Games: Rate and Discuss

[Warped]

Halo: ODST 8/10

Overall I really enjoyed this game. It was much darker in the visuals and mood than the previous games but it was nice to try out new characters and a slightly different setting. When I first started this game it was a bit strange to not have recharging armor and health but really it was easy to get used to. Controls are just as sharp as before and by pressing 'X' you can get a night-vision and tactical view which makes allies appear to have a green aura and enemies to have a red aura. I really liked it because it let me focus on specific targets.

Presentation wise, this game is just as good if not better than Halo 3. The models themselves look far worse but the details in the city and frame-rate I believe are much higher than normal. There was plenty of cut scenes to give you a rest in between battles and there was usually more than one way to get to the destination. Think of MGS4 for Halo fans, you can either sneak past a group of bad guys, run to the end, or shoot you're way though. I found the difficulty to be on par with most shooters although at some times I felt like throwing my controller.

As far as adding new enemies don't expect much, its just more of the same that you've been used to. I would have loved to seen at least one new major enemy type introduced but no dice. One major flaw I saw with the game was the lack of auto-save. It gives you checkpoints but I was banking on the fact that checkpoints were auto-saves and they're not! I had to redue about 40 mins of gameplay and it was tedious. Also a few times the enemies just stood there with no direction at all. I literally walked up to many and killed them with a melee attack. They were even facing me and awake too. I did notice however more Michael Bay explosions and there was just as much vehicular variety as the previous games. But if you had fun with Halo before, I suggest you give this one at least a rental.

 

[Sparta]

RE5 is one of the most enjoyable co-op games i've played. The contrast between the co-op and the obviously broken single player is huge, which is a shame, but it doesn't stop the game being excellent when played with a friend.

I totally agree. Playing this with my brother, it's easily a 9/10 game, but by yourself it's significantly worse thanks to some terrible partner A.I.

I'd also like to add that the end boss is far better than the RE4's end boss. Also, RE5 does QTE's just as well as RE4, especially the last cutscene of QTE's. That kicked ass.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

halo 3 odst - 6/10 (would have been higher if this were DLC)

basically it is halo for better or worse, I have became tired of the halo franchise for a little while now but my brother got this I ended up playing it. ODST actually could have had some cool new innovations to the series with stealth and limited health added to the gameplay but all that really means is health packs from halo1 are back and the world is bigger so you can run right past fights >_>

The campaign is unbelieveably short and will only extend itself through difficulty and/or if you are getting audio logs and achievements. The story even by halo standards is piss poor and is almost non existant until the end. The "main character" doesn't do anything until the last 2 levels of the game, all he does is basically act as a courier to "flashback" levels. The direction of the story largely suffers because of this flashback gimmick.

Essentially this is a mission pack with 3 new MP maps and a new MP mode. I wouldn't be so hard on it if it weren't for the fact that this could easily have been DLC ala GTA4 LAD. Companies are always talking about digital being the next big step but when I see things like this it really makes me wonder if they really care. GTA4 is still the benchmark DLC compares itself to not necessarily because its good but because almost nothing else even tries.

 

[stemot]

I totally agree. Playing this with my brother, it's easily a 9/10 game, but by yourself it's significantly worse thanks to some terrible partner A.I.

I'd also like to add that the end boss is far better than the RE4's end boss. Also, RE5 does QTE's just as well as RE4, especially the last cutscene of QTE's. That kicked ass.

Were those QTE's when:

Spoiler

You fight Wesker?

If so I skipped all of them as I just used a missile launcher and blew the ****er up .

 

[Asknoone]

I haven't played Resident Evil 5 yet, but I have very serious doubts in its ability to live up to Resident Evil 2, or indeed the likes of Remake and Resident Evil 4, both of which excelled at providing genuinely compelling and polished gameplay.

Which has what exactly to do with tying up all the threads of the previous RE games?

And what has that got to do with matter of it being a good story? Let me tell you: nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing now, nothing ever; absolutely nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. There is nothing to be gained in arguing which Resident Evil game has the superior narrative. Do you see people pitting Keanu Reeves and Shia LaButt**** against each other in acting competitions? No. No you don't.

Hello, I am back.

 

[Tyguy]

don't mean to bring up red faction again, but after sticking a mine onto a settler and blowing it up (toppling a building) i can't fathom a funnier situation.

