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Red Guard  Posts: 1373 Joined: 16 Dec 2007     | |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2384 Joined: 29 Nov 2007    | There comes a time when a sequel to a truly epic game must be made. A time when a hero's life changes and he takes drastic steps into manhood. A time when whacked out Arabian techno must be replaced with heavy metal and women in metal BDSM. This, is the Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within.
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3962 Joined: 30 Jan 2008   | I'm second. Please don't hate me. A games replay value is a crucial factor. Sure, gameplay, visuals and story are all essential for a game, but if you can't play it again and get some more joy from it, you may as well just return it to the store. The joy you can get from reliving the events and the multiple ways to achieve the same end are the deciders of replay value, and there are few games that deliver both in such a perfect harmony as Hitman : Blood Money. The 4th in the line of Hitman games, Blood Money is a game made by a younger IO interactive - one that didn't need bribe money to get good reviews. The game continues the series gameplay of letting the player blend into the crowd - moving with packs, not drawing attention to themselves, and swapping clothes as the need arises. However, Blood Money takes the whole thing in anew direction in a few ways - 1, you are actually paid for your assassinations, and since 47 isn't exactly using the money for a night on the town, you can spend it on bribing away your international heat caused by bad playing, paying for information, or upgrading your tools of the trade. And 2. - Traps. Have you ever been stuck in a badly acted play, looked up at the lights, and had this image of the entire rigging coming crashing down, crushing the lead? Do you want to? Or have you ever seen someone standing at the epicentre of a pyrotechnics display, and had the image of a misfire? Agent 47 still carries his trusty Ballers, his fiber wire and his lockpick, but now the environment he finds himself in is his weapon too. The possibilities for getting through a level are numerous, like all other stealth games, but diverse enough that you can feel delighted when a new action causes a new reaction. Your methods can range from crushing targets, to sniper fire, poisoning, drowing, being ripped apart by gators and sharks, and having someone else shoot them for you. One criticism some may find is that the game rips off a fair amount of the plot of the Metal Gear Solid series - you have Agent 47's albino clone brother, and the battle with him at a universally recognised area, as well as a shadowy organisation that controls the White House for its own ends. If you really wanted, you could feel cheated by that. Or you could get on with snapping the neck of the riverboat captain who anally rapes his busboys. Its your call. The game is available on the Ps2, the 360 and Windows, so for the majority of us it should be easy to grab a copy. Hitman : Blood Money is a must for the sadist in all of us. Buy it and keep it near the top of the pile |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2922 Joined: 14 Jan 2008   | I thought, well what's the worst that could happen if I join in? I came to the conclusion that I would be eliminated in the first round as worst case scenario so, here is my review of Gears of War: Every now and again, a new game will come out of the blue and blow the world away. Back in 2006 that game was Gears of War; the third-person, squad based, tactical shooter. This game featured stunning graphics, an epic campaign and an insane amount of gore. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 147 Joined: 7 Mar 2008   | Kotor review. There aren't many people in this world that love Bioware as I do. Those developers, like a guardian angel that kept watch over me in my cradle as a crying, perpetual waste excreting infant, guided me with impeccable wisdom through my earliest years of gaming whilst I was totally ignorant of their benign presence. As an eight year old, something drew me to play Baulder's Gate on my older brother's computer. Although it was challenging for me at that age to delve into such an adventure, the promise of a wonderful tale kept me going. But when I grew into adolescence, the new games on powerful machines pulled me away from Baulder's Gate. Fortunately, I was quick to grow out of that awkward age and find the glories of Jade Empire. It was then that my nameless benefactor in gaming was revealed. "Dude you need to play this game, it's awesome!" I touted in my pride of being an owner of Jade Empire to a friend of mine. He, being of a hardcore PC gaming breed, suggested that I try Knights of the Old Republic another Bioware masterpiece. Thus I did. Another friend of mine lent me his Xbox version. He didn't see it again for 9 months. There have been a couple games in my gaming career whose rolling credits have filled me with sadness. A mix of despair for the end of the great adventure and a feeling that all other games are mediocre at best was brought on by the ends of Halo: CE and Jade Empire, but Kotor