Bleach: Las Noches Review

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ID:87329
 
Dec 12 2009, 2:31 pm
Gameplay

The gameplay isn't that great when it comes to originality due to repetitive training. At first after you get your 1.3k rei which takes an hour to get, it's really easy and fun at first. But after a while it gets repetitive and boring. Events like Quests, Tournaments, Ishida Challenge, Sado Challenge, Survival, Capture the Flag, Invasion, and Capturing the Hougyoku makes it hard to realize the repetitiveness. Grind for training non-stop, because the first time you play BLN, it may seem alright at the beginning, killing weak hollows you'll level up quick to level 200-300 or so after that it's really irritating, annoying, and repetitive. This is not a game I would recommend for anyone that doesn't like to grind.

Therefore I give Gameplay a 6 out of 10.


Presentation

Graphics and some icons are the only thing that is probably keeping this game alive. The GFX made in this game is well done. The turfs in the game in my opinion is poorly made due to the fact that you can tell that it doesn't match with everything else or you can see it's not one big turf but it's tiled.

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Therefore I give Presentation a 7 out of 10.


Originality
It's one of the most original anime games on Byond. Unique squad system with Shinigamis, Many Shikais with unique effects, and Different Resurrections for hollows. That's pretty much all the Originality to the game but it separates it from all the other bleach games on Byond.

Therefore I give Originality an 8 out of 10.


Overall

The game is against people getting egos from other people's characters which tells a lot about the staff. Game could use some work on the turfs and training. Other then that the game is good with an alright community.

Therefore I give Overall Gameplay a 7 out of 10.
Dec 12 2009, 2:51 pm
Not a good review.

"Graphics and some icons are the only thing that is probably keeping this game alive."

This comment made me further doubt this review.
Dec 12 2009, 6:00 pm (Edited on Dec 12 2009, 6:18 pm)
Rugg wrote:
Not a good review.

"Graphics and some icons are the only thing that is probably keeping this game alive."

This comment made me further doubt this review.

This.
Dec 12 2009, 6:17 pm
-Facepalm-
Dec 12 2009, 6:25 pm
Who likes to grind? I mean really, come on.

By the way. The interface of this game makes me want to go absolutely insane. I feel like a beast trapped inside of a tiny cage with a little tiny window.
Dec 12 2009, 6:26 pm
Fugsnarf wrote:
Who likes to grind? I mean really, come on.

Exactly why I quit the game, and it's admins aren't really a plus.
Dec 12 2009, 6:28 pm
Fugsnarf wrote:
Who likes to grind? I mean really, come on.

By the way. The interface of this game makes me want to go absolutely insane. I feel like a beast trapped inside of a tiny cage with a little tiny window.


I agree, small windows are the worst part of any game.
Dec 12 2009, 6:29 pm
Grinding is a normal part of any game involving stats. To point it out is hilarious.
Dec 12 2009, 6:29 pm
They could at least give it SOME customization, maybe some childs, but no. I don't need to see walls of text on all sides of a tiny little map window.
Dec 12 2009, 6:30 pm
Rugg wrote:
Grinding is a normal part of any game involving stats. To point it out is hilarious.

Zelda, anyone?

Dec 12 2009, 8:08 pm
Rugg wrote:
Grinding is a normal part of any game involving stats. To point it out is hilarious.

I would say, by definition grinding is when you do repetitive things in order to get to more of the game. Grinding is not common in commercial games, if Dragon Age had grinding then the game would not have very good reviews, if Final Fantasy 7 had grinding then It would not be one of my favorite games.

