Gamereactors editor in chief "I was blasted over Uncharted 2 review" + review scores

So you want more puzzles in your action-adventure game?

...go play puzzle games?

Honestly, the cinematic experience of U2 is exactly what made it so fucking amazing. Character development and having reasons for your actions is what made the player actually care about the characters. Adding long complex puzzle sections to appease the hardcore crowd wouldn't have improved the game, it would have fucked up the pacing and story. Knocking a games score down just because you don't agree with the direction of the game or genre seems...bleh.

Basically, I disagree.
 
darkwings said:
I cant find a score for Halo ODST, but all three halo's has gotten 10/10 by gamereactor :lol (not by this guy though)

ODST was 8.

I don't see the funny side of giving the Halo games 10/10 (maybe Halo 2 is questionable due to the obvious campaign issues). Tough reviewing Edge, for example, gave Halo 3 a well deserved perfect score.
 
So according to this guy, for a game to score past an 8 it must present 'innovative' elements to the genre? What's wrong if you have the same formulas and concepts but with excellent quality and much more content and replay value?
 
BravoSuperStar said:
Yeah I want a more cut and dried approach I guess. This guy is mixing up his inner feelings of the direction he feels the industry should be moving with objectively reviewing a game.

And that is why I don't follow/ or care about ANY reviews :lol I make my own assessments. Occasionally I'll ask friends and once in a blue moon, I'll ask for GAF's opinion. No way in hell am I going to trust someone who's paid to do a review. Professional my ass. Professionals are supposed to make objectivity second to none. I'm not going to listen to someone who is paid to have an (or perhaps, paid to pretend to have a positive) opinion about something.

EDIT

I'm not sour about what this guy thinks about UC2 or MW2. If he doesn't think the game is that great so be it. In fact, I admire that he's taking a stand, expressing his feelings, and not just slapping a 9 or a 10 , like most other publications do.

All I'm saying, reviewers should focus on what the game has, not what could potentially have been put in. There are just too many "what ifs". You could go on forever and talk about what could have been...
 
I personally think reviewers tend to score too high these days, but it shouldn't matter as long as the text is honest. I think score-outrage is hilarious.
 
Nafai1123 said:
So you want more puzzles in your action-adventure game?

...go play puzzle games?

Honestly, the cinematic experience of U2 is exactly what made it so fucking amazing. Character development and having reasons for your actions is what made the player actually care about the characters. Adding long complex puzzle sections to appease the hardcore crowd wouldn't have improved the game, it would have fucked up the pacing and story. Knocking a games score down just because you don't agree with the direction of the game or genre seems...bleh.

Basically, I disagree.

Haven't played U2, but from what I have played of U1 the mixture of puzzles, exploration, etc was awesome. Is U2 not like U1 in that regard?

Edit: And just for fun...

You want more cinema in your games?

Go watch a movie ;)
 
Here are some scores from gamereactor, before you jump the guy/me , note that many of these reviews are written by other people on the staff, but still under the same magazine name that he owns / runs.




Mass Effect 2 l 10/10
Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid 10/10
Street Fighter IV 10/10
Killzone 2 10/10
Little Big Planet PS3 10/10
Grand Theft Auto IV 10/10
Mass Effect 10/10
Crysis 10/10
Super Mario Galaxy 10/10
The Orange Box 10/10
Halo 3 10/10
Final Fantasy XII 10/10
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 10/10
Gears of War 10/10
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 10/10
Civilization IV PC 10/10
Colin McRae Rally 3 10/10
Resident Evil 4 10/10
Half-Life 2 10/10
Halo 2 10/10
The Chronicles of Riddick BB 10/10
Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack 10/10
Halo: Combat Evolved 10/10
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 10/10
Grand Theft Auto 3 10/10
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10/10
Metroid Prime 10/10



So yea, I'm not comparing game X to Y to Z, BUT if youre that happy giving out tens ( let alone nines ) to all those " mainstream " games....