 

[stemot]

EDIT:- Bugger it, I'm not biting, except for,

Hello, I am back.

All good things come to an end. welcome back.

 

[stemot]

Tales Of Monkey Island - Lair Of The Leviathan - 9/10

I've been a massive Monkey Island fan since I first played "The Secret Of Monkey Island" on my Amiga 500, and have played the series right through all it's highs such as Monkey Island 2, to it's lows such as Escape From Monkey Island.
So I obviously shelled out for the full season of ToMI as soon as it was announced and have been playing the episodes as they have been released.
The first episode received a generally good reaction from critics and fans alike as a continuation of the MI legacy and I thought it was great. Then Spinner Cay came along and the reaction wasn't as good. While the majority of fans thought it was still a good episode, some didn't like the continued re-use of character models, felt the controls were too clunky, and hated the introduction of the mystical merfolk.
Now chapter 3 is here and it's the best entry into the series yet. If you hated the controls on the previous episodes then this episode will do nothing to change your mind, but I got used to the mouse controls after 5 minutes in episode 1 so I do not see this as a problem. Just as the quality of the humour increased from ep1 to ep2, this time it takes a massive leap from ep2 to ep3. The quality of the jokes is brilliant, maybe even some of it better than the original game, with quality animation to go along with it. The puzzles as well have improved from the previous episodes, whereas I thought the last episode had the best puzzle of the series since MI2, this one has a puzzle which trumps that one.
The character models are re-used again, but it's so well disguised that it no longer becomes an issue.

If you really don't like the cartoony direction MI has taken then you should steer clear of the episodes, but for those that enjoyed CMI and have liked previous Telltale games then you need to play this.
I just hope Telltale have not peaked too early with this episode.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot

Spoiler

Murray is back, and this is the first game in the whole series to actually give him a proper role rather than just background decoration.

Here are some videos of the first section of ep3. Spoilers obviously.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcgJNEuITu4

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NGeovhkYMg

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0S3sww6214

 

[Yorick]

I haven't played Resident Evil 5 yet, but I have very serious doubts in its ability to live up to Resident Evil 2, or indeed the likes of Remake and Resident Evil 4, both of which excelled at providing genuinely compelling and polished gameplay.

It's different gameplay. The isolation really goes out the window with the second player, but it still has some tense moments and I like the teamwork aspect.

I don't think you will enjoy it, because I suspect you will end up playing with a moron for a partner.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

okay I decided to go bargain hunting and boy I have learned a lesson on how hard it can be to go back to older games if you haven't played them prior Alot of these games I didn't finish but tried out a chunk of just to get used to them first.

Freedom fighters - Okay I will get ALOT of flak for this but I really wasn't impressed by this one. Maybe it was really good at the time but again I didn't play it at the time so all I saw was a generic action game. I played this one the least time wise just because I was so underwhelmed :|

Killer 7 - I was already aware that killer 7 was a love it or hate it game but I was always interested in this game so I picked it up and I don't like it The game is just WAY too weird O_O The gameplay is unlike anything I have ever played and isn't really that satisfying to pull off but to counteract most people say this is a game more for its atmosphere and story. However it still didn't work, you are thrown into the game with no intro as to what is going on and all the characters either die on screen straight away or are ghosts that talk deliberately cryptic, obtuse junk thus leaving no exposition or character development at all >_> On top of all this is the incredibly surreal imagery, combining all of these gives you IMO the hardest game to physically immerse yourself into ever.

second sight - A cool concept that is marred by bad control problems basically. The game is one of those games that tries to be a stealth game but doesn't have the mechanics to do so. Most proper stealth games provide ways of reconnaisance so you don't just walk straight into the enemies face e.g. MGS has rader, splinter cell has NVG. This game's method seems to be primarily projection and stealth however respawning enemies that come out of nowhere can shoot my ass when I am projecting and stealth doesn't work in front of cameras WTF? You will find yourself running into guards far too often due to this and the bad camera doesn't help which seems to be trying to act like resi but failing. Lastly aiming doesn't work as your character will aim at anything and everything depending on your direction and not proximity this means that in a battle you can't aim at the enemy right next to you without turning at him first otherwise you'll aim at a box at the other side of the corridor >_>

Timesplitters - This was the only one I liked It is basically a copy of goldeneye and isn't even subtle about it (okay GE is overrated IMO but its not a bad formula to copy) only thing I did notice is that this game is definitely MP focused. I finished the "story" (or lackthereof >_>) on easy in under an hour

 

[Ennui]

Anno 1404 - Dawn of Discovery - 7/10

Very entertaining, micro-intense city building and economy management. I love games like this, I've been playing with a trainer for unlimited money and goddamn if I didn't waste 7 hours yesterday painstakingly building a kick ass capital city decked to the nines with everything...

