Which of these should I get?

tl;dr- pick a game that isn't a ****y console port, and that is optimised and performs well.

So in the last 4 months I've bought 4 games, and each one of them was a let down and I've had buyers remorse ever since. They were GTAIV, Far Cry 2, Mass Effect and Halo 2.

With Halo 2 I understand that it's my own fault, and it's not so bad, but the console version was definately better.

GTAIV... well, we all know what happened there. I have a Q6600 at stock speeds and a GTX280 and while driving I'm always barely at 20FPS. The game itself is okay, even at that framerate, until you finish it, and it's too long and tedious to replay just to play those couple of fun missions. My main issue is replayability.

Far Cry 2. Upon starting the game you look at it and think "Wow!" Okay, so it's not Crysis, but it sure does look good, and it starts off pretty well. Unfortunately every mission is a clone of the first mission. Go across the map and kill some guy/kill lots of guys and pick up an object; or kill lots of guys and blow something up. The game just feels so uninfished/empty. Plus something about it just screams CONSOLE PORT.

Mass Effect. For those of you who've played the game I'm sure you loved it, however I am bored ****less. I haven't even found that archaeologist at the start, you know, the first mission where you get in the Normandy. It just bores me everytime I load my save game because I chose the sniper class, and headshots don't always mean someone will die, and my allies suck at following me into battle and actually doing anything worthwhile (aside from standing around and dying). I like the cinematic parts, unfortunately the gameplay is just a bad match for me (aside from loving KotoR--and not because of the Star Wars setting).

So, now, I figure I have only a few games I should want to get, and they are listed in the poll. Eventually I plan on getting all of them, but if I'm disappointed one more time I just won't feel like wasting my money on another game. I can't exactly tell you what kind of games I like, but seeing as they're all FPS you'd think I'd like them all. I've played the Crysis and Bioshock demos but wasn't too impressed with them, though I'd like to play the full games and hopefully overcome that premature judgement. I liked the L4D and CoD4 demos (though they were quite short). I've also highlighted some key phrases for you, so I can FULLY avoid that in any purchase.

Lastly, FEAR 2 is also on my list of games to get, so you don't have to mention that, unless you want to give a dishonourable mention.

Thank you, Gamespot, and please, help me renew my faith in [PC] gaming!

Grab a coin and flip it, heads Crysis, tails Left 4 Dead. If multiplayer is your speed Left 4 Dead should be priority, though 50$ is asking a bit too much for the small amount of content available. Don't expect any story elements or well climatic single player tendency. On the other hand Crysis is a focus driven single player experience that mixes together the better of FPS gameplay in the past all within the suit mobilities into a open world environment.

Get Crysis its one beast of a shooter. You can go to your objectives in ANY way you want. Through water or land. Ai is smart (dont expect to kill anyone with a grenade), suit powers are a blast and watching the scenery relaxing (or you can go turtle hunting). I guess one of the funnest part is being able to get to your objectives in numerous possiblities and numerous ways (so it doesn't get boring and repetitive) although the last few missions were linear already. Nevertheless a great game and worthy of purchase.

I think you should get L4D.

Crysis or Left 4 Dead for sure. I don't understand how you only get 20 fps with that rig in GTA 4. You don't have Xfire do you? If you do, try turning it off then playing the game.

In GTA4, I get 35 fps at nearly everything on high except all the distance levels, and I have worse vid card than you. Also, your processor isn't that much worse than mine.

Crysis is a lot of fun, and its sandbox nature makes it frighteningly immersive at some points. That would definitely be my top choice, particularly when it's so cheap.

Call of Duty 4 is a great game, but it's frustratingly linear at times. On the upside, the fact that you're guided by the hand means that there's always going to be plenty of action, and you won't end up walking through several kilometers of jungle without a hostile encounter.

These are the two games I'd choose from, and I'd base the decision on whether you prefer immersive gameplay or immediate action and a strong multiplayer aspect.

Hm. It seems Crysis is the crowd favourite, howver going by the demo I had one real issue, which was that it just wasn't much fun. I'm big on game emchanics and it seemed to be an average shooter at its core, with amazing graphics and physics. What I worry about is that I'll play it and get bored once I get over the graphics.

With Left 4 Dead the demo was nearly a quarter of the game and each play through felt almost identical. The AI director, imo, doesn't rerally make each play through seem so unique when the level is so linear.

Are either of issues things that can be easily overlooked?

(I know I'm being picky but I don't make much money and I've already wasted enough on games I didn't like, after spending so much upgrading my PC)

Out of the ones you listed, Left 4 Dead would be my favorite. If you don't already have the orange box, do yourself a favor and get it. DangerDaveZ

I'd say either Left 4 dead or CoD4. Since the pacing in action I find, is faster then the other games mentioned in the polls.

They're all good. CoD4 single player was way too short, however.

COD4

[QUOTE="DangerDaveZ"]Out of the ones you listed, Left 4 Dead would be my favorite. If you don't already have the orange box, do yourself a favor and get it. DigitalExile

Left 4 dead easily, valve will continue to support it for ages and now with mods coming out it only gets better.

Hm. It seems Crysis is the crowd favourite, howver going by the demo I had one real issue, which was that it just wasn't much fun. I'm big on game emchanics and it seemed to be an average shooter at its core, with amazing graphics and physics. What I worry about is that I'll play it and get bored once I get over the graphics.

With Left 4 Dead the demo was nearly a quarter of the game and each play through felt almost identical. The AI director, imo, doesn't rerally make each play through seem so unique when the level is so linear.

Are either of issues things that can be easily overlooked?

(I know I'm being picky but I don't make much money and I've already wasted enough on games I didn't like, after spending so much upgrading my PC)

DigitalExile

Don't play it like a generic shoot-em-up. Start experimenting with the interactive environment. I had a lot of fun just ramming cars into NK-occupied vehicles and then watching them blow up along with the NKs inside. Using speed mode and then sprinting at an NK at a sufficient speed causes them to fly a good distance without killing them - it's hilarious. Picking up an NK and throwing him at another one can kill if you throw it with Strength mode on. Just enjoy yourself and discover new ways to play the game (hell, you don't even have to play the game, just muck around with the environment for awhile, having fun blowing it up in a few thousand different ways), it's what Crysis was designed for.

Well..I never played Crysis but I do have Call of Duty 4 and it is awesome! I'd go with Call of Duty 4 or Crysis

Can someone tell me how the CoD4 Multiplayer is? All I've seen is a deathmatch which was just people running around and spamming. I don't mind that, so long as there's some flavour, but i also like to be able to bide my time, and use some actual tactics (especially in a team deathmatch or other team based scenarios). Even though I love TF2 I'm getting bored with all the spamming of rockets and grenades.

I'm going to replay the crysis demo now, and hopefully get a new perspective on it.

Can someone tell me how the CoD4 Multiplayer is? All I've seen is a deathmatch which was just people running around and spamming. I don't mind that, so long as there's some flavour, but i also like to be able to bide my time, and use some actual tactics (especially in a team deathmatch or other team based scenarios). Even though I love TF2 I'm getting bored with all the spamming of rockets and grenades.

I'm going to replay the crysis demo now, and hopefully get a new perspective on it.

DigitalExile

So I ended up getting Crysis, Left 4 Dead AND Bioshock. Can't choose? Why not get all of them? ;) (I couldn't find CoD4 and I wasn't interested in WaW)

If you can run it well, Crysis hands down. If not, COD4.XRED_0

I agree,Crysis has a fantastic gameplay,graphics and the story is okey.COD4 has a great story,graphics are good,and the gameplay is super.

Also,if you're into multiplayer get L4D.