Widescreen Gaming Forum

I've been thinking of buying some new PC games. I want something which immerses the player continously with ease and brings forth strong feelings (a game which does that constantly is just perfect). The feelings can, but doesn't have to be in the form of a rush, it could also be something like a constantly present, scary, dreadful feeling. I prefer grinding, downtime and other boring stuff to be minimized as much as possible; it should often be exciting and surprising. And the quality experience should come from the graphics, sound and gameplay working together, not from story cutscenes and such. It's also good if the game has some complexity, if it's excessively simplistic it quickly gets boring. I'm not interested in games like Minecraft and Spore as they provide no emotional excitement. Only games which came out after the beginning of 2009 are interesting. Except for freeroamers which can go as far back as early 2007, fighters back to SSFII and RTS which can go as far back as the latter half of 2006. Not under 80% on GR or Metacritic (by critiques) for any game, not under 84% for FPS (excluding FPS freeroamers), not under 85% for RTS. If online is a big part of what makes the game worth it, it better still have quite an active online community which will remain active for at the very least another 3 years. If it's single player then I prefer it to have a total of 15 hours of gameplay or more.

So I've been looking at different genres. I would like to know which genres fit what I described in the first paragraph best, in general. RTS try to offer deep, complex gameplay but seem very spammy and boring overall. And you jump back and forth, its just not the same as the singularly focused experience of first/third person. There's quite a lot to chose from, but I think I would take something fast paced, tactical, really good like Company of Heroes 1, DotA, or SCII. So I'm wondering what some other good RTS are and if RTS sounds like a good genre, going by the first paragraph. Maybe I should just try chess instead, but then again that takes long to learn.

Then there's freeroamers. I'm looking mainly at Skyrim, New Vegas, Mass Effect and the 3 S.T.A.L.K.E.R games. I have not played the first two, but it seems to me (wrong?) Bethesda/Obsidian and Bioware appeals mostly to casuals, instead of thrill and challenge? There's mods, but the core game remains the same... Also, many battles seem very "messy" and at times very onesided. Haven't played any of the STALKER games either, but they're said to have challenge and an unique, engrossing and at times scary feel. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, does one actually feel very emotionally lively while playing them? Also, does Clear Sky really suck so bad in comparison to to SoC and CoP? I haven't so much checked Saints Row, GTA and the like but they don't seem to go well with the first paragraph?

I have the impression that SSF4AE beats out BlazBlue and KoF13 (should it come to PC that is) in terms of popularity, repetitiveness, online and overall quality, but what say you? I might as well ask the same regarding SF x Tekken and MvC3. MvC3 has many 'different' characters, but is it just me or does it often devolve into much overly drawn out spam, extreme animation and extreme combos, which would reduce depth?

Racing games, racing sims, flight sims. I know there are several of all of those and I haven't tried any of them, but am I mistaken to think they're actually not very exciting? Actually I would like to ask the same regarding "superhero" games like Prototype. Also there's singe player adventure/shooter/stuff like Assassin Creed, Bioshock, FEAR, dunno what to make of them though.

And finally FPS w/ multiplayer, which there is an humongous amount of, Rainbow 6 Vegas 2, L4D2, TF2, BF3, MW3. Should I just get MW3 as it's "hot" and very quick way to get in at action, or check out something else? I mean, MW3 seems cool and tactical, you die real quick and often though, and something like that really puts a damper on things (or doesn't it?). Also the special abilities seem kind of generic, e.g. take up laptop and then have a missile land somewhere on the map killing someone. That doesn't matter if the game still manages to stay exciting and varied, but I can't help but ask if it makes things a bit less exciting. Actually I already tried MW1 quite a bit, never bothered to get good so I don't know how it feels to really be playing at your best while you're actually good, or which MW game is best. But I can easily aquire MW1 very, very cheaply.

I named quite a few different games as examples but if I missed some good games or genres then please do mention them!

For gaming in the next few years, especially with Windows 8, will 4GBs of RAM be a probable requirement? More and more seem to have 2GB as minimum, and 3GB computers seem unusual.

Is having a 64bit OS becoming standardized in the near future? Will it be a requirement for gaming and such?

Wow, thats a very specific list of demands, not under 84% for FPS, not under 85% for RTS, better still have quite an active online community which will remain active for at the very least another 3 years
you realy think people are going to go through the trouble of seeing if a recommendations complies with all of them

Dude, many of the older games you mentioned are going for half nothing on Steam, why not just try them.

I want something which immerses the player continously with ease and brings forth strong feelings (a game which does that constantly is just perfect). The feelings can, but doesn't have to be in the form of a rush, it could also be something like a constantly present, scary, dreadful feeling. I prefer grinding, downtime and other boring stuff to be minimized as much as possible; it should often be exciting and surprising.