 

[Warbie]

Halo 3: ODST - 9/10

Firefight mode on its own is worth ODST's asking price - it's superb. Everything that makes Halo great in co-op has been refined and expanded on, and the finished package allows for the most emergent gameplay i've seen in a fps. The campaign itself isn't a co-op successor to Halo 3's meta game (I had hopes for co-op that worked with 4 players), but rather more of a progression of the original Halo. ODST's campaign works best in single player and any fans of the original's brutally challenging combat will be happy (Legendary or nothing, ladies). There are two forced vehicle sections which detract a little - vehicles should always be optional - but the rest is superb. The central hub that lets you choose the order to tackle flashbacks/missions and when and where to take on covenant packs works particularly well.

//edit - the 2nd disk has all the Halo 3 multiplayer content, which is nice for someone late to the party.

 

[ktimekiller]

Resident evil 5 is very enjoyable with a friend co-op

AI sucks however =/ If you dont have a friend to play with, dont bother imho

 

[Sparta]

Halo 3: ODST - 9/10

Firefight is rad on quite a few maps, but I totally disagree with you about the campaign. It's definitely better than Halo 3's single-player campaign, but that's not saying much. It borrows elements already successfully done in games like Bioshock (roaming A.I. and audio logs) and mixes it with Halo and presto, you've got a game. I did however, really enjoy the old health mechanic coming back from Halo. That was good. But the game did get fairly repetitious in the last quarter, which almost seems on par for the whole series doesnt it.

 

[bam23]

PC Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising - 4/10

Wow, I don't understand any praise around this game.

AI is retarded needs to be babysat otherwise you can catch them moping around and checking out the scenery.

Controls are clumsy and literally unresponsive. Was playing with a friend and walking along when some dudes shot at us from a bridge. I mashed prone to get down but mother****ing game wouldn't let me prone and I get shot. I respawn, try to hit prone for about 15 more seconds THEN it works. Go figure. Same thing happens with crouch sometimes.

Why the **** are all the movements and animations SLOW AS SHIT? Reloading, switching out your weapons, ****ing everything. I could tab out and read all of yahoo news before I finished doing something. Taking out the SMAW or Javelin means half an hour of setting up and putting the POS together before you can use it. You can't cancel it either, which means if guys are shooting at you and you switched it out by accident, get ready to be ****ed in the ass. I'm in the middle of a battlefield. Where's the sense of urgency here? I'm trying to fight a ****ing war mother****ers, and the characters in this game are being careful not to break their finger nails.

Voice acting is acceptable. Dialogue **** you. If I hear the words "Dagger" or "Saber" one more time I'm gonna shoot someone. Oh wait, shooting someone takes 15 minutes because everything in this game is SLOW.

The actual gameplay aside from the bullshit is alright. +2

Coop mode. +2

 

[CptStern]

Star Wars Clone Wars Republic Heroes 2\10

bought it for my son even though after playing the demo I knew it was going to be crap. it's repetative, ugly, the controls are wonky, the camera angle is too far back and it's not much fun. there's a part in the game when you're supposed to take control of the flying thing the droids use which breaks up the monotony but ffs it's literally used for one second (to cross a chasm that you could almost jump across) and then it's back to the same monotomy.


really really lazy game design and it should have been a $10 arcade game not a $40 title. star wars fans avoid at all costs, probably the shittiest SW game I've played in a long while.

the one positive is that the voice acting uses the same voices as the cartoon, beyond that it's forgettable

 

[CyberPitz]

League of Legends: Beta - 7/10

Coming from somebody who had NO idea what the game was when I first got into it, I was VERY confused. "DOTA" people said. Made no sense to me at first. Then I started playing, and I'm getting it a bit more. Then looking for youtube DOTA matches, I see how similar they are. Quite an enjoying game, and will have to see how it is when I get some friends to play with me instead of a bunch of ragequitting pubbies.

