PC Gameplay score 90% vs FarCry 93%?!?

the only thing that worries me is the linear levels,in this day you have to offer some open ended gameplay or youll be an average game.
 
The only bad things the guy said about the game was that he ran into teammates sometimes- that deserves a 90%
Besides that the guy made it sound like one of the best games ever made and lets not forget that a more respected mag gave it a 96%.
 
Egg Merchant rating effect confirmed: PC Gamer

I just got the newest PC Gamer with the HL2 cover. They also gave it a 90%. Seems this Egg Merchant thing is pretty widespread.

//EDIT
missingmultipleeggmerchant.jpg


//EDIT#2 How does one get an image to be embedded in one's post?
 
She isn't missing at all
Click to expand...

That's great news about the Multiple Egg Merchant. Does this mean a new locale in HL2? A new mission perhaps?

However, based on the PCG rating comment I think that their issue wasn't with the merchant being missing, but rather the mention of the missing merchant. Perhaps it was a poor plot decision? Maybe it would have been better had the gamer not been presented with the knowledge about said merchant until later on in the game. Interesting. Further bulletins as events warrant.
 
wayne white said:
the only thing that worries me is the linear levels,in this day you have to offer some open ended gameplay or youll be an average game.
Click to expand...

I think your wrong, linear levels are a good thing.

With open ended gameplay you don't get the excitement you get in a game that is straightforward and suprises you, you have to make your own excitement and find your own thing to do, which is gets boring when you don't know what to do next.

GTA is a good example, I found it boring after a while (not a long time at all actually), the objectives and what you had to do was vague, the story was in the background...sure it was open ended and you felt free, but there is only so many times you can blow up a few cars and kill a few people when the suprises go.

A great story makes a great game in my opinion and for a story to be told you have to be taken through.

In summary, linearity is NOT a bad thing.
 
Raidea said:
I think your wrong, linear levels are a good thing.

With open ended gameplay you don't get the excitement you get in a game that is straightforward and suprises you, you have to make your own excitement and find your own thing to do, which is gets boring when you don't know what to do next.

GTA is a good example, I found it boring after a while (not a long time at all actually), the objectives and what you had to do was vague, the story was in the background...sure it was open ended and you felt free, but there is only so many times you can blow up a few cars and kill a few people when the suprises go.

A great story makes a great game in my opinion and for a story to be told you have to be taken through.

In summary, linearity is NOT a bad thing.
Click to expand...


wrong.
 
Homer said:
wrong.
Click to expand...

What a great argument Homer, very convincing. :LOL:

And you know what? Raidea is right: in certain games, linear gameplay is better :)
 
Raidea said:
I think your wrong, linear levels are a good thing.

With open ended gameplay you don't get the excitement you get in a game that is straightforward and suprises you, you have to make your own excitement and find your own thing to do, which is gets boring when you don't know what to do next.

GTA is a good example, I found it boring after a while (not a long time at all actually), the objectives and what you had to do was vague, the story was in the background...sure it was open ended and you felt free, but there is only so many times you can blow up a few cars and kill a few people when the suprises go.

A great story makes a great game in my opinion and for a story to be told you have to be taken through.

In summary, linearity is NOT a bad thing.
Click to expand...

I agree with you completely. I think open-ended gameplay can work well at times (I loved Deus Ex), but then a lot of the time it can get frustrating and boring. Half life was a linear game, and so it's no surprise that HL2 is also strictly linear. I'm sure though, with the wide open landscapes and city streets, the linearity will be well disguised.
 
A great story isnt everything. You have to be good at telling it to really suceed. Look at HL1, the story is average, but the way it`s told is pure genious.
 
I honestly lol at the missing egg merchant... wtf
So great it deserves sig space.
 
Ansur said:
1. Although I havent got this issue yet, graphics and sound will probably be quite high, but then the gameplay...

2. you gotto admit MP is a bit lacking.

3. not everyone likes CS. Their bad/good luck!
Click to expand...


1. actually graphics might be part of whats sinking the score. they are nice, but not great compared to the technology available today. a year ago, the graphics would have been mindblowing, today, they arent even as good as far cry or doom 3 engine graphics. and that should be taken into account.

2. not really. all things being equal, cs:s is a much more robust multiplayer than hldm, which limited numbers of people play.

3. true, but obvious. not everyone likes CS. but thats what most people play. not everybody likes ANY multiplayer. there isnt one you can name that everyone likes. but when it comes to an HL multiplayer, most people play cs which is exactly why they concentrated their efforts on that multiplayer. makes perfect sense to me. why do people keep saying that it has limited or no multiplayer? its so much better than doom 3 or far cry's its not even funny.
 
Why don't you guys just raid PC Gameplay?

I think the missing egg merchant agrees.
 
