You know, I put Artistic Design up there because of Shadow of the Colossus.
I wouldn't say that game has a particularly good storyline, or even that the gameplay itself is terribly epic (Stripping it down to its raw mechanics), but with its presentation in art direction in combination with the music it makes the game epic enough that I still pop it in occasionally to view those grand moments.
I guess there aren't enough SotCs out there for that option to get any votes.
[QUOTE="IronBass"] Nonetheless there's no way you can be "sure" (at the whole context of the word) that they are actually recommending it. Or, if they actually are, if your taste fits theirs, (considering that websites have a lot of reviewers, each with a different taste), not even a game site can assure anything. Reviews are only an indicator of what a couple of people think (or say they think) about a game. It doesn't mean a game is "better" than other, or that what they say means "quality". Reviews are what they are. In the end you're the judge - and reviews can be really useful if you know what to look for; what to judge. As for arguing reviews on the forums though, I can totally see why people can be so willing to ignore a lower-than-best score. When a game gets a 7.5 and the reviewer doesn't have anything exciting to say about it (Usually when a game gets a 7.5 it means it works, but it doesn't offer anything new) you really can't expect people to respond with excitement.
Rent a game first, try demos, etc. There are other avenues besides spending money buying the games.SpruceCaboose
I disagree with renting. Where I live it costs $8 to rent a game. For $8 these days I could almost get a downloadable title - and tacking on $8 to any video game price can be the difference between reasonable and rip-off (Yes, I view renting as tacking $8 onto the price of the game if I ended up deciding it was worth a purchase.) The only time I can see renting being worth it is if you can do everything there is to do within the rental period and then never look back at the game after you've milked everything you value out of it.
I wholeheartedly agree with free avenues for trying a game (demos, playing at a friends house, etc.) Listening to the reviews only, I wouldn't have known that Killzone 2 totally sucks because of button lag, or that Super Smash Bros Brawl wasn't at all the fighter its predecessors were because of tripping and other factors. But, especially with the Wii, free avenues aren't always an option.
[QUOTE="IronBass"][QUOTE="mstc_Q"] The whole point of a review is to determine if the reviewer recommends the game or not. Oh, but are you sure they are actually "recommending" it? Or are just getting payed to say so? Or that they have actually played the games they say they did? Not a very trusting person are you? I think they'd get fired if they didn't actually play the game. And as for "just being paid", they got into that career because they obviously had some interest in playing games and rating them. There are instances where a reviewer is handed a game that's just not for him - but that person's opinion and recommendation is equally valid since there is a good chance someone will share the same opinion. I'd give MGS4 a 10, but I can see how Eurogamer would give it an 8.
[QUOTE="shadow_hosi"]none of those fun is what matters its why games are made I agree, however, I ask the question; What makes a game Fun? To try and answer that question, I tried to list the traits that are, in my mind, the most important. I may be missing some though (For instance, in some cases for myself, I apparently think masochism is fun.)
[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"][QUOTE="mstc_Q"] Money is always an issue, and there is a host of entertainment available out there. Reviews merely assist in choosing what entertainment you want to expose yourself to. I know what I like and so I look at various reviews and read the highest and lowest scores to get an idea of what's in the game. If the gripes are about things I can't stand, I don't look at the game any further. Generally speaking, things with a metascore below an 8 tend to have good reasons for it. That said, I still intend to pick up Mirror's Edge one of these days in spite of its score because I know that the two biggest gripes wouldn't hinder my enjoyment of the game. What you just said you do is contradictory to what you wrote before. If you go by straight number, you would not read a review. You would not judge gripes against what you believe. You would take the numerical score and that is that. When did I say I just looked at the straight up score?
[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"] Because if you listen only to reviews and numbers, you could easily miss some game that becomes one of your favorites. Like, for example, Ratchet & Clank and Halo Wars both scored below 8 here, and yet both are two of my most fun games this gen. Not the most fun or anything, but both are great games that I really enjoyed, and I would have missed both with your viewpoint. Never look at just one review, since after all, a single review is only the opinion of one person. I understand where you're coming from, but there is a certain amount of risk involved with spending money on a game - namely the risk of you could have spent it on a better game if you end up not liking it.
[QUOTE="IronBass"][QUOTE="mstc_Q"][QUOTE="IronBass"] Because what's "better" is completely subjective. People that play and enjoy games play what they want, now what other people say it's better. You're right. And reviews are subjective too. However it does represent somewhat what the popular opinion is, and as for finding a recommendation, why would you bother with anything below an 8 when there are plenty of titles above that number? I try/research games by myself, and buy the games I'm interested in. I wouldn't call "recommendation" the "opinion" of someone I don't know (or that I don't even know if they have played they game they review). The whole point of a review is to determine if the reviewer recommends the game or not.
It has to be atleast AA otherwise it is a crap game of no worth and has no right to exist.
SpruceCaboose
My argument against that is that if there are better games to play, why bother with anything less? My argument would be, why do you let reviewers think for you about what is better than others? Is Citizen Kane your favorite movie? Critics always say its the best (at least compilation critical views, like AFI), so why watch anything else? Money is always an issue, and there is a host of entertainment available out there. Reviews merely assist in choosing what entertainment you want to expose yourself to. I know what I like and so I look at various reviews and read the highest and lowest scores to get an idea of what's in the game. If the gripes are about things I can't stand, I don't look at the game any further. Generally speaking, things with a metascore below an 8 tend to have good reasons for it. That said, I still intend to pick up Mirror's Edge one of these days in spite of its score because I know that the two biggest gripes wouldn't hinder my enjoyment of the game.
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