Zero Punctuation: Mirror's Edge

[Hamster at Dawn]

I'd been wondering if this game was any good. I now know I haven't been missing much. Not surprising coming from EA.
Anyone else notice the typo at the end, 'Pubic Enemy Number One'?

I think he meant that as a joke, you know? Your crotch?

Yes, I'm familiar with the word 'pubic', that's why I mentioned it in the first place.
I realised that it might be purposeful but it doesn't particularly make sense to me if that's the case. He's an enemy to pubes? wtf?

 

[Satosuke]

And once again, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the game, Yahtzee is absolutely right on every count. Goddammit. >_>

 

[Anaphyis]

Yes, I'm familiar with the word 'pubic', that's why I mentioned it in the first place.
I realised that it might be purposeful but it doesn't particularly make sense to me if that's the case. He's an enemy to pubes? wtf?

The protagonist of the game is a public enemy, Yahtzee is the pubic enemy. In Fallout 3 you create useless junk out of junk, in the review Yahtzee was created out of tin cans and engine parts. It's a bad pun, for gods sake, not some cryptic bible code message he left there for future generations.

I still think it's funny to think about that everyone is always so quick to judge a publisher especially one as large as EA, for what they hate; as if they were physically involved in development. Despite credit lists often being 150 people long, realistically these games themselves and the creative decisions made during the development tends to rest only on the shoulders of the core teams of 20-70 people from the company that made them.

Even then usually it's creative directors or company directors who are like "Hmmm, I think that's not mainstream enough"

Thanks for your insightful posting (no sarcasm). By the way, since you replied to me and that one quoted paragraph makes the impression that you might think so: I'm not on the band wagon saying anything EA makes is shit. Except the games that actually were shit and I would sooner ram a glowing needle into my eyes than buy DRM-rentals but that's about it and another can of worms.

 

[Mr. Reasonable]

Ok, I'm really curious now, so much so that I've gone to all the effort of registering an account.

Question: Why on Earth are the admin here so ban-happy? It always amuses me to see several banned posters at the start of each videos comments.
Why exactly, are they so offensive? I can't see it.

Anyhoo, long time admirer Yahtz, keep sticking y'claws in.

*Patiently awaits a banning for dissent*

 

[greyhairdgamer]

dare i make a reply to this thread, last time i made a comment i got banned!!! all i said was "nice review Yahtzee" oh the horror!!

sooooooooo........... nice review Yahtzee, don't agree with most of what you said but as always you put a smile on my face. keep it up

 

[Anaphyis]

Why exactly, are they so offensive? I can't see it.

Cause these are "first p0st!!1!" equivalents. Video posted 6:01 + 4 minutes running time, so posts about the video before 6:05 are completely ass-pulled.

 

[Bart Wux]

And once again, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the game, Yahtzee is absolutely right on every count. Goddammit. >_>

Well, some points don't make the most sense, though. Like when he's wondering if there is no other crime happening because everyone is chasing faith.

Ähm, to answer that question, no, there is not. That's kind of the whole setup of the game, no more crime at the expense of all freedom. Explained fairly early on. So if finally something happens, the police can throw everything they've got. That's why every cop in the city is hunting Faith. There is in fact no other crime.

 

[nipsen]

Props for Leyvin (both of the very good posts). ...I thought the review was silly this time as well - I was expecting either the two- faced, dual gun- wielding inspector character would get a trashing. Or maybe the action- sequence in the middle of the story with the wrestler would be cut down... where somehow the same people who are trying to kill you later on will murder your source of info, at that point in the story, to keep themselves a secret.... but mercifully won't shoot you when they have the chance, because that would end the game too soon... Or maybe the elevator shaft part of the game, where you're not even given a point to run/fall/climb towards - you don't even know if it's up or down you're supposed to go. Or how when you do get out of that sequence, you magically end up exactly where you're supposed to. Or how the Celeste comment "you just couldn't keep away" was probably the worst use of that line in the history of story- telling.. Right after how Faith managed to turn the tables on a wall of machine- guns by stealing Celeste's gun, turning towards the SWAT team, and shooting with the nine- millimeter... while they had actually been firing their rifles at them for about thirty seconds... because Celeste loses her concentration when they start firing, but don't hit, I guess, which is what gives faith an opportunity.. After which Celeste just stands there and disappears from the story, apparently because she was too embarassed all of a sudden.

But no... trash the bright colours and the running instead.. jeez. It's about as misplaced as trounching Civilisation on the evolution and the game- mechanics, and somehow missing out on the entire "evil poisonous historical and political propaganda only overcome by the urge to falsify absolutely everything, just to makes sure absolutely nothing you learn in the game is useful for anything, including looking up references in a real encyclopedia"- angle.

 

[Evan Waters]

In USA that game cost $50 bucks

I'll stand for that now the Aus dollar is a steaming piece of shit(*clap, clap, clap* I said Keven Rudd would do this but no one listened.) but go back 3-4 months and that's when we all had a reason to be pissed, the Au dollar was worth somewhere around 94cents Us and we still payed $100 for a game.

It's like Trent Reznor(Nine Inch Nails)said, just because Australia has dedicated fans(apply's to most things from my view)doesn't mean we should have our prices jacked up.

I've heard that the problem is more that video games AREN'T a big thing in Australia, hence they treat it like a niche industry and charge a lot per unit. Then again, it's a chicken-and-egg thing- maybe video games aren't big in Australia because they cost a lot and aren't released until fans have had months to import them from elsewhere (and the censorship thing might also hurt.)

