October 8 - October 12
Knee-deep in the thick of constant quality releases, you may be wondering, as I am, precisely how many convenience stores you'll need to rob to be able to afford everything you want to buy over the next few months. It's fun to complain about having too many games to play, but after a year of intermittently writing this weekly reckoning, I have a pretty clear idea of how many weeks of the year offer virtually nothing to get excited about, and I've gathered a new appreciation of how nice a problem this over-saturation is. As for this week, many of you are already enjoying the fruits of our Game of the Week, Half Life 2: The Orange Box. On the gaming value scale, this collection of Half Life 2: Episode 2, Portal and the long-delayed Team Fortress 2 is nearly off the charts, and the amount of fun we're already having with TF2 seems like it should be illegal in many south-eastern states. For those not as interested in defending capture points against hastily constructed turrets and ubered-up heavies, there is also an expansion to the quietly decent Neverwinter Nights 2 as well as a new Final Fantasy Tactics game for those with a PSP who've cleaned up Jeanne D'arc and ache for more turn-based fun.
On DVD this week: Evan Almighty, Reign Over Me and 28 Weeks Later. More here.
PC:
Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull (10/08)
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (10/09)
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Sega Rally Revo (10/09)
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (10/09)
Thrillville: Off the Rails (10/09)
Half-Life 2: Episode Two (10/09)
Team Fortress 2 (10/09)
Portal (10/09)
PS2:
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal (10/09)
Mountain Bike Adrenaline (10/11)
DS:
Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge (10/08)
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Cheetah Girls: Pop Star Sensations, The (10/09)
Touch Detective 2 1/2 (10/09)
Flipper Critters (10/09)
Bleach: The Blade of Fate (10/09)
Thrillville: Off the Rails (10/09)
PSP:
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (10/09)
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Sega Rally Revo (10/09)
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (10/09)
Thrillville: Off the Rails (10/09)
XBOX360:
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (10/09)
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal (10/09)
Sega Rally Revo (10/09)
PS3:
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Sega Rally Revo (10/09)
Folklore (10/09)
WII:
FIFA Soccer 08 (10/09)
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal (10/09)
Bleach: Shattered Blade (10/09)
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Half Life 2: The Orange Box... is a must! Finally, last game for this month... give me at least 2 weeks of breathing time before COD4, Mass Effect and AC.
Folklore... IGN gave it 9.0!
I kind of like the demo 2nd time around, but, based on GameTrailers.com it seems like a good rental.
...oh, Puzzle Quest on xLive Arcade this week!
Xbox Live: Nei HD | Playstation ID: Nei_GWJ
Mmm, Orange Box. I'm budgeting hard and scrimping a lot to be able to afford that one. I truly can't miss it. I just can't.
Though if I'm patient.. it will cost less.. hm.
But I really want Portal too..
Gah.
Mystic Violet wrote:
When is CoD4 coming out?
I did some work this weekend, so I think I might take Wednesday off as comp. Otherwise, I'll just be jonesing for the Orange Box all day at work.
WAR: Isembold (Volkmar)
Nov 6, 2007 according to Activision.
Xbox Live: Nei HD | Playstation ID: Nei_GWJ
The Orange Box is the easiest game purchase I'll make this year.
Spore | XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | Twitter
Nothing for me this week. :/
XBL / Art / Blog (09/20) / Buy! (10/07)
Jeff Green says he finished the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion and it's the best Obsidian has ever put together. I'll be getting it!
Certis beat me to it. - Elysium
Circuit City has the PC version this week for $38, and I think they offer free shipping too.
XBL/PS3:CyberTrick Always looking for fun people to play with, feel free to add me.
Final Fantasy Tactics and Orange Box for me.
My wallet hurts.
Yet even then we ran like the wind,
whilst our laughter echoed under cerulean skies...
screw Wednesday classes, ive got portal to play
*Legion* wrote:
i dunno, the only thing i'm saving my pennies for is Mass Effect. Nothing else interests me for the foreseeable future. final fantasy 12 and dragon quest 8 are on my list after i finish eternal sonata, although i'm guessing i won't finish (due to time limitations) either of the two ps2 titles before mass effect takes over...
Fellas, let's see some capital letters.
Certis beat me to it. - Elysium
28 Weeks Later is the best zombie movie of the decade. If you ignore the comedy ones.
Shelter 1-minute atmospheric teaser.
yoU m3An Like thiS?
Sephirotic | I am your future...swallowed up in fire | PSN: Sephirotic
I bought Orange Box about 3 weeks ago now, just for TF2 beta. It's been a blast, and already paid for itself in my eyes.
wordsmythe wrote:
Podunk on Jessica Alba wrote:
"You just checked in to Hotel Califoni-getyourasskicked!" Steely Dan said to The Eagles
28 Weeks Later is what a sequel should be. It isn't afraid to continue from where the first movie left off, it has better visuals, better atmosphere, and expands on everything that made the first movie so horrifyingly delicious while introducing a slight amount of innovation.
This movie is just soaked with atmosphere, and it exploits every single opportunity that the setting of such a movie allows. I loved it a lot more than the first film.
Shelter 1-minute atmospheric teaser.
I'd like to finish NWN 2, but I can't install it as I have lost the manual. Argh!!!
Freeagent is formerly known as divorced. Please make the necessary legal and illegal adjustments.
I have a friend.
Elysium: The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid.
XBL: E Munnie
elementsofmeaning.blogspot.com
I can't say my interest isn't piqued, but I became incredibly bored with NWN2 at the end of the campaign. I may give it a shot later on if a price drop pops up somehow.
Morrolan wrote:
XBLA / Steam: Dysplastic
Is it just me, or does The Orange Box have some of the fugliest cover art, like EVAR? :s
Just my two cents. I'll still be picking it up on Tuesday like everyone else
Xbox Live: Trachalio
Pipe Threader Manual wrote:
Hmm... I never did pick up NWN2. Some of the performance issue comments scared me off. My computer's a bit beefed up now though, and it's available on Amazon for $20. Less than the expansion! Tempting...
Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crud.
God, I hate you guys sometimes. Seriously. I purchased the Orange Box via Steam, and I will probably get the 360 version as well. Am I made of money?
I've been asking the same question since August!
Xbox Live: Nei HD | Playstation ID: Nei_GWJ
Maybe, but it's still better than the Half-Life 1 box art.
Spore | XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | Twitter
There's no doubt in my mind that TF2 has paid for itself. I had a couple annoyed days of it crashing (from what I've heard, I'm one of the 3% of people to experience any problems what-so-ever), but as soon as I could play for more than 10 minutes at a time, I was in heaven.
I absolutely love the cartoony, over the top feel of the game, and the quality, tactical gameplay.
The only game I will buy this fall/winter (except maybe COD4).
Fletcher wrote:
Same here. The Orange box has been a very solid purchase. TF2 alone is worth it, and now I get to play Portal and Ep2 also. Great stuff.
I'm also looking at COD4 for being a buy game, but first I will need to play it. Is there any demo scheduled?
I don't watch, I interact!
Pretty much. Definitely looks like the Microsoft design school, only with some nice Valve-ish touches. They definitely could've done something awesome instead of just piling the images on top of each other with some edge fadeout. Blech.
XBL Gamertag: Magmarok GWJ
Steam ID: Magmarok
www.indefinite-articles.com
Where can I find a good list of release dates for games? I've got some time off I have to use.
JUST PUZZLED YOUR ASS UP, SON! -Mr Crinkle