Eosin the Red
First Post
I am looking into buying a console type game but don't know jack about them. Suggestions?
This is for me - middle age fantasy enthusiast.
This is for me - middle age fantasy enthusiast.
Xbox versus PS2 for the discerning adult
- Thread starter Eosin the Red
- Start date
What kinds of games do you like?
I've got a PS2 and I probably play it once every two to three months. My girlfriend plays it more that I do, as she likes DDR. The most played games I have for it are the DDR ones, Grand Theft Auto: 3 and Vice City (not bothering with San Andreas), and a baseball game.
My friend has an Xbox. It has Halo/Halo2 and that's about it. I don't like FPS games, so those don't appeal to me. Fable (RPG) looks decent, but I haven't tried it.
Another friend has a Gamecube. He probably gets the most enjoyment out of his system. It has Zelda, Mario Kart, etc.
I've got a PS2 and I probably play it once every two to three months. My girlfriend plays it more that I do, as she likes DDR. The most played games I have for it are the DDR ones, Grand Theft Auto: 3 and Vice City (not bothering with San Andreas), and a baseball game.
My friend has an Xbox. It has Halo/Halo2 and that's about it. I don't like FPS games, so those don't appeal to me. Fable (RPG) looks decent, but I haven't tried it.
Another friend has a Gamecube. He probably gets the most enjoyment out of his system. It has Zelda, Mario Kart, etc.
Eosin the Red said:
I'd hold off unless there are a few games you're really exceited about. We're very near the end of the current generation of consoles; Microsoft and Sony will be launching new ones in the next year or two (strong rumor says Xbox 2 this fall and PS3 next fall, but I think Xbox 2 is likely to slip into 2006 for practical reasons -- I don't think they can make the CPU cheaply yet, and there's no way they can have Halo 3 at launch this year).
I really loved KotOR and KotOR II, but if you've got a fairly good PC and like playing games at your desk, that's not an argument for the big black box (me, I'm far more partial to RPGs on consoles).
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Breakdaddy
First Post
The XBOX 2 will possibly drop by Q4 this year and the PS2 is slotted for mid next year last time I checked. I would hold off unless you want an obsolete system right out of the box. If you have a load of games you want to play that are already out then that is a different matter I suppose, but I would wait and probably go XBOX2. By the way, Fable is very fun as is the Baldurs Gate series for XBOX. PS2 also does Baldurs Gate and also a Baldurs Gate Engine game set in the Everquest World. But Fable is more fun (IMO) than all of em except maybe the 1st BG for XBOX/PS2.
RangerWickett
Legend
I'd recommend you don't play Fable. It's pretty and fun if you only want to level up and run around Grand Theft Auto: Middle Earth style, but the plot is weak, and the hyped "you can be good or evil" is an illusion. It doesn't affect the plot at all -- the only difference is how nice NPCs are to you.
John Crichton
First Post
Yeah, there will be new consoles coming out soon. But they typically take anywhere from 4 months to a year to have any kind of decent library of games. That and this next generation of consoles will be very expensive, as is normal for a launch. Think a minimun investment of $350 just for the system. Add in the accessories, tax and a game or 2 and you are easily blowing $500 dollars.Eosin the Red said:
That said, now is a great time to buy one of the 2 consoles! They are dirt cheap and the libraries are huge. You'll have a great selection of games.
Here's the breakdown:
The PS2 is unmatched with it's library of games. Every genre is represented in full force. RPG, action, driving, adventure, fighting - you name it, they got it. The downside is the graphics: they are the worst of the current generation of consoles. So it comes down to: what kind of games do you dig? If the answer is RPGs or hack-n-slash RPG/action hybrids than this is the system for you. And in my opinion, they have the best controller on the market as well.
The Xbox is good as well, but for different reasons. I play my Xbox much more than my PS2 these days but that's after it sat there for almost 2 years, doing nothing but collecting dust. I didn't jump on Halo when everyone else did (I eventually bought it but that was last summer) and the selection of games I like (RPGs, sports, action) were lacking badly compared to the PS2. But now, the graphics are what draws me to buy the Xbox version of (for example) X-men Legends rather than the PS2 version.
You say you like fantasy? Well, you've got the best and largest RPG library on the PS2. You'll never run out of them to be honest. And there are a ton of really good ones. There is the Champions of Norrath series, Skies of Arcadia (great game!) Xenosaga 1&2, Dark Cloud 1 & 2, Star Ocean, Suikoden 3 & 4 plus Final Fantasy X, X-2 & XI (online only for XI). Not to mention RPG/strategy games like Phantom Brave, La Pucelle: Tactics & Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. There are more but those are the better ones.
One the other hand, for RPGs, the Xbox has Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2 which are simply awesome. It also has Morrowind & Fable. Jade Empire will be out in a few months as well. That game is going to be very cool.
Both systems have X-men Legends, Beyond Good & Evil and Baulder's Gate 1 & 2.
As for the really heavy hitters that don't directly deal with fantasy but are great games that just about anyone will enjoy - each system has some. Again, the PS2 has more.
Xbox: Halo 1 & 2.
PS2: Final Fantasy X. Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City & San Andreas. Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3.
