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Games with suspicious critical reception

J

jett

D-Member
The "Worst Games of the Year" thread prompted me to create this one. Specifically, seeing that most people agreeing with me in LA Noire being complete garbage, despite it receiving the usual high marks for a big and hyped up release. I have another title in mind, an obvious one, that being MGS4. I imagine there will be spoilers for both.

250px-LA-Noire-Box-Art.jpg


Let's start with LA Noire and a sample from metacritic

Giant Bomb said:
L.A. Noire is a bold release, because it defies the expectations not just for the type of game Rockstar usually releases, but also for the type of game that receives this degree of care and proficiency in its execution. The world already has enough open-world action games, but a game which marries that open world to such a methodical style of gameplay, with a budget this big, is a rare thing indeed.
Click to expand...

really, proficiency in repeating the same exact fucking thing for 20 hours maybe.

1UP said:
This is vastly different from the countless first- and third-person shooters and all the "me too" open-world games sitting on store shelves. All the things I've only read about in Dashiell Hammett novels, or seen in film classics like Double Indemnity, have all come to interactive life in L.A. Noire.
Click to expand...

Yes, this one is actually extremely poorly designed and thought out.

The AV Club said:
If gaming's holy grail is a thousand stories, well told, L.A. Noire might be the first to come within spitting distance.
Click to expand...

No, just no. The AV Club should stick to movie reviews. Actually, maybe they should skip those if they think LA Noire had anything resembling a well told story.

Gamepro said:
It's a bold, cinematic step forward in a genre that's dying for innovation, and its implementation of the MotionScan technology is truly a game-changer.
Click to expand...

I guess the genre is still pretty fucking moribund.
Team XBOX said:
Truly this is the most mature game that Rockstar has been a part of. In the end it is something that will go down in history as one of the most innovative games of our time, and for good reason. You are simply supposed to have this game in your collection, if you consider yourself a gamer by any definition of the word.
Click to expand...

Hello there Mr. Hyperbole. Replace Rockstar with any other name and this paragraph could easily be part of any other hyped the shit out release.


252px-Mgs4us_cover_small.jpg


Now let's go on to the poster child for this kind of thing, MGS4. Everyone who has played MGS4 knows half(or more) of your playing time is spent watching long, drawn out cut-scenes(longer than any other game in the series before in the series, by quite a huge margin), that tell a story that is complete fucking trash. I'll give a quick example. There's a running gag throughout the entire series in the form of a character, called Johnny, who suffers from chronic diarrhea. That's all he does in MGS1, MGS2 and MGS3. Randomly shit his pants. That's all he does in MGS4 as well. Most of MGS4's ending is about this guy's wedding to Meryl, Snake's main love interest of the original MGS.

With that in mind, let's go right ahead.



TheSixthAxis said:
To review such a game as Metal Gear Solid 4 is like commissioning a blind man to share his opinion on a beautiful oil painting painted by a true artist, it just wouldn't work.
Click to expand...

There are no words.

IGN said:
Is it possible to give a game an 11? If so, this would be the game that would merit that score. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a title that exceeds all of the hype that was attached to the title.
Click to expand...

No.

GameInformer said:
As the crowning achievement of the series' 20-year history, Hideo Kojima's final Metal Gear Solid title may not be what you expect, but it is everything you could hope for in a video game.
Click to expand...

What if I actually hope to play video games? What then?

PSX Xtreme said:
There is no doubt about it, but this is easily the best experience you'll have on the PlayStation 3 to date, simply nothing comes close to MGS4's presentation, story-telling, gameplay, visuals, and sound.
Click to expand...

smh

Kikizo said:
It's stupid, it's nonsensical, it's over the top, it's full of awful dialogue, it demands long sittings and it hasn't changed much from the first game ten years ago. But then, it's Metal Gear Solid, so who cares?
Click to expand...

Yes, let's just give it a 10/10, who cares?

G4TV said:
While debate will no doubt rage over the story and its outcomes, there really isn't a single wrong move in the gameplay sections.
Click to expand...

Except, you know, 2/5ths of the game actually containing gameplay.

Playstation: The Official Magazine said:
If you come to the game with no prior MGS knowledge, you'll still uncover one of the most absorbing stories ever told.
Click to expand...

Maybe if you're an illiterate fuck.

GamingAge said:
Kojima wrapped everything up in a nice little bow and gave it to us as a parting gift. Your questions get answered, your heartstrings get pulled, your mind gets blown, and you finally get the closure you've spent the last two decades earning.
Click to expand...

