Review Eurogamer reviews MotB - 7/10

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights 2; Obsidian Entertainment

<a href=http://www.eurogamer.net>Eurogamer</a> has <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=85342>reviewed</a> Mask of the Betrayer, giving it 7/10 because it's not as good as Oblivion (10/10!).
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<blockquote>A lot of things which Neverwinter Nights 2 got wrong, Mask of the Betrayer nails precisely. Oddly, some of the things which NWN2 got right are where MoTB goes a little awry.
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It's immediately clear that Obsidian is a lot more at home with NWN2 than it was the first time out. Going back to the original campaign confirmed it, but it's a lot prettier than before, which deserves some applause. The developers are also doing, on average, much more imaginative stuff. NWN2's opening seemed like a well-executed slog through a lot of standard fantasy tropes. MoTB has a lot more personality, putting you in fantasy situations a little more interesting than "Orcs are angry!" Not wanting to give anything away, much of the game focuses on Spirits, which as well as introducing the Spirit Shaman (and explaining why they're not just Druids with a double-barrelled alliterative name) gives it a unique dreamlike timbre. Hell, there are bits which bring to mind things like Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels, which is high praise indeed.
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So where does that leave us? A mass of excellent content - any add-on pack good enough to make you start the original has more than a certain something - with a few problems. It really isn't for anyone other than the devoted western-RPG head. Which is fine; the devoted western-RPG head has had a particularly weak year, and will lap this up. As they should. But if you're not in their ranks there's little here for you.</blockquote>So the game gets a 70% score because it's not for everyone? Imagine if such criteria were applied to books and movies. "Citizen with like a cane or something is like the worst movie evar 'cause nobody would watch it!"
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch</A>

 

[Jeff Graw]

That's just... beyond stupid. There are always people who like or dislike some genres more than others. To score a game lower because it's in a certain genre is absolutely fucking retarded.

 

[Volrath]

"devoted western-rpghead"? How the fuck do these poeple come up with these things?

 

[inwoker]

I read that whole review as something like:
if you are not afraid to think you may play the game, but author thinks that it is something negative.

 

[muds_animal_friend]

Games reviews are informed by enlightened Marxist principles, what’s good for the masses is good for the individual. A nest of bourgeois running dogs and lumpen fascist reactionaries like RPG Codex couldn’t possibly hope to understand this. Come the revolution all video games will first person shooters.

 

[Jeff Graw]

From the comments section:

The mix of that bug - FFS, Obsidian! - and the fact i'd only recommend it to a niche audience kept it on the 7. Marks are Buying guides, after all.

KG

Unbelievable.

 

[Volourn]

WAAAAAAAAA! A Codex favored game gets a not so super score, and everyone whines how dumb the reviewer is, and focuses on one silly thing said. OMFG!

 

[Micmu]

Stop whining already little bitch.

 

[Jeff Graw]

We aren't actually complaining about the score though -- we're complaining about the methodology to get to that score. Unlike the author, we don't believe that genre alone should add to or subtract from a rating.

 

[Volourn]

Which is what you said. The reviewer game a score that everyone disagrees with so you bash him by attacking on silly things like how x genre should be rated. It's silly. He rated it 70%. All that should be taken rom this review is this guy likes the game; but isn't a fan of some things us Codexers like so it's a good thing.

 

[Jeff Graw]

We aren't actually complaining about the score though -- we're complaining about the methodology to get to that score. Unlike the author, we don't believe that genre alone should add to or subtract from a rating.

Which is what you said. The reviewer game a score that everyone disagrees with so you bash him by attacking on silly things like how x genre should be rated.

Ugh. Now I see why no one ever listens to anything you say.

 

[Joe Krow]

Yes. Neverwinter Nights 2 is for the "role playing game heads" and Civilization 4 is for the "turn based strategy heads" and Half-Life 2 is for the "first person shooter head." So what?

Instead of scoring the game based on how good the game is; they rate it based on how well it crosses genres. I wonder if they will be deducting points from Halo 3 because it doesn't appeal to adventure gamers. Somehow I doubt it.

