My entry to Shawn Eliott's Symposium: Review Scores
What does one of the "normal" people (as Dan Hsu describes us) feel about review scores? From someone who has read reviews since 1989 for purchasing decisions to now, my attitude has changed
At first, review scores have become the litmus test of a game that I am on the fence about or now nothing of. I want a review to answer the questions of a cynic, a skeptic or just a confused gamer if the game is worth one's time. It is especially true for sequels, sports games and now, all those Activision games that get once a year treatment.
Reviews are no longer the only source that influences my purchasing decision, I often listen to podcasts, the vidcasts, demos and/or follow the "buzz." Even previews have time to time influenced a decision, just recently, Shawn Elliott's Far Cry 2 preview spark an enough interest to buy the game. Stephen Totilo's daily dairies have become like a book club, as I play similar games, for example, I experience the same frustrations that Stephen faced in Dead Space.
Reviews will never go away, as Dan Hsu points out, "It’s ingrained in society and it’s pointless and stubborn to fight it. People don’t always have time to read a 2000-word, well-crafted review to get inside the brain of the reviewer. For most folks in this short-attention-span world, that “4 out of 10” usually says more than enough." The problem with Review Scores are not the scores themselves, but the fact that one person can never review the bulk of weekly game, as Roger Ebert does with the movies he watches for the Chicago Tribune. The last point is better reserve for the next topics.
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Call of Duty 4
Infinity Ward has dare to moved to a different setting for their first person war shooter franchise and like a favorite pair of tennis shoes reissued with new colors and updated cushion, it sells. Call of Duty and the sequel COD 2, are acclaimed shooters, but the World War II genre was becoming stagnant. Instead of going the route of Relic Entertainment's Real Time Strategy affair, Company of Heroes, by having the German Wermacht to be playable in the single player campaign. Infinity Ward adds the subtitle "Modern Warfare" and brings the Mid-East conflict straight to the gamer via your console of choice.
Instead of sticking to the tried and true formula of mimicking historical battles, Infinity Ward creates a fictionalize war setting with a solid war story as its backbone. Inspired by modern war movies, especially Black Hawk Down, Modern Warfare's single player story is as action packed as any Hollywood war movie. Can Modern Warfare be the best pound per pound first person shooter, with its’ visuals, settings, scripted battles, and an extensive multiplayer component?
In previous IW's COD Games, you took a role of soldier participating in their respective theater of World War 2, as American, Russian and Commonwealth forces. Early on, as the credits are rolling just as a film, the player is front and center in the perspective of President Yasir Al-Fulani as he is being driven through a rundown city, overthrown what seems to be a military takeover.
The opening credits set the tone for the rest of the game to be a gritty in your face game. After the death of Al-Fulani, the first part of story progresses as an American Marine named Sergeant Paul Jackson, is part of the American invasion force in hopes to topple Khaled Al-Asad, the new leader of the same Middle Eastern Country and Al-Fulani’s killer. For the majority of the game, the player takes the role of Sergeant John "Soap" MacTavish a member of 22nd SAS Regiment. With each player-controlled character there is a story of white knuckle action and military drama.
The campaign’s story is one emotional roller coaster from being shot in the head in the opening credits. Performing a timed black hawk down rescue on a female American pilot, as you flee from the city the helicopter is in a nuclear attack. There is a moment where you are helpless crawling away from the wreckage as life seeps away from you. To an ending where all of your friends and your mentor are executed in front of you, with time slowed down only to be rescued ala Han Solo or Hurley Reyes style by your Russian friend, it is timeless.
Infinity Ward continues to raise the visual bar on home consoles; the artistic style of being heavily based on modern war, IW exceeds their predecessor COD2 by inventing and re-creating world locales. One memorable level pulls off multiple strings of visuals and gameplay. The puppet is Chernobyl; IW manages to successfully recreate the doomed city. One has to navigate through eerily abandon apartments ending with moss covered Ferris wheel. Heck, ravaging dogs are thrown in, but five legged dear are oddly omitted. Starting first with a sniper mission that challenges you take to effect the wind velocity during the shot from a tall building. There is only a few seconds, with only one or two shots, until the level fails by missing your target. The level continues with running through abandon ghetto, chased by wild dogs, and mercenaries.
