Edge Issue 143 to contain Half-Life 2 review

[Concept]

Just thought I'd let those who are interested know that the next re-designed issue of Edge magazine (being released on October 28th), is to contain Half-Life 2 as its leading review.

This is the review for me which is the most important out of those currently released at the moment.

Hopefully all the worries about Half-Life 2 reviews potentially being bought or getting swept up in hype will be able to laid to rest.

That is if the game gets a high score from a (usually) very harsh source. So much so, that usually publishers won't send review code out to them because they're aware reviews aren't over-inflated in the magazine. This is why Edge is usually so often late (after release) with the big titles in terms of review coverage.

Perhaps it bodes well for Half-Life 2 that it isn't the case for the game. Here's the cover.

No word on the score as of yet, but there have been rumours of 10/10. If Edge were to award Half-Life 2 10/10, it would only be the fifth game in the magazine's entire ten year history to receive the mark. The others were Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Gran Turismo and Halo.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Good job on the early news, would be better if we knew the content or score, but this is a start. Keep us updated

 

[Foxtrot]

That is BS, they make it seem like a review of half-life 2 is nothing...not in bold letters or anything.

 

[KagePrototype]

Finally, it'd be nice to hear a more fair review that doesn't drown in it's own hyperbole and hype. I remember when Edge had that crowbar on the back of their issue last April...heh, every other HL fan site's forum went INSANE.

 

[Lobster]

Edge really do appreciate overall game design in there reviews, which is why they can be damn harsh with all the gimmick based titles out there.

Edge were the first people to release the teaser page of half-life 2, with the crowbar casting the 2 shadow, this review would offer good closure on the pre-release press coverage.

 

[BladeTurbo]

Finally, it'd be nice to hear a more fair review that doesn't drown in it's own hyperbole and hype. I remember when Edge had that crowbar on the back of their issue last April...heh, every other HL fan site's forum went INSANE.

i don't think the reviews are hyped, i just think the game's that good. also, does anyone have that crow bar pic?

 

[Warbie]

Good news

As far as i'm concerned single format magasines are usually full of shit. Not that the positive HL2 reviews haven't been encouraging (at the very least we know HL2 is a sweet game) , but when it comes to decent, fair and well written reivews it's wise to wait for Edge.

(An Edge 9/10 would impress me far more than a 98% score in PC Gameplay/Zone/Gamer ect. Infact an 8/10 would aswell)

 

[Concept]

Copies to subscribers usually arrive before the street date, so hopefully early next week, the review scores should become available.

 

[Harryz]

What a bullshit mag? Giving Halo 10/10? I understand if Halo 2 gets 10/10, but Halo? Its not even on the front cover.

 

[Xrenity]

Halo a 10/10, wtf?

 

[Bait]

I think this is the pic you are talking about.

 

[KagePrototype]

I think this is the pic you are talking about.

That's the one. So much insanity was created with that picture.

 

[Jeehde2]

Well, there already are serious reviews...

I think the PC Gamer (98%) was a little bit tooo high (peace ), but PC Games gave it 96 %... But that really is a very serious magasine, they dont hype games!

92% was the highest score ever (Far Cry), so HL2 really is a very extraordinary game...

 

[KagePrototype]

i don't think the reviews are hyped, i just think the game's that good. also, does anyone have that crow bar pic?

If you read the PC Gamer UK review, you'd agree with me. The rest don't seem as bad in comparison.

 

[Concept]

What a bullshit mag? Giving Halo 10/10? I understand if Halo 2 gets 10/10, but Halo? Its not even on the front cover.

I think the whole point of that is to send a message out Edge aren't getting sucked into the hype like everyone else. It may also indicate that a 10/10 score isn't the be and end all of the magazine.

Just because the game isn't on the cover doesn't suggest the review may be negative. Super Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker were front cover games, yet they received 9/10.

 

[Warbie]

Think what you like about the Halo review - but Edge is the most respected (and critical) magasine in the industry. It's also the most informative and well written gaming publication around.

Don't let one review put you off - that would be extremely foolish.

 

[KagePrototype]

I think the whole point of that is to send a message out that Edge aren't getting sucked into the hype like everyone else. It may also indicate that a 10/10 score isn't the be and end all of the magazine.

Just because the game isn't on the cover doesn't suggest the review may be negative. Super Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker were front cover games, yet they only received 9/10.

