Xbox 360 - I have one. What should I play?

[Goddess FallenAngel]

So... I bought my fiance an Xbox 360 for his birthday, with the caveat that I get playtime too. ;D

Currently, I've been playing Lost Odyssey, and started playing Fable (the first one) and Guitar Hero Metallica. I've also downloaded Carcassone and Ticket to Ride, just because those are two of my favorite board games.

So... I'm looking for suggestions for other games I can keep my eyes open for when they are on sale. I've got Bioshock, Half Life Orange Box, and Overlord on my list currently.

Suggestions? Comments?

 

[Enforcer]

Fallout 3 and Mass Effect are both quite good. You'll love Bioshock and the Orange Box (especially Portal if you like puzzles). Civilization Revolution is another one of my faves.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Good Purchases: Fallout3, RockBand (1 if you get a great deal, 2 otherwise)

Good Rentals/Borrows: Bioshock, Fable2, Gears of War 1 or 2

OK Purchases: Lego Star Wars, Oblivion

I have to actually give a NAY vote to Mass Effect. I REALLY REALLY wanted it to be awesome but the actual gameplay was just too repetative for my tastes.

DS

PS Be sure to set aside 40 bucks and get a subscription to Xbox Live.

 

[Relique du Madde]

Call of Duty: World at War.. but only if you like competitive play and have Xbox live Gold.

 

[Felon]

Tell us what you like, we'll tell you what to play.

 

[Vicente]

Good Purchases: Fallout3, RockBand (1 if
Good Rentals/Borrows: Bioshock, Fable2, Gears of War 1 or 2

OK Purchases: Lego Star Wars, Oblivion

I have to actually give a NAY vote to Mass Effect. I REALLY REALLY wanted it to be awesome but the actual gameplay was just too repetative for my tastes.

DS

PS Be sure to set aside 40 bucks and get a subscription to Xbox Live.

I'll have to disagree in some points: forget about Fable 2, it's boring as hell. And get Mass Effect, that game is a jewel

Naruto games are nice if you like that manga. Castle Crashers (XBLA) is very fun too.

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

Tell us what you like, we'll tell you what to play.

Well, my tastes are pretty varied. Most of what has been posted is worth a look.

FPS - I like them if they have a unique spin or storyline. Bioshock is good, and I've been told by people who know me that I would like Fallout 3. I've played the first Half Life, liked it. I liked the original Unreal for the PC (wow, that was a long time ago), but I only really ever played UT multiplayer.

RPGs - I really like. I don't like complicated rules or battle systems, though. For instance, I like most of the Final Fantasy games, but not the last one to come out on the PS2 (FFXII?) - leveling and battle system was more complicated than my taste, although the storyline was interesting.

I like simple action/adventures - think the original Devil May Cry or Spyro the Dragon (yes, I know, those two shouldn't be compared to one another).

Lego Starwars kept my interest for a short period of time, but it's a little repetitive.

Don't like button mashers (I put most fighting games in this category).

I like a pretty random amount of card and board games. Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, Apples to Apples, etc.

Mass Effect

Several of you have mentioned this game - tell me about it? I gather it's an RPG, but there are a lot of rumors floating around the net about it. What's the gameplay like?

 

[Thanee]

Mass Effect is a superb science-fiction RPG.

Gameplay is a bit shooter-like (first person) and yeah, some parts of the game are a bit repetitive (mostly searching for interesting bits on the smaller worlds, but most of that is not really required to be done).

The story is very cool.


Also, I have heard good things about Uncharted.


Shooters with a unique spin? Left4Dead! Especially, if you like cooperative game play.

Bye
Thanee

 

[hong]

Mass Effect is a superb science-fiction RPG.

Gameplay is a bit shooter-like (first person) and yeah, some parts of the game are a bit repetitive (mostly searching for interesting bits on the smaller worlds, but most of that is not really required to be done).

The story is very cool.

And best of all, Mass Effect has a Hong system. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

 

[Mark Hope]

Definitely get the Orange Box. It's fantastic - an awesome sequel to the original with a wonderful storyline. The included expansions (particularly Episode Two) are also top-notch.

Left 4 Dead is wonderful. Been playing this non-stop. Killer co-op zombie-slaying awesomeness.

Oblivion is cool. Almost too big (!), actually, but a great rpg all the same.

I got a great deal of enjoyment out of CoD 4, and would recommend that too.

Heard great things about Mass Effect but have yet to check it out.

For adventure games, why not grab Tomb Raider? I also just finished Assassin's Creed last night, and would recommend that as well. The combat is a bit button-mashy in the first couple of levels, but once you learn more combat techniques, it really opens up. Plus it is gorgeous to look at and has a fantastic free-running element to it. Rent it for sure.

 

[Felon]

Well, my tastes are pretty varied. Most of what has been posted is worth a look....

The hype machine promoting Mass Effect was one of the reasons I got a 360 after skipping the previous generation of consoles altogether. It turned out that it fell short on many features (such as dynamic interaction between characters), so it was something of a disappointment--it simply wasn't revolutionary in any respect--but it's still a rock-solid RPG with FPS elements.

