What's A Good First Game

I've 49 yrs old and have never gotten into gaming. I've watched my kids play Halo on an XBox but never got hooked myself. Never really wanted to invest the mindpower it takes to get beyond Level 1 on any of these games.

I've got a new ASUS Z70va coming. :asus:

What would be a fun game that I should try? TIA!

 

You might get into something more strategy based like Age of Empires.

 

Buying HL2 on steam might be a good idea. You get all the other stuff too like CS:S and DoD:S. If you play through HL2 and like it you'll probably get a lot of value out of the online games like cs and dod.

 

I second Brian, RTS(Real Time Strategy) may be what you are looking for. Also, MMORPG's aka Mass Multuplayer Online Role Playing Game - just don't get addicted

 

49 eh, ok, that means your fast twitch muscles are fading (jokes), and you're probably just getting the onset of presbyopia (more jokes). So I'd recommend the same as Brian... You can't go wrong with Real Time Strats no matter how old or young you are.

Age of Empires II (make sure you get the set with age of kings and the conquerors expansion) is a fantastic game for all ages, I still crank out my Goths or Saracens from time to time and hit MSN Gamezone (hilarious, intense battles and strategies, and too much fun).

I also agree with coriolis on the online role playing games like EverQuest, Guildwars, and World of Warcraft, you'll find all ages enjoying those titles (but beware the youth will bombard you with the dreaded " OMFGZ Healz!!" if you roll a Druid, or Mage. LOL).

Dungeon Seige and Fable are also a good RPGs to solo if you're not into the whole online gaming thing, or to take a break from the hordes and play at your own tempo.

Great graphics also... go to http://gamespot.com and check out the ratings and video reviews of the games mentioned and also lots of others. you're sure to find a fit.

 

Half-Life 2 is a great First person shooter for both beginners and the more experienced folk . . just a great all-around game. I've been gaming on PC's since before Windows 3.1 was even out, and I still find that game to be awesome.

 

49 eh ....is that a 'Jack Benny' 49 ? I am sooooooooooooo much younger I like playing Reader Rabbit ..... you will be 50 at least 2 years before me

I have been into PC's since early 90's and Laptops the last 6 years. I perosnally don't like the RPGs as too much time and effort - I like a quick / fast paced game without having to think too much - I think enough on my day job

I have always liked a good Golf Game - currently out of date (Tiger Woods 2002) looking to upgrade. I also enjoy some console games where my son usually kicks my a$$ but occasionally I win (Madden 2006 just kills him when I do win as well ahahahaha). If you like sports that are allot of good PC games. (EA sports) from Soccer to Nascar. Ansd if you don't need the 2006 versions of most EA tilltle lots of stores have a bundle of 3 or 4 EA sports titles for like $30.00 worth while to see if ya like them

My favorite PC game of all time was probably Wolfenstien 3D and or Star Wars POD racer (there confirmed my age hahah). Those games are fast paced and mindless - and I just enjoy.

I like the FPS (First Person Shooter) but have not played for a while (Son has DOOM3 graphics are great but did not do much for me)

I am thinking about getting the new star wars game that is out. That looks interesting .......

Good Luck ;-)

 

CIV 4 is all i can say. My dad who is the same age as you is addicted to it. He occassionaly accompanies me on XBL with halo 2 but like you said he never got into it. Civ 3/4 are great games, strat and at your own pace. If you wanna do rts try age of empires or DOW or something like that.

 

Yes I agree, try one of those Strategy games like Warcraft 3, maybe even an oldie but a goodie, Starcraft, some role playing games online like ROSE Online, World of Warcraft, games like that.

They're really fun and the learning curve isn't too great, you just learn as you play, you don't have to KNOW how to play before playing.

Civilizations is a great game, all versions of it.

Shoot'em up games or First Person Shooters are great mind numbing fun, pure no brainer, just point and shoot. Since you're getting a Z70Va, try Counter-Strike, it runs great on the Z70Va, I was worried about ghosting and getting headaches since it's an LCD display, but it's just fine as long as your screen isn't defective.

