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Afrika |OT| of pretending to work for National Geographic

S

SolidusDave

Member
Tizlor said:
After playing this for a bit, Pokemon Snap is still king in the photo-taking game genre.
Click to expand...

It has not much in common with Pokemon Snap IMO

Pokemon Snap = Lightgun"shooter"

Afrika = Open World Adventure with camera simulation
(by that I mean you have to find the animals, scout the environment, take pictures of specific behaviors etc., solve problems to finish a mission including use of specific equipment. Also quite a detailed simulation of how a camera works, including manual tweaks you can/would use in your real camera)


Edit: @ file size: there is about 55min of (HD) national geographic video content on the disc (+ HD pictures, the orchestral sound, quality samples of animal noises etc.), go figure.
 
V

VibratingDonkey

Member
Did they make the US version realistic so you can run over a lion or something or break its legs off?

Think I might give this one an import. The question is if the price will drop before VGP's stock disappears. Can't imagine there'll be too many copies of this game.
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
VibratingDonkey said:
Did they make the US version realistic so you can run over a lion or something or break its legs off?
Click to expand...

...

Afrika is already MORE realistic than that because your partner actually stops and scolds you before you can hit any animal (besides that your own character would never try to do that anyway).
 
GeekyDad

GeekyDad

Member
I'm really confused...hasn't this game been in development for a handful of years now? And they decided to release it right around the same time as Uncharted 2 with no fanfare whatsoever? 'Tis a shame, I say.
 
T

TrAcEr_x90

Member
Digital-Hero said:
The XMB theme was put up by Sony, the original publisher. Natsume is doing the U.S. publishing so it is unknown whether it will go up on ours. You could just create a japanese account and get the theme. That is what I did.
Click to expand...

I did the other night but it said it costs now? 100 yen, did i read that right?
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
TrAcEr_x90 said:
I did the other night but it said it costs now? 100 yen, did i read that right?
Click to expand...

it was only free during September as a kind of promotion.

Edit: I just noticed it's available for free on the Hong Kong Store as of today :D
It actually has a comment about how to lower the brightness if you can't read the text :lol
 
C

Chrange

Banned
SolidusDave said:
IAfrika = Open World Adventure with camera simulation
(by that I mean you have to find the animals, scout the environment, take pictures of specific behaviors etc., solve problems to finish a mission including use of specific equipment. Also quite a detailed simulation of how a camera works, including manual tweaks you can/would use in your real camera)
Click to expand...

Honestly, that's kind of overstating what the game is.

There's no real problem solving or even location scouting. When you arrive for a mission they show you the location you're going to get your shot in. All you really have to do is go there and wait for the animals to show up. Some of the missions feel really contrived that way - like when they're telling you to get in the tree for the giraffe mission early on. You can wander around (for a little ways around the jeep anyway) but nothing will happen. The instant you climb that tree though, here come the giraffes!

It's an okay game for what it is, but people shouldn't go into it expecting more than just driving to a location you're told to sit at, sitting there, then cashing in your photos. The only fidgety stuff is finding what the best location is for the behavior stuff, since it's annoying to sit there for 10 minutes waiting for a hippo to yawn while facing you only to have them continually cycling through that animation while facing the wrong way :lol

GeekyDad said:
I'm really confused...hasn't this game been in development for a handful of years now? And they decided to release it right around the same time as Uncharted 2 with no fanfare whatsoever? 'Tis a shame, I say.
Click to expand...

The game's been done for quite a while. It wasn't brought over by Sony though, so it waited for someone else to pick up the slack.
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
Chrange said:
Honestly, that's kind of overstating what the game is.

There's no real problem solving or even location scouting. When you arrive for a mission they show you the location you're going to get your shot in. All you really have to do is go there and wait for the animals to show up. Some of the missions feel really contrived that way - like when they're telling you to get in the tree for the giraffe mission early on. You can wander around (for a little ways around the jeep anyway) but nothing will happen. The instant you climb that tree though, here come the giraffes!

