So I guess I'm gonna do one of dem dere gaming backlog threads...

[TheGeekRedneck]

Yup, I've got a LOT of gaming to catch up with and games to catch up on.

Maybe at some point I'll even list the ones I plan to play here, but for now let's just say there is a hell of a lot. Probably a few dozen in my Steam library alone that are on my list...

I was a pretty big PC and console gamer all through the 1990's and into the early 2000's, but sometime after 2004 I just kind of ... well ... quit. Half-Life 2 was probably the last PC game I really got into and played hardcore - especially multiplayer ala HL2DM. Even now eight years later I still have the hankerin' for some good old Half-Life 2 Deathmatch. There's just something so satisfying about killing someone with a freakin' toilet chucked across a room by the gravgun.

Anyway between then and now there has been the oddball game I'll get into such as the awesome Portal, several Wii and Gamecube titles like Zelda and Rock Band... but really not much.

And yet throughout all these years I've kept a PC that's pretty much gamer ready. Kinda stupid, I know.

So I aim to change all that from now on... I want to get back into gaming especially on the PC side. I'll use this thread to show off what I've been playing and what I plan to play. It probably won't be nearly as organized as the one recently started by our own Sorce, but it will do the job.

Here's the list of every game I've got on Steam that I haven't played, finished, (or plan to replay)...


Alan Wake
Alan Wake: American Nightmare
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition
Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition
BioShock
BioShock 2
BioShock Infinite (Added 8/14/13)
Borderlands
Borderlands 2
Borderlands DLC: Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution
Borderlands DLC: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot
Borderlands DLC: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx
Borderlands DLC: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor
Dark Messiah Might and Magic Single Player
Darksiders
Day of Defeat: Source
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link
Duke Nukem Forever
Far Cry
Half-Life: Blue Shift
Half-Life: Opposing Force
Jade Empire: Special Edition
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Metro 2033
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Need for Speed: SHIFT
Overlord
Portal
Portal 2
Prey
Psychonauts
Red Faction: Armageddon
Saints Row: The Third
Serious Sam 2
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Sonic Generations
Team Fortress 2 Beta
The Darkness II
Tomb Raider (2012)
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Torchlight
Trine
Trine 2
Trine 2: Goblin Menace
Two Worlds: Epic Edition
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Game of the Year Edition

ADDED 5/31/2013:

Mark of the Ninja
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Penny Arcade's On The Rain Slicked Precipice of Darkness 3

The Walking Dead
Back To The Future (all 5 episodes)
Hector: Badge of Courage (3 episodes)
Poker Night At The Inventory
Puzzle Agent 1
Puzzle Agent 2
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse (all 5 episodes)
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures (all 4 episodes)


ADDED 6/6/13:

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
Serious Sam Double D
Serious Sam 3: BFE
Serious Sam: The Random Encounter


ADDED 8/7/13:

Risen
Risen 2
Saint's Row: The Third
Saint's Row: The Third - The Full Package (DLC)
Sacred 2: Gold
Dead Island: GOTY
Sacred Citadel

Added 9/1/13:

Dead Space
Dead Space 3
Crysis 2: Maximum Edition
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box
Medal of Honor
Mirror's Edge
The Sims 3 + Starter Pack
Battlefield 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising
Populous
Ducktales! Remastered


ADDED 10/3/2013:
Batman: Arkham Origins
Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Splinter Cell: Double Agent

Added 10/10/2013:
Cities XL Platinum
Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition
Divinity II: Developer's Cut
R.A.W. Realms of Ancient War
Game of Thrones
Confrontation
Wargame: European Escalation
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

And of course there are a few games on my shelf that I've bought over the years that I've yet to play - mostly ALL of them:

[TheGeekRedneck]

Holy shit I made a new thread!


So anyway as most of you know I've been replaying Doom 3 recently. I've taken the retail release from 2004 and updated it with graphical mods to make it look much better. Specifically Sikkmod along with high resolution texture packs by Wulfen and Monoxead. There's also a Venom menu pack that updates the Doom 3 menu system with a better looking interface and the ability to setup widescreen resolutions without any config file hacking.

The experience has been awesome... I recently beat the original game and now I'm working on the 'Resurrection of Evil' expansion pack. This expansion pack was co-developed by Nerve Software with guidance by Id, and it definitely shows. You go back to Mars two years after the original incident and the hellish mayhem begins anew. The expansion pack brings new levels, a few new weapons, and dare I say quite a bit harder gameplay. Yes, the expansion is notably more difficult than the original game... sometimes frustratingly so.

