gamesource
08-19-2006, 03:41 AM
The latest issue of Independent Playstation Magazine (PSM) has a cover story and massive review of the latest Final Fantasy title.
After thoroughly reading the review, its safe to say that it (along with many of PSM's reviews) has the trademarked FAQ-not-Review syndrome. The majority of the review is spent explaining the intricacies of the new battle system, the size of the enviroment, the game's storyline, and many more secrets that are meant to be experienced while playing. Very little of the review offers any insight into how the game feels as an epic RPG experience.
Even the cover of the magazine refers to the review as "14 Pages of In-Depth Analysis". That "in-depth analysis" is fine, but it should be in a FAQ/Guide section, not in a review which is meant to give the reader a sense of the game's potential entertainment value, rather than acting as a surrogate for a strategy guide or the manual.
Normally I wouldn't bring up this issue because:
A- It's a pretty common occurance in professional game reviews.
B- The issue of reviews lacking depth on a game's fun factor has come up on Gamers With Jobs:Conference Call.
C- Most reviews are not 14 pages of fluff.
After thoroughly reading the review, its safe to say that it (along with many of PSM's reviews) has the trademarked FAQ-not-Review syndrome. The majority of the review is spent explaining the intricacies of the new battle system, the size of the enviroment, the game's storyline, and many more secrets that are meant to be experienced while playing. Very little of the review offers any insight into how the game feels as an epic RPG experience.
Even the cover of the magazine refers to the review as "14 Pages of In-Depth Analysis". That "in-depth analysis" is fine, but it should be in a FAQ/Guide section, not in a review which is meant to give the reader a sense of the game's potential entertainment value, rather than acting as a surrogate for a strategy guide or the manual.
Normally I wouldn't bring up this issue because:
A- It's a pretty common occurance in professional game reviews.
B- The issue of reviews lacking depth on a game's fun factor has come up on Gamers With Jobs:Conference Call.
C- Most reviews are not 14 pages of fluff.