|
|
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=22346 |  Aftermath (184) Nov 26, 2009 - 06:19 pm » Edited on Nov 26, 2009 - 06:22 pm
| Heh, good call - I'm no good with names. I'll agree with your quality as a glance/comparison point, but I think a the main problem is we're using a single metric to qualify a multi-faceted experience. Modern Warfare 2 might have been heralded as "FPS of the Year" and gotten 85%+ scores, but that doesn't mean shit if you don't like linear shooters, or if you don't like realism-lite shooters. I can tell you a lot of people I know would take something like ARMA II or AA3 over MW2 any day.
My point being it would be a lot more effective to, as a reviewer, list games you like similar to this one, and compare/contrast features from that subset of games to give a good idea of what the reviewed game is about. To elaborate, in a MW2 review, the reviewer (a fan of FPS games in general) could compare the cinematic experience with that of something similarily story driven, like FEAR 2, continuing on to determine if the AI in the game takes advantage of this and increases the atmosphere or if the AI breaks it.
Saying "yeah, this game gets a B in level design" doesn't say much, and sadly I think a lot of people skim to the end and look at vital stats (your "ballistics") to see if a game is worth picking up. And while I'm on the topic, you guys are pretty good about mentioning tastes in your reviews, so thumbs up on that part. Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=22346 | Aftermath (184) Nov 26, 2009 - 02:08 pm
| Sadly, originality, quality, depth and atmosphere can all be emulated by effective marketing and thus isn't any better of a metric for judging the value of a game before it's released. I read reviews, but I don't often listen to them - after a while you can even see gripes in some reviews that you consider a good thing.
Level of challenge in Dragon Age is a good example of this - If I hadn't bought it already, and read JakobVandy's afterthoughts on his brief play, I would have been more excited to pick it up. I like being challenged. I like playing games that seem impossible to win and then winning them. Some don't, and some of those people also review games. Any other quality of questionable worth falls into this category too. I'd like to see scoreless reviews somewhere - someone played the game through and talks about what he liked and didn't - no need for a silly 80% at the end. Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=22331 | Aftermath (184) Nov 19, 2009 - 03:22 pm » Edited on Nov 19, 2009 - 03:23 pm
| Nail on head. I'm a relatively young (25) male with a 200+ record collection. I find it to be on equal levels of satisfaction as opening a new PC game to find a big cloth map, a 60+ page instruction manual (coughBaldur'sGate2cough), and a poster with your game. And that's not even considering the special LPs with art etched on one side, or with posters/art/smashed pennies within the record sleeve. It's all a very exciting experience, opening up a good double LP from a band you love.
And unless your music collection is in 300mb a song FLAC, it's not gonna sound as good. Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=22291 | Aftermath (184) Nov 08, 2009 - 04:03 pm » Edited on Nov 08, 2009 - 04:05 pm
| Go play Diablo/Torchlight/etc?
Honestly Jakub, I like you more than anyone else writing here, and this review stinks of 'post rage-quit diatribe'.
I've been playing on Normal and logged maybe 10-12 hours in the game. I haven't had to replay an encounter more than three times. Yes, it's frustrating when the game springs a trap on you and it seems like the only thing you can do is die. But I have yet to come across an encounter I haven't been able to conquer with some wit. Spam stuns. Freeze and shatter. Spam more stuns. Hex and life drain. TAKE HERBALISM.
Mages only have to worry about friendly fire, it seems, on AoE spells. I have yet to hurt a teammate with lightning. Is this really hard to adapt to? Flank with your mage, hit as many targets without hitting a buddy. Use a stun to give yourself a few seconds to put yourself in a better position.
I'll agree, I'd like some more transparency in the combat system, but I'm OK with trying things out to see what works. And I don't know what kind of traps you've been running into, but I only have a rogue with me maybe half the time, traps in combat are the only things that may screw me over.