overshadowed them both. Kotor is the world's greatest joining of the Star Wars universe and RPG game-play there has ever been. Those of us who have grown used to Jedi Knight's amazing light saber battles giving us irreparable carpel tunnel in our index finger may find the D20 round-based combat slow, but it also has the ability to quickly capture the hearts of RPG gamers like myself, along with the deeply detailed character management that would allow you to micromanage your jedi's powers and weapons into exactly what you wanted them to be. Not to mention the augmentation of the feeling of satisfaction after destroying your enemies in knowing that you gave your adventurers that delicious power. But, Kotor's story is the huge, glimmering ruby among all the jewls in this game. All of the characters, from Mission to HK-47 -- especially HK-47 - give the player wonderful subplots to explore. It's a flawless epic easily comparable to the movies that created the Star Wars universe itself. To this day, I consider it a heinous crime against the gaming community to reveal any relevant detail of its amazing story to one who hasn't played it, punishable by being smothered with one's own removed liver. Not to say the game is totally faultless, but an RPG gamer won't even notice any problems. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 220 Joined: 16 Nov 2007   | Alright, after a long, long hiatus, I have returned. As you step off the space ship that brings you to the beginning of the game, you see people walking past you, relieved to be back on solid ground. A man is wheeled past you in a futuristic stretcher. You tell the hospital worker to make sure he lives because he owes you credits. The worker looks at you and deadpans that his recovery will take a while. As the camera zooms out to look at the planet-wide city known as New Manhattan, you begin to realize that the tale of Edison Trent is going to be anything but easy.
One thing that many people will notice as soon as they play the game is the control scheme- it's a lot simpler than most combat sims in that you don't need a fracking joystick or peripheral. Yes, the game allows you to use the mouse and your keyboard to control your ship. And it does a superb job at it- the mouse feels natural at piloting your craft. Using the keyboard can take a little getting used to, though. This control scheme allows you to shoot at enemies that aren't in the center of the screen, which is great because there's no radar. While this simplified combat style may turn off the 'hardest of the hardcore', it allows newbies into the fray without as much confusion. The central idea of the game is that you can do whatever job you want to do, whenever. But you'll have to play the central story in order to really unlock most of what the game has to offer, which is your standard space-opera fare that you've come to expect from the genre (although it's presented pretty darned well here). And even then, there's only a few kinds of jobs that the game gives out, which can pretty much be summed up with kill everybody, a specific someone, or recover something by killing someone. The galaxy in which you play is VERY expansive though, with around two dozen factions to gain or lose favor with. Your reputation is very important in determining which stations you can visit and who attacks you. Let's say you attack a Kusari Navy ship. The Hogasha, the Kusari Navy, and the Kusari Police won't like that. But the Golden Chrysanthemums, the Blood Dragons, and the Outcasts will. And you'll ALWAYS piss off the Xenos, but really, they're useless. Freelancer is by no means a revolution, but it's an unsung game in a dormant genre. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 3353 Joined: 2 Dec 2007   | Ohh, thanks for the new round Wilson. This was fun last time, so here's my 500 words exact. Here's in it to win it: Black Mesa, New Mexico, a large underground secretive facility, citylike in size, a lone security officer must fulfill his government ordered shoes in order to save a handful of scientists this man had no acquaintance with previously. His name is Barney Calhoun and this is his story:
Something, somewhere has gone wrong. An alien menace has just been unleashed and slaughtered your friends and co-workers, wrecking havoc and generally disturbing the peace. Where did it come from? Is anyone safe? How far has it reached? With unexplained questions and a sore head from a drop in the elevator shaft, Barney awakes to find himself looking straight at the image of some kind of monster munching happily away on something that was human. The security guard of the former Black Mesa science base has a new mission, to survive and help those that are still alive. Like Half Life, Blue Shift gives you control of one of the many members of Black Mesa. Starting his day off reasonably normal, but running late trapped on a train, you are instantly thrown into the fray, when unbeknownst to you Gordon Freeman has taken part in a test that has unleashed the wraith of Xen onto Earth. As in Half Life, it gives you many problem solving puzzles, faculty personal to interact with and aliens to kill while journeying through the much dilapidated ex-base.
