How not to make an open-world action game 6/16/2009 5:06 PM | 34 Comments | Page 4 of 4
9/11/2009 11:54:19 PM
Thought I'd finally get around to playing Prototype tonight. It's had so many great reviews and I was all ready to be impressed I've been playing it for only a few hours now at it's really pissing me off. I'm just not feeling it. I know this game should be fun (stealing identities, running up skyscrapers and obliterating foes with one of several deadly abilities), but I'm bored with it already. I thought there must be something wrong with me, so I searched your site for some words of gaming wisdom. I must say after reading your review of the game I feel much better. Thank you.
7/5/2009 9:13:17 PM
Now that's just plain dishonest.I'm talking of course about Tom's picture. Time to update that thing, because no way was this review not written by an old man who's decided he's too old for video games and has settled down with his model trains instead.The game is basically Grand Theft Auto set during the zombie apocalypse, the wanted meter is always maxed, and you play as a cross between the Hulk, Clayface, and (John Carpenter's) The Thing.So that objectively makes Prototype awesome. It just had the misfortune of coming across Tom right in the middle of yelling at kids to get off his lawn.
Bawk!Bawk!
7/1/2009 8:24:17 PM
@JasonKill: Reading reviews of Wing Commander 4, which I must have replayed 3 or 4 times, made me realize I was a Wing Commander fanboy. I'm sure there are others...
7/1/2009 8:17:05 PM
Honestly, I've been having a blast with Prototype—lobbing taxis at assault helicopters, base jumping off the Empire State Building, hijacking tanks and squishing mobs of fleeing pedestrians. Then I read Tom's wonderful, funny, persuasive takedown, which made me question whether or not my enjoyment indicated nothing less than poor taste in videogames.Here's a question I'd like to pose for discussion:Have you ever been enjoying the hell out of a game, only to revise your feelings about it after reading a compelling negative review of the title?
6/23/2009 1:00:43 PM
@CG-Gabe: Righteous Indignation Powers (RIP) activate!
6/23/2009 12:24:19 PM
@JasonMcMaster: Just saw the link on the comics page and was interested what other people had to say about it. One other point the boss in times square was pretty hard, but having actually upgraded my charactor i didnt die even one, which is lucky for i have no cat to shout at. The final boss however was a pain, but only really because it was timed.
6/22/2009 10:50:22 AM
@Worm wrote: "I was trying to be nice, though yeah, the first paragraph is dishonest, and he's a fucking liar for writing it." I have to give you some credit for saying it how you feel it is, at the very least
6/22/2009 10:00:04 AM
@CG-Gabe: I mean, I guess I've read some reviews after I've made a purchase, but usually I'm pretty committed to what I own and don't care what others think... unless the game sucks and I want to read a funny review or something.
6/22/2009 9:53:47 AM
@JasonMcMaster: I admit I often read reviews of games I've purchased. Sometimes the reviews reveal things I might have missed. I also like hearing other opinions.Oh, and if I like the game and it got a bad review, it allows for righteous indignation.
6/22/2009 9:44:10 AM
@M.S. Smith: Ouch, man...you told him!
6/22/2009 12:26:51 AM
@JasonMcMaster:
6/21/2009 6:01:51 PM
@Anubisblue: I do not mean that in a smart assed way. I'm just curious.
6/21/2009 5:41:56 PM
@Anubisblue: Why would you read a review for a game you purchased?
6/21/2009 1:48:57 PM
That was honestly the worst review i have read. I am seriously glad that I bought the game before i read about it here.
6/20/2009 2:36:42 PM
Ha Tom i think this is now my new favorite review of yours! The Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots review was just a humorous as this one! Ths article just saved me a grand total of $65 dollars! Thanks Tom! Looks like ill be getting Red Faction instead!
