Banjo Kazooie games at all). My only 2 gripes is that its been far too easy so far (though, I'm hoping that later worlds will come up with tougher challenges) and that I'm not quite sure how the vehicle building really works, so far (well, I suppose I get it for the most part, but I have barely unlocked any new parts to really experiment with it, so I haven't gotten to explore that aspect of the game, yet).

Its off to kind of a slow start, but its certainly not anywhere close to bad, yet. One thing that I don't think anyone can deny about this game, though, is that it looks simply amazing, both on a technical level in terms of its graphics and in terms of its visual design (and I just love the whole art design of the game in particular). Its easily one of the best looking XBOX360 games that's out. It even easily trumps most games that came out in 2010 in the graphics department, though its not like graphics matter all that much.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Graphically, it looks nice. The art style, music, and charm are all there.

My problem is that after the first mission, I spent my time running around the environment exploring and getting nothing accomplished. It was at that point where I just knew I wouldn't really be able to get into the game.

[Foggle]

I just don't really like racing/driving games. I mean, driving missions can be fucking awesome when used to break up the monotony (the motorcycle missions in Bayonetta? FREAKIN' SWEET), I'm just not a fan when the whole game (or most of it) is like that. Especially when the franchise it's part of used to be a platformer.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I don't like racing or driving games either, for the most part, but that alone doesn't make the game bad. I just fail to see how the game is terrible like so many people say. I can understand disappointing since its not a platformer, but disappointing and terrible are 2 completely different things. In this case, the game isn't all that flawed itself in terms of what it sets out to do. What I mean is that if the game had been developed as it was and didn't have the Banjo characters put in it, and instead was its own original IP but with the same exact mechanics and level design, I can guarantee that it would immediately lose all or most of its hate, if only because Banjo fans wouldn't even bother picking it up or trying it in the first place since it has no connection to the series. In this regard its sort of like the Halloween 3 of the Banjo series. I'm willing to bet that someone else who normally likes racing and driving games would probably find a lot to like about this game. I think the majority of review scores were fair to this game, though, and reflected its true worth for its intended audience (which clearly wasn't Banjo fans, since Rare doesn't give a shit about any of their old fan-base).

As for me, though, my problem is that its usually too easy, and when its not it seems that so far any difficulty comes more from its frustrating vehicle physics rather than challenging missions. Still, its kind of fun as long as there is no racing involved.

[Foggle]

I wouldn't know. I HAD a copy of the game, but before I got a chance to play it, the disc mysteriously disappeared from the box and was never found again.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I was playing the Dead Space 2 demo and got about 5 minutes into it and then got stuck at a puzzle in which I had to use my stasis ability to do something with some generator. I didn't actually find out how to get past that part so I quit the demo at that point. Perhaps I'll come back to it later when I can think straight again.

[Spark Of Spirit]

It was rumored that Rare actually WAS making BK3, but then while they were making it they thought this style of game wasn't fun anymore and made Nuts n' Bolts instead.

I still don't understand why they couldn't just, you know, make a better game, then. Super Mario Kart is a great game, but if we didn't get Super Mario World before it because Nintendo thought platformers weren't fun anymore I'm sure Mario fans would be more than a little annoyed.

IMO, they should have either made N&B a new franchise or made it AFTER they made a proper (and good) 3.

[Foggle]

It was rumored that Rare actually WAS making BK3,

That would explain the announcement trailer.

The first time I saw that trailer, the biggest smile you've ever seen formed on my face. "YES, RARE IS BACK!" I proclaimed, a tear in my eye as part of my childhood rushed back to me. And then the previews for the actual game rolled in from OXM and I felt like Rare had just taken a diarrhea dump on my N64.

but then while they were making it they thought this style of game wasn't fun anymore and made Nuts n' Bolts instead.

Yes, 3D platformers are no longer fun. That's why Super Mario Galaxy was so successful and why they're still making Ratchet and Sly games...