280°

Should game reviewers be expected to play an entire game prior to writing a review?

Rikki Grimes from Theknightsofgaming.com writes: Recently I was browsing through reviews of Batman: Arkham Asylum when I came across a reviewer who admitted in the comments that he had not yet completed the game. This got me thinking: "Should game reviewers be expected to play an entire game prior to writing a review?"

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theknightsofgaming.com
Chubear5775d ago

The entire game on at least NORMAL settings.

UnSelf5775d ago

uh nooooooooooooooooooooooooo smh /end sarc

deadreckoning6665775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

NOPE. But if its one of those long ass RPG's, the reviewer should get at least half the game finished.

If going by the traditional graphics,gameplay, sound, story, and replay value then the game doesn't need to be completed in its entirety since there won't be any DRASTIC changes in these areas in the last hour or two of the game. MMO's are a good reason too.

gaffyh5775d ago

If it's a normal game, YES, if it's an RPG then no because it would literally take forever to finish the game.

RememberThe3575775d ago

For normal Single player-games games, yes. But for MMO's or this of that nature that would take months to complete or can't even be completed, no.

Once you start getting into the online components and the endless replay value developers have been able to come up with, you have to take it on a case by case basis. I also want my reviews in a timely manner.

Mikerra175775d ago

I think if reviewers played the online for GOW2 we would have way diff review average

Baka-akaB5775d ago

There is no it depends .

They have early access to the final games , unless the editor pulls shenanigans (like how come gh5 wasnt reviewed before release day ?) and hell they get access through the whole year or years to a game with multiple previews .

Yet it's obvious most of those guys simply never do their job . even long jrpg of snes/ps1 era usually takes 40-50 hours rushing through it , and they have gotten consistantly shorter each gen .
Hell even without finishing it , they should have a good grasp and amount of infos after quite some hours into it .

Yet it's obvious given the massive amount of false infos and innacuracies , even about plot points , encountered in jrpg reviews from populat outlets , that they simply dont bother cloking more than a few hours , if even more than one .
Hell some series even seems to have the same generic review template they just basically copy paste with the same flaws and observations (like the "Tales of" or wild arms series) .

MMOs ? Well there is a reason that serious outlet used to not review mo until at least a month after launch or some really polished beta . Especially when launch time is usually painful .

Hell take Age of Conan .. if 90% of the press had done their job , and played beyond the beginners zone , they would have realized that back then , only said zone was polished and mostly bug free ... with all the other zones crashing , devoid of content , or simply not even that good .

The press kept creating some huge hype around a buggy title people couldnt stop complain about for months or were quitting in droves . Of course they fixed many problem since , but still it was as usual some hack journalist job on eveyrone's part .

guitarded775775d ago

Bubbles for Baka-akaB, well thought out argument.

GameGambits5775d ago

Yes
Yes
YES!

ESPECIALLY on long ass RPGS like someone just put it. A game like Star Ocean The Last Hope starts off at like a solid 8.5 and then slowly but surely as you play drops down to a 7.5 due to a poor story, weak characters, and horrible voice acting. It isn't as apparent that was the case at the start, but once that game is complete it is junk.

Honestly if your job is to review a product why should I trust you for knowing a fraction of it? That's like me trusting a review on a movie that the guy stayed for 1/3 of and deemed it crap, because he didn't get it... Or someone saying a car is 5/5 stars quality when he just drove it down the block once.

I mean if you are a gamer and your job is to write about games you should be able to romp through a game in like 2-3 days even if it's 50+hours.

neonlight455775d ago

Yes, but and RPG's like fallout 3 they should focus on the main mission and do a few of the side missions.

badz1495775d ago (Edited 5775d ago )

why the hell ask? if not, don't call them "reviews", just call them "impressions" and don't give any mark for them! just rate it by the color of the rainbow for instance! - red for AWESOME, violet for LAME!

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 5775d ago
Braynbasher5775d ago

I believe they should but others don't. Can a full review be fully formed with only half the game completed.

