Review: Legend of Grimrock (PC)

[Jez]

Only three classes? Not sure if want.

[exe3]

I got turned off by the trailer how you (and everything else) is stuck moving one square at a time. Sorry.

[Bugalugs McScruffin]

I got turned off by the trailer how you (and everything else) is stuck moving one square at a time. Sorry.

It's called old-school movement.

Quick question about the new review system? Why do you have a list of positives and negatives instead of a score?

[Cas Bitton]

Quick question about the new review system? Why do you have a list of positives and negatives instead of a score?

games.on.net is no longer giving review scores. Click here to find out why.

[Bugalugs McScruffin]

games.on.net is no longer giving review scores. Click here to find out why.

But you've given it a score. Kotaku had this problem ages ago. People stopped reading the reviews and just checked whether the game had more positives than negatives. It's still a score, unfortunately.

[Cas Bitton]

But you've given it a score.

What was the score given by Tim?

The good/bad compliments the text that comes before it, this is not a replacement for a review.

[Bronze_D]

games.on.net is no longer giving review scores. Click here to find out why.

But you've given it a score. Kotaku had this problem ages ago. People stopped reading the reviews and just checked whether the game had more positives than negatives. It's still a score, unfortunately.

well at least it's less polarizing than a hard number score...

and let's face it, if someone is lazy enough to simplify it to that extent... there's no point to continue streamlining the review in the hope that they will bother to read the review and make intelligent logical deduction of his own, let them and let the rest more intelligent humanoids use the positive and negative as a quick summary.

[vcatkiller]

Yep, next step simplified reviews of the future, for the "TLDR" generation:

Legend of Grimrock
It's good.

Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing
It's bad.

See? Brilliant use of summary so anybody can tell. And they can't possibly overgeneralize - it's already been done for them.

[Cas Bitton]

Yep, next step simplified reviews of the future, for the "TLDR" generation:

I don't often recommend other sites for reviews, but this is worth a mention.

Nail on the head for those who love to cry about TLDR - http://owreviews.com

[Tim Colwill]

My apologies everyone, it is out on Steam on the 11th, but I guess that means US time! Perhaps later tonight.

Strange that you say it has no story to speak of as I seem to remember blog posts that mentioned some story elements, something to do with the ending perhaps. Very keen for the editor too, wouldn't mind making some custom dungeon tilesets or puzzles of my own.

It definitely has a story, it's just not really very deep or compelling unfortunately. There's certainly no dialogue or character development or roleplaying to speak of, is more to the point.

I am very keen for that editor

Would you say the atmosphere alone would make it worth the purchase? Given that you are willing to deal with the other cons of course.

How good are the sound effects?

Atmosphere is good! Very dark and oppressive. The sound effects are also good, but quite repetitive unfortunately - all 'attack' noises sound identical for example, so getting mauled by a spider is means hearing the same sound effect over and over again.

But you've given it a score. Kotaku had this problem ages ago. People stopped reading the reviews and just checked whether the game had more positives than negatives. It's still a score, unfortunately.

This is a pretty good compromise, I think! I wasn't going to have these, but people asked for them, so there you go. It's not actually a score, and it neatly sidesteps the main problem with scores, which is the skewed definition of the numerical scale.

[Drakand]

thanks for the review Tim and I do like the new setup, i'm glad you included the positive/negative table at end, while i always read the review, i do like seeing those as well, just adds to it really!

cheers!

[Vencha88]

My apologies everyone, it is out on Steam on the 11th, but I guess that means US time! Perhaps later tonight.

I shall await my free copy as an apology.

[hybrid_trooper]

This sounds awesome. Sign me up for:

BF3
CSS
DoD
COD 4

[Marius]

But you've given it a score. Kotaku had this problem ages ago. People stopped reading the reviews and just checked whether the game had more positives than negatives. It's still a score, unfortunately.

It does more good than bad. People who are actually interested in the game will go back and read the review. That's what I tend to do... first scan something, and if stuff jumps out at me I'll go back and read.

And any good writing can be distilled to a few key points, anyway. Stuff not in a summary is usually examples/humorous exposition etc. Stuff that's worth saying for those interested in the topic, but not completely necessary to get the gist of a piece.

[Bugalugs McScruffin]

So I might have been a bit too pedantic, but still. I do like the new system, though I have to say the old score system was just about one of the only ones I've liked since it actually meant something below 8/10.

If it is always 3 pros/3 cons then that seems reasonable. (Seems that way from my small sample size of this and Blacklight )

I'm looking forward to seeing how I end up reading these reviews.

Keep up the good work.