ASHES video game area

Our game room isn't really a room, but more like a section in the basement, so we call it the video game area. I thought that would be an appropriate name for my gaming stuff blog. Here I will discuss game collecting, playing, favourite systems, etc.

The only system I "collect" for is Xbox 360. I got a PS3 first, so my PS3 games are mostly digital, but there are a lot of games from that generation I want a physical copy of, so I'll get it for 360 if I can.

I like collecting the exclusive classics, like Lost Odyssey, and the Halo and Gears of War series, and the generation classics, like Doom 3, Red Dead Redemption and the Mass Effect trilogy.

It's so easy to collect from this generation right now, you can usually find games bundled together for ~$2 each or less. There's still a ton of great and terrible games I'm looking for, like Sonic 06, the Burger King games, Aliens vs Colonial Marines, Alien Isolation, Dead Space 2, The Evil Within 1 and 2, The Witcher 2, Call of Duty 4, and of course many many more.

A-D



F-W


Kid friendly+junk




What are your favourite games from this generation, and did you prefer Wii, Xbox 360 or PS3? Or are you PCMR? Do you prefer physical games or digital libraries? Xbox backwards compatibility with the One and the Series are making me seriously consider an Xbox for my next console over a PS5, in a couple years after price drops.

 

[dirtpoorchris]

You definately need

and you also need

 

[ASHES]

You definately need

and you also need

Definitely want to finish AVP, I only played it for a couple hours years ago, and that series has been good in the past. I could definitely use a good cart racer, but never played the Sonic one to see if it is.

 

[dirtpoorchris]

Definitely want to finish AVP, I only played it for a couple hours years ago, and that series has been good in the past. I could definitely use a good cart racer, but never played the Sonic one to see if it is.

This Sonic is a hidden gem. Poeple STILL play it online on 360. Its actually one of the best cart racers out there.

And AvP 360 is probably one of the worst aliens games BUT IS STILL REALLY GOOD. And sometimes people still even play this game online.

 

[ASHES]

This Sonic is a hidden gem. Poeple STILL play it online on 360. Its actually one of the best cart racers out there.

And AvP 360 is probably one of the worst aliens games BUT IS STILL REALLY GOOD. And sometimes people still even play this game online.

Multiplayer on the 360 is strictly local, unless I ever get a new Xbox and switch from PSN to XBL.

AvP wasn't terrible on PC, from what I remember. It really captured the atmosphere well anyway. I like hidden gems, so I'll keep an eye out for that Sonic game too.

 

[Lutherf]

I'm a PC guy but I loved my Sega Genesis back in the day and now have a Golden Tee game and a 412 game arcade machine in my game room.

As far as a favorite game, that's really hard to say. I have more hours in Civilization games than anything else but that's because a Civ game is my "go to" when I need a break from anything else. The Elder Scrolls series is probably what I get the most enjoyment from but the Fallout games would be running neck and neck.

 

[dirtpoorchris]

Multiplayer on the 360 is strictly local, unless I ever get a new Xbox and switch from PSN to XBL.

AvP wasn't terrible on PC, from what I remember. It really captured the atmosphere well anyway. I like hidden gems, so I'll keep an eye out for that Sonic game too.

Well I definately play people online on my xbox 1 even though its 360. There is 2 different AVP games for PC an old one made in like 1995-2000 era and then AVP 360 which was made in like 2005 or something. The old AVP for pc was way better than the 360 version but 360 version still fun to run through and like I said you can still play online with both these games on xbox1 but AVP is usually dead but sometimes theres a party.

 

[ASHES]

I'm a PC guy but I loved my Sega Genesis back in the day and now have a Golden Tee game and a 412 game arcade machine in my game room.

PC is my primary platform, but I still enjoy lots of others. Genesis was fun, though I never owned one. Lots of memories of mortal combat, Sonic and the like at friend's houses. I wouldn't mind a Sega Rally arcade machine in my game area, that was one of my favourites.

As far as a favorite game, that's really hard to say. I have more hours in Civilization games than anything else but that's because a Civ game is my "go to" when I need a break from anything else. The Elder Scrolls series is probably what I get the most enjoyment from but the Fallout games would be running neck and neck.

I know what you mean, I have probably 3000 hours plus in Battlefield 4, even though there's other games I enjoyed more, even though the experience was shorter. One of the most memorable for me recently was What Remains of Edith Finch. Short game, no grand strategy, but really unique storytelling and a memorable story. The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and other RPGs really blend that high playtime with an interesting story for me. I usually turn down the difficulty for combat because I like watching it, but I don't want to be frustrated and challenged, just enjoy the story. Usually. There's a few games I enjoy the challenge of. I do enjoy strategy games, like StarCraft, Red Alert, etc, but the Civ games were a bit too intimidating to get into.

 

[Lutherf]

PC is my primary platform, but I still enjoy lots of others. Genesis was fun, though I never owned one. Lots of memories of mortal combat, Sonic and the like at friend's houses. I wouldn't mind a Sega Rally arcade machine in my game area, that was one of my favourites.