If you want to play the classics you could always download an emulator and play old super nintendo games, neo geo games, sega games, old atari games, old arcade games, etc.

Cheers and hey it's never too late to be gaming, have fun~!
Mike

 

There's a couple of FPS games with a really unique, supernatural storyline: The Suffering and The Suffering 2. The graphics aren't on par with Half-Life 2, but still look good. I found both games a lot of fun. They're hard-core and scary, with a lot of violence and rough language, so I wouldn't let your kids play them.

Check out FilePlanet.com. You can download dozens of game demos for free. It's a great way to try a game before dropping any $$ on it.

 

warcraft 3, age of empires 2(a fav of mine), Halflife 2, unreal tournament2004(a fav of mine)

that should keep u busy for a while, then theres bout a billion more games

 

That really depends. Do you want to shoot things up? Fast paced shoot-first think-later strategy? Slow lemme-thyk-about-this strategy? Sports? racing?

 

I recommend just about anything from PopCap Games. If you're just starting out, FPS(first person shooter) controls may be difficult to get used to.
My mother is 51 and decided to give gaming a try just recently also. I started her out with Bookworm, RocketMania, and Insaniqarium. From there we moved to Deus Ex because, while it is a FPS game, it doesn't require the so much of the twitch movement that FPS games are known for. Also it requires more free-form thought to complete your goals.
But like everyone else said, a RTS(real time strategy) game wouldn't be a bad place to start either. O, and my mom, she's moved to console gaming now and we can't get her off Pikman 1 and 2 for the Gamecube for anything.

 

I've always gotten a kick out of the simulation/strategy games such as Sierra's Caesar series ( http://www.caesariv.com/us/), Atari's RollerCoaster Tycoon series ( http://www.atari.com/rollercoastertycoon/) or UBISoft's Silent Hunter ( http://www.silent-hunteriii.com/uk/home.php).

Enjoy!

 

what about Heroes 3? (Turn based) or Heroes 4 (more RPG elements); Etherlords 2 is also nice (but Heroes 3 is my all time favourite )

 

one game i would seriously recomend is the new upcommoing Eldar Scrolls title OBLIVION (1 of the best RPG series ever created). true free roaming in this game with plenty of beautiful things to look at. check it out at www.morrowind.com

 

I would recommend Warcraft 3. Its not too hard and the online gaming is a great new experience. If your into 1st person shooters, go with Call Of Duty, Counter Strike, Or as you said, Halo.

 

It's totally going to depend on what genres intrigue you. However, I'll take a crack at this:

First Person Shooters:

1) Battlefield 2: It's a first first person shooter, with many many different options for you to explore. Traditional assault style play is there, you can also be a sniper, medic, anti tank, etc... The games has oodles of vehicles, so you could be a fighter pilot, chopper pilot, tanker, humvee driver (or gunner), armored anti-aircraft driver, etc... Should you wind up choosing a more cerebral role, you can qualify on any map to be the commander, using a map of the game to direct assaults, order artillary or supplies, call for satelite recon of enemy positions. The game may not be the absolute pinnacle of first person gaming, but it offers every possible niche, and is very popular. Modifications for the game ore also forthcoming, which will allow you to experience much of the same gameplay, but in different time periods, environments, etc...

2) Half Life 2: This is the other big dog of first person shooters (and my personal favorite). Offering fewer roles (right now), it is an amazing game engine that will be the king of the modification community (in my opinion). Currently, modifications to the game include Counter Strike: Source (a fast paced, terrorist/anti-terrorist team game), Day of Defeat: Source (a slightly slower paced World War II game, focusing a little more on team cooperation), and the standard deathmatch style (every man for himself.... or woman). Upcoming modifications for the game take you from fantasy realms, to the Civil War, Vietnam, The Gulf, To Zero-G combat on Mars, and everywhere else.


Strategy Games:

This is a genre that is really groing on me. Real time, or turn based, this is a lot of fun, but doesn't require the twitch reflexes of a 13 year old on six Mountain Dews.

