14 replies to this topic

[A.Cole]

So I am itching for a new game.  I have been playing Civ 5 almost non-stop for a few weeks now, and I was playing Rome: TW before that.  Those two games have controlled my strategy urge pretty well.  However, I am now trying to decide if I should go with an RPG or shooter.  I know that ASPYR has the CoD bundle (1-4) on sale today which could be fun.  However, I also know that Dragon Age has been received very well by this board and others.  I have no real RPGs for the Mac yet, though I did love Mass Effect, the Witcher, and Knights of the Old Republic during my pre-Mac days.  And I do have Diablo 2 and Pirates! on here as well for some lighter RPG-flair.  Shooting wise, I have played HL2 and expansions, as well as L4D2 and Portal quite a bit so I have had some fun there already.

Really, I am just wondering what would be the better buy.  Any advice is appreciated.

[Sneaky Snake]

I'd go with DA, in my opinion COD isn't that great of a game, it's just addictive, like WOW. Example: I just finished playing Black Ops for 3 hours, and I didn't even want to play it to begin with, and now I am pissed that 3 hours went down the tube

DA is a great game, that will keep you engaged, and has great replay value

[A.Cole]

Sneaky Snake, on 11 January 2011 - 05:35 PM, said:

I'd go with DA, in my opinion COD isn't that great of a game, it's just addictive, like WOW. Example: I just finished playing Black Ops for 3 hours, and I didn't even want to play it to begin with, and now I am pissed that 3 hours went down the tube

DA is a great game, that will keep you engaged, and has great replay value

That is the way I feel like leaning, but DA will cost more (when including expansions and whatnot).

Also, I know I posted this in general, but since it is about two different genres, I didn't know where to put it.

[devSin]

A.Cole, on 11 January 2011 - 06:06 PM, said:

That is the way I feel like leaning, but DA will cost more (when including expansions and whatnot).

The PC Ultimate Edition should still be floating around. It has everything in it (base game, expansion, and all non-exclusive DLC), and you shouldn't have to pay more than $40 (in the US, at least). If you find a good enough deal, you may be able to get all the DLC cheaper that way (I don't know how the Mac version runs with purchased DLC to know if the PC code that unlocks them all would work).

If you have to get the Cider version, though, I guess you have to go with your gut to which you'd enjoy more. You'll be paying plenty either way (the extra bank is probably worth it to spurn Windows, but I couldn't justify the money for a Cider game nor recommend that you spend yours that way).

[The Liberator]

Generally I do not think CoD is worth it, I agree Snake. This is even though I have not played DA.

Liberator.

[AussieMacGamer]

I think people just have a vendetta like leaning against the Call of Duty series now. It sucks, yes. Derivative, unimaginative gameplay that pushes no boundaries in it's textual content or design. I find the campaigns to be insulting to my intelligence as a result. The multiplayer is addictive, i feel like it retains that whole Goldenye feel that everyone used to love. I have a lot of friends playing it together and they don't seem to get sick of it. They're not as intense a set of video gamers as I am so they're not looking for the most in depth experience.

If that pack includes Modern Warfare and you have a group of friends that play it on the PC i'd say go for it. Because it's addictive as hell and who doesn't like playing games with their buddies?

[A.Cole]

devSin, on 11 January 2011 - 06:12 PM, said:

The PC Ultimate Edition should still be floating around. It has everything in it (base game, expansion, and all non-exclusive DLC), and you shouldn't have to pay more than $40 (in the US, at least). If you find a good enough deal, you may be able to get all the DLC cheaper that way (I don't know how the Mac version runs with purchased DLC to know if the PC code that unlocks them all would work).

If you have to get the Cider version, though, I guess you have to go with your gut to which you'd enjoy more. You'll be paying plenty either way (the extra bank is probably worth it to spurn Windows, but I couldn't justify the money for a Cider game nor recommend that you spend yours that way).

I would be going with the Mac version (yes, Cider and all) if I get DA because I am currently not running Boot Camp.  Had to clear out my Windows partition and just never reinstalled it, and don't plan to anytime soon.  And yes, the pack does include Modern Warfare, but my friends are primarily Valvers and love TF2 and L4D2, not CoD.  Either way though, I feel that DA is probably the better choice right now.

[Sneaky Snake]

A.Cole, on 11 January 2011 - 08:29 PM, said:

I would be going with the Mac version (yes, Cider and all) if I get DA because I am currently not running Boot Camp.  Had to clear out my Windows partition and just never reinstalled it, and don't plan to anytime soon.  And yes, the pack does include Modern Warfare, but my friends are primarily Valvers and love TF2 and L4D2, not CoD.  Either way though, I feel that DA is probably the better choice right now.

I've played every COD, and what always happens is that I trade the game in as soon as another good one comes out. I'll be trading in Black Ops to get either Mass Effect 2 for PS3 or else killzone 3.

I've also played dragon age and i loved it. It's a fresh, new kind of RPG (well, in my experience, compared to most modern ones), it takes the conversations and story telling from Mass Effect and puts it in a massive world where things aren't nearly so linear as Mass Effect. There's tons to do in it.

