What Game Received The Most Unfair Treatment From Critics?
Some games just don't resonate with critics. Most times, they don't resonate with the general gaming crowd, either.
But occasionally, a title comes along that most reviewers really don't like at all (oddly enough); and yet, you love it and can't understand why the scores aren't higher. Which game was like that for you this generation?
For me, it has to be RAGE. Now, I usually avoid reading reviews before I go to start my analysis; after I'm done playing, I'll look at a few. At that point, I can usually predict the scores with a +/- .5 error margin 95% of the time. So I went to check out some RAGE reviews after nailing down the score in my head and I was thinking, "Yeah, this has to be averaging around a 9." Boy, was I wrong. Oh so very wrong and disappointed. And confused.
I was still confused even after reading some of the more lukewarm reviews. I won't go into much detail now, but all I can say is that too many people really missed all the greatness infused in that game. Maybe they were so picky and anal because the title took so damn long to make, or maybe the adventure didn't gel with their expectations; i.e., some were expecting a more open-world RPG feel. Whatever the reasons, I say few of them were legitimate and RAGE deserved far more critical acclaim than it received.
So what about you? I know JRPG fans have been pissed about how critics have handled both White Knight Chronicles titles, and there are many who disagreed with the low Resident Evil 6 scores as well. By the way, my honorable mention is Gran Turismo 5, but I chalk a lot of that up to simple ignorance on the part of most critics. The bottom line is that most video game reviewers have no clue about the sport of racing and as such, aren't qualified to analyze a simulator of the sport. We've made that plain before.
Tags: video games, game reviews, game critics, gaming culture
11/19/2012 11:38:50 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (49 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:39:19 PM
Dukemz_UK
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 6:14:57 PM
slugga_status
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 12:37:12 PM
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oldmike
Saturday, November 24, 2012 @ 2:34:49 AM
TheWuziMu
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 12:42:05 PM
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Where was the fun, the goofiness, the satire? It's hard to giggle at sexually suggestive store names while deciding who lives or dies.
Where was the interactivity? Surfing the web, watching TV and comedy clubs are passive cut-scenes, and darts and bowling barely pass as something to do.
Heck, even the driving sucked.
Will GTA V be better? I'm not holding my breath, since IV never received the criticism it deserved.
Killa Tequilla
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:03:13 PM
Snorge
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:17:01 PM
Clamedeus
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 5:56:14 PM
(My opinion of course, don't let me spoil your fun)
Last edited by Clamedeus on 11/19/2012 5:57:49 PM
Snorge
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:01:11 PM
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The action was over the top and extremely epic, (a freaking sword through the entire planet!)and I loved the episode feel it had (reminded me of Alan Wake).
Last edited by Snorge on 11/19/2012 1:01:23 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:25:11 PM
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bigrailer19
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:09:47 PM
In regards to GoW3 the game wasn't about running around "hell", that absolutely wasn't the focal point of the atmosphere like in Dante's. So it should feel a little less ambitious.
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 9:30:29 PM
Lotusflow3r
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:29:23 PM
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Games scored way too highly and games scored way too low.
WKC and Duke Nukem come to mind.
Haze wasn't as bad as critics made out, but it wasn't much compared to Timesplitters.
Yakuza, although reviewing extremely well, deserves a lot more as i thought 3 and 4 were two of the best games i've ever played. 5 will probably receive the love though as it has an up-to-date new engine which, let's face it, is too much of a factor in western reviews.
Resi 5 and 6 were still overrated in my eyes and paled in comparison to 4 which is a near perfect game.
Any high review for the american Silent Hill's is just comedy also!
ddsfan2
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 1:34:35 AM
Either way, I can't wait for Yakuza 5, and don't really care what critics or fans think of it, but I would like to see the series get more recognition.
Last edited by ddsfan2 on 11/20/2012 1:38:36 AM
bigrailer19
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:32:51 PM
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The obvious one for me is GT5. That's actually the on highest on the list, as there isn't another simulator like it. And the level of detail in the cars isn't matched. I do however think the idea of having some "premium" cars was a mistake. I know their were a lot of cars and development was already long but, that wasn't a good idea, and most reviews and consumers agree. However, that's hardly cause for ridicule.