1) Anything done by Sid Meier. His Civilization series is excellent. Pirates is still a ton of fun to play... I'd give Pirates a try first, then Civilization IV. Both are excellent games, but my feeling was that Pirates was a bit easier to learn.

2) Dawn of War: A science fiction real time strategy game that is fun, easy to learn, and a good stepping stone. Think of it as the big budget action flick of the real time strategy genre. Build resources, create strong armies, crush the bad guys. Fun. Engaging. Not very complex... It's also been out for a bit, so it's a touch cheaper than some games, and has expansion packs available if you enjoy the game.

3) Star Wars: Empires at War is the brand new real time strategy game that takes place within the Star Wars universe. The demo was released a few weeks ago, and got rave reviews. The game itself came out this week, and everyone is going bonkers over it. If you like real time strategy or the Star Wars universe, this one is pretty much a no brainer.

Role Playing Games:

Another great alternative to the first person shooter, this genre offers a very large universe to explore. Create a character, build their skill and knowledge, explore, form groups, smite evil. Good fun... There are a couple of big name games that dominate the scene.

1) World of Warcraft is the biggest one of them all. Tens of thousands of people are playing this game at any time, and the following is still growing. Not sure what to say, other than the game is very popular, the universe continues to expand, people get sucked in and don't come out, and has a monthly subscription.

2) Not quite as popular, but still a huge hit, is Guild Wars. The game is not quite as robust, or enthralling, but has a huge fanbase. It's a great game, and has no subscription fees. Definitely a good game to cut your teeth on the genre with.

3) Eve Online is the last one I thought I'd mention. While I know little about the game, I do know it is a Sci-Fi, Space based RPG that is quite popular. Sorry I don't know much more than that. Google should be your friend here.


Other games worth mentioning:

1) Pacific Fighters is the big Combat Flight Simulator (buy a joystick before touching this game). Lock On: Modern Combat, and the new Falcon 4.0 are other populer ones.

2) The TOCA series is great for car racing, although consoles are probably better for that sort of thing.

3) Silent Hunter III is a great submarine simulation game. Not super fast paced, it's incredibly fun.
...

I'm going brain dead. Someone before mentioned fileplanet.com as a good resource. I would tend to agree. It can be a pain to download stuff without an account there, but I'd really suggest exploring the gaming universe through their selection of demos. Everything there is broken down into genres, so you can get your feet wet in almost any way you would like at your own pace.


Good luck.




Oh yeah. If you find yourself enjoying the whole gaming thing, send me a personal message, and I'll point you in the direction of some great groups of more mature gamers (in the 30-60 year old range). The throngs of pubescent hooligans can make some of the online play a little unfun at times. Remember though, there are a lot of people with your maturity that also play, and have a fantastic time.

 

The only role playing games you included were Massivly multiplayer onlines, there are plenty of other offline ones that are just as good.
you also forgot to mention that Guild wars is the only one of the mmo's that you listed that you dont have to pay monthy subscription fee for.

 

Those were some of the best games of the last generation of consoles.

 

Another area that people haven't mentioned are the simpler, downloadable games. These are good to get people into the fast paced action of games and getting you used to moving your mouse around real quick without being overwhelmed by a keyboard full of controls. A bunch of good one with free demos can be found at: http://gamehouse.com/

Luxor and Super Collapse are some of my favorites.

 

My post wasn't meant to be all encompassing, and yes, I did mention Guild Wars has no subscription fees. Please add other games you think this guy my like. I haven't played Rome: Total War, Dungeon Seige II, or a slew of other great games. I was merely trying to make suggestions from my own personal experience (aside from Eve).

 

Go with Warcraft 3. Its a good stragety game and is lots of fun over on B. Net. I myself enjoy playing it lots!!!!

 

I'd say buy Half Life 2. It's currently the best PC game with it's amazing game engine.

On easy difficulty setting, its straight forward and incredibly fun.

 

Thanks for great suggestions guys. Based on what I read, I'll probably try Age of Empires.

 

If anything get AoE II first, it usually comes along with the Expansion, Age of Kings - it shouldn't cost more then $25 IIRC.

