Bioshock Infinite - Review Thread [UP: IGN exclusive split PC/Console review up]
- Thread starter Voice of Reason
- Start date
SlowRevolution
Member
i hate when writers do that
Off topic but what are you using that turns gaf that color? I need to try it out, maybe using gaf as long as I do with the default background is why my eyes hurt so much now.
MiamiWesker
Member
Almost no reviews have anything on Move support, WTF come on guys that is the point of you getting early copies to tell us about these things. Do your job.
I am a bit scared on the whole story story story thing. Seems like story is the reason for the rave reviews over gameplay.
I am a bit scared on the whole story story story thing. Seems like story is the reason for the rave reviews over gameplay.
Probably the lowest-scoring review so far http://ru.ign.com/review/2945/review-bioshock-infinite 7.5/10
captainnapalm
Member
I don't think you're using the word hyperbole correctly.
Which is important too. They're paid journalists at the end of the day. A good use of the English language, and poignancy in being able to deliver and justify an opinion is important.
I like casual reviews, but the well written ones are also important. Personally I feel like too many gaming journalists lack the verbal versatility of say, movie critics for example. But that might be a correlation to the differences between the two mediums themselves.
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
That's a disheartening sentiment.
Because at the end of the day it's a packed consumer product and I need to decide if it's worth my money at $60, or more like $30 in 6 months.
Two concerns I have too. I hope Move works but no one wants to discuss it. I hate to say reviewers are bad at their jobs, but seriously.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
Karak
Member
Ya and Sessler's review was done in such a way that I got more information, at least as to the overall feel for the game, than all the other reviews. He is a journalist and I enjoyed him sounding like one. Perhaps he did that on purpose due to his anger concerning pre-release reviews. But that single-handedly sent me into gamefly mode when I originally had no interest.
captainnapalm
Member
Thank God there are enough consumers out there who want more for gaming. Otherwise I'd have been out of the medium a long time ago.
That exists in spades for those who somehow want it. For others, it's like demanding that book reviews obsess about font size and paper stock at the expense of the writing itself. The non-consumer tip sheet is the exception, not the rule. Why be upset that those who want something else from criticism have options? Your needs are certainly still being served.
Thanks.
It's one more people need. We're playing games, not movies or paintings. Reviews need to stop spending 70% of their time telling me how all of that bullshit is and tell me if the gameplay works or not.
bigdaddygamebot
Member
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Today must be pretty exciting for you man.
Muffdraul
Member
You are talking about the Sessler review, yes? You seriously don't think he explained why the game is good? If so then I think you're guilty of focusing on what you deem an inappropriate level of positivity towards the game and ignoring what he actually said. I don't expect reviews don't need to go into minute detail of game play mechanics. I expect them to explain why they did or did not like the game or movie or whatever in question. And I think he did that.
Sessler apparently loved the shit out of Bioshock Infinite. For me, the only question is- is he being honest? I have no reason to assume he wasn't.
Peterthumpa
Member
That's 'cause all the reviews were made using the PC version from Steam.
I believe that console reviews would be just a copy/paste or non-existent at all.
EDIT: BTW, is there a readable version of Sessler's review?
The backlash from certain people in here against the reviews before they've even played the game is completely embarrassing. Even more so at the people whining about reviews talking about more than the bare-bones of the game. For the gaming industry to move forwards there should be some intellectual commentary on the game, rather than just "the graphics are awesome!", etc.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
What's disheartening is people paying full price for games blindly. Of course, their money, but if they want to give reviews some validity at least demand that you're being told why the game deserves that money. Not why it's so -insert adjective here-.
SlasherJPC
Banned
I just don't know how any review can't have a single negative point, that what gets me about Sesslers review but other then that game sounds pretty good.
SlowRevolution
Member
Why does it need to be one or the other? I agree that gameplay should get talked about more than it is, but if a game wants to try to tell a story, then whether or not the story is good is really important. Ignoring the story isn't going to help games get better - if they try to tell one they should be held accountable for it.
Sessler especially has been very clear that his reviews aren't just going to be going down a list checking off gameplay features. He wants to focus on the overall experience, and story is a big part of that.
Knux-Future
Banned
I must say this thread is pretty awesome.
normally, you have people get mad over reviews beign bad.
now you have people getting mad because they are too good or written with flowery words.
geez. Reviews really bother some of you.
it's not that serious guys.
normally, you have people get mad over reviews beign bad.
now you have people getting mad because they are too good or written with flowery words.
geez. Reviews really bother some of you.
it's not that serious guys.
MiamiWesker
Member
This. Way too much focus is put on the story, which is one aspect but no where near the most important. We are here to play games not watch them.
What happened with Journey last year disgusted me. If that is the direction we are going in I am out. A balance is great, I have zero problems with an excellent story but it must ALWAYS be in conjunction with great gameplay.
Absolutely. If my skeleton didn't feel broken after a drunk Quincy driver rammed my car at a red light last night, I'd be high on life. I expect the backlash - who doesn't when half the games you adore are dismissed not as less than great but as "utter garbage." But that's never stopped me from loving books and music that others also deem unworthy of existing. I'm happy to have made many people happy.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
It is confirmed that Wesker hates Journey.
Based on watching Sessler's review I'm more interested in playing the game. I'm not sure if I'll like the story (Elizabeth's character and design seem too manipulative and contrived from the given footage) but it seems interesting at the very least and I'll probably be glad I played it for its narrative ambition.
