The big VR game review
Posted In: Main. Reading This Thread:
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snarf!
Seeing as how theres a film review thread and theres a lot of gamers on VR I thought there should be a proper VR games reviews thread. You can review any title you like, retro, modern even online games. what do you guys think? 
snarf!
Hows this for the basic layout?
Title: Assasins creed
Format: Xbox 360
Genre: 3rd person action adventure
Basic plot: er well your an assasin and you take people out as in kill em.
Hows it play: Really well, similar to the prince of persia series but far better executed, combats a bit easy though.
Graphics: True next gen, amazing on an HD tv
Fun factor: This lets it down as it quickly gets repetitive, not very exciting side missions and a bit predictable.
length: Lenghty story mode with loads of things to find and side quests... there just not that exciting.
Deaths: Thousands, your like superman on steroids but with a sword.
Soundtrack: Mostly medieval sounds and Arabic music, pretty good though
Highlight: Riding the horses and mounted combat, and swan diving from the top of huuuge towers.
Lowlight: repetitive, and a bit dull
My Score: 7/10
Title: Assasins creed
Format: Xbox 360
Genre: 3rd person action adventure
Basic plot: er well your an assasin and you take people out as in kill em.
Hows it play: Really well, similar to the prince of persia series but far better executed, combats a bit easy though.
Graphics: True next gen, amazing on an HD tv
Fun factor: This lets it down as it quickly gets repetitive, not very exciting side missions and a bit predictable.
length: Lenghty story mode with loads of things to find and side quests... there just not that exciting.
Deaths: Thousands, your like superman on steroids but with a sword.
Soundtrack: Mostly medieval sounds and Arabic music, pretty good though
Highlight: Riding the horses and mounted combat, and swan diving from the top of huuuge towers.
Lowlight: repetitive, and a bit dull
My Score: 7/10
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Quote: Captain_Stupendo
I'm really not a fan of this layout of reviews, much prefer to actually discuss the games rather than sumarise with vague bullet points, but I'm more than up for reviewing some games.
I'll start with what's been about the only game I've played in the last week, Pokémon Pearl (which could also be a review of Pokémon Diamond I guess, seeing as it's the same game but with slight variences in Pokémon numbers). Pokémon Pearl is a member of the fourth generation of Pokémon RPG's this time for the Nintendo DS. As ever it's created far more monsters to catch, the total being 493 this time to fully complete the games Pokédex, (even more if you go after every version of every Pokémon).
The plot is the same farce from the last God knows how many games; you're a new trainer, who gets hold of his first Pokémon from the games professor expert, and are encouraged to go and beat the Elite Four. Along the way you'll be fighting eight gym leaders, and dealing with the evil plots of the villanous Team Galactic. You'll also be taking up lots of little sidequests, such as going from a to b with item c to clear the path to d. Oh and you've just gotta catch 'em all!
The game is, in all respects and purposes, is as deep as a childs paddling pool in terms of plot, but as deep as the pacific ocean in terms of actual battling. While each monster can still only know four moves at any one time, with nearly 500 monsters to choose from (though obviously not all of them are availiable from the start), and a whole slew of items, abilities, and a weakness and reisistance chart that makes it "the worlds most complicated game of rock-paper-scissorsTM", makes it a very deep and strategic game. Or you can just do what I do, accept the innevitable grind of levelling up, and take on each gym with a team that's about five levels tougher than the gym leaders Pokémon.
This is the problem with RPG's I feel. If you have the patience for it, you can just sit around, and become stupidly powerful to the point where the entire game becomes a walk in the park. Items like the Vs Seeker, which finds which trainers are ready to re-fight you, means you'll have a potentially neverending source of money, and experience points, so as long as you have the free time and patience you can start the game with powerful monsters. The Gym badge system initially stops this, but if you dedicate yourself to just six Pokémon, they will grow to like and respect you enough to obey your commands even though you don't own the gym badge that says they must obey you.
