Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW: March 23-29, 2020 -- The last-minute rush

Until yesterday, it was looking like I was going to have a very easy week to judge. Then, three more reviews came in just under the wire. So now I get to judge reviews from three individual contributors, rather than one, and of course that's much better for the site even if it means I have more work to do before I can kick back in a lawnchair munching bonbons. On with the reviews!

The Tawashi (PC) by Masters

This is a solid review that tells me what I need to know about the game, somehow dismissing it summarily without sounding as if the author is bored by the process. That's a difficult balance to manage, and props are given and deserved, but of the two submissions Masters contributed this week, I liked the Super Panda Adventures review more.

Third Place: 1912 Titanic Mystery (PC) by EmP

This review's tagline is so good, and the Titanic has been discussed so often over the years, that I feel like a "ship out of luck" reference must have been made a few times in relation to that infamous historical disaster. But I don't care. I still love the tagline, and I'm not even going to search the Internet to see whether it's wholly original or not. It fits! One thing that doesn't quite seem to fit is your decision to play this game when you don't particularly care for the genre. As a reader, I am left to wonder: why? Why subject yourself to that torture? But anyway, you do a good job of explaining why this is a lackluster entry in said genre, despite the few things it gets right, and I liked your concluding paragraph that sums things up so beautifully.

Runner Up: Deus Ex (PC) by darketernal

This is a really strong review only occasionally let down by very minor stumbles that aren't even a big deal except in a competitive RotW topic. For example, there's this sentence: "The epic undertones that flow through the game are often highlighted with biblical references that are often presented in a subtle manner." The double use of "often" is a bit much, and yet so minor that it illustrates just how tough such competitions can get. There also are some really fun lines, like this one: "And all the fun routes involve explosives and grieving widows." So yes, this is overall another strong review in a week of strong reviews.

Review of the Week: Super Panda Adventures (PC) by Masters

This review takes what feels like the natural, obvious approach, but it's only natural and obvious because the writing made it that way. Yes, the intro tells us, this game looks like all of those bad things you expect from budget platformers. No, it doesn't deserve the comparisons and here's why. The description of the game's chief flaw is executed similarly well, and the score at the end--while at a glance seeming like it might be high for such a title--feels exactly right. Good stuff!

Thanks as always to all who contributed. I hope a bunch of you are having fun staying safe/healthy and playing video games during these largely house-bound times, and that next week will be another week as strong as this one!

"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

Thanks for the comments on both of my reviews Venter, and of course for the win. I was interested to see which of the two you would like better and I got my answer which was going to be interesting either way. Good on you for getting the topic up so fast. Stay safe.

I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!

I thought about talking about why I was reviewing the game, but it's pretty mundane stuff. It was added the the steam curator pile, I mistook it for a point and click, and it's good to get # done in an alpha run. Anyway, thanks for the words written about the words I wrote, and congrats to Marc and DE.

For us. For them. For you.