The funny thing about gamespot reviews.

Im using an extremely old game to make my point.

Half life 2 PC review

Half life 2 xbox review

notice something? ok, it can take a bit of a sharp eye to notice...

this is from "the bad" in the PC review

Disappointing story

This is from the xbox review

Top-notch voice acting and storytelling

its the same game, completly the same, the only thing that makes the 2 versions different from each other is that the xbox version crawls with technical flaws...so its the same game with the same storyline, one gets a "dissapointing story" yet the other version gets a "top notch story"? contradiction at its finest!

we really shoudlnt listen to everything reviews have to say

storytelling =/= story though?moving_penguin

[QUOTE="moving_penguin"]storytelling =/= story though?lightleggy

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="moving_penguin"]storytelling =/= story though?moving_penguin

much lower standards on consoles for games. thought this was a well known fact by now.

much lower standards on consoles for games. thought this was a well known fact by now.

Dead-Memories

a bad story can still be told in a terrific way.moving_penguin

Reviews are just one guy's opinion.

They're not supposed to be taken objectively.

[QUOTE="Dead-Memories"]

much lower standards on consoles for games. thought this was a well known fact by now.

moving_penguin

[QUOTE="Dead-Memories"]

much lower standards on consoles for games. thought this was a well known fact by now.

moving_penguin

[QUOTE="moving_penguin"][QUOTE="Dead-Memories"]

much lower standards on consoles for games. thought this was a well known fact by now.

Dead-Memories

Probably because a well developed story has has nothing at all do with hardware.

I would have said "its nothing" but then realized its the same guy who wrote both reviews. :lol:

Talk about inconsistency. Did he play the Xbox version? Or did he write it for the Xbox audience?

I would have said "its nothing" but then realized its the same guy who wrote both reviews. :lol:

Talk about inconsistency. Did he play the Xbox version? Or did he write it for the Xbox audience?

foxhound_fox

1. You used 2 reviews to generalize about hundreds or thousands.

2. Story =/= storytelling. It's widely accepted that HL2's story isn't really that great, but is told with strong characters and dialogue.

3. It's entirely possible that the reviewer felt differently about the story on his second pass. Maybe he googled it after his first run and understood it better, or maybe it didn't really bother him all that much the second time.

4. why is this even an issue? The PC version scored higher anyway so it's not like the disappointing story was making or breaking the review.

[QUOTE="moving_penguin"][QUOTE="Dead-Memories"]

much lower standards on consoles for games. thought this was a well known fact by now.

paradigm68

I think you all are being a bit nit-picky... The point of the TC's thread (i believe) is to show that gamespot reviews are not infalable and should be held in the same light as any game review outlet. I think we all know a point during any given review where gamespot reviews enduce a "wha wha what..." head scratcher.

Storytelling and story are not one in the same. A game can have a terrific story that's poorly told and a terrible story that's told exceptionally well. Half Life 2 was a perfect example of the latter. The presentation of its mediocre story was fantastic.

Mass Effect 2 was a great example of this in my eyes. Its story was rather simplistic (gather team, save universe) but it was told in such a great way through character development and dialogue.

I would have said "its nothing" but then realized its the same guy who wrote both reviews. :lol:

Talk about inconsistency. Did he play the Xbox version? Or did he write it for the Xbox audience?

foxhound_fox

Reading the text of both reviews reveals some differences.

I think it's a good thing when a game scores differently on each platform, like Dragon Age did.

PC rated best on DA:O and HL2.:D

You got it wrong. Story telling is how the story is told. HL2 is very good at this, like when going into a house you can see blood in a kitchen device and knocked over chairs (it was amazing back then) and it told it's own little story and made the world real.

As for the ACTUAL story it's pretty average

I don't think story-telling is the same as the actual story

As many people in this thread have said

It's widely accepted that HL2's story isn't really that great, but is told with strong characters and dialogue.Vaasman

No it's not, I bet you're thinking of HL1. HL2 has one of the best stories in the FPS genre, it's just told very descretly. You have to pay attention while playing.

Moral of the story: always, always, always read the actual review text before jumping to conclusions. ;)

What I find far more ridiculous is that a game like Half-Life 2 got a 9.2 and Halo Reach got a 9.5. Sure, it's 0.3, but I don't really care, that's pretty ridiculous, and shows how wacky standards are. Half-Life 2 was criticized in that review for lacking content, even with CS: S, for having a disappointing story, for being a retread in many ways, etc. What's up with that? rolo107

[QUOTE="rolo107"]What I find far more ridiculous is that a game like Half-Life 2 got a 9.2 and Halo Reach got a 9.5. Sure, it's 0.3, but I don't really care, that's pretty ridiculous, and shows how wacky standards are. Half-Life 2 was criticized in that review for lacking content, even with CS: S, for having a disappointing story, for being a retread in many ways, etc. What's up with that? moving_penguin

Good job taking that whole thing out of context. First off, his PC review of HL2 also said it had great voice acting, as does the Xbox version. As for the great storytelling/disappointing story, storytelling =/= story. Additionally, his Xbox review specifies that the Xbox version of HL2 is exactly the same save for the framerate issues, so the story thing is a given for the Xbox version. enterawesome

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="moving_penguin"]storytelling =/= story though?moving_penguin

Moral of the story: always, always, always read the actual review text before jumping to conclusions. ;)

Teufelhuhn

[QUOTE="enterawesome"]Good job taking that whole thing out of context. First off, his PC review of HL2 also said it had great voice acting, as does the Xbox version. As for the great storytelling/disappointing story, storytelling =/= story. Additionally, his Xbox review specifies that the Xbox version of HL2 is exactly the same save for the framerate issues, so the story thing is a given for the Xbox version. lightleggy

[QUOTE="Vaasman"]

It's widely accepted that HL2's story isn't really that great, but is told with strong characters and dialogue.FatSlasH

No it's not, I bet you're thinking of HL1. HL2 has one of the best stories in the FPS genre, it's just told very descretly. You have to pay attention while playing.

