BMOC

Graven looks frickin awesome. I really hope the gameplay incorporates more than just run and gun, because that visual design and atmosphere deserves at least a little bit of slower paced gameplay, story, and puzzle solving.

It would help if it didn't look like a mobile game

@Kaori-chan Yeah I am sure it'll still be a great game, but it's a bit disappointing that you have so many indie developers coming out with incredible looking 2d platformers, and Nintendo can't bring out something that looks good. Pretty lazy.

One of their biggest franchises but the visuals look completely underwhelming.

Horrible art direction.

@smashboy2000 There is no depth of field effect...

If they are sitting on metroid prime trilogy, then I think they are real pricks.

@ChromaticDracula Just to be clear, it simply lowers the resolution of the game. It doesn't look at all like proper pixel art, it actually looks pretty crap with that filter on.

Find footage of it on youtube before letting that be the basis of your purchasing decisions, because you might be disappointed.

It's a great game though.

@Yanina hahahahahahahaa

Imagine the final smash....

I can't wait to see which sword wielding anime character they add!

@shani It's "wrong"? Why do you care if someone makes a product that doesn't appeal to you?

@CTmatic who on earth is suggesting you should buy a game in which you have no interest?

You act like this article kicked down your door and demanded you buy the game. But actually, it's an article you chose to read and comment on, and no one has any idea who you are or has made any demands of you.

I doubt it. For all their brilliance, nintendo make some stupid decisions. And one they seem to be determined to stick with is not porting some obvious first party games to switch. Why they prefer to leave this money on the table is beyond me. I would pay for games I already own just to avoid the clutter of multiple consoles under my TV.

Hope it's good, anything that makes people think about the impact humans have on other species is a good thing.

@Anti-Matter I can understand why "life simulation" is your favourite genre.

@RedKhan Yeah, well I think it stems from deep down knowing there is something not quite healthy about being attracted to pre-teen anime girls.

@RedKhan With all the replies I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to specifically.

@Dakotastomp Why? Because it hurts your feelings?

@Dakotastomp I think you're completely misrepresenting the review by claiming its objection is "ew boobs in games!" Is that really whatvyoubthinknis going on here? You think this reviewer would adopt the same attitude to any nudity in games? I don't think so.

@Dakotastomp "And if people don't come to sites like these to see reviews like this, then why are they still making reviews like these when it's clear that some people aren't keen on this sort of game?"

Because it's good entertainment for the rest of us.

And I'm not saying people don't, I'm saying they are foolish if they do.

I think you should stop seeking approval for your fetishes, just accept that some people find them off putting and move on. Christ, if I wanted the world to nod with approval about what turns me on, I would be sorely disappointed, I like some dirty sh*t. I accept that this is best kept to myself and those I engage in it with.

I also think there is something genuinely a bit off about a lot of this stuff. The way the Japanese sexualise underage girls, is something I'm comfortable with others ridiculing. I'm not saying I think it's unethical, or even unnatural, I'm just happy for that to be something that society generally frowns upon. It's creepy. And it's even more creepy if the people playing these games are grown men, rather than teenage boys.

I don't want it banned, I don't want it censored, I don't care if people are into it, but I think it's fine to send signals that it's a bit off.

@Alztru it fills empty slots with CPU opponents. If your opponent has a normal name like "John" and walks a lot, then they are probably CPU.

@Dakotastomp How is this game not a perv-fest? It's clearly the entire point of the game.

I think the reason those games get an 8 or 9 and this gets a 3 is probably because those games are a lot better than this.

Again, terms like "bias" and "one-sided" are just synonyms for "opinion" in this context. The reviewer is giving their opinion.

Look, story is an important part of video games. Would you rate the story of this game on par with The Witcher? I would assume not. The gameplay is poor, the graphics are poor, the story is poor, the entire appeal this game is riding on, is the perv-fest. You can call it something more diplomatic if you want, but that's what it is. Just as it's the entire point of a porn film. Doesn't mean I don't love porn, but I don't expect film critics to start rating them as highly as good films.

I wouldn't come to a site like this to read reviews of these sorts of games if I were into these sorts of games. They are basically porn games. What you want is unreasonable.

@Dakotastomp I think you're seriously confused. Yes it's fine to give a game a bad review because it doesn't appeal to you. That's exactly what a bad game is, an experience that is unappealing. What the hell else do you think it is?