 

[Quixoticism]

I only played one match and while it was fairly enjoyable, the graphics had some rough edges(not the art style, but certain things like choppy moving projectiles while everything else was moving fluidly was a bit distracting and made it feel like I was having frame rate issues)
The UI was different and also made me feel very disconnected from the game. Some of the keybinds that you use constantly in DotA are bound to other things in this which kept messing me up.(like the "a" key being used to activate a special skill instead of issuing an attack command)

Some of the things that I mentioned would be fixed with practice. I did enjoy the game that I played and my team did win that match but I didn't find it compelling enough to keep playing when I am enjoying HoN. I will probably give this another try one I clear some room off my harddrive to download it again.

 

[Kadayi]

Mirrors Edge 7/10

What a deeply frustrating game that turned out to be. Loved the mechanics, loved the look of it, but felt completely indifferent to the storyline & loathed the utterly anal button sequence absurdity of some of the jumping sections. The pinpoint accuracy required to pull off some parts of the game left a lot to be desired at times in terms of how far in the fun-to-frustration meter the needle went deeply into the frustration zone. Generally overall it didn't take long to manoeuvre through the maps (which was fun), but there were certain parts where the difficulty spiked quite considerably, not helped by the fact that Faith having plunged to her death would invariably respawn a good few jumps back from the offending jump. The amount of times I died around the 4:30 mark here:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9WN8YklexU&feature=related

beggared belief, to then find myself repawning back at about 4:00.

Also the other criticism I have is about the combat. Despite bold intentions to play the game through without recourse to using guns, the reality of adopting that approach really didn't play out for me given how poorly the unarmed combat mechanics worked. Disarming & disabling an opponent outside of either slow mo or a rear attack proved extremely difficult in practice and it turned out to be a lot easier to just batter them senseless then pick up their gun and lay waste to their buddies than try any fancy kung fu moves. The inability to Block an attack or counter attack was quite frustrating as well.

Here is hoping that the sequel addresses these sorts of issues when it is released.

Kad

 

[Deleted member 56031]

You very neatly described exactly what I felt about the game and why I was so pissed off :flame: I expected great things from this and I just got decent :|

 

[Kadayi]

You very neatly described exactly what I felt about the game and why I was so pissed off :flame: I expected great things from this and I just got decent :|

Great minds think alike.

Seriously though it must of taken me at least 70 attempts to clear that one jump (I'm not proud), only to then encounter another stupidly difficult section in the atrium area 10 minutes later that took another 70 or so attempts where in you had to at breakneck speed wall run to a bar, then instantly swing from that onto a sloped ramp so that without pausing you could run up it to wall run onto a narrow gantry above. Too slow and you hit it and plunged to your death, too fast and you'd over run it and plunge to your death (nice). I could of quite happily blugeoned to death any and every member of the Dice development team for that couple of hours of sheer frustration if they'd been around. :frown:

 

[stemot]

I just got the time trails DLC for Mirrors Edge. Some nice free running levels in there but I can't compare times on the net because the ****ing game never connects to the EA server.

 

[Slacker]

Saints Row 2- Picked this up with the 75% off deal (<3 Steam) a few days ago. Pretty much what I expected- as far as just dorking around goes, it's a ton of ****ing fun. Mission wise? Meh, they're fun but they're pretty repetitive, and having to build up respect to actually do them is kind of annoying. Still, you can shoot an old person's breathing tank and watch it blow the **** up. That's worth the 7.50 price alone.

 

[Deleted member 56031]

Uncharted 2:

seriously I LOVE this game. It is probably one of the best if not the best game i've played this gen and for me could be in my top 10 fav games ever I ****ing LOVED it!

In terms of gameplay it is basically the same as uncharted 1 but the difference lies much more in the sense of cinematic polish and the characters. This was a big selling point of the first but ND have now seriously put this to the fore of this game. Nathan Drake is really one of the few gaming characters who is actually likeable and you feel empathy for, he may not be original but you like him for it. Also Lazarevic was an awesome villain you would never be too sure what he would do next.

If you have a PS3 you MUST try this game out and if you don't then I still suggest you find some way to try it out (after all this seems to be the game that some newcomers are buying PS3s for).

EDIT: Oh BTW the soundtrack for this game is ****ING AMAZING! Honestly if it was released I would maybe buy it and I do not buy stuff like that

 

[stemot]

Uncharted 2:

seriously I LOVE this game. It is probably one of the best if not the best game i've played this gen and for me could be in my top 10 fav games ever I ****ing LOVED it!

