Review: N3II Ninety-Nine Nights

[Andronicus]

Ha! This is my second review. Blur was my first.

I was planning on going for 1 star on this one, because this game is unashamedly crappy. The Escapist's review scale suggests that a 2 star game is merely terrible but a 1 star game is terrible and also broken. Since the fun was only thing about N3II that was actually broken, I couldn't fairly give it 1 star.

I see what you mean, but I consider stars or grades an indication of what they should expect when approaching a game. Seeing as you specifically said that they should go out of their way to not play the game, I probably wouldn't even have given it one star. Then again, I'm not in a position to start arguing against The Escapist's policies, and certainly not a discussion about how game grades whould work, so, err, just forget I ever said anything.

HEY LOOK A DISTRACTION!! Aww, too bad, you missed it.

Anyway, as I was saying, I don't think I shall get this game. Seeing as I'd never even heard about it until now, I'd be inclined to say I probably wouldn't even had noticed it come out in Aussieland, whenever that may be.

 

[PunkRex]

Snip

Why are you giving a "Do not buy this game ever" two stars?

Better yet why are they using a 5 star system? That always skews the data for sites like Metacritic, and when publishers are looking at how well a game did so they decide what kind of budget they'll give to a dev team for their next game.

True, if you hate it, 1 star =
5 = Amazing, memorable game
4 = Very good game with 1 or 2 problems
3 = Average game, nothing perticually wrong but not exactly memorable
2 = Not very good, problems got in the way of the fun
1 = Terrible game, bogged down with problems, bad choices and bland stories and characters

But the general problem with a rating system is that people see them differently. Nintendo dont tend to give lower then 5 out of 10 but these are still considered bad, yet I would say 5/10 is average. I prefere to rate with a 1-7, its saves the 7 for a near/perfect game and the 1 for a game that has no rights to be.

 

[DTWolfwood]

wait y it is 2 stars?

 

[standokan]

Huzah for the good review, but geez, i always thought a huge amount of busty elves was a positive thing. Boy have i made a fool of myself.

 

[PunkRex]

Snip

Why are you giving a "Do not buy this game ever" two stars?

Better yet why are they using a 5 star system? That always skews the data for sites like Metacritic, and when publishers are looking at how well a game did so they decide what kind of budget they'll give to a dev team for their next game.

True, if you hate it, 1 star =
5 = Amazing, memorable game
4 = Very good game with 1 or 2 problems
3 = Average game, nothing perticually wrong but not exactly memorable
2 = Not very good, problems got in the way of the fun
1 = Terrible game, bogged down with problems, bad choices and bland stories and characters

But the general problem with a rating system is that people see them differently. Nintendo dont tend to give lower then 5 out of 10 but these are still considered bad, yet I would say 5/10 is average. I prefere to rate with a 1-7, its saves the 7 for a near/perfect game and the 1 for a game that has no rights to be.

Well when say a gamespot says a game is a middle of the road game they're talking about a 7 or a 7.5, but when these "out of 5" scores talk about a middle of the road they're talking about a 3, which evens out to a 6. So you can see how it would skew the data.

I just veiw the middle as the middle, not three quarters in. But rating systems are abit basic to get a point across, as it is just a rough geustimate. Still the point in this reveiw was made, "The game is bad, let it drift off into the mist". Score systems are for people with no time to actually read the reveiw and although I feel for these poor working saps, most of these people are investers who dont actually care for the game or gameing as a whole and want to know whether or not to invest in one sentance. Advertisers are also to blame. Rank systems are not bad but tend to be used badly.

 

[PunkRex]

Huzah for the good review, but geez, i always thought a huge amount of busty elves was a positive thing. Boy have i made a fool of myself.

I too feel foolish.

 

[Red Rebel]

So, you've basically been telling us that this game sucks as hard as anything can actually suck. And why did you give it 2 stars then?
I mean, that description sounds like a -1 star to me.

 

[PunkRex]

snip

Especially critics who review in 4 stars. I'm looking at you Ebert.

Again I can interperate it =
4 = Brilliant
3 = Good
2 = Poor
1 = Bad
= But this is very basic and not really a disscussion. Unfortunatly this is also very mainstream, especially in newspapers were they have to sum up for us "ignorant masses". I dont tend to read reveiws in newspapers as they are very rushed.

Disscussion is fun, people should take their time and learn what the hell their talking about. Also they should remember to enjoy themselfs, still when its your job I understand that you have other requirements to fulfil.

 

[the protaginist]

That just sounds like the first game with less health potions and easier combat.

