Was going to start Bioshock Infinite, but then Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines went on sale on Steam.
I never got into it, but I remember a lot of kids played the pen and paper version when I was in high school. I knew enough that the lore isn't totally alien to me. Plus, a lot of people swear by the game and it got good reviews.
I'm not disappointed to say the least. I holds up well even today, the graphics aren't the greatest [it runs on Half Life 2's engine], and the mechanics aren't as good as a FPS or 3rd person action game, but its not really too much of a problem as it's a hybrid RPG much like Fallout 3. The characters stand out and it's well written so far. I'm currently using the unofficial patch, but I've got the Final Night and Clan Quest mods DLed to play through it again. [You can't have them installed together, they conflict.]
I'll finish it up and move on to something more modern when I start my next game.
Also, picked up a Razer Hydra after messing around with a friend's. When I get enough of the Vampire RPG for a bit, I've been getting into Portal 2's Sixsense DLC and it's been pretty cool. The Hydra definitely adds another element to the gameplay. I'm liking it a lot and I usually don't care for motion control. The Hydra works better than any motion controller I've played with, and I've used the motion controllers for every console out there. I'm popping off headshots just as easily as I did with the mouse, and it's less of a strain on my wrist to use it. Plus, it has an analogue stick for movement, which is way better than using the keyboard.
I still use the keyboard for some functions like menus and such as it doesn't have that many programmable buttons. I also use my mouse for some games, and my xbox controller for others. [Batman AC and similar games just need a gamepad, and the Hydra is a little awkward in 'gamepad' mode for me. However, for twitch shooters and first person games, the Hydra is now my go to controller. It took some getting used too, but it's only slightly less accurate than a mouse and movement is much easier and more than makes up for the little bit of fine aiming I give up using it instead of the mouse.
Also, if I really want too, I have a profile set up so I can use one of the Hydra controllers in my left hand and the mouse with my right. Thus far, the motion control from the right controller is accurate enough that I haven't bothered, and it's also lag free.
I do have to keep the base away from other electronics or it gets a little jittery, but it only needs a foot or two of clearance to keep steady. It uses magnets for motion sensing and anything that puts out a magnetic field can mess with it. [TVs, computers, etc.] The magnetic field it uses is also very weak, so it won't cause a problem if it's near to other devices. My HDDs and screen won't get damaged by it if I leave it close to them for extended periods.
All and all, despite my earlier post about the SFX, this is the best controller I've bought. The motion control works, it can be programmed any way you want, and to work with any game. [Though, the GUI isn't all that intuitive, it takes a little time and effort to set this thing up and figure out how to program profiles for it.]
The Portal 2 DLC is definitely worth it. There's a bundle pack that comes with the game, but if you've already got Portal 2 save your money and just get the standalone unit. It can be DLed for free by using the serial number on the bottom of the base and sending it in an email to Sixsense. [If you get one, don't use Razer's driver, DL the one from Sixsense 'MotionCreator' instead. The Razer one is useless.]
As I said, it's the best Motion Controller on the market.
Plus, if you're planning on getting an Occulus Rift once it's released, [or if you've got a Dev kit already] this is being optimized to work along side it. It's pretty much the best controller you can get for the Rift. I don't have an OR, but the same guy who showed me the Hydra does have the Dev kit one and I got to mess around with Skyrim, Bioshock, and Farcry 3 Blood Dragon on it. It was awesome, but you're better off waiting for the retail version. It's as close as you can get to actually being there in the game, but the resolution is pretty low on the Dev Kit version. You can see each pixel and it has a 'screen door' effect issue in it's current Dev Kit iteration. The retail version is going to be 1080p and it doesn't have a lot of software support right now.
If you can't wait and/or you can afford to upgrade once the retail version is released it's $300 for a dev kit version. The retail version is slated for release some time next year.
Now, I'm off to hunt down pathetic humans to feed my blood lust for a while.
