Alan Wake.

[Soapy]

Eurogamer and Edge are notorious for giving low scores on games that are generally given high scores by others. They are tough with their reviews and many feel they are overly critical just to get hits/magazine sells and generate buzz, some feel they tell it like it really is. I think they are just overly critical and like Pat, I very rarely agree with what they say.

Well, I feel like the vast majority of game sites are way too soft on games, so I guess I'm glad there's someone at the other end of the spectrum to even things out.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Well, I feel like the vast majority of game sites are way too soft on games, so I guess I'm glad there's someone at the other end of the spectrum to even things out.

I dont want a site at either end of the spectrum. Give a good review. Period. Eurogamer doesnt do that. I guess thats why i don't look primarily at any one review site, i kind of look at them as a whole. There are a few sites that i immediately toss out tho, Eurogamer being one of them.

 

[Soapy]

Yeah, I'm not saying I want that either. Truthfully I wish we could get rid of review scores altogether. Or at least make everyone use a standard scale. Preferably a five point scale. I just feel far too often reviews and scores often don't match up. Like, "This game sucks because blah, blah, blah, and blah... buuuut I'm gonna' give it an 8."

I don't know. Sometimes it's nice to see harsh criticism of a AAA title instead of the unabashed fanboyish ******ion that goes on in nearly every other review of a big game.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Yeah, I'm not saying I want that either. Truthfully I wish we could get rid of review scores altogether. Or at least make everyone use a standard scale. Preferably a five point scale. I just feel far too often reviews and scores often don't match up. Like, "This game sucks because blah, blah, blah, and blah... buuuut I'm gonna' give it an 8."

I don't know. Sometimes it's nice to see harsh criticism of a AAA title instead of the unabashed fanboyish ******ion that goes on in nearly every other review of a big game.

Yea i get what your saying. Altho i don't know which i hate more, being harsh just for the web site hits, or being overly pleasant to a triple A title. I will say my dislike for Eurogamer goes beyond their review scores tho. But like i said, i dont look at one site. It's kind of standard that there will be sites on each end of the spectrum, so i look at the whole picture

 

[Soapy]

Sure. I don't look at any one site either. Honestly, I don't even really read reviews very often anymore.* I tend to rely on listening to podcasts for that stuff because as I've said before, listening to dudes having a conversation about a game will tell you way more than a review will.

*The exception being Giant Bomb because my tastes generally line up with theirs. And if I was only allowed once source for gaming opinion, it would probably their Quick Look features. I'm finding more and more that's all the review I really need.

 

[Soapy]

Speaking of which...

Quick Look: Alan Wake!

http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-alan-wake/17-2431/

 

[XxDelta09xX]

^Nice.

 

[Dark Victory]

Damn, my 360 has been broken for months. Well, I guess I'll have to settle with the tie-in book for now.

I've been waiting for this game for years. Hope it lives up to my expectations when I finally get to play it.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Picked this up along with Red Dead Redemption tonight. Only played for about an hour but im enjoying it so far. Really eerie. The environments look fantastic.

 

[Dark_Lord]

I got it on Friday. I love it so far. I made the mistake buying it from Greece though. It was more expensive and it didn't contain the code for the DLC that will be released (since XBL isn't officially supported here).

I've been playing one episode each night. It's great. I finished episode 4 last night, but I couldn't stop and ended up playing over half of the 5th episode as well.

 

[Fading]

Yeah, I'm not saying I want that either. Truthfully I wish we could get rid of review scores altogether. Or at least make everyone use a standard scale. Preferably a five point scale. I just feel far too often reviews and scores often don't match up. Like, "This game sucks because blah, blah, blah, and blah... buuuut I'm gonna' give it an 8."

I don't know. Sometimes it's nice to see harsh criticism of a AAA title instead of the unabashed fanboyish ******ion that goes on in nearly every other review of a big game.