 

Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds can still be found in stores. It's a great game - runs on anything too. Anyone else play it here besides me?

 

Gunbound is quite a bit of fun, and it's free. There are a lot of annoying teenagers that get on there and pretend to be either drunk or "pro", so playing on weekend nights can be troublesome, but most of the time there are lots of good opponents to play with.

Basically, it is an online turn-based shooter with a bit of strategy and estimating involved. You have to aim and fire at the enemies and try to kill them. You have to take into account the angle, wind, and distance apart.

It isn't hard to get used to, I got the hang of it after playing two short games. It helps to play with new players when you're trying to figure it out because people who think that they are better than you are often willing to let you know, if you know what I mean.

 

Half-Life 2 is definitely one of the top choices, and don't let your kids play it

 

Everyone's been suggesting Half-Life 2 and I vehemently disagree.

I've been playing shooters for a little while and found myself being confused by the first chapter of the demo and frustrated by the second chapter. I cannot imagine plunging a neophyte into that game, let alone the soulless mess that is Steam. Maybe it seems simple to most of you, but I can see someone being confused with it. "Oh, I'm just supposed to walk through the level and hunt for exits?"

But I'm not a huge fan of the series to begin with (I thought the first one was horribly overrated).

For a simple shooter I highly recommend Unreal Tournament 2004. I found it to be very user-friendly.

And how come no one has recommended Diablo II yet?

I'll also throw my two cents in with World of Warcraft. It's addicting, and it really is fairly simple. If you play on RP servers, the other players tend to be very helpful to newbies, too.

 

i do

im a huge fan of AOE2 and SWBG, mainly because for our big lans with mates, a few only have older computers, so when we ALL play we can only play older games, lol

starcraft, counterstrike(old skool) and TA also make their apprearences

 

I remember that game! In 1990, I believe we (the 8-year-olds) called it "Gorillas." :::Sigh::: I feel old.

 

Half Life 2 owns diablo II

Age of Empires 3 is a good choice KMS. I love being Britain, controlling the redcoats with tall hats, kicking Napoleon's ass!

 

What about World of Warcraft?
Thats a good start. İt has an easy tutorial And addicting!
Well maybe he should play Sims 2....

 

NOOOOOOO Avoid world of warcraft. It effectively kills your social life and turns you into a mega nerd. Sure its fun and addictive, but thats what makes it bad.

I know some guy that plays World of Warcraft and he spends most of his time in his bedroom playing it. He even talks to ppl about forests and stuff he's been in but NO ONE CARES coz they dont play pc games :/

 

Half life 2? That was not a very good game, loading times are a ***** and it's the same old crap. I didn't like it.

Doom3 isn't very good either, but just the experience of the environments and the scary scenes is enough to buy.

I hear WOW = World of Warcraft is really addictive so stay away from that, haha

New game called ROSE Online is really fun and easy to learn also.

Cheers
Mike

 

İ played it till level 42..
Then i had no fun anymore leveling up. İ was in a Rp-Server. So mostly ı would do Roleplaying with my guild. That was much more fun then itemcollecting and doing quests.
Pvp at WoW sucks!Only kiddies there..

Let him play Halflife 1. that was my first shooter...
Or what about Starcraft?İt is easier then Warcraft 3..

 

That's so true. My friend first play Rose Online and he talked about rose online everyday. It gets kind of annoying because I don't play Rose Online. He then move on to Gunbound, then Conquer Online. All he talk about now is how he level up so fast, get so good armor and weapons and how fun it is to kill someone 40 levels below you.

For an addicting game, but would not ruin you, try Guild wars.
For RTS, try age of empire 2 first. If you like it try AOE3.
There's so many expert player in starcraft right now. Warcraft 3 is pretty fun.

 

so many games to choose from! Just pick a couple at random lol

 

i hear farcry is good if you like shooters....
RTS's: do like darbyjack said.
RPG's: if you like your job id stay clear of em

 

You thought the loading times in HL2 were bad? Try Battlefield 2. Those take forever.