Would you laugh at me if I told you I couldn't beat the forest level of Inphyy's campaign in Ninety Nine Nights?

was that the one with the giant Toad-man? If so, have no fear, i had a hard time with it to.


Speaking as a person who mainly rents games I've realized i don't need to pay much attention to reviews as of late. If I rent a game and like it, i'll buy it and if i don't i won't, and due to both my desire of playing a hack n' slash like this(i've really been wanting to play Drakengard recently, damn my broken PS2) and my affection for the first N3 in general, i'll give this one a try anyway. nice review overall though, hope to see more from you.

 

[Aggressor and Usurper]

That just sounds like the first game with less health potions and easier combat.

Would you laugh at me if I told you I couldn't beat the forest level of Inphyy's campaign in Ninety Nine Nights?

Hell no. O_O That frog king guy was fucking impossible...and to add to the irony, once I'd FINALLY beaten the big boss at the end, MY GAME FUCKING FROZE. D:

Ninety-Nine Nights The First or whatever was the first game I ever got on the 360, and it was fun for about 5 minutes. But seriously. Hack, slash, jiggle, repeat gets old realllly fast.

Don't buy this if it's as bad as the first.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

That just sounds like the first game with less health potions and easier combat.

Would you laugh at me if I told you I couldn't beat the forest level of Inphyy's campaign in Ninety Nine Nights?

No I would not laugh I spent about 4 hours trying to get past that one the first time and don't get me started on the secret level or the Ice Gate level for Myfee. Anyway it doesn't seem like much has changed between the games.

 

[MortisLegio]

busty elf maidens-the only reason this game got any stars

OT: I never liked dynasty warriors that much so I'll pass

 

[the_maestro_sartori]

somewhere I read compared this to the kingdom under fire games (on the x-box, not the horrible 360 one) and I was quite eager. Seeing this, I know now I was lied to.

I'll pass

 

[pneuma08]

Steve Butts, you are my new favorite writer on the Escapist.

 

[GuiltBlade]

is this really that much of a surprise? just look at the leaking vomit bucket of N3, a game completely unsuited to sequels.
The big question is why the hell they ever made this game in the first place seeing as everyone hated the original (I am yet to find a single positive review of it).

 

[SageRuffin]

I know I need new glasses, but I'm pretty sure I'm not tripping; almost everything the reviewer claims is bad I see no real problem with. I honestly think the characters are more likable (Aspharr from the first game was a beast though), the voices are far better than in the first game (though there are times where the character still don't let each other finish talking like in the first), the combat is fast-paced and elegant (though lacking in individuality like in the first game), the stages - while long - are far more manageable (dead? you only have to go back to the previous checkpoint instead of restarting the entire fucking chapter), the music is nice (not great, but nice)... I could go on really.

honestly, I think this review is being too hard on the game. It's not fabulous, sure, but it's not anywhere near as bad as the review suggests.

 

[Torque669]

That just sounds like the first game with less health potions and easier combat.

Would you laugh at me if I told you I couldn't beat the forest level of Inphyy's campaign in Ninety Nine Nights?

No I wouldnt as it took me ages to do it.

Pity though, I quite enjoyed the first one. The combat was good, the maps were good and the characters were varied and interesting. Story was a bit meh though. Dont think Ill buy this one.

 

[Omikron009]

It looked to me like he was just pressing xxx yyy xxx and yy again, and he wasn't sucked! Tak Fujii lied to us!

 

[Slinker07]

Really sounds like the a review for the demo of the first game. The demo really nailed all those flaws you mention pretty damn nicly. But who really looked forward for this game anyway? The only good it brought was an hilarious press conferance at E3.

 

[Ghengis John]

"Do not buy this game."
"Do not rent this game."
"Do not form your own opinion."

I got the first game for ten bucks. For ten bucks, it wasn't that bad. The Priest's campaign was actually a ton of fun and the ogre campaign was certainly something different. I'm not saying this sequel is a gem (I've never played it) but the first game was pretty widely panned and I played through the whole thing with little complaint and had a fine time.

It's hard to know how my opinion related to the price. I'd been interested in the game because it's creator made one of my favorite titles of all time, Phantom Dust. But I avoided the original N3 until I saw it in a bargain bin because of bad reviews. I don't know if I'd have thought there was enough game there for 50 dollars but I was never bored.

I'm not saying you should buy it, but I'm certainly not saying you should swat a copy somebody throws at you to the ground either. What I dislike is seeing people who might have enjoyed something, passing on it because someone else didn't enjoy it. Taste is subjective. If you're interested rent a copy or pick it up in the bargain bin one day and form your own point of view. Mr Butts is only one man with one opinion and a silly name, in the end.