That sounds like a description of Dead Space in fairness.

4GB is currently a requirement for most games despite what the Minimum Requirements might say on the back of the box.

The vast majority of games are still 32bit but get a 64bit OS next time around anyways(in fact it'll be difficult to avoid doing so)

I'd pick up Civ 4 or Civ 5 for a strategy game - not been impressed with any RTS I've played on the PC for a while.

I'd also buy Terraria, simple graphics, simple gameplay - fiendishly difficult when it wants to be.

If you're into corridor shooters, I'd highly recommend Metro 2033 played on one of the higher difficulties. It's strictly single player. I felt that the pacing was excellent and, combined with the great atmosphere and graphics, really maintained a lot of tension. Plus, it's got a sequel in development.

I'll second Dead Space as another great choice based on your criteria. Although I honestly haven't completed it, I've enjoyed the time I put into it so far. You might also want to check out Amnesia: The Dark Descent. While both Dead Space and Amnesia could be classified as horror games, Dead Space is really action oriented while Amnesia is all about atmosphere.

If you haven't played Bioshock yet, you definitely should. It's got great atmosphere and story-telling without using any cutscenes.

Amnesia, Bioshock, and Metro 2033 have demos available on PC. I'm not sure about Dead Space.

I'm not in to RTS games either, so I can't offer any suggestions in that category. For turn-based strategy, I'm really in to Civilization 4 and 5. Either one would be a good choice. But, no turn-based strategy game really gives me a rush.

I'm also not very big in to fighting games anymore since none of my friends are into them. I played a ton of Sreet Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat 1 & 2, Soul Calibur, Bushido Blade, Rival Schools, Capcom VS Marvel, Power Stone, and Dead or Alive 2 back in the day. But, the only recent release on PC that I've played is Street Fighter 4. It's technically solid and I'd recommend picking up whatever the latest version is, if you're into Street Fighter and don't have a console to play it on.

I absolutely love free roam / open world games. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the games you mentioned. I've put a ton of hours into Skyrim, Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Mass Effect 1 and 2. I haven't been able to really get in to Stalker, but many folks love it. I think it's a little too open world for my tastes. At least in Stalker: CoP, you're basically tossed into the Zone and set free to do whatever you want with very little plot or direction. The other open world games you mentioned all drive you forward with more well-defined goals, although you can choose to ignore them.

Grand Theft Auto 4, the Assasin's Creed series, Just Cause 2, and Saints Row 3 are all pretty good sandbox games. But, I'm not sure they're what you're looking for. They're really fun games to screw around in, relax, and have fun. But, you're not going to get the best story-telling or atmosphere from them and I don't really feel the same tension or excitement I get from a good FPS or racing sim.

*Edit* OK. I shouldn't have said that you're not going to get the best story-telling from Grand Theft Auto 4, Assasin's Creed, or Saints Row 3. They have good stories. Saints Row 3 is hilariously awesome. But, I'd say that they don't have immersive stories. I stand by Just Cause 2 having one of the worst stories, terrible voice-acting and the most cringe-worthy cutscenes ever. It's still one of my favorite games. */edit*

Racing games/simulators certainly aren't for everyone. If you get most of your enjoyment from atmosphere and in-game storytelling, forget about them. But, I'm a huge fan of both arcade and sim racing. I really feel a rush of adrenaline when racing whether it's against the clock, AI, or online with other players. Having the right gear is pretty important, though. Eyefinity/Nvidia Surround really increases the immersion since you have a more realistic field of view. A racing wheel instead of mouse/keyboard/controller is a must. Combine that with TrackIR for head tracking and I really feel like I'm in the driver's seat. Need for Speed: Shift 1 and 2 or Dirt 3 are pretty good games to start with, if you're interested in getting introduced to racing games. They're about in the middle of the arcade/sim spectrum. On the more arcadey side, you might like Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. On the more simmy side of things, iRacing is where it's at.

In the multiplayer FPS category, the big choice today is between MW3 and BF3. They will probably have the largest communities. I can't say from first hand experience which is better. I really enjoyed MW1 but I skipped MW2, Blops, and MW3. Instead, I stuck with BFBC2 and moved on to BF3. I really enjoy it. If you want to branch out from the realistic modern day military multiplayer shooter, Tribes Ascend is a sci-fi FPS in beta now and Red Orchestra 2 is a great WW2 FPS.

