Skyward Sword review thread [Newest Reviews - Cubed3 10/10, GC: A, AusGamers: 7/10]

sphinx said:
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?

I mean, if you completely ignore the text of the review and just see a number and nothing else, what thought fits in which score?

on a first impulse, my mind tends to think the following:

100%-95%: "This game won me over and I really like it on all accounts. Recommend all the way. A true highlight on its console and a once in a generation rare treasure."

94%-90%: "It's a fine game, with great moments, worth every penny and for all intents and purposes flawless and enjoyable.. but one or two things didn't completely click with me, most likely it's me not being very fond of what it's being presented than the game having any flaw."

89%-85%: "Fine game, flawlessly executed on all accounts.... but with stuff being from o.k. to annoying (though never broken or flawed), in my personal opinion. I'd rather be playing something else. Had a hard time keeping focused playing this game... in one word: whatever."

84%-75%: Not for me but reviewing games is my job.. so here I am. I am thinking "fuck this shit" from the moment I am inserting the game in the console

I know in most cases reviewers back up their numbers with valid points and arguments but if you notice my comments, my mind or intuition tends to think and wants to convince me that the problem, if there's any, lies in the reviewer having a problem and not in the game having real, evident issues. and to make it clear, that's not something that happens with zelda or nintendo games, it happens with any highprofile game I am anticipating on any console.

I guess it's just that I don't want the game I've been expecting for the last months to suck, not even a little.
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Here's how I think the internet interprets scores now:

10 AMAZING GOTYAYEY OMGGGGGGG!!!!!!!
09 Eh, I'll give it a shot.
08 Shit.
07 Trash.
06 Head lice.
05 Giraffe vomit.
04 I wish dinosaurs were alive to kill me so I don't have to experience this game.
03 The ice age was much cooler than this game will ever be.
02 What the fuck did they think they were making?
01 *instert favorite meme here*
00 Before primordial ooze existed.
 
Just went ahead and pre-ordered the bundle. I haven't gamed in ages with the only exception recently being Xenoblade. But for Zelda I have to make another exception. I remember playing LttP as a kid and being delighted on Christmas day with OoT and an N64 - big Zelda releases all have a special place for me. Can't wait.
 
rogue_pigeon said:
Right so of the few responses I've had:

- You can't.

- You can, but it's not as good.

- You can, but the game is broken without it.

- You can, but it involves some sort of hack/trick.


Which is it?
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You need Motion+. I guess there might be a hack or something, but it probably sucks.
 
elektrixx said:
My rule is I refuse to play any title with a Metascore below 78.

Secondly if I have some games in my immediate backlog, any new game must rival the other game's metascore or it's not worth my time.
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So if a game really interests you but the Metascore is 77, it's a no go?

You're quite strict sir.
 
heringer said:
So if a game really interests you but the Metascore is 77, it's a no go?

You're quite strict sir.
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A game with a score that low deserves no interest.

At a time when highly rated games are aplenty there's no room for garbage.
 
rogue_pigeon said:
Right so of the few responses I've had:

- You can't.

- You can, but it's not as good.

- You can, but the game is broken without it.

- You can, but it involves some sort of hack/trick.


Which is it?
Click to expand...
You can't. There is a hack that allows you to bypass the motion+ requirement when the game starts up, but the weapons and stuff still don't work. So you can get in-game, but it's not playable.
 
sphinx said:
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?

I mean, if you completely ignore the text of the review and just see a number and nothing else, what thought fits in which score?
Click to expand...

