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Post by Nester the Lark on Feb 11, 2009 14:55:47 GMT -5
In general, I actually don't think there's a problem with quantifying an opinion with a rating. What bothers me, however, are rating scales and systems that are too convoluted. It seems to me that the longer it takes a reader to figure out exactly what the rating means, the less helpful it is.
A rating scale like IGN's is supposed to be an "out of 10" range, but then they add the tens decimal place, which essentially makes it "out of 100." That's not terribly helpful, but then they also have separate ratings for various categories. Whether or not they figure into the overall score (and in IGN's case, they don't), it just adds to the confusion.
It's also worth noting that some scales start at 0 (IGN), and others start at 1 (Gamespot). That probably doesn't matter to most people, but it's interesting to note that sites like GameRankings and Metacritic don't accommodate for this when they convert those scores, and it slightly inflates their averages.
I don't mean to turn this into a big rant, but personally, I think even basic 10-point scales (without decimals or halves) serve more as a display arrogance and snobbery. I'm a proponent of simpler ratings, and it's a lot easier to understand a basic 5-point scale. There's no reason a rating needs to be more complex than that, and if you want more information, then just read the review.
Anyway, I have not yet picked up Deadly Creatures, as I've been a bit preoccupied lately. Perhaps this weekend or next week.
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Post by Nester the Lark on Feb 15, 2009 16:44:50 GMT -5
I picked up Deadly Creatures a couple of days ago, and I've played thru a few levels, so I thought I'd post some impressions for anyone who may care.
The atmosphere is excellent, just as most reviews have pointed out. It's nice to have a third-party Wii game that feels like there was actual effort put into the graphics and sound. In a way, the atmosphere is kin to that of a survival horror game.
The controls are a comfortable mix of stick+buttons, gestures, and IR pointing. Nothing feels like its being overused so far, so performing one of the scorpion's finishing moves, or lining up a stealth kill with the tarantula is pretty fun and satisfying.
The levels, so far, are fairly linear, with a little flexibility for exploring. Enemies are encountered at regular intervals (more so with the scorpion), so the flow of the game is kind of like Prince of Persia: traverse terrain, fight enemies, traverse terrain, fight enemies, etc.
Only one thing kind of bothers me personally. I'm the type of person that doesn't usually play first-person shooters because they have a tendency to make me motion sick. In the case of Deadly Creatures, however, the way the camera follows the characters up walls bothers me a little. That is, the camera doesn't stay level to the ground, it stays oriented with character, so it's a little disorienting. I think that was done on purpose (and it works well on a technical level), but for someone like me, it's gonna take some getting used to.
Anyone else played it yet?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2009 14:12:15 GMT -5
Huh. This looks really cool - very refreshing. But I'm going to wait until either Yahtzee reviews it (probably won't happen) or until the local Gamestop gets a used copy. That way if I don't like it I can always bring it back and not lose out on moneys.
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Post by Nester the Lark on Feb 19, 2009 18:46:53 GMT -5
Why would you wait for Yahtzee to review it? Doesn't he hate everything?
Personally, I'm a little surprised that reviews for this game are as mixed as they are, but perhaps it's because this is one of those games that's more about the experience (another thing it has in common with survival horror). Games like that tend to polarize players. Shenmue and Ecco the Dolphin seem to have the same effect on people.
In fact, Ecco the Dolphin is probably a pretty good example. Deadly Creatures is sort of like that, except with crawling things in the desert instead of swimming things in the sea, and there's fighting instead of puzzle solving. I'm guessing that if you're interested in the game because of the premise, you'll probably enjoy it.
Also, I've found no problem paying the full US$50 price for it. I like to think of it as an investment against the saturation of party games on the Wii. (Rainbow Studios, themselves, said that if Deadly Creatures doesn't sell, it's back to making mini-games, and I sure as heck don't want that!)
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Post by Koopaul on Feb 19, 2009 20:20:06 GMT -5
Well then they need to do some more advertising. That's half the battle right there.
