This is actually about two ongoing pet peeves of mine.
The first is a result of the seriously skewed 10-point review scale that most sources use, and the fact that way too many consumers see anything below an 8 as "garbage," as if that makes any sort of mathematical sense.
But it's partly the fault of the critics as well, as too many – myself included – have treated the bottom half of this scale as a no-man's-land of sorts, where only the worst of the worst games reside. That's not accurate at all, given the numerical values in question, and I've been a little stricter in the past with my scoring. In my view, 7 is still a pretty strong game with only a few minor to significant flaws, and I think I gave out 5 9+ scores in all of 2015. But I still feel shackled by the general consensus, and I don't want decent games to get kicked aside because I gave it a 6.5 and everyone saw it as trash.
And when it comes to high-profile titles with huge expectations behind them, like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End , this problem is magnified. If a critic gives the game less than a 9, people will absolutely lose their sh** and start asking questions like, "what went wrong?" and "did Naughty Dog totally blow it?" Damn, the game got a 8.5, guess it royally sucks, right? This is one issue; the other involves those aforementioned expectations. Not only has this game experienced a couple delays, but many see it as the PlayStation 4 game for which current owners have been waiting.
On top of it all, there's the legacy of the IP; the previous two entries (not counting Golden Abyss on Vita, which also scored exceedingly well) are two of the best-received games in history, and both garnered many Game of the Year Awards. Then there's the fact that Uncharted 4 will be Nathan Drake's final adventure , so the pressure amazingly rises another notch. All this means that if we're not seeing mid-9s from most critics, I swear we'll see articles about how Uncharted 4 "flopped." That's my second pet peeve: The crazy hype this industry can create affecting our perceptions and, potentially, affecting reviews and scores.
Related Game(s): Uncharted 4
Assigning numerical values at all to reviews is dumb, imo, but too many people only care about the metacritic, so that's not going to change anytime soon.
But a 10 point scale, as it's currently utilized, does make some sense, in that it's analogous to most school grading systems. A 70/100 in school gets you a C, and anything below a 60 becomes a discussion of how badly you failed, etc. I imagine that's exactly why review scores operate this way; it's intentionally mimicking a system people are already familiar with.
It is pretty much a universal appliance of a scale to rate something. it doesnt have to be out of ten to achieve this. Why are we all so harsh and combative towards the review process tonight. When have reviews ever lied, en masse, and hurt the sales of a product that significantly. Uncharted is a system seller.
Metacritic works great if you add 1 full point to what they report.
@Tonesy The Order 1886
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 4/4/2016 10:26:56 AM
I think the lack of an online mode for a New IP hurt the order more
Meanwhile in my school system a 70 was an F! XD
Why are you being so cynical? The true uncharted fans will appreciate no matter as with MGS5. Thats a day 1 buy for most and not a game im checking reviews on first like i do with every other game. People are gonna hate no matter whther they be Xbox lovers or just debbie downers. The game will score high and you know it. It will contend for GOTY and you know it. Let the inevitable come.
The true mgs fans didnt like mgs5.
Speak for yourself. MGS is my favorite series of all time, I've probably played the first 3 MGS games 50-75 times each, I ranked 308th in the world in the original MGO, and I loooooooved Phantom Pain. I'd put it right below Subsistence as the best MGS game, ever.
He's more concerned with the scoring process than that particular game.
@Godslim,
Talking like that about MGS will trigger MGS fans to comment, right Bio?
MGS5 was truly great. It didn't have the best story but it definitely has the best gameplay in the series. I am inclined to say MGS3:Subsistence and MGS4 are my top two in the series with MGS5 in third place.
Last edited by MRSUCCESS on 4/4/2016 1:29:19 PM
The gameplay was defo the best its ever been but almost everything else wasnt as good. I'm a huge mgs fan too having played all the other god knows how many times and played the original mgo till the end too. For me mgs5 was a huge disapointment with its sloppy lack of story, pointless free roam and repetative missions. For me mgs5 is a dead last.
Last edited by Godslim on 4/4/2016 2:19:12 PM
the story was a letdown yea but MGS5 and the witcher 3 have defined this generation for me so far and i have played every MGS so i will say i agree with you. MGS5 was disappointing as a whole however did it earn my $60
100+ hours in the best open world stealth game ever says yes.