You need to give up this delusion that this is an objective process.

There are very popular and highly rated games that I think are incredibly boring and unenjoyable. Diablo, for instance. Holds no appeal for me whatsoever. And if I were to review it, I would not give it a good rating.

To appeal to a wide audience a game review website will try to have reviewers that have wide tastes, that is true, because otherwise readership would drop. But it's just not practical to have reviewers that are enthusiasts of every kind of niche game experience that is out there. This is a niche game, it's also a crap game, that relies on enthusiasm for school girl anime porn to entertain the player. Guess what, not every review site is going to have a reviewer on hand that is into school girl anime porn. As such, you are just sh*t out of luck if you are hoping to find a review of such a game that is positive.

This is why people setup websites dedicated to niche interests. I'm sure there's a website or forum out there for people who are into this stuff to discuss it and review content, and if not, someone can start one.

"because a reviewer doesn't or shouldn't berate the fans and potential buyers as "Sex-mad" or "It's hard to believe people actually buy this"."

Why? Why doesn't or shouldn't a reviewer do this? It's A+ trolling, just look at the result, it's a brilliant decision.

Are you saying this is an unethical thing to do? Unless you are saying that, I see no grounds for saying the reviewer "shouldn't" do this.

"He could have easily said "If big booby anime girls are your thing, then this game has it, but the story is pretty barebones and the controls are rather clunky. 5/10"" Sure, he could have easily done that. And he could have easily done what he did. he did what he did.

@RiasGremory Lol, nice try.

Me defending the appropriateness of the reviewer to give their opinion in a review = in favour of censorship.

Anyone who isn't into anime school girl porn must be into censorship! How could you know be into this stuff?!?!? PRUDE!

Get a grip dude. I don't care what you like to look at. But getting upset because the reviewer doesn't share your tastes is just being a cry baby. This is trash, and it's fine to like trash, but it's also fine to call trash what it is. You want to feel validated by having reviews agree with your tastes. Look forward to continual disappointment. If you want that, spend more time on ecchi forums.

@RainbowGazelle You think "most men" like sexualised anime school girls? I like porn, and I like (or certainly have no objection to) sexual content in games. But I do not like this kind of cringey stuff

@Dakotastomp "I say the job of a reviewer is to review topics and genres you really have a passion for"

I say you're wrong.

"You don't put people in positions where they are most likely going to hate the subject"

In contrast you want to reviewers that are most likely to love the subject and thus give the highest ratings possible. How is that better?

"but I believe that games are art and art is subjective."

Exactly, which is why hoping for a review that is "objective" and free of bias is impossible. And really all the people calling for that just want a subjective take they find pleasing.

It's up to the reader to take into account the subjectivity of the reviewer and judge if the game is likely to appeal to them.

This is not about the quality of the "review" this is about people who are into this stuff getting upset that they are being mocked.

@RiasGremory You've made it clear that you think the reviewers shouldn't say things you disagree with.

Forgive me for not being swayed.

@Dakotastomp "Once again, NL proves how bias and useless of a news site it is when it comes to reviewing niche ecchi games"

What a great quote.

In other words, there is no on on staff who is into niche ecchi games. So what? It is niche, so that is not surprising. As such, the review is to be expected, and what's the point in whining about it? You recognise that the review is not by someone who shares your tastes, and so you factor that in.

Or do you think the job of a review site is to champion your particular tastes?!

@RiasGremory So? What's your point?

@Anri02 Why is it unprofessional? It seems perfectly professional to me. You just don't like the opinion.

What's wrong with that quote? I stand by that comment in the context of the discussion in which it took place.

@Anri02 I'll be honest, I do think you're stupid.

Are you disputing that these depictions of women are made so that they have childlike traits? Come on dude. Are you going to tell me that fetish for underage girls isn't much more prevalent in Japan than in the west?

That can be stated without it being a value judgement.

So you disagree with my analysis? You don't think people are upset because they feel persecuted over their fetish?

@Aya-chan They were probably sent the game for review. They probably have no one on staff that is into this stuff.

It's entertianing, it's interesting, and it generates website traffic, that's why.

If the target audience knows it's niche, and knows if it's for them or not, why do they care if a more mainstream website criticises the product? What's wrong with that?

@Anri02 Otaku is an insult?