It could be my imagination, but the expansion also seems to feature quite a few more mini-boss and boss battles. Defeating these bosses definitely seems to require more puzzle solving abilities and thinking, although nothing too daunting for the average gamer. I kind of like it, actually.

I'm more than halfway through the expansion and should finish in the next couple of days as time permits.

[Sorce]

At the least, you should make a list of the Steam games you haven't played yet. It'll be the 2x4 to the face that should get you going. RoE (or at least your description of it) reminds me of the HL add-ons, Blue Shift and Opposing Force. Those were both harder than the base game (a lot more in the case of OP), but still fairly fun.

[TheGeekRedneck]

At the least, you should make a list of the Steam games you haven't played yet. It'll be the 2x4 to the face that should get you going. RoE (or at least your description of it) reminds me of the HL add-ons, Blue Shift and Opposing Force. Those were both harder than the base game (a lot more in the case of OP), but still fairly fun.

Yeah... I've actually been searching the Vbulletin.org forums for a gaming backlog plugin ... I can't believe no one has thought of making one yet. I think it would be kinda cool...

But alas I guess backlog threads will have to do.

Steam games I haven't played yet? Well hell that would be nearly the entire list save for Half-Life and Portal. :lol:


I've also been thinking of trying to play Bioshock again, but holy freakin GOD it's made me so sick every time I've tried to play it sofar. (Motion sickness). Supposedly it's because of the FOV that the game uses and I think there are fixes for it now so I might have to fire the game up, pull up an empty trash can beside me just in case, and give it a try.

[Sorce]

Alternately, just buy System Shock 2 on GOG, and get the better version of the same game.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Updated the OP with my Steam list plus a few actual boxes (GASP!) I have on the shelf.

[Sorce]

Your thread demands updates!

[TheGeekRedneck]

Your thread demands updates!

Everything got put on hold because I'm going to New Orleans... lol

[TheGeekRedneck]

Got back from New Orleans - promptly got the worst stomach bug I can ever remember having. I hope to start playing SOMETHING this weekend.

[TheGeekRedneck]

So I just FINALLY finished Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil!

Holy HELL that final boss battle is fucking HARD! And I nearly shit my pants at the final cutscene... I thought I screwed up somehow and was dead. It's a pretty sweet cutscene and ending - I might have to re-do it and record it with FRAPS before I delete the game off my HD and make room for something else.

Again, from beginning to end the Resurrection of Evil expansion pack is quite a bit more challenging than the original game. Sometimes it's frustrating but overall I'd say it's definitely worth putting time into playing.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Added Trine, Trine 2, and Trine 2: Goblin Menace

Gonna get embarrassing soon if I don't play something, lulz...

[TheGeekRedneck]

Although I already played through Portal waaay back when The Orange Box came out, I'm playing through it again so that the story will be fresh in my mind for Portal 2.

And as if you couldn't guess Portal 2 will be what I play next.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Onward to Portal 2!

[TheGeekRedneck]

Portal 2

So as you can see I'm all of 2 minutes into the game and I've already had to stop and admire the eye candy. There's something about seeing the same test chambers (but this time all old and rotten) that gives me a rush. It's probably the same reason I like disaster movies and shows like 'The Walking Dead' or 'Life Without People'. That probably doesn't make any sense... anyway I literally just now took the screenshot and jumped out of the game to post this. Does that make me weird?

Onward and forward!

[TheGeekRedneck]

More Portal 2

So a few minutes ago I finished Portal 2! I really had a great time playing through the game and my only regret is that I waited so long after it's release to play it. I mentioned above how much I liked the 'old decaying' Aperture Labs and without getting into spoiler territory let me just say that there is SO MUCH MORE of that type of atmosphere in this game. I ate it up too just like candy.

Portal was a puzzler at heart and the sequel continues in that spirit. Much (but not all) of the game is spent just as the first game was - solving puzzles to get out of 'test chambers'. The sequel also adds a few new gameplay elements in addition to the portal gun, all of which are pretty easy to learn how to use and take advantage of. Portal 2 is also MUCH longer than the original game - you can really tell that Valve pulled out all the stops developing the title.

Portal 2 takes the quirky humor we saw in the first game and effectively puts it into overdrive... but I never really found the characters overly annoying nor overbearing. Some people may think differently though and I can certainly see why.

