The Sony Thread

[Ra]

*nods* That's exactly how I feel about it all. I mean, if Minesweeper was remade in HD format, it wouldn't exactly make it better than the original.

[Ninjinister]

I like my analog TVs....

[ThirdMarioBro]

I like both. Old games look good on SD, new games look good on HD.

BTW, GTA pulled a 10 from IGN. I don't put much faith in their integrity since they paid out the wazoo to get first dibs on the review, but regardless--the game looks freaking amazing.

[Mecha Cow]

IGN is pathetic. I stopped reading after 'Oscar-worthy drama' and 'GTA4 is the best game since Ocarina of Time'. Also, why the hell does a video game review need to be seven f*cking pages long? That's just bad writing.

That being said, the game does look cool.

[poiuytre]

I'm confused. Why can't GTA4 be the best game since Ocarina of Time according to them? I've never been into GTA games before, but this one does look really cool. IGN's integrity is questionable at times but all the previews and user-reviews are extremely positive as well so far. I'll certainly check it when I get my console back.

Originally Posted by Peanut

And no, the bane of the industry are the childish little fanboys who "make fun" of other games and companies to "win" arguments. But I guess we shouldn't ask for much more from someone with sh*tty Sonic fan-art as their avatar.

Irony

[Peanut]

You continue to prove that you really don't know what the f*ck you're talking about.

And yeah, I read the entire IGN review, it and just comes off so poorly written. Then again, Hilary Goldstein has never been very talented. And the comparison to a 10-year-old game is completely ridiculous.

[R-iZZy]

I usually agree with IGN, but giving any GTA game a 10 is just beyond my comprehension. It's the same formula: run, gun, drive, take on missions. Usually, there's a new feature here or there and an improvement in graphics. I expected GTA IV to go by the same formula. But if IGN is giving this game a 10, there's better be some sh*t in that game that's never been introduced in any game before. I already knew that review was more full of sh*t than a colostomy bag when it said the story was "Oscar worthy". A GTA game with an "Oscar-worthy" story? GTFOH! The fact that this game was even put in the same light as Ocarina of Time was the final straw.

I still anticipate the game, but if I were to say this game wasn't overrated or overhyped, I'd be lying my ass off. I do not expect this game to be a 10, I do not expect it to have an "Oscar-worthy" story (MGS4 would get that more than this game, guaranteed) and I sure as hell don't expect it to have the aura that Ocarina of Time had.

I usually trust IGN, but I know I don't even need to put their theory to the test to know that it's dead f*cking wrong.

[Barkworm]

I don't like GTA but there's something about the new one that has me really interested.

[raphael_is_cool]

Originally Posted by R-iZZy

A GTA game with an "Oscar-worthy" story? GTFOH! The fact that this game was even put in the same light as Ocarina of Time was the final straw.

I still anticipate the game, but if I were to say this game wasn't overrated or overhyped, I'd be lying my ass off. I do not expect this game to be a 10, I do not expect it to have an "Oscar-worthy" story (MGS4 would get that more than this game, guaranteed) and I sure as hell don't expect it to have the aura that Ocarina of Time had.

Dude, Juno won an Oscar for best original screenplay...I think the floodgates are wide open. Also, MGS games have messy convoluted stories.

And the fact that you say GTA IV is the same thing again and then mention a Zelda game just baffles me. I don't know what you mean by 'aura'. If you mean 'atmosphere' then I think GTA IV will have it in oodles as do games like Bioshock. But a Zelda game? Shee-iiiiit!

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by raphael_is_cool

Dude, Juno won an Oscar for best original screenplay...I think the floodgates are wide open. Also, MGS games have messy convoluted stories.

And the fact that you say GTA IV is the same thing again and then mention a Zelda game just baffles me. I don't know what you mean by 'aura'. If you mean 'atmosphere' then I think GTA IV will have it in oodles as do games like Bioshock. But a Zelda game? Shee-iiiiit!

