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Well, rant ahead, but i think its an interesting discussion. I just read the summary of a review of Trine made by Level7 and something hit me. After a hoard of superlatives and only one negative comment ("in the end there may be too much of the same") they give it a 7/10. Why? I couldn't help but feel it was because it was a sidescroller instead of a AAA-title... then i started thinking. Isn't it like this everywhere? Can you not give smaller productions the highest rankings just because they aren't made by EA or Ubisoft? Shouldn't the games be judged by how FUN, good-looking, good-sounding and how good the price/longevity ratio is no matter what kind of game it is? Does this mean the games we make NEVER could get 9s and 10s just because we made them no matter how fun and longlasting they are? Me, i have almost never had as much fun with anything else as i've had with games like braid, shadow complex, trials hd and trine. I'm not saying all these games should have a 10 but I think they do deserve good ratings based on its quality just as much as GTA4 and Call of Duty or whatever and not be given lower ratings just because they were made by a smaller team with less resources in less time and so on... Well, what do you think? |
Submitted by SolidBenny
Wed, 10/21/2009 - 11:41
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I definitely think there is
I definitely think there is a bias towards the AAA-titles. Just look at the amount of swag that is sent to game reviewers in their launch campaigns how could they possibly stay objective?
Also are game journalists really after replayable games or do they just want to get amazed for two hours and then write their review? The pressure of deadlines and just keeping up with the flow of games is a daunting.
The current trend in AAA games is to offer very little in replayability and deliver in static-story (something that media-journalists definitely are used to reviewing books, movies etc). I remember playing through Gears Of War 2 a while back. Good game, but after I was finished I have no urge to play again. I that a good game then or is it just an somewhat interactive movie? And as a movie it's not good enough for me wanting to see it again
Contrasting this with TWTPB (yes I suffer from hubris) that has a gameplay built for the sole purpose of you seeing a way to improve your score and play again with a new approach.
Which is the better game?
AAA means "awesome artistic appearance"...
The thing is... that AAA titles have better graphics, better sounds, better music, better... VISUALS. (Sure, there are excellent looking indie games, but let's say on average AAA games look better than indie ones).
But are they more fun?
Some might be, some are not.
For example, I've played some games like Crysis and I've played games like Last Stand (flash game). I like Last Stand much more. To me, it's more fun.
Would Last Stand get 9/10 from a hardcore gamer magazine. Doubt it. Would Crysis get. Sure - it looks great - so why not.
Some magazines are also about fun, or have separate sections for indie games. Not sure if it solves the problem... but kind of could be some sort of solution. At least then you aren't comparing apples with oranges..
heh yeah, i dont keep track
heh yeah, i dont keep track of what stuff they receive but it probably has effect.
the time demands of a journalist probably makes them favor short but cinematic experiences even though they do usually complain about the length of games nowadays. but like you said, a game doesn't have to have a long campaign if they are replayable and you can enjoy them for a long time and find new joy every time you play. your gears of war example compared to twtpb really begs the question whether that type of games really are games in the classic sense. its something else.
i do enjoy them, but like you, only once. i cant be bothered chasing achievements or whatnot. its a bad excuse for bad game design.
as a sidenote i think mirrors edge is the perfect blend of these types of game. but im very biased towards that game, i know many didnt like it. but i found that extra something in it that just makes me play again and again. i think its the visual style combined with the incredible sound and music that is the key. music is extremely important to me in games.
what is a good game is of course different for every gamer and im not saying the best AAA shouldnt have 10s, just that the smaller games should be judged for their qualities as the big games are judged by theirs.
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Solid Core Entertainment
Developer of Roadclub and Sense: Survival Prelude (Developer blog)
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