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Games Entertainment

Gaming Suggestions For A Non-Gamer? 151

Posted by Cliff from the jumping-in-with-both-feet dept.
StephenLegge asks: "I'm a 33 year old computer programmer and I have not played video games since X-Wing came out. My wife is going away to visit her mom for a *month* and I'm thinking about getting a video game or two -- but I hardly even know where to start!" What games out there would you recommend for a non-gamer, especially those must-play-because-they-are-the-greatest games that are out there? We wouldn't want Stephen to miss out.

"If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?

What's a killer:
- action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
- driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
- D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?

Thanks."
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Gaming Suggestions For A Non-Gamer? More

Gaming Suggestions For A Non-Gamer?

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  • Here you go: (Score:4, Informative)

    by BillYak ( 119143 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:29PM (#5893992) Homepage
    Spy/sneak around: Splinter Cell. /Incredible/ game.
    Racing/Hot Cars: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. Nothing else comes close to the graphics, the cars, or the entire "feel" of the game. Fun, hop-in-the-car and ride.
    RPG: Neverwinter Nights. "Pen&Paper sim", TONS of third party modules for more gameplay.

    • Re:Here you go: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Nutcase ( 86887 )
      Splinter Cell is supposedly good, but if you go PS2, I recommend Metal Gear Solid 2 - that game rules.

      Can't help ya on racing.. Grand Turismo 3 is pretty impressive looking, but too "exact" for my tastes

      RPG - Gotta agree with BillYak here - Neverwinter Nights is freakin' awesome. so is dungeon siege, but NWN is much more RPG-y. If you want less of the D&D style RPG, or are sticking with the PS2, get Final Fantasy X. It should last a few weeks, the story is amazing, and in general its just a great grea

    • Re:Here you go: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Absolutely agree with Splinter Cell, but I'm going to suggest you play it on the PC if you've got one that can run it, the control is much smoother and easier to manage. I had a blast with it.

      --
      Francis
    • For D&D this is it. I was away from the game for almost a decade and this has brought me back in. The community is putting out great stuff (additional modules, rules & creatures). You can play it solo or on line. All depends on what you want. NWN is not an action game and the experience is greatly influenced by those you play it with. If I had the luxury of your situation, I would pick 2 or 3 and dive in. Many of the games mentioned here are can't misses. If the game doesn't hook you in the
      • Speaking of Neverwinter Nights, does anyone want to nominate some top modules to d/l so he can play shorter games?

        Otherwise NWN can suck you in for quite a while if you just play the core module...

    • Re:Here you go: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Pxtl ( 151020 )
      Well - judging by his last favourite being X-Wing, there are more appropriate places to go. Freelancer is apparently the big thing in that industry. StarLancer is just a modern retread of X-Wing and Wing Commander. My fave space combat game will always be Independance War II, a real interesting fun genre buster.

      In other space-vehicle combat games, there are a few real winners over on the-underdogs.org that are good abandonware titles only a few years old. For example, OutWar is a good halfway between Q

  • SIMS (Score:2, Insightful)

    by poofmeisterp ( 650750 )
    The SIMS. You'll definitely want to pick up a copy.
    You essentially control a set of virtual "people" whose personality traits and attributes you define. You create a house, furnish it, etc. You can make the people do things.. you can have them interact with the objects and other people. You can have them form relationships with each other.
    Very addictive.
    • Hey... he only has a *month* to burn!

      That game will eat your life.

      If you're lucky.
    • if you asked me a couple of days ago i would say the sims online for pc. But you can always get it now for like $15 dollars, its 9.99 a month to play.

    • Re:SIMS (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Joe the Lesser ( 533425 )
      A word of warning,

      I played the sims for a week and got addicted.

      A month later I vowed to stop playing forever, which is a vow I keep, because I couldn't find a point to the game, despite spending waaay to much time in it.

      A great idea, but strategically killing things is more exciting than saying 'wahoo, I got a promotion, now my mother figure can sleep in until 9 and clean the kitchen after the kids leave for school!'

