That I would agree with, big expected releases did not do so well with anyone. Even Metacritic ended up aggregating AC3 an 80%~ score which is not only disappointing from an AC game, but also is probably a bit higher than most here on GAF would rate it. It's been this way for a while though, 2010 and 2011 were no better.
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Metacritic bemoans 2012's lack of quality
- Thread starter Oersted
- Start date
That I would agree with, big expected releases did not do so well with anyone. Even Metacritic ended up aggregating AC3 an 80%~ score which is not only disappointing from an AC game, but also is probably a bit higher than most here on GAF would rate it. It's been this way for a while though, 2010 and 2011 were no better.
Clearly this. Possibly plus Tom Chick judging by other posts.
Most of the best games were definitely from indie and small pubs this year. The fact that a small pub game that was initially digital only is ahead in the overall GOTY awards wins says a lot. However, there were still a handful of quality releases from the big pubs this year. XCom, Dishonored, and Sleeping Dogs seem to get a lot of love here.
is their job plus this year had a lot of let down games.
Dictator93
Member
Well maybe metacritic should change their damn policies. Anyone remember the whole thing with Natural Selection 2 and the gamespot review?
THEY NEVER CHANGED THE SCORE
THEY NEVER CHANGED THE SCORE
I don't think that had much of an effect on overall impressions of 2012...
Not sure what policy change you're suggesting that would affect any change.
This report is meaningless: there is no value in comparing reviewer Metascores year over year. Each passing year provides an ever changing landscape of review sites, which constantly change editors, directors, owners, etc. Some sites close, some sites open. Sites change their scoring methodologies and change emphases. Recently, there has been a noticeable push against giving perfect scores, which is a reflection of changing journalism practices, not lower quality games.
CambriaRising
Member
Ironic beings metacritic is a big part of the overall problem.
TouchMyBox
Member
We do live in a bizzaro upside-down world where games which score in the high-70s to low-80s are far more fun than most games which score 90+.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
Tastes?
TouchMyBox
Member
More polished franchises being afraid to take risks, while the less polished releases tend to do more interesting things despite maybe falling short in an area or two.
It's true though. Presentation and polish do more for a game's overall score than fun factor. It's been that way for a long time.
Recent example - Nier
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
That doesn't negate my argument. Some people prefer a polished game over a interesting one (not me, BTW, but you can read them in GAF)
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
I agree.
Cornbread78
Member
Yeah, something is really fu(ked with these guys, that's really fishy....Not that I really care what they say anyhow. See, WKCII review. F them...
This is what I want to believe.
CosmicQueso
Member
GAF complains about journalists giving undeserved high review scores.
Review score service states 2012 games had the lowest scores seen in years. The Walking Dead has highest quality score, a title nowhere near any of the controversy regarding review scores.
GAF complains about journalists giving undeserved high review scores.
opticalmace
Member
I think the OP meant "quality."
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
Wtf this year was outstanding.
Prophet Steve
Member
They just call it that because it had received the highest average rating I assume. And do not have any other requirements.
That's kind of laughable at best. 9 reviews averaging a 95 compared to 28 reviews for Persona 4 Golden averaging a 94 or 30 reviews for Mass Effect 3 averaging a 93.
CosmicQueso
Member
High highs but some really low lows. Averages, man.
This is becoming more and more true as the years go on, and I don't even mean that in some hipster way or anything. Like you said the games that tend to go out on risks and sacrifice some polish here and there get penalized in reviews in favor of boring safe games that are super polished and "playable".
That seems like the backwards way to grade a game but what do I know? I'm not a "professional reviewer".
Polished is not exactly the term I'd use to describe games like The Walking Dead or Assassin's Creed 3.
Phonomezer
Banned
Where can I bemoan Metacritic's lack of integrity?
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
One of the best years ever as far as I'm concerned.
Just for fun, I decided to see how GAF consensus taste matched up up to the review aggregates. I recently ran an Essential RPG thread where over 200 GAF members recommended 10-15 RPGs (from all eras) that they felt were worth playing. Not an apples-to-apples comparison to review scores, but about as close as I can find. I then went through Gamerankings top RPG aggregate scores (Metacritic doesn't let you sort by genre as easily), and picked out the 15 highest reviewed RPGs this past generation. I only counted original releases that first appeared on 360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PSP, or >Nov 2005 PC. No ports, remakes or late PS2 releases (sorry Persona 3/4).
The Top 15 Aggregate Review Scores for RPGs This Generation (version that had the highest score and at least 10 reviews was used)
1) Mass Effect 2 - 95.66%
2) Elder Scolls V: Skyrim - 95.22%
3) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 93.79%
4) Fallout 3 - 92.81%
5) Mass Effect 3 - 92.12%
6) Xenoblade - 91.78%
7) Mass Effect - 91.24%
8) Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story - 91.03%
9) Bastion - 90.36%
10) Dragon Age: Origins - 90.27%
11) Guild Wars 2 - 90.26%
12) Demon's Souls - 89.88%
13) Dark Souls - 88.56%
14) Torchlight 2 - 88.51%
15) Fable 2 - 88.43%
Top 15 Most Recommended Current Gen RPGs from the NeoGAF Essential RPG Thread (plus their Gamerankings scores)
1) Xenoblade Chronicles - 91.78%
2) Dark Souls - 88.56%
3) Mass Effect - 91.24%
4) Valkyria Chronicles - 87.22%
5) The Witcher 2 - 88.03%
6) Fallout 3 - 92.81%
7) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 95.22%
8) Fallout: New Vegas - 83.72%
9) The World Ends With You - 87.99%
10) Dragon Age Origins - 90.27%
11) Nier - 70.03%
12) Alpha Protocol - 73.20%
13) Mass Effect 2 - 95.66%
14) Tales of Vesperia - 81.76%
15) The Witcher- 86.00%
There was actually a decent bit of overlap, but the games that are different (plus the order that overlapped titles appear in) are sort of interesting.
