Emasher Posted December 30, 2007 Posted December 30, 2007 I finally got to play this. The graphics are just stunning, I love the reflections The controls are amazing and I love the gravity system
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Everything about this game is great! The graphics, the controls, the atmosphere! I'm loving the gravity-shifting elements (though it was a little confusing at first) - it opens up to whole new strategies and level designs. It's like we have gotten a whole new dimension - take that, Sony! Nintendo beat you to 4D! BUT! Yes, there is a but - there is one thing that annoy me: the camera angles. When making such a great game, it disappoints me that the camera is so ... well, lousy. There's nothing wrong with the camera controls, but the fact that the camera is so often fixed can be really annoying at times. Expecially when running around on a very small planet - when you're upside down or on the side, it's very hard to make Mario run in the direction you want because of the camera angle, and there's no way that you can adjust the camera to get a better view. When moving around in a universe with so much freedom, the camera should be 100 percent free to control - more often than ever you need to get an overview of the level and it's very hard when the camera is so fixed all the time. Phew, rant over.
dazzybee Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Oh my God the camera is pure genius - my brain hurts thinking anyone can think it isn't. There have been a handful of times I personally got disorientated, but I dont really think the camera could be much better!
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Oh my God the camera is pure genius - my brain hurts thinking anyone can think it isn't. There have been a handful of times I personally got disorientated, but I dont really think the camera could be much better! Well, here comes the headache for you, then.
Davey_T Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I agree about the bad camera angles. The level with the ghost ship really screwed me over. In the corner of the water the camera keeps shifting so you dont know which way to press. So confusing
flameboy Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I think the camera angles are put there with some thought and deliberation though...to make things just that bit harder and more satisfying when you complete it...
Konfucius Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I absolutely agree on the bad camera angles. At some points they drove me mad because I failed things that would have been easy if only the camera was ajustable and this was reason enough for me to quit playing games before. And I'm really wondering why it isn't. I mean Mario 64 did it, Mario 64 DS did it better and now this? Ok surely they put some thought into it and most of the time it's good but still I don't find the solution satisfying and especially when I feel the need to change the camera I can't.
Helmsly Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 weird I never had any trouble with the camera apart from underwater sections (until I found a shell and then it was ok again)
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I absolutely agree on the bad camera angles. At some points they drove me mad because I failed things that would have been easy if only the camera was ajustable and this was reason enough for me to quit playing games before.And I'm really wondering why it isn't. I mean Mario 64 did it, Mario 64 DS did it better and now this? Ok surely they put some thought into it and most of the time it's good but still I don't find the solution satisfying and especially when I feel the need to change the camera I can't. Exactly my thoughts.
Goron_3 Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Everything about this game is great! The graphics, the controls, the atmosphere! I'm loving the gravity-shifting elements (though it was a little confusing at first) - it opens up to whole new strategies and level designs. It's like we have gotten a whole new dimension - take that, Sony! Nintendo beat you to 4D! BUT! Yes, there is a but - there is one thing that annoy me: the camera angles. When making such a great game, it disappoints me that the camera is so ... well, lousy. There's nothing wrong with the camera controls, but the fact that the camera is so often fixed can be really annoying at times. Expecially when running around on a very small planet - when you're upside down or on the side, it's very hard to make Mario run in the direction you want because of the camera angle, and there's no way that you can adjust the camera to get a better view. When moving around in a universe with so much freedom, the camera should be 100 percent free to control - more often than ever you need to get an overview of the level and it's very hard when the camera is so fixed all the time. Phew, rant over. What the... You are aware that a controllable camera of 360 degree levels would be dreadful right? I mean, god, the amount of times you would die out of not knowing what to do is unbelievable! Seriously, it'd be worse than sunshines camera by a LONG way. Tbh, it's very impressive that they've managed to get the camera as solid as they have. Oh, and it's not that hard to make mario move the way you want; and considering how hard it is to actually die in this game you're not exactly going to get punished by a mistke.
darksnowman Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Hmm, I sympathise with both side of this. There are times when I want to even center the camera behind me but typically its in a section where the camera is fixed. But Goron 3 makes a good point- if the camera was free roaming it would only create more chaos than it would solve, but the thing that makes most sense is that its so hard to actually die in the game anyway that when the camera rarely does "hamper" things, its usually not gonna kill you.
Mike Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Another 5/5 for Galaxy in new issue of NEO magazine this month (written by me :p). Not sure if its reviews are included at GameRankings, though.
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 What the... You are aware that a controllable camera of 360 degree levels would be dreadful right? I mean, god, the amount of times you would die out of not knowing what to do is unbelievable! Seriously, it'd be worse than sunshines camera by a LONG way. Tbh, it's very impressive that they've managed to get the camera as solid as they have. Oh, and it's not that hard to make mario move the way you want; and considering how hard it is to actually die in this game you're not exactly going to get punished by a mistke. I just don't follow your points, sorry. How would a free-roaming camera be a bad thing? It would be a lot easier to navigate if you could get a better view of the level. And as far as I remember, Sunshine's camera was better than this. At some points, it was nearly impossible to make Mario move the way I wanted. And yes, it could actually easily kill me. To me it seems we have very different tastes in video game cameras.