Heh, "only" 9/10? A game receving more than 7/10 from Edge is like being given a holy grail from god.

But yeah, Edge hardly ever advertise reviews on their front cover, it's always for huge previews or articles.

 

[Concept]

Yeah. I actually edited that a few seconds after I realised I typed it out.

 

[mortiz]

Halo got a 10/10 so according to edge that make's it a perfect game? I belive awarding 10/10 for any game foolish, since if a game top's that you have no where to go, but Edge are respected =/ Hell even gamespot gave Halo a 97 and they overrate loads of console games. (Gamespot have been partial to the odd 10/10).

 

[Warbie]

Halo got a 10/10 so according to edge that make's it a perfect game?

No - 10/10 in Edge means that the game, for it's time, is an example of the best its respective genre has to offer (which is very different from being 'perfect') Of course, you don't have to agree with them (I did btw)

I belive awarding 10/10 for any game foolish, since if a game top's that you have no where to go

Nope (for the reason I mentioned above) Put simply - a 10/10 in 1999 may be a 7/10 in 2004. Halo certainly wouldn't have scored 10/10 if it were released today.

And don't compare Edge to Gamespot - that's should be a crime of some sort.

 

[ShadowFox]

Super Mario 64 doesn't deserve such high praise. It was a great game, but one of the best of all time? I don't think so.

It wasn't even close to Super Mario 3.

 

[Warbie]

Super Mario 64 doesn't deserve such high praise. It was a great game, but one of the best of all time? I don't think so.

It wasn't even close to Super Mario 3.

It's all subjective - at at the end of the day any score a game gets means sod all, the text is the important part.

I personally thought Super Mario World and Super Mario 64 are bteer than Super Mario 3 (and think Mario 64 is easily one of the best games ever made )

 

[Wildhound]

I'd take anything with a grain of salt that comes from a magazine that gives out 10/10 scores.

There have been four perfect games? And Halo was one of them? Uh-huh. That game was completely flawless, the epitome of gaming.

Spot the sarcasm to win a cookie.

 

[Warbie]

I'd take anything with a grain of salt that comes from a magazine that gives out 10/10 scores.

There have been four perfect games? And Halo was one of them? Uh-huh. That game was completely flawless, the epitome of gaming.

Spot the sarcasm to win a cookie.

Read all the posts.

10/10 does not equal the 'prefect game', that it was flawless or the epitome of gaming.

 

[polystethylene]

"If Edge were to award Half-Life 2 10/10, it would only be the fifth game in the magazine's entire ten year history to receive the mark. The others were Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Gran Turismo and Halo."

Right, so no PC game in 10 years has been deemed worthy of those games. This, frankly, is plain ridiculous. For this point alone I dislike them, and don't care what they score half-life 2 at.


Halo... 10/10. Just. Plain. What.

 

[KagePrototype]

I'd take anything with a grain of salt that comes from a magazine that gives out 10/10 scores.

There have been four perfect games? And Halo was one of them? Uh-huh. That game was completely flawless, the epitome of gaming.

Spot the sarcasm to win a cookie.

You'd be suprised how harsh Edge can be sometimes. As in, very harsh. All the time. Those 10/10 scores weren't flukes, they're incredibly rare. Anything about 7 is the equivelant to anything above 90% in PC Gamer.

 

[Asuka]

Interesting. Who bets it gets a 10/10

 

[mortiz]

You'd be suprised how harsh Edge can be sometimes. As in, very harsh. All the time. Those 10/10 scores weren't flukes, they're incredibly rare. Anything about 7 is the equivelant to anything above 90% in PC Gamer.

Extremely rare? I would say 10/10 - 5 times is very common for a perfect score, considering very few magazine's ever diss out perfect scores.

 

[Warbie]

Right, so no PC game in 10 years has been deemed worthy of those games. This, frankly, is plain ridiculous. For this point alone I dislike them, and don't care what they score half-life 2 at.


Halo... 10/10. Just. Plain. What.

Does the score really matter?? (my fave issue of Edge contained no scores at all - just a few pages of text per review. Unfortunately many ppl complained, and that was the end of that. If you need a score to tell how good a game is then it's a crap review)

I personally think HL and Golden Eye deserved 10/10 too - but it's certainly no big deal. The quality of writing, exclusive developer interviews, and articles more than makes up for this minor criticism.