Unlike Opposing Forces (another add-on for Half Life, wherein you take control of solider Sheppard) there are no new weapons, abilities or aliens to interact or kill. It is also a lot shorter then any of the Half Life games so far. Easily finished in under ten hours, most problems are easily accomplished and there are absolutely no bosses. The difficulty curve is steady as you move from smaller aliens to the feared soldiers, no mentioning of the black ops ninja unit. All the negative of the game however, subtly makes me appreciate it more. You're no Gordon; you wear a flak jacket not a HEV suit. The only way to gain armour is to find it; it's a tad useless to plug it into the wall. Unlike Sheppard, you're no soldier. While he's fighting head on with his knife, sniper rifle and years of experience and training, the most you've ever done was fire a pistol at a still paper target. You would last little under two seconds against an actual boss like all the guards before you. Come on, admit it, who didn't send the unfortunate guards to their deaths in the other Half Life games like some army of blue shirt wearing redshirts?
To wrap this up, the game is short and sweet to make me value it over Opposing Forces. Just playing as the lovable Barney Calhoun is enough for the price tag alone. So while Half Life may be the main course and Opposing Forces the desert, Blue Shift would be the little cupcake on the side. Underappreciated but mouthwatering delicious. Grab yourself a copy! |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 84 Joined: 29 Apr 2008    | What would you get if you mixed GTA, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and Half Life 2? Star Wolves plays like Homeworld with less units but more RPG elements. Basically, you are controlling a group of up to six mercenaries and their mothership on their way to becoming rich and famous. In between the missions you buy upgrades, weapons and ships and spend experience to upgrade your mercenaries unique abilities and skills. The reason why I consider Star Wolves the best game of all times is the degree of perfection it has reached in every single aspect. The story about this bunch of self-serving badasses is refreshingly different from the usual black and white shiny hero and evil alien/monster/professor and offers a lot of choices which allow you to choose your level of altruism. The gameplay is working almost perfectly, the mixture between tricky tactical space battles and RPG elements is close to addictive. The difficulty curve is the best I have ever experienced, every mission is challenging, but never unfair and always manageable. The soundtrack consists of an interesting mixture between Rock and Electronic and fits incredibly well into the space scenario. Star Wolves is entirely bug-free, the only minor bug that has made into the game was patched. The dialogues are incredibly well written and the voice acting also did a solid job. The game offers an surprising amount of choices, ranging from the order in which you complete your missions to actually influencing the course of some missions and later on even choosing between two factions and as such two paths and two different endings. The Missions are amazingly well designed and include escorts, smuggling, assassinations, ambushes, giant space battles and fights against gigantic battleships, and also feature surprising twists and turns and changes in objectives and situations mid-mission. That's the good way to put it, but as a result one could also say that hardly any mission can be completed without reloading very often since some of the scripted events are unfair. Unfortunately the criticism doesn't stop here, the beginning of the game is a bit boring, with only controlling two mercenaries there are hardly any tactical possibilities and the battles luck factor is even more important than in the late game, where it is still noticeable. Even with fourfold speed, you will still sometimes have to wait until your mothership has repaired itself and on very few occasions your ships will crash into one another or accidentally hit friendly ships. But this is criticism on a high level, all you really need to know is this: Star Wolves is an incredibly clever, well-designed, challenging and refreshingly new game experience. |
