It's up! (That's what she said)
The re-flex is a lone-ly child who's wai-ting by the phoooooone Kind of looks like Half-Life era graphics... That's.. Nngh. The Wii is way more capable than that, Activision, come on. That fire-fighter game looks better than this.
Is it necessary that I post that I also cannot see the video? Oh well, here goes.

There needs to be a difference between reviews and critiques in the video games industry. Reviews need to be about whether or not a game works properly. What factors are in this game and how do they come together? A review should not be whether or not the game had fun. Critiques are about what designs could have, in a perfect world, enhanced the gameplay and are more about learning new philosophies to improve on your design for the future. They should not be given a number score.
Clearly new ideas should be applauded, but games should never be marked as being "the same as the last" in a review. The simple answer for that is because, to quote an old TV slogan, if you haven't seen it it's new to you. Many reviewers take it upon them to decide when a game has become grating, which is entirely subjective. There could be new mechanics that they are blind too, due to the tight schedules they keep while trying to blast through as many games as possible. I've seen many reviews make clearly incorrect statements in regards to a game's mechanics being business as usual, Pokemon being a recent example, and at that point your review is doing nobody any good. DDR games still get hit because in the end each game is essentially the same but with a new soundtrack,. If all someone want is more songs for DDR than it sounds like a great game, and placing reviews that show the opposite is confusing and misleading. A lower score indicates that the game is of lower quality, and if it's the same game... well that graph doesn't quite add up. If it's the same game with new music, and the music is the draw of the game, what's the problem?
If a mechanic is technically frustrating, say a lack of a trading system in a game where there clearly should be one *cough*Borderlands*cough*, it is entirely different from a game that is missing a feature you think would be totally awesome in it. Reviews of New Super Mario Bros. Wii have begun spilling out over the net and it's frustrating to see many of them present the lack of online multiplayer as an excuse to drag the score down. Since when is the omission of features critical to how well the new game plays? How does a lack of online playability make playing the local single and multiplayer any worst? It doesn't. It's simply a feature that isn't there.
There are always features that aren't there. Those should be saved for a proper critique, or at least in a review under a specific "wishes and wants" segment, but never let that detract from the quality of the product in your hand. If we go down this route then there needs to be points taken off for a lack of Screen Capture and Recording functions. Smash Bros. Brawl had both of them, and there's little reason why any other game can't have them. Now, if New Super Mario Bros Wii. did have online, and it was terrible, then the score should be brought down. We should only review what's there, not what isn't.
Rhythm games have been suffering their own recurring problems in reviews: the music is being judged subjectively. Many DJ Hero reviews are being praised for their awesome mash-ups and many Band Hero reviews are showing ill-favor due to the game's pop-heavy music. That shouldn't matter in a review. Oh sure if the audio quality is bad or if on a technical level the mash-ups just didn't work, that's fair game. Saying that Band Hero is terrible because you're hung up on Taylor Swift and The Spice Girls is just plain lazy. What kind of music is in a rhythm game should be mentioned, but telling people that how that game is based on the soundtrack is terrible for a reader. Reviews of Guitar Hero 3 said it had a great soundtrack, but personally I found it to be boring schlock. Who's right? Nobody, because it's purely subjective.
Overall that brings the question of fun into the mix. Some people argue that reviews boil down to "is the game fun?" and that shouldn't be further from the truth. I loved Alone in the Dark because it managed to tickle me in just the right way. Oh sure the game wasn't perfect by a long shot, but I clearly enjoyed it more than most reviewers and on top of that think that it did a lot of things right that just didn't quite tie together as well as they should have. Visuals have this problem, too. Some people hailed Wind Waker for it's impressive art style while others detracted it for it's childish look. The fact is, if you don't like the cartoon look and you can't get passed it, no amount of 10's in the "graphics" department are going to be of any use to you.
Maybe I'm being to picky. Maybe reviews should just be whether or not we all enjoyed ourselves and then should clearly be ignored by everyone else because it does no service to them. We all have different tastes. Somebody could me that last night's football game was breathtaking. but I'll never care because football doesn't interest me. Should video game reviews be brought down to swapping stories? I think there's a place for that, but I don't think it's in the official review.
What do you think? Should reviews be a mixture? Is that human aspect doing anybody a favor, or is it possibly causing people to shy away from games they might otherwise like? Love to hear your feedback.
As always my inane ramblings can be found on Facebook.
