Euro VF4e PS2: How are the reviews?

I'm just curious. Have major Euro gaming sites or magazines covered the game yet? If so, what are they saying thus far?

 

The only one I can think of offhand is edge's review which was maybe a whole paragraph.

A whole paragraph of utter shite I might add.

I bloody hate Edge.

 

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http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/reviews/default.asp?subsectionid=166&articleid=65423&pagetype=2

 

Well it was was on teletext (gamecentral) the other day and they gave it a good review . The end mark was 8 / 10. /versus/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Nice unfair review their bye gamesradar. /versus/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

While I don''t share your sentiments on the magazine as a whole, I agree that their reviews are now bordering on imbecility.

They'll slam decent Sega games or give them average marks because they "fail to innovate" or because they "lack originality", yet consistently give rehashed Nintendo games, that are carbon copies of the previous game, 9 or 10s. I believe Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker both received 9/10 reviews.

Their VF4 review was one of the most retarded pieces of videogame journalism I've ever read. The reviewer actually claimed Sega had REMOVED the ability to dodge in VF4 because of the lack of an escape button. He clearly wasn't even aware that dodging was possible with u,d tap!! It got a 7/10 if I recall correctly and the closing remark was that the game lacked any innovation and they expected more from AM2.

Oh, and Soul Calibur 2 received a 9/10 this month - go figure.

 

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Zero-chan said:

I'm just curious. Have major Euro gaming sites or magazines covered the game yet? If so, what are they saying thus far?

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Forgot to mention, while C&VG have yet to review Evo, they did a nice pre-review a week or so ago. Here ya go:

VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 EVO - PLAYED TO DEATH!

Exclusive movie power as we cane the PAL version of Sega's brilliant PS2 beat-'em-up spectacular

18:04 Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution is the finest all-round fighter on PlayStation 2. That's our current feeling towards Sega's awesome scrapper. And that includes the likes of Soul Calibur II. We just feel it's a much better rounded package and we'll do our best to explain this as we give you a taster of our experiences so far with the PAL code, due for release in Europe this July.
As far as the PAL conversion goes, everything is basically exactly the same as the NTSC equivalent. More importantly, Sega has got this updated PS2 version on a par with the coin-op for the first time.

The original Virtua Fighter 4, though a brilliantly playing game, fell short of the coin-op's visual excellence, with badly aliased graphics and poor texture detail. But for VF4 Evo, the developer has really come up trumps, creating a game that is indistinguishable from the arcade as far as we can tell. And we had the arcade machine in the office for a while so we should know - side-by-side we simply cannot spot the differences. Good work, Sega.

As you'd expect from an update, VF 4 Evo boasts new characters over the previous version. And in the time-honoured tradition of the series, rather than add loads of random characters, Sega has introduced a limited number of excellently conceived additions - Brad and Goh - who fit perfectly into the balance of the game as a whole.

And on top of this, all other characters have had their moves refined, by and large for the better in all cases. Akira, for instance, has been opened up a lot more, so while you're still a bit of a punchbag, the more accessible moves give you more of a chance without frying your brain. And by making him this way, you're far more inclined to take the time to familiarise yourself with the character.

In other instances, certain moves that were deemed too easy (a single button press) have been turned into combo attacks, meaning greater skill is required to pull of some of the more powerful moves. Contrast this with the one-player mode in Soul Calibur II where it's perfectly possible to beat your way through to the end of the game simply by tapping a single button (cf. Raphael).

The other major addition is Quest Mode, which replaces Kumite Mode from the original VF4. This is where VF4 Evo really separates itself from Soul Calibur II in our minds, offering a far better, more rewarding single-player experience.

The unique aspect of this mode is that you will encounter fighters whose AI is based on the top Japanese VF4 players. So whereas in Soul Calibur II, one-player can just be a single button-bashing affair against limited AI, in VF4 Evo you come across a broad range of diverse fighting styles.

And when it comes to collecting items and so forth for each character in VF4 Evo, you must master each character to reap their specific rewards, whereas in Soul Calibur II you can simply pick Raphael, for instance, and button-bash your way through until you've racked up enough gold to unlock everything. The way VF4 Evo is set up gives you a greater incentive to learn to fight with a range of characters.

In terms of multiplayer, the choice between VF4 Evo and Soul Calibur II is a subjective one, but VF4 Evo is far more geared towards the hardcore gamer with an awful lot of time on his hands. Both games are undeniably brilliant in this area.

If you want our definitive verdict on the game, stay tuned for a full review soon, but if you're itching for a good scrap, we suggest you take a look at our stunning exclusive footage in the meantime.