As I said earlier, a key point to any Pokémon game is the concept of "catching 'em all". Unfortunately, with more games into the series this has become harder and harder. Initially you only have to see all the Pokémon in the Sinnoh dex. I'm told this is possible by merely battling every trainer possible (I haven't actually finished it yet, hence why I'm still playing it). Once this is done, you unlock the national dex, and can thus begin properly going after every Pokémon.
Here begins the problem, as catching 'em all is easier said than done. Oh sure, or some Pokémon you'll just run into them in the wild, and can weaken them in a fight, then catch them in a Pokéball, or can level them up until they reach a certain level, and evolve, as has always been the case, but particularly in this game absurd evolutions have become more commonplace.
Back in the days of Red and Blue, the majority of Pokémon evolved through levelling up. A small handful evolved by the use of evolutionary stones (couldn't've been more than eleven but don't quote me), and four Pokémon evolved through being traded from one game to another. This was okay, it was simple, we could handle it, and for the most part the game did at least hint you in the right direction as to how this happened.
Not anymore though. Somewhere between Crystal (the last Pokémon game I played) and Pearl the rules for evolution sense, as well as catching sense for that matter, were thrown out the window. For instance, Combee will only evolve if it's female. My brother learnt this the hard way, and now has a level thirty five male Combee. According to his testimony, Combee is a sh*t Pokémon, and he was thoroughly annoyed to learn this. I only know this myself because I looked on Bulbapedia.
I find it to be particularly annoying for a game that stresses "gotta catch 'em all" as it's motto, that catching 'em all is nigh on impossible without an encylcpaedic webpages help. Some of the things you have to do to get all the Pokémon is ridiculously specific, and will be a real chore for any completist. For one, to complete Pearl's national dex you'll need someone with a copy of Diamond, and a spare DS, so you can get all the Pokémon not found in Pearl. You'll also need copies of Pokémon Fire Red, Pokémon Leaf Green, Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Saphire, and (optionally) Pokémon Emerald all for the Gameboy Advance to be able to get all the Pokémon.
Lets assume for a moment you had a friend who was as equally as commited to completing the Pokédex. Not only would you have to play through two other games each, just to be able to obtain all the Pokémon in those, but also actually have to pay for these games as well. At £30 new, that's £90 each, or £180 and the cost of a DS (so £280), just to have the honour of a complete Pokédex. Even then you can't honestly finish it, as several legendary Pokémon can only be obtained through special promotional events held by Nintendo.
Of course, there is always the Nintendo Wi-Fi Global Trade System, located in one of the earlier cities to help your quest. Well in theory anyway. It's purely dumb luck what's availiable for trade on there, and you can bet that most of what's availiable isn't worthwhile. Another kick in the teeth for the GTS is that you can't actually ask for a trade for a Pokémon you haven't yet seen. Yes, that's right, you aren't alowed to seek out the very Pokémon you're after until you've seen one, either in the wild, or in a battle.
So it's basically impossible to fully finish the game without some sort of cheat device, or a multitude of time, patience, money and the ability to go to any and all Nintendo events, which makes the whole point of catching 'em all redudant.
Yet it's still a good game. Yes it's the exact same as the past three generations, yes the story is total b*ll*cks, and yes, you will find yourself having to stop and level up because the difficulty has suddenly spiked a good ten levels out of the blue. But despite this, the only complaint I have about the game is just how inobvious it is about some things. For instance there's a point after the fourth gym where in order to progress you have to chase a Galactic Grunt halfway up one of the routes, Naturally under the age old assumption of RPG NPC's (that nothing he says changes ever unless he moves in position), I ignored him for an age, and wanderred all around everything I had done prior to find the new bit to go to.
Otherwise it's a competent, and often enoyable RPG, that's as shallow as it needs to be, and as deep as you wish to make it. If you just want to finish it quickly, then that's possible, or you can spend ages investing in vitamins, and breeding Pokémon that start powerful and grow into total powerhouses.
Just don't ever expect to catch 'em all.
Hows this for the basic layout?
Title: Assasins creed
Format: Xbox 360
Genre: 3rd person action adventure
Basic plot: er well your an assasin and you take people out as in kill em.
