Gamespot's Killzone 2 Review Made Me Quit Gaming.

Ever since coming to college (halfway through my Spring term of Freshman year) I have played very few single player action/rpg/strategy games. Mostly Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Halo 3, etc; the social and party games. But recently I have been making an effort to get back into single player gaming with a vengeance. Only to find I really don't find them all that appealing anymore. And now I know why!

Thanks, Gamespot. Thanks for in your review writing the following under "Negative" for a game which recieved a 9.0 (GRRRREAT!)

Forgettable story and characters

Really. REALLY. You're going to give a game a NINE... despite it having a forgettable story and unremarkable characters. Thats like me giving Valkyrie with Tom Cruise four stars. Here's Rotten Tomatoes' summary of that movie, "Given the subject matter, Valkyrie could have been an outstanding historical thriller, but settles for being a mildly entertaining, but disposable yarn." Sounds almost like it had... FORGETTABLE STORY AND CHARACTERS.

Oh but its at a 60%. Because you see, I as a gamer am not in it for the thrill of killing nameless foes. I am not in it for shooting cool guns. I am not in it for playing as a cool looking character.

I play games to CARE about the people I play as. To hate the people I must kill. To connect, as I would in a movie, but to take it that extra step. To be able to act on what the story and characters make me feel.

Not just to be able to act at all.

And so I've realized that all these years when I was claiming that games should be seen on the same level as film in terms of artistic value... they still SHOULD be. But they never will be, because apparently not even Gamespot seems to think that emotion is an important enough characteristic in a game to bring it below AAA status when lacking. And of course the people MAKING the games won't value that, because as long as Gamespot supports them hiring more texture-shaders and bump-mappers and firing writers and artists, and the 5 million people who will buy this game support the companies behind it, no one sends that message.

Oh. And if you liked Valkyrie? Then enjoy Killzone 2. Sounds like it'll be right up your alley.

???ok ill put my 2 cents on this then

Killzone 2 is great but nothing special IMO

Do you write this response for every shooter that comes out?quicksilverXP24

Nope only one's whose reviews I actually read, and which have received 9s or above, and have "Forgettable Story and Characters" in the Negatives.

Quit gaming over a review, I didn't quit when FarCry 2 got a high score, or Halo 3, or MGS4. O well your choice you won't be missed.millerlight89

[QUOTE="millerlight89"]Quit gaming over a review, I didn't quit when FarCry 2 got a high score, or Halo 3, or MGS4. O well your choice you won't be missed.Graedien

You quit gaming yet you post on a gaming forum? Anyway u bought a shooter for SP, thats is like saying u bought a JRPG for MP! You just dont do that!unknown37

You quit gaming yet you post on a gaming forum? Anyway u bought a shooter for SP, thats is like saying u bought a JRPG for MP! You just dont do that!unknown37

It's a FPS in space.... What more story do you need other than "Space Nazis attacked us, so now we're taking the fight to their planet!! Rawr!"

You want story? Go read Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Chekhov, Ibsen, etc. That's what I do when I want a good story. But when I want to have fun and play a game, I turn on my PS3.

There are other merits which can make a game worthwhile or "AAA". Are not video games valued for the gameplay? Of course a strong story is almost always a plus but honestly, some games do not aim for the artistic masterpiece of storytelling. Instead, they focus on other aspects to make the game enjoyable. KZ2 is one of those games.

I suppose any game with a weak story but a strong rating is considered poor in your eyes. You definately do not want to try out L4D, TF2, BF2 or BF2142... heck any multiplayer oriented game for that matter is out. MMOs... barely any storyline there. 95% of shooters, also are out the window.

Honestly, you are putting too much stock into reviews. Not only that but since you seem to only value storylines and character depths you've eliminated a lot of really strong, fun titles. But hey, everyone is entitled to an opinion.

So, this is just ANOTHER POST about "I hate PS3, and I hate the fact a website likes one of their games! I told my friends to hate it, and it's getting harder since the PS3 is getting good games! I am going to quit gaming before my friends notice I don't know what I'm talking about."

Why don't you try actually playing through KZ2 FIRST TC...but you don't have PS3, do you?

You listed Gears of War (GeoW) an 8.7, and that game series has one of the most pathetic stories in all of creation (GeoW is one of my favorite games of all time this gen, though.)

TC, you talk about Smash Bros., Halo, and Mario Kart. It seems right off the bat, you like Wii and 360, then you say you are mad at ONE REVIEW (Which is funny, since KZ2 is getting good reviews everywhere) due to the forgetable story according to GS.

I hate to burst your bubble, but Many, many folks think HALO is a forgettable story, but since the MP is so good, they keep playing it. Play through HALO 1 on XBOX again, it was a pretty forgettable story. Only HALO NUTS love it, read the comics, read the novels and try to make sense of a universe that uses SHOTGUNS in the future, yet we travel the speed of light.

I don't care much FOR MANY game stories, including your faves Mario Kart's or Smash Bros. Story, but whatever, To each his own.

I do like HALO as much as you, and I haven't purchased KZ2 yet, but your whole thread fails. GAMEPLAY is most crucial in a game, then story.

