Absolute rubbish that game reviews and criticism should be separated.
If a film had (for example) a sexist agenda (e.g the film simply reinforced negative stereotypes and attitudes towards women through its depictions of and actions of / upon them with no attempt to provide some sort of social commentary on the problems arising from sexism) then film reviewers would mark and critic it accordingly. They would not just throw their hands in the air and say "Nevermind! It's meant to be horrifically sexist - its that kind of film! 10/10". Instead, they would question the viability of such a film, and would do so within their review.
To deprive videogames of an equally deconstructive and reflective approach within reviews merely undermines the importance and potential of games as both narrative and interactive forms of entertainment / art.
Personally, I also have issue with the linearity found within Uncharated - more so than the linearity found in other games - because it works against the theme of the game. Nathan Drake an adventurer exploring various ruins / temples etc for (supposedly) the first time and yet he seemingly knows the exact, correct route to take through these structures. Surely, if the narrative is to be believed, Nathan has never explored these areas before, so how come he knows exactly where to go? And why am I (as the player) deprived of the opportunity for exploration when I am playing the role of an adventurer? This constant undermining of the fiction creates a dissonance between the player, the protagonist and the narrative that, personally, I have never overcome.
So, the criticism isn't so much the linearity, but the contextually appropriate use of linearity within the fictional framework of Uncharted.
Surely, if games are to progress and evolve, such issues must be assessed, and done so within a review and the score modified accordingly. If we just scream 10/10 all the time, games will never get better - they may even devolve.
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