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Why all the drama over review scores?

Blackace said:
uh.. sure you can. The point is people don't go nuts over movies getting "bad" reviews.. like 4 out of 5 stars..


I frequent rottentomatoes, as many do, and there are a shitload of rants about movie reviews. The amount of insults to the reviewers there is ridiculous and obviously unnecessary.

However, they don't go as nuts if the review is "fresh" there, even if the reviewer scored it 3 out of 5.


Anyway, I agree. Was just trying to offer what I thought were better examples and I ended up looking like I was trying to argue against your point.
 
GCX said:
In retrospective, were the "controversial" reviews really that controversial? Did games like Twilight Princess, GTA4, MGS4 and so on really deserve all the universal 10/10s and GOTYs?
To alot of people and most of said reviewers/voters yes they relaly did.

Thing is those are equally as valid as the people who didn't like the games as much and the otherway as well. It's just weird to me that how everyone must agree and that the idea that someone isn't allowed to have a different opinion simply because their review gets put in Mag or on a website and they must be on the high end or low end and no middle ground is allowed.
 
In the real world, you need a years of schooling and a license in order for people to listen to your opinion. Even then it'll likely be met with some skepticism.

In videogaming, you need a fancy ".com" name for your blog and people will take your word as gospel.

On top of that, with all the shady shit that goes on with game reviews these days, (conflict of interest with advertising, freebies, threats of blacklisting if a game score is too low, ect.) I'm surprised anyone takes this shit serious anymore.
 
TruePrime said:
To alot of people and most of said reviewers/voters yes they relaly did.

Thing is those are equally as valid as the people who didn't like the games as much and the otherway as well. It's just weird to me that how everyone must agree and that the idea that someone isn't allowed to have a different opinion simply because their review gets put in Mag or on a website and they must be on the high end or low end and no middle ground is allowed.

What is particularly strange to me is that a very high score such as 8.8 is controversial because it is supposedly too low. That shows that some people are immature towards different opinions they have that reaction to even high praise that just isn't exactly as high as theirs.
 
Reuenthal said:
What is particularly strange to me is that a very high score such as 8.8 is controversial because it is supposedly too low.
I won't lie, I had issues with that score. However it was never because it was 8.8 versus say a 9.0

It was how it was written and had such things as the game was worse because of controls then three weeks later we had the Cube version even say with in the review that it actually wasn't as good.

Overall I agree though, 8.0/8.9 Reviews and this kinda reaction has always shocked me.

GFW's Crysis review, TP/Gamestop and now Eurogamers Uncharted Review. Just don't get why these reviewers aren't allowed to have an opinion that something is great, but not life changing.
 
TruePrime said:
I won't lie, I had issues with that score. However it was never because it was 8.8 versus say a 9.0

It was how it was written and had such things as the game was worse because of controls then three weeks later we had the Cube version even say with in the review that it actually wasn't as good.

Overall I agree though, 8.0/8.9 Reviews and this kinda reaction has always shocked me.

GFW's Crysis review, TP/Gamestop and now Eurogamers Uncharted Review. Just don't get why these reviewers aren't allowed to have an opinion that something is great, but not life changing.

I haven't played TP but in threads about it I have seen people regularly claim that the Wii controls are an issue and that is a factor at people preferring the gamecube version instead.
Maybe that means that the cube version might have deserved a better score. In any case outrage about a score such an 8.8 being too low, is well flawed.

Overall I agree though, 8.0/8.9 Reviews and this kinda reaction has always shocked me.

GFW's Crysis review, TP/Gamestop and now Eurogamers Uncharted Review. Just don't get why these reviewers aren't allowed to have an opinion that something is great, but not life changing.

Yeah, I concur. What I particularly don't like is people insulting people who have different views as they are not allowed to have it. Disagree if you must with a review that diverges from the most popular opinions about the game but no need to insult it for being too low of a score because 8 is too low for the game according to you.
 
Reuenthal said:
I haven't played TP but in threads about it I have seen people regularly claim that the Wii controls are an issue and that is a factor at people preferring the gamecube version instead.
Maybe that means that the cube version might have deserved a better score. In any case outrage about a score such an 8.8 being too low, is well flawed.



Yeah, I concur. What I particularly don't like is people insulting people who have different views as they are not allowed to have it. Disagree if you must with a review that diverges from the most popular opinions about the game but no need to insult it for being too low of a score because 8 is too low for the game according to you.
But that wasn't the case. The same reviewer in the game cube review posted two weeks later retracted the statement that the Isseus were worse, which is my issue. Not his opinion on them one way or another, but the flip flop.
 
To Far Away Times said:
In the real world, you need a years of schooling and a license in order for people to listen to your opinion. Even then it'll likely be met with some skepticism.

In videogaming, you need a fancy ".com" name for your blog and people will take your word as gospel.

On top of that, with all the shady shit that goes on with game reviews these days, (conflict of interest with advertising, freebies, threats of blacklisting if a game score is too low, ect.) I'm surprised anyone takes this shit serious anymore.

Seriously this. I cant take high scores from numerous sites seriously after all the freebies and press junkets they talk about.
 
