NFS-PU review at Operation Sports

Break out the rope and the beer, boys and girls -- sounds like we may be forming up a lynch mob! First, though, before buying into the mob mentality, head over to the Operation Sports site and check out their review of NFS-PU: http://www.operationsports.com/ReviewVault/reviews.asp?game=nfs5pc The long and short of it: Their reviewer gave NFS-PU a 93, which doesn't sound bad until you consider that they gave NFS3 a 94, and NFS:HS a 96. Looking at their ratings, I see they also gave GPL and Viper Racing a 92 rating, but at least DTR qualified for a 98 (Jeff Downey reviewed DTR, I believe, while somebody named "Joel" did the review of NFS-PU). At any rate, I find their rating for NFS-PU to be pretty lame -- NFS3 and NFS:HS were amusing diversions at best, but I've been TOTALLY consumed by NFS-PU. This game has captured my attention the same way that Viper Racing, GPL, and DTR have in the past, whereas NFS3 and NFS:HS never really held my attention for any length of time. Then again, Jeff Downey (who reviewed DTR) did NOT review NFS-PU, so it would be interesting to hear his opinion. You out there, Jeff??? Also, has anybody seen a Randy Magruder review of NFS-PU? I always enjoy Randy's reviews, and I know he liked NFS3/NFS:HS, so I'd like to hear what he has to say about NFS-PU as well. -- JB Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

Um, I just read the review and it seemed *quite* positive. If I give a student of mine a 93%, that supposed to reflect a pretty damned good paper. DK <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8cb2o6$uq5$[email hidden]... > Break out the rope and the beer, boys and girls -- sounds like we may > be forming up a lynch mob! >

On Tue, 04 Apr 2000 08:58:07 GMT, [email hidden] (Remco Moedt) wrote: >So far I think NFS-PU is kinda dull. I started with the Evolution >Mode, and won all my races with it with no competition at all in the >first episode. That with no practice, but I did buy all the mods >available... Have you played the Factory Driver game yet? If not, quit playing that Evolution fluff -you're missing the main part of the game. I only play Evolution to chill out when I get pissed off at Factory Driver. <g> Tim

On Tue, 04 Apr 2000 05:59:29 GMT, [email hidden] wrote: >Get my point? > >-- JB Was your point that the people at "Operation Sports" (OS) don't know how to review a racing game? If that was your point, it's loud and clear, amigo. As far as I'm concerned, more than a few OS reviewers have flipped the Bozo bit already... Ah well, it's all perception and opinions. The trick is finding a site that you feel reflects your attitude and priorities-- personally, I can't say I've found a perfect site, but OS certainly ain't it. --mK

Thanks for the reply, Jeff -- I have some additional comments of my own embedded below: In article <[email hidden]>, Jeff Downey <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> In article <8cb2o6$uq5$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] > wrote: > > I'm here John, my opinions are below. > > >The long and short of it: Their reviewer gave NFS-PU a 93, > which doesn't sound bad until you consider that they gave NFS3 a > 94, and NFS:HS a 96. Looking at their ratings, I see they also > gave GPL and Viper Racing a 92 rating, but at least DTR > qualified for a 98 (Jeff Downey reviewed DTR, I believe, while > somebody named "Joel" did the review of NFS-PU). > > One problem with the reviewing game is that you can't really > compare reviews to rank games. Most of the time reviews are > written by different people with different ideas of what makes a > quality game.

True -- I don't fault Joel's review, and I realize that the point scores at OT sports do represent a wide array of reviewers. It's always nice to see multiple reviews from a single reviewer such as you or Randy Magruder. Again, I think Joel did a fine job on the NFS-PU review, but I'm not familiar with his review criteria, and I don't really know what else he considers to be a "good" sim (or arcade racer), so I can't really get a handle on his overall viewpoint. > A second problem lies in the fact that what may have once been a > cutting edge feature has later become less impressive, or > perhaps even mundane. VERY true -- I had not taken this into account. At the time they were reviewed, I'm sure NFS3 and NFS:HS were pretty much "cutting edge" games. I feel that NFS-PU breaks a lot of new ground for the NFS family, even if it doesn't break any new ground for driving sims in general, so given that, I guess a 93 is a pretty fair score. Still, as a simmer, I'd like to see companies rewareded when they move away from arcade play and get daring enough to wade into the "true sim" realm. <G> > I'm not saying that is what happened here, but more than likely > that is the case. Unless you have one guy doing all of the > reviews, it's like comparing apples to oranges. Again, a VERY good point -- can I retract the following statement about the rating being "lame"? <G>

