DoA Volley Ball == 2003

[Logan Leonhart]

Granted, I haven't played the game at all, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Gamespot's review was spot-on. Not a single preview I've seen has given details of how the actual gameplay works, and if that isn't a warning sign after all this time, I don't know what is.
Kolgar

That´s very similar to what I was thinking. Now that I think about it, actual gameplay shots weren´t released until the deadline was a month or two away. Makes me think the volleyball mini game wasn´t even included when it was announced.

 

[Guest]

Boohoo! Good to oogle at, bad to play.
Give me raw hentai games or i will just wait for the killer DOA4 with online play!

 

[marconelly!]

DoAX just got a 9.2 from IGN and it's scoring 8/10 + from most other sites/publications. Sounds like another Gamespot review bias again.

IGN had frickin "web rights" to that game (They forced Tokyopia site to remove their hands-on impressions when they posted it much earlier than IGN could). They basically payed Tecmo to be the only online publication to get extra inside info, etc. about the game. I really didn't expected them to give it a low score after that.

Gamespot bias thing is perhaps the most incredible sillyness I've heard from Xbox fans. I wonder how would you explain the good score for PDO, or a bad score for WoM (which, to most people who played it, was really fun and quality game)

GS is simply tougher on games than most reviewers nowadays. The sooner people realize that, the less unnecessary confusion and bitching there will be.

 

[DeathKnight]

This kind of discrepancy is really uncalled for from supposed "proffessional" reviewers at GS:

IGN

During a volleyball match, every player on the court tracks the location of the ball and their bodies turn and adjust so that you never get any unnatural head turns like in The Exorcist. The headtracking is sophisticated to the point that you'll see players look the ball into their hands as they set up for a bump or diving dig. All plays on the ball look realistic to the point that you'll even recognize mistakes and mistimed plays.

GS

More pronouced head tracking animation--having the girls' heads and eyes follow the ball as it moves around the court--would have added some more visual flair to the game and also would have helped out with the game's slow-moving camera.

Huh? How can stuff like this be completely missed or ignored? This isn't the first time that both Jeff and Greg have typed entirely false information about games they review.

I think everyone should put more stock into what their gaming peers think about a game, and especially more stock in their own experience with a game.

 

[DemoCoder]

The GS reviewer was way too nitpicky. I mean, nitpicking canned animation sequences of the girls? What did he expect, a complete AI based girl with a total physics model simulating all human movements? We've barely got this working with "walking". Forget synthetic sultry and enticing.

This is obviously an "action" volleyball game and not a "sim" of sport. Just like there are "action" racers, football, and basketball games vs accurate "sims" of real sports rules, this game should be reviewed based on its genre.

I think this reviewer already had in mind what he was going to say about this game, and spent most of his play time looking for evidence to confirm it.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Gamespot's bias is legendary. Splinter Cell got 9.5 everywhere but at Gamespot.

It's just unprofessional. Their reviews are filled with inaccuracies. They're probably bitter that IGN got the exclusive rights to first coverage.

The bottom line is that DoAX is an 8/10+ game. As a pure Volleyball sim, it might not be as good as Beach Spikers, but as a total game experience it seems pretty good. I'll come back with impressions when my friend picks it up tomorrow night.

With rare exceptions, I don't buy games that aren't 9/10 anymore. I had a soft spot for BLiNX even though it's only about an 8/10, because of the innovation, but since November I've only purchased MechAssault, Splinter Cell, Metroid Prime, and Panzer Dragoon Orta.

DoAX appears to be one of those $29.95 games to me right now, along with Deathrow, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm also looking to get Metal Gear Solid 2 for Xbox when it hits $19.95.

 

[DemoCoder]

My last few purchases: Splinter Cell, MechAssault
On order: DOAXBV
Upcoming: Capcom vs SNK XBL, Kung Fu Chaos
Long ways away: Halo2

Edit: it's interesting to compare the reader reviews on GS with GS's reviews.

 

[marconelly!]

Gamespot's bias is legendary. Splinter Cell got 9.5 everywhere but at Gamespot.

It got 7 in Edge review, 7.5 in gamecritics (again, two very rigorous publications) 80% in Xbox Nation Magazine. Perhaps Edge is biased too? But wait, they defend and praise Xbox on every occasion... GS review of Splinter Cell is not even close to be the lowest of the bunch.

Anyways, you can find as many examples of their 'bias' as you want, and I will find those where their reviews of hyped Xbox games were on par or above the average. I already did that once actually, in a discussion like this, so I don't pull things out of thin air.

I'm also looking to get Metal Gear Solid 2 for Xbox when it hits $19.95.

You are late. They slashed it's price from $50 to $20 on Ebworld.com at the beginning of this month. Now it's up at $30, I think.

 

[Gubbi]

Jeff over at GameSpot makes me regret that I paid for a year subscription. He tricked me into buying Time Splitters 2, which scored higher than Splinter Cell

However... Erik Wolpaw reviews are always spot on, at least for my taste in games, too bad he does so few reviews at GS.

Cheers
Gubbi

 

[Guest]

www.petitiononline.com
Cry me a river that GS is biased towards Xbox!

Fuck the reviews people. I hate this opinions shit. DOAXV is probably the few Xbox games that is in my UNwanted list. You are better off playing PDO.

 

[BoddoZerg]

Yeah, DoAXBV is definitely on my unwanted list.

 

[Tagrineth]

I'll probably try it out once a friend of mine gets it, but no way in hell I'll ever own the game myself (unless I get it free).

 

[Gollum]

At least some people seem to be pretty eager to get their hands on this game, never thought I'd see japanese waiting in line for an Xbox game:

they also get this card game and a poster for free with each game:

edit: here's the source for those who can read japanese http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20030123/akiba.htm

 

[Kolgar]

HA! Microsoft's figured out how to sell Xbox in Japan! Who would have thought the answer would be as simple as T&A?

Kolgar

 

[Tagrineth]

'scuse me, but I need to get off the floor and relax...

 

[KOF]

Ehehe, now I see why MS's been quite tolerant in flows of hentai games in Japan.

 

[V3]

DOAVBX is a Volley Ball game ? Yeah Right

 

[RaolinDarksbane]

For hot beaches, there is no power greather than X!

She done, time to flp her over..

Look! No tan lines!! Woohoo!

There is something about this game that is practically screaming at me to get it.... Could it be the awesome volleyball gameplay?

Or could it be the long lasting replay value of the casino game?

I'm trying to put my hand errrr finger on what's so special about this game that I should buy... what a guy to do??

Anyway, I am going to rent this game and check it out since I keep hearing(and seeing...) about it a lot.

 

[Peppermonkey]

With rare exceptions, I don't buy games that aren't 9/10 anymore.

It's sad when people have other people decide what games they are going to get. Use your own opinion/brain and figure out if a game is good or not.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

I do use my own opinion, which is to use the data available to me to make my decision, including reviews from sites/mags. What do you use to judge a game, the cover?

With that being said, I rely far more on WHAT is said in reviews, rather than what score is given. Usually scores reflect what is said fairly accurately though.

I'm curious. What newer systems do you own? What are your top 5 picks for each?