I got some cash for helping my bro with his PS3 issues, and want to get a game or two, but I can't afford them all(sadly). I like RPGs so I have chosen to pick from either U8 or Soulbringer. I also like top-downish, Fallout Tactics sort-of-ish games so I picked to chose between Postal and Commandos. I can only pick two for now, so I was hoping for people to chime in(Non spoilerish as possible, please.) and tell me which is better to choose and a bit about why, based on what i've written below and their own opinions.
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Soulbringer's case: I played bits of Soulbringer years back as a teen, but got stuck in one part(didn't know how to advance as I couldn't find new areas to explore and/or a way to advance the game.) so I gave it up. (It didn't help that the game had graphical issues on the OS I was using it on when I reinstalled it a few years afterwards, leading to crappy text on-screen making it hard to read GUIs/descriptions/etc.

U8: I love RPGs, even the actiony ones(Loved Diablo as a teen..."Yes, it is indeed A COW."....lol)......and this one seems to have graphics that aren't too bad, plus it seems to be set on a different world than most of the rest and has interesting elements of plot/gameplay that I would probably like.

(Oh before anyone says I should try the older ones even with their graphics I have an odd bit to tell: The oldest ones also look somewhat good[1-3], but for some reason the middling ones like 5-6 and 7 look less appealing graphics wise...I dunno why. Maybe my playing of Exiler as a kid influenced my like of that kind of style? :\)

Postal: Running and gunning...what's not to like? Never played it but heard a bit over the years about the controversy behind it and always thought the concept would be fun to try and experience firsthand(The GAME....not, you know, KILLING IRL and stuff. 0.o). Is it long enough to hold my interest for a few days or is it very short? Also do you just kill in the game or can you destroy parts of the environment and props as well? Just curious.

Commandos: I think I played a demo of this or something similar years ago, but my memory is fuzzy. It looks like it'd be fun to sneak around various maps and do missions, and the game card pics look to die for. Plus, it has killing nazis and a WW2ish setting, which always fascinated me.

Points will be awarded to "best" reply, but all answers will be taken into account before I buy. Thanks again, friends and fellow GOGgites. :)

Choose Ultima8. It's much better than Soulbringer, i assure you. It has better gameplay, a better storyline, better everything.


As for the other one, Postal 1 is a decent game(i'm pretty sure you can destroy the environment, someone correct me if i'm wrong). Commandos is a good game as well, but i liked Desperados more:P Any of them should be entertaining, although Postal has a much lower replay value than Commandos.

Replay value is one thing to consider but as long as the game is fun then i'll be happy. Thanks for the advice, at any rate.

(Oh and I have Desperados...didn't finish it yet but I have it so there's no need to buy that one.)

Anyone else have any opinions?

Thanks for the input. As for your words on some of the titles:

Postal: I'm into(or at least not as turned off by) dark humor....heck I played Harvester and liked it while many didn't. As such, as long as the length is decent and gameplay fun/varied I would probably enjoy it. How does it fare in these respects, if I may ask?

U8: I could always play 7 some other time....this one was chosen by me to pick from a bit because I like the style of graphics a bit better than 7, so I wanted to play this one before that one(If I ever buy 7, that is).

Dunno what you meant by things from 7 being in 8, but if you mean lore and whatnot(references to U7/Ultima terminology/etc.) it wouldn't bother me much if stuff like that is in U8 as long as the game is good enough for me in the other categories(length/fun had while playing[not getting bored too easily/etc.]/interesting plot/etc.).

For Postal, the game is somewhat short in length I'd say. It would probably start to get repetitive if you tried to play through it all quickly. All you do is run around and kill all the cops and citizens that fight back until the game is happy with your carnage and lets you proceed. The backgrounds are all great looking but they are not destructible. I think it's an okay time killer game. It comes with an easy to use editor and the expansion adds a couple more levels.

For Ultima 8, if you don't mind the references and shit from previous Ultima games then go for it. It's a decent Ultima game, just sadly very rushed and not what it could have been.

So Postal is just run and gun? Nothing else? (No cutscenes between levels or text & the like either?) I wouldn't mind this necessarily, but it's good to know.

Also what do you mean no destructible environments? I thought I saw exploding barrels in one screenshot on the game card.(I could be wrong though.) :\

And as for U8, well(If I pick it in the end) I DID like Mask of Eternity and that was considered the lowpoint in KQ history so who knows....

Yes, exploding barrels. That's pretty much it. lol

Also, between levels, you'll get some text based on his journal entries. Most of them are just crazy talk.

What about music and sound effects? We have those in Postal or no? What about any voice acting or even just random voices in-game(like screams/people saying stuff as you play/etc)?

Same for Commandos......and voice acting of any sort(during or between missions)?

Also anything interactive in the maps during postal? Like examinable buildings or props/openable doors/etc?

(Thanks for all the info and advice/opinions though, btw.)

So far i'm leaning towards Commandos for my one choice and possibly U8 for the other, but we'll see. I have a bit longer before I choose. Plus I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

-_-

Very little music, none during levels. Sound effects are your basic stuff. The voice acting can get annoying in-game because sometimes the same voice clip or scream will play 10 times in a row. Or you'll here someone moaning over and over.

Postal Dude will of course mock the people and destruction he causes around him. The controls take time to get used to, not sure if GOG ever included the left turn fix but check the sub-forum. Should be a sticky.

Can't enter buildings, open doors or examine anything. All you can do is shoot, execute people that are dying or kill yourself.

There is also a small glitch on XP and up that causes bodies to spin for a moment when they die.

As for Commandos, I remember there being some voice acting. It was nothing special at all though.

My argument for Commandos:

Commandos is one of those games that they just don't make anymore. It's astonishingly precise and difficult. It's almost unfair to call it a strategy or tactics game, as strategy and tactics usually involve reactionary play. In commandos, everything is laid out on the table at the beginning of each mission. You know exactly what you are working worth, you have a constant view of the entire map, you know every enemy position and, despite this treasure trove of strat-related information, the game still drags you through the mud and punishes the most mundane mistakes. Commandos is not a strategy game, it's a puzzle game. It's all on you to observe the situation, and figure out the exact method you must employ your bizarrely limited resources. Would a real sniper ever only carry four shots on a mission? Of course he wouldn't. But the developers are speaking to you in Commandos. They are provoking you to try your best. Go ahead, see if you can figure this one out. And when you do, after all the quick saves (you will learn fast how important that is) and retries and perfect timings pulled off, you really feel like you bested a group of developers who cut you no slack. You feel empowered, strong and confident and it's so important when presented with the next seemingly insurmountable challenge.

The game has issues and I could probably go on just as long of a paragraph talking about those. But, I think that if someone fancies themselves a hard-fucking-core gamer, they owe it to themselves to run through Commandos. The difficulty spikes in the expansion leap into bastard-hard territory, and some of the fun is lost. But the first game is brilliant puzzle design that will test your greatest limits.

Hm, sounds a little like a more hardcore Frozen Synapse.

The spinning thing sounds like i'd actually love to see it in action for some reason. 0.o

Also left turn issue? As in the char keeps turning left for some people? That sucks. :\
But with actual graphics. :\

When a mission starts do you walk through it with the characters as you play or is it one of those games like the first Rainbow Six where you just set your moves up beforehand then just let the game play through them on it's own as you watch(until mission completes)? Also is it REALLY THAT HARD? Like it's no fun to play it at all and experiment as you learn? Or just difficult enough to be a challenge?

Well i'm gonna go get U8, but I still have to pick one of the other 3......hmm....