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> >At any rate, I find their rating for NFS-PU to be pretty lame -- > NFS3 and NFS:HS were amusing diversions at best, but I've been > TOTALLY consumed by NFS-PU. This game has captured my attention > the same way that Viper Racing, GPL, and DTR have in the past, > whereas NFS3 and NFS:HS never really held my attention for any > length of time. > > >Then again, Jeff Downey (who reviewed DTR) did NOT review NFS- > PU, so itwould be interesting to hear his opinion. You out > there, Jeff??? > > Well, I think the latest version is indeed better than anything > we have seen from this series in the past. Not that any of the > series has been terrible, I just see a definite improvement in > Porsche Unleashed.

COOL! Good to hear your opinion, too. Not that Joel's opinion was bad or invalid, mind you, but I'm familiar with your reviews and your review criteria, so I'm always interested in your take on a subject.

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> Having said that, I'm not ready to climb the highest mountain > and proclaim the game to be the best racing game I've ever > seen. Personally, I wouldn't rank it higher than GPL, DTR, > NASCAR 3, or Viper Racing. Then again, what I look for in a > racing game may be totally different than what you or anyone > else is looking for. All of my reviews are strictly my > opinion. I don't approach a review from the position of what > will everyone else think about this game.

Have you tried the Factory Driver mode yet? For me, this was every bit as immersive as GPL, DTR, and Viper Racing. > I guess the best thing to do is find a reviewer who you feel > thinks the way you do and go from there. That is what I do in > my own buying decisions. Other reviews might lend some insight > to the overall picture, but for me, I stay with the reviewers I > trust to think the same way I do. Ditto -- that's why I always look for reviews from you and Randy Magruder in particular! <G>

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> In the end, the final decision on how "good or bad" a game rests > with the end user. The only thing a review can do is help > influence your final decision. At least that is the way I > approach the job. > > To answer your question though, now that I'm off my soap box. I > think NFS: PU is an entertaining arcade racer, with more sim > characteristics than past incarnations. I find it enjoyable, > and well worth a purchase. However, I don't see it holding my > attention for long periods of time like GPL has. It's a nice > diversion for me, but that's about it.

Again, thanks for sharing your opinion -- and make sure you check out the Factory Driver mode if you haven't already. THAT is the meat of this game, IMO. TTYL! -- JB Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

Do you and your students all suffer from similarly-poor reading comprehension skills? <G> I didn't take exception to the fact that they gave NFS-PU a 93, which is a pretty decent score. What I had a problem with is the fact that they rated NFS-PU (which definitely leans more towards "sim" than "arcade racer") LOWER than either NFS3 or NFS:HS (BOTH of which are blatant arcade racers, with no aspirations to be driving simulators, period). To reiterate, what I said was: "Their reviewer gave NFS-PU a 93, which doesn't sound bad until you consider that they gave NFS3 a 94, and NFS:HS a 96. Looking at their ratings, I see they also gave GPL and Viper Racing a 92 rating, but at least DTR qualified for a 98 (Jeff Downey reviewed DTR, I believe, while somebody named "Joel" did the review of NFS-PU)." Sure a 93 isn't bad at all -- until you consider that they gave higher scores to what MOST of us here would consider to be inferior, ARCADE racers. It's kind of like saying that a National Honor Society student should be happy getting a 93% after completing all the assignments and earning the highest score on ALL the tests, even though the school quarterback got a 96% simply because he, uh, finished most of his assignments, showed up for a couple of tests, and led the school to victory in the state finals . . . Get my point? -- JB In article <8cbaqq$10c$[email hidden]>, "David Karr" <[email hidden]> wrote: > Um, I just read the review and it seemed *quite* positive. If I give a > student of mine a 93%, that supposed to reflect a pretty damned goodpaper. > > DK > > <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8cb2o6$uq5$[email hidden]... > > Break out the rope and the beer, boys and girls -- sounds like wemay > > be forming up a lynch mob! > > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

