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Rendelius
Critical Error
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 16
Location: Austria |
I have read two Gorasul reviews in german print magazines. The one in Gamestar was quite positive, the one in PCGames rather sarcastic and negative (maybe even a tad unfair). Stefan, have your read them as well, and what are your comments? |
Thu Sep 06, 2001 7:16 am |
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Stefan Hoffmann
Silver Dragon of Gorasul
Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 47
Location: Berlin/Germany |
Hello Rendelius!
Yes, I know both reviews. About the GameStar review I can say that it is okay for me. Maybe the rating could be higher, particularly when you compare it to the (positive) review itself. But ok, this is something we have to live with. 
Things are quiet different with the PC Games review. I agree with you, that the review is sarcastic and negative. It's also (but rather more than a tad) unfair.
But you know, these guys are so clever, they blame us about stealing story elements from BG2. They visited us last summer and took a preview version with them, where in particular this thieves guild story (which was outstretched in the review text) was already implemented - several month before BG2 was issued. Well, so does this reprovals mean ill intend or some kind of Alzheimer?
Both not too good for professional editors.
Ok, the truth, I guess, is even more simple: They forgot.
Other story related criticism is quiet the opposite to the GameStar review. So you can decide on your own which magazine you trust more.
More apprehensively in that context: The PC Action's (same publishing house as PCG, as you know) rating went down from somewhere at "high 70" (inofficial) to 70, after we complained about the review in the PC Games. For us this looks like some kind of unholy adjustment, so that the PC Games' rating looks a bit more objective to the readers.
But as a reader you might expect objective ratings rather than "political" ones.
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Stefan Hoffmann
Silver Style Entertainment |
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Fri Sep 07, 2001 8:54 pm |
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Jay
Fearless Paladin
Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 245
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To be honest, Arcanum also got bad reviews, and I really enjoyed it. RPGs tend to get bad reviews, and if I listened to the magazines, I would never have brought Might and Magic 6 ( one of my favorites). I really hope your game is a success, and I really believe it is worth getting. |
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Tue Sep 11, 2001 8:26 pm |
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Maggot
Magister of the Light
Joined: 17 Jul 2001
Posts: 392
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland |
I tend not to look at reviews anymore, anyway. The English game press, for example, seems to shovel praise onto any game that's made in England. The American game press is too focused on FPS (IMHO) to take seriously.
I found Gorasul: the demo quite entertaining, without really understanding the texts (and frankly, Babelfish's translation didn't help me much); it seemed to me to be a RPG I could spend some serious time playing. After all, time spent playing vs. money spent is really what it boils down to in the long run.
I don't think that it's negative to compare to BG / BG2, since most gamers have already finished those games and are eager for more. |
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Wed Sep 12, 2001 8:53 am |
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Michael C
Black Dragon
Joined: 09 Jul 2001
Posts: 1595
Location: Aarhus, Denmark |
If I'm interested in a game, the number one thing is to play a demo. If that's not possible then I would read a lot of reviews, not previews! You need to read many, to get a real good impression of the game.
You just have to separate the "pearls" from the "dirt", which is easier done by reading more reviews!
Don't only read reviews linked from the games own homesite! |
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Wed Sep 12, 2001 9:07 am |
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Jay
Fearless Paladin
Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 245
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I notice that the reviews tended to obsess about the graphics too much. What I saw in the demo seemed to be very good, and I never understand why game journalists are obsessed about the graphics. In the past few years,some of the biggest games, ie, Command and Conquer, Diablo 2, Civ 2, the Sims, Deus Ex, all had below par graphics, yet sold very well. We don't all have state of the art computers. I happen to love Balders Gate
graphics, yet they were often dismissed in reviews.
Game On's television show gave Gorasol a good review, and when I get some spare money I will proberbly get it. |
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Wed Sep 12, 2001 2:02 pm |
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Maggot
Magister of the Light
Joined: 17 Jul 2001
Posts: 392
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland |
Is it perhaps because review writers have to review 10 games per month, and can therefore not focus on playing them as much as the average player, who buys something less than 10 games per month (I'm down to 1 game every two months or something)? I have noticed this fixation with 'looking good'. |
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Wed Sep 12, 2001 3:07 pm |
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Bad Sector
Village Dweller
Joined: 08 Dec 2001
Posts: 2
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Hi all!
I saw all the comments on this game, and reviews. As I am the editor for the Hungarian GameStar, and reviewed this game, and also a big Black Isle games fan, I'd like to comment on some threads, and the game itself.
First of all, when we, journalists review games, we have many subjects, which we have to consider, and graphics is one of them. There some sort of "standard" for how a game must look compared to the others, and we have to be objective: if the graphics are far below par, compared to the others, we have to give a low score for that. (Which affects the overall score.) I won't dwell on that for long, but this is the way it goes - we are not "sarcastis" or whatever, just for the sake of being sarcastic, we have to compare each game with the others, and to be obejctive. That's all on this subject.
Also, I'd like to share with you some points of my review, mainly, because I interested on the opinion and reaction of Stefan Hoffman on it.
