Comments for Tales of a Scorched Earth http://toase.net Love/Hate Video Games. Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:05:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on The Whip Asserts Itself in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow by Andrew Lavigne http://toase.net/2010/12/01/the-whip-asserts-itself-in-castlevania-lords-of-shadow/#comment-1262 Andrew Lavigne Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:05:47 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=1174#comment-1262 Finally! Someone willing to defend to Lords of Shadow; it received quite a few praiseworthy reviews from good sources like Eurogamer, but outside of that the gaming community itself seems to have reacted with cries of making Castlevania generic. I think I may be the only fan of the series who not only was okay with the final product, but loved it enough to consider it one of my favorite games of 2010 (even if it didn't draw my attention enough to have me replay it.) It's most definitely a Castlevania game to me, in that it involves a dude with a whip who must fight creatures of the night and a host of assembled genre monsters in a Gothic setting and utilize his ability to platform. If only the musical style was more diverse, it'd be perfect. After all, one has to recall that Symphony of the Night was derided back in the day as "Metroidvania." That term wasn't used kindly, either, as it is now. So back in the early 90s, one producer found it useful for the series to mimic Metroid, a then popular series, and now another producer decides the series should mimic God of War, a currently more popular series. And hey, to make this loop even further the studio behind Metroid Prime decided to change it to a first person game and that also made people flip out about making it generic. It is also seems to have suffered similar problems to Darksiders, where people don't realize that the God of War method of combat and the Legend of Zelda style gameplay are not really things coined to a particular franchise name but are really like sub-genres of games. Thankfully, no one called Gears of War 1 a "Resident Evil 4 ripoff." Finally! Someone willing to defend to Lords of Shadow; it received quite a few praiseworthy reviews from good sources like Eurogamer, but outside of that the gaming community itself seems to have reacted with cries of making Castlevania generic. I think I may be the only fan of the series who not only was okay with the final product, but loved it enough to consider it one of my favorite games of 2010 (even if it didn’t draw my attention enough to have me replay it.)

It’s most definitely a Castlevania game to me, in that it involves a dude with a whip who must fight creatures of the night and a host of assembled genre monsters in a Gothic setting and utilize his ability to platform. If only the musical style was more diverse, it’d be perfect.

After all, one has to recall that Symphony of the Night was derided back in the day as “Metroidvania.” That term wasn’t used kindly, either, as it is now. So back in the early 90s, one producer found it useful for the series to mimic Metroid, a then popular series, and now another producer decides the series should mimic God of War, a currently more popular series. And hey, to make this loop even further the studio behind Metroid Prime decided to change it to a first person game and that also made people flip out about making it generic.

It is also seems to have suffered similar problems to Darksiders, where people don’t realize that the God of War method of combat and the Legend of Zelda style gameplay are not really things coined to a particular franchise name but are really like sub-genres of games. Thankfully, no one called Gears of War 1 a “Resident Evil 4 ripoff.”

]]> Comment on Case Zero: An Introduction to Dead Rising 2 by Killer Gamer http://toase.net/2010/09/07/case-zero-an-introduction-to-dead-rising-2/#comment-580 Killer Gamer Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:02:44 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=1130#comment-580 Nice review!I toyed around with Case Zero but quickly fell back.. .. when this was out I was still all about WoW Nice review!I toyed around with Case Zero but quickly fell back.. .. when this was out I was still all about WoW

]]> Comment on Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines by Killer Gamer http://toase.net/2005/01/10/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines/#comment-308 Killer Gamer Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:00:57 +0000 http://toase.net/wp/?p=243#comment-308 Wow I remember this game! Who doesn't love good games about vampires.... resident evil was my all time fav. anyhow, as far as the Temple of Elemental Evil and Arcanum, hated the Arcanum... what a waste of money! But bloodline wasn't all that bad... Wow I remember this game! Who doesn’t love good games about vampires…. resident evil was my all time fav. anyhow, as far as the Temple of Elemental Evil and Arcanum, hated the Arcanum… what a waste of money! But bloodline wasn’t all that bad…

]]> Comment on Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines by Keeper Garrett http://toase.net/2005/01/10/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines/#comment-307 Keeper Garrett Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:29:16 +0000 http://toase.net/wp/?p=243#comment-307 I remember TERRIBLE problems with Temple of Elemental Evil and Arcanum. I bought all three of their major releases but never finished one. Poor Troika good ideas aren't quite enough in the end. I remember TERRIBLE problems with Temple of Elemental Evil and Arcanum. I bought all three of their major releases but never finished one. Poor Troika good ideas aren’t quite enough in the end.

]]> Comment on Flotilla review at Rules of the Game by Keeper Garrett http://toase.net/2010/06/23/flotilla-review-at-rules-of-the-game/#comment-579 Keeper Garrett Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:58:02 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=1119#comment-579 I thought Flotilla was a really cute game, but something a wasted opportunity. I'd have really liked a free play mode and some more options. I did love staring into the pretty lights though. I thought Flotilla was a really cute game, but something a wasted opportunity. I’d have really liked a free play mode and some more options. I did love staring into the pretty lights though.

]]> Comment on chasing the shivan dragon by Donald http://toase.net/2009/06/24/chasing-the-shivan-dragon/#comment-522 Donald Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:30:22 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=816#comment-522 The game is a passable representation of the experience of the tabletop game. While the effort to introduce new players with low power (i.e. monocolor decks that use only basic lands and common cards) decks is welcome, it's clear that the ultimate goal of the game is to get the player interested in the real thing and buy real cards so they can start playing. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. I actually started playing MTG via the Tenth Edition demo on computer, and went on from there. For those who want to hone their skills, the online competitive play and the puzzles are pretty nice. Nothing quite tests your ability to think under pressure like racing against a one turn clock between victory and defeat. I'll look forward to purchasing future expansions of the game. The game is a passable representation of the experience of the tabletop game. While the effort to introduce new players with low power (i.e. monocolor decks that use only basic lands and common cards) decks is welcome, it’s clear that the ultimate goal of the game is to get the player interested in the real thing and buy real cards so they can start playing. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I actually started playing MTG via the Tenth Edition demo on computer, and went on from there.

