I’m primarily a console player, but I’m going to upgrade my rig for this generation of consoles.
The Rockstar games (GTA/RDR/etc.) all have weird control schemes, so I can’t blame you for not wanting to play those games. I’ve never played LA Noire but have played the games in the other two series. Driving a vehicle/riding a horse and shooting at the same time is always somewhat awkward to get used to. Red Dead Redemption lets you set up the game so that you automatically lock-on to enemy heads (and unlike GTA, the lock-on works even when you’re in a ‘vehicle’).
I’ve played both Bioshock Infinite and Blood Dragon as well. Blood Dragon is basically an 80s nostalgia trip, and the guns when fully upgraded are ridiculous. Infinite is more hit and miss with the control scheme, and the story has neat atmosphere but gets too pretentious for its own good near the end. I enjoyed the game overall, though, and liked the atmosphere.
I have played a little of Final Fantasy 7 and found the game to be somewhat entertaining, but never finished it (and don’t personally understand why it’s so frequently called “the best game of all time”). I’ve never played Xenogears/Xenosaga, those sound like good recommendations. Do you know anything about Xenoblade for the Wii?
I think FF7 was the stepping on point for millennial gamers so there’s that part. Then it was the first real 3D RPG of the FF series. The story was great as well. So it all came together to be more than the sum of it’s parts.
I vastly preferred FF8 and it’s still one of my top games, Killer story. Gameplay was fun. You finished the game with a feeling of having accomplished something.
Xwnoblade I have only read about but it was most of the same crew that did Gears and Saga. I hear nothing but good about it but it’s story connections to the others are minimal at best so it wasn’t enough for me to buy a Wi to play.
Xenogears is a head trip. One of the few games to ever score 10s from multiple legit sources. That one is all about the story and buddy is it loaded with story. Bring your mythology, bible and historical chops to the table because 20 years later I am STILL making connections I missed the first time. It is a love or hate game but if you love it, there is no better. It is worth tracking down a $100 Ebay copy and buying a PS1 to play for any RPG fanatic that somehow missed it.
Search an online translation for “Xenogears Perfect Works” to get an idea of what true depth looks like in a video game.
I guess it’s on Playstation network now though so thats a far easier and cheaper for PS3/4 guys path to bliss. FF8 too.
Xenosaga is high space opera with the above thrown in. There is a long story about how and why Gears and Saga are two same but different tellings of the same core tale. All of it financial and it is fascinating reading in and of itself. But ultimately there is KOSMOS, the hot android Japanibabe with some obscene horsepower that far predated the idea of... (wait for it)...
“Would you give your life for a synth?”
Final Fantasy 7 is certainly “the best Final Fantasy,” and “one of the best games of all time.”
People say it’s the best game of all time but it’s certainly one of the most influential. It really gave Square dominance and helped build a bigger JRPG market for the US. Also one of the biggest Sony releases of all time. Without it Playstation may not exist today.
Blood Dragon was amazing! I’m riding on a dragon that shoots @*^$&^ lazers out his eyes!!!!! Classic.