Captain Pants
Killed by a goddamned Dredgeling
So I realize that Gamespot has become a laughing stock when it comes to their reviews, but their review of Army of Two in particular doesn't sit right with me.
I don't know about you guys, but I don't want reviewers getting up on a soapbox when they review games... I also don't like being encouraged to 'not think about the subject matter'. The whole review is laced with this guy's opinions on the military and PMCs. While I can understand and respect that the reviewer, Joe Dodson, must be a patriotic person who agrees with what the US is doing over in Iraq, I don't need that information when I'm reading a professional game review.
I think the industry is in a sad state of affairs if our own journalists are encouraging games to not take on modern issues... I mean, he actually states that the game would be better if it took place on some future battlefield instead of taking place in Iraq.
Gamespot said:This better than average shooter is fun to play with a friend, but it's best not to think about the subject matter.
Army of Two is a decent third-person shooter that unfortunately sticks its boot in its mouth. It does so by belittling volunteer armed services and selling a power-but-no-responsibility mercenary fantasy, part of which takes place in the modern-day Iraq war...
...Neither Rios nor Salem engages in any dishonorable behavior, aside from making fun of the Army for being so slow and ill-equipped. That would be fine if the Army they were making fun of were the Venusian Army. Or conversely, if Blackwater mercenaries in the real world hadn't been asked to leave Iraq for flipping out and massacring its civilians. But in Army of Two, there's no such thing as a civilian. If they aren't good guys, they're terrorists...
...Army of Two is a better than average shooter that roughly treads on a political landmine when it should have stormed some future battlefield. It features cool co-op mechanics and is fun to play online, with or against friends. But even its title mocks the Army, literally one-upping its slogan while glamorizing a sector that, if anything, deserves scrutiny--not macho fantasy. If you're the type of person who would rather shoot first and ask questions never, by all means, pick up Army of Two. But if you like to think--and the fact that you're reading this review suggests that you do--be warned: Army of Two is less than the sum of its parts.
I don't know about you guys, but I don't want reviewers getting up on a soapbox when they review games... I also don't like being encouraged to 'not think about the subject matter'. The whole review is laced with this guy's opinions on the military and PMCs. While I can understand and respect that the reviewer, Joe Dodson, must be a patriotic person who agrees with what the US is doing over in Iraq, I don't need that information when I'm reading a professional game review.
I think the industry is in a sad state of affairs if our own journalists are encouraging games to not take on modern issues... I mean, he actually states that the game would be better if it took place on some future battlefield instead of taking place in Iraq.