I know what you mean, I have probably 3000 hours plus in Battlefield 4, even though there's other games I enjoyed more, even though the experience was shorter. One of the most memorable for me recently was What Remains of Edith Finch. Short game, no grand strategy, but really unique storytelling and a memorable story. The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and other RPGs really blend that high playtime with an interesting story for me. I usually turn down the difficulty for combat because I like watching it, but I don't want to be frustrated and challenged, just enjoy the story. Usually. There's a few games I enjoy the challenge of. I do enjoy strategy games, like StarCraft, Red Alert, etc, but the Civ games were a bit too intimidating to get into.

One of the problems with a lot of RPGs is that increasing difficulty does nothing more than turn enemies into bullet sponges and turn you into swiss cheese. It usually adds almost nothing to the story.

I did notice a Duke Nukem game in your library and that game was brilliant!

 

[ASHES]

One of the problems with a lot of RPGs is that increasing difficulty does nothing more than turn enemies into bullet sponges and turn you into swiss cheese. It usually adds almost nothing to the story.

I did notice a Duke Nukem game in your library and that game was brilliant!

The original was good. I haven't played Duke Nukem Forever yet but heard it's one of the worst games on whatever platform it's on. I think it lets you play the original though. Doom 3 BFG has Ultimate Doom and Doom II, I like it when games do that.

Yeah, bullet sponges and instant death aren't fun for me.

 

[Lutherf]

The original was good. I haven't played Duke Nukem Forever yet but heard it's one of the worst games on whatever platform it's on. I think it lets you play the original though. Doom 3 BFG has Ultimate Doom and Doom II, I like it when games do that.

Yeah, bullet sponges and instant death aren't fun for me.

I guess I didn't know there was a new version. The one I was thinking about was the one that came out in the late 90s.

 

[ASHES]

I guess I didn't know there was a new version. The one I was thinking about was the one that came out in the late 90s.

Yeah that's the good one. The other one came out in 2011. It was not as widely loved. It went through dev hell though, so it isn't entirely surprising. There were also 2D platformers before and after Duke Nukem 3D, which were all pretty OK.

 

[Evilroddy]

ASHES:

Do Spider Solitaire and Minefield count as video games?

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

 

[ASHES]

ASHES:

Do Spider Solitaire and Minefield count as video games?

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

Yes. I am disappointed the Xbox 360 didn't come with them installed, considering how long they've been a part of Windows. Also needs Space Cadet Pinball.

 

[AConcernedCitizen]

One of the problems with a lot of RPGs is that increasing difficulty does nothing more than turn enemies into bullet sponges and turn you into swiss cheese. It usually adds almost nothing to the story.

I did notice a Duke Nukem game in your library and that game was brilliant!

I'd say it's even more of a problem in Civ V though. The AI gets a bunch of free techs to start, an extra settler, and can build wonders, building and units with half as much production, but the AI is still just as stupid. It makes winning a Deity game very difficult, but also tedious compared with an Emperor game. I wish Civ's difficulty scaled more like chess, where the computer plays by the same rules as the player, but the AI just gets smarter. There isn't any way to win an early game race to build wonders or discover techs on Deity as far as I can tell. It's less like you are building a Civilization, and more like a game of tactical cheese.

 

[MamboDervish]

The only system I "collect" for is Xbox 360. I got a PS3 first, so my PS3 games are mostly digital, but there are a lot of games from that generation I want a physical copy of, so I'll get it for 360 if I can.

What are your favourite games from this generation, and did you prefer Wii, Xbox 360 or PS3? Or are you PCMR? Do you prefer physical games or digital libraries?

It's been about 30 years since I've been into video games, but when I retire, my guess is I'll settle for an X Box with nothing more than MS-Flight Simulator on it. I might spring for the whole control shebang, with foot pedals for rudder and breaking, etc.

I don't think I'll ever run out of different places to fly, or different planes to get me there. I'll settle for a cheap, virtual bucket list.

 

[ASHES]

It's been about 30 years since I've been into video games, but when I retire, my guess is I'll settle for an X Box with nothing more than MS-Flight Simulator on it. I might spring for the whole control shebang, with foot pedals for rudder and breaking, etc.

I don't think I'll ever run out of different places to fly, or different planes to get me there. I'll settle for a cheap, virtual bucket list.

When I get MFS, I'll probably temporarily set up a triple monitor cockpit under a blanket. Won't be splurging on controls (I don't even use a wheel for racing games) but even with a controller it should be plenty immersive. Simulation off though, I don't need to spend 30 minutes learning how to start up a plane. There's a lot of places I'd like to visit in that game, and the 3d scenery really looks amazing a lot of the time.

 

[ASHES]

Replaying What Remains of Edith Finch, for the 4th or 5th time.

Minor spoilers ahead, this is a 4 year old game.

Major spoilers for this game will be hidden by spoiler tags.

For those unfamiliar, it's a story about a 17 year old girl named Edith Finch, who when her mother dies, goes back to her childhood home, and relives the memories of her "cursed" family tree through their journals and rooms in the family house, which each play out in unique ways, with different types of gameplay mechanics. People complain it is just another "walking simulator," but it is a lot more than that.

