Like blood from a stone...
So, I've just finished Vampire Rain. When I first started playing it, I'd reported that I thought it was freakin' terrible. That's because the opening 6 levels are dire, plodding stealth affairs that don't want you to think outside the box. Level 7 sees the introduction of weapons, and even then you're not really encouraged to use them throughout the game. No, the makers of Vampire Rain loved their stealth element so much that they made it the primary focus for a considerable slab of the game.
As previously stated, I'm planning on writing a review for this game. I know, it's been out for ages and everybody knows it's not the most amazing title ever to grace Microsoft's machine. Hardly the most timely review, but I just want to get one under my belt. Funny thing is, my review of Vampire Rain isn't going to be completely damning; there are moments where it can be a somewhat enjoyable experience. The problem is that these moments aren't as often as one would hope, and even then most are bonus missions that are peripheral to moving the story forward. Uh, if you were not to skip some of the cutscenes as I did, that is.
But that's not the point of this blog entry. Nope, I'm just typing to have a little whinge about Achievement points. Yes, I'm one of those people. Y'see, after all my toil with this not-as-wretched-as-people-want-it-to-be-but-still-pretty-wretched game, I emerged with a paltry 50G. Ugh. Then I had a think about the other titles that have been measly with coughing up the Gamerscore goodness. Apart from Perfect Dark Zero (a launch title, so I'll cut it some slack), these are the other titles that I think have grifted me:
The more astute among you may have noticed that these games, just like Vampire Rain, are el cheapo Japanese titles. I know, they're games that aren't considered to be top-shelf. As such, you probably think I get what I deserve for mucking around with such things (although I'll go three rounds of fisticuffs with anyone who thinks EDF 2017 isn't a fun game). But still, what conclusion are we supposed to draw from this? Japanese developers think you have to be punished for being a cheapskate?
No, I think the conclusion we should draw is that I can be a slut for the Achievements, and maybe that's where the problems start.
Anybody know any other titles that are tightfisted with the Achievements?
So, I've just finished Vampire Rain. When I first started playing it, I'd reported that I thought it was freakin' terrible. That's because the opening 6 levels are dire, plodding stealth affairs that don't want you to think outside the box. Level 7 sees the introduction of weapons, and even then you're not really encouraged to use them throughout the game. No, the makers of Vampire Rain loved their stealth element so much that they made it the primary focus for a considerable slab of the game.
As previously stated, I'm planning on writing a review for this game. I know, it's been out for ages and everybody knows it's not the most amazing title ever to grace Microsoft's machine. Hardly the most timely review, but I just want to get one under my belt. Funny thing is, my review of Vampire Rain isn't going to be completely damning; there are moments where it can be a somewhat enjoyable experience. The problem is that these moments aren't as often as one would hope, and even then most are bonus missions that are peripheral to moving the story forward. Uh, if you were not to skip some of the cutscenes as I did, that is.
But that's not the point of this blog entry. Nope, I'm just typing to have a little whinge about Achievement points. Yes, I'm one of those people. Y'see, after all my toil with this not-as-wretched-as-people-want-it-to-be-but-still-pretty-wretched game, I emerged with a paltry 50G. Ugh. Then I had a think about the other titles that have been measly with coughing up the Gamerscore goodness. Apart from Perfect Dark Zero (a launch title, so I'll cut it some slack), these are the other titles that I think have grifted me:
The more astute among you may have noticed that these games, just like Vampire Rain, are el cheapo Japanese titles. I know, they're games that aren't considered to be top-shelf. As such, you probably think I get what I deserve for mucking around with such things (although I'll go three rounds of fisticuffs with anyone who thinks EDF 2017 isn't a fun game). But still, what conclusion are we supposed to draw from this? Japanese developers think you have to be punished for being a cheapskate?
No, I think the conclusion we should draw is that I can be a slut for the Achievements, and maybe that's where the problems start.
Anybody know any other titles that are tightfisted with the Achievements?
Some of the achievements in Onechanbara are actually quite easy... Not that I'd know anything about that.
I know some of the Achievements in Onechanbara are simple to chase; those that I've got I've deliberately gone after I've obtained easily. I'm just coming at it from the point of view that I've gone through the game one and a half times, and all I've got to show for it is 90G. I'm fine with having Achievements that you have to go out of your way to get (as opposed to those which just come with game progression), but that's nearly all of them for Onechanbara. In fact, only 4 of them are for playing the game through. The rest are mostly things you have to actively do, and three times at that.
P.S. I can't get that stupid mega-long combo going, no matter how many videos I watch of it. But again, neither of us know anything about that, right?
haha, no common achieves on vampire rain and onechanbara, rather telling
If you play through the main game of Eternal Sonata without doing any optional stuff, you'll only get 130 points. To add insult to injury, 660 points are only available on your second run of the game, one of them lumped into one of the biggest point awards for a single achievement I've seen. JRPG's are fairly stingy in the fact that they tend make you play them multiple times when they already take ages to finish in the first place.
And what do you have to do to get that 321G? (he says, knowing he could be hopping on the bus to Spoilertown)
Yeah the game gets significantly better and less frustrating after level 7 or so. The last boss is even pretty fun. That's what irks me when people are like "luzl Vampire Rain is teh wurst game ever, fact!" having never played it. Yes it's utterly dire, but it has a few redeeming features scattered about, the design picks up about halfway through making it a little more tolerable, and there are worse games (yeah, there at least 11 games this generation alone with a lower metacritic score, when you factor in that this is all subjective, including the Wii and DS, you could probably pick out over 200 games this generation alone that are worse)
I enjoyed a few parts of it but overall played it out of morbid curiosity as I picked it up super cheap. I've certainly had a more frustrating time with certain other games, but then I decided to follow a walkthrough, after all this game is literally impossible without one and I wanted to see it all the way through instead of not get passed the first level and come to a foregone conclusion like so many others.
As for games that are tight fisted with acheivements, there are plenty western ones as well, Ghost Recons for example and Tiger Woods having #1 on the leaderboard achieves, sup with that? Especially tiger woods, as you CANNOT get it anymore due to the 06 version of the game (and possibly 07) online component having been shut down long ago.
There are more Japanese titles too, such as Bomberman Act Zero, break a MILLION blocks?! You gotta be kidding me.
Please Log In to post.
Log in to comment