Games - Amazing First Impressions

**Emperor Leo** · July 22, 2008, 04:33 AM

What was the last game that you played which had the "Wow!" factor (That's "wow" as in, "Wow! Look at the size of that carrot!", not the World of Warcraft acronym). The last game that you could say oozed quality. An "Oscar-winning" game.

The other day, I played a Pre-Release Beta demo of Company of Heroes (it was a very old demo) and was blown away. I only played the tutorial and a couple of the main campaign levels, but it was amazingly atmospheric and tense. I'm not really into WW2 games, but I'll be buying the Gold Edition when I next get a chance.

I buy and thoroughly enjoy other games, but few make such a good first impression. I think Half-Life 2 is also one that is a class act.

**TemplarLord** · July 22, 2008, 05:10 AM

Assassin's Creed.

The graphics in the game just took me away, and the fact that I could play it @ 1280x1024 with all settings maxed out just won me over. The story and action are very nice too.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic

The action is superb to any other medieval/fantasy RPG.

I'll write any more if I can remember them...

**blank** · July 22, 2008, 05:12 AM

Dead Rising. I was in a thick crowd of zombies, desperately beating them off with a frying pan and thought: "Damn this game kicks ass"

**Savage_Swede** · July 22, 2008, 05:16 AM

The beginning of Half Life 2 was pretty damn sweet.
And Mass Effect, the beginning of that game sucked me in quicker than a thai whore.

And oh, Dark Messiah. The first time you just launch a swing at an enemy and his arm comes of with a lovely shower of blood. Totally awesome.

**Wibbler** · July 22, 2008, 05:23 AM

Call of Duty 4, that intro movie where you're looking at everything through the eyes of the president. That was an amazing way of playing out part of the plot, and a greater intro credit run than 90% of the films I've seen. The whole game played out like a blockbuster movie.....crap, what if Uwe Boll hears about this?

**Cluny the Scourge** · July 22, 2008, 05:31 AM

Half Life 1, all the way back in 1999 when I first played it. The immersive introductory sequence on the monorail and then walking around without any weapons or interface of any kind, just going to work, chatting to colleagues, etc. Redefined the meaning of computer games.

**dwringer** · July 22, 2008, 06:11 AM

Really I thought Call of Duty 4 was pretty awesome at first.

Not sure why I thought so, now... funny how all games seem to do that.

I hate to say it but the last game to wow me in which the "wow factor" still hasn't worn off completely is... WoW

**Carach** · July 22, 2008, 06:46 AM

the demo of company of heroes probably. i wanted the game the moment i saw the morter explosions going off around my infantry.

**Savage_Swede** · July 22, 2008, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Carach

the demo of company of heroes probably. i wanted the game the moment i saw the morter explosions going off around my infantry.

Oh hell yes. Watching a mortar rain devastate half a village left me just gaping in awe. I don't think i had ever seen a destructible battlefield like that ever before so i was pretty sold.

One of the best games of all time. Period.

**Juvenal** · July 22, 2008, 05:05 PM

Apart from RTW (which was just fulfilling the promise of Time Commanders) I would say either Sacrifice or Outcast.

Sacrifice (2000)

The game looked as if it was animated by Salvador Dali, and when I got into the first battle with my loyal band of creatures it was like a bar-room brawl with missiles, spells and creatures and arcs of blood flying in all directions.

Part of the RPG element was that you gradually acquired higher level spells and the ability to conjure stronger creatures. The top level spells were really spectacular - such as the Volcano which would erupt for several minutes obliterating friend and foe alike before subsiding into a crater shaped hill.

I also loved the nonsense Latin phrases that the wizards solemnly quoted as they spoke their spells.

The individual missions are selected from an arena where the five Gods of Sacrifice scheme, connive and bicker at each other from their monuments. The protagonist Wizard has the freedom to play them off against each other by choosing which God to serve. The player's choices cause the story to branch into one of several variations, which converge to a single final showdown mission.

Outcast (1999)

This game was like an interactive movie. It was a strange hybrid of RPG and 3rd person shooter. The dialogues were all spoken and delivered in-game with over-the-shoulder camera angles, sometimes with hilarious consequences when you found yourself interrupted by the enemy just as some NPC was about to give you a vital piece of information.

Outcast had a really rather good science-fiction plot-line, together with a well developed alien race, the Talan, whose beliefs, history and culture are gradually revealed through conversations.

It also has a lot of humour, usually delivered deadpan by the Talan as the protagonist struggles to persuade them to help him complete his mission.

Here is a review.

I was bitterly disappointed when Appeal folded before they could complete the sequel.

**Mr Longbowman** · July 22, 2008, 12:49 PM

Assassains Creed

The first hour was simply breathtaking, then things started to repeat.

**CtrlAltDe1337** · July 22, 2008, 01:07 PM

COD4 and HL2.

**ajm317** · July 22, 2008, 01:55 PM

The last game that really left me thinking "wow" was probably Metal Gear Solid 3, although Devil May Cry 4 was pretty good too.

Other games like Mass Effect or Assassins Creed left me thinking "wow" in parts, but not so much during other parts.