I love video games. Like many gamers, I play to escape reality. I play to leave my high-stress job, my wandering children, and all my other problems behind me. I loved Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker, and when I finished it in the spring, I immediately picked up Animal Crossing. Although we originally got it for the kids, my wife and I got completely sucked into it. Now that we have accomplished enough within the game that it doesn’t occupy every waking moment of our lives, I realized something very, very important: I miss killing things.
I’m still playing through Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, which is a pretty creepy game in it’s own right, and really clever in some ways, but the gameplay often leaves me frustrated. I still want to finish it, but I want to play something that’s going to knock my socks off right now.
You see, it’s been a rough week so far, and it’s only Tuesday. Even though I had been planning on getting it later, I decided to go ahead and reward myself tonight: I picked up a copy of Resident Evil 4. I did so with some mixed feelings. I’m not a huge zombie/horror fan, and the screencaps and clips I’ve seen make it very clear that this is going to be a scary game. That’s a drawback. I’m a bit of a weenie. I used to jump out of my skin playing Doom (the original one, with sucky 2-D sprites). But I am looking for an immersive gaming experience, that all-important escape from reality. I’m hoping I get it with RE 4. Not to kick the GameCube, but I have yet to play anything on it that is as completely, adrenaline-soaked and immersive as Halo 2 was on the XBox.
But RE 4 comes highly recommended. Besides garnering accolades across the breadth of the gaming community, it was given a solid thumbs-up from clu at Game Under. Who could ask for a stronger endorsement?
So, hand me my shotgun. I’m gunning for zombies.
I have four games for my cube that I felt were immersive. Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime Echoes, Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 4. Most FPS games don’t do it for me. Take Halo for example. Doom 3 did it, but I played that on my PC, and not my Xbox.
The Metroids were good because they were more adventure based than FPS. I love games where I get to explore the worlds. Searching every nook and cranny in this large and varied alien architectures is right up my alley. Plus, even though it was a first person game, Metroid Prime was the most “video game” video game I’ve played in year, if that makes any sense.
I can remember playing Resident Evil for the first time. I avoided going into rooms, sometimes, because I was scared of what was in them. The first time I made it outside, I had to force myself to push forward.
Now I’ve been playing video games all my life. I even beat Zork, dammit! And Resident Evil 4 is, in my opinion, one of the best games I’ve ever played. I really hope you can get into it. By the time I was done, and by done I mean beating it three times and all the extras, I honestly felt like I blew a video game fuse. Since beating it, I really haven’t played many video games. But then again, I love zombie films. That could explain part of it. But techinically, there aren’t any Zombies in RE4.
And one more thing… Just wait until Animal Crossing DS comes out. That will be madness. Hopefully you, and some other link pirates will get a DS so we can visit each others villages. It’ll be madness, MADNESS, I tell you!!!
It is pitch dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
> n
Oh, no! You walked into the slavering fangs of a lurking grue.
Play Zork here.
Well, I didn’t beat that version of Zork. From what I’ve read, that’s the old mainframe version of Zork. Much different than the retail version. The retail version was split into III. And some of the dungeons and puzzles are different.
What, PAgent?
Last Knights not immersive enough for you?
:)
Have you tried Katamari Damacy (PS2)? There aren’t any zombies, but it sure does nurture the escapist. It has excellent design, too.
All I have is the GameCube, I’m afraid. It looks like a lot of fun, though.
Katamari Damacy. Great game. And is also a great example of the double standard in the perceptions of video games consoles. Had that come out for Nintendo, there would be many folks saying KD is a “kid’s game.” But since it came out for the PS2, it’s jut a fun game. This is why Nintendo often loses the PR war. And often why many folks miss out playing some fantastic games.
*note* I’m not accusing anyone here of being like this. I’m just saying this based on the opinions I’ve read for the past 6 years.
Greg recommends Viewtiful Joe, a beat ‘em up game done in cel shaded (comic) sstyle. Greg warns that it’s extremely hard, though. Prince of Persia (a much more forgiving game) is a 1/2 action and 1/2 puzzle game with very fluent design that held my attention for about 2 days, though most people I know end up playing all the way through it.
Pikmin is another good game for GameCube - I think that it had a sequil, but I’m not familure with it. It’s a strategy game. My gripe with it is that the music (imo) is awful and there is a time restraint. Gameplay is really neat, though.
Greg also recommends Beyond Good & Evil, he says is similar to Starfox: Adventures. It’s a quirky puzzle/action-adventure game. Everyone I’ve heard who has played it really got into it and liked it, but I haven’t played it, yet. I’m actually looking at the box right now - I might start a game soon.
I’m waiting for someone to finally make Piddle Town. I think Animal Crossing is close but in Piddle town you should be able to change the game at will. Tired of fishing? go on a killing spree, Tired of your town, wal over the hill and explore that one, or take it over. Crawl into houses and find secret rooms, blow up zombies, and then walk off and go back to trying to pay off your mortgage*
*beaglebot is doing this from memory of your descriptions aof the game since he’s been too cheap to buy it yet.
Viewtiful Joe. Great game. Freagin Hard. You should really have a talent for video games if you play this. Reminds me of early Capcom side scrollers, like Megaman.
Prince of Persia. Great game. Anyone can play that and have a good time.
Pikmin 1. Great game. I actually liked the music. It’s playing in my head now. Hella fun imo.
Pikmin 2. Turd.
Beyong Good & Evil. Didn’t care for it. Much in the same way I didn’t care for Star Fox Adventures. I felt both those titles were half assed Zelda games.