      Just my experience though.
    • Fleh to the Sims. The fist game, was okay, the wave of expansions were semi-okay. But now it is just sick. There is no innovation to the series, there really (since Hot Date) has been no game-play elements added. Which kinda makes me mad, there hasn't been a graphical update, a game play update, or any form of update.

      There is NO POINT to playing it. I was addicted to it for awhile, forked over much money, almost flunked several classes (non-elective, nasty ones), and populated several neighborhoods.

  • Advices (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Snowspinner ( 627098 ) <philsand@uflUUU.edu minus threevowels> on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:30PM (#5894011) Homepage
    If you want one or two games to occupy you for a month, I reccomend something in the MMOG flavor. EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, or Shadowbane. I'd reccomend one of the first two, personally.

    If you're looking to grab a console and you haven't played a game since X-Wing, I'd actually advise the Gamecube. It's certainly got enough games to entertain for a month, if not longer, and its games tend to be a bit more "old sk00l", and will probably be just a bit more familiar in their style and reasoning than a PS2 or XBox game, which are really catered to the generation after those of us that grew up in the Nintendo era. Look into snagging Metroid Prime, the new Zelda, Star Wars: Rogue Leader, or Eternal Darkness.
    • As far as MMOG's go, I'd recommend AGAINST everquest if you are only playing for a month or so. I just started Shadowbane and it is very fun so far and seems to be entertaining even for a short term game. Asheron's Call 2 also wasn't bad. I personally am very against selling another soul to everquest. ;)

  • D&D=Baldur's Gate (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Joe the Lesser ( 533425 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:33PM (#5894034) Homepage Journal
    Any one of the Baldur's Gate games, from Shadows of Amn [interplay.com] to the newer additions and such, are well put together and easy to learn. There is freedom if you like that, and also a strong enough plot line so you know what you're doing, and plenty of customization available.
    • I've never understoond this. I thought the Baldur's Gate line was one of the worst game franchises ever. It's like they took all of the bad things about D&D and maginfied them immensely, sucked all of the fun out of it, then wrapped it in a terrible computer game interface. I've never even gotten to the city of Baldur's Gate in several attempts to play the games.

      I would never recommend Baldur's Gate to anyone, much less a non-gamer.
      • However, it is absolutely essential that you play Fallout. You can get 1 and 2 from Interplay for about $10. A month is a good amount of time to begin to devote your life to them.

      • Re:D&D=Baldur's Gate (Score:2, Insightful)

        by f0rtytw0 ( 446153 )
        I guess you didn't have enough patience for the first Baldur's Gate and I can understand why. I remember after playing a week or so and being so happy that I was level 3 and able to handle kobolds easily. It takes a long long time to get to the actual city though. The sequel was much better since it moved at a better pace.

  • Tetris (Score:5, Funny)

    by Drunken_Jackass ( 325938 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:35PM (#5894056) Homepage
    It's cool - check it out.

  • Rent a Gamecube (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Enrico Pulatzo ( 536675 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:35PM (#5894059)
    You get all sorts of great games from Zelda to Splinter Cell.

    I think Nintendo has the best exclusive games (Halo aside). Outside of that, all 3 consoles have pretty much the same games nowadays.

    Pikmin alone is worth renting a gamecube.

    You'll probably be familiar with more characters from Nintendo to reconnect to the whole youth thing, too.

    The only downside is you can't play Grand Theft Auto 3.
    • Yeah, Gamecube has some awesome titles out.

      I would highly recommend Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. It's fun, has a great story, can be played 3 ways, and is creepy as hell. It took a while to finish because I never played it if I was home alone at night...too freaky. :-p

      I'm a big fan of SSX Tricky, too.
    • I agree. You have the advantage of cool games you can play with your wife and family that have an extremely low difficulty curve (Mario Party 4, etc) or the action games of your choice (Splinter Cell, Zelda, Capcom Vs. SNK2, etc). And, yI hope this is true, but I read somewhere earlier this week that GTA & GTA-VC are slated for an early 2004 release on GCN. I'll try and find the article I read and link it for you.

