Official Off-Topic Thread

[.TakaM]

I enjoy his videos, but I absolutely do not value his opinion.
Much like the angry video game nerd, he can pick perfectly fine games and exaggerate minor flaws while ignoring everything positive.

I find his No More Heroes 'review' to be the most respectable, because he accepts the flaws in the game, but points out that there is a lot of unique and original ideas that make it all worth it.
However, I mainly think the only reason he judged that game fairly was because there was no major fanbase behind it that he could score off.

Long story short, he's just another cynical video game troller, albeit with a sense of humor

[ter-o]

Anyone here have mirrors edge?

I think I'll have to get a 360 because it looks too awesome to pass up

I just played it through on 360 and it was great! I know it divides opinions but personally I thought that the gameplay and the atmosphere were really good and I didn't get frustrated in the few parts of the game where you had to do trial and error a few times. They were only minor inconvenients in otherwise excellent game. I think it's on my one of the year's best games list

[Jad]

This is what: If you can give a good review of No More Heroes, you are never again entitled to ciricize gameplay and pacing flaws in any other game. Ever! ):<


MAN, no more heroes made me FURIOUS with its goddamn 'overworld' segments. Seriously, the motorcycle physics made me want to kill people.

[Helm]

it's hard to separate the hype from the experience though, isn't it? I mean, would the people that love Mirror's Edge besides the flaws mentioned love it as much if they haven't been subconsciously bombarded with hype about it for 6 months? Would Takam be saying that he'll buy a whole new console just to play a flawed game on it? Something being reasonably fun to play shouldn't be the only rule governing ones' purchases, should it? If it adds up to an original experience, if it leaves something positive in you and last but not least if you can afford it, these things should count also, right? We don't have to consume every videogame that comes out.

[Ben2theEdge]

I was excited about Mirror's Edge originally because of the art direction, from the first preview before the hype set in... so yes in some ways I was doomed to like it. But I think the reason it divides people so much is that it's very much a hard-core game, it has nothing that even hints at casual design. Just like the games of yore, pretty much everything can kill you, and it's not always "fair" in that you don't get big bright red flashing warnings every time you're about to do something stupid. You will be consistently thrown into areas where the only clue is where you have to get to (usually 5 stories up a sheer wall). The same fricken enemy will kill you a dozen times and then laugh in your face. In fact there are numerous places where you will get stuck and extremely frustrated and throw your controller and howl obscenities. And then you beat those areas and you spend the next five minutes mocking your TV because you outwitted it. There is a story somewhere in there but it's completely superfluous and the developers knew it because it really only exists to disguise the loading screens.

In fact for all of these reasons it's the closest anyone has come to the old 8- and 16-bit platformers. If you liked those old games you will love this one. If you're accustomed to having any kind of hand-holding or extra non-essential fluff you will play it for five minutes and give up. I think this is the reason it's dividing people so much and personally I think it's great. Usually you only get this kind of controversy in an indie title.

[Helm]

There is a story somewhere in there but it's completely superfluous and the developers knew it because it really only exists to disguise the loading screens.

This however, really makes me want to throw up, considering how heavy-handed the intro is and who it was written by and like what it was hyped. Do you appreciate your videogames talking down on you even if their gameplay is good? GO play Nikujin or other ikiki games for modern-day 8-bit type platform games with modern touches and do not cut any slack to Mirror's Edge for what it does wrong just because it kills you a lot.

[.TakaM]

What can I say, 360 and PS3 games are usually much lower on my radar, but if the jumping physics in Little Big Planet weren't so terrible I'd probably be considering a PS3 too.

It's just that everything about Mirrors Edge appeals to me, I love the elegant and complex movement, I love the music, I love the art style, and I love speed running.
I'm sure mirrors edge has it's flaws, but plenty of games I've enjoyed have flaws.
No More Heroes is another controversial game full of flaws, the flaws only added to the surreal atmosphere if you ask me, and to be perfectly honest I would find the game less interesting without them.

Plus my brother's selling his 360 to me for cheap.

[Ben2theEdge]

I'm with TakaM on this one... it's not a flawless game but it is an important game, and what's more it's a fun game. I don't like to judge things based on hype because the creators have no control over how their project is advertised. If I only played perfect games I'd have stopped playing them after Link to the Past.

[huZba]

I haven't played much yet, but so far i really like Mirror's Edge. I like games where the level is very prominently presenting itself as your adversary. To me the presentation of the story is just right. A simple backdrop to your action that doesn't stuff itself down your throat or get in the way of the game, yet brings some purpose to what you're doing. Like in Megaman X there's a backstory, not much, but enough to make the world seem more tangible. The design of the levels, the music and small tidbits of story all pulling the same rope goes a long way, as opposed to how many recent games have badly separated all it's elements which only makes them feel alien to each other. I'n Mirror's Edge i often get the urge to do things the freerunning way instead of just climbing stairs as you would normally... it's amazingly fun. It's not really a game that you should play in very long sessions, more like a few tackles at a level after work to wind off type of thing.
The fun i get from the game is similar to playing a speedrun in megaman or pulling off a perfect lap in a racing game.

I haven't been following the hype much, but seeing how it's an EA published game I'm sure there's an overabundance of SELLING involved.

To me Nikujin and ME are very similar and you're going to have to cut them both some slack for the reasons Ben mentioned if you're used to a lot of hand holding.
The only problem here i can think of is how ME is marketed and I'm sure it causes confusion.

[Dusty]

If I enjoy a game, I enjoy a game. I don't try to force myself to enjoy it because of hype or such. Twilight Princess was considered seriously overhyped, but I still had an enjoyable time with it. I'm not going to pretend the game was fun just because of hype -- that's pretty dumb to let hype skew my real opinion of a game.

Also, it's funny you mention the physics of Little Big Planet, TakaM. I haven't played the game personally, but what I've seen of the game suggests the jumping is very, very 'floating'... not my kind of thing. But like I said, I haven't played it.