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Restricted Area: Review @ Something Awful
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Stranger In A Strange Land




Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia
Restricted Area: Review @ Something Awful
   

Something Awful has kicked up a <a href="http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=2993" target="_blank">review</a> of 'Restricted Area', laying waste to every aspect of the game and replete with a little humour and a few potshots at our own review. The score is -43 out of a possible -50 worst score and here's the intro:<blockquote><em>I love cyberpunk and the whole post-apocalyptic scene. I dig ChemLab, love "Blade Runner," and played Wasteland until my Apple IIC overheated and charred the drapes. There's just something inherently intoxicating inside hulking neon cities backlit by the rainy, filthy haze spewed from over congested streets and countless flame-belching power plants. When I first discovered a post-Fallout series game entitled "Restricted Area," one which took on the cyberpunk / apocalyptic environment I love so much, I grew a bit wary.</em></blockquote>
Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:59 pm
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this is really funny
Post Tue Jun 28, 2005 10:24 pm
 
Guest







   

Whats even more funny is that the reviewer admits to playing through the entire game three times...and yet he gave it a score in the negative range.

Either he is into self-inflicted pain or he is an imbecile.
Post Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:51 am
 
yeesh
Keeper of the Gates
Keeper of the Gates




Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 113
Location: Unofficially representing Queens
   

???

You're dissing the reviewer for playing the game thoroughly? Baffling. Do you prefer reviewers who only play a game halfway through and then talk about "limitless replayability?"
Post Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:52 am
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Ratavuk
Noble Knight
Noble Knight




Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 213
Location: I-Net
   

quote:

RPGdot.com awards it an 82% rating, claiming "The core gameplay works like a charm, due to well thought out game mechanics supported by a superb interface." So what's the lesson to be learned here? Never visit any of those websites, as they're all run by sociopaths who have suffered extensive brain damage resulting from a nearly fatal fall off a haunted hayride.



Does the RPGdot staff really want to be called sociapaths with extensive brain damage ? The only sociopath with extensive brain damage must be the guy at SA for denunciating a game that he didn't like because he felt like having to slap that particular game for the reason he had to write a complete slating review to fill the (admittedly, sometimes funny) void called SA . I never played RA so i really don't know what he's talking about but if RPGdot and other sites gave the game more than 70 then it can't be that bad because i'm quite sure they don't accept bribes
Post Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:05 am
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Naked_Lunch
Village Leader
Village Leader




Joined: 22 Aug 2004
Posts: 86
Location: New york, tangiers, and interzone
   

OH NOES! SOMEONE MADE FUN OF A WEBSITE I VISIT! HIS OPINIONS IS OBVIOUSLY, SHIT NOW! LOLOL SA IS FOR FAGITS!
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Post Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:10 pm
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Stranger In A Strange Land




Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia
   

It's worth noting we reviewed the German version.

Otherwise...meh. The article isn't particularly funny, so I guess it's not surprising they do so few game reviews.
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Post Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:39 pm
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Lucky Day
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This review is hilarious.

Are you saying the German version that much better than the English version Dhruin?

I hate to say I find a Euro bias on RPGDot but I have seen it in the past.

The demo I played was great but everyone is saying this game repeats itself endlessly. It sounds like it doesn't get much more involved than that and its $40 retail. I paid $40 for King's Bounty when I was a kid and I loathe to repeat that experience.
Post Thu Jun 30, 2005 1:13 am
 
Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Stranger In A Strange Land




Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia
   

No, I'm not really commenting on the comparative quality other than to say our review was based on a different version.

If you read our review from Gorath, you'll see the German voice-acting was top-notch, which is one thing SA comments on, for example. I have only played a pre-release preview version, so I'm not really making claims one way or the other. Gorath goes to lengths to point out some shortcomings in Restricted Area, which that little excerpt from SA doesn't reveal.

So, I don't really have an opinion other than to point out we might have had some reason to see it differently. The game itself sounds repetitive to me but then again, so does FATE and that gets plenty of good press (I quite like it myself). Oh, and I don't think SA's writing is *that* amusing but that's just my view.

As for a Euro bias...*shrug*. The site was founded by an Austrian, our System Admins are Dutch and German, our Editor-in-Chief is German...it's probably natural that our editors will take an interest in Euro games. I think we try to keep an even approach but that's for you to decide.
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Post Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:07 am
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Ratavuk
Noble Knight
Noble Knight




Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 213
Location: I-Net
   

quote:

As for a Euro bias...*shrug*. The site was founded by an Austrian, our System Admins are Dutch and German, our Editor-in-Chief is German...it's probably natural that our editors will take an interest in Euro games. I think we try to keep an even approach but that's for you to decide.



Yeah, and i've noticed a slight Aussie bias in the RPGdot news lately
Post Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:54 am
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Iīve played a German version which has, theoretically speaking, at least 3 advantages over the US release:
1. Superb voice acting - apparently done before the problems with their first publisher.
2. No translation problems.
3. "Neutral" copy protection and release on one DVD.

RA is of course repetitive. Itīs basically a dungeon generator, sort of a shoot īem up with a RPG system attached. You get a mission, the game creates a dungeon and a minute later you blast your way through it. Then you do the character & inventory shuffle. Repeat.
I played all 4 characters for 8-10 hours each. Took me a month with about an hour per day. I got enough fun to return to it every day.

The German demo with Johnsonīs first mission shows the weakest (=most simple) part of the game. I assume the English demo is the same. RA gets better with increased complexity. I would even suggest to skip Johnson altogether. Then you havenīt seen everything when you play a more interesting character.

You should read my review if you want more detailed infos. I tried to describe the game carefully and I had (only!) the facts checked by the developer. Of course everybody is free to disagree with my conclusions, but the review should at least be factually correct.

Most games in Germany cost 40-50 EUR. We donīt really have a strong mid price segment, thus full price was correct for such a small game. The market situation may be different in other countries. Afaik PC games only cost half as much in the UK and the US.
Post Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:25 pm
 
Gorath
Mostly Harmless
Mostly Harmless




Joined: 03 Sep 2001
Posts: 6327
Location: NRW, Germany
   

Damn, the site logged me out.
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Post Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:29 pm
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Lucky Day
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oops. sorry for the triple post. I got a real bad connection yesterday.

thank you for addressing each of my comments Dhruin.

I would also like to thank Guest (Gorath?) for the extra details. I liked what I played but I've been concerned because of these bad reviews. Perhaps when the price is more reasonable I'll pick it up. Its likely these reviewers are very biased but somethingawful guy was probably just practicing his standup material.

With all this "news" on Grimoire I've noticed an Oz biased too, heehee.

I liked Fate too but the spyware it comes with has obviously been a bone of contention with me.
Post Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:07 pm
 



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