9.5 the new 8.5?

Is it just me, or has Gamespot started handing out 9.5's like they're candy?

Of course it's possible that this is just an incredible season for game releases. Uncharted 2 is certainly the best game I've played this gen. I'm not a racing fan, but for all I know, Forza 3 could also be the pinnacle of that genre as well. But combine that with Ballad of Gay Tony and now Dragon Age: Origins (on PC, at least), and we've had 4 AAA+ titles within the span of three weeks!

Considering that Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed II are both debuting within the next two weeks, not to mention God of War Collection, I'm willing to bet we'll see another 9.5 out of that group as well.

Then look at the fact that 360 and PS3 combined have six 9.5's including multiplats (Oblivion was on both platforms, as was GTAIV, so I'm only counting those once) before Oct. 2009! If you include the PC, where they seem to have more rigorous review standards, it only gets bumped up to eight (World in Conflict and Crysis). It's crazy!

Are we just hitting the sweet spot of this generation? In three quarters -- Fall 2009 combined with the first two quarters of 2010 -- we could see as many AAA+ titles as the previous three years combined.

Maybe the games are really THAT good?Sollet

You can't win in this place. If a game gets 8.5, its "teh flopperz" but if it gets 9.5 then Gamespot is setting their standards too low. Seriously dude, maybe some developers are just raising the bar (well, except Bungie who have been rehashing since Halo 2)

Is it just me, or has Gamespot started handing out 9.5's like they're candy?

Considering that Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed II are both debuting within the next two weeks, not to mention God of War Collection, I'm willing to bet we'll see another 9.5 out of that group as well.

masterpinky2000

GS won't review God of War Collection, since they didn't review Metroid Prime Trilogy.

No. 9.5 = 9.5Bread_or_Decide

This is all that needs to be said. Kind of reminds me when lemmings tried passing off 9.6 as the new 10 after Gears 1 review.

Oh and GOW collection wont be reviewed. You also forgot NSMBWii

It because reviewers are not making big deals out of little things like fanboys and "hardcore 1337" gamers do. They are something we like to call professionals, and as professionals, they have to review games properly, not gripe about things people on forums whine about.

Games are just flat out better than they have ever been, and the review scores show it.

yes its unbelievable how many games GS has overrated in past couple of days

Its really up to each individual to "score" a game. Dont leave your gaming up to someone else scores and opinions. I have played many games that have scored a 5 to a 7 and loved them. I have also played games that score 9-10 and didnt care for them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..;)

Hmm, if mw2 gets a 9.5 i will agree (note: i love cod4, so no hate responses eh?)

Maybe the games are really THAT good?Sollet

Sure, the console verions of DOA worth 8.5 and the pc 9.5, not 9.0 but 9.5. So the game is far superior on pc?dakan45

It's inferior on 360. If you didn't notice, the PS3 version got 9.0, so the PC version is superior to it by .5

It's not terribly surprising that the PC version of a WRPG is better than the console version.

On-topic: there have been quite a few 9.5s this year, it's true. I don't think there's anything behind it other than a lot of good games coming out.

Maybe the games are really THAT good?Sollet

People.....0.5 increments are to blame IMO.

Maybe the PC version deserved a 9.3 but to differentiate it from PS3 version they had to give it a 9.5.

And maybe....JUST MAYBE the games that are coming out really deserve the score they were awarded with. How about that?

Dragon Age is overrated.

It's not like BG 1/2, (at times) it is BG 1/2.

The typical flaws of Bioware are all here. I can't kill the NPCs I want, unless there's script, because Bioware doesn't want me to kill its overly liniear storyline and run amok; let's not forget there's invisible walls, and spanws that appear only once you accepted a quest. Fetch and kill quests run galore, and of those better quests from the Fallout series are nowhere to be found (or if they are I haven't found them yet).