My thoughts on COD are pretty much exactly what AMG said. The multiplayer is addicting, I'll give it that. But is it fun? Kind of, its not nearly as fun as other shooters I've played online such as Halo, TF2, Killzone, and Uncharted. In my opinion a good shooter is one that takes some time to get good at, and rewards those who take the time to get good. COD is so watered down that nearly everyone can be good at it. There's other shooters out there, that focus in more precisely on certain elements, so you can get a shooter much more tailored to you if you leave the COD series.

COD is like a highschool flirt, easy to talk to and feel good about yourself, but gets shallow real quick. A game like Uncharted or Halo is like an amazing wife: takes some work to get to know and some effort in the relationship, but pretty soon the effort start paying dividends and the two of you can enjoy a long happy relationship

I just compared video games to romance, I'm confused on how my mind did that.  

[ikir]

Dragon Age is one of the best games i've ever played. It is like reading a incredible fantasy book. Mac version works pretty good, probably the best cider port outhere, so buy the mac version and support our market  

[Janichsan]

Dragon Age, no question. It's the better, deeper and longer lasting game. Personally, I would advise against the Mac version, though.

[devSin]

A.Cole, on 11 January 2011 - 08:29 PM, said:

I would be going with the Mac version (yes, Cider and all) if I get DA because I am currently not running Boot Camp.  Had to clear out my Windows partition and just never reinstalled it, and don't plan to anytime soon.

If you enjoyed The Witcher and KotOR, you should like Dragon Age. I'm not sure if the expansion (and certainly not every item of DLC; you'd have to be selective unless you're in a position to defy the economy) are worth paying full retail. The sequel is coming out in a couple months (for PC at least; who knows when/if the Mac "port" comes around), so maybe there would be a price drop or deal for some of it, but I wouldn't necessarily wait around for it (I think even the base game for Mac is still its original price?).

You could look into Borderlands if you haven't already. It looks like it should have some grinding elements like Diablo II in addition to the shooting and the blood, and the graphics look fun; it's also a proper port. I'm waiting to pick up the Borderlands/BioShock bundle sometime in the next few months (I have BioShock PC, still unplayed, but like you suggest, it's worth the extra money to not have to soil myself with Windows), which you can also grab for $70 (although, I'm not sure if you'd be getting more or less than the CoD bundle).

[Tacohead]

I'll add another vote for Dragon Age. The cider version runs perfectly on my iMac. It's really one of the best games ever made.

–PN

[AussieMacGamer]

See i have it on PS3 it cost me 30 bucks. Played it for like and hour and then never picked it up again. I just really not sure if i can play though it on my TV, I never get to use the damn thing cause my parents are stressheads and our TV is in a popsnizzlety area. I think i might wait till i get a new computer to play through it, not sure really

[Mister Mumbles]

AussieMacGamer, on 12 January 2011 - 07:21 PM, said:

I think i might wait till i get a new computer to play through it, not sure really

You're better off waiting to play it on a computer. I really can't see how anyone can enjoy the console version. It really wasn't any fun for me when I tried the PS3 version; I just got frustrated with the limited controls after a while. It's clear that it was designed for PC first, console as cash cow second. Not to mention it looks and runs better on my iMac.

[Rev-O]

ikir, on 12 January 2011 - 01:04 AM, said:

Dragon Age is one of the best games i've ever played. It is like reading a incredible fantasy book. Mac version works pretty good, probably the best cider port outhere, so buy the mac version and support our market  

Mister Mumbles, on 13 January 2011 - 01:25 AM, said:

You're better off waiting to play it on a computer. I really can't see how anyone can enjoy the console version. It really wasn't any fun for me when I tried the PS3 version; I just got frustrated with the limited controls after a while. It's clear that it was designed for PC first, console as cash cow second. Not to mention it looks and runs better on my iMac.

I picked up the ultimate edition on the 360 for $35. Having all the content on hand was a big selling point for me and it was cheaper then the mac version. The console version works well enough, but it clearly makes some sacrifices interface-wise. I'm sure on a proper gaming rig it would be better. I've invested a big amount of time in playing it and it is quite enjoyable, but I'd hardly call it inspired. Good RPG but the story seems to be the same tried and true fantasy stuff. I guess it has a bit more of a political bent to it than typical apocalyptic fantasy stuff, but I don't find it as immersive story-wise as the Mass Effect stuff. Companions seem lackluster compared to ME as well. I hope the story picks up later on. It's a big world, fairly non-linear and story driven and the origin portion of it is nice and encourages replaying, but it's just not open enough for me. Makes me wish that Bioware would make an Elder Scrolls game. Tons of story and game play decisions that have real consequences in a big old sandbox setting. Don't get me wrong, nit-picking aside, I really do love the game.
But, without a doubt, DAO is a better investment than Call of Duty. Call of Duty can be a lot of fun multiplayer but each new iteration of CoD feels pretty much just like the game before it. By the time you play through them and get to Black Ops it becomes pretty clear that it's a cash cow that's just being relentlessly milked.