No, I really don't.

GamePlanet said:
Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't just a game, it's a work of art.
Click to expand...

You.



This is just from the little tidbits in metacritic, if I delved inside every full review I imagine I'd find worse than this. Much worse. Now, I'm not saying game reviewers get paid off or anything like that, no sirree bob, but how about some goddamn objectivity and a little less fear of ad revenue backlash from the publisher and/or console manufacturer, because for the life of me I cannot fucking explain some of the reactions to these two titles. I can understand getting caught in the hype, but these two have such huge failings all over the freaking place it's just ridiculous.

You got any other examples?
 
P

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
most of the suspicious quantity of 10/10's this year really.

The boredom of Gears of War 3's single player campaign and unbalanced multi, the awful pacing issues and padding of Skyward Sword along with some wonky motion control mishaps, and the shipping of an unfinished game in Uncharted 3 with the complete inability to aim at a 45-degree angle.

Maybe its the latest younger generation of easily impressed game journo's or something, I dunno.
 
A

Archie

Second-rate Anihawk
Dragon Age 2

The Escapist said:
The advancements in RPG mechanics would be enough to set it apart, but the real achievement of Dragon Age II is in the story-telling. I could point out the improved combat and graphics till there's blood covering my face, but BioWare is one of the few companies that uses the advanced computing power available to modern game designers to let you actually play a role.
Click to expand...

PC Gamer said:
The best RPG combat ever. Not gaming's best story, but maybe its best storytelling. Darker, sexier, better.
Click to expand...

lolol
 
C

Corky

Nine out of ten orphans can't tell the difference.
I genuinely hope when the drunkard haze of skyrims reception has dwindled down we will look back on its critical acclaim the same way we do all other "99.5/100 based on 85 outlets" games.
 
M

Massa

Member
Just because you found a bunch of people that agreed with you in a GAF thread with a lot of Negativity doesn't make it fact. MGS 4 was GAF's own GOTY ffs.
 
B

Baconsaurus Rex

Member
A lot of the AAA high budget games to be honest. Reviewers often wave away major issues with AAA games, while they are overly critical when reviewing a game done by a lesser known developer.

I stopped taking gaming journalism serious a long time ago.
 
R

Risk Breaker

Member
Pie and Beans said:
most of the suspicious quantity of 10/10's this year really.

The boredom of Gears of War 3's single player campaign and unbalanced multi, the awful pacing issues and padding of Skyward Sword along with some wonky motion control mishaps, and the shipping of an unfinished game in Uncharted 3 with the complete inability to aim at a 45-degree angle.

Maybe its the latest younger generation of easily impressed game journo's or something, I dunno.
Click to expand...

Wow, exactly what I was going to say.


Also, on topic, I've seen a curious and suspicious trend on metacritic and it's that almost every high profile game that came out recently had only about 20-25 reviews for more than a week or even two and it's almost always the best reviews out there. Look at Batman, which had a ridiculous 97 or 96 for quite a long time, Skyward Sword which was also at 96 ignoring a lot of reviews and now Skyrim, which only has 21 reviews for its PC version and 24 for the PS3 version, and only one of those is under a 9 because of the technical issues.

Meanwhile, something like Rayman Origins has already 37 different reviews. Or SR: The Third which has even more.

Total bullshit.
 
B

BeeDog

Member
Dragon Age 2 is the one that truly baffled me, haven't really cared about any other game reviews. It was so obvious that many outlets were just cockriding Bioware due to their previous games (that have dropped in quality since the Infinity Engine days anyway).
 
M

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Mr. Negativity™


LA Noire wasn't as irredeemable as you make it out to be. Dissapointing, but, c'mon.
 
F

Foliorum Viridum

Banned
MGS4 and LA Noire are shit games.

GTA 4 will get mentioned but that's actually a great game which just got people a bit excited/hyperbolic.

It's embarrassing to read in both cases, but I can forgive it more in the case of GTA4 because there's a valid reason to get that excited. I don't understand why someone would write such high praise for MGS4/LA Noire unless their wallet grew from it.
 
D

Deadbeat

Banned
I got to go with MGS4. It shits on everything that made MGS3 good and then ramps up the stupid from MGS2. Oh and the MG:Online which is amazing is completely broken thanks to Konami code bullshit. Thanks Konami.

Dragon Age 2 not getting the smack down it deserves.

Mass Effect 2 and noone addressing the fact the game is now corridors with chest high walls everywhere. What happened to exploring the whole universe?
 