Far Cry is a pretty difficult game, I'd try some older FPS' (if you plan to get into those) first.
Unreal Tournament 2004 is something to try.

 

HL2 isnt long loading, its just that there are so many of them..it becomes painful after awhile.

BF2 on my desktop is a breeze, raid 0 ..im the first on in the server..unless someone has a faster raid 0 then me hehehe...have to see on the upcoming Z70VA though..

Good first game?

RTS: command and conquer series (they have there DVD collection *first decade* out, has all 12 of their games...$40), age of empires, empire earth, starcraft, SW: brood war (battlechest should be like $20), warcraft 1/2/3 and war3 frozen throne. star wars: empire at war

fps: counterstrike, CS:source, day of defeat, battlefield 1942 (and expansions/mods), battlefield 2, half life 1 and 2, call of duty 1 or 2, medal of honor (expansions), splintercell, farcry, unreal tourney

MMORPG/RPG: final fantasy xi, world of warcraft, everquest1, everquest2, dark age of camelot, ( i will NOT recommend city of heroes/villains..i think that is the worst MMO to date.), diablo 2, diablo 2 lord of destruction, guild wars,fable

Sports: pick your favorite sport, and go with whatever year you like

Driving/Racer: need for speed series, not sure of any others...not that familiar of this genre.

simulation: sims 1 (all expansions), sims2 (all expansions)

im sure ill be able to think of more...

hope this helps

pb,out.

 

Yeah I've played Battlefield 2 and the load times are pretty insane, but come on admit it, HL2 was freakin' bad. You enter a new area and POOF the "LOADING" label. SOOOOOOOO ANNOYING~!!

Even a demanding game like DOOM 3 didn't have load times like that. They need to redesign how they load textures and all that goodness, because that's just unacceptable for a current modern game.

If load times are a bit long at the beginning of a level or something, fine, so be it, but HL 2 and HL 1's level loading was just too frequent.

Oh well.

 

BF2 Loads very fast on my 4200rpm hard drive! I don't understand it!

 

All you have to do is change the command line and a few other settings and you can preload the level at the beginning - it will load the entire thing at the start of the level and then you don't have to worry about it.

 

can you give more information about this, it would be very cool to have a seamless level..

thanks

pb,out.

 

Here's a page where you can get the information:
http://www.tweakguides.com/HL2_7.html

Keep in mind that you would need a good deal of memory to run it if you want to preload the checkpoints. I'd say over 1GB or so would be fine.

 

let me take you back... My mom enjoys Majong, it might be spelt differently, its a simple puzzle game. I love classics like Transport Tycoon, Elastomania, and Bomberman. They may be ancient, but heck, they do the job running off battery, cuz man is there ever a difference while playing HL2 when i plugged in my power cord!

Also no one has mentionned the big number of games in the racing niche. The Need for Speed series is great and a ton of other are out there too. Racing isn't as boring as strategy and not as demanding as FPshooter.

 

both my desktop and laptop have 2gb ram, so the ram wont be an issue. thanks for the link, ill be trying this out tonight .

-polish_jr-

i mentioned racing games, but the only ones im semi familiar with is the NFS series. there is also the nascar series, but other then those...im not sure of what other racing sims there are.

flight sims (either war/flight sims or flight sim 200x) might tickle your fancy, but afaik it is best played with the flight controls. depending on what you get, i would assume it is just a few usb ports.

pb,out.

 

I am currently playing The Movies, which is the type of game that will make you smile, and one that you won't mind your kids playing. Good wholesome fun, that doesn't involve you having to kill/murder/rape innocent zombies/terrorists/dogs. You own and run your own movie studio but the real fun is being able to write and customise your own films. Hire actors, dress them up, give them makeovers and plastic surgery, get them drunk, send them to rehab...

although the main game may become repetitive after a while (managing your stars/ script writers, keeping them busy/ out of trouble), the added creativity ensures endless fun and laughs, adding burps and farts and even your own voice overs to films with ridiculous plots.

And it is rewarding when you swipe all the oscars at the awards ceremony!