If all they talked about was the gameplay the review would be 70% shorter anyway, so you're not missing out on anything, except the time it takes you to read it I guess.
Agreed. The "mulitplayer has 10 maps", "the graphics and sound are awesome", "there are 2 different types of shotguns" type of reviews are a dime a dozen.
Congrats on the great reception by the way. Can't wait to play it.
Tell me about it. Reading some of these comments is sad. If the shooting is all they care about, why even buy this game? I remember spending hours in Bioshock absorbing the story and enjoying Rapture's art style. If art and story meant nothing to me, I would just spend my hard earned money in the countless other shooting games out there.
Come on, the review was articulated very well and he covered the bases of his experience in a thought out and nuanced fashion. He does this for a living, is he not allowed to use his vocabulary to express his experience in a professional way? Should he not express praise for his experience with different themes he encountered within the game? Of course not, because the game is obviously an overrated piece of shit, just like every other game that has received a good review this gen. That about right?
games have changed so much in the last 5 years from a conceptual stand point that the people writing about them don't have the experience to objectively critique them without at first checking their hype.
these people are fans just like us and its hard to not buy into your own excitement for a product.
they've gone from reviewing toys to reviewing hugely rich complex narratives that you interact with. I can only hope that stuff like this will get better with time as our industry grows.
it's hard to compare it with reviewing books/movies/tv shows when they have changed nowhere near as much as games in such a short span of time
these people are fans just like us and its hard to not buy into your own excitement for a product.
they've gone from reviewing toys to reviewing hugely rich complex narratives that you interact with. I can only hope that stuff like this will get better with time as our industry grows.
it's hard to compare it with reviewing books/movies/tv shows when they have changed nowhere near as much as games in such a short span of time
Do what I do when it comes to the value proposition: Wait for release, listen to the people who you trust, ignore the rest, and follow your gut. I don't read reviews to inform buying decisions. I have so many more reliable filters. And to be honest, I don't think anyone else here does either. But it's fun to know that you turn to intuition, forums, informed friends with comparable taste, and then pretend that critics are the ones costing you money isn't it?
Buckethead
Banned
After skimming those reviews, my hype levels have reached.... infinite.
yeeeeeaaaaaah
yeeeeeaaaaaah
bequietdrive
Member
If anyone wants a Gaffers unbiased opinion check out my review http://www.dailyjoypad.co.uk/?p=47581
BenjaminBirdie
Banned
What does this even mean? Storytelling is storytelling. Games are just another venue for it. Unless the mechanics are broken, which any review would assuredly get to (as you can't enjoy a story if the game is getting in your way), I don't see how those things are more important than the overall experience the developers are trying to communicate.
As far as cost, I'm pretty sure that goes into the construction of making this experience interactive. Which is why it's more expensive than going to the movies. I don't know, all this energy gets put into what makes a game worth its asking price. If the devs have taken a concept with massive ambition and scope, and pulled it off successfully, they deserve to be supported at the asking price.
Like, I don't get why games are treated differently than movies. No one would expect even highfalutin criticism to go into the lenses and film stock specifically, unless they detract from the cinematic experience.
If devs are going through the trouble of building stories around themes (which is a pretty core tenet of a work of art), treat them as such.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
I hate to ramble like a schoolgirl but allow me to embarrass myself for just a second.
I will never forget your exit from CGW where you broke down what was wrong with the current trend of games(Mentioned your Crysis review) where the majority of effort was to push more beautiful cinematic experiences but that the things that mattered - AI, and overall gameplay were being left behind and that by going to Irrational you were joining up with people that wanted to push gameplay again and evolve that first and foremost. It looks like a lot of people think you accomplished that so a early congrats man I can't wait to play the game.
Wanting games to have gameplay is anti-intellectualism?
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
While I def put more credibility to a random gafer's thoughts on a game, no one is costing me money..I wait till games are discounted either way. Even if it's AAAA 11/11 9 stars.. will grab when $10. Or free on Plus.
Enjoyed reading this. Not as in-depth as some of the others, but it's a bit more balanced in that it delves in to some of the negatives as well as the positives. I will say though, get new hosting or something, because the site is very slow to load for me. Both the page and the screenshots.
See...you say this now. But the problem is that I think many of the people who say this now but end up not liking Infinite will also be the ones to scorn game reviewers for their overwhelming praise of the game.
I have no problem with what Derrick and others are doing in this thread. After incidents like every GTA IV review and Greg Miller's Uncharted 3 review, I think people have a right to be cynical about these reviews.
I haven't actually seen a Move controller in a store in months. That might be why nobody gives a shit.
No, stating that reviews should use small words, have two paragraphs and not discuss the philosophy of the story is.
SneakyStephan
Banned
Really? seems the review is so packed they didn't have 5 seconds to mention the mouse controls being fucked
Btw there is nothing wrong with using language to its fullest, the problem is that the level of writing in these reviews is on the same level of 'a college freshman in a creative writing class' as someone else put it, and that they are unable to be concise and unable to eloquently convey the information the reader is looking for in the process.
EMPTY words , nothing more. It's a waste of everyone's time. Using a lot of words to say nothing is not intellectualism.
A good writer would be able to do both, they want to be chaplin in the great dictator but most of these reviews read like the efforts of some idiot flailing around in the a dark screaming me too, look I can be clever (but no, not really).