It's an okay game for what it is, but people shouldn't go into it expecting more than just driving to a location you're told to sit at, sitting there, then cashing in your photos. The only fidgety stuff is finding what the best location is for the behavior stuff, since it's annoying to sit there for 10 minutes waiting for a hippo to yawn while facing you only to have them continually cycling through that animation while facing the wrong way :lol

.
Click to expand...
You are right that you shouldn't expect too much, but for me the gameplay was quite refreshing because it's basically adventuring (which is rare today).
I was a bit disappointed that most of the cool stuff like hunting etc. can only be seen in triggered events

Also you are only describing the beginning/almost tutorial missions. The later missions will make go explore etc. (e.g. animals you normally never see, stealth gameplay to make a better photo and don't tell me your version of the game just told you were to find that little dung beetle :p )
I didn't say it's an open world game w/o triggers, actually I don't think it would really work otherwise or it at least it would be unplayable to more casual gamer. But IMO the gameplay is very different from Pokemon snap etc. , that's the point I was trying to make (so it's more similar to Aquanaut's Holiday)
 
L

Loudninja

Member
1up review B-
Once you just sit back and enjoy it, though, Afrika cements itself as a one-of-a-kind adventure through a land most of us won't see "in person." The animals and their behaviors are the real highlights, as they're wonderfully rendered and animated. The cameras are easy to use, and the orchestrated, cinematic soundtrack is pretty memorable. Originally, the biggest problem I had with Afrika was that there wasn't more of a narrative. I like having the freedom to explore beautiful virtual worlds, but I also appreciate some story to bring it together. But as the game progressed, I felt that maybe a game like this doesn't need a bunch of drama attached -- a picture is worth a thousand words.
Click to expand...

http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3176373
 
Psy-Phi

Psy-Phi

Member
If TRU has a copy when I go to get UC2 and Brutal Legend, I'll snag it. It's this or NG2 for me that day. But knowing TRU they won't have 2 of the games I want so I'll get this, one of those and some crap game I can hope to trade in later.
 
DuckZilla

DuckZilla

Neo Member
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
 
S

Shurs

Member
Tyl3n0L said:
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
Click to expand...

More like final nail in the coffin for IGN, amirite?
 
F

Flipyap

Member
Holy crap, what a bad review.

"Afrika Review
Photographing a yawning hippo is about as exciting as it sounds.
by Greg Miller"
The headline alone is a pretty good clue that this is not the right person to review this game. Christ.

"Trouble is, even the photos aren't handled that well. When you see something you want to shoot, you bring up the camera with Square, work your orientation and zoom with the stick, and then snap with R1. The whole process is tedious,(...)"
What did he want? The game to take the picture for him?
I really don't understand.

"I expected to be roaming the countryside with a notebook full of things I'd need to shoot and having to carefully pick my shots. In Afrika, you just get one specific quest and drive out to one specific place and shoot the one specific animal. "
That's simply incorrect. Did he play the game for an hour?

"If you're wondering -- and just about everyone who has stopped by my desk has been -- you can't die in Afrika."
...okay.
 
O

OldJadedGamer

Banned
Tyl3n0L said:
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
Click to expand...

I don't think the animals are robotic at all. While I agree with the text for the most part (no voices is a very bad omission) I don't agree with the score. Way to low for this title and seems like they went overboard. I would have given this a 6.5 or a 7 if I reviewed it. It's fun for what it is but really does not hold up to the standards a first party developed title should be held to.
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
Tyl3n0L said:
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
Click to expand...


oh wow :lol

I can't say some of the points are necessarily wrong (though as usual I can bet he didn't finish the game because there is no mention of the later stuff/equipment), but I think the people who enjoyed the game weren't really bothered by that.
Actually wait a sec, the comment about bad animations and "the one song" is pretty wrong ^^

It's like the review was written by a guy who only like Gears of War etc.
Like I said, it's not necessarily wrong (though I would argue about which games did get better scores, but you can't apply that logic to most gaming sites because they are very inconsistent), but it's from a complete different viewpoint (see the other B- review for reference) so he didn't "get" the game or what the benefits actually are in contrast to only the negative side (especially stuff that doesn't really matter to the game like driving physics etc. Also, uhm... what else should happen if you get stuck, no car reset?)

