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[Skilletor]

The overreaction to good scores that aren't 9s is proportionate to the budget of the project and its supposed brand importance

Scores are better than I expected and criticisms seem reasonable enough, I don't really see the problem.

Indeed. From my 5-6 hours with the game, Other than doesn't play like next gen, critiques and praise in these reviews seem fair.

 

[IcyEyes]

In these days reviews are less and less accurate and the first impressions and the first hours in a game are much more important than the whole game.

There are a *lot* of games I love, that clearly deliver the fun only in first hours of play: these are the games for the reviewers and not for the gamers.

 

[R3TRO]

So I wonder what game is going to be the first highly reviewed AAA next gen exclusive.

 

[andycapps]

Sounds like this is just another mediocre Infamous game with a fresh coat of paint. Sony should probably consider shelving this series for a while.

In what industry are 80% ratings considered mediocre?

 

[Ishan]

Good scores. I dunno what "next gen gameplay" means and why points are taken down for the lack of it though?



He lost credibility in my book with all the next gen launch drama and his hypocrisy about 1080p and downplaying PS4's price advantage, saying it cost as much as the Xbone with the Camera and PS+.

Now that we're talking about Sessler and open world games, I like this little gem of his on GTA V

speaking of that I think he does seem a bit pompous while describing things. For example I loved lastof us but the god konws what analogies etc he draws etc just make me think he uses big words just for the sake of using big words sometimes.

 

[Majestad]

Gravity Rush is horrible. You are making Second Son a disservice if you compare it to that shit.

 

[Loudninja]

So no one is going to explain next gen gameplay to me?

Oh Edge...

I really really don't get this.

 

[QaaQer]

So its getting dinged for playing like a last gen game?

You mean...like every "next-gen" game released for all systems so far?

.

Pretty sure this gen will just be a more distilled version of last gen. Why? Because metacritic game reviews scores correlate with money so companies make games for the 20 - 50 year old mostly white male dilettante content tourists known as game reviewers. And as each year goes on, the companies increasingly focus on just that.

As such, the bigger the budget/game, the more critic focused the gameplay.

 

[Sodding_Gamer]

Yeah, it's a pretty weird point to make. I always felt that next gen was more about bringing more power to consoles and expanding multiplayer abilities.

Like you said, what in the hell is next gen gameplay. Wii (U) was new gameplay wise, so is that next gen gameplay?

I can understand new gameplay in a new IP but why would you change the gameplay to make it "next gen" when Infamous is a series. You have to keep it the same in certain respects. Just rather annoying as they should be treating this game as a sequel not a brand new IP that has to have next-gen gameplay mechanics and all that malark.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

We need a thread to talk about what exactly 'next-gen gameplay' is


Past scale, I don't see where they can go, and why some genres suffer from it while others don't. These games are using traditional controllers, on boxes that are basically more powerful evolutions of those that came before them.

 

[plake]

Sounds like this is a must play! I loved the first two games so will definitely check this out as well. No day one purchase though. Backlog is crazy...

 

[Mr.Green]

Funny how the people and sites who are giving this marked down reviews because of the repetitive nature and no side missions are the same people who gave high marks/praise to titanfall despite it being CoD with wallrunning and mechs, no singleplayer and repetitive FPS action.

Wow. Just, wow.

 

[kris.]

80+ reviews is mediocre now?

determining a game's quality based on metacritic scores?

lol

ok

 

[rob305]

Great reviews! Infamous 1 + 2 were my favorite ps3 games can't wait for tomorrow!

 

[SSM25]

I was sure this would get trashed by reviewers, nice seeing it's been well received. Definetly a buy for me

 

[chico]

i know that i shouldnt compare reviews, but what really makes me sad is reviewers giving Infamous a low score because "gameplay not next gen" "plays the same as infamous 1" 6/10 etc. and then you read their COD Ghost review and it gets 8/10. what the fuck is wrong with them???

 

[lyonhardt]

Gametrailer's review seemed to go into detail about gameplay mechanics, side missions etc much more than the other reviews -- out of the ones I have watched anyway (Gamespot, IGN, Sessler).

 

[iceatcs]

Pretty cool to see how the non-beanie and beanie avatars' comment difference. Like you can see it more which.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

Impressions from review in OP was that it reviewed quite high, yet metacritic is at 79?

 

[InsaneLuchador]

Reviews are better than I expected. I was expecting mostly 7s.