I agree. I think scoring system has become a branch off of the whole console war crap anymore. "Oh, your 360/PS3 game only got an 8 from IGN, while my 360/PS3 exclusive got an 8.5, it's better so my console > your console". Even worse is that the developers themselves get flack from their higher ups if metacritic scores go low...METACRITIC...

I'd be far happier if the big developers just dropped scoring altogether. If they just gave use an actual review consisting of their experience and how they liked or hated the game, and then gave bullet points about how the graphics are, the sound, the animation, and so on, I'd like reviews much better.

I'm with Pat that I look at a broad range of reviews when I'm on the fence about a game. Not just the big reviewers either, but actual user level gamer reviews as well. Then take the stand out points, like if 80% complain about a choppy frame rate, or a stupid story twist, and latch onto points like that (since if so many experience it I'd expect it to be more noticeable than some insignificant glitch you'll only notice if you're looking for problems with the game).

 

[Rocker22]

Picking it up today!

 

[Tron Bonne]

Got it in the mail earlier today, haven't got around to playing it yet. For those who pre-ordered, did you get the bonus theme and avatar shirt. I can take or leave either of those but noticed they were no where to be found in my package. I got the DLC add-on, though, and that's by far the more important of the two

 

[Rocker22]

I got the code.

I played for about 20 mins and my 360 3ROD on me again! Score!

 

[Tron Bonne]

Did you happen to pre-order from online or in a brick and mortar store?

 

[Rocker22]

In a store. Where I guess you got it online?

Contact whoever you bought it through and they will probably give you one.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Yeah, I got it from Amazon. It's not a big deal or anything, though. If they don't send me an e-mail with it, I might send them an e-mail or something

 

[Tron Bonne]

Oh, just a heads up for those who buy this new: Apparently, the code you get for the first episode is not the actual code for the episode, it's a code to download something and make sure you get e-mailed another code in July to download the episode. Not sure what you actually download, but it's about half a gig, it might be the episode and the next code you get may unlock it in your game, but it's stored under videos in your system's memory.

Just thought I would say that since I've heard some confusion over it, though as long as you read the description of what you download it says it. Not sure why they decided to do it this way, but there it is

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Love the game so far. Im about midway through the 2nd episode, id be further but Red Dead Redemption has consumed most of my time. I love the atmosphere for this title, just a great sense of isolation and dread.

 

[Tron Bonne]

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/21/shine-a-light-on-alan-wake-for-49-get-10-bonus-credit/

For those who plan to pick up the game soon but haven't, it's $49.99 at Amazon and you still get the $10 bonus credit towards another game that was previously aimed as a pre-order bonus

 

[L.A.]

Did i make a mistake of getting Redemption over Alan Wake?

 

[Dark_Lord]

Did i make a mistake of getting Redemption over Alan Wake?

Alan Wake is excellent (imo), but so is RDR. If you had money for one game this month, then I think it's better you got RDR. It has more single player content, including the multiplayer.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Did i make a mistake of getting Redemption over Alan Wake?

No, not at all.

I picked up both games last week and RDR is a special game. You just don't see games like that very often. It's easily one of the best achievements on the current consoles.

From what i have played of Alan Wake, its a great title, but it doesn't immerse in the world the way Redemption does. I plan to put some more hours into Alan Wake this weekend, but Redemption is a phenomenal game. Id suggest getting Alan Wake when you get a chance tho.

 

[Tron Bonne]

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/22/second-alan-wake-dlc-episode-the-writer-priced-at-10/

The second downloadable episode of Alan Wake will be called "The Writer." The description of the content, which recently popped up in the game's "Downloadable Content" menu, reveals that the tortured author will find himself in "strange circumstances" (surely he must be used to those by now) and must face "one increasingly nightmarish situation after another." According to the listing, the episode will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10). The first episode, "The Signal," will cost the same when it launches on July 27th, though it's a free download for those who purchased a new copy of Remedy's thriller.

 

[Isildur´s Heir]

Bought the game, finished it two says ago, and it´s simply amazing.

Remedy is one the bestd ev out there