@Kingy Right? It feels like the game is being judged by reputation alone. "I've heard that DQ7 is long." Yeah, because a lot of stuff happens in it! It's antithetical to the idea that games can be a storytelling medium if throwing out story is seen as an improvement. If HBO said "Yeah, there were too many episodes of The Sopranos, so we deleted all but eight episodes per season from the streaming version." people would rightfully call that out. Even if it is a more "streamlined experience" befitting of what modern audiences expect from a TV show.
The bit about "I remember thinking at the very beginning, 'When will the battles start?'" makes me a little sad. Not necessarily in this instance, since the interviewee was recounting his feelings as a child. It makes me sad because that childish rubric for game quality seems to have permeated even to professional reviewers of this game.
Yes, the original game took a while before you got to the first battle. But that was a story decision. To make the transition from "safe home" to "dangerous outside world" more stark. The original's approach isn't unimpeachable by any means, and I actually like the way the opening quest was redesigned to be more streamlined (aside from the added pointless tutorial battle that takes the wind out of the "first battle signifying step into greater danger" thing but whatever). But, even though it's shorter, I've still seen several reviews being like "it still takes too long to get to the first battle." As though that were all Dragon Quest was!
It really feels like game critique has regressed if we're still judging a story-focused game on "But I wanna fight something!" The pace of DQVII has always been antithetical to the review process. It's long. It's episodic. If you have to binge it as fast as possible, you're going to have a bad time. I'm sympathetic to that plight. If someone said to me "Review Star Trek: The Next Generation. By the way, you have four days to watch the whole thing." that probably wouldn't lead to a positive experience. It just bums me out that game preservation inadequacies mean that the only way to experience a game is through the Abridged Version.
This might just be fandom heresay, but there was a rumor back in the day that the original ending of Dragon Quest VII was changed for being "too depressing." Not to get into spoilers, but it did involve Keifer, and would go a little way to explain his abrupt exit from the story. Nothing ever confirmed, but this new story content, combined with previous comments about audiences now being ready for a darker story makes me wonder if those old rumors were accurate.
Pokemon fans should love themselves more. I have no dog in this fight, but, man, the games look so...sterile? Have some higher standards for your art. I hear that new Digimon is good? Your brand loyalty is being exploited.
Comments 4
Re: Feature: "Reimagining The Scenario Was Necessary" - Making Old & New Fans Happy With Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined
@Kingy Right? It feels like the game is being judged by reputation alone. "I've heard that DQ7 is long." Yeah, because a lot of stuff happens in it! It's antithetical to the idea that games can be a storytelling medium if throwing out story is seen as an improvement. If HBO said "Yeah, there were too many episodes of The Sopranos, so we deleted all but eight episodes per season from the streaming version." people would rightfully call that out. Even if it is a more "streamlined experience" befitting of what modern audiences expect from a TV show.
Re: Feature: "Reimagining The Scenario Was Necessary" - Making Old & New Fans Happy With Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined
The bit about "I remember thinking at the very beginning, 'When will the battles start?'" makes me a little sad. Not necessarily in this instance, since the interviewee was recounting his feelings as a child. It makes me sad because that childish rubric for game quality seems to have permeated even to professional reviewers of this game.
Yes, the original game took a while before you got to the first battle. But that was a story decision. To make the transition from "safe home" to "dangerous outside world" more stark. The original's approach isn't unimpeachable by any means, and I actually like the way the opening quest was redesigned to be more streamlined (aside from the added pointless tutorial battle that takes the wind out of the "first battle signifying step into greater danger" thing but whatever). But, even though it's shorter, I've still seen several reviews being like "it still takes too long to get to the first battle." As though that were all Dragon Quest was!
It really feels like game critique has regressed if we're still judging a story-focused game on "But I wanna fight something!" The pace of DQVII has always been antithetical to the review process. It's long. It's episodic. If you have to binge it as fast as possible, you're going to have a bad time. I'm sympathetic to that plight. If someone said to me "Review Star Trek: The Next Generation. By the way, you have four days to watch the whole thing." that probably wouldn't lead to a positive experience. It just bums me out that game preservation inadequacies mean that the only way to experience a game is through the Abridged Version.
Re: Video: Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined Reveals A Familiar Face In New "Follow-Up" Trailer
This might just be fandom heresay, but there was a rumor back in the day that the original ending of Dragon Quest VII was changed for being "too depressing." Not to get into spoilers, but it did involve Keifer, and would go a little way to explain his abrupt exit from the story. Nothing ever confirmed, but this new story content, combined with previous comments about audiences now being ready for a darker story makes me wonder if those old rumors were accurate.
Re: Opinion: Pokémon Legends Z-A Is The Creepiest Entry Yet, Not In A Good Way
Pokemon fans should love themselves more. I have no dog in this fight, but, man, the games look so...sterile? Have some higher standards for your art. I hear that new Digimon is good? Your brand loyalty is being exploited.