Halo Reach Perfect 10! WTF?

[Dogstile]

It's remarkable, really. 10/10 does not mean perfect. Nobody seems to recognize this. Even sites where they specifically state "10/10" does not mean perfect, people get all up in arms over 10/10 scores because "OMG they're saying it's perfect RAGE"

But it should be. Why wouldn't it be otherwise? 100% means that it cannot get any better. And that's why I don't really like numerical scores like this. Take Indigo Prophecy, which was excellent for the first half and terrible for the second. Or Dark Void which was awful at first but got better later. How am I supposed to rate those games out of 5, 10, or 100? And what if a game comes out that is perfect (my money's on Portal 2)? When it gets a 10/10 and is claimed to be perfect, it will immediately be on the same level as Metal Gear Solid 4 or something that got perfect scores despite being extremely flawed.

...
So because other people would give your favourite game a score that's equal to, in your opinion, a flawed game you'd be bothered by that?

What if other people didn't think the other games were flawed? Just ignore what other people think and enjoy yourself. Its to much hassle to get up in arms every 5 seconds like most of the escapist seems to do.

*snip* I hear you man, I wish all games could be as blocky, clunky and boring as Half Life 2.

Don't forget brown.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Yeah, I see what you mean. Half-Life 2 is so brown and blocky, and with that well-written story, characters you can actually care about and being so immersive that you feel like you're part of a living world, I don't know what I was thinking! The lack of story, character depth or development, limited environments, pointless non-challenging puzzles, bland antagonists and ye olde twitch-shooting makes Halo a far better game.

The first picture has about 4 different colours in that environment, and one of them is brown.

The second picture is of a big brown alien, in in front of big brown buildings while looking at a mostly grey /sky/.

 

[SteveeVader]

I'm kind of a Halo fanboy but at the moment I am playing on legendary solo and at level 3 first time playing to, frankly this game kinda sucks atm. There is absolutely no plot at the moment yes I am on level 3 but if I don't know what I am fighting for whats the fucking point. The gameplay is meh THE CONTROLS ARE HORRIFIC because they are all changed round I will keep posted but at the moment its not looking good really disappointed

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

I should point out before I say anything that I like the Half-Life series. I wouldn't call myself a big fan, but they are compelling to play through. But the fact that is so often held up as a flawless paragon by someone who simultaneously complains about minor flaws in games such as Halo always annoys me.

*snip* I hear you man, I wish all games could be as blocky, clunky and boring as Half Life 2.

Don't forget brown.

*Double image snip*

Yeah, I see what you mean. Half-Life 2 is so brown and blocky,

Okay, lets go through the settings in order. City 17: grey. Escape through canals: sludgy-brown and grey. Ravenholm: grey (with red blood stains). Beaches: washed out brown. Nova Prospekt: concrete grey (it would appear I should have said grey instead of brown). City 17 again: grey. Finally, Combine Citadel: completely grey, with blue platforms. Episode 1 takes place entirely in City 17 and the Citadel. Only in Episode 2 do we start seeing colourful scenery.

I don't begrudge Half-Life 2 for being mostly grey and brown. It's a world dominated by fascist aliens, grey sounds about right. But everyone complains that Fallout 3 and Gears of War have nothing but dull colours, and they have just as much justification, if not more than Half-Life 2.

and with that well-written story, characters you can actually care about

I bet other developers wish they could be like Valve. There's very little character development in Half Life 2, very little conversation and half of the characters are massive stereotypes. Yet everyone gathers around and tells them how great this is. One of the common complaints about generic FPSs is that you don't really know what you're doing but you know that if you continue killing things in a linear path it'll all work out. This summarises the Half Life series in it's entirety, at least up to Episode 1. Bumbling from location to location in the hope that you can't go wrong when the world is so kindly linear.

and being so immersive that you feel like you're part of a living world, I don't know what I was thinking!

Really? It didn't immerse me much. I didn't feel like I was in a living world. Certainly not with all the purely scripted events and awful AI (especially the friendlies). I mean, I know the friendly AI in Halo can be a bit dim at times, but generally they're kind enough to move out of my way before I walk into them, they don't walk into hails of gunfire and they definitely take cover when they need to.

