The critics were wrong- this game rocks

[J T]

When I clicked the Metacritic link Wolfenstein came up so thats what i'm assuming is the game you think needed to score higher.

No, I was just posting a link to the games section of metacritic so people could quickly look to see if any games they like rank below 75. The new Wolfenstein is just the currently featured game.

[J T]

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for ps2 is one of my favourite games. It has incredibly stupid AI and it may not be super innovative, but everything else was really solid about it. The guns were fun to use, explosions were awesome, melee was satisfying, and jumping is different than any other game I've played. You react to how you jump towards walls, so if you launch yourself towards a wall and jump off, it feels like your character is actually exerting some effort to do so. It's hard to explain unless you play it. There was also one button dedicated for dodging, but it resulted in a cinematic shot of some ludicrous acrobatics move that didn't really dodge anything so much as it just looking awesome. It even had a very fun four player death match as well. I'd give it at least a 7.5 as it is a lot more solid than higher rated third person shooters I've played. Metacritic has it at 66. Plus the game can be picked up at electronics boutique for 4.99.

Thanks for the write up. I keep eyeing this game at a local vintage shop, but they have it for $10. I'm glad to know it is a good game and that I can get it cheaper at EB. Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite anime movies, and I liked the second one ok too. I've never watched the Stand Alone Complex series, but I would like to try the game.

[corn619]

Loved Shinobi on the PS2, yet another underrated gem on the PS2. The pace in this game never slows down. Nightshade was also pretty good although it wasn't nearly as good as Shinobi.

[Ack]

Way of the Samurai 2(PS2) got a score of 59 on there, though I found it great. It's not perfect, and I figure samurai combat, multiple branching storylines, and tons of collectible items and swords isn't for everyone, but for me, it definitely deserves a higher score than 59.

Ghosthunter (PS2) managed to grab a 69, which I suppose is probably due to its odd difficulty changes at times, though I thought it was fun. It's like Ghostbusters...only without the Ghostbusters, you know? Still, it had some moments that got downright survival horror at times.

Echo Night: Beyond (PS2) got a 60. Yeah, ok, so it's kind of cutesy at times, yet I found that game a lot creepier than some of the more famous survival horror titles on the console. You're an astronaut wandering around a lunar base that's haunted by ghosts. It's not a very action-packed game, but the pacing felt just perfect for what it was.

And don't all the guys who play SHMUPS constantly lament on how reviewers don't understand their genre at all?

[MrPopo]

Armored Core 4 and For Answer both got scores in the mid 60's. I personally had a blast when I picked them up. The mech customization gives you a lot of options, and I frequently found myself changing loadouts to suit the missions. And a lot of the missions had some fun objectives, like sinking a old navy fleet. The Arms Forts in For Answer also added some epicness to the game. Destroying a huge walking monstrocity by pulling its teeth really ranks up there on fun ways to spend my afternoon.

[(-_-)]

Ghosthunter (PS2) managed to grab a 69, which I suppose is probably due to its odd difficulty changes at times, though I thought it was fun. It's like Ghostbusters...only without the Ghostbusters, you know? Still, it had some moments that got downright survival horror at times.

I agree. Ghosthunter is definately better than a 69. I didn't really care for the visual style, but I really enjoyed the game.

[Ivo]

Don't take this too hard, but good games don't *need* to score over 80. 75 is a rather good score.

Of course, if one notes how infrequently games get scores below even 60, then we sort of realize that in effect the dynamic range for actual grading is smaller than 0-100 and that might be why some of you guys are feeling games under 80 aren't even good.

Grading games is a complicated issue, although I can see it is somewhat useful for some people who just don't have the time to read actual reviews or try the game out for themselves.

[dsheinem]

Ok, to start off with one example, there is Shinobi for the PS2. This game came out in 2002 and got a metacritic rating of 71. Ouch. I think it easily deserves 86, and maybe higher.
Shinobi was a great series of games in the arcade and on Genesis. When it finally turned 3D and made its way to the Playstation 2, it was if everyone had decided that anything Sega wasn't cool anymore and they weren't going to support it.
Trailer:

really? Played the first couple levels and got really really bored. NG is the better game by leaps and bounds. in my opinion of course.

I really liked dark sector. People had a bit hate on for it because it plays a lot like gears of war. Then, before the game even comes out, the internet collectively decides to pan it. Hate hype killed that game.

I'll second Dark Sector - lots of fun to be had with that glaive.

[Weekend_Warrior]

The whole gaming world seems to bash Street Fighter: The Movie. That's mainly because the Arcade and Playstation versions were garbage. But the truth is that the Saturn version was actually really good. It basically has the same fighting engine as Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo but with the addition of being able to perform "Super Special Moves" like in Street Fighter Alpha.

To knock the digitized graphics is one thing. But you can't dismiss the gameplay because it's classic Street Fighter!

[Pulsar_t]

I was one of those who liked the original Killzone despite its glaring flaws. Nowadays of course thanks to the prevalence of the grey colour palettes in shooters I don't care much for its sequel.