6/20/2009 4:07:09 AM
@GusMastrapa: Well that would insinuate I didn't have a point. You'd be able to accurately argue if I had a point or not if you played the game or were doing anything other than white knighting about stuff you have no clue about.I read this review and as someone who played the game, I think it's pretty obvious it gives some false impressions. He certainly is misrepresenting the volume and difficulty of the boss fights. I was trying to be nice, though yeah, the first paragraph is dishonest, and he's a fucking liar for writing it.I mean 0, 1, and 2 are the number of bosses less than Prototype's. So various is dishonest there, he's a professional writer, right? Additionally maybe if he was paying attention to the third boss fight he wouldn't have had so much trouble, rather than declaring the boss beaten when it retreats with two thirds of it's health bar intact. @CG-Prophet: oh I think he finished it. However he isn't recalling it very well. So he kind of ended up with a hack job type piece.
6/18/2009 11:31:31 PM
Yes...I just discovered that the posts show up at the top of the comments instead of the bottom. Noob mistake.
6/18/2009 11:30:24 PM
I can understand not seeing the point. Prototype at not time gives the player a strong reason to become attached to any one thing. And from a certain perspective, that's a problem. But the fact that Alex is so powerful, and can go on such a rampage, quickly becomes the point. This is very much a sandbox, with only a few attractions pointing in some general directions. But that leads to surprises. I could be just trying blow up a Hive, get the Blackwatch angry at me, and next thing I know I'm on an epic chase through the city streets, playing cat-and-mouse with Apache choppers. The "toys" add to this. If I want to elbow-drop a tank, I can do that. If I want to hijack it instead, okay. If I want to just run away, fine. If I want to throw cars at it, awesome. If I want to pick up a missile launcher and shoot at it, cool. If I want to run up a skyscraper and elbow-drop it, well I can do that too. Its havoc for havoc's sake, with plenty of different avenues for flushing out some pent-up rage, and there is nothing wrong with that. Come to think of it, perhaps that is the fundamental misunderstanding between Tom and Prototype. Perhaps Prototype isn't much of a game, but it is a great toy. I certainly think that the good time I've had with it so far trend more towards its use as a toy I could play with rather than a game in which I tried to complete certain goals.
6/18/2009 11:30:23 PM
6/18/2009 11:18:05 PM
@TomChick: So what if they're
6/18/2009 3:47:36 PM
Wonderful review. I love how you can nail the "feel" of a game (like you really did in your Far Cry 2 review) - "Something to do. Shrug" - perfect way to get your point across.
6/17/2009 10:03:04 PM
I enjoy reading Toms reviews and tend to give them more weight then others when I make my buying decisions for games. But in this case I'm kinda glad I bought the game before I read the review. I can understand most of your points, but their are some I just don't agree with. The controls progress from simple to more complex as you earn and purchase new powers. It starts of with a light and heavy attack button. It then progresses to different moves depending on what power you have active and if you are on the ground or in the air. The special moves consist of holding down two buttons on the controler for a few secs until he does the move. I myself do not find this as being overly complex. I believe you had such a hard time by the end because you ignored a very big part of the game. Using the points to purchase more powerful moves. There are definitely some powers or moves that you can purchase that are a little useless, but most serve their purpose--> Make you stronger over time. The weapon powerups are mostly garbage, but cost nothing.The rest of the moves unlock as you play and it turns out that if you check what you can buy, it is rather well balanced as you go along. Meaning that you are normally stuck with only being able to buy 2 of the three powers/moves that become available. Each new move makes it easier to face the new challenges that come up. With the blob, If while fighting the boss you notice that walking up and trying to duke it out face to face is not working, try something else! Run up those convenient skyscrapers and drop an elbow on the mofo! Didn't you just unlock some moves that do a lot of damage if you drop on the enemy from higher up? Wait, you ignored that part, thus making the game very frustrating. Sure the games not the best thing since sliced bread, but I found it to be very.......FUN!!!! Muhahahahahahah. You may say FRY IT, but I say TRY IT
6/17/2009 8:04:20 PM
@Worm: If he didn't finish the game he wouldn't be complaining about how awful almost every moment of it was for him. Why is it that when someone comes to a different conclusion than someone else that they are suddenly dishonest? And I don't feel like i've played this game at all.. because I haven't.