 

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The original Virtua Fighter 4, though a brilliantly playing game, fell short of the coin-op's visual excellence, with badly aliased graphics and poor texture detail. But for VF4 Evo, the developer has really come up trumps, creating a game that is indistinguishable from the arcade as far as we can tell. And we had the arcade machine in the office for a while so we should know - side-by-side we simply cannot spot the differences. Good work, Sega.

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European Review man said:

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".........in Soul Calibur II, one-player can just be a single button-bashing affair against limited AI........the one-player mode in Soul Calibur II where it's perfectly possible to beat your way through to the end of the game simply by tapping a single button (cf. Raphael)........whereas in Soul Calibur II you can simply pick Raphael, for instance, and button-bash your way through until you've racked up enough gold to unlock everything....."

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rofl,<sarcasm> this guy obviously prefers SC over VF:Evo, because as we know SCII is "so much cooler and deeper!" than VF:Evo!! /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif</sarcasm>


This guys bashes SCII in a VF:Evo preview, there is no denying that these games are going to be competing alot for the top home console spot (on the PS2 mainly though, seeing as Evo is only on PS2). Good preview though, and yes SCII < VF:Evo.

 

Since we're transcribing here's the edge review.

With some ehh..added commentry of my own. /versus/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

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VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 EVOLUTION - EDGE MAGAZINE MAY 2003 ISSUE

"Shopping is in fashion. Is this a novel way of getting girls interested in gaming, or is it just a peculiar Japanese trend? What ever the case, accessorising is one of the main features that Sega-AM2 has expanded upon in its update of VF4. From wigs and contact lenses through to scuba diving gear, the areray of items available to buy in Evolution is bewildering.

The Kumite mode of the original has been scrapped in favour of quest mode which sees your chosen combatant duking it out in Sega World West and Event Square.Nice to see they bothered to play past the first arcade before reviewing the game. The latter offers an impressive range of contest, like the Iron Fight tournament (punches and kicks do less damage)Not strictly accurate, but forgivable. or the Hyper Action battle (your combos speed up as they connect). Not even remotely accurate. Do well in these tournaments and those all-important shopping sprees. Because that's all we want the game for. But apart from Minor graphical tweaks and two fresh character (Brad Burns and Goh Hinogami), VF4E remains much the same game. Not even going to bother Environments still fail to compare well to DoA3's, and body/limb locking and connections are a little off at times. It remainds furiously competitive in versus mode, Nice of you to mention the actual fighting aspect... kind of.but it's not the leap forward EDGE was hoping for." Fuck You.

Edge rating: Seven out of ten


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Yeah, I know. /versus/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

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and body/limb locking and connections are a little off at times.

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They probably don't know what a sabaki is. I hate people.

 

Re: Edge rating: Seven out of ten

Edge rating: Seven out of ten for VF:Evo
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I can only imagine the SCII review now:

"Amazing, this game is so cool, it has weapons, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, in a fighting game, a game with weapons called "Soul Calibur" obviously can't be given a score less than 10, the games has so many high points, like: easy button mashing, and wait for it, a very high COOL factor, yeah! Top this off with nothing new since SFII, and crap fighting system, button mashing, and OMG WEAPONS NO WAY, and you easily have the best fighting game of all time..blah blah blah more SCII woshipping blah blah........"

Edge rating: ten out of ten for Soul Calibur II
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This comes from the article eariler linked to from Games Radar

"Unfortunately, it's a case of too little too late for Evo. Yes, it's an amazingly intricate fighter, that will doubtless give VF fans sleepless nights to come. But in the shadow of the superb Soul Calibur 2 (which offers not only depth, but accessibility and longevity in a beautifully presented package) it's hard to recommend to anyone other than those who already know they want it."

All of the reviews are going to get AT LEAST a point off, due to the hate of VF not being as flashy as SCII, which suxxxx /versus/images/graemlins/mad.gif.
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Here we go: NTSC-UK a fair review, it needed a higher rating though /versus/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

 

I know for a fact PSW magazine ( an independent mag ) gave it 9/10 and far prefers it to tekken and DOA games.They gave vf4 9/10 as well when that came out but they marked vf4 evo down because they claimed 2 new chars doesn't really make a new game worth buying ( essentially ).Unfourtunately I doubt very much whether they will notice all the differences that have ocurred to chars moves / animations / frames etc...btw they gave SC2 10/10 and said it was probably the best 2 player fighting game available.I've never played any of the series so can't really comment.

 

This is quite a fair review :

Eurogamer VF Evo review

Has anybody looked at the new magazine simply called 'games' as an alternative to Edge? It has the same style of "grown-up" writing but a lot less jaded cynisism. Good methinks. Out of interest ,they awarded both Evo and SC2 8 out of 10.

