Be Excellent To Each Other

There is a difference between design to enable a certain type of gameplay (Doom 3 torch, RE4 not allowing strafing) and some of the stunts MGS4 pulls.

The more I think about it, the more I feel that SA's description of the split-screen fighting bit encapsulates everything that is wrong with MGS4.

I still think the only reason you can't sidestep in RE4 is because Leon would look silly doing it.

I really enjoyed it, but on the flip side, I have absolutely no desire to play it again.
(Compare to Doom, which I played to death, and then some. And then got on the 360, and played lots)

Capable forumites* contributing to the larger site for the benefit of all? Damn, if only we'd suggested that back in March, eh? And so on, and so on, all quite benignly.

* Well, I say capable...

I quite fancy playing it again at some point. Or maybe the expansion pack that I never played.

Why thank you. Although I suspect I'll slink back into the night once I'm back in work. Unless we finally get that internet port in my office working and I can hide in there away from all the scary patients.

Regarding MGS4:



This is opening up a whole can of worms. I personally feel a reviewer's opinion should be entirely subjective - as in what that individual feels about what they're reviewing. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging something's faults, or accepting that not everyone feels as you do (indeed, most reviewers will do this to some extent). The problem comes when it's time to give it a final score. Scores are often taken as gospel, as a measure of a product's objective worth and people tie themselves in knots, especially where big name products are involved and a low score will have repercussions, both from fanboys and publishers. In an ideal world we could have a huge objective table of how good every game is compared to every other game, but everyone's opinion of gaming is so different. For example, I respect Stuart Campbell's opinion when it comes to games, but disagree with (and struggle to understand) his feeling that 'abstract' games are superior to more narrative efforts. Almost all of my favourite games are narrative-led, and thus I'll be more inclined to like a game with a stronger narrative and weaker mechanics than Stu would. Bottom line is, I don't think games can be objectively rated by one individual. I suppose you could take a metacritic/gamerankings approach and try to give a game a conglomerate score, but on the individual level I think a review (and thus, score) has to be subjective.



I think this is at the heart of the MGS4 debate. To me, whether or not you like this game has less to do with whether you can forgive its faults as to whether you can embrace them. This is especially true of the plot. Cheesy just doesn't cut it - the plot is a hunk of prime gorgonzola left to mature in the midday sun for a few hours, then carried to its unveiling wedged 'twixt a fat man's moob and stomach. It's not a question of looking beyond the cheesy plot - you need to love that sort of thing. Same for the cutscenes, the fan love...



Indeed. That's the problem with review scores: they attempt to bring an objective overview to the whole process, and give the illusion that very different things can be compared. But congratulations in saying it better than I could. Bastard.



I prefer to think of it as some screwy oddball who doesn't quite approach the world like everyone else, and who 80% of people would leave the room to escape but 20% will find oddly endearing. Although your comment perfectly fits how I feel about the new Alone in the Dark, about which I'll probably post later today.


Anyway. That's what I think about MGS4. I think many people will be bitterly disappointed having bought it on the basis of the scores it's received. It's far from perfect, but I did enjoy playing it a great deal, and will probably head back to watch/play it again in a little while.

But, but, but, as people have said before, there's a big, important difference between cheesy and rubbish. Star Wars is cheesy. Attack Of The Clones is rubbish.

TAKE THAT BACK!

It did occur to me but I'm limiting myself to one shot a post, even though it's all so very easy. Current favourite, apparently I've made every post ever on the internet or something.



Exactly. Shriek iykwidlf13th is cheesy, Scary Movie is rubbish.

Which bit? Star Wars is amazingly cheesy ("I'll be careful." "You'll be DEAD!" etc). Send In The Clones is amazingly rubbish ("Sometimes I think you'll be the death of me, Anakin" etc).

I loved Attack of the Clones. From the quotes given, surely you should transpose which one you think is cheesy and which one is rubbish? Episode Two was excellent.

I guess now we're back to subjectivity, eh?

No. You suck.

[vote:curiosity]

For anybody who hasn't seen it, here's the New Yorker's review of Revenge of the Sith. It made me cry with laughter. If you like George Lucas it may just make you cry

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/0 ... rci_cinema

My friend is buying a PS3 just for this game, rather than my second-hand 360.
I tried, I really did.

Is he buying your PS3?

Meh.

Every single problem he has with the movie (on the first page at least... couldn't stand to read any more) can be levelled at the original trilogy. He hates the names Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine... but are Chewbacca and Chief Chirpa any better?

The reviewer also misses out by saying that the world is too perfect and nice in the future, despite it being intentionally 'nicer' (and, well, not in the future) than Episodes IV - VI due to it being based around prosperous worlds before the Evil Empire went around ruining everything. I won't even bother to mention the seedy bars, etc, that ruin his point.

Poor effort at a review, that clearly wanted to make a point and then tried to fit the facts around the point afterwards.

Nope, brand new.

That is unfortunate.

Zero Punctuation reviewed it.

Aw, but I emailed him to ask him not to, for the sake of his own sanity.

I'll have to watch that when I get home.

Edit: Ooh, we do have speakers in the office after all.

Huh. Pretty merciful. Deus Ex Machina count! Ha! I told you.