Glockstar
08-13-2005, 07:15 PM
The first review that actually holds any meaning is in. And it's from IGN. (IGN, GameSpot, and GameInformer are really the only pro-reviewers that I trust. Generally speaking, that is.)
There were already a number of reviews in on DJ, but none could I take seriuosly. The OPM, PSM Mag, EGM and Play all got their reviews in early, but all four of these reviewers have proven time and time again that their reviews need to be taken with extra salt. (Plus the fact that they're so early... that raises another eyebrow.)
I'd actually read the OPM and Play reviews. (Two magazines to which I currently subscribe.) The OPM didn't like it (giving a 2.5 out 5), while Play loved it (9.0/10). But like I said, I didn't get much out of either one.
The only thing of note from the OPM review: "Death Jr. establishes it's monotonous rhythm quickly. Armed with a truckload of guns and his scythe, DJ trudges through boxy, forgettable levels, blasting horde after horde of B-movie monsters. The gunplay is simplistic, relying almost entirely on an automatic lock-on button. You play cameraman more than gunslinger, constantly fighting to center your view on the enemy. Since you can lock on to only what you see onscreen, controlling the camera is Death Jr's real challenge. I watched DJ take a beating at every possible angle but the one I needed."
I'm a stickler for controls, and nothing ruins a game faster for me than a problematic camera... but this review doesn't upset me like it should - I need to more. But instead of elaborating, they babble. That's the only paragraph that really talks about the game. The other 4 or 5 are total wastes of space. Quit #@$%ing jabbering and say something, you know?!
Play's was actually worse. While the review takes up two whole pages, the only thing I got of it was... something to the extent of, 'DJ is a fully fleshed out, and worthy original PSP game'. (Sorry, I don't have the actual text to copy - when I say I'm a subscriber, I'm actually a new subscriber - I haven't received my first issue yet - I only read the article in the store.) The rest of it was pure babble. Artsy-fartsy meaningless babble.
Anyhow, IGN's review is in. Thank the Maker. Now we can finally learn something.
For those of you keeping score, IGN gives DJ a 7.0.
Click here...
http://psp.ign.com/articles/641/641671p1.html
... for the whole read.
Here's what I took from it...
* "What Death Jr. does really well is put you under fire. This game is a run through a gauntlet, and every time you turn a corner in the game, you'd better be prepared and packing heat. Although you won't be facing forces on the order of something like Dynasty Warriors, the DJ engine throws as much as you can possibly handle, and then some, without chugging. The combination of critters will often form an imposing challenge. You might enter a room and suddenly find yourself the standing face-to-face with several snarling beasts, while charging Kamakazes dash at you wildly before striking a Jesus pose and blowing up. In the background, towering Etherial wraiths will be hurling bombs at you, and if you duck those attacks, the needle-like shots from the Eyeballer toads creatures will likely be on their way to seek your pale flesh. Another beast will be firing icy homing blasts at you from the distance. And as you try to strafe to survive all of that, the mines left behind by spindly ghost-faced creatures keep your quarters tight. Large spiders will unwrap their legs from the walls and begin their march towards you. Then there are gigantic Shield Demons and mega-sized versions of the regular demon to strike fear in your heart. And all the while, bats are flying down from the sky to pick you apart."
Sounds challenging. But with the lack of grip that I get on my PSP, can I get up for it?
* "At its heart, Death Jr. is much closer to Ratchet & Clank than Mario, and it often pushes past that -- I haven't circle-strafed this much since the original Doom, and I've never put the target-lock button to so much use since I last played through a Syphon Filter game."
Like I said...
* "The D-Pad works for switching guns, but you have to scroll through the menu instead of having instant-selects ala Ratchet..."
There's an ouchy.
* "Camera control on PSP will always be a challenge for developers since it only has one control stick, and Death Jr. isn't the game to solve that problem. We really wish many areas in DJ had featured scripted camera angles like those in God of War (or even Ratchet, DJ's big step-brother)..."
Duh. Why would a developer even try otherwise?! The camera either has to be static - like it is in DMC or Rygar or even Star Wars Ep.III - or be moved with the shoulder buttons - ala Ninja Gaiden. Hey, there's an idea... do they say how the camera is controlled...?
* "...as there are sections of this game that are needlessly awkward. When floating around on moving platforms, you'll have to babysit the camera, tapping slightly in the direction you need to face (but not moving so much as to fall off the edge) and then hitting the manual camera adjust button. A simple jungle-gym structure early in the game, with three platforms stacked askew to each other, became a nightmare to keep track of as the camera spun around and bumped off of the walls."
No; they don't really say, do they? But the way I take it, is that (probably) one of the shoulder buttons will be used as, like, a camera-auto-centering button. (Like in R&C.)
* "The way that the dialog sequences are just text -- not even a face of who's talking to go with the text..."
Uh oh, another ouchy.
Guess that's it (from the IGN review).
Hmmm... no mention of checkpoints, saving, or of how the game will fit into the short game-time schedules that most handheld gamers have. :confused:
I'm still going to have to wait for the GS and GI reviews, but for the first time I will admit, things aren't looking good.
Especially when you consider that GameSpot is usually a lot harsher than IGN. GameInformer's probably going to be the review to go on tho'. Even though their reviews aren't anywhere near as in depth or as lengthy as IGN's or GS's, they do have a lot of people on staff who like - and who's area of expertise is - action/platformers.
