Killzone 2 is coming out later this month, as many gamers are no doubt aware of. Reviews are already starting to pour in, most of them overwhelmingly positive, which is exciting for me, as I own a PS3. However, what is not as exciting to me is some of the rabid fanboyism that it is inspiring amongst the gaming populace, either for it or against it.
Case in point: recently, Edge magazine gave the game a 7/10, which is admittedly lower than it has been receiving so far. However, 7/10 is still above average for a game, but no, not many others saw it that way. In fact, Edge was blasted by PSX Extreme and numerous other publications (as well as Sony’s most devoted fanboys) for being elitists and just trying to grab attention by scoring the game lower. Um, maybe they just didn’t like it as much as you did?
To me, this really drives home the reason why a game like Grand Theft Auto IV will get almost all perfect scores with little to no dissension among the ranks. Hell, disagreeing with the norm gets you labeled as a pariah in the gaming journalism circles these days. It’s ridiculous. To me, it speaks of a greater issue with gaming publications and the way they buy into their own hype.
What do you guys think? Fair/foul by Edge magzine, or by the other sites that are giving them guff?
Source- CVG
*cough* Alex Navarro *cough*. Seriously, though, a review of a game is purely a matter of opinion, even if numbers are presented. A number score does not tell you how good a game is – just how much the reviewer liked it; just look at Mount & Blade. Edge may be overcompensating for the hype factor, but again, a review is not an arbitrary judgment about a game. Honestly, it seems like people are starting to get a bit too personally affected by reviews. It’s gotten to the point where it’s almost competitive – who’s going to win the gaming super bowl? GTA4 with its 10/10 or MGS4 with its 10/10? Which one has homefield advantage on the PS3 forums? But I digress. Point is, Edge could have given it a 0/10 and it wouldn’t make the game any worse.
I don’t see how anyone could agree with edge being called elitists for giving the game a 7/10… Just because it didnt get an 8 or a 9 doesnt mean they were trying to get attention by scoring it lower, and related to that, how would that be grabbing attention by scoring it lower? wouldnt you get more attenion if you were SHOWERING it with praise, calling it game of the year and whatnot? It just seems overkill for even other magazines to join in with the bashing of edge just for reviewing one game lower than average…
I like to think of scores like scores in school. 7 is a C and is just average, nothing above. Any game that gets a 6 or lower is usually a game that just fails and I don’t pay any attention to anymore…
They could have at least given it an 8 which is above average (B), but watever, as long as it really is an above average game in the end.
I remember the Sessler’s Soapbox you put up on the site about a week or so ago, where he was talking about and retaliating against fanboyism. I don’t mind fanboyism as long as I don’t have to deal with it all the time. If I sense a discussion degrading into flame wars and willy-waggling contests, then I’ll leave and search more intelligent debate.
Fan boys are like prepubescent brats on XBox LIVE. No matter how much you try to silence them, they’ll still be screaming the bad words they learned in school that day over the headset.
[EDIT]
Oh, and about KH2. I’m sure 7/10 is a bit low considering other FPS’s received 9+/10, but come on. Let Edge have their opinion. I’d rather listen to the few reviewers who give lower ratings to a game than the multitudes of fans and official reviewers who got bought-out who chant “ten out of ten!!!”
Well, seeing as how certain games journalism outlets have been lambasted for giving Killzone 2 a perfect score, I’m not particularly surprised that Edge is getting crap for this rating.
Numbers, along with any type of grade, are rather ambiguous. Edge’s 7/10 may be completely different than IGN’s 7/10, but most people never take the time to read the actual text of the review, and jump straight to the number. Edge may have had several valid reasons to give Killzone 2 a 7, but as soon as people see that number, they become fixated on it.
While it’s not fair for Edge to be taken to task by its readers, having other gaming sites join in the bashing is even worse. As fractured as the industry is, the last thing it needs is the enthusiast press turning on each other.
Reviews are inherently matters of opinion. You can’t please everyone all of the time, even with excellent games. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who think that Killzone 2 is garbage, but we’ll probably never hear from them.
Good for them.
It is a matter of opinion. Read the actual review to see why they scored it so low. At the same time, people have the right to disagree with it. I love the Internet.