People often read my reviews and think I'm damning a game because I give it lower than an 8.0, which isn't true at all. I don't give high scores to every game I like. Handing out high scores like candy diminishes their value so when something special comes along it's just another high score in a sea of them. Lego Batman 2 is a fun but flawed game and a 6.5 is a recommendation if you enjoy Lego and/or Batman.
@udoh13 Keep in mind that we have the same complaints as you guys. Some of us in the office hated the ending to Mass Effect 3 or thought the flashlight juggling in Doom 3 was dumb. But we respect the creator's intentions. Not every aspect of every game is going to appeal to everyone, and developers should be more concerned with pushing the medium forward than trying to please everyone.
@ghandi16 Depends how you feel about mandatory online connectivity. I, personally, am strongly against this practice so I will not give money to a company who uses it. As a consumer, I speak with my wallet, it's as simple as that. There are tons of "fun" games out there so I'm not missing out on "fun" by playing a different game with a less draconian business model.
@Slim_Lyrics The gameplay is passable but nothing special. Your enjoyment of this game depends on what you want in a Game of Thrones RPG. I just wanted a great story, and i got that, so I was satisfied. But the other elements aren't nearly as strong.
I have to admit, I find the differing views of this game really interesting. Everyone seems to acknowledge that the story and characters are interesting but the combat, exploration, and visuals are flawed. It's just a matter of how much weight you put on those aspects. As a huge fan of the books, a great story is the main thing I wanted, so it didn't hurt my experience that the tertiary elements aren't nearly as strong. If you mirror that belief, you'll enjoy this game as well. If you want cutting-edge visuals and a fantastic combat engine, you should look elsewhere.
@cjlebron I had the same impression. The core of the game -- combat, movement -- is enjoyable. It's the structure that's the problem. The progression is so slow that you hardly feel as if you're earning anything for your effort, and the mission/enemy variety isn't strong enough to distract you from this fault. Hopefully, this gets the same level as support as Terraria.
@rumbalumba -- Thinning the organic herd. Some organics die so others can live. The argument the game poses is that, left unchecked, intelligent organic life will create synthetics that wipe out every living being in the galaxy. By killing only some species, other organics can thrive in their place. If the reapers didn't harvest, then there would be no one in the galaxy left except for synthetics.
@mekentosh -- It's completely logical. Have you heard of deer hunting to curb overpopulation? By thinning the herd you ensure there's enough food for the remaining deer to survive. Without that culling, there would be more deer than the environment can handle. Mass Effect 3 employs the same idea
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