I read Jim Sterling’s rebuttal concerning the anger about several of Destructoids reviews. I then perused the Condemned and the Patapon reviews and despite the fact that I may disagree with Mr. Sterlings handling of the issue, he is quite right. These are good, honest reviews.

But rather than highlight the failings of certain individuals, I believe that this discussion reflects more so the subjective nature of reviews. I personally believe that reviewers should attempt to strike a balance between objectivity and their own experience, but if the game fails to measure up one should have the right to say so. However, this is not always the case.

Last year I managed to secure an internship with an unnamed computer magazine. I went into the offices filled with ideas of journalistic integrity and left feeling bitter and molested (for lack of a better word). Quite simply, I was unaware of how important it is for print media to toe the line when it comes to reviews. Libel laws and certain loyalties restrict the ‘truth’ from being said and reduces reviews of bad products to anaemic, whimsical factoids that serve only to give the manufacturer a hard-on, pay the magazines bills and bore the living shit out of a reader. What exactly do I mean by this? As a first-hand example, I reviewed a few bits of crap during my internship. Despite being an uber-rookie, I immediately assumed I was hot-shit and began going to town on things like joystick-mice and learning-to-drive funducational games, to mention a few. Unsurprisingly my supervisor told me to tone it back. A lot. So I did, and ended up with something that was relatively even-handed, mildly sarcastic and utterly boring. And then it came to the scoring. I wanted to give the mouse a three and the game a five. And then the bombshell. My supervisors eyes practically bulged out of his head when he saw those two numbers and
gave the mouse a six and the game a seven. He told me that a six was extremely rare and should only be reserved for the worst of the worst; in this case, justified. He told me that giving a product anything less would only serve to outrage the manufacturer who would refuse to send any more products to the magazine for review. No products equals no reviews equals no content equals no magazine. Shockingly, the company that did manufacture the product was actually a sporadic advertiser, so the corruption went further. The journalists dare not step down the slippery path to destruction. I was appalled.

We live in an environment where bullshit always gets in the road of pure opinion. There are certainly benefits to this such as protection from unwarranted defamation. But in my honest opinion there are flaws in the age old review structure and furthermore I believe that putting an ‘out-of’ score on anything is bound to breed controversy. There are too many ways it can be misconstrued and quite frankly, its fucked. Yet awfully fun to do.

I am fully aware that Destructoid is not your cookie-cutter gaming media site, and that is the reason I hold it so dear. I expect the reviews to be edgy and opinionated, because that’s what the site itself is like. It holds no allegiances to advertisers and manufacturers and strives to be different. But on the topic of people disagreeing with these reviews; remember friends, this is the internet. Comments breed inflammatory statements. The dregs are drawn out of the woodwork at the scent of tasty flame material. Diagram below.



(courtesy of the genius of Penny Arcade)


You will notice that above I put the word truth in inverted commas. You will also notice that I said the aforementioned reviews were honest. Truth and honesty are subject to each individual. Each individual differs. People disagree. Truly free speech? There is no such thing. But if you can dish it out, you have to deal when the opinion is against you. Or at the very least ignore it.

In closing,




And no, I have no idea who Jim Sterling is.