Open Call for Reviews

[felipepepe]

I'm not doubting your skills, I'm just extremely curious.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I'm not doubting your skills, I'm just extremely curious.

Okay, then. Here's the full experience.

Spoiler

 

[Infinitron]

Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Codexia and Something Awful?

 

[Darth Roxor]

Fuck something awful.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Fuck something awful.

I knew you wanted to make love to them

 

[HiddenX]

Jaz has finished all 3 of her reviews - she's a writing machine
Should be on the way to felipepepe already.

 

[Alchemist]

I would like to do the Demise: Rise of The Ku'tan review, but with a caveat: I only started playing it a couple years ago, after Ascension (the expansion) came out. So I'm not someone who has been playing it for 14 years. I'd be approaching the review as an enthusiastic newcomer and not a grizzled veteran. Will this be alright? I really do like the game a lot and would enjoy writing about it.

Also, I'd be happy to take on the Rogue review. With two pages, I assume mentioning the roguelike genre as a phenomenon should be part of it too, at least briefly?

 

[HiddenX]

Writing some stuff about Rogue likes in general

Rogue-like: the main emphasis of the game are on Exploring and Character Development, less on Story. Often features permanent death if a character dies and random generated levels ...

would be great!

 

[felipepepe]

Okay, then. Here's the full experience.

You're an angel.

And yeah, Escape from hell should be in. Adventure Constrcution Set I asked John Romero to write, let's see if the replies.

I would like to do the Demise: Rise of The Ku'tan review, but with a caveat: I only started playing it a couple years ago, after Ascension (the expansion) came out. So I'm not someone who has been playing it for 14 years. I'd be approaching the review as an enthusiastic newcomer and not a grizzled veteran. Will this be alright? I really do like the game a lot and would enjoy writing about it.

I think some games are even better being reviewed this way. Like the Defender's Quest review; having a ultra-hardcore tower defense fan guy talking about may sound too fan-boyish, while a guy that never played Tower Defense games saying that he loved it even if it isn't what he usually playes carries a whole different weight. Please do it.

Also, I'd be happy to take on the Rogue review. With two pages, I assume mentioning the roguelike genre as a phenomenon should be part of it too, at least briefly?

Yup.

 

[Alchemist]

Ok cool - I'll do Demise and Rogue. After I finish those I might be up for more - but I'll make sure I get those done first.

 

[HiddenX]

felipepepe - we could ask SureAI (Enderal, Nehrim, Arktwend modders) to to a Skyrim review - they know the games Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim from the inside.

 

[Crane]

Please only submit a review if you really like the game. [...] That doesn’t mean you have to be a blind fanboy, but I want passionate reviews. [...] it’s very important that a reader that knows nothing about the game is able to understand what the game really is, its strong points and occasional flaws. Don’t say that “it has great combat”; explain why it’s great.

I certainly don't like BloodNet, but I can write another passionate review of it. It seems as if you're requesting that all of these reviews should be positive, though. BloodNet is not a good game -- anyone that writes without rose-tinted glasses can see that. Would I have to submit a positive review for it to count?

 

[felipepepe]

There are games that are shitty, but shine or are worth to play because of one of two things they do really well. Do you think BloodNet has something like that? Do you think it's a bad game, that still has something to offer? If yes, then please write the review.

If not, I'll see if someone likes it and can write a compelling review... otherwise I'll just drop it.

 

[Crane]

It probably would have been awesome to play it back in 1993, since it let you explore a big cyberpunk city at will, but that's about it. It's a unique game, but I don't think I could write a review of it that doesn't point out how flawed it is with any integrity. It's just not fair to the reader to only present one side of the story -- or downplay the flaws and hype up the small amount of good.

 

[HiddenX]

The game was suggested by me as an example of the cyberpunk genre.
I agree with this short review from http://www.abandonia.com:

This is an adventure made by Microprose during the Golden Age. When it was released in 1994, it was one of the first cyberpunk games for PC, predated only by Neuromancer.
The game itself is a mix of adventure and RPG, and like Sierra’s Quest for Glory series, the RPG part plays an important role. BloodNetstarts by generating the main character, Ransom Stark. The character-generation phase significantly influences the game's plot, which can be quite varied. Unfortunately, the game's diversity is also one of its biggest flaws, since the in-game time is rather important. This means if you miss something because you're not at a certain location in time, you miss it for good, so save often.

The story revolves around your main character in the New York of 2094. He has been bitten by a vampire and will become one of them if he does not do anything about it soon. Only a chip in his head slows down the process for a few days.

The graphics are quite good for the time, the backgrounds are rendered and characters are nicely drawn. Like the graphics, the music is dark and suits the game’s atmosphere well. The interface is quite different from the other games of the era, but it’s logical and easy to use.

