Games you are playing

[scy]

Quite frankly, there is a large difference between the similarity between, say, two Dynasty Warrior games and Call of Duty 4 and MW2. I've played both Modern Warfares (and enjoyed them) and, yes, they're both FPS games but _the gameplay has evolved_ between them. They are not the same game; mission structure/variety is different. It is harder to make that argument for a DW-esque game where nothing has changed. It's a small distinction but it's a large one.

[spoiler]Also, Japan seems to love the fuck out of the repetitive gaming style of DW-esque games. It's a culture thing for that regard.

For the record, I love the fuck out of DW games but even I can admit they've failed to change over the years and they're repetitive as fuck. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsometimesTohgod.[/spoiler]

As for cookie-cutter, you have to understand there is a distinction to be made; a "cookie-cutter" RPG and a Final Fantasy game differ in the sense that the latter is the one used as the benchmark. Rather, the cookie-cutter is based off of it. It gets leeway for those elements. Likewise, the same can be said for other mainstream/popular titles.

Though, the best (and only acceptable in my opinion) answer is they're fucking reviewers. Not many play through it all. Not many play the game and actually care for it. Not many are even credible. Why do review numbers even matter? The validity of what they _say_ should matter far more than how they _score_ what they say.

[spoiler]obligatorylolfamitsuscore[/spoiler]
[spoiler]also, obligatorylolIGNscore[/spoiler]

[spoiler]That out of the way, popular games (in general, no matter what country you're in) get better ratings than non-popular games. It's ... natural. Just America and Japan differ on popular. Not much to say, really.[/spoiler]

[ZetaBladeX13]

[scy]

Review numbers greatly help the "drive-by" sales. Which is pretty much why they exist. I've never been a review number score fan though.

As for the CoD argument, it's more about variety in how you're playing through; the majority of the DW series hasn't changed much. There are small nuances (Weapon growth, for example) but the gameplay is the same: here's your map, here's baddies, press S/T a lot. While you can make the claim for CoD games (here's your map, here's your objective, shoot a lot), I feel the gameplay design on the objectives/maps is greater than the DW series.

But that's splitting hairs and a choice issue, I wager. Still, I'd have to side with the greater variety + same gameplay as opposed to less variety + same gameplay in the argument of "which has changed more?" The variety in the CoD games helps break the tedium; DW games just have a less variety of change within the same game.

If nothing else, it's just shooting shit is less tedious than S/T a lot therefore "greater" appreciation of the small gameplay changes (now you're shooting in a helicopter! now you're shooting down shit with rockets! etc.)

[spoiler]Yes, I do realize that DW games _have_ internal mission objectives (raise/lower the bridge, trigger archers/rocks falling/something, etc.) but it's just to a lesser extent than some CoD games have changed.[/spoiler]

Edit: Also, DW5 -> DW6 was a pretty big jump if I remember right and I'd probably agree with you there (Renbu system, was it?) but I'd hesitate to make the same claim for, say, DW3 -> DW4.

[ZetaBladeX13]

[Twat]

lol scy

Got a funny freeze over ZSNES net play a few days ago:

The screenie does not show much but I hit Dyna-Blade with a Jet Cracker as she held Kirby. It killed her, yes, but for some reason Kirby warped to the center of the screen and she still did another attack before it froze up.

[scy]

So put in another ~hour into FFXIII. Got Paradigm Shifts finally.

[spoiler]Holy fuck the Crystarium "Grid" is huge.

I have nothing really to add since I was apparently like two fights from boss fight and then plotplotplot. Exam rape tomorrow then I can put in real quality time with FFXIII so ... yeah.[/spoiler]

[Twat]

Did a TF2 stress test on a 32-player server with instant respawn and lots of soldiers/demos for good measure. No loss in frame rate. Feels genuinely playable. Reflected rockets and grenades with grace.

[Vapour Trail]

I finished the port of Vay for the iPhone earlier this morning. It's not bad, it's a pretty generic, old-school RPG but that's exactly what I wanted. The controls are awful, though.

[scy]

[Twat]

So hey: Metroid: Other M will be controlled with the Wii Remote alone. Kind of worried because holding it sideways is uncomfortable and hurts my hands within thirty minutes of use. :[ I like games that at least allow one to use the slightly-less uncomfortable Classic Controller.

[noodles]

[Vapour Trail]

[scy]

Ugh, I figured it was just another virtual D-Pad thing; Zenonia's worked but it wasn't stellar (likewise, Hybrid works but far from stellar).

[Twat]

[scy]

I really wonder what happened to the lost art of good D-Pad construction.

Apparently they killed the guy who designed the SNES d-pad or something.