I usualy don't comment on these things but this review it totaly skewed in a negative way.

The pictures are from "RTW" time and do not represent how the world looks now. You said the interface is terrible yet you do not say anything specificly what is terrible about the interface. You go on to continue to call this game a first person shooter. Which it is not. APB is a third person shooter like GTA. Their is so much more you got wrong I'm stoping here so I don't turn this into a wall of text.

If I rated this game I'd give it at least a 7.  

FPS = "TPS"...stop splitting hairs. There are a number of shooters that you can be in first person perspective, or third person...what do you call those? FPS is just a term to describe a genre of game, regardless of what perpsective you may be tied to. They aren't seperate genres.

So the game requires teamwork to play properly... but it gets a low social score? It is apparently one of the least innovative games ever reviewed on this site, but is the only game of its kind in MMO form. Ok then.

I don't know what makes this review more pathetic, the horrible grammar, the dated photos, that the game is continually refered to as an FPS, that the reviewer apparently thinks the 8 buttons needed to play are too complicated, or the nonsensical conclusions drawn like the ones outlined above. The game isn't amazing, but its certainly not "poor" or deserving of one of the lowest scores given out by this site.

Get a new reviewer, this one clearly isn't up to the task.

Originally posted by KhaosRJA

So the game requires teamwork to play properly... but it gets a low social score? It is apparently one of the least innovative games ever reviewed on this site, but is the only game of its kind in MMO form. Ok then.

I don't know what makes this review more pathetic, the horrible grammar, the dated photos, that the game is continually refered to as an FPS, that the reviewer apparently thinks the 8 buttons needed to play are too complicated, or the nonsensical conclusions drawn like the ones outlined above. The game isn't amazing, but its certainly not "poor" or deserving of one of the lowest scores given out by this site.

Get a new reviewer, this one clearly isn't up to the task.

 

I'll certainly pass that remark to our editors. ;) 

(And, dear lord. I've used the word FPS so often, it sticks. Totally my fault on that one.)

But, I felt like I had to point out reasons for my scoring again. First of all, I think it's subject to personal interpretation. For me, I see 'social' as a way of cultivating interaction between people. Thus far, the matchmaking system has left me wanting in that respect. I find myself being dropped into groups which consist entirely of silent members. Do I see people communicating on the channels? Rarely. I also don't see game plans being established. It's often a simple rush to the objective. That does not feel socia lto me. 

In regards to innovation? After reading the comments, I do agree that it may be unfair to compare it to a single-player simulation game. However, I see innovation as something that makes me raise my eyebrows and go, 'Huh. Why hasn't someone thought about this before?'. A random example would be my first encounter with indie FPSes and how some people have transformed something like that into non-violent narrative sequences. That's innovative.

Perhaps it is the subjectiveness of the scores that is the issue, World of Tanks getting a 9 for innovation yet this game getting a 5 is beyond laughable. What use is a scoring system when the numbers mean different things to different reviewers? If your idea of what's innovative is so extreme compared to that of other reviewers then the scores end up being meaningless and arbitrary. Same with the social aspect, very few MMOs force any grouping, let alone communication, the points you have against this game could apply to any MMO yet very few receive such low scores.

Originally posted by casskhaw
 

I'm just going to comment on one bit here. You're entitled to your opinions, otherwise. :) While APB Reloaded does have the most STUNNING character generation I've seen in an MMO yet, it's not new. Need for Speed allowed you to customize your cars. The Sims allowed you to customize your characters. Those are just two games that have been implemented chargen. Polish, regardless of how masterful it is, is just that - polish. Then again, I could have interpreted the word wrongly. ^_^; As far as I can tell, innovation means something that has been newly introduced. 

So the ability to take 25 different symbols and peice them together to make a custom symbol, then use three custom symbols to customize 1 article of clothing (up to 75 individual symbols for 1 peice of clothing) isn't innovative, it's just polish? You make it sound like it's no different then just adding some dye to your armor. The character customization in this game is well beyond any other game out there, bar none. Need for Speed customization is a joke in comparison to the ability for a player to use their own artistic talents to create the look they want in APB:R. And to even mention the Sims is just a slap in the face.

