Everybody out there on Earth knows that Grand Theft Auto IV just came out. It's
on the news, the Daily Show and just about every gaming related website out
there. Those of us who are avid enough gamers to surf sites dedicated have been
inundated to the point of nausea over GTA information and reviews. When it comes
to those reviews I've seen nothing less than perfect scores from any major
reviewing source. 10's, A+, 100... whatever their reviewing scale is based on,
GTA ranks as perfect.
I'll be the first to admit I'm not much of a GTA player. They're fun for a
while, but I just get tired of stealing cars and killing hookers. So I'm
wondering of everybody out there, GTA players and others, does the hype that
surrounds a game effect the scoring or even your opinion on a game? It seems to
me that the more months we go on looking forward to a game, the higher the score
will inevitibly be. Yet some games come out with clear flaws (Halo 2 and Mass
Effect for example) but score perfect to near perfect scores. Is it because we
expect them to be great or is it just their way of giving in to the hype... or
maybe they're just afraid of the fanboy/fangirl backlash if they happen to give
it an 8.5?
Well, to my knowledge, the GTA series is among the first really well known games
that puts you in the role of a criminal (several obscure PC RPGs
notwithstanding), so of course people are going to keep an eye out for it and be
excited about its release. Of course, since the popularity of GTA3 and its...
sideshows, so to speak, there has been a deluge of thuggish games of various
qualities. I'd say that the GTA series is probably the most polished series of
them all, so it's only natural that fans of the series will snap to attention
when a new one is released.
For the record, I'm sure it's a great game if you're into stuff like that.
Rockstar has had plenty of time to polish it off, and they've had a lot of
experience from the first game series (or rather, the GTA3 series in all its
incarnations.) So it's not like I DON'T understand why gaming mags are getting
excited.
Personally, on the other hand, I'm uninterested in the whole deal. Yes, GTA3 was
entertaining for a while, but -- as you said -- I got tired of stealing cars and
shooting hookers. (Except I didn't really go for the hookers all that much. In
fact, during most of my playtime, I wasn't even aware there WERE any hookers in
the game.)
I think it's good to remember that reviewers -- even professional ones -- aren't
immune against getting excited about a particular product, and they will, of
course, reflect that in their reviews. I'm going to take any reviews I ever read
about GTA4 with many pinches of salt, if only because I don't really care that
much about the game series. As long as I read the review properly, I'll manage.
I really think it depends on who is reviewing the game. I think that some people
are able to step back and look at games in perspective- even if they really love
that game- regardless of the backlash that they may receive. Unfortunately, some
people merely go into "fanatic mode" and ignore any fault that the
game may have or blowing a decent thing out of proportion and making it sound
amazing. I personally think over-hyping raises sales more than it probably
effects reviews, but I realize this isn't always the case.
I agree with mistergua- it pretty much just comes done to personal preference. I
may not get what the masses see in a particular game, but that's their
preference. I just get a little tired hearing about it...
Everybody out there on Earth knows that Grand Theft Auto IV just came out. It's on the news, the Daily Show and just about every gaming related website out there. Those of us who are avid enough gamers to surf sites dedicated have been inundated to the point of nausea over GTA information and reviews. When it comes to those reviews I've seen nothing less than perfect scores from any major reviewing source. 10's, A+, 100... whatever their reviewing scale is based on, GTA ranks as perfect.
I'll be the first to admit I'm not much of a GTA player. They're fun for a while, but I just get tired of stealing cars and killing hookers. So I'm wondering of everybody out there, GTA players and others, does the hype that surrounds a game effect the scoring or even your opinion on a game? It seems to me that the more months we go on looking forward to a game, the higher the score will inevitibly be. Yet some games come out with clear flaws (Halo 2 and Mass Effect for example) but score perfect to near perfect scores. Is it because we expect them to be great or is it just their way of giving in to the hype... or maybe they're just afraid of the fanboy/fangirl backlash if they happen to give it an 8.5?
Well, to my knowledge, the GTA series is among the first really well known games that puts you in the role of a criminal (several obscure PC RPGs notwithstanding), so of course people are going to keep an eye out for it and be excited about its release. Of course, since the popularity of GTA3 and its... sideshows, so to speak, there has been a deluge of thuggish games of various qualities. I'd say that the GTA series is probably the most polished series of them all, so it's only natural that fans of the series will snap to attention when a new one is released.
For the record, I'm sure it's a great game if you're into stuff like that. Rockstar has had plenty of time to polish it off, and they've had a lot of experience from the first game series (or rather, the GTA3 series in all its incarnations.) So it's not like I DON'T understand why gaming mags are getting excited.
Personally, on the other hand, I'm uninterested in the whole deal. Yes, GTA3 was entertaining for a while, but -- as you said -- I got tired of stealing cars and shooting hookers. (Except I didn't really go for the hookers all that much. In fact, during most of my playtime, I wasn't even aware there WERE any hookers in the game.)
I think it's good to remember that reviewers -- even professional ones -- aren't immune against getting excited about a particular product, and they will, of course, reflect that in their reviews. I'm going to take any reviews I ever read about GTA4 with many pinches of salt, if only because I don't really care that much about the game series. As long as I read the review properly, I'll manage.
I've learned never to listen to reviews, they're often amusing to read though. In the end, it's always up to personal preference.
I really think it depends on who is reviewing the game. I think that some people are able to step back and look at games in perspective- even if they really love that game- regardless of the backlash that they may receive. Unfortunately, some people merely go into "fanatic mode" and ignore any fault that the game may have or blowing a decent thing out of proportion and making it sound amazing. I personally think over-hyping raises sales more than it probably effects reviews, but I realize this isn't always the case.
I agree with mistergua- it pretty much just comes done to personal preference. I may not get what the masses see in a particular game, but that's their preference. I just get a little tired hearing about it...