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Massively.com's first impressions: 'awestruck at the game'
MMO.Maverick
Member CommonPosts: 7,619
I didn't see it here, so I though to post this first impressions-piece to be found on Massively.com regarding FFXIV:
see here for the full article
Some quotes from the article:
'While the combat during the tutorial is just the extremely basic bones of a much more complicated animal, what really stands out is the cinematic presentation with each of the events. Yes, they're functionally identical, giving you a chance to hit things and a bit of backstory as to why your character is traveling in the city and what's going on. But each one has its own flavor and tone -- Gridania, for example, feels much more light-hearted and prone to comedy. ("Nana? Is that you?") And the cutscenes do the admirable job of drawing the player in.'
'Are the controls perfect? No, there are a few elements that I would really like streamlined. (Menu commands remain a bit awkward.) But given all the control issues I could have experienced, I'm not too inclined to complain. The controls all work, which is a big issue, and most of the complaints come down to the fact that they aren't wholly intuitive. It's a fair complaint, but it's not something that can't be learned. You're either going to find the controls within an acceptable learning curve or not, and there's not much to be done for it either way.'
'If there's one complaint that I've heard repeatedly that I don't get, it's that combat is slow. There were a lot of adjectives I could apply to combat, including "buggy" on several occasions, but "slow" wasn't among them. And I'll admit that part of what made me fall for the game was the first tutorial levequest that sent me out to slaughter local wildlife.
I prefer melee combat, so I started off with a lancer for my first character and a pugilist for my second. And there was something about the way combat was balanced from the beginning that appealed to me. The rhythm of attacks mixed with weapon skills was satisfying, as was juggling between the different modes of attack. It wasn't perfect, but it was involved and it was engaging, with plenty for characters to do at any given moment.'
'So much to say
Entire books could be written about the experience of the open beta, not to mention that several of the common complaints from said beta are already on the list to be addressed, quite possibly on launch day. Guildleve cooldowns, failed leves on crashes, anima generation, fatigue values, and the hardware mouse are all listed under things that the development team will probably be getting straight into operational status.
But all of that is still getting away from the actual subject. What were my first impressions of FFXIV?
Adoration. Pure, unadulterated adoration. I was awestruck at the game I was playing, and every subsequent moment of play only reinforced that initial rush. For every choice that was a misstep, there were another half-dozen decisions that were just plain brilliant.
FFXIV is a game that I've been looking forward to for the better part of a year, and for me, it's been worth every minute of the wait.
[Conclusion]
It is very emphatically not a game for everyone, and yet the people who are going to like it are going to really like it. In the end, you can't ask for better than that. '
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Comments
good for them. it took me 3 or 4 Youtube clips of this game to figure out it's just not for me. then again i might still buy it when it comes out for PS3.
Ditto.
"It is very emphatically not a game for everyone, and yet the people who are going to like it are going to really like it. In the end, you can't ask for better than that. "
Pretty much that. My take on it is, if you have a 2010 gen PC, gtfo and buy it. If you don't, give them half a year to patch up and optimize the engine to run more smoothly.
Someone just got a nice 'bonus' from square.
"This game is not for everyone."
Top 10 complaints about MMOs
Top 10 defenses of MMOs
Something for both sides.
Or, you know, they like the game.
Oh wait i forgot, everyone on teh internet is payed to like any gamr you dont like.
Apparently stating the truth in my sig is "trolling"
Sig typo fixed thanks to an observant stragen001.
Having worked for a games company, yes, alot of the reviews are paid for. Although recently a new law in the US was passed forcing review sites to declare in the review if they were paid, or given "gifts" for their review. However - not all do this of course, although a site like Massively are not one of those. Therefore, I think its fairly safe to safe this was an honest reaction of how the reviewer felt.
"When people don't know much about something, they tend to fill in the blanks the way they want them to be filled in. They are almost always disappointed." - Will Wright
Haters gotta hate. As for me, I'm going to be enjoying playing FFXIV, so they can hate on in a vacuum.
Well, to be fair, anyone who releases a review of an MMO not even a week into it's "head start" shouldn't be taken seriously. I'm personally waiting for the gamespot.com review. They always break down MMOs the way they should be reviewed.
lol...you are actually pretty naive if you think game reviews are always on the level and free from influence of companies. It could very well be that the review is on the level, but it is very common for reviewers that historically post positive reviews towards the company's products to get early and/or special access (Apple has been doing this for many years now) and other little extras to continue to provide positive reviews.
I'm not a fan of the game (tried it and it's not my style). But if you are truly interested, give it a whirl no matter what the reviews say. Relying solely on any single (or handful of them) review (good or bad) to decide whether to play is silly. Unless you are just looking to confirm your own pre-existing view (i.e. confirmation bias), you really should seek out both good and bad reviews, weigh the relative merits and issues brought up in all of the reviews, and then make your (now) informed decision.
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
I can already tell you GameSpot isn’t going to be kind to this game. The gamespot reviewers are big on PVP generally and will heavily ding the game for lack of it. As well as the archaic control scheme and generally unpolished feel to the game. My bet is a score of 6.5.
What they do right however Is take their time to review a MMO so we won’t see a review from them for at least a few weeks.
Tbh those 2 lists should be posted on almost every topic on mmorpg.com
Heh, true.
Great links btw
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."