There were already a number of reviews in on DJ, but none could I take seriuosly. The OPM, PSM Mag, EGM and Play all got their reviews in early, but all four of these reviewers have proven time and time again that their reviews need to be taken with extra salt. (Plus the fact that they're so early... that raises another eyebrow.)
I'd actually read the OPM and Play reviews. (Two magazines to which I currently subscribe.) The OPM didn't like it (giving a 2.5 out 5), while Play loved it (9.0/10). But like I said, I didn't get much out of either one.
The only thing of note from the OPM review: "Death Jr. establishes it's monotonous rhythm quickly. Armed with a truckload of guns and his scythe, DJ trudges through boxy, forgettable levels, blasting horde after horde of B-movie monsters. The gunplay is simplistic, relying almost entirely on an automatic lock-on button. You play cameraman more than gunslinger, constantly fighting to center your view on the enemy. Since you can lock on to only what you see onscreen, controlling the camera is Death Jr's real challenge. I watched DJ take a beating at every possible angle but the one I needed."
I'm a stickler for controls, and nothing ruins a game faster for me than a problematic camera... but this review doesn't upset me like it should - I need to more. But instead of elaborating, they babble. That's the only paragraph that really talks about the game. The other 4 or 5 are total wastes of space. Quit #@$%ing jabbering and say something, you know?!
Play's was actually worse. While the review takes up two whole pages, the only thing I got of it was... something to the extent of, 'DJ is a fully fleshed out, and worthy original PSP game'. (Sorry, I don't have the actual text to copy - when I say I'm a subscriber, I'm actually a new subscriber - I haven't received my first issue yet - I only read the article in the store.) The rest of it was pure babble. Artsy-fartsy meaningless babble.
Anyhow, IGN's review is in. Thank the Maker. Now we can finally learn something.
For those of you keeping score, IGN gives DJ a 7.0.
Click here...
http://psp.ign.com/articles/641/641671p1.html
... for the whole read.
Here's what I took from it...
* "What Death Jr. does really well is put you under fire. This game is a run through a gauntlet, and every time you turn a corner in the game, you'd better be prepared and packing heat. Although you won't be facing forces on the order of something like Dynasty Warriors, the DJ engine throws as much as you can possibly handle, and then some, without chugging. The combination of critters will often form an imposing challenge. You might enter a room and suddenly find yourself the standing face-to-face with several snarling beasts, while charging Kamakazes dash at you wildly before striking a Jesus pose and blowing up. In the background, towering Etherial wraiths will be hurling bombs at you, and if you duck those attacks, the needle-like shots from the Eyeballer toads creatures will likely be on their way to seek your pale flesh. Another beast will be firing icy homing blasts at you from the distance. And as you try to strafe to survive all of that, the mines left behind by spindly ghost-faced creatures keep your quarters tight. Large spiders will unwrap their legs from the walls and begin their march towards you. Then there are gigantic Shield Demons and mega-sized versions of the regular demon to strike fear in your heart. And all the while, bats are flying down from the sky to pick you apart."
Sounds challenging. But with the lack of grip that I get on my PSP, can I get up for it?
* "At its heart, Death Jr. is much closer to Ratchet & Clank than Mario, and it often pushes past that -- I haven't circle-strafed this much since the original Doom, and I've never put the target-lock button to so much use since I last played through a Syphon Filter game."
Like I said...
* "The D-Pad works for switching guns, but you have to scroll through the menu instead of having instant-selects ala Ratchet..."
There's an ouchy.
* "Camera control on PSP will always be a challenge for developers since it only has one control stick, and Death Jr. isn't the game to solve that problem. We really wish many areas in DJ had featured scripted camera angles like those in God of War (or even Ratchet, DJ's big step-brother)..."
Duh. Why would a developer even try otherwise?! The camera either has to be static - like it is in DMC or Rygar or even Star Wars Ep.III - or be moved with the shoulder buttons - ala Ninja Gaiden. Hey, there's an idea... do they say how the camera is controlled...?
* "...as there are sections of this game that are needlessly awkward. When floating around on moving platforms, you'll have to babysit the camera, tapping slightly in the direction you need to face (but not moving so much as to fall off the edge) and then hitting the manual camera adjust button. A simple jungle-gym structure early in the game, with three platforms stacked askew to each other, became a nightmare to keep track of as the camera spun around and bumped off of the walls."
No; they don't really say, do they? But the way I take it, is that (probably) one of the shoulder buttons will be used as, like, a camera-auto-centering button. (Like in R&C.)
* "The way that the dialog sequences are just text -- not even a face of who's talking to go with the text..."
Uh oh, another ouchy.
Guess that's it (from the IGN review).
Hmmm... no mention of checkpoints, saving, or of how the game will fit into the short game-time schedules that most handheld gamers have. :confused:
I'm still going to have to wait for the GS and GI reviews, but for the first time I will admit, things aren't looking good.
Especially when you consider that GameSpot is usually a lot harsher than IGN. GameInformer's probably going to be the review to go on tho'. Even though their reviews aren't anywhere near as in depth or as lengthy as IGN's or GS's, they do have a lot of people on staff who like - and who's area of expertise is - action/platformers.