Topic: review alien syndrome already!!!

[Kairon]

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Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
From what I've read Alien Syndrome comes accross as an uninspired action game with RPG skill upgrades thrown in, with lazy choices such as reusing boss designs (I don't care what game it is, but when you reuse a boss design and change its color or something that is NOT quality in my eyes).

Well, from what I've played, the game is more engaging than Phantasy Star Online, an easy successor to the legacy of Gauntlet style gameplay, has smooth gameplay systems that preserve the fluidity of gameplay (simple, transparent, accessible statistics system and a "store" where you can easily scrap items and purchase new ones through the pause menu(a.k.a. your drone)), and so far seems to have some actual dedication and effort put into it (after all, it's a franchise that Totally Games SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR) that make it FAR FROM the game you insinuate it to be.

Seriously, only diehard fans would pick out an obscure arcade to-down dungeon shooter specifically when Sega asked this small developer WHAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE. This game design was NOT handed down, it was NOT farmed out. They could've picked any old franchise. They chose this, told Sega, then set to work updating a design that THEY chose.

Plus it has 4-player co-op.

Look, I'm not saying the game is for everyone. But if you've played any of the following games:

Smash T.V.
PSO
FF:CC
Gauntlet Series
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Alien Syndrome (original)
Robotron Series

Then this game deserves a look, because it has the potential to be better than any and all of those games. (Perhaps with the exception of the astoundingly fun and accessible Gauntlet 64)

Look, I understand the ever-pressing need to bow to the omni-present will of IGN's review scores. I get it. Other people say it's bad, so it MUST BE! And this is the internet after all! Super Paper Mario DOES NOT LIE!

But... well... in the event you care to TRY a game before you lambast not only it and the people who've spent their life's energy making it... *shrug* no promises, good or bad, one way or the other, right or wrong, the outcome is completely up to your experiences alone.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon

Quote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
From what I've read Alien Syndrome comes accross as an uninspired action game with RPG skill upgrades thrown in, with lazy choices such as reusing boss designs (I don't care what game it is, but when you reuse a boss design and change its color or something that is NOT quality in my eyes).

Well, from what I've played, the game is more engaging than Phantasy Star Online, an easy successor to the legacy of Gauntlet style gameplay, has smooth gameplay systems that preserve the fluidity of gameplay (simple, transparent, accessible statistics system and a "store" where you can easily scrap items and purchase new ones through the pause menu(a.k.a. your drone)), and so far seems to have some actual dedication and effort put into it (after all, it's a franchise that Totally Games SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR) that make it FAR FROM the game you insinuate it to be.

Seriously, only diehard fans would pick out an obscure arcade to-down dungeon shooter specifically when Sega asked this small developer WHAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE. This game design was NOT handed down, it was NOT farmed out. They could've picked any old franchise. They chose this, told Sega, then set to work updating a design that THEY chose.

Plus it has 4-player co-op.

Look, I'm not saying the game is for everyone. But if you've played any of the following games:

Smash T.V.
PSO
FF:CC
Gauntlet Series
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Alien Syndrome (original)
Robotron Series

Then this game deserves a look, because it has the potential to be better than any and all of those games. (Perhaps with the exception of the astoundingly fun and accessible Gauntlet 64)

Look, I understand the ever-pressing need to bow to the omni-present will of IGN's review scores. I get it. Other people say it's bad, so it MUST BE! And this is the internet after all! Super Paper Mario DOES NOT LIE!

But... well... in the event you care to TRY a game before you lambast not only it and the people who've spent their life's energy making it... *shrug* no promises, good or bad, one way or the other, right or wrong, the outcome is completely up to your experiences alone.

Confirmed, Alien Syndrome game of the year.

[Kairon]

No. That'll be MySims. Just watch.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
No. That'll be MySims. Just watch.

Here is a tough question, which is more fun Far Cry or Alien Syndrome?

[Mashiro]

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But... well... in the event you care to TRY a game before you lambast not only it and the people who've spent their life's energy making it... *shrug* no promises, good or bad, one way or the other, right or wrong, the outcome is completely up to your experiences alone.