Atleast give credit where credit is due imo, and if youre a reasonable person you'll realize uncharted ranks well amongst those games
 
Nafai1123 said:
So you want more puzzles in your action-adventure game?

...go play puzzle games?

Honestly, the cinematic experience of U2 is exactly what made it so fucking amazing. Character development and having reasons for your actions is what made the player actually care about the characters. Adding long complex puzzle sections to appease the hardcore crowd wouldn't have improved the game, it would have fucked up the pacing and story. Knocking a games score down just because you don't agree with the direction of the game or genre seems...bleh.

Basically, I disagree.
He never said he wants puzzles, did he? I guess he wanted a more refined story with not so obvious twists, and maybe something different than those shooting arena". I also hate that "allright there comes some more cannon fooder" enemy spawning of U2 and MW2. Maybe he meant something like that.
 
Gotta say, I'm of like mind with this guy.

U2 disappointed me for the exact same reasons.

Get a thicker skin, bub. It's not easy to be right when your opinion is unpopular.
 
This guy is great, love the honesty.

Really it seems like games are basically "reviewed" way before they come out these days.

Really sad the way the industry has become.
 
Why doesn't the entire internet validate my bias?

This is crap and I hope Congress does follow through with their plans to regulate this kind of inflammatory garbage. Shouldn't the UN also be looking into this?

In related Variety news.

That's a much better idea. Just get rid of reviews entirely. Let's just keep rewording the press releases so we don't offend anybody.
 
EXGN said:
I hate to be "that guy", but they really gave Uncharted 2 and Just Cause 2 the same score?

The demo of Just Cause 2 was absolutely brilliant. Is there a reason they shouldn't get the same score?
 
Corky said:
Mass Effect 2 l 10/10
Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid 10/10
Street Fighter IV 10/10
Killzone 2 10/10
Little Big Planet PS3 10/10
Grand Theft Auto IV 10/10
Mass Effect 10/10
Crysis 10/10
Super Mario Galaxy 10/10
The Orange Box 10/10
Halo 3 10/10
Final Fantasy XII 10/10
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 10/10
Gears of War 10/10
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 10/10
Civilization IV PC 10/10
Colin McRae Rally 3 10/10
Resident Evil 4 10/10
Half-Life 2 10/10
Halo 2 10/10
The Chronicles of Riddick BB 10/10
Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack 10/10
Halo: Combat Evolved 10/10
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 10/10
Grand Theft Auto 3 10/10
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 10/10
Metroid Prime 10/10

if anything, this list proves that the guy has a great taste in gaming. calling him biased or incompetent wouldnt be justified.
 
Game announcement: ZOMG HOLY SHIT MEGATON CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Trailer: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! GOTMFY!!!! *posts 50 gifs of said trailer*

First review 10/10: FUCK YES! THIS IS GONNA BE SOOOO SWEET!

12th review 8/10: Wtf is this? Fuckhead probably didn't even play it. WHY SO LOW? Idiots. Fuck that shitty magazine/site.

6 months after game release: Yeah the game was pretty shit. I traded it in for *insert new game here* and it's way better. Can't believe it got 10/10 everywhere it's no where near that. Not even worth $60. Typical shitty game journalism getting caught up in the hype.

Game announcement: ZOMG HOLY SHIT MEGATON CAN'T WAIT!!!!
 
OnPoint said:
I personally think reviewers tend to score too high these days, but it shouldn't matter as long as the text is honest. I think score-outrage is hilarious.

I feel this way too.

I mean how many perfect games can you have in one generation?