  • Planescape: Torment (Score:3, Informative)

    by Eustace Tilley ( 23991 ) * on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:35PM (#5894068) Journal
    Planescape: Torment is a superb RPG. The New York Times reviewer said "While computer games have not yet achieved Shakespearian quality, this one is perhaps as good as Marlowe." Although it is out of print (so you'll need to check the bargain bins or the web), it is not cobwebbed. This FAQ [gamefaqs.com] was updated in February 2003.

  • OK, here we go. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Neck_of_the_Woods ( 305788 ) * on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:38PM (#5894101) Journal


    Things are a bit more complex now. So given that you like the shootem up, and you want an RPD also, lets get down to the nitty gritty.

    Rent and X-box from block buster:

    Rent:

    Halo: (3 days no stop should get you done with that one. Best game on the x-box)

    Splinter Cell(Tom Clancey): Best damn sneak around as a spy, shooting people, wacking them on the head, neato fun game on the market. Ghost Recon is very hot right now as well.

    Wreckless: Will give you your driving jones a little run for it's money. Although not that best game in the world.

    Not D&D but Knights of the Old Republic is a very fun StarWars game, and if your like anyone else our age nothing is better than beer and StarWars...well ok there are a couple things..but hell we are talking games here!

    Only real D&d one is Reign of Fire, and it really is just a simple hack and slash, although very enjoyable.

    If I had a week to play, X-box with Halo and Splinter Cell.....get ready to loose a couple shades of tan your going to be hooked.

    have fun,

    D&d Joes
  • In my opinion you should get a Gamecube and Zelda The Wind Waker [zelda.com].
    I am 17, but I can't see why I 33 year old wouldn't like this game ;-)
  • Splinter Cell, Half-Life, Unreal Tournament 2003, Warcraft III, Jedi Knight II:Jedi Outcast, BF1942, Command and Conquer: Generals, Starcraft, Diablo II, Empire Earth, GTA3. Is that enough?

  • Ask Slashdot: How did he do it? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Darnit ( 75420 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:41PM (#5894132)
    Hello Slashdotters,
    I frequently game on my Linux PC sometimes 20 hours per week. How do I get my wife to go away for a month so that she'll stop nagging me? I want her come back after a month so that she can clean the house and make some more money for me to waste on games.

    • Damn easy !

      Just start playing all day and night while she's there. She'll leave you for her mother after a week, but will be back after a month for sex like all the other ones !
      Then just pretend you were so sad that you left your job etc, and go on playing while she's looking for a job in town trying to repair her big mistake. After a few month she'll leave you so harvest a new one in the meantime while she's at her new work.

      <ducks hastily/>

  • my suggestion (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:42PM (#5894153)
    I never post here, hence the anonymous coward tag. If you only play one game this month/year/lifetime... you'd better make it the latest Legend of Zelda game, the Wind Walker [gametab.com]. It is being called 'the greatest game of all time', and I have to agree.

  • Depends vastly on platform (Score:5, Interesting)

    by SnowDog_2112 ( 23900 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:43PM (#5894170) Homepage
    It sounds like you're talking about getting a console and geeking out on it. I'll offer two recommendations for PS2 games, then.

    Grand Theft Auto 3 (or GTA3: Vice City), as long as you aren't offended by senseless acts of violence. There's a certain joy in playing that game for the first time and the freedom you have to just walk up to someone, kick them out of their car, and go for a spin in it. If you're around 30, you'll definitely dig the Vice City vibe for some 80s retro action, and the soundtrack cannot be beat.

    This is not a racing game, but you will get to drive around in fast cars. Plus, you can whip out an uzi in a mall, blow away a store full of gangsters, hop in your car, and escape to the beats of Michael Jackson.

    Dark Cloud 2: I haven't played this, but a friend whose opinion I trust was totally sucked into it and spent far more time than makes sense playing this game. Great RPG-style goodness, lots to do, minigames, etc. A real great look at where "video games" have gone since you left the hobby.

    Have fun with your video game craziness!
    • I second the recommendation of Grand Theft Auto 3. I play a lot of games, and IMO this is one of very few games in the last few years that you really should not miss.

  • Video games?????????? (Score:5, Funny)

    by ChaoticChaos ( 603248 ) * <l3sr-v4cf@s p a m e x.com> on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:44PM (#5894178)
    If you wife is going to be away for a month, consider getting one of those cleaning services that does the job in a bikini.

