Gamespot have no idea how to Review a game

[xebian]

Ok so iv had this game now 3 days and love it its great game ya has its problems but still very good game gamespot just Reviewed it here it is but saying that do gamespot ever do a good honest Review lol

 

 

 

[mr_cyberpunk]

Ok so iv had this game now 3 days and love it its great game ya has its problems but still very good game gamespot just Reviewed it here it is but saying that do gamespot ever do a good honest Review lol

 

 

 

 

Metal Gear Solid 4 10.0 enough said. (in other words I agree).

[poetic obsidian]

You tend to find what you look for. Take any RPG game that got top reviews, and play through it actively looking for bugs, glitches, awkward mechanics etc. and it will turn out that Alpha protocol has a standard share, if not less compared to some others.

 

AP's flaws are put into a spotlight while the other games' flaws are downplayed.

 

Many theories have been offered on this forum to explain why that happened. Pick whichever one you personally subscribe to:

 

- the reviewer went in expecting a game with standard shooter mechanics instead of an rpg with *gasp* math in the background

 

-Sega didn't cough up enough cash to those game websites

 

- those other games had more polish and higher production values so people were too distracted by the shiny graphics and big name voice actors to notice the bugs

[Reg1.1]

Actaully it is because the developer is just not among the top in the industry, having done a lot of game reviews, and stopped doing it, because the boss said, you can't give this game such a bad review, it's from BioWare. I was reviewing Dragon Age, praised it for what it did right, and layed out what it did wrong, not a bad review, I still think the game is quite good, but no game is perfect, save for a few niche classics, that don't offer that much, but do what they do perfectly. Reviews tend to put down a game because it's not what they expected also, instead of reviewing it for what it is, they review it for what it is not. This is why I constantly say the Obsidian needs to look at other games with the elements of AP, because it can do what it does so much better, it's not Splinter Cell, but it can be much better than it with a bit of more work put into it.

[qaz123]

I don't understand why they wouldn't want to hype this game up a bit though. I thought Obs was respected to a degree in the gaming industry.

[vulgar]

Rating Dragons age: Origins with 9.5 (considering what was promised by Biware and final product, which could be simply called NWN3) tells everything. Hyping descent games as pure gold, and dissmising promising games as total crap is at least unfair. AP hit the top rang in most popular and it puts the smile on my face seing 6.0 rated game on top.

 

But still. I would wish Obsidian would make AP2 way better than this one. Polish the game, put more content, improve AI and you have One of the best games ever IMHO.

[TrueZarken]

I don't understand why they wouldn't want to hype this game up a bit though. I thought Obs was respected to a degree in the gaming industry.

 

The thing is a lot of gamers I know still think of Obsidian as the guys that didn't finish Kotor 2 and when I try to tell them that AP is a great game I get shunned as they go by gamespot's review and not even bother to play it and make up their own mind (Glad they're not mates just guys I tend to kick their arse from time to time =P), they should bloody damn well get over them selves already as it's been 5 years. But what are you going to do?

Edited June 2, 2010 by TrueZarken

[cesko]

The thing is a lot of gamers I know still think of Obsidian as the guys that didn't finish Kotor 2 and when I try to tell them that AP is a great game I get shunned as they go by gamespot's review and not even bother to play it and make up their own mind (Glad they're not mates just guys I tend to kick their arse from time to time =P), they should bloody damn well get over them selves already as it's been 5 years. But what are you going to do?

 

Then you explain Lucasarts was the one that gave Obsidian 1 year to complete the game, plus Lucasarts found the holidays to important to release the game, instead of give Obsidian more time!

 

It's still a great game btw, even now I still play it

Edited June 2, 2010 by cesko

[HoonDing]

I wonder who still takes Gamespot seriously after the Jef Gerstmann debacle.

 

Pre-debacle Gamespot with Navarro & Kasavin was decent.

Edited June 2, 2010 by virumor

[Kasabian]

Since when have gamespot ever made a honest review?

[C2B]

Since when have gamespot ever made a honest review?