It's a bit sad because I know many people do actually care about reviews and even scores and coming from a big site this could have an impact on the games sales. So back to import-only and bald space marine shooters for the west :/


edit: yeah, I don't understand what's he trying to say about the camera control, too.
I guess they want to pull of another Lair?

No VA was also for me a surprise, but did It really hurt the game? You don't really talk that much in the game anyway (besides the animal sounds are much more important).
I would have wanted it to be in Aquanaut's Holiday because that's more of a kind of story-adventure but even there it wasn't that of a bad hit for the atmosphere.
At least for me?
Nintendo games don't get a 3.5 because they have no VA *being childish*
 
F

Flipyap

Member
SolidusDave said:
It's like the review was written by a guy who only like Gears of War etc.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be so sure. He finds the actions required to take a photo in Afrika to be "tedious", when it's actually pretty similar to aiming in Gears of War.

Look at me being IGN:
"Trouble is, even the gunplay isn't handled that well. When you see something you want to shoot, you bring up the gun with Left Trigger, work your orientation and aim with the stick, and then shoot with Right Trigger. The whole process is tedious,(...)"

How would he simplify the process of taking pictures in Afrika, I don't know.
 
M

madmook

Member
Flipyap said:
"Trouble is, even the photos aren't handled that well. When you see something you want to shoot, you bring up the camera with Square, work your orientation and zoom with the stick, and then snap with R1. The whole process is tedious,(...)"
What did he want? The game to take the picture for him?
I really don't understand.
Click to expand...
That quote is really trippin' me out, too. I mean, that's how photos are taken. How can one even begin to call that process tedious? Its the same as shooters where you bring your aim/ironsights up, track your target and push the fire button.

And I like Greg in podcasts, too.
 
V

Valkyr Junkie

Member
madmook said:
That quote is really trippin' me out, too. I mean, that's how photos are taken. How can one even begin to call that process tedious? Its the same as shooters where you bring your aim/ironsights up, track your target and push the fire button.

And I like Greg in podcasts, too.
Click to expand...

He was hoping for blind-fire photography from behind cover.

edit: B- from 1UP equals 67 from Metacritic :lol
 
O

OldJadedGamer

Banned
SolidusDave said:
Nintendo games don't get a 3.5 because they have no VA *being childish*
Click to expand...

They also aren't made by companies that scream, hoot, and holler at every chance they get about how big Blu-ray discs are and how much crystal clear 7.1 audio it can hold. For a first party developed, PS3 exclusive title, no VA is a big ding to this game. There are only a few characters... would it really hurt to have added it?
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
OldJadedGamer said:
They also aren't made by companies that scream, hoot, and holler at every chance they get about how big Blu-ray discs are and how much crystal clear 7.1 audio it can hold. For a first party developed, PS3 exclusive title, no VA is a big ding to this game. There are only a few characters... would it really hurt to have added it?
Click to expand...

well but the sound quality IS pretty good (environment, animals, music etc.), I don't know which format but AFAIK Aquanaut's Holiday is also 7.1 for example.

But I don't get the decision for no VA in these games either.
 
D

DevelopmentArrested

Banned
Tyl3n0L said:
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
Click to expand...


:lol ouch.
 
T

TheExecutive

Member
I would be lying if I said I wasnt interested. However, this will have to fall in the backlog but it looks fun and a nice break from the norm. Glad it got localized to the Americas:D
 
V

VibratingDonkey

Member
Myzer said:
The IGN US review of Football Manager 2009 springs immediatly to ming.
Click to expand...
Now that was hilarious. I don't think it'll ever be topped.
TheExecutive said:
I would be lying if I said I wasnt interested. However, this will have to fall in the backlog but it looks fun and a nice break from the norm. Glad it got localized to the Americas:D
Click to expand...
I'm with you there. Even if it perhaps isn't particularly high budget or perfectly executed, the fact that it's so unlike other games makes up for a lot. Think I'll wait for a pricedrop though.
 
Alex

Alex

Member
Tyl3n0L said:
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
Click to expand...

