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General discussionI had a 15 year gap in gaming from 1997 to 2012 - recommedation for classics I may have missed?(79 posts)(79 posts)
(79 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 02, 2017
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Lemon_Curry: <i>Thief&trade; Gold</i>
<i>Thief&trade; 2: The Metal Age</i>
I'll second these. They're excellent games. Two of my favorites.
Posted May 02, 2017
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heartburnron: I got the most recent Hitman game free with a graphics card last year and whilst I did enjoy the first few levels I don't really have the patience for all the strategic planning required in the game. I definitely wouldn't have described that game as atmospheric though, I take the original games feel different then?
The great thing about Hitman games is that you can play them many different ways. You can be all strategic and planning ahead, but you can also wing it and improvise a lot. Best laid plans tend to go sideways anyway, so quick thinking is often even more important than patient calculation, even if you try being stealthy.

I am very much an impatient gamer, and there are not many stealth games I like, but Hitman games, except for the first one, are among my favourites.
Posted May 02, 2017
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jepsen1977: Actually don't make the same mistake most of us made by amassing a huge backlog of games. Buy one at a time and then really savour the experience and get as much out of that one game before you move on. Don't just buy shit to buy it. Slow down and enjoy your gaming and immersion.

My pick for you:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Sound advice indeed but too late I'm afraid. I have over 50 games waiting to be played and all purchased this year - had a bit more spare cash this year and am hopelessly addicted to buying games - I keep trying to stop but I just can't help myself - not helped by the constant sales amongst the many key selling sites. I mean, the games are just so cheap - I've amassed a collection of 250 games over the past 4 years and the average price I've paid couldn't be much more than £5!!

I kind of have a system for getting through them though - I usually have circa 6 games that I play at any one time:

A 'straight FPS'
A big RPG or AAA title
A horror game
A point & click adventure
A Star Wars game (as I bought almost all of them through Humble Bundle)
And a platform/sci-fi/exploration game, such as Lifeless Planet, Inside, etc - something that is awe-inspiring that I like to play at the end of the night after I've had a roll-up cigarette with the smelly green tobacco in it...

I'm playing Star Wars K.O.T.O.R just now by the way - it's great!
Post edited May 02, 2017 by heartburnron
Posted May 02, 2017
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wpegg: As wishbone said - Psychonauts. Go play it, do not come back till you have. They even made the meat circus easier so that numpties like me could finish it (which I actually did quite recently, it was frustrating but beatable).

Report back when you have played psychonauts.
Ha - just purchased it after reading the first few lines of the description on the store page. Love a bit of madness...
Posted May 02, 2017
Notes about this list:
~ I HATE Point & Clicks... I love Deus Ex, Mass Effect 1 and 2, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, the System Shock series, VtM: Bloodlines, and the Witcher series. That should give you a better idea of my taste and how it may, or may not, line up with your own.
~ I've tried to limit myself to games released from autumn of '97 through 2012.
~ While some of the games listed may have had an earlier release, most dates refer to the North 'Murica! PC release.
~ I've limited myself to games available on PC, (you didn't specify, but I assume that's what you're looking for)
~ These are my top picks. Not just games that I simply like or just enjoy, but games that I love, or games that stood out to me for one reason or another. These are games that I've played through more than once, and likely will play through again at some point.
~ If you're on Windows 10, it'll be an extra huddle in running some of these titles.
~ I have used tildes. Because Tildes > Hyphens. (Suck it hyphens)

The List:
American McGee's Alice ~ (2000. There's a 'Complete Collection' that bundles this with the sequel)
Alice: Madness Returns ~ (2011)

BulletStorm ~ (2011. GearBox recently released a "remastered" version, but the changes aren't significant at all, and they most certainly do not warrant the ridiculous price Gb is demanding... The game also ends unresolved)

Deus Ex: Human Revolution ~ (2011. Yes, there's the 'Director's Cut' released in 2013, but everything I've read says that version's a mess on PC)

Diablo Battle Chest ~ (2001. This is honestly the version I'd get, specifically the original version of the Battle Chest with the first Diablo still included. However, the real meat of this recommendation would probably be Diablo II and its expansion, both of which are otherwise available digitally through Blizzard)

https://www.gog.com/game/the_elder_scrolls_iii_morrowind_goty_edition ~ (2003. Best... Game... Ever...)