  • Games? (Score:4, Funny)

    by water-and-sewer ( 612923 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:47PM (#5894215) Homepage
    Holy cow, get some p0rn, dude! You can game when the wife is around.

    Where are your priorities, anyway? That's right, hanging between your legs!
  • Assuming that you aren't up on the latest graphics cards or other computer components I would suggest the following:

    Half-life (fps)
    Baldur's Gate Series (rpg)
    Civilization 2/3 (uhm, turn based strategy?)
    Heroes of Might and Magic Series (turn based stragtegy)

    None of these should beat the crap out of your computer, and all are fun to play.

    • Tip - Civilisation III doesn't need the latest graphics card but it does need vaguely decent everything else. Civilisation II runs on a Pentium with 16mb at blinding speed, and also doesn't have "Culture Points". 'nuff said.

  • This /. submission brought to you by... (Score:3, Funny)

    by alexjohns ( 53323 ) <almuric.gmail@com> on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:49PM (#5894236) Journal
    EA, Maxis, Namco, Nintendo, Sony, MS, etc.
  • ...seriously. It's a good strategy game, and it panders to your megalomaniacal instinct. Plus, it requires careful strategizing, so your brain won't turn to complete mush.

    Of course, if your wife's going to be gone for a month, I hear there are quite a few hentai games out there. It'll give you something to try on her when she gets back.
    • Civilization III: ...It's a good strategy game, and it panders to your megalomaniacal instinct. Plus, it requires careful strategizing, so your brain won't turn to complete mush.

      I'd agree with you, but for potentially older hardware, and not that civ3 is resource intensive, but I always had more fun with civ2. It's even got a convenient drop-down cheat menu. Civ3 is fun, but civ2 had quicker game play and an easier interface. I wasn't impressed with the changes (or lack thereof) between civ2 and 3, so
  • Unreal Tournament 2003
    Quake III
    GTA3
    Max Payne
    Jedi Knight II

  • Strategy:
    Civilization III [civ3.com] (and the Play the World expansion) is extremely good, and addictive. Better than cheesy poofs. The month will have passed before you notice if you get it ;-)

    RPG:
    Also, as another poster has written, Planescape Torment [blackisle.com] is good. D&D-based RPG, in a totally weird and twisted world. You can get it very cheap, but it's definitely a good game. The Baldur's Gate series is good too. Icewind Dale is not, it's got a plot more linear than a yard stick. Fallout and Fallout 2 are goo

  • Gamecube all the way (Score:3, Informative)

    by dogbowl ( 75870 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @02:53PM (#5894308) Homepage
    Rent a gamecube and try out zelda, pikmin, splinter cell and metroid.

    Those are the best games that have been released in the past 12 months, and all could easily fill a month (unless you have no life that is).
    You could try an xbox, but why? If you last played games in the x-wing era, you've already played all the games for the xbox :)
    Ps2 has too high of a quality to crap ratio; you might get burned if you just rent random games for that system.

  • It rocks on decent hardware!

  • Suggestion (Score:4, Informative)

    by xagon7 ( 530399 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @03:01PM (#5894406)
    You will no doubt become slathered with suggestion, but for PC....

    First go here:

    http://www.gamespy.com/articles/july01/top50inde x/

    This is Game Spy's top 100 games of all time, some may disagree to some extent, but virtually everythign worth playing is on this list.

    Personally, my recommended must play PC games of the past 5 years are:

    Homeworld
    Half-Life

    other Great PC games I have played for more than 1 month:

    Netstorm (no longer around and virtually unheard of)
    Quake2, Quake3
    Battlefield1942
    Wolfenstein 3d
    StarCraft, Red Alert (both)
    Duke Nulem 3D
    Doom

    For console:

    N64 -- Legend of Zelda Ocinar of Time
    ps2 -- METAL GEAR SOLID.. beats the crap out of splinter cell
    ps2 -- Grand Turismo 3
    ps2 -- Final Fantasy X

    I hope this helps, I can't put them in any particular order, other than this and I hope you get a few more cross matches to pick something and have some fun.
    • ps2 -- METAL GEAR SOLID.. beats the crap out of splinter cell

      I haven't played Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, but I have played the original. Going back to play it about a year ago, the game really wasn't that fun. I think the best part about it was the story and the good characters, and since I already knew what was going on the game lost too much to be fun.

