June gaming is certainly off with a loud roaring noise that should leave your wallet empty and your thumbs tired. Seeing titles like Ninja Gaiden II, Grid, Bourne Conspiracy, Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, The Incredible Hulk, and a whole host of games for handhelds and download is bound to make game reviewers weep with exhaustion.
We suddenly seem to have an endless stream of non-stories about random events in the gaming world.
Do we really need endless stories like "So-and-so designer leaves Company A", "Company B says new game will be good", "Game you loved in 1986 possibly maybe to be remade"?
And I would be very happy to never hear about any game based on a set of Lego pieces based on a fictional franchise ever again. It has too many levels of nerdiness rolled together, even by Slashdot standards...
Can't speak for the others, but I would exempt LEGO Indy from criticism even though it sports not one, but two high-profile licenses. If you're any kind of gamer at all, do yourself a favor and play it.
Yeah, if the Lego StarWars stuff was anything to judge by, the Indy lego game will be great light-hearted fun, and amusing. The devs really have a sense of humor, and from the indy trailer it looks like that sense of humor has been preserved. I'm looking forward to more lego tie-ins in this series. In addition to the Indy, there's also a lego-batman game coming out too -- apparently its based more on the animated series/comics rather than being a direct movie tie-in. (So much the better if you ask me...)
...only movie-based games mentioned in the summary? Those are the games most likely to suck! The actual Gamespot page has titles like "Toki Tori" in its summary, which is a game that I was far more excited about than any movie rip-off. (It's a great game, BTW! Has a very Amiga-ish feel to it, too.)
That being said, the Kung-Fu Panda game does look interesting. The real questions are if the Wii controls really work as well as the previews suggest, and if the developers really put the time and effort into making the game interesting rather than a quick cash-in.
(Anyone remember back when Capcom used to NAIL Disney properties? Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers & Duck Tales are some of the best games ever made for the NES.)
[Movie-based games] are the games most likely to suck!
Yeah, a lot of movie-spawned games are pretty banal. On the other hand, one of my favorite console games was the PS2 Ghost In The Shell game -- jumping and skimming around as fast as you can in a fuchikoma. Sweet! The whole game felt well thought-out, from basic controls and game play, to level design, and niceties such as being able to replay any cut-scene you've already seen in the game(*). Even the practice mode was essentially a great little sub-game.
and niceties such as being able to replay any cut-scene you've already seen in the game
Most Japanese games have this, particularly RPGs. For them gaming is a means to a story, whereas storylines in Western games tend to be there for the sake of gameplay.
I for one am really looking forward to this title. If the demo is anything to go by, this will be one of the best non-rally racing titles ever to hit the PC. Codemasters might redeem themselves with this one.
Yeah, I don't know why any of these games were worth a front-page story... Let's see:
Ninja Gaiden II - Mediocre reviews, sequel to a franchise that wasn't even much on the radar the first time around... Probably worth a rent, but nothing so ridiculously anticipated that it's worth front-page...
Grid - same. Codemasters makes good racing sims, but this game doesn't look like it offers anything exciting.
Bourne Conspiracy - mediocre reviews, the game is one big cinematic sequels with quick-time "MASH THAT
Third biggest release OF THE YEAR, in June: "Metal Gear Solid 4"
And you spout a bunch of movie spinnoffs? And Ninja Gaiden II, which has been totally pwned by critics and in which the creator immediately resigned from the company in disgrace.
You just showed your lack of knowledge on the subject, prepare for a barage of hate mail.
While I'll agree that there is a good chance most of the games on that list will be pure shit.
The only issue with NG2 that I have seen is the camera. Its typically been give reviews in the 80 to 90 range. Besides being a bit of a retread of all the other 3d NG games, it a fun game.
I'm also fairly certain you have no idea why Igitaki left that company.
For a major series with the weight and respect of Ninja Gaiden, 81 is about the lowest you'd ever expect to see. Main installments of large series get just about an automatic pass into the 80+ percentile range, so an 81 for a large series game is pretty bad. For a smaller series or a non-series game, an 81% is not bad at all, however.
What's wrong with an 81 for any game? To me an 81 says that the game is good, if not great. Just because a game doesn't score a 95 doesn't mean it's not worth playing. Plus your double standard of whether a game is part of a "large series" or not is one of the big problems with game reviews these days.
You're too trusting of video game reviewers to be non-biased, and non-paid-off. The bigger the game, the more weight is put on game reviewers to review them favorably. There's both financial pressure from game companies, and psychological pressure from outside the industry. When was the last time that a Final Fantasy scored a meta-review of below 90%... how many of them deserve that? I'm a huge FF fan, but even I'll admit that some (particularly FFX and FF12 IMO) didn't warrent that high a score. All I'm say
Actually I don't trust video game reviewers at all. I just think that the concept of inflated game reviews is horrible. To me, an 81 says: "this is a good solid game, not perfect, but it's good." However, to the industry it's nearly the opposite. Why have a scale of 100 points when people only respect 10 of them.
