The thing is, reviews are obviously just thoughts of one person on a certain topic that you read to get an idea on what to expect from a game. That's why I find reading the comments on kotaku or dtoid more effective than reading the review alone.
The comments are peppered with different points of view, and certain patterns appear that we could consider more objective.
That's just what I think. :P
The comments are peppered with different points of view, and certain patterns appear that we could consider more objective.
That's just what I think. :P
I find Metacritic to be my usual number 1 spot for reviews, just because it takes an average of all scores.
But you are right on the WoW point. When reviewers probably reviewed WoW, they maybe got to level 30, ran a dungeon or 2 and felt they knew the game. They never ran a 40 man raid, felt the pressure of having to show up to raid everynight and kill the same bosses for 5 hours each night.
But you are right on the WoW point. When reviewers probably reviewed WoW, they maybe got to level 30, ran a dungeon or 2 and felt they knew the game. They never ran a 40 man raid, felt the pressure of having to show up to raid everynight and kill the same bosses for 5 hours each night.
You summed it up very well Necros. Reviews are tricky. Personally I review games for a site I frequent Paquines.com (its in spanish). But I do that for the fun of it, to expose people to new games, or games that I found were worth playing, however I only review those games I have finished. That doesnt mean that I have 100% the game but that means that I have at leas played through the main game.
Games like WoW on the other hand are so time consuming that a reviewer could not possibly have spent the time necessary to get to the "end game" , or experience the frustration that is PvP servers.
Also dude, Im your man if dvddesign tries another crazy stunt like RockBand again
Games like WoW on the other hand are so time consuming that a reviewer could not possibly have spent the time necessary to get to the "end game" , or experience the frustration that is PvP servers.
Also dude, Im your man if dvddesign tries another crazy stunt like RockBand again
Nice rantoid, good to see them back again! I tend to just look at game reviews as movie reviews: just the opinion of some guy/critic. Read 10 of them and make up your own mind, if you take offense of what any one of them says, you are taking it way to seriously.
Nice write up.
The one thing I want to respond to is the issue of whether a reviewers level of fun while the game is played should be factored in to the review score. Personally, I think that it is essential that the level of fun to be incorporated into the final score.
A game could look beautiful, the controls could be good, it could do everything write from a technical standpoint but if it isn't fun, then the game has failed. In the case like this, the review score needs to be lowered for lack of fun.
In the same way, there can be games that are just terrible in almost every way but are extremely fun for reasons seemingly inexplicable. In that scenario the game's review score should be boosted.
The one thing I want to respond to is the issue of whether a reviewers level of fun while the game is played should be factored in to the review score. Personally, I think that it is essential that the level of fun to be incorporated into the final score.
A game could look beautiful, the controls could be good, it could do everything write from a technical standpoint but if it isn't fun, then the game has failed. In the case like this, the review score needs to be lowered for lack of fun.
In the same way, there can be games that are just terrible in almost every way but are extremely fun for reasons seemingly inexplicable. In that scenario the game's review score should be boosted.
Good stuff Necros.
Also, let me revise this:
Necros spent the last month playing Rock Band and struggling to finish the end of his sophomore year at Syracuse University. When he's not neglecting Destructoid for real life activities, he can be found as a regular on Failcast. As well as doubling his comments in other people's blogs.
Better.
Also, let me revise this:
Necros spent the last month playing Rock Band and struggling to finish the end of his sophomore year at Syracuse University. When he's not neglecting Destructoid for real life activities, he can be found as a regular on Failcast. As well as doubling his comments in other people's blogs.
Better.
We're always going to need the written reviews, because a simple number can't really encapsulate every single aspect of a game(or, really, of a product in any medium). Every gamer is different, and, beyond simple differences in taste, each player is going to love/hate very specific parts of a games design.
A good example: I'm not a person who really gets riled up about bad frame rates in games. If other parts of the game design are extraordinary, I tend to overlook a chugging engine that can’t necessarily handle what s onscreen. That sentiment perfectly explains why I totally LOVE Shadow of the Colossus(as opposed to just liking it.) I imagine plenty of game players wouldn’t be able to get past the terrible frame rate that can, at times, make Shadow unplayable. But I can put up with that because the underlying game play, story and graphics are so good. A number review in the high 80’s doesn’t necessarily tell me if the choppy frame rate is excused by good game design, or vice versa.
Similarly, if a game has a downright stupid, insipid, or porely handled plot, I’m not going to take as kindly to it as other gamers(who happily ignore story.) Perfect example: Gears of War, which has outstanding, visceral gameplay and great dialog, but the core plot of the game isn’t just half- assed. It’s FULLY ASSED. I’ m don’t think as highly of Gears of War as other people, but I’m not going to find out about a bad story from a number and a game synopsis.
