# The Official Game Review Thread



## Un-Chan (Jun 13, 2008)

Have you ever wished that you had some warning before you bought a game?

There's a lot of great games that I recently got for my birthday that I've wanted to spread the word about. I'm sure that some of you have felt this same way, so I've organized this thread. It doesn't matter if your review is for a NES or Genesis game, or if it's for a PS3 or Wii game. Keep in mind that there will be no criticism to other reviewers here; everyone has their own opinion. Just fill this form out:

Title -
System -
ESRB Rating -
Year (If Known) - 
Rating (1-10) -
Review -
My reviews will be in the next post.


----------



## Un-Chan (Jun 13, 2008)

Title - God of War: Chains of Olympus
System - Play Station Portable (PSP)
ESRB Rating - M
Year - 2008
Rating - 10/10
Review - I just got it today, and I could hardly put it down. (Damned batteries...I need a wall cord.) The graphics are great, sharper and better than the old ones, the controls are easy to memorize and really well-organized, and the gameplay itself is great.

Percentage Rating: 100%


Title - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
System - Nintendo Dual Screen (DS)
ESRB Rating - E
Year - 2008
Rating - 5/10
Review - Eh. I got this for my birthday as well, and I got bored with it. I constantly tried to 
*Spoiler*: __ 



rescue this stupid little Azuril that ran off with a stranger


 about 15 times, and failed on every single one. The controls are crappy at that. There's a rule that pokemon can't attack you unless you attack them first, and my stupid partner keeps attacking!

Percent Rating - 50%


----------



## Twilit (Jun 13, 2008)

If you're trying to help people decide on a game, might wanna do one's that haven't been out very long


----------



## Aruarian (Jun 13, 2008)

Or, y'know, more than 4/5 sentences.


----------



## Un-Chan (Jun 13, 2008)

Well, there are more that I've recently gotten that I can review 

But this thread isn't just to decide on a game; It's kind of like an encyclopedia. 

Title - Professor Layton and the Curious Village
System - Nintendo Dual Screen (DS)
ESRB Rating - E
Year - 2007
Rating - 9/10
Review - Don't buy this game unless you have a good mind or a walkthrough. It's incredibly difficult, though I like the challenge it gives you to solve a mystery and puzzles at the same time. It's perfect for every Ace Attorney/Brain Age fan, and it's definitely worth the money.


----------



## Stumpy (Jun 13, 2008)

Twilit said:


> If you're trying to help people decide on a game, might wanna do one's that haven't been out very long


Wrong.  We need to stop the cycle of forgetting about games days/weeks after they are released.

Sometimes it is good to look back.

I might write up a quick something for Penumbra: Overture in a bit ;3


----------



## Vonocourt (Jun 14, 2008)

Unaligned said:


> Title - God of War: Chains of Olympus
> System - Play Station Portable (PSP)
> ESRB Rating - M
> Year - 2008
> ...



Well I would hope the graphics would be sharper and better than something that doesn't exist.


----------



## Un-Chan (Jun 14, 2008)

There's an xbox version, I think.
Hell, I forgot what system it's for.

*This is why we should keep track of these things.*

PS2, right?

@Stumpy - Thanks for the support. :3

ED: Changed "xbox version" to "old ones".


----------



## Un-Chan (Jul 2, 2008)

Title - Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
System - Nintendo DualScreen (DS)
ESRB Rating - Teen
Year - 2008
Rating - 9/10
Review - I've gotta admit, I was pretty excited that they were finally making Trauma Center for the DS again, but it's not as expected. The first one's graphics were simple, but understandable. These seem much sharper and fancier then the old one, but perhaps too fancy for my taste. Maybe it's the fact that I like older games, or maybe I inhaled too much of that "new game smell". And in this version, you can do more operations, rather then just a few tumors in the beginning, some accidents, and then dealing with GUILT. I also liked the old style better (before New Blood and Second Opinion), but this one's still pretty good.


----------



## Goofy Titan (Jul 2, 2008)

Title-- Castlevania: Adventure
System-- Game Boy
ESRB Rating-- E for Effed up on fucking drugs
Year-- 1989
Rating (1-10)-- -1,592
Review - Shit sucks. Shit sucks BAD. Awful awful awful. I would rather drown kittens. Video, for proof. One good thing though, it looks better than Castlevania: Sludgement.


----------



## Kumoriken (Jul 2, 2008)

In all honesty, I don't really see why someone would base their purchase on reviews done by someone with no credibility in the subject. Not to mention your reviews lack much to be desired. You aren't really providing any information that would affect most people's purchasing decisions, you're sort of just writing about the game, not about the game's quality, redeeming points, flaws, etc. besides the mentioning of graphics and gameplay. More description of what kind of gameplay and activities in the game would probably be good, and maybe you could upload some screenshots of the game in question. Not to mention, you could possibly touch upon the actual storyline of the game. So really, right now, you're just sort of rating the games on a rating system alone.
Regardless, I gotta give you props for trying. More than what I've done. Hah.