Fable: The Lost Chapters ~ (2005. I honestly prefer this version to the 'Anniversary' remake. The more "realistic" character models in Anni look creepy as hell IMO)

Halo: Combat Evolved ~ (2003)
Halo 2 ~ (2007. This is kind of a crapshoot. The game is supposed to be Vista exclusive, but it is entirely possible to install and run it on XP and 7. You have to jump through some hoops, but it's doable. Also, the game itself ends on a massive cliffhanger)

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain ~ (Summer of 1997. Hard to find and expensive)
https://www.gog.com/game/legacy_of_kain_soul_reaver ~ (1999)
https://www.gog.com/game/legacy_of_kain_soul_reaver_2 ~ (2001)
https://www.gog.com/game/legacy_of_kain_defiance ~ (2003)

Max Payne ~ (2001)

https://www.gog.com/game/mirrors_edge ~ (2009)

https://www.gog.com/game/the_penumbra_collection ~ (2007)

Silent Hill 2 ~ (2002. Hard to find and expensive. On the off chance you have the option and think "I'll just get the 'Silent Hill HD Collection', DONT. It's buggy, runs poorly, and is visually borked)

StarCraft ~ (1998. I know you said no Strategy games, but give it a chance, it's still the best of its kind and it's free. https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/starcraft )

https://www.gog.com/game/tomb_raider_the_last_revelation_chronicles ~ (1999. Purely for The Last Revelation, which is the best game in the franchise)
Tomb Raider: Underworld. ~ (2008)

https://www.gog.com/game/turok_2_seeds_of_evil ~ (1999)

https://www.gog.com/game/worms_armageddon ~ (1999)
Post edited May 02, 2017 by Misanthropic
Posted May 02, 2017
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Misanthropic: Max Payne ~ (2001)
Oh god, yes! How could I forget? I guess it didn't even occur to me someone could not have played it :D

It's a fantastic game, possibly my favourite ever. It's so much fun, and the mood, the story and the way it's told are just superb.

Also, Alan Wake by the same devs is a great game for anyone who liked Max, and enjoys a more spooky, horror-ish kinda story, heavily inspired by Twin Peaks.
Posted May 02, 2017
Not many classics get forgotten around here.

No One Lives Forever

Arma 2

Bully

If you like Deus Ex and Vampire Bloodlines definitely Morrowind.

I'll second Silent Hill 2 and Fable: The Lost Chapters.

Dead Rising and Red Dead Redemption are on consoles.

Hitman 1 through to Bloodmoney are brilliant.

The original Farcry beats the hell out of the later ones.
Post edited May 02, 2017 by bad_fur_day1
Posted May 02, 2017
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Misanthropic: Max Payne ~ (2001)
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Breja: Oh god, yes! How could I forget? I guess it didn't even occur to me someone could not have played it :D

It's a fantastic game, possibly my favourite ever. It's so much fun, and the mood, the story and the way it's told are just superb.
The most constipated man in gaming history.
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Posted May 02, 2017
Here's a good list to start with...

Metro series
Basically S.T.A.L.K.E.R. meets Half-Life. It's linear, yes, but has an incredible story and atmosphere. I would recommend the Redux versions for the improved visuals and gameplay. But it is dependent on who you talk to.

Deadly Premonition
Ignore the terrible tutorial. Ignore the dated visuals. Ignore all the ideas that it's "so bad it's good". This game is just fantastic, with some admitted faults with shooting and driving. What it does create almost perfectly is a brilliant open world with an engrossing story with plenty of great twists and turns.

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die
A Telltale-style game from the guy that designed and the studio that developed Deadly Premonition, though this one is arguably more focused. It's sadly incomplete, and unlikely to be finished. But what remains is still engrossing and plenty fun.