Paperboy Posts: 27 Joined: 19 Jun 2008 | Sounds fun, I'll pitch in: Starfox 64, also known as Lylat Wars, was Nintendo's second foray into the world of the animal-themed rail shooter (the first being the almost-as-good SNES prequel). Most levels can be basically be described as similar to R-Type or Gradius, but viewed from behind your ship, although a few play more like a basic version of Ace Combat instead, allowing complete freedom of movement over a small area. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 189 Joined: 5 Jul 2008 | Most games have obvious flaws that are important... No game is perfect, but some have attention to detail, intense polish, and magical depth, that despite its flaws, draws you in and holds you for a long, long time. This is the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Oblivion is the kind of game that will stay in your console for a very, very long time. Like it's predecessor Morrowind, this game takes free-roaming elements to the the extreme with miles and miles of open country to explore, and dozens of quests to complete. This is a first-person action RPG, with intense action, and a leveling system that likely surpasses any game made to this point. This game takes every flaw found in Morrowind and fixes it tenfold. The land of Morrowind was bleak, and dry, but Oblivion is full of lush, green forests that actually seem real. Instead of having to walk too far to complete a quest, this game implements fast travel, which lets you travel instantly to any major city or other place you found, but this is not teleportation. Game time passes as if you walked there, and the system is limited perfectly, and well balanced. The leveling is superb in Oblivion; it tailors itself exactly to your play style. After character creation, you choose a specialization; either Melee, Magic, or Stealth. Then, you pick skills that start out higher. The more you use these skills the faster they increase. Once you get 10 increases in your chosen skills, you level up, and increase your attributes, in likely the deepest leveling system existing. Another key aspect is level scaling. It is quite simple. Enemies are divided into tiers based on type and organized based on strength. Depending on your level, you will be fighting a certain enemy matched to you. In such a free world this is essential, because you can take on any mission at any time for challenge at any level. Speaking of missions, there are 5 storylines; a main quest, four more guild storylines, and numerous miscellaneous quests that feel unique and provide 200 hours of gameplay. A game like this is not without flaws, as said before, and there are a few. One problem is that many of the dungeons look too similar. Most dungeons not involved in quests tend to blend together. Another problem is with acting. Although the acting itself is high quality, the same actors are used over and over. For a game with hundreds of NPCs this isn't a problem, except that the more important people don't have unique voices. For example, the lord of Necromancers sounds like a lowly shopkeeper. Despite all its flaws, Oblivion is a rare game that shows the care the developers paid to every detail, to make it the most polished, deep, and lifelike game I have ever played, and probably one of my favorite games ever. I give it my most profound and enthusiastic recommendation. |
Paperboy  Posts: 16 Joined: 22 Jul 2008 | This is my review of portal. It is exactly 500 words. I couldn't' figure out how to put pictures in :( i hope you like it anyway. Zomni42's review of Portal: The gamer community has rarely been unified. The community divides itself into camps faster than you can say "THIS IS A MUMORPUGER!" PC gamers and Console gamers, PS3 owners and Xbox360 owners, Turn base and twitch base, MMORPG players and everyone else. However, some games have come close to Unifying the Community. When a game is released, no matter how remarkably Bad a game is it will find some pocket of fans. A truly rare game is the one that is almost universally considered "Freakin' Awesome." The game that brought us together, I give you Portal. Portal was released over the steam client by valve and in the Orange box for the Xbox 360. Those that didn't have access to it quickly heard of it from those of us who did. The physics of the Source engine were put through rigors heretofore unheard of. The engine was even tweaked around the event horizon of the titular portals to keep everything running smoothly. Before Portal, the ability to teleport was already a popular concept, but it was often looked over as a primary game mechanic. Portal's level design delivered an unprecedented myriad of solutions to the puzzles which the story complimented extraordinarily. Many of us, on all sides of the Console wars, either side of the fence of MMORPG's, even PS3 owners, can quote GLaDOS from our favorite parts. While there were only two characters in the entire game(three if you count companion cube, which we know YOU DO), but each was three dimensional(really, there's a cube, a person, and a Computer all with height, breadth, and depth) and drove the story. Hints and references to the Half-Life games abound bringing a sense of connectedness with an even deeper game world. The game experience is unlike anything that has come before, and likely a similar one won't come until a sequel. The stark laboratory