Many of the problems like the blocky shadows, simply get overlooked in other games and that's not right to me. But on top of that the game is completely different today than it was when it released, and it's a game because of progression that needs to be followed, a lot like MAG!
Which leads me to the next game, MAG. This game when it released was a great shooter. Huge maps, big games, great variety, and realistic feel. It had it all. It truly was a battfield, not an arena where k/d ratio reigns over any other accomplishment.
The game 6 months after it released blossomed into one of the best online games, and being an MMO-FPS was a first of it's kind and should have been respected for that. But instead because it was different I feel it didn't get that respect. Again just like WoW, this is an MMO and should be followed. I don't know if a second review was in order 6 months after release, but the respect should have grown. Unfortunately first impressions are everything.
Lastly and maybe one that's not worth mentioning, but will as I got a fully enjoyable experience was MoH: Warfighter. I think being in the shadow of CoD affects every other FPS review. And not to blame CoD but with all the launch hiccups both notably experienced and comparing eaches gameplay, which are both solid one of them was given unfair scores IMO. I also distincly remember reviews poijting out that, MoH was nothing new, but weve been playing the same CoD every year. There is nothing notably different to separate Black Ops 2 from the other CoD entries.
There's a lot that was overlooked in MoH that a lot actually praise when compared to CoD, and when CoD reigns of course the comparisons exist. But when even the king releases with issues, it doesn't affect it like it did MoH. Not Fair! ;)
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 11/19/2012 1:40:32 PM
maxpontiac
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:36:33 PM
slugga_status
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 3:06:47 PM
bigrailer19
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:17:31 PM
slugga_status
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:32:42 PM
bigrailer19
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:36:02 PM
maxpontiac
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:34:26 PM
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Anyways, on to my choice, which happens to be easy for me.
Medal of Honor Warfighter.
Yes, this game is not the best FPS out there, but when you think about it, not many are. The scores this game recieved by just about everyone were unfair and are THE example of what is wrong with the developer/publisher/reviewer system in place. I won't go off that on that tangent though. However, I will give a few of my viewpoints on why that game was treated unfairly when compared to other AAA titles.
1 - Controls
MOHW has some top flight controls that come close to rivaling COD. The controls are precise and smooth. Absolutely nothing wrong here, yet one can see how it scored.
2 - Graphics
Sure, MOHW had a few "standard" (yes, that is a GT5 thing) graphical problems, but from a graphical standpoint it was beautiful. Some of the lighting bordered on Uncharted quality. Once again, yes you guessed it, ripped here as well.
3 - Technical issues
This is the one that is a travesty to me. Using Skyrim as my exhibit, that game was given a free pass yet it was completely broken. MOHW? It was placed over a cheese grader without any sort of leniency. Take Black Ops 2 as another one. Nines accross the board, yet many PS3 players had issues with the online features.
It is time this billion dollar industry start running like one and change the negative stigma in place. I can't think of better place to start.
Last edited by maxpontiac on 11/19/2012 1:37:56 PM
bigrailer19
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:20:11 PM
Your spot on in your evaluation. I think the control is as good as it gets in MoH. I think the graphics are spectacular, aside from any technical glitches which I didn't experience.
If we are saying that Black Ops 2 should get a high 8 to low 9 score even with those issues the game is still having, then MoH was absolutely scored unfairly.
Now I have nothing against either game, and I do feel Black Ops 2 should get that score. But based on MoH scores there's some unfair nature in there.
I never have any problems playing online with MoH. I was pointed to some forums to see some ongoing issues, and to that point, none were as extensive as BO2. My very first time getting into the mp in BO2, it froze, then froze again. My buddy and I then couldn't get into a party. And these are all very notable issues. It appears a lot of people are going through the same issues, and it's nothing new either. Yet, it doesn't get affected.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 11/19/2012 4:29:44 PM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:22:42 PM
On the issue of Control, that has to encompass things like hit detection, which is really not that good in Warfighter. It also has to include aspects of the interface, as well as other elements beyond just moving the character.
