we can relate to some of the negative reactions from the run 'n gun genre lately, but we're wondering is this demo even worth downloading? does it paint a pretty good picture of what the game will probably be like? was it a naughty naughty tease? we've seen the screenshots, we're sure it's gonna look nice. as much as some of you have knocked the thread starter's critique, is it true? are the shootouts cartoonish as was described? is it fair comparison to doom 3, quake 4, hl 2, ect?

not wanting to shell out more than $20 for a game doesn't really say anything negative about the game. pretty soon it'll be cheaper to fill your computer with gasoline.

good points on all sides.

to play devil's advocate though, putting together your own pc is more of a gamble than just buying a completed one. getting parts individual can be cheaper sometimes, that's definately a good thing, but if you're buying your pc one piece at a time that's really just a dozen more opportunities to get ripped off.

getting the whole pc all at once from dell or alienware or whatever, you at least have someone accountable. if something goes wrong, breaks down for no reason, or if there's a compatibility issue you've got a warrenty and free tec support. it was mentioned before in this thread, but the best way to get started is get a decent pc and tweak the cheaper parts yourself. ram is pretty inexpensive. the peripherals could probably be gotten cheaper elsewhere, mouse, keyboard, monitor. we're in favor of building also, but it's probably better to start off on solid ground by getting it all at once.

it really comes down to what sort of games you want to play. some of the best old games can run on almost anything. the newer games with the best graphics are nice and all, but they've got their share of bugs and unresolved issues. the trend in some of the newer games released is ship it out and patch it later, so... yeah... we still prefer pc gaming over console, but it's no walk in the park sometimes.