(Part 3) Best products from r/xbox360

It's a FPS featuring pretty much none of the things you asked for, like 90% of the suggestions in this thread. Think Halo, with a side of Borderlands or Diablo. It looks good, but again, not at all what you asked for.

Sadly, I don't think there are many bigger commercial space games like you described for the 360. It's certainly one of my favorite genres, and if they existed on 360 I'd probably own them. Your best bet there is to look at the indie games and see if anything tickles your fancy.

On the PC, you could look at:

• Starbound has been suggested and is in early Alpha but updates are supposed to be coming Soon^TM (to be fair, the nightlies have been flying out like mad, so updates really are in-progress). This game has a lot of modding support as well, and the developers are very into the community. This game best fits your requirements -- customizable spaceship, upgrades (coming Soon^TM), planets to explore (literally thousands) alien villages, temples, you name it.
  
• The huge but SP only X3: Reunion (but the learning curve is a brick wall with spikes). Mostly in-ship about building a space-trading empire.
  
• You could go old-school and pick up Freelancer, which is pretty fun and probably cheap (but you might need to look a bit), and has a much more flexible learning curve and a dedicated server so you can play with your friends. Unfortunately, your interaction with planets is pretty limited, but the shipfighting is fun as is tinkering with your ships.
  
• Space Engineers features Minecraft-like shipbuilding and is under very active development. This game is my current space-fixation. Just check the sub-reddit to see some of the awesome stuff people have made. This one is more about building ships than exploring, but there are some pretty neat asteroids to poke around in.
  
• Interstellar Rift is a concept but if they can pull it off, it will be right up your alley.
  
  Starbound and Space Engineers have very, very active subreddits (with the developers posting as part of the community in SB) and you can get a feel for them there. There's even a few more for PC to look at that I'm not as familiar with (Evochron Mercenary, Kinetic Void, Blockade Runner, Starmade) that might be what you want.
  
  I wish I could help you find this type of game for the 360 but I'm just not convinced they exist right now. It's a shame that consoles don't get interesting games like these but the genre seems pretty niche right now, so the games are mostly from smaller developers releasing on PC.
  
  Edit: I did think of one console game that fits, but it's for the handheld (DS/3DS). Inifinite Space is probably the most unique handheld game I have played. You determine the layout of your ships by placing the sectors (e.g. where fire control, or the hangar, or the bridge are) and this modifies their stats. You also collect group members and assign them officer roles in your fleet. Again, blows my mind something like this hasn't ended up on the 360. Pick this up if you're looking to scratch the itch while on the go.

Not sure what to recommend - what kind of games do you normally play or prefer? I suppose I will try to recommend 3 games that I think are really good value.

1. Halo Reach: I play a lot of Halo: Reach even today, and it's a few years old already but still a great game. Lots of fun, tons of game modes to play with friends (Firefight, Campaign, Multiplayer matchmaking system features a TON of different styles of gameplay) and if you have enough HDD space you can purchase a download code from Amazon for like $15 (I actually purchased this and its a great deal) http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Reach-Full-Download-Xbox-360/dp/B006QZ85PU
   
   
2. Grand Theft Auto IV: Obviously Grand Theft Auto IV is a continuation of the series, but for $20 you can get the Ballad of Gay Tony and Lost and Damned pack PLUS the entire GTA IV game for around $20 at your local game store. TONS of gameplay, lots to do, tons of missions, and of course the multiplayer is great fun (still play this game all the time too!)
   
   
3. Battlefield 3: Hands down biggest maps, best sound I have heard in a long time in a game. Well put together, polished feeling that makes it fun. Although if you aren't a big fan of FPS this might not be for you, but if you love helicopters and tanks and the such it's a great game and a lot of fun.
   
   If you need some ppl to play XBL with add me up kTMdoinWork

I played Alan Wake to completion (getting all achievements), including both DLC. I really enjoyed some of it, but overall the story was not quite my cup of tea. I liked the gameplay fine, and though at first the inventory system (or lack thereof) annoyed me, I got over that and enjoyed not having to sweat collecting everything. Also there is a part where you finally get help from one of the NPC, the sheriff, which I really liked. It was over far too quickly for my taste. Freaking Barry almost never helps.