Graphically - and I've said this before - the issue of clarity and detail is only a part of the analysis. There's also variety, coloring, and level design. I didn't find any of the three anything more than mediocre in Warfighter, and I'm not the only critic who mentions it. Pretty pictures are nice...they have to be put together in a way that makes the entire presentation pretty, and I don't think MoH did that at all.
The technical issues are just flagrantly awful, and for someone who didn't experience them, I can understand they don't quite get it. Skyrim PS3 didn't have anything wrong with it - literally nothing - for the first 30-40 hours of play for the majority of PS3 owners. I had three crashes and freezes in MoH in the first HOUR. And again, I wasn't the only one.
The multiplayer also pales in comparison to just about any CoD, whether I like it or not, and the story had obvious holes. The design was essentially "run here, shoot a bunch of people, repeat." The AI was pathetically sad in some areas and while CoD has a lot of "run there, shoot things," at least it tried new mechanics and the set pieces were WAY better.
These are things that I believe should be acknowledged in regarding MoH. ;)
maxpontiac
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 1:40:25 PM
Thank you for taking the time to clarify a few things for me. With the things you have mentioned in past I either didn't catch it or forgot about it.
Anyways, the "issues" that MOHW had with a majority of people will be something that I don't agree with.
Skyrim.
Bethesda knew the game had problems. It's why you recieved a 360 version instead of the PS3 one. And while I agree that Skyrim ran problem free for about 30 hours or so, once you exceeded that time frame, a world of problems began to surface. I won't go into great detail over this, but I had 7 quests permanently glitch out. All of this is inexcusable to me, especially for a much heralded GOTY.
Caanimal
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 12:14:02 PM
Beamboom
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:40:03 PM
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FEAR2 landed on around 78%, and that is a game that I think clearly belonged in the 80+ bag. I'd say 82-84%.
But RAGE takes the cake. It were the most visually impressive game I've ever played on the ps3. Seriously. The combination of map size and visual quality is something I've never seen neither before or after. The animations, details, map layouts, visual atmosphere, oh man what a production.
I'll admit one thing though; I agree with those who say Rage was impressive in a very tech-demo'ish way. But boy was it impressive.
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/19/2012 1:41:26 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:40:38 PM
Reply
Nas Is Like
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:51:54 PM
Reply
maxpontiac
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 3:17:27 PM
BikerSaint
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 6:10:42 AM
Beamboom
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 6:53:13 AM
BTNwarrior
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 1:53:38 PM
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Lotusflow3r
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 7:16:29 PM
There's too many crimes happening in our industries.
I agree, another reason they made it is because it was the director's signal OF THE END to the Yakuza you know. It was him cleverly getting rid of the old engine and game to make way for a new era with Yakuza 5.
Last edited by Lotusflow3r on 11/19/2012 7:23:41 PM
Underdog15
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 2:01:40 PM
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Black Ops 1 ticked me off a lot because of how many problems it had, yet it got a free pass. MW3 probably earned what it got, but BO1 was not a 9+ game...
bigrailer19
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 4:34:54 PM
Highlander
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 5:50:59 PM
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WKC2 received some scores that were nothing less than derisory, the kinds of score that you give to game that are utterly broken and unplayable, and it wasn't always the score, sometimes the review was scathing to say the least, but the score was at least a 5/6, but to read the review you'd think the game had killed the writer's favorite puppy.
maxpontiac
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 1:41:42 PM
Nestore
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 7:30:11 PM
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My current pick for most overlooked: LBP Vita. Wow, that game is just so much fun and most sites act like it doesn't exist.
Fabi
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 7:31:37 PM
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To this day though I still wonder if it was just my system or if the textures were as bad as they were. It would have been one of the best looking games, but those textures were so blurry and would take about a second to sharpen up whenever you looked around. At first, it made the game almost unplayable, and then I just learned to ignore it.
Can anyone tell me if that was just my system? Cause I looked around, and the reviews didn't mention it.
