AfunkyArcadeStick
Banned
Failgate: loldon
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Tom Chick (GFW) Reviews Hellgate: London
- Thread starter Akia
- Start date
bigdaddygamebot
Member
Awesome.
Maybe Flagship will square their shit away and make the game they're capable of delivering.
Maybe Flagship will square their shit away and make the game they're capable of delivering.
Fragamemnon
Member
Fair review all around. I usually agree with Tom Chick more often than not, this time is no exception.
I'm heartened to see that the lack of a respec option was mentioned-like so many other things in Hellgate, it boggles the mind how they could have flubbed that they way that they did.
I'm heartened to see that the lack of a respec option was mentioned-like so many other things in Hellgate, it boggles the mind how they could have flubbed that they way that they did.
zenbot said:
Aye. It's certainly been several years. They were founded back in 2003 and the game was announced in early 2005. That's at least three years.
Bill Roper and crew should have never left Blizzard. What a sad state of affairs this has been. =(
darkressurection
Banned
I must be in the minority but I am loving Hellgate. I am only playing single player though so I am not getting some of the online glitches.
bigdaddygamebot
Member
darkressurection said:
You might just be one of a rare few, Sir.
Great review, a real shame about this game though.
I, like most, have an itch for an MMO-esque game that isn't WoW or a WoW clone (*cough*LoTRO*cough*) and I was hoping Hellgate would scratch that itch. The demo and subsequent review failfest confirmed that my search will go on.
I, like most, have an itch for an MMO-esque game that isn't WoW or a WoW clone (*cough*LoTRO*cough*) and I was hoping Hellgate would scratch that itch. The demo and subsequent review failfest confirmed that my search will go on.
darkressurection
Banned
I think the reason I like Hellgate is that I never played Diablo (which I am sure is probably a superior game) so I don't have and pre concieved thoughts going in, and I am just enjoying the game for what it is.
K0NY said:
No, I agree. To a point.
Tom is a great writer. But that Hellgate piece is not an excellent review.
I'm not talking about the score, mind you. Chick is very big on tell and not show, here, and I just got the sense he was writing a laundry list of complaints (in an entertaining way) instead of putting said complaints into context.
Take this paragraph:
"But the larger problem is that you just don't get it. Yeah, sure, your character classes are distinct, each its own little game (and an even better game when played in a group -- something you do your best to make difficult). But you don't go far enough with the skills, which are glib, unremarkable, and (due to a ridiculous lack of a re-spec option), a one-way trip down a tree of potentially bad choices."
Now this deserves some explanation, some fleshing out. What are some of the glib, unremarkable skills? How would an RPG or MMO player be slighted by them? I mean, I understand the need to keep things punchy and to roll on to the next witty observation, but take a little bit of time to linger on the details.
I know reviews are sometimes rushed. I know it's hard to capture a lot of ideas within the given word count. But man, I'd rather have a discussion about Hellgate (and damn! I don't even have a PC), than simply a run-down of its bad points.
darkressurection
Banned
I know, I should own DiabloThomPayne said:
Here's a fun fact, my friend was gonna give me D2 and the LoD Expansion 5 years ago and I turned him down. (Let the laughing commence)
MC Safety said:
In Tom's defense, this was a review written for our magazine, with a fixed word count. (Because sadly, in print, we only have so much space cuz we're, like, dying because of this whole "information superhighway" I keep reading about.) So all he can do in a review like this is hit the major points. I'm sure he could easily have gone on for 4000 more words if he was allowed to.
And you can hear us go on about the game at length on this week's Brodeo...
bigdaddygamebot
Member
darkressurection said:
For it's time, D2 with the expansion was a far superior game.
Forget Hellgate and all it's problems. Boot up D2 and be a loot-whore in a far more enjoyable brothel...
JeffGreen said:
Dear Jeff:
You know I love you, man. And you don't need to defend Tom.
It's really tough to do a comprehensive review. As I said, though, I think it's always better to pick and choose your criticisms and give the argument some weight rather than just breezily list a game's many flaws.
Me
Joe Molotov
Member
Saitou said:
Maybe they like it. Some people do.
Joe Molotov said:
Could be attributed to this though:
They played it and liked it and hoped it would improve, but it did not.
