The Recommend a Game Thread

[Rondo9dunx]

With all the gamers on the board, I thought it'd be nice to have an all-purpose thread to recommend some games that might have slipped through the cracks. 

But I also just really wanted to recommend this game: NIER, an RPG that came out last year.



I've never been as impressed by such a low-profile game as I was by NIER.  First, a couple of down points that led to it generally being ignored in America:

- graphics look a little dated, especially in towns
- sidequests are often tedious (easy solution: don't do them.  They don't affect the storyline at all.  Do accept as many as you can though as the dialogue that accompanies them is often really good).
- the game throws you into a confusing situation and doesn't explain it fully for a long time.  The first couple hours of the main game also move a bit slowly before it picks up steam.

On the plus side:

- the soundtrack, voice work, and dialogue are maybe the best I've ever heard.  The banter and rapport between the characters is very well-done without being overwrought or annoying.  Even the loading screens help set the mood and develop the story.
- gameplay can be a little repetitive but is generally very fun; the game switches genres constantly along with lots of nods to classic games.
- It's the rare RPG where the main character isn't some whiny androgynous 16-year-old or a faceless mute.  Nier is an ugly-looking middle-aged man whose only motivation is to keep his daughter safe.  It's a great jumping-off point for the rest of the game.
- The story is maybe the most bittersweet I've ever seen.  The main ideas behind the story, and the truth about your situation aren't directly revealed for a long time, and in some cases not until completing a full playthrough.  Instead they slowly creep up on you over time through dialogue and plot events.
- When you beat the game, you can immediately begin a second playthrough, starting over halfway through the game with all levels, weapons, and items.  The second playthrough completely changes how you view the game, and the second ending is generally considered the true ending.  Just don't skip any cutscenes.
- How many games start the title screen by playing a clip of an angry woman cursing out a magic book?
- Nobody bought it so it's very cheap by now.

Anyway, Nier is a great, underrated game, and by far my favorite of the past year or two.  I don't generally gush about video games like this, but this was one of the best experiences I've ever had with a game, and almost no one's heard of it.  Well worth picking up.

Feel free to use this thread to post your own game recommendations too - I'm always looking for new options.

hmm I like to sift through the clearance rack in wal-mart for video games and i've ALMOST gotten Nier like 3-4 times but I was unsure. Def going to try it now after your review, thanks!

[Rondo9dunx]

If anyone on here is into retro-rpg-gaming then the nintendo wii is the way to go. I had gotten one for my kids, never used it until like 2 years after I got it I realized how many awesome games they had for sale at the nintendo store.


Shining Force 1 and 2
Secret of Mana
Final Fantasy 1,2,3
All the mario games from NES-N64 too.


I got star fox 64, donkey kong country and a bunch of other awesome old school games.

So as lame as it is, if you're into retro gaming then the Nintendo Wii is the way to go.

[fairweatherfan]

NIER stuff

hmm I like to sift through the clearance rack in wal-mart for video games and i've ALMOST gotten Nier like 3-4 times but I was unsure. Def going to try it now after your review, thanks!

Awesome!  Just make sure to give it time - it takes a few hours to pick up and it deliberately throws you into a world that won't immediately make sense.  But the game has more "soul" than anything I've played in a long time.

Oh yeah, and when you have to do fishing (a few hours in) you have to go fish on a beach through a tunnel to your right, NOT the beach right next to the fisherman.  Look for the X on your map.  This confused lots of people including at least one reviewer who got stuck there.

EDIT:  Also, the preview movie that plays if you leave the title screen up too long has MAJOR spoilers.  Just a warning.

[barefacedmonk]

I'm not even half way done with Fallout: New Vegas. This is the first FO game that I've played...and I'm really liking it so far. There are some glitches and the game freezes every now and then (I'm playing it on PS3..other consoles may not face this problem)...also the dialogue is very repetitive and amateurish...but the game is still very enjoyable despite all the flaws. I'll get the other FO games once I'm done playing this one.

[Roy H.]

I'm not even half way done with Fallout: New Vegas. This is the first FO game that I've played...and I'm really liking it so far. There are some glitches and the game freezes every now and then (I'm playing it on PS3..other consoles may not face this problem)...also the dialogue is very repetitive and amateurish...but the game is still very enjoyable despite all the flaws. I'll get the other FO games once I'm done playing this one.

Yeah, the glitches are pretty notorious, and they go across all consoles.  Bethesda will be releasing another patch soon, which will hopefully take care of some of those issues.  I'm looking forward to more downloadable content.

[barefacedmonk]

I'm not even half way done with Fallout: New Vegas. This is the first FO game that I've played...and I'm really liking it so far. There are some glitches and the game freezes every now and then (I'm playing it on PS3..other consoles may not face this problem)...also the dialogue is very repetitive and amateurish...but the game is still very enjoyable despite all the flaws. I'll get the other FO games once I'm done playing this one.

Yeah, the glitches are pretty notorious, and they go across all consoles.  Bethesda will be releasing another patch soon, which will hopefully take care of some of those issues.  I'm looking forward to more downloadable content.