The lack of story, character depth or development

Nonsense. Pretty much half of Halo 2 was dedicated to the development of the Arbiter as a character. From Halo 2 to 3 the Prophet of Truth changes from a misguided leader to a deranged megalomaniac. The relationship between Master Chief and Cortana develops over the entire series, culminating in the Cortana level in Halo 3. Sergeant Johnson's bravado is a facade to cover the fact that he's seen too many worlds burn.

Whereas the depth of Dr. Kleiner or Barney is... what, exactly?

limited environments

Which is why the Halo series is often praised for having battle fields that are large enough to accomodate for multiple approaches to combat, of course.

pointless non-challenging puzzles,

You're right. The old ramp puzzle is much more challenging. I had to go online to figure out that putting heavy objects on one end of a ramp would make the other end go up.

Actually, what am I arguing with here? I don't remember any puzzles in any of the Halo games.

bland antagonists

What, compared to faceless space slugs and a guy who yells about how nice he's being while organising death camps? Yeah, I think I'll keep the wide variety of fleshed put alien species who wage war in the name of a religious agenda that is in fact an entire fabrication created in the name of furthering a trio of Prophet's careers, but one of them becomes mad enough to believe the story he is spreading.

ye olde twitch-shooting makes Halo a far better game.

Ye olde twitch shooting? Have you even played a Halo game? They are about as far removed from that style of play as possible, certainly in single player.

 

[BlackWidower]

"I didn't pay--I mean, The Escapist didn't pay $100 Australian for a game that's only half decent, especially not one at whose feet reviewers have been throwing perfect scores like bunches of roses to a bullfighter. A game that is supposed to be perfect wouldn't need anything to excuse it. Quod erat demonstrandum." said Yahtzee, like the big literary fag that he is.

 

[REAPER5594]

the only critic I trust is Yahtzee

 

[Ridgemo]

the only critic I trust is Yahtzee

He's just as biased as IGN.

 

[SyphonX]

What? We've been giving star ratings since January. I suggest you look again. We've also given five-star ratings to Limbo, Red Dead Redemption, Mario Galaxy 2, and Alan Wake.

All of which are absolutely superb games. There is a reason they scored so highly, you know.

I don't normally look at the Escapist reviews. I looked back and noticed that not all reviews are marked with star ratings, so I figured it was a new thing you started doing a while back. Fair enough, though I don't agree with some of the reviews, opinions are opinions.

Though I do understand the difference between a 5-star rating and a point system. A 5-star isn't to be perceived the same way as a "10", or am I wrong.

 

[Siuki]

Now, without having played the game I can't comment on either gameplay or story but what really irked me was the disregard for the complete package.

Got me off your back, there. I hate how games like Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros.(not saying that they're horrible games, just franchise mooching games) on the Wii get 10/10 so easily while games like Metroid Prime have rightfully earned themselves the prestigious award through hard work(like switching to a first person perspective and being awarded for the risk). I'm not saying that Halo: Reach deserves a 10/10 everywhere, I just hope that it will be seen as the piece of art that it is.

I haven't played it either, but the game looks solid and if anyone's complaining that the story is a little bad or the characters aren't human enough, compare it alongside its recent rival, the recent Call of Duty games. The stories aren't anything to write home about, and if anything, we should be glad that Bungie payed enough attention as is to the main story. The reviewers need to look at the Campaign, Multiplayer, Forge Mode, and everything that's been making Halo games one of the most important first person shooters in gaming history alongside Doom, Quake, etc.

 

[Siuki]

[

This is why you have to be careful about pointing out the absolute fail that is the Half-Life series. People get very sensitive about the average, boring games they love.

Well written story my ass, I played the whole thing and it's the video game equivalent of a Troma film. Actually, scratch that because a Troma film is so bad it's fun while Half-Life is so bad it's dull. Immersive, part of a living world... LOL.

This thread is beginning to overflow with ignorance.