Yes, it sure isn't MGS4 when it comes to storytelling. But still, the story isn't bad. It's got far more depth than, say, Halo 3, which pretty much had a non-existent story (and you TC actually liked it!).metalgear-solid

try to make sense of a universe that uses SHOTGUNS in the future, yet we travel the speed of light.SolidTy

[QUOTE="SolidTy"] try to make sense of a universe that uses SHOTGUNS in the future, yet we travel the speed of light.skrat_01

It's all good, I thought Halo was fun due to MP, and I have beat all the Halo's on Legendary my first run through, but the story really is lame. I can't say if KZ2 is in fact worse or not, as I haven't bought it yet, but I don't expect shooters to be UBER STORY.

Genetic engineering...Check.

Bionic enhancements...Check

Super Alien Menace which we stole tech from...Check.

Let's travel the speed of light, land on a Halo World, and SHOTGUN them Bastards!@!!!

The whole point is to put players in a situation so they can shoot a bunch of stuff....but yeah, Halo has a lot more flaws than that. Fun game though, I Own the CE versions of Halo 2 and Halo 3 (Helmet FTW!).

/threadskrat_01

nobody should ever use that, ever, ESPECIALLY when they come and post in the thread after they have ended it. honestly, it makes you look like a twelve year old.

anyway, story is for the most part irrelevant to games by their nature for me. they are games and not stories. if i want a story, i go and read/watch one and enjoy the narrative. can games contain good stories? yes, definitely. in fact a good story can add enormously to the overall experience; for example, MGS3 was an incredibly good game that happened to have a compelling story (im sure others will disagree with the specific example but the principle i think is sound). but in no way is story essential to the experience, especially in a shooting game. the way you describe yourself not playing games to fire guns or shoot people... maybe you shouldn't be looking at games where that is the primary objective? just throwing that out there

[QUOTE="metalgear-solid"]Yes, it sure isn't MGS4 when it comes to storytelling. But still, the story isn't bad. It's got far more depth than, say, Halo 3, which pretty much had a non-existent story (and you TC actually liked it!).TheOwnerOner

[QUOTE="skrat_01"][QUOTE="SolidTy"] try to make sense of a universe that uses SHOTGUNS in the future, yet we travel the speed of light.SolidTy

It's all good, I thought Halo was fun due to MP, and I have beat all the Halo's on Legendary my first run through, but the story really is lame. I can't say if KZ2 is in fact worse or not, as I haven't bought it yet, but I don't expect shooters to be UBER STORY.

Genetic engineering...Check.

Bionic enhancements...Check

Super Alien Menace which we stole tech from...Check.

Let's travel the speed of light, land on a Halo World, and SHOTGUN them Bastards!@!!!

The whole point is to put players in a situation so they can shoot a bunch of stuff....but yeah, Halo has a lot more flaws than that. Fun game though, I Own the CE versions of Halo 2 and Halo 3 (Helmet FTW!).

nobody should ever use that, ever, ESPECIALLY when they come and post in the thread after they have ended it. honestly, it makes you look like a twelve year old.CaptainHarley

It's all good, I thought Halo was fun due to MP, and I have beat all the Halo's on Legendary my first run through, but the story really is lame. I can't say if KZ2 is in fact worse or not, as I haven't bought it yet, but I don't expect shooters to be UBER STORY.

Genetic engineering...Check.

Bionic enhancements...Check

Super Alien Menace...Check.

Let's travel the speed of light, land on a Halo World, and SHOTGUN them Bastards!@!!!

The whole point is to put players in a situation so they can shoot a bunch of stuff....but yeah, Halo has a lot more flaws than that. Fun game though, I Own the CE versions of Halo 2 and Halo 3 (Helmet FTW!).

SolidTy

System Shock 1 had those things in 1994, as did System Shock 2 and Deus Ex. They also had stories.

Nothing new under the sun, but yes the Halo MP (for the PC) was great.

[QUOTE="SolidTy"]

It's all good, I thought Halo was fun due to MP, and I have beat all the Halo's on Legendary my first run through, but the story really is lame. I can't say if KZ2 is in fact worse or not, as I haven't bought it yet, but I don't expect shooters to be UBER STORY.

Genetic engineering...Check.

Bionic enhancements...Check

Super Alien Menace...Check.

Let's travel the speed of light, land on a Halo World, and SHOTGUN them Bastards!@!!!

The whole point is to put players in a situation so they can shoot a bunch of stuff....but yeah, Halo has a lot more flaws than that. Fun game though, I Own the CE versions of Halo 2 and Halo 3 (Helmet FTW!).

DOF_power

System Shock 1 had those things in 1994, as did System Shock 2 and Deus Ex. They also had stories.

Nothing new under the sun, but yes the Halo MP (for the PC) was great.

I loved SS and Deus Ex....I don't know if you think Halo turned me on to FPS, but that would be a giant negatory.I have been playing FPS isnce their inception on PC, with Wolfenstein 3D, and Doom.

