CHUD.com Community › Forums › VIDEO GAMES & RPG › Video Games › PC Game Suggestions
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

PC Game Suggestions

post #1 of 42
5/24/11 at 10:16am
Thread Starter 

I've been somewhat out of the loop when it comes to PC gaming for a while. My computer got unstable enough that I pretty much quit playing any games on it a long while ago. I think the last thing I really played on it was Half Life 2 Episode 1. I never really bothered to try and fix it because websurfing/photo storing still worked and I could play a lot of things on the consoles I own.

 

So that all changed recently when I got the itch to build a new system, and I finally got it put together yesterday. It's not quite cutting edge, but it's a lot better than what I used to have, even if the old computer still ran perfectly.

 

There are several PC games I'd like to try out at some point, but I'm pretty much only aware of the heavy hitters like Starcraft 2 or Crysis. Do you guys have any suggestions on games I should consider? Big landmark games? Indie games?

 

I guess I'll list a bunch of games I'm interested in to start with.

 

The Witcher & The Witcher 2

Team Fortress 2 (duh!)

Starcraft 2

Civilization IV (had a lot of fun with Civ Rev, so a full-on Civ game sounds fun)

Crysis (for  the obligatory "will it run Crysis" test)

Telltale games (probably BTTF + Sam & Max)

Sins of a Solar Empire

 

 

Feel free to suggest older stuff as well as newer stuff. The great thing about older stuff is it can usually be found for a nice price tag.

Reply
post #2 of 42
5/24/11 at 10:27am

I'm a fool for the Total War games. Not so sure about the latest one, but Medieval II and Rome were both amazing games which literally ate up weeks of my life. STEAM has a whole bunch of great, cheap, games. Been having a ton of fun with Evil Genius which I got for like $10. 

Reply
post #3 of 42
5/24/11 at 10:50am
Thread Starter 

Are the Total War games kind of like a Civ game, except you also control the battles?

Reply
post #4 of 42
5/24/11 at 10:56am

Yeah, try Shogun 2. Didn't have much time to play it but it's widely considered a return to the Rome heyday for the Total War games. If you're interested in strategy that's a bit different, try the Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War 2 games. If you want to try probably the best survival horror game ever, get Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's seriously scary, though. And if you want to see what is the absolute extreme hardcore strategy games can reach get Europa Universalis III. But watch out, when I say extremely hardcore I mean it. EU III makes Civ games look like Tetris.

 

On the indie side there's a whole bunch you can try. Minecraft is very fun, if you're into sandbox, make your own fun games as is Terraria. Mount And Blade: Warband is a very fun and completely unique mix of RPG and medieval combat sim. If you were ever into old school RPGs check out Spiderweb Games. Cave Story, Spelunky and VVVVVV are really cool platformers.

 

Finally if you try The Witcher games and you like them, there's a whole bunch of very big and complex European RPGs you can try.

 

Other than it is pretty much multiplatform games.

 

And as for your question? Kind of, yeah. There's a turn based empire building part and real time battles.

 

Reply
post #5 of 42
5/24/11 at 11:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Polygon_Wizard View Post

Are the Total War games kind of like a Civ game, except you also control the battles?


Yeah, you can play the battles or just focus on the RISK style empire management section. I tend to alternate between letting most battles auto-resolve and taking control of key battles. 

Reply
post #6 of 42
5/24/11 at 11:59am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by stelios View Post

Yeah, try Shogun 2. Didn't have much time to play it but it's widely considered a return to the Rome heyday for the Total War games. If you're interested in strategy that's a bit different, try the Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War 2 games. If you want to try probably the best survival horror game ever, get Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's seriously scary, though. And if you want to see what is the absolute extreme hardcore strategy games can reach get Europa Universalis III. But watch out, when I say extremely hardcore I mean it. EU III makes Civ games look like Tetris.

 

On the indie side there's a whole bunch you can try. Minecraft is very fun, if you're into sandbox, make your own fun games as is Terraria. Mount And Blade: Warband is a very fun and completely unique mix of RPG and medieval combat sim. If you were ever into old school RPGs check out Spiderweb Games. Cave Story, Spelunky and VVVVVV are really cool platformers.

 

Finally if you try The Witcher games and you like them, there's a whole bunch of very big and complex European RPGs you can try.

