Conversations on the Xbox 360 and its library.

[Exhuminator]

Moving the thread was requested by a couple of members, and the subforums are intended to help prevent clutter and allow folks to focus on specific things they like.

I mean if people are worried about it, move this thread or delete it, make 'em happy. But honestly, with so many subforums, what's the point of "General Gaming" then? Anything gaming related could technically fall into any of the myriad subforums this board already has. So I always took "General Gaming" to be exactly that; a generic gaming subforum where all things gaming related could be discussed.

[Ack]

Moving the thread was requested by a couple of members, and the subforums are intended to help prevent clutter and allow folks to focus on specific things they like.

I mean if people are worried about it, move this thread or delete it, make 'em happy. But honestly, with so many subforums, what's the point of "General Gaming" then? Anything gaming related could technically fall into any of the myriad subforums this board already has. So I always took "General Gaming" to be exactly that; a generic gaming subforum where all things gaming related could be discussed.

Yup, hence why I'm debating it.

[Sarge]

It feels like the subforums don't get nearly the traffic of the main thread, and it makes things quite a bit slower on the conversation side. I rarely actually dive into the Sony/Microsoft subforum.

Anyway, I'll go ahead and state for the record that I thought the 360 was better than the PS3 overall, for a couple of reasons:

- Multiplatform games were typically better on 360. Not always, which is why I do my research when purchasing a game on both systems, but the 360 more often than not was the better place to experience them.

- I prefer the 360 controller. The analog sticks on the DualShock are rather loose compared to the 360, and I also prefer the shape of the controller. Not that the DS3 is bad, mind. Also, all the DualShock controllers get really, really funky on the analog sticks after not being used for some time. The only issue with the 360 controller is that blasted d-pad, which is passable at best. I actually use a Afterglow 360 controller for d-pad oriented stuff (mostly on PC).

- Installing games to the hard drive. Technically, the PS3 has had this from the beginning, but the ability to full-install games on the 360 (unless it's a later release that only installs some of its assets) is great. Not only that, but even with the games that still pull data off the disc, that only happens early on boot. I would assume it's simply writing that data to the cache, and then the disc spins down, making the system very, very quiet. Quieter than a PS3.

[noiseredux]

getting OT, but I don't think I've ever "browsed" a sub-forum. I always just click "View Active Topics."

[Exhuminator]

In attempt to salvage this tread back to its intended purpose, I'll post my own response to the initial OP queries. Well when the 360 released in 2006, I didn't even remotely have enough money to buy it. Later in 2008 when I had plenty of money to buy it, I was too busy playing catch up with PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. I have such a huge library of older games it all acts as a deterrent to bother keeping up with latest console releases. I do eventually get around to buying newer stuff, typically at the end of its lifespan. Which is what I did with the 360. So while I was tremendously late to the party, I also got quite a discount on the tickets. It's been interesting going back in time, and experiencing games I heard so much about over the years. I've only just begun to crack through the 360 library, but from what I've played so far...

What's your all time favorite 360 game and why?

Right now I'd say Red Dead Redemption, the game blew me away. Mass Effect is a close second though.

What's the best open world game on the 360?

Going with Red Dead Redemption again. I'm biased sure because I love westerns, but this game made all my western dreams come true. (Well, almost all of them.)

What's the best driving/racing game on the 360?

The best I've played thus far is Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. I'm looking forward to trying some of the open world racing games on 360 though.

What was your favorite non-shmup shooting game (be it third person / first person / cover)?

Gonna have to go with Call of Duty 4 for FPS, Army of Two for CS, and Vanquish for TPS.

What's the goriest FPS on 360?

I don't know yet. But although it was third person, Gears of War was rather gory.

What 360 game do you think had the very best graphics?

One more time, Red Dead Redemption. Its western themed landscapes were breathtaking.

What popular 360 game do you think was just pure crap?

If we wanna consider Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion a 360 game (it did get a port), then yeah, Oblivion.

[Gunstar Green]

It feels like the subforums don't get nearly the traffic of the main thread, and it makes things quite a bit slower on the conversation side. I rarely actually dive into the Sony/Microsoft subforum.

I usually just click on "new posts" and see what's going on from there.

[PartridgeSenpai]

It feels like the subforums don't get nearly the traffic of the main thread, and it makes things quite a bit slower on the conversation side. I rarely actually dive into the Sony/Microsoft subforum.

I usually just click on "new posts" and see what's going on from there.

I literally only ever look at the "Active Forum Topics" at the bottom of the main page, unless it's something specific which I know exists which I want to post on.

Also, thanks for the Chromehounds recommendation, Exhumy Sensei, because I found it for 2.50 the other day and it's some pretty good fun! I haven't gotten to commanding squads yet, but just from the first couple learning levels, it's all the slow, mechy combat I wanted out of Mech Warrior Online without the brutal learning curve.

[Exhuminator]

Also, thanks for the Chromehounds recommendation, Exhumy Sensei, because I found it for 2.50 the other day and it's some pretty good fun!

Good to hear. If you're interested in more mech games for 360, these are worth trying:

[Omerta]

These questions barely scrape the surface of the greatness that lies within the library, but I'll play ball.

Oh 360, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

What's your all time favorite 360 game and why?
Tied between Dead Rising and Bioshock. I played them at a friend's house when they were exclusives. They absolutely blew me away. Found them to be the first two games that actually felt different or next-gen at the time and made me regret my launch PS3 enough that I bought a 360. There are many other that consumed me for years, but these two were the spark that began it all.

What's the best open world game on the 360?
State of Decay. Grand Theft Zombie at it's finest. Loved it and the town building, defense, and customization aspects. Loved the whole new world on the DLC and the urgency it adds to the formula. It felt and looked a lot like a buggy PS2 game at times, but the overall experience was excellent. I think there's some tweaks that are possible in the sequel that could blow the lid off this thing and make it one of the all-time Xbone greats.

What's the best driving/racing game on the 360?
Forza 2. Not a huge racing fan, so I never logged enough hours into anything else to make a memorable impression upon me.

What was your favorite non-shmup shooting game (be it third person / first person / cover)? The Left 4 Dead series. Early memories of co-op and the arcady episodic nature of the game made this a huge hit with me.

What's the goriest FPS on 360?
I still have quite a bit of the library to try out but again, I'll go with the Left 4 Dead series. Those bloating and exploding zombie hordes stick out in my head - especially when you're trying to escape an episode. Bloodiest game overall? The Dishwasher series.

What 360 game do you think had the very best graphics?
There were tons of games with great graphics, but I think I'm leaning more towards what would be considered my favorite art-styles on 360 when I say Charlie Murder or Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. They probably win for the best soundtracks, too.

What popular 360 game do you think was just pure crap?
I'll agree with Exhum, here. Oblivion. I was spoiled by several hundred hours of the Fallout series to the point that I was doing speed runs. This one made me puke so hard that I haven't tried Skyrim and I'm still lacking a desire to do so.

[Omerta]

Reading back through the comments, I'm guessing people will probably think that I have a mental illness when I say that Dead Rising 3 was the main impetus behind me buying an Xbone and the fourth game along State of Decay sequel are a few of the only things that are keeping me from abandoning the platform completely for PS4.