10 - Over-rated. Reviewer probably bribed or wants to please his audience by telling them their highly anticipated game is everything they hoped for.
9 - Still over-rated, unless there is any evidence to suggest otherwise. In some rare instances, these games are actually really good. But such games usually get a lot of really low scores as well, so the 9/10 cannot be immediately trusted
8 - Possibly a genuinely good game. Sure, it's got some issues, but if you like the rest of the game, you'll look past them. These games might have a few really interesting, innovative features, which makes them definitely worth a play. They might also be some franchise game with heaps of 'loyal fans' who won't accept a what this game really deserves, so an 8 is the compromise.
7 - More likely to have genuine merit than an 8, since when reviewers give a 7 they are usually pretty honest. The game will have problems, but you'll be able to look past them if you like what the game does well. Expect this game to have fairly rough presentation compared to an '8'. But, who knows, in five years people might look back and think of this as one of the best games of the previous generation. Sometimes games with this rating are only worth playing if you like their specific genre.
6 - The reviewer is giving this game a low score... it may have a few redeeming qualities though. Might be worth a play.
1-5 - The reviewer hated this game and thinks it sucks. If the reviewer is justified, then it's probably not worth playing at all unless you have a special affinity for the developer/genre/series.
 
RawmeatCowboy said:
Thanks for the kind words.

I actually really enjoyed the stamina option. It keeps you from going into battles and spamming your spin attack. It also makes for quick travel that both looks better and makes more sense than rolling across the land.

The best aspect of the stamina gauge might be how it forces you to climb smart and carefully. Finding the quickest path while climbing becomes a necessity at some points, and you'll have to plan your path to the next fruit to replenish your stamina along the way. Helped to provide some tense moments.
Click to expand...
Sounds sweet. Thanks for the reply!

Rehynn said:
Or with the balance board, if you're hardcore.
Click to expand...
That's casual territory compared to my Wii Speak play through. Never again.
 
heringer said:
Wow, GT is ripping the game apart. I wouldn't be surprised with a review similar to FFXII's.
Click to expand...

No surprise. It's Shane Satterfield who reviews Skyward Sword. He's such a hater.
 
Paradoxal_Utopia said:
Yet from the comments here you'd think there was 5 hrs of tutorials.
Click to expand...

Like I said, it's WAY faster/smoother than the beginning hours of Twilight Princess. It's still not perfect, but it's an improvement.

sphinx said:
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?
Click to expand...

I will say that for me personally if I give something a 10 (like I did with Skyward Sword), I believe it's a game every gamer should at least try.

And I'll also say that you're getting way lower than 75% before I'm thinking "fuck this game" the whole time. :p The 7.5-8.5 range may not be the best games ever, but they're solid, not total shit. Otherwise the rest of that scale would be incredibly useless.

highspeeddub's interpretation of the scale is everything I hate.
 
sphinx said:
so, in the topic of reviews, how do you guys interpret the scoring for high anticipated games?

I mean, if you completely ignore the text of the review and just see a number and nothing else, what thought fits in which score?

on a first impulse, my mind tends to think the following:

100%-95%: "This game won me over and I really like it on all accounts. Recommend all the way. A true highlight on its console and a once in a generation rare treasure."

94%-90%: "It's a fine game, with great moments, worth every penny and for all intents and purposes flawless and enjoyable.. but one or two things didn't completely click with me, most likely it's me not being very fond of what it's being presented than the game having any flaw."

89%-85%: "Fine game, flawlessly executed on all accounts.... but with stuff being from o.k. to annoying (though never broken or flawed), in my personal opinion. I'd rather be playing something else. Had a hard time keeping focused playing this game... in one word: whatever."

84%-75%: Not for me but reviewing games is my job.. so here I am. I am thinking "fuck this shit" from the moment I am inserting the game in the console

I know in most cases reviewers back up their numbers with valid points and arguments but if you notice my comments, my mind or intuition tends to think and wants to convince me that the problem, if there's any, lies in the reviewer having a problem and not in the game having real, evident issues. and to make it clear, that's not something that happens with zelda or nintendo games, it happens with any highprofile game I am anticipating on any console.

I guess it's just that I don't want the game I've been expecting for the last months to suck, not even a little.
Click to expand...
High standards much?