As for Alan Wake or Just Cause 2, well, they are pretty different, in that JC2 is open world, and there is a lot of exploring you can do. AW has some exploring elements, in that if you want all the achievements you have to look in the dark corners and stray off the obvious paths, but it is nothing like JC2. JC2 has more action, AW has more story and character development. If you end up liking Alan Wake, you will need to get the second (not free with new purchase) DLC, so that is another $7. If you want the disc-based game, that at one time came with a code for the Signal DLC, is it $20 at amazon right now. I don't know if you still get the DLC code. you can get a code (it was a console pack-in for a while) to download the game for $13, but it most definitely does not come with DLC, so then you'd be spending $14 to get the Signal and the Writer.

lastly, if you are a total completest there is an avatar item you cannot get unless you play the limited edition.

Alan Wake has very little replay value. You will play it through twice, three times tops. Once on normal, once on nightmare, and maybe once to collect the bits you missed the first time through. Just Cause 2 has more replay value in that even if you don't play it through multiple times, there is a ton of stuff you can do in the world that is not story driven.

Both games are fun. Skyrim is fun because the game is more than just the combat. TES games have never had the most stellar combat, but usually you can accomplish your goals in other ways.

Dark Souls is simply...different. It's more like a very well done 3D metroidvania game. I wouldn't put them in direct competition with each other because they of this, not to mention they are 2 of my favorite games this year (Skyrim, Dark Souls, Bastion, Outland, Terraria, and Portal 2 being the ones I've played most). Both have excellent replay value, as I've put over 100 hours into each. I would not recommend trading Skyrim, but I would absolutely recommend trying to get your hands on Dark Souls if you can. I've seen it for around $35-$45 in a lot of places, if you're patient you can easily get it for less than $60 which is what GS is going to charge you most definitely.

Edit: Did one amazon search and found this. http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Souls-Xbox-360/dp/B004NRN5DU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325184571&sr=8-2

Get the controller, save yourself $28, keep the superior graphics and short load times. Also throw in an HDMI cable or DVI to HDMI cable if you need to get your PC video output to your HDTV (assuming you have one?).

There are a couple mods on Skyrim Nexus that remap the controls (beyond what the game lets you do). By default, you don't get any hotkeys (with the controller; pretty sure you get 10 on the keyboard). With the mod I use, you get four (the four points of the D-pad, like Fallout 3).

I don't mean to knock WASD+Mouse gaming, and prefer it for quick shooters, but for something chill like Skyrim, I like to lean back in my chair with a controller in hand. I mean, holding in W and wagging the mouse every so often on the walk from Whiterun to Ivarstead is for the birds, man.

As for PS3 Oblivion, it sounds like your sensitivity got turned all the way up. You can change sensitivity of both axes on both games, on all 3 platforms.

get one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-VGA-HD-AV-Cable/dp/B000B6MLTG

and a monitor that has a VGA input and last, youll need to hook up speakers some how.

i recommend getting a full 1080p monitor as it looks great to play xbox on a large screen sitting that close. i have a similar set up with a 27". i sit just 2 feet away. its awesome and get good speakers!

and be sure to check out /r/battlestations

I searched for Limbo and found this 3 pack, Limbo is one of my favorite games but it's only a few hours long, Trails HD is a fun multiplayer and fun single player game, playing multiplayer is a lot of fun, and I don't know about the 3rd game Splosion Man



LIMBO, Trials HD, Splosion Man
$21.99

Even used copy for around $10 with shipping

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QIY0Y4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2TYHxb4ZCEC1W

>Much easier to buy official HDDs.

easier for sure, but not cheaper. the official 500GB drive is currently $110 on amazon.

meanwhile, a bare 500GB WD 2.5" drive is only $48 delivered, and a proper enclosure is $6 delivered.

So you can spend $110 and be good to go right out of the box, or you can do some work on your end and have the same thing for half that price ($54).

If you are interested in RPG / JRPG games, I take great confidence in suggesting that you pick up the following:



Game | Where to Buy
---|---
Tales of Vesperia | Amazon, XBL Marketplace, Gamestop
Blue Dragon | Amazon, Gamestop
Eternal Sonata | Amazon, XBL Marketplace, Gamestop
Star Ocean: The Last Hope | Amazon, Gamestop

I've owned all of these, and they are easily some of the best of their genre, not to mention they are exclusive to the 360 (save for Vesperia, which got a PS3 release, but it was only in the Japanese market.)

