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NWR Feedback / RE:Yikes, what is going on with Planet Gamecube reviews?!?
« on: March 31, 2004, 01:53:13 PM »
Alright, I will address the Phantasy Star Online Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution review.
First of all, there is a difference in not liking a game and not liking a genre. The reviewer of Episode III clearly is not a fan of Card-RPGs (something I was not either prior to playing Episode III) and anyone should be able to realize that a game with C.A.R.D. in its title will not be fast paced. Therefore, I do not believe the fact that the game is slow paced (which it is, of course, intended to be) should hinder the score whatsoever. Time limits can be set to help the speed process, but I do not see how the game's speed could be any quicker than what it is and why someone would want the game to be any quicker paced. I mean it is a 'Card-RPG' with strategy elements. This is no action-RPG.
Secondly, I believe the criticism in the visuals department is a little overyly-harsh and misleading. Each stage in the game varies in environment and color. Also, I do not see how one can not respect the lushness, color, and beauty in some of the arenas. I mean, the arena set-up right on the beach is beautiful to look at. Also, all stages in the game were built specifically for the Gamecube, unlike the Episode I portion of Episode I and II. In my opinion, there is a huge difference in the environments in Episode I and II, and I think the same can be said for the differences in Episode I and III. Let's not kid ourselves here, the DC is certainly not capable of identically producing most of the environments in Episode III. While the character models and some of the environments have 'low-polygon counts,' I believe the beautiful artwork makes up for that. The character models do not look terrible at all and have clearly received upgrades from the DC version of Phantasy Star Online. Placing the visuals in the DC versions of Phantasy Star Online on par with Episode III cannot be done.
Thirdly, how can one give a 6.0/10 in the Gameplay department and then give a 10/10 in the Lastability department. That does not make sense to me. I mean, if the gameplay is as terrible as the reviewer claims, it shouldn't matter whether the game is online or not. Why would you want to come back, right?
Knocking three points off of the Control score just because your character takes a few steps of walking before he/she starts running is completely unfair and, in my opinion, is not even true. As soon as I push my joystick as far in the direction as I want to go as possible, my character starts running. Maybe the reviewer is a little too sensitive to such minute and insignificant details -- of course, assuming they do exist (which I believe they do not).
The reviewer's opinion in the sound department is just that -- an opinion. I believe the tracks in Episode III are just as strong in Episode I and II and even better in some cases. Also, I thought the one sentence paragraph addressing the sound in the game really provided a lot of information.
"The 'horrible' problems that plague PSO III..." I found this line quite interesting. Really, the only 'plague' mentioned in the entire review is the 'pan-pan (slowness)' in the game, which I simply put, do not agree with. I mean, once you choose a card to equip and press the button, you have to watch your character for no longer than 3 seconds (you can time it if you like) as he/she equips an item or places a monster on the field. Attacking an opponent usually takes about the same amount of time. I really do not see why the swinging of the camera is such a problem anyway. I mean, if the camera remained in one stationary position the entire time, I would find that to be a problem and cause the game to be 'tedious.'
That is all I can think of off the top of my head. I will add more later on when I get the time and will further explain some of my points if requested to do so.
-mahovlich
First of all, there is a difference in not liking a game and not liking a genre. The reviewer of Episode III clearly is not a fan of Card-RPGs (something I was not either prior to playing Episode III) and anyone should be able to realize that a game with C.A.R.D. in its title will not be fast paced. Therefore, I do not believe the fact that the game is slow paced (which it is, of course, intended to be) should hinder the score whatsoever. Time limits can be set to help the speed process, but I do not see how the game's speed could be any quicker than what it is and why someone would want the game to be any quicker paced. I mean it is a 'Card-RPG' with strategy elements. This is no action-RPG.
Secondly, I believe the criticism in the visuals department is a little overyly-harsh and misleading. Each stage in the game varies in environment and color. Also, I do not see how one can not respect the lushness, color, and beauty in some of the arenas. I mean, the arena set-up right on the beach is beautiful to look at. Also, all stages in the game were built specifically for the Gamecube, unlike the Episode I portion of Episode I and II. In my opinion, there is a huge difference in the environments in Episode I and II, and I think the same can be said for the differences in Episode I and III. Let's not kid ourselves here, the DC is certainly not capable of identically producing most of the environments in Episode III. While the character models and some of the environments have 'low-polygon counts,' I believe the beautiful artwork makes up for that. The character models do not look terrible at all and have clearly received upgrades from the DC version of Phantasy Star Online. Placing the visuals in the DC versions of Phantasy Star Online on par with Episode III cannot be done.
Thirdly, how can one give a 6.0/10 in the Gameplay department and then give a 10/10 in the Lastability department. That does not make sense to me. I mean, if the gameplay is as terrible as the reviewer claims, it shouldn't matter whether the game is online or not. Why would you want to come back, right?
Knocking three points off of the Control score just because your character takes a few steps of walking before he/she starts running is completely unfair and, in my opinion, is not even true. As soon as I push my joystick as far in the direction as I want to go as possible, my character starts running. Maybe the reviewer is a little too sensitive to such minute and insignificant details -- of course, assuming they do exist (which I believe they do not).
The reviewer's opinion in the sound department is just that -- an opinion. I believe the tracks in Episode III are just as strong in Episode I and II and even better in some cases. Also, I thought the one sentence paragraph addressing the sound in the game really provided a lot of information.
"The 'horrible' problems that plague PSO III..." I found this line quite interesting. Really, the only 'plague' mentioned in the entire review is the 'pan-pan (slowness)' in the game, which I simply put, do not agree with. I mean, once you choose a card to equip and press the button, you have to watch your character for no longer than 3 seconds (you can time it if you like) as he/she equips an item or places a monster on the field. Attacking an opponent usually takes about the same amount of time. I really do not see why the swinging of the camera is such a problem anyway. I mean, if the camera remained in one stationary position the entire time, I would find that to be a problem and cause the game to be 'tedious.'
That is all I can think of off the top of my head. I will add more later on when I get the time and will further explain some of my points if requested to do so.
-mahovlich
