Completing A Game Before Reviewing It?

[nohsa]

What is Manhunt actually like.

Is it a mix between MGS and Vice City?

[JPickford (retired mod)]

I wonder what Bethseda think of Wetrix...

'Not enough bugs and too colourful' (7/10)

[Mr Spew]

well, you should at least give the impression of finishing it. i've just looked at your review, and I don't even see mention of a gun, which, as we've gone over in previous threads, changes the game dynamic entirely. and you mention it in passing, as if you'd heard they're in the game.

Would you be happy with reading a review about half a film? or half a play? or reviewing an album based on one song?

Films take what, 90 - 180 minutes to watch. Plays, around 120 minutes onwards.

Games take anything up 60 hours, sometimes more. That "experience" can really drain, especially if it's not a game you're fond of.

Have a little common sense now.

[The Liberal Elite]

Films take what, 90 - 180 minutes to watch. Plays, around 120 minutes onwards.

Games take anything up 60 hours, sometimes more. That "experience" can really drain, especially if it's not a game you're fond of.

Have a little common sense now.

mags aside, which have their own problems, most sites, I'd imagine, are run on a part time basis. the people who review the games have plenty of time, with no deadlines, to reviwe games should they really want to bother doing it properly.

If you can't be arsed doing it properly, you might as well not bother doing it at all.

[Uncle Nasty]

the people who review the games have plenty of time, with no deadlines, to reviwe games should they really want to bother doing it properly.

Most of that time is spent applying bevels, drop shadows and glows to metallic buttons in Photoshop.

[The Liberal Elite]

Most of that time is spent applying bevels, drop shadows and glows to metallic buttons in Photoshop.

don't forget the pimping! always with the pimping. and affiliation. and telling other people how to get pr compaies to send you stuff.

[D-Side]

'Not enough bugs and too colourful'

I wonder what Bethseda think of Wetrix...

Nice try though.

[Mr Spew]

mags aside, which have their own problems, most sites, I'd imagine, are run on a part time basis. the people who review the games have plenty of time, with no deadlines, to reviwe games should they really want to bother doing it properly.

If you can't be arsed doing it properly, you might as well not bother doing it at all.

Plenty of time? Like with college/school, part-time jobs, homework, and stuff like that?

Hardly much free time.

Yes, they should be able to do it properly (which we're not debating here, just the amount of time I guess) - and can. But spending 40 hours in a week (most of which is taken up by education) is bloody difficult.

[The Liberal Elite]

Plenty of time? Like with college/school, part-time jobs, homework, and stuff like that?

Hardly much free time.

Yes, they should be able to do it properly (which we're not debating here, just the amount of time I guess) - and can. But spending 40 hours in a week (most of which is taken up by education) is bloody difficult.

noone's asking them to do it.

[Uncle Nasty]

don't forget the pimping! always with the pimping. and affiliation. and telling other people how to get pr compaies to send you stuff.

And going to E3! Woohoo backstage!

[Mr Spew]

It's easy to say 'hey, of course you have to finish a game before reviewing it' for non-writers, but it is also so wrong.

Imagine: 50 reviews per month (regualur gamesmagazine). That is about 6 review per writer. That is about every 5 days a review. Even with 8 hours gameplay per day there is no way to finish a game with in 5 days ánd write a good review.

So, does a reviewer need to finish a game before reviewing? Hell no! Does a reviewer need to play a lot? Hell yes! Reviewing Final Fantasy X-2 after playing 10 hours is rediculous, so is competing PGR2 with ALL Platinum. A reviewer does not need to know the game inside out, he/she dóés need to know what to write.

Sure, reviewers get a game early (I have Bond: Everything or Nothing since december) but the magazine also needs previews and features.

Care to name one of these magazines with 50 reviews in it?

Maybe even 40?

Or 30? With at least a page's work in.

I don't see how you got that number, and 6 reviews each? There'll only be around 3 - 6 reviewers, some may do the majority, but I don't feel you really have to complete the game to review it, as the game might make you want to die...

Or the game might be really short (think MGS, Sonic Heroes etc...). So I'd say a good day or two for a decent review. Maybe less if it's a half pager.

[D-Side]

What is Manhunt actually like.

Is it a mix between MGS and Vice City?

Sort of. The combat is very GTA-esque, but not quite as confused, presumably because of the lower enemy count. I'd say, if we were comparing it to existing titles, that it's very much like Headhunter, but without the plot, puzzles and biking bits.

Conclusion: S'alright. Far better than that other poxing Rockstar 'combat' game, SOE.

[Uncle Nasty]

I ordered Manhunt today, could you be a bit more positive please D-Side?

[Mr Spew]

noone's asking them to do it.

Grow up.

[NEG]

Or the game might be really short (think MGS, Sonic Heroes etc...). So I'd say a good day or two for a decent review. Maybe less if it's a half pager.

Sonic Heroes? Short?

Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Cough.

[Mr Spew]

Sonic Heroes? Short?

Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Cough.

Have you played it?

My brother did it in something like 15 hours.

[NEG]

Have you played it?

My brother did it in something like 15 hours.

All 5 stories? ( normal 4 and final 5th)

All Chaos Emeralds?

All 2nd missions?

All 181 Emblems?

Oh sure. To review Sonic Heroes I guess you could just finish 1 of the stories. But it would be criminal to miss out on some of the things that come along after.

Oh and if your brother DID do all of the above in 15hours, Is his name Yuji Naka?