The Top 15 Aggregate Review Scores for RPGs This Generation (version that had the highest score and at least 10 reviews was used)
1) Mass Effect 2 - 95.66%
2) Elder Scolls V: Skyrim - 95.22%
3) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 93.79%
4) Fallout 3 - 92.81%
5) Mass Effect 3 - 92.12%
6) Xenoblade - 91.78%
7) Mass Effect - 91.24%
8) Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story - 91.03%
9) Bastion - 90.36%
10) Dragon Age: Origins - 90.27%
11) Guild Wars 2 - 90.26%
12) Demon's Souls - 89.88%
13) Dark Souls - 88.56%
14) Torchlight 2 - 88.51%
15) Fable 2 - 88.43%
Top 15 Most Recommended Current Gen RPGs from the NeoGAF Essential RPG Thread (plus their Gamerankings scores)
1) Xenoblade Chronicles - 91.78%
2) Dark Souls - 88.56%
3) Mass Effect - 91.24%
4) Valkyria Chronicles - 87.22%
5) The Witcher 2 - 88.03%
6) Fallout 3 - 92.81%
7) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 95.22%
8) Fallout: New Vegas - 83.72%
9) The World Ends With You - 87.99%
10) Dragon Age Origins - 90.27%
11) Nier - 70.03%
12) Alpha Protocol - 73.20%
13) Mass Effect 2 - 95.66%
14) Tales of Vesperia - 81.76%
15) The Witcher- 86.00%
There was actually a decent bit of overlap, but the games that are different (plus the order that overlapped titles appear in) are sort of interesting.
Delusibeta
Banned
In terms of downloadable games, it's been a damn good year, especially for PC exclusives. In terms of retail games and "big" games, however, it's been hands down the worst year in this generation, and considering that people will probably remember the big games being disappointments rather than the little games that could, I'd say 2012 will be remembered as being a crap year for video games.
While that's true I was thinking of games that play "cleaner" even if they're still buggy. You can look at ME3 and how it was received when compared to ME1 which had a lot of janky gameplay systems in it. They sacrificed some depth for smoother gameplay and sadly that's what a lot of people want.
Please don't turn this into a ME debate it was just 1 example
Haunted
Member
That's just a writeup offering no new insights, we already had a thread about Metacritic's original article/list.
Did they ever disclose how their "weighting" system actually works?
Call of Duty is not a bigger name than Steel Battalion? lol
LiveFromKyoto
Member
Were the games worse, critics just tougher to wow at the end of the generation, or are critics getting tougher themselves?
For me it was a great year in gaming. I loved Last Story, Pandora's Tower, Faster Than Light, Torchlight II, Dark Souls...still have to play Dishonored and bunch of games that I bought on steam, also games for the Wii and 3DS and there are many other good games out there to play besides the shooters.
On the other hand, reviewers should really think about the 10s that they give and if they really think that that games deserves this kind of score.
When we have producers complaining about 8s and 9s, something isn't right.
Just because a game didn't make the 10 that it was suposed to have it doesn't make it a bad game and the same is true for the game that did take the 10/10 and it's absolute garbage.
On the other hand, reviewers should really think about the 10s that they give and if they really think that that games deserves this kind of score.
When we have producers complaining about 8s and 9s, something isn't right.
Just because a game didn't make the 10 that it was suposed to have it doesn't make it a bad game and the same is true for the game that did take the 10/10 and it's absolute garbage.
It's a pity Tom Chick's Uncharted 3 review isn't counted. The one Uncharted 3 review I agree with.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
They're right. It's very hard to enjoy an 86% game.
Lasthope106
Member
Crazy talk. We have never had as much variety in gaming as we have right now. The Walking Dead won GOTY. Dark Souls was ported to pc after a petition. KS is bringing old style gaming to the masses. Tons of indies are finding success. The mod community on pc is an embarrassment of riches. Pretty much every "AAAA" (yes the extra A is a joke) are bigger than ever - you are pretty much guaranteed to be entertained with that type of games. X-COM came back and didn't suck. THQ didn't completely disappear and still has a chance of keeping afloat.
To quote Louis C.K. Everything is amazing, and nobody is happy.
To quote Louis C.K. Everything is amazing, and nobody is happy.
StevePharma
Member
Those two things alone should prove to you that the whole concept of Metacritic is a joke anyway.
The fact that aggregate scores are lower should be a good thing IF opinions on games are not homogenized as they are now sometimes.