Yes, yes, and yes to at least 4GB of RAM on a new PC. I'd go higher. I know of no good reason to stick with a 32-bit OS unless you still need support for DOS programs (you can always use DosBox or other DOS emulators) or other software specifically incompatible with a 64-bit OS. I believe Windows 7 32 bit is limited to addressing 4 GB of ram. Windows 7 64 bit can handle much more.

I play only racing games, and prefer sims. But what i've found over the years is I like to have some variety in the type of game.
They are always very intense for me, especially if playing with AI...and much more if you're playing against other people online. (try racing in a professional manner, in a fast car, in a 1.5 hour race with 25 other humans online...and control your patience/emotions and car well. Very intense)
They can be very immersive if you've got a triple screen setup, wheel...pedal...shifter controllers, and you're driving a standard car with the h-shifter. Some people like the TrackIR for head-tracking...others don't. Some are saying the 3D games are helping them drive more accurately. But I think those are both unecessary.
Don't bother if you are not going to get a wheel controller and basic pedals.

For variety, I like to play a few games. Because sometimes I just want to drive...not compete.

ARCADE:
I like TDU2 because there's 1000 miles of roads...no real cops going after me...I can turn off the online mode...and drive casually, or like a maniac. It's the huge high-quality graphic environment that makes it nice. However it has an amazing number of functions for great online play with others. And although it is 80% a race game...it is similar to The SIMS in personalization. You can even choose to go to a casino and gamble with others using virtual cash.
The downside, the racing physics suck. However, if you love a game...you will overcome that by practicing a lot.
It's like all arcade and arcade/sim games i've played...if you want to drive all cars and roads...you have to go through their game challenges first to unlock them. Then...you can just pick an area of this large environment and just drive anywhere you want. Otherwise, initially there's a lot of interuptions from the game "story" and challenges.
It distorts on triple monitor displays but is easily set up for it. I choose to use it with one monitor though. The distortion isn't huge, but it bugs me.
It does not function well enough in cockpit view for me to play it. However I usually play games like this with the hood or bumper view. This may be a glitch unique to some systems...not all.
http://youtu.be/v0Oj9IlP-dc

ARCADE/SIM:
I also love rally racing. Racing in the dirt, the snow, the rain, etc. Dirt3 is a great game for that. Great eye-candy, but for me...still not great physics, but good physics. Again, you can overcome the wonky steering easily with 50-100 hours of practice.
This is not a game that just goes on forever though. Like most race games you are put in a series of 3 minutes challenges, and do them over and over.
Here's a Dirt2 video to give you an idea. Very similar to Dirt3: http://youtu.be/lEw72ji4DPU
F1 2012 looks good but I don't have it. And like most of these types of games...you spend a lot of time in menus. However in this game you can do full racing scenarios...practice, qualifying...and the full race. The race itself would probably take you 2 hours, but that's with AI. I bet most online games will be run at 50% real race length as most people don't have the time.

SIM:
I spent years playing rFactor, and rFactor2 is out soon and looks like it might be the best "looking" sim game out of the ones i've tried. It is also nice as the community has created many cars and tracks for it. Nothing compares for variety of cars and tracks.
But i've chosen iRacing as the game to focus on because of their online licensing system. If you drive bad...you do not progress. It is for people who are serious about racing like real drivers. There's tons of rules, and it is very expensive. iRacing looks like a game that will be around a long time, with a real focus on accuracy of physics and tracks. I'm gambling all my time and money on it to last, and they say this is their intention. Most games get sequels. This one will just get updated and expanded regulary.
Live for Speed has got good sim physics as well, it just hasn't changed much in the past few years. The development isn't there, but it is cheap to get...and so is rFactor.
Driving an F1 car in a sim is very intense, and seldom boring...and can go on for hours. These 2 all have great multiplayers options, they just play-down the eye-candy to reduce lag while online.

So racing games have a huge "rush" to them...often without a lot of screwing around with menus, but you have to like cars and driving fast...and you have to have the patience to learn the roads, each curve on each track, and different cars and their handling characteristics.
So they have a lot of depth. But the most accurate sims usually don't have the extreme eye-candy. You have to use an arcade or arcade/sim game for that. And the only one I know of that you can sit down and go at for hours without interuption...is TDU, or TDU2.

I'd say TDU2 has what you are looking for more than the others.
Watch some online videos to get an idea.
Go experience computer racing at a friends, or an arcade before you invest $300+ in controllers.
If you've got lots of money and want to feel immersed...get a high-end computer with triple monitors. (or one large monitor...or a projection system)
If you haven't got lots of money, at least try to get the largest 16:9/16:10 ratio monitor you can so you can enjoy it better.

Regarding audio...that's one of the coolest things about racing games, is the great car audio. LFS is the only game I mentioned that doesn't have really good audio.

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