So I've been sort of checking out the PC gaming scene as I'm wont to do every five or so years. I'm not bothering with anything I already played on the 360 and so I've been concentrating on PC 'exclusives'. So far I've played Crysis, Crysis Warhead, America's Army 3, and Arma 2.
I have to say Crysis is bloody brilliant, it does look lovely but more than that it's exactly the sort of shooter I enjoy. Loads of impressive scripted bits with ZOMGY explosions and suchlike but also some freedom to explore and to take a variety of approaches to completing the levels. Crysis Warhead seems like more of the same really.
I downloaded the ARMA 2 demo the other day for a quick look. It seems really good if a little difficult to get into. However it has easily the worst dialogue and voice acting I have ever heard in a game. The unintentionally hilarious nature of it somewhat detracts from the serious war simulator they are trying to present. "squeeze a few off on the range and then go see Captain Shaftoe"
. Also when you actually get away from the training things get even worse because all the radio communications are generated by piecing together individual words from a list and it sounds absolutely dreadful.
America's Army 3 seems quite well put together but it's kind of a bit hard to get over the fact that you're playing a recruitment/propaganda tool. Especially when you read the warnings at the start about how you'll get sent to Gitmo if you sell it to a Syrian.
Anyway my opinion formed so far after a few days of modern PC ownership is that the PC gaming scene is absolutely dying on it's arse compared with the last time I upgraded my PC about five years ago. Especially if you aren't into history based strategy games, RPGs about elves and shit, MMORPGs or the fucking Sims. Looking at the amount of shelf space in every shop I went in was an eye-opener, invariably even the PSP had a bigger selection.
Still, I'm having loads of fun with some of the games that are there and I'm looking forward to installing some older games and flight sims and cranking everything up to full but no amount of extra pixels would make me choose the PC as my preferred format for titles that are available on both. I don't even prefer playing FPSs with a keyboard and mouse any more. I had thought of the console pad as an acceptable compromise but I after going back I actually prefer it.
I'm sorry to say it but I reckon that in another five years the PC will be just about on a par with the Mac as a games platform.