In terms of gameplay it is basically the same as uncharted 1 but the difference lies much more in the sense of cinematic polish and the characters. This was a big selling point of the first but ND have now seriously put this to the fore of this game. Nathan Drake is really one of the few gaming characters who is actually likeable and you feel empathy for, he may not be original but you like him for it. Also Lazarevic was an awesome villain you would never be too sure what he would do next.

If you have a PS3 you MUST try this game out and if you don't then I still suggest you find some way to try it out (after all this seems to be the game that some newcomers are buying PS3s for).

EDIT: Oh BTW the soundtrack for this game is ****ING AMAZING! Honestly if it was released I would maybe buy it and I do not buy stuff like that

This is the only game that makes me sad I don't have a PS3

 

[Asknoone]

Batman: Arkham Asylum

It’s been awhile since I’ve plunged into such an underwhelming experience that promises so much and yet delivers so very little, and for that I suppose I have Arkham Asylum to thank. Let me first say that it is competent; but that can be said of a great number of things – and what it says is very little. Competence is only one ingredient in the metaphorical mixing pot, and competence alone does not a “Masterpiece” make, as one journalist wantonly claimed. Really, what a most obnoxiously overrated game this has turned out to be. You can’t turn the corner without hearing just how great it is. It’s not. It really is not. Sure, it’s fun, often quite fun – the combat is – and here’s that word again – competent, and quite engaging on a relatively arcade, pulp level. I didn’t even find the encounters repetitive, despite the innate repetition of it all. It’s also very good looking; Arkham Island is a broodingly gothic locale lavished in some quite delicious visuals. Oh, and there’s that other detail. The big one. The biggest, in fact:

You’re Batman. The game very nearly nails being the Caped Crusader, and that is its key, undeniable success. Unfortunately, it apparently comes at the cost of everything else, because where these elements appear as ruby-red Christmas wrapping paper on the whole, the rest of the game is held together with second-hand toilet paper.

Whose idea was it to turn Joker into a ****ing mutant? Yes, spoiler-alert. The entire plot is about an extension of the fluid pumping through Bane ludicrously named “Titan Serum”, and Joker’s intent is to create an army of similarly brutish monstrosities to overwhelm Gotham. Paul Dini wrote this. Paul Dini wrote lines such as “I eat goons like this for breakfast.” Paul Dini, of TAS fame, went down the route of Ivy once again proclaiming that her intent is world domination. What the ****. It is a tacky, tasteless, disgusting piece of storytelling that is completely unacceptable. It’s garbage, much like the games art direction. The artistic direction is basically Gears of Batman, and if you have an iota of taste, you will have recoiled upon reading that.

Then there’s the rubbish Scarecrow sections (oh yes), the 90’s boss battles, the complete lack of any real atmosphere – yeah, it’s a bland game, despite claims to the contrary. Arkham Asylum may look nice, but as an asylum, as that grand nexus of the criminally insane, it’s even worse than Begins’ puerile facility.

Medicore.

6/10

 

[Bob_Marley]

S.W.A.T 4

A fairly entertaining and enguaging game, though bogged down in procedure and rules (which is kind of the point of a S.W.A.T simulator, I suppose). Enemies are predictable, but not so predictable as you know whats going to go down every time you play a level. Again, the randomisation in the level design (changing the number/location of civis, crims and mission critical items) adds to the replay value and means one cannot simply repeat the exact same plan every time.

The Friendly AI (if one can call it that, the officers you command have absolutely no initiative of thier own and simply carry out prescripted orders at the players request and shoot things) is competent in most situations (though occasionally gets stuck on scenery and insists that you're in the way) and has good scripting for the tasks required of it.

The actual gameplay is rather samey, as its virtually always carrying out the breach-bang-clear drill in a series of rooms, then arresting and reporting everyone inside (everyone that hasn't been seriously injured/killed), but changes to enemy equipment (particularly the introduction of flack jackets and gas masks) and behaviour/reaction keeps it fresh as does the variety of tactical aids prodvided the player and his team that allow for different strategies in dealing with each situation.

Gameplay can become frustrating at times (particularly in later levels) but does not feel unfair on the player and usually simply requires a different approach to solve it.

Overall a fun game for those who enjoy this sort of thing, but if you want to play it like Half-Life or Halo you'll find yourself very frustrated very quickly.

