I just finished Max Payne, and I really enjoyed it.
I picked up Tropico and its add-on last night and set up the computer (work is busy).
I didn’t even get to touch it. My wife hogged the computer till I finally went to bed. She was next to me when I woke up in the morning but she looked like she was going on no sleep getting ready for work.
She says, knowing me, that I’ll really like it. Knowing her, I’ll get to play it in a couple of weeks. 
Cheezit, you mean that if I go out and get Europa Universalis II, it might not run on my computer with XP?
Is this a real problem in others experience?
I have yet to come across any modern game that won’t run under XP.
Now, as for my picks, you can’t go wrong with FLight Simulator 2002. This is a true testament of graphical achievement.
Also, Comanche 4 is good for shoot-em-up fun in the high-graphics helicopter games category…
Racing? Nascar 2002
I’ll second Homeworld and Shogun as strategy games. Homeworld’s interface was quite simple to learn (I had no trouble at all) and the sheer depth made for a lot of strategic and tactical options. Shogun has a very detailed real time combat system, which I love despite the fact that I suck at that game.
If sci-fi combat sims are your style, you can’t do a whole lot better than Freespace 2. It’s just awesome.
Fallout and it’s sequel work just fine on my XP machine, as does Shogun. I’d recommend Planescape: Torment as another good RPG. I should warn you, though, that it’ll suck you in.
Freedom Force is awesome. It’s best described as an interactive Silver Age comic book. It’s over the top, and hammy, but not to the extent of being a parody. It just nails it’s subject material. The combat system is delightfully deep and flexible (I like the extent to which I can interact with the environment) and the fights are amusing just to watch (they even throw in a “POW” or a “FWOOSH” when hits connect, it’s great).
I picked up Arcanum and played for a couple hours. It plays like a souped up Fallout which is a good thing. I think I’ll enjoy that game.
I’ve been playing Rollercoster Tycoon Fanatically since I got it. Do NOT get it unless you have 23 hours a day to devote to it.
Halflife (and subsequently Counter-Strike, Firearms and Day of Defeat mods) are fun if you like F-P Shooters, especially if you play against people you know.
I’ve got a bunch of others, but those are the two I play the most.
Regarding Rollercoaster Tycoon: if you haven’t bought it yet, wait. Microprose has announced that it will release a gold edition called All Ride Pass on or about 21 May. This is the base game and both add-on disks.
Max Payne and Jedi Knight 2 are two games that have to be played with a high-end system to be thoroughly enjoyed. If you have both of these games on your computer, you will always have a way to vent your frustrations by killing people in the prettiest ways.
Also, EU2 is a great strategy game that requires a good CPU if you don’t want the days to slink by in real time, although in truth there’s almost enough to occupy that time, especially if you like to review the diplomatic situation and hatch overly complex Machiavellian schemes.
By the way, “EU2” is Europa Universalis 2. If you don’t want to spring for it, see if you can find Europa Universalis for cheaper. It’s not as versatile but it’s still a good way to kill a week (That’s about how long a game will take… unless you have a job that is)
EU2 works fine on my XP Corporate machine. I got it for ~$40 a few weeks ago, and EU1 was available for $1.99 at the same time. I picked it up, scratched off the price tag, and gave it away as a gift.
Thanks for all the advice. I will pick up EU2 and others but Tropico and Arcanum will keep me busy for now.
I’ve gotten sucked back into Tropico last night and tried a farmer type dictator. After I built several farms, the land all dried up! This didn’t happen in my game where I played the religious orientated dude. What gives? Does God hate my pipples?
Heroes IV just came out last week.
Dungeon Siege is now in stores. It’s like a new-and-improved Diablo II.
Arcanum is buggy as hell, so be sure you’ve patched it. I found Tropico and its expansion to be too slow and boring, and this is from someone who loves that type of game, but that’s just me.
Others:
[list=1]
[li]Zoo Tycoon - not as good as RCT, but okay[/li][li]The Longest Journey - if you like grapical adventures; even better than the Monkey Island series[/li][li]The Sims - and all its expansions; it’s a love-it-or-hate-it series though[/li][/list=1]
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.
Consistently rave reviews for this new first person WWII first person shooter. Lots of eye candy that will really show off that thumping new system.
-me
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.
Consistently rave reviews for this new first person WWII first person shooter. Lots of eye candy that will really show off that thumping new system.
-me
Thanks Throatshot for telling me to get a patch. I usually do this firstoff but neglected this time. It looks like there were many bugs.
A friend also told me about Medal of Honor. I’ll look into it.
IMHO this goes in IMHO.
If you’ve been out for a while, then I have one recommendation:
Deus Ex. Deus. Ex. Deusexdeusexdeusexdeusexdeusex. Go. Now. I don’t care if you’re at work, building a boat, saving the universe from extreme peril, giving birth, being born, curing cancer, whatever. Drop it. Go buy Deus Ex. Places like Target and Best Buy have it in the bargain section, just the CD and jewel for about $10. It’s worth ten times that. It’s a first-person shooter/RPG hybrid.
I would be recommending Arcanum with similar vehemence, but you already seem to have that.
As to Civ 3, it’s a great game, but it can be frustrating sometimes (like when a pikeman somehow manages to destroy three tanks in a row).
System Shock 2 is an awesome game, too, esp. in the dark with headphones on (or, I imagine, in the dark with 5.1 surround sound [which I don’t have. :(]).
Oh, and have I mentioned Deus Ex at all?
I second the Monkey Island recommendation… they are some of the funniest games i’ve ever played. classic! i really had some fun playing those, and i am still working on finishing Escape from Monkey Island!
Be VERY careful buying a jewel-case version of Deus Ex, there is an ‘evaluation version’ out there that only has about the first 1/4 of the game - it’s bigger than a demo, and probably worth $10, but it’s not the full game and a LOT of people don’t catch this so I guess the labelling isn’t that hot.
You made a good choice with Arcanum. That game will give you many hours of enjoyement, and it plays very differently depending on what kind of character you create.
Another vote for Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Online this game is digital crack. The single player game isn’t particularly innovative but is a lot of fun and very well done.
Civilization 3 is a lot of fun too. I prefer it to Civilization 2, it’s much more balanced and has a lot more depth.
Dungeon Keeper 2 is a great game if you like strategy games. You have to build dungeons that soon become populated with a variety of monsters, and fend off the forces of good. It should be available cheap and it still looks really good.
I liked Sacrifice, but it got a bit repetitive and annoying after a while, on many of the missions there’s not much choice as to how to finish, though the campaign has a lot of choices as to what side you are fighting for.