The fact they took 10% off cause there is no HL2DM is rediculous. Yes you can argue *Single Player lasts for months, MP lasts for years* but I could also argue that there will be hundreds of mods released for HL2 within the first few months of release. So that argument is pretty much pointless. The fact their only complaint is no HL2DM and AI getting in the way (which adds some realism, nobody is perfect) makes me extremely happy and excited at the same time. While I do think it should have got a higher score (If it was me, I would have took off maybe 3% for no initial multiplayer) I'm still satisfied with what it got. Besides, PC Gamer UK and Pc Gamer (?) gave it a 96%. That alone should assure everybody that HL2 is going to be the best damn single player FPS since the beggining of FPS. w00t
 
Homer said:
wrong.
Click to expand...


Wow, what a great argument you have there! Even though some of the greatest FPS were very linear, I guess your right and we're *wrong*. Just because a game doesn't allow you to roam all over and do anything you please, does not mean it sucks. In non-linear games, how much can you really do before you just hit the end of it all? Usually not much. Take GTA for example - Allows you to roam around, kill people and blow up cars, but honestly, that gets extremely boring after a few minutes. But with a linear game on the other hand, new stuff and challenges pop up all the time.
 
[sl@yer] said:
I agree with you completely. I think open-ended gameplay can work well at times (I loved Deus Ex).
Click to expand...

actually Deus Ex was very linear. you had a lot of choice about how you finished each section, but the main story arc was set in stone.
 
Also in that PC Gameplay review it says HL2 is coming out October
 
i don't really like games where there are multible paths...

takes me forever to finihs a part cuz before i pick an option, i save, pick option a, see what happens, reloads, pick option b, see what happens, ext.

and about the score

no matter how good something is, there's always a moron who says otherwise :|
 
RhapSidious said:

UPDATE: Now also the evaluation from the Dutch PC Gameplay is known. Here Half Life 2 received "only" 90% (to the comparison: Doom3 received 86%, FarCry got whole 93%). As point of negative the missing Multiplayer is stated.
Click to expand...

Maybe to clarify: This is a pretty normal approach to judging a game in PC Gameplay. They just have a part of the overall score dedicated to multiplayer. If no MP is present, score gets reduced. And guess what, I somehow agree. I have been waiting for a decent HL2 MP as well and I am really a bit concerned and let down that Valve (could have) missed out a MP. If this is indeed the case, loewring the score is ok to me because it really lacks sth.
 
We shouldn't be worrying about the reviews of HL2, everyone here knows that they will;
a) buy HL2 regardless of reviews...
b) sell their right pinky toe to have the game earlier...

the reviews really only matter to the broader more general public who aren't devoted fans of HL, or HL2 etc etc... and to the game companies who are trying to make money and make people happy. And anyway, if HL2 doesn't have a decent MP support yet we all know that someone will come up with an awesome Mod, that does what CS did to HL, to HL2...
 
pAiNtHeAsS said:
i don't really like games where there are multible paths...

takes me forever to finihs a part cuz before i pick an option, i save, pick option a, see what happens, reloads, pick option b, see what happens, ext.

and about the score

no matter how good something is, there's always a moron who says otherwise :|
Click to expand...

That "moron" happens to say that HL2 is a brilliant singeplayer game, but the magazines policy seems to be that multiplayer in a game is very important.
 
Dsty2001 said:
Just because a game doesn't allow you to roam all over and do anything you please, does not mean it sucks. In non-linear games, how much can you really do before you just hit the end of it all? Usually not much. Take GTA for example - Allows you to roam around, kill people and blow up cars, but honestly, that gets extremely boring after a few minutes. But with a linear game on the other hand, new stuff and challenges pop up all the time.
Click to expand...

You are so wrong. New stuff and challenges do not pop up all the time in a linear game because they're just that: LINEAR. Scripted sequences always happen the same. The experience is more or less the same. New challenges do not spontaneously appear. Open-ended games, however, succeed in just that kind of thing.

Now, that is not to say that either kind of game is better or worse. But you cannot convince me that a linear game is somehow more spontaneous than an open-ended one, because that's bullshit.

And anybody that badmouths GTA should get their testicles shot off.

Boring, my ass.
 
Dsty2001 said:
The fact they took 10% off cause there is no HL2DM is rediculous.
Click to expand...

Actually its more like 6% (probebly jusr 3-4% if you knew the magazine)

Unless u asume they would have given the full 100% if it had DM or any other original multiplay option.

So there is just a 6% difference between their score and the one in other mags.

Now if you knew the magazine you probebly knew it would never had more then 94-95 anyway and that would break their score record already. so its only a 4-5 % difference.

Count in there might be other minor factors at play the reviewer felt was worth substracting points.

Now people what like to compare,
Doom3 had a 94% in pcgamer where HL2 had 96?
Thats 2% lower then HL2
Doom3 had only 86 in pcgp and HL2 a 90 thats 4% difference ...

Also what is the lowest score pcgamer ever gave?
PCGP isn't afraid to go under 50 I can remember 26.
 
Absinthe said:
You are so wrong. New stuff and challenges do not pop up all the time in a linear game because they're just that: LINEAR. Scripted sequences always happen the same. The experience is more or less the same. New challenges do not spontaneously appear. Open-ended games, however, succeed in just that kind of thing.