Raoh5775d ago

If they get the game early enough, yes.

but there should be no reviews based on demo play or one or two levels of play.

Chubear5775d ago

Most games out are reviewed with minimal play through of the game on the easiest difficulty setting. There's no way you can give proper info about the game like that.

If only gamers knew just how many games have been reviewed like this they wouldn't put so much trust in these their almighty editorial reviewers. Of course they use the same lame assed excuse "but we have too many games to review" well then do one of two things:

1) Let the reader or viewer know the parameters in which you reviewed a game (Never going to happen cause you & they know why) or

2) Don't bother giving a review of the game.

pangitkqb5774d ago (Edited 5774d ago )

I think you make some great points, but I think bad reviews happen a little less often than you imply. I write for a small site (That Gaming Site), but our site is big enough that we regularly get review copies of games straight from publishers. I can honestly say that at our site, finishing games before review is mandatory and grounds for termination if not complied with. Our credibility depends on it. If we aren't honest we will stop getting viewers and game makers will stop sending us their products for review.

In the end, there are some dishonest reviewers, but it often doesn't take long for them to get called out. Gamers are a sharp group - despite ridiculous fanboyism - and quickly notice anything amiss in regards to their favorite past time.

Also, I agree with your previous post that states a game should be completed on at least normal settings. That is the criteria we use.

Game on, my friend.

Tee7soo5775d ago

game reviewers suck , thats why i always read real players reviews
..

Missan5775d ago

Yes, if not then why the hell are they reviewing something they haven't fully played?

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190°

Xbox Mass layoffs Are Expected To Hit On July 2, 2025

The previously rumored mass layoffs at Xbox are expected to happen on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, according to a new rumor.

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twistedvoxel.com
12h ago
lukasmain8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

They will have fired close to 20,000 people all up after this round of lay-offs coming, since the ABK deal announcement in January 2022. Shocking really

January 2023:
Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees, which was a significant workforce reduction.

January 2024:
Approximately 1,900 gaming employees were laid off following the Activision Blizzard acquisition.

May 2025:
Microsoft announced a further 6,000 layoffs as part of an organizational shift.

June 2025:
Additional layoffs, including 650 in the gaming business, focused on corporate and support functions

7h agoReplies(2)
Obscure_Observer6h ago

"They will have fired close to 20,000 people all up after this round of lay-offs coming, since the ABK deal announcement in January 2022. Shocking really"

It's not that shocking considering these numbers aren't just Xbox numbers as you're deliberately trying to make it seem for some reason.

Interestingly, another no shocking fact is that whenever Microsoft releases its quarterly earnings reports, you're quick to point out that those numbers aren't exclusive to Xbox. Yeah... go figure.

Ganif4h ago

They also fired around 2500 people across Microsoft's gaming divisions and Zenimax shortly after buying it, and before they closed down 4 studios including Arkane and Tango.

I remember Satya boasting about how compassionate he was for splitting the list 50/50 across the two companies.

4h ago
Obscure_Observer2h ago

"They also fired around 2500 people across Microsoft's gaming divisions and Zenimax shortly after buying it"

Bring your sources. I´ll wait.

1dmj15m ago

He doesn’t have any sources lol

He also forgot that Sony does layoffs too

Hereandthere5h ago

Let's hope its not as bad as socials are making it, good luck to those that unfortunately lose their jobs.

5h ago
Lightning774h ago

Could be not as bad could be horrible. But it's Ms so I'm expecting the absolute worst.

-Foxtrot4h ago

Sometimes I feel like they brought in Sarah to take the heat away from Phil.

Phil has always stuck his nose into everything Xbox related when it's something positive or at least neutral but as soon as they went the multiplatform root he's stood back and let Sarah do most of the talking in terms of PR. Now they are doing the same with layoffs.

The person who should be let go is Phil himself.

RhinoGamer881h ago

Phil and his inner circle of circle jerk bros like AG.

Obscure_Observer1h ago

"Phil has always stuck his nose into everything Xbox related when it's something positive or at least neutral but as soon as they went the multiplatform root he's stood back and let Sarah do most of the talking in terms of PR. Now they are doing the same with layoffs."