Hows it play: Really well, similar to the prince of persia series but far better executed, combats a bit easy though.
Graphics: True next gen, amazing on an HD tv
Fun factor: This lets it down as it quickly gets repetitive, not very exciting side missions and a bit predictable.
length: Lenghty story mode with loads of things to find and side quests... there just not that exciting.
Deaths: Thousands, your like superman on steroids but with a sword.
Soundtrack: Mostly medieval sounds and Arabic music, pretty good though
Highlight: Riding the horses and mounted combat, and swan diving from the top of huuuge towers.
Lowlight: repetitive, and a bit dull
My Score: 7/10
I'm really not a fan of this layout of reviews, much prefer to actually discuss the games rather than sumarise with vague bullet points, but I'm more than up for reviewing some games.
I'll start with what's been about the only game I've played in the last week, Pokémon Pearl (which could also be a review of Pokémon Diamond I guess, seeing as it's the same game but with slight variences in Pokémon numbers). Pokémon Pearl is a member of the fourth generation of Pokémon RPG's this time for the Nintendo DS. As ever it's created far more monsters to catch, the total being 493 this time to fully complete the games Pokédex, (even more if you go after every version of every Pokémon).
The plot is the same farce from the last God knows how many games; you're a new trainer, who gets hold of his first Pokémon from the games professor expert, and are encouraged to go and beat the Elite Four. Along the way you'll be fighting eight gym leaders, and dealing with the evil plots of the villanous Team Galactic. You'll also be taking up lots of little sidequests, such as going from a to b with item c to clear the path to d. Oh and you've just gotta catch 'em all!
The game is, in all respects and purposes, is as deep as a childs paddling pool in terms of plot, but as deep as the pacific ocean in terms of actual battling. While each monster can still only know four moves at any one time, with nearly 500 monsters to choose from (though obviously not all of them are availiable from the start), and a whole slew of items, abilities, and a weakness and reisistance chart that makes it "the worlds most complicated game of rock-paper-scissorsTM", makes it a very deep and strategic game. Or you can just do what I do, accept the innevitable grind of levelling up, and take on each gym with a team that's about five levels tougher than the gym leaders Pokémon.
This is the problem with RPG's I feel. If you have the patience for it, you can just sit around, and become stupidly powerful to the point where the entire game becomes a walk in the park. Items like the Vs Seeker, which finds which trainers are ready to re-fight you, means you'll have a potentially neverending source of money, and experience points, so as long as you have the free time and patience you can start the game with powerful monsters. The Gym badge system initially stops this, but if you dedicate yourself to just six Pokémon, they will grow to like and respect you enough to obey your commands even though you don't own the gym badge that says they must obey you.
As I said earlier, a key point to any Pokémon game is the concept of "catching 'em all". Unfortunately, with more games into the series this has become harder and harder. Initially you only have to see all the Pokémon in the Sinnoh dex. I'm told this is possible by merely battling every trainer possible (I haven't actually finished it yet, hence why I'm still playing it). Once this is done, you unlock the national dex, and can thus begin properly going after every Pokémon.
Here begins the problem, as catching 'em all is easier said than done. Oh sure, or some Pokémon you'll just run into them in the wild, and can weaken them in a fight, then catch them in a Pokéball, or can level them up until they reach a certain level, and evolve, as has always been the case, but particularly in this game absurd evolutions have become more commonplace.
Back in the days of Red and Blue, the majority of Pokémon evolved through levelling up. A small handful evolved by the use of evolutionary stones (couldn't've been more than eleven but don't quote me), and four Pokémon evolved through being traded from one game to another. This was okay, it was simple, we could handle it, and for the most part the game did at least hint you in the right direction as to how this happened.
Not anymore though. Somewhere between Crystal (the last Pokémon game I played) and Pearl the rules for evolution sense, as well as catching sense for that matter, were thrown out the window. For instance, Combee will only evolve if it's female. My brother learnt this the hard way, and now has a level thirty five male Combee. According to his testimony, Combee is a sh*t Pokémon, and he was thoroughly annoyed to learn this. I only know this myself because I looked on Bulbapedia.
