"Game reviews have a long history in the games industry, and now are a large part of gaming itself. However, there have been many recent changes in game reviews. With these changes one thing is apparent, and that it is time that the review system gets a reboot. There are a lot of changes needed in the review system, however these changes need to come from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo (The Big Three). These console makers need their own console specific rating systems on their networks, similar to Itunes, to solve the problems with the current state of reviews. To be honest, reviews need to be in the hands of the many (GAMERS!) and not the few (IGN, Gamespot and 1UP). Even though sites like Metacritic have tried to alleviate some of the problems with reviews, they have their problems as well. Below, I will detail the problems of the current review system and why a console specific rating system on The Big Three's networks will solve them."
-TheGamerAccess.com
GL compiles a list of some of the most mind-blowing video game narrative twists in recent memory, from The Last of Us to Outer Wilds
Gary Green said: We have a juxtaposition of 2D and 3D visuals, flashy turn-based combat, quirky anime characters with cheeky dialogue with plenty of partial nudity; Yes, this is a Compile Heart JRPG. Whilst the engine is borrowed from Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, Mugen Souls is more of a Disgaea spin-off. It’s not a strategy RPG as such, it merely sits within Disgaea’s ever-expanding universe (Multiverse? Netherverse? Your guess is as good as mine). You won’t find cameos though, since Mugen Souls is a franchise which aims to stand on its own two feet.
Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."
1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.
It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!
I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.
Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.
Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.
Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:
- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2
I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.
Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.
I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.
I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.
But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.
A console exclusive review system is a nice idea, but the problem is that it would have to supplement rather than replace current review scores.
Let's take a big name game like Halo or Gran Turismo, big sellers and big scorers on traditional systems. They have too many fans and haters who aren't going to look at them in any kind of subjective way.
On another note, we already know there's a lot of people who would give a game 10/10 by default for being exclusive.
I think review scores should be broken down into a tier system:
Must Buy
Consider
Rent
Avoid
No scores, just a simple statement to say if a game is worth buying and make people, maybe, read the reviews for once and do away with Metacritic entirely. But, maybe I'm crazy.
How I would do reviews is like this if I could:
A Sony only player
A Nintendo only player
A Microsoft only player
A nongamer
I'd have them all play the game for an hour or two, if it's multiplayer they'll play it together and then I'd have them decide whether the enjoyed it or not. If they enjoyed it, it counts as a 1/4 so if all 4 enjoy it it's a 4/4 and it means it's very enjoyable.
I'd also have them make a comment about the game about what they liked and didn't liked.
It'd also help avoid bias in my opinion because there'd be someone of an opposite console reviewing each game.
EDIT: Even better a PC gamer instead of a nongamer. But the reviews may get skewed.