This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Working Title: Xen Syndrome: From YKTTW
Is this the video-game-specific case of Cosmic Deadline? —Document N
Mman: Depends on the game.
Gattsuru : It could be, but very rarely is. Cosmic Deadline is when a part of a work seems rushed or in a hurry to get through plotlines because the due date's coming up. Xen Syndrome is where the build quality of a game jumps off a skyscrapper as the game's plotline goes on. The latter can happen as a result of a publish date coming up — that's almost certainly was VtM Bloodline's problem — but it's less about plot speed and more about total game quality. Bloodlines doesn't go through the plot any faster or start rapidly killing off the various baddies or suddenly speed up the Sorting Algorithm of Evil, but it does suddenly become obvious that the beta testers never got this far without four or five dots in melee weapons. Xen itself isn't a sudden attempt to go through the plot too fast (it could be argued that everything but the last boss fight could be pulled completely), it's just nowhere near as compelling or playable as the rest of the game.
Paul Power: I smell a Zero Punctuation quote. Specifically, from the Assassin's Creed review, where Yahtzee talks about the gameplay suddenly abandoning the whole assassination thing and switching to massive fights against guards. I could look it up tomorrow.
Mman: Radioactive Zombie, since you removed what I put on your profile and just threw another Take That! at me I'll put it here instead; if you hijack this again I'll find a way to report you. Also, as I mentioned I like certain aspects of Xen even though I hate the gameplay; if you want to insult someone, then take it up with the 90% of people who DESPISE every aspect of Xen.
- BAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. No one cares. All it is ignoring what little was there of jumping puzzles (more like elevators). And I didn't see every critic or fan hating the last portion. The Nithalinth or whatever, maybe, but definitely not every fan.
Kerrah: I think we should make a different trope for "game's style changes very much in the end", since there seems to be a 50-50 split in these examples between this and "game's fun-factor and difficulty curve take huge changes in the end".
Fire Walk: Pointless aversion entry:
- Averted in Planescape Torment. Although the game seems to show signs of this at one point, the game then ends on a very high note with a fantastically well-done final segment.
Insanity Prelude: I will finish Devil May Cry 4 sometime. I just hit the character switch, though, and well... having heard about the backtracking and Boss Rushing in advance... yeah. Plus, knowing that there'll eventually be a womb level, when I have issues with those, is problematic (same reason I haven't finished Okami.)
Deadpool Fan: I'm glad this trope is subjective. As in I can't help but disagree with many of the so called examples. Psychonauts does not go downhil after Lungfishopolis, Milkman Conspiracy's gameplay is NOT flawed its incredibly simply to grasp use items to disguise yourself. The humor keeps up considerably, it just feels a little underwhelming considering Milkman Conspiracy was overly hilarious. Meat Circus is friggin nuts and incredibly annoying, but the climax is overall pretty good as it shows both the main antagonist and Raz both had father issues and are not so different after all. Plus Raz finally comes to grips with his own father issues. It may be a Xen syndrome buts its not an overt one.
Bioshock after Fontaine comes in is a stupid complaint, one I'm incredibly annoyed at as people keep bringing it up. They're allowed to have their opinion, but I still like the game after that point. After being strung along all game by that bastard I essentially wanted payback. The escort mission isn't particularly difficult considering you can just replace the child that is killed at the next tube, the only penalty is if you fail you let a kid die. Not so particularly jarring if you played the evil character, but if you're good then it does make you feel like crap. Also, while the slums aren't as impressive visually as the rest of the game they are impressive in an ambiance sort of way. Up till now we got tos ee how the high class society of Rapture lived, now we're seeing what the poor smhucks down below had tod eal with as Fontaine used them for his own devious purposes. We even get to see how Big Daddies and Little Sisters were made, which was disturbing.
I fail to understand why a lot of people like to complain about such trivial things. As long as a game is fun to play then I play it, even if the level is incredibly overly difficult. Why? Because in games like Bio Shock, Psychonauts and even the frustration anger inducing hard levels of shooter games on impossible/veteran/You're Going to Die Now Difficulties I know that by beating them I'll be satisfied in that I defeated the game despite everything it threw at me. I won, I had fun, so there. Despite the difficulty of Psychonauts or the not as cool setting of the slums in Bio Shock I found those levels exicting for other reasons, reasons a lot of people have seemed to missed.
McJeff: I removed Final Fantasy VI from this section. Xen Syndrome describes a game where less care went into making the end than into making the rest of it, and that clearly isn't the case in FF 6. Some people really didn't like the non-linear second half, but yeah, not Xen Syndrome.
Silverevilchao: I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought the Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Metropolis Zone was a Scrappy Level. GOD, I hated that level (and it's THREE FREAKING ACTS LONG!!!).
