Rate the Game: Week 103

[M-A-G]

Week...

...one...

...hundred...

...three.

Man, when you say it like that. That's almost two years. Two years of some of the best games out there, though! Well, sometimes. How about last week's Fallout 3, for instance? Where does it land on the spectrum after our rigorous examinations? Is it one for the vault or does it get tossed to the wasteland?

<select><option selected="">Rate the Game Results

<option>1. (TIE) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (4.8)</option>
<option>3. (TIE) Hitman: Codename 47, Mass Effect (4.75)</option>
<option>5. Goldeneye 007 (4.72)</option>
<option>6. Super Mario Bros. 3 (4.7)</option>
<option>7. Silent Hill 2 (4.66)
<option>8. (3-WAY TIE) Chrono Trigger, Portal, Red Dead Redemption (4.5)</option>
<option>11. (3-WAY TIE) Mega Man 2, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (4.44)</option>
<option>14. Super Mario Bros. (4.41)</option>
<option>15. God of War (4.4)</option>
<option>16. Mega Man X (4.36)</option>
<option>17. (TIE) Metal Gear Solid, BioShock (4.33)</option>
<option>19. Perfect Dark (4.3)</option>
<option>20. (TIE) Shadow of the Colossus, The Last of Us (4.28)</option>
<option>22. Super Street Fighter 2 (4.15)</option>
<option>23. Sonic the Hedgehog (4.14)</option>
<option>24. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (4.125)</option>
<option>25. Super Mario 64 (4.07)</option>
<option>26. (TIE) Grand Theft Auto 3, The Legend of Zelda (4.06)</option>
<option>28. NBA Jam (4.05)</option>
<option>29. (11-WAY TIE) Super Mario Kart (4.0)</option>
<option>- Sonic the Hedgehog 2</option>
<option>- Super Metroid</option>
<option>- The Simpsons</option>
<option>- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night</option>
<option>- Donkey Kong Country 2</option>
<option>- Resident Evil 4</option>
<option>- Super Smash Bros.</option>
<option>- Banjo-Kazooie</option>
<option>- EarthBound</option>
<option>- Fallout 3</option>
<option>40. Final Fantasy 7 (3.94)</option>
<option>41. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (3.92)</option>
<option>42. Mega Man (3.89)</option>
<option>43. (3-WAY TIE) Contra, Castlevania, Devil May Cry (3.86)</option>
<option>46. Half-Life 2 (3.85)</option>
<option>47. Half-Life (3.83)</option>
<option>48. (TIE) SimCity 2000, Final Fight (3.8)</option>
<option>50. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (3.77)</option>
<option>51. Batman: Arkham Asylum (3.76)</option>
<option>52. (TIE) Double Dragon, Max Payne (3.75)</option>
<option>54. Tetris (3.69)</option>
<option>55. Mortal Kombat 2 (3.67)</option>
<option>56. (TIE) Diablo, F.E.A.R. (3.66)</option>
<option>58. Mortal Kombat (3.65)</option>
<option>59. Doom (3.625)</option>
<option>60. StarFox (3.61)</option>
<option>61. Resident Evil (3.58)</option>
<option>62. (TIE) Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi (3.5)</option>
<option>64. Dead Space (3.4)</option>
<option>65. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (3.39)</option>
<option>66. Resident Evil: Nemesis (3.38)</option>
<option>67. (5-WAY TIE) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Condemned: Criminal Origins, Crash Bandicoot, Wolfenstein 3D, Left 4 Dead (3.33)</option>
<option>72. Gears of War (3.27)</option>
<option>73. (TIE) Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Borderlands (3.22)</option>
<option>75. (3-WAY TIE) Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, Darkstalkers (3.2)</option>
<option>78. SoulCalibur (3.16)</option>
<option>79. Pac-Man (3.125)</option>
<option>80. Killer Instinct (3.11)</option>
<option>81. (TIE) Virtua Fighter, Rock Band (3.09)</option>
<option>83. (5-WAY TIE) Time Crisis, Tekken, Earthworm Jim, Metroid, Halo 2 (3.0)</option>
<option>88. Guitar Hero (2.875)</option>
<option>89. Streets of Rage (2.84)</option>
<option>90. Altered Beast (2.8)</option>
<option>91. Bayonetta (2.75)</option>
<option>92. (3-WAY TIE) Dead Rising, Gauntlet, Assassin's Creed (2.71) </option>
<option>95. (TIE) Silent Hill, The Sims (2.6)</option>
<option>97. Tomb Raider (2.55)</option>
<option>98. Halo: Combat Evolved (2.5)</option>
<option>99. (TIE) Twisted Metal, Crackdown (2.42)</option>
<option>101. Gran Turismo (2.3)</option>
<option>102. Ghosts n' Goblins (2.14)</option>
</select>

Man, that is a God damn 11-way tie we're dealing with on that 29th spot now that we've added Fallout 3 to the list. What I'm probably going to end up doing in order to rid ourselves of some of these ties is looking over the polls and using the number of "Haven't played it" votes to break them. So if a game has a high number of people who hadn't played it, it gets ranked lower amongst its group. Just an idea I'm considering. It does say a lot that we're ending up with a lot of games that go well above average, though.

