@Kerned said:
So basically you want critics to all agree to like the things that you like, and to not like the things that you don't like. Got it.
Well, not really... I also said this.
Also, half the joy of playing video games is discovering what is in them. I don't need someone to tell me what AWESOME thing happens in it.
You know the shocking thing that Lilly did in the walking dead ep. 3? Well I experienced that on my own because I ignored ALL media regarding TWD. I didn't see it coming... it was awesome. I didn't even have to see a single "HOLY SHIT WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS". I was clueless and that made the experience better.
A better example was in Portal 2... I just jumped into that game and ignored all the media related to it because I didn't want a single bit of the experience to be familiar to me.
I felt that in part Skyrim, Darksiders, and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood were spoiled for me because I didn't jump into them right away.
Skyrim had so many memes and fosrodah shit all over the internet and in reviews and podcasts that when I started playing it I felt like it wasn't "my" game. Everyone else was doing the same thing. It just didn't feel like I was discovering anything like when I played Morrowind or oblivion. I still enjoyed Skyrim, but not as much as I should have probably.
AC: Brotherhood.... I totally knew about a lot of the gameplay because Ryan Davis talked about it so much. He was right, it was pretty cool. I suspect I would have liked it more if I discovered it on my own. I really enjoyed experimenting with the gameplay in AC1 by myself and it felt unique to me.
Darksiders... I found out that they basically copied a bajillion other games for the gameplay and that it was a zelda clone. If I had just played it without any interference I suspect I would have enjoyed it more.
This is what I mean! No, I don't want critics to just say what I want to hear. I am telling you that I had anepiphany. Video game journalism is not helping me have fun when I play games, it is hurting my experience. I would be better off with these single player experiences if I just played the game without reading a single word of a review or watching a single quick look or anything.
@SethPhotopoulos said:
And you mean Forest Gump? The film that also had a very positive reception? The movie that swept the oscars?
Here's the thing. Find reviewers that share your tastes in films and/or games. There is no such thing as an objective review and it's folly to expect that.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/forrest_gump/
- For all its ambition, the movie ends up using great historical events in the service of a dubious sentimentality.
- Judging by the the movie's enduring popularity, the message that stupidity is redemption is clearly what a lot of Americans want to hear.
- Forrest Gump has the elements of an emotionally gripping story. Yet it feels less like a romance than like a coffee-table book celebrating the magic of special effects.
This is what I mean in regards to Forrest Gump... it just seems like negativity. I often see a similar thing when it comes to video games.
I am not asking for video game journalism to change. The nature of it is to be subjective. I am just saying that I may no longer consume video game journalism content because I don't think it offers a valuable service to me anymore (perhaps it never did). I find myself listening to the podcast for stories about fried chicken more than for any video game related content. I really enjoy the discussions about console hardware or the old days of video games that Jeff gets crazy about. But I think I no longer will listen to the new video game parts.
Also, to the people linking me to positive reviews of TWD... I never said the game earned many bad reviews. I said the negative things about the game that people complained about sound petty and I am glad I just played the game before reading anything about it. Even some of the stuff that Patrick said about episode 4 on the podcast, "IT IS THE WORST OF ALL THE EPISODES!" or the people saying "EPISODE 5 IS ONLY 2 HOURS!".... I am so happy I just played the game without ever having to have those negative comments in the back of my mind. I played Episode 4 and 5 and I personally ended the game with my own thoughts thinking "WOW! What a fantastic game!"
So I guess what I am saying about game journalism and information prior to playing a game is...
1. It spoils the joy of discovering what is in a game for yourself (like a good story beat or a cool game mechanic)
2. It spoils the fun of judging the game yourself without any interference from prior negative (or positive) comments on it.
Similar to movies.... movie critics suck worst of all.
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