EchoDesiato Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I can imagine a controllable camera being a bitch with these spherical worlds. Nintendo did a great job with the fixed camera.
spirited away Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I can imagine a controllable camera being a bitch with these spherical worlds. Nintendo did a great job with the fixed camera. I agree, you'd have to readjust it too often. Maybe a first-person static persepctive would of been nice, akin to Zelda mapped to the C-button.But tbh this is nitpicking. The camera rarely lets you down.
Mokong Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 Another 5/5 for Galaxy in new issue of NEO magazine this month (written by me :p). Not sure if its reviews are included at GameRankings, though. When did you start writing for NEO? Well i guess you are going out with one of the editors if i remember correctly. Is the news issue out early? I wasn't expecting it till next week?
Mike Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 When did you start writing for NEO?Well i guess you are going out with one of the editors if i remember correctly. Is the news issue out early? I wasn't expecting it till next week? I've only written a few reviews (Wario Ware, Hotel Dusk, Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland and Galaxy) - I'm not properly on the staff or anything. I can't remember when the release date of the mag is, but according to the forum, some subscribers have their issue now.
Gizmo Posted December 31, 2007 Posted December 31, 2007 I just don't follow your points, sorry. How would a free-roaming camera be a bad thing? It would be a lot easier to navigate if you could get a better view of the level. And as far as I remember, Sunshine's camera was better than this. At some points, it was nearly impossible to make Mario move the way I wanted. And yes, it could actually easily kill me. To me it seems we have very different tastes in video game cameras. Right, so what do you want to control that with exactly? The D-Pad? Have fun with holding the Wiimote so high up you can barely press the B button:shakehead The camera was excellent. Imagine adjusting it every five seconds running around a really small planet, and imagine the ease of the camera they did use. It's just better.
Zell Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 I think the thing is while the camera is excellent most of the time, it;s not to everyone's liking. Sometimes when the camera is fixed, you8 want it to be manouvarable. I personally think that the camera i great but not perfact. IN the future I can see a more perfected camera but for what ut is I think it is definately adequate. My two cents.
Mike Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 With the camera, I found that most of the time it was great, but on the few occasions when I wanted to move it, it wouldn't usually let me put it where I wanted to.
peterl0 Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 As with a few others here there were some times when you wanted to change the camera angle but could not. It made some situations slightly more difficult than they should have been but it happened rarely to me that I don't think I could call it a serious criticism of the game. Most of the time on the actual galaxy-style levels it was fine.
Goron_3 Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 I just don't follow your points, sorry. How would a free-roaming camera be a bad thing? It would be a lot easier to navigate if you could get a better view of the level. And as far as I remember, Sunshine's camera was better than this. At some points, it was nearly impossible to make Mario move the way I wanted. And yes, it could actually easily kill me. To me it seems we have very different tastes in video game cameras. Well think about it danny boy... On a 3d spherical worlds where you're wondering around a level, how would you be able to position the camera where you wanted? It's ok in games like 64and sunshine where the camera is basically moving around Mario, but if you wanted the camera to move around full 3d planets; well you're expecting too much. It'd be awful tbh.
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 Obviously we don't agree on the often-fixed camera. I think it was really annoying at times and that Nintendo could have done a better job. But I didn't hate the camera all the time. It was all right in most places, but there was a few times where it was impossible to control Mario properly because of the camera, and there was no way of adjusting it. I still fail to see how a free camera wouldn't work. The camera would automatically adjust to a predefined angle (like it does now), but if you didn't like it, you could use the D-pad to move the camera: pressing a direction would turn the camera that way around Mario (Mario stays in the camera's center). The first person view could be mapped to the 1 button. I would really like to try out this option, as I think it would work pretty well. But don't misjudge my complaints. I absolutely love Galaxy, it is by far one of (if not THE) best game for the Wii so far, and I enjoy it very much. The camera thing was the only thing I could highlight as something that annoyed me, and still so it is only a mild annoyance. Galaxy is without doubt the most thought-through and finished Wii game to date (perhaps together with Corruption, but that game never really caught on to me).
flameboy Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 BUT Danny don't you see how the position of the camera is often used to increase the challenge and also to show you what they want you to see...who knows zooming in and out and all over the place, all the time may make certain parts of the game look terrible.
Goron_3 Posted January 1, 2008 Posted January 1, 2008 Good point flameboy. The way the camera is used on some levels wouldn't work with a free camera. An example of this is the purple coin challenge on Druttlenought (spel?) when you have to work out that the axis changes (when you're collecting coins vertically) and you now have to press up-down and not left-right.
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