6/17/2009 6:22:36 PM
@Worm: Did you just point at Tom Chick and say, "liar, liar, pants on fire?"
6/17/2009 4:14:13 PM
Can I ask you, all these people who feel like they "played the game" based on this review, how many bosses do you feel you played? If I told you 3 bosses one of which you fight twice, would you think I didn't play the game?I think this is a pretty disingenuous review in the beginning, after that he gets into 9/11 and shit, which I can't relate to because I've got no feelings.The third boss and fourth bosses were pretty long fights, and somewhat difficult. Though not as oppressively as Tom is trying to make out. The boss where he wonders "WHEN WILL THIS END" had a god damn health bar for Christ's sake.I can tell it's a polarizing game, however I don't see the point in being dishonest about it.
6/17/2009 3:23:50 PM
"Prototype goes from strangely passive and uncaring to demanding and linear. One moment it's a sad little Eeyore of a game, and the next it's the girlfriend from hell expecting you to read her mind and know exactly what to do."Hahaha! HO man. This is easily the best review I've read of anything in some time. Thank you for saving me from this game!
6/17/2009 12:33:19 PM
I feel like only Tom Chick can write a review that makes me feel like I already played the game and came to the same conclusion. This resolves my Red Faction v. Prototype dilemma.@NeoDodge: My guess is that there is a nominal "goal" in most games, but the steps you take to get there can feel more or less inconsequential. For instance, Crackdown pushes you very little to go after the kingpins, which may make it feel relatively aimless, but all its side content feels inherently fun. There is a different kind of motivation there, which comes out of wanting to (and being able to) have fun with the game.
6/17/2009 11:58:58 AM
@MSUSteve: on that point I wholeheartedly agree.
6/17/2009 11:40:01 AM
This might be the best Tom Chick review I've yet read. I haven't played enough of Prototype to know whether I agree or not, but damn is this an engaging and well done piece of writing.
6/17/2009 10:04:14 AM
@TomChick: I'm kind of dissapointed that Prototype, at least according to your opinion, doesn't rise to the level that inFamous does. It's a shame, because it sounds like the developers spent a lot of time fleshing out powers but not the things you do in this sand box world. Maybe i'll rent it and see how I feel about it after a few hours... I know you finished the game, but how far in were you when you finally determined that you didn't like it?
6/17/2009 7:04:42 AM
Wow. Harsh. I fully understand not liking Prototype. I haven't played it myself. What I don't agree with is "Freedom shouldn't mean aimless". What is aimless anyway ? The way I understand it(I could be entirely wrong about it), you are effectively given a general "long-term" goal, and a ton of options on how to go about it. That's not aimless to me. In fact, the case of a game where you're truly, completely aimless seems like a rare occurrence. Even EVE Online, in which you get a sense of total lack of direction once you're out of the tutorial, is not aimless. It's just that you're supposed to set a goal for yourself at some point. From what you write, it looks like Prototype gives you the same kind of freedom.Also, I get a feeling of contradiction reading your experience with the various powers. It may be because you didn't transcribe the passage in its entirety, but I was under the impression that you fought the giant goo monster with the 2 or 3 powers you said were the only ones you cared to use. What, then, would have happened if you had tried using those supposedly superfluous powers ? Don't you think that trying a different strategy would have yielded better results (as in less deaths) ?
6/16/2009 8:41:40 PM
Oh, I tried them. I tried them all, I'm pretty sure. I just didn't need them. I still have no idea why I'd ever use that patsy ability, or the damage boost, or the artillery. Many of the "evolution points" are supposed to be spent on upgrading powers, or improving jump range, or giving you a second air jump, or even unlocking simple combat moves like "press X while airborn". But there were very few I ever needed, much less felt compelled to play with. It's a poorly designed game that's based on a box of superfluous toys.
6/16/2009 7:18:41 PM
An interesting read as always, Tom. I'm not sure how I feel about you not trying out all the powers that were available to you.
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