Next? Need gaming opinions

[pk500]

Fellas:

I finished Dishonored last night. Fantastic game in a genre I usually don't explore.

Along those lines, I'm trying to continue to expand my gaming horizons beyond sports games, racers and military first-person shooters. I have three non-sports/military shooter games in my stack or 360 hard drive ready to be called next. Would like your opinion on what would provide a satisfying experience that maybe is a bit different than Dishonored -- trying to keep my gaming fresh -- either in mechanics, story or atmosphere. The games:

1. Bioshock (I started Bioshock last night. So far, it's an interesting story, but gameplay mechanics feel familiar.)
2. X-Com
3. Fallout 3

So what would be the best game for me to play next?

Thanks!

[Brando70]

My ranking would be:

1) XCOM -- it's really different than anything else on the 360 because it's all about strategy and not at all about joystick gymnastics. There are moments of insane frustration when you line up a shot that's 95% to hit, only to see your soldier miss because the random roll screwed you. But the moments of satisfaction when you maneuver for the perfect flank greatly outweigh the screwgee ones.

2) Fallout 3 -- Rivals Skyrim for my favorite game world. Played like an FPS, it's not that great, but using the VATS system to pause and target enemies is insanely fun and something I wish more games had.

3) Bioshock -- great atmosphere and a fantastic antagonist, but gets repetitious and goes on a little too long. It's a good game but not a great one in my opinion.

[10spro]

A fantastic atmosphere, definitely tactic and stealth involved, a shooter and great story as well. One of my favorite games last year: Far Cry 3

[dbdynsty25]

A fantastic atmosphere, definitely tactic and stealth involved, a shooter and great story as well. One of my favorite games last year: Far Cry 3

You need to read the instructions. smh

And to answer the specific question, I think you owe it to yourself to finish Bioshock. It's a fantastic, genre defining game, that yes, may feel a bit "old hat" these days because so many games have copied and tried to emulate the things that went right with it. It's a classic, that if you already own (or are renting), you should really just finish it up. X-Com is still on my list, and on my computer hard drive, so I need to get to that someday. Fallout 3 is fun for a little while but it's just way too much wandering around for my liking. I can see the appeal to some, but it got old to me after a few hours.

[LAking]

I agree with db. you really owe it to yourself to play all the way through Bioshock. Yes, the game ends up going on a bit too long and the ending was botched but it truly is a classic and easily makes my list of top 5 games of all time. I can understand that it might seem a bit familiar after just finishing dishonored.

X-Com is great. When you want some great tactical gameplay it's hard to beat. That being said, I never finished the game because it got repetitive and the story is completely inconsequential. It's mostly about creating your own narratives with your customized characters. I'll probably get back to it eventually.

Have never played Fallout 3. I'm not much of a RPG guy.

[LAking]

double post

[Danimal]

X-com

I would bet money you will love it.

[Brando70]

The funny thing is all three of those games are much more difficult at the beginning than at the end, and all three have disappointing endings.

Like Danimal, I also put XCOM first because it seems like a game PK would like. It can get repetitious, but the map variety and the way different mission types get thrown at you keep it interesting. I found it impossible to put down once I started playing, and it's one of the few games I immediately wanted to play again after I finished it.

[pk500]

Thanks for the tips, boys!

I'm definitely going to finish Bioshock. But I may switch next to X-Com simply because it sounds so different.

[MizzouRah]

Tomb Raider
Bioshock the original was one of the best games I've ever played

Starcraft 2 for the pc has been fantastic, imho.

[WillHunting]

Bioshock is amazing, but I find the sequel to be a better game (although it is not as fresh as the original).

[Aristo]

I'd skip Bioshock for now, and take on Bioshock Infinite later, when the price drops or you have time. It's worth the $60, but if you have other stuff to play, it will still be there. But Infinite is just so much better than the first two games.

It perfected the combat of the original, and the story is flippin' awesome.

[LAking]

I'd skip Bioshock for now, and take on Bioshock Infinite later, when the price drops or you have time. It's worth the $60, but if you have other stuff to play, it will still be there. But Infinite is just so much better than the first two games.

It perfected the combat of the original, and the story is flippin' awesome.

100% disagree! Do NOT skip Bioshock and head straight to Infinite. They are best when played together and in sequence. You can skip Bioshock 2, that one doesn't count.

[Teal]

I'm going to glom onto this with a question: Never played Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Those who know me and my shooter preferences...is this game worth 20 bucks to ME?

[Brando70]

I'm going to glom onto this with a question: Never played Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Those who know me and my shooter preferences...is this game worth 20 bucks to ME?

I got into it but then got really bored. I loved that the game allowed for a stealth approach. But then I reached the first boss and had no choice but to engage in straight up combat, for which I was unprepared because I pushed my upgrades toward stealth benefits instead of combat.

The other thing that bugged me: while it was fun to try to sneak by or clear a room with 3-4 guards without killing anyone, the AI made no adjustments if you incapacitated people. You could pick guards off one at a time, and as long as you were quiet, no one seemed to notice, even if they were in the same room.

[Spooky]

Count me in as one that found Bioshock a tad boring after getting about halfway through it.

[Danimal]

Teal -

I think you would like Deus Ex personally. As Brando points out the boss battles feel out of place, mainly because they were done by another company, but if you are prepared for the first one and know they are coming the rest end up being easy.

I also didn't experience an issue with the AI being unaware enough that it stood out. I just finished Bioshock Infinite and I could walk down the street holding a machine gun and the cops would ignore me unless they were scripted not to. My point is Deus Ex is no different from any other game in this regard.

For me $20 is well worth the price.

[Sudz]

PK - sent you a PM

[MizzouRah]

100% disagree! Do NOT skip Bioshock and head straight to Infinite. They are best when played together and in sequence. You can skip Bioshock 2, that one doesn't count.

Agree with this! Bioshock is one that cannot be missed!

[pk500]

PK - sent you a PM

Dan:

Received and responded. Thanks!

[FifaInspected]

Teal - I just started playing Dues Ex myself. I read too many good things about it to not grab it for $9.00 back on black friday. The one thing I really like is the fact that one bullet can apparently end your life.

[FifaInspected]

How about The Walking Dead?

[pk500]

How about The Walking Dead?

For me? Zero interest in the TV show. Plus I have three games listed above from which to choose. Don't want that list to grow until I chip at it.

I'm waiting for the "Mad Men," "Boardwalk Empire" or "Breaking Bad" games.

[MizzouRah]

I'm waiting for the "Mad Men," "Boardwalk Empire" or "Breaking Bad" games.

Boardwalk Empire would make for a great game I think.