You know, I heard RAVE reviews about Paper Mario and I freaking hate the game. So what you say is true, it's the players experience that matters.

I go with my gut feeling on games and 99% of the time I am right. Usually whenever people sway me to play a game I'm not interested in it turns out to be a bad experience so I just forgo it.

My gut feeling says this game wont be all that great so I'm going with that =P  

[Kairon]

Quote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
No. That'll be MySims. Just watch.

Here is a tough question, which is more fun Far Cry or Alien Syndrome?

I haven't had the chance to play multiplayer AS yet, so I'll have to defer until I get the "full" experience.

... but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say AS. Co-op is sooo powerful, it made me level a 42 Fomar in PSO despite growing to hate that game design with a passion.

[Kairon]

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Originally posted by: Mashiro

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But... well... in the event you care to TRY a game before you lambast not only it and the people who've spent their life's energy making it... *shrug* no promises, good or bad, one way or the other, right or wrong, the outcome is completely up to your experiences alone.

You know, I heard RAVE reviews about Paper Mario and I freaking hate the game. So what you say is true, it's the players experience that matters.

I go with my gut feeling on games and 99% of the time I am right. Usually whenever people sway me to play a game I'm not interested in it turns out to be a bad experience so I just forgo it.

My gut feeling says this game wont be all that great so I'm going with that =P

Haha, I guess that helps put me in your shoes, and therefore I'm not going to flame you like I was going to in the VC thread. Darn empathy! It takes the fun out of things!

[Mashiro]

Lol I was surprised you didn't earlier!

[Caliban]

They should've just marked the game at $29.99 (US) and I think the reviews would have had higher marks, even the IGN review mentions what I just said.

[Kairon]

That'd be even cheaper than the PSP version though!

[therat]

Well, im trading in 4-5 games when i get mario strikers next week. i still want to pick this up. i can deal with shabby graphics as long as it controls well and is fun. graphics arent everything. as long as the game can keep you on your toes for 20 hours, thats all i need really. from everything i see, it seems like ign ripped the game apart for only small reasons. they say the controls not bad, the musics not bad, the 4 players not bad, the enemies arent bad, the interface isnt bad, only the graphics they would say is bad. from what ive seen, that should get it a score of atleast a 7... 5 seems unpassable.

[Pale]

Kairon, no fences, but i don't know if I could ever trust your opinion about a game.

Here's a challenge for you.  I want you to list your three least favorite games released on a Nintendo console over the last three years.

[Kairon]

The point isn't to trust MY opinion. The point is to not let opinion override facts. The fact of the matter is that though reviews of this game are lackluster, the only stated reasons for it being so are some re-used monster models (which isn't a new thing in the games industry), and some lackluster graphics. After playing the game myself, I can completely discount their control complaints. Seriously, differences of opinion are one thing. Mashiro paid ten dollars for Paper Mario and is not liking it... just like I paid $40 for RE4 on the GC and ended up not liking that either (my own fault, I've never been an RE fan). But if you're going to tear down this game, bring me some talking points, some reasoning, something more than the re-spouting of other people's tepid and disinterested opinions, please!

But anyways... Your request is a toughie. People usually do their best to forget their bad games... How about 3 least favorite Wii games, trying to look at it both from a personal subjective standpoint and a more general objective styandpoint?

Least favorite Wii games I've played, subjectively:

Tony Hawk Downhill Jam (Maybe I just don't 'get' Tony Hawk games)

Tom Clancy: Splinter Cell (played this co-op with a friend... really didn't enjoy the controls and the co-op's story and game design didn't excite me much either, is single player any better? I really don't care to find out)

Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (sp?) (Contrary to popular opinion, I thought the wii controls were gimiicky and added little or nothing to the experience. Doesn't help I'm not a big DBZ fan...)

(Red Steel is also working its way onto this list because of boring level design and some horrifically poorly stereotyped depictions (and voice acting... oh god the voice acting) of asians in the game, as well as an art style that depicts the Japanese in a way makes me want to rip my tv in two everytime one of the cutscenes comes out. I discovered these complaints on my second attempt at a playthrough).