I find it to be particularly annoying for a game that stresses "gotta catch 'em all" as it's motto, that catching 'em all is nigh on impossible without an encylcpaedic webpages help. Some of the things you have to do to get all the Pokémon is ridiculously specific, and will be a real chore for any completist. For one, to complete Pearl's national dex you'll need someone with a copy of Diamond, and a spare DS, so you can get all the Pokémon not found in Pearl. You'll also need copies of Pokémon Fire Red, Pokémon Leaf Green, Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Saphire, and (optionally) Pokémon Emerald all for the Gameboy Advance to be able to get all the Pokémon.
Lets assume for a moment you had a friend who was as equally as commited to completing the Pokédex. Not only would you have to play through two other games each, just to be able to obtain all the Pokémon in those, but also actually have to pay for these games as well. At £30 new, that's £90 each, or £180 and the cost of a DS (so £280), just to have the honour of a complete Pokédex. Even then you can't honestly finish it, as several legendary Pokémon can only be obtained through special promotional events held by Nintendo.
Of course, there is always the Nintendo Wi-Fi Global Trade System, located in one of the earlier cities to help your quest. Well in theory anyway. It's purely dumb luck what's availiable for trade on there, and you can bet that most of what's availiable isn't worthwhile. Another kick in the teeth for the GTS is that you can't actually ask for a trade for a Pokémon you haven't yet seen. Yes, that's right, you aren't alowed to seek out the very Pokémon you're after until you've seen one, either in the wild, or in a battle.
So it's basically impossible to fully finish the game without some sort of cheat device, or a multitude of time, patience, money and the ability to go to any and all Nintendo events, which makes the whole point of catching 'em all redudant.
Yet it's still a good game. Yes it's the exact same as the past three generations, yes the story is total b*ll*cks, and yes, you will find yourself having to stop and level up because the difficulty has suddenly spiked a good ten levels out of the blue. But despite this, the only complaint I have about the game is just how inobvious it is about some things. For instance there's a point after the fourth gym where in order to progress you have to chase a Galactic Grunt halfway up one of the routes, Naturally under the age old assumption of RPG NPC's (that nothing he says changes ever unless he moves in position), I ignored him for an age, and wanderred all around everything I had done prior to find the new bit to go to.
Otherwise it's a competent, and often enoyable RPG, that's as shallow as it needs to be, and as deep as you wish to make it. If you just want to finish it quickly, then that's possible, or you can spend ages investing in vitamins, and breeding Pokémon that start powerful and grow into total powerhouses.
Just don't ever expect to catch 'em all.
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Quote: Substance
That's the games mechanics though. You differentiate from that too much and it's not the same game. It's one thing to keep the same gameplay elements, it's another thing entirely to spawn an identical game.
Now if Diamond was released as Pearls successor a year later, people would be fuming because it was an identical game. However, within the game, parts of the story (I agree, there could be much more done with it to be honest), and some of the attacks within the battles, as well as the set up of some battles, and the puzzles you need to solve change.
Outside of the core mechanics of football though, nothing changes bar the yearly update, and a minor graphical polish. Sit me infront of Pro Evo four footage, and Pro Evo six footage, and I wouldn't be able to tell you which is which, because the game is identical.
I'd argue then that Pro Evo is more guilty of selling the same thing over and over, but for what it is, it can't help but do that, as there is nothing else you can add to it, unless you want to play as a footballer off the pitch. For what it does, Pro Evo encapsulates real life football rather well, but like real life football, very little changes year in year out, so there's no way to change it. Pokémon on the other hand, while still keeping the same gameplay elements it's fans love, could severly change the actual game, not to mention stop making it so essential to have prior games to be able to obtain that 100% complete status in it.
But much like any game franchise, pro evo, Mario you name it, its still essentially the same game albeit presented differently, I could for example, argue that Pokemon is the RPG equivalent of Pro evo, in that you still end up fighting battles with pokemon, much in the same way you still play a game of football.