The ultimate showdown climaxes by holding off the dogs, soldiers, and then helicopters. All is missing are the turrets from Half Life 2, but the puppeteer has left grenades, claymores, multiple assault rifles, sniper rifles and sub machine guns for the puppet to create multiple destruction. It is a puppet show that you will not forget for the sheer madness on harder difficulties.
Call of Duty 4 is a type of online fps where weapons and play style are important and class customization is essential for winning. Having multiple weapon choices, grouped by sub machine guns, light machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, and snipers and three different perks makes COD4 an endless customization fest. Each weapon and perk combo, can be used differently for the various type of playlists. These playlists range from Team Deathmatch to Search and Destory and a Hard core mode. Basically, if you have played it on another online shooter, a COD variation will be there.
When the campaign mode is done, one can enjoy endless hours of COD4 Online, with its deep customization features and developer support via playlists changes. Hopefully map and weapon packs and additional missions via the arcade mode can be added through DLC.
Instead of sticking to the tried and true formula of mimicking historical battles, Infinity Ward creates a fictionalize war setting with a solid war story as its backbone. Inspired by modern war movies, especially Black Hawk Down, Modern Warfare's single player story is as action packed as any Hollywood war movie. Can Modern Warfare be the best pound per pound first person shooter, with its’ visuals, settings, scripted battles, and an extensive multiplayer component?
In previous IW's COD Games, you took a role of soldier participating in their respective theater of World War 2, as American, Russian and Commonwealth forces. Early on, as the credits are rolling just as a film, the player is front and center in the perspective of President Yasir Al-Fulani as he is being driven through a rundown city, overthrown what seems to be a military takeover.
The opening credits set the tone for the rest of the game to be a gritty in your face game. After the death of Al-Fulani, the first part of story progresses as an American Marine named Sergeant Paul Jackson, is part of the American invasion force in hopes to topple Khaled Al-Asad, the new leader of the same Middle Eastern Country and Al-Fulani’s killer. For the majority of the game, the player takes the role of Sergeant John "Soap" MacTavish a member of 22nd SAS Regiment. With each player-controlled character there is a story of white knuckle action and military drama.
The campaign’s story is one emotional roller coaster from being shot in the head in the opening credits. Performing a timed black hawk down rescue on a female American pilot, as you flee from the city the helicopter is in a nuclear attack. There is a moment where you are helpless crawling away from the wreckage as life seeps away from you. To an ending where all of your friends and your mentor are executed in front of you, with time slowed down only to be rescued ala Han Solo or Hurley Reyes style by your Russian friend, it is timeless.
Infinity Ward continues to raise the visual bar on home consoles; the artistic style of being heavily based on modern war, IW exceeds their predecessor COD2 by inventing and re-creating world locales. One memorable level pulls off multiple strings of visuals and gameplay. The puppet is Chernobyl; IW manages to successfully recreate the doomed city. One has to navigate through eerily abandon apartments ending with moss covered Ferris wheel. Heck, ravaging dogs are thrown in, but five legged dear are oddly omitted. Starting first with a sniper mission that challenges you take to effect the wind velocity during the shot from a tall building. There is only a few seconds, with only one or two shots, until the level fails by missing your target. The level continues with running through abandon ghetto, chased by wild dogs, and mercenaries.
The ultimate showdown climaxes by holding off the dogs, soldiers, and then helicopters. All is missing are the turrets from Half Life 2, but the puppeteer has left grenades, claymores, multiple assault rifles, sniper rifles and sub machine guns for the puppet to create multiple destruction. It is a puppet show that you will not forget for the sheer madness on harder difficulties.