All of this are currently available on GOG.
Posted May 02, 2017
Damn, you missed a lot of good stuff. ;)
Posted May 02, 2017
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Breja: Oh god, yes! How could I forget? I guess it didn't even occur to me someone could not have played it :D

It's a fantastic game, possibly my favourite ever. It's so much fun, and the mood, the story and the way it's told are just superb.
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tinyE: The most constipated man in gaming history.
And I still like him more with that face than the one he got in the sequel :D
Posted May 02, 2017
Maybe you'd enjoy Jade Empire? Deadly Premonition is really something special, as others already pointed out. And check out Alan Wake, too. Or how about the Saints Row games?

These are all available right here on GOG, and they're all Shooters or Action-RPGs, so they should suit your tastes.
Posted May 02, 2017
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heartburnron: I got Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for free from Ubisoft - completely forgot about it - must make a start is it in the near future. Also picked up the remastered Grim Fandango last month. Again - trying to finish the other 6 games I'm currently juggling at the minute before I can start anything else. Thanks for your input.
I limited my suggestions to games sold here: there are enough gems here.
Anyway your question predictably brought a plethora of (very good) recommendations: you will need about 15 years to fill your 15 years' gap.
Posted May 02, 2017
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heartburnron: Hi all. I'm quite new to the forums and as the title suggested, I gave up on gaming in 1997 (Tomb Raider 2 being the last game I seriously played) and only picked it up again when I bought Far Cry 3 for a new PC I bought in 2012. I bought I new higher end rig at the beginning of last year and now I'm totally hooked on gaming (to the point where I think I'm bordering on a problem as I can't stop buying games - almost 100 games purchased this year so far!)

Anyway, I've been going back and trying to pick up the classics I've missed over the years. I've done a lot of research into click and point adventure games and have bought 20+ to get through so I probably have the best of those and likley don't need any more recommendations just now. I'd love to to hear your recommendations for other games you think I should try that I may have missed. I have played most of the obvious AAA titles from 2009 onwards so I'm looking for games earlier than that that have likely been a bit forgotton or are no longer talked about so much. I'm also not so into strategy games as they take up so much time to play that I don't really have. Some of the older games I've played and really enjoyed as flavour for the kind of games I'm searching for are as follows:

F.E.A.R 1, 2, & 3
System Shock 1 & 2
Deus Ex (Original)
Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
Black Mesa
Half Life 2
Postal 2
Blood Rayne 1 & 2
Indina Jones and The Emperor's Tomb (what a pleasant surprise that one was)
Beyond Good and Evil
Clive Barker's The Undying (what a game this still is!)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R games
Mass Effect games
The Witcher games
Dragon Age Origins
Star Wars: K.O.T.O.R
Star Wars: Jedi Knight Jedi Academy
The Saboteur

Hoping you guys can give me a steer towards some forgotton classics. Thanks in advance.
I'd strongly suggest giving these a look into :)

Rayman II: The Great Escape
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Age of Empires
Age of Empires II
Age of Mythology
Jurassic Park: Operatoin Genisis
The Sims II

^^
Posted May 02, 2017
GOG currently lists 738 titles with a release date between 1997 and 2012 (may have to update with last fortnight's releases, but should still be a decent sample). I'll try to skip games already recommended, and only say those that I think people should have played.
Pre-post edit: It does seem like I'm choosing mostly strategy games, so I'm splitting the list

Non Strategy
Carmageddon and Carmageddon 2
Jagged Alliance 2 (While some may call it strategy, it's an RPG masquerading as a tactics game)
Beyond Good and Evil
Sid Meier's Pirates
Terraria


Strategy
Evil Genius
King of Dragon Pass
UFO: Aftershock (others might be worth it, personally prefer AS more)
The various Sid Meier's Civilizations you might have missed
The Guild
Eador (The first one, not the remakes)

Some may not be that easy to get working (King of Dragon Pass especially), but both the forums and support are here to assist you.

Feel free to look at the releases here, you should be able to filter them to the dates required.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionI had a 15 year gap in gaming from 1997 to 2012 - recommedation for classics I may have missed?(79 posts)(79 posts)
(79 posts)