For me Portal 2 may just rank up there with some of the best single player gaming I've ever done on the PC... it's pretty much right up there with Half-Life 2. It's funny, lengthy, and all throughout it keeps you totally engaged. If you haven't played it (perhaps you've spent the past few years beneath a rock like I have) then you absolutely must. Period.



What will I play next? No idea... I'm still basking in the Portal 2 afterglow. I'm thinking maybe a racing title like DiRT3 or GRID...

[Sorce]

If you get the chance, you should try the co-op in Portal 2. It's actually quite fun, and you get to curse someone out for messing up your plan.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Good lord I can't believe it's been three weeks since I played Portal 2... still haven't had time to start on another game.

After seeing the new footage of the Zelda game for the 3DS I was reminded that I haven't played Skyward Sword yet. I really need to, it's just that I detest actually using the Wiimote to play games.

[Sorce]

At least you can, stupid not-having-a-Wii-anymore. Dolphin doesn't entirely support it either; it needs the Wii MotionPlus doohickey to work.

[TheGeekRedneck]

So yesterday morning I started playing Batman: Arkham Asylum... :eek:

I ended up playing for like 4 or 5 hours before I finally got tired and went to bed. I've never been heavy into Batman, in fact I've never read the comics and the only movie I've seen is the 1989 movie with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. (I did watch the 1960's Batman TV show as a kid quite a bit though) Because of this a lot of the backstory and lore is lost on me...

The game is very attractive visually and the art style is generally well done, but the amount of button combinations you have to remember is mind numbingly confusing to me a lot of the time. Luckily I have been able to defeat most of the groups of baddies by simple mashing of the left mouse button (attack). Bain (I think that's his name?) was a little more difficult since you have to use the battarang at specific times to stun him or whatever... took me a few tries to beat him. I think I get to fight Croc dude next...

I have to make a confession.... Harley Quinn gives me a mega-stiffy.

I made it to the Batcave yesterday just before I quit, so it will be interesting to see where today's gameplay takes me.

Here are a few pieces of eye candy:

[Sorce]

Yeah, the Arkham games imo are very well done. I really felt like Batman grappling around, taking out rooms filled with badguys and whatnot.

Make sure you get all of the Riddler's puzzles!

[Overwheat]

The game is very attractive visually and the art style is generally well done, but the amount of button combinations you have to remember is mind numbingly confusing to me a lot of the time. Luckily I have been able to defeat most of the groups of baddies by simple mashing of the left mouse button (attack). Bain (I think that's his name?) was a little more difficult since you have to use the battarang at specific times to stun him or whatever... took me a few tries to beat him. I think I get to fight Croc dude next...

I feel the game plays a lot better if you're using an xbox controller (it natively supports it) than with a mouse & keyboard. /2cents.

[TheGeekRedneck]

I feel the game plays a lot better if you're using an xbox controller (it natively supports it) than with a mouse & keyboard. /2cents.

Yeah, I sorta got that impression when I went to the control options and it shows Xbox buttons alongside the key bindings, lol. But I just can't get the hang of that control scheme, it's one of the main reasons I don't own a current generation console. I'm just not comfortable with a gamepad unless it's for racing or 2D platformers.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Still playing Arkham Asylum whenever I have spare time, though it's pretty busy around here with the packing. Still going at it with the mouse and keyboard... lol.

WASD for life, bitches.

[TheGeekRedneck]

More Arkham Asylum

So last night I got to a part where the need to use a gamepad really made itself apparent. There is a part in the game where you have to outsmart Killer Croc and collect plant spores... well near the very end there's a section where you have to run just as fast as you can to stay ahead of him. IT SWITCHES THE FUCKING CAMERA ANGLE! I don't mean 'oops I moved the mouse', I mean the camera angle completely switches and locks into a view where Batman is facing you... lol. Needless to say I died a couple of times.

Why don't I just switch to the XBox controller I have sitting in my desk drawer? Because Goddammit, I started this game playing with the keyboard and now it's the principal of the thing.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Well that's just freakin' great....

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SECJGBu1bHo"]Batman Arkham Asylum - Joker Boss Battle WTF? - YouTube[/ame]

[TheGeekRedneck]

YAY!!!!

[TheGeekRedneck]

So my final thoughts (ala my big Facebook post) on Batman: Arkham Asylum:

So last night I finallly solved all of the Riddler's puzzles and am pretty much done with Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PC. (Also available for PS3 and Xbox 360) Let's be clear, I don't get to play games much anymore so my opinion might not be the same as an avid gamer.

