General Gaming Are There Any Video Game Series That Are Review Proof?

[CastlevaniaNut18]

33 minutes ago, Hurdyb1 said:

 

Damn, for real? I haven't played it but could give some reasons without spoiling anything as to why you feel this way?

It just hate how the controls feel so slow and clunky. That was my main issue. I plan to go back to it sometime, though. 

[Biggie]

@Hurdyb1 The controls were some of the worst I’ve ever seen in a video game. It was like walking in quick sand. The shooting mechanics were horrible. Think GTA but much worse. The characters really never grabbed me and the missions were boring. In my opinion of course. Also traveling the world map was tedious. 

[Hurdyb1]

Controls like that would be a major turn off. Thanks for that. People talking the game up so much, I almost wanted to grab it.

[Paperclyp]

1 hour ago, Hurdyb1 said:

Controls like that would be a major turn off. Thanks for that. People talking the game up so much, I almost wanted to grab it.

The shooting is no better, no worse than any other rockstar game. It’s the same shit with the deadeye function from the first game. 

 

The controls ARE clunky, but you adjust and eventually it’s hardly noticeable. The problem is the game’s other mechanics can complicate a control mistake.

 

I’ll give you a specific example. I’m deep in the game - this was just yesterday. I have maybe 2-3 missions left in the final section of the game, i’ve played it, I dunno, at least 60 hours and I have no issue controlling my character. Problem is they want to give you so many options at any one time, the buttons are context sensitive (in this case, triangle is the button that gets on your horse, but it’s ALSO the button to rob people if they are close enough to you). So I had just fast traveled and was gonna get on my horse to ride across town to a mission, and there happened to be a guy standing near my horse who I didn’t notice. My character grabs him by the neck and then I immediately hit circle to let him go, but it was too late. The guy runs off and a witness reports me for unarmed assault. In a GTA game, this would be fine cuz I’d just lay low for a while and then go about my business. But committing a crime in Red Dead puts a bounty on your head, prevents you from using anything functional in that county, AND locks you out of activating missions. So if you wanna clear it, you’ve got to ride your horse to the next county, go  to the post office, and pay your bounty. Could take 10-15 minutes of your time, and that’s if you ignore all the random encounters that will happen along the way.

 

Maybe when I was younger that would actually sound like fun. But my time is limited, and I had already fast traveled to this town to save time. I’m used to at this point saving like I’m playing Xcom or something to alleviate things like this. 

 

I have two two other major gripes with the game, but I won’t go into that unless you are curious. There are several people on these boards who were so frustrated with the controls of the game and frankly misunderstood mechanics early on that I think they run the risk of scaring others from trying the game at all. It’s a very flawed but often incredible experience. 

[ShreddieMercury]

2 hours ago, Hurdyb1 said:

Controls like that would be a major turn off. Thanks for that. People talking the game up so much, I almost wanted to grab it.

RDR2 is one of the worst, and also most fascinating games I've played in years.  I can understand being entranced by the graphics and the detail throughout the world, but as a game it fails on nearly every conceivable level.  In its dedication to realism, the game places priority on slow animations that don't really string together well.  So it feels, as others have put it, like moving through molasses.  On top of that, every input control has a specific context, so if you're next to your horse and you need to change weapons, you have to hold two buttons while cycling through menus, and the game does not always respond properly to these particular contextual situations.  Most of the gameplay systems are tedious and don't affect the game in any meaningful way.  You have health and stamina "cores" that fill if you eat and drink, but if you drain them, nothing happens, and the shooting is so easy and mindless that you'll never die unless you turn off auto aim and flail around due to the horrible aiming feedback.

 

All of this might be bearable if the story was interesting or well written, but it's not.  It's the same cliched, overwrought garbage that's in every Rockstar game; it's a hodgepodge of tired western tropes that fail to cohere or say anything meaningful, and your actions are frequently at odds with how your character behaves in cut-scenes and other interactions.  To give credit where it's due, I did really enjoy the ending, but it's lessened by everything that came before it. 

 

In short, it's a game that will initially dazzle you, and subsequently confuse and frustrate you.  The more distance that I have from it, the more I actively dislike everything about it.

[Paperclyp]

4 minutes ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

 

All of this might be bearable if the story was interesting or well written, but it's not.  It's the same cliched, overwrought garbage that's in every Rockstar game; it's a hodgepodge of tired western tropes that fail to cohere or say anything meaningful

I’m not gonna argue it’s not heavy with tropes, but the game is masterfully written and acted. Comparing it to past Rockstar games just isn’t accurate. They drop the satire and attempts at comedy for all but a few side missions. 

 

The main story arc is great, and they use the video game elements in awesome ways to emphasize it (how the camp changes, the dialogue between npc’s, etc.) And there is some truly awesome side story stuff. 