You have no idea what you´re talking about.

*IF* Microsoft decides to address the upcoming layoffs, Matt Booty will be the one in the spotlight since he is the president of XGS.

Phil will probably be on some bs drama later doing interviews telling people how "devastated" and "sorry" he is for those affected while wiping away his tears with money.

Sarah is the President of Xbox (hardware) so she will be better off taking care of hers business and let both Matt and Phil face the backlash.

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300°

Looming Xbox layoffs threaten Microsoft's reputation

Even as the company sets out to overhaul the very definition of Xbox, cuts at its studios risk creating a negative image reminiscent of EA's worst era

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gamesindustry.biz
Jingsing4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I appreciate the article but this guy must be living in a delayed universe, The reputation was ruined 10+ years ago and hasn't recovered since. As such people have voted with their wallets and stopped buying Xbox products in large amounts.

YourMommySpoils3d ago

Their reputation was lost way before that. From the moment Microsoft said they entering the console business, we all knew it would be a downgrade.

Bathyj2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

That's not true at all the OG Xbox had drive and they had hunger and they wanted to accomplish something. It was a great console.

they didn't quite reach their goals and they gave up prematurely because they couldn't win. It was halfway through the Xbox 360 when kinect released and that was when they lost their way and we're a rudderless ship ever since

Agent752d ago

In all fairness, Xbox had some great games with online play, Xbox 360 even better. Xbox consoles started to die with the Xbox One. Ditch consoles for the PC and PS.

YourMommySpoils2d ago

@Bathyj hard to compute ay. Xbox was never better than a PC and that's all they ever were. A demo box. Doesn't get more true than that.

4d ago Replies(1)
isarai4d ago

What reputation is this threatening exactly? 😂

Lightning774d ago

Rumors of Turn 10 being either shut down or hit with massive lay offs is on the horizon.

The issue is MS will do something right only to do something very, very wrong. And they do this what seems calculative at this point. Doesn't matter what they do the Investors and leadership want more and more money an endless bottomless pit of purr insatiable greed. A company that acts like it's broke or hurting is what really, really infuriates me. They've surpassed apple again well over 3 trillion who acts like they're a million dollar company is fk stupid. Pivots and changes for no reason and can't do things for more than a year with out a pivot or changing their metrics.

Christopher3d ago

That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest.

1Victor3d ago

@christopher: “ That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest”
The key word big can be ether good or bad 🤷🏿only time can tell

DarXyde3d ago

First Forza being generated entirely via AI?

If any company would do it, it'd be them.

Nacho_Z2d ago

Isn't the point that it's irrelevant how profitable MS is, the suits have decided it's time that the Xbox division started making them money. Hence the layoffs, the pivots.

hennessey862d ago

That wouldn't surprise me, as motorsport has been heading down hill since the great number 4. Where as playground have consistently put out better games. I think the two studios will be merged under playground games banner.

3d ago Replies(2)
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90°

The 'Stop Killing Games' initiative is close to its final deadline

Ross Scott—also known as Accursed Farms on YouTube—has been fighting tooth and nail for almost a full year to help spearhead game preservation. Starting after it was announced that Ubisoft's The Crew would be shutting down, permanently ending support for the game, Scott launched the "Stop Killing Games" initiative.

That makes a twofold deadline for the Stop Killing Games initiative. Or, at least, one headed up by Scott: The UK petition, which ends July 14, and the EU Citizens' Initiative, which ends July 3.

M3talDiamond7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

If you live in the EU then Please sign this or our game ownership rights and game preservation is
at stake. I know there isnt much time left but please consider signing the petition

-Foxtrot6d ago

I never knew Ross Scott was doing this

I love Freemans Mind

Inverno6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

People whine and in the end don't do a thing. Then whine more when they get screwed some more smh. If this makes it then it'll be monumental for consumers. That Pirate software guy was no help either smh.

GazCBG5d ago

The EU Date is the 31st July not the 3rd

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