Review: Gyromancer

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

"unique" abilities, Funk? That was my biggest gripe with the game, I didn't even bother paying attention to the monsters' abilities, because they either did something to stats that didn't really drastically alter the battle, or they exploded and did damage. Or, I guess there are the ones that work against you by creating locks and stones.

I do appreciate, though, that without the enemy taking turns the game is slightly less reliant on luck than Puzzle Quest. Just slightly.

 

[chessmasterhex]

Read Funk's reply to my post. He makes a good point. The more accurate analogy is that there was a package that said "NEW JELLO" and when you open it up you find that by "new" they meant "crunchy." If you wanted something crunchy it doesn't even really succeed, but if you wanted Jello it completely defeats the purpose.

As a mindless time-waster Gyromancer drops the ball with the idle twist business and some very frustrating levels. As a normal challenging game it fails right off the bat.

What bothers me is that John can't appreciate the game for it's attractive visuals, music or setting, so what he focuses on is the puzzle system, which as we all know was lifted directly from Bejeweled Twist. Now the only thing he can point to as a detractor is the 'idle twist' penalty, which incidentally is the only foundational thing about the puzzle system that actually changed from it's previous incarnation. What John is actually saying in this review is "I like Bejeweled Twist.", while ripping on a decent game.

This partially due to the fact one game copies so heavily from the other, but in short the review fails to see past the original game and therefore is failing the consumer.

 

[Eudaemonian]

Also, the fact that different rules apply to the player and the AI (AI doesn't need to work the board) means that some monsters are better suited to the AI. Anything that spawns large amounts of Rocks on the board is great for the AI, since it limits the player, but is also useless to the player for the same reason. There's an entire family of orange monsters dedicated to this. Guess which monster type I never used...

Yeah, at first I thought white was made weaker because of its ability that turned a bunch of gems white, but then there is a purple creature with the same ability.....

And yeah, I initially noticed the AI-Player disconnect in terms of abilities and thought it was balanced by the damage on abilities that do inconvenient things for the player, but I'm pretty sure it isn't.

Unfortunately finding out for sure would probably involve playing more. I'm way better off singing into Kongregate for free and playing whatever happens to pop up on the front page.

What bothers me is that John can't appreciate the game for it's attractive visuals, music or setting, so what he focuses on is the puzzle system, which as we all know was lifted directly from Bejeweled Twist. Now the only thing he can point to as a detractor is the 'idle twist' penalty, which incidentally is the only foundational thing about the puzzle system that actually changed from it's previous incarnation. What John is actually saying in this review is "I like Bejeweled Twist.", while ripping on a decent game.

This partially due to the fact one game copies so heavily from the other, but in short the review fails to see past the original game and therefore failing the consumer.

So you see "seeing past the original game" as commenting on window dressing? And not very impressive window dressing either. Yeah, the art is actually pretty decent, but considering the bland as hell story, forced connection between the setting and the game, I really don't see that it's much to comment on.

I don't think anyone is going to buy Gyromancer for its deep and immersive world, its art, or its music. The music I don't really remember much at all, it was generic like everything else. The world is a thinly veiled excuse to play Bejewelled Twist. The art is nothing you couldn't stare at static images of on any art website of your choice. It's competent but not particularly interesting.

Reviewing a game's game elements doesn't seem like failing the consumer. I'd be willing to agree with you that putting a nice frame on the Bejewelled gameplay could make a difference, but instead they really phoned it in.

 

[omicron1]

The challenge stones are ways to practice setting things up. You can configure a board to result in a large cascade - I think that might even be the point of it. What's hard for me is when the 'tactical choice' to take a hit or clear an enemy stone ends up leaving me with half the health I need to complete a map and no way to replenish it. Would 'Health Potions' be too dangerous an item to include, Square?

 

[TitsMcGee1804]

looks like a truly awful game

 

[chessmasterhex]

forced connection between the setting and the game

This is of course a problem, but Square practically created the entire narrative/game system schism that we see in RPGs these days. I think 'materia' and 'sphere grid' may be all I need to say in that regard.

I don't think anyone is going to buy Gyromancer for its deep and immersive world, its art, or its music. The music I don't really remember much at all, it was generic like everything else. The world is a thinly veiled excuse to play Bejewelled Twist. The art is nothing you couldn't stare at static images of on any art website of your choice. It's competent but not particularly interesting.

Well... yeah. I'm not saying that this is Citizen Mario or anything, but sometimes things are greater than the sum of their parts. That aside, John didn't even care to tell people about the choices and strategic thinking required to handle the post idle twist game. That's because he didn't notice it. I think it makes for great fun. It's not like you are on a timer or something, you can look at the board and weigh the pros and cons on any one move until you see the best course of action. So, did deadlines (timer) and non-game related issues muddy the experience for him? Yes they did.

This isn't even mentioning the fact that the game isn't meant to be played in one long marathon session. The story and RPG elements make a reviewer press on to the end of the game to get to the end of the tale.

