Which was the last game you finished?

[Jarrod]

Ports ports and more ports. RAGE will be the first new property from id in almost a decade.
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[GooberMan]

[sobriquet835]

Finished a couple of games recently.

Last night I finished Limbo.

Man, that's one good game. Some of the puzzles are really clever, the aesthetic of the game is brilliant, and the atmosphere of the game is suitably spooky. The controls are a little floaty, but again it fits in brilliantly with the rest of the game. It gets pretty intense at a couple stages as well. Some of the solutions, man, really good.

Also been playing Virtua Tennis 4. All I can say is... Meh. At least I only paid $25 for it. I Really don't like the way the women players pretty much play the same as the men, even serving up to 225 KM/h (and the pro women are also nearly all in classes such as "Strong Forehand" or "Hard Hitter" ). The players don't always move properly, either. Some of the animations are really awkward, and timing the ball seems a lot less important than it should be in a tennis game. VT3 was better, by far.

Finally, I completed Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney. I had been looking for the original DS entry into this series for quite a while after really enjoying Justice for all, Apollo Justice and Ace Attourney: Investigations, and it sure didn't disappoint! It's quite a lot easier than the sequels, but the way each case unfolds was as brilliant then as it has been in the sequels. Now all I have to do is somehow track down Trials and Tribulations (not even released here. Hmph.) and hope like all buggery that Investigations 2 gets an English release.

[Big Pete]

Earthbound

After my 3rd attempt to get into this game, FINALLY, I was able to see it through and defeat the big nasty Giygas once and for all. Quirky doesn't do this game justice, really, it's bat-s**t insane and if it was remade these days it would still blow people away.

However, gameplay was dated, largely because it was paying homage to Dragon Quest but the problem is where as DQ requires some well thought out strategy, Earthbounds fights, especially boss battles, are largely 'Hit your opponent with the strongest attacks you have'. It also requires little discipline, if your party dies, you just wake up at the nearest of hospital with your wallet divided in 2. While it's a minor annoyance, really it doesn't encourage you enough to survive, in fact, it's probably better that you did die, as your party will be in better shape and since the dungeons are relatively shallow, it'll only cost you at most, 5 minutes.

Still, as far as stories go, Earthbound is a fun ride and just when you think you've seen it all, the game will hit you with another engaging world.

If you love quirky titles, Retro RPG gaming or you're just curious to see where Ness came from. Earthbound is well worth checking out.
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[Nietzsche]

Gears of War 3. It's alright.

There was one thing that bothered me though, it just felt bland. Just feels a bit focused tested too much. Sure in Gears 1 and 2 there were problems with difficulty spikes but at least you had to think a bit and every encounter felt different. Here there is nothing stopping me from just mowing down dudes mercilessly. In Gears 1 when facing the guard there was a real step up difficulty wise. Here they are just fodder. The only times I died was when I started taking risks or got ahead of the squad. The only enemy I had to switch up strategy were the really heavily armoured dudes (Protip, place grenades on them and they die quickly).

Storywise it felt satisfying (which is a rarity these days) but there is little that matters narratively except the end and half an hour in the middle around chapter 3. I will say that I love the design of the last boss. I think it helps that that it seems like the best looking graphically area.

Overall it's pretty good but didn't impress me overall. Multiplayer on the other hand...

Edit: For clarification I played it on hardcore which makes the easy difficulty of it all the more strange as Gears 1 and 2 were pretty brutal. If you have played any Gears before playing this I suggest hardcore as I can't imagine normal to present any challenge.

[Spacecow]

Also finished Gears of War 3 today. My first Gears game and I found it to be quite good. Started off a bit basic and uninspiring but really got interesting towards the middle. Especially at the end of Act 3, I wasn't expecting anything of the sort and it was quite a nice surprise.

Quite liked it in all it's bloody gory fantasticness. As with the most third person shooters I tend to play, the lack of a jump mechanic is a let down. Then again, this is more of a personal preference than some sort of glaring oversight. Graphics were quite decent and the variety of guns was nice. Was kinda easy though, didn't really get continually bogged down in a specific area at all really.

Supposedly multiplayer is where it's at though I don't have Live...
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"Everything's coming up Milhouse"

[ObsoletE]

Gears of War 2.

yes, two.

i guess the problem was that i got my XBox a little bit into the generation, and even though i got Gears 1 through the Xbox Street Team, i never got around to playing it - i suppose by the time i considered there to be enough to buy the XBox for, i had a considerable backlog, and Gears was not at the top of the list.