 

Edge seem to think they're a bunch of elitist gamers and look down there nose at a lot of big name releases.I've read a few copies of my mates but can't stand their snobishness.Is that a word?Whatever I don't rate their reviews.

 

Still no review on C&VG, but just came accross a new EVO article with AM2 interview (good read):

EXCLUSIVE: THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

Sega's AM2 goes in-depth on its brilliant PS2 fighter, VF4 Evolution - amazing new media inside

18:06 For ultimately hardcore beat-'em-up fanatics with PS2s, there should be no other choice than Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution from Sega. Developed by AM2 under the masterful leadership of the legendary Yu Suzuki - a proper rock 'n' roll star of the games industry if ever there was one - it smashes the competition to a pulp.
Casual gamers might shriek at the complexity and depth of the fighting system, but those in the know appreciate that months of beautiful, rewarding gameplay, in both single- and multiplayer modes, await those who dare to dream.

For our full in-depth impressions of the stunning fighter, click right here. Then let AM2's Taku Kihara offer fascinate insight into the project.

In the five years between VF3 and VF4, how much of that time was dedicated to R&D for VF4? Also what was the breakdown of time for R&D on VF4 (time dedicated to each aspect of it)

Kihara: Development of the game took about one year. I am sorry, but we cannot explain the breakdown of time.

Please can you explain the concept of 'Yomi' in Virtua Fighter - a term used by expert players to describe a key aspect of the gameplay. Also, how do you explain the difference between how VF is played compared to any other fighting game?

Kihara: 'Yomi' means your foreseeing the movements of the opponent. In the VF series, you cannot win a match just by taking fixed actions. It is possible for the one who foresees the movements of the rival to win.

I give a simple example - there is a three-way standoff as follows; Toward Hit, Guard and Evade are effective; toward Guard and Evade, Throw is effective; and toward Throw, Hit is effective. From these points, the battle of seeing through each other already begins, trying to know how the opponent will act.

Even when you are in a disadvantageous state such as being attacked, if you win this forecast battle, it will become possible for you to reverse the situation and develop the match to your advantage.

One of the comprehensible characteristics of the VF gameplay is that its control system is simple - it consists of one lever and three buttons. With the simple control system like this, you can perform various actions such as more than 3,000 techniques, Guards toward high/middle/low attacks, Throws, Throw escapes, Evading, etc.

Besides, the games are created in the way that you can intuitively understand on sight how much damage you have received and whether the situation is advantageous/disadvantageous to you.

New characters Brad and Goh are among the coolest we've ever seen from AM2. Plus the existing characters are looking much cooler in VF4 and VF4 Evo. Who is responsible for the design of the characters, what is their professional background?

Kihara: The designer who created Goh is the one who has been continuously responsible for Akira, Kage, etc., since VF4. As for Brad, he was created by the designer who continues to be in charge of Lion, Aoi, etc., since VF4. I am afraid that we cannot reveal their names and background.

What is the reason for excluding undulating arenas for VF4 and VF4 Evo? Is it likely that undulating arenas will return in VF5? By the way... when will we see the first information on VF5?

Kihara: It would be more comprehensible when you think VF4/VF4 Evo to be a different form of a sequel of VF2, rather than of VF3. That is, as a sequel of VF2, there are two evolution forms: VF3 and VF4/VF4 Evo.

In VF3, there were undulations and the forms of stages were complicated as well, somewhat like in a street-fight (out-of-door match) style. Although we received really favourable comments for them, we also got criticism that they were confusing.

Then, with VF4/VF4 Evo, we pursued freshness, as we made them simpler. Now the stages are square and without undulation. In short, we changed the form of fights into "matches". The form was made to be easier to comprehend, as well as for players to foresee each other's movements.

About VF5, I am sorry that there is nothing we can talk about at the present stage.

At which stage of the development of VF4 did AM2 have the idea for VF.Net? Did you imagine that it would become so popular? Do you have plans for any other networked games? And, wouldn't the VF.Net system be perfect for Xbox Live?

Kihara: From the early stage of development, there had been the idea. As for popularity, we feel truly honoured to have gained support from the users beyond expectation. Concerning a networked game, we have currently "Sega The 4 Players Mah-Jong MJ -- Network Battle Version". Please continue to look forward to the networked games of SEGA-AM2 in the future.

Will there be a version of Virtua Fighter 4 for Xbox?

Kihara: I have no idea, but I am afraid that there is no plan at the moment.

 

Nice post maximum haven't come across any new reviews of evo in any mags yet myself.

 

Anchor started doing work for VF4 Evo for XBox forabout 3 months before being ordered by AM2 to stop working on it.

 

They even considered a VF.Net for X-box live, glad that never went through /versus/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

 

why? perfect platform for it.

 

Best controller design ever!!! /versus/images/graemlins/grin.gif