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Is anyone on here a IGN insider/subscriber?
Because IGN have just reviewed BLiNX - they gave it 8.8 - which is a good score, but the review is locked. Only insiders can read it.
If anyone is, perhaps you could cut'n'paste the review in here, so I/we can read it.... :)
Because IGN have just reviewed BLiNX - they gave it 8.8 - which is a good score, but the review is locked. Only insiders can read it.
If anyone is, perhaps you could cut'n'paste the review in here, so I/we can read it.... :)
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Blinx will be great. I'm sure of it. The review sounds very promising.
er-no wrote:
> Not worth getting then.
Rofl.
er-no have you gone insane? This looks an absolutley awesome game! Sure some minor faults are described but no game is perfect.
> Not worth getting then.
Rofl.
er-no have you gone insane? This looks an absolutley awesome game! Sure some minor faults are described but no game is perfect.
Definately worth getting.
Not worth getting then.
It's pretty much like the "old school" platformers.
I was wondering when we'd be seeing one of them...
I was wondering when we'd be seeing one of them...
Nice one YH. That's excellent.
I'm going to have to read it again, but overall it sounds like it lives up to expectation, apart from the odd minor things - but every game has a few faults. Nothing's perfect.
I'm glad to hear the graphical environments are fantastic and unique - I love it when games are "a beautiful place to go".
Thanks again for taking the time to post it here. I think I'll read through it again. :)
I'm going to have to read it again, but overall it sounds like it lives up to expectation, apart from the odd minor things - but every game has a few faults. Nothing's perfect.
I'm glad to hear the graphical environments are fantastic and unique - I love it when games are "a beautiful place to go".
Thanks again for taking the time to post it here. I think I'll read through it again. :)
I can get in to read the review, but it's bloody long, so I'm just going to put the las bits up for you to read:
But is it fun
Yes and no. Blinx isn't fun the way a Mario game is fun. It isn't fun in the sense of the traditional platformer, which makes sense since it is anything but traditional. The game is a challenge, a real challenge.
It's enjoyable from start to finish, even though it can frustrate at times. Don't be fooled by the first dozen levels. That's nothing compared to how tough the game will get later on. And chances are you will want to replay and get all of the secrets. Some are hard to even find, almost all of them require that you use a time-control power to get them.
I can't say that I was giddy over the game or that I was gushing over it to friends, but I didn't want to stop playing. Mainly because I refused to let the game beat me and I wanted to see the next area or the next boss. And the bosses, by the way, get really interesting. One of the best is a dude who constantly changes the environment by making different spots raise or lower. A real challenge.
So, uh, that's not enough for you??
As I said earlier, more could have been done. Commands like rewind affect predetermined events. Certain bridge will always collapse, for example, and always when triggered by something (usually your entrance in an area). But you can rewind that bridge that instant or five minutes later. Either way, the event rewinds.
What would have been more impressive? How about if things you do in the world are like chain reactions. So doing one thing affects something else in the environment. This means that you have to be careful about how you use your powers, because rewinding one event may affect another. Instead the environments are static towards each other. Each even is regarded separately. Of course, this is a first run at this and I fully expect a sequel will do much more with time control than what we have here.
Graphics
Blinx is one of the prettiest games on Xbox. With stunning lighting, rich color, and amazing details, Blinx can buy me dinner anytime. Not only are the worlds attractive, but all of them seem unique to the game. The entire look and feel of Blinx comes off as original.
Blinx, himself, is a cute little cat with some funny animations and a great design. And the monsters have fantastic variety and get really interesting later in the game. But the real winner here is the environments, which have incredible detail. Just look at all the cracks in the pavement and walls. You get falling snow and rain, reflective water, and statues that look full of age and weight. Truly stunning sights here.
On an artistic level, it was a great choice to place a cartoon kitten in such a realistic world. The contrast makes the worlds look even more real. You could almost reach out and touch them. Fantastic art design and small worlds that you'll never forget. But here's a gripe. You can purchase cool new costumes in the various shops, but despite having an Indiana Jones-inspired world, there's no Indy get-up to purchase. That would have been the cat's meow.