How do you access the downloadable content? I click that option on the main menu and nothing happens. The screen fades slightly...thats it. Are the patches a part of the downloadable content?

[barefacedmonk]

Finished FO: New Vegas yesterday and got FO3: Game of the year edition. Going to play it now...FO3 looks/seems more "apocalyptic" than FO: NV...should be fun.

[fairweatherfan]

I've been playing the heck out of Bastion - it's a downloadable game from Xbox Live and Steam.  Really brilliantly done, the story and narration are amazing, as is the soundtrack.  Looks like a very polished Super Nintendo game and plays kind of like a stripped-down Diablo.  It cost me $15 in Xbox points and it's well worth it.

[Casperian]

The ultimate Nerd-Game:

Project Zomboid

http://projectzomboid.com/blog/

I don´t know if the game is already out, all I´ve played was an Alpha Tech Demo, but I loved every minute of it. Graphics are dated, similar to classics like "Jagged Alliance" or "X-Com: Enemy Unknown", but it´s not turn-based.

You start with your wounded wife in an abandoned building after a zombie outbreak, so the first thing you have to do is craft some bandages for her by ripping a towel to shreds. There are a lot of things to craft, including barricades and weapons.

You´ll have to find food, so you can´t simply hide in the building forever. Staying in the starting house probably isn´t a good idea altogether, as there are marauding gangs and survivors, some of them friendly, roaming in the streets for food, not to mention all the zombies. Staying in a closed building with nothing to do will probably depress you too much, anyway. You could do something against the depression by drinking alcohol you found in the buildings, but you risk to become an alcoholic, and you have to stay sharp and on your toes if you want to survive...and that´s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of things you can do and diseases that could kill you in this game.

And you will definitely die. In fact, the story is told in retrospective, and you know right from the start that you will die. Your goal is simply to survive as long as you can, while food and electricity run out.

All in all, probably the most atmospheric indie-game I´ve ever played (Granted, that doesn´t mean much), and a definite recommendation for every fan of the zombie genre out there.

Here´s a video of a playthrough you can find on the developer´s site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to4lNOuE3FU

[fairweatherfan]

After a VERY frustrating first half-hour (never played Demon Souls), I'm really enjoying Dark Souls.  I'm glad to see a game like this can still get made in this day and age. 

Difficulty is unforgiving without being unfair - the game won't hold your hand at all and you will die, a lot, til you figure out how to improve.  Lots of customizability and the gameplay and environments are great.  Only major con is that the game isn't great about explaining some of its mechanics - had to go to the wiki to look a few basics up.  But it's great fun overall.  Think I'll be spending a lot of time with this one. 

[indeedproceed]

After a VERY frustrating first half-hour (never played Demon Souls), I'm really enjoying Dark Souls.  I'm glad to see a game like this can still get made in this day and age. 

Difficulty is unforgiving without being unfair - the game won't hold your hand at all and you will die, a lot, til you figure out how to improve.  Lots of customizability and the gameplay and environments are great.  Only major con is that the game isn't great about explaining some of its mechanics - had to go to the wiki to look a few basics up.  But it's great fun overall.  Think I'll be spending a lot of time with this one. 

The IGN.com review of Dark Souls basically said the same thing, with some great quotes.

(paraphrasing)

"The game is so dark that extended hours of gameplay will literally begin to mess with your psyche."

"At first the game is hard, but it will eventually become pathologically evil in its difficulty."

"There isn't really a story, but that doesn't matter, because it looks awesome and is really fun to play once you get the hang of dying. A lot. Its like the whole game."

The last one is a really liberal paraphrase.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2011/09/30/dark-souls-video-review

Trying now to decide between that and Deus Ex.

[Roy H.]

I have a huge back log of games to play (I just finished Gears 3, and am now playing God of War collection), but Dark Souls will be next up.

[barefacedmonk]

Dead Island.

[fairweatherfan]

Dark Souls is my GOTY at this point.  Man it's tough but fun, and the setpieces and gameplay are phenomenal. 

It sounds strange to describe it this way but it's probably the most intricate puzzle game I've ever played, if that makes sense.  Everything's interconnected, and everything involves structuring your build and skills to solve the next challenge.  Brilliant game.

[barefacedmonk]

After a VERY frustrating first half-hour (never played Demon Souls), I'm really enjoying Dark Souls.  I'm glad to see a game like this can still get made in this day and age. 

Difficulty is unforgiving without being unfair - the game won't hold your hand at all and you will die, a lot, til you figure out how to improve.  Lots of customizability and the gameplay and environments are great.  Only major con is that the game isn't great about explaining some of its mechanics - had to go to the wiki to look a few basics up.  But it's great fun overall.  Think I'll be spending a lot of time with this one. 

This month's fantasy PS3 and Xbox 360 hit Dark Souls has been described as the 'hardest game of all time'. The back of the box says simply 'Prepare to Die'.

One gamer has somehow beaten the whole game in one hour and 26 minutes - and in case anyone doubts him, he's posted the whole insane feat on YouTube.

LINK