Recommend PC Games (Please)

[Ragnarak]

I'm in the process of getting a new PC that doesn't crash within seconds of loading a game so should be able to re-explore the wonderful world of PC games soon.

I still don't have any internet access at home and won't do for several months so i'm looking for games where no net access is required (does HL2 need all the steam crap to play? Is the offline mode any good?).

As i respect and value GDs opinion i thought i'd ask here rather than randomly googling pc game websites.

I already have Football Manager 2005 and will finally be able to play a decent game of it.

Not sure what genre i want so pretty much anything goes as long as it's fun/interesting.

Thanks

[Kurashima]

Im enjoying Half Life 2 (despite the best efforts of Valve and its shitty Steam system) , Neverwinter Nights & Shadows of Unrentide (which can now be bought together for about £13 in Virgin, and has had a year of patches to make it workable and not the bug ridden POS it was when it came out) , Deus Ex 2 (Yeh , most people hated it, but **** you, I liked Daikatana, and I like this) and X2 - The Threat.

If you pay more than £50 to get all of those combined, youve been ripped off

[Ste]

Medievil: Total war is ruining my revision at the moment
Rome: Total war is newer and better though.
Massive battles really do make me smile

[MrL_JaKiri]

Half Life 2 requires the internet, Kura. And I like steam; it makes most things a lot easier, and it's been perfectly stable since it got all bothered on release night.

Offline mode is just that: you're offline, and works fine, but you still have to have had internet access to decrypt the files.

I would recommend:

Rome: Total War (Turn based/real time strategy hybrid, ala Shogun and Medieval)
Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (First Person RPG, sort of a mix between Morrowind and Deus Ex)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (RTS)
Thief III (sneaky... thingy)
Rise of Nations (RTS)
Knights of the Old Republic (RPG)
Unreal Tournament 2004 (FPS)
Space Empires IV Gold (4X)

and I can't think of any more recent games. Pro Evolution Soccer IV, if you like that kind of thing.

[skiddy]

Freelancer, although I'd go with X2 now that Kura's mentioned it.

[Kurashima]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

Half Life 2 requires the internet, Kura. And I like steam; it makes most things a lot easier, and it's been perfectly stable since it got all bothered on release night.

Offline mode is just that: you're offline, and works fine, but you still have to have had internet access to decrypt the files.

Actually , i didnt buy it till last week, and thus managed to avoid the 3 million fanboys who connected at the same time and sent the server over sideways. However it took nearly a dozen connects to get the ****ing thing to decrypt start to finish, always getting knocked off (and im on a reasonably stable 512/256 ADSL line) before i could play it online.

And as a non CS Fanboy, i only really play the offline version anyway.

[Androme]

Unreal Tournament 2004 = addictive like Quake 3 used to be (BTW, Quake 4 is coming out soon )

I'd recommend (new & old) Half Life 2, Need For Speed Underground 2, Counter-Strike: Zero, Halo, Doom 3 & Sims 2

Also, the new Medal of Honour: Pacific Assault is spiffy - I have it and it's a bit annoying - mission, training, mission, training etc. - I recommend MOHAA & CoD

[Ragnarak]

Mark just reminded me, I got Morrowwind when it first came out but due to the aforementioned shit computer never really got into it. Should i go searching for all the add-ons and mods available or just play it out of the box?

[Phang]

call of duty is fantastic, even if it's wholeheartedly linear.

[G.K Zhukov]

I would recommend:
Battlefield 1942
Call of Duty
Europa Universalis II
Panzer General I&2
Football Manager 2005
Starcraft Broodwars
Ages of Empire II

[Stew]

How does someone who didn't have time for a drink with mates over Christmas now have time to start playing loads of PC games?

[Ragnarak]

Originally Posted by Stew

How does someone who didn't have time for a drink with mates over Christmas now have time to start playing loads of PC games?

After the 17th of Jan i will have free time as that's the deadline for my project.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Kurashima

Actually , i didnt buy it till last week, and thus managed to avoid the 3 million fanboys who connected at the same time and sent the server over sideways. However it took nearly a dozen connects to get the ****ing thing to decrypt start to finish, always getting knocked off (and im on a reasonably stable 512/256 ADSL line) before i could play it online.

Meh, I had no problems; of course our opinions are going to differ.

Originally Posted by Kurashima

And as a non CS Fanboy, i only really play the offline version anyway.

HL2DM is, like HLDM, pretty... silly.

Originally Posted by Ragnarak

Mark just reminded me, I got Morrowwind when it first came out but due to the aforementioned shit computer never really got into it. Should i go searching for all the add-ons and mods available or just play it out of the box?

I forget, are you an SA member?

[Ragnarak]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I forget, are you an SA member?

Stairs, house, protected, etc.

[Deathjam|wee]

i'm liking pirates it was shit at first but i'm starting to like it

mmmm ship of the line

[Deathjam|wee]

oh and x2 is good to

MrL_JaKiri where u get Space Empires IV Gold from i'm looking for that

[melandron]

OK i'm gonna get dumped on here, but i'm still addicted to playing Sid Meier's Pirates!

