EGM Review scores Lair, Blue Dragon and Mario Strikers: ouch

link[QUOTE=''beelzebobo'']september 2007 egm review scores. it's the issue with all the halo 3 info:

lair: 6.0, 5.5, 5.0
crispin says the combat system is confusing, and the sixaxis controls don't always work the way they should. lock-on system is also jacked.
greg ford says the camera is frustrating in ground combat. the wide open levels hold a lot of potential but ultimately don't deliver
garnett says it's a ''frustrating disappointment'' with a few bright spots

mario strikers charged: 7.5, 7.5, 7.5
it's not really a soccer game so much as a hockey game with a soccer-like sheen. it's got body-checking, etc. it's ''messier,'' in that it's more chaotic and arcadey than the gcn game. the new ''sidekicks'' are awesome, and have their own special moves. the motion-sensing controls add to the gameplay, not f*** it up. ''over the top but balanced gameplay''

all pro football: 6.5, 6.5, 7.0
ncaa football 2008: 8.5, 9.0, 8.5
stuntman ignition: 7.5, 7.5, 7.0
dynasty warriors gundam: 6.5, 5.5, 5.0
nascar 08: 6.5, 6.5, 6.5
blue dragon: 6.5, 7.5, 6.5
it has neither strong characters nor gripping storytelling, the battle system is ''stellar'' but unaccompanied by any sort of interesting plot to hang your hat on. bryan is a bit easier on the story than andrew fitch (who had the lead review), and ray called it ''safe.''

persona 3: 8.5, 9.5, 9.5 game of the month
guitar hero rocks the 80s: 7.5, 6.0, 6.0
jeanne d'arc: 8.0, 7.0, 8.0
picross ds: 8.5, 8.0, 8.0
brain age 2: 8.0, 7.0, 6.0
heroes of mana: 7.5, 5.5, 6.0
luminous arc: 5.5, 6.0, 6.0

METROID PRIME 3 PREVIEW summary:
- exploration will play a key role, but there will be more shooting. they describe the ''lock-on free shooting'' that's been covered in many e3 previews. it's allowed developers to make battles more vertically oriented, which egm says works well
- so far, wii controls only add to the experience, not detract.
- the ship plays a big part in the game. acts as a mobile save station you can call to certain parts of a level. aerial combat is hinted at by a few options inside the ship, but nothing confirmed.
- no samus talking, aka confirmation of god's existence

rumors:

- level 5 is going to announce 4 new rpgs at tokyo game show
- squeenix to start remaking dragon quest games starting with dq4 on ds
- microsoft is funnelling all the best 360 parts to the elite model, which is why lower models crap out more
- next def jam game will be better than icon. ea knows it sucked
- io interactive (kane and lynch) making a kids' game
- next james bond game will use call of duty 4 engine

