I agree with Dale that simplicity in Slugfest is for the most part, a good thing. I really enjoyed the easily comprehensible
startup menus and create-a-player features. It was quite refreshing especially after wading through All-Star Baseball 2000's
(ASB 2000) confusing and often needlessly complicated menu interface (keep in mind this says nothing of the actual gameplay).
So initially, Slugfest comes off being very approachable and accessible.
So you can imagine my disappointment to find that as soon as I started playing, the game would reveal its fatal flaw. For
me, it boiled down to one simple thing: the camera angles. While Dale pointed it out as a flaw, he didn't address it with the
appropriate degree of severity. The camera angles in Slugfest destroyed this game. Rather then choosing intuitive angles that
would be helpful and assist players, the developers opted for quirky and more dynamic shots that do absolutely nothing for the
gameplay. The worst
thing about the angles is how it breaks the continuity of the game. After the ball comes off the bat, not only is there the
tiniest fraction of a second delay, but the camera proceeds to move to a uncomfortably high elevation. When the ball gets
thrown in from the outfield and there's a play at the base, again there is a misguided view change to give us a close-up of
the play. The problem is that it often feels like the computer is cheating on the play because we don't see the ball being
thrown in on one continuous shot. These little things may seem insignificant, but it makes all the difference when you
consider that these moments occur during the most crucial points in a game. Slugfest can hit proverbial home runs in the
graphics, sound, and control department, but if something "trivial" like the camera angles can't be counted on to sacrifice
and advance the bases when it needs to, it's a weakness that's going to hurt the team when it counts the most.
- Published July 12, 1999
Reader Second Opinions
|