walls with an a occasional rat-man hole evoked a sense of aloneness which made the disembodied voice of GlaDOS all the more tantalizingly mysterious, drawing you into the larger story of the game. The +1 game mechanic starts small, but quickly builds you up into solving three dimensional, inertia-conserving, acid-floored, super-colliding-super-button mashing, turret hugging, "test chambers" which play out like you got put into the rat maze from Heaven, or Hell, depending on how well your doing at the moment. The Twitch base players found portal placement vital, the Turn based players found planning out the solutions to the puzzles more and more intricate. The Puzzle game players thought they'd died and gone to heaven while the Halo demographic found themselves dropping turrets through walls, ceilings and floors (not necessarily in that order) and loving every minute of it! The freedom of the Portal gun was absolute, and found its way onto EVERYONE's Christmas list, or failing that, just the game itself. We can all agree on Portal. |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1925 Joined: 8 May 2008  | Ooh! Ooh! My turn! Wake up...Mr. Freeman, wake up and smell the...awesome. I generally don't like using awesome as a descriptor because it's too broad and so overused it no longer possesses any real meaning; but, should someone ask me to describe Half Life 2 in one word or less, I would have to go with "awesome, in every sense of the word".
From the moment your train pulls into the station, and you step out to see trash blowing on the pavement, Dr. Breen welcoming you to City 17, CPs, citizens, vortigaunts, and utter sense of despair. You feel oppressed and powerless. Everyone around you is sad, beaten and downtrodden. You are instantly immersed, and this is something very few games can do. The calm doesn't last long, however, and you're soon the target of every combine in and out of the city. The physics engine shines with the full fury of The enemy AI is good, sometimes great but sadly the same cannot be said for those little rascals that keep nipping at your ankle. The resistance fighters' (or your "squad") hobbies appears to be standing in front of doors and stairs while telling you to reload your crowbar, and beyond that they aren't good for much. Everyone's favorite head humpers make their return, and with friends; Half Life 2 introduces the poison and fast head crabs as well as their zombie counterparts. The combine are bigger, badder, and smarter then Xen and they aren't afraid to show it. Gordon will take on Citizen patrol, Soldiers, Elites, synth drop ships, and striders-synth tripods and that's just the combine. Since Xen invaded earth a number of species have grown fond of our world and taken up residence. The vortigaunts are now humanities' ally but the same cannot be said for head crabs, or antlions...or leeches. Also there's this strange man in a suit and a briefcase that seems to be following you... Half Life 2 takes what Half Life did and ran with it, past the finish line, and out of the stadium. From the very first time you talk whack a CP with a crowbar, to then end Half Life 2 is an immersive experience with challenging puzzles and intense fire fights. Half Life 2 is a beautiful game, rivaling some games being made today and blowing every game from 2004 to hell and back; the world of Half Life 2 is full of detail and surprises (a note on Dr. Kleiner's tag board reads "remember to find more watermelon for Lamar"). The story is great and character animations unprecedented, as well as some admirable voice acting. By and by, Half Life 2 is an amazing game, and hey, it's only 20 USD, so go try it out...now! |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1504 Joined: 5 Dec 2007  | Gaming is a truly unique art form, the core concept both allows and demands that the viewer takes a role transcending just watching/listening/reading something. Some developers don't realize this. They don't count right now, but rather those who know how to mix gameplay and story to fully utilize gaming. These people know the tools of the trade but often lack vision to give us a new experience, like the brilliant Call of Duty 4, that unfortunately told a story we have heard so many times before and works just fine in movie or novel form. But there is one game that excels, one game that sees the potential of the art form, one that actually gives us a new and unique experience that couldn't have happened in any other medium: Portal! Released last fall to rave reviews it was highly praised for innovative game mechanics and brilliant writing, but I found that most reviews missed the point. Portal Gun, clean visuals, clever puzzles, GLaDOS and how out of the blue it was. But none of those alone make it a great game and even together there are much more subtle forces active here.
