Welcome to the July/August Review Arena Quarter Final! Thanks to your efforts, we've cut a bloody swathe through half of the entries, but there is still much work to do. With barely a moment to catch their breath, we're shoving our contestants back out into the ring.
However, this time, there is a twist. Rather than whole reviews, we are looking at closing statements, conclusions, if you will. Each review has been pared down to its very last paragraph. The twists don't end there though, no sir! Each one will also be anonymous!
That's right, no names, just words.
You have until 5pm GMT on Tuesday 9th September to cast your vote!
F.A.Q.
Q: How do I vote? A: Use the poll!
Q: I thought you said polls were for cowards? A: That was hyperbole. As the entries have been made anonymous, a poll is fine.
Q: Can we vote for ourselves? A: I'd prefer that you didn't, but there isn't a great deal I can do to stop you.
Q: Can I post up my vote? A: You can if you want, but it's the poll that counts this time round.
Q: Can we tell people which entry is ours? A: Certainly, that way people will know which entry has been disqualified.
Q: Disqualified! Isn't that a little harsh? A: Perhaps, but the point of this round is to remove as much personal bias as possible, although some are easier to identify than others.
Q: How many people will go through from each heat? A: The top two will advance to the semi-final. Will it be you? WILL IT?
Q: How are you defining 'very last paragraph'? A: I'm calling the block of text after the final carriage return the 'very last paragraph'. This means that some people have more than others and some people will have something that they didn't really consider to be their conclusion.
Q: Will winning this contest help me get into Harvard? A: Nope. Nor will it get you a high-powered job in the city or help you discover the cure for cancer. This is just for fun!
LET THE VOTING BEGIN!
Contestant 1 Cue thrill ride of elemental awesome told through amazing action plat forming, and you get the same amazing game play from this games predecessor. The story, while fragile with all the "convenient" twists, creates an atmosphere unrivaled by any game. The games boasts a dual ending option that requires some true Prince of Persia-ing, oh yeah, I just made it a verb. The game offers much to the hardcore gaming lot, if you're a casual gamer, you'll miss the depth and the amazing combat.
Contestant 2 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.
Contestant 3 That damn voice is everywhere. Even when I sleep I hear her... Wait. Did you hear that? Polito? Polito! Are you there? Answer me, dammit! Shit...! Okay then you sons of bitches, I'm waiting for you... Come and get me.
Contestant 4 These genetic upgrades are what make combat so diverse and entertaining, they let you light enemies on fire, re-enact the bee-hive scene from My Girl and throw bottles of whiskey at their heads (Why don't you love me daddy?!?!), you can also only carry a few around at a time, which makes it so that you have to strategize depending on the situation. Another thing that makes the combat fun is gene tonics, which give you minor upgrades in combat and in other things (Bow-chicka-wow-wow). The developers have been touting their so called moral choice system from day 1, but in the end whether you harvest or save little sisters really comes down to if you're an achievement whore, or if you're impatient. The funnest thing about the little sisters is fighting the big daddies that guard them, they're the only really challenging enemy of the game and it requires all you've got to beat them. Most of the boss fights are laughably easy, especially the last one, and the addition of instant reviving vita chambers makes it so that there are no consequences for your actions. The endings are polar opposites making you either feel awful or like a sissy. All in all though, I enjoyed Bioshock and would recommend it to everyone here.
Contestant 5 * originally "Star Control 2" ** open source *** Toys for Bob **** An expanded version may be played online.
I voted for 3... Though it's tough to judge based on conclusions. And the fact that some people (contestant 4) get substantially more content included than others (contestant 5).
wow, #5 got even a worse deal then I did last round
I almost managed to pull through a 2nd place finish...
I'm going for number 2.
It occurs to me that if any of my other reviews were going through this stage, I'd lose every time - all my final paragraphs have my name in them, and are just a preview for what's coming next, lol
The footnote thing is pretty unfair, since the contestants didn't know that would happen.
With regard to the footnotes, is there any reason you can think of that the information could not be integrated into the review itself? If I start pulling out text other than that after the final carriage return, this round stops being about the quality of the review's structure and becomes a contest of my editorial decisions.
The footnote thing is pretty unfair, since the contestants didn't know that would happen.
With regard to the footnotes, is there any reason you can think of that the information could not be integrated into the review itself? If I start pulling out text other than that after the final carriage return, this round stops being about the quality of the review's structure and becomes a contest of my editorial decisions.
nilcypher: If I start pulling out text other than that after the final carriage return, this round stops being about the quality of the review's structure and becomes a contest of my editorial decisions.
July/August Review Arena: Your Favourite Game.
Welcome to the July/August Review Arena Quarter Final! Thanks to your efforts, we've cut a bloody swathe through half of the entries, but there is still much work to do. With barely a moment to catch their breath, we're shoving our contestants back out into the ring.
However, this time, there is a twist. Rather than whole reviews, we are looking at closing statements, conclusions, if you will. Each review has been pared down to its very last paragraph. The twists don't end there though, no sir! Each one will also be anonymous!
That's right, no names, just words.
You have until 5pm GMT on Tuesday 9th September to cast your vote!
F.A.Q.
Q: How do I vote?
A: Use the poll!
Q: I thought you said polls were for cowards?
A: That was hyperbole. As the entries have been made anonymous, a poll is fine.
Q: Can we vote for ourselves?
A: I'd prefer that you didn't, but there isn't a great deal I can do to stop you.
Q: Can I post up my vote?
A: You can if you want, but it's the poll that counts this time round.
Q: Can we tell people which entry is ours?
A: Certainly, that way people will know which entry has been disqualified.
Q: Disqualified! Isn't that a little harsh?
A: Perhaps, but the point of this round is to remove as much personal bias as possible, although some are easier to identify than others.
Q: How many people will go through from each heat?
A: The top two will advance to the semi-final. Will it be you? WILL IT?
Q: How are you defining 'very last paragraph'?
A: I'm calling the block of text after the final carriage return the 'very last paragraph'. This means that some people have more than others and some people will have something that they didn't really consider to be their conclusion.
Q: Will winning this contest help me get into Harvard?
A: Nope. Nor will it get you a high-powered job in the city or help you discover the cure for cancer. This is just for fun!
LET THE VOTING BEGIN!