Oh and you said there was no garbage laying around....

Originally posted by KhaosRJA

Perhaps it is the subjectiveness of the scores that is the issue, World of Tanks getting a 9 for innovation yet this game getting a 5 is beyond laughable. What use is a scoring system when the numbers mean different things to different reviewers? If your idea of what's innovative is so extreme compared to that of other reviewers then the scores end up being meaningless and arbitrary. Same with the social aspect, very few MMOs force any grouping, let alone communication, the points you have against this game could apply to any MMO yet very few receive such low scores.

 

 

Good points. Hrm. On a personal front, I've always been known to be brutally honest and somewhat harsh in my reviews. I seldom give glowing praise. However, in terms of the direction we're given as reviewers, the truth of the matter is the description of the categories is, well, very brief and very subject to interpretation. 

However, you've raised a number of fair points, points I'll bring up with the editors. If nothing else, this might mean a more comprehensive set of review criterias to ensure that future pieces don't feel so different. ^_^ 

Originally posted by eyelolled

Originally posted by casskhaw

 

I'm just going to comment on one bit here. You're entitled to your opinions, otherwise. :) While APB Reloaded does have the most STUNNING character generation I've seen in an MMO yet, it's not new. Need for Speed allowed you to customize your cars. The Sims allowed you to customize your characters. Those are just two games that have been implemented chargen. Polish, regardless of how masterful it is, is just that - polish. Then again, I could have interpreted the word wrongly. ^_^; As far as I can tell, innovation means something that has been newly introduced. 

 

So the ability to take 25 different symbols and peice them together to make a custom symbol, then use three custom symbols to customize 1 article of clothing (up to 75 individual symbols for 1 peice of clothing) isn't innovative, it's just polish? You make it sound like it's no different then just adding some dye to your armor. The character customization in this game is well beyond any other game out there, bar none. Need for Speed customization is a joke in comparison to the ability for a player to use their own artistic talents to create the look they want in APB:R. And to even mention the Sims is just a slap in the face.

 

 

Oh and you said there was no garbage laying around....

 

 

Heh. :) Fair enough. 

Again, I suppose it's a difference in opinions. I'm fully aware of how comprehensive the personalization system is. It makes my jaw drop. But, is it really a new way of doing thingsor is it an improvement? I see it as the latter.

This review is a joke.

The guy clearly doesn't even like this kind of game.

This scoring system does not make any sense. So 5 is poor, then what is 1? Unplayable?

No, it doesn't make any sense at all.

APB gets a 'boring world' con when SW:TOR doesn't, which is the KING Of absolutely boring worlds and APB's city is extremely populated with NPCs that move around speaking on Payphones and buying newspaper and window shopping at the malls. All sorts of shit goes on in the APB city and this "reviewer" just pulls out a random bulls**** con to slap onto this game.

This website needs to stop doing reviews. They don't even take them seriously.

I no longer play APB due to many of its flaws. However, you have identified 0 of them. This review is not just awful, but plain wrong in some cases.

Aesthetics-



I don't understand your qualms about the city. "If you've seen one part of San Paro, you've seen the rest." Well, yeah. It's a city. Not a fantasy world. And even then theres a lot of variation. From that large building in the middle of the lake you can fight at, to Gai Jin (a night club), to the subway, the motel flats, the construction yard, the garages, the highway, the unfinished parking lot etc there is so much there.



"how do I take on missions?" Press K. As said in bold letters on the left side of your screen.



"Why must I run around the first NPC I met in a very uncertain fashion before she addresses me with a task?"  It's a PvP game so it obviously needs time to wait for an equal matchup to arrise. Standard for any matched PvP game.



"Why is all the necessary information located in a frustratingly discreet of my screen?



So that your screen isn't cluttered. This game is first and foremost a TPS. The only "Neccessary info" you need is how much ammo you have, where you need to go and your minimap as clearly displayed, or the scoreboard accessed with TAB.