Whether you find the term insulting or not, it doesn't constitute me taking the moral high ground. It's simply that these games appeal to a certain type of individual (call them what you like), and it's silly to expect the reviewing staff to be similar types of people.

You (and others whining in the comments) need to get over the fact that people don't share your tastes, and stop expecting them to, whether they be reviewers or commenters.

@Aya-chan So games should only be reviewed by those who are most likely to give them high scores? Why?

@Anri02 Nonsense. I freely admitted to having my own sick fetishes so your analysis makes no sense.

@Anri02 Where have I commented on morality?

@Taarna Definitely they should not be above the fray, they are fair game, I just think the criticisms lack merit. People complaining about "bias" as if there is such a thing as an "objective" review, are essentially saying "I like this stuff, so you should not dislike this stuff and express that in your review".

Wanting reviews to agree with your own opinion is a fool's errand. It's up to each individual to judge whether the reviewer's tastes align with their own when reading a review, and factor that into their buying decisions.

Anyway, I would just like NL to continue in this fashion so I am lending my voice to the fray.

@JoeyJoJo89 I disagree, they should keep reviewing them.

It creates traffic, it's entertaining for readers of the review, and the comments, and it's interesting to know these things exist.

That it makes a bunch of otaku's feel offended is a small price to pay. Those people could also just not read the reviews, and thus avoid getting triggered.

Perhaps NL should include an otaku trigger warning on such reviews.

@RiasGremory That doesn't answer my question, I wasn't challenging that there is a bias, I was asking why they need to "leave it out". Why do they? Why can't they take their biases into a review? There is no such thing as an unbiased review, it's an opinion.

Do you think the bias prevents them conveying to the reader what the game is going to be like? I doubt it. The review is still quite descriptive, I think anyone who reads the review knows what they are getting with this game.

@Prof_Yoshtonics That didn't even make sense

@Prof_Yoshtonics Or he has knowledge of it and doesn't like it? Or do we automatically have to respect anything cultural?

@RiasGremory Why do they need to leave out that bias? Because it hurts your feelings?

@NotTelevision I think the issue is that there are a bunch of otaku's who feel persecuted by society for having a fetish for women that are made to look like underage girls (but definitely not underage because bit tits yo!!!!), feel that NintendoLife is perpetuating prejudice towards them.

I would just get over that, and enjoy your smut. I'm sure not everyone likes my sexual fetishes, but being on a crusade to convince them that they should approve is stupid. I'll just keep my fetishes to myself...

I think people who are upset by this should just accept that they have a fetish that is not accepted by mainstream society. Unless people are actually seeking you out to persecute you, I wouldn't waste too much time getting upset that people feel a sense of disgust over what turns you on.

How do you think scat enthusiasts feel? And if there was a game that had poor gameplay, and a shallow story, and served mainly as a vehicle for imagery of people pooing on each other, what kind of review would you expect it to get?

Lol, get over it. Find a website with an editorial slant you agree with if you don't like it. All review websites have an editorial slant, it's up to individuals to take that into account and make their purchasing decisions accordingly, because that is the main purpose of reviews.

Hahahaha, let the triggering of people attracted to anime girls begin!

There are better beat em ups than SOR anyway, I dunno why you're so bothered.

@WiltonRoots it's not so much the sound effects I'm referring to, though I agree that will help, it's a visual thing. I think it stems from the fact that as you get higher resolution 2d graphics in a game like this, it becomes more visually apparent that what you're really looking at are flat cardboard cutouts moving around with the illusion of depth. I think that's masked with lower resolution graphics, where as here, it just doesn't look to me (some of the time) as if things are really connecting.

@impurekind Fair enough. But I wouldn't say they have failed to capture the original, that implies they were trying to achieve something that they have not been able to. I think the visuals capture the mood of the original, but it's obviously a different art style.

If I were to see this game running, but with different characters, it would still remind me most strongly of SOR.

The only issue I have with it visually is that you don't always get the impression that the punches/kicks are actually making solid contact with enemies.

@impurekind That you don't like it is fine, I don't love it either, but trying to suggest your opinion is "objective fact" is ridiculous. It's a subjective assessment. Stop being such a man baby.

@Anti-Matter Thank you for the advice, I shall go forth into the world and live as you suggest

@Anti-Matter Can you teach me how to be so edgy?