After conquering standard Lego adventures, Star Wars sagas and the like, now Lego leaps in to correct their racial [lugnet.com] stereo [lugnet.com] types [lugnet.com] in the gaming world.
However, that's a good thing! I have many old games that I need to finish (a few to start!) and play online, but not enough free time (0-2 hours a week). Ugh!
All of the lego starwars games I have played have been very good. I wouldn't be surprised if the Indiana Jones game was as well. Even if it is based on a movie.
There are definitely exceptions, I can name a few here and there, but for the most part, the chances of a movie-based game being good are very low. Sure, Duck Tales was a great game for the NES, Cool Spot was lots of fun on the Genesis and SNES, Golden Eye was unbelievably good for the N64 (probably the most successful movie spinoff game of all time), and I've heard that some of the Naruto games for the PS2 and 360 are quite well done. I'm sure there are quite a few that I haven't mentioned or played, but a
Lego Indian Jones? (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, then someone else will wondering when the Lego racing game will be out.
Lego Racers (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I need to lower the dosage of coffee... 10 days of students left... I can't wait for the little ankle biters to go home for the summer.
Re: (Score:1)
ScuttleMonkey is competing (Score:4, Funny)
What is with these 'games' stories? (Score:2)
Do we really need endless stories like "So-and-so designer leaves Company A", "Company B says new game will be good", "Game you loved in 1986 possibly maybe to be remade"?
And I would be very happy to never hear about any game based on a set of Lego pieces based on a fictional franchise ever again. It has too many levels of nerdiness rolled together, even by Slashdot standards...
Metal Gear Solid 4 (Score:1)
June 12, 2008 MGS4
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
June Sees Crappy Movie Tie-Ins... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm looking forward to more lego tie-ins in this series. In addition to the Indy, there's also a lego-batman game coming out too -- apparently its based more on the animated series/comics rather than being a direct movie tie-in. (So much the better if you ask me...)
June 2-6 (Score:1)
Did I miss a memo where June has been reduced to a week?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Why are... (Score:3, Insightful)
That being said, the Kung-Fu Panda game does look interesting. The real questions are if the Wii controls really work as well as the previews suggest, and if the developers really put the time and effort into making the game interesting rather than a quick cash-in.
(Anyone remember back when Capcom used to NAIL Disney properties? Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers & Duck Tales are some of the best games ever made for the NES.)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Though personally I'm more excited about downloading the demo for Civ: Revolution tonight.
PS2 GITS! (Score:3, Interesting)
[Movie-based games] are the games most likely to suck!
Yeah, a lot of movie-spawned games are pretty banal. On the other hand, one of my favorite console games was the PS2 Ghost In The Shell game -- jumping and skimming around as fast as you can in a fuchikoma. Sweet! The whole game felt well thought-out, from basic controls and game play, to level design, and niceties such as being able to replay any cut-scene you've already seen in the game(*). Even the practice mode was essentially a great little sub-game.
(*) It boggles the mind that publishers ever don
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Most Japanese games have this, particularly RPGs. For them gaming is a means to a story, whereas storylines in Western games tend to be there for the sake of gameplay.
Re: (Score:2)
Racedriver GRID (Score:3, Interesting)
Codemasters might redeem themselves with this one.
Just say no to slashvertisements (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I don't know why any of these games were worth a front-page story... Let's see:
Ninja Gaiden II - Mediocre reviews, sequel to a franchise that wasn't even much on the radar the first time around... Probably worth a rent, but nothing so ridiculously anticipated that it's worth front-page...
Grid - same. Codemasters makes good racing sims, but this game doesn't look like it offers anything exciting.
Bourne Conspiracy - mediocre reviews, the game is one big cinematic sequels with quick-time "MASH THAT
This is idiotic... (Score:5, Insightful)
And you spout a bunch of movie spinnoffs? And Ninja Gaiden II, which has been totally pwned by critics and in which the creator immediately resigned from the company in disgrace.
You just showed your lack of knowledge on the subject, prepare for a barage of hate mail.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I actually was not sure; I haven't kept up with all the movie releases lately. (I had to RTFA.)
Re: (Score:2)
The only issue with NG2 that I have seen is the camera. Its typically been give reviews in the 80 to 90 range. Besides being a bit of a retread of all the other 3d NG games, it a fun game.
I'm also fairly certain you have no idea why Igitaki left that company.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
All I'm say
Re: (Score:2)
Lego Indian Jones? (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
That and Metal Gear Solid 4 (Score:2)
Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition... (Score:1)
sequel, license, license, license, license, licens (Score:2)
Boring list. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
But man... goldeneye was a damn good game.
All of the lego starwars games I have played have been very good. I wouldn't be surprised if the Indiana Jones game was as well. Even if it is based on a movie.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)