If only you could kill the animals.
 
dorkimoe

dorkimoe

Member
Tyl3n0L said:
Final nail in the coffin for this game... Sadly. I was looking forward to it :lol

IGN Review, 3.5

3.5 Presentation
The time it takes to get into the game and the time it takes to save is ridiculous. There's no flash or flair to any of the game's somewhat clunky menus.
5.0 Graphics
The animals look robotic, the grass is a flat texture on the floor, and your people look and move oddly.
3.5 Sound
There's next to nothing when it comes to sound in this game. There are no voices and only one song that stands out. The animals roar OK… I guess.
3.5 Gameplay
Everything here is tedious from breaking out your camera to struggling with the lame car controls.
3.5 Lasting Appeal
There are jobs to take, but why would you?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/103/1032352p1.html
Click to expand...

wasnt made by activision , that would explain this
 
G

GQman2121

Banned
For a game like this Miller is the last person I would want to read a review from. He's like that retarded kid who is just retarded enough to be diagnosed as retarded, but wise enough to know that he is special and wants everyone else to know it too. They need to keep him on the games with bright lights and Smackdown's because he's going to be down on pretty much any niche title that doesn't have a huge following.

I'm not saying he doesn't make some valid points because he does, but this is really one of those games where its whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
 
A

Afrikan

Member
here is a picture of the Idiot. Sure, opinions are fine and all....but this is not the first time he has come off as a little bitch. I mean the review is just bitchy..."its boring...wa, wa" WTF? how do these idiots get these jobs.....Why would the head folks at IGN let this knucklehead do this review...what a waste of space.....its like some of the morons who work at Gamestop, the ones who don't know their shit. Its funny how we both work in the same city.

lair-20070907112113601.jpg


edit- and no, my username has nothing to do with this game.... "Afrikan" has been my nickname for Madden Tournys through out the nation since 2001.
 
P

patsu

Member
Will buy tomorrow. Went to the store to pick up Demon's Souls and Afrika but they only have the former today.
 
A

androvsky

Member
Afrikan said:
here is a picture of the Idiot. Sure, opinions are fine and all....but this is not the first time he has come off as a little bitch. I mean the review is just bitchy..."its boring...wa, wa" WTF? how do these idiots get these jobs.....Why would the head folks at IGN let this knucklehead do this review...what a waste of space.....its like some of the morons who work at Gamestop, the ones who don't know their shit. Its funny how we both work in the same city.

edit- and no, my username has nothing to do with this game.... "Afrikan" has been my nickname for Madden Tournys through out the nation since 2001.
Click to expand...


It's not that Greg Miller is an idiot; he seems reasonably intelligent when he manages to be serious long enough to get a thought out. The main problem is that he's probably the second-most hyperactive person working at IGN (the most hyper by far was introduced on last week's Podcast Beyond... *shudder*). He was specifically hired because he has a crazy, energetic personality. Why would IGN assign someone like that to review a game like Afrika unless they want an unreasonably low score? He's got some valid complaints, but the target audience seems to have been impressed with the game for the most part (I haven't played it yet). Maybe if you could wrestle the lions he'd give it a 9.5...
 
R

reminder

Member
That's one of the worst reviews i've ever read. Of course Afrika isn't a game for everyone and many people might agree that it's "boring", but if you're into these kind of games and don't care about some technical issues, Afrika is one of the best games in it's genre and deserves a much better score than 3.5/10.

If you are/were interested in this game before IGN's review, give it a chance.
 
W

walter_thet

Banned
androvsky said:
It's not that Greg Miller is an idiot; he seems reasonably intelligent when he manages to be serious long enough to get a thought out. The main problem is that he's probably the second-most hyperactive person working at IGN (the most hyper by far was introduced on last week's Podcast Beyond... *shudder*). He was specifically hired because he has a crazy, energetic personality. Why would IGN assign someone like that to review a game like Afrika unless they want an unreasonably low score? He's got some valid complaints, but the target audience seems to have been impressed with the game for the most part (I haven't played it yet). Maybe if you could wrestle the lions he'd give it a 9.5...
Click to expand...

I agree. He is not an idiot. He's good with what he know. Just that his taste range is very narrow and he is not the best person to review something like this. Oh well.
 
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