 

[Eudaemonian]

Well... yeah. I'm not saying that this is Citizen Mario or anything, but sometimes things are greater than the sum of their parts. That aside, John didn't even care to tell people about the choices and strategic thinking required to handle the post idle twist game. That's because he didn't notice it. I think it makes for great fun. It's not like you are on a timer or something, you can look at the board and weigh the pros and cons on any one move until you see the best course of action. So, did deadlines (timer) and non-game related issues muddy the experience for him? Yes they did.

This isn't even mentioning the fact that the game isn't meant to be played in one long marathon session. The story and RPG elements make a reviewer press on to the end of the game to get to the end of the tale.

This grander criticism of game reviewing as a whole really seems shoehorned into this topic. You might have a point, but I think this isn't the case to make it on. I'd say you might want to find something that actually was a good game, where the game reviewer actually neglected major elements of it, and where the review was released immediately after launch so that the time crunch element is more vivid. Gyromancer is ho-hum at best, the review fails to praise a few pieces of competent art, and the review comes long after I bought, played, and stopped playing the game, rather than right on the heels of a launch.

As it is, the only real problem here is that you and Funk had different expectations. That's just the reality of getting opinions from other people... I disagreed with him to a degree too, but after he explained his expectations, it's pretty easy to see why, and nothing about that situation makes this a case of failed reviewing.

 

[LTK_70]

That's a damn shame. I played the demo of this game and I quite liked it for the time it lasted. It's nice to play a game of Bejeweled with a goal behind it, and a bit of tactics. I was thinking of buying it, even. It sucks how Idle Twist ruins the whole thing.

 

[Teh_Doomage]

Yeah, played the demo, wasn't really that happy with it, I still like Puzzle Quest better.

 

[Jared]

This is crazy. You guys had a casual game ruined for you by being 'too hard'? That's like having jello ruined for you for being 'too crunchy'. I own this game and you are about as off base as you can get. I hate to say this, but this is another example of why game reviewers aren't actually gamers. Listen to them at your own peril.

I've played it myself however, and I am a gamer. I agree. That mechanic, is enough to ruin the whole thing. Maybe I wasnt preparing myself properly for what was ahead, but, to spring it on us with no prior warning was a bit too much for me.

Its not ruined because its "Too Hard", its ruined because the mechanic is simply makes fun of everything you had learned and done to date.

 

[rabidmidget]

Huh? Puzzle quest beat both Square Enix and Popcap at their own game? I did not see that coming.

 

[geldonyetich]

I was wondering dumping some money on this. Thanks for talking me out of it.

 

[Mushroomfreak111]

I'm so glad I don't like this kind of games, I couldn't imagine wasting time and money playing something so... Well, it's not good people!

 

[Nerdfury]

I'm so glad I don't like this kind of games, I couldn't imagine wasting time and money playing something so... Well, it's not good people!

I get and respect the 'to each their own' thing, but I agree - I'm just not certain how these games are fun. And this is from a guy that has Peggle on his iPhone and plays it all the time. I think it's the 'match-two/three/four/two-hundred-and-eighty-seven' genre.

Off topic: Is that Horo I see there?

 

[Mushroomfreak111]

Off topic: Is that Horo I see there?

I'm sorry to disapoint but no . I like her too tho, I'm really into ears and tails. I think I secretly want some^^

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

in between boring dialogue penned by a scriptwriter with a fifth of Jack Daniels and an open copy of Lord of the Rings.

Never hath more veracious dialogue uttered. *shudder*

One of the few one-hour demos that I deleted before the time up.

It's god-awful. And I lived on Puzzle Quest for a bit.

 

[Nerdfury]

EDIT: Hit reply instead of quote. Dupe post edited to this totally unimportant- OH LOOK A FISH!

 

[Nerdfury]

Off topic: Is that Horo I see there?

I'm sorry to disapoint but no . I like her too tho, I'm really into ears and tails. I think I secretly want some^^

Avoiding the fact that relatively few people actually have the sociopathy required to actually go ahead with such dramatic things, there is actually a plastic surgeon somewhere in... uh.. a 'Nordic' country somewhere who can give people furry pointed ears and attach a tail to your coccyx. You can't move it, but it's permanently attached.

I heard he was trying to do research on making moveable appendages with things like that, too.

It's only a matter of time until someone takes it too far and gets a tentacle.

 

[Mushroomfreak111]

Off topic: Is that Horo I see there?

I'm sorry to disapoint but no . I like her too tho, I'm really into ears and tails. I think I secretly want some^^

Avoiding the fact that relatively few people actually have the sociopathy required to actually go ahead with such dramatic things, there is actually a plastic surgeon somewhere in... uh.. a 'Nordic' country somewhere who can give people furry pointed ears and attach a tail to your coccyx. You can't move it, but it's permanently attached.

I heard he was trying to do research on making moveable appendages with things like that, too.

It's only a matter of time until someone takes it too far and gets a tentacle.

Thats just... GOD! Ears and Tails like that only look good in anime/manga. I couldn't imagine how it would look on a real person! Also, think of all the work you'd have to do to keep the fur nice and clean... My hair already drives me to insanity, it's so frizzy and never looks the way I wan't it!

 

[Hulyen]

Now if we could only find a game as awesome as Charles Barkley vs Godzilla...