# New Computer--Need Games To Show Off **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213 "2007-12-07T20:08:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/1 "2007-12-07T20:08:47Z")
(even if only to myself) I just bought a new computer. 8800GT, AMD 6000, 2 GB memory. I now want to buy a game or two or three for the purpose of making me very very glad I’ve bought this thing. I was all excited about Hellgate London, but it’s getting lukewarm reviews. Too bad! Bioshock is, I think, the best candidate for “ooooo pretty” right now, and I’m willing to get it, but in general the games I like best are RTS and Diablo style hack and slash. Are there any games relatively new from those genres which have a reputation for both good gameplay and graphical neat-o ness? -FrL- On edit: I just remembered I’ve wanted MTW2 since it came out. Not exactly new, but after playing RTW as a slideshow for several years, it will be nice to play something graphically even cooler completely smoothly. So MTW2 is one thing I’ll get. Maybe bioshock, though I’ve never played an FPS. What else, what else? Oh yes, one problem with Bioshock is that some of the imagery is not exactly family friendly–scary is the word I’m looking for–and it is unlikely I will ever have an opportunity to play anything on this machine outside the presence of a certain toddler child of mine. So I may just not be able to do Bioshock at all. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/2 "2007-12-07T20:20:36Z")
For RTS’s, how about Command & Conquer 3? It has a quite a bit of full motion video to show off your new rig. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/3 "2007-12-07T20:46:19Z")
They just released [Guitar Hero for PC.](http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Hero-III-Legends-Bundle/dp/B000W5UNLY/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1197060258&sr=8-16) Hell yeah. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/4 "2007-12-07T21:10:10Z")
Newest RTS is Supreme Commander and the Forged Alliance expansion, isn’t it? Crysis is getting good reviews, but there may still be that inappropriate content thing again. I’m having a lot of fun with The Witcher, but I would advise reading several reviews first and see what you think. Oops, almost forgot. The Witcher is definitely M-rated (plenty of uses of the word fuck). ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/5 "2007-12-07T21:24:08Z")
Not the newest game on the block but Oblivion with the graphical settings cranked up to maximum will test the limits of even the most powerful rig. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/6 "2007-12-07T21:31:08Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] Not the newest game on the block but Oblivion with the graphical settings cranked up to maximum will test the limits of even the most powerful rig. [/QUOTE] I was _this_ close! If I didn’t have a (truly pointless) meeting just now… /shakes fist at **Illuminatiprimus** ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/7 "2007-12-07T21:41:13Z")
[World in Conflict](http://youtube.com/watch?v=qUKRjJE2J8Q) is a RTS with a great story and great graphics. Russians invade Europe and the USA in the 1980’s. The linked video is showing how good the graphics can get up close, but of course while playing you’ll have your viewpoint a bit higher. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/8 "2007-12-07T21:42:18Z")
[QUOTE=Gozu Tashoya] I was _this_ close! If I didn’t have a (truly pointless) meeting just now… /shakes fist at **Illuminatiprimus** [/QUOTE] Well if you lived in the UK rather than in your pants you would be in a timezone that allowed you to post rather than keep you in meetings, wouldn’t you? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/9 "2007-12-07T21:52:57Z")
Company of Heroes came out a while ago, but you should be able to crank it up to full settings and it will look fantastic. I run it at about 3/4ths and it still looks pretty nice. There’s an expansion out now too. ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/10 "2007-12-07T21:56:21Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] Company of Heroes came out a while ago, but you should be able to crank it up to full settings and it will look fantastic. I run it at about 3/4ths and it still looks pretty nice. There’s an expansion out now too. [/QUOTE] I liked this game a lot. The new version Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is actually more of a sequel. The original is not required to play it. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/11 "2007-12-07T22:51:38Z")
Team Fortress 2 isn’t photorealistic, but with all the shiny turned up it looks like a first-person shooter in the same universe as **The Incredibles**. If you buy Valve’s Orange Box, I think you get that game, **Portal** (a big candidate for Game of the Year), and the second sequel to **Half-Life 2** , which is photorealistic. Between the three of them you’ll see plenty of glimmer and glitz, plus you’ll get two-and-a-half great games (the sequel to HL2 is pretty but not terribly original). [Here’s a review](http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2541-Zero-Punctuation-The-Orange-Box) that will convince you to buy it (warning, some f\*\*king funny profanity). ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/12 "2007-12-07T23:32:13Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] Well if you lived in the UK rather than in your pants you would be in a timezone that allowed you to post rather than keep you in meetings, wouldn’t you? 😛 [/QUOTE] \ Stupid pants, always holding me down… \ Thank you, **Jurph** , for that link. Damn funniest thing I’ve heard in a very long time, and almost made up for [that godawful meeting I had today](http://www.thedeathofproductivity.com/2007/12/07/these-time-management-issues-will-be-easily-resolved-with-a-series-of-streamlined-meetings). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/13 "2007-12-08T00:25:24Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] Company of Heroes came out a while ago, but you should be able to crank it up to full settings and it will look fantastic. I run it at about 3/4ths and it still looks pretty nice. [/QUOTE] I got this as freebie with my 8600GTS and I’ve just installed it. On a 1280x1024 display, going through the tutorial, it seems like half the screen is taken up with the UI. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/14 "2007-12-08T01:24:16Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] I got this as freebie with my 8600GTS and I’ve just installed it. On a 1280x1024 display, going through the tutorial, it seems like half the screen is taken up with the UI. [/QUOTE] More like a third. It seems bigger than you need at first, but once you start fielding a large force there’s not much wasted space. The game is heavily focused on controlling supply points, so you need the big, detailed minimap. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/15 "2007-12-08T02:03:58Z")
I’ll chime in for M2:TW; I got it last June and it’s held up pretty solidly since. My machine was hot two years ago and mediocre now, so I run most of the game on pretty middle-of-the-road settings, and it’s quite pretty. Lots of fun, too. ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/16 "2007-12-08T02:28:34Z")
Vanguard (if you like mmorpg) ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/17 "2007-12-08T03:23:12Z")
[QUOTE=appleciders] I’ll chime in for M2:TW; I got it last June and it’s held up pretty solidly since. My machine was hot two years ago and mediocre now, so I run most of the game on pretty middle-of-the-road settings, and it’s quite pretty. Lots of fun, too. [/QUOTE] I think I can run it at its full capacity on my desktop. It looks rather purdy, too. Actually, now that I remember, no I can’t. It IS purdy, but it’s choppy. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-computer-need-games-to-show-off/429213/18 "2007-12-08T09:58:16Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] More like a third. It seems bigger than you need at first, but once you start fielding a large force there’s not much wasted space. The game is heavily focused on controlling supply points, so you need the big, detailed minimap. [/QUOTE] I think it classifies 1280x1024 as a small screen. Remember too that I’m talking about the tutorial mode, not actual gameplay. There’s a lot taken up at the top of the screen too with the tutorial help.