      That said, however, it was a *lot* of fun the first time through. I'd suspect that the same could be said of Sons of Liberty.

      And now to ge
    • No nethack or other rogue-like? No classic Sierra adventure games listed at all? That list goes back a ways, but it in no ways captures the best games of all time (Doom is #1 on it BTW). Silly lists, it would have been different a few years ago, or before the FPS/3D infestation/invasion (Not everything has to be 3D and/or an FPS).
  • I highly recommend this game. Lots of depth... lots of sneaking around. You don't have to rent anything, and the story is great. I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me. And you should feel that you got your money's worth.
  • I have all 3, and here are my suggestions for the 3 categories you were wondering about:

    PS2:

    Action Game: Spinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid 2
    Driving Game: Gran Turismo 3 or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (not entirely driving, but enough of it... trust me, it's good)
    RPG: Final Fantasy X or XenoSaga: Episode I

    XBox:

    Action Game: Spinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
    Driving Game: RalliSport Challenge or Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions
    RPG: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind or ... um ... yeah...

    Gamecub
    • If you're going to rent the consoles, then rent all three :-)

      I'd suggest you start with Halo (XBox), but then you'd probably never get around to the other games. Here's two Halo tips: If 2-3 buddies are going to come visit while your wife's away, play multi-player. If one buddy comes over, play co-op mode. That's the best! In regular Halo when you die you start over from the last saved spot. In co-op when one of you dies the other keeps playing; when the coast is clear, the dead player re-spawns. My only co

  • The quote at the bottom of the page seems appropriate, even if not exactly what you were looking for:

    Watch all-night Donna Reed reruns until your mind resembles oatmeal.
  • If you have a PC at home, certainly get a Fallout I and II. These are two best RPG games I have played ever - so far, between the very few that allow you to beat the game in really different ways.
    Planescape Torment is also quite interesting if you are more into fantasy/D&D regions - very good storyline, but a bit more linear than Fallouts (but still, it is way better that main-stream Baldur's Gate and Relatives series).

    When your wife will come back, I would suggest picking up The Longest Journey. Th
  • For your criteria, three of the latest (last 2 years) and greatest games I've ever played in these genres are on the PS2

    - action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
    METAL GEAR SOLID 2

    - driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
    GRAND TURISMO 3 (There is simply nothing finer, yet...)

    - D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?
    FINAL FANTASY X

    As an aside you should also check out "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City", "Sly Cooper and the Thevious Racoonus" and "ICO".

    • Re:Rent a PS2!!! (Score:3, Insightful)

      by angle_slam ( 623817 )
      I agree with your first two selections (Splinter Cell is also highly recommended, but I haven't played it.) But I don't think FFX is really a good D&D style game. I quit halfway through because all it seemed to be was an interactive movie. You go here, watch the cut-scene and have a few battles. The game seemed as linear as Final Fantasy 7, and I didn't have time to play a 40 hour interactive movie (a 40 hour *game* would be a lot more fun).

      For the original question: the poster may wish to look at Ga [gamerankings.com]

  • Hmm (Score:2)

    by itwerx ( 165526 )
    I don't have an answer for the specific question (I find reality WAY more fun than any game I've ever played - and I have tried most of them! :).

    But I do have to wonder why his wife is going to visit her mother for that long!
    In the movies that's always a sure sign of a divorce in the next scene... :(

    Hope I'm wrong! :)
  • Once you start playing PopCap games [popcap.com], you're going to be hooked.

  • Greatest... game... ever! [blizzard.com]

    And, you don't even need that powerful of a machine considering it's a rather old game.

    enoch
  • Half-Life: Counter-Strike for multiplayer action. Deus Ex for single player everything.
  • ... get a PS2 and
    1 Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid
    2 Gran Turismo (the best driving game)
    3 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (little too action oriented but it's fun)

    Don't get an XBox, there aren't games worth your time that aren't on the other two consoles.

