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Off-Topic Discussion => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Unknown Target on November 06, 2007, 12:59:47 pm

Title: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 06, 2007, 12:59:47 pm
I'm sorry, but I had to let this out. I was browsing through digg and saw  this (http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/reviews/145468.shtml). "The Best Shooter of 2007". I'm sorry, wasn't that Bioshock a few months ago? And another game a few months before that? And Crysis coming up soon? Since when did video game reviewers become so completely biased that every game with a large studio behind them with a lot of advertising dollars behind them immediately gets a 10/10 score? I know other people are bothered about this too, maybe we could post some "trustworthy" game review sites that aren't all hype? Personally, I use Gamespot, which is generally quite good for PC games.

EDIT: Moved, even mods make mistakes :D
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 06, 2007, 01:25:19 pm
We have a "best game of all time" coming out every few months these days. 10/10 is the norm for any major release, regardless of its quality. I bet Big Rigs would have gotten 10/10 if it had been hyped as much as Bioshock or Crysis. :p

Gamespot was good at one point but has become increasingly useless over the years. I don't trust any one site these days. I generally look at Metacritic, which just averages the scores of 30 or so other review sites, along with user opinions on forums that I frequent.

This should be in gaming, by the way.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Nuke on November 06, 2007, 02:46:04 pm
its easy, the reviewer gets a free copy in exchange for a good rating :D in the engd you get a string of 10/10 games and thus the rating system is useless. play the demo, if you like it, buy/steal the game. easy as pi. let it be sorta known that i usually dont pirate games because i respect the effort that goes into them.  when i do pirate a game though, its usually because i find their buisness practices distasteful (microsoft) or the game is so old its hard to get
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Jeff Vader on November 06, 2007, 02:57:30 pm
let it be sorta known that i usually dont pirate games because i respect the effort that goes into them.  when i do pirate a game though, its usually because i find their buisness practices distasteful (microsoft) or the game is so old its hard to get
I hear that. FreeSpaces are one example. You just can't find either of them in Finland without cats and dogs and Aragorn, and even then it's kind of tricky. As for Nitro$oft, I actually bought Freelancer. Of course I waited for the price to drop to 14.95€ (=$21.75 =20.06CAD =2 495JPY). No way I'm ever going to pay full price for a product that says Microsoft somewhere along the manufacturing cycle.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: BloodEagle on November 06, 2007, 02:59:44 pm
Never trust any review for a game before it is released. Always wait at least one week after a game is released before looking for reviews.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Sarafan on November 06, 2007, 03:05:15 pm
Are you realizing this now? ;) Take a look at the reviews of Unreal 2, one of the worst games ever and they gave it 9s and 10s. :rolleyes:

The worse of it was what the reviewers got from Microsoft to review Halo 3. Nothing less than $800 gifts, for me that's the same as a bribe.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mars on November 06, 2007, 04:13:44 pm
I'm proud to mostly play a 8.9 / 10 game  :D

ETQW ftw
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark Hunter on November 06, 2007, 06:18:02 pm
Stuff like this is exactly why I don't listen to game reviews. At least, those made by people actually paid to review something. I tend to listen more intently to player reviews, like they have on GameFAQs, since they don't have to write the review, the review is more likely to have some elements of truth in it.

But then again, I often enjoy games that most people seem to not like, so I don't give reviews all that much heed, if I give them any at all.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mefustae on November 06, 2007, 06:39:47 pm
Personally, I use Gamespot, which is generally quite good for PC games.
Yeah, I sorta gave up on Gamespot after they gave Perfect Dark: Zero a 9 out of 10. :doubt:
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Polpolion on November 06, 2007, 07:10:07 pm
Are you realizing this now? ;) Take a look at the reviews of Unreal 2, one of the worst games ever and they gave it 9s and 10s. :rolleyes:

I liked Unreal 2 :(.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mr. Vega on November 06, 2007, 07:10:27 pm
Gamespot has been susceptible to overrating the really overhyped games, but outside that they're pretty damn accurate. Well, ok, they've always way underrated the really great games - they gave Thief I a 9.1, The Longest Journey a 9.3, and Deus Ex a frelling 8.2! And they used different scales for different genres- their FPS ratings were pretty accurate after you took off three to four tenths of a point - but they were pretty consistent within each genre, and a lot of times they gave high scores to games that deserved it when a lot of other sites wouldn't - they did give FS2 a 9.4 after all.

But the best game reviewer out there is without a doubt Steerpike. Read his Bioshock review, and rejoice:

http://fourfatchicks.com/Reviews/Bioshock/Bioshock.shtml (http://fourfatchicks.com/Reviews/Bioshock/Bioshock.shtml)
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark RevenantX on November 06, 2007, 07:31:19 pm
Bloody ****ing hell...

Now THAT'S a review.


Comes to show how much all the other reviews suck...
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: BloodEagle on November 06, 2007, 07:33:51 pm
That's a nice find.  :)
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Sarafan on November 06, 2007, 08:09:03 pm
Are you realizing this now? ;) Take a look at the reviews of Unreal 2, one of the worst games ever and they gave it 9s and 10s. :rolleyes:

I liked Unreal 2 :(.

Well, boy, sorry to break it to you but the truth is that thing sucks. A lot. :blah:

Joking of course. ;)

No offense, I just dont like that game.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: watsisname on November 06, 2007, 11:05:32 pm
If only more game reviewers could be like Yahtzee Croshaw. :D 
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation)
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark RevenantX on November 06, 2007, 11:06:26 pm
Unreal 2 was too short and limited.  Aside from that, though, it was fine.

On the subject of reviewers, it is my belief that there is a hidden market for stars or points going on between reviewer sites and publishing companies.  $500 to change a 7 to an 8, $1000 to change an 8 to a 9.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 06, 2007, 11:08:05 pm
Quote
Are you realizing this now?  Take a look at the reviews of Unreal 2, one of the worst games ever and they gave it 9s and 10s.

Unreal 2's average score on Metacritic is 75/100, which I wouldn't call overrated at all. It had some very unique weapons and level environments for its time, even if the story was lousy and the game had no connection to the first Unreal.

Quote
Gamespot has been susceptible to overrating the really overhyped games, but outside that they're pretty damn accurate. Well, ok, they've always way underrated the really great games - they gave Thief I a 9.1, The Longest Journey a 9.3, and Deus Ex a frelling 8.2! And they used different scales for different genres- their FPS ratings were pretty accurate after you took off three to four tenths of a point - but they were pretty consistent within each genre, and a lot of times they gave high scores to games that deserved it when a lot of other sites wouldn't - they did give FS2 a 9.4 after all.

But the best game reviewer out there is without a doubt Steerpike. Read his Bioshock review, and rejoice:

http://fourfatchicks.com/Reviews/Bioshock/Bioshock.shtml

You're looking at Gamespot's old reviews when they were generally very good. They have come down a long way since then.

I don't see what's so great about that Bioshock review. It exhibits the same flaws I see in most reviews these days; it goes into lots of unnecessary detail about the story without talking much about the game itself, and it's done by a console reviewer with obviously lower standards than a dedicated PC reviewer. This particular one is admittedly a general, platform-independent review but I see this in most reviews of PC games these days; they simply review the 360 version and slap the same review on the PC section of the site. The most extreme example of this in recent times was probably Splinter Cell: Double Agent, where the PC version got quite high scores on most of the major sites despite being essentially non-completable due to bugs.

I'm only through about a fourth of the game (haven't had much time to play anything recently :() but my impression so far is this game is to SS2 what Invisible War was to Deus Ex. A pretty good game, but considerably dumbed down and consolized from its predecessor. It's similar to SS2 in many ways as people say, but it seems to have retained too many of the bad things from SS2 and not enough of the good things.

My favorite review of this game is the Zero Punctuation (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/1394-Zero-Punctuation-BioShock) one. I don't agree with some of the finer details, but he's got the general idea dead right. :D
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 06, 2007, 11:24:41 pm
I found that review pretty lousy, actually (the four fat chicks one). It was essentially him stroking his literary ego, hardly talking about the game itself - basically trying to turn what should be an article for consumers to get an easy picture of the game and whether it's worth their money into their own English essay.


Zero Punctuation is amazing though.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Scooby_Doo on November 07, 2007, 12:17:26 am
Are you realizing this now? ;) Take a look at the reviews of Unreal 2, one of the worst games ever and they gave it 9s and 10s. :rolleyes:

I liked Unreal 2 :(.

I liked Unreal 2 too... far better than that horrible farcry... farcra*
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mefustae on November 07, 2007, 04:54:15 am
Zero Punctuation is amazing though.
QF-****ing-T (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2541-Zero-Punctuation-The-Orange-Box).

Honest, succinct, and some of the funniest stuff i've seen in a good long while.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Sarafan on November 07, 2007, 01:03:15 pm

Unreal 2's average score on Metacritic is 75/100, which I wouldn't call overrated at all. It had some very unique weapons and level environments for its time, even if the story was lousy and the game had no connection to the first Unreal.


What unique weapons? I'm just asking because I dont recall any unique ones there but two weapons that I have to say were great were the standard rifle (dont recall if that's the name) and the flamethrower, this I'll admit, Unreal 2 is the *only* game I've seen so far that has an actually usefull and great flamethrower. :yes:
But the whole game is a prime example of shiny game with great graphics and nothing else. I recognise it had a lot of potential and it's a shame it didnt became something.

BTW, I hate the way sites review the story, I mean, i just get the feeling that they just see if the story/plot is cool and that's it. The graphics, OTOH, those take more than half of the whole review.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 07, 2007, 04:32:18 pm
I haven't played it for years, but some that I remember are an orange alien laser, a black hole gun near the end, the flamethrower you mentioned, a shock rifle derivative and something that I think made friendly spiders. Most of the weapons also had rather cool and unique visual effects, even the basic ones like the assault rifle. The fact that all the guns had two (often very different) firing modes, a hallmark of the Unreal games, was also good to see. This is in stark contrast to many other FPS games from the last few years, which just have several generic guns that all look and work more or less the same way (often based on real weapons and all firing hitscan, hollowpoint bullets) along with a shotgun and rocket launcher of some sort.

I found it fun to just go through the game and disregard the story because the weapons made combat in general fun and there was a ton of variation in the environments throughout the game, more than any other FPS I have played. This game scores very high on level design in my book due to this variety.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: TrashMan on November 07, 2007, 05:15:05 pm
Actually, I found Unreal 2 rather good.. only it had no replay value for me. :(
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Grizzly on November 08, 2007, 04:16:35 am
Gamespot has been susceptible to overrating the really overhyped games, but outside that they're pretty damn accurate. Well, ok, they've always way underrated the really great games - they gave Thief I a 9.1, The Longest Journey a 9.3, and Deus Ex a frelling 8.2! And they used different scales for different genres- their FPS ratings were pretty accurate after you took off three to four tenths of a point - but they were pretty consistent within each genre, and a lot of times they gave high scores to games that deserved it when a lot of other sites wouldn't - they did give FS2 a 9.4 after all.

But the best game reviewer out there is without a doubt Steerpike. Read his Bioshock review, and rejoice:

http://fourfatchicks.com/Reviews/Bioshock/Bioshock.shtml (http://fourfatchicks.com/Reviews/Bioshock/Bioshock.shtml)

I agree on the gamespot thing. After all, they named Mechwarrior 2 the game of the (previous) century
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Kosh on November 08, 2007, 09:00:01 am
Are you realizing this now? ;) Take a look at the reviews of Unreal 2, one of the worst games ever and they gave it 9s and 10s. :rolleyes:

The worse of it was what the reviewers got from Microsoft to review Halo 3. Nothing less than $800 gifts, for me that's the same as a bribe.


I look at the score they gave Star Control 3, one of the biggest letdown sequels ever, and I just shake my head and wonder what kinds of drugs they were on......
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: BloodEagle on November 08, 2007, 12:19:26 pm
To tell if a reviewer is doing a good job, check to see what they gave TES: IV. If the score (out of ten) is anything higher than a four, then they aren't doing a good job.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 08, 2007, 12:29:10 pm
I think the best game to check for inconsistencies is SC Double Agent. If the reviewer says anything about the ending, implying that he was actually able to play that far, it's a good chance that the site's PC section is loaded with console reviews done by console reviewers. :p
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Grizzly on November 09, 2007, 04:14:16 am
Problem is, that game reviewers have their own opiniun, that may differ from yours.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dough with Fish on November 09, 2007, 12:35:16 pm
Only sites/publications I pay any attention to are the aforementioned Zero Punctuation and the 1UP Network, which includes 1UP.com, EGM, and GFW. I used to like PCG, but lately the magazine has turned to absolute dog ****. I'd read Edge and PCGUK, but their so ****ing expensive to subscribe too and the local bookstore only seems to get issues in at random intervals. I do pick up issues of them whenever I see them, but it's not very often. And, if you are into podcasts, then I highly suggest checking out GFW Radio (http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3148397).
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Sarafan on November 09, 2007, 02:32:03 pm
Problem is, that game reviewers have their own opiniun, that may differ from yours.

It's not so much of a problem of different opinion but it's when you see that the review and/or reviewer is clearly wrong on numerous things, like reviewing a console version of game and putting the exact same review into the PC review, you know they're different and that one version may be worse/better than the other but they get the same score.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark Hunter on November 09, 2007, 05:45:42 pm
Reviews can still be useful even if you disagree with them. For instance, let's say there's a game that everybody's acting the fanboy over. One person comes along and gives the game a low score. Now, even if I like a game that someone gives a low score to, I'll read it because I'm interested in what aspects led them to dislike it.

It's like my English professor keeps telling us: your arguments are always stronger if counterarguments are included.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: colecampbell666 on November 11, 2007, 09:20:51 am
let it be sorta known that i usually dont pirate games because i respect the effort that goes into them.  when i do pirate a game though, its usually because i find their buisness practices distasteful (microsoft) or the game is so old its hard to get
I find that downoading a 3 Gb demo just for 1 level is insane, so I pirate the game, limiting myself to a week, and then at the end of the week I delete it. If I like it, I go out and buy it.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 11, 2007, 10:33:09 am
When I pirate a game, if it's good enough, then I'll buy it. It helps these days that if you pirate a game, multiplayer's generally limited, so it's like an advanced demo.  Call of Duty 4 is an example of a game I would buy if I had the cash, but I spent my spare change on UT3.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dough with Fish on November 12, 2007, 12:49:33 pm
When I pirate a game, if it's good enough, then I'll buy it. It helps these days that if you pirate a game, multiplayer's generally limited, so it's like an advanced demo.  Call of Duty 4 is an example of a game I would buy if I had the cash, but I spent my spare change on UT3.

How'd you get UT3 already? Are you from the future or something? I thought the game wasn't due out for at least a couple more weeks on PC, and the consoles aren't getting it until God knows when...
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 12, 2007, 01:17:41 pm
When I pirate a game, if it's good enough, then I'll buy it. It helps these days that if you pirate a game, multiplayer's generally limited, so it's like an advanced demo.  Call of Duty 4 is an example of a game I would buy if I had the cash, but I spent my spare change on UT3.

How'd you get UT3 already? Are you from the future or something? I thought the game wasn't due out for at least a couple more weeks on PC, and the consoles aren't getting it until God knows when...

Preordered?
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark RevenantX on November 12, 2007, 03:14:40 pm
He probably lives in Germany, had a German friend pick it up for him, or went to Germany and got it while there.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Inquisitor on November 12, 2007, 09:27:22 pm
Quote
When I pirate a game, if it's good enough, then I'll buy it. It helps these days that if you pirate a game, multiplayer's generally limited, so it's like an advanced demo.  Call of Duty 4 is an example of a game I would buy if I had the cash, but I spent my spare change on UT3.

So not really then. You just pirated it.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Polpolion on November 12, 2007, 10:40:45 pm
How many people pirate games and say they will just try it, and if it's good go and buy it, but actually go and buy it, and not just be lazy and say they will eventually?
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark RevenantX on November 12, 2007, 10:55:48 pm
How many people pirate games and say they will just try it, and if it's good go and buy it, but actually go and buy it, and not just be lazy and say they will eventually?

Me.  Eventually...
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: gevatter Lars on November 13, 2007, 06:06:23 am
I have, over time, build up a nice collection of originals that way. Luckly I know a store that sells used version at cheap price and even with a guarantee. Something you won't get on Ebay.
I have just, well a few days ago bought Earth 2160 for 5€. The box had some smaller scratches but I was able to take a closer look at the DVDs in store and they where like new.
Sadly they don't have allways every game but I prefer the store over ebay and other sources like it since I got bad experiances with it. Only problem is that its an houre away from where I live ^_^
Sometimes they will even sell you an older PC if you need it to run the game.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 13, 2007, 11:59:10 am
Quote
When I pirate a game, if it's good enough, then I'll buy it. It helps these days that if you pirate a game, multiplayer's generally limited, so it's like an advanced demo.  Call of Duty 4 is an example of a game I would buy if I had the cash, but I spent my spare change on UT3.

So not really then. You just pirated it.


I preordered UT3, and when I get the cash I'll buy CoD4, but I don't have the cash right now.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Inquisitor on November 13, 2007, 01:23:51 pm
Ah, so there's at least one more caveat then. If its good, and you haven't spent the money on another game.

Kinda sounds like having your cake and eating it too.

You may disagree with its label as illegal, but the justifications and excuses are a little much to swallow. People pirate because they want something they can't afford or refuse to spend the money on and make excuses like "Screw EA they have enough money" or "They should have released a demo" or "I only use it as an advanced demo, really,  I promise I'll buy the game."

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink and all that.

Just admit you do it, and leave it there. Justifying it is insulting our collective intelligence.

To the origial post: Maybe reviews are pathetic, but there are some damn good shooters out there right now, and I am beginning to agree with CoD being lauded as either of of, or perhaps the best of 2007. So far. Bioshock did indeed have that title in my mind prior to playing this. Its a bit of a toss up, they are both excellent. Both are better in most wasys than say, Halo, which in and of itself was alot of fun for me.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 13, 2007, 01:46:51 pm
Well, "best of 2007" is not a very strong endorsement, but many of the major review sites are going several steps further and saying that each of these big titles is the "best game of all time" or something to that effect. Now these are quite good games, but this exaggeration is absurd. It's like the reviewers have no memory of anything that came out more than a year ago. The Crysis reviews are just starting to come out and we're predictably seeing uniform 10/10s and another "best game of all time," the third or fourth one this year. :rolleyes: I guess whichever one is released last becomes the true best game of all time. :D
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Shade on November 13, 2007, 02:05:51 pm
Too true, that. In my opinion, most games that come out today, for all their admittedly kick-ass graphics, tend to fall at least somewhat short of the best games in the same genre of 5-10 years ago in terms of actual gameplay. And I'll take gameplay over great graphics every time. Unfortunately, most reviewers seem to view it the other way round.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Inquisitor on November 13, 2007, 02:22:24 pm
I have some 10 year old magazines that say the same things, they were saying this about games in 1997 as well. After 10+ years of following game "journalism" I edit out the exaggeration mentally. Of course everything then was a "Quake killer" etc. I should dig those out if wife hasn't tossed them and scan some. It really hasn't gotten any worse, its just gone online. You used to have to pay 5 bucks to be told how great the next thing was ;)

It is what it is, reviewers hype to sell magaziness, now they just do it to drive traffic for ad revenue :)
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 13, 2007, 02:40:09 pm
I don't recall seeing such things nearly as often 10 years ago (I used to read a bunch of stuff back then, mostly CGW, PC Gamer, Gamespot and AVault). If anything, I remember thinking that many good games were underrated back then, especially by Gamespot who used to be very tough at one point. Even when you did see a 10/10, it was frequently justified because I still see people talking about many of those games today and how good they were, at least on the forums I frequent. I doubt that there will be quite so many people thinking of Bioshock, for example, the same way 10 years from now. Crysis will probably be remembered, but for its graphics and the technological advancements of the engine than anything about the game itself, which from what I'm hearing is quite short.

I think the first time I really started to see this overrating as a widespread phenomenon was in late 2004, with Doom 3 and HL2, and it's pretty much stayed that way ever since then.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Shade on November 13, 2007, 02:47:47 pm
Oh, definitely, they've always been guilty of overhyping, though perhaps not to quite the same degree as now. Difference is, back when they claimed Civ 2 was the best game of all time, it actually was ;) Nowadays, any new games aspiring to that honor will have to trump the greatest from the past before they deserve that title, and in my opinion, they are falling short. Sometimes not by much, but they are.

No turn-based strategy game of recent times has beaten Civ 2, Alpha Centauri or the first X-Com, no RTS has quite managed to best TA or Starcraft, System Shock 2 is still both the best and the scariest FPS ever made, and the Infinity engine-based RPGs remain on top of their class. Not to mention the more or less discontinued adventure and spacesim genres where nothing has gotten anywhere near Grim Fandango or FS2.

Can't really blame them though. After all, they need to make money, and graphics are a much surer selling point - for reviewers and publishers alike - than something as esoteric and subjective like "gameplay".

[Edit] And no Pinball simulation has ever beaten Pinball Dreams either, and that was way back on the Amiga :p
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 14, 2007, 08:51:37 am
Inquisitor, PM sent so the topic doesn't get more off track again.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mefustae on November 15, 2007, 02:14:12 am
Well, Assassin's Creed is certainly interesting:

Eurogamer               7/10
Famitsu                37/40
GamePro                5/5
Game Informer          9.5/10
GameSpot            9.0/10
GameTrailers           9 .1/10
IGN                          7.7/10   
GamesRadar            10/10
TeamXbox             7.9/10

Intriguing. Considering how widely the game was touted, the disparity in scores between such large sites - that's a good 1.3 between Gamespot and IGN - really stands out. Honestly, I don't quite know what to make of it!

Here's a hint, boys and girls: Ignore the big name review sites. Just ****ing ignore them and go straight to people who play the games to have fun rather than play them for a paycheck. Why accept slanted reviews surrounded by massive ads when places like Penny Arcade offer fair opinions without the bull****!
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Marcus Vesper on November 19, 2007, 05:45:31 pm
I peruse www.game-revolution.com myself, unlike almost all the other review sites they have no numerical grading system; they use a scholastic letter grade +/- system instead.  As for the accuracy of the reviews, look up a few titles you own and see if their viewpoint doesn't match yours after playing it.  Most good games end up with some variation of a B, ones with promise that have major detractions end up with a C, painfully bad games usually end up with a D.

F, now that's a category reserved for crimes against humanity for the most part, and if they give that to a game it means there's no redeeming aspect to it whatsoever.  Technically there isn't a real F- grade, but one game was so horrible it got one (http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/survivor).  The review for the game is way more fun then playing it could ever be (and it's interactive!  Choose your insults!).

Really good games get the A-, with the truly exceptional/revolutionary titles awarded an A.  A grades are relatively rare, unlike 10/10 scores on other gaming sites.

They don't have anything like the pull the other game review sites wield, so they don't get sent copies of every title under the sun.  If it's a major release they'll probably cover it though.

For an example of the rarity of the A grade, here's how many PC games got one:
18 in total, which goes to show they don't give that out at the drop of a hat.  For those wondering: Freespace 2 got an A-.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: colecampbell666 on November 19, 2007, 06:26:32 pm
What? Not FS?
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: BloodEagle on November 20, 2007, 01:09:50 am
I peruse www.game-revolution.com myself, unlike almost all the other review sites they have no numerical grading system; they use a scholastic letter grade +/- system instead.  As for the accuracy of the reviews, look up a few titles you own and see if their viewpoint doesn't match yours after playing it.  Most good games end up with some variation of a B, ones with promise that have major detractions end up with a C, painfully bad games usually end up with a D.

*snipped*

http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/elder_scrolls_4_

It deserves a C!  :doubt:
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Marcus Vesper on November 20, 2007, 03:20:56 am
I see somebody is cranky.  I didn't like every change they made to the gameplay model in Oblivion, but I absolutely loved the quests andd having all dialogue voiced.  Plus the game is gorgeous and huge.  If the enemy autoleveling wasn't an official part of the game, it would be almost perfect.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: TrashMan on November 20, 2007, 06:15:20 am
For an example of the rarity of the A grade, here's how many PC games got one:
    Titles starting with A: 0
    Titles starting with B: 3 (Baldur's Gate, Bioshock, Black & White)
    Titles starting with C: 1 (Counterstrike)
    Titles starting with D: 2 (Diable, Dungeon Keeper)
    Titles starting with E: 1 (The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall)
    Titles starting with F: 1 (FIFA '99)
    Titles starting with G: 2 (Grand Prix Legends, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
    Titles starting with H: 1 (Half-Life)
    Titles starting with I: 0
    Titles starting with J: 0
    Titles starting with K: 0
    Titles starting with L: 0
    Titles starting with M: 1 (Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries)
    Titles starting with N: 1 (Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit)
    Titles starting with O: 1 (Omikron: The Nomad Soul)
    Titles starting with P: 0
    Titles starting with Q: 0
    Titles starting with R: 1 (Roller Coaster Tychoon)
    Titles starting with S: 1 (System Shock 2)
    Titles starting with T: 2 (Thief: The Dark Project, Tomb Raider)
    Titles starting with U: 0
    Titles starting with V: 0
    Titles starting with W: 0
    Titles starting with X: 0
    Titles starting with Y: There aren't any reviews for PC games starting with Y.
    Titles starting with Z: 0
    Titles starting with some other character: 0

18 in total, which goes to show they don't give that out at the drop of a hat.  For those wondering: Freespace 2 got an A-.

Fs should have gotten an A...what, no Outcast? Bioshock a pure A??? Tis good, but no that good, not by a longshot!
Diablo? Dungeon Keeper??
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 20, 2007, 06:26:15 am
Freespace got an A-, although it definately should've beaten Bioshock.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Marcus Vesper on November 20, 2007, 02:21:46 pm
Freespace 2 is the best space shooter of all time, bar none, this much is in agreement.  But while it did more to distinguish itself then Descent Freespace: The Great War did, both games borrow heavily from the best aspects of prior Space shooter games, which at the time of the review were fairly contemporary.  So I can agree with them that FS2 was exceptional but not "revolutionary".  Of course, in hindsight it's the best example of the genre ever produced to this day, but you can't know when you're reviewing something that it marks the spiritual death of the genre.

Diablo spawned a legion of copycats, and they're still making titles in it's mold (Hellgate: London anyone?), Dungeon Keeper WAS revolutionary: nothing has come along since that's really lived up to it's mold, other then it's own sequel, though titles like Evil Genius have tried. 

Hindsight is important: It's easy to second guess historical (Bioshock is the only title on that list that's not at least several years old) reviews when you've seen things that came out AFTER the review was penned.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: TrashMan on November 20, 2007, 02:28:16 pm
Dungeon Keepr might have been revolutionary but that IMHO irrelevant when rating game. Who cares if you're revolutional as hell if the game is boring as hell.

Granted, Dungeon Keeper wasn't bad, but I really didn't see why it got all the praises....just like Diablo...just like WOW...just like Bioshock...
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Marcus Vesper on November 20, 2007, 02:32:54 pm
WoW got a B+ from GR.  Just saying.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mr. Vega on November 20, 2007, 02:39:18 pm
They gave Daggerfall, the buggiest game ever (this side of Battlecruiser 3000AD anyway), an A but not Morrowind?
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: CP5670 on November 20, 2007, 02:45:44 pm
That site seems to be somewhat better than most of the others, if only because the top rating is so rare. I've read some of their reviews in the past. The Bioshock rating is completely hype driven, but it seems to be the only one among the games I know from that list.

Still, I wouldn't base any purchasing decisions on that (or any other) site alone. As I said on the first page, averages along with an appropriate sample of user opinions are the way to go.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: BloodEagle on November 21, 2007, 01:50:37 am
I see somebody is cranky.  I didn't like every change they made to the gameplay model in Oblivion, but I absolutely loved the quests andd having all dialogue voiced.  Plus the game is gorgeous and huge.  If the enemy autoleveling wasn't an official part of the game, it would be almost perfect.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=129

There's a better one out there, but I can't find it.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Rand al Thor on November 21, 2007, 03:30:59 pm
Considering Game Revolution gave Halo 3 an A-.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Marcus Vesper on November 27, 2007, 01:59:02 pm
They also just gave Assassin's Creed an A-, and made fun of other reviewers who've been panning it by pointing out they're not playing it correctly.

Quote from: Game Revolution
Assassin’s Creed has been getting some mixed reviews, and I know why. You can take some people to a park, and they’ll come back an hour later with the information that it has 1.2 miles of path, a regular slide, a twisty slide, and some swings. But they won’t have actually played on the slide, enjoyed a sunny day, taken off their shoes to run through the grass, or climbed the tree that they forgot to catalog. The goal of Assassin’s Creed is to play the game, not get to the end.
Playing a sandbox title just so you can get to the end does sound pretty miserable.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 27, 2007, 05:06:23 pm
I'm kind of annoyed that UT3 has been panned a bit for being "unoriginal", getting, say, 8's or 8.5s. Yes, the console interface is bad, but taking a whole point from a game just because of the UI? Or panning it because it doesn't do anything new (someone actually said "The Deathmatch isn't anything new" or something to that effect), while at the same time giving Halo 3 an almost perfect score, when the latter's multiplayer was the same as every other shooter out there? It irks me. Granted, it's a pretty old school shooter, but that's why people play it and like it.

IMO anyway :)
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 27, 2007, 05:42:43 pm
I'm kind of annoyed that UT3 has been panned a bit for being "unoriginal", getting, say, 8's or 8.5s. Yes, the console interface is bad, but taking a whole point from a game just because of the UI? Or panning it because it doesn't do anything new (someone actually said "The Deathmatch isn't anything new" or something to that effect), while at the same time giving Halo 3 an almost perfect score, when the latter's multiplayer was the same as every other shooter out there? It irks me. Granted, it's a pretty old school shooter, but that's why people play it and like it.

You don't really get Halo 3 for the multi. :P
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mefustae on November 27, 2007, 06:48:00 pm
You don't really get Halo 3 for the multi. :P
Yeah, you get it for the piss-poor singleplayer campaign, before realizing that you'll have to play the multiplayer just to get your moneys worth. :doubt:
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Sarafan on November 27, 2007, 07:31:13 pm
And to make matters worse, doesnt U3 has a actual story now?
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Ransom on November 27, 2007, 11:27:47 pm
Not really. Turns out the singleplayer 'campaign' is exactly the same sort of deal as the previous UT games, except there are a bunch of cutscenes between the matches now. It's still essentially a tutorial mode for the multiplayer.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 28, 2007, 10:50:11 am
You don't really get Halo 3 for the multi. :P
Yeah, you get it for the piss-poor singleplayer campaign, before realizing that you'll have to play the multiplayer just to get your moneys worth. :doubt:

I smell a controversial opinion not held by the majority.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Ransom on November 28, 2007, 12:34:03 pm
What's that, ngtm1r? People like Halo?

Surely you jest!
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 28, 2007, 03:47:04 pm
Halo is all about the multiplayer, come on. Halo 2 was really just a multiplayer patch and engine upgrade for Halo 1. Granted, Halo 3 was more about the story, but once people finished it it was only a short hop to the multiplayer - look how many new features they added in.

And anyway, if you bought UT3 for the singleplayer, you definately bought it for the wrong reason :p
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mefustae on November 28, 2007, 07:05:46 pm
Halo is all about the multiplayer, come on. Halo 2 was really just a multiplayer patch and engine upgrade for Halo 1. Granted, Halo 3 was more about the story, but once people finished it it was only a short hop to the multiplayer - look how many new features they added in.
For the people who really dug Halo 2's multiplayer, Halo 3 was awesome. It upgraded an already solid and fun multiplayer system and made it even better. Of course, not everyone really dug Halo 2's multiplayer. There were also people who really dug Halo 2's story and wanted to see a nice conclusion. We got ****ing shafted in that regard.

The multiplayer-lovers got what they wanted; a patch for Halo 2 multiplayer. The singleplayer-lovers got a short, incoherent campaign nowhere near as fun or innovative as Halo 2's. Multiplayer was clearly the focus, and that's ****ing bull****. You'll have to forgive me to expect Bungie to at the very least maintain the quality of Halo's singleplayer, rather than compromising it to put a hell of a lot more effort into multiplayer.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark Hunter on November 28, 2007, 07:17:39 pm
I didn't think the main storyline of Halo 2 was that bad. I mean, sure not quite as good as Halo 1, and the cliffhanger was just cruel, but the cliffhanger aside, it was still pretty good. I especially liked the Arbiter's story, since before that we never really got a good look from the Covenant perspective.