 

Other than it is pretty much multiplatform games.

 

And as for your question? Kind of, yeah. There's a turn based empire building part and real time battles.

 


I tend to like RPGs, so I'll probably check some more out at some point, but I figured The Witcher would be a good starting point. Hell, I'll probably install the copy of Neverwinter Nights I have lying around and play through that game again.

 

As for strategy games, I'm kind of excited to see how the free to play Age of Empires Online game coming out this fall turns out. I used to have a ton of fun with AoE 2. Hey, for that matter, is AoE 3 any good? That might be fun to try out.

 

Reply
post #7 of 42
5/24/11 at 1:10pm

I've heard that AOE3 is pretty bad, but I've never played it.

Reply
post #8 of 42
5/24/11 at 6:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Marshall View Post

I'm a fool for the Total War games. Not so sure about the latest one, but Medieval II and Rome were both amazing games which literally ate up weeks of my life. STEAM has a whole bunch of great, cheap, games. Been having a ton of fun with Evil Genius which I got for like $10. 



Spike got in first but yeah, what he said. The Total War games actually own a slice of my soul.

Reply
post #9 of 42
5/24/11 at 11:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post

I've heard that AOE3 is pretty bad, but I've never played it.


It's not bad. It's just atypical of an AOE game. It does some really interesting stuff. The problem is that AOE 2 was for its time as close to perfect as any game is ever likely to get and people wanted more. Come to think of it, if it's possible to get, try my favorite RTS/Empire Building of all time, Rise Of Nations. Such a ridiculously well designed game. 

 

 

Reply
post #10 of 42
5/25/11 at 12:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stelios View Post




It's not bad. It's just atypical of an AOE game. It does some really interesting stuff. The problem is that AOE 2 was for its time as close to perfect as any game is ever likely to get and people wanted more. Come to think of it, if it's possible to get, try my favorite RTS/Empire Building of all time, Rise Of Nations. Such a ridiculously well designed game. 

 

 



I've walked past RoN a hundred times in the pc game shop I visit and never cracked and grabbed it. Would you rate it above the Civilization series Stel?

Reply
post #11 of 42
5/25/11 at 1:51am

As a game I like it more but they're not directly comparable. It's pretty much the AOE formula perfected and expanded. Or I guess you could call it a real time Civ game. It's pretty unique.

 

They tried making something like it with the Empire Earth stuff but fell way short. 

Reply
post #12 of 42
5/25/11 at 2:34pm

Hmmm may have to give it a go.

Reply
post #13 of 42
5/25/11 at 2:37pm

I actually just started up Medieval II: Total War again today, had forgotten how The Holy Roman Empire are a bunch of bastards. All because I declared one of their allied kings a heretic, brought the Inquisition down onto them and am harbouring my own anti-pope in Belgium (don't ask). I'm not sure how multiplayer works (or if it even exists) but if you get Medieval II I'd be up for some games Polygon. 

Reply
post #14 of 42
5/25/11 at 3:09pm

Oh god Medieval 2 Total War is such a goddamn time sink for me. I've spent so much time on it, I've begun just doing nigh-psychotic things in game. Like migrating all of Scotland to Corsica, and turning them into a raiding empire. Or somehow getting France to become some minor steppe empire.

Reply
post #15 of 42
5/26/11 at 5:57am
Thread Starter 

Hmmm...looks like I can get Medieval II on Steam for $10 OR I can get Medieval II and the Kingdoms expansion on Steam for $10. Gee, I wonder which one is the better deal. I might have to try out the demo tonight to see if I like it.

 

Also, according to Steam, Medieval II has "8-way multiplayer games across the Internet and LAN".

Reply
post #16 of 42
5/26/11 at 6:47am

I adore Total War: Empires, but it's probably not the best starting point if you're unfamiliar with the series. If you're looking for the best RTS ever made, my personal vote goes to Age of Mythology. I still crank that up from time to time.

 

You're on the right track with Civ IV, I think. I only managed to complete two games with Civ V before retreating back into Beyond the Sword.

 

I had difficulty getting into Sins of a Solar Empire, but I can't recall why.