    For raw fun though, may I suggest a Gamecube? The top-notch games for the Cube put the other two consoles to shame.
  • "action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?"

    I believe there's a PS2 port for NOLF. Great game if he likes playing a spy. :)
  • Gamecube: Metroid:Prime will fill your fps needs.
    Zelda: WindWaker will fill your adventure needs.

    PC: BF1942 is great for multiplayer (IF you have the hardware good enough to run it).

    And I'm still stuck on Thief II: The Metal Age for spy.

    Deus Ex is VERY high on the list (and inexpensive to), which combines ALL the elements you need (put into a FPS). It has strategy, and INCREDIBLE story, stats for your RPG sense, etc...

  • My favorite games of all time (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Tom7 ( 102298 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @03:56PM (#5895006) Homepage Journal

    The best (single-player) games I have ever played are:

    Bionic Commando (NES)
    Adventures of Lolo II (NES)
    Super Mario Bros. III (NES)
    Chrono Trigger (SNES)
    Super Mario World (SNES)
    Legend of Zelda III: A Link To The Past (SNES)
    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
    The Secret of Monkey Island (PC) (sequel is good too)
    Quake I (PC)
    Worms: Armageddon (PC, etc.) (also great multi-player)
    Pyro II (PC)

    Actually, I'm interested in what others think are "must-play" games given these tastes. I don't like these "new-fangled" 3D games much, to tell you the truth...
    • Neverwinter Nights is pretty fun. It's storyline is very well developed, and the plot twists tend to be quite interesting. The storelines of most games generally tend to be on the cheesy side, as well as predictable. Neverwinter Nights does a good enough job at making you not quite sure what will happen next, which is what makes a good book interesting, and this is just taken a step further e.g. You are the main character, and instead of trying to visualize various things you can develop the story in a beau
  • For PC get Splinter Cell if you have the hardware. Superior to the console versions.

    If you want to rent a console rent a PS2 and play Grand Theft Auto and/or Vice City all weekend.
  • See if you can still get a copy of Tribes 2. I've wasted SO MUCH time with this one I finally had to resign from the clan I created.

    Mod communities are the bomb. I played War2003 [tribalarena.com] non-stop. Nice thing is if you come in without knowing how to play it, its fine because a lot of people are still "discovering" the mod.

  • Marketing at work... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by scot4875 ( 542869 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @04:04PM (#5895078) Homepage
    If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?

    And this is why the Gamecube is in 3rd place -- Nobody knows that it exists. The smothering ad placements of the PS2 and XBox completely drown out anything that the big N puts out there, and the only people that know anything about it are those that actively 'educate' themselves.

    This is truly a shame, as some of the best games ever made are being missed by a large portion of the game-playing public.

    Oh well. I've already consigned myself to liking non-mainstream music, TV, books, and movies, so I guess it was just a matter of time 'til it happend with videogames, too. Let the drooling masses have their Madden '*, I'll quitely enjoy Eternal Darkness.

    --Jeremy
  • I haven't heard it mentioned here, but Midnight Club II for ps2 is a great driving game. It may not have the realism of GT3, but there's nothing like driving through the streets (and parks) of cities like Paris and LA at 150 mph! That, and it's a little more realistic to finish in a month than GT3 (especially if you're gonna play other games as well).
    As far as other games go, everyone's already mentioned the obvious choices, Splinter Cell, Final Fantasy X, etc. You can't go wrong with them. :-)
  • - action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?

    I'd recommend either No One Lives Forever 2 (to be had for a bargain now). It's completely cheesy 60s style, with dialogues, equipment and attitude to match. Plus Cate is sexy ;-)

    - driving game where I can race around in cool cars?

    Try a recent Need for Speed or just Formula 1 2002, both from Electronic Arts. Both are great games in the visual, audio and gameplay department. For F1 2002 I'd strongly suggest getting a steering wheel, however.