I know a 10/10 doesn't mean its a perfect game, but the general idea behind it. I mean its harder to find complete stinkers nowadays.
 
selig said:
if anything, this list proves that the guy has a great taste in gaming. calling him biased or incompetent wouldnt be justified.
Anyone that disagrees with me is clearly a troll and a buffoon with terrible taste is gaming, and is a -insertconsole- fanboy to boot.
 
selig said:
if anything, this list proves that the guy has a great taste in gaming. calling him biased or incompetent wouldnt be justified.

oh I absolutely agree
 
Burger said:
I guess some people simply feel like a game is either a 1 or a 10, with no grey.
Reminds me, have not seen a game with <7 in a long time. Hate scores and hate the riot they can produce.
 
Perhaps Swedish gamers like their games to be more than just polish?

darkwings said:
I got the latest gamereactor magazine, and translated (loosely) this article (from swedish) which I thought was interesting.
I'm curious, did they always have two opinions on big games or is that a more recent change? I think you can see what I'm getting at.
 
CoD2:MW and Uncharted 2 were both memorable journeys through chaotic environment, it was like watching Hollywood -matinée with your thumb on the button. I understand that a wide audience like playing an interactive movie. But I want to play something else, I want to get challenged by more ways then by unlimited enemy soldiers that pops up everywhere in every direction. For me storylike matinée's and easy game mechanics isn't enough. I want to fight my wars and tear my hair apart by puzzles in Himalaya. An interactive movie isn't enough.

Which is exactly why I didn't buy either game. I like this guy, I'm gonna make a point to start reading him now.
 
selig said:
if anything, this list proves that the guy has a great taste in gaming. calling him biased or incompetent wouldnt be justified.

It's not often the lines of Civilization and Gears of War intersect. The guy loves a variety of games. That's the opposite of biased. How do people get that wrong? :lol
 
Darklord said:
Game announcement: ZOMG HOLY SHIT MEGATON CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Trailer: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! GOTMFY!!!! *posts 50 gifs of said trailer*

First review 10/10: FUCK YES! THIS IS GONNA BE SOOOO SWEET!

12th review 8/10: Wtf is this? Fuckhead probably didn't even play it. WHY SO LOW? Idiots. Fuck that shitty magazine/site.

6 months after game release: Yeah the game was pretty shit. I traded it in for *insert new game here* and it's way better. Can't believe it got 10/10 everywhere it's no where near that. Not even worth $60. Typical shitty game journalism getting caught up in the hype.

Game announcement: ZOMG HOLY SHIT MEGATON CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Usually not one for forced humor posts, but yeah I feel that this is pretty much the cycle of most major games this generation.

I think GTA IV, IMO, best exemplifies this.
 
The danish version of gamereactor used to be so great with harsh but fair scores, now it just seems completely random and with crazy fanboys running the place.
 
Darklord said:
Game announcement: ZOMG HOLY SHIT MEGATON CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Trailer: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!! GOTMFY!!!! *posts 50 gifs of said trailer*

First review 10/10: FUCK YES! THIS IS GONNA BE SOOOO SWEET!

12th review 8/10: Wtf is this? Fuckhead probably didn't even play it. WHY SO LOW? Idiots. Fuck that shitty magazine/site.

6 months after game release: Yeah the game was pretty shit. I traded it in for *insert new game here* and it's way better. Can't believe it got 10/10 everywhere it's no where near that. Not even worth $60. Typical shitty game journalism getting caught up in the hype.

Game announcement: ZOMG HOLY SHIT MEGATON CAN'T WAIT!!!!


Ha!!!

perfect
 
selig said:
if anything, this list proves that the guy has a great taste in gaming. calling him biased or incompetent wouldnt be justified.

....that list isn't the list of the games HE reviewed. That is just the perfect scoring games by various reviwers in the magazine.
 
I really think the growing Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic sentiment that a work's worth can somehow be objectively quantified into the correct number is damn scary. That by taking lots of opinions and putting it through an algorithm you can derive the correct one, and that anyone who disagrees is stupid and wrong is inane and dangerous. Really it only leads to more and more uniformity all round...
 
Nafai1123 said:
So you want more puzzles in your action-adventure game?

...go play puzzle games?