7.5/10

(impressions based on the SP Campagin)

 

[Sheepo]

Uncharted 2:

seriously I LOVE this game. It is probably one of the best if not the best game i've played this gen and for me could be in my top 10 fav games ever I ****ing LOVED it!

In terms of gameplay it is basically the same as uncharted 1 but the difference lies much more in the sense of cinematic polish and the characters. This was a big selling point of the first but ND have now seriously put this to the fore of this game. Nathan Drake is really one of the few gaming characters who is actually likeable and you feel empathy for, he may not be original but you like him for it. Also Lazarevic was an awesome villain you would never be too sure what he would do next.

If you have a PS3 you MUST try this game out and if you don't then I still suggest you find some way to try it out (after all this seems to be the game that some newcomers are buying PS3s for).

EDIT: Oh BTW the soundtrack for this game is ****ING AMAZING! Honestly if it was released I would maybe buy it and I do not buy stuff like that

See, I think I must be the only person in the world who doesn't find Uncharted that compelling. Not to say that I dislike it, or even that I dislike it, it's just, it seems like a pretty good game to me. That's about it. Quality presentation and graphics, fairly decent story, solid gameplay (a bit too scattered for my taste, but good). A pretty good game, and that's it.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

It’s been awhile since I’ve plunged into such an underwhelming experience that promises so much and yet delivers so very little, and for that I suppose I have Arkham Asylum to thank. Let me first say that it is competent; but that can be said of a great number of things – and what it says is very little. Competence is only one ingredient in the metaphorical mixing pot, and competence alone does not a “Masterpiece” make, as one journalist wantonly claimed. Really, what a most obnoxiously overrated game this has turned out to be. You can’t turn the corner without hearing just how great it is. It’s not. It really is not. Sure, it’s fun, often quite fun – the combat is – and here’s that word again – competent, and quite engaging on a relatively arcade, pulp level. I didn’t even find the encounters repetitive, despite the innate repetition of it all. It’s also very good looking; Arkham Island is a broodingly gothic locale lavished in some quite delicious visuals. Oh, and there’s that other detail. The big one. The biggest, in fact:

You’re Batman. The game very nearly nails being the Caped Crusader, and that is its key, undeniable success. Unfortunately, it apparently comes at the cost of everything else, because where these elements appear as ruby-red Christmas wrapping paper on the whole, the rest of the game is held together with second-hand toilet paper.

Whose idea was it to turn Joker into a ****ing mutant? Yes, spoiler-alert. The entire plot is about an extension of the fluid pumping through Bane ludicrously named “Titan Serum”, and Joker’s intent is to create an army of similarly brutish monstrosities to overwhelm Gotham. Paul Dini wrote this. Paul Dini wrote lines such as “I eat goons like this for breakfast.” Paul Dini, of TAS fame, went down the route of Ivy once again proclaiming that her intent is world domination. What the ****. It is a tacky, tasteless, disgusting piece of storytelling that is completely unacceptable. It’s garbage, much like the games art direction. The artistic direction is basically Gears of Batman, and if you have an iota of taste, you will have recoiled upon reading that.

Then there’s the rubbish Scarecrow sections (oh yes), the 90’s boss battles, the complete lack of any real atmosphere – yeah, it’s a bland game, despite claims to the contrary. Arkham Asylum may look nice, but as an asylum, as that grand nexus of the criminally insane, it’s even worse than Begins’ puerile facility.

Medicore.

6/10

Pretty much agreed on everything, especially the plot. God that was retarded. Did actually like the Scarecrow bits, but other than that pretty much every villian was a fistfull of retarded.

 

[Kadayi]

@Samon

I agree with most of what you are saying however I think 6/10 is overly harsh. It is a fairly polished experience as a game goes and I'd say knocking of 40% because you didn't like the Story is bit much. Yes, the joker turning into a giant mutant is ludicrous, but the entire Batman universe is ludicrous in the first place. That's not to condone it (I thought it was a weak ending as well, given the Joker is traditionally more of a cerebral villain), but one has to accept that with the context of the game world these things are part of the fabric.