The stuff Gabe said must have urked some reviewers though. The whole "feeling sorry for reviewers because they rushed through AC instead of enjoying it in spurts.
I enjoyed Tom Chick's letter BTW. More reviews like that please.
Joseph Merrick
Member
His list of grievances seem reasonable. I'm still enjoying the game a whole lot myself. Haven't had a problem with the game (since about a week ago), at least not a problem flagship didn't intend (omg, passive aggressive). Afraid I'll run out of content soon though, I'm not going to hit the bosses up 50 times each to see if they drop something ultra-rare or anything like that, but I will play through it with all three characters--maybe even delete one and play through again with yet another different class. Will be interesting to see what comes out of the big december update for subscribers, maybe it'll be out by the time I roll round with number four.
The magazine seriously need a higher word-count overall though. Too many ads, too few words. Heh, I just want more to read.JeffGreen said:
Joseph Merrick
Member
Really now. Have they specifically stated or written they hate/don't like the game anywhere? It's possible to like, or actually really enjoy the game even if most people seem to hate it-- ya know.lockii said:
Joseph Merrick said:
My point is that's fine for Assassins Creed, I honestly think that whole debacle is a storm in a tea cup. I just find it funny there's the pointing out of a moral high ground right next to a Hellgate: London ad.
I want to like the game, I have been anticipating it for years being a massive D2 fan but I have to admit as good as the game may be, especially given more patch time, it is a product that was shipped a good 8 months too soon and is much worse as a result.
im playing hellgate now and for someone like me who's never really gotten into an mmo or just and persistent online game, I'm having fun with it. I totally agree with Tom's reviews and can totally understand the gripes and how serious they are. I do really hope they can update the game to be something much better regarded, but in all likely hood with this kind of reception.... doesn't look good :/
KyanMehwulfe
Member
Very entertaining writing. Additionally, it conveys a relatable genre understanding.
GFW: Slowly embarrassing the rest of 1UP one review at a time.
GFW: Slowly embarrassing the rest of 1UP one review at a time.
flarkminator
Member
So is the industry FINALLY done with "DIABLO!!! REMEMBER US"
Please?
Please?
rollingstart
Banned
this is what happens when you dont say zug-zug on the GFW promo.
jakershaker
Member
spootime said:
Tabula Rasa is actually quite interesting, and hold great promise for the future. Is definitly worth checking out if you're burned out on WoW. Same fps style combat(with timers on attacks so it's still mmo style not ut style) but within an actual mmo, which Hellgate really isn't.
As always with new mmo's Tabula Rasa needs some work but it's pretty solid from the get go. I was surprised on how good TR was and sadly disappointed by Hellgate, was looking forward to Hellgate way more too but as GFW podcast so accuratly put it 'it's just like Diablo but without the Blizzard factor'.
KyanMehwulfe
Member
It's a good start to it in the least. I've heard nothing positive about the later mid and endgame from veterans, but I enjoyed the first little while a fair bit myself. The polish and presentation was suprisingly good; should hook a lot of sci-fi folks eager for something new yet nice.
Joseph Merrick
Member
I don't get it, they're still completely different games. Wasn't he talking about Mass Effect in that printscreen btw? I didn't really read it.lockii said:
Danne-Danger
Member
Sho Nuff said:
Mythos looks promising, so I hope so.
elostyle said:
Well, it's not necessarily verbosity. More is not always better. Look at some of IGN's 5,000-word plus critiques, if you dare.
This Hellgate review is cleverly written and entertaining. That doesn't necessarily make it a good review.
Here's a review that people actually read from start to finish, and it doesn't offer much in the way of insight or critical analysis at all. Instead of highlighting two or three points and explaining what they mean and why they pothole the game, Chick just sort of ticks off things on the laundry list.
I read the review because, despite not having a PC, I'm genuinely intrigued about how this game turned out. And I really didn't learn anything about it that I couldn't have gotten from disgruntled fan #106 and his blearily written forum post.
"When There Is No Room In Hellgate, The Dead Shall Inhabit The Bargain Bin"
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/hellgate-london-subscription.php
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/hellgate-london-subscription.php