Games to get into gaming?

[The Abhorrent]

I don't mean to be a dick, but how is Chrono Trigger's combat system any different from, say, classic Final Fantasy? It's been quite a few years since I played it, am I forgetting something huge that makes it special?

Double & triple techs, I believe it was an original concept for the time (or at least one of the first which did it well).


Based on the OP's specifications, he or she is probably looking for a story-driven game which favours thoughtful gameplay over precise execution (so probably moreso looking for an RPG). To that end, we have the Final Fantasy series (the general consensus is that the older ones are better, I'd suggest FFIX for the PS1 simply because I found it easiest to get into... though it may be tricky to find), Chrono Trigger (DS release is probably the way to go, should be easiest version to find and it has the most extras), Mass Effect (simply some of the best games from the current generation, if a bit light on the traditional RPG aspects), and eternally-praised Legend of Zelda franchise (Twilight Princess is the one to go after for a few reasons: it's the newest, longest... I think, most story-driven, and available on both the Wii and the Gamecube; both versions are playable on the Wii by the way).

Of course, we can't overlook Nintendo's flagship: the Mario franchise. The two Galaxy titles are simply mastery of what makes games different from other mediums, they are built upon pure, distilled, wonderful gameplay; they are games first and foremost. The story in these games is rather light, especially the second (which is arguably a bit of an excuse plot)... though the first title could be surprisingly subtle and even dark. Comparing Bowser between the first two games, it's quite obvious: in the first he's outright diabolical and even a bit eloquent in his speech bubbles, even the battles against him are harder; the second game.... "I'm HUGE! And I want some cake!" (yeah, that explains it entirely). In both cases, the games are paced almost perfectly to ease any newbie into the game but steadily ramps up the challenge at just the right pace to avoid frustration; a required measure even for experienced gamers, the Wii's motion controls take adjusting to if you're mostly used to the standard controllers.

 

[Rooster893]

PC:
Doom
Half Life 1
Deus Ex
Return to Castle Wolfenstein

XBOX:
Halo 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
BioShock


PS3:
God of War 3
The Sly Cooper collection
Devil May Cry 4


Nintendo Wii:
Super Mario Galaxy 1/2
Sonic Colors
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Hope that helps.

 

[Anachronism]

If you're looking to get into RPGs, I'd strongly recommend Jade Empire.

No, it doesn't have the depth of gameplay and character interaction that many of BioWare's other games have, but it's one of the most straightforward of their games. The combat is very simple and fun, and the majority of the fights are pretty easy, with the exception of two or three slight difficulty spikes (and one spike in which the difficulty goes right through the fucking roof). You don't need to worry about managing a party, as you're effectively by yourself, even when you have a companion with you. The story is as predictably good as we've come to expect from BioWare, and the art design and soundtrack are both top-notch. Give it a go.

 

[starwarsgeek]

Chrono Trigger. Practically no grind, one of my favorite combat systems in any RPG, and a surprisingly varied world and cast (gotta love time travel). And it was just added to the virtual console.

I don't mean to be a dick, but how is Chrono Trigger's combat system any different from, say, classic Final Fantasy? It's been quite a few years since I played it, am I forgetting something huge that makes it special?

Edit: Just realized some of this would be a little bit spoilery for someone who hadn't played it...

I doubt it's something you actually forgot; I'm talking about the double and triple techs. Compared to Final Fantasy 2/4, Chrono Trigger gives you a lot more freedom when choosing your party and the different techs give you an incentive to really to think about who you want to bring and how to use them.

Spoiler

For example, my third character in Magus's Keep is always Marle. This gives me her Haste spell and the Arc Impulse/Frost Arc Triple Tech.

Someone else may prefer Lucca, so they'd have access to all four elemental types (the Crono-Frog-Lucca triple tech is one of the few shadow damage attacks available for this dungeon). Others may prefer Robo, who brings shadow damage, can heal, and has some nice combos with Crono. Even though the game is very easy most of the time, the early freedom in forming your party and the different techs put a lot of strategy into the game.

 

[Dom Scarff]

theres only really one game to get into gaming and that my friends is starwars battlefront 2

 

[Togs]

start with something big and classic- recent ones are like RDR or ME2 come to mind.

Old classics might be good as well, for example Diablo 2 was the game that turned me from casual fan to hardcore gaming nut.

 

[UNHchabo]

Of course, Portal 2 is an excellent place to go if you enjoyed the first.

If you like puzzles, then Braid is a good game to play. It's not perfect, and some of the puzzles can be frustrating to figure out, but it's one of those games where you might be stuck on a puzzle for half an hour, take a break, and the solution will come into your head while you're eating dinner.

It happened for me, anyway.

Katamari Damacy is also sort of like a puzzle game; it's a very strange game, but simple to pick up.



If you want to try a shooter, but still want some thoughtful puzzle elements, the Half-Life franchise is excellent for that. Some people can't seem to get into the original Half-Life, but if you like Portal, Half-Life 2 is almost guaranteed to be up your alley.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest Grand Theft Auto 3, and Vice City. They're both games you can get into very easily, and varied enough in gameplay that they have something for everyone. If you just feel like driving around the city really fast, you can do that, or you can play through the story missions and get a narrative.

Also on the "driving" note, there are many good racing series out there; Gran Turismo for its realism, or Burnout and Need For Speed for their pure fun.

There are two older console games that come to mind for accessibility: Super Metroid (if you enjoy exploration in an action setting), and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (fantasy dungeon exploration)

 

[Impswitch]

I have a Wii, GameCube, and an old DreamCast in my household, and I am expecting to get a PS3 sometime this summer. I haven't really played enough to know what types of games I would enjoy, but I don't really care about where it's set as long as it is interesting. Also, I do really enjoy adventure games, I have definitely finished a number of PC adventure games like Grim Fandango.

EDIT: I also have an NES that works, but not a lot of games for it.