AWKWARD ZOMBIE

I bought this game a while ago, but never finished it. I'm sorry Internet, but I have to say...

I just. don't. get it.

I really actually thought this was going to be a fun game. I mean, I never played the first one, but everyone was fangasming their pants off over it, and over the sequel, because it's a freaking sequel. I don't know if this original game was like this, but my God, it's so boring I don't even know where to start.

Well, anywhere is good. Let's look at the control. Okay, flying is pretty cool, but I was told that this game would be perfect for the Wii. I tried playing using the control scheme that uses the Wii remote, but it didn't work. At all. You see, you have to point at the screen, and press A, and NiGHTS flies toward the pointer at the screen. Good in concept, and it would be good in execution, but the designers decided that you can only point the pointer in a radius of approximately five inches around NiGHTS. If you go outside this invisible circle, the cursor stays where it was, and NiGHTS flies off aimlessly until you bring the curson back. This results in the cursor doing a funny little jump and NiGHTS suddenly darts in a new direction. I guess this would have worked out if they let you see where you were pointing the countroller when it left the circle, but the cursor stays where it was, and you don't know how to re-align yourself. Everyone who played this game, and I mean everyone just decided to screw it, and plugged in the nunchuck for much smoother, yet uninteresting control.

Discussion of control of course always leads to gameplay. I guess NiGHTS is just one of those schitzophrenic games, but you really wouldn't expect it to be. It's like the developers couldn't decide between consistent gameplay levels and minigames, so they met in the middle. At the beginning of every level, you have to do a race-type deal, which I suppose is the iconic NiGHTS challenge, where you charge through a course that is split into three circular sections, chasing after a bird which holds the key to a cage you've already escaped from. But that's a problem with the story, and I'll get to that later. Anyways, these levels are pretty fun, and I can tell that they are what the NiGHTS gameplay was designed for. What pisses me off is upon completing this stage, you return to the level about four or five more times to play pointless minigames, some of which use NiGHTS's flying ability, some of which throw the traditional gameplay out the window and involve NiGHTS turning into a rollercoaster car, or a boat, which is incredibly awkward for a little boy to be riding in. I'll try to cut down on the pedophile jokes because that just makes me sound like an angry little kid who just doesn't understand the game.

And maybe that's it. Maybe there's just something about the game that I'm not seeing, that everyone else is seeing. I will admit, this game is packed full of visuals, and if I were having a dream like that, it'd definitely be a good dream. But it's not a dream, it's a video game. I guess while everyone else was gawking at the mountside vistas and underwater paradises, I was chasing after some stupid bird and complaining about the gameplay. I guess I'm more focused on interface than visual, but I can't be the only one. I'm a Nintendo gamer, for Christ's sake, and everyone knows Nintendo gamers don't care about graphics! Okay, maybe I'm going in the wrong direction. Because NiGHTS does have it's pixelage problems here and there, so it's not necessarily good graphics, it's just... colorful. But I mean, come on, Nintendo games are always colorful. But the thing is, not all the stages are terribly unique. I felt like ripping my eyes out when I got to the city at night time, complete with casino. Gee SonicTeam, haven't seen that one before.

The story isn't terribly interesting. I mean, a world of dreams. I dunno about when the first game came out, but it just feels like something that's been done before, even if I don't remember where. I will say, however, that the game very well replicates the feeling of dreaming that you're someone else, and you can't really control your actions. I constantly find myself wondering, why do I even bother stepping into one of the Nightopias? Every time the main character is there, something bad happens. Yet for no real specified reason, he keeps going back. Much like a dream where I have no idea what's going on, but I just go along for the ride. In this haze, the game might have just been better off with no story at all.

But if they didn't have a story, where would SonicTeam include the GODAWFUL VOICE ACTING? In an attempt to be less American (ever notice how in Sonic Adventure 2, the President was, like, the leader of the entire world?), the game is set in London. I think. That clock tower in the middle of the city is a little strange looking. Anyways, all of the characters have charming accents, which I'm not supposed to detest, but I do. I am one of three siblings, and when I play a game, I shouldn't be embarrassed when someone walks into the room during a lame cutscene. I feel like I'm watching a children's movie, straight out of the depths of Disney CG. I guess that's why the story confused me, because I was only half-listening most of the time.

I read Nintendo Power's review of the game, and they gave it a nine out of ten, praising the game for stunning visuals, music that balances between new and nostalgia, enthralling gameplay, and at this point, they could have said the world was round and I would have disagreed with them out of spite.

But seriously. Stunning visuals? Unique nostalgic soundtrack? A feeling of flying? I think I'll skip this game and go back to playing Kirby's Air Ride, thank you very much. At least then I can play a game that's actually fun.

you're allowed your opinion, other gamers are allowed their opinion, the original NiGHTs was a fantastic game, but the new sequel just doesn't live up to it

Did it really suck THAT bad?

I think (even if I haven't played the game at all, just saw ads) it's pretty cool, but THAT'S WHAT ADS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. Anyway, if you played in your own dreams, I'm sure it would be 100% awesome and 0% lame. HAVE FUN. :awesome:

Yes, thank you. Everyone was completely in love with the first NiGHTS so I was like "Hey, a sequel for the Wii! Well, okay! :D" and started playing and like.

What's the point of having unlimited flying ability when you're stuck on an invisible wire and forced to go through rings until time ends.

I'm sick of rings, I want an actual story and adventure like Wind Waker. Being able to fly through a bunch of places and interact with things and fight is more my style.

Also, why make the intro stupendous when you're going to slap us in the face with "Above N64 graphics below Gamecube graphics" when we start playing.

I know a bunch of video games that have amazing looking intros and not as quite good looking gameplay, but that was just ridiculous.

Is it odd this made me want to play this game just for sheer "Omg this is terrible" factor?

No. No, it isn't.