omega3 said:
There's a difference between criticizing the shortcomings of a game and obsessively nitpicking even the tiniest, most trivial details you can find, and doing it in the most negative way possible.
So, at what point does a review aiming at being thorough instead of replicating an IGN
esque implication the game is faultless becomes “obsessive�
A good example is the way Tho Fan is scrutinized to the point of insanity
I guess I could’ve remained sane and let it slide, but I decided that raving lunacy and psychotic episodes were a small price to pay to express how I felt.
Tho Fan is a feature of the game that received a considerable level of publicity during development. Choosing not to evaluate such a feature extensively and how well it is integrated into the game would be comparable to neglecting, say, the Radiant AI in an Oblivion review. It’s also one of the features directly responsible for the cohesion of the setting, a setting which was meant to illustrate Bioware’s aptitude at developing their own intellectual properties. In that regard, I believe it failed and merely explained why.
The game gives you the option to start a new game with all the styles and attributes you gained during your previous game, but even this optional bonus feature is seen as a bad thing because it imbalances the game, as if balance is supposed to be some kind of consideration in a New Game+.
Nowhere in the review does it say the feature is bad – it quite simply points out that it shouldn’t be expected to be balanced. Which is unfortunate, since it neglects character development regardless of how fun it may be.
Resident Evil 4 has the same option, and at best you can play through the game with special weapons that have infinite ammo and ridiculous destructive power. Chrono Trigger lets you breeze through the game with high level characters using the best possible equipment. It's not supposed to be balanced, it's supposed to be fun, and a bonus for people who've taken the time to play through the game.
Not a very good example. In Chrono Trigger’s New Game+, all characters still use their own Techs. Chrono may be incredibly powerful but will never be able to learn Omega Flare nor will he use weapons which he cannot wield. The same can’t be said of Jade Empire where the main character can, for instance, retain Styles that are forbidden by his alignment. Do both lack balance? Yes, but it’s much more evident in Jade Empire.
The review just sucks ass, as I have articulated previously.
“Articulate†would imply you clearly expressed your concerns over the review when this wasn’t the case, since all you complained about was:
- how Tho Fan was given too much of a spotlight – which I’ve already explained why, since it was a major selling point and as such required more attention than other features;
- how the review presents Master mode as a bad thing – which I’ve already pointed out to be false, since I never wrote it;
- how the review nitpicks about minute and trivial details, and about every possible real and imaginable problem – which is utterly vague since it doesn’t really expose the specifics of your complaints.
If anything, the thing you’ve managed to articulate well was a lasting sense of... What was it? “Obsessive nitpicking†over such an optional feature, one that I don’t even go into great depths.
The Oblivion review I read actually conceded that the game has some good qualities
As opposed to my review which doesn’t list any positive qualities?
Who the fuck wants to listen to your infantile tantrums or read the shit that passes for "reviewing" around here?
Hey, it's an optional review. Don't like it, don't read it!
Warning: no reviewer’s sanity was harmed when writing this post.
