"Mixed bag" + "Fans of the genre"? Jeff you little scamp!
Fantastic review. I see Jeff's point that there are better ways to get the basic info of "should I spend time/money on this thing" or not, but it's not always easy to get someone's entire opinion on a game when their thoughts are spread across different mediums. The appeal of the game review, to me, is preserving and centralizing that contemporaneous opinion in one place. Movie reviews are in the same boat as game reviews as far as their relevancy, but it's always fascinating to see films that were critically derided at release become cult favorites, or successful films that later encountered backlash. There's a "time and place" element to written reviews that I really enjoy.
But is it worth writing reviews solely as a contribution to "Reception" sections for games on wikis? I don't know that it is. But I do know that I'll miss reading Jeff's prose, if this is the Final Review.
Just my two cents: Even though you can get long-form reviews from nearly anywhere else (even from Jeff Bakalar), I still like reading long-form reviews from Giant Bomb staff simply because I like them and trust their opinions. They're my guys. I recognize that they take a long time to write, and many people prefer to listen to or watch a review, but I appreciate the tremendous amount of effort it takes, and I trust a longer review because of that effort.
I have no particular qualms with having a shorter written review and an audio/video component, but having an hour long audio segment is a bit much. If there needs to be an audio/video element, I would prefer something that juxtaposes footage from the game with their opinions - something like a spoilercast mashed up with a Quick Look, maybe. Point is, I would prefer something more structured and edited than this - but seeing how this format probably stems from not wanting to do that, I can't fault them. I don't think it needs to go full-on IGN style of "here's a video of me reciting everything I wrote in the review", but I'd prefer to see something more scripted.
If a long-form review is like a diamond of refined opinion, the hour-long discussion format is like an uncut gem - still good, but a bit rough around the edges.
Back in around 2015, I had just lost my job and was living in my parents' basement when I found Britney's Dance Beat at a thrift store. I beat it in a desperate attempt to gain any sort of control over my life.
Today, I have a decent job and my own apartment. Britney's Dance Beat saves lives.
It is surreal to see Dan "lose" in any game considering his absurd luck, but I've never been happier to see Vinny shove a plate full of crow in Dan's face. Looking forward to the "Vinny's A weapon" shirts.
This game looks fun and it's a shame that it's trying so hard to be edgy in the writing. You really only need one or two racial slurs to "set the tone" and give context for the time period. You don't need a repeating dialog box about dry cleaning that constantly flashes an epithet.
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