I can't wait for this game!!!
Why it has to END???:(:(
F the reviews i haven't relied on a review in a few years. Reviews are only some guys opinion or some times paid opinion on a game.
That being said Uncharted 4 day 1 baby
Except when it's a lifetime gamer's informed analysis of what is present. Like if you got a motorcycle expert to go over a bike before you bought it. You'd feel better if he gave you the thumbs up.
"Reviews are only some guys opinion or some times paid opinion on a game."
'sigh'
It remains the most frustrating and irritating thing in the world that the majority of consumers actually believe this, that any and all reviews about anything are "all opinion." It's so unbelievably stupid, it just drives me up the wall.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 4/4/2016 10:40:41 AM
Ben, would you like to elaborate how you score each game? Cause the only technical way to measure a game is through graphics and frame rates. Story andbplot are more opinions imo.
Games look better each year. The 10 point system remains. Uncharted 4 should score 14 if not bounded by 10 points in graphics.
@godsman…
To a degree, I'd even say graphics and framerate is still somewhat subjective. I mean, a lot of people don't like cell-shaded graphics of Borderlands. But some, including myself, love it!
Some people think the Dragon Age games have nice graphics. I think the art style is terrible and art of Skyrim is much, much better.
In terms of framerate, I think some people are more tolerant of sub-to-30FPS, while others would go nuts if it fell even a few frames below 60.
Myself, I grew up during the dawn of the video games, so I've seen and experienced all kinds of framerates. I'm totally cool with 30fps for absolutely everything, but I know others aren't, so their review number would reflect that opinion.
@Big 6
Ugh criticisms of framerates are one thing that bug me to death. That's why I appreciate the logical decisions some devs make to lock at 30 instead of trying to hit 60 and missing frequently. But given that the standard for HD presentation of movies is 1080p24, that's 24 frames per second non-interlaced, any game that hit's 30 frames per second and locks at 30 is fine by me, modern TVs with motion control processing will even out everything else.
I definitely don't agree that something must be purely, 100% objectively measurable by a defined metric in order to be evaluated.
There's WAY too many things like that in life, from essays in school, to book or movie reviews, or customer satisfaction surveys, the list could go on!
There's a level of subjectivity in educated analysis that is more than appropriate to expect. I could hand in the exact same essay to two different professors and get an 83% with one and an 89% with another. Does that mean my essay can't be graded because it's quality is pure opinion?
Of course not. What matters is the justification for the score. And 9 times out of 10, most reviewers of merit (important part there) can accurately relay a proper analysis to the reader. If you lack the ability to find what applies to you and what doesn't, don't blame the reviewer… blame your own inability to think 3-dimensionally.
Like World implied… you trust someone with experience and a good reputation in the field before some random schmuck who's barely dabbled.
It's expected… that's just how it is. There are gonna be haters, no matter how awesome a game is. Then, there are people who specifically look for flaws, so they can trash even the smallest of issues – usually because they have hate for Naughty Dog or hate because it's not on their console of choice.
I reserved my judgement for The Order 1886 until I actually played (and Platinumed) it. It does have its flaws, but it's nowhere near as bad as some reviews would have you believe. And the "5 hour" game play thing is, again, trash.
I fully expect the same kind of unbalanced hate for Uncharted 4. But I don't care, cuz I'll still buy and play it.
The Order is even better the 2nd time. And then I went over and played Until Dawn and wondered "These are the same kinds of QTE's, people loved it, whats the fuss?"
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 4/4/2016 10:31:07 AM
Don't forget that in this world of click-bait there are fashions in games and specifically for reviewers. It's fashionable to criticize QTEs, cut-scenes and anything that requires reading…
People don't criticize QTEs or excessive cutscenes because it's 'fashionable'. They criticize them because they were a novelty mechanic that became mainstream and subsequently overused in an abundance of situations where they were not necessary and simply shoehorned in.
It would be more appropriate to say that games themselves are often fashionable, and critics sometimes (rightfully) call out games for trying to be too trendy.