 

[Lemondish]

Not an awful lot. I'd say Titanfall at least brings parkour to an online multiplayer FPS and well...Nintendoland maybe for its asymmetrical gameplay?

Can a cross-gen game be next-gen?

Also, Brink says hi.

 

[T.O.P]

Lacks Titans.

Duh.

I'm avoid reviews till I beat the game.

I'm assuming points were taken off for lack of Titans, Lack of infinite cloud power and too many frames?

Actually I expect this game to be Polygon's first negative value review.

-1/10

- graphics too sharp
- lacks Titans
- lack cloud support
- lacks 750,000 dollar investment.

 

[jacobeid]

i know that i shouldnt compare reviews, but what really makes me sad is reviewers giving Infamous a low score because "gameplay not next gen" "plays the same as infamous 1" 6/10 etc. and the you read their COD Ghost review and it gets 8/10. what the fuck is wrong with them???

This.

 

[Ikuu]

As others have said, it's not just this review that puts him in a bad light.

I'm glad people join in with these avatar edits for big games.

 

[dracula_x]

Ars Technica review http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/03/infamous-second-son-review-pure-power-ful-enjoyment/

No score, but the review sounds positive.

"Enjoy your power." Infamous: Second Son provides you with the tools to do just that. It presents a likable cast just as excited about the prospect as you, and then the game gets out of your way. The result is not only the best game in the series, but likely my favorite game of the new console generation so far.

The Good:

• The game makes it easy to have a blast with your powers
• The character development and tone put the old games to shame
• It's very pretty

The Bad:

• Seattle's fictional denizens are lifeless
• Some powers lack a strong identity
• Just climbing buildings isn't as easy as it was in previous games

The Ugly:

• Once, I accidentally beat a citizen to death immediately after reviving them

Verdict: Buy it if you have a PlayStation 4. If you don't, maybe it's time to consider getting one.

 

[ElTorro]

I don't really care about review scores but it just seems odd that this series' Metascores keep going down when, if GAF impressions about SS are correct, each game has been a big improvement over the last.

Expectations seem to be rising. With games as a whole setting the bar higher each year (e.g., TLoU on story telling and voice acting), it's understandable that games can look worse than they would have a few years ago, even though they have improved over their predecessors.

 

[chubigans]

Oh Edge...

Man, what the hell does that even mean?

"If it wasn't for all these fancy graphics, the graphics would look quite poor."

 

[Mr Moose]

80+ reviews is mediocre now?

It's 79 on metacritic :'( Some sites I've never heard of popped up on there with low-ish scores.

 

[Majanew]

It's not about tastes. I haven't played the game yet, I don't know if I like it or not. But I have never found a reviewer that mirrored my feelings about a game.

Years ago games sold on word of mouth, game box design, demos and the odd review was used to confirm whether the game would be good through points not arbitrary numbers between 1-10.

Now. Games are solely represented by their meta-critic review score. A review score written by a corrupt, broken industry suck-ups. The mere fact this thread exists is awful. We are all slaves to review scores. It sucks.

Uh. This thread is just a collection of reviews for Infamous. It gives those interested in the game an idea how the game is, based on those reviews. Nothing more, nothing less. The reviews tell me it's a solid and fun game, but not to expect anything mind-blowing other than the graphics.

 

[Majestad]

So no one is going to explain next gen gameplay to me?

Recall the first moment you played Super Mario 64. How did it feel compared to the previous generation of gaming.

Or a more recent example, Gears of War.

Second Son seems to lacks that.

 

[Zok310]

Sounds like this is just another mediocre Infamous game with a fresh coat of paint. Sony should probably consider shelving this series for a while.

Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[Chamber]

"I can imagine, 200 years from now, like our reading of Dickens, the game will be regarded as a catalog of our contemporary travails, an accelerated reality bearing more truth than just gazing at our own reflection."

It's funny seeing the "next gen gameplay" remark in professional reviews. I thought that was just a line used to troll on gaming forums.

 

[EGOMON]

Seems like nowadays reviews are based on hype

 

[RoboPlato]

Impressions from review in OP was that it reviewed quite high, yet metacritic is at 79?

Not all reviews are in yet and some are weighted differently.

 

[josecitoxnyo]

Exactly. Still a good game but come on, it's a new gen! Surprise us! Blow our minds with stuff never seen before!

This is why GTA IV is still a 10 on the books. It was a major step forward on a lot of aspects regarding gameplay, even though it had less content and mechanics than the previous one.