Hardly any games have recieved such a high mark (Edge generally being the harshest reviewer around) - and to be fair, HL is the only PC game I can think of, that has been released in Edge's lifetime, which deserves 10/10.

Don't let one review, and the fact that no pc game has recieved 10/10, put you off what is easily the best gaming magasine around.

(it surprises me how many ppl put up with pc gamer/zone/gameplay etc etc. They contain no information, are biased beyond belief, and very badly written. I've read 3 HL2 reviews that someone typed out and posted into various forums, and they say nothing. Without trying to offend - these are mags for teenagers/kids while Edge, and maybe Games TM, are for adults)

 

[mortiz]

By the look's of the game's that have received perfect scores from Edge also (all console games) I can't help think they may be console biased also, like you said, Edge rewards innovation, well in my opinion some of the most innovative games ever made have come out on the PC, and edge hasn't felt fit to award one PC game a perfect score?

 

[Concept]

By the look's of the game's that have received perfect scores from Edge also (all console games) I can't help think they may be console biased also, like you said, Edge rewards innovation, well in my opinion some of the most innovative games ever made have come out on the PC, and edge hasn't felt fit to award one PC game a perfect score?

Just take a look at the magazine before you dismiss it.

Edge has faced accusations of being anti-Saturn, anti-Dreamcast, anti-PC, anti-PS/PS2, anti-N64/GC in the past. And so on.

While I certainly don't agree with everything in the magazine, it's the most well written, in-depth and expertly presented English publication on the planet.

In my opinion of course.

 

[KagePrototype]

Extremely rare? I would say 10/10 - 5 times is very common for a perfect score, considering very few magazine's ever diss out perfect scores.

5 games. Out of what, a few thousand? Most of which never see it past 6/10? Beleive me, high scores are like Bigfoot to this magazine. Edge has a HUGE reputation for their harsh review policies, as well as their hype-free, critical standpoint when it comes to actually writing a review. It's not an accident that they became one of the most respected video game magazines on the planet.

 

[rrm]

can it get a decimal score, like 8.5, 9.5 or something like that?

 

[Warbie]

can it get a decimal score, like 8.5, 9.5 or something like that?

Nope - just whole no.s

(avoids the ridiculous arguments over 1 or 2 percent. 'But if game x gets 92%, game y must get atleast 95%! cause it's so much better!!')

 

[Ceige]

can it get a decimal score, like 8.5, 9.5 or something like that?

Nope, its a single digit.

 

[Exodin]

From what 10's they DID give, if they do not give HL2 a 10.. I will. Oh, right - I don't read Edge because they really aren't as good as you obsessive readers think they are.

If PCGamer scores ANY game in the 90's it deserves attention. 98%? Unheard of, I'm pretty sure they're going to stand by that score.

 

[Warbie]

From what 10's they DID give, if they do not give HL2 a 10.. I will. Oh, right - I don't read Edge because they really aren't as good as you obessive reasders think they are.

Have you read it?

If obsessive means we like to read a decent gaming mag then yes, I guess we are.

(and yes - compared to other gaming publications it is 'that good')

As for PC gamer - well, the industry respects and pays attention to Edge reviews. I doubt anyone particularly cares what scores PC gamer give out.

 

[Narcolepsy]

Have you read it?

If obsessive means we like to read a decent gaming mag then yes, I guess we are.

(and yes - compared to other gaming publications it is 'that good')

As for PC gamer - well, the industry respects and pays attention to Edge reviews. I doubt anyone particularly cares what scores PC gamer give out.

I wonder how many PCGamer bashers here actually subscribe to the magazine. For that matter, I wonder how many people that bash things rampantly here are doing so of their own free will, or just jumping on the bandwagon.

 

[Wildhound]

Read all the posts.

10/10 does not equal the 'prefect game', that it was flawless or the epitome of gaming.

Actually that's exactly what 10/10 means. If it's not possible to score any higher, then it's not possible for any game to be any better.

Any excuses or extra rules you try to apply after that are, quite simply, bullshit.

 

[PvtRyan]

As far as i'm concerned single format magasines are usually full of shit.

I know some multi format magazines that were just as full of shit as some single format. The platforms they review doesn't say much.

But Edge is a respected magazine, but that doesn't mean magazines like PC Gameplay are unreliable and full of shit, I know for a fact that PCGP isn't.