GS realises they overrated some games earlier this year, now to differentiate in quality they need to rate even higher for recent games.Next-Gen-Tec

You can't win in this place. If a game gets 8.5, its "teh flopperz" but if it gets 9.5 then Gamespot is setting their standards too low. Seriously dude, maybe some developers are just raising the bar (well, except Bungie who have been rehashing since Halo 2)

d_black

You can't win in this place. If a game gets 8.5, its "teh flopperz" but if it gets 9.5 then Gamespot is setting their standards too low. Seriously dude, maybe some developers are just raising the bar (well, except Bungie who have been rehashing since Halo 2)

d_black

Maybe by some chance there's just some really excellent games that came out in the same timeframe?

Who cares. I go by my own judgement. And if I do have to name one website I'd trust it'd be Eurogamer.Ever since theKane & Lynch debacle I no longer take GS serious. he forum here is fun though.

Maybe the games are really THAT good?Sollet

This is why I miss the old rating system. Now I know many people think that was too strict and so on, but I understood the difference between a 8.8 and a 9.0 game, and a 9.3 game and 9.5 one, etc.

(off topic a bit) 8.5 and above are really must buys, it annoys me when people only buy 9+. Some of my favorite games of all time where only in the 8's. SAGE_OF_FIRE

[QUOTE="SAGE_OF_FIRE"](off topic a bit) 8.5 and above are really must buys, it annoys me when people only buy 9+. Some of my favorite games of all time where only in the 8's. wstfld

Standards have fallen for the graphics consoles.

[QUOTE="masterpinky2000"]

Is it just me, or has Gamespot started handing out 9.5's like they're candy?

Considering that Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed II are both debuting within the next two weeks, not to mention God of War Collection, I'm willing to bet we'll see another 9.5 out of that group as well.

charizard1605

GS won't review God of War Collection, since they didn't review Metroid Prime Trilogy.

[QUOTE="Next-Gen-Tec"]GS realises they overrated some games earlier this year, now to differentiate in quality they need to rate even higher for recent games.Messiahbolical-

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]

[QUOTE="masterpinky2000"]

Is it just me, or has Gamespot started handing out 9.5's like they're candy?

Considering that Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed II are both debuting within the next two weeks, not to mention God of War Collection, I'm willing to bet we'll see another 9.5 out of that group as well.

RoOodriGowW

GS won't review God of War Collection, since they didn't review Metroid Prime Trilogy.

I'm not going to say I think their ratings have slacked, because they have rated poorly a number of games that I very much enjoyed, like Clive Barker's Jericho. That did not get a good rating, but I enjoyed that game, and it was the first PS3 title I was to play all the way through. Granted, I am pretty easy to please, and of all the PS2 and PS3 games I've played, I only did not like Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, and the Untold Legends game that came out for the PS3, as they were both too simple and too easy. But I have also noticed that Gamespot scores are almost always lower than other sites, almost, not always, as I know there were some sites that did not think MGS: 4 was the pinnacle of console gaming like Gamespot thought it was, (and to which I am inclined to agree).

[QUOTE="Sollet"]Maybe the games are really THAT good?CwlHeddwyn

Maybe the games are really THAT good?Sollet

Dragon Age is overrated.

It's not like BG 1/2, (at times) it is BG 1/2.

The typical flaws of Bioware are all here. I can't kill the NPCs I want, unless there's script, because Bioware doesn't want me to kill its overly liniear storyline and run amok; let's not forget there's invisible walls, and spanws that appear only once you accepted a quest. Fetch and kill quests run galore, and of those better quests from the Fallout series are nowhere to be found (or if they are I haven't found them yet).

DOF_power

Maybe the games are really THAT good?Sollet

Dragon Age is overrated.

It's not like BG 1/2, (at times) it is BG 1/2.

The typical flaws of Bioware are all here. I can't kill the NPCs I want, unless there's script, because Bioware doesn't want me to kill its overly liniear storyline and run amok; let's not forget there's invisible walls, and spanws that appear only once you accepted a quest. Fetch and kill quests run galore, and of those better quests from the Fallout series are nowhere to be found (or if they are I haven't found them yet).

DOF_power