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[Rollo Lawson]

Wow. I can't believe the lack of professionalism from those sites that radically lowered the score because of the art style that they find morally questionable.

That's an insult to journalistic integrity no matter how you look at it.

Political agenda and moralization crusades should not be mixed with video game reviews.

If they found it off putting I don't see why it shouldnt be considered. These aren't news stories after all, they're opinions

Anyhoo I like what I'm seeing so far. Replay value, arcadey-ness...Hype up

 

[Chris R]

I agree with what that blurb says. Maybe not on the note about its portrayal of women, but I think it does look incredibly stupid and off-putting nonetheless. It's very distracting.

It's why I'm not buying the game.

 

[Midnight Bliss]

Anyone with anything negative to say about this game, clearly hasn't played the greatest console game of all time. Guardian Heroes.

We've been long overdue for a game like this for almost 15 years.

 

[GuardianE]

From Polygon's review:

Dragon's Crown is a wild place to visit, but it doesn't quite hold up in the light of day.

I'm not quite sure I understand.

 

[securitypigeon]

Some people in this thread are proving that rabid fanboy types can be infinitely more grating than any one reviewer or publication..

 

[Jacksonlee]

the expectation of a women's body - given we're playing a fantasy game, can vary - why cant these reviewers see through that while slaying dragons and beasts that's not realistically ....real?

 

[Data West]

We're not banning a website just because they posted a review you disagree with about a game you haven't played yet.

I don't really think you need to play the game to think it's ridiculous for a review's score to hinge so heavily on the art style.

 

[TrueMenace]

If you read the Co-optimus review, they go in-depth into the multiplayer function of the game...and it sounds ATROCIOUS....

Wow, whoever these dev's are don't seem to understand proper multiplayer functionality and basics.....

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

I'm just happy it isn't repetitive or broken.

Cant wait!

By the way, is this more like Final Fight or Code of Princess, a side scroller or arena?

 

[DangerStepp]

I agree with everything you just said about polygon.com.

Okay, you got a chuckle out of me.

Who wrote that review? I'm not giving them any clicks.

 

[HORRORSHØW]

Hurry up next week Goddamnit!

 

[Aeana]

It's not about whether the reviewer liked the game, it's whether she actually reviewed the game. Quoting myself from the other thread:


And quoting TheSpoiler for an apt description of these kinds of reviews:


These aren't social blogs, they're game reviews. Supposedly. The vast majority of the focus should be on the quality of the game: its gameplay, mechanics, enjoyability, etc. Something that can be summarized as "this offends me" belongs in a diary entry, not a professional game review. Now, if Polygon wants to do an article complaining about the art style, more power to them. It's a dumb thing to complain about, but at least it's the appropriate medium.


Whereas you go out of your way to talk it down!

What you quoted is nothing like Polygon's review. Did you even read it? She talks quite a lot about other aspects of the game. Things she liked, things she didn't. But in the end, a game review is just the opinion of a person about a game they played. That's all it can be. Lots of things come together to make up a game, not just the things you personally deem important. People have their own priorities, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. A game review is an opinion piece through-and-through; there is no such thing as objectivity in reviews.

This outrage is honestly silly. People are allowed to feel differently than you. You've already decided you're buying the game, anyway, so what difference do reviews make anyway?

 

[LuuKyK]

Okay, you got a chuckle out of me.

Who wrote that review? I'm not giving them any clicks.

Danielle something.

 

[a very cute dog]

It's not about whether the reviewer liked the game, it's whether she actually reviewed the game. Quoting myself from the other thread:


And quoting TheSpoiler for an apt description of these kinds of reviews:


These aren't social blogs, they're game reviews. Supposedly. The vast majority of the focus should be on the quality of the game: its gameplay, mechanics, enjoyability, etc. Something that can be summarized as "this offends me" belongs in a diary entry, not a professional game review. Now, if Polygon wants to do an article complaining about the art style, more power to them. It's a dumb thing to complain about, but at least it's the appropriate medium.


Whereas you go out of your way to talk it down!