The issue is that no byond game will reach those levels of content, therefor you have some choices:

a) Avoid stats in large part, make a game that is round based or strategy based or what have you. You do not need to be rewarded by way of direct linear power gains just because you play a game longer than somebody else. You can earn things like items through quest progression, it depends on the context. Most games could function without having stats be so vital. Damage does not need to equal 5 times your level, there could be static figures involved.

b) Have the game include programmed story or quests that can be progressed to improve your character, the issue with this is that that takes quite a bit of time.

c) Rely on PvP, if the game maker does not want to spend time making PvE content then they should focus on player interaction and reward them for interacting in a way that makes the game enjoyable for everybody. This is difficult, kills are not always (or usually) the best way to give rewards for PvP, often this leads to grinding through abuse of the system but if done correctly can be good. I think GunZ does this, i barely played it but I believe you gained money through getting kills. I know lots of games do this when the only content the game has focuses around PvP play and it is completely enjoyable, the problem is you often have to have PvP be the only option to progress if you want to use this, people will most of the time opt to only bother with the character progression method that is the fastest, if you make the "training" route of grinding more effective then they will do that. In fact you need to consider that on BYOND 99% of people would grind train if it is an option because they are very competitive and know they can abuse macros or multitask while doing grinding to go on facebook or what have you. The lesson is dont think having two options is a good idea, it can be very bad.

I dont like grinding, i dont like the argument that it is necessary. It takes more effort certainly to come up with an alternative but games should definately get penalized on a review for having a grind based training system.

Dec 12 2009, 11:01 pm
Thank you for the review. I personally agree with a lot of what you said in regards to the grind this game has.

We attempted to use events to supplement this, and we're looking to expand the available events that can be used to divert from the npc grinding. Still, as always, this is a work in progress.
Dec 13 2009, 3:32 am
@Hyren:

The events are great, by far some of the best i've experienced on BYOND, but they just provide occasional alternative and its hardly enough i'd like to be able to level by only doing said events.

You also may join these events and loose "precious grind time" for absolutely no reward in the end or something that just wasn't worth your time.

And regardless we are required to first grind before we can "enjoy" these alternatives.. and why is log training and rei training still a part of the game?

PvE was a definite step up from the log and rei training, standing still and grinding for hours on end was barely enjoyable, but you still have log and rei training as requirements upon starting the game.
Dec 13 2009, 5:33 am
Fugsnarf wrote:
Rugg wrote:
Grinding is a normal part of any game involving stats. To point it out is hilarious.

Zelda, anyone?

Really? I don't remember stats in Ocarina of Time. Bad comparison. If you're using stats in your game, who cares. Its 1 player.

Dec 13 2009, 5:34 am
Chris Gayle wrote:
@Hyren:

The events are great, by far some of the best i've experienced on BYOND, but they just provide occasional alternative and its hardly enough i'd like to be able to level by only doing said events.

You also may join these events and loose "precious grind time" for absolutely no reward in the end or something that just wasn't worth your time.

And regardless we are required to first grind before we can "enjoy" these alternatives.. and why is log training and rei training still a part of the game?

PvE was a definite step up from the log and rei training, standing still and grinding for hours on end was barely enjoyable, but you still have log and rei training as requirements upon starting the game.

I don't understand; do you just want to be given Rei?

Dec 13 2009, 5:36 am
Rugg wrote:
I don't understand; do you just want to be given Rei?


No.. Please point out were I have said "I want free rei nyow"

I simply wish for log-training and rei-training to be removed, and replaced by a suitable system.
Dec 13 2009, 5:39 am
Okay, and that is? How else should you possibly be able to obtain Rei. If it were a system where it didnt require you to pay attention to the keys, people would be pointing out how "unoriginal" or "boring" the training is.

Gaining stats is a boring process. GOA doesnt have conventional training and bases itself off PVP and yet people still continue to grind and complain about the training. BLN was probably one of the earlier games to implement a Rei training system that required certain keys to be entered in; and the same can be said for the log training.

You dont want a suitable system. you want an easy system.
Dec 13 2009, 5:43 am
Its not that rei/log-training isn't easy, its easier than PvE in my opinion, you always get the same reward depending on the time you put into it and how well you do it whilst PvE can vary depending on your timing and how many other players are online. I'd rather it be replaced by PvE.

I just find it especially boring and annoying.
Dec 13 2009, 5:45 am
Alright. Well I find killing the same monotonous NPC's boring and annoying, but thats a matter of preference rather than an actual guideline.
Dec 13 2009, 5:46 am
So you rather staying in one place getting miniscule statistic rewards for every button press?
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