Zero Punctuation: Fear 2

[smudgey]

A world without sequels? Are you lot fucking serious? Why shouldn't a developer be able to try and improve on a previous product? Can you imagine if Henry Ford said "Well, i've made one car. No need to make an improved version of it." People complain about developers "money-grubbing"..... well, here's a newsflash! Game development is a fucking business!! And if the sequel that comes out is rubbish? Then don't buy it! No one's forcing you to! Do you really think it's THAT easy to just come up with an original idea for EVERY video game? Game development would have either stopped, or be reduced to a trickle of about 3 games a year!
So yeah, sometimes sequels don't work out. But if it wasn't for the bad games, we wouldn't appreciate the good ones. Sequels only happen because people want them. If they didn't want them, they wouldn't pay for them.

 

[geldonyetich]

Fabulous rant over a complaint you apparently completely misunderstand, smudgey.

As for me, I live in a world of sequels... I just refuse to buy them unless research indicates sufficient improvement has taken place.

I've played the F.E.A.R. 2 demo and I'm not too surprised to hear it being called an extension F.E.A.R. 1. The only value I expect I'd get out of this game is more of the same kind of moments.

Might be worth a shot when the game hits the $20 point.

 

[MercurySteam]

Actually, the cloned soldiers are ment to be controlled by Alma's children, but only one is fit to do so, and after he dies she has no choice to, which seems kinda ironic since as her son you have to go around fighting them Extraction Point.

And the quick-time event used to defeat that Colonel is SO FUCKING ANNOYING.

I hate quick-time events.

 

[SurfPenguin]

I too would like to live in that alternate universe where sequels are banned. It would be a far happier place...

 

[mad_mick]

agreed. what im getting at is the final fantasys are repetitive, as are 99.9 persent of shooters. i want some origanialty damn it lol

 

[Metalrocks]

lol. it was good. a world without sequals, soudns good in a way.
one thing i agree strongly with him, is about the add ons. they really suck. fear 2, i have to say, was much better then part 1 and surely better then the bad add ons. maybe my point of view.
why i find fear 2 better?
not in boring office buildings, horror was still good (but i agree, not always it was scary), the AI has its moments but not so bad as he said; so i dont really agree with him there, tits????? WTF. only because alma is naked in this game doesnt mean anything sexual. already in the first fear you see her nude; so i dissagree there too, it has a reason why alma attacks you, which you find out in the end of the game.
and i find it good that it has not a simple ending. peng, "the end". this, i think, would be bad. does everything must have a ending?
so with few things i disagree with him but otherwise it was a good review.

 

[xDarc]

As a member of the glorious PC gaming master race *wink*, I am pretty pissed with Monolith over FEAR 2. FEAR, while not a stellar game itself, featured the most under-rated FPS MP gameplay, possibly ever. So for them to release this lousy port developed for consoles, without anti-cheat or server files- was a total insult to a lot of us from the original MP community.

The lack of server files especially stings. If you want to play MP you have to find someone hosting a game from their home computer, where you lag and they don't, where 16 player matches are a pointless warp-fest and when the host quits you have to find another room.

The problem is Monolith, so I'm never buying another product from Monolith again. Everyone works hard making games, but those people can always go work for somebody else. I sincerely hope their sales continue to tank and Warner Bros. guts their studio.

Hopefully the asshole responsible for FEAR 2 will be one of the ones to not be re-hired in the gaming industry. Hopefully that person will find his place in accounting, finance or some other uninspired, non-creative profession where he can never influence art or entertainment ever again.

I think Ben has said something about it before, but your patronage is the only real voice or power you have over this business. They don't give a rat's ass about what people say on forums; or worse. The gaming press is generally a complete joke as their bread and butter consists entirely of ad revenues from the subject of their "journalism."

Who's gonna look out for you? Developers? No. Gaming press? No. It's gotta be gamers looking out for gamers or it's more lackluster sequels and ports for you.

 

[Cheesebob]

No Half Life 2 or Team Fortress 2?