The bottom line is that games are EXPENSIVE. Gabe at Penny-Arcade may think that reviews are useless, but I imagine that both members of the webcomic have a bit more disposable income than the average gamer(including a tie to the industry which sees them inundated with review copies of games, just like traditional sites). With the exception of theatre( and all theatre production, like dance) games are among the most expensive artistic mediums around. You don’t have to pay money to see(most) artwork, a movie costs 8 to 10 dollars(and even THAT is too expensive) and books retail for around 10 to 30 dollars. Games can be 60 dollars or more, and for that kind of cash, people should NOT have to waste their hard earned cash on junk. They deserve to play the best. Reviews and review scores DO inform many people’s purchasing decision, and, by researching all possible opinions on a game, they are more apt to grab a product they genuinely like, instead of spending their cash on junk.
A good example: I'm not a person who really gets riled up about bad frame rates in games. If other parts of the game design are extraordinary, I tend to overlook a chugging engine that can’t necessarily handle what s onscreen. That sentiment perfectly explains why I totally LOVE Shadow of the Colossus(as opposed to just liking it.) I imagine plenty of game players wouldn’t be able to get past the terrible frame rate that can, at times, make Shadow unplayable. But I can put up with that because the underlying game play, story and graphics are so good. A number review in the high 80’s doesn’t necessarily tell me if the choppy frame rate is excused by good game design, or vice versa.
Similarly, if a game has a downright stupid, insipid, or porely handled plot, I’m not going to take as kindly to it as other gamers(who happily ignore story.) Perfect example: Gears of War, which has outstanding, visceral gameplay and great dialog, but the core plot of the game isn’t just half- assed. It’s FULLY ASSED. I’ m don’t think as highly of Gears of War as other people, but I’m not going to find out about a bad story from a number and a game synopsis.
The bottom line is that games are EXPENSIVE. Gabe at Penny-Arcade may think that reviews are useless, but I imagine that both members of the webcomic have a bit more disposable income than the average gamer(including a tie to the industry which sees them inundated with review copies of games, just like traditional sites). With the exception of theatre( and all theatre production, like dance) games are among the most expensive artistic mediums around. You don’t have to pay money to see(most) artwork, a movie costs 8 to 10 dollars(and even THAT is too expensive) and books retail for around 10 to 30 dollars. Games can be 60 dollars or more, and for that kind of cash, people should NOT have to waste their hard earned cash on junk. They deserve to play the best. Reviews and review scores DO inform many people’s purchasing decision, and, by researching all possible opinions on a game, they are more apt to grab a product they genuinely like, instead of spending their cash on junk.
Also:DUDE! I can't beleive you're going to Newhouse!
I actually got in to Newhouse last year, but opted to go to a liberal arts college instead. (I'm at Hamilton College! Not too far away from you!)
Still, you must have MAD media skills!
I actually got in to Newhouse last year, but opted to go to a liberal arts college instead. (I'm at Hamilton College! Not too far away from you!)
Still, you must have MAD media skills!
@ Droll
I think Gabe took more of an issue that some reviewers were rendering premature judgement on a game before they grasped the full breadth of its design. I don't think many people would agree that game reviews are pointless, especially since they provide a more reasoned analysis than typical word-of-mouth reviews.
Newhouse didn't even look at my portfolio DVD when they accepted me. :( But yeah, I freaking love being in the editing suites all day.
I think Gabe took more of an issue that some reviewers were rendering premature judgement on a game before they grasped the full breadth of its design. I don't think many people would agree that game reviews are pointless, especially since they provide a more reasoned analysis than typical word-of-mouth reviews.
Newhouse didn't even look at my portfolio DVD when they accepted me. :( But yeah, I freaking love being in the editing suites all day.
I certianly hope people beleive that game reviews arn't pointless. At the same time, Vlambo wrote earlier in the comments that he is just fine with a Metacritic average of all other review scores, and THAT is enough to make a decision for a game purchase.
You would think that this problem would be abated by Publishers sending out review copies earlier: certianly some games benefit from being played at a leisurly pace.
Ideally, someone who wants to purchase a game SHOULD find as many differnt opinions on a title. Even if critics feel positive about a titles worth, a potential consumer may find that the elements of a product being praised are the exact design elements they don't like.
If you only went to Destructoid for a review resource, you would be doing yourself a diservice,then if you also didn't check out 1up,Kotaku,Giant Bomb, and a whole slew of other sites. That's the wonderful part of being an enthusiast. You know how to obtain enough opionons on a certian product to make informed decisions. You have the power to NEVER purchase a product you won't value.
.
You would think that this problem would be abated by Publishers sending out review copies earlier: certianly some games benefit from being played at a leisurly pace.
Ideally, someone who wants to purchase a game SHOULD find as many differnt opinions on a title. Even if critics feel positive about a titles worth, a potential consumer may find that the elements of a product being praised are the exact design elements they don't like.
If you only went to Destructoid for a review resource, you would be doing yourself a diservice,then if you also didn't check out 1up,Kotaku,Giant Bomb, and a whole slew of other sites. That's the wonderful part of being an enthusiast. You know how to obtain enough opionons on a certian product to make informed decisions. You have the power to NEVER purchase a product you won't value.
.
I like to check out Metacritic scores and things of that sort to help make decisions, but I also like to read many of the actual reviews, just to see why they gave it the score they did. If a game gets an average of say, 85, then I have to read the reviews word for word. This way, I can (hopefully) get a good idea of the game's strengths and weaknesses.
