It was one of the first PS1 games to really wow me but TR2 was quite a big let down so after it peaked with the first game it definitely started to fall away. For me it didn't get back on track until the 4th game (The Last Revelation) which went back to its roots and then went downhill again with Chronicles which was rubbish.
I would probably say that TR entertained me more and holds better memories for me over Uncharted. It could just be nostalgia getting me all confused but in my mind it seems the more epic game.
The first time I saw the T-Rex on TR1 I crapped my pants! Awesome game. I actually preferred 2 and 3 over 1 and 4, but it would seem when it comes to preference of games within a franchise you and I are on opposite ends of the scale.
How the fuckitty fuck could anyone of sound mind prefer TR2 over TR1??? That's insane I tells you. The original was a fantastic game in its time but TR2 just lost the magic of exploration and replaced it with shitty combat and novelties.
One of the things I preferred about number two was the secrets in the levels. The little dragon statues (gold, jade and something else). At least you knew what you were looking for with those things. Tomb Raider 1 was just so slow after playing the sequels, it took an age to get anywhere. I have to admit the last level of Tomb Raider 1 was epic. I remember it being a complete mission, starting with that weird boss thing that freaked the hell out of me. This music takes me back:
I'd say that the Elder Scrolls series have been the most influential RPG series of all. They introduced massive open environments without strict penalties on your characters development like most other RPG's which force you to choose a class or give you limited points to distribute during leveling.
Agreed. I think it would be criminal to not add Grand Theft Auto to the list. Grand Theft Auto (1997) When DMA Design released the original Grand Theft Auto on the PlayStation in 1997 they couldn't possibly have known how big and controversial the series would become. The top down view and cartoony graphics helped disguise the game's true nature where you played as a thug doing the dirty work for all types of gang bosses. The game was open world and had a "go anywhere, do anything" feel. The game was quite popular selling over 1 million units but it was the legacy it left behind that makes this game so significant. After a number of expansion packs (London 1969 and London 1961) and a sequel which sold over 2 million copies on Sony's PlayStation, the franchise moved onto the PlayStation 2 where shit got real. Grand Theft Auto 3 was a real evolutionary step. Gone was the top down view and in came full 3-D graphics, a huge sprawling city and full voice acting whilst maintaining the same basic formula of mission based gameplay along with the "go anywhere, do anything" style that had served GTA so well in the past. GTA3 was a massive boost to the sales of the PS2 having a major impact on the games industry. It was more controversial than ever before and was banned in several countries. After another few sequels (and prequels) along with another console generation transfer as well as going multiplatform, Rockstar games took a break from the franchise and made the excellent (and extremely well selling) Red Dead Redemption and the upcoming L.A. Noire with it's pioneering facial motion capture techniques. One of the biggest selling and most controversial franchises of all time that had a major impact on not only the people who played the games but the politics behind them owes everything to the game that started it all, Gran Theft Auto for PlayStation.
I don't even remember those statues; were they just some kind of crappy collectible? The pacing of TR was fine; it actually built things up slowly so when you did find something, it felt special. TR2 was rubbish for that. And its increased focus on combat was stupid given how poor the fight mechanics worked. I think it's possibly the worst and most misguided sequel I've ever played. And the last level of TR was shit. Really didn't like it.
Yes. And regarding the speed of the first game I was referring to the actual speed with which Lara moves/runs/climbs etc. Very slow. Funny how most of the most influential/significant games were on the PS1. Most significant console FTW?
Half-Life This was really the first modern FPS. Things like scripted events, friendly NPCs, and actually trying to tell a story through the game itself go back to Half-Life. Prior to that, everything was pretty much a Wolfenstein, Doom, or Quake clone, and those games had really simplistic and repetitive gameplay that involved mindlessly shooting enemies and finding keys. Half-Life totally changed the FPS genre for the better, and it's easily one of the most ambitious and revolutionary games ever made. Freespace 2 This game perfected the space combat genre. It had epic space battles that dwarf anything in the Star Wars universe, excellent graphics that even hold up well today 12 years later, literally the best voice acting I've ever heard in a game, literally the best cutscenes I've ever seen in a game, and a fantastic storyline. Maybe if people had bought it, the space combat genre would still be around. As I said in another thread, this is literally the best game I've ever played. If you haven't played it, buy a joystick and get a copy now. It still pisses me off to this day that this game didn't sell better. Fuck you assholes for not buying it. Yes, this came out in 1999, and it looks that fucking good.
You ever try the X games? Never played Freespace 2 back in the day but I loved X back then. I picked up a copy of Freespace 2 after your recommendations back in the old place. Have yet to try it though, mainly as my limited experience of running old PC stuff has been rather...annoying.
It should be fine. I think it runs at 1024x768 and works with most joysticks. I never had any trouble with it in Windows XP, so I have a hard time believing you wouldn't be able to get it to run. Yes, I've tried X. Freespace 2 makes those games look like poo. It also makes Tie Fighter and anything in the Wing Commander series look like poo. When you're done with it you'll probably want to play through the original Freespace as well. It's not as good, and it's pretty short, but it explains some of the historical context of Freespace 2. You'll very quickly realize that the Mass Effect games shamelessly stole their story from Freespace.
The last couple of games I've tried were a right pain in the ass but they were older. My PC should be fine but I'd have thought; it's just the time it takes to get it working that could be a concern.
FS2 still has a significant cult following that continues to make mods. It should work just fine. http://scp.indiegames.us/ Inferno is supposed to be decent. It's an unofficial sequel made by fans. I don't think I've steered you wrong in the past, and FS2 is definitely a game that everyone should play.
I gotta play FS2 again, that game blew my mind in 1999. It literally had everything I wanted from a space game.... I didn't even play it with a joystick until some time in 2002 and I still loved it.
Spoilers I loved how they made the Colossus out to be this super powerful, basically unstoppable ship that was going to single handedly destroy the NTF and the Shivans, only to later reveal that the Shivans have an entire fleet of similar ships. I already thought the scale of the space battles was massive, but all of a sudden you have capital ships that are several miles long fighting it out with beam cannons that can incinerate your fighter with one hit, and you're just an insignificant speck thrown into the middle of it.