[standardman]

Originally Posted by Junkenstein

I dont know why i didnt mention it ewarlier, but i've been plating also a good amount of the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. lately

Holy bejesus. Talk about an atmosphere that gets under your skin. is not an horror game yet it manages to horrify me and make me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it's that Tarkovsky like landscape (i think the title didnt came out of nowhere), all grey rusting despair and rotting sickness. Maybe it's the sickening realism of the whole thing.

I wont call it an entertaining game (and boy it's hard to get into it when you're used to the silly over the top antics of this last generation of games. In this world, a skeletal dog can kill you) but it's amazing nonetheless.

I feel like it's the antidote to the very consoley frantic, restricted shooter. Are you using the STALKER COMPLETE mod? It's one of my favourite games and even I never play it without that mod anymore. It cleverly makes you feel isolated and alone in a wasteland while always keep you on your guard. In terms of atomosphere, very few games can even touch it. Going out at night in particular is scary as hell.

I am missing some good adventure games, though. Besides the episodic monkey island series, the stuff that came out lately is quite horrid. The last good game i played in that style was the very good Overclocked, a game that managed being fascinating to play AND pull out a weird and disdturbing story...

Have you played Ben There, Dan That? It's hilarious and free. It got a (not free) sequel called 'Time Gentlemen, Please'.

Originally Posted by Junkenstein

I wouldnt say it has aged perfectly. It's definitely an older, more clunky game. It's insanely frustrating at times (Apparently back then Valve werent the kind hearted crowd plesers of today that create games according to player's response), in some parts in a very idiotic and old school way. The story is still amazing, but the charcters are non-existent (although i still have to understand if the babillion lookalike scientists that repoeat "Greetings co-worker" or "You still believe that chaos theory is wrong?" while zombies are eating them alive, were done that way on purpose or not).

That given, it still has that unique approach to action gaming where you have to both carefully plan every step and blow up stuff in creative ways. The genius is there, just a bit awkward.

Valvemaniac note: Their sense to detail still gets me. Using Mike Patton to voice the infected in L4D is pure genius. I dont think there is another being or machine capable to trasmit the feeling you get when your the Boomer's pre-vomit retchings.

I remember getting a lot of laughs out of watch the scientists run, die and babble. It's a stiff game by today's standards but really the start of shooters moving away from monster corridors towards scripting, AI behaviour and story.

Mike Patton is also the Anger Sphere in Portal. Guy likes games, I guess.

Originally Posted by Junkenstein

Agreed, that's an interestingly dark turn. As Freeman thinks (aloud) in "Mind of Freeman":

"WHY ARE YOU SHOOTING ME? DO I LOOK LIKE AN ALIEN? AM I GREEN? THIS IS THE WORST RESCUE OPERATION EVEEEEER!"

It's still a delight anyway.

And, i have to admit, i'm a valve nerd all the way now. I even played "Lost coast".

It's all your fault Standardman. All. Your. Fault.

Those videos are game breakingly hilarious! Haha, always happy to turn someone on to Valve.

Originally Posted by Junkenstein

That article made my salival glands dry up.

I need something to keep me occupied up to fall (which in valve time might be the next millenium)

Assassin's creed 2 is on everone's lips but the internet based protection is stupid and i really dislike the first one. I'd like to check Just Cause 2, bu there's no release date on steam besides a generic March 2010. I'll also get l4d 2 sooner or later. I love the first one as much as any other valve game. They manage to be cute in a game with zombies (and the structure of the levels reminds me so much of half life sometimes i fell my small heart crumble)

But nothing will be like the return of GlaDOS. Well, besides the return of Alyx, of course.

They have 2 years lead on Portal 2 so it may actually (dare I say it?) make the release date. It's hard to wait even until fall.

I've heard they loosened the DRM a bit (you start from exactly where you left) but that's irrelevant because it was cracked almost immediately anyway. There's a quote from Gabe Newell (yes, I know) about DRM saying the best way to beat piracy to offer a better service than piracy, Ubisoft could do with listening to that.

For Left 4 Dead 2, I'd wait until the DLC comes out as it's likely to 1) go on sale 2) have a free weekend.