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[sonicmj1]

This basically sums up Famitsu's attitude towards reviews. From the Persona 5 Famitsu review thread (39/40):

It's not just that.
The way Famitsu reviews work is that they review games based on how they feel people should perceive and react to them. For instance, if they feel that a particular game should be given more attention, they'll give it a high score. Several years ago, when the Japanese game industry started declining, they ramped up the number of perfect scores significantly, because they wanted people to start buying these games. So it's not necessarily that they're doing it just for money, but also for other reasons. Just not necessarily related to game quality.

Of course, they also do tend to give more favorable reviews to games whose companies have purchased a significant amount of ad content in the magazine as well.

In terms of review content, they have literally been pretty terrible since they started in the 80s. They're very short reviews that read like back-of-box quotes, giving very little useful information about a game.

Famitsu is not an objective or reliable source of reviews. They only get attention because they're the only game in town for Japanese review scores.

 

[Brandon F]

Unless this is a problem with the port... no lol
Ys is fantastic. Origins isn't my favorite but I can see why it's some people's. It's a superb action game.

From what I have played of Ys Origin so far, a score in the 7-8 range seems very fair.

The action is fine, but a bit dull also, I mean in that regular enemies don't really require much other than mashing the attack or occasional charged specials(that aren't really necessary). Bosses being a massive spike that demand clinical precision for pattern recognition, practically forcing players into adopting a singular strategy and repeating through overbearing extended circumstances(at least playing on hard). The potential for human error is the only real trial here, not creative use of the mechanics.

Level layouts are a bit more impressive though, liking the need to really pay mind to progression roadblocks, and the special moves add a nice layer of platforming prowess beyond combat. But again, I'm not seeing much here deserving of a loftier score beyond having some nostalgic lust for the franchise.

 

[Crazyorloco]

Hoping this is sarcasm. Nintendogs was legit amazing at the time of its release.

For what it is, it's a great game. I can't think of a similar game that is better than it. The Petz games are poor in comparison. It's the best game for the genre.

I do think it's ridiculous that gaf compares one game that is totally different from another game when looking at scores - and gets upset when it has the same score. I expect this on other sites.

Good to know it's as good as Nintendogs.

This is a post that mirrors many other gaf posts.

-_-

Do you really think they were comparing it to Nintendogs?

 

[LordKasual]

Can we stop pretending MGSV is a bad game? It's getting old.

MGSV is nowhere close to perfect, but i don't recall ever saying it was a bad game...

 

[Asd202]

As always lol famitsu.

 

[Doukou]

Not to really defend Famitsu's awfulness (because clearly the change in popularity made a difference), but is that really any different from how reviewers and gamers both just kinda slept on From's prior RPGs of that style until they blew up?

Demon Souls got great reviews, it didn't blow up due to marketing and being a PS3 exclusive when PS3 wasn't that popular in the west yet.

 

[dreamfall]

Shitting on Ys?! Get outta here with that!

 

[Smellycat]

Every single Famitsu review thread is an exact replica

 

[Nickle]

It doesn't mean much, but at least it's better then them giving it a non perfect score.

 

[CharminUltra]

Good score. All the hurt feelings in this thread not so good.

 

[Futureman]

Is tomorrow when all the BOTW reviews start coming out?

 

[Astral Dog]

Meh,that cover is weird

 

[Skilletor]

omg, right in the feels.

 

[El-Pistolero]

Why do i get the feeling that if Zelda had received a 34/40, there would be apocalypse on gaf though?

Well, it is your feeling, so you should ask yourself why that scenario would unfold?

 

[Nairume]

Demon Souls got great reviews, it didn't blow up due to marketing and being a PS3 exclusive when PS3 wasn't that popular in the west yet.

Demon Souls did, but I'm talking about even before that. The framework for Souls very much existed in stuff like King's Field, Eternal Ring, and Shadow Tower, and they were passed on for a lot of the same reasons people like Souls now.

While I agree that Famitsu's shift between Demon and Dark is suspect, it's not like they were the only ones that suddenly decided that they were cool with that kind of game after previously being down on it.

 

[shandy706]

Now I can't wait for this to ship to me. Have to wait for it to get here from Japan, but it should be within a week.

 

[CharminUltra]

omg, right in the feels.

Yeah. A high-rez version of this would be nice to have.