[The Liberal Elite]

Grow up.

And exactly what is that supposed to mean? Sure, set up yet another games site, but don't whine like a bitch when the PR stop sending you games. not you personally, but in general, Like in Rymond's case.

Insert credit. There's a site with a reason to be. Every other site I've seen is the usual identikit of press releases and some reviews. Whre are the interviews? features? Where's the USP?

[JPickford (retired mod)]

15 hours isn't short is it?

[D-Side]

I ordered Manhunt today, could you be a bit more positive please D-Side?

Alright. It's a bit tasty, but in a flawed way. Clever ideas and execution is what I like, that's why it floats my boat: The way how noise is really an integral part of play, in a true sense, rather than MGS's set distance lure trickery. The sound and overall spookery of the game, bringing about Silent Hill levels of tension, but in slightly more 'open' environments. The way the combat switches from guerilla to all out warfare depending on the weapons at hand. It's a very competent mix.

Be warned, you won't like it from the outset though. You'll fucking hate it. Then, after you've grasped the point and its' quirks, you'll love it.

[Uncle Nasty]

Alright. It's a bit tasty, but in a flawed way. Clever ideas and execution is what I like, that's why it floats my boat: The way how noise is really an integral part of play, in a true sense, rather than MGS's set distance lure trickery. The sound and overall spookery of the game, bringing about Silent Hill levels of tension, but in slightly more 'open' environments. The way the combat switches from guerilla to all out warfare depending on the weapons at hand. It's a very competent mix.

Be warned, you won't like it from the outset though. You'll fucking hate it. Then, after you've grasped the point and its' quirks, you'll love it.

If I didn't have it on pre-order already I'd want it anyway after reading that.

You did play it to the end, didn't you?

[The Liberal Elite]

If I didn't have it on pre-order already I'd want it anyway after reading that.

You did play it to the end, didn't you?

I did. and it gets absolutely fucking awesome by the end of it.

[gismalla]

I did. and it gets absolutely fucking awesome by the end of it.

You know it!

[NEG]

15 hours isn't short is it?

Depends on the game. And prehaps the player. I bought Resident Evil GC on release. And its still not finished to this day, on the EASY setting, and not having finished with a single character, let alone the extra suits to unlock and mini-games after verious completes and A rank story mombo jombo. But if I were a reviewer, I wouldn't review REmake yet, since its not finished.

But it took me over 90hours to get all the emblems in Sonic Adventure 2 alone. But the Chao did take around 15hours or so of the amount.

You don't NEED to get everything to have reviewed SA2 of course ( just to again, the final story would do fine ). But calling the game short overall...no sir. I'd say Heroes is longer then both adventure titles, and indeed any Sonic game before it. Although its shorter when you try to get all the emblems. A bit easier then it was in SA2.

[D-Side]

Not yet, but you can trust Duncan's opinion. He's almost right about everything bar certain things sometimes.

[The Liberal Elite]

You know it!

\m/

[Mr Spew]

All 5 stories? ( normal 4 and final 5th)

All Chaos Emeralds?

All 2nd missions?

All 181 Emblems?

Oh sure. To review Sonic Heroes I guess you could just finish 1 of the stories. But it would be criminal to miss out on some of the things that come along after.

Oh and if your brother DID do all of the above in 15hours, Is his name Yuji Naka?

He completed the four stories in 15 hours (approx).

That's basic completion. He got bored of it, and didn't feel the need to do any more, because the game wasn't that good.

[NEG]

He completed the four stories in 15 hours (approx).

That's basic completion. He got bored of it, and didn't feel the need to do any more, because the game wasn't that good.

Nudge him for me, hes a better player then I am. Took me a forthnight in 2 to 5 hour blocks. Chaotix being the main problem at times. And not started the emblem collecting.

Also nudge him to get those emeralds to be able to play the finalie. Go on, theres not much left. And if it don't make you like heroes for at least a sec after, then thats fine by me.

[Jonathan_Kerr]

I'd love to see a mag like Edge to mandatory follow-up reviews after one month. It would be interesting if game score could be modified based on that.

It'd never happen.

The potential for backtracking on an earlier decision runs the risk of undermining any magazine as an 'authority'.

Perhaps if they released the scores the following month tho....

I do like your idea tho.

[NEG]

This ones for you pickford...

NEG THE GOD (23:25:01): QUOTE (D-Side @ Feb 17 2004, 09:42 PM)

I'll just mention one. Morrowind.

Proves my point: It's 'shit' for hours...

Then shit for hours and hours and hours.

NEG THE GOD (23:25:06): Proves my point: It's 'shit' for hours...

Then shit for hours and hours and hours.

One slight problem: It's not. It's a pretty staggering achievement. One can only imagine that you didn't make a genuine effort in your evaluation.

NEG THE GOD (23:25:20): QUOTE (D-Side @ Feb 17 2004, 10:10 PM)

One slight problem: It's not. It's a pretty staggering achievement. One can only imagine that you didn't make a genuine effort in your evaluation.

I spent a few hours having no fun with a shoddy, bug-ridded brown mess of a 'game'. At least 2 of those hours where spent on the loading screen.

Catboy Para (23:25:49): Then he just has a peice of shit for a computer or a screwed up copy.

Catboy Para (23:25:54): And bug-ridden?

Catboy Para (23:26:25): Please. Besides a few DDE's every so often, you'd have to use glitches to actually get it so you could run through walls and the like.