GamesTM - Issue 90

[Number45]

That's right yeah, only the original US/JPN 20GB/60GB models have the hardware BC.

[yesteryeargames]

perfect dark n64 is the 2nd best 1ps of all time, only beaten by goldeneye, i love halo,cod,timesplitters,half life ect but they dont come close , is there any news of the xbla remake of pd?

[parkinho]

Just that it is due sometime 'this Winter' I believe. A few new screenshots were shown a few weeks ago but it has been quiet since.

I played through PDZ for the first time recently and I actually really enjoyed it. Sure it has many issues, but it was a lot of fun to play through and they nailed the 'feel' of the guns IMO. Cerainly I enjoyed it a lot more than some of the other supposedly superior FPS games that I have also played this year.

[rmoxon]

PDZ was horrible, it controled badly and the whole thing felt increadabley wooden to play.

Having said that Goldeneye and the original PD feel pretty stiff too these days so i'll be intrested to see what the reaction to the remake is.

[Barla Von]

Mags really do need to drop the scoring system. It's so old hat now.

Instead, mags should adopt a verdict/conclusion system at the end of reviews. A paragraph will do.

This is the method Gamersyde use. That final verdict/conclusion at the end of their review tells me more than some silly number ever will.

Also, their reviews are excellent.

[SuperBeatBoy]

I think a 9 for DJ Hero is a tad too much. A 7 would have been perfect, the game itself is great i just think the mixes range more on the **** than the good.

[Kaladron]

Mags really do need to drop the scoring system. It's so old hat now.

Instead, mags should adopt a verdict/conclusion system at the end of reviews. A paragraph will do.

This is the method Gamersyde use. That final verdict/conclusion at the end of their review tells me more than some silly number ever will.

Also, their reviews are excellent.

You do realise that numbered reviews also have concluding paragraphs, right?

[Barla Von]

You do realise that numbered reviews also have concluding paragraphs, right?

Of course, but communication is far greater than a single number will ever be!

[Kaladron]

Of course, but communication is far greater than a single number will ever be!

But not a single one of those reviews is just a "single number". That's absurd.

[Barla Von]

But not a single one of those reviews is just a "single number". That's absurd.

No, you're missing the point here. At the end of a review, a verdict/conclusion in a highlighted box summing up the review does more than just giving a score at the end of the review. The conclusion tells me more than some number ever will.

click for example (scroll down to the bottom).

[Dogg Thang]

That's an idea worth thinking about. A whole page - in small letters at the top, the name of the game (and version tested) and then just one giant number. Like 4. Or 6. Not 10 though, they're given out too easy these days.


Edit: Barla Von, you're not missing any of that with a review score. You still get your conclusion. You get a whole review, a conclusion and then, as a bonus, a score. Hang on... do you work for that site?

[Barla Von]

That's an idea worth thinking about. A whole page - in small letters at the top, the name of the game (and version tested) and then just one giant number. Like 4. Or 6. Not 10 though, they're given out too easy these days.

Also, with numbered reviews you get too many people arguing otherwise. A review without them, then you take what you will from it.

Edit: Barla Von, you're not missing any of that with a review score. You still get your conclusion. You get a whole review, a conclusion and then, as a bonus, a score. Hang on... do you work for that site?

But surely if you read the review then the number isn't needed anyway? By the time you've read the review you've already made up your mind, and came to your own conclusion regarding the game.

No, i don't work for the site Dogg Thang.

[Kaladron]

No, you're missing the point here. At the end of a review, a verdict/conclusion in a highlighted box summing up the review does more than just giving a score at the end of the review. The conclusion tells me more than some number ever will.

click for example (scroll down to the bottom).

But all reviews do include that text - just before the number. There's zero meaningful difference.

EDIT: And to address your other point - a number has other uses. Most people don't read every review in a magazine but if they see that something has full marks then they will more than likely stop and read the thing.

[Barla Von]

Or how about a simple: buy or don't buy because that's what it basically comes down to.

[Barla Von]

But all reviews do include that text - just before the number. There's zero meaningful difference.

I know what you mean mate.

I think a lot of gamers out there look too much into the number given at the end of reviews.

You take away that number and everyone starts to panic!

A lot of gamers just look at the number at the end of a review then base their purchase on such a number given.

You see it all the time on many forums when the numbers a review got get posted up, gamers start disagreeing with them without actually reading the text...it's insane.

In other words: if it's a well written review with a clear and informative conclusion then a number at the end is pointless.