A

Averon

Member
If only half of what I heard about Dragon Age II is true, it seems to be the most blatant case of the gaming media being the publisher's "yes" men.
 
Windom Earle

Windom Earle

Member
I approve of this thread, and LA Noire is the first game that came to my mind when I read the title.

GTAIV will probably be mentioned a lot. And while I agree that it is overrated on Metacritic, there was still a lot of excellence in it. Something LA Noire is completely missing. I even hated the facial animations, uncanny valley effect was horrible and it just looked comical.
 
M

MrHicks

Banned
BIG LA NOIRE ad campaign on website

said website gives la noire a batshit crazy good review

i wonder why that is
 
D

Durante

Member
Archie said:
Dragon Age 2

lolol
Click to expand...
I find those far more "suspicious" than the games in the OP. LA Noire and MGS4 at least have some redeeming qualities and unique features that make them stand out and could conceivably make a reviewer love them. DA2 is just a half-baked mess.


Corky said:
I genuinely hope when the drunkard haze of skyrims reception has dwindled down we will look back on its critical acclaim the same way we do all other "99.5/100 based on 85 outlets" games.
Click to expand...
Why would You even bring that up? Skyrim is a far better game than anything mentioned in this thread.
 
C

CarbonatedFalcon

Member
Risk Breaker said:
Wow, exactly what I was going to say.


Also, on topic, I've seen a curious and suspicious trend on metacritic and it's that almost every high profile game that came out recently had only about 20-25 reviews for more than a week or even two and it's almost always the best reviews out there. Look at Batman, which had a ridiculous 97 or 96 for quite a long time, Skyward Skyward which was also at 96 ignoring a lot of reviews and now Skyrim, which only has 21 reviews for its PC version and 24 for the PS3 version, and only one of those is under a 9 because of the technical issues.

Total bullshit.
Click to expand...

Regarding Skyrim, even taking into account technical issues, it's still by far one of the best games I've played in a long time. If I were to write a review for it, I would probably give it a pretty high numerical score, though I would clearly point out in the review that there are issues to be had.

Other reviews, like some of the GTA IV stuff, and of course a few of those DA2 reviews were pure overblown hyperbole.

GTA IV is still a good game though. I didn't play it to completion, but I have played it, and it's definitely a solid 8 or 8.5 (on the typical 1-10 scale).
 
S

Shadow of the BEAST

Banned
I dont bother with game reviews anymore.

They are clearly full of shit. They all think alike. Rarely any real opinions.

I dont know if they are payed of by publishers or just dont want to offend their readers, but almost any high profile sequel to a popular franchise will get a great score.
 
D

DopeyFish

Not bitter, just unsweetened
I had a laugh with MGS4... I was playing the game at a friends house another stopped by and he's like "hey when you're done this sequence, let me try a bit because I have to leave in like 20-30 minutes".. (I think it was just after the bike on rails sequence?)

Well about 5 minutes later I finished and a cutscene started rolling... Needless to say, he never did get to try the game
 
V

Valnen

Member
Not everyone will agree on video games. I happen to think the positive reviews on MGS4 are spot on, the game is a masterpiece.
 
D

DMeisterJ

Banned
Agreed with MGS4. As a fan of the series its easily the worst, and replaying MGS2 shows me how even with a nonsensical story, it's leagues ahead of 4. Not sure how MGS4 got all of those high-marks.

And as for a recent one, Uncharted 3. First of all, not having motion blur and good aiming at release and still getting tens is beyond my understanding, but aside from that, the game just doesn't work at certain points, specifically the shipyard section. All the huge stadium battles there are a chore with some CoD-esque feeling spawn closets for enemies. That 8/10 from Euro gamer was spot on.
 
Auto_aim1

Auto_aim1

MeisaMcCaffrey
I liked MGS4, actually. Finished it 3 - 4 times already. Kojima tried to close all the loose ends, but if you haven't played the previous MGS games, it can really get confusing. It's a pure fanservice. Although, I'll admit that MGS3 was a much superior game.

Coming to GTA 4, while it was an incredibly boring game (subjective), it was also a technical masterpiece. I can understand why the reviewers got carried away, and I don't blame them either.
 
P

Postman

Banned
Eh I loved MGS4 it was a game that was to me really a true next gen game and not the same ole crap prettied up a bit like every other game out now.