Fallout 3 and Oblivion are different spins on the same kind of game. They're exceptional in the sheer volume of content that they have for the player to discover. They really take the open-world concept in a direction few others go. Mass Effect's developers could stand to take a note or two from Bethesda.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a great superhero-genre RPG.

 

[Vocenoctum]

The hype machine promoting Mass Effect was one of the reasons I got a 360 after skipping the previous generation of consoles altogether. It turned out that it fell short on many features (such as dynamic interaction between characters), so it was something of a disappointment--it simply wasn't revolutionary in any respect--but it's still a rock-solid RPG with FPS elements.

Yeah, I think ME was a great game, spent probably 100 hours, loved the characters. The main problem was that they had like, 4 building types and 4 ship types that you did 100 quests in. They had 4 models for 100 worlds to use...

Also, the rover controlled like garbage.

If you ever watch the early coverage of Mass Effect, you'll see how much it changed.


To the OP, I'd suggest trying every demo you can. Most give a good feel for what you're in for.

 

[Woas]

How about those Pinata games? I was playing one of them at my buddies place and I was hooked. Just throwing it out there. I love those kind of games (big Harvest Moon fan). I could sit for hours farming virtual turnips!

 

[Thanee]

Fallout 3 and Oblivion are different spins on the same kind of game. They're exceptional in the sheer volume of content that they have for the player to discover. They really take the open-world concept in a direction few others go. Mass Effect's developers could stand to take a note or two from Bethesda.

Funny enough, I found Oblivion extremely boring and unimaginative, while I really liked Mass Effect (the repetitive parts there were not more than a minor nuisance, while in Oblivion everything felt repetitive and kinda pointless very soon), it's one of the few recent games, I actually played through completely (whereas I couldn't stand playing Oblivion after a couple hours already; same with Morrowind).

In Mass Effect, everything forms together to a great whole, the world lives, while in Oblivion it just looks like stuff put there and there randomly with little coherence.

But tastes obviously differ, so everyone has to figure out for him- or herself what is liked better.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Mark Hope]

How about those Pinata games? I was playing one of them at my buddies place and I was hooked. Just throwing it out there. I love those kind of games (big Harvest Moon fan). I could sit for hours farming virtual turnips!

My daughter is playing Viva Pinata right now, actually . It's a fun, colourful game, part Sims, part Civ, with cute resource management and virtual husbandry and farming thrown in.

The Viva Pinata party game collection (Party Animals) is a hoot - hearkens back to classic games like Mario Kart and is fast, fun and furious (and probably funky as well). I've played this a few times and really enjoyed it.

Haven't played the adventure game, though (Trouble In Paradise, iirc) so no idea what that's like.

 

[Gregor]

Also, I have heard good things about Uncharted.

I believe Uncharted is only available for the PS3.

As for games on the Xbox 360, the games that most people have mentioned are pretty awesome - Bioshock, Mass Effect (although I thought this was hyped up to be amazing, but it ultimately let me down), Fallout 3, etc. ALso, don't miss the Gears of War series which, while a bit cheesy, has amazing production value and has great cliche badass characters.

Try looking for some of the sleeper hits on the system. Games like Dead Space. This game was amazing. If you are in to survival horror set on the ruins of a spaceship where you battle ravening hordes of undead and experience zero-g environments...its the game for you. Its a bit like Resident Evil meets System Shock 2 (old PC game ... or Bioshock which was just System Shock 2 relaunched and set in an underwater dystopia).

Enjoy the 360, it has some great titles.

 

[Mallus]

I believe Uncharted is only available for the PS3.

Yup.

(and add me to list of people who really like Mass Effect)

 

[Thanee]

I believe Uncharted is only available for the PS3.

Ah, well... was worth a try.

Bye
Thanee

 

[sfloyd]

I hear Resident Evil 5 is good but if you've played RE4 you might not be up for it. Fallout 3 is good. So is Oblivion. Fable 2 is a favorite. Mirror's Edge is fun. Bioshock, The Orange Box and Left 4 Dead are also great games. L4D is more fun with other people though.

 

[Felon]

Funny enough, I found Oblivion extremely boring and unimaginative, while I really liked Mass Effect (the repetitive parts there were not more than a minor nuisance, while in Oblivion everything felt repetitive and kinda pointless very soon), it's one of the few recent games, I actually played through completely (whereas I couldn't stand playing Oblivion after a couple hours already; same with Morrowind).

In Mass Effect, everything forms together to a great whole, the world lives, while in Oblivion it just looks like stuff put there and there randomly with little coherence.

But tastes obviously differ, so everyone has to figure out for him- or herself what is liked better.

Well, in Oblivion I played a rogue-type character. I loved sneaking around doing the thief guild missions that rarely involved drawing blood. I enjoyed that characters had daily patterns of behavior--people even went to bed, imagine that (making for a great opportunity to relieve them of valuables)! Also, there were hidden items in the most unlikely of places.

Once I got done with the thief missions, though, I admit I was a bit bored. Because of the way the leveling system worked, my character was woefully outmatched in actual fights. It really felt like building a mage was hands-down the best way to go if you wanted to win fights.