1333 replies to this topic

[The Satellite]

So. Curious, I looked at the list of games Edge gave a 10/10 score to since its beginning. The list is as follows: Super Mario 64, Gran Turismo, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Halo: Combat Evolved, Half-Life 2, Halo 3, The Orange Box, Super Mario Galaxy, Grand Theft Auto IV, LittleBigPlanet, Bayonetta, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Rock Band 3, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. I agree with: Super Mario 64, OoT (at the time of its release anyway; not currently), Super Mario Galaxy. I disagree with: Halo (even though I love it) and especially Halo 3. The rest I don't have much of an opinion on (except why the hell is a Rock Band game on that list). Suddenly Edge giving SS a 10/10 doesn't seem so special to me.

Prove me wrong, Nintendo. Please. ... Ah who am I kidding they'll deliver and they'll deliver greatly. <3

[Neppy]

Goofy TS! Yeah, I haven't played any of the games that aren't from Nintendo on Edge's 10/10 list, so I can't really say too much about the list. Well, I'm with you TS, it does look like Nintendo is going to deliver this time around, with how things are looking.

I forgot to mention that I pre-ordered this at the same time I pre-ordered Super Mario 3D Land from Gamestop. I was going to go with Amazon, but for some reason, they don't have it listed as them selling it, at least the bundle one... but they have it listed as other groups selling it, and at the price of $159.99... Yeah... no, don't like that at all, so I have my pre-order set to where I go to the store, and pick it up within 48 hours of being notified about it arriving.

[Beefster]

10/10 doesn't mean (and shouldn't mean) perfect or flawless. 10/10 should mean you thoroughly enjoyed the experience and you have no hesitance whatsoever to recommend the game to even a non-gamer.
Is Ocarina of Time perfect? Absolutely not. It's riddled with game-breaking glitches for one, and well, Navi for two, and a bland overworld for three. But would you still recommend the game? HECK YEAH! It's flaws don't really get in the way of anything. (well Navi can a little...)

I see a 9/10 as something you'd strongly recommend despite a few outstanding flaws- things like a steep learning curve, issues with controls, camera issues, etc...

I'm a little less reluctant to give out 10/10s than most reviewers.
My list of 10/10s: OoT, MM, Banjo Kazooie, Super Mario Galaxy, Portal, Braid, Starfox 64, and probably a couple others I can't think of. This is about 10% of the games I've played. (Not counting Flash games)

Keep in mind that they're still opinions. You don't have to agree with EDGE once you've played the game. If it doesn't live up to your expectations, fine; likewise if it dethrones OoT.

[Moonbread]

10/10 doesn't mean (and shouldn't mean) perfect or flawless. 10/10 should mean you thoroughly enjoyed the experience and you have no hesitance whatsoever to recommend the game to even a non-gamer.
Is Ocarina of Time perfect? Absolutely not. It's riddled with game-breaking glitches for one, and well, Navi for two, and a bland overworld for three. But would you still recommend the game? HECK YEAH! It's flaws don't really get in the way of anything. (well Navi can a little...)

I see a 9/10 as something you'd strongly recommend despite a few outstanding flaws- things like a steep learning curve, issues with controls, camera issues, etc...

Uhh, no. You're stuck in a school mentality, dude. Honestly, anything lower than a 5/10 is what I'd consider bad, but even a 6/10 is still pretty decent. 10/10 should be an absolute perfect game (which is why OoT shouldn't have one regarding what you said about it up there), and 9/10 should be when it has a couple flaws but none of them are glaring. What I've noticed is that even when someone here says something doesn't look all that good, they'll say "Well, I'll give it a 7/10" like that's bad or something. That's freaking fantastic, man, that means you think at least 70% of it is good, as opposed to 30% of it being bad. The problem is that people still relate a 6/10 to a failing grade in high school, so they ignore half the scale because they feel it's all that's necessary, but again, that's still being compared to 40% of it being bad. It still means the good outweighs the bad. 9/10 is only 10% of it being terrible, if even. Hell, if I made a game and it got a 9/10, I'd be ecstatic.

You know, if there is one thing I've hated about Zelda games recently, though, it's the animated "talking" people do. Unfortunately, since there isn't voice-acting, it's just an awkward pseudo talking look. It just doesn't work because the players read at their own paces.

[Shane]

Ah, yes, the talking animations. You know I think there should be voice acting - besides Link of course - that would be sick and I can imagine hearing Phi's voice. But one problem: deaf people. Even with messages on the bottom if voice acting doesn't pause it may seem unfair if they can't keep up the pace especially if your deaf and your can't fully understand English. But if they do add a pause until you press A that would do the job. So yeah, either way, SS won't get voice acting. But who knows maybe it will happen but that's something you can't really expect.