 

For neat experiences that aren't available on consoles, I recommend Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Gray Matter. I also love diving into city-sim games, which gives me a huge sad face since that genre has been largely abandoned. Cities XL 2011 scratches that itch when I get it.

Reply
post #17 of 42
5/26/11 at 9:06am
Thread Starter 

I have a friend who absolutely loves Sins of a Solar Empire. He's been trying to get me to play it for a long time, so I figure I might as well give it a try, especially if there's a good demo of it out there (haven't really looked yet). As far as Civilization goes, I've heard mixed things about Civ V. Some people love it, some don't, but pretty much everybody likes Civ IV. Also, the cheaper price tag doesn't hurt.  If I decide to give Amnesia a try, it will probably be closer to October when I'm more in the mood for a scary game. I hadn't heard of Gray Matter before, but it looks cool.

 

I think this weekend is going to be spent downloading a ton of game demos.

Reply
post #18 of 42
5/26/11 at 9:17am

Sins games are a time commitment, be warned.

Reply
post #19 of 42
5/27/11 at 6:38am
Thread Starter 

So I've got this new computer capable of delivering some pretty decent looking graphics, and what do I do with it? I download Terraria last night and spend about three hours mining stone and chopping down trees in glorious 16-bit 2D. If you've never heard of Terraria, it's kind of like 2D Minecraft.

Reply
post #20 of 42
5/27/11 at 5:14pm

Empire: Total War has the worst A.I. in the series. It's passive beyond belief, gunmen rush instead of shoot, and every game ultimately ends in a continent war between you and India. Napoleon fixes the combat problems but there is literally no replay value because the alliances are set in stone for the Napoleonic Wars and your given clear missions to complete. Shogun 2: Total War addresses both of these problems and is probably the most refined entry in the series. My only problem is that I miss the European map. Medieval 2: Total War lacks the cool province mechanics of the later series, but its probably the best place to start. The Crusades expansion can lead to some epic fighting.

 

I don't understand the Civ V hate, and Sins of a Solar Empire is amazing, but has a terrible online community. I'd also look into Supreme Commander. Tell-Tale's best is Sam & Max. Watching the series evolve every season is great, and you grow fond of the characters. The latest season is probably some of the best adventure games has to offer.

Reply
post #21 of 42
5/27/11 at 5:42pm

Total Annihilation.  I'm serious.

Reply
post #22 of 42
5/27/11 at 7:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac View Post

Empire: Total War has the worst A.I. in the series. It's passive beyond belief, gunmen rush instead of shoot, and every game ultimately ends in a continent war between you and India. Napoleon fixes the combat problems but there is literally no replay value because the alliances are set in stone for the Napoleonic Wars and your given clear missions to complete. Shogun 2: Total War addresses both of these problems and is probably the most refined entry in the series. My only problem is that I miss the European map. Medieval 2: Total War lacks the cool province mechanics of the later series, but its probably the best place to start. The Crusades expansion can lead to some epic fighting.

 

I don't understand the Civ V hate, and Sins of a Solar Empire is amazing, but has a terrible online community. I'd also look into Supreme Commander. Tell-Tale's best is Sam & Max. Watching the series evolve every season is great, and you grow fond of the characters. The latest season is probably some of the best adventure games has to offer.


In some ways I think Rome: Total War is the most enjoyable of the series.

 

Reply
post #23 of 42
5/28/11 at 12:48am

It's the one I spent the most time with, by far. Probably because it was set in my favorite historical period too.

Reply
post #24 of 42
5/28/11 at 2:13am

Same.

Reply
post #25 of 42
5/28/11 at 9:16am

I havent played a Total War game since Rome. Has the auto resolve been tuned up since then? Sometimes Id rather just mess with the empire and let the troops fight it out but it always seemed like in Rome you got punished for choosing auto resolve. Unless you had overwhelming forces you'd either loose or take heavy losses in my experience.

Reply
post #26 of 42
5/28/11 at 9:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thalasi View Post

I havent played a Total War game since Rome. Has the auto resolve been tuned up since then? Sometimes Id rather just mess with the empire and let the troops fight it out but it always seemed like in Rome you got punished for choosing auto resolve. Unless you had overwhelming forces you'd either loose or take heavy losses in my experience.