I actually bought Gears 2 before i'd even played Gears 1. i'd seen people playing Gears before, and it looked reasonable, so i took a punt and hoped i'd like it.

i actually wasn't that fussed by the original when i did finally get around to playing it. not sure why, could be it was a first-gen game of this generation, or i dunno, maybe just didn't live up to the hype i'd bought into, but yeah, i finished the first, and felt Gears'd out so never played Gears 2. (plus, i believe Fallout 3 came out about the same time, and thus i moved to that instead.)

so yeah - it finally clicked about 6 weeks ago that Gears 3 is almost out, so i'd better get to playing Gears 2.
and i actually enjoyed it. i really don't know why i didn't like the first, because i really enjoyed the way you never really know what's going on - even in the first game, you thrown into the deep-end of the story, and told to swim, and you just bounce from one scene to the next, and just go with it.
i like that - i like that there's no beginning shown in this story, it makes it feel much bigger than just Delta.

i also like that your team-mates can actually help. the enemies do seem to pick on Marcus ahead of everyone else, but your team-mates aren't useless, like in so many other games. (that's not to say they aren't sometimes retarded, that's a different matter.)

there were some annoying bits - getting knocked down when you're split from any team-mates was frustrating to wait the extra 30 seconds while he calls out for help that can't physically get to me, but by and large, good game.

and i'm actually excited to get into Gears 3 as soon as it arrives. (although, with my trip, there'll be another 2-3 games out by the time i get back that i may want to play more.)
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My Play-Asia Affiliate Link.

[Fetidchimp]

I didn't like the first at all and found the second far more enjoyable
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kill, kill, kill.....the white man. Kill the white man, kill

[Benza]

knocked over Ratchet and Clank.

Good game, a bit easy though. I remember the last one offering a decent challaenge in the final boss this one's final boss just ended up being jumping around pumelling the shit out of him with a bunch of different weapons.

Still fun though, nothing amazing.
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[jprockbelly]

I loved the first Gears heaps, played it end to end about 6 times! But part of my love for it might be that I never played it solo. Co-op all the way, which really adds a lot I think. Also the first 3 times I played it I was totally baked.
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Da Bessssss

[Benza]

yeah I don't think I've ever played a gears game solo so far. They're just too good for co-op, and I think the missus would kill me if I let anyone else play as Dom.
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[jprockbelly]

Such a hunk of Latino man spunk!


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Da Bessssss

[Benza]

She's pretty dirty at him for not shaving off the hobo beard though. It's not a good look.
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[Robo]

Finished a game recently, how recently? About a month ago and it is known as No More Heroes: Paradise.
I played the original, when it 1st came out, however without glasses I didn't notice some of the neat stuff in the game. The blood really does make the game though, it was just so much fun. The controls were initially odd, however after an hour they feel great (except for sword clashes that reminded me of mario party, spin dammit). The pacing felt off with the ported bosses, their inclusion was a good idea that brought up good memories of the sequel (I'd prefer someone other then Matt Helms though).
Anyway I figured, I'd take this moment to talk about some of the boss battles from the game.

Rank 7: Pretty easy fight, however getting to him took a lot of deaths and luck (Gun enemies ). The was a trophy for sending his Destroy Cannon back at him, once you know that the fight is easy. He got me good with Destroy Buster (ran into a wall ).

Rank 6: Quite a symbolic battle, well quite winnable, however pressing buttons over motion controls made the pitfalls ten-fold harder. Everything felt right in this battle: Strategy, difficulty, character, the outro, however there was one problem, the frame rate going down due too two of her abilities.

Rank 4: This boss had one of the greatest ways to begin the fight, it was like a show. An easy battle for sure, only one really difficult attack to dodge. The flashy one hit kill move was a nice touch, however it became frustrating when he spammed it at low health. Another fantastic idea was the playing with the camera, it's a simple yet great way to trip up the player and add that last stroke to characterise the boss. The music was quite fitting, making the player feel like they were performing whilst in battle (really nice touch).

Rank 3: The theme playing really fits the stakes that upped the ante during the intro to this fight. The actual battle was alright, I reckon this type of battle would work early in a game. Here it felt unnecessary and with the boss being regarded as a witch led the imagination to all these cool ideas. The battle just felt lousy and lacking execution. Was fun seeing enemies turn too dust though.

Rank 2: This was one of the most thrilling boss battles, I'll ever have. This battle felt like euphoria, it was brutal, harsh with little mistakes costing you your life. A crazy **** who fights you head on, with the swing that could send a man flying. The changes as you progress the fight, really make this a worthwhile experience. The battle that was waged was so close, both down too one more hit equals death for the opponent, yes I got this now, wait oh shit she is charging to smack a gimp. I'm screwed, but screw it go jumping slash... I won? Yes! (I died 3 times before winning and this one battle went for 20 minutes). The music sets the mood for strongest fight in the game. The outro shows the boss in a league of her own compared to the previous bosses.

Rank 1: The whole story fits together and you're facing one ball buster of a boss. The music reflects the severity of the situation Travis has gotten himself into. The fight itself is fast pace with the player having to utilise new ideas due too the easier ones having no effect. Definitely worthy of a final boss battles and what follows is the delicious cherry on top.

I love this game.