    - D&D
    • Oh, and to answer the question I missed: I'd recommend against either an X-Box or PS2 and try some PC games first. I'm assuming you have a PC and it would be a good idea to see what's on the market first. This, of course, only if you have a decent PC to play games on...
  • My suggestion - get a PS2, not an Xbox, and give Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City a try. There's a good reason these games are so popular, they're extremely fun.
  • An oft-overlooked game on GC is Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. If you see it, grab it. It's what every incarnation of Resident Evil should have been, and what's more, it has tolerable voice acting! If you like puzzle games, GC's Super Monkey Ball (1, not 2) is great. 2 is more stunt- and multiplayer-centric, which prolly won't appeal to you unless you're also throwing a large party while your wife is gone. ^_^;; On PC/Mac I've always liked the Civilization games, and Civ III isn't bad, though Free

  • If no one else has mentioned it, X-Wing came out in 1993. That's right - ten years ago! There have been a ton of great titles that have come out since then.

    Here are some of the highlights, as I see them:
    Quake (1995)
    Quake II (1997) (only for multiplayer, though)
    Baldur's Gate (1998)
    Half Life (1998)
    Unreal (1998)
    Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire (the best civ-type turn-based strategy game ever)(1999)
    Unreal Tournament (1999)
    Baldur's Gate II (2000)
    NeverWinter Nights (2002)

    I don't do driving

  • Need I say more.....oh yeah...and grab Splinter Cell for XBox too while yer at it!! For a non-gamer....those 2 alone should keep ya busy for a while !!Serious Sam for XBox is also a nice cheap little pickup too....don't worry! We won't tell yer wife.....hehehe!

  • Great Gaming Experiences... (Score:3, Informative)

    by nick_davison ( 217681 ) on Tuesday May 06, 2003 @04:59PM (#5895544)
    A previous thread [slashdot.org] covered a lot of games that moved players.

    Still, if I were to recommend for a month of gaming freedom, the main constraint would be games you can play and be done with in that time. After all, this is kind of assuming life has to go back to normal.

    Max Payne - The writing is so beyond noir it's laughable but it's actually an incredible story, great graphics, the excellent implementation of bullet time and, most importantly of all, it only takes about 10 hours to complete. You'll get a great gaming experience that, even for someone who's out of practice, is completable in the time.

    Ghost Recon - If you want a feel for how much first person shooters have advanced since Doom, this is the one I'd recommend. Half Life, Deus Ex, etc. are great games but, as a newbie, you'll be bogged down in them long after she gets back. Ghost Recon is a great game with small enough missions that you can complete it in a week or two.

    Civilisation 3 - If you have no twitchy reflexes left but are older and want something that's absorbing, Civ 3 is an incredible game. It'll just keep you sucked in long after she gets back.

    The Sims - Cheesy as it may sound, everyone loves The Sims for the first two weeks. It takes most people about that long before it all starts to feel samey. During that time, you'll actually have a fascinating, also non-twitchy, gaming experience.

    Grand Theft Auto 3 - Possibly too immature but then it's strangely satisfying for its immaturity and you can get a pretty good fix in the time you have.

    All of the above are old enough that you can buy a current $100 graphics card (Radeon 9100, GeForce 4200/5200 etc.) and play them well, even if you haven't been keeping up to date with gaming hardware.

    Ones I'd argue against...

    Any MMORPG - You'll either not get in to it enough or be so hooked you'll never leave. Either way, it's not a good one month only idea.

    Any major RPG - The Baldur's Gate series are incredible but you'll likely not finish them. Same goes for Neverwinter Nights.

    Quake 3, Unreal Tournament etc. - They're probably way too twitchy for someone who's out of practice. It'll just be depressing playing them against hopped up 13 year olds.
  • If you want a game which is quite unlike any other... and one that is ESPECIALLY perfect for those who like to say "I don't usually play games" try tranquility from TQworld [tqworld.com]. It works on PC and Mac (requires a good GL driver in your video card)... is a full GL game with tens of thousands of interactive moveable objects... over 200 simultaneous tracks of CD quality music and much more. Best of all, it is not a game that involves violence, gore or killing - instead it's a game for your head - to make you rel
  • If you're looking for a good simulation type game that's very immersive, try Uplink [introversion.co.uk]. You can order it from their website for USD$25 or pick it up at a local GameSpot for about USD$30. You play a freelance computer hacker on the internet of 2010 and hack into companies and steel/delete/decrypt data, sabotage computer systems, alter/create/delete identities for people, all sorts of stuff.

