Comments on: Charitable criticism

By: flatluigi

flatluigi — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:34:37 +0000

The game is much better played on a console than on the computer, even though the latter is much more accessible for people picking it up for the first time. That might be where the issue stemmed from.

By: GregT

GregT — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:20:02 +0000

I just posted my thoughts on the game, and for where you seem to be up to I'm largely in the same boat. The camera issues become more troublesome later in the game as the stealth sections become more involved but they never come closer to spoiling the game. Hope you enjoy your trip, and I look forward to seeing what you have to say about it!

By: Dan Bruno

Dan Bruno — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:35:41 +0000

Thanks for the input, guys. I think you’ve all made a great point — I could very well be swept up in the game right now, and the faults will be more evident later on. I suppose that’s a testament to the game’s quality, isn’t it?

Others have suggested that I might be more willing to forgive flaws after seeing development from the other side. I’m not sure if that’s what’s going on here, but I suppose it’s possible, perhaps inevitable, that I’ll eventually approach games differently because of it.

Krooze L-Roy: Erm, I guess I am! Bring it! :-)

By: Krooze L-Roy

Krooze L-Roy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:18:11 +0000

Trying to steal my name, bro? We duel at midnight.

By: The Unknown

The Unknown — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:11:06 +0000

They are legitimate criticisms, but I don’t mind them. BG&E is one of my favourite games, and as such, I am biased towards liking it regardless of any negative aspects. The game oozed charm, the voice actors were brilliant, it was fun to play, and Hyllis actually felt like a world to me.

Let’s just hope that the sequel will keep up this high standard while also fixing these criticisms. That way, everyone can be happy. =P

And they better bring back the English VA for Pey’j from the first one for the sequel. Pey’j's voice in the teaser for the sequel was inferior in my mind to the one in the original.

By: Pishi

Pishi — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:39:47 +0000

Heh, this post reminded me of a funny tidbit about the movie North by Northwest.
Somewhere near the middle of the movie, the bad guys trick the protagonist into going to a wide open place, and then a cropduster flies in and starts shooting at him. (He survives of course.)
The director wanted that scene to be placed at a point in the movie when the audience was already so thrilled by the plot that they wouldn’t stop to think “Why did they use an airplane to try to kill him when they could have just shot him from the ground?!”.

By: Justin Keverne

Justin Keverne — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:26:07 +0000

I’ve been slacking off the VGC a bit recently so you won’t be alone in playing it over the next week or two.

When it comes to those comments I’m wondering how many come from people on their second, third or maybe even fourth of fifth play through? I know some on the boards have played it that many times. I think after the initial experience any issues that were otherwise glossed over by the sheer joy of playing glossed start to become distinct irritants.

Maybe your critical faculties have been smoothed over a little but I’d like to think it was the game itself causing it not anything you might have done. Surely that’s the highest praise indeed when a game makes us stop thinking critically and simply enjoy the pleasure of playing it?

By: Zack

Zack — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:52:14 +0000

I played it on the consoles, where save points arn’t as big a deal. But everything that you could possibly down it for doesn’t mean anything, cause its worth walking the Sahara for.

By: Evan

Evan — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:10:29 +0000

I found the hovercraft controls work far better on the console versions, and any annoyance with the camera only surfaced on my second play through, which was on the PC, instead of the xbox.

It is certainly the kind of game that draws you into its positive aspects anyway. Even the story gears you toward optimism. For example, the ability to spot a creature to photograph in an unexpected, out-of-the-way part of the mostly gorgeous landscape draws you away from the fact that every now and then you must endure a simplistic/uninspired/clunky fight sequence along the way.

When I find myself annoyed with the auto-camera, it’s easy to tell myself it’s somehow more cinematic to have predetermined viewing angles in some parts (even though this mostly isn’t the case) just because to criticise it wouldn’t sit well with me when presented with such endearing characters.

I mean, this girl takes in orphans, for crying out loud! What was that criticism you just levelled at her game? Nothing? Thought not.

Maybe it’s your fresh outlook. Maybe it’s the game.

Either way, you’re in for a treat.

By: Nels Anderson

Nels Anderson — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:05:58 +0000

I’m bias as hell, but it also could be that discussing things like save points (especially for a game from 2003) in the context of a game that’s as interesting as BG&E is like criticizing the art on the dust jacket for The Great Gatsby.