That's the games mechanics though. You differentiate from that too much and it's not the same game. It's one thing to keep the same gameplay elements, it's another thing entirely to spawn an identical game.
Now if Diamond was released as Pearls successor a year later, people would be fuming because it was an identical game. However, within the game, parts of the story (I agree, there could be much more done with it to be honest
), and some of the attacks within the battles, as well as the set up of some battles, and the puzzles you need to solve change. Outside of the core mechanics of football though, nothing changes bar the yearly update, and a minor graphical polish. Sit me infront of Pro Evo four footage, and Pro Evo six footage, and I wouldn't be able to tell you which is which, because the game is identical.
I'd argue then that Pro Evo is more guilty of selling the same thing over and over, but for what it is, it can't help but do that, as there is nothing else you can add to it, unless you want to play as a footballer off the pitch. For what it does, Pro Evo encapsulates real life football rather well, but like real life football, very little changes year in year out, so there's no way to change it. Pokémon on the other hand, while still keeping the same gameplay elements it's fans love, could severly change the actual game, not to mention stop making it so essential to have prior games to be able to obtain that 100% complete status in it.
i r lion. i r bite you.
Title: We <3 Katamari
Format: Playstation. Also, Me & My Katamari exists for psp. very cool.
Genre: japanese
(martin says: fun on a stick)
Basic plot: You've got this ball type thing called a katamari that magnetizes everything ever and you roll it around and collect all the stuff. The trick is that you can only roll up stuff that is smaller than the katamari. You generally have to get to a certain size within a certain time but there are variants. The storyline is that the King of All Cosmos rolled up all the stars and stuff in the previous game (Katamari Damacy which i have not played) so all the katamaris you make get turned into stars and planets. At the end you roll them all up into a big fat katamari and then roll up the sun. To which I say
Hows it play: Really well! This being the only video game I've played to completion I dont really know how to answer this question (Martin says: amazingly well, the analouge sticks have never been put to better use POINT)
Graphics: Colorful and fun!! Cartoonishly 3-D, but purposfully so. They don't look crappy and dated or anything.
Fun factor: 1,000,000/10
Enemy AI: There are no enemies
YAY for peace love and katamaris!
Length: Pretty short I think. It's not so short you feel like something's missing, not at all, but it's.... finite. Yes.
Deaths: None! (See Enemy AI)
Soundtrack: Fun and neat, to channel David James. The songs get a little repetative after awhile but eh. It's not unbearable, and they add to the fun-factor
Highlight: The King of All Cosmos; also the cute little Cousins, in particular June and Itchigo
Lowlight: When you can't beat a level and you have to play it over and over in all its same-y sameness. Also your thumbs get very tired.
Rating: Best. Game. Ever.
Format: Playstation. Also, Me & My Katamari exists for psp. very cool.
Genre: japanese
(martin says: fun on a stick)Basic plot: You've got this ball type thing called a katamari that magnetizes everything ever and you roll it around and collect all the stuff. The trick is that you can only roll up stuff that is smaller than the katamari. You generally have to get to a certain size within a certain time but there are variants. The storyline is that the King of All Cosmos rolled up all the stars and stuff in the previous game (Katamari Damacy which i have not played) so all the katamaris you make get turned into stars and planets. At the end you roll them all up into a big fat katamari and then roll up the sun. To which I say
Hows it play: Really well! This being the only video game I've played to completion I dont really know how to answer this question (Martin says: amazingly well, the analouge sticks have never been put to better use POINT)
Graphics: Colorful and fun!! Cartoonishly 3-D, but purposfully so. They don't look crappy and dated or anything.
Fun factor: 1,000,000/10
Enemy AI: There are no enemies
YAY for peace love and katamaris!Length: Pretty short I think. It's not so short you feel like something's missing, not at all, but it's.... finite. Yes.