100% agree with this entire post.

*stamp of approval*

[Barkworm]

BTW Peanut, how did you like "Chains of Olympus"? I thought that it was a little underwhelming (also too short and too easy on Spartan mode) but I enjoyed it quite a lot. The gauntlet of Zeus was pretty sweet, too.

[AquaParade]

Originally Posted by Peanut

How old are you? 10? Grow up.

And Jesus Christ, talk about overreacting. If it's anything like Halo 3, it's going to be running two frame buffers, anyways. It's going to improve performance of the game, while also allowing the HDR to run a lot better. What the hell do you want? Slightly more crisp lines, or for the game to chug like a piece of sh*t? If MGS4 or Halo 3 were to run in full 1080p resolution, they couldn't look the way they do, or contain as many mind blowing effects and on-screen action as they do. Learn some facts.

People like you are the absolute f*cking BANE of this industry.

...Flame away. I won't be back in here lol.

[Dr. Doom]

Originally Posted by raphael_is_cool

Dude, Juno won an Oscar for best original screenplay...I think the floodgates are wide open.

What does that have to do with anything?

[R-iZZy]

Originally Posted by raphael_is_cool

Dude, Juno won an Oscar for best original screenplay...I think the floodgates are wide open. Also, MGS games have messy convoluted stories.

That's a matter of preference, but even with a "messy" and "convoluted" story (which I don't even remotely agree with), Metal Gear Solid games still surpass GTA games story-wise, which was the point I was making anyway.

And the fact that you say GTA IV is the same thing again and then mention a Zelda game just baffles me. I don't know what you mean by 'aura'. If you mean 'atmosphere' then I think GTA IV will have it in oodles as do games like Bioshock. But a Zelda game? Shee-iiiiit!

Yes, because I said any random Zelda game, right? No! I said specifically Ocarina of Time, which was not like any other game before it. This is why I didn't mention Majora's Mask, Wind Waker or Twilight Princess. And by aura, I mean that after you finish playing this game, you should have an experience from it that should make it feel like you've never had that before. That's not something I expect from a game that's basically re-hashing a formula and adding more perks to it.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

BTW Peanut, how did you like "Chains of Olympus"? I thought that it was a little underwhelming (also too short and too easy on Spartan mode) but I enjoyed it quite a lot. The gauntlet of Zeus was pretty sweet, too.

I pretty much agree with what you said. Really fun, but too easy and too short. The only thing I didn't like is that by the time you get the Gauntlet of Zeus, you're pretty much destroying every enemy you face, and since it's stronger than the regular old swords, you stop using them, even though the gauntlet isn't as fun to use.

Originally Posted by Noob

...Flame away. I won't be back in here lol.

Because you're a pussy? Yeah. I don't overreact, that's just the way I type. Go ahead and ask people I talk to off the forums, they'll tell you just how much I "care" about most things in life.

Originally Posted by R-iZZY

That's a matter of preference, but even with a "messy" and "convoluted" story (which I don't even remotely agree with)

Dude, pretty much popular opinion on that one. The story is a convoluted mess. Even the biggest MGS fanboys will admit that, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I'm going to agree that it's better than any GTA story, though. Considering I don't remember dick all about any of the GTA stories, games I've actually beaten, and I remember a bunch of stuff from the times I've played the MGS games, games I haven't beaten. I think that says something.

[raphael_is_cool]

Originally Posted by R-iZZy

Yes, because I said any random Zelda game, right? No! I said specifically Ocarina of Time, which was not like any other game before it. This is why I didn't mention Majora's Mask, Wind Waker or Twilight Princess. And by aura, I mean that after you finish playing this game, you should have an experience from it that should make it feel like you've never had that before. That's not something I expect from a game that's basically re-hashing a formula and adding more perks to it.

I couldn't resist the dig at Juno. Sorry.

