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For those dissenters: Your thoughts on this review?
Cymdai
Member UncommonPosts: 1,043
I know there's a pretty divided forum here. Many people seem to be in the "best game ever" column, and the "been there, done that" column.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/678050-final-fantasy-xiv-online-a-realm-reborn/reviews/review-155614
Ignore the numerical score. What do you think of that?
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
Comments
It seems like a legitimately fair review (although many of the scores demonstrate an expectation that doesn't match reality), but I can't help but boggle at the closing thoughts. To paraphrase: "Why should I pay for a standard, run of the mill MMO when I can pay for a supposedly free run of the mill MMO that doesn't even have the things that bring a smile to my face?"
I don't get the love for free to pay games. I never have, and I never will. But that's just my own little nitpick, like I mentioned. Overall, it's a pretty fair review.
And it was written by the OP.
Graphics 6/10.
Sound 4/10.
...
Are you serious ?
I'd like for that person to name an MMO that DOES have lips move with the audio, and actually runs longer than 30 seconds, because I don't think it exists.
When I waited tables at Outback and we would get these people every now and then that would eat almost everything on their plate and then say the meal wasn't good, and wanted some form of a refund. If it wasn't good, why did you eat the whole thing? This person got a DoW and DoH each to level 50, just like those customers.
When someone is digging into something like a dog with Puppy Chow and then has the nerve to say it wasn't good, well I guess that's how the mind of an asshole works.
The author does address a few points which needed to be, but otherwise the whole thing comes off as one giant nit-pick. Furthermore his numerical scores didn't match the text at all. For example, the only thing he didn't like about the sound was the voiceovers (they're not bad, but not very good either), yet he rated it a 4. Furthermore why is it everyone expects voiceovers these days anyway? I remember when people were bitching about them in SWTOR, but now they're expected? The hell kind of reasoning is that?!?
Graphics got a 6 because they weren't 'cutting edge'. Wait, what? Other then some low resolution textures here and there, the game is on par with most recently released MMOs, and the engine runs very well. The environments are some of the best out there as well, although I suppose that's technically aesthetics, not graphics.
And of course there's the usual complaints about endgame, lack of dungeons at release, yadda yadda yadda. Plenty of people will agree or disagree with this, I personally don't care since I'm nowhere near that point even after several weeks.
It's not the worst fan review I've seen (not by a long shot), but It's not very good either. The author needs some consistency, and makes a big deal out of trivial things (such as the inventory window).
Diablo 3 got a LOT of that. People would post inane crap like, "I've spent over 1000 hours in the game, have every class to 60 + 100 Paragon with all BIS gear, and I can say that the game completely sucks!"
/facepalm
Sorry for off topic post, but I just had to bring that up, heh.
I like FFXIV.
I play it regularly, I experience log in queues, I play it on a pretty high end PC with everything maxed and I enjoy the view. I have surround sound and I dig the soundtracks.
The fact this guy writes up up both graphics and sound as only 'average' does not phase or anger me at all. He praised both, then explained why he was criticising both. It seemed rather fair, open and honest to me.
Many things were covered or touched on in 'his' review - which are given some weight by the fact he's played it to max levels. Some of which I agree with, some I disagree with.
Even though it conflicts with my view of the game, I found this review so much better than XanyX most of the ill thought out, toxic or 'flame-baity' vitriol spewed out in these forums.
I think the hidden message here, in the review and in the question posed by the OP, is to write constructively, fairly and with full knowledge of a game.
I like FFXIV. I think the review was fair enough.
It's spot on. I could of wrote it. Except the author wasn't harsh enough on one point, and that is, the game has already been developed and released twice - so saying that things *could* get better with a miracle patch is kind of ridiculous - shouldn't the game be better now? Not to mention, you can feel done with the game in 1-2 months - like now - and this patch is likely 1-2 months out. What are people supposed to do while waiting?
BTW, doesn't really matter whether the reviewer is a "user" or so-called prol. The quality of writing is good. The points are accurate. We aren't much different from pro reviewers - there's nothing particularly special about them, in fact, writing for sites that has ads from the companies your reviewing puts your impartiality in question.
Also, I didn't like the music in FFXIV either. The music itself is good - for sure, but the presentation sucks. There's no breaks. Always music. Music changing constantly and abruptly. The way the music is handled and presented takes away from the fact that the music itself is good music. Of course, the repetition is a factor too. I almost never keep music on in games. It's a little silly to have overly dramatic combat music going on when you're pulverizing utterly trivial mobs like squirrels.
Premium MMORPGs do not feature built-in cheating via cash for gold pay 2 win. PLAY to win or don't play.
Diablo 3 got a LOT of that. People would post inane crap like, "I've spent over 1000 hours in the game, have every class to 60 + 100 Paragon with all BIS gear, and I can say that the game completely sucks!"
/facepalm
Sorry for off topic post, but I just had to bring that up, heh.
And yet people would still bash them if they only level till 15 and quit, saying not enough time is being pit into to give a fair review. Ironic isn't it?RIP Orc Choppa