As a result, all console FPSs tend to be designed in certain ways, minimizing many of the factors that I enjoy most in FPSs.
Just as I said, it's more a matter of taste than quality; if you don't like console shooters, don't buy console shooters. There's plenty of sports, action-adventure, racing, puzzle, and platforming games out there too.
Also, remember it's not just the mouse, it's also the keyboard. A keyboard has a lot of buttons on it. With a game like Quake or Half-Life you can get away with just the buttons on a 360 controller. But most of the really amazing PC fpses require a lot of buttons.
Take Counter-Strike for example. Think about the buy menus. Sure, you can just use menus on a console, but that's a lot slower. Most PC CS players will use keybindings. Before the menus were changed in more recent versions I remember I would do b43b07b04,,,,.... That bought a p90, an HE grenade, armor and helmet, and loaded up on ammo for p90 and pistol. It also did it very very quickly. Imagine how long it would take if I actually used the mouse or a gamepad to select all those items from a menu. In order to compensate, console counter-strike would need very long buy-times, and the entire pace of the game would be slowed down.
Now think about natural selection. NS puts most of its commands in a menu. Given that, most good players still bind every single one of those menu options to a key on the keyboard. It takes a lot less time to put one button on the keyboard to start gestating into a gorge than it takes to go through the menu with the mouse. That fraction of a second of saved time can make a big difference in the game. If NS were on a console, you would have no choice but to use a slow menu.
In addition, NS also has the RTS elements of the commander. We all know that RTSes just don't work on consoles. If there's one thing that definitely needs a mouse and keyboard, it's a traditional RTS.
It's not just FPSes and RTSes though. Look at something like Civilization. For the consoles they put out Civilization Revolution. It's kinda fun, but it is an incredibly simplified version of Civ. Civ IV is only on the PC, because without a mouse and keyboard, a user interface that is so complex just wouldn't be functional.
By necessity of the user interface, console games must be simple. That's not to say there aren't plenty of great games on consoles. But if you look at a genre like FPS, even the most basic controls are already so complex that you pretty much use up the entire gamepad. That doesn't leave a lot of flexibility to add a lot of stuff to the game when you've already used two sticks and 8 buttons just for the basic controls.
I don't even do that, It would take too long. I just press F1 and it immediately buys an AK47, Elite, all of the grenades, a defuser, a vesthelm, and night vision.
I'm a big fan of the more arcade and extreme sport games like the NBA Street series and Skate. Ever played them?
action-adventure
What kinds of games are those?
I was thinking of games like the most recent Ninja Gaiden titles, but upon further investigation the genre includes everything that involves adventure game-like gameplay and story, along with any sort of action. That's definitely way broader than I thought, but it does include such excellent games as Condemned 1 and 2, the Splinter Cell games, Dead Rising, and That King Kong Game With The Really Long Name. Those are just the really good ones, but I think you get the idea.
racing
None have been good enough yet.
Burnout Paradise, Burnout Revenge, Pure, Need for Speed Most Wanted, GRiD, and DiRT were all good games if you enjoy their style.
platforming
Have there even been any innovative platformers in recent memory?
If we're talking about consoles in general, Little Big planet certainly was and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts was a pretty fun game. Beyond that, you have a point.
Honestly, if we're going to pursue the subject in this manner I may as well give you a list of all the console games I like, but I really don't think that's worth it. Rest assured that there are plenty that I really enjoy, and if you try to dispute it I'll probably just go back to the point that consoles are obviously not your bag. If we're still going with the buyer's guide, the best advice I can give Joe now is to look at the above list and see if it appeals to him, and ask him if he has the kind of PC that can run the 360 non-exclusives like Mass Effect and GTA 4.
Off-topic: I wish they would have made Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts more like the originals. They were awesome, and are some of my favorite games ever.
Off-topic: I wish they would have made Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts more like the originals. They were awesome, and are some of my favorite games ever.
I would agree with you, however they were nice enough to port them from the n64 to XBLA with hi def graphics and achievements. Speaking of that anyone else think the XBLA games are actaully the main reason to pick up the console instead of the main games themselves?