This why games should be reviewed by multiple people instead of being reviewed by one. It's easily justifiable in a group instead of one person's opinion which resulted what we have right now.
 
The funny thing I realized is that we've only had “real" reviews for like a decade or 15 years or so. Go back and read a magazine review for your favorite SNES or PS1 game and it usually reads like a twitter post. The graphics on level three could be tightened up a bit, but the game is cool: 8.5. Now it's like we treat reviews like we are a peer review group judging a master's theisis.
 
I use reviews to get knowledge about the game I like. I wont ever not buy a game I want to buy from a review unless the score is dreadful universally, such as duke nukem forever.
 
Defuser said:
This why games should be reviewed by multiple people instead of being reviewed by one. It's easily justifiable in a group instead of one person's opinion which resulted what we have right now.
It costs too much. You can't spread an already thin workload thinner without hiring more people.
 
The faux outrage over somebody else reacting poorly to a review score is bordering on parody, if that wasn't the intent to begin with. Especially when the retort to disagreement about a statement such as "the multiplayer is tacked on" is "you haven't played it." Newsflash: people have been playing it for three weeks. This is like saying anyone who disagreed with criticism of Counter-Strike Source made before Half-Life 2's release date was some pitchfork wielding lunatic. I'm not going to jump on other people just because eating a sandwich at Subway gave them as much credibility to talk about MP as some moron who thinks he is being insightful. It is game journalism, not embedded war reporting or uncovering genocide.
 
Enthusiast press needs to adopt a standard for reviews. Right now nearly every game is in a range of 70 - 99. Anything below a 70 is just trash, even though a 70 is well above "decent" on a scale of 100. And anything above a 99 is bogus because getting a 100 is perfection and who can agree on perfection?

The granularity between games in a similar genre and release window that are between 01 to 09 is unnecessary. Who cares.

Personally I like the 4 stars that most film critics adopt.

Terrible, Decent, Good, Great

If you want granularity give half stars.

I'll also take 5 stars, but 4 is better because it forces the review to be more choosy instead of taking the easy route of giving it a 3.5/5.
 
I say, the adult and mature thing would be to give up this whole video game thing outright and pour our energies into productive avenues of society.
 
Defuser said:
This why games should be reviewed by multiple people instead of being reviewed by one. It's easily justifiable in a group instead of one person's opinion which resulted what we have right now.
Isn't that what metacritic is for?
 
The "controversial" (read: hilarious) Uncharted 3 review is IGN's if anyone.

IGN said:
I'm pushing him through the journey at hand and it's clear that it's a game, but as he stumbles, seeks shelter and loses hope, my heart breaks.
I think the story in both Uncharted games is complete shit, so to me the notion of experiencing heart break over anything that happens in the third one is absurd.
 
I hate to be the one to say this but I feel you see this kind of behaviour far more for PS3 exclusives than anything else.

It all stems from the start of the generation where every exclusive was heralded as the coming of the saviour and each was the title to demonstrate and justify why people has paid twice as much and waited a year to enter the new generation.
 
Abooie said:
I hate to be the one to say this but I feel you see this kind of behaviour far more for PS3 exclusives than anything else.

It all stems from the start of the generation where every exclusive was heralded as the coming of the saviour and each was the title to demonstrate and justify why people has paid twice as much and waited a year to enter the new generation.

Dude, one crazy single-platform owner is as bad as another. You see just as many batshit people lamenting a Halo or Zelda review as with an Uncharted or God of War. It might be worth nothing that of all the exclusive games this generation, Uncharted is certainly the best, so maybe that plays into the shit throwing a bit more, but it's not a Sony centric thing.

You probably wouldn't see too many people complaining about sub-par Witcher 2 / Two Worlds 2 / STALKER / Magika / Red Orchestra 2 reviews, though. ... probably because they're all janky as fuck and PC owners kind of realise the exclusives here are all wonderfully broken just the way we like them.

I guarantee that the first 4/5 Zelda score is going to be around this level of crazy again.

RandomVince said:
Seriously this. I cant take high scores from numerous sites seriously after all the freebies and press junkets they talk about.

:(
 
scitek said:
The "controversial" (read: hilarious) Uncharted 3 review is IGN's if anyone.
TcFg1.png
 
Blackace said:
uh.. sure you can. The point is people don't go nuts over movies getting "bad" reviews.. like 4 out of 5 stars..

What? There are actually lots of movie fans that will press the berserk button the moment their 'perfect' movie get negative reviews/opinions hurled at it. It's no different with games.

Defuser said:
That's his tag so you got trolled instead.

Honestly, I am rather surprised that a member of GAF does not know that. Especially now since the names of those getting banned are grayed out.

Ydahs said:
Maybe he was the one trolling you :o

Now that I think about it, this is the more likely scenario, hahaha.
 
Decarb said:
Bitching about people bitching about reviews is even more fun, apparently.
then why is the page count in this one peanuts compared to the Uncharted 3 thread?
 
TheOddOne said:
I doubt it.
The hilarious part is that the people bashing the personal life of an editor are not the ones who are in there to vocalize their disagreements with reviews. It is good thing we have some rational folks to balance out the nutcases talking about video games.
 