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Post by Nester the Lark on Feb 19, 2009 23:14:30 GMT -5
THQ has already said that they would not be advertising Deadly Creatures on TV because they can no longer afford to. I hate to be pessimistic, but I think the game is going to sell poorly. EDIT: This just in, X-Play rated it 3 out of 5. But what's interesting is that at the end of the episode, Morgan added, "We only gave it a three, but if the game looks interesting to you, you should check it out." I think that's kind of what I said above.  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2009 23:40:14 GMT -5
Why would you wait for Yahtzee to review it? Doesn't he hate everything? At the risk of getting flamed - which is prone to happening when I stick up for Yahtzee - he doesn't actually hate things unless they warrant hating. So far, when he's said something about a game I've played, he tends to be spot on with my own opinion of it; if there's a discrepancy, he never just says, "Well, Object A sucks so you can suck on my Object B." He explains his perspective, and I can understand where he's coming from. Sure, if the game is nothing but asstacular, then he's going to tear into it mercilessly. But most of the time he's just an embittered game reviewer trying to make lemonade out of turds. He does a pretty good job in my opinion. Then again, that's just it: it's a matter of opinion. I know mine aren't the be-all-to-end-all, and therefor neither are Yahtzee's, so using him as a gauge isn't something I recommend to everyone. But I've never gone wrong with him. Hell, I think the only game he's reviewed that I've liked in which I disagree with what he says without understanding why he said it was Left 4 Dead, 'cause he treats it average and I'm absolutely in love with it. Otherwise, he's a pretty good resource for me. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Feb 20, 2009 0:17:41 GMT -5
Hmm. I admit, I don't really watch Yahtzee, but I was under the impression he was like the Angry Video Game Nerd -- not seriously reviewing games, just slamming on them for the entertainment value.
The few times I have tried to watch a Zero Punctuation review, he talks so fast, I can't understand what he's saying most of the time (yeah, I get it, "Zero Punctuation"), and when I could understand what he was saying, I didn't think it was funny anyway.
Just not my thing, I guess.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 2:04:29 GMT -5
Hey, it ain't for everyone XD But yeah, Yahtzee actually reviews games, he's paid to do it by EscapistMagazine. Angry Video Game Nerd is obnoxious (at least, in my opinion), and - like you said - rarely does anything with games aside from complain about its entertainment value or lack thereof.
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Post by 8bitretroshit on Feb 20, 2009 2:21:01 GMT -5
The Nerd does explain what makes a game shitty though (usually the controls) and is actually informative from time to time (I like the NES accessories episode). Those fake swearathons of his are stupid as hell though.
As for Deadly Creatures, I've already spent too much money on games this month, sorry. I think I managed to talk one of my friends into buying it though. I WAS going to pick it up at the store for him, but I couldn't find the bloody game anywhere :\
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Post by TV Eye on Feb 20, 2009 7:40:42 GMT -5
You guys should see Yahtzee's Psychonauts review. Probably the nicest he'll ever get about a game.
The review starts of with him asking you to cause pain to yourself for not playing Psychonauts.
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Post by Wildcat on Feb 20, 2009 8:52:52 GMT -5
Glad to hear you're enjoying it, Nester. Continue posting impressions, if you wouldn't mind. |
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Post by Nester the Lark on Feb 20, 2009 14:10:44 GMT -5
Angry Video Game Nerd is obnoxious (at least, in my opinion), and - like you said - rarely does anything with games aside from complain about its entertainment value or lack thereof. No, I meant "entertainment value" as in it's entertaining to watch the AVGN because of the way he gets angry about the bad games he covers. I see it like MST3K: it's fun to see the AVGN bash bad games for the same reason it is to see the MST3K crew make fun of bad movies. Glad to hear you're enjoying it, Nester. Continue posting impressions, if you wouldn't mind. Actually, I was planning on writing a review of it this weekend. I haven't had a lot of time to play, but I'm near the end of the game, now. I hate to admit it, but I really enjoy doing the scorpion's finishing moves. It's kind of like Mortal Kombat. ("Scorpion wins. Fatality."  ) The game doesn't provide much in the way of artificial replay value. There are 450 grubs to collect, which only unlock concept art galleries. There are also interviews with Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper that are available right from the start. But I think the game could be fun enough to replay just for the fun of it. There are also three difficulty levels: easy, normal and deadly. You can pretty much change it at any time. I've been playing thru on normal. I've suddenly realized how hard it is for a new IP like this to get started. Not just because it doesn't belong to an established, recognized franchise, but because it's only taking the first steps and still experimenting with its own gameplay. People don't seem to like investing in a game under those circumstances. It's a shame, because I get the sense that it could really expand on its ideas and smooth out the rough edges in a sequel. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 14:41:01 GMT -5
You guys should see Yahtzee's Psychonauts review. Probably the nicest he'll ever get about a game. The review starts of with him asking you to cause pain to yourself for not playing Psychonauts. Don't forget the Orange Box review. He refers to games coming close to but not quite reaching their full potential as "nearing Portal-level perfection." Between Portal and Psychonauts, those are the only two games he's ever been incredibly thrilled about. Although there are definitely others he's treated well, like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Painkiller. (Hmm, detecting a theme here...maybe a game has to start with the letter P to get close to stacking up...) |
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Post by Wildcat on Feb 20, 2009 15:12:12 GMT -5
Cool, I'll look forward to a review, then. I'll be updating the site soon anyway. |
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