[Rodimus]

It’s a me Mario! So far Super Mario in one form or another doesn’t have issues getting a new release. 

 

I also hear Madden’s next slogan is going to be where else are you going to play an NFL game?

[skillzdadirecta]

5 hours ago, Hurdyb1 said:

Controls like that would be a major turn off. Thanks for that. People talking the game up so much, I almost wanted to grab it.

 

Did you like the first Red Dead or any other Rockstar game? You'll like this... The controls are basic Rockstar and are every customizable. Be sad for you to miss out on the game based on something that is very exagerrated. Folks act like the game is unplayable.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

3 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Did you like the first Red Dead or any other Rockstar game? You'll like this... The controls are basic Rockstar and are every customizable. Be sad for you to miss out on the game based on something that is very exagerrated. Folks act like the game is unplayable.

I remember liking the first RDR and I've liked all the GTA games. I did not like RDR2. Maybe it doesn't control all that differently from other Rockstar games. I don't really care to go back and replay those. Maybe I've just played better controlling games since I last played a Rcokstar game. 

 

Either way, I was not impressed with the controls of RDR2 and it kept me from wanting to play more than a few hours. I really just need to sell my copy while it still has some value. Maybe one day, I'll try the inevitable PC release when it's discounted or something.

[Mercury33]

22 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Did you like the first Red Dead or any other Rockstar game? You'll like this... The controls are basic Rockstar and are every customizable. Be sad for you to miss out on the game based on something that is very exagerrated. Folks act like the game is unplayable.

 

This isn't necessarily true.  RDR is one of my favorite games of all time and RDR 2 makes me want to punch puppies in the face.

[GameDadGrant]

On 2/22/2019 at 11:27 AM, Paperclyp said:

Yeah when I was into sports games the dudes who really were into sports games gave 0 shits about reviews (unless they confirmed what they thought). 

 

I think some games are review proof in a different way, in that reviewers seem afraid to deviate too much from a high score. The mainline Mario games are like this. Sunshine has some good stuff going on, but I’ve long said if that game was starting Ricky Racoon it would have been reviewed in the 6s and 7s. 

 

But generally I’d agree with call of duty and sports games. It also seems like the destiny-likes have a contingent of fans who swear the game is good no matter what, and each new expansion also makes it good for real now (even though it was good before). 

 

I also think MMOs are somewhat impervious to reviews, because it’s just not realistic for a member of the press to really understand those games around the release window. 

 

I would tend to agree. Even about Sunshine, which...while technically a good game, has many flaws and I personally don't think it deserved the 8s and 9s out of 10 it received back in the day. It's the worst Mario game in my book.

[Kal-El814]

On 2/23/2019 at 10:53 AM, Paperclyp said:

I’m not gonna argue it’s not heavy with tropes, but the game is masterfully written and acted. Comparing it to past Rockstar games just isn’t accurate. They drop the satire and attempts at comedy for all but a few side missions. 

I don't think it's masterfully written. Masterfully acted, yes. But it has the same narrative / gameplay disconnect that every R* game does.

[Paperclyp]

14 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

I don't think it's masterfully written. Masterfully acted, yes. But it has the same narrative / gameplay disconnect that every R* game does.

I’m not talking about that disconnect, which certainly exists. Though I’d argue that is quite mitigated compared to prior GTA and the first Red Dead. It depends how you play Arthur, though. And in this one the disconnect is more about the way the game acts like you’re all basically broke and need to hurry, when you can spend weeks with Arthur making money, hunting, hanging out, etc at your leisure. Not unlike Mass Effect’s WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE SOON hey let’s go dancing and get drunk and then explore the galaxy for weeks on end thing. 

 

But yeah the plot itself, the writing of the main missions and side missions, is second to none. 

[atom631]

The Mario franchise -

 

oh look, they added hats!!! 9.5 / 10 / 10 / 9.9 / 9.8!!!!!! 

[Link200]

Honestly I would say NBA2K. Regardless of how much bad PR they get people buy it by the millions. NBA2K18 had some of the most negative PR for a NBA2K game and yet it set sales records for 2K. I wouldn't be surprised if 2K19 is in a similar boat.

[crispy4000]

13 hours ago, atom631 said:

The Mario franchise -

 

oh look, they added hats!!! 9.5 / 10 / 10 / 9.9 / 9.8!!!!!! 

I think the best 3d Mario game (Galaxy 2) actually did the least original.  There's a lot more to what makes these games click than window dressing.

It probably does help review scores that they make big control scheme changes every game or two.  It makes it feel like the idea of a Mario game is always evolving.  To me, it earns its stripes.

It's the 2d "New" series that's been beaten like a dead horse.  Scores have reflected that.