Did you read the review? Obviously there's talk about the art style, but it can hardly be summarized as "this offends me, therefore mediocre score."

 

[Delusibeta]

I guess I'm not surprised that the Polygon review should be so controversial, but I'm also incredibly disappointed.

The small fact that all Polygon reviews are shit doesn't help. But yeah, it's about par for the course for Polygon.

 

[Kensuke]

It seems to me that most aren't reading Polygon's review. The reviewer isn't even that offended by the Amazon or the Sorceress. She takes more issue with the female NPC's. They provide a few examples in the video review. There is a NPC that literally has her legs spread apart in a sexual position. That clearly goes beyond just 'exaggerated proportions'.

Despite disliking the artstyle I'm still going to buy the game though. Loved Odin Sphere and this one also looks awesome in the gameplay department.

 

[Jhriad]

Hey, maybe Polygon will update the score when they release the burka DLC pack.

Or is that courtesy only extended to EA?

Clapping.gif

 

[JCizzle]

I went from no interest to hype train mode in about a week. Really like the loot grind... hope it changes visuals too.

 

[Arklite]

I feel like I've read a lot of pieces about what role game reviewers have to play in the industry. Should they treat reviews as Consumer Reports-style writeups, i.e. "graphics on level 3 could use tightening up but the anti-aliasing makes it a solid 8.65 out of 10!" or should reviewers treat games less like products and more like pieces of art or literature? Based on all the vitriol sites like IGN get for ridiculously precise review scores and the appreciation for sites like Giant Bomb, where each individual's likes and dislikes are well-known and accepted for the most part, I assumed the trend was towards reviews as opinion piece.

I wish reviewers would do a strict review on gameplay and design, then follow up with their own opinion later in the piece. Making a review too much about the reviewers opinions and outlook than gameplay critique is a rather useless approach for such an interactive medium, IMO.

 

[Kyoufu]

How is the game then? It sounds like you played it, otherwise your comment is quite silly.

I've already summed up my feelings in the impressions thread, but the game sorely lacks in content thus becoming repetitive very quickly. The loot system is very shallow. There's no sense of reward when the items you obtain are so generic. Feels like a pointless grind in the end.

The combat is fun but lacks depth. It eventually became a button masher for me before I stopped playing. It's also very easy to lose track of your character in battles, especially if others are using the same character as you.

I'd say this is the most reasonable and balanced review I've read so far: http://stickskills.com/2013/07/31/dragons-crown-review-gimme-the-loot/

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Atlus's own PR people are taking diverging opinions better than some Dragon's Crown fans, apparently.

 

[ShadyJ]

Polygon video review

Yea your social views and shit should be kept out of a game review. People look for reviews to really see if a game is fun and plays well and isn't a total piece of shit. Not you hear someone shove their views down their throats.

Oh wow, you would have that femfreq reviewed this.

 

[Aeana]

I don't really think you need to play the game to think it's ridiculous for a review's score to hinge so heavily on the art style.

Is it really that ridiculous? Is it any more ridiculous than people hating Tales of Graces because of its story, disregarding every other aspect of that game? That's certainly very common. The bottom line is that some things bother some people more than others, and there are no laws about how things must be weighted in a game review.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

The art style and character design ooooze of personality I love it.

I'll probably pick this up ASAP! It has been a while since a good side scrolling brawler hit my consoles.

 

[securitypigeon]

the expectation of a women's body - given we're playing a fantasy game, can vary - why cant these reviewers see through that while slaying dragons and beasts that's not realistically ....real?

It's not about the reviewer 'seeing through' that and more you seeing through the fact they think it's a big enough issue to raise and lower the verdict as a result. You can disagree with them, and that's wonderful. If it doesn't bother you personally, then I wouldn't worry about it! Each publication has a voice of their own, even when your feelings don't quite line up with theirs.

 

[sechsterangriff]

idk man

I don't know which of these are the amazon, but if it's the one on top right I think they are. too a large extent. actually for the one on the left as well, lol

The knight's arms are not what I would call realistic. Or any other characters physiognomy for that matter...

