tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826783898962653229.post6520370103708930897..comments2023-10-18T08:34:32.335-07:00Comments on Banana Pepper Martinis: Women's Murder Club: Games of PassionKirk Battlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16612840105075834275noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826783898962653229.post-34716805825117975452009-10-21T10:40:22.701-07:002009-10-21T10:40:22.701-07:00I think even a claim that there is such a thing as...I think even a claim that there is such a thing as basics in video games can be quickly corrected if you play any of the stranger titles on the Wii or DS rack. With games there is always a risk that something is just not working for you personally as opposed to there being an actual problem. Most AAA games have some degree of testing at least.<br /><br />Playing through the stuff I'm grinding on now...it just makes me appreciate even the lowest scored games that are at least coherent. A game with a script that's corny is not the same thing as a game with a script that belongs in a movie or TV show. A game that makes me press 3 more buttons than I should have to for a command can only fully be despised after ten hours of play. Look at something like Kane & Lynch, which people complain about incessantly, yet it tries very hard to do numerous things with the game design and story that deserve praise. <br /><br />I suppose my point ultimately is that while we would all like to think there are basic standards in games, sometimes people need to be reminded of them by seeing a game that doesn't meet them.Kirk Battlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16612840105075834275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826783898962653229.post-92103826282088615672009-10-21T09:16:26.357-07:002009-10-21T09:16:26.357-07:00I'm reminded of something Kael wrote (don'...I'm reminded of something Kael wrote (don't even ask me to remember what). She said that real movie lovers always ended up talking about the bad movies they'd seen, but also usually found one or two things in even the worst movies that they managed to love. Basically, true movie people could find the grace notes in a cinematic travesty.<br /><br />However, "the controls could be smoother" and "the story is a bit dull" are examples of bad criticism, and not the product of a critical palate that is only exposed to fine dining.<br /><br />I understand the need for perspective, and sometimes I worry that I might be losing it. I just finished writing a blog entry explaining just why I hate <i>COD 4: Modern Warfare</i>. I think my opinion is entirely justified, but I can't deny that it's also heavily informed by the titans of the shooter genre. <i>Turok</i> was not on my mind as I was writing.<br /><br />On the other hand, I'm not sure I really agree about the quality bias. The basics you're describing seem like they should be <i>really</i> basic, and given how much time it takes to play a game, I'm don't think I can spare a moment for complete incompetence. What I want is a future where even bad games are better than the shovelware we get now. More <i>Plan 9 from Outer Space</i> and not <i>Coven</i> (if you've watched <i>American Movie</i>).Rob Zacnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05563148977565672591noreply@blogger.com