I scored Gorasoul 70% for the following reasons:
Good points:
- Interesting plot. Reminds me a lot Planescape Torment. A little less interesting, than the Black Isle pearl, but pretty good nonetheless.
- Intersting characters. Again, not as good, as in Torment, or Summoner, but close.
- Some superb new ideas. Talking and improving main weapon. Special dragon spells for Roszondas. Congrats!
- Rather good background graphics. Could be better, but they are OK.
- Sub-quests are somehow more related to the main plot, compared to Baldur's Gate for example. It's good, because it keeps focused on it.
- Corvus Corax music. The two songs are fantasticly atmospheric. It's a shame, that there is only two songs from them, because the rest of the music is not quite as good...
The Bad:
- Bad, very bad english translation. Many english reviews wrote about it, so I don't dwell on it. I don't understand however: don't you have a better translator?
- Cannot rest in the game! Come on, it's not a Diablo-like gameplay, why I cannot rest, and recover health and magic?! Enemies are pretty hard in this game, so why I have to wait each time to recover myself?!
- Pixelated, simplistic character and monster graphics. It smells like teen VGA. Also charaters doesen't change, when they get different armor. (Come on: even in Diablo 1 we had this feature!) Also, some of the main monster characters have exactly the SAME graphics as the others. (Kobold village for example).
- Not really good interface. To change the characters can be a chore for example. For example, each time, when we click on some characters pictures, for whatever reason (he has to make spel f.e.) he becomes leader. Why? Also, picking up objects can be a chore.
To some up: it's an OK to good game, but doesen't live up to the Black Isle heritage. If I may, I suggest, that in the follow up (I hope, that there will be one) you Silver Style guys purchase the improved BG2 Infinity Engine from Bioware, which was foolishly abandonned after Baldur's Gate 2. Or, please improve your own engine a lot graphic and interfacewise. Put in the "rest" possibility (maybe a patch for this game too?), and use only Corvus Corax music, they are very talented people! AND get a better translator and some good english actors!
That's all. Thank you for reading this far
Good bye!
Bad Sector
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Sun Dec 09, 2001 1:05 pm |
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Rendelius
Critical Error
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 16
Location: Austria |
I haven't seen the english translation, but if it is as bad as it is said, it's the worst thing that could have happened to this otherwise very nice game...
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Rendelius
former Senior Editor RPGDot
now at http://www.theastronomers.com |
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Sun Dec 09, 2001 1:19 pm |
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Bad Sector
Village Dweller
Joined: 08 Dec 2001
Posts: 2
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Sorry, as I "reviewed" my own text, my english spelling also could use a good translator! |
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Sun Dec 09, 2001 2:29 pm |
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Stefan Hoffmann
Silver Dragon of Gorasul
Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 47
Location: Berlin/Germany |
Hello all!
@Bad Sector:
We still disagree with that calls for a rest option in the game, but we discuss another solution for this (in fact, more potions have nearly the same effect than resting).
What makes live as a magician much easier in Gorasul is: The regeneration rate of mana decreases when your "mana reservoir" is nearly full. So don't wait until you have full mana, this isn't efficient (regeneration is *really* fast, when you're nearly out of mana).
About the translation problems: I think, JoWooD really sees that problem now. And they promised to consequently revise the translation. Hey Bad Sector, does that give us a chance for more than this 70%?
Also daringly needing a personal translator:
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Stefan Hoffmann
Silver Style Entertainment |
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Thu Dec 13, 2001 1:46 pm |
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Guest
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Mana regeneration isn't the only reason for resting. Health is too. It's frustrating and extremely boring to sit there after every major battle waiting............ for health to go up enough to adventure, or for mana to go up so you can cast some healing spells. The fact that both regenerate faster if reserves are near zero is nice, but the combat is often too difficult to do on anything less than 3/4 health. Hence, we have to wait.
I'm halfway through (stuck because of a bug though), and I have to say that gameplay has improved a LOT now that my party is more powerful - mana regenerates fast enough to chuck fireballs regularly in combat. But if I want to cast more powerful spells (needed against the more powerful monsters), I have to wait.
There are 4 things that can be done:
1) rest as in BG
2) random mana/health potions as in Diablo
3) better defensive spells so we don't lose health so often in combat, as in BG
4) easier combat
Of these, 2 is the easiest to implement in a patch, right? The basic design isn't all bad, but the wait times are too long in the early stages of the game - people will get frustrated and quit before giving the game a chance.
And yes, the English sucks. |
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Fri Dec 14, 2001 12:30 am |
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Stefan Hoffmann
Silver Dragon of Gorasul
Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 47
Location: Berlin/Germany |
@Anonymous :
Yes, you're right, 2 is really the easiest to implement (and for many reasons the best solution). We increased the drop rate of these potions appreciably, also the regeneration is faster. I really hope that we can release this update before christmas.
And, yes, the english text revision is in progress now.
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Stefan Hoffmann
Silver Style Entertainment |
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Tue Dec 18, 2001 1:11 pm |
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