Medieval II actually made it the other way, even with bad odds auto-resolve tended to favour me. I tend to play Total Wars as essentially a game of Risk, only really taking control of 'key' battles. 

Reply
post #27 of 42
5/31/11 at 11:27am
Thread Starter 

I played quite a bit of The Witcher over the weekend, and I am loving it now. At first I wasn't sure about the game, but in retrospect, I think that is because the prologue to the game is pretty crappy. It shares very little with what the first chapter in the Outskirts played like. I've made it slightly into the second chapter, so I am now exploring the slums of Vizima.  I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the game and picking up the sequel once I'm finished.

Reply
post #28 of 42
5/31/11 at 5:40pm

I wish I had a rig that could play the Witcher games.

Reply
post #29 of 42
6/1/11 at 12:12am

The first one is a thousand years old. I'm pretty sure you can run it. As for the second, just what are you using?

Reply
post #30 of 42
6/1/11 at 2:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stelios View Post

The first one is a thousand years old. I'm pretty sure you can run it. As for the second, just what are you using?



A five year old Acer laptop that struggles with Medieval 2: Total War?

Reply
post #31 of 42
6/1/11 at 3:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stelios View Post

The first one is a thousand years old. I'm pretty sure you can run it. As for the second, just what are you using?



My PC can handle Medieval II and Empire: Total War with ease, but even with all the settings down to the bare minimum The Witcher runs REALLY badly. I don’t think I’ve seen a choppier game. 

Reply
post #32 of 42
6/1/11 at 4:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Rain Dog View Post





A five year old Acer laptop that struggles with Medieval 2: Total War?


Don't even bother. Read the wiki for the story, wait until the holiday season and play the console version of 2.

 

 

Reply
post #33 of 42
6/1/11 at 4:45am

Is that console version a lock? I've been searching around the web for some sort of confirmation.

Reply
post #34 of 42
6/1/11 at 4:48am

They said they'd make a non Witcher 3 related announcement during E3 and the rumors are about a console version. We'll know in a week.

Reply
post #35 of 42
6/1/11 at 5:43am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Marshall View Post
My PC can handle Medieval II and Empire: Total War with ease, but even with all the settings down to the bare minimum The Witcher runs REALLY badly. I don’t think I’ve seen a choppier game. 


Really? I guess it's because I'm running it on a system well past the recommended specs that I haven't had any problems with The Witcher. It runs really smoothly for me even on max settings, but I could see how that wouldn't be the case for older machines. I should try installing it on my five-year-old desktop or my slightly newer laptop to see what it does.

Reply
post #36 of 42
6/1/11 at 5:53am

How much of a burden on your pc is Sins Of A Solar Empire for those who've played it - and is it all that?

Reply
post #37 of 42
6/1/11 at 12:10pm

SoSE is great, and its no burden.

Reply
post #38 of 42
6/1/11 at 5:06pm

May have to pick that up on the cheap and give it a whirl - been a while since I've played a game on my laptop, and consoling has been a bit of a letdown so far in 2011.

 

ETA: Well, I just picked up the SoSE 'Trinity Pack' with all the extra expansions attached cheap - I look forward to giving it a whirl this weekend hopefully.


Edited by The Rain Dog - 6/2/11 at 11:50pm
Reply
post #39 of 42
6/25/11 at 9:15am
Thread Starter 

Just wanted to mention that I found the Chud group on Steam today. Technically I've had a Steam account since 2006 (thanks to Half-Life 2), but I've never really used it all that much until now. Some of the Community section stuff looks really cool, especially the game recommendation system.

Reply
post #40 of 42
6/25/11 at 9:58am

I have a copy of Portal if you wanted to give it a play Polgon.  just add me on steam  nwesley@purdue.edu

Reply
post #41 of 42
6/25/11 at 10:14am
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the offer, but Portal is one of the few games I already own.  I made sure to nab it when Valve offered it for free a while back, plus I already had it as part of the Orange Box on 360. Needless to say, I've played and enjoyed Portal several times by now. I went ahead and added you to my friends list though.

Reply
post #42 of 42
6/25/11 at 12:18pm

Added you are!   Portal 2 is next then right? haha

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Video Games
CHUD.com Community › Forums › VIDEO GAMES & RPG › Video Games › PC Game Suggestions