I found Batman: Arkham Asylum to be an incredibly well done game. The graphics (at least on the PC) are quite rich and detailed, and the overall atmosphere as a whole is dark and gritty - everything you would expect from a Batman game. The game is never overly difficult (although the Poison Ivy boss battle can be a bit of a chore) and even at it's hardest never discourages the player from the desire to keep on playing. The voice acting is downright exquisite - in particular the voices of The Joker (Mark Hamill), Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin), The Scarecrow (Dino Andrade), and The Riddler (Wally Wingert). Now I see why my little brother (William Hansard) goes on all the time about Mark Hamill's voice of the Joker, to listen you would never guess it was the same guy who played 'Luke Skywalker'. Incredibly well done...

The addition of the Riddler's puzzles hidden throughout the game really makes the player want to explore every nook and cranny long after you've finished the main story of the game. Some of the Riddler's Puzzles are downright fiendish, but once you figure them out the sense of accomplishment is worth the effort. About the only negative thing I can say about this is that it leaves the player wanting to leave 'Detective Mode' enabled all the time (sort of an x-ray/night vision mode) and you end up missing out on some of the delicious looking scenery in the game.

The controls in this game are blatantly 'console' in nature - in fact if you go to the controls menu it actually shows Xbox 360 controls along with the PC keyboard and mouse alternatives. I managed to play through the entire game with the mouse and keyboard, but you REALLY want to have a gamepad of some sort - preferably an Xbox 360 gamepad (the best PC gamepad of all time in my opinion).

If you've never played the game, I highly recommend picking it up. And the sequel (Batman: Arkham City) has been out for awhile now too and is supposed to be even better!

[TheGeekRedneck]

So I plan to try and sit down and start Arkham City sometime today... I was going to wait awhile and play something else instead, but last night my little brother pretty much talked me out of it.

[TheGeekRedneck]

Added to the backlog:

Alan Wake
Alan Wake: American Nightmare
Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition

[TheGeekRedneck]

Added to the backlog:

Tomb Raider (2012)

At $13.60 I just couldn't pass it up...

[Sorce]

I almost bit, but then I thought about my current backlog and realized if it's that cheap now, it'll be that cheap (or cheaper!) again.

Which means I'll probably succumb during the Steam Summer Sale. :p

[TheGeekRedneck]

Adding the following games to the backlog:

Mark of the Ninja
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing
Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing: Transformed
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Penny Arcade's On The Rain Slicked Precipice of Darkness 3

[TheGeekRedneck]

Also added today (Humble Bundle Telltale Games):

The Walking Dead
Back To The Future (all 5 episodes)
Hector: Badge of Courage (3 episodes)
Poker Night At The Inventory
Puzzle Agent 1
Puzzle Agent 2
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse (all 5 episodes)
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures (all 4 episodes)

[Sorce]

The object is to lessen the backlog, ese...

[TheGeekRedneck]

The object is to lessen the backlog, ese...

Shit... now he tells me....

[TheGeekRedneck]

Umm... I did it again...

This week's Humble Bundle is Serious... Serious Sam...

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
Serious Sam Double D
Serious Sam 3: BFE
Serious Sam: The Random Encounter

[TheGeekRedneck]

Sorry, I haven't been playing much of anything lately... actually nothing except for stupid social games on my phone.

Still planning on re-trying Arkham City soon, but I also have had a really strong urge to get back into some retro console gaming.... which would tend to stagnate this thread even more.

[TheGeekRedneck]

I guess I'm going to have to change the name of this thread to 'What have you added to your Steam backlog lately?'

Just partook in the current Humble Bundle, so I added:

Risen
Risen 2
Saint's Row: The Third
Saint's Row: The Third - The Full Package (DLC)
Sacred 2: Gold
Dead Island: GOTY
Sacred Citadel

Metro 2033 and Saint's Row 2 were also included but I already had them...

[TheGeekRedneck]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add Bioshock: Infinite to the list... I was lucky enough to snag this from someone on the [H] who was giving it away in the 'Free Steam Keys' thread. w000t w000t!

[TheGeekRedneck]

Here we go again....

Added to the backlog a few weeks ago via the Origin Humble Bundle:

Dead Space
Dead Space 3
Crysis 2: Maximum Edition
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box
Medal of Honor
Mirror's Edge
The Sims 3 + Starter Pack
Battlefield 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising
Populous


Also my little brother bought me 'Ducktales: Remastered' which looks like a really neat redux of the old NES platformer. Kinda excited to try this one out, actually...