10: Must play for everybody, this is as close the game could get to perfection
9: Extremely good and awesome game. Has a few flaws but a must-have for fans of the genre.
8: Great game, a lot of fun, but has its flaws.
7: Decent game, worth getting but has bad design and flaws in certain ways.
6: Meh game
 
I loved the beginning of Twilight Princess, it was one of the very few parts of the game where I really felt like being part of a world. A world I care for.

Nice to hear that Skyward Sword has a slow-paced beginning too. I love that.
 
Holy crap at all the 8-ish scores coming in, and claims that Twilight Princess and Wind Waker are superior. I hope that's not true; TP and WW were good and all, but by no means favorites of mine. I'll be sorely disappointed.
 
Dreaver said:
High standards much?

10: Must play for everybody, this is as close the game could get to perfection
9: Extremely good and awesome game. Has a few flaws but a must-have for fans of the genre.
8: Great game, a lot of fun, but has its flaws.
7: Decent game, worth getting but has bad design and flaws in certain ways.
6: Meh game
Click to expand...
This is much more accurate

One of the main things I'm saddened about is the lack of importance on the harp. I was really hoping for it to be a central item like OoT/MM/WW. Instruments a Zelda just mix so well when done right.
 
M74 said:
Holy crap at all the 8-ish scores coming in, and claims that Twilight Princess and Wind Waker are superior. I hope that's not true; TP and WW were good and all, but by no means favorites of mine. I'll be sorely disappointed.
Click to expand...

8 is still a good score.

I seriously hate how scores below 6 means the game is shit, and only 7> are (barely) playable. Too many 10's and 9's are given out like candy these days.
 
wrowa said:
I loved the beginning of Twilight Princess, it was one of the very few parts of the game where I really felt like being part of a world. A world I care for.

Nice to hear that Skyward Sword has a slow-paced beginning too. I love that.
Click to expand...

Same here. I've said this before: Zelda is late-night quality-time gaming for me, not something I rush through, but something I want to get completely lost in.

However, I understand why some people get turned off by this, so I totally accept this as a legit complaint. I just can't relate, but who cares.
 
wrowa said:
I loved the beginning of Twilight Princess, it was one of the very few parts of the game where I really felt like being part of a world. A world I care for.

Nice to hear that Skyward Sword has a slow-paced beginning too. I love that.
Click to expand...

yeah, i'm glad this is still in there despite the complaining. i think a low key, very slow opening where they try and make you feel a part of the small area is part of what makes the whole game feel like a big adventure, as later when you're familiar with the world and are very powerful, you can think back to your humble origins and see how far you've come.
 
Maffis said:
8 is still a good score.

I seriously hate how scores below 6 means the game is shit, and only 7> are (barely) playable. Too many 10's and 9's are given out like candy these days.
Click to expand...

Thus, 8 is not as good score as you imply here. That's how the range works.
 
Paradoxical_Utopia said:
So according to G4s score, Skyward Sword is 20% worse than Epic Mickey, and on par with such masterpieces as the Resident Evil Rail Shooters, another couple dozen half-assed wii ports, and small-time wii games barely worthy of being $0.99 DLC content. I mean, you know you need to abolish your numbering system when it's this fucked.

Also, I like how the major negative in the con column is 'the occasional bit of recycled content.' We're talking about a 40+hr game here. Is this REALLY a reasonable complaint worth mentioning, with a game of this size? I've seen 5-10 hr games with plenty of recycled concepts throughout, which is completely normal. But a 40+hr game needs to be fucking original every single minute and can't have the same concept twice? Amazing.
Click to expand...
I don't really get to defend myself on the G4 comment page, but I do here, so watch out.

Stop fucking using a base score as a representation of some sort of quantitative analysis of one game versus another. I wrote two thousand fucking words, and since gamers want scores, I gave them one. Do you honestly think the text of my review represents a five out of five?