Off-topic: I wish they would have made Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts more like the originals. They were awesome, and are some of my favorite games ever.
I would agree with you, however they were nice enough to port them from the n64 to XBLA with hi def graphics and achievements. Speaking of that anyone else think the XBLA games are actaully the main reason to pick up the console instead of the main games themselves?
That's true, but it's all good because I've got ROMs of them all.
Oh good, those aren't really the kind of games I like to play so I should be good.
I dunno, Man, crackdown was pretty fun. I mean, it looks like a GTA-clone with you as a cop instead of a criminal, But the similarities end right about the time you lightly slap someone across the cheek with a Jeep.
I dunno, Man, crackdown was pretty fun. I mean, it looks like a GTA-clone with you as a cop instead of a criminal, But the similarities end right about the time you lightly slap someone across the cheek with a Jeep.
Or when you punt a criminal mastermind off a skyscraper. And then drop a Jeep on the corpse. Then fire a rocket at the Jeep.
Or when you punt a criminal mastermind off a skyscraper. And then drop a Jeep on the corpse. Then fire a rocket at the Jeep.
Personal best - killed a (Stationary) guard, by jumping on him from two buildings over, by accident. I'd actually aimed to land on the building next to him and take him out with rifle fire, as it would have set me up with a good sniping position and not required me to pause and walk away till I stopped laughing.
Ok, so, I am very lucky because I remembered that my friend is lazy and stupid because he has left his 360 sitting in his room, broken, since it red-ringed a year ago. I just told him I am going to take partial possession of it and get it repaired, since he obviously isn't using it and doesn't care about it. Xbox games have been completely off my radar, so you guys need to give me suggestions about what I should get since I immediately forget about games that I want to play after I realize that I'll never be able to play them.
No, no, no. I already know this game is bad. I only buy Sonic games when they're new and I'm naively hopeful that they'll actually be good.
Oh god that game is awful. I play the game for 15 minutes thinking it was just another sonic adventure game. Then I get to the first boss and find it blatantly broken. I kept getting attacked before I had any chance to get any rings so it was instant kill ever time I started the fight. After repeatedly dying I said fuck it and have not played it since. Fuck that game. I'm glad I only paid like 5 dollars for it.
Castle Crashers Snoopy Flying Ace Bionic Commando Rearmed Geometry Wars 2 Bomberman Live Red Dead Redemption Gears of War 1/2 Bayonetta Super Street Fighter 4 Fable 2 Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
Any other suggestions of things that aren't available on PC?
Speaking of which, I'm seriously considering having at least one meetup between some forumites in this game. A good time could very well be had by all who attend.
Castle Crashers Snoopy Flying Ace Bionic Commando Rearmed Geometry Wars 2 Bomberman Live Red Dead Redemption Gears of War 1/2 Bayonetta Super Street Fighter 4 Fable 2 Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
Any other suggestions of things that aren't available on PC?
You more or less have it, as far as present games go. Make sure I get your gamertag when you're set. We'll tear shit up.
Comments
If we're talking about consoles in general, Little Big planet certainly was and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts was a pretty fun game. Beyond that, you have a point.
Honestly, if we're going to pursue the subject in this manner I may as well give you a list of all the console games I like, but I really don't think that's worth it. Rest assured that there are plenty that I really enjoy, and if you try to dispute it I'll probably just go back to the point that consoles are obviously not your bag. If we're still going with the buyer's guide, the best advice I can give Joe now is to look at the above list and see if it appeals to him, and ask him if he has the kind of PC that can run the 360 non-exclusives like Mass Effect and GTA 4.
Shenmue 2 (Xbox Original Game)
I actually really liked Sonic Heroes.
Castle Crashers
Snoopy Flying Ace
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Geometry Wars 2
Bomberman Live
Red Dead Redemption
Gears of War 1/2
Bayonetta
Super Street Fighter 4
Fable 2
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
Any other suggestions of things that aren't available on PC?
Soul Calibur IV is a good fighter.
If you liked Diablo, you'll like Too Human.