I Wanna Be Sedated (by video games)

April 5, 2007 9:44 AM

What are some games for Xbox 360 that I will enjoy playing? Inside I tell you my likes, dislikes, proclivities and other stuff that will allow you to help me.

I got an Xbox 360 as a b-day present. I am psyched. Thing is, I am not a huge gamer and I have problems finding games I actually want to devote myself to. Granted some people might consider this a plus, but once I find a game I like, I really enjoy marathon sessions of brain rot. Also, I've read reviews on different sites and still don't have a sense of how much I will like something unless I talk to people who have actually played the games and can describe the experience.

I won't be playing online and I will be mostly alone, if that makes a diff.

Here's some of my gaming history:

- I *love* the Splinter Cell series. Love. The stealth, the killing and the gameplay are awesome. I tried Rainbow Six: Vegas, thinking it would be similar, but I found the gameplay inflexible. Also, it seemed like it was all shoot-em up, no strategy at all, which bores me quickly. Please feel free to correct me and let me know I need to give it more of a chance.

- Warriors was awesome.

- I liked Def Jam: Fight for NY. Fighting + fun clothes and jewelry was fun.

- I tried Just Cause and thought it looked really nifty but once I realize it was GTA: The Jungle, I got kind of bored.

- While I don't like Final Fantasy or games like that, I do enjoy games with a story line or "levels."

- Awesome graphics are cool, but since I don't have the highest tech of setups, I won't love a game just for how kickass it would look on an HD t.v.

- No sports games

I hope I am not to finicky. Thanks in advance.

posted by sneakin to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (30 answers total)

Gears of War and Guitar Hero 2 are proably the best games on the system right now. Gears of war is similar to Rainbow 6, but with much more intresting story and weapons, also its proably the best looking game ever. Guitar Hero is the most fun I've had with a video game.
posted by CaptMcalister at 9:55 AM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: Can you tell me more about Gears of War? I looked into it but thought it was all shoot 'em up. Apparently I'm utterly mistaken. Educate me? Or, direct me somewhere?
And, btw, thank you.
posted by sneakin at 9:56 AM on April 5, 2007

Oblivion - It has levels and a storyline, but is so open ended about how you go about gaining said levels and completing said storyline that your approach is up to you. It's a serious marathon gaming session time sink and fun to boot!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:57 AM on April 5, 2007

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - I think you would really like it. Deep gameplay, levels, nice graphics, good storyline. And if you can play the regular Xbox games on it, try Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within. Right up your alley.
posted by iconomy at 9:57 AM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: Actually I forgot to mention that Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is amazing. Unfortch, I am ltd. to 360 games only. These are great recs, all, thank you!
posted by sneakin at 10:00 AM on April 5, 2007

The whole reason I bought a 360 was to play Gears of War. The hide behind cover and shooting gameplay is different and the graphics are awesome, but then again I like R6:Vegas.

You might want to pick up Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 or 2. Both games are very punishing as damage is realistic and checkpoints are few and far between on the levels. One of the most frustrating games if you're not careful.

You could also go back and play thru Halo 1 and 2 if you haven't already since you could probably pick both up for less than $40.

You didn't say whether you like driving games or not, I liked Test Drive Unlimited.

And as far as RPGs go Oblivion is the greatest of all time.

The best thing I can tell you is just to go and download all of the demos that are available on XBox Live and see what you like from there. There are also a few services that will mail you video games and let you keep them as long as you want for a monthly fee. Blockbuster is doing it and there's also a service called GameZnFlix that does it.
posted by daHIFI at 10:00 AM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: Wow, daHIFI, I didn't even know I could do that (download demos). Sweetness. Although, I do want to do this on the cheap so I don't feel like subscribing to Live. Although, using GameFly or GameZnFlix sounds like a good idea.
posted by sneakin at 10:02 AM on April 5, 2007

Gears of War Review (QT)
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=14748&type=mov&pl=game

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Review (QT)
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=17623&type=mov&pl=game