I can see putting a line in about "some familiarity with the rpg genre will be helpful" but deducting 30% just because it's true to its roots seems a little excessive. It's come to a point where the better, more "pure," an rpg is, the lower it will score.

 

[MetalCraze]

the devoted western-RPG head has had a particularly weak year, and will lap this up. As they should. But if you're not in their ranks there's little here for you.

I'm so loving this retarded web-magazine now.

 

[Monolith]

So where does that leave us? A mass of excellent content - any add-on pack good enough to make you start the original has more than a certain something - with a few problems. It really isn't for anyone other than the devoted western-RPG head. Which is fine; the devoted western-RPG head has had a particularly weak year, and will lap this up. As they should. But if you're not in their ranks there's little here for you.

Just imagine they reviewed an add-on to Halo 3 here. It would look like this:

"So where does that leave us? A mass of excellent content - any add-on pack good enough to make you start the original has more than a certain something - with a few problems. It really isn't for anyone other than the devoted FPS head. Which is fine; the devoted FPS fan has had a particularly weak year (haha), and will lap this up. As they should. But if you're not in their ranks there's little here for you."

Now that's news, isn't it? If I don't like the genre the reviewed game is part of then I won't like the reviewed game. Why explicitly say so? And why say so only when the game in question is a RPG? And more importantly: did this have an impact on the score? Because I don't understand why MotB could get a lower score than NWN 2.

 

[ricolikesrice]

knights of the nine scored 8/10 from eurogamer :p

 

[Texas Red]

knights of the nine scored 8/10 from eurogamer :p

That it was reviewed by everyone in the first place is blasphemeous enough, but to do get such high scores...

 

[Claw]

I never read Eurogamer anyway. Not a good time to start, I suppose.

 

[Zomg]

Byline: Kieron Gillen.

 

[Jeff Graw]

More words of wisdom from the GAMEZ REVIEWA!

An Add-on pack you can only recommend to fans of the original? That's 7 all the way through.

KG

I'm not even making this shit up.

 

[Azarkon]

This reviewer needs to learn to review the game, and not how he thinks other people will review the game.

 

[Solaris]

After playing it through I'd give it an 8/10 personally. 7 aint a bad score but the reasons given, plus the fact its so skewed against other scores like Oblivion and its expansions etc then this is typical dumbfuck journalism....marking a game down coz it makes you think a bit? LOL

Eurogamer are just like the other lackey boys I guess, in only pandering to the big name sugar daddies like Bethesda etc....

Bottom line - I guess someone at Obsidian didn't suck EG's cocks enough... 'Pistol' Pete Hines must have spoilt them

 

[MountainWest]

snip

Amazing.

"So, Billy, how was that documentary on WW2 tanks? Any good?"
"Meh, I'd rank it 7/10. You know, I'm really interested in WW2 tanks 'n all... but it only compelled to people like me."
"Oh, that sucks... I faced a similar problem last week. Passed this kiosk and got a huge urge for a chocolate ice cream cone. But as I was paying I realized that chocolate ice cream cones are inferior to vanilla ice cream cones, 'cause, let's face it, everyone likes vanilla. So I got me one of those."
"Yeah - vanilla's the shit, 10/10 and so on and so forth. Britney Spears new song rocks, by the way."
"She's finally back to her roots?"
"Don't know. Haven't heard it either, just saw her at the top of the chart."
"Alright Britney! Is it good or what?! 10/10. High five!"

 

[Xi]

If this were a college course, that 70% rating may be an indicator of the grade the review itself would have received. Lol

 

[Texas Red]

WAAAAAAAAA! A Codex favored game gets a not so super score, and everyone whines how dumb the reviewer is, and focuses on one silly thing said. OMFG!

Vollycake, dont you really think that we have a right to complain? There is a problem with shit like Knights of the Nine gets equel and even higher scores than a full expansions.

 

[kris]

" It really isn't for anyone other than the devoted western-RPG head."

I agree, how dare someone make a RPG game aimed at RPG fans? WTF!?