Deaths: None! (See Enemy AI)
Soundtrack: Fun and neat, to channel David James. The songs get a little repetative after awhile but eh. It's not unbearable, and they add to the fun-factor
Highlight: The King of All Cosmos; also the cute little Cousins, in particular June and Itchigo
Lowlight: When you can't beat a level and you have to play it over and over in all its same-y sameness. Also your thumbs get very tired.
Rating: Best. Game. Ever.
Naaaaaaaaaaaaa na na na nana naa naa na Katamari Damacy
Great choice. Also...
Quote: Marton
We <3 Katamari is the most enjoyable game I've ever played
Great choice. Also...
Quote: Marton
Title: Metal Gear Solid
Fun factor: One of the most enjoyable games I've ever played.
We <3 Katamari is the most enjoyable game I've ever played
i r lion. i r bite you.
Title: Rock Band
Format: according to geroge, ps2, xbox 360 and ps3
Genre: music playing kind
Basic plot: Pick an istrument: guitar, bass, drums, or vocal chords. Follow the onscreen prompts and make it sound like you're playing a song you've heard on the radio. feel awesome.
Hows it play: Quiet well. The guitar is wquieter than Guitar Hero ones; the drums seem to not always pick up on what you're playing, but maybe thats only if you suck a bit
Graphics: Infinitely better than Guitar Hero. Okay, so the actual graphics werent superior, BUT the singer's mouth matches each song exactly, as does each instrument. Also, the audience doesnt look like they made two animations and repeated them 20 times, it looks good.
Fun factor: 1,000,000/10
Enemy AI: There are no enemies
Length: Perfect
Deaths: None!
Soundtrack: Really good, lots of really cool songs I know, and cool songs I didnt know
Highlight: Feeling like you're really playing something good instead of tapping on some round sensitive pads
Lowlight: Erm..... NONE
Rating: Other. Best. Game. Ever.
Format: according to geroge, ps2, xbox 360 and ps3
Genre: music playing kind
Basic plot: Pick an istrument: guitar, bass, drums, or vocal chords. Follow the onscreen prompts and make it sound like you're playing a song you've heard on the radio. feel awesome.
Hows it play: Quiet well. The guitar is wquieter than Guitar Hero ones; the drums seem to not always pick up on what you're playing, but maybe thats only if you suck a bit
Graphics: Infinitely better than Guitar Hero. Okay, so the actual graphics werent superior, BUT the singer's mouth matches each song exactly, as does each instrument. Also, the audience doesnt look like they made two animations and repeated them 20 times, it looks good.
Fun factor: 1,000,000/10
Enemy AI: There are no enemies
Length: Perfect
Deaths: None!
Soundtrack: Really good, lots of really cool songs I know, and cool songs I didnt know
Highlight: Feeling like you're really playing something good instead of tapping on some round sensitive pads
Lowlight: Erm..... NONE
Rating: Other. Best. Game. Ever.
I can't afford either machine. Or a 360. I've still got a PS2, but much to mine and a mate's displeasure, I've left it back at home so I can't play Pro Evo online 
Πανδώρα:
Beefy cheesemas to all, and to all a gravy brie
Rayanne Graff:
Happy Easter.
IGH:
Just who was The Brigadier
ratammer:
squeak
Debs|OWA:
o/
IGH:
Wibble
Vel:
*sigh*
Emma:
Hi VR...
Princess Psycho:
Hi I am back in the UK so how are everyone been keeping. Has Fluffy had that little accident yet?
Claire:
SHOUTBOX OF VRRRRRR
Rayanne Graff:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Lucozade Lover:
Happy New Year!
Crinkle-Cut Beatroot:
Happy new year <3
Claire:
BOXSHOUT
Rayanne Graff:
Happy Easter.
Emma:
So… Posting a new thread is Fission Mailing… so I’m putting this here.
Emma:
I know there aren’t many people looking at this anymore… but I have made the decision to stop paying for the VR hosting and to let the domain lapse.
Emma:
I think it will be going offline around the end of May
Emma:
It’s been almost 10 years since James passed away… and I feel like it’s time.
Emma:
A lot of the regulars can be found on the VR veterans group on Facebook - if you see this and you’re not in there, come join us.