NEXT MONTH: SILENT HILL 5 cover story, with reviews of heavenly sword, battalion wars 2, eternal sonata, castlevania dracula x chronicles, and i'm presuming bioshock since it's in the wrap-up section, along with madden 2008, brave story, and boogie[/QUOTE]EGM Review scores Lair, Blue Dragon and Mario Strikers: ouch
EGM reviews are either too high or too low, rarely accurate.EGM Review scores Lair, Blue Dragon and Mario Strikers: ouch
I'm a homer, I will still only trust Gamespot's review scores
[QUOTE=''ShadowFFVI'']I'm a homer[/QUOTE][IMG]http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb275/SteelAttack/homer-simpson-fat.gif[/IMG]Neat. :POn topic, ouch on Lair indeed. I was hoping it to do better because of the scope of the game. But then again, EGM reviews are hardly the gold standard of industry.
I don't put quite as much cred into EGM reviews as I once did, but still those scores all come as a surprise. So much for this round of games. That Blue Dragon score is particularly disappointing. I was considering to break down and get a 360 with that game as a major motivation. I'll wait for more revies though.However there was one bit of news in this post that made me smile. Remakes of Dragon Quest for the DS. I swear the DS is becoming the official platform of that series, and I have no problem with it. I've been waiting for the remake of DQIV ever since the PS1 remake was pulled. And it gives me hope that DQ V and VI will come after that. For the record, DQV = best in series.
Not surprised about the Lair review, the game looks like trash. Lemmings are going to have a lot of fun in System Wars once Gamespot reviews Lair. Blue Dragon looks like a solid 7 to me. It's probably still a good game. I need to check out Jeanne d' Arc..I've seen some pics of it a while ago.
I find the Def Jam rumor extremely funny to read. I mean, of course the next game in the series is supposed to be better, is EA trying to make it worse? :lol:
[QUOTE=''majadamus'']I need to check out Jeanne d' Arc..I've seen some pics of it a while ago. [/QUOTE]They released the preorder demo yesterday. I think it's amazing, but then again, personal opinion.
Lair has always struck me as an interesting looking bad game.
I haven't hung my hat on EGM's scores since Driver 3, but I haven't seen much gameplay footage of Lair and a demo isn't hitting anytime soon, so their review is a source of concern. I haven't picked up an EGM in a while, but I will pick up the next issue to learn more and see more of Silent Hill 5.The rumor EA will actually try to make Def Jam a quality series again is heartening, though unless EA is handing the series back to Aki, I doubt it will improve much. EA Chicago isn't a bad developer (Fight Night is a quality series) but they clearly haven't the slightest notion of how to make a quality Def Jam game possibly because they are completely ignorant of the series. Listening to the producer of Icon talk, it was clear he was unfamiliar with the past games in the series (he claimed the old DJV games were straight wrestling games, a characterization which was true of the original, but the sequel was a blend of fighting and wrestling which incorporated weapons and novel kills such as throwing someone in front of a train or out of a window). Another reason Aki should be given responsibility is that Def Jam Vendetta: The Takeover, a PSP remake of Fight for New York, boasted the deepest gameplay the series has yet seen.The Takeovertoned down the (incredibly overpowered) brawlers, made knock-outs easier for all classes and increased the range/impact of base characteristics such as speed and endurance.
[QUOTE=''SuperSonicKirby''][QUOTE=''majadamus''] I need to check out Jeanne d' Arc..I've seen some pics of it a while ago. [/QUOTE]They released the preorder demo yesterday. I think it's amazing, but then again, personal opinion.[/QUOTE]Interesting. I'll have to hit the local videogame store and see if they have the preorder demos. I normally don't bother to preorder, butLevel 5 is one of my favorite developers (Rogue Galaxy notwithstanding) and tactical rpgs are one of my favorite genres, and by all accounts Jeanne d' Arc is a quality game, so preordering isn't going out on a limb.
I began to wonder do those guys enjoy their jobs anymore? I don't buy it...
I'm not really surprised by these scores, but then again, I don't take EGM's reviews with any more than a pinch of salt.I heard Lair forces you to use the Sixaxis controls, and if that's true, then they deserve to get hammered for it. How absolutely stupid to tie a game tothat control scheme.Blue Dragon's score just shows that I think people are getting fatigued with conventional JRPG design. Regardless, Blue Dragon was going to explode on impact here in the states regardless of what these guys said. Not even Square Enix could sell Dragon Quest in appreciable numbers with Toriyama visuals. I will say that I think it should get a point or two for not having random battles -- I hate that crap.
If blue dragon was on wii or ps3 the case would be 100% different.
Sometimes I wonder whether any game will ever make effective use of Sixaxis tilt functionality. Doing away with vibration due to pride/legal/financial reasons and putting in tilt instead seems like a blunder so far.
Well, the Lair scores are definitely surprising. I didn't think the game would set the world on fire, but I thought it would turn out rather solid. I also thought Blue Dragon would fare better, but I don't really care either way. As for their ''rumors'' (read: totally making stuff up)...you just have to laugh it off.
I still agree many times with EGM scores and I actually think I might agree with Lair, it never looked that great to me in the first place. Are they really going to force you to use the sixaxis cause that looks terrible.The Blue Dragon score though looks off. BD seems like a solid RPG, maybe not spectacular but probably very good.
I'm not surprised by the Lair scores at all really. In fact I kind of expected this game to be no better than average. Factor 5 imo is the most overrated developer out there. They're incredibly talented at graphics technology, there's no doubt there. But gameplay-wise, they're really nothing special at all. Rogue Squadron 2 has to be the most overrated game on the Gamecube....kind of a case of people acting like the game is 10 times better than it is just because it was a launch game with beautiful graphics.I'minterested inPersona 3, has anyone played it? I picked up the first Digital Devil Saga and couldn't get into it at all. Is this better?Blue Dragon's score isn't that surprising either. The demo was okay, but I wasn't blown away by any stretch.Kind of a lame month for reviews overall. I guess the big games don't start until next issue.
[QUOTE=''EdgecrusherAza''] Rogue Squadron 2 has to be the most overrated game on the Gamecube....kind of a case of people acting like the game is 10 times better than it is just because it was a launch game with beautiful graphics.[/QUOTE]I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that it is Star Wars.I do think RS2 is an excellent game but how much of my love comes from the fact that I am playing one of the best recreations of my favorite movie series. Take out that license and I wouldn't buy that game.
[QUOTE=''EdgecrusherAza'']I'minterested inPersona 3, has anyone played it? I picked up the first Digital Devil Saga and couldn't get into it at all. Is this better?[/QUOTE]The Persona Series is rather different than the Digital Devil Saga series. Persona 3 was suppose to come out last week, but was delayed due to an art book issue. Hopefully it'll come out soon.Both Persona and DDS are spinoffs from the main Shin Megami Tensei series, each with its own interesting twist on the mechanics.One difference that DDS had going for it is that it removed one notable aspect of the Shin Megami Tensei universe - being able to interact with enemies through talking to either get them to go away, give you items, or actually join you in some form, which the Persona series retained.From everything I've heard, Persona 3 is suppose to be very high quality, and I already have it preordered, so I'll give impressions once I actually get it.