 

[Terbinator]

Great reviews! Infamous 1 + 2 were my favorite ps3 games can't wait for tomorrow!

Were they the only games you had?

 

[Kuldar]

inFAMOUS Second Son is a better game than inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 and it may end with a lower metacritic.

I really don't understand how critics work.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Huh, Gerstmann did the GB review? I thought he alluded to Brad doing it in the Bombcast.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I said a few months ago that the game is going to get blasted for being another inFamous game, albeit a pretty one. (I loved the last two games, so that was fine with me.)

I think I even used the words "not next-gen enough" for how reviewers were going to talk about it. Too much pressure was put on this one title to be the first true next-gen game, doing fundamental gameplay mechanics that were impossible on PS3 tech. It was never going to be that. It was always going to be the third inFamous game, now for a new system.

 

[Darksol]

Ouch! Not even in the 80s.

Currently 80 on Metacritic based on 32 reviews.

 

[QaaQer]

In what industry are 80% ratings considered mediocre?

Education.

Currently 80 on Metacritic based on 32 reviews.

Hope it sells well enough to keep sucker punch punching.

 

[Ishan]

So I wonder what game is going to be the first highly reviewed AAA next gen exclusive.

I mean were looking at what now ?

WD? Nope not happening
MLB? Yes but itll be niche (it could turn out to be the top spin of ps4 but unlikely)
The order? (Could either score really high or get complaints of being formulaic so I think its hard to predict but of the lot I think it has the best chance)

next forza/driveclub (Racing game dont always review as well as they used to)

I think were looking at a wait till Destiny.

 

[GobFather]

I've seen at least one person that played the game to completion agree with his points being accurate.

Also, maybe he didn't enjoy or have fun with the game. Do you play games for just graphics and acting?

Most of us play for fun/enjoyment.

Different people enjoy different things.

Isn't fun.. Subjective? Graphics and acting are objective so it should be counted more so than fun.

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/20/infamous-second-son-review-hero-and-villain-4667828/

Metro gamecentral 6/10

Does this site have the lowest average score among the press? Always seems like they give low scores.

Also people should realize around 2 years ago the gaming media seemed to collectively want to use the entire review scale. I think they wanted to take back some credibility. Go look at movie and music reviews and how rare it is for a those mediums to get above an 8 metacritic. So reviews of today I feel can't be compared to reviews of yesteryear. It's a different mindset now and likely different and much more people turning in reviews. It's why we see scores range all the way from 6-10 for a single release.

 

[bobbytkc]

Man, what the hell does that even mean?

"If it wasn't for all these fancy graphics, the graphics would look quite poor."

is...is that an actual quote?

 

[Doran902]

Reviews seem good. I'm so undecided to buy this, I didn't like Infamous 1, but from what I have read Infamous 2, Blood Carnival and Second Son are much better. Need something to play on PS4 but 64.99 CAD is a lot for me on a risk. Guess just wait and see how the Gaf feedback is over the next couple weeks.

 

[purpletentacle]

...says the man with the Titanfall avatar.

just having some fun. no disrespect intended.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

Can a cross-gen game be next-gen?

Also, Brink says hi.

no one cares about who does something first. they only care about who is the first one to do it well.

 

[Zia]

Why are people having meltdowns over Infamous, of all things? It's always been a B-tier series.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Man, what the hell does that even mean?

"If it wasn't for all these fancy graphics, the graphics would look quite poor."

Uhh, it makes perfect sense in context, they're clearly talking about some odd gameplay decisions to start the game:

Your introductory action in Infamous: Second Son is an awkward minigame in which you hold your DualShock 4 sideways and vandalise a billboard with spray paint. You’re limited to predefined stencils and curtailed by the invisible square that keeps your paint in the correct area of the hoarding. It’s hardly an auspicious start for a game that represents, after Killzone: Shadow Fall, our second real opportunity to see what PlayStation 4 can do when unburdened by multiformat or cross-generational concerns.

The disappointment is only heightened by this section coming after a scrolling wall of expository text and being followed by a tutorial that includes invisible walls and reveals an odd lack of connection between hero Delsin Rowe and his environment. Parkour feels skittish and glitchy, Rowe’s clumsy, flailing form often clipping through objects as he tries to gain purchase on one of the game’s innumerable handholds. If it wasn’t for the breathtaking view – and in terms of lighting, shadow and detail, Second Son exceeds even Shadow Fall’s visual achievements – it would be easy to confuse this with an early release for the previous console generation. And not a very good one.