CanadianGuy420
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 8:46:18 PM
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definitely among my favorites of the generation.
BikerSaint
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 6:16:27 AM
CanadianGuy420
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 12:11:31 PM
___________
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 3:08:08 AM
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RAGE is definetly one of them, it pisses me off so much how 99% of the time someone would say rage sucks than id ask why and their responce would be because it does not have a shooter MP component, it has crappy buggies.
really?
so the WHOLE game sucks, the co-op mode, the SP, just because they tried to do something different with the MP.
not sucks because it sucks, but sucks because its a different genre.
right.
RAGE was a brilliant game, one of the best games this gen!
crysis 2, mafia 2, and just cause 2 were also a few games that were unfairly reviewed.
if i had a nickel for every game i read slagging mafia 2 because of its "dead" open world id be the richest man alive by now!
so unfair too because its not suppose to be a hustling open world like GTA, the open world was simply there because of the narrative.
or just cause 2 because it was so cheap and cheesy, that was the point of the whole game!
oh and both MoH games too.
the original did not receive the praise it deserves.
and the second, well it got slated because it had a poor story.
since when do shooters have good stories?
it got slated for having boring faceless characters.
since when do games have emmy award winning characters?
it got slated for having a uninspired confusing plot.
since when are games written by MR Spielberg?
warfighter was something very few games get right, it was FUN!
funny how reviewers forget to mention how amazing the weapons sound, then cheese their pants when BO2 releases.
the sound effects in warfighter were amazing, each gun sounded exactly spot on and the explosions, the falling debris, the visual effects, ah it was a masterpiece!
it may have been buggy as hell, repetitive and short but that is about it.
it was still a brilliant game!
Caanimal
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 12:22:24 PM
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Another problem I think some sites/critics have is that the right people aren't doing the reviewing. Why give a critic a game that falls into a genre that they don't care for or even hate, that is going to bias them to that game and you can almost guarentee a poor score. My last issues is that a LOT of critics come up w/ prenotions of what a game SHOULD be instead of taking a game for what it IS and going from there.
I don't play games going (going to use Dante's Inferno as an example here) "oh THIS game is going to be EXACTLY like God of War because after all, it's a story about a hero going into hell to face his fears, just like in God of War." If anything I would base my game expectation on what the game is based on, Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem "Divine Comedy", and NOTHING else. A LOT of people forget that in some way or another just about EVERYTHING has already been done. Video games have been around for 30 odd years, movies for nearly a centory now, and books/stories go back for more then a couple mellenia, you'd be hard pressed to come up w/ something truely NEW and ORIGINAL in this day and age...
I can't pick any certain game that I feel really got screwed over by critics, there are just WAY too many of them, plus I rarely ever listen to a critics ramblings about a certain game cause I know what I like, and don't really care about what others like cause I'm not them. Personally the whole scoring system is completely broken, since when is "average" a 8.5-9.0 instead of 5-6? And when it comes to "score whores" why is it that if a game isn't a 9+ it's complete garbage and not worth playing? Both critics AND consumers (and probably the manufacturers and game producers) are to blame for THIS problem...

RAGE









Temjin001
Reply
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 12:27:59 PM
Looking back further I'd say games like GT5, as Ben pointed out, were slammed too hard for being what it was and what it promoted itself to be. The quality was impeccable despite preferences.
I say another problem concerns unfairly rating a game TOO high. I love Halo. I do. It totally reset the bar for quality console FPS games. Halo 2, however, received a little too many concessions from critics. I valued Greg Kassavin's opinion at Gamespot back in the day, but I distinctly remember him making a lot of concessions, acknowledged concessions, for the game's shortcomings as if it's weight and fandom circumvented objectivity. I felt that was unfair. Halo 2 was a great game, but it was awarded too much and forgiven too much as well.
I feel this happens a lot these days. Certain franchises carry so much weight and anticipation that I call into question just how rose colored everything is to some critics. That if a certain newer game, or fresher experience, doesn't fit their preferences and ideals a heavy handed verdict may be thrown down on it.