Honestly, the cinematic experience of U2 is exactly what made it so fucking amazing. Character development and having reasons for your actions is what made the player actually care about the characters. Adding long complex puzzle sections to appease the hardcore crowd wouldn't have improved the game, it would have fucked up the pacing and story. Knocking a games score down just because you don't agree with the direction of the game or genre seems...bleh.

Basically, I disagree.
Puzzles aren't exactly useless in Action-Adventures. In fact, puzzles are the element differenciating Action-Adventures from Action games. Imo this complaint can be totally valid. I can't judge on Uncharted 2, because I didn't play it, as it looks like a cinematic Action game - something I don't like at all. I don't want to say it's a valid complaint regarding Uncharte 2 per se, but it can definitely be.
 
Gravijah said:
Haven't played U2, but from what I have played of U1 the mixture of puzzles, exploration, etc was awesome. Is U2 not like U1 in that regard?

Edit: And just for fun...

You want more cinema in your games?

Go watch a movie ;)

U2 had some puzzles like the first. I would say that neither game had particularly complex puzzles though. I would say that creating likable characters requires a more cinematic approach, something I am all for. :P

derFeef said:
He never said he wants puzzles, did he? I guess he wanted a more refined story with not so obvious twists, and maybe something different than those shooting arena". I also hate that "allright there comes some more cannon fooder" enemy spawning of U2 and MW2. Maybe he meant something like that.

He said
I want to fight my wars and tear my hair apart by puzzles in Himalaya.
Personally, I do not want that. I want my games to be enjoyable, not frustrating. I understand the complaints about linearity and shooter galleries as it applies to COD, but I thought that U2 did a good job of allowing the player to approach situations in different ways (stealth, multiple paths, etc.) which made it much more enjoyable.
 
EXGN said:
I hate to be "that guy", but they really gave Uncharted 2 and Just Cause 2 the same score?
i hate to be "that other guy" but have you played the retail release of just cause 2 to completion and can accurately comment about the experience?
 
Penguin said:
Usually not one for forced humor posts, but yeah I feel that this is pretty much the cycle of most major games this generation.

I think GTA IV, IMO, best exemplifies this.
I'd say it's between MGS4 with the "6 months later - games crap" angle and the mad hype angle going to killzone2, although both sharing all the attributes listed in some manner.
 
darkwings said:
God of War III - 8 and 9


NOT A 10!!???? DOES THIS GUY NOT LEARN !!!!!!!


gahhhhhh.gif
 
Rustymonke said:
I really think the growing Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic sentiment that a work's worth can somehow be objectively quantified into the correct number is damn scary. That by taking lots of opinions and putting it through an algorithm you can derive the correct one, and that anyone who disagrees is stupid and wrong is inane and dangerous. Really it only leads to more and more uniformity all round...
Only people who think that are the ones looking to validate their opinions or make some ridiculous claim and then cite metacritic scores as "evidence". In other words, the idiots.
 
selig said:
Sorry to tell you, bro, but we´re losing that fight :(
I´ve been writing about this for years, but whenever you mention something like that, it´s inevitable to touch on some of the big, hyped games. Which are usually accompanied by a very vocal "fan"-following.

But yeah, I whole-heartedly agree. I´d love for games to become MORE interactive, instead of less. Story should be part of the gameplay or left in the background (see Mass Effect for the former, Zelda for the latter). Unfortunately, movie-like games are successful, even on "hardcore" communities like neogaf.

I second the thought of games being too movie-like.

I'm growing tired of playing epic, epic, epic games. Not every game has to be holywood like, and I feel like too many of them do nowadays.
 