Worst Wii games I've played, trying to be objective:

Cooking Mama (Sorry, but this game really IS low budget in the worst way. I never figured out a use for the kitchen, the controls are wonky for some movements, and Cooking is broken down into graded tasks that destroy any fluidity the experience had, especially in multiplayer)

Rayman Raving Rabbids (I love the concept, but a whole lot of the minigames are simple affairs "banging on a rabbid's head with a wiimote holds your attention for 4 seconds... and ONLY the first time you play it, not to mention that the game had WAAAAYYYY too many menus in party mode, with each minigame being hard to find when you wanted it, with about 3-5 menu interfaces to navigate through between each play.)

Tony Hawk Downhill Jam (This had decent production values and neat voice acting but... well, lackluster everything else. Playing it four player was especially atrocious because you couldn't make anything out... pure mediocrity is sometimes harder to forgive than utter failure)

(Harry Potter is actually also a very mediocre title... but it actually has some redeeming qualities)

I guess I could do more, but do you really want me to dig out my Gamecube library?  

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
... just like I paid $40 for RE4 on the GC and ended up not liking that either ...

I stopped reading there.

[Kairon]

Blame the controls! I'm buying the Wii version, happy?

[Mashiro]

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Rayman Raving Rabbids (I love the concept, but a whole lot of the minigames are simple affairs "banging on a rabbid's head with a wiimote holds your attention for 4 seconds... and ONLY the first time you play it, not to mention that the game had WAAAAYYYY too many menus in party mode, with each minigame being hard to find when you wanted it, with about 3-5 menu interfaces to navigate through between each play.)

Rayman was another game that made me yet again hate myself for giving into the positive reviews of a game. I freaking hated Rayman an didn't see what the big deal was. Another 50 dollars wasted (well at least I was able to trade it in towards my RE4 purchase).

[Kairon]

Quote
Originally posted by: Mashiro
I freaking hated Rayman an didn't see what the big deal was. Another 50 dollars wasted (well at least I was able to trade it in towards my RE4 purchase).

Some say that god's work is to transmute evil into good.

Anyways, one of the most positive things I've heard about the sequel is that they want to have two menus between ANYTHING in the game, vastly streamlining the process of finding a minigame to play hopefully, or moving through story mode.  

[Mashiro]

Nice. Do they have most of the mini games unlocked for multiplayer?

One of my BIGGEST pet peeves with these kinda games (see: Wario Ware and Rayman) is that I have to either beat the stage in single player to unlock it in multiplayer or in wario wares case I had to beat the entire game through to even access multiplayer.

Come on, think of those of us whom buy the game and want to play it with friends right away and just have fun.

[Kairon]

Hmm.. good question, I guess we'll have to see.

[Mashiro]

You mean you can't tell the future? I want my money back!

[Kairon]

I see... I see a young man... in front of a computer... IT IS YOU!

You are... yes... hazzzy... you're getting up... you're leaving the house...you're going to buy ALIEN SYNDROME! *gasp*

Ah, but seriously, gotta put in another plug for this game. So last night I played three hours right? Silly me, I was so tired I forgot to save. So today, I replay all those three hours... and I LIKED it. If only I can get some people to co-op with me (why must my bro be so far away?) I just KNOW this game would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Mashiro]

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You are... yes... hazzzy... you're getting up... you're answering a door...you're signing for a package... *gasp* it's the Golden Sun games you won on ebay!

Fixed =D

[therat]

ray man multiplayer was weakkk. that game hella sucked, i beat it in one night and traded it in for excite truck.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I never did beat Raving Rabbits, I got frustrated with the second "tilt the board to get the ball to the end" game and its poor tilt controls.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

never played Monkey Ball?  [or rather, learned to adapt to it and make decent progress]  That stage was easy.

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
Blame the controls! I'm buying the Wii version, happy?

Ey you, learn to play video games.  I got my friend's wife addicted to RE4 on Cube, and she had never played an RE game or an FPS for that matter.  She's earned eveything there is to earn in that game.  [as well as Tales of Symphonia, her first RPG excluding Symphony of the Night]