For those who want to hone their skills, the online competitive play and the puzzles are pretty nice. Nothing quite tests your ability to think under pressure like racing against a one turn clock between victory and defeat. I’ll look forward to purchasing future expansions of the game.

]]> Comment on Resident Evil 4: the most overrated game of 2005 by David http://toase.net/2006/02/27/resident-evil-4-the-most-overrated-game-of-2005/#comment-389 David Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:04:21 +0000 http://toase.net/wp/?p=351#comment-389 I'm new to your site (a friend referred your recent Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review - wonderful read, about a game that I have yet to play), so, please let me say that I really appreciate your long-form reviews. That having been said, while I respect your opinion about Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube (a game that gave me a lot of joy), I must say that I think several of the reasons you put forth for the game being a huge disappointment strike me as small-minded/petty. The plot is unnecessarily silly, yes (and such a change from what I expected based on the demo, which I greatly enjoyed), but, you seem offended by it not being a 'true' survival horror game, because you neither struggled to survive, nor did you often feel a genuine sense of horror/dread/fear. I completely understand your point, though I don't share it. However, I would ask you to consider this: if the game were not classified as 'survival horror' would you have been so terribly disappointed in it? In my mind, it's an action game, masquerading as another installment in a series with a radically different style. I have no way of knowing what Mikami Shinji's intentions were, but I felt strongly that he was signaling a desire to move on, and establish a new direction for the franchise. At any rate, as several years separate your RE4 and C:LoS reviews, perhaps your sensibilities have changed. Not that I believe your overall impression of the game would be any different, I just wish you'd made a more cogent argument about why, for example, Resident Evil 2, is a better game in your eyes. Anyway! Thank you for the thoughtful writing about video games^ ^ Best wishes, David. I’m new to your site (a friend referred your recent Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review – wonderful read, about a game that I have yet to play), so, please let me say that I really appreciate your long-form reviews.
That having been said, while I respect your opinion about Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube (a game that gave me a lot of joy), I must say that I think several of the reasons you put forth for the game being a huge disappointment strike me as small-minded/petty.
The plot is unnecessarily silly, yes (and such a change from what I expected based on the demo, which I greatly enjoyed), but, you seem offended by it not being a ‘true’ survival horror game, because you neither struggled to survive, nor did you often feel a genuine sense of horror/dread/fear.
I completely understand your point, though I don’t share it.
However, I would ask you to consider this: if the game were not classified as ‘survival horror’ would you have been so terribly disappointed in it?
In my mind, it’s an action game, masquerading as another installment in a series with a radically different style.
I have no way of knowing what Mikami Shinji’s intentions were, but I felt strongly that he was signaling a desire to move on, and establish a new direction for the franchise.
At any rate, as several years separate your RE4 and C:LoS reviews, perhaps your sensibilities have changed.
Not that I believe your overall impression of the game would be any different, I just wish you’d made a more cogent argument about why, for example, Resident Evil 2, is a better game in your eyes.
Anyway! Thank you for the thoughtful writing about video games^ ^
Best wishes,
David.

]]> Comment on The Whip Asserts Itself in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow by Ian http://toase.net/2010/12/01/the-whip-asserts-itself-in-castlevania-lords-of-shadow/#comment-581 Ian Sun, 05 Dec 2010 06:15:38 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=1174#comment-581 Excellent piece! Your critique of Lords of Shadow is both elaborate and extremely well rounded as you draw comparisons to its predecessors in the third-person action genre as well as its predecessors in the Castlevania series. Among many of the elements you've listed, I'm glad to hear that the combat skills you develop throughout the game do not go mysteriously absent during boss fights. Excellent piece! Your critique of Lords of Shadow is both elaborate and extremely well rounded as you draw comparisons to its predecessors in the third-person action genre as well as its predecessors in the Castlevania series. Among many of the elements you’ve listed, I’m glad to hear that the combat skills you develop throughout the game do not go mysteriously absent during boss fights.

]]> Comment on Dante’s Inferno: The Wretched by Tales of a Scorched Earth » Blog Archive » The Whip Asserts Itself in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow http://toase.net/2010/05/06/dantes-inferno-the-wretched/#comment-576 Tales of a Scorched Earth » Blog Archive » The Whip Asserts Itself in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:17:02 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=1102#comment-576 [...] suggest reading my full breakdown of the game in “Dante’s Inferno: The Wretched”, May 2010. [...] [...] suggest reading my full breakdown of the game in “Dante’s Inferno: The Wretched”, May 2010. [...]

]]> Comment on The Video Game Demo: advertising catalyst or legitimate demonstration? by Tales of a Scorched Earth » Blog Archive » The Whip Asserts Itself in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow http://toase.net/2009/09/21/the-video-game-demo-advertising-catalyst-or-legitimate-demonstration/#comment-545 Tales of a Scorched Earth » Blog Archive » The Whip Asserts Itself in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:44:18 +0000 http://toase.net/?p=937#comment-545 [...] In this regard, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is this year’s Batman: Arkham Asylum. Refer to “The Video Game Demo: advertising catalyst or legitimate demonstration?”, September 2009. [...] [...] In this regard, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is this year’s Batman: Arkham Asylum. Refer to “The Video Game Demo: advertising catalyst or legitimate demonstration?”, September 2009. [...]

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