Bored parents seek entertainment

[zogathon]

So, one of our favorite ways to pass the time in the evenings is to play a console video game. (Usually, Jon plays while I knit and watch. Yes, we're lame and domestic, hush you

Comments

Clarification of parameters

[anonymous]

After spending some time thinking about the things I like in a video game, I came up with the following:

• I most enjoy exploring three-dimensional, puzzle-based environments. For me, Riven was the Best Game Ever, followed by the Thief and (later) Mario games. Prince of Persia ranks high, too.
  
• The game needs to have a strong and immersive 'feel.' Whimsey seems to be best, but suspense and horror have worked as well.
  

Also, I get turned off by the following:

• I will not play an adventure game that requires me to murder (kill a human being with premeditation). Games like Splinter Cell and Grand Theft Auto (from what I have seen) are right out. And even killing a human in self-defense is iffy. And while I have no problem killing zombies/monsters/aliens/etc. in a game, I don't enjoy combat for its own sake. (For some reason, I don't have a problem with Soul Caliber, even though it is all about the killing people. But as soon as you have me murder as part of a story, with *plot*, I get up and leave.)
  
• I cannot pass a side-quest by without

[nakor]

Ico is an old, old PS2 game, but lots of fun: a good adventure/puzzle story with some not-too-difficult combats that mostly involve hitting shadows with a stick. And you sit on a couch with the princess to save your game.

The same people made Shadow of the Colossus, which I've only played once at Ariel's but enjoyed.

I've been slowly making my way through God of War. Its combats are mostly minigames: Simon, whack-the-button, etc. It's breathtakingly gorgeous---what I'd have wanted from Prince of Persia 2 and didn't get in the real, disappointing, PoP 2.

[isildur]

"The same people made Shadow of the Colossus, which I've only played once at Ariel's but enjoyed."

THIS.

You want to play Shadow of the Colossus. Seriously. Ico as well, but SotC is what you're looking for. One of the best games ever made.

[zogathon]

Cool, thanks for the recommendation.

We miss you in the mush, by the way. Hope things are going well with you guys.

[zogathon]

Yes, we TOTALLY loved this game. I wish they'd made more!

[percussivebunny]

i don't play video games, but my fiance not only plays them for fun, but also for studying and teaching purposes. i've looked over his shoulder while he's played a few, and shadow of the colossus is the most beautiful, haunting and amazing games i've seen. the soundtrack is also beautiful.

other ones that he's mentioned as either very fun or very interesting or both would be ones that were already suggested: psychonauts, okami, and ico. i've seen psychonauts, it's super fun. okami is likewise fun, but also really pretty to look at. ico i've seen a run-through of, and it's darkly beautiful and haunting, darker than shadow of the colossus.

hope this helps! :)

[marclar]

So I don't think that many of the games I like would appeal to you, or be challenging enough (Buffy is fun, but it doesn't take long to beat it... but still if you haven't played it....). Since you said that horror is okay, I'll throw the Evil Dead games out there. With those games, I watched Tedd play (I get jumpy when stuff jumps out at me), but he had a great time playing them and I loved watching. Also, there's this weird ghost game where you take pictures of the ghosts to "kill" them... Fatal Frame! Tedd liked that one, too, but it was too scary for me.
Here's a link for it: http://www.fatalframe.com/fatalFrame/ps2/home.html