I'm loving the TV commercials for Uncharted 4, it's starting to restore my excitement to see how it all ends for Drake.
Not as excited as I am for Captain America: Civil War… but excited!
You brought up the movies topic. Critics said batman vs superman sucked, I tried to ignore the critics, I can't stand it halfway through. Critics are not always wrong, just need someone that fits your style.
Dude, I knew that movie would suck just from the premise shown in the commercials. 😉
I hate modern reboots of time worn classics.
Civil war gonna be sick bro
I would certainly follow the critics review, because there simply are way too many games out there to watch trailers or read reviews, let alone play them yourself. I follow the same crtics, and I adjust the score by adding my own factor. Ratchet and clank gets a factor boost. If they score an 8.8, thats like a 9.5 for me cause im a fan. Gta better get 9.8 across the board or im not touching it. Uncharted gets a boost on top of their high score, so its day one purchase.
There is a built in bias against R&C because so many reviewers now review games with 'adult' gamers in mind, and automatically discount R&C as a kiddies game.
Highlander, where have you been? Am I just not reading enough posts? I havent seen you around
Life forced a hiatus from posting here, I forced a hiatus on life…. 😉
Any people saying that are morons.
It's a 10 point scale. Anything above 8 is pretty damned good, and no one who is a fan of the franchise or genre should worry about buying such a game.
One thing I have seen in some game reviews is when personal opinion overrides the actual quality of the game. Reviewers at places like Destructoid are particularly vulnerable to substituting opinionated click-bait for actual review. I've seen even 'major' review outlets allow this sort of review, I remember one review of Atelier Rorona or Atelier Totori that gave the game a 3 or a 4, I think it was a 3, and talked about the game like it was some kind of seriously adult H-game from Japan. That kind of cultural chauvinism, opinion, xenophobia and bias has no place in game reviews.
However my personal scale goes something like this;
10 a game that works for everyone, has great graphics, sound and easy to use/learn controls, good replay value, satisfying game play and a story that engages the player, it's something that should be held back for a title that is excellent on all fronts, highly recommended to everyone, just buy it, don't worry about trying it.
9 is for games that meet many of the criteria for 10, but somehow there is just not as much polish as you'd like, it could be better than a 10 in some ways, but flawed controls, graphics, frame rates, sound or plotholes drag it off the 10 spot, recommended for all.
8 is a game that's really good in all departments, but lacks a little polish and has a technical flaw or two, games scoring 8 and above are games that all in the target audience could enjoy, Recommended for all, but those who love the franchise or genre will ignore any flaws.
7 is a good game that should be scoring an 8,9 or 10, but has a couple of big flaws, poor graphics and/or sound, a corny story, poor replay, or a minuscule campaign length, a game with technical and non-technical flaws. Easy to recommend to lovers of the genre or if you can overlook a few flaws.
6 is a game that might be more niche, but works well; or is generally enjoyable, but has a few issues, rent or try before you buy, but if you like the franchise or genre it could be recommended.
5 is a game that has enough issues to bother most people, but it's still playable despite it's flaws, though you really have to like the genre to really like it, This is a rental, or a try before you buy, or if you really love the genre take a look you might buy.
Below that it get's murky for me;
4 is a game that doesn't work that well for anyone, and has some big issues, or it could be a game that would otherwise be stellar but is essentially broken, not a game that will be recommended, even for those who like the genre.
3 is more of the same, but more broken, still could be playable though, but my goodness you have to like the genre and it won't be recommended, in fact the recommendation might be to avoid.
2 is a game that is broken, doesn't work, has poor graphics, and no one will really like, avoid it.
Any lower than a 2 and publishing the game was a mistake, no one should be buying it, renting it or demoing it, avoid it at all costs.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 4/4/2016 12:08:48 PM
Funny thing is that metacritics, theres always one or two critics that give uncharted series a 0 out of 100. You know its phony, but they got what they wanted, my attention for 1 minute.
Yea sometimes I can enjoy games rated 8 range more than 9-10 because my personal weighted values can easily vary more than the critic who takes the generalist gamer's stance in a review. The perspective that may go with a more popular appraisal that assumes the best interests of the whole.