Sorry, this is long but I hope I've made some interesting points or given you food for thought at least:

I would agree with you on this 'aura' around Zelda but only because it was the first 3D iteration I played. Nothing else really stood out beyond that. If I'd played previous versions I'm sure I'd recognise that I was doing the same things again: going through dungeons, solving puzzles, rescuing Zelda from Ganondorf. The closest comparison would be the jump from the top-down GTA into 3D GTA. But in a GTA game I always had a reason to do a mission, a drive to keep playing, instead of just 'rescue the princess/beat big bad guy'. I came away feeling I'd achieved something by seeing the story to its end.

Now, I couldn't say a GTA game has a better story than an MGS game (MGS1 particularly) but that is more to do with game design. GTA is free-roaming, the missions are spread out; whereas MGS1 was a straight-ahead plotline with only one possible variation. Not to mention that GTA games borrow heavily from established film tropes or actual films (the ending to Vice City anyone?) But in the GTA universe there have been some brilliant characters, some very memorable moments and some fantastic writing. The only reason you remember Zelda characters is because they're the same in every game.

Now taking into account your point is that GTA IV won't have that new and special 'aura' around it I'd be willing to disagree. OoT was just a 3D version of any Zelda game with a few new tricks, as the series continues to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad thing and I'm not trying to start a fight. Fact is: people love Zelda. Story isn't always important to a game but it is a big part of making a game memorable. You only have to look at fans of FFFVII, Chrono Trigger, Deus Ex or Bioshock (to name just a few) to see that.

The way I see it is that generally different elements of a game appeal to creating certain memories. If you're playing single-player then the story becomes very important because that is what's needed to draw you in, to keep you playing. An RPG with a crappy story very quickly gets dropped as might an FPS which becomes monotonous. A good FPS usually seems to only stand out if it has a good story. While playing co-op campaign on Halo 2, I didn't really take much note of the story because the amazing experience was more to do with playing with a friend. I'm sure Peanut could attest to many fun experiences with Halo 3's online and offline multiplayer. I would say with OoT it was more the novelty factor than anything that made it memorable since you did not sing the praises of following games as nothing new really came of them. I would also factor in the 'shared experience' as in the event of a game. Much like a film that 'everyone has to see' you remember it because that's what everyone talked about and I think OoT came in a time when there wasn't anything else like it on N64. My examples are more recent Final Fantasy games; looking back, I didn't really enjoy them but I was playing because all my friends were.

Round off my main point is that GTA IV runs on a completely new engine, the experience of exploring a living, breathing city has been vastly improved and it sounds like Rockstar have worked hard to keep the story tighter, more plausible (small case in point: they kept clothing options limited to 'suitable' items) and thus more dramatic. Throw in the multiplayer as well and I think it's a big enough leap to guarantee that everyone will have some sort of memorable experience and come away with a glowing 'aura'.

Feel free to disagree if you wish, I just figured I'd make my point clearer.

[Mecha Cow]

Look, I'm the first to admit the last couple of Zeldas were sub-par but to say the series hasn't had memorable moments or characters just isn't true.

In any case, GTA has nothing to do with Zelda and no one is doubting that the game itself will be great; it's IGN's clearly bloated and ingenuine review that people are commenting on. The game comes out tomorrow, let's just wait until we can make up our minds, shall we?

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Mecha Cow

In any case, GTA has nothing to do with Zelda and no one is doubting that the game itself will be great; it's IGN's clearly bloated and ingenuine review that people are commenting on.

Exactly. This was about IGN's ridiculous review, not about the games GTA was compared to in it.

I'll be picking up my copy of GTAIV (for 360) in a few short hours, so I'll give those of you holding off some initial impressions.

[Mr. Snackpants]

Originally Posted by Dr. Doom

What does that have to do with anything?

He needed to get one last jab in about that movie before it's too late.

[Dr. Doom]

10 from Gamestop. Now I'm slightly disgusted.