I've been burned before by not reading the reviews and just blindly checking the numbered score. Way too many games with a rating of 8 or 8.5 that weren't worth the cash.
But then again, sometimes a game comes along like Assassin's Creed where the reviews are all over the place. Who do you believe when one outlet gives the game a 10 and another gives the game a 7? Game reviews are quite tricky, and it seems this industry is very prone to biased reviews based on prior agreements and other garbage like that.
It's hard for the non-hardcore, that's for sure. They're probably the demographic that gets burnt the most by using reviews, especially considering a fuck-ton of Joe Sometimes Gamer is subscribed to GI, a magazine run by the nation's largest gaming retailer, GameStop.
I don't know what I'm getting at specifically here, but I can say this: It's telling when there really isn't much positive to say about such an influential and important part of gaming culture.
I've been burned before by not reading the reviews and just blindly checking the numbered score. Way too many games with a rating of 8 or 8.5 that weren't worth the cash.
But then again, sometimes a game comes along like Assassin's Creed where the reviews are all over the place. Who do you believe when one outlet gives the game a 10 and another gives the game a 7? Game reviews are quite tricky, and it seems this industry is very prone to biased reviews based on prior agreements and other garbage like that.
It's hard for the non-hardcore, that's for sure. They're probably the demographic that gets burnt the most by using reviews, especially considering a fuck-ton of Joe Sometimes Gamer is subscribed to GI, a magazine run by the nation's largest gaming retailer, GameStop.
I don't know what I'm getting at specifically here, but I can say this: It's telling when there really isn't much positive to say about such an influential and important part of gaming culture.
This is exactly why I don't give game reviews much weight. They are rarely, if ever, conducted under proper, realistic circumstances. You have no idea how much this bothers me. Deadlines are a curse on game reviews. Frankly, I think they either need to be abolished, or companies need to get reviewers their copies much earlier.
At the very least, I'd like to see reviewers preface their reviews with the details of their exposure to the game. Otherwise, reviews are just something to read, not something to use to guide your purchasing decisions.
At the very least, I'd like to see reviewers preface their reviews with the details of their exposure to the game. Otherwise, reviews are just something to read, not something to use to guide your purchasing decisions.
A lot of reviewers will agree openly that they have are effected by their personal interests or views when reviewing a game.
It is indeed their job to be able to portray this in a more general review, where they look at the game's strengths and weaknesses to figure out why they feel that way.
Its the same with any type of review. Auto magazines never agree to a score for the same car for example.
In the end, its all a grain of salt. If you understand the reviewers preferences, it becomes easier to gauge that to your preferences.
It is indeed their job to be able to portray this in a more general review, where they look at the game's strengths and weaknesses to figure out why they feel that way.
Its the same with any type of review. Auto magazines never agree to a score for the same car for example.
In the end, its all a grain of salt. If you understand the reviewers preferences, it becomes easier to gauge that to your preferences.
ZOMG Rantoid is back! It’s good to see its return.
Well, as someone who has now written a couple of official reviews, I can definitely see where you’re coming from. It sucked even more for me because the two games I’ve reviewed (MLB 2K8 and NBA Ballers: Chosen One) were rather shitty; there wasn’t much that was fun about them (I gave them a 5.0 and a 3.5, respectively). I did not have a good time slogging through those games for review, let me tell you that.
But ideally, that also leads to a better review for the readers. That is, if I played the game for 8-10 hours and didn’t enjoy the time I spent with it, you’re going to hear about it — and then you won’t waste your $60 on it.
Well, as someone who has now written a couple of official reviews, I can definitely see where you’re coming from. It sucked even more for me because the two games I’ve reviewed (MLB 2K8 and NBA Ballers: Chosen One) were rather shitty; there wasn’t much that was fun about them (I gave them a 5.0 and a 3.5, respectively). I did not have a good time slogging through those games for review, let me tell you that.
But ideally, that also leads to a better review for the readers. That is, if I played the game for 8-10 hours and didn’t enjoy the time I spent with it, you’re going to hear about it — and then you won’t waste your $60 on it.
And because that last comment was really completely off-topic: If a game sucks for 10 hours straight, I can see how you would give out a bad review. Then again, it still feels like it's not being completely fair and honest to the consumer.
But it's not like any of this is going to change. Like you said, Deadlines. They suck.
But it's not like any of this is going to change. Like you said, Deadlines. They suck.
My favorite part about this post was that it proves once again what an achievement whore you are. All kidding aside, nice to see Rantoid back.
Reviews aren't entirely subjective. Some things like glitches, ease of control, graphical quality, repetetiveness (read: having to complete many goals by using nearly identical strategies), and difficulty curve (despite your skill level, anyone can notice if it's steep or mild) can be fairly described. How they're judged is another thing. Even then there are times where certain judgements appear obvious: a fixed isometric view is inferior for platforming (Sonic 3D Blast), amateurish voice acting ruins the immediacy of a game's storytelling, and shoddy collision detetcion makes playing a game more frustrating.

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