 

[Anth0ny]

I need this for that cover alone.

 

[Dangansona]

Can we stop pretending MGSV is a bad game? It's getting old.

SS I can see not agree it's 10/10 material, but opinions.

FFXIII-2 I can't excuse.

So it's inexcusable to shit on MGSV in this thread but XIII-2 is ok? Which do you think is the bigger victim out of the two?

 

[HueyFreeman]

Means nothing. Very eye-rolling.

So weird man - there was a time in this industry when a famitsu 40 was rare and coveted. New management I guess.

 

[Huge Succeeded]

That says zero about press bias and everything about your own.

I wish I could write this on a piece of paper and just

with it

 

[Dystify]

Is tomorrow when all the BOTW reviews start coming out?

In the OP:

Countdown until I put the review thread up:

Countdown until reviews drop:

 

[King Gilga]

We did, but then that one also probably didn't mean anything because they gave SS a 10/10!

Nothing means anything!

It's not about that.

It's about Edge being reputable and Famitsu being the complete opposite.

The edge 10/10 is worth literally 1000 billion times more than the famitsu one.

 

[Malus]

I trust Famitsu more than anybody. They give 4 scores. Quadruple the accuracy.

 

[Nairume]

It's not about that.

It's about Edge being reputable and Famitsu being the complete opposite.

The edge 10/10 is worth literally 1000 billion times more than the famitsu one.

Right, but what's being said is that people tried to find reasons to delegitimize Edge's review too.

 

[joms5]

Nintendogs and MGS4.

Need I say more?

Excited that people are loving the game but Famitsu's scores are meaningless.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

If you say so. I could dive into detail and give direct comparisons, but those would be wasted words in a thread like this.

That's code for "I got nothing pertinent to this discussion that helps me."

 

[killatopak]

I trust Famitsu more than anybody. They give 4 scores. Quadruple the accuracy.

4 times the mistake

 

[Scoops]

The Famitsu cover is amazing.

(pic from Nibel's twitter)

It's about to happen all over again

 

[duckroll]

For reference, here's a list of games they gave a perfect score. They don't give these out as often as people seem to think.

Lmao. Are you serious? Look at the dates. From 2008 to 2017: 18 perfect scores. That's 1.8 perfect games a year. And that's only because they slowed down a bit in the last couple of years after going on a 3 game a year rampage starting in 2008.

Before 2008, there were a grand total of 6 perfect scores in the magazine's entire history. Obviously something changed.

 

[killatopak]

Lmao. Are you serious? Look at the dates. From 2008 to 2017: 18 perfect scores. That's 1.8 perfect games a year. And that's only because they slowed down a bit in the last couple of years after going on a 3 game a year rampage starting in 2008.

Before 2008, there were a grand total of 6 perfect scores in the magazine's entire history. Obviously something changed.

2008 beyond > before 2008

(^

 

[Dystify]

Lmao. Are you serious? Look at the dates. From 2008 to 2017: 18 perfect scores. That's 1.8 perfect games a year. And that's only because they slowed down a bit in the last couple of years after going on a 3 game a year rampage starting in 2008.

Before 2008, there were a grand total of 6 perfect scores in the magazine's entire history. Obviously something changed.

Yeah I'm sure money may be a factor for them. That comment was more in regards to people claiming they gave out 4 perfect scores last year and 2 this year already, which was wrong. (They were only 39/40.)

 

[duckroll]

Yeah I'm sure money may be a factor for them. That comment was more in regards to people claiming they gave out 4 perfect scores last year and 2 this year already, which was wrong. (They were only 39/40.)

Yes I think starting from 2-3 years back, 39/40 replaced 40/40 as the big score they gave away like candy.

It's not just money really. Famitsu's chief editor admitted that he feels a responsibility to prop up console games and big Japanese titles domestically to do his part to "save" the industry.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (2011, Square Enix, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3)

Every single perfect score in the magazine's history has now been invalidated.

 

[GregLombardi]

Yes I think starting from 2-3 years back, 39/40 replaced 40/40 as the big score they gave away like candy.

Yeah it's pretty well documented that something shady went on with Famitsu, isn't it?

It's funny how the (young) internet forgets and the (old) internet doesn't have the evidence handy to immediately show it. Plus the "truth" is basically 100% in question and assaulted these days anyhow, so good luck finding that!