 

[Bob_Marley]

I still don't understand why people get so uppity about games scoring below 7. Surely on a scale of 1-10 5 is averge, not 7. People are far too generous with scores in my opinion. I've get to play a game that I would describe as utterly perfect. 6 is still pretty good on that scale, the game is better than average but not exceptional, which, from samon's description seems perfectly fair (though I've not played it myself)

 

[Asknoone]

@Samon

I agree with most of what you are saying however I think 6/10 is overly harsh. It is a fairly polished experience as a game goes and I'd say knocking of 40% because you didn't like the Story is bit much. Yes, the joker turning into a giant mutant is ludicrous, but the entire Batman universe is ludicrous in the first place. That's not to condone it (I thought it was a weak ending as well, given the Joker is traditionally more of a cerebral villain), but one has to accept that with the context of the game world these things are part of the fabric.

There is nothing wrong with the grade of 6. Heck, a 5/10 game is not a bad game; it is simply an average game that is neither particularly bad nor particularly good. That Arkham Asylum surpasses that is an accomplishment all in itself; the game is entertaining, to which I acknowledged in my post. 8-9/10 is the highest I would score any game, and to attain that they would have to be quite special indeed. This leaves 7 as the cut-off line - the game that doesn't quite make the grade. Arkham Asylum does not qualify as a 7, as there are far too many elements that detract from the experience.

Besides, I haven't attacked it purely on the basis of the story. That's just one element (admittedly significant) of my distaste for the game. As a whole, I find the game to be lacking; it doesn't deliver at all where it should, and these elements - the empty crevices that act as sign posts to the games failings - come together to detract from the overall product. I am not opposed to variations on the mythos, and as a fan of TAS itself I won't outright reject the more absurd characters such as Poison Ivy and Killer Croc, simply because they don't follow the lines of code you might see in Miller and Moore's work, or even Nolan's for that matter (some like to call this "realism", but I don't think that is an accurate definition of what these seminal works accomplish). It's a matter of execution and how the world and its elements are presented. That these characters are silly does not automatically rule that their presentation and portrayal must also be silly; so very far from. The very absurdity of the likes of the aforementioned gives rise to potential thematic elements that could well prove engaging and stimulating should they be recognised and tapped into - themes that may not be possible with the more concise and literal world of Batman we have seen in recent times.

But they didn't tap into this. They did not even acknowledge it. There is no trace of a modicum of effort there to take the material to a new level; to one of genuine sensibilities and responsiveness. The game centralises on Arkham Asylum - the home of the criminally insane. Did, at any point, you feel the game mastered this locale? I'm not talking about how good it looks, or the scope of it; I'm talking of its meaning, its conception, its representation - a number of things that were completely absent from this boring portrayal. No, trivial and sporadic 'tapes' are not a convincing or indeed compelling narrative device, and no, they are not a substitute for actual storytelling. It's a run-of-the-mill, mediocre experience that never once delivers when it should.

It's an opportunity sorely missed, and it is appalling that the game has received such a boisterous and positive reception.

 

[Slacker]

See, I think I must be the only person in the world who doesn't find Uncharted that compelling. Not to say that I dislike it, or even that I dislike it, it's just, it seems like a pretty good game to me. That's about it. Quality presentation and graphics, fairly decent story, solid gameplay (a bit too scattered for my taste, but good). A pretty good game, and that's it.
.

Assuming we're talking about the first one, I completely agree (though I would say the presentation and graphics both are a step-above the average game today). I want to try the second one really badly though..

 

[Gman]

The Warriors:
Loved the film.loved the game.i know it is old but i only have a Original Xbox.I'm getting a Xbox 360 for Christmas.But anyway this is a really good game.A bit easy to Complete but worth a Playthrough.Good Adaption of the film.Thanks Rockstar(GTA)Great Game 10/10.

 

[Warbie]

Assuming we're talking about the first one, I completely agree (though I would say the presentation and graphics both are a step-above the average game today). I want to try the second one really badly though..

Agreed. I enjoyed the first, but wasn't amazed. No. 2 looks a whole lot better.

 

[Apocalypse89]

I still don't understand why people get so uppity about games scoring below 7. Surely on a scale of 1-10 5 is averge, not 7. People are far too generous with scores in my opinion. I've get to play a game that I would describe as utterly perfect. 6 is still pretty good on that scale, the game is better than average but not exceptional, which, from samon's description seems perfectly fair (though I've not played it myself)

I think it's a subconscious thing caused by the American grading system(which is also used in Bahrain), where 60% is a fail and anything under 80% is mediocre.

You and Samon come from the UK, where(at least in universities, from my experience) anything above 40% is a pass.