[Eddard McHorn Van-Schnuder]

Uhh, no. You're stuck in a school mentality, dude. Honestly, anything lower than a 5/10 is what I'd consider bad, but even a 6/10 is still pretty decent. 10/10 should be an absolute perfect game (which is why OoT shouldn't have one regarding what you said about it up there), and 9/10 should be when it has a couple flaws but none of them are glaring. What I've noticed is that even when someone here says something doesn't look all that good, they'll say "Well, I'll give it a 7/10" like that's bad or something. That's freaking fantastic, man, that means you think at least 70% of it is good, as opposed to 30% of it being bad. The problem is that people still relate a 6/10 to a failing grade in high school, so they ignore half the scale because they feel it's all that's necessary, but again, that's still being compared to 40% of it being bad. It still means the good outweighs the bad. 9/10 is only 10% of it being terrible, if even. Hell, if I made a game and it got a 9/10, I'd be ecstatic.

You know, if there is one thing I've hated about Zelda games recently, though, it's the animated "talking" people do. Unfortunately, since there isn't voice-acting, it's just an awkward pseudo talking look. It just doesn't work because the players read at their own paces.

Seeing as we're on the discussion of ratings in reviews, I thought I might have something to add to the discussion:

1. 1/10 Torture on Self
2. 2/10 Horrible
3. 3/10 Very bad
4. 4/10 Bad
5. 5/10 50/50
6. 6/10 Okay
7. 7/10 Good
8. 8/10 Very good
9. 9/10 Fantastic
10. 10/10 Masterpiece

This is the rating chart that is sent out to new writers over at where I work. Seeing as how we are a pretty big gaming mag and site, in terms of the industry as a whole (seriously, we're up there with GameInformer), so it's certainly not that far from what could be considered 'the norm'.

Which is to say, this is what most reviewers follow (there are exceptions), so if a game gets say, a 7, that means it's still very much a good game. Now, a review still is very much an opinion, so even if one guy might rate Zelda a 5 (that's not happening, having played it I can say that I doubt anyone will give it that), that doesn't mean the same game couldn't be a 10 to you. I'm sure you know this though. However, ten is not 'perfect', and it bothers me a little whenever people say that. Perfect is unachievable, and thus a perfect rating would probably be 11/10, or higher.

[Sheik]

But one problem: deaf people.

What's with analphabets? What's with blind people? What's with people without arms? What's with [insert handicap here]? I don't get your argument, to be honest.

[Shane]

My argument well, simply a problem for deaf people who enjoy Zelda. I think both text and voice-acting would be good for both blind people and deaf people. It's not really an argument at all I'm saying what could possibly stop voice-acting in a Zelda game.

[The Satellite]

Then why wouldn't that keep other games from getting voice acting? All games (that I know of) with voice acting have subtitles at least optional, so no real loss. If they cared about deaf people that much they wouldn't bother putting in sound effects or music, so...

[Beefster]

IMO 11/10 should be perfect. Nothing really is perfect, so why avoid the 10/10 so hard? I can't name a single perfect video game. By some standards, there shouldn't be ANY 10/10s then.

I guess in theory, ratings should be distributed normally and anything that is a certain amount better than average should be 10/10. (There should also be about the same number of 10s as 0s, and around 20% of games should get 5/10s. (and 70% within 3-7/10) I don't see this so much in most rating schemes. I don't like the 10/10 scheme. It usually ends up skewed and it rarely reflects the average.
Robin's scale is pretty good, though.

Just watch the Extra Credits episode on ratings. (I'm not sure if it's available on PATV yet... And they've all been taken off the Escapist.)

From my experience, there aren't very many low ratings. (Except from Yahtzee) People are just afraid to offend large companies.

I'm just taking EDGE's review as a good sign for the quality of the game. I unfortunately have a bad feeling that the game won't sell too well due to the requirement of the Wii Motion Plus. Only true Zelda fans will fork over $100 to be able to play it in a recession like this. If it gets low sales, it's not likely Nintendo will go in the same direction even if the game really is a masterpiece.

[Russ]

New trailer: http://www.gametrail...-skyward/723206

I'm hyperventilating. Big time. That is all.

[The Satellite]

It's pretty and I want it right now although

Spoiler

I would have rather saved the knowledge of the Master Sword taking on the shape of the WW Master Sword before being fully powered up. Meh it's not a real big spoiler but it would have been neat to learn that on my own.

[Jared]

Well, my friend on here spoiled the number of dungeons and runthroughs. Truly PISSED.
At least it's a good number, though.

This proves that any spoilers can be a warzone. Be careful, guys.

Edited by Jared, 31 October 2011 - 02:33 AM.

[Nicholas Steel]

Well, my friend on here spoiled the number of dungeons and runthroughs. Truly PISSED.
At least it's a good number, though.

This proves that any spoilers can be a warzone. Be careful, guys.

Being ambiguous about things you know, doesn't really help the situation.

[Eddard McHorn Van-Schnuder]

I think we should all remember that spoilers isn't the amount of dungeons there is in a game, or the shape a sword takes. A spoiler would be spilling a detail that actually tells you a lot about the plot. Neither of these things do, other than things we could already have assumed from playing, you know, the countless other Zelda games out there.

Basically: don't make such a big deal out of spoilers, it's getting pretty silly >_<