Prior to its release, Manhunt 2 was the subject of much controversy and scrutiny, having received an “Adult’s Only” rating from the ESRB. This taboo rating prompted console manufacturers, retail outlets and even entire countries to ban it from store shelves, well before it saw the light of day. As a result, this version of Manhunt 2 has undergone some minor changes to even allow the game to be released, earning a “Mature” rating and approval from many of those who shunned it. Now, if you’ll notice, I haven’t said anything about the game itself because, if you remove all the controversy, the game is pretty unremarkable. That is, of course, if you ignore all the grisly violence.
Archive for May, 2008

Gaming Journalism Has Hit a New Low
May 27, 2008With the release of Ninja Gaiden 2 fast approaching, reviews of this highly anticipated action title are beginning to pour in and so far, the game has been getting pretty mixed reviews. But…one review in particular stands out from the crowd and that review is from GamesRadar. It doesn’t stand out for its score or for a superb writing style…no…it stands out for something far worse. So, what could be so terrible as to prompt me to write an editorial piece with the horribly hyperbolic title I’ve stamped on it? Well, since I’ve caught your attention, read on.
The following is a direct quote from GamesRadar’s review of Ninja Gaiden 2.
The saving grace here is the fanbase. If you’re in this group, there’s no reason why you won’t love Ninja Gaiden 2, despite its faults. You don’t care about next-gen graphics, level design and fairness, right? You like having Tomonobu Itagaki stamp on your ego, rob you of your sanity and piss down your throat.
Now I don’t have a problem with the rest of the review, despite the fact that the reviewer sounds like the game pissed him off halfway through and decided to use the review to vent his frustrations. My problem is with that comment, a comment I find to be rather unprofessional and unbecoming of a man in his position. He blatantly insults the intelligence of fans of Team Ninja’s (Tomonobu Itagaki’s studio, for those who don’t know) games, reducing them to the level of blind sheep that will, no matter what the cost, follow their shepherd where ever he leads them, even into the depths of hell.
Yes, the game is going to be difficult, that much we can be sure of considering the series’ pedigree. I wonder though, should I buy this game and love it, despite its flaws, would that make me one of the folks who don’t care about next-gen graphics, level design and fairness? Would I be allowing Tomonobu Itagaki to stamp on my ego, rob me of my sanity and…well, I’m not going to repeat that last part. Or, perhaps, would I just be enjoying the game for what it is? A hearty challenge.
The trick to successfully pulling off a level of difficulty that’s so high, almost to the point of being cheap is to give the player an immense sense of satisfaction and worth, having overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. This is something Ninja Gaiden pulled off on the Xbox and what I expect Ninja Gaiden 2 is going to do on the Xbox 360. But I’m getting away from the topic, aren’t I?
I find it ridiculous that a reviewer would say such things about a game’s fanbase. Words such as those, which can be very easily perceived as insulting toward many readers, have no place in a professional review or anywhere else, really. Perhaps I’m taking things out of context here. Perhaps those words weren’t meant to sound so condescending. Maybe the game is as punishingly difficult, to the point of being cheap, as the review states. I guess we’ll see soon enough when the game releases next week and I submit to having my ego stepped on.

Story in a Blog
May 25, 2008I just wanted everyone to know that, just for kicks, I’ve created a new page on this site for the sole purpose of my Story in a Blog entries. If you’re interested in reading it, look no further than this link or, for a more permanent solution, look down a bit for the Story in a Blog link in the “Pages” section.

Video Blog #5
May 20, 2008
Yep, I’m finally back on the video blogging scene with my fifth Video Blog. I’ve got a new digital camera with a built in microphone (I picked it up for my trip to EA) so the quality is a lot better this time around than it ever has been when I was using the Xbox Live Vision camera.
In this short new video, I discuss my impressions of GTA IV, some Gran Turismo 5: Prologue commentary, throw in an outtake and overuse of the phrase “without further ado…”. So, check it out and tell me what you think.