If you don't like the scoring system, fine. Don't give a shit about it. Read the review. I didn't review those other games, so I'm not sure why my personal opinion on one game can be directly compared in any logical fashion to another's opinion on another game.

Moreover, yes, repeated content is REALLY a reasonable complaint. There is an entire boring-as-fuck section where you have to go through THE SAME DUNGEON YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH BEFORE. Both mini-bosses and actual bosses show up again in identical circumstances.

Someone post that quote from Super Paper Mario. Jesus Christ.
 
Maffis said:
8 is still a good score.

I seriously hate how scores below 6 means the game is shit, and only 7> are (barely) playable. Too many 10's and 9's are given out like candy these days.
Click to expand...
Never said it wasn't a good score, but I felt like TP was deserving of an 8. For the console's sendoff game, I was really hoping for an upswing. I just hope I disagree with those reviewers when I finally get a copy.
 
M74 said:
Holy crap at all the 8-ish scores coming in, and claims that Twilight Princess and Wind Waker are superior. I hope that's not true; TP and WW were good and all, but by no means favorites of mine. I'll be sorely disappointed.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, it's mainly American reviewers who are marking the game down. That was always going to happen, especially when the game is coming out so close to Skyrim. I'm sure the game has flaws, the repeated content sounds awful, but you can tell from some reviewers that they have judged the game based on the console it's on rather than on it's own strengths.
 
M74 said:
Holy crap at all the 8-ish scores coming in, and claims that Twilight Princess and Wind Waker are superior. I hope that's not true; TP and WW were good and all, but by no means favorites of mine. I'll be sorely disappointed.
Click to expand...

can someone please point me to whole bunch the 8-ish scores? I only found 3 from the list in gamerankings and I personally don't think it's that bad. Every major game has a couple 8 in their score lists, it' normal.
 
No wonder GT's taking their time. They want a day just for them, so they can give it a 6/7 and get bombarded with hits. :P

Seriously, I already expected something like that when I heard Shane, their resident dudebro, was reviewing it...
 
ShellyDeKiller said:
No wonder GT's taking their time. They want a day just for them, so they can give it a 6/7 and get bombarded with hits. :P

Seriously, I already expected something like that when I heard Shane, their resident dudebro, was reviewing it...
Click to expand...
He already complained about no-voice acting and being non-HD; I guess most won't care about what he says much anyway... Let alone wanting to actually 'watch' his review.
 
Feep said:
I don't really get to defend myself on the G4 comment page, but I do here, so watch out.

Stop fucking using a base score as a representation of some sort of quantitative analysis of one game versus another. I wrote two thousand fucking words, and since gamers want scores, I gave them one. Do you honestly think the text of my review represents a five out of five?

If you don't like the scoring system, fine. Don't give a shit about it. Read the review. I didn't review those other games, so I'm not sure why my personal opinion on one game can be directly compared in any logical fashion to another's opinion on another game.

Moreover, yes, repeated content is REALLY a reasonable complaint. There is an entire boring-as-fuck section where you have to go through THE SAME DUNGEON YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH BEFORE. Both mini-bosses and actual bosses show up again in identical circumstances.

Someone post that quote from Super Paper Mario. Jesus Christ.
Click to expand...
Honestly, yes! I made a direct comparison why Oblivion should be a 4/5 game by your line of reasoning (and that makes you wonder if 3/5 should be used for good games that are just not as impressive as Oblivion)

It's so good; instead of GAF meltdown, the reviewer is melting down :D Come at us, bro :D
 
walking fiend said:
Honestly, yes!

It's so good; instead of GAF meltdown, the reviewer is melting down :D Come at us, bro :D
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I gotta let my rage out at someone. I kind of distanced myself from the Twilight Princess meltdowns, and I certainly wasn't a target. I literally lost a little faith in humanity today.

Death threats received today: 4

Death threats + "burn in hell"-like comments received today: 13

By the way, I would have reviewed Oblivion as a 3/5.
 
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