Unreasonable & Bad Remarks

- "The whole 'let's rank art' movement sucks."
- "Jesus people get a life, if you like a game you like it.. if you don't you don't"
- "OP don't even bother. Every serious answer should be ignored"
- "Review scores have no bearing on your enjoyment of the game"
- "videogame reviewers can stop BITCHING about games and make their own"
- "Because we've cultivated a culture of there being winners and losers."

This might be a little hard to explain but here goes: Better games get higher scores. People like better games. People hope for higher scores.

Most rational and logical people through experience learn that there is usually a strong correlation between higher scores and more enjoyment.

Could someone interpret that to mean that I'm implying that there is 1% more enjoyment to be had from a game that scores 1% higher in scores? Well maybe rebels without a cause should group up and start a thread discussing just that. After all, the concept behind the OP follows the same cherry picking principle but with an added tinge of ignorance.

Sympathisers with OP have a cognative dissonance and on that I sympathise.

IoCaster said:
What's the problem?
 
And here i thought people wouldn't fall for the "Drinky is banned" joke since its rather obvious now lol.

As for the question i guess people like seeing something they are interested in get a good grade?


Plus i didn't know the first 2 Toy story movies had an 100% fresh rating and the 3rd got a 99% (since i don't really care about that stuff) :O.
 
TheOddOne said:
I doubt it.
Naah, we were all horsing around prior to the scores, had about 3/4 pages of actual reaction then just started horsing around again. Some people were pretty serious though, that standard deviation posts made me lol
 
sankt-Antonio said:
After GTA4 i stopped giving a shit about review scores and only evaluate games i have not yet played by gaf´s feedback.
This. Your own research on a game is the best preview you can get.
 
Uriah said:
If someone doesn't like the game I like, they are stupid.
Generally reviews don't mean much, but when so many sites fail at playing a game like The Fight then trash it, it does grate.
 
Kritz said:
Dud It might be worth nothing that of all the exclusive games this generation, Uncharted is certainly the best, so maybe that plays into the shit throwing a bit more, but it's not a Sony centric thing.

Whilst I thought both games were right up there I personally thought the last third of 1 was awful and ruined the whole thing and I'm also not too happy with the way the 2nd ended.
I really wish they'd leave the supernatutal bullshit alone, it's not necessary.
Personally I thought Mass Effect 1 and Super Mario Galaxy were better but not I'm not going to rage at someone else for saying UC is there favourite.

I really feel with Uncharted there's this Sony fan agenda to prove the #1 franchise this generation is on their console which is why we've had such a meltdown with the Eurogamer review.
 
To Far Away Times said:
In the real world, you need a years of schooling and a license in order for people to listen to your opinion. Even then it'll likely be met with some skepticism.

In videogaming, you need a fancy ".com" name for your blog and people will ignore you until you offend them.

On top of that, with all the shady shit that goes on with game reviews these days, (conflict of interest with advertising, freebies, threats of blacklisting if a game score is too low, ect.) I'm surprised anyone takes this shit serious anymore.
Fixed.
 
Videogames is still a young man's business with a young audience <40yo. An stonishing amount of people active in gaming has not matured yet and regard opinions which differ from one's own view as uncommon and inappropriate. According to your average gamer, reviews need to be objective texts in which you disregard your own opinion and systematically dissect a game like a vehicle inspector inspects your car so you can deliver a perfectly uncolored assessment of a medium that is perceived entirely subjectively.

If you made a rottentomatoes for videogames every game would either score close to 100% or 0% as strikingly negative reviews of a game praised by the mainstream media are interpreted as trolling and click-fishing. A diverse pool of opinions like on Fincher's "Benjamin Button" would be unheard of for a videogame.

Gaming journalism isn't close to film or book journalism in terms of quality because it's a fresh and fairly new medium with a young audience and young journalists. Future journalists will do better, I'm sure. Doesn't get much worse, after all.
 
Sean said:
It's silly. The Uncharted 3 thread has like 4,500 posts today with people whining about one site giving it an 8 (still a great score). The game is not out for three weeks, barely anyone on GAF has played it aside from the handful of reviewers that post here, yet they are saying the reviewer is wrong or a troll or whatever.

It's not just Uncharted of course (that's just the most recent example). People get riled up with nearly every game when one or two reviews are lower than the rest, since it hurts the precious Metacritic/Gamerankings average. People pay too much attention to the scores rather than the actual review text.

Is it me or do PS3 threads tend crazy when it comes to review scores? All big game threads get a little nuts around reviews, but it seems there is a special fever for ps3 exclusives. All the way back to games like 'Lair'.
 
I love how IGN is almost universally hated on GAF, but was held up as the pinnacle of reviewers yesterday for giving Uncharted 3 full marks yesterday to make the fanboys feel better about the SHOCKING 8/10 Eurogamer review.
 
I don't understand it but my goodness I enjoy reading the delirium of others.

I can place my hand on my heart and say I've never read a review for an upcoming game. Even back to the days of Commodore Format & Sega Power. I just don't need to know what someone else thinks about a videogame unless I'm discussing them with my friends.
 
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