There are also a slew of games with a list too long to name that are on both consoles. Like other here have said: What kind of games do you like the best? Start there, check out some gaming review sites and go from there.
trancejeremy
Adventurer
Don't forget the two Shadow Hearts games for the PS2. They are amazing. IMHO, anyway. Sort of alternate world fantasy-horror-historical games (they are set in 1915, in an Earth mostly like ours but with magic and a few steam punk elements and some anachorisms when it comes to speech and clothing)
Me, I probably like the Xbox better than the PS2, but I mostly play driving games and sports games, which tend to be better on the Xbox, since it has better graphics. And I like the controller much better than the PS2 one.
But RPGs mostly on the PS2. That's pretty much all I use it for, though I probably will get Gran Turismo 4 for it. The only really good RPGs for the Xbox are also for the PC (Fable was not great, and Jade Empire is now seemingly more of an action game than RPG)
(Also, the Xbox will have all 3 GTA games. They already have the first two, and will get the third in June)
Me, I probably like the Xbox better than the PS2, but I mostly play driving games and sports games, which tend to be better on the Xbox, since it has better graphics. And I like the controller much better than the PS2 one.
But RPGs mostly on the PS2. That's pretty much all I use it for, though I probably will get Gran Turismo 4 for it. The only really good RPGs for the Xbox are also for the PC (Fable was not great, and Jade Empire is now seemingly more of an action game than RPG)
(Also, the Xbox will have all 3 GTA games. They already have the first two, and will get the third in June)
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wedgeski
Adventurer
Over the course of the last couple of years I've managed to get my hands on all three systems, and generally there isn't much to choose between them unless you're really fixated on some of the exclusives (example: if you like your Metroid, Mario, Zelda, etc., the GameCube is the only choice). The XBox has (generally) better graphics, the PS2 has a massive selection of games, and the GC has a ton of exclusive properties almost all of which are executed fantastically.
For me though the XBox has one exceptional feature which neither of the other two systems even come close to competing with: XBox Live!. If you have broadband, it's easily the best on-line service I've ever played (and I've been playing on-line with my PC for about 6 years). You have to pay for it (I think I paid £29.99 for the starter pack which includes the mic/headphone unit and 12 months subscription), but you get your money's worth within about 2 hours of any on-line competitive game (Project Gotham 2, any sports title you care to mention, Splinter Cell 2, the list goes on...). The PS2 has an online service as well but it feels laggy and half-hearted next to Microsoft's - I think they'll only truly start competing in the next gen.
And seriously, don't let the fact that XBox2 is *purported* to be out later this year, or the release of any of the next gen systems, stop you from picking any one of them up dirt cheap right now for 12 months of gaming goodness.
For me though the XBox has one exceptional feature which neither of the other two systems even come close to competing with: XBox Live!. If you have broadband, it's easily the best on-line service I've ever played (and I've been playing on-line with my PC for about 6 years). You have to pay for it (I think I paid £29.99 for the starter pack which includes the mic/headphone unit and 12 months subscription), but you get your money's worth within about 2 hours of any on-line competitive game (Project Gotham 2, any sports title you care to mention, Splinter Cell 2, the list goes on...). The PS2 has an online service as well but it feels laggy and half-hearted next to Microsoft's - I think they'll only truly start competing in the next gen.
And seriously, don't let the fact that XBox2 is *purported* to be out later this year, or the release of any of the next gen systems, stop you from picking any one of them up dirt cheap right now for 12 months of gaming goodness.
Arnwyn
First Post
As others have said: choose the games, then the system.
If you like console RPGs, then there's only one clear choice - the PS2. It has the largest and best selection of RPGs by far (the Xbox has virtually none, and anything worth playing is already on the PC).
If you like online games, then the PC is still your best bet. I wouldn't buy a console for anything online.
Also consider the controller - it's pretty much your sole interface with the game, so you'd better like the feel (I agree with John Crichton that the PS2 is the best - the Xbox cheeseburger comes up second, and IMO the GCN controller is entirely wretched).
This isn't a question about which console to buy. It's a question about what games you like. Looks like you have quite a bit of research to do.
(I have all 3 systems. I love my PS2 since I'm a fan of RPGs, so it's my favorite system. I do like the Xbox for FPS's, and it's controller is good for that. My GCN is virtually untouched, but there are a few gems on that system - and it's low price makes it come out on top of any cost/benefit analysis if you know exactly what games you want.)
If you like console RPGs, then there's only one clear choice - the PS2. It has the largest and best selection of RPGs by far (the Xbox has virtually none, and anything worth playing is already on the PC).
If you like online games, then the PC is still your best bet. I wouldn't buy a console for anything online.
Also consider the controller - it's pretty much your sole interface with the game, so you'd better like the feel (I agree with John Crichton that the PS2 is the best - the Xbox cheeseburger comes up second, and IMO the GCN controller is entirely wretched).
This isn't a question about which console to buy. It's a question about what games you like. Looks like you have quite a bit of research to do.
(I have all 3 systems. I love my PS2 since I'm a fan of RPGs, so it's my favorite system. I do like the Xbox for FPS's, and it's controller is good for that. My GCN is virtually untouched, but there are a few gems on that system - and it's low price makes it come out on top of any cost/benefit analysis if you know exactly what games you want.)
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