EXTREME FEVER.
December 29th, 2007 by xamountWhat makes you try any given game? For me to give Peggle a shot, it took two reviews. This negative-ish one by peterb, and this positive-ish one by GameTap’s own GamingRed.
Needless to say, I’m fairly hooked. And it really is a classic, addiction-level hook in that if I leave my computer (with Peggle still open but hidden behind a sea of windows) and then come back to it later, I feel slightly sick that the game is still sitting there. So I go to close it, figure I’ll give one more level a shot, and emerge a few hours later.
I can relate to peterb’s criticism that the game gives you little actual control — but I would argue that it’s the Vegas-perfected business of giving the illusion of control that makes this game so successful. That and the hilariously glorious level-ending slo-mo explosions of rainbows and candy. It’s like you hit the jackpot every time!
December 29th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
For me, probably the biggest thing that induces me to try a game is a comparison to other games that it’s either similar to, or that other people also liked. (Er, does that make sense?) I don’t really rely on reviews that much.
Also, a nice informative Wikipedia article helps. Not one that whitewashes a game to make it seem better, but one that provides real information about gameplay, basic storyline, minimum requirements, etc. An article with a POV slant will result in my spending time fixing the article instead of trying out the game
January 1st, 2008 at 1:39 am
I generally look at the ratings/reviews on Gamespot. I give the official review some weight, but I tend to read a lot of the viewer ratings/reviews comments. Metacritic is great, too.
January 1st, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I discovered Peggle because of the version included in the Orange Box. Upon playing it, I of course had to go buy the real version immediately afterwards.
No game involving unicorns and rainbows has any right whatsoever to be that damn fun.
As for the trying part… I don’t find reviews to be all that reliable in regards to what I will enjoy, so I just use them to get an overview of the gameplay and to be warned of any major technical issues.
After that, if it looks intriguing to me, I’ll give it a go.
Sometimes I get burnt (I bought Battlecruiser Millenium. Enough said.), sometimes I get a serious score (The Witcher!).
Such is life.