http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:49:34 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/30/114528.php#comment-706245 I just signed up for blogspot today. I wasn't on it at the time of my previous post, but joined by the time I made another comment elsewhere. 706245@blogcritics.org Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:49:34 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/30/114528.php#comment-706231 Let me clarify too about the contact information. I'm referring to the link option, not listing information with the comment text (that's against our comment policy). Also confused about the completion comment when I write "The overall length of the game is medium and some graphics need a bit of work, but you still finish the game wanting more (sequel, please)." within the review. 706231@blogcritics.org Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:46:01 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/30/114528.php#comment-706230 Thanks for the extensive comments. This game is a great mixed genre experience. As far as the comment on completion/review length/mention of all elements, yes, I complete the game and usually include highlights and let players experience some elements for themselves (give hints/mentions). Do you write reviews yourself? Where do you post? You didn't leave any contact information. 706230@blogcritics.org Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:38:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/30/114528.php#comment-706203 Also, I apologize for how messy and raw my previous comment is. I just typed all of that in one go without my usual proof reading and finesse so it may read a bit poorly. 706203@blogcritics.org Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:43:49 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/30/114528.php#comment-706202 This game is not an RPG, it's an action game. Some parts of the review seem off. I have this game and have beaten it on sweet and bitter. You don't buy contracts from Silvia's agency, you buy the right for a ranked fight to move up the ladder. The plot in this game is thin , but still at the forefront throughout most of the game. You're just killing people to become number one. There's plenty of satiric and cool scenes and gameplay, but he plot evolves very slow if at all throughout the game and is just trough the head of the player at the end. I like this style it's great, but for people who like something constantly moving forward and understanding on the level of a Zelda or Devil May Cry game they won't be getting it here. That's actually part of the games poke at the player, that they'll play through just to become number one to seek pleasure and rewards at the beginning and end of a game, but will accept small tidbits of almost nothing with late foreshadowing. Basic motorcycle controls are very simple. The analog stick turns you the same way it would in a regular game and the "A" button is your gas. B is your break and reverse. Te advanced controls are actually hidden in the game, you have to discover them on your own. You turn the wiimote on either side and when you hit the breaks you make a sharp 90 degree turn in the direction the wiimote is facing. Very slick and simple. If you hold down on the brakes while turning you'll do donuts. And quick upward flick of the wiimote jumps your motorcycle into the air and the Z button is a turbo/nitro button. You only need the basic controls for most of the game. Anything advanced comes at the end and is explained to the player. The only advanced moves the game pushes on you at the end is motor cycle jumping and turbo. The "killing rivals not only eliminates your competition but boosts your rating as well." is the plot of the game. Any "rivals" are defined as ranked assassins in the game and the whole purpose of playing the game is to kill them all and take their rank until you become number 1. You don't earn side missions until you complete jobs at the boring job agency. the better you rank, the more assassin side missions you unlock. The game uses a 3 tier rating system with bronze giving you one mission, silver 2, and gold 3. I the beginning of the game there are only 2 missions to unlock per job, but that increases part way through the game to the 3 previously described. The assassin and job agencies are how you make money in this game. Your progress is dependent upon them because there is no advancing to the next area with a ranked assassin boss fight unless you can pay the entrance fee. Did the reviewer really play this game complete to the end or at all? they mentioned nothing about the wrestling moves, upgrading you beam katana, Travis's fighting upgrades, nothing about the job agency and its' dependency on the assassin missions, nor about how much the boss fights actually stand out. There's no single reference to the retro additions to the game, the free form world fights that pop up depending on how good you are as a player, nor anything about the hidden goodies in the dirt in the world that you can easily find by checking out the locations of the miniature dots on the map, then digging. Going by the review, anyone who played the opening and the second boss fight could have given the information this reviewer did. I'm not attacking the reviewer, but this review is highly lacking. No one should ever think this game is an rpg based off of a review, but reading it I can easily see how anyone could think this was an rpg and not an action game. You explicitly stated it, but that statement is easily forgotten by the rest of things mentioned in the review. Before each boss fight, after having defeated an assassins set of guards Silvia, the woman who sets up the fights, calls Travis. When she does the wiimote rings, then her voice comes out of it. While listening to her tell you how likely it is you're going to die or succeed (depending on where you're at in the game) Travis can still be made to walk closer to the bosses area. If you walk the entire time you're usually right by the save point which is just seconds from the boss's domain. These phone calls are highly memorable and important to Travis's and Silvia's character. 706202@blogcritics.org Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:41:41 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/03/30/114528.php#comment-706134 this game sounds pretty good from the review.. unfortunately i don't really like RPG games. i'll probably checkout some videos about it in case if my brother is interested.. 706134@blogcritics.org Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:54:30 EDT