bburnham37

I'm going to put in a recommendation for Payday 2. It's a lot of fun and the devs continue to actively push the game forward with updates and new DLC. Really shines when you've got a good crew of players (it's a co-op game, not single player, online multi is strongly suggested here).

After playing through the Burial at Sea Part 2 DLC I can say that, for those that enjoyed Infinite, it's a must. Absolutely top notch. It's not going to change anyone's mind who did not like Bioshock Infinite, but for those who did... wow.

In regard to the linearity of the game, it's the "on-rails" feeling of the main story missions/tasks and the skill unlocks being based on main story progression that are primarily responsible for that strong linear focus. There are several mods available (found at nexusmods.com/farcry3 or moddb.com) that remove the progress reqs for skills and sideline the main story in such a way as to open up the world to a much greater degree. The amount of freedom afforded by mods like "Ziggy's Mod" is pretty amazing. Highly recommended. Maybe not the hardcore version for the very first time you play through?

THIS ^ Although I have the Plantronics Gamecom 780 as my primary headset (7.1 surround via dolby) and can also recommend them highly. Still, the Steelseries v2 is absolutely one of the best wearing headsets I've ever used. The audio is clear, the bass is punchy and the mic works beautifully. But, seriously, they are uber-comfortable. I have the v2 "Frost Blue" version but all that means is that they have some pretty blue lighting on the ear cups. The performance of the v2's is the same no matter the specific sub-version.

So, it looks like you have a few games on your list now but I'll add one or maybe two more. Reading through the thread it seems like your video game preferences run fairly similar to mine. I was pretty wrapped up by Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored left me a bit cold. I want to suggest that you take another shot at Far Cry 3. That game totally surprised me. I honestly didn't expect to like it all that much and for the first couple/few hours I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep playing (although the intro with Vaas and your brother and escaping the "pirates" was intense). But that game just... opens up to you, once you get through the initial BS and first couple story missions. There is an openness and freedom to the world you're in that I have possibly never experienced in a game previously. I'm not sure what issues you had specifically with FC3 (story, game mechanics, feel, difficulty, etc.) but it's possible that they might be resolved further along in the game or (if mechanics/gameplay) resolvable by mods or other methods. Just don't want you to miss what I thought was a really phenomenal game experience, if I can help it. OK, that out of the way, I can make my other recommendation. You may have already played this, but if not, you must do so! XCOM: Enemy Unknown It's like, doubleplusgood. Hardcore, take no sh*t awesome. And it likes to kill you (well, your squad members. All of them. In two turns when you thought you had the fight down cold. Leaving you crying and shaking like a little girl with a skinned knee). Anyway, good luck. And if you've got any Far Cry 3 questions or whatever, I'm your answerman.