 

[Deleted member 125677]

Polygon video review

Yea your social views and shit should be kept out of a game review. People look for reviews to really see if a game is fun and plays well and isn't a total piece of shit. Not you hear someone shove their views down their throats.

wtf

The knight's arms are not what would call realistic either. Or any other characters physiognomy for that matter...

That's ok man.

I was just pointing out to the other poster, who said the boobs were not bigger than her head that they as a matter of fact were.

 

[Delusibeta]

Atlus's own PR people are taking diverging opinions better than some Dragon's Crown fans, apparently.

That's because all fans handle diverging opinions really fucking badly (even of stuff as mainstream and pedestrian as One Direction, although stanning might be a bit of a factor there. Fair warning, possible NSFW magazine cover on the other side, also might be wise to fire off a trigger warning here).

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Every extended demo I've seen makes it look like just another Vanillaware game; very pretty to look at, incredibly shallow and VERY repetitive gameplay.

 

[Lord Error]

Regardless of character art, I've finally seen some screens from the game showing levels and all, and the visuals on this are insanely incredible IMO. It's practically the best looking 2D game ever made perhaps or a strong contender at the very least.

 

[darkside31337]

I agree with what that blurb says. Maybe not on the note about its portrayal of women, but I think it does look incredibly stupid and off-putting nonetheless. It's very distracting.

Agree with you and kudos to the Atlus PR guy for saying the obvious - that its okay to not enjoy a game because of its art style. One of the reasons I'm not picking this one up myself.

If you read the Co-optimus review, they go in-depth into the multiplayer function of the game...and it sounds ATROCIOUS....

Wow, whoever these dev's are don't seem to understand proper multiplayer functionality and basics.....

People should be whining about the score for -this review-. The text doesn't align itself with the score at all, the multiplayer sounds really terrible in certain aspects.

 

[Nnamz]

People still say this shit? Unironically?

Yes, and they are absolutely right. Women do not hold exclusive rights to the victim status. Men can be offended over their genders depiction in Dragon's Crown just as much as women can.

That said, I think anyone getting offended over this is silly. Christina Hendricks has boobs bigger than her head "with a rear to match". Should we be giving Mad Men episodes crappy scores because Hendricks exists and is being used? Lol

EDIT: For the record I think Polygon is entitled to score the game whatever they want, regardless of how stupid I think their reasons are. It was her review and she owned it and I respect that.

 

[Tiktaalik]

There's nothing unreasonable about the Polygon review.

 

[Abriael]

what did you expect from people that review video games?
the industry's growth really depends on these people, and if these people are stooping to this level over art form, so be it.

but they have no right to whine about how the game industry being treated like shit

I expect a bit of fairness and the ability to look at games with a degree of objectivity. I review myself. As a matter of fact I just reviewed dragon's crown (won't link, as I'm not keen on self promotion here), and I reviewed a ton of games that don't fit my personal taste. But I sure don't go around docking several points from their score, as I'm used to look beyond my taste.

If they found it off putting I don't see why it shouldnt be considered. These aren't news stories after all, they're opinions

A review isn't just opinion. It should be a balanced mix of opinion and fact.

A good reviewer cannot let his personal taste (or even worse, his personal political/moral agendas) weigh more than the objective quality of a game, otherwise he's just misleading his readers.

When you give a game a score, you're making a statement of quality, not a statement of taste.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

The one review that said "haunting" was spot on. They all have that weird dead look on their faces like the faces on playing cards *shudders*

 

[Revven]

Polygon video review

If you think the written review is bad, just watch the first 15 seconds of this video. It doesn't take her anywhere near as long to get to the complaints about the art style. She jumps RIGHT into it; nothing held back.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

The knight's arms are not what I would call realistic. Or any other characters physiognomy for that matter...

Yup. I will say this though. The video review I do give props for actually covering the details of the game first then going into the rant. I'll give them that without a doubt.

