Review Visceris strikes again: one review for all 3 NWN games!

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Neverwinter Nights

<a href=http://www.edbis.com>Edbis RPG</a> and everyone’s favourite reviewer Visceris posted a <a href=http://www.edbis.com/all/reviews/2003/december/nwn_sou_hotu_1.php>special review</a> of NWN, SoU, and HotU giving them respectfully <b>75%, 86%, and 89%</b>
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<blockquote>Most people would consider Neverwinter Nights old news along with Shadows of Undrentide and would rather focus on Hordes of the Underdark but I prefer to take a more holistic approach, to judge the game in total for each expansion not only introduced new adventures for the players but also new functionality in the tool set, new character options for developing a fairly unique character. If you plan on getting Neverwinter Nights you might as well get the whole series for you will gain a wealth of gaming opportunities.
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<b>Neverinter Nights Pros</b>: The DM Client, Toolset, decent implementation of Dungeon and Dragons 3e rules. Wealth of character options and building capabilities.
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<b>Shadows of Undrentide Pros</b>: Prestige classes, new skills and feats to allow further customability of characters, the new tile sets and a decent adventure to play.
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<b>Hordes of the Under Dark Pros</b>: A fantastically written adventure even with the use of the cliche, epic levels, and new building tools for making new
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adventures. </blockquote>
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What can I say? It seems to me that Visceris has mastered the art of hyping pretty well.
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[Volourn]

To be fair, why don't you list the negative lists as well...

 

[Sheriff05]

here's the cons-

Neverwinter Nights Cons: Poorly written story in the Official Campaign along with a dated look to the graphics. Monty Hall is not your friend,
Bioware.

Shadows of Undredtide Cons: The end of the game seems really rushed and pretty much lacking in substance.

Hordes of the Underdark Cons: Higher system requirements that can alienate those using older systems, yet another "save the city/world" plot, and the OC is built primarily for the single player.

Fucking pathetic considering Visceris has spent the last year and half doing nothing but flaming Bioware and NWN, These scores are obscenely high when you take his
past postions into account. This complete turnaround in "persona" now that he apparently has something better to do than cruise message boards make him look like just another slimy piece of shit looking for free product by pumping up the hype of mediocre games. Although he was an annoying pain in the ass, I often agreed with many things he said, specifically when dealing with Bioware. As it turns out he was completely full of shit and just doing it for the attention.


He needs to be taken out back and shot.

 

[Volourn]

First off, you are pathetically extreme as perusual. Not to boot; you support cold blooded murder.

Second off, I agree 100% that Visc is wishy washy. He was like that even ebfore his job since he'd alternate between liking NWN and hating it as well as other games. That's just the way he is.

Third off, good job posting the "other side".

Enjoy. :D

 

[Sheriff05]

First off, you are pathetically extreme as per usual.

nice !

 

[Volourn]

I try to be... espicially during the Holiday Season.

 

[Vault Dweller]

To be fair, why don't you list the negative lists as well...

I was trying to promote positive qualities of NWN & Co

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I think Sheriff makes a good point though, considering all the things he's said about NWN over the last nearly two years now. To get a score as high as 75% after saying things like it's the worst CRPG ever made and stuff, well..

 

[Volourn]

I agree. I've been saying that for awhile now. Visc is BIO's biggest fanboy. Yes, even comparfed to me 'cause i make it clear from the start what I like about their ganmes; and what i don't and that overall I like them. Visc is all over. He's stated many times like you mentioned that NWN is one of the worst ganes ever; and he's also menioned how irrelavant mods and stuff are yet he rates NWN 75%? Hmmm... I alwasy knew that Visc was exaggerating his dislike for the gane so his mostly positive outlook doesn't surprise me one bit.
VD? Why? I'm the first to say that RPCdex is bias against BIO; but consdieirng all the sites that are biased in their favour; it even outs (because RPGCodex is so awesome it is worth multiple sites). :D

 

[Transcendent One]

What a hypocrite

He does bring up some decent points every once in a while, but seriously. Form your damn opinion, do you love it or do you hate it!?

 

[Vault Dweller]

That is a good example of what's wrong with the gaming media. We have a guy who honestly hates NWN for some reasons, then goes to work for a gaming site and writes a review using words like "wealth of gaming opportunities", "decent :shock: implementation of 3E rules", and 'phenomenal value". Does he think that reviews are supposed to be positive in nature? That raising issues and discussing shortcomings are somehow unethical? I have read 4 reviews today and I don't recall a single word about the most important thing: gameplay. The only review that was actually well written and informative was Volourn's. I would have bought it if I still had my copy of NWN. Whatever's been printed on most of the profeshunal websites is garbage.

 

[Volourn]

As a former would be writer; my review was decently written for it not being professional; but not up to my standards due to being out of practice, actually not keeping my writing skills up to date. Heh. So thanks for the compliment.

Visc has never ahted NWN; he has only stated so publicly. I always thought that. Why else do you post on a game's message board for over a year straight despite multiple bannings AND alternate between complimenting the devs and dissing them. It's all about the mood swings. :D

 

[Vault Dweller]

Why former would be writer? What happened?