You see, the keywords for the game aren't Cake or Lies, they are vulnerability, isolation, insanity and loneliness. I read in an interview with Kim Swift (the lead developer) that the idea for the Companion Cube came from a CIA report about torture; TORTURE! The game messes with your mind in the craziest ways possible, the player truly becomes a victim of GLaDOS madhouse. Even thought you are free to progress thought your designated path it is clear that this freedom is just an illusion set up to fool you; prisoner. But this works because nothing creates a greater desire for freedom then captivity and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, the player is never hopeless.
All that you need to say about the gameplay is that you solve puzzles by creating linked "portals" in walls, floors and ceilings. The puzzles are numerous, clever and creative and quite interesting, but make the game rather galling to replay due to their linear nature. Valve uses excellent visual directing and brilliant learning curves just as we have come to expect from them for great effect. But most importantly of all they are seamlessly integrated into the overall story and make it so much more engrossing.
In my eyes Portal is the perfect game, there are no real faults. The game might not be huge, it might not let you change the fate of an empire or save the world, but great art isn't about that, great art makes you feel and Portal makes me feel more then any other game has. It is the Karamazov of gaming, the Lear of zeros and ones, the Picasso of interactive entertainment. |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 70 Joined: 22 Jul 2008 | Here's a little something from a noob! Catharsis. A word that means, among other things, a purgation of emotion or tension. There are many ways to achieve catharsis, and among them is the application of violence. Now in our enlightened times, there really aren't many ways of achieving such catharsis that won't get you arrested. Perhaps that's why video games, especially violent ones, have become so widespread. But for me, the ultimate cathartic game has to be Manhunt.
You play James Earl Cash, a death-row inmate granted a new lease on life. For what purpose? An enigmatic pervert calling himself The Director has promised Cash freedom in exchange for his help in filming the most brutal deaths imaginable. So off Cash goes, with The Director guiding his actions by way of an ear piece.
Sounds simple enough? Well, not quite. You're often outnumbered by your opposition. And Cash himself isn't Superman, as only a few hits are between you and oblivion. Fortunately, hiding in shadows prevents the enemy from seeing you (usually). You can also use objects and knocks as aural deception, allowing you to sneak up behind your opponents for stealth executions. There are flaws, like difficult camera angles and tricky gun targeting later in the game, but on the whole game play is polished and easy enough to master after a few hours. It's the psychological aspect, however, that makes the game shine. Death is disturbingly realistic. Throw a plastic bag over a foe's head, and he'll struggle with you as he gasps his last. Bludgeon someone with a crowbar, and you'll be treated to the sickening crunch of a caved-in skull, complete with blood spatters obscuring the screen. And all the while, The Director eggs you on. He wants it bloody and painful, and he isn't shy about saying so. He also isn't shy about praising your efforts. Lines like, "You're stacking up those corpses like it was Judgment Day!", and "You're really getting me off, Cash. I haven't been this hard since...well, let's not talk about that.", remind you not only just what it is you're doing, but just WHO you're doing it for: a depraved psychotic who sees death as the ultimate art. There's been a lot of controversy over this game. I can understand that, but I honestly see the game in a different light. Sure, you get to cause graphic wholesale slaughter. But always The Director is there, reminding you of the consequences of enjoying your handiwork too much. The game becomes increasing more uncomfortable to play as time goes on. And that's a GOOD thing! It's one thing for a game to glory in violence, and quite another when it reminds us just how horrifying violence truly is, and what giving in to such impulses can do to someone. Manhunt gets under your skin like few games can. And that's what makes it great.
