Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW (February 19, 2011 - February 25, 2011)

Sorry about the delay in posting this. I'm in the middle of a crazy-busy week! Still, there were some great submissions that deserve better than to be ignored. So, let's get onto my picks for the top three!

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Third Place: Rhythm Heaven Fever by JoeTheDestroyer

This review was tightly written and efficiently covered the game's various elements with an obvious awareness for what was important. Little things like the discussion of the process for retrying a stage lend the impression that Joe knows what he's talking about and that he is letting us know everything we need to hear in order to decide whether or not the game is for us. Though it felt dry in places, the tone was right for a professional review of this game and there were no lines that felt forced or gimmicky.

Runner Up: Final Fantasy XIII by overdrive

I liked this review a lot, enough that it almost took the week's tough spot, but it really feels like the lack of discussion of the plot hurts it. Final Fantasy games are known for their plots. While there was some discussion of the characters, there wasn't any description of the actual story (just general references to melodramatic dialog). It was a missed opportunity. All of the other discussion was excellent, though, and the review also raised an interesting point about how much more fun the game was to play after a two-month break. This was a compelling read that just felt like it was missing that one thing. That knocked it down a peg.

Review of the Week: Alan Wake's American Nightmare by Suskie

Suskie wins another week with a shorter review than usual that covers a shorter game than usual. The length of discussion wasn't an issue, though, as the review was crammed full of information and strong descriptions that let me know everything I needed to know about how the game plays and how it stacks up to its predecessor. Suskie always makes that sort of writing look so effortless, but we all know it's not. Great job!

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Thanks to all who contributed this week. There were a number of submissions that almost made the third-place cut. We've been fortunate to have a number of recent additions to the community, people who are turning in some great stuff. I hope that you'll all keep the submissions coming and perhaps get a mention in a future topic. Keep up the good work, everyone!

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Huh, I didn't expect that little review to do so well, so thanks! I'm now halfway to fully dominating the Featured Reviews box. Stop me IF YOU CAN.

Congrats to OD and Joe for their good work as usual. And actually I meant to comment on OD's and never did. Sorry about that.

You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.