NOOOOOOOOO

 

[Radu889]

Dear god, the ending was fucking weird.

 

[smudgey]

Fabulous rant over a complaint you apparently completely misunderstand, smudgey.

I understand what people are saying; they're sick of endless rehashes and milking of franchises, and that's fair enough. But for people to suggest "No sequels" is actually a good idea, especially when there ARE developers who genuinely try and keep their much-loved franchises fresh? Look at resident evil; the series had an overhaul with RE 4, and RE 6 is allegedly going to be another re-booting of the franchise. Or COD4, which leapt out of WW2 and into the modern world. But I guess i shouldn't bother. If companies give people more of what they want, they'll complain that it's the same old thing. Give them something new, and they'll complain because they miss the old stuff.

 

[mojojowjow2007]

funniest one in a while. well done

 

[SatansBestBuddy]

"A world with no sequels"

And I think to myself
What a wonderful world...

 

[Wingmna]

id totally be up to banning sequals, terminator 2, hl2, etc would just be totally remade as different movies/games rather then sequals

 

[Eagle Est1986]

Am I really the only person that didn't enjoy this episode all that much? I'm a little shocked.

 

[Sparrow]

Funny as always Yahtzee.

I liked the bit with the Skitles at the end

 

[Muzz]

That was just plain great.
I have nothing more to add.

 

[bitzi61]

"Remakes will carry the death penalty!" But but, what about the legion of uneducated nerds who never played FF7, can I has remake ? .

YES! Please! A remake of FF7 (same game, better graphics!) WOULD BE EPIC!

I would cry tears of joy and happiness if this ever happened.. but I won't hold my breath.. :'(

 

[joeychuckles]

i think NO sequels is a bit extreme - one of my favorite all time games was Prince of Persia 2: the Shadow and the Flame ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia_2 ). i just think one person should be appointed to say "Yup, go ahead, that sequel looks like a progression of the storyline into interesting new territory" or "Nope, you're rehashing the same dross, off with his head." i nominate Yahtzee.

 

[solidstatemind]

Just a couple of quick thoughts:
1) The review was hilarious- as usual- but I'm forced to disagree to a certain extent. You really can only be disappointed with F.E.A.R. 2 if you were actually dumb enough to expect it to be different from F.E.A.R in the first place. It's kind of like action films: you check your brain at the door and expect to be entertained by the bright flashes, loud noises, and the blood spray. If you want deep, meaningful plots and storylines, go watch a drama or a period-piece, not an action film.

Personally, I bought the game, and I'm enjoying it. Do I think it's a transcendant gaming experience? Hell no! But I've sunk about 10 hours into it so far, and that averages out to slightly under $5/hour value for my entertainment dollar, and that's usually my target these days, so I guess F.E.A.R. 2 succeeded for me. Not all games are going to be revolutionary, as much as Yahtzee may wish it to be so... and in fact, it'd kinda suck if they were, because we'd all be numb to what should be great experiences.

2) the idea of no sequels is ludicrious and pollyanna. There will be sequels, even if they don't recycle the exact specifics of character names, locales, and storyline every time. If there wasn't F.E.A.R. 2, Monolith would've made the game "S.C.A.R.E" where you chase Albert, the deranged psychic boy, through the city of Marsport on Mars-- why? The bottom line is this: The success of the first installment has shown that people will shell out money for the product, and the fundamentals of business say that a successful company will continue to exploit that until it is no longer profitable for them to do so.

It's something that isn't limited to just gaming, either. Consider this (to use an example from a different entertainment field): What was Return of the Jedi? It was a chase, followed by Lightsaber duels, followed by an epic space battle, which the good guys won. What was Episode I? It was a chase, followed by Lightsaber duels, followed by an epic space battle, which the good guys won. The revenue for RotJ was $572,700,000 in 1983 dollars. Did you really honestly think you were going to get anything different in the next installment???

Why should we expect the gaming industry have a different outlook?