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 2759 Joined: 13 Feb 2008  |
You have 3 new messages Sonny? Tommy. We may have a problem.
Sonny. Calm down. What did you expect? I've only just been released. Fifteen years. I'll find it, the money that is. In the mean time you should think about moving some of the guys down here. This city is the most beautiful place I've seen. Sometimes I'll just go driving during just as the sun goes down with the music blaring just to really soak in the experience.
Speaking of the music, there's some good talent there we really gotta look at. There's everything from Brutal Rock to Love Songs to this New Wave stuff, and most of the cars even have eight-tracks so you can put your own music in. As for your money, I've already made some contacts and there's a more than enough ways to get it back. Hell, I could just beat up passers by, but the law don't like that. The police may be idiots, but trouble soon escalates up to FBI proportion here. I'm marking a whole set of bribes down on my account, so this better be getting back to me sometime. Just gotta switch car, hold on. Ey, what are you doing, puta? Like I was saying...ey...this is a nice car. There's loads of ways I can see to get your money back Sonny, but there's also the straight path, if I wanted to follow that coked up lawyer of yours. But... Be right back, the Haitians are firing at me. Think I went on too many rampages through their streets. |
July/August Review Arena: Your Favourite Game.
Welcome to The Escapist review arena. Veterans and neophytes alike, it's time to sharpen your wit for the second Escapist community review arena.
Arena rules: This month's contest is to review your favourite game in under 500 words. Gladiators must abide by a few simple rules. Your review must be under 500 words. Reviews must not include spoilers and all entries must be submitted by August 20th. Only one entry per warrior. To enter you must post your review in this thread.
Judging: As with the last review arena reviews will be judged by your peers, and people will be eliminated from the contest in tiers. To reach the highest tiers you may have to endure some twists and turns. I suggest considering that when writing your review and plan for all occasions.
Prizes: Aside from the undying respect of the community at large you will also receive a custom title, lovingly crafted by a veteran team of Escapist word-smiths.
FAQ
Q. Why are we having a contest?
A. It's fun to compete against strangers for the respect of persons you've never met in real life.
Q. Why 500 words, can I have 501 words?
A. Limiting the number of words forces you to be creative and self edit. Stick to the limit if you really want to participate.
Q. May I have less than 500 words?
A. By all means.
Q. Do I have to count each word by hand?
A. No, most major word processors have a built in word count feature.
Q. I don't have a word processor, do I really need one?
A. Word processors come highly recommended. Aside from the basic features like word count and spell check, a word processor can help with some basic grammar. If you don't feel like spending money on an expensive writing program you can find an excellent free word processor at: openoffice.org.
Q. Can I vote for myself?
A. No, but at your own peril you may vote for other participants.
Q. I noticed you mentioned "no spoilers" what does that mean?
A. A spoiler is anything reveals details of the story to include but not limited to; script, plot developments, and pretty much anything you think someone wouldn't know about the story by watching previews and reading the manual. When in doubt, leave it out.
Q. Do I have to finish the game before I write my review?
A. That is up to you. If you feel that you can give a fair opinion without having finished it then feel free to play as much or as little as you like. That having been said, if you didn't finish your favourite game what does that say about you?
Q. May I post pictures in my review; will they have any effect on the contest?
A. Pictures will be removed from the official entries. It is also important to note that we will remove colour and header tags once the contest has begun.
Q. May I change my review once it has been posted?
A. You have three days after you originally post the review until the time we update the official entries.
Please post any questions you may have in this thread, I will add them to this FAQ as I get them.
P.S. This thread is heavily moderated. This isn't a review discussion thread. Some posts may be removed to keep this thread clean as people post their reviews. That doesn't mean you shouldn't cheer for your favourite writers. Please do, just be aware that your cheers may be removed for clarity's sake.