Though I do think Goofy has got a good idea of sorts. Reviewing terrible failures of games and providing proof of their failures, such as videos or screenshots. Heh.

Well, now that I've put my two cents in, I'll leave you guys to do whatever. Hah.


----------



## Stumpy (Jul 2, 2008)

I really doubt the intent of the reviews in this thread were to be a definitive source for reviews on all your potential gaming purchases.  We could just copy pasta "official" game reviews and let people make their choices from that, but allowing the forum community to contribute and discuss things about our own reviews is far more involving and interesting.

I say this and yet I never got around to writing anything for this thread =\


----------



## Twilit (Jul 2, 2008)

You know, I may have come off as a douchebag earlier. This is a fun idea 

here's a title that deserves SO MUCH more credit than it gets.

Title-- Dragon Warrior: Monsters
System-- Game Boy/Game Boy Color (Yes, one game made to suit both)
ESRB Rating-- E 
Year-- 1999
Rating (1-10)-- 9.4
Review - This was THE RPG I grew up on. Dragon Quest games get a lot of attention, but I consider Dragon Warrior: Monsters to be an unsung hero. If you've seen the new DQM: Joker, you're getting a nearly identical experience, only DWM has a nostalgic feel to it, and overall I enjoyed it a lot more.

The battle system is, to me, fantastic. The traditional 3 on 3 battles, with attack to target either one, or all of the opponents, and paralysis, poisoning, and attacks to make the opponent fall down, or confuse them. You could choose a specific skill, or a sort of template for your monster to work with (Charge, Mixed, or Cautious) and watch the monsters duke it out. A lot of the monsters were really, REALLY cool.


*Spoiler*: _examples_ 









...With, of course...some that could have used a little more production time.


*Spoiler*: _Sigh_ 








But, all the same, the 100+ Monsters made every battle interesting. The boss fights were fantastic, though I wish you could have seen the OP health meter. Upon looking back at it, though, not knowing their remaining health kept you on the edge of your proverbial seat.

The story followed something of the sort that your sister was kidnapped by monsters from a nightmare (I'm probably very wrong, I forgot most of it) and you are transported to the land of Great Tree, where you must fight monsters to save her. It sounds bland, but it's surprisingly engrossing. 

All in all, this game, to me, was an utter gem. My favorite RPG of all time. I still play it, having just restarted my file not too long ago  If you never played it BUY IT. If you have no money, ROM it. Just fucking play it.



amidoinitrite?


----------



## Kumoriken (Jul 2, 2008)

Stumpy said:


> I really doubt the intent of the reviews in this thread were to be a definitive source for reviews on all your potential gaming purchases.  We could just copy pasta "official" game reviews and let people make their choices from that, but allowing the forum community to contribute and discuss things about our own reviews is far more involving and interesting.
> 
> I say this and yet I never got around to writing anything for this thread =\



Eh, I figured if it was gonna be about just random games, they could go into the corresponding game's thread. Though I like the idea of reviewing unpopular/retro games, kind of like what Goof' and Twilit have done.
I dunno, I just keep getting different views on this thread.
Don't mind me, just ranting.


----------



## Stumpy (Jul 2, 2008)

Ye w/e.  Just review whatever game is on your mind here ;3  I think it could work well with any non mainstream game really.

Off Topic to Kumoriken about the CT DS thread:

*Spoiler*: __ 



I can't help it =\  A lot of what I post comes off more bitchy than I really feel, but generally there is still some bitchiness to be found.  Everything annoys me, so don't take anything negative things I say too seriously 

Typed that out before i noticed you deleted that post.  You sure you got mixed up lol?


----------



## Kumoriken (Jul 2, 2008)

Stumpy said:


> Ye w/e.  Just review whatever game is on your mind here ;3  I think it could work well with any non mainstream game really.
> 
> Off Topic to Kumoriken about the CT DS thread:
> 
> ...



Erm. Well now I'm confusing myself. I was convinced that I mistook your post coming from someone else that was being a bit of a twat in the thread. But now I can't find that post. ._.;
Regardless, I suppose we could just forget about that to avoid some sort of confusion or controversy.


----------



## mystictrunks (Jul 2, 2008)

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2
Nintendo DS
2008
Rating: 7.5/10
Review: Another tale set in the land of Ivalice, this time you take control of young Luso as you seek to return home after being transported by a magical book. Hey that sounds familiar, yes the plot is pretty much fluff but hey the tactics series has great gameplay to hold it up. This time in addition to two new playable races(Gria and Seeq) you'll also enjoy new jobs for returning races and old jobs that have been balanced(So long Steal:Weapon and Armor) The battle system remains as deep as always with hundreds of missions to do in-between the story the battles. Unlike previous entries in the Tactics series you must now unlock certain desirable jobs by completing quests, some feel this is unnecessary I find it a refreshing break from just leveling up a few thieves and unlocking dual-wield within an hour of gameplay. The law system also returns and honestly it never really bothered me, and in this game you receive no penalties for breaking laws you simply get rewards for following them. Not onto the item system it's a double edged sword; If one partakes in many missions early on they'll be rewarded with a variety of wonderful weapons and armor, if you're the type who doesn't enjoy the side mission you'll soon find yourself losing battle because your party is still equipped with basic weapons. It forces the player to partake in unneeded mission which I feel is a cheap way to inflate play time, however these side missions often have interesting characters and the battle system is as fun as ever so it doesn't feel like a chore at all.