Wierd as it's so boringly repatative, has no graphics worth mentioning, has an uninvolving plot, wastes a huge amount of time....

yet there's somthing about being able to play what is still the same game i was playing on my Atari ST (FX) many years ago, now in Windows compatible mode!

wierdly compelling.... or i'm wierd... or perhaps both.

{edit: Just Read DeathJam's post above, seems i'm not alone }

[Ste]

Originally Posted by melandron

OK i'm gonna get dumped on here, but i'm still addicted to playing Sid Meier's Pirates!

Wierd as it's so boringly repatative, has no graphics worth mentioning, has an uninvolving plot, wastes a huge amount of time....

Bit like the old Civs.

[I am Idler]

Starlancer (space sim, quite pld)

Arcanum (RPG, one of the best)
Fallout 2 (Better)
Final Fantasy 7, the best of the series by miles and miles (This game is being converted into a movie: Advent Children, due release 2005)

Actionquake 2 (Quake2 mod)
Citizen Kabuto
Knights of the Old Republic (play the first before the sequel comes out)

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Ragnarak

Stairs, house, protected, etc.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/sho...ight=morrowind

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Deathjam|wee

oh and x2 is good to

MrL_JaKiri where u get Space Empires IV Gold from i'm looking for that

Remarkably, the top entry in the google search for 'Space Empires IV Gold'!

Wow!

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/malfador/SEIVGold/1.htm

[meglamaniac]

In no particular order

Need for Speed Underground 2
Addictive arcade racer, nice variety of different game modes including the innovations from the last one (drag and drift), allows neat customisation of the car if you're into that sort of thing. Requires a fairly decent graphics card if you want it to look the part but not particularly held back by slower processor speeds if the graphics card is up to task.
Dual analog gamepad recommended.

Halflife 2
With all the hype you shouldn't need me to summarise it. Needless to say high end graphics (GeForce 6600GT / Radeon X700 Pro as a minimum) and a decent processor are required if you want to make it look like the screenshots and be playable. At least 1Gb of RAM highly recommended as well.
To sort out Steam, take your PC round to a mate's house with broadband, let it decrypt/update, set it to offline mode while connected and then go home - it shouldn't bother you again - just don't force it to log you out (it stays logged in when you restart the machine etc).

Doom III
Again, plenty of hype for this one. I'll just say it's a good game to play if (like me) you like horror films that make you jump. Played with the lights down and with surround sound it's incredibly atmospheric and WILL scare the shite out of you on more than one occasion. Similar requirements to HL2.

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
This is a hard one to box in to any particular category, although it shares concepts with Theif. If you've always wanted to be an SAS operative then this is probably your game. Lots of sneaking about in the shadows with high tech silenced weapons, and award winning dynamic lighting effects that do look pretty snazzy and actually serve a purpose (you can shoot out lights to help conceal yourself).
You can get away with older graphics kit on this one but it is quite processor intensive.

C&C Generals: Zero Hour
RTS for the impatiant.
C&CG requires minimal resource collection (build a couple of power stations and a supply center to bring in the cash and off you go) while allowing you to play out your wargame fantasies with an awesome array of infantry, vehicles, aircraft and defensive installations, all equiped with equally awesom weaponry. Oh and let's not forget the superweapons.
Yes it's cheesy. Yes it's the storyline, if you bother to play the scripted missions, was written by George Bush's propaganda advisor. But you can't beat it for a bit of instant warmongering. Best played either online or over an internal network, as the AI can get pretty predictable at times.
This is one game that will not require cutting edge hardware to run, while still looking very nice. It is quite memory hungry though.

Rise of Nations
RTS for the patient.
RoN sits at the opposite end of the scale from C&CG. If you don't know the board game Risk, now is the time to read up on it, as that is how RoN's campaign mode works. Every time you make a move on the Risk-esq world map, you are taken to the RTS part of the game. The result of that RTS game determines the result of your move on the board. If you know anything about how Risk works, it should be obvious that the campaign mode will last a LONG time!
Do you like managing multiple resources (wood, food, money, knowledge, metal, oil, to name but a few)? Want to nurse your empire from the beginning of history batting rivals with spears all the way through to lobbing tactical nukes? Found cities? Establish trade routes? This is the game for you.
Can be demanding on the processor at times but not particularly graphics intensive.

MotoGP 2
A superb game that is surprisingly rarely heard about, MotoGP 2 accurately reproduces all the tracks in the MotoGP superbike calendar and can be described as Gran Turismo but for bikes, and on the PC. With the ability to be either an arcade racer or a simulation depending on various user defineable dificulty settings, great graphics, amazing sense of speed, and a pick-up-and-play quality lacking in many racing games this is worth a try, and you don't have to spend hours learning the handling either. Online play is also well supported through Gamespy Arcade.
A reasonable graphics card is required, and a dual analog gamepad would be a good investment too.

