Yes, after a month-long hiatus, Best of Chatterbox has returned! I've been too busy pretending to have a writing 'career' of late, so last week I asked if a regular Gamesblog commentator fancied having a bash. And Limni bravely stepped up to the plate.
"I can see why you had to drop it, took me a good few hours," he admitted. There, see! Luckily, he had Office Pest to help out.
Anyway, here are the goods. I think Limni and Pest (surely an ITV detective duo in the making) have done a grand job.
This is the week that was last week. Next week: this week!
Part One: GTA 4
Plenty to talk about, at least in the early part of the week. Alimantado got the conversation rolling on Monday with his observations on GTA4: "Oh yeah, just to reiterate, I tried to get into GTAIV over the weekend and failed miserably. I think it's over-hyped dull pap. Anyone care to show me the error of my ways?"
CBPodge agreed: "+1 for GTAIV being dull nonsense". This seemed to be the general consensus. "GTA4 just isn't fun. It's good, impressive, but feels like a chore," added TonyHayers.
Alimantado didn't even bother buying it: "Sent it back to LoveFilm - what a pile of pap! I've no idea why anyone rates it - I can see it was a huge jump forward when they went 3D but the gameplay by now is so stale and the controls are a joke."
From dbot: "GTAIV was technically and artistically impressive, but a lot of the freewheeling, cascading fun had been drawn out of it. Some of that returns in the multiplayer aspects, but just not enough. A return to an identifiable, satirize-able era would be welcomed by this player."
Jihad was slightly less negative: "GTA4 is immersive not fun, although I had 'fun' playing noose and bomb the base at the weekend".
Only a couple came forward to sing its praises, first Nattydread: "I think GTA 4 is great. Vigilante missions, stunt jumps etc are great. The physics engine and the AI are fantastic. From a coding perspective it's a masterpiece.
"Although I admit it does have less content and fun than the earlier GTA games. But perhaps that is to make it a bit more realistic and gritty? Just in the few end missions now. I love it."
Then Smike: "I finally got round to finishing it this week and I thought it was great. It dragged on a bit towards the end but that's better than being too short.
"The main thing for me was that this was the first GTA game I've played so it was probably a lot fresher for me than a lot of the people who've said its was all a bit samey."
Keef adds: there seems to have been a similar backlash among games journalists recently (though I'll prevent myself from showing them the review scores). I still think it's fun, though another 'period' installment would be welcome. What about a fifties LA sleaze-fest - lots of guys in sharp suits murdering each other over 'broads'?
Part Two: FIFA v PES
This long and painful war dominated the next few days. Spew's review of the FIFA demo is too long to repeat in it's entirety. Fortunately he was able to provide this little snippet: "The linesmen have fetching little flags". After a heartfelt plea for responses, the floodgates opened.
OfficePest was straight to the point: "Sorry for not commenting on your FIFA post, but it's football-game-related, hence I can't even face reading it."
Dizzyisanegg had a similar sentiment for a differing reason: "In short I skipped your comment knowing full well, in my heart of hearts, that any new FIFA will not be as good as the '95 edition. I imagine most other poster here did the same." TonyHayers was less diplomatic: "FIFA? That was a shite review of a shite demo, of a poor game. We do have standards."
The FIFA fight-back began with a long post from Naboomagnoli – again too long to repeat in full, he began: "Spew, I'm very much looking forward to FIFA 09 and so is anyone else looking for more from their football games than cheap and easy goals, or a game that only works offline."
He slightly spoils an otherwise pretty valid critique by calling those who doubt FIFA's credentials "numbskulls" and risks a Hulk-esque response from TonyHayers by noting, "Hayers can barely pass the ball as it is and it's only the fact that nobody has the faintest idea what is going on during an online game in PES 2008 that levels the playing field for him". A little harsh given that Tony managed to come second in his division this season in the Gamesblog PS3 Pro Evo league.
Resident champion CBPodge states: "Thought it was way too slow and unresponsive, especially given that it was top-level teams in the demo." Welshbloom might just about have it spot on: "Sensi was the pinnacle and it's gone downhill since."
Naboomagnoli was forthright in his defense, yet again in too much detail to repeat in full: "Saying PES is better because it's faster is like saying Burnout is a better racing game than Forza for the same reasons. It's grade A baloney."
Suffice to say this one rumbled on all week, with the outcome that absolutely no-one changed their mind. Oh, and several people lost the will to live.
Keef adds: for the record, FIFA 09 does seem far too slow. I'm sure the speed is accurately scaled down, but I like to see the ball pinging around between my players. Sensi got it right, as did PES (in its on-form years). Also, there's no space in FIFA, the opponents are always on top of you - it's like playing in the Conference.
Part Three: Other Stuff
Link of the week: From BillyBrush with some Gospel/DnB madness.
Games: WipEout HD, LBP Beta, Burnout, PES, FIFA, Portal, FFTA2, Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge, Mercenaries 2, Spore, Outrun: Coast 2 Coast.
Film and TV: The Wire Season 5, Tropic Thunder, Blue Thunder, Breaking Bad.
Quote of the week
How does one wield a blind man with a samurai sword though?
Where do you hold them?
Foom asks the question on everyone's lips.
Other top quotes
Anyone had a go on Mass Effect?
Mollocate is right up with the times.
See that picture of a heron eating a rabbit in the metro this morning?
Nature can be cruel, can't it? Still - the heron looked like he/she was enjoying himself/herself.
Chubster2010 – always able to look on the bright side.
I think I may have been banned, but not very well…
TonyHayers comments on the Guardian Techbods' inability to get rid of him once and for all.
I never read any comments over a certain length would be my comment. JimBob78 lets Spew know how he feels.
A tortoise killed my grandmother. They deserve everything they get. Land-dwelling reptiles of the Testudinidae family beware – satansallsmiles is on the warpath.
Although, as you are not primarily a journalist, you are an unknown quantity. TonyHayers again, with a vote of confidence aimed in Limni's direction.
Like zombies?
Like Lego?
Then it must be Xmas...
Christmas comes early for NickT.
When I lived in a Pro Evo flat…
Where can I find one, dizzyisanegg?
Please don't bother, I have already reported myself for abuse.
Lamontangne saves us the trouble.
That's what I loved about '08. Someone had commissioned and chosen that music, performed and recorded. Never heard anything like it.
One last word from TonyHayers, possibly the only person in Western civilisation who likes the Pro Evo 2008 music.
Keef adds: well, I think Limni and Pest did a fine job. Any takers for next week?