If anything, the only real problem with Blinx visually is the slowdown. Though he runs fast and fluid for a while, later levels, when Blinx takes on five and six baddies at a time, the game noticeably slows down. And no, I wasn't using a time power when it happened. This slowdown is too often and too noticeable to let slide. It's a flaw and one that needs mentioning. Otherwise, Blinx is in the running for best-looking game of the year on Xbox.
Sound
Each level has its own score, which is cool. Most of the soundtrack isn't bad, but some of the music gets grating after a while. As cool as it is to have a wide variety of music to separate each level, all of it should be pleasing to the ear. And that's not so here.
Sound effects are very minor here as Blinx only says two things through all the gameplay. The monsters barely ever make nose, though most give an auditory clue before attacking. It's all just a little bit too small and too boring. The rewind and time-effects sound cool, but how can you really mess up the sound of a tape rewinding? Not bad sound effects, but nothing that will knock your socks off.
It is nice to see that the game supports 5.1 Dolby Digital. The music plays off the front speakers and most of the sound from the rear is a bit too soft. Still, you will definitely hear enemies behind you, which is a benefit to those who have 5.1, as they'll be able to rely on sound to help them avoid attacks from off-camera.
Closing Comments
Blinx isn't the perfect game, but it's certainly the best platformer on Xbox. Calling it a platformer is misleading though, because this is hardly one set in traditional platform values. Blinx gets incredibly difficult, so much so that it probably won't please some folks. This isn't a Crash Bandicoot game where you die a few times on a boss, figure it out, and move on. This one will take time and a real investment to master.
There's no way to make it all the way through Blinx without having to go back to previous levels. You need more money and time powers too often to make it through in one shot. And it's designed this way. And for as difficult as it is, I can't really say that it's so much fun as it is very enjoyable. Blinx doesn't hit you the same way Mario does. Instead, it becomes more of a game of "You are not going to beat me, game" than it does "Oh, my God I love this little cat!"
Granted Blinx is a cute and a well-designed (if almost completely silent) character. And he is more than a potential mascot for Xbox (though somehow I think Master Chief will remain synonymous with the 'box more than Blinx ever will), he is the future of Xbox games. This is the first significant use of the hard drive. The first real sampling of what makes the Xbox unique from the other consoles. Developers will begin to get creative with the hard drive. Maybe not so much next year, but certainly by 2004 we will see a lot more uses of the hard drive than just having the power of TiVo. And for that, Blinx deserves a spot in anyone's video game library. Not only is it a solid, challenging, and beautiful game, but it's also a significant step in the direction of the Xbox. And while not the best game on Xbox, it may very well be the most important one yet.
- - - - - - - - - -
So there you go.
But is it fun
Yes and no. Blinx isn't fun the way a Mario game is fun. It isn't fun in the sense of the traditional platformer, which makes sense since it is anything but traditional. The game is a challenge, a real challenge.
It's enjoyable from start to finish, even though it can frustrate at times. Don't be fooled by the first dozen levels. That's nothing compared to how tough the game will get later on. And chances are you will want to replay and get all of the secrets. Some are hard to even find, almost all of them require that you use a time-control power to get them.
I can't say that I was giddy over the game or that I was gushing over it to friends, but I didn't want to stop playing. Mainly because I refused to let the game beat me and I wanted to see the next area or the next boss. And the bosses, by the way, get really interesting. One of the best is a dude who constantly changes the environment by making different spots raise or lower. A real challenge.
So, uh, that's not enough for you??
As I said earlier, more could have been done. Commands like rewind affect predetermined events. Certain bridge will always collapse, for example, and always when triggered by something (usually your entrance in an area). But you can rewind that bridge that instant or five minutes later. Either way, the event rewinds.