If you are a fan of cyberpunk games, you don’t get frustrated quickly, and have lots of free time (the game is huge and if you get the feel of it, you will play on and on), this will be one of your all-time favorites. If you don’t qualify for any of the statements above, try it also, because this is not your average adventure game.

PS:
We could make an 4 page article for games that are unique/rare/unknown with a few sentences for each game.
So we don't waste pages on it. But some people (like me) read these kind of books for the games they still don't know...

 

[Crane]

The character-generation phase significantly influences the game's plot, which can be quite varied.

Completely false statement. The character generation only influences Stark's stats, which themselves are almost meaningless. The plot does not change according to character generation. Every character has to do the same things in order to complete the game. The only difference I can think of is if you create Stark as a decker, you wouldn't have to go get a link cable and hire a decker in order to get into the first WELL, called HOPE. That's not changing the plot, however, it's just changing the order of things in a small way.

This means if you miss something because you're not at a certain location in time, you miss it for good, so save often.

Another false statement. There is a day/night cycle, but there are not timed events like in Dead Rising.

the music is dark and suits the game’s atmosphere well.

The Amiga music was good, the DOS music (MIDI & Soundblaster) was laughably bad. I give an example of it in my review.

The interface is quite different from the other games of the era, but it’s logical and easy to use.

You can certainly get used to the interface, but I would never call it logical. I covered that in my review, as well.


Whoever wrote that review doesn't know what they're talking about. I'm thinking that they wrote that review 15 years or so after they played it, going off their memories. They didn't even mention that it's a party based RPG.

 

[HiddenX]

I agree that the main plot is mostly the same with each character. The reviewer should have said narrative instead of plot.
But depending on stats it changes how you fight and how you can solve quests.

I played only the Amiga version - music/interface was quite good for 1994.

 

[felipepepe]

It probably would have been awesome to play it back in 1993, since it let you explore a big cyberpunk city at will, but that's about it. It's a unique game, but I don't think I could write a review of it that doesn't point out how flawed it is with any integrity. It's just not fair to the reader to only present one side of the story -- or downplay the flaws and hype up the small amount of good.

You don't have to downplay the flaws bro, I don't want to lie to readers.

I never played BloodNet, so I'll use Arcanum as example: You can the combat is shit and you use real-time just to get pass it faster, that the dungeons are some of the worst in the genre and that it is a unfinished game, BUT it's also one of the most ambitious RPGs ever made, that shows how much potential the genre has and tries to do things no other game before or after ever did. Sadly, it falls short, but the moments where it works is one of the best RPG experienced you'll ever have.

Again, if you think BloodNet doesn't have any redeeming features, I respect that.

 

[V_K]

Of Microprose games Challenge of the Five Realms is probably the one more worthy of a review. It's much like BG only with better character and magic systems.

 

[HiddenX]

Of Microprose games Challenge of the Five Realms is probably the one more worthy of a review. It's much like BG only with better character and magic systems.

sounds very interesting - I never played it.

 

[V_K]

Of Microprose games Challenge of the Five Realms is probably the one more worthy of a review. It's much like BG only with better character and magic systems.

sounds very interesting - I never played it.

That review isn't very accurate, I don't remember the game having anything to do with disguise. The premise is a pretty standard fair: it starts with some evil sorcerer nuking the king and sending you as king's heir on a hunt for some artifact, or else the darkness will swallow the kingdom and bla-bla-bla. There's a couple of nice twists in the story, though, and the game is generally pretty good.

 

[HiddenX]

That review isn't very accurate, I don't remember the game having anything to do with disguise. The premise is a pretty standard fair: it starts with some evil sorcerer nuking the king and sending you as king's heir on a hunt for some artifact, or else the darkness will swallow the kingdom and bla-bla-bla. There's a couple of nice twists in the story, though, and the game is generally pretty good.

I don't care for the story so much as long the other game mechanics are good and fun to play.
Does the time limit affect the gameplay?

 

[V_K]

That review isn't very accurate, I don't remember the game having anything to do with disguise. The premise is a pretty standard fair: it starts with some evil sorcerer nuking the king and sending you as king's heir on a hunt for some artifact, or else the darkness will swallow the kingdom and bla-bla-bla. There's a couple of nice twists in the story, though, and the game is generally pretty good.

I don't care for the story so much as long the other game mechanics are good and fun to play.
Does the time limit affect the gameplay?

Yes - you gradually lose access to some areas (they get covered by the veil of darkness coming from the south).

 

[HiddenX]

V_K - sounds like a game that should be in, what do you say felipepepe ?

 

[felipepepe]

V_K - sounds like a game that should be in, what do you say felipepepe ?

Yeah, added it to the list.