The strategy in thesse games comes less from stealth, like in Splinter cell and more on tactics, taking advatage of cover and using your teammates and weapons right.
posted by CaptMcalister at 10:12 AM on April 5, 2007

if you like fighting games, like tekken or DOA or mortal kombat, go pick up a used copy of Ninja Gaiden Black on the cheap for the old xbox. it will still play on the 360 and will look pretty good, too - it was definitely one of the prettiest games for the old xbox. it's like a fighter crossed with a platformer and it is very, very challenging. it's one of a very few games that when i finished, i actually felt like i accomplished something. i can't recommend it highly enough, but the difficulty level is not for the faint of heart - the baddies are *tough*.
posted by the painkiller at 10:14 AM on April 5, 2007

Dead Rising is a whole lotta fun.
You're an indie journalist in the middle of a mall filled with zombies. Everything is a weapon, and I mean EVERYTHING. The best is when you smash a shower spigot into the zombie's head and blood rains out.
posted by idiotfactory at 10:23 AM on April 5, 2007

Although, I do want to do this on the cheap so I don't feel like subscribing to Live.

Isn't XBox Live still free for the silver membership- it's only the gold membership that you have to pay for? You should easily be able to download demos, trailers, free content, etc, and have your friends circle etc. Xbox live to me is the near-killer-app of Xbox that no other console can currently compete with.
posted by hincandenza at 10:25 AM on April 5, 2007

Since you mention Splinter Cell, I assume you already have Double Agent? Because it's sweet.

And yes, you need to get Oblivion. I've logged almost 120 hours into that sucker, and I just got started on the expansion pack.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:25 AM on April 5, 2007

Guitar hero II is one of the greatest things ever, and I don't just mean video games. If you like music at all you should give it a try. I actually bought my 360 just because of this game (although I have picked up a few other ones as well)

Gears of war is just amazing. I am not a fan of shooter games, but that one has me hooked (even though I can barely get through it on the easiest level). It is not just a run around and shoot stuff game, there is a lot of skill and strategy that goes into it.

Others I have tried that may be fun:

Lego Star Wars II - this is fun, and while the regular game itself is not too challenging, getting the achievements and all of the bonus items can get quite challenging.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance - Run around bashing bad guys, this one is a lot more fun multiplayer than by yourself. Definitely rent it before you buy.

Viva Pinata - it seems silly, but if you like sim-type games, it is a lot of fun, and there is some real depth behind the flashy colors. Xbox live has a fully functional demo (you can't save your game, but you can play through it for several hours without any restrictions)

Crackdown - Different enough from GTA that it is worth taking a look at - there is a one hour fully functional demo on Xbox live.

I believe Xbox live has demos for most of if not all of the available games.

By the way, I have yet to meet someone who played guitar hero and didn't like it. Even my wife enjoys it, and she HATES video games.
posted by markblasco at 10:31 AM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: ludwig_van, I've already beaten Double Agent. On Xbox. For 360 I have just purchased it. Marathon playing to commence this weekend.

This is probably utterly against the rules, but anyone have experience with GameZNFlix as opposed to GameFly?
posted by sneakin at 10:31 AM on April 5, 2007

Oh yeah, Viva Pinata is cool, too. My girlfriend is generally a non-gamer, but she got really into it.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:35 AM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: While I'm at it, I need to buy that guitar thing for Guitar Hero, right?
posted by sneakin at 10:35 AM on April 5, 2007

I'll say that you should give Rainbow Six another shot. The beginning levels (in mexico) are boring and uninteresting because they're there to show you how to play the game. once you're in vegas it's very hard and very strategy oriented. tons of fun.

there's also ghost recon advance warfighter one and two, which are extremely fun stealth style swat games, much like rainbow six. they focus more on the aspect of not being noticed until it's time to open fire, though. rainbow six focuses more on taking a room full of guys successfully.

in june or july a game is coming out called Shadowrun which I highly recommend. I can't go into much detail from the beta, but it's been a blast to play. look up info on it to see what it's like.

condemned is spooky as hell, attractive and completely sucks you in.
posted by shmegegge at 10:36 AM on April 5, 2007

I think you can play guitar hero with a controller, but it would lose all of its mojo.
posted by markblasco at 10:37 AM on April 5, 2007

I've found a lot of games for my xbox that I wouldn't normally be exposed to by reading the reviews over at ign.com where it will have a section that says "other games you might be interested in if you like this one."

