Scraps: You're heavier than you look

10:55 PM on 12.03.2008   |   Conrad Zimmerman

6 comments

Nick Chester's review of Prince of Persia pushed me over the edge and made me break my sacred vow not to buy any more games this year. Like many, I was concerned about the lack of death, fearing that it would convey a sense that there was no risk, no challenge and no reward. I'm pleased to say that those fears were completely without merit.

I love that Elika pulls me out of pits and plops me back on the last stable ground I encountered. It's a fine example of how games can present challenges to you and encourage you to attempt them again, rather than punishing you for failure. It's made the game accessible enough that my fiance, somewhat timid at the thought of action-platformers, will actually be able to enjoy what has already been an exceptional gaming experience.

I'm not sure yet if I can agree with Chester that it's superior to Sands of Time, as I still have a considerable amount of playing left to do, but I can easily see it being a damn close second already.

Here. Have some news. Don't forget to follow past the jump for some other, very cool stuff from around the web.

• A couple of college students had their 360 stolen when they left their door unlocked. Fortunately, the moron who took it was also sharing their internet connection. [GamePolitics]
• The next installment of Tekken may have console-specific characters, a la Soulcalibur. I recommend that they take them from The Specials. [CVG]
• Microsoft-owned Massive Inc., an in-game advertising firm, has signed a deal with Blizzard for ads to appear on Battle.net. Thankfully, we've been assured that ads won't actually show up "in-game." [Gamasutra]
• Konami's new edition of Pro Evo is sponsoring an Italian football team for a game next week. I wonder if FIFA fans will even give a damn. [Kotaku]

Lengthier articles that deserve your attention are below:

• L.B. Jeffries considers the reviewing practices of legendary rock music critic Lester Bangs and how they could be applied to game criticism. Lengthy and spends more time on the music than games, but well worth the read. [PopMatters]
• While we're on the topic of reviews, there's an interesting question posed over at Hide and Geek. What impact, if any, do reviews have upon a player's actual enjoyment of a game? [Hide and Geek]
• American McGee espouses the benefits that cross-pollination of talent and resources could have on the industry. Pipe dream? Perhaps, but the benefits to the consumer would be undeniable. [American McGee's Blog]
• GameSetWatch columnist Alex Litel would like to buy the Brash Entertainment name for the healthy sum of $300. At this point, that may be all it's worth, frankly. The really interesting bit of this farce is what he suggests be done with it. [GameSetWatch]
• Family gatherings over the holiday season can be a nightmare. The Escapist has your back with Colin Roswell's list of methods gamers can employ in order to survive them. [The Escapist]
• Nintendo is often accused of having abandoned the "hardcore" audience. Is it possible, however, that this demographic left them behind long before the Wii? Make sure to also check out the response post over at GayGamer. [Hide and Geek]