This is an Xbox 360 and this is an Xbox One. The Xbox One is the newer console and what I would recommend.

The amazon link for the Xbox One shows two bundles: one with the Kinect device and a cheaper version without. If your budget affords, I would go ahead and spring for the one with the Kinect. It's a little bit of a better value.

I have Tritton Warheads for when I'm playing Call of Duty or Battlefield, but I just use the Microsoft Wireless Headset for other games. Never had a complaint about my voice volume, and I love always having a wireless headset.

I don't know if this counts as cheap, but I use this and it's great.

Here is the one I use, and it works great (no discernible lag). There are cheaper ones out there that work well apparently. Do a search on Amazon for "cross battle adapter".

Just buy a cheap router capable of working as WiFi Client ( like this: http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WR740N-Wireless-Router-150Mpbs/dp/B002WBX7TQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407608383&sr=8-1&keywords=tl+wr740n ) and connect the Xbox via ethernet cable.

I've been using these eneloop for a while and they've been great so far.

There's a similar product with Panasonic Eneloop branding now. The price is cheaper and the charger is much better, according to the battery-reviewing guy on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-K-KJ17MCA4BA-Individual-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00JHKSMJU/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk

If you like stories I personally found that Battlefield Bad Company 1 and 2 were well written though it does include a fair amount of shooting play its a bit more tactical than the straight run and gun-ness of the COD series.

L.A. Noire I've heard amazing things about with the story and gameplay alike, i don't have personal experience with it but its been generally rated high with everyone I've spoken to about it

EDIT BTW LA Noire is on sale today too

These work for me much better than wireless. Also, are you running the static IP through your router's DMZ?

I think you can use an external hard drive but it would have to be formatted for the XBox and you wouldn't be able to use it for anything else. When I say laptop size I mean a 2.5" internal drive that you would put in a laptop. There's a bay on the bottom of the Xbox that you can slide it into.

Like this - http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Drives-Notebook-WD5000LPVX/dp/B00C9TECFO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417536276&sr=8-2&keywords=wd+laptop+drive

I'm guessing you're using a HDMI/DVI converter, which of course won't carry sound.

I'm afraid that, unlike with the PS3, there is no way to output audio through a different cable than you're outputting video (unless you count the optical audio out, which doesn't exist on an HDMI cable).

The good news? You can use this cable with your monitor. Don't be fooled by the HDMI nonsense; VGA will be just as good as HDMI!

/u/mygrantgamer is correct that Wlamart Xbox has not internal hard drive only a 4GB Flash Memory Card. He is also correct that any xbox certified internal hard drive will work.

I would order the 500GB Model E off Amazon (like this one) and not have to worry about the hard drive. (PS some newer games like Destiny will not play without a hard drive, regardless of how much other storage you have).

XCM Cross Battle adapter I have it. It's awesome. I'm a regular guy, not advertising.

1. the screw driver to open the controller, most likely will only be available in a kit: Which can cost from anywhere from $10-$25
   
   
2. The recplacement bumper can be ordered online+ shipping is probably another $5-$10
   
   
3. If you unexperienced with opening technology its going to take another 30 min-1hr of your time (Give or take $5-$10 of minimum wage time depending where you live I guess)
   
   So that rings up anywhere from $20-$45 (Approximately of course) in Total.
   
   
   OR
   
   
   You could just buy a new controller and save yourself the time...
   
   Controller Option 1: Pay Retail
   
   Controller Option 2: ($24.99) http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/accessories/gamestop-xbox-360-controller/43229
   
   Controller option 3: (Mixed Prices) http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B003ZSN600/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1381795985&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=xbox+3260+controller&condition=used
   
   Controller Option 4: Craiglist
   
   

here is one for the original for 500GB

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-VGA-HD-AV-Cable/dp/B000B6MLTG

This is probably what you're looking for.

Eneloops son

Don't buy a wired controller, buy this.

Get a native Xbox 360 VGA adapter and run that to a monitor. You can use the laptop to pass audio through its microphone input.

Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable by Microsoft Software http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B6MLTG/

My main suggestions (with links):

• Read Dead Redemption GOTY
  
• Batman Arkham Asylum
  
• Batman Arkham City
  
• Borderlands 1 GOTY
  
• Borderlands 2 GOTY