Graphics:Very nice sprites and effects. The dual-screen set-up is slightly wasted with all the action occurring on the lower screen.

Sound: Standard Final Fantasy music.

Gameplay: One of the better strategy games on the DS. The job system is as fun as ever. Not much is changed however and the touchscreen features aren't needed at any point in the game.

Longevity: It's a bulky game you should be able to crank out 40 hours or so if you're a perfectionist


----------



## Un-Chan (Jul 2, 2008)

@Stumpy: Thanks for the support. 

I'll review some older games, too. owo Like gamecube-old games. I've been playing them nonstop for a few days. D:

Title - Pikmin 2
System - GameCube
ESRB Rating - E
Year (If Known) - 2006, I believe.
Rating (1-10) - 9.5/10
Review - Okay, if you couldn't tell by my set, I AM a pikmintard.  I've played this game a million times, and I never get tired of it. The graphics are sharp, the gameplay is awesome, the timeframe of the game is great (i.e.: Like in pokemon, getting rock smash right before you have to use it.), but every game has its high and low points. For one, I wish that the purple and white pikmin had their own onions and a better way of reproducing (you have to play the game to know what this means.), but it's not really a big deal in the all-around part of the game. For another thing, they made certain parts of the game that're hard to reach. Like, in the first area once you get the water pikmin and cross to another side, to get a certain treasure, you have to defeat a fire beast. The thing is, only the fire pikmin can reach him, and he's on the other side of the water. This is one of the low points: difficulty, gameplay-wise.


----------



## Akuma (Jul 3, 2008)

Gears Of War 0/10


Overated Crap, End of story. I hope you all hate me.


----------



## Stumpy (Jul 3, 2008)

Akuma said:


> Gears Of War 0/10
> 
> 
> Overated Crap, End of story. I hope you all hate me.


Fail troll can't stick to the format.

Title - Gears of War
System - Xbox 360 and PC
ESRB Rating - M
Year (If Known) - 2006
Rating (1-10) - 0
Review - Overated Crap, End of story. I hope you all hate me.

Fixed


----------



## Akuma (Jul 3, 2008)

You made me lol.


----------



## Un-Chan (Jul 3, 2008)

Lulz.

Yes, you must stick to the format or the bulborbs will eat you.


----------



## Rukia (Mar 17, 2013)

*Grandia 2:  7/10*

Dreamcast edition.

This is still a pretty fun game even after all these years.  I played it in college.  It's been about a decade since then.

The plot itself is pretty interesting.  The battle between good and evil.  A group of unlikely allies work together to try to stop the rebirth of an evil god.

The protagonist Ryudo is an unlikable loner.  The gaming world was still reeling from Final Fantasy VII at this point.  Every studio tried to make every protag as much like Cloud as possible.  The female lead Elena is sort of a brat.  I also don't care for her all that much.  Millenia is the last really important character and she is the shit.  Awesome design.  Awesome character.  I love the visuals during her attacks.  I like her personality too.  She's the character that made me care about this game.

(BTW.  Ryudo's brother was Itachi way before Kishimoto came up with that shit.)

World exploration is pretty much non-existent.  The game decides where you go at all times.  And you don't have a map for the stages.  So you pretty much just wander around and kill as many enemies as you want before you advance.

Enemies are visible.  There are no random encounters.  Enemies also don't respawn.  You can leave the area and come back.  If you killed the enemies already; they won't be there.  I like this aspect of the game.  You can avoid all of the pointless grinding if you choose to do so.

The battle system is pretty simple.  Your party and your enemies are all on a gauge.  When a character gets to the command point; you get to choose that character's action.  And there is a little bit of tactics involve.  It makes sense to occasionally defend.  Your two basic attacks are combo and critical.  Critical causes less damage, but if you hit an enemy at the right moment you can cancel their turn.  I like it.  I think it really works.

Battles yield special coins, magic coins, and gold.  Special coins can be used to purchase new skills and to upgrade existing ones.  Magic coins are used for the same purpose with magic.  And gold is used to buy items.  All of this is pretty straightforward and you are really able to custom the characters quite a bit.

The dialogue is terrible.  The developers try way too hard to make Ryudo seem cool.  His one liners are just so incredibly cheesy.  I cringed when he referred to an easy job as "lollipop lane."  To be fair, it's possible that most of these problems are the result of a lousy translation.

I also have to mention that the voice acting is terrible.

But it's fun.  And I'm glad I still enjoy playing it after all these years.


----------