That leads us into this week, our 103rd! Will this week's game rise above average as well? Bowl, I know you got something good cooking for us, I hope....

<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/35onBg3LPtesG0cFjm" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/35onBg3LPtesG0cFjm">via GIPHY</a></p>

There we go. Pay no attention to my finger getting in the way of the camera over on the left there. The important thing is what got pulled from the pile! This week's Rate the Game takes a look at the free-running, acrobatic, first-person dystopian adventure, Mirror's Edge! This little scamp tried a bit of a twist on the first-person take with its focus on parkour and hand-to-hand combat in an oppressive world with the character of Faith Connors front and center. How well did it turn out? Too ambitious? Fun as all hell? We've got rating to do, boys and girls. Let's show this week what for and close out the month of March with your opinions on this title. Until next week!

[M-A-G]

May I just say that I'm rocking quite the boner for this week's edition?https://i.imgur.com/kKwwDEH.gif

[Destor]

neverr played it but always wanted to

[Destor]

i like your tie breaker idea btw

[Lock Jaw]

Never played it.

[M-A-G]

Sorry, y'all, but I'm a big mark for this game, as my decor and dress style will attest to...

https://i.imgur.com/2f7kopG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pXkD3CW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0qsxzBv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bQdTO8f.jpg

Yes, I even have a mask for my love of this game and its aesthetic. That last pic not only has more of my shirts but a wallet, Xbox One controller, and pin. I think I have more merch surrounding this franchise than any other. I'm trying to hunt down some of the limited edition stuff like the runner bags and books. Is there something wrong with me?

[M-A-G]

Got the soundtrack, too, which is quite a bit of ambient joy. The main theme is my ringtone for non-contacts.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/PLt0xtG.jpg" width="487" height="546">

[Fignuts]

4

Some areas in the late game that force you to slow down keep this from being a 5 for me. Loved everything else about it though.

Going open world for the sequel was a huge mistake. First one towed the line perfectly, between tight linear design and player freedom.

[ClockShot]

Never played. But always heard great things.

[M-A-G]

4


Going open world for the sequel was a huge mistake. First one towed the line perfectly, between tight linear design and player freedom.

I've always compared it to the first Portal game. Each seemed like just the first step into what could actually be achieved with the concept. You were only getting a glimpse but there was even greater stuff to come if it was handled right. Portal 2, of course, knocked it out of the park. Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, not so much, which was a disappointment. It seemed to take a step back for every step forward.

[DAMN iNATOR]

4 for me.

[M-A-G]

LOL, I swear if we end up with another 4.0....

[DAMN iNATOR]

LOL, I swear if we end up with another 4.0....

Color me intrigued.

[M-A-G]

Color me intrigued.

LOL, my statement rings a little hollow. I mean, what can I do? It is what it is. I would've liked to have given it a 5 but despite my giddiness towards it, I have to recognize a few things that holds it back from epicness.

The good qualities are really good, though. First and foremost, it's just gorgeous to look at. It's probably the best-looking game of that generation. Yes, there are other games that are more photo-realistic and have better technical aspects behind the engine, but as far sheer artistry goes, no other game looks like this one. You could take a random shot from any part of the gameplay and it'd look like something I'd want to hang on a wall. Hell, I kind of already done that. The parkour gimmick is also cool and it handles well despite the jump button being on the fucking bumper. Who does that? The levels are designed almost perfectly for the action, the music is soothing and fitting, and you have a fairly enjoyable protagonist in Faith.

HOWEVER, it'd be something if this was all in a story that had a little more weight to it. Sure, you understand everything fine but it never feels epic. Maybe it doesn't need to be, I don't know. I still love it, regardless, even though we're looking at it being the 12th God damn 4.0 on the list. :lol:

[M-A-G]

One other highlight of this game was that I held the record time for one of the courses for a brief while. Beating the times was always a rough time for me. It sticks in my craw that the last few achievements I need to 100% it are all "beat the clock".