Windows: Which Game Should I Get?

[xShane]

Hello everyone,

I will be getting Windows 8 soon (or at least I believe soon). With that, opens up more gaming possibilities.

I rarely buy new games, but will splurge and buy one new game. I'm troubled with which to choose.

When I buy a game, I look for ones that last (replayability). Minecraft, for example, was only $20-or so dollars, and is not "beatable". There's ton of hours of entertainment that it provides and is always replayable. I don't want to buy a game that I'll beat fairly fast and be bored of in a few days.

If you select "other", I'm not really looking to spend more than $20, maybe $30 TOPS.

Farming Simulation & Cid Meier's Civilization V: I really love simulation games so I am mostly leaning towards one of these two. I'm aware both have Mac versions but I believe that the Windows version will run "better" (true?).
Cid Meier's Civilization V got a lot of 1-star reviews on Amazon. I also don't plan on buying the Gold expansion (at least not anytime soon). Would I be limited by not buying the Gold version? I'd like to hear some reviews from some *real* people (you) about Civilization 5 and/or Farming Simulation (or of course any other game that you may recommend that's within my budget).

Cheers,
Shane

[Wardenski]

I have not played any of those games but whenever I am bored the game I most likely turn to is Civ IV. I can't resist sending a death stack of war elephants and catapults to smite my enemies.

I would have thought it would be fairly cheap by now. The Windows version is definitely better than the Mac version.

[xShane]

Originally Posted by Wardenski

I have not played any of those games but whenever I am bored the game I most likely turn to is Civ IV. I can't resist sending a death stack of war elephants and catapults to smite my enemies.

I would have thought it would be fairly cheap by now. The Windows version is definitely better than the Mac version.

I was talking about Civilization V (not IV), which I can snag for $19.99. I really can't decide between that or Farming Simulation.

I most likely won't buy either for another 1-2 weeks (or maybe slightly more).

[SilentPanda]

Out of those games, Civ V will likely last the longest. I looked at the 1 star reviews and it looks to me like it's more of a ratings bomb than legitimate concerns. I'm certainly not a hardcore Civ enthusiast that cares about every little tweak and change to the series, but I find the current setup just fine.

It may be worth noting that via Steam, Civ V Gold Edition has been priced down to $7.49 at times when it goes on sale. If you're not in a hurry, the next large sale will likely be in early July. That doesn't guarantee it will go on sale then, but the odds are good. On Steam you can add games to your wishlist and Steam can notify you when those games go on sale.

As a bonus, if you buy it on Steam you'll get the Windows and Mac version.

Of note: GTA IV is on sale on Steam for $5 right now, the complete edition for $7.50 and all GTA Games to date including IV is $12.50. Deal ends in about 4 hours though.

[Dirtyharry50]

Since you buy games rarely and like games with a lot of replay value, you really should check into some of the excellent strategy offerings on the Mac App Store by both Feral and Asypr. Rome Total War and Empire Total War offer plenty of fun and value and you don't need to reboot to enjoy them. I think both CIV 4 and 5 are there. I forget now. They are on Steam as well and there is a Mac Steam client. There is quite a lot of good native Mac games on the App store if you do searches on Feral and Aspyr in particular.

I really don't see how Windows would be a big deal for somebody who does not purchase many games. Aren't you better off not having to waste time rebooting?

[xShane]

Originally Posted by SilentPanda

Out of those games, Civ V will likely last the longest. I looked at the 1 star reviews and it looks to me like it's more of a ratings bomb than legitimate concerns. I'm certainly not a hardcore Civ enthusiast that cares about every little tweak and change to the series, but I find the current setup just fine.

It may be worth noting that via Steam, Civ V Gold Edition has been priced down to $7.49 at times when it goes on sale. If you're not in a hurry, the next large sale will likely be in early July. That doesn't guarantee it will go on sale then, but the odds are good. On Steam you can add games to your wishlist and Steam can notify you when those games go on sale.

As a bonus, if you buy it on Steam you'll get the Windows and Mac version.

Of note: GTA IV is on sale on Steam for $5 right now, the complete edition for $7.50 and all GTA Games to date including IV is $12.50. Deal ends in about 4 hours though.

I have the "benefit" of never having played a previous version, so I won't know about what changed for the worse.

I'm not a big fan of Steam as I don't agree with their DRM and policy (i.e. how they can remove your games/stop your service at any time for any reason without reimbursement, which sounds even worse if for whatever reason they go out of business).

Originally Posted by Dirtyharry50

Since you buy games rarely and like games with a lot of replay value, you really should check into some of the excellent strategy offerings on the Mac App Store by both Feral and Asypr. Rome Total War and Empire Total War offer plenty of fun and value and you don't need to reboot to enjoy them. I think both CIV 4 and 5 are there. I forget now. They are on Steam as well and there is a Mac Steam client. There is quite a lot of good native Mac games on the App store if you do searches on Feral and Aspyr in particular.

I really don't see how Windows would be a big deal for somebody who does not purchase many games. Aren't you better off not having to waste time rebooting?

I play games, just not a vast majority of titles. I usually stick to one or two games at a time.

I'm getting Windows for various reasons, and not just specifically for gaming Although a huge benefit is that (usually) games on Windows achieve better performance than on Mac (and often with less hardware requirements).

I'm most likely going to go with Civilization V, though Farming Simulation is definitely tempting and I'm ultimately not sure which.

[SilentPanda]

Originally Posted by xShane

I have the "benefit" of never having played a previous version, so I won't know about what changed for the worse.

I'm not a big fan of Steam as I don't agree with their DRM and policy (i.e. how they can remove your games/stop your service at any time for any reason without reimbursement, which sounds even worse if for whatever reason they go out of business).

Unfortunately for you, I think Civ 5 requires Steam. Even if you buy it retail you need to install Steam and activate it through there. It is getting more commonplace for games to require Steam (and to a lesser extent for EA, Origin). See the requirements listed on Amazon. http://amzn.com/B004774IPU

[xShane]

Originally Posted by SilentPanda

Unfortunately for you, I think Civ 5 requires Steam. Even if you buy it retail you need to install Steam and activate it through there. It is getting more commonplace for games to require Steam (and to a lesser extent for EA, Origin). See the requirements listed on Amazon. http://amzn.com/B004774IPU

If the only option requires Steam, then I'll likely still buy it. It's just that I'd rather not use Steam if I didn't have to (but it looks like in this case I might have to).

[Consultant]

Any service can do stop your service for whatever reason. And being run by one of the big developers with a great track record, Steam won't go out of business. It's like saying Microsoft / Apple will go out of business.

Steam is actually a great service. Lost your original disk? Just re-download it from Steam. Plus all those steam sales are just unbeatable. You can run your Steam games offline if you choose after initial activation.

Steam provides you a Mac copy of a PC game, if the developer provides the option. Civ 5 actually includes the option of using both Mac and PC version.

Originally Posted by xShane

I'm not a big fan of Steam as I don't agree with their DRM and policy (i.e. how they can remove your games/stop your service at any time for any reason without reimbursement, which sounds even worse if for whatever reason they go out of business).

[Cougarcat]

You can buy Civ V on the MAS without Steam, but it lacks multiplayer.

What Consultant said is true; Steam is really your best option. Getting both versions is great, especially if your graphics card isn't the greatest, as the game will run faster in Windows. The game goes on sale all the time, I'd wait till you can get the gold version for 7.50. You can add it to your wish list and have Steam email you when wish list items go on sale.