 

Before 2004-2005 they were easily one of the best review sites actually. Though quality always depends on the reviewer.

[TrueZarken]

Then you explain Lucasarts was the one that gave Obsidian 1 year to complete the game, plus Lucasarts found the holidays to important to release the game, instead of give Obsidian more time!

 

It's still a great game btw, even now I still play it

 

Granted it is a great game. I played it while waiting for Alpha Protocol =P

[ProtocolX]

The thing is a lot of gamers I know still think of Obsidian as the guys that didn't finish Kotor 2 and when I try to tell them that AP is a great game I get shunned as they go by gamespot's review and not even bother to play it and make up their own mind (Glad they're not mates just guys I tend to kick their arse from time to time =P), they should bloody damn well get over them selves already as it's been 5 years. But what are you going to do?

 

Then you explain Lucasarts was the one that gave Obsidian 1 year to complete the game, plus Lucasarts found the holidays to important to release the game, instead of give Obsidian more time!

 

It's still a great game btw, even now I still play it

 

 

NWN2 was just like KOTOR2 - unfinished, and rushed. (It was great for about 2/3 of the game then rushed to end with a very lack luster ending). Both times the fans have said it was the publishers fault. I hate to break it to you, ultimately the fault lies with Obsidian.

 

Obsidian was the developer, Obsidian had the time table for when the game was to be delivered. IF Lucas was able to move the deadline ahead, then there were concessions that had to have been made to change the contract to do that, and Obsidian agreed to them. They knew going in to both projects that they had X time to produce a game. BOTH times they overreached and ran out of time. That is a fault of the developer not keeping control of what they are doing. In both cases a dev (I think it was Chris) stated that they were 'Too Ambitious". I give them points for trying to do way more than they could, but I also hold them to task as professionals that they did not act as professionals and thus had to butcher the games to one extent or another in order to get it out. It speaks of a lack of quality project management. Maybe the workers all left and the managers did not come when Obsidian formed, and that could be the problem. Lack of Project Management is a bad thing.

 

Now MOTB and SOZ were better, they were complete games, etc. but that still does not change the fact that the 2 signature games that came from Obsidian were rushed out in an 'unfinished' state.

 

So yeah, many people still remember Obsidian, not as the guys who did Torment then started a new company, but as the guys who could not finish a game.

 

And this from someone who thinks AP is freaking cool. Did I have the heebie jeebies about AP? Yep, I was sure that I would get about 2/3 of the way through and it would start getting that 'omg we are out of time!! Rush and finish it!" feel. I was very happy to find a complete and well crafted game.

[Kasabian]

Since when have gamespot ever made a honest review?

 

Before 2004-2005 they were easily one of the best review sites actually.

 

Shame it is 2010 then. :D

 

Only one reviewer I listen to and with a major pinch of salt at that, would be Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation. I personally think he hates games, but at least he is funny.

[Flouride]

NWN2 was just like KOTOR2 - unfinished, and rushed. (It was great for about 2/3 of the game then rushed to end with a very lack luster ending). Both times the fans have said it was the publishers fault. I hate to break it to you, ultimately the fault lies with Obsidian.

 

On KOTOR2 the fault lies on both parties. Obsidian for agreeing on such short timetable and LucasArts for not budging at all and then releasing a game that could have been a masterpiece as somewhat unfinished. I wonder how long it would have even taken them to finish the endgame... But then again Obsidian was a new company at this point, so I would imagine that they didn't really have much choice (drink up!) in the matter. No one in their right mind would have passed on that deal.

 

On NWN2 (from what I've heard anyways) the fault lies solely on Obsidian for being too ambitious and trying to add too many features in the game.

[WorstUsernameEver]

On NWN2 (from what I've heard anyways) the fault lies solely on Obsidian for being too ambitious and trying to add too many features in the game.

 

One thing I always found interesting about this is that the original lead left for Bioware and his project.. came out pretty buggy and almost unfinished (in that the ending was anticlimatic for a lot of people) even at Bioware.

I don't want to blame Ferret Badouin, but from my point of view, it's looking more and more like who's the lead and directs the project influences a LOT the games being made.