Max Payne 2
Let's start with the bad: it's short and some will claim it's too easy. However, it has some of the best production values seen in a game which shows with a brilliant storyline and great gameplay - and bullet time is still cool even now.
You will need a reasonable graphics card and a decent processor to get the best out of it.

[Muha]

X -2, definatly

[Kumnaa]

Space Empires IV Gold. Old skoll is the only skool.

[Hicks]

I'm going to have to get Space Empires, not sure why I didn't orginally as I was a massive Ascendancy fan and it looks very similar, loads of people have been praising it loads recently.

[Dante Hicks]

The updated Pirates isn't very good imho, not enough depth.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

Halflife 2
With all the hype you shouldn't need me to summarise it. Needless to say high end graphics (GeForce 6600GT / Radeon X700 Pro as a minimum) and a decent processor are required if you want to make it look like the screenshots and be playable. At least 1Gb of RAM highly recommended as well.

I think you're being too cruel to the Source engine; it will run perfectly happily on anything down to a Geforce 2, it just won't run at any level of detail.

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

Doom III
Again, plenty of hype for this one. I'll just say it's a good game to play if (like me) you like horror films that make you jump. Played with the lights down and with surround sound it's incredibly atmospheric and WILL scare the shite out of you on more than one occasion. Similar requirements to HL2.

Downsides to Doom III:

MUCH more of a system hog than Half Life 2.
Repetitive gameplay.
Not particularly well constructed scares (hey, what will happen when I pick up this health?
O shi, it's an imp! And two behind me! Shit, I'm damaged! I wonder what will happen when I pick up this health? O shi! (see repetitive, too)) It's all shocks; there's no tension. Ravenholm does much better than Doom III, but if you want true scarey, you want System Shock II. Or The Shalebridge Cradle from Thief III.

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

]Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
This is a hard one to box in to any particular category, although it shares concepts with Theif.

It's not as good as thief , especially given it could have been. The levels are linear, unlike thief's.

[Boogster]

Planetside: Massively multiplayer online FPS; the only one of its kind and awesome.

"Uh? PlanetSide?" I hear you cry.

http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/PSMovies/PS_AD_LARGE.wmv - Great introductory movie.

Free 7 day trial CD key from http://cmt.ubisoft.fr/planetside_pcgamer/
And a complete download (1.6gb) using this installer http://www.marcopolo.me.uk/psinstall.exe

Yes, a shameful plug - but it really is a good game.

[Muha]

but did he not say that he wanted offline games?

[Deathjam|wee]

mm god must play planetside again

darkspace is good too must play that again as well

and pirates is good on the hard level

[Snurx]

I play (Now) Fallout (1&2), the expansion to BG2, Rise of Nations, and Heroes 4.
They are all worthwhile.

ps Master of Orion 2

[Nodrog]

Bubble Bobble

[SilverSmoke]

<3

Rainbow Islands

[KoeN]

Spongebobstein 3D

[XeeThot]

Neverwinter Nights + all Exp Packs + decent net connection

Shooting games - Medal of Honour series, Battlefield 1942 series, Half Life and etc...

The incredible Machine Series

[pablissimo]

Originally Posted by Deathjam|wee

mm god must play planetside again

darkspace is good too must play that again as well

and pirates is good on the hard level

Just been looking at darkspace, looks pretty neat

[LHC]

Ground Control Operation Exodus gets a recommendation from me.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by LHC

Ground Control Operation Exodus gets a recommendation from me.

Meh. It's not the same kind of game as GC1.

[LHC]

I know, but it's still fantastic. The Viron's are stupid however.

[Intruder]

Warhammer 40k Dawn of War
World of Warcraft
Half-Life 2

[Knight Theamion]

i am playing metal gear solid again

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Intruder

World of Warcraft
Half-Life 2

You know what are good things to recommend to people with no internet access?

Games that require internet access!

[roadrunner_0]

total annialation, but you really need multiplayer for it to be good


i am currently re playing the Icewind dale series, while not the finest TSR based games, they are entertaining.
(planescape: torment is better, but im having trouble getting hold of a copy, i also want BG 1 + 2 if anyone knows where i can get hold of a copy)

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by roadrunner_0

planescape: torment is better, but im having trouble getting hold of a copy, i also want BG 1 + 2 if anyone knows where i can get hold of a copy

Ebay, for both. Also, you should have asked me.

[roadrunner_0]

well, i know you have them, but, i want my own copies

[Lupin]

Sacred (similar to Diablo I & II)
Jagged Alliance 2 (best round based strategy game ever, imho)

[Nondescript Human]

Originally Posted by G.K Zhukov

Europa Universalis II

On a similar note, Victoria: Empire under the sun is amazing, though somewhat hard work at first.

[JetLinus]

Originally Posted by Snurx

ps Master of Orion 2

Get that man a price!!!