Grayman said:
Uncharted, Killzone, and God of War are shallow theme park games. They manage to overcome this handicap but more gameplay substance would be a huge improvement.
Right. Let's start this off with:

Uncharted 2: <--- Anything BUT shallow. From the opening moments of this game you're immediately engrossed in your surroundings and the tone itself of Marco Polo's quote takes you back to U1 and defines the mystery and adventure of the series. Improved gun play, melee mechanics are all added in. Climbing up to the Monastery with Elena with the sun on your back? Fighting in the village to protect the villagers? The constant cat and mouse for the dagger? Theres so many more moments in this game that just shine. The only series even comparable in a well thought out and pretty strong plot is Mass Effect. More gameplay? You have tons of skins to replay the game with, in game medals and a ridiculously great multi-player on top of that. And lets not forget the awards that NaughtyDog received from their peers and not just reviewers. Anything but shallow.

Killzone: The games strongest point was its graphics, I'll give you that. But the multi-player was very well done apart from the constant tweaks and lag due to Guerrillas implementation. Rotating objectives that always kept you on your feet, squads, multiple roles, abilities etc. The only series you can say that is true thoughtful shooter is Half Life. Yes Rico is useless and you want to tear your hair out at times. But try taking Visari Square or escaping from Suljeva, the mech part alone was great. 600hours put in by FFObsessed and Lince is not shallow. it does need improvements and should get them for the sequel, but it's right up there game play wise with all the great shooters released this gen.

GOW: There's few action games that come close to GOW. Look at DMC for example, the shining star of the genre(well since 3 anyway) and you can see how similar they all are. Look at Bayonetta, just recently released and absolutely amazing, it's cheesy as hell! GOW has a pretty good plot, yeah it's all "rage" and ridiculous violence. But they've managed to carve a very compelling narrative to this point and climbing mount Olympus to take on the Gods in the final act? Few games come close to the scale and grandeur of GOW.

All of these games you've mentioned do their theme park rides while you're still engaged on screen. There's plenty of things one could harp on about them, but game play? Sorry, that's not true at all. A game has to be fun foremost.
 
But I want to play something else, I want to get challenged by more ways then by unlimited enemy soldiers that pops up everywhere in every direction. For me storylike matinée's and easy game mechanics isn't enough.


Give us Petter Hegewall's scores for some other games, so we can see whether or not this guy is full of shit.
 
Guess I played a different UC2 then this guy, the game was not some crazy arena shooter with unlimited enemies. There are many different types of gameplay, plus there are tons of of sections where you can stealth kill 4-5 people in the area and be on your way without them calling for reinforcements. He can have his opinion but I don't agree IMO UC2 is one of the greatest, and most well polished games ever created. Either way it got the recognition it deserved and it got way better sales then UC1, so please bring on UC3 :D
 
Nafai1123 said:
So you want more puzzles in your action-adventure game?

...go play puzzle games?

Honestly, the cinematic experience of U2 is exactly what made it so fucking amazing. Character development and having reasons for your actions is what made the player actually care about the characters. Adding long complex puzzle sections to appease the hardcore crowd wouldn't have improved the game, it would have fucked up the pacing and story. Knocking a games score down just because you don't agree with the direction of the game or genre seems...bleh.

Basically, I disagree.

Perhaps he's talking about the fact that blockbuster games don't always have to feel like you're playing Conan the Barbarian or Speed, you know.
 
Rabbitwork said:
i hate to be "that other guy" but have you played the retail release of just cause 2 to completion and can accurately comment about the experience?
the reviewers probably haven't either played the retail release to completion either.
 
CrushDance said:
GOW: There's few action games that come close to GOW. Look at DMC for example, the shining star of the genre(well since 3 anyway) and you can see how similar they all are. Look at Bayonetta, just recently released and absolutely amazing, it's cheesy as hell! GOW has a pretty good plot, yeah it's all "rage" and ridiculous violence. But they've managed to carve a very compelling narrative to this point and climbing mount Olympus to take on the Gods in the final act? Few games come close to the scale and grandeur of GOW.

You don't think GoW's preteen rage and "in the end there will only be chaos" schtick isn't totally cheesy and prepubescent? Hell, the fact that it's so juvenile is why I love GoW.
 
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