Edit:

It's not just money really. Famitsu's chief editor admitted that he feels a responsibility to prop up console games and big Japanese titles domestically to do his part to "save" the industry.

Oh wow, I had never heard that. Terrible lolz.

 

[oatmeal]

Translation?

 

[Toxi]

Between Zelda, Nier and Nioh can we agree that Western devs are finally getting outed as the piece of shit they always were?

LOL what

 

[duckroll]

LOL what

Is he wrong? GAF told me last month that no one is going to buy the new Mass Effect and it's going to bomb. Sounds like Japan is BACK!!!!!

Spoiler

Hahaha.

 

[FSLink]

Why are people discrediting the publication instead of viewing it as another high praise to a game that looks excellent? If you look hard enough every fucking review publication has graded something questionably in the past.

Famitsu does this all the fucking time. They like scoring things based off hype instead of actual critical analysis.

Yes I think starting from 2-3 years back, 39/40 replaced 40/40 as the big score they gave away like candy.

It's not just money really. Famitsu's chief editor admitted that he feels a responsibility to prop up console games and big Japanese titles domestically to do his part to "save" the industry.

Yep. Like I expect Zelda to do well but Famitsu isn't credible.

If everyone thinks Famitsu is complete shit when it comes to reviews, then why do threads continue to get made? Doesn't make sense. Famitsu threads turn out the same every time and are quite predictable at this point.

Anyway, excellent scores for Zelda! Can't wait to play it!

Because apparently some people aren't aware of this, and think because it's a big Japanese magazine that it actually is credible.

 

[Barry Burton]

Good for Zelda, but man, I'm looking at that list of Famitsu 40/40s and many of them shouldn't even be sniffing a perfect score.

 

[killatopak]

With all the famitsu shenanigans, if I was a betting man, I think I could make a living founding a review site/magazine in Japan.

I don't believe the Japanese are gullible to famitsu's greed.

 

[duckroll]

With all the famitsu shenanigans, if I was a betting man, I think I could make a living founding a review site/magazine in Japan.

I don't believe the Japanese are gullible to famitsu's greed.

Why are you assuming that people buy Famitsu for the reviews? Lol. No one really cares. They buy it because it's a dirt cheap weekly mag with tons of scoops, previews, and guides in full color and it's something to read on the train.

If you think you can publish a weekly magazine with a couple of hundred pages, over half of which are full color and contain screens and information on the latest new and upcoming games and sell that for 5 bucks a copy... go ahead.

 

[Vazra]

Lol still cant believe that Jojo game being a perfect score with how bad the performance is.

 

[Wagram]

Really hope this isn't going to be a MGSV situation again where reviewers sing the praises and then turn on it in two weeks.

 

[CharminUltra]

Famitsu gave me a 10 once.

 

[Deckard Chapel]

That is such a romanticised piece of artwork that it's actually cheesy.

 

[Gxgear]

DQ Heroes II got 36/40 and that's really a 6-7 game, so Famitsu is not a reliable source for critical reviews.

It's LoZ though, it's probably safe to assume it's amazing.

 

[killatopak]

Why are you assuming that people buy Famitsu for the reviews? Lol. No one really cares. They buy it because it's a dirt cheap weekly mag with tons of scoops, previews, and guides in full color and it's something to read on the train.

If you think you can publish a weekly magazine with a couple of hundred pages, over half of which are full color and contain screens and information on the latest new and upcoming games and sell that for 5 bucks a copy... go ahead.

I'm not asking to profit better than famitsu. Just like make a site or mag focused on reviews and not tiny snippets from four guys. I'm sure that isn't that of a monumental task than say going toe to toe with them.

Just as an alternative. Western games media has ton of review sites and even magazines that are comparable to famitsu. I don't exactly know the situation there but didn't someone say famitsu is the only choice in looking for reviews? That should mean there's a lot of market for review sites like rpgfan,dualshockers and such.

While we're at it, make a japanese style metacritic/opencritic as well.

 

[janoDX]

It's happening? Can we finally drop the "OoT best game ever" meme?

 

[SinCityAssassin]

I don't exactly know the situation there but didn't someone say famitsu is the only choice in looking for reviews? That should mean there's a lot of market for review sites like rpgfan,dualshockers and such.

No.