This is the main reason I don't play RPGs. But as a game journo, I'm in the minority. When I was younger, low on cash, and didn't need to keep up with the industry, I preferred games that gave a lot of bang for their buck in terms of length. Now that same length is a burden. Just depends on your living situation, methinks.
Agreed. FFXIII has a beautiful world, but it feels so false and backdropy. I feel like I have no concept of what life is like in that place. FF6 did a much better job with that. The largely 18th century setting probably helped. It felt so much more consistent.
Oh man, I'd love to revisit some old DC classics. With any luck, they could even throw in the European version of Shenmue 2 without the terrible English dub.
It's a good one. The music, in particular, is amazing. I can still remember it months after playing the game.
All good suggestion, though I'd like to throw one more into the ring; splitscreen! I can't tell you how disappointed I was when after singing the praises of Uncharted 2 and how much better a shooter it was than Gears of War, I went to play co-op with my g/f only to realize there was no splitscreen option. Just because most people have broadband doesn't mean we need to use it all the time.
In all fairness, despite the rubbish final boss, PoP's ending was otherwise fantastic. Loved the Prince's last line to Farah. Arkham Asylum, on the other hand, had not only a terrible final boss, but a lackluster concluding cut scene which was basically an abrupt "the end." Not very satisfying, methinks.
Fable 2 was much like PoP where they shoehorned a boss into a game that didn't need bosses. I guess there were a few other bosses, but they were very minor and inconsequential. I did like the Fable 2 end choice, even if the consequences didn't follow through on its promise.
None of the God of War games have had a new game plus. GoW3, for better or worse, doesn't change the formula up at all.
I have to say that I really disagree with this column. It's a pet-peeve of mine when someone tries to separate all these elements to deduce a score out of it. SomethingAwful had a great review of Deadly Premonition where they admit that when looked at in isolation, each individual component wasn't that good. But taken as a whole, it blended together very well. Sure, I like good graphics, but if a game has poor ones but is good in every other capacity, you stop looking at them early on. Design...
The actor isn't that well known, so unless you saw that episode of Conan, you'd likely never know. I sure didn't.
Cave Story really is a great game, even if I'm not so sure about this one awkward design choice.
I wish more games would be willing to make you work harder for the "bad" ending. Usually the more content you unlock the better the ending, like tackling a secret final boss. But what if unveiling more of the game lead to a worse fate for the characters? Would gamers still accept that as the "true" ending? I'd like to see this attempted sometime.
Brilliant idea- put make Forrest Gump a playable character in the next COD taking place during Vietnam. Money on the table guys.
What, no love for MGS4? I can understand not liking the game, but it's one of my favorite soundtracks of all-time.
MDK2 had its problems, but the levels as the main guy were still great. It had such a unique control feel and aesthetic that combined platforming and shooting better than just about any game I've seen.
With all the FF games to make a sequel to, XIII does not sound like the best option.
Remappable controls should also be mandatory.
I agree that much of Bioshock was rinse and repeat. Perhaps what made me like Bioshock 2's portrayal of parenthood better than HR's was that Heavy Rain starts off strong, but never follows through. Bioshock 2 is very rinse and repeat as you say, but the last quarter really ends on a high note and disarms you. In other words, it left a better aftertaste.
BetaChris, A MacGuffin is not only something left unexplained, but specifically something characters are trying to attain. The classic example would be the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. Everyone wants it, though no one knows why. The blackouts aren't an object, but rather an event and a key aspect of a character, thus requiring explanation.
I don't think it was multiple protagonists that made the player characters hard to appreciate, but rather the fact that they're silent. The only protagonist I ever gave a damn about was Captain Price and only because you got to view him as a talking, third-person character during other missions. I think that different protagonists crossing paths would be great, so we can see them as NPCs to build a stronger bond.