Story telling does not equal a story. hahah

[QUOTE="FatSlasH"]

[QUOTE="Vaasman"]

It's widely accepted that HL2's story isn't really that great, but is told with strong characters and dialogue.Vaasman

No it's not, I bet you're thinking of HL1. HL2 has one of the best stories in the FPS genre, it's just told very descretly. You have to pay attention while playing.

1. Within the first minute of the game a NPC explains this is his third transfer this week (implying the population is being shifting around)

2. Woman asks if she has seen her husband, explains the combine said "it would be nice there" implying he would not be seen for a while.

3. Within three minutes an NPC utters "Dr Breen again I would have hoped we seen the last of him in city14" implying the propaganda as well as his influence and propaganda is wide spread.

4. An NPC mutters "don't drink the water they put something in it to make you forget" along with another npc strolling back and fourth muttering "the trains always leave but they never come back" showing a state of paranoia.

5.. You see the combine ordering citizen out of the hall into a corridor with a police like siren, showing the the population is being monitored.

6. We learn the security guard from black mesa is undercover

7. We learn there is an underground rebel network from the undercover security guard.

8. Combine knocks over can ordering you to pick it up...yada yada..

9. We see that people are dependent on rations from the combine.

10. We learn through the propaganda station that the combine has created a suppression feild to stop humanity breeding until "it betters itself".

The fourth/fifth minute:

Interactive story-telling, no cutscenes interwoven with the gameplay down to the level design. You'd be hard pressed to find another alien invasion game with this kind of detail and believability. Usually it's just "here come da aliens let's fight"

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="enterawesome"]Good job taking that whole thing out of context. First off, his PC review of HL2 also said it had great voice acting, as does the Xbox version. As for the great storytelling/disappointing story, storytelling =/= story. Additionally, his Xbox review specifies that the Xbox version of HL2 is exactly the same save for the framerate issues, so the story thing is a given for the Xbox version. mo0ksi

I played HL2 on the Xbox and it's a horrible experiance. If HL2 would have come out as an Xbox exclusive in the state it was in, the scores would be probably lower.

[QUOTE="Vaasman"]

[QUOTE="FatSlasH"]

No it's not, I bet you're thinking of HL1. HL2 has one of the best stories in the FPS genre, it's just told very descretly. You have to pay attention while playing.

FatSlasH

1. Within the first minute of the game a NPC explains this is his third transfer this week (implying the population is being shifting around)

2. Woman asks if she has seen her husband, explains the combine said "it would be nice there" implying he would not be seen for a while.

3. Within three minutes an NPC utters "Dr Breen again I would have hoped we seen the last of him in city14" implying the propaganda as well as his influence and propaganda is wide spread.

4. An NPC mutters "don't drink the water they put something in it to make you forget" along with another npc strolling back and fourth muttering "the trains always leave but they never come back" showing a state of paranoia.

5.. You see the combine ordering citizen out of the hall into a corridor with a police like siren, showing the the population is being monitored.

6. We learn the security guard from black mesa is undercover

7. We learn there is an underground rebel network from the undercover security guard.

8. Combine knocks over can ordering you to pick it up...yada yada..

9. We see that people are dependent on rations from the combine.

10. We learn through the propaganda station that the combine has created a suppression feild to stop humanity breeding until "it betters itself".

The fourth/fifth minute:

Interactive story-telling, no cutscenes interwoven with the gameplay down to the level design. You'd be hard pressed to find another alien invasion game with this kind of detail and believability. Usually it's just "here come da aliens let's fight"

That's all atmosphere. None of that exposits anything at all about the motivations of me or the enemies. Not to mention there's a whole lot of interdimensional quasi-science that goes on in the background that you never find out about because apparently it isn't important to know what the hell is going on for half the story.

Vaasman

Pretty sure it's revealed what the combine is doing there, still they can't reveal everything at once the series isn't even finished yet.

the point of this thread is not "LOOK PC ALWAYS SCORE HIGHER!" or something like that...its just to show you guys we shoudlnt take gamespot reviews as "uncontradictable words"lightleggy

OMG your sig.

This is OT but why are you hating on Bayonetta, bro? :cry:

I think HL2 is a perfect example of a bad story that is still made relatively interesting by good storytelling. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

i dont trust any reviews anymore, GS made me buy high rated games that turned out to be utter trash, and it held me back from buying lower rated games that turned out to be amazing.

[QUOTE="moving_penguin"][QUOTE="lightleggy"] how is the age of the game related in any way to the score??? oh wait wait I know...ITS BECAUSE OF TEH GRAPHICS RIGHT?lightleggy

because gaming can evolve?

[QUOTE="lightleggy"][QUOTE="moving_penguin"]youre joking with me right? not sure if serious :pCaseyWegner

because gaming can evolve?

[QUOTE="lightleggy"]the point of this thread is not "LOOK PC ALWAYS SCORE HIGHER!" or something like that...its just to show you guys we shoudlnt take gamespot reviews as "uncontradictable words"alfredooo

OMG your sig.

This is OT but why are you hating on Bayonetta, bro? :cry: