Game Reviews too light?
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Dullshimmer
PSLS Level: Bronze
I think game reviews are tricky things. We know they're going to include opinions and reflect how that particular reviewer felt about that particular game, but then try to represent that opinion with a number, which while very subjective in reviews hold a bit more of an objective feel to them. So when people skip the text of a review and go right to the score they miss the context of why that game was scored so high or low.
Reading through the text can sometimes be difficult too. As a reviewer I imagine that you're trying to think through the various parts of the game in a more critical manner than some, and maybe even most gamers, do. For example, let's take the Lords of Shadow 2 review. Part of the focus was on graphics or design of the game, which are important to many, but isn't something that will make or break a game to me. However, the focus on the stealth parts not really being all that good is something that I would pick up on and influence me a bit more, because stealth and I don't seem to get along all that well, particularly poorly implemented stealth.
Of course that review is also a good example of the question are reviews too light. It was given a 6 which if you're used to the 7-10 scale of reviewing games then seems terrible. If you take it in the context of the full number scale it is average or maybe slightly above average. A few stand out moments, mostly enjoyable, but also largely unmemorable which pretty much reflected the text of the review.
So is their a problem with the review system? Maybe that reviews are taken way too seriously by those who read them. Be it the gamers or the companies that hand out bonus depending on the review scores.
Reading through the text can sometimes be difficult too. As a reviewer I imagine that you're trying to think through the various parts of the game in a more critical manner than some, and maybe even most gamers, do. For example, let's take the Lords of Shadow 2 review. Part of the focus was on graphics or design of the game, which are important to many, but isn't something that will make or break a game to me. However, the focus on the stealth parts not really being all that good is something that I would pick up on and influence me a bit more, because stealth and I don't seem to get along all that well, particularly poorly implemented stealth.
Of course that review is also a good example of the question are reviews too light. It was given a 6 which if you're used to the 7-10 scale of reviewing games then seems terrible. If you take it in the context of the full number scale it is average or maybe slightly above average. A few stand out moments, mostly enjoyable, but also largely unmemorable which pretty much reflected the text of the review.
So is their a problem with the review system? Maybe that reviews are taken way too seriously by those who read them. Be it the gamers or the companies that hand out bonus depending on the review scores.
Timewarp
PSLS Level: Bronze
Fair enough but I can't be held responsible for whatever happens next
I am just bothered by the notion 5-7 is bad. That is just not true. 1-4, I could say is something less than savory. But come on. A 5 is like your usual lunch. You know what to expect, but you still enjoy it. A 7-10 would be a pleasant change in your daily routine and is something to remember. Say, a high dollar exquisite steak from a five star restaurant. Mhmmm, food analogies.
My point being is that today's perception of scores is flawed. Not the actual system itself.
My point being is that today's perception of scores is flawed. Not the actual system itself.
BigPete7978
PSLS Level: Silver
THIS!!! I cannot agree more. People see a 5 and assume that the game is horrendous.
People think this because for the most part, on a 1-10 scale, the majority of games will get between a 6-10, it just seems to always fall that way. So then it kind of makes sense to see people flip about a 5 or 6.
Timewarp
PSLS Level: Bronze
Well that and people take them too seriously, to the point where you start to think that this person might just actually tie his choice of games into his own self-image and that just makes you pity them more then hate them. I mean I'd feel a bit down if a friend of mine didn't like a show or game I liked since it's a shame we don't share a common interest but a random person on the internet? What our the chances you're ever going to see anyone on the comments section of gamespot? Also if you did you wouldn't know since nobody thinks to go "Hey I'm blah blah but you might know me as Timewarp or The_Blue_Drew or TimewarpiaMan or even possible TheRealTimewarp!"
But yeah 5 is halfway. Not bad but not all that interesting, although I'd say there's a variety of reasons for example: You want other people to play the game with. Like me with Fringe, I really wanted to get my friend into that show...
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Yesss!
Honestly if you guys (the reviewers) are looking for criticism, I can think of two improvements.
1. Copy / paste the text from the review policy for the score you give. If you give Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 / Strider / several other games a 5 or 6, let the readers know what that means without them having to find the review policy.
2. A reader's scoring poll in each review article would be pretty awesome. If @Chandler Wood thinks that South Park needs a 9 and @Arthur Sataine thinks that it deserves a 3, then let both of them rate it. Metacritic doesn't have to count the readers' scores, right?
My personal review policy is to read what the reviewer says and why they rate things the way they do. Strider isn't anything new and feels like an older game? Cool, that's not a problem for me. Killzone: Shadow Fall had shitty voice acting and a cliche story? Also cool - that's not a dealbreaker. I agree with the scores for both of those games on PSLS; they're appropriate for the scoring system for those who have read it.
I also pick reviewers who share gaming opinions that I like. Chandler and Heath usually have awesome criticisms of games, but I also read other people's reviews. I just think they present them the best.
We've started doing this with all of our reviews recently.
chichi
PSLS Level: Bronze
the thing about game reviews is we are trying to take everything subjective and unspoken about video games
(the fun, the experience you had, the things that irritated you and made you want to throw your controller to the television, the things that you loved about the game, the things that made you think critically, )
and reduce it to explicit, objective, quantified numbers.
Yet even though we now this we continually compare, contrast and judge our own experience to the game reviewers experience. Why do we continually do this you ask... it is because of HUMAN NATURE. It is a part of our humanity to compare each and every single thing in our life (from what is our greatest achievement to what's the size of our dicks/boobs). And when we see someone saying that "this is how I experienced it" and it is different from what we experienced, our jimmies gets rustled because our ego gets hurt. We always want to say that my experience and opinion of this thing and yours is wrong.
We may get to a 99% accuracy of reviewing games but it will never be perfect simply because each and everyone of us will have a different experience in each game we play.
But hey, that's just like, my opinion man.
(the fun, the experience you had, the things that irritated you and made you want to throw your controller to the television, the things that you loved about the game, the things that made you think critically, )
and reduce it to explicit, objective, quantified numbers.
Yet even though we now this we continually compare, contrast and judge our own experience to the game reviewers experience. Why do we continually do this you ask... it is because of HUMAN NATURE. It is a part of our humanity to compare each and every single thing in our life (from what is our greatest achievement to what's the size of our dicks/boobs). And when we see someone saying that "this is how I experienced it" and it is different from what we experienced, our jimmies gets rustled because our ego gets hurt. We always want to say that my experience and opinion of this thing and yours is wrong.
We may get to a 99% accuracy of reviewing games but it will never be perfect simply because each and everyone of us will have a different experience in each game we play.
But hey, that's just like, my opinion man.
I meant the policy for the correlated number - the whole thing would be overkill. Just paste a thumbnail to the side for what a 6 is, or whatever.
Let's revive this thread because another injustice has occurred to actually support the "too light" thought on reviews. The just released Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has some reviews out and one in particular screams issues with it's wording and then score.
I won't go into details on who did it, but just read the quotes below and tell me how this game received a 7 from this publication?
Then comes another publication who gave the game a freaking 9, yet had this to say in their review.
THIS is exactly what is wrong with our industry and is the main reason why game reviewers don't get taken seriously by a lot of people and why threads like this are created in the first place.
I won't go into details on who did it, but just read the quotes below and tell me how this game received a 7 from this publication?
Then comes another publication who gave the game a freaking 9, yet had this to say in their review.
THIS is exactly what is wrong with our industry and is the main reason why game reviewers don't get taken seriously by a lot of people and why threads like this are created in the first place.
Timewarp
PSLS Level: Bronze
How can you say a game isn't enjoyable even for a longtime fan of the franchise and then give the game a 7 out of 10? A 7 is when a game is ok, not perfect and not bad but a few moments that make it enjoyable enough that it's not a 6 or 5 out of 10.
I don't blame guys like these for feeling pressure but come on a 9/10?! 9-10 scores should be the holy grail of reviews as in "YOUR GAME IS NEAR-PERFECT!" I don't care if we're talking Uncharted, Resident Evil, Metal Gear, Halo or even Gears of War fans reviewers don't have a duty to kiss up to childish fanboys, if those idiot fanboys want to throw temper tantrums over numbers they are not worth listening to.
The reason things like this happen is because of loud-mouthed despicable parasites who think they know better then everyone else, who are prepared to throw abuse at people for the crime of giving GTA 5 a 7/10 and their the same people who give developers abuse over twitter, the same people who threatened to rape Anita Sarkassian, the same people who scared Adam Orth and countless other people into moving their entire life out of fear that the threats might actually be legit and you know what upsets me the most? WE LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.
I hate that this is an industry that is 100% fine with abuse on this kind of level. I am all for free speech but not when you use it to victimize and abuse people, if those people left the games industry, left geek culture then maybe for once people would start to take us seriously. We need to send a message "Get in line or get a new hobby"
I don't blame guys like these for feeling pressure but come on a 9/10?! 9-10 scores should be the holy grail of reviews as in "YOUR GAME IS NEAR-PERFECT!" I don't care if we're talking Uncharted, Resident Evil, Metal Gear, Halo or even Gears of War fans reviewers don't have a duty to kiss up to childish fanboys, if those idiot fanboys want to throw temper tantrums over numbers they are not worth listening to.
The reason things like this happen is because of loud-mouthed despicable parasites who think they know better then everyone else, who are prepared to throw abuse at people for the crime of giving GTA 5 a 7/10 and their the same people who give developers abuse over twitter, the same people who threatened to rape Anita Sarkassian, the same people who scared Adam Orth and countless other people into moving their entire life out of fear that the threats might actually be legit and you know what upsets me the most? WE LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.
I hate that this is an industry that is 100% fine with abuse on this kind of level. I am all for free speech but not when you use it to victimize and abuse people, if those people left the games industry, left geek culture then maybe for once people would start to take us seriously. We need to send a message "Get in line or get a new hobby"
Yup, I'll even consider a 6 out of 10! That's not bad. Just means average and nothing new, but not bad either.Yeah I'd agree with that actually, 7/10 does sound more like pretty good then ok