"Who are these people you are grouping me with?"

Random people in the same faction as you as displayed on the team bar on the left side.



"Most importantly of all, why won't you let me back into the Tutorial District after I make the mistake of leaving it the first time?"

So that vets can't go back in and stomp newbies. Yes, it would be nice if people at low rating could go back in but you could simply create a second character, do the tutorial and then delete it and go back to the first.





Innovation -

A five for innovation from the same site that gave SWTOR an eight for innovation? Really?



The first TPS to;

- Offer insane customization to a shooter with a fantastic clothes, tattoo, car and music editor

- Have up to 100 people in the same district, all fighting at once

- Have HUGE maps which randomly pick objective locations for varied gameplay every time

And technically iy's also extremely innovative.



The is no game like APB on the market. You could only compare it to another game if you played Fight Club.





Gameplay -





No, this is not what you'd call a "FPS". An FPS is a First Person Shooter. Meaning it's a shooter, that plays in first person. This game plays from a third person perspetive at all times.

"You will also be able to car jack stationary vehicles, a task that involves nothing more than pressing 'F' next to a car and waiting. Though entertaining to an extent, I've seen no real point to this."

How about getting to the objective you need to take/defend quickly? This seems like common sense?





"Cars and trucks do not feel too different from one another."

I'm sorry but this is just so, so wrong. It confuses me how someone could come to that conclusion.



"An MMO should provide the option for solitary play. You should be able to enjoy this alone. You should not, if you choose so, be shackled to other players... Away from the frag-fests, San Pedro is painfully barren of interesting things to do. Sure, there might be people to mug, money to launder and vehicles to steal but actual interaction is limited. You can't talk to pedestrians. You can't pick up random quests. You can't really do anything."

I disagree. APB always has been, and always will be COMPLETELY about players. Players as content. And that's why it's great. If you don't like going against real people with real people then it's just not for you. If they started taking that out of it, then APB would just become another generic TPS.



With so many other players, civilians and cars whizzing about it's hard to feel like the city is "dead" in a full district.





Social -

 

It makes me wonder if you jumped into district with about 5 players. Theres always chatting, raging and trolling going on in any decently populated district. But as said it is a shooter. So as with any other shooter you may not find as much talking as for example an MMORPG. There is plenty of ways to find a group and make friends, and that's how the game is best enjoyed.





Polish -





APB doesn't have headshots because of its customization. Every character in the game has the same hitboxes. Why? So you can be a fat giant with a pumpkin for a head without losing an advantage to someone using an extremely small character. For this reason, adding a headshot to the game would  mess it up. On small characters you would have to aim above them for headshots, and at the chest of large characters for headshots.



There is plenty of skill to the game. If you're just spraying at people then  you're either using an SMG/LMG or doing it wrong. No obvious indication of ammo? How about the AMMO COUNT in the top right of your screen. No way to determine car health? How about the creaking that starts, then white smoke, then black smoke, then fire?





Longetivity-



The one point I agree. It just needs more districts and content. Two districts and fight club maps aren't enough after a while.

Yes, this Review needs to be taken down.

It is 100% junk.  Its an embarrassment for this website.

I agree with the review and would rate it lower if you aren't going into it with friends.

Also the long load times (the price for all that customization) is a pain. This is a pvp shooter, why does it need to be so unique?

The game is fine for what it is, but its nothing special.

A feature article and no mention of the matchmaking system? :(

I'm sorry, OP, but your article focuses far too much on cosmetics, the lack of more cosmetics, and how the interface isn't easy enough rather than focusing on what really matters: the actual play experience.

Originally posted by II_Donell_II

I no longer play APB due to many of its flaws. However, you have identified 0 of them. This review is not just awful, but plain wrong in some cases.

Outstanding response by Donnell, very detailed and far better than the original article. I agree 100%!

This review hasn't been retracted yet? Embarassing.

I hope that they will have someone who is willing to actually give the game more than a halfassed, uninterested look redo the review.