But then again I can not understand why call of duty games are so popular either. sooo
 
K

kswiston

Member
Corky said:
I genuinely hope when the drunkard haze of skyrims reception has dwindled down we will look back on its critical acclaim the same way we do all other "99.5/100 based on 85 outlets" games.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. I have run a couple top rpgs of all time voting threads on GAF and Bethesda's games always do well. Even Oblivion and Fallout 3 which have active and vocal minority groups decrying them as garbage in every thread. Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3 all made the top 25 last time around, and none of the games were new at the time.
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
Those outlets aren't hiring proper critics. Just blank slates that can re-write press releases for them.

Fucking useless.

The only way to gauge whether a game is worth buying is word of mouth. And even that is very circumspect, because most everyone lets themselves get so fucking hyped all the time. You'd expect people to learn... I guess it's bias. You remember a few defining moments in your youth and want to relive them. I think we're very much like heroin addicts in that regard.
 
P

plagiarize

Banned
Fjordson said:
It's the classic "Popular games you hate" in disguise.


Not high enough, imo.
Click to expand...

basically yeah. it's interesting that a lot of the examples are games that put a lot of effort into story telling. perhaps thats just something that your average critic likes more than your average gaffer?
 
Domstercool

Domstercool

Member
The first Assassin's Creed has some high reviews from places, yet I have no idea how. The tasks in that game before a kill is the same... sit on a bench to listen to someone speak... pickpocket someone, follow someone, seems like a cheap way to extend a games lifespan.
 
Majukun

Majukun

Member
250px-Final_Fantasy_XIII_EU_box_art.jpg


THIS
how this game could get a 82 metascore,with a lot of reviews between 9 and 10 it's beyond me..it's probably the worst game i have ever played,and it's BARELY a game.
 
I

IceDoesntHelp

Banned
Pie and Beans said:
most of the suspicious quantity of 10/10's this year really.

The boredom of Gears of War 3's single player campaign and unbalanced multi, the awful pacing issues and padding of Skyward Sword along with some wonky motion control mishaps, and the shipping of an unfinished game in Uncharted 3 with the complete inability to aim at a 45-degree angle.

Maybe its the latest younger generation of easily impressed game journo's or something, I dunno.
Click to expand...

Vanille said:
Skyward Sword
Click to expand...

Really? I thought it deserved all the praise it got. A lot better than Twilight Princess, meh. To each his own.
 
H

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
basically if it's Rockstar it's going to get a good score no matter what. Their marketing hype machine has games criticism on lockdown.
 
C

CarbonatedFalcon

Member
Fallout-NL said:
Those outlets aren't hiring proper critics. Just blank slates that can re-write press releases for them.

Fucking useless.

The only way to gauge whether a game is worth buying is word of mouth. And even that is very circumspect, because most everyone lets themselves get so fucking hyped all the time. You'd expect people to learn... I guess it's bias. You remember a few defining moments in your youth and want to relive them. I think we're very much like heroin addicts in that regard.
Click to expand...

Nowadays I don't ever really read reviews anyway. I mostly know what games I want, and if there's something I'm curious about, I'll check the GAF thread to read what many different people are saying (as a group we tend to have good taste) and watch either a Giant Bomb Quick Look or a Let's Play - nice meaty portions of the game, rather than just the vertical slice of a demo or preview.
 
S

Shadow of the BEAST

Banned
Personally i think they should stop reviewing mp.

I dont think its possible to review mp games. Since its so dependant on who you are playing with. Its almost as stupid as reviewing a sport like soccer or whatever.
 
T

truly101

I got grudge sucked!
I knew this was about LA Noire just by the title and the OP.

I seemed to remember that LA Noire had gotten a few lukewarm reviews when it came out. It surely wasn't the collective blow job that GTA IV was.
 
Seth Balmore

Seth Balmore

Member
I don't bother taking reviews written by mainstream gaming sites seriously anymore. Generalizing is bad, but screw it: you know a game's score will be proportionate to the magnitude of its marketing campaign most of the time, with some exceptions here and there where suspiciously unjust negative reviews warrant plenty of notoriety (and therefore hits) to the site that publishes them.

I place much more trust in the little man and in gaming communities like GAF itself. Thankfully most people here are pretty sensible and make a habit of backing up their arguments when it comes to their opinion, whether it's good or bad. Obviously there's a load of irrational praise or hatred towards some games as well, but after residual hype dies down it's easy to weed out which games were deserving of high scores, which were suspiciously inflated and which are simply cool to hate on.

tl;dr Fuck the so-called press, word of mouth is where it's at. I had a good laugh with jett's OP as I can't stand hyperbole and masturbatory reviews either.
 
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