By the way, I liked Neverwinter Nights 2, but I don't think that was the point.

[DataDay]

On NWN2 (from what I've heard anyways) the fault lies solely on Obsidian for being too ambitious and trying to add too many features in the game.

 

One thing I always found interesting about this is that the original lead left for Bioware and his project.. came out pretty buggy and almost unfinished (in that the ending was anticlimatic for a lot of people) even at Bioware.

I don't want to blame Ferret Badouin, but from my point of view, it's looking more and more like who's the lead and directs the project influences a LOT the games being made.

By the way, I liked Neverwinter Nights 2, but I don't think that was the point.

 

That is fairly right on. The creative director or lead design, depending on the company, really carries the project. Their decisions can either make or break a game. The hard part is managing how much trust and control you can give to the rest of the developers, being too heavy handed would make for a bad work place yet, too loose can cause problems if the developers are not the best or have ego problems (must have synergy). One art lead I know told me how he would often get the designers to give criticisms to the artists, and vice versa, because it is easier to accept them than from one artist to another or one designer to another.

 

Then you have to take into account the influence the publisher has on any given project. Often times they can be pretty unrealistic in time frames or their milestones might only serve to make things worse rather than better. The industry really needs to go through some growing pains to find the best and most efficient system.

 

Personally I think Valve nailed it on the head. They do not have to deal with any publisher so to speak, since they can be self funded and distribute their own product. They also do not have a "hierarchy" set up per say. The lowly designer has just as much say as a lead design, they put everyone on equal footing and let the creativity fly. Of course final decisions will have to be made by the creative lead but still it is much more open and free than other studios. You just have to respect that.

[gruesomeb13]

I thought KOTOR 2 was a fine game, still one of my favorites to this day. Never played Torment or NWN2, as I only play on console. As far as the Gamespot review goes, I think a score of 6 is bull****. This game has been a great buy (on the 360) in my opinion and at least deserves a score of 7 or 8.

[Zoraptor]

Obsidian was the developer, Obsidian had the time table for when the game was to be delivered. IF Lucas was able to move the deadline ahead, then there were concessions that had to have been made to change the contract to do that, and Obsidian agreed to them. They knew going in to both projects that they had X time to produce a game.

LucasArts definitively changed the timetable, there's no if about it

 

"..The Sith Lords will be officially unveiled at E3 2004 and will be released for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and for the PC in February 2005.." LucasArts, May 2004

 

So they definitely moved the release date up four months, with an absolute maximum of six months notice- knocking 40% (minimum) off the available development time. Under those circumstances it's a near miracle it's as finished as it is.

 

Developers have very limited flexibility in refusing such things, the publisher wears the trousers and wields the power- at minimum you'd be unlikely to ever work with that publisher again if you refused. For a brand new dev house that is doubly true.

[Ryku_Lyonhart]

My favorite reveiwer is Yahtzee's Zero Punctuation. He normally gives honest reviews, albiet hateful sounding ones, about what to expect without sounding like he is just complaining about something he didn't like in the game.

[Libertarian]

Yes, this is the same website that gave Two Worlds on PC and 360 a higher score than this game.

 

 

Avoid!

[Ryku_Lyonhart]

Are you talking about my comment or anothers?

[xebian]

To be honest i loved Two Worlds two was awsom game shame about the bugs i played for hours and that d did not have such good rating eather iv learned now not top go by any reviews best place to find out is forums im happy with my copy of alpha protocol for ps3 (im so pleased i now have ps3 rather than my old 360 that did nothing but replacements lol

[Nightshape]

That review is spot on... Everything in it is true!

[Kasabian]

As said before;

 

"the game doesn't have much heart"

 

After saying that how can anyone believe a single word said in that article? A dire review, just compare the ratings.

 

GameSpot Score

6.0

 

Critic Score

6.7

 

User Score

7.0

 

Not even those that visit that site and rate games think Gamespot's rating is accurate. Most good sites I have read give the game a respectable 8 out of 10 or 4 out of 5.