 

[Sheriff05]

That is a good example of what's wrong with the gaming media. We have a guy who honestly hates NWN for some reasons, then goes to work for a gaming site and writes a review using words like "wealth of gaming opportunities",

Overall that is exactly the problem, these reviews you guys post daily
point that out very clearly..none of them are particulary objective and they are mearly pandering to "X" company or "X" group of fans.
Its really sad that NO mainstream site will give an objective review of any game released by a major publisher, games across the board are scored way too high when compared to the quality of games 5 years ago, Not to always use Fallout as the barometer of all things great but take Gamespot as an example:
They score the original Fallout an 8.7 versus say an 8.2 for HotU,
While I haven't played HotU..I am sure those of you that have, see a gigantic fucking difference. Much more than .5 on their scale. This is symtamatic of all the major sites.

Visceris is different problem, I find myself asking did even *really* hate NWN
or was just trying to get attention for *hating* it ?
To his credit I have seen Volourn call him out on this type of thing before and apparently Visceris is just a lying sack of shit.
While there are plenty of things to dislike and some things to like about NWN,
publicly deluding yourself about your own opinion (of any game or product) only demeans us all...

 

[Sheriff05]

*double post* deletedI

 

[Volourn]

VD: Because I suck.

Sherriff the Extreme Exaggerator the 2nd: Quite frankly. all professionals overrate games. Think of it this way - I'm pretty much considered a NWN/BIO fanboy yet I rate the NWN OC around 75%ish. Imagine if I rated as high as some others did. Heh. Then again, only 4 (or 5 counting an old one) games have ever rated 90%+. A good number; but not a lot have rated in the 80% rnage; while the rest are 70's or below while some (POR2 & MW) rate much lower than poo. It alld epends on the system. A game getting an 80-90%% on Gamespot is easy, and really means nothing since most of their games are usually rated 75%+ so meh.
Anyways, there's nothing wrong with Visc being extreme, or wishy washy. Don't go extreme on us again.

 

[Sheriff05]

Sherriff the Extreme Exaggerator the 2nd: Quite frankly. all professionals overrate games. Think of it this way - I'm pretty much considered a NWN/BIO fanboy yet I rate the NWN OC around 75%ish. Imagine if I rated as high as some others did. Heh. Then again, only 4 (or 5 counting an old one) games have ever rated 90%+. A good number; but not a lot have rated in the 80% rnage; while the rest are 70's or below while some (POR2 & MW) rate much lower than poo. It alld epends on the system. A game getting an 80-90%% on Gamespot is easy, and really means nothing since most of their games are usually rated 75%+ so meh.

The point being you knucklehead, is as PC gaming entered the mainstream more and more review sites became less critical, you don't get objective opinions anymore
you get rubber stamp approval from the main gaming sites, that don't deservedly criticize developers when they screw up. Bullshit moves like- saying to fuck you to a games core fans base in order to make a move toward consoles gaming, morons abusing licensed properties or just plain old "polishing a turd" NEED to be pointed out.
instead what we get are blanket 2 line criticisms that don't go into detail, and bar so low that a game 5 years ago that would have been a 6.8 is NOW an 8.6...whatever stupid scale you use it's the same old bullshit, VIsceris' *new career* is shining example of the blind leading the blind.

Anyways, there's nothing wrong with Visc being extreme, or wishy washy. Don't go extreme on us again.

Don't you think if your going to take a postion on anything on a public board, you ought to at least be ABLE to form some kind of consistant opinion on a specific topic?
Most certainly when you seem to make a career out of it as Visceris has.

While you might be a total fuckwit, at least I certainly know where you stand on many issues.

 

[Elwro]

Some great vocabulary there. 'Pubisher' (Pubic usher :shock: ?), 'unparalled', 'Schout' (a mixture of Scholar and Scout, probably)... I'll just stop here. The review completely sucks ass.

Visceris: My vocabulary is as bad as, um, something.

 

[Sammael]

Is somebody actually paying Visceris to do this? Now that's pathetic.

 

[Taoreich]

Vis' grammar and syntax make baby Jesus cry

 

[Sol Invictus]

Personally, I don't support abstract rating systems based on the opinion of a single reviewer. It'd be one thing to have a whole bunch of people vote on "yes" versus "no" in terms of answering the question "Did you like the game overall?" but it's completely subjective to have reviewers apply rating systems in their reviews, considering that they might rate the graphics of Morrowind at a 9 while giving the vastly superior graphics of Half Life 2 (when it comes out) a 9 as well, while giving Homeworld 2 (which is on par with Morrowind) a 7 or an 8 because they're comparing it to the graphics of its predecessor.

It's really very stupid. A pros and cons list alone would be a lot better than having some silly rating critereon. People can read, can't they?

 

[Sol Invictus]

While it would normally faze me to observe the fact that absolutely no one ran a spell checker on that review (himself included), the awe is lessened by the fact that somebody is actually paying him for his handiwork (or lack thereof).

 

[Vault Dweller]

It's really very stupid. A pros and cons list alone would be a lot better than having some silly rating critereon. People can read, can't they?

Reading is easy, it's comprehension that's usually a problem

it's completely subjective to have reviewers apply rating systems in their reviews, considering that they might rate the graphics of Morrowind at a 9 while giving the vastly superior graphics of Half Life 2 a 9 as well, while giving Homeworld 2 (which is on par with Morrowind) a 7 or an 8 because they're comparing it to the graphics of its predecessor.

Do you remember GameBanshee's review of ToEE? They gave it 6 out of 10 for gameplay while giving 8 to NWN, 10 to BG2, and 9 to IWD. Go figure.

 

[Volourn]

Contrary to what RPGCodex believes; gameplay is more than turn based combat. :wink:

 

[Vault Dweller]

Once again, for stoopid people (or people who just got back from Xmas vacation ), in a pure dungeon crawler, combat is the gameplay, duh.