>playing it for the gameplay and only the gameplay So, i see that everything the game did went over your head, unless you're being sarcastic. OP, it depends on how much you value narrative and appreciate games that try new things, because aside from the gameplay(which is shit on purpose), there really aren't many games like it.

What did the game do? Nothing but inspire a following of rabid, pseudo-intellectual fans who have either never once read a book in their life, or have set their bar so low for games that the simple act of even trying (or pretending) to make a statement is impressive to them. Or both. And yeah, you play games for the gameplay. If the gameplay was shit on purpose then it's a shitty game on purpose, which tells you something about the devs. It's really, really simple. It's not a "deconstruction of the genre," and it fails at making any new statement or commentary on war. I know what you want it to be, but it isn't that. [spoiler]It's a hamfisted rip-off of Heart of Darkness with an unreliable narrator thrown in so they can pretend they've added something of their own to it.[/spoiler] And of course push their own hypocrisy and laugh all the way to the bank. OP, when people tell you, "The game was shitty [i]on purpose[/i] and that's what makes it good!" you should interpret that statement to be exactly as absurd as it sounds. Trying new things shouldn't get a game points if it fails at them, and in the end the measure of a game is its gameplay because that's what defines the art. A game with 6/10 gameplay and an 8/10 story is still a 6/10 game. Basically it's the video game equivalent of a cynical blockbuster remake movie which misses the point of its source material but insists it's making a statement which is picked up by the worst sorts, with an extra layer of irony on top and the producers of the movie guffawing at the people who paid for tickets. But you should borrow it from a friend or rent it and decide for yourself.

I've been sitting here for 30 minutes now, and i'm honestly having a hard time defending this game and wording it in a way that doesn't make me look bad(i'm reconsidering my whole opinion on the game right now). I appreciate the message it's trying to get across, but i'm not sure if it really got that message across, or i'm just buying too much into what certain groups of people are saying (and going against the opinions of other groups because they're being condescending about how they phrase their words[i] hint hint[/i]) And yeah, there isn't any point in defending shit gameplay in a game. ....................you know, i just hope you don't look down on me too much for being wrong.

[quote]It's a hamfisted rip-off of Heart of Darkness with an unreliable narrator thrown in so they can pretend they've added something of their own to it.[/quote]It's supposed to be a successor to Heart of Darkness. That was acknowledged. [quote]A game with 6/10 gameplay and an 8/10 story is still a 6/10 game.[/quote]Having such little appreciation for story in a game saddens me. The story absolutely affects how the rest of the game is perceived. A game with a 10/10 story and 1/10 gameplay is not a 1/10 game by any means. Story is a major part in games, especially ones that focus on the campaign (i.e. Mass Effect, Dead Space, etc.). A good story can make or break a game. Mass Effect for example had horrible gameplay. It was slow, boring, and repetitive. Yet you play it for the story because it's that in depth and that entertaining- then you grow to love the series. If I had to rate Mass Effect purely on gameplay I would give it a 3/10. But the entire game? Certainly around an 8/10.

[quote]It's supposed to be a successor to Heart of Darkness. That was acknowledged.[/quote] Call it what you want. I can rip-off Citizen Kane and call it a successor. [quote]Having such little appreciation for story in a game saddens me.[/quote] I have a huge appreciation for story in game, and this story wasn't very well done. The best thing it did was have its main character actually be a character rather than a plot device to drive action forward. That's nice. [quote]The story absolutely affects how the rest of the game is perceived. A game with a 10/10 story and 1/10 gameplay is not a 1/10 game by any means. Story is a major part in games, especially ones that focus on the campaign (i.e. Mass Effect, Dead Space, etc.). A good story can make or break a game. Mass Effect for example had horrible gameplay. It was slow, boring, and repetitive. Yet you play it for the story because it's that in depth and that entertaining- then you grow to love the series. If I had to rate Mass Effect purely on gameplay I would give it a 3/10. But the entire game? Certainly around an 8/10.[/quote] Yes, a game with 10/10 story and 1/10 gameplay is objectively a 1/10 game because that is what makes a game a game. You can say Mass Effect has an 8/10 story and be absolutely right and I would never try to argue with your opinion on it for my life, but you can't say that it's an 8/10 game because of its story. It comes down to artforms (and I'm going to go out on a limb here and just hope you accept games as art) being evaluated on what makes that art distinct unto itself. A film is evaluated on the artistry of its cinematography. A musical composition judged by its arrangement of notes. A sculpture perceived for the skill of the cut. Now can a film, song, and sculpture tell a story? Yes. But the story is secondary to what comprises that artform. And what is the cinematography, arrangement, and cut of a game? It's the mechanics which create it, what is the trademark and foundation of that art. Which means that if a game tells a 10/10 story with emotional impact and a profound statement and invests you so thoroughly in the characters, that does not effect what it is at its core. At its core it is a collection of functions created by designers, and like the brushstrokes on a canvas, the arrangement of these functions is the art. When a game is being evaluated as art, it must be looked at for what makes it, as a game, an art. And that's the gameplay, everything else is secondary.