GameVisions Review: Raven Squad
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Raven Squad promises campy 80's action movie themed gameplay from a little known import studio. Does it rock and roll, or should you just blow this pop stand?
From the Review:
"One of the promo points on the game's website (which is mysteriously missing from the box) is its 80's action movie inspiration, complete with "campy" dialogue. Touting "Now with more campy dialogue" is akin to selling soft drinks with a promo saying: "Now with more garlic flavor!" Mirriam-Webster defines "camp" as: "a) Something so outrageously artificial, affected, inappropriate, or out-of-date as to be considered amusing. b) A style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture." That classic 80's "camp" was a mix of overacting and pop culture cliches. Given the roles being so dramatically underacted, it's hard to create a campy feel. Nor is there anything truly out-dated, exaggerated, or remotely amusing. A few awkward cliches makes not for humor. "Blow this pop stand" is a phrase that should be lost to time, "bad guys" from the OC controller is lame, "middle-school dropouts with guns" is simply odd, if "Vegas" had been mentioned one more time I was going to throw something, and for all that is right in the world, the word "boomstick" appearing in any new game without the words "Serious Sam" in the title should result in swift death. In a bit of future prediction, if a game comes out fifteen years from now with the words "I can haz" in there, that should also result in a swift death for the game."
From the Review:
"One of the promo points on the game's website (which is mysteriously missing from the box) is its 80's action movie inspiration, complete with "campy" dialogue. Touting "Now with more campy dialogue" is akin to selling soft drinks with a promo saying: "Now with more garlic flavor!" Mirriam-Webster defines "camp" as: "a) Something so outrageously artificial, affected, inappropriate, or out-of-date as to be considered amusing. b) A style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture." That classic 80's "camp" was a mix of overacting and pop culture cliches. Given the roles being so dramatically underacted, it's hard to create a campy feel. Nor is there anything truly out-dated, exaggerated, or remotely amusing. A few awkward cliches makes not for humor. "Blow this pop stand" is a phrase that should be lost to time, "bad guys" from the OC controller is lame, "middle-school dropouts with guns" is simply odd, if "Vegas" had been mentioned one more time I was going to throw something, and for all that is right in the world, the word "boomstick" appearing in any new game without the words "Serious Sam" in the title should result in swift death. In a bit of future prediction, if a game comes out fifteen years from now with the words "I can haz" in there, that should also result in a swift death for the game."