 

[djplaeskool]

Every extended demo I've seen makes it look like just another Vanillaware game; very pretty to look at, incredibly shallow and VERY repetitive gameplay.

The game gets pretty amazing once you start building up skill points and customizing your character for how you want to play the game. It's not complex, but far from shallow.

 

[Ken]

The experience is virtually identical on PS3 and Vita, but if you absolutely, positively only want to buy one, I’d go for the PlayStation 3 version, as its chaotic action is more readable and better appreciated on the big screen.

Is it a lot better? I'm planning to buy two Vita copies for local co-op but I'd love to hear GAF impressions on the differences.

 

[halfbeast]

I've already summed up my feelings in the impressions thread, but the game sorely lacks in content thus becoming repetitive very quickly. The loot system is very shallow. There's no sense of reward when the items you obtain are so generic. Feels like a pointless grind in the end.

The combat is fun but lacks depth. It eventually became a button masher for me before I stopped playing. It's also very easy to lose track of your character in battles, especially if others are using the same character as you.

I'd say this is the most reasonable and balanced review I've read so far: http://stickskills.com/2013/07/31/dragons-crown-review-gimme-the-loot/

well, I never expected it to be the "citizen kane of gaming". Vanillaware's games always felt like they had the potential for a masterpiece but something's just missing. still looking forward to it! who made the soundtrack, btw, do you know?

 

[mattiewheels]

I got banned from Polygon for asking if paychecks from Microsoft are cause for their apparent bias in review scores. After all, their start-up was funded by Internet Explorer and they are currently covered in Xbox One ads.

First Ni no Kuni, then The Last of Us and now Dragon's Crown giving further credence to my theories.

Is this post satire?

 

[Draft]

It's funny that the negative reviews all focus on big tits and tiny bikinis.

 

[Necrovex]

I've already summed up my feelings in the impressions thread, but the game sorely lacks in content thus becoming repetitive very quickly. The loot system is very shallow. There's no sense of reward when the items you obtain are so generic. Feels like a pointless grind in the end.

The combat is fun but lacks depth. It eventually became a button masher for me before I stopped playing. It's also very easy to lose track of your character in battles, especially if others are using the same character as you.

I'd say this is the most reasonable and balanced review I've read so far: http://stickskills.com/2013/07/31/dragons-crown-review-gimme-the-loot/

When I get back from the gym, I will read through that review.

 

[TheRealTalker]

lol polygon again

 

[Aeana]

A review isn't just opinion. It should be a balanced mix of opinion and fact.

A good reviewer cannot let his personal taste (or even worse, his personal political/moral agendas) weigh more than the objective quality of a game, otherwise he's just misleading his readers.

When you give a game a score, you're making a statement of quality, not a statement of taste.

There is no such thing as objective quality, especially when it comes to entertainment. Every single person on the planet perceives things differently.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Vanillaware getting the props they deserve at last.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

A review isn't just opinion. It should be a balanced mix of opinion and fact.

How much fact can you put in a review outside of simply describing the game? If all reviews did that, they'd all run together. Again, these aren't news stories. Reviews are opinion pieces

 

[GuardianE]

Every extended demo I've seen makes it look like just another Vanillaware game; very pretty to look at, incredibly shallow and VERY repetitive gameplay.

I'm hoping it's a few steps up. I don't need my beat 'em ups to be super deep, but I would definitely like to see some specialization and variety.

 

[Riposte]

Atlus's own PR people are taking diverging opinions better than Dragon's Crown fans, apparently.

Well, yeah, that's what PR people do. They are the face.


The whole thing about reviews on NeoGAF confuses me, especially when we get into the community of fans for "niche" games or "niche" genres. A lot of you have good reason to doubt all of these reviews, not just the ones which have scores (or unfocused grievances) you disagree with. Game journos don't know a damn thing until they sort of agree with me through numbers. If I were to make the thread "Do you think game journos write good reviews?" I already know what the answer will be (at least from this crowd, belt-scroller, fighting game, STG, etc. fans).

 

[MoeB]

polygon have their panties in a bunch again. shocking.