What you just mentioned, SS adn DE, had better stories, and Choices in the games. In any event, I don't expect the SHOOTER Genre to deliver Oscar Calibur Stories like the TC, the concept of a SHOOTER is to SHOOT STUFF. Writing around that can be tricky (But DE, Bioshock, and SS had good stories, but one might argue that the SHOOTER GAMEPLAY wasn't as polished.)

It's a trade off I suppose.

[QUOTE="SolidTy"]

It's all good, I thought Halo was fun due to MP, and I have beat all the Halo's on Legendary my first run through, but the story really is lame. I can't say if KZ2 is in fact worse or not, as I haven't bought it yet, but I don't expect shooters to be UBER STORY.

Genetic engineering...Check.

Bionic enhancements...Check

Super Alien Menace which we stole tech from...Check.

Let's travel the speed of light, land on a Halo World, and SHOTGUN them Bastards!@!!!

The whole point is to put players in a situation so they can shoot a bunch of stuff....but yeah, Halo has a lot more flaws than that. Fun game though, I Own the CE versions of Halo 2 and Halo 3 (Helmet FTW!).

skrat_01

No, it is quite silly, but we tend to overlook it because as you said, the genre is defined by those elements, lol.

Quit gaming over a review, I didn't quit when FarCry 2 got a high score, or Halo 3, or MGS4. O well your choice you won't be missed.millerlight89

So, this is just ANOTHER POST about "I hate PS3, and I hate the fact a website likes one of their games! I told my friends to hate it, and it's getting harder since the PS3 is getting good games! I am going to quit gaming before my friends notice I don't know what I'm talking about."

Why don't you try actually playing through KZ2 FIRST TC...but you don't have PS3, do you?

You listed Gears of War (GeoW) an 8.7, and that game series has one of the most pathetic stories in all of creation (GeoW is one of my favorite games of all time this gen, though.)

TC, you talk about Smash Bros., Halo, and Mario Kart. It seems right off the bat, you like Wii and 360, then you say you are mad at ONE REVIEW (Which is funny, since KZ2 is getting good reviews everywhere) due to the forgetable story according to GS.

I hate to burst your bubble, but Many, many folks think HALO is a forgettable story, but since the MP is so good, they keep playing it. Play through HALO 1 on XBOX again, it was a pretty forgettable story. Only HALO NUTS love it, read the comics, read the novels and try to make sense of a universe that uses SHOTGUNS in the future, yet we travel the speed of light.

I don't care much FOR MANY game stories, including your faves Mario Kart's or Smash Bros. Story, but whatever, To each his own.

I do like HALO as much as you, and I haven't purchased KZ2 yet, but your whole thread fails. GAMEPLAY is most crucial in a game, then story.

SolidTy

[QUOTE="SolidTy"]

So, this is just ANOTHER POST about "I hate PS3, and I hate the fact a website likes one of their games! I told my friends to hate it, and it's getting harder since the PS3 is getting good games! I am going to quit gaming before my friends notice I don't know what I'm talking about."

Why don't you try actually playing through KZ2 FIRST TC...but you don't have PS3, do you?

You listed Gears of War (GeoW) an 8.7, and that game series has one of the most pathetic stories in all of creation (GeoW is one of my favorite games of all time this gen, though.)

TC, you talk about Smash Bros., Halo, and Mario Kart. It seems right off the bat, you like Wii and 360, then you say you are mad at ONE REVIEW (Which is funny, since KZ2 is getting good reviews everywhere) due to the forgetable story according to GS.

I hate to burst your bubble, but Many, many folks think HALO is a forgettable story, but since the MP is so good, they keep playing it. Play through HALO 1 on XBOX again, it was a pretty forgettable story. Only HALO NUTS love it, read the comics, read the novels and try to make sense of a universe that uses SHOTGUNS in the future, yet we travel the speed of light.

I don't care much FOR MANY game stories, including your faves Mario Kart's or Smash Bros. Story, but whatever, To each his own.

I do like HALO as much as you, and I haven't purchased KZ2 yet, but your whole thread fails. GAMEPLAY is most crucial in a game, then story.

Graedien

If story is SO Crucial to you, then why do you like Halo, GeoW, and Mario Kart? Could it be that you like the games on the System you own?

If that's not the case, and you aren't biased, then Metal Gear Solid 4 is the most AMAZING game you've ever played, right?

GS loved it too, like many sites.

Do you quit gaming every time you read a review?

Games tend to have crappy stories, especially FPSes (obviously one or two exceptions). They aren't about complex narrative or philosophies, they're about having fun shooting everything else on the screen.

I play games to CARE about the people I play as. To hate the people I must kill. To connect, as I would in a movie, but to take it that extra step. To be able to act on what the story and characters make me feel.

Not just to be able to act at all

Graedien

What are those games ?

Ever since coming to college (halfway through my Spring term of Freshman year) I have played very few single player action/rpg/strategy games. Mostly Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Halo 3, etc; the social and party games.

Graedien

Just another person who is upset KZ 2 did not flop.

Besides those games you mentioned such as Mario Kart, Halo 3, Smash Bros have basically no stories and them and you cant get emotionally attached to the characters in them. But yet why do you play them? For the gameplay right? Thats exactly what KZ 2 has, great gameplay.