PS Jacob with a C - I look forward to reading something coherent and objective. Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=22006 | Aftermath (184) Aug 11, 2009 - 02:02 pm » Edited on Aug 11, 2009 - 02:04 pm
| I'll chip in a similar list!
0. PS3 Slim fall 09
1. Natal mid 10, but this is your 360 v2.0 with less RROD
2. PS3 with crazy motion sticks, probably with some hardware revisions. Holidays '11
3. Wii HD with amorphous plastic horse/skateboard/sword/bow/magic wand peripheral. Holidays '12
4. PS4 and true next-gen XBOX* Holidays '13
* Frankly, I think we're getting to a point in console permutations where I think the line between this and next gen is going to be really blurred, with multiple revisions of the old PS3 and XBOX360 archetecture slipped into a 'slim' case or an 'elite' SKU. That said, I don't really buy into the idea that the big companies are looking to rush into a full generational leap when they've shown they can milk so much more money from the current incarnations of the consoles they have.
There will always be people to throw money away at the first release of a brand new console. However, i think there are far less than there used to be, especially with release console prices on the rise. Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=21966 | Aftermath (184) Jul 31, 2009 - 08:33 pm » Edited on Jul 31, 2009 - 08:34 pm
| How about we base cost on metacritic scores? If you score above 90%, you get yourself a higher price. Lower than 70%, and you get a price lower than we currently pay.
Development "costs" (ahem: advertisement costs/CEO pay) have risen, but quality of games overall has gone nowhere. Flag this | Edit this post |
| Cluster Shout Box Link » /matrix/cluster.asp/89 | Aftermath (184) Jun 12, 2009 - 10:25 am » Edited on Jun 14, 2009 - 11:17 pm
| or to sum up in a word
shenanigans
not to mention the two members that have posted no comments or done anything significant whatsoever. what's to stop people from just creating multiple accounts to sway the vote? Flag this | Edit this post |
| Cluster Shout Box Link » /matrix/cluster.asp/89 | Aftermath (184) Jun 11, 2009 - 11:42 am » Edited on Jun 11, 2009 - 04:07 pm
| You don't have to join to see who wins, just to judge. Frankly, I was just hoping to see some effort made to be creative. A lot of them weren't. I'm also disappointed in the lack of moderation in the contest.
This was the first FS contest I've made an attempt at, judging from this experience about how loose they play things, I won't be doing it again.
As for the rest of your drivel, I'll chalk it up to you being the kind of person that likes to get into other people's business for no reason but to make themselves seem witty. "LOL" will never be witty. Sorry. Flag this | Edit this post |
| Siteseeing Link » /news/siteseeingarticle.asp?searchid=4532 | Aftermath (184) Apr 17, 2009 - 01:58 pm
| unfortunately, 'wheelchair inaccessable' staircases will still be the primary bane of our legless bretheren. I'm also a bit wary of how the user inputs directions for movement...sensors around the waist sensitive to slight nudges and bumps will probably end in some awkward flirting with that cute girl down the hall.
On a related note, I have this image of people scooting about in random directions as if they were mounted into a giant Roomba...or Huumba, if you will. Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=21339 | Aftermath (184) Mar 02, 2009 - 04:32 pm
| | I used the d-pad for tony hawk too. Still do, for whatever version I play. I think in mario 64 the camera was only directed with the c buttons, but i'll look into it...(gotta find the controllers in my closet first). Mischief makers was the specific example in my head, the Z button and the analog stick were totally null in that game, requiring you to hold the controller *gasp* like a normal gamepad! Flag this | Edit this post |
| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=21339 | Aftermath (184) Feb 27, 2009 - 02:19 pm
| The n64 controller out-fuglies this by a factor of ten, and everyone pretty much gobbled those up.
PS - Nintendo fanboy challenge - Name 3 N64 games that required you to use the D-Pad.
(To be honest I can only think of one off the top of my head) Flag this | Edit this post |
|