    It's a lot of fun and runs on Windows and Linux and should run on older hardware that doesn't have the latest and greate

  • GBA (Score:2)

    by Drakker ( 89038 )
    I think I'll be the first to mention the Game Boy Advance. Personnaly, I think recent console games have lost substance and are focusing too much on graphics/FMV and not enough on gameplay. Must play on the GBA:

    Castlevania: Circle of the moon
    Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
    Castlevania: Aria of sorrow

    Metroid Fusion

    Kirby: Nightmare in dream land (kiddy look, but it's a blast to play nonetheless)

    Lord of the rings: the two towers (plays a lot like diablo)

    If you like VERY hard games, try Megaman & Bas
  • - action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?

    I guess Deus Ex qualifies. A couple of years old, but not having looked at games in a decade, I'm sure you don't mind. Easily the best game I've played. First person shooter with a cool story line, a nice skill system, really cool settings and truckload of conspiracy theories. I absolutely love it.

    - driving game where I can race around in cool cars?

    Not my area, I'm afraid. NEXT.

    - D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?

    Not really
  • Get descent III, it is really hard to find in stores but you can find it used on amazon/ebay/whatever. It's a shoot-em up kind of game but unlike doom and its clones it is truly tridimensional (i.e. you manage a ship that can move, slide and bend in every direction in the tridimensional space). There is no gore and you only shoot robots, not people. There are amazing levels and the AI is really good.
  • were going away for a month or whatever, I don't think I'd be focused on getting a couple of -video games-, for chrissakes.

    What kind of sad dork are you?! Carpe diem, dude! ;>
  • $ apt-get install freeciv
    Now wash your hands.
  • Action/Spy: Splinter Cell and/or Ghost Recon work well. As for soldier, Medal of Honor is good, Battlefield 1942 is excellent as well
    Car: Uhh... Gran Turismo (PS2)? Grand Theft Auto is about as far as my racing goes.
    RPG: Neverwinter Nights, hands down. That is by far the best (and using new rules) D&D game out right now. (For Playstation, any Final Fantasy game works very very well. Also, on same console, try Suikoden 1 and 2! AWESOME games)

    Gaming system? I'd say PS2 just because of game diversity: You
  • Most of the comments I have seen have missed the original posters requirements:

    - action game where I can play a spy or a soldier?
    - driving game where I can race around in cool cars?
    - D&D style game so I can re-live my pubescent RPG days?

    Hire an XBOX.

    For 1 - Splinter Cell
    For 2 - Sega GT
    For 3 - Morrowind

    Thanks for coming.
  • Get either something with a strong storyline (Neverwinter Nights or Planetscape:Torment) or something with mindless fun (Diablo2 + expansion).

    All are for the PC.

    Reason being is that your reflexes are slower and your interest/intellegence have changed too.
  • It's probably 2 years old, but I'm still stuck on it. Nothing newer has held my interest. It's available for less than $20 bucks now. Great multiplayer FPS.
  • Nintendo know how to make games.
  • Here's what I do when I'm looking for a good game. The first thing to do is to figure out what you think you'll like (you seem to have a grasp on this)... And then go to a site like GameFAQs [gamefaqs.com] and figure out what the top games and most active boards are...

    The games in the top 10s are the games people are actually playing. They have played the game long enough and enjoy it enough to read a FAQ or post a message related to it.

    Another idea to find good games is the PS2 "Greatest Hits" line. These games are
  • Spy Hunter for the PS2 or X-Box is a cool driving game. Not only do you drive, but you have machine guns, oil slicks, missiles, and other toys, and you use them to blow up dozens of bad guys.

    When your car goes into the water, it morphs into a boat. If your car takes too much damage, it jettisons you in a motorcycle escape vehicle. If the motorcycle goes into the water, it morphs into a jet ski!

    I feel this is a bit of a sleeper game -- hardly ever mentioned on websites I visit, yet it is really fun. I

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