Why can't people just enjoy thier preferred games? Who gives a shit who thinks which one is better, all games have flaws and good points. Far too much single minded, dogmatic hyperbole going on.

Saying Half Life 2 is shit and an 'absolute fail' is pretty obnoxious and, well.. would be considered wrong by the majority of gamers, especially those who played it in 2005 before it became dated by advances in tech and was a pioneer in so many ways.

One's ideas and game preference, although some highly supported and others hated, should be left alone and nobody should be trying to badmouth another game seriously unless the game we're talking about is pure shit. Damnation, for instance. Say what you will about COD and Halo, but the games actually worked. The game performed properly and the campaigns told epic(if not somewhat generic) stories.


EDIT: Looking at the posts now, I see a flame war in the distance. Off to Killing Floor!

 

[Aura Guardian]

All of which are absolutely superb games. There is a reason they scored so highly, you know.

Most people usually come to this conclusion..."They were paid by such and such" if they hate the game. And after watching/reading your review, I couldn't agree more. I went over my friends house and did the campaign. It was really worth it(I got the legendary edition). But I do have a question...Will the Escapist have the Xbox Community playdate like they did with Modern Warfare 2? If so...Will it be on a Saturday?

 

[Blind Sight]

One: It's IGN, never taking anything they say seriously. 'Bitchez gotta get paid' if you know what I'm saying.
Two: I'm sorry, only nine or so hours for the entire single-player campaign? My god that's lazy, bear in mind I haven't played the game yet, but damn, those nine hours better be amazing if you're expecting a sale from me.
Three: You honestly didn't expect to have some sites overhype and overrate Halo: Reach? You should've been around in the Grand Theft Auto 4 and Halo 3 days, back then it was at least somewhat of a surprise.

 

[masseyguy911]

So they say the story is terrible, but still give it the highest score they can give it??
Oh wait, its Halo, any game with the Halo label on it always gets good reviews. That and its IGN...

 

[Asophetes]

Oh joy, the Halo mob lynching has begun. Remember when people could enjoy what games they wanted to enjoy, without assholes telling them they're wrong?



Oh wait, the internet.

 

[NewYork_Comedian]

Well see there's this old saying called "Money makes the world go round". I think you may have heard of it before.

Admittedly i don't give a flying shit about the halo series, as i am currently saving my Mountain Dew and Slim Jims for Ciiiiiiiiiiiv fiiiiiiiive [woot! applause!]. But this is the final product for the series supposedly so they definitely want to squeeze as much money out of it as inhumanly possible so Microsoft's bribing all the big name Reviewers

 

[Da_Schwartz]

I really don't think it matters, to be honest. Fanboys will buy it wether it's a 7 or a ten. haters won't buy it even if it's "perfect". As far as Halo is concerned there really isn't much of an in between market. So meh on you IGN. Could the score be inflated with this being halos last hurrah. Of course. IGN especially does this all the time, with major franchises. If your a true gamer, have an openmind, and play good games becuase they're good games and not popular or told their good games then sure. Read the reviews, get some input, take it for what it is, ignore the gamerscore, and make up your own damn mind once you actually play the game.

 

[Nfritzappa]

Its the first halo i've been personally interested in post release since halo 2.

 

[Penguinness]

Yeah there were a few problems with the campaign, I wasn't very impressed witht he first half but the second was a bit better. I disliked a lot of the voices in it, and there were real framerate problems (mostly in the first half). Also if you've played in the beta then you may be dissapointed like I was in the campaign, it felt cheap going through all the mutliplayer levels in the campaign.. but that's just me. Though I'd never give a game 10/10 anyway. I don't know what score I'd give it as I'd prolly give everything as 8 unless it was bad, I'd put this above MW2 if that means anything. Speaking of MW2, a couple of parts had a serious case of "Ramierez do everything". There were a few bugs I encountered, but that's very common with games nowadays, there were 2 instances in which I may have had to restart a level completely.

Spoiler

Was suprised by the Lylat Wars bit

On the other hand.. haters gonna hate.