The problem is that reviewers really don't know how to review anymore. Most reviews fall into the 9 - 10 group, with no real relationship between perceived quality and score. Then there is a big chasm before the few stinkers that get a 6. I don't pay attention to the numerical scores, as they mean nothing. I read between the lines of all the other reviews, then finally wait for Randy's! Stephen <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8cc0bs$upc$[email hidden]...

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> Do you and your students all suffer from similarly-poor reading > comprehension skills? <G> I didn't take exception to the fact that they > gave NFS-PU a 93, which is a pretty decent score. What I had a problem > with is the fact that they rated NFS-PU (which definitely leans more > towards "sim" than "arcade racer") LOWER than either NFS3 or NFS:HS > (BOTH of which are blatant arcade racers, with no aspirations to be > driving simulators, period). > > To reiterate, what I said was: > > "Their reviewer gave NFS-PU a 93, which doesn't sound bad until you > consider that they gave NFS3 a 94, and NFS:HS a 96. Looking at their > ratings, I see they also gave GPL and Viper Racing a 92 rating, but at > least DTR qualified for a 98 (Jeff Downey reviewed DTR, I believe, > while somebody named "Joel" did the review of NFS-PU)." > > Sure a 93 isn't bad at all -- until you consider that they gave higher > scores to what MOST of us here would consider to be inferior, ARCADE > racers. It's kind of like saying that a National Honor Society student > should be happy getting a 93% after completing all the assignments and > earning the highest score on ALL the tests, even though the school > quarterback got a 96% simply because he, uh, finished most of his > assignments, showed up for a couple of tests, and led the school to > victory in the state finals . . . > > Get my point? > > -- JB > > In article <8cbaqq$10c$[email hidden]>, > "David Karr" <[email hidden]> wrote: > > Um, I just read the review and it seemed *quite* positive. If I give a > > student of mine a 93%, that supposed to reflect a pretty damned good > paper. > > > > DK > > > > <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8cb2o6$uq5 > $[email hidden]... > > > Break out the rope and the beer, boys and girls -- sounds like we > may > > > be forming up a lynch mob! > > > > > > > > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy.

[email hidden] wrote: >At any rate, I find their rating for NFS-PU to be pretty lame -- NFS3 >and NFS:HS were amusing diversions at best, but I've been TOTALLY >consumed by NFS-PU. This game has captured my attention the same way >that Viper Racing, GPL, and DTR have in the past, whereas NFS3 and >NFS:HS never really held my attention for any length of time. So far I think NFS-PU is kinda dull. I started with the Evolution Mode, and won all my races with it with no competition at all in the first episode. That with no practice, but I did buy all the mods available... The tracks I drove on where too easy, just going flat out all the time, with the occasional slower turn which is always indicated with a sign. I like the sound/graphics/handling of the car, and I hope things ( tracks/AI) will be better once I reach the later years.... Remco