Call of Duty 4 is a type of online fps where weapons and play style are important and class customization is essential for winning. Having multiple weapon choices, grouped by sub machine guns, light machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, and snipers and three different perks makes COD4 an endless customization fest. Each weapon and perk combo, can be used differently for the various type of playlists. These playlists range from Team Deathmatch to Search and Destory and a Hard core mode. Basically, if you have played it on another online shooter, a COD variation will be there.
When the campaign mode is done, one can enjoy endless hours of COD4 Online, with its deep customization features and developer support via playlists changes. Hopefully map and weapon packs and additional missions via the arcade mode can be added through DLC.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
FIFA 08 Review
FIFA has arrived, I have to give apologies to a series that I have ignore for its weak gameplay, and shameless licensing tactics. Having played FIFA 08 for two weeks now, my attitude has change for the better. The series that brought soccer to sportgamers, EA's football King has returned. Over thirteen years of multiplatform releases, FIFA 08 scores first and has the features to win the cup this year. The FIFA franchise has always been a cash cow for EA, what other videogame sport can handle three versions in a year every four years? EA dominated the soccer field in the 2d era, but always seem to behind a Beckham curve with Konami's Pro Evo/W11 3d dominance. FIFA's changes from previous installments create a simulated type of experience that makes FIFA 08 a go to player.
The most notable difference is the use of tactics, ie wall passing, through balls, and timed crosses helps FIFA 08 become more of a simulation sports game ala Fight Night than Konami's PES/W11 series. By slowing down the gameplay, FIFA 08 feels more authentic, plays like a real soccer game, takes tactics, smart passes, patience, all qualities found when playing soccer in real life, to succeed. One can learn how to play soccer by playing FIFA 08 on a game console.
Scoring has become harder, takes time, your passes accurate and well timed. Playing as countering team, one touch passes accurate through balls and crosses help your scoring chances as in real soccer. FIFA has removed the Maradona like gameplay of taking more than 6 players at once.
The be a pro feature is playable unlike other sports games. An immersive gameplay mechanic, be a pro, has bright spots but will need better AI. Favorite online feature, is the ability to save replays. Check out this awesome Eto GOOOAL.
FIFA 08 does need improvements in various areas. South american teams and tourneys need to be added, as well as, authentic chants, ref, and fans. The FIFA series can now start to delve into deeper tactics, by adding different through runs, such as; j runs, cut runs, and check in runs. With the slower gameplay, Pro Evo veterans will have a longer learning curve, but it is worth every second.
The beautiful game has arrived to your home game consoles, a must buy for any footie fan.
9.5/10
The most notable difference is the use of tactics, ie wall passing, through balls, and timed crosses helps FIFA 08 become more of a simulation sports game ala Fight Night than Konami's PES/W11 series. By slowing down the gameplay, FIFA 08 feels more authentic, plays like a real soccer game, takes tactics, smart passes, patience, all qualities found when playing soccer in real life, to succeed. One can learn how to play soccer by playing FIFA 08 on a game console.
Scoring has become harder, takes time, your passes accurate and well timed. Playing as countering team, one touch passes accurate through balls and crosses help your scoring chances as in real soccer. FIFA has removed the Maradona like gameplay of taking more than 6 players at once.
The be a pro feature is playable unlike other sports games. An immersive gameplay mechanic, be a pro, has bright spots but will need better AI. Favorite online feature, is the ability to save replays. Check out this awesome Eto GOOOAL.
FIFA 08 does need improvements in various areas. South american teams and tourneys need to be added, as well as, authentic chants, ref, and fans. The FIFA series can now start to delve into deeper tactics, by adding different through runs, such as; j runs, cut runs, and check in runs. With the slower gameplay, Pro Evo veterans will have a longer learning curve, but it is worth every second.
The beautiful game has arrived to your home game consoles, a must buy for any footie fan.
9.5/10
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