Ben,
When you say this;
"All this means that if we're not seeing mid-9s from most critics, I swear we'll see articles about how Uncharted 4 'flopped.' That's my second pet peeve: The crazy hype this industry can create affecting our perceptions and, potentially, affecting reviews and scores."
You know you could apply that same sentiment to a very many products in recent years, right?
Let's try this out;
"All this means that if we're not seeing mid-9s from most critics, I swear we'll see articles about how PS Vita 'flopped.' That's my second pet peeve: The crazy hype this industry can create affecting our perceptions and, potentially, affecting reviews and scores."
I chose that example specifically because it is an absolutely fantastic demonstration of just how much poor press can curse a product that's objectively an excellent product.
I share your concerns about how Uncharted 4 will be treated, but Uncharted has such a huge amount of credibility among gamers, I think it will be able to weather the storm (if any).
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-04-uncharted-4-makes-a-move-for-the-open-but-at-what-cost
Could the U4 move to less linearity affect scores negatively?
Last edited by Temjin001 on 4/4/2016 4:13:11 PM
I don't think so, it would depend on what the change is. I haven't read that article, but as long as the story progression follows the movie serial format of previous titles, it should be OK. That linear progression through the story doesn't have to change to make already visited locations open for exploration once you move past them. In previous games the chapters were impassable boundaries, there were even impassable checkpoints. I think most of us could live without such things and having access to already visited areas (within the realm of what's reasonable with the story) shouldn't be game braking.
Unless of course it' something like the Monastery in Uncharted 2 and despite blowing half the place to smithereens and destroying just about every passable bridge into the place, you're magically able to access that place with towers intact again. That would be downright stupid.
Ben is already making excuses for the game. Muahahahaha!
This thread it's because of what happened with Quantum Break?, nah that game was over hyped by MS and X-Box fanboys propaganda, I knew Remedy wouldn't be able to put a new AAA franchise, game was just a TPS with clunky controls and a time gimmick, if anything scored more higher than it deserved.
Quantum Break looks awesome by me. I will be playing that
QB scored more because it is basically the only game in town for Xbox gamers right now.
Quantum Break looks awesome by me. I will be playing that
I don't think so, it would depend on what the change is. I haven't read that article, but as long as the story progression follows the movie serial format of previous titles, it should be OK. That linear progression through the story doesn't have to change to make already visited locations open for exploration once you move past them. In previous games the chapters were impassable boundaries, there were even impassable checkpoints. I think most of us could live without such things and having access to already visited areas (within the realm of what's reasonable with the story) shouldn't be game braking.
Unless of course it' something like the Monastery in Uncharted 2 and despite blowing half the place to smithereens and destroying just about every passable bridge into the place, you're magically able to access that place with towers intact again. That would be downright stupid.
Funny thing is that metacritics, theres always one or two critics that give uncharted series a 0 out of 100. You know its phony, but they got what they wanted, my attention for 1 minute.
Ben,
When you say this;
"All this means that if we're not seeing mid-9s from most critics, I swear we'll see articles about how Uncharted 4 'flopped.' That's my second pet peeve: The crazy hype this industry can create affecting our perceptions and, potentially, affecting reviews and scores."
You know you could apply that same sentiment to a very many products in recent years, right?
Let's try this out;
"All this means that if we're not seeing mid-9s from most critics, I swear we'll see articles about how PS Vita 'flopped.' That's my second pet peeve: The crazy hype this industry can create affecting our perceptions and, potentially, affecting reviews and scores."
I chose that example specifically because it is an absolutely fantastic demonstration of just how much poor press can curse a product that's objectively an excellent product.
I share your concerns about how Uncharted 4 will be treated, but Uncharted has such a huge amount of credibility among gamers, I think it will be able to weather the storm (if any).
I'm loving the TV commercials for Uncharted 4, it's starting to restore my excitement to see how it all ends for Drake.
Not as excited as I am for Captain America: Civil War… but excited!
Ben is already making excuses for the game. Muahahahaha!
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-04-uncharted-4-makes-a-move-for-the-open-but-at-what-cost
Could the U4 move to less linearity affect scores negatively?
Last edited by Temjin001 on 4/4/2016 4:13:11 PM