Game News KOTOR II gone gold!

[Ortchel]

There's only so many times some scary ass monsters can jump out at you from the darkness before you suffer a heart attack.

Ravenholm really scared the shit out of me in HL2, I'll tell you that. I was so fucking glad when I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hell yeah, I'm with you on that one. I doubt I'll ever replay Half-Life 2 because of those evil black headcrabs, they make my skin crawl.

eaahgh!#

 

[Eclecticist]

and how are we gonna trust any KOTOR 2 reviews??

You don't trust reviews, you critique them :wink: .

 

[dipdipdip]

First review from Official Xbox Magazine transcribed (in bits and pieces) here:

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmes ... c=17761819

It scored a 9.3 (where the original scored a 9.5).

This seems to be everyone's favorite quote:

"...but it's the story thats the clincher. It doesn't have the spectacle or rip-roaring adventure of KOTOR, but what it lacks in dazzling planets and invention is more then compensated by the UNDENIABLY superior story"

It scored game of the month, just so's you know.

 

[Volourn]

"It scored a 9.3 (where the original scored a 9.5)."

As the reviews come in I epxect them to be mostly in the mid 80s due to it being a sequel no matter how good (or bad) the game really is.


"...but it's the story thats the clincher. It doesn't have the spectacle or rip-roaring adventure of KOTOR, but what it lacks in dazzling planets and invention is more then compensated by the UNDENIABLY superior story"

Hype. I'm sure the story is good; but when people write soemthing like that you know they're using hyperbole. "Undeniably' is somehting a 'net poster would write not a seriously reviewer since quality of a story is probably the most debatable part of a game.

 

[Surlent]

I'm sure the story is good; but when people write soemthing like that you know they're using hyperbole

a story is probably the most debatable part of a game.

So Vol, you're not one of those Avellone fans who worship Torment ?

 

[Volourn]

"So Vol, you're not one of those Avellone fans who worship Torment ?"

No. I don't worship PST; but I do like it and it does have a great story but sorry the amnesia storyline isn't the greatest or most original ever no matter how much the fanboys claim it to be. On top of that, his work in IWD2 wasn't too impressive either.

I think Avellone is a solid game story writer; but he's not some Messiah that other claim he is. for the record, I don't think Gaider is either (not directed at you but the enevitable cries of BIo fanboy at me)..

I expect KOTOR2's story to be good and possibly better than KOTOR1 even; but "undeniably"? Ha. That's a joke. You take the "best' or "most success" games and it's easy to find that nothing is deniable. Even amongst the "worst" games like, say, POR2 you can find defenders for it.

"Undenible" is a word that truly doens't belong in a review if I'm to take it seriously. It reeks of hype and hyperbole.

P.S. Ignore my rant. LOL

 

[dipdipdip]

Ignore my rant.

Good call.

 

[dojoteef]

No actually I think you are making perfect sense Volourn (am I sick or something?). A story is one of the more disputable points of a game, since it can be argued that a great story doesn't necessarily make a great game. The only thing that can be undeniable is cold hard fact, not something as subjective as the enjoyment of a game.

Game reviewers do tend to use entirely too much hyperbole. It's an amateurish way of writing. When it's used as often as it is in the gaming media, it inevitably loses it's panache. It no longer holds that special quality of being able to aggrandize the reviewers claim.

 

[Volourn]

"Good call."

STFU Exitium Lover.


"Game reviewers do tend to use entirely too much hyperbole. It's an amateurish way of writing."

Exactly.

 

[dipdipdip]

It's not that I disagree. I'm just trying to be ornery and stuff as is par for the course here and all.

On a side note, there's scans available, confirming the legitimacy of the review, but I warn ye, as the idiots at Xbox magazine saw fit to include a photo that contains a spoiler in their review.

Follow the first link in the link at your own risk.

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmes ... c=17794486

 

[Lasakon]

My bet is that it will be just has mediocre has the first one. It has the same combat engine afterall, but I guess new lightsaber colors make up for that.

 

[dipdipdip]

I think the game has some neat features going for it. Seeing your party slowly turn with you on the path of your choosing (and perhaps seeing intra-party conflicts that spawn from those who resist) might turn out neat. It's been said that the game will have the Fallout-style slide-show ending, which is still my personal favorite method of ending an RPG. I read that there's two or three more potential party members in the game than you have room for, so this would lead to some replay value. Finally, I'm also curious to see how the taking on of one's own Jedi Apprentice feature works. I'm hoping it's more involved than just "*poof* here's your lightsaber."

 

[suibhne]

My bet is that it will be just has mediocre has the first one. It has the same combat engine afterall, but I guess new lightsaber colors make up for that.

There's a lot more to (good) RPGs than combat, though, and my hope is that KotOR2, despite being saddled with the same miserable combat mechanic, will pull ahead of its predecessor in non-combat role-playing.

 

[Lasakon]

My bet is that it will be just has mediocre has the first one. It has the same combat engine afterall, but I guess new lightsaber colors make up for that.

There's a lot more to (good) RPGs than combat, though, and my hope is that KotOR2, despite being saddled with the same miserable combat mechanic, will pull ahead of its predecessor in non-combat role-playing.

I know, I just wish that a developer (any developer) would finally get a good balance between combat and role-playing. I can't even remember the last RPG I played that had both enjoyable combat and good role-playing.

 

[AlanC9]

What I'm waiting to see is how they get around the first game being completely pointless without pissing players off. Whatever you did in the first game, the Jedi are still screwed.