 

[Bart Wux]

Or how the Celeste comment "you just couldn't keep away" was probably the worst use of that line in the history of story- telling.. Right after how Faith managed to turn the tables on a wall of machine- guns by stealing Celeste's gun, turning towards the SWAT team, and shooting with the nine- millimeter... while they had actually been firing their rifles at them for about thirty seconds... because Celeste loses her concentration when they start firing, but don't hit, I guess, which is what gives faith an opportunity.

Nice list, I got one more. Why in the world is Kate always wearing a police uniform with the nightstick, even if she has been convicted some time ago and is about to be taken over to prison?

Also, I love the scene where Miller kills those two guards and then says: They were private security. like private security aren't living people and can be shot any time.

 

[Dragon_Nexus]

Shame about this game, really, I'm all for a game with a well thought out and perseptively written orwellian style future theme, and I was ready to forgive some combat niggles and potential motion sickness for the chance to be a player in a really good, gritty story about the government controlling our actions and keeping us their obedient little puppets while young scalliwags go around trying to regain the freedom of hard working men and women.

Then I found out the story is non-existant to make way for the gameplay....and I cancelled my pre-order.
Then I found out the gameplay wasn't even that good....and I cancelled my guilt.

 

[metalheadmax]

i gota say when i first found your videos i thought they were funny and original but it's just getting sad and repetative.
week after week you just give us the same bitchin' about games, it's really pathetic.
I mean every weeks video is so pradictable but cus i'm sayin' this all your fanboys who brown-nose you are just guna have ago at me for 'dissin' you =p

 

[AceDiamond]

Then I found out the story is non-existant to make way for the gameplay....and I cancelled my pre-order.
Then I found out the gameplay wasn't even that good....and I cancelled my guilt.

That's odd, I found neither of those two problems. Perhaps it was because I actually, you know, played the game. Unless you're saying you played a copy of a friend of yours to find out that second part.

 

[chenry]

I played and finished Mirror's Edge. I loved Mirror's Edge. BUT! I do not disagree with a single thing that Yahtzee has said.

My main gripe with the game is that they spend the first half of the game telling you to run away, and then suddenly decide you have to fight everyone and their dog. The story was predictable if not totally pointless, and some of the platforming sequences were teeth-gnashingly difficult. We're told that the city is under some kind of Facist Janitorial government rule, but we're told and shown absolutely nothing to suggest they're bad.

I found the linear platforming sequences to be more difficult, since you only have one way to travel DICE saw fit to make the path and obtuse as possible. I probably am not observant enough though.

That being said, Mirror's Edge is something new and different, so it's worth a shot. Good rental, would not buy.

 

[Vicioussama]

game's a rental, at best

 

[Lusperus]

is the typo at the end pubic enemy #1 a typo or a witty clever continuation to the last joke

 

[Worm4Life]

I'll stand for that now the Aus dollar is a steaming piece of shit(*clap, clap, clap* I said Keven Rudd would do this but no one listened.) but go back 3-4 months and that's when we all had a reason to be pissed, the Au dollar was worth somewhere around 94cents Us and we still payed $100 for a game.

It's like Trent Reznor(Nine Inch Nails)said, just because Australia has dedicated fans(apply's to most things from my view)doesn't mean we should have our prices jacked up.

This just might have more to due with infrastructure than Aussies being such better fans than the rest of the world and willing to pay a 60% Aussie tax.

I don't really see how a guy who presumably makes his living with finalcut pro and reviewing these games has a right to ***** about prices, get a full time job you fucking hippy.

Also it seems kind of stupid if you have these horrible markups and horrible distribution that you just don't get a US 360, and buy your damn games on ebay.

I played and finished Mirror's Edge. I loved Mirror's Edge. BUT! I do not disagree with a single thing that Yahtzee has said.

God yeah, who could ever disagree with this guy?

 

[Zardiel]

i gota say when i first found your videos i thought they were funny and original but it's just getting sad and repetative.
week after week you just give us the same bitchin' about games, it's really pathetic.
I mean every weeks video is so pradictable but cus i'm sayin' this all your fanboys who brown-nose you are just guna have ago at me for 'dissin' you =p

He's... he's a videogame critic. Do you know what a critic is?

But even having said that there *are* games he reviews favourably. Portal, CoD4, No More Heroes, Saints Row 2, Prince of Persia(s), Silent Hill, the list goes on.

 

[Friendly_Neighborhood_Misanthrope]

It's annoying how many people, despite Yahtzee even having said multiple times in his freaking videos that conformity is bad, will instantly decide they don't want this game because Yahtzee didn't like it. I can understand being more hesitant about a game when it has a bad review, or about not thinking it will be good and getting some confirmation, but at least read another review or something before you blindly accept Yahtzee's disapproval as the word of God or something. I mean you gotta take into account differing tastes, that Yahtzee is a CRITIC, and it's his job to nitpick games to hell, and the fact that he seems fairly elitist in his gaming choices. I mean, to be perfectly fair he seems to dislike a number of games that got good reviews and that people still like, and while this makes him a good critic in a number of ways, and makes his videos very funny, it just seems like people should take some other opinions at least before instantly deciding anything Yahtzee didn't like must suck, PERIOD.

 

[amoe]

the preview videos for this game all looked very promising but the demo almost made me vomit blood. at least they tried something new.