Thats how I found some of my favorites thus far:
Ninja Gaiden Black
Jade Empire
Psychonauts
Star Wars: KOTOR

Keep in mind its for the original xbox. The games are backwards compatible for your system and can be had for dirt cheap these days. And, I dare say, that the graphics aren't ridiculously inferior since the game developers are JUSt starting to be able to effectively use the power the 360 wields.
posted by premortem at 10:40 AM on April 5, 2007

as a minor addition to premortem's point: not all xbox games will play on the 360. there's a compatibility list here.
posted by shmegegge at 10:49 AM on April 5, 2007

I also bought a 360 primarily for Gears Of War. It isn't *just* a shooter, but it isn't nearly as tactical as Splinter Cell. You have to take cover, flank the enemies, and so on. The co-op is fantastic as well.

Dead Rising is also a lot of fun. You kill hundreds of zombies. Not exactly the hardest game but it is a blast.

I didn't like GRAW 1 or 2 but I really don't like tactical shooters, unlike you. I imagine you can get GRAW 1 for around $20.

There is a new Def Jam out called Icon. Check out the demo for that and other games on the Marketplace. You don't need the gold level to get most of the demos.
posted by Diskeater at 10:50 AM on April 5, 2007

I'm surprised no one mentioned Def Jam:Icon, which is the successor to their older titles. There's a demo.

Oblivion is incredible. It's incredibly deep and easy to get lost in, and you can easily adjust the difficulty on the fly if you find some stuff too hard/too easy.

GoW is a fantasic game, but it's a Doom-ish shooter at heart. If that's not your cup of tea, you won't enjoy it.

The XboxLive Arcade has some cool games. Geometry Wars is fantastic.
posted by mkultra at 10:50 AM on April 5, 2007

something just occurred to me: do you like boxing games? fight night round 3 can probably be found on the cheap and is gorgeous and fun.
posted by shmegegge at 10:51 AM on April 5, 2007

I am ltd. to 360 games only

There are a bunch of original Xbox games you can play on the 360 -- here's the list.

If you liked Prince of Persia, you should definitely track down Psychonauts. Action plus story equals Halo, hands-down. I found Dead Rising monotonous and tedious. The Burnout racing games are big fun, and I don't like racing games.

Although, I do want to do this on the cheap so I don't feel like subscribing to Live.

Silver level membership is free, and gets you access to demos. The only real reason to pay for gold is to play online.
posted by jjg at 11:08 AM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: jjg, you rule! Thanks for the breakdown.
posted by sneakin at 11:12 AM on April 5, 2007

Do not miss Geometry Wars.

I also second giving R6:Vegas another chance. Once you get into Vegas and its attractions, the game gets really good. There strategy aspect is there-You'll be giving your squad lots of orders throughout the game.
posted by neilkod at 11:56 AM on April 5, 2007

Given that you can play many Xbox games as well, and can probably pick them up reasonably cheaply, then judging by your tastes you'd enjoy Farcry Instincts, aka The Franchise That Everyone Forgets. It's one-man-vs-terrorists stuff, but you can stealth it or run-n-gun it. Gets silly towards the end, but the early levels rock and there's lots of variety, plus a reasonable story.

Also Halo, absolutely, no question. Halo2 is less essential unless you're playing online.
posted by Hogshead at 12:04 PM on April 5, 2007

You'll want to be on the lookout for Assassin's Creed later this year (May-June maybe, hopefully!). It sounds right up your alley and is the game that I'm really looking forward to (right behind Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 1:52 PM on April 5, 2007

Response by poster: Everyone's help was awesome. Unfortch I don't have the memory to download demos of games. I can either blow some cash on a hard drive or a bigger chip. The dude at Best Buy assured me that 64 MB would be way more than I need for the gaming I'd do. Alas. I guess it's rent to test!

Thanks again everyone!
posted by sneakin at 3:34 PM on April 5, 2007

N-thing Guitar Hero II. Seriously.

I laughed when I saw the title of this post, as "I Wanna Be Sedated" was in the original GH. It's fated! You must buy it. The game + controller bundle is around $90, but it's worth it. So worth it.
posted by Maya Cecile at 3:40 PM on April 5, 2007