 

[Asknoone]

Quite true, but Kadayi is also from the UK.

 

[Letters]

I think 6/10 is pretty generous for Arkham... the only good things about it were the very few rooms where you're given free reign to take out a group of armed guards however you like and the Scarecrow bits.

Otherwise, it was linear and boring. Even the extra fluff they threw in like the audio tapes of evaluation sessions with the villains were just terrible and not at all "believable".

 

[Warped]

Red Faction Guerrilla 8/10

Very fun game, short on the plot and tons of realistic physics. i was renting this game for about a month but overall very pleased with it. I hope next game they make more safehouses and checkpoints on missions but otherwise pretty fun game.

 

[kupocake]

You and Samon come from the UK, where(at least in universities, from my experience) anything above 40% is a pass.

Yeah, but for a lot of courses, anything over 75%-ish simply doesn't happen. And anything below 60% wasn't worth rolling out of bed for in the first place.

 

[Kadayi]

There is nothing wrong with the grade of 6. Heck, a 5/10 game is not a bad game; it is simply an average game that is neither particularly bad nor particularly good. That Arkham Asylum surpasses that is an accomplishment all in itself; the game is entertaining, to which I acknowledged in my post. 8-9/10 is the highest I would score any game, and to attain that they would have to be quite special indeed. This leaves 7 as the cut-off line - the game that doesn't quite make the grade. Arkham Asylum does not qualify as a 7, as there are far too many elements that detract from the experience.

Besides, I haven't attacked it purely on the basis of the story. That's just one element (admittedly significant) of my distaste for the game. As a whole, I find the game to be lacking; it doesn't deliver at all where it should, and these elements - the empty crevices that act as sign posts to the games failings - come together to detract from the overall product. I am not opposed to variations on the mythos, and as a fan of TAS itself I won't outright reject the more absurd characters such as Poison Ivy and Killer Croc, simply because they don't follow the lines of code you might see in Miller and Moore's work, or even Nolan's for that matter (some like to call this "realism", but I don't think that is an accurate definition of what these seminal works accomplish). It's a matter of execution and how the world and its elements are presented. That these characters are silly does not automatically rule that their presentation and portrayal must also be silly; so very far from. The very absurdity of the likes of the aforementioned gives rise to potential thematic elements that could well prove engaging and stimulating should they be recognised and tapped into - themes that may not be possible with the more concise and literal world of Batman we have seen in recent times.

But they didn't tap into this. They did not even acknowledge it. There is no trace of a modicum of effort there to take the material to a new level; to one of genuine sensibilities and responsiveness. The game centralises on Arkham Asylum - the home of the criminally insane. Did, at any point, you feel the game mastered this locale? I'm not talking about how good it looks, or the scope of it; I'm talking of its meaning, its conception, its representation - a number of things that were completely absent from this boring portrayal. No, trivial and sporadic 'tapes' are not a convincing or indeed compelling narrative device, and no, they are not a substitute for actual storytelling. It's a run-of-the-mill, mediocre experience that never once delivers when it should.

It's an opportunity sorely missed, and it is appalling that the game has received such a boisterous and positive reception.

When it comes to the assessment of anything one can only realistically assess something against that which already exists, rather than against ones personal aspirations for a medium. So to argue that there are no games that qualify for a 10 is a flawed position. A game might not be perfect in the wider sense, but if it is the best example of its type then it can only be thought of as the exemplar all others can be judged against until such time as another game comes along which usurps it. To elude to Wittgenstein if we can't realistically talk about that which doesn't exist, how can we hope to assess that which does against it?

Also any assessment of a medium can only honestly take place within the confines of that medium. Drawing comparisons between a game Vs a Comic, TV show or Film because they might share thematic qualities is as meaningless as attempting to assess a piece of music against a painting. Certainly mediums can share similarities in presentation, but how we engage with them is more often than not distinct, as are our expectations of that medium. All mediums have positives and negatives that are unique to their production: -

For example films excel at action scenes because due to the length of production they have time to carefully choreograph their sequences. TV shows meanwhile rarely engage in long action sequences because their production time is much shorter, plus because they are episodic they can rarely risk their cast members getting injured during stunts. However TV shows excel character development because they have more time to evolve.

Likewise as gamers our expectation of a game is that it will be interactive, so when we find ourselves subjected to long periods of inactivity due to cut scenes we more often than not tend to become impatient with them.