You do walk a lot, and you walk slowly. However, there is always interesting things to look at, examine, clues to pick up on, and a definite goal. The gameplay and moods shift often and keep things moving at an acceptable pace. You can speed run it, and skip some family members, but it's more enjoyable for me to take it slow and look at everything.

It's very linear, with the game progressing through the house room by room with each family member's tragic end experienced by you, the player, in often surreal, horrific, sad, and imaginative scenes as you uncover the family history, as well as the history of the house.

The graphics hold up pretty well in 2021 (it released in 2017), I'm playing it on PC with a PS4 controller, at max settings, 1080p. The interiors look better, with great lighting, shadows, and environmental detail. There is unique and interesting environmental stuff everywhere.

Now that you've read me gushing on, or excercised your scroll wheel, here is the game. There will be gameplay footage of certain sections in another post.

The full family tree, and your first approach of the house. All the names in blue fill up as you complete them.


Clockwise from top left:

The living room fireplace with picture of the original house, the door to the library, close up of Molly's door, and a view inside Calvin and Sam's room through the peephole. All the rooms are sealed shut, with peepholes on the outside to look in. You progress through various secret doors and passageways throughout and outside the house.

 

[ASHES]

How the game handles exposition: floating text with Edith narrating it, as well as the journals and other items of interest you see.

Inside Molly's room.

 

[ASHES]

Accidently bought an Xbox Series controller for my PC instead of a One controller, but it doesn't matter because they cost the same and the Series controller is actually better. Anyway, the point is it came with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate so I'll be doing some Microsoft Flight Simulator content, as well as various other flying and driving and shooting and platforming and adventure games.

The base game for Flight Simulator is over 160 gigs. I left it to download overnight. Any suggestions of where to go first?

 

[Roadvirus]

Gears of War AND COD fan....nice! You are da man!

I have an XBox 360 BTW.

I have the first 3 GOW games, all the COD MWs + World at War (both these franchises are my favs) along with other stuff.

 

[ASHES]

Gears of War AND COD fan....nice! You are da man!

I have an XBox 360 BTW.

I have the first 3 GOW games, all the COD MWs + World at War (both these franchises are my favs) along with other stuff.

I have only played partially through the first GoW, although I enjoyed it, I never got around to finishing it. Once I do I'll play the sequels.

I've been a fan of cod since the beginning, before that I was a huge MoH fan. I only really played Cod 4 multiplayer (besides 1 and 2 at LANs), the rest I just enjoy playing the single player, so I rank them without the multiplayer component in mind. Cod 4 was my favourite, then Blacks Ops, MW2, and CoD2. Ghosts was my least favourite.

You might have guessed, most of my multiplayer gaming was Battlefield, first 1942, then the Desert Combat mod for awhile, then BF2, BC2, BF3 and now BF4.

 

[ASHES]

As an addendum to the above comment, I must correct myself, Black Ops 4 is my least favourite mainline Call of Duty game because it has no single player.

 

[ASHES]

Trying out some new (to me) games, here's some gameplay moments that cemented my first impressions. 4 games, video is 3:16 long.





First impressions:

Need for Speed: Heat

Goofy corny story I don't care about, but the cutscenes are skippable, with uncanny valley character models and terrible lip sync. You can also pick your character from one of a dozen or so misfit underground street race outlaws. I don't think it changes a thing in the story which character you pick, it just changes the model and voice actor.

The cars and environments look great though, and I haven't seen it at night yet when it's supposed to really look good. I enjoyed the scenery until I had a mishap, but the handling isn't bad.

Impression: Good. Will mess around with next time I want to drive or explore a new map.


Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

A 3rd person shooter in the PvZ universe, it's exactly that. It looks good and plays fine, but isn't really my style of game. It will be fun playing co-op with the kids occasionally.

Impression: Average. Will play once in awhile.


Snake Pass

A cute platformer/puzzle game where you play as a snake. I love it. It will get better once I figure out the controls. I actually laughed out loud when I was trying to get back up the cliff at the end, and got one last tongue flick over the wall before I disappeared.

Impression: Great! I'll definitely finish this one, and maybe play it again a couple of times, if the rest is as fun as the first half hour.

Grounded:

I was intrigued and disgusted by the description of "Minecraft+Honey I Shrunk the Kids+spiders" but I tried it anyway. So far, I don't regret it. I also haven't met any spiders yet, but hopefully I can overcome my irrational fears. It looks amazing, very immersive, you really feel small and powerless. You have to figure stuff out, and **** you if you don't.

This gameplay video is of my first encounter with another creature in the game, after about 20 minutes of playing. I had just crafted my first weapon when I saw an aphid, and decided to hunt it. It led me to ant activity, which I didn't even notice because I was looking closer for the aphid, until I was almost face to face with an ant. I very nearly pulled the trigger on it, but I am glad that I didn't.

Impression: Have you seen my jaw on the floor anywhere? This is an early access game I think, which means it's not complete, but what they have so far is outstanding and I've barely scratched the surface of what there is. Definitely buy this if it looks remotely interesting to you and you don't hate spiders more than I do. (There is also an option to turn off spiders I think.)