Now, that is not to say that either kind of game is better or worse. But you cannot convince me that a linear game is somehow more spontaneous than an open-ended one, because that's bullshit.

And anybody that badmouths GTA should get their testicles shot off.

Boring, my ass.
Click to expand...

No, linear storylines are interesting because whilst they send you down a prefed route, it's a damned fun route.

Oh, and GTA wasn't as great as everybody says.

Some of the missions were below par and the action system was crap. Oh, and it was linear.
 
It is a common fact that halflife2 IS better then FarCry, just because Far Cry has (the shittiest ever) multiplayer doesnt mean it should have a higher score :O
 
Absinthe said:
You are so wrong. New stuff and challenges do not pop up all the time in a linear game because they're just that: LINEAR. Scripted sequences always happen the same. The experience is more or less the same. New challenges do not spontaneously appear. Open-ended games, however, succeed in just that kind of thing.

Now, that is not to say that either kind of game is better or worse. But you cannot convince me that a linear game is somehow more spontaneous than an open-ended one, because that's bullshit.

And anybody that badmouths GTA should get their testicles shot off.

Boring, my ass.
Click to expand...

And you should take a week off to cool down, every reply I've seen coming from you is always aggressive and hostile. As if you felt so strongly about GTA...

Anyway if you like open-ended games that's fine, but that style doesn't fit Halflife².
 
Why on earth are people debating the score? have any of you played HL2 yet?

Wait until the game is released and then decide if it deserved a higher/lower score...
 
damn dude your idiot farcry is a 1 year old game in those times he got 93 , ofcourse farcry was the best game in those times
 
omg , it may make for alot of waffling chat, but mg, who cares... right? games are a personal thing, you either like certain types or all types, or no types atall.

It's nice people express their opinion's, but its so clear that those opinion's are almost an extension of our penis in most cases. Mine is bigger than your's Dammit!. My point, everyone has their tastes, and calling people stupid, and dumb because they point out that farcry scored better in some magazines is more immature than Gordon in a Diper.

At the end of the day, people will be people and like other games more than ones that are 'supposed' to be the 'best'.

I mean, I still play Pong dammit!
 
Was the reviewer the same person for each game because that counts. The MP would have had an effect. Everyone knows that most SP are short lived. The only ones i find that arnt are ones with a really good story, like a one that is hard to understand or you at least have to go through the game again to clear some stuff up in the story. How many games have a story like that though most FPS stories basicly consist of some place and then somin goes wrong then you gotta fix it.
 
Kangy said:
No, linear storylines are interesting because whilst they send you down a prefed route, it's a damned fun route.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about wether or not its interesting or good. A linear/open-ended game formula does not guarantee success. It's up to what the developer does with the concept. But there are inherent advantages to each. You can get far more dynamic gameplay and freedom in an open-ended game. On the other hand, you can get far better scripting and presentation in a linear game because of its focus.

But you're nuts if you're going to argue that a scripted and linear game offers more dynamic gameplay than an open-ended game.

Oh, and GTA wasn't as great as everybody says.

Some of the missions were below par and the action system was crap.
Click to expand...

I disagree. But I'm not going to get into a debate about overrated games.

Oh, and it was linear.
Click to expand...

To some extent, yes. There was a beginning, an end, a goal, and mission structure. But it allowed the player to do anything in between. They could drive all around Liberty City, take on side missions, make extra cash, or just go on a killing spree. There was nothing to force the player along. So no. It was not what one would call a linear game. It was open-ended.

CB | Para said:
And you should take a week off to cool down, every reply I've seen coming from you is always aggressive and hostile. As if you felt so strongly about GTA...
Click to expand...

I am truly sorry. Please, allow me to apologize for my rash behavior. Perhaps I need a sensitivity training course?

Anyway if you like open-ended games that's fine, but that style doesn't fit Halflife².
Click to expand...

I never said it did fit Half-Life. I don't know where you came up with that. I'm arguing against this ludicrous idea that a linear game is, in concept, somehow more dynamic than an open-ended game.
 
NB. said:
Why on earth are people debating the score? have any of you played HL2 yet?

Wait until the game is released and then decide if it deserved a higher/lower score...
Click to expand...

Hello. I would like to personally shake your hand, for you are the first person I've seen exhibit some kind of common sense in a long time.
 
Absinthe said:
Hello. I would like to personally shake your hand, for you are the first person I've seen exhibit some kind of common sense in a long time.
Click to expand...


Thank you! Let me do a little imitation of a dillusional fanboy...

"Dude I have seen sooooo many screenshots and videos of HalfLife2 it is obviously a much better game than Far Cry... and Doom3 obviously sucks compared to HL2 because graphics aren't everything you know, and when I played Half Life 2 in my dreams last night it had way better gameplay!"

BTW I just want to say that Duke Nukem Forever is actually the best game of all time... :rolleyes:


Note: Don't get upset if you are one of these people, just trying to make a point... I sincerely hope Half Life 2 is better than Far Cry, cause I really didn't like it that much... my two cents
 
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