Game Standards?

TwinHamster · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:17 pm Post subject: Game Standards?

After replaying Ends of the Earth 2, I was thinking to myself "Man, some of these graphics are really...bad."
And then I encountered a few places where battles were just incredibly unbalanced and my party could be destroyed if I didn't run away fast enough (first 3D Castle).

It's pretty nice that it's a complete game and all, but I just don't think that it meets ~~today's~~ my standards for a good game.

I realize that my standards might be a little bit high, so I'd like to hear a bit from you guys. Which games would you consider to have bare decent graphics, bearable storylines, and passable gameplays?

I'm not asking for the cream of the crop here, just the games that barely pass the class.

Moogle1 · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject:

Try Monterrey Penguin or Lolsidothaldremobine.
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Battleblaze · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject:

In OHR I would consider a game good if it had a comprehensible stroyline and was at complete.

Great games take it a step futher.

Or

You just have one trait that redeems allt he others. Arfenhouse was funny. Bliss's story was mad awsome.

But the best games bring the whole dinner to the table. In SOJ they had graphics story and gameplay. Boundless Ocean roguht allt he goods as well.

But like I said, if a game is complete and playable its already better than 80% of the game list.
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Shadowiii · **It's been real.** Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 2460

As for how story goes, really very few OHR games have enthralled me with the story the way some commercial RPGs do. The only ones I really liked the stories were Lolsidothaldremobine (witty), Powerstick Man (same), Wandering Hamster, Bliss, and Paronia Star (old). I really haven't played many OHR games recently that the stories piqued my interest. I wish we could make less cliche'd RPG stories and rather broaden our view, but we all want to make the next Final Fantasy 4 or Chrono Trigger instead of thinking of something original.

Keep in mind I haven't played SOJ2 yet. I hear it has a pretty good story.

As for battles...everyone has a different preference. I prefer games that I don't have to grind much, rather have to focus on strategy to win (Thanksgiving Quest, Bliss), but these are far from the norm. When an OHRer makes a traditional RPG, I wish they'd offer more spells and rewards for leveling up, if they are going to force me to grind. I don't mind suddenly really hard dungeons (like you noticed in EOTE2 with the 3d dungeon), so long as I'm able to buff my character enough. I just really don't like level grinding (the exception being Pokemon).

Graphically, I think it really just needs to fit the theme. Witty dialogue and story can save an otherwise graphical nightmare. Same goes for good gameplay. Granted, if its better looking, the overall feel is usually more enjoyable (which I'm sure is why the Xbox360 and PS3 still sell systems), so I'd say it should be around the level of EOTE2. I didn't mind them, despite they were really ripped (though the walkarounds were butt ugly and the battle graphics were flat). I play games like Walthros and the graphics don't bug me, same goes for Powerstick Man. I say if your game looks as good as Wandering Hamster (which does look pretty damn good) then you are doing fine.

Then again, I really like Bliss a lot, and its graphics totally suck (no offence Camdog

). So I guess it's preference.

Overall, graphically, the key is consistancy. Keep it to a theme, then go with it. Games with not such good graphics but good consistency are Halloween Quest, Pitch Black (kinda), Walthros, and EOTE1.

Hope that helped. Now I'm going to go make nachos.
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TwinHamster · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the tips :D

Uncommon · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:24 pm Post subject:

Camdog · Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 606

smokedog · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:17 am Post subject:

Uncommon · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:26 pm Post subject:

I can agree with you there, but I haven't bought a Wii yet because there are so few titles that really pique my interest, even if I know they'll be hella fun anyhow.

Also, Teddy is my favorite president.

Shadowiii · **It's been real.** Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 2460

Maybe I'm just a graphics whore, but I tend to get into the experience quicker when the game is more artistic.

Key word artistic, not necessarily high-def wonders. For example, I never enjoyed FF7 a lot because the sprites looked like utter crap. However, I really enjoyed FF6 which (though graphically "last gen") was far more artistic.

Granted, thats comparing pixelation with 3d work, which neither should be compared. Instead, take for example Prince of Persia: SOT vs POP: The Two Thrones. SOT has quite dated graphics, but the overall satasfaction at the end was more fulfulling. I found it harder to really get into the game but, by the end, the graphics didn't matter because the storytelling was so damn good. Compare to the third PofP installment, where the graphics were a lot better and it was easier for me to get more into it, but the overall fulfillment was less (story wasn't nearly as good, though still better then the 2nd in the series).

Well, that's just my opinion. Maybe I'm just retarded because I still drool over HD gaming. Eh.
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Uncommon · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject:

I'm going to go back and mention Def Jam, because I absolutely love Fight For New York. It wasn't so pretty a game, but goddamn it was fun. Ico had nothing going for it aside from being pretty. All the fun streetfighting and wrestling mixture of its predecessor was traded in for bullshit. It also didn't have Henry Rollins, but that's just nitpicking.
I also still love the first Metal Gear Solid. Even if the graphics are old 3D, I think the way they did the faces made it harder for the game to turn ugly.
I'm not saying graphics aren't important, only that there are much more important things I focus on in a game.

Shadowiii · **It's been real.** Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 2460

On that we can agree upon.
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msw188 · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 1041

Wait, the first one has Henry Rollins in it!?? I don't know anything about any of these games, so you'll have to excuse my blatant ignorance here.
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Uncommon · Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:24 pm Post subject:

Second one, technically. Vendetta was the first one, but it was more a straight-up wrestling game.
The Def Jam series was made, obviously, in cooperation with Def Jam records. It's a 3D fighting game series that features mainly rappers. The second one, Fight For New York, expanded off the general wrestling game template to include a lot more fighting styles, features Henry Rollins as not only a playable character in versus, but also as your trainer in story mode.

Lemme tell you a story about how intuitive this game is, how easy it is for anyone to get into it. Now I love my King of Fighters, my Street Fighter, but I've always been horrible at playing fighters of any kind. So my roommate rents this game and tells me to play him a round. My roommate at the time is a god at fighters, mind. When I moved in with him I complained that he didn't have anything else for his Gamecube. He knows he's gonna kick my ass. So I look around through the characters, pick Henry Fucking Rollins, and take him down easy three rounds straight. I bought him the game for Christmas.
I recommend it to everyone.

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

I think the only high standard I have for the gameplay part of games (read: I'm not talking about story, atmosphere, or all that other crap people like to debate about) are: Fun, at least a degree of challenge, and variety.

If you excel at all three of those factors, then your game is automatically awesome and fun to play.
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