What would have been more impressive? How about if things you do in the world are like chain reactions. So doing one thing affects something else in the environment. This means that you have to be careful about how you use your powers, because rewinding one event may affect another. Instead the environments are static towards each other. Each even is regarded separately. Of course, this is a first run at this and I fully expect a sequel will do much more with time control than what we have here.
Graphics
Blinx is one of the prettiest games on Xbox. With stunning lighting, rich color, and amazing details, Blinx can buy me dinner anytime. Not only are the worlds attractive, but all of them seem unique to the game. The entire look and feel of Blinx comes off as original.
Blinx, himself, is a cute little cat with some funny animations and a great design. And the monsters have fantastic variety and get really interesting later in the game. But the real winner here is the environments, which have incredible detail. Just look at all the cracks in the pavement and walls. You get falling snow and rain, reflective water, and statues that look full of age and weight. Truly stunning sights here.
On an artistic level, it was a great choice to place a cartoon kitten in such a realistic world. The contrast makes the worlds look even more real. You could almost reach out and touch them. Fantastic art design and small worlds that you'll never forget. But here's a gripe. You can purchase cool new costumes in the various shops, but despite having an Indiana Jones-inspired world, there's no Indy get-up to purchase. That would have been the cat's meow.
If anything, the only real problem with Blinx visually is the slowdown. Though he runs fast and fluid for a while, later levels, when Blinx takes on five and six baddies at a time, the game noticeably slows down. And no, I wasn't using a time power when it happened. This slowdown is too often and too noticeable to let slide. It's a flaw and one that needs mentioning. Otherwise, Blinx is in the running for best-looking game of the year on Xbox.
Sound
Each level has its own score, which is cool. Most of the soundtrack isn't bad, but some of the music gets grating after a while. As cool as it is to have a wide variety of music to separate each level, all of it should be pleasing to the ear. And that's not so here.
Sound effects are very minor here as Blinx only says two things through all the gameplay. The monsters barely ever make nose, though most give an auditory clue before attacking. It's all just a little bit too small and too boring. The rewind and time-effects sound cool, but how can you really mess up the sound of a tape rewinding? Not bad sound effects, but nothing that will knock your socks off.
It is nice to see that the game supports 5.1 Dolby Digital. The music plays off the front speakers and most of the sound from the rear is a bit too soft. Still, you will definitely hear enemies behind you, which is a benefit to those who have 5.1, as they'll be able to rely on sound to help them avoid attacks from off-camera.
Closing Comments
Blinx isn't the perfect game, but it's certainly the best platformer on Xbox. Calling it a platformer is misleading though, because this is hardly one set in traditional platform values. Blinx gets incredibly difficult, so much so that it probably won't please some folks. This isn't a Crash Bandicoot game where you die a few times on a boss, figure it out, and move on. This one will take time and a real investment to master.
There's no way to make it all the way through Blinx without having to go back to previous levels. You need more money and time powers too often to make it through in one shot. And it's designed this way. And for as difficult as it is, I can't really say that it's so much fun as it is very enjoyable. Blinx doesn't hit you the same way Mario does. Instead, it becomes more of a game of "You are not going to beat me, game" than it does "Oh, my God I love this little cat!"
Granted Blinx is a cute and a well-designed (if almost completely silent) character. And he is more than a potential mascot for Xbox (though somehow I think Master Chief will remain synonymous with the 'box more than Blinx ever will), he is the future of Xbox games. This is the first significant use of the hard drive. The first real sampling of what makes the Xbox unique from the other consoles. Developers will begin to get creative with the hard drive. Maybe not so much next year, but certainly by 2004 we will see a lot more uses of the hard drive than just having the power of TiVo. And for that, Blinx deserves a spot in anyone's video game library. Not only is it a solid, challenging, and beautiful game, but it's also a significant step in the direction of the Xbox. And while not the best game on Xbox, it may very well be the most important one yet.
- - - - - - - - - -
So there you go.
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