I really think everyone who says Halo 2's story sucked are basing that claim almost solely on the cliffhanger ending.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Mefustae on November 28, 2007, 07:20:46 pm
I didn't think the main storyline of Halo 2 was that bad. I mean, sure not quite as good as Halo 1, and the cliffhanger was just cruel, but the cliffhanger aside, it was still pretty good. I especially liked the Arbiter's story, since before that we never really got a good look from the Covenant perspective.

I really think everyone who says Halo 2's story sucked are basing that claim almost solely on the cliffhanger ending.
Is that an arbitrary statement, or directed at me? If so, you might want to read my post again.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Dark Hunter on November 28, 2007, 08:42:00 pm
*reads Mefustae's post*

It was rather an arbitrary statement, yes, but I was including you in it. I see you were talking about Halo 3's story. Sorry.

...

I still think Halo 3 had a decent enough story. I honestly can't really think of a better way to tie it all up.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 28, 2007, 09:10:29 pm
The multiplayer-lovers got what they wanted; a patch for Halo 2 multiplayer. The singleplayer-lovers got a short, incoherent campaign nowhere near as fun or innovative as Halo 2's. Multiplayer was clearly the focus, and that's ****ing bull****. You'll have to forgive me to expect Bungie to at the very least maintain the quality of Halo's singleplayer, rather than compromising it to put a hell of a lot more effort into multiplayer.

I think you're off you're rocker, personally, since Halo 2's campaign was by general consensus at the time a badly nerfed version of the first game; they made a vast array of silly and stupid changes to what they brought from the first game, meaning that it could never capture the feel of Halo 1 because that would have been impossible for the player to survive. They did, I admit, draw a wrong conclusion by eliminating the Arbiter storyline, but it was a collateral casuality from undoing the stupidities introduced in Halo 2. Not everything about 2 was bad; making something without redeeming virtue is difficult. Still, as a collateral casuality, it was acceptable.

Halo 3 was closer to the original, close enough to definitely have some of its feel, but it was also its own game and marched to its own tune. And it was better than its predecessors in most if not all ways. I can only think of one thing that seriously annoyed me about it. Halo 2 had a long list.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Unknown Target on November 30, 2007, 03:15:42 am
Some interesting developments over at Gamespot, pertinent to this discussion:

"Gamespot Editor Fired Over [negative] Kane & Lynch Review?"

http://kotaku.com/gaming/rumor/gamespot-editor-fired-over-kane--lynch-review-328244.php
Title: Rumour: Eidos pressures Gamespot to sack reviewer over bad review, and succeeds.
Post by: Flipside on November 30, 2007, 07:43:36 am
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/rumor-gamespots-editorial-director-fired-over-kane-and-lynch-rev/

If this is true, Eidos AND Gamespot are going to land themselves in a whole pile of crap with consumers, at the very least with this one.
Title: Re: Rumour: Eidos pressures Gamespot to sack reviewer over bad review, and succeeds.
Post by: IPAndrews on November 30, 2007, 07:50:35 am
This should probably be merged with the video game reviews suck thread. As definitive proof. Someone tell a moderator. Oh wait you are a moderator. Oh well. Anyway. I would like to say I find this story astonishing, but I don't, and I doubt anyone else who used to read video game reviews will be astonished either. Word of mouth FTW.
Title: Re: Rumour: Eidos pressures Gamespot to sack reviewer over bad review, and succeeds.
Post by: Flipside on November 30, 2007, 08:03:14 am
Good idea, I'll merge it in.
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Kosh on December 01, 2007, 02:34:06 am
This explains a lot:

Quote
Rumors have been swirling today that Jeff Gerstmann, executive editor at CNET-owned major video game site GameSpot, was fired after giving a generally unimpressed review of Io Interactive's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. Gerstmann awarded the game a 6.0. [Edit: Gerstmann had particularly negative words in his video review, which was removed from the site by GameSpot today.] (Though Shacknews does not score its reviews, our own Kane & Lynch review was similar in its verdict.)

According to the reports, the layoff came after Kane & Lynch publisher Eidos took issue with the review and threatened to pull its considerable ad contract. GameSpot's front page is currently almost entirely re-skinned with Kane & Lynch imagery

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50134


:wtf:
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: TrashMan on December 01, 2007, 05:01:36 am
Crapola...

Edios has long lost any respect I had for them...
Title: Re: Video game reviews are just pathetic
Post by: Flipside on December 01, 2007, 08:16:49 am
Well, there's conflicting reports, some are saying it was inspired by this, others are saying there's a lot longer history of problems. CNET have apparently denied that Eidos prompted this, but then, that says nothing either way, so I'm still in 2 minds about it.

I gave up reading reviews for anything other than comedy value (and screenshots) a long time ago.