[Jahanzeb]

Awesome, I'm just getting into the 360 version and love it so far
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Now Playing:
Sonic Generations

[Jarrod]

Rank 2 battle tied with the very, very last battle are my favourites in No More Heroes.

EDIT: Oh, and Rob, Rank 1 isn't technically the final battle .
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[byrnezy]

Dues Ex - PS3 - 8/10 for me
Gears 3 - 360 - 8.5/10 for me

Both good games an well worth the purchase
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Solid Snake is the shit

[emwearz]

Dead Island - PC

This game could have been called FarCry: Zombie Edition, felt so similar to it. I was glad to have finished the game when I did, and I really had to push to finish it, I found it average on almost every level. If there is one blockbuster you can skip playing this year, it is Dead Island.

[chung]

Like most other people, just finished Gears of War 3. And it was a fitting end too the series, and it actually ended which is new. The on rails parts are pretty shit, dont really have to shoot anything to clear them. The last boss was wicked, such a fun fight.

All in all I will give it an 8/10. Saying that it is mostly because I was a big fan of the first too, so more was definitely better! Later down the track I'll have a go on hardcore.

Oh yeah, and the graphics are pretty nice.
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GT: chunged

[topaz]

Just finished Ico, WOW @ the bridge scene, emotional stuff. Amazing game.
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[Priscilla]

Ive beaten three games since last posting here.

Most recently Final Fantasy XIII I feel a little late to the party with this one but I couldn't finish it when I first got it as I moved overseas for a year. I'm glad I decided to finish it though. My brother told me to grind on missions for the last boss but I stopped before the Titan missions out of boredom and went for the final boss. I was a bit disappointed by how easy he was? One stagger and dead in final form. Though the ending was worth it as it made me well up :').

Before that I finished Kirby's Epic Yarn This isn't much of an achievement as you can't die. Though I'm a big Kirby fan so it was really fun to play. Especially the co-op with my brother.. Even though that resulted in a lot of accidental grabbing either Kirby or Fluff by accident if you both jumped somewhere at the same time. That's my only gripe with the game though!

Lastly I beat Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel.. Well I saw the credits but there's more I can do. Though right now with my backlog situation.. Seeing credits counts as beaten so it's in the done pile until there's more free time :'). I hadn't played the first two in the series as I've never been able to buy them reasonably priced (I'm still looking) so I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit turned off by the purge scenes but once I got over that and turned the scenes off, the story really grew on me! Though the game glitches on me a couple of times also.. XD;
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[grim-one]

The Binding of Isaac

This game is brutal. The random items and lack of save feature mean you're often faced with no way to heal up if you're clumsy enough to get hit too often. This can make even the normal monsters bloody terrifying, in that they may strip you of your precious last half-a-heart. It's completely appropriate that the protagonist pisses himself every time he enters a room on 0.5 to 1 health.

However there are a few item combinations that almost break the game. A battery to recharge your item and a holy book to provide a bonus blue, soul heart means copious amounts of health.

So many unlockables too... not sure I can be bothered randomly finding them all.

Still a great game for the miniscule asking price.
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Steam:grim_one | PSN/Live:najakh | Flickr

[dloiscute]

Finally got around to finishing Gears 3.

Was the same Gears of War gameplay we all know and it wrapped up decent enough. Seemed more streamlined than the previous 2 games by a lot but still pretty fun... definitely a trade back but still worth a play.

Bring on Arkham City!
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☑Tekken

[chickenplucka]

Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story
Fantastic RPG, loved every minute. Took around 25 hours in the end.
If you find a copy pick it up, well worth it
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[PixieGirl]

Dead Rising 2 (PC)

I cannot begin to express how annoying I found this game. Infuriating boss fights, unresponsive controls, framerate issues, ridiculous mission time limits constantly forcing me along, as well as annoying goals (such as having to find Zombrex every 24 in-game hours), and a horrible difficulty curve.

Another thing, and this has annoyed me in other games too. If you have an animation thats 5 seconds long and unrelated to fighting, don't allow me to take damage during those 5 seconds or, if you DO, allow me the option to cancel the action by pressing a button. How is it my fault if I die when I press a button to try on new clothes, and a zombie appears behind me and prepares to eat me while my character casually checks himself out in the mirror and I'm button mashing my controller trying my hardest to get him to react.

I also found the game so unfair I cheated and used a trainer for infinite health during the boss fights just to make the experience bearable to me so I'm taking off points for that too.

I leave the experience thinking its a perfect example of how I think Capcom are an overrated developer who constantly make archaic games that are maddening to play.

...but. In retrospect. I finished it. I didn't get bored or irritated enough to stop playing. I enjoyed the wackiness of it, as well as the freedom to explore (within confinements), and being able to use all the objects I could find in different ways. I actually also feel its a game I could go back to and replay in the future.

Mixed thoughts, I have them o_O

In the end I give it, 2 sprinkles of pixie dust out of 5, just for the several years its probably taken off my life due to aggravation.