Maybe they have raised their standards. Just a thought. Michael K. Grandy Sr Proud Member of Precision Racing Professional Internet Race Team Powered by ECCI "ECCI - A proud sponsor of the 1998 NROS finals" The CDS4000 was designed for stock car racing... and it delivers NOTICE TO BULK E-MAILERS: Pursuant to US Code, Title 47, Chapter 5, Subchapter II, p.227, any and all nonsolicited commercial E-mail sent to [email hidden] is subject to a download and archival fee in the amount of Five-Hundred Dollars U.S. E-Mailing denotes acceptance of these terms. Member of Nass 2000 Pro Online Series Member of OSCAR Freedom Cup Series Member of the National Invitational Series The NIS is sponsored by Thomas Enterprises <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8cc0bs$upc$[email hidden]... Do you and your students all suffer from similarly-poor reading comprehension skills? <G> I didn't take exception to the fact that they gave NFS-PU a 93, which is a pretty decent score. What I had a problem with is the fact that they rated NFS-PU (which definitely leans more towards "sim" than "arcade racer") LOWER than either NFS3 or NFS:HS (BOTH of which are blatant arcade racers, with no aspirations to be driving simulators, period). To reiterate, what I said was: "Their reviewer gave NFS-PU a 93, which doesn't sound bad until you consider that they gave NFS3 a 94, and NFS:HS a 96. Looking at their ratings, I see they also gave GPL and Viper Racing a 92 rating, but at least DTR qualified for a 98 (Jeff Downey reviewed DTR, I believe, while somebody named "Joel" did the review of NFS-PU)." Sure a 93 isn't bad at all -- until you consider that they gave higher scores to what MOST of us here would consider to be inferior, ARCADE racers. It's kind of like saying that a National Honor Society student should be happy getting a 93% after completing all the assignments and earning the highest score on ALL the tests, even though the school quarterback got a 96% simply because he, uh, finished most of his assignments, showed up for a couple of tests, and led the school to victory in the state finals . . . Get my point? -- JB In article <8cbaqq$10c$[email hidden]>, "David Karr" <[email hidden]> wrote: > Um, I just read the review and it seemed *quite* positive. If I give a > student of mine a 93%, that supposed to reflect a pretty damned good paper. > > DK > > <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8cb2o6$uq5 $[email hidden]... > > Break out the rope and the beer, boys and girls -- sounds like we may > > be forming up a lynch mob! > > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

In article <8cb2o6$uq5$[email hidden]>, [email hidden] wrote: I'm here John, my opinions are below. >The long and short of it: Their reviewer gave NFS-PU a 93,which doesn't sound bad until you consider that they gave NFS3 a 94, and NFS:HS a 96. Looking at their ratings, I see they also gave GPL and Viper Racing a 92 rating, but at least DTR qualified for a 98 (Jeff Downey reviewed DTR, I believe, while somebody named "Joel" did the review of NFS-PU). One problem with the reviewing game is that you can't really compare reviews to rank games. Most of the time reviews are written by different people with different ideas of what makes a quality game. A second problem lies in the fact that what may have once been a cutting edge feature has later become less impressive, or perhaps even mundane. I'm not saying that is what happened here, but more than likely that is the case. Unless you have one guy doing all of the reviews, it's like comparing apples to oranges. >At any rate, I find their rating for NFS-PU to be pretty lame -- NFS3 and NFS:HS were amusing diversions at best, but I've been TOTALLY consumed by NFS-PU. This game has captured my attention the same way that Viper Racing, GPL, and DTR have in the past, whereas NFS3 and NFS:HS never really held my attention for any length of time. >Then again, Jeff Downey (who reviewed DTR) did NOT review NFS-PU, so itwould be interesting to hear his opinion. You out there, Jeff??? Well, I think the latest version is indeed better than anything we have seen from this series in the past. Not that any of the series has been terrible, I just see a definite improvement in Porsche Unleashed. Having said that, I'm not ready to climb the highest mountain and proclaim the game to be the best racing game I've ever seen. Personally, I wouldn't rank it higher than GPL, DTR, NASCAR 3, or Viper Racing. Then again, what I look for in a racing game may be totally different than what you or anyone else is looking for. All of my reviews are strictly my opinion. I don't approach a review from the position of what will everyone else think about this game. I guess the best thing to do is find a reviewer who you feel thinks the way you do and go from there. That is what I do in my own buying decisions. Other reviews might lend some insight to the overall picture, but for me, I stay with the reviewers I trust to think the same way I do. In the end, the final decision on how "good or bad" a game rests with the end user. The only thing a review can do is help influence your final decision. At least that is the way I approach the job. To answer your question though, now that I'm off my soap box. I think NFS: PU is an entertaining arcade racer, with more sim characteristics than past incarnations. I find it enjoyable, and well worth a purchase. However, I don't see it holding my attention for long periods of time like GPL has. It's a nice diversion for me, but that's about it. -Jeff * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!