Trying out OnLive: Tell me what to buy

[Kim]

I'm trying out Onlive, that cloud based gaming service, for various reasons, and want to know what I should buy. For various reasons, I'm more interested in getting something more expensive than not.

Here's the list (http://www.onlive.com/games/featuredgames#&sortby=alpha&tab=all_games&per_page=true)

What should I get?

EDIT: Leaning towards Amnesia, Alpha Protocol, or Darksiders...

[Krylo]

I know you want to buy something more expensive, but if you haven't played Alpha Protocol, get that. Knowing what I do about you/your taste in video games, I think you'll find a lot of enjoyment in it. Just make sure you get some points into some gun skill (preferably pistols) before getting to the end of China.

Amnesia is pretty good if you like horror games. I don't, but even I enjoyed the demo in a 'this game isn't really for me, but it is really really well crafted' way (much like Shadow of the Colossus, though entirely different games, obviously). Though I hear the ending is a bit of a let down.

Brotherhood is supposed to be good if you like Assassin's Creed (though I'm morally opposed to buying AC spin offs, I just want the 'main' story trilogy with Desmond to finish up, damnit).

Any 'Lego' video game is worth getting. They're all fun and quirky and just generally amusing as hell. They're also pretty samey, though, so only if you either haven't played/gotten any others or have but just really want to play more of the same basic stuff.

Red Faction: Guerilla looked good when I was watching trailers and stuff on it back in the day, but I kinda lost interest in following it so I don't know if it ended up being any good. You should buy that and let me know.

Other than those and some things in the Playpack Bundle there's not much I would really recommend.

[Kim]

Apparently even though the overhead thing says $5.99 for Alpha Protocol, it's actually $30 if you want it for keeps as opposed to just renting, so that plus the fact a couple others have recommended it have me strongly considering it, and I might just sign up for the Playback Bundle cuz why not.

[Jagos]

Wait, buy? I thought Onlive was renting only? So long as you paid the subscription, you had access. How has that changed?

[Kim]

Wait, buy? I thought Onlive was renting only? So long as you paid the subscription, you had access. How has that changed?

It's not a subscription based service. Some games can only be accessed with a payed subscription but if you're paying it you don't have to pay more than the subscription to play them *I think*. Others can just be bought and they're yours, but of course you can only play them through OnLive. That or I just permanently rented Hipster Protocol.

[PyrosNine]

Onlive works like this: THere are games you can rent or 'buy', which you pay once and then there's gameplay. If you buy, you have unlimited gameplay on the service.

Then there's the subscription which lets you play unlimited on any game in the subscription service, and for the most part these games are the same as the ones rented or bought, but there are a few games reserved for subscription only.

As for games, it's best to get the games that are less annoyingly tied to the onlive service. For instance, a game like Borderlands is good fun, but you don't have access to mulitplayer with non-Onlive customers (though playing with other OnLive players is really easy) The same if you want to play Assassin's creed Brotherhood Mulitplayer with a larger pool of players.

Another thing to take in mind is that you want to play games that you wouldn't expect to play normally on your rig to really take advantage of the service. For instance, Just Cause 2 made my previous rig choke like a locked in patient with a pretzel in his lung. Onlive's service makes such a game playable and enjoyable despite hardware limitations.

Another good thing to do is to preorder one of the games that gives you not only a microconsole, but a free download of another game as well. Cha-Ching!

[akaSM]

If you got any of the Humble Bundles, I think you can redeem those games in OnLive, at least that's true for Braid and World of Goo (HB2) and Trine (Frozenbite HB).

[Kim]

So, got Alpha Protocol and have been playing that. Been putting all my points into stealth, martial arts, and pistols, with the occasional exception, and been loving the hell out of it. Fantastic game.

OnLive is good. When I'm using a wireless connection, it's not as stable as I'd like, but keeping in mind the only way I can play these games on my PC is through OnLive I have a certain level of tolerance for it not being stable when my internet connection isn't as stable. With an ethernet connection, I rarely notice any problems whatsoever.

[Krylo]

So, got Alpha Protocol and have been playing that. Been putting all my points into stealth, martial arts, and pistols, with the occasional exception, and been loving the hell out of it. Fantastic game.

That is basically the best build.

And I knew it'd be your cup of tea, despite getting poor ratings for... I'm not really sure. I guess combat is shitty if you don't roll with enough points into one of the guns, and it doesn't really tell you that, and it seems to be fine until you get to your first real 'boss' which is a number of hours in.

But that's the only real glaring flaw I can think of.

[Kim]

I guess if you didn't do stuff to make it so you can actually kill people the game might be frustrating, but yeah that seems like a really stupid build and why would you ever do that. It'd be like putting all your points into lockpicking in DA and then complaining that trolls are too hard to kill or whatever.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

It'd be like putting all your points into lockpicking in DA and then complaining that trolls are too hard to kill or whatever.

Ehh, it's a bit analogous but a lot of stuff seems like it's combat useful, and it applies itself so well in regular combat that you don't realize what's wrong with your build until you hit a wall.

I didn't quite fall into that, but I nearly did. Even then I don't think it would be as bad as going through KOTOR with a stealth/force power based character only to find out the last boss was immune to everythang and stealth was worthless on him.

[Krylo]

I guess if you didn't do stuff to make it so you can actually kill people the game might be frustrating, but yeah that seems like a really stupid build and why would you ever do that. It'd be like putting all your points into lockpicking in DA and then complaining that trolls are too hard to kill or whatever.

Well full stealth is easy mode up until the first time you run into a boss, cause you can't stealth kill them.

But yeah, it does seem like common sense to take a weapon skill.

[Kim]

Well full stealth is easy mode up until the first time you run into a boss, cause you can't stealth kill them.

But yeah, it does seem like common sense to take a weapon skill.

I'm generally of the opinion that putting all your eggs in one basket is hardly what one would consider wise character building.

[Solid Snake]

Heh. You guys have nearly convinced me to order Alpha Protocol on Amazon, it's ridiculously cheap for a game released about a year ago.
The only thing stopping me is that I'm piss-broke after spending the last of my discretionary spending on L.A. Noire (which was worth it, but expensive) and now I want to save for Catherine.
...There needs to be an L.A. Noire thread, I can't have been the only one to purchase it.

[Kim]

Just beat Alpha Protocol. The ending wasn't quite as epic as I'd hoped, but there was definitely a *ton* of different directions it coudl have gone, and I'll probably replay it at some point. May also try out OnLive's subscription thing so I can try out Pathalogic and a few other games on that list.