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Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW: 17 to 23 November - Only three months late...

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Author: wolfqueen001
Posted: February 16, 2014 (09:51 PM)
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I'm just taking care of the final gap in the previous topic. I probably won't do one of these for a long while now since I'm utterly exhausted from just this effort. Despite this, I'm glad I did this, as I may have never read the reviews posted that week otherwise, and to be frank, this was a very solid week for reviews. I had some tough calls to make, but ultimately felt that these three were the strongest.



THIRD PLACE: Killzone: Shadow Fall by honestgamer

Of your three reviews this week, I liked this one the best. It felt the most descriptive, alluring and engaging of them all. Your attention to detail about the beautiful scenery and various game play that either make or break the experience gives me a clear understanding of what to expect from the game. I’ve never been too interested in Killzone, and based on this review, I’ve no intention of starting. While it may have some redeeming qualities, I feel as though there are plenty of other shooters out there.

Your use of the screenshots here is well-invested, too, especially with your previous emphasis on the graphics. I will be honest and say I am rather impressed with how nice this game looks. I didn’t really know what to expect from the PS4, and this game appears to showcase it pretty well. I think it really does look nicer than just about anything on the PS3 at this time.

SECOND PLACE: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag by Suskie

This is a fantastic review for a series that has often received mixed reception and success. It’s a series I’ve been meaning to get into, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Your review has made me want to consider this even more closely. I’ve heard a fair amount of praise for Black Flag and very little criticism (though, to be fair, I’m mostly relying on some friends at work for this aspect of it…), so it’s nice to see the balance here. You do a great job making the exciting bits sound, well, exciting. And you also do a great job weaving in what seems to be the main aspect that knocks the game down a few pegs: the tailing missions. The seamanship and exploration alone sounds wonderful. I love maritime history, and especially love the Golden Age of Piracy. I’ve found myself becoming increasingly interested in ships and shipwrecks, so I doubt I could’ve resisted the lure of this particular title for long. Still, I’m grateful for your warnings, and it’s nice to see that Ubisoft is actually asking for feedback. Maybe the next one will actually fix everything the way it should be.

FIRST PLACE: Silent Hill: Downpour by EmP

I can really tell you put your heart and soul into this review. You must have really wanted this installment of a dying series to redeem itself somehow, yet held absolutely held no expectation that it would. I feel bad for you in that you’ve finally given up hope on a series you so loved, and it’s rather heartbreaking. But all this aside, or perhaps because of it, your writing is outstanding. You eloquently describe in vivid detail exactly what it is that makes this game so very disappointing. You don’t bat an eye at the listing a long train of faults and then spending the next few paragraphs delving even deeper into just why they’re so… faulty. Every word you use is selected with care and has a purpose. You draw the reader in with vivid imagery then slam the point home with a logical argument that leaves one without a doubt that what you’re saying is true. Even those who haven’t played a Silent Hill game in their life (like me…) can see that this just isn’t up to snuff. Your reminiscence of the earliest installments shows this clear enough. This is excellent work.



Thanks to everyone else who participated.


[Eating EmP's brain] probably isn't a good idea. I mean... He's British, which means his brain's wired for PAL and your eyes are NTSC. - Will

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Author: honestgamer
Posted: February 17, 2014 (12:33 AM)
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Thanks for taking care of this topic! Congrats to the others who placed!


"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

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Author: EmP (Mod)
Posted: February 17, 2014 (08:32 AM)
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Look at you -- being all productive and stuff.

Thanks for getting this done; it was a monster of a week with a lot of quality reviews, so picking three out would have been a bit of an ordeal. As such, thanks foir picking mine out of them as the winner. Moreso, thanks for reading the entire thing in one sitting. It's certainly beaten a few others.

Congrats to Jason and Suskie, who advanced great reviews I enjoyed back then and enjoyed again this time around. Maybe one day I'll give this mainstream reviewing lark another go around. Seems a shame that last one I did was for this awful, awful title.


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