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Plants and Zombies: A Match Made in Heaven
(PC)
My review may very well be a little skewed. I've never really played any tower defense style games, so if you're coming to this review wondering if it's that "one more time" tower defense game, I can't really help you. What I can do is assure you that, one ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on June 6, 2009
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful. |
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A Perfect Fit for Your DSi
(DSI)
I'll say it now, this is what a DSi game in the $2 range should be. Bird and Beans, or Pyoro for those who are as obsessed with the WarioWare franchise as I am, is an addictive, yet simplistic arcade style game. You play as a little red bird ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on April 21, 2009
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If It's Boring, it's Because You Are.
(DSI)
With the 2nd wave of DSiWare comes Mixed Messages from Activision. The game is essentially a refined version of the traditional Telephone game you might have played when you were younger. The first player is either given a phrase, or makes one up (depending on the number of players) ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on April 20, 2009
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful. |
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Not As Bad as My Last Colonoscopy
(DSI)
Not mine, but certainly funny. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Mario games, I'll throw that out there right now. Take one quick look at my handle, if you want some evidence. I've played just about every version of the game that's come out, and I have to say, ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on April 20, 2009
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful. |
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Good in a Bargain Bin
(DS)
If you're looking for an interesting set of puzzle games, Rainforest is a great place. There's 6 in total, with varying degrees of difficulty and a few minor "achievement" style challenges to complete for each game. All and all, it's more complete than some puzzle game packages, and each one ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on Feb. 21, 2009
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Not So Edgey
(X360)
A competent first-person platformer with some promising ideas, Mirror's Edge eventually nose-dives off of a building and crashes into the pavement... if it's not gunned down by SWAT members, first. I appreciate it when a game takes a gamble. I always enjoy a new intelligent property, or a ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on Dec. 9, 2008
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Albion and On and On
(X360)
I'll be honest, I never got around to playing the first Fable so I was very quick to find a disconnect when playing Fable II. There was a lot of talk about old guilds and lands that I had no real idea of, and I mention that only because ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on Nov. 26, 2008
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You Really Can Never Go Home Again
(X360)
Silent Hill has a history of two things: somewhat confusing, albeit meaningful stories and scarring you for life. The games have always managed to evoke deep levels of emotion and fear, even when the gameplay itself was a little less than stellar. Let's be honest, the first couple games ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on Nov. 4, 2008
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful. |
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As Sexy as it is Shallow
(X360)
Imagine that $60 dollars was all it took to buy yourself a super model. She’d be available whenever you want and all you have to do is turn on your Xbox 360. That’s about what you get when you buy Soul Calibur IV: something that looks and plays great, ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on Nov. 1, 2008
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On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Awesome
(XBLM)
If you find the humor of popular web comic Penny Arcade to be distasteful, too twisted, or not to your liking, than you are in the wrong place. I won’t be able to convince you of Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode Two’s strongest point: the ...
Reviewed by DrRandle on Oct. 30, 2008
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1 out of 1 found this review helpful. |
| Date Joined: | July 21, 2008 |
| City: | Portage |
| Gender: | Male |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Points: | 1,770 Points |
| Ranked: | Ranked #621 of 60,680 |
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Zenses: Rainforest game - 401 points |
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Knothole Island location - 247 points |
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President John Henry Eden character - 200 points |
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Cthulhu character - 172 points |
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Massuru Koushinkyoku game - 137 points |
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Lord Lucian character - 121 points |
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Nanashi no Game game - 103 points |
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Top Shop game - 52 points |
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Sweep
8 hours, 57 minutes ago is terrified by bayonetta :S |
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Keeng
1 day, 5 hours ago is without his HDTV and his PS3 because they're both dead. Sadness. |
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Scooper
2 days, 4 hours ago Borrowed MW2 from a mate and after spending 3 hours non-stop on multiplayer and now need to get the game imediatly. |
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MrNESS
1 week ago playing knights of the old republic |
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oldschool
1 month, 2 weeks ago Purchased Last Remnant for 360, cheap. Yet another RPG I have to find time to play. man, I love Square-Enix ^_^ |
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Sleepy_Insomniac
4 months, 2 weeks ago Sleepy_Insomniac should update his GB status more. |
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daniel_beck_90
5 months, 1 week ago loves Bombcast |
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noibn
8 months, 1 week ago noibn is impressed with all these changes around here |
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