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[Manmademan]

How does her not liking the game make the review itself poor? And what consensus? Was this review posted long after the others? Because if it wasn't, how could the writer have any idea what this consensus was such that she needed to justify it? How would she know that her opinion was going to differ so much?

(I also disagree with the need to justify it, and I think people would just be picking on that justification if it was there, but...)

Let me put it this way. Consensus exists because the vast majority of reviewers are picking up on the same things about the game (or the movie, or the book) and crediting those things appropriately. How does it control? How is the voice acting? How is the story? How does it perform technically?

taking everything into account, virtually every review is falling somewhere between 8 and 10. generally "very good to great" territory.

If you have one review that manages to play through the same game and give it a 5- which by USgamer's standards is a failing grade- then either that reviewer missed the positives that everyone else happened to notice, or doesn't consider those things relevant in reviewing the game. Neither one of those things is positive. Is it POSSIBLE to have a review that significantly diverges from consensus but still be valid? Sure. But the case for that isn't made here. Everything that goes into making a game worth playing seems to have gone out of the window in favor of "I don't care about this character" which is the exact same complaint that happened with "I am setsuna" which was ALSO well below consensus in her review. This isn't an isolated incident, this is how that woman rates games.

Who's this we that thinks acting like that is a rational and mature way to behave? It sure doesn't include me. The way people whine about IGN's reviews, years apart, with different reviewers, annoys the hell out of me. There's nothing to "excuse" because there was little to no problem to begin with. The fact that people still do it all this time later is embarrassing, not a sign that everyone should get in line. (Particularly as certain people have decided to use those same reviews to complain about good indie games getting praise, but I digress.)

Furthermore: I love God Hand. God Hand's fucking weird. I can see why someone gave it a 4. In general, I love a lot of game that are janky messes and I can see why people review them badly. "Good" is subjective. We may enjoy different things. If you really do not enjoy a thing you might have a hard time seeing the "good" in it that I love. And I should not need to keep literally everyone else in the world in mind when writing about my feelings on a game.

Then we have nothing to discuss really, since the IGN 4.0 and 2.0 scores on those two games weren't defensible. enjoy your day.

 

[Jawbreaker]

There cant be a horizon thread without zelda in it, they are like pommes and ketchup.

It'll be another Bloodborne versus Witcher 3 situation. Vaguely similar, quality titles that happened to release in close proximity.

 

[Symbiotx]

Why is this about Zelda now? Can we leave that to the other 32 switch threads?

 

[icespide]

- but killzone bad
- zelda
- ubisoft but prettier

these will be common themes in the thread, best to accept it now or you'll just stress yourself out

 

[onemanasylum]

Why does it bother you or matter? I don't see this kinda complaining in battlefield games when cod is mentioned.

Because that's how a thread gets derailed.

 

[TalentAlwaysWins]

Why is there so much Zelda talk?

Because "Ubisoft like" isn't an excuse for the concerned anymore.

 

[Arkage]

Differently informed, and no less valid

Someone who loves a genre loving a game in that genre is as just as informative as someone who doesn't always like the genre (or who hasn't it click for them yet) liking a game in that genre. It offers a different perspective on why the game is great

It is differently informed, but "valid" doesn't really mean anything. What does "valid" mean in terms of "opinion"? I hate country music, so if I review a country album and say it's garbage I can still claim my opinion is valid, right? I'm not saying this is what the USGamer review did, but I'm taking your position to it's logical endgame.

I think most people tie validity into their trust in a reviewer. And that trust is built up by the reviewer being able to speak intelligently about a game or genre, and to be able to critique aspects of it that others would likely agree with. It's a kind of collective subjectivity that takes the place of objectivity. Since the reviewer for USGamer has very little history of reviews, and seems to always be treading significantly lower in her scores than the average, it gives the implication that her opinion isn't going to be "valid" for the average gamer. Maybe her review will be valid with those who generally have a negative outlook on games in general, but that crowd is certainly an outlier.

 

[Unknown?]

My biggest worry was story and boring fetch Quest missions like Skyrim and other boring open world games. Looks like those aren't a problem except for some side missions. I'm pleasantly surprised this turned out so fantastic!

 

[RadarScope1]

People need to let up on her review. I know it's shocking, but people have different opinions on things.

Exactly. Gamers are nutty in this way. I read the review. She simply felt it's a so-so game. People have differing views. For example, I just finished Inside and felt it was quite dull and mediocre. I'm an outlier on that. I'm not upset about it, and others shouldn't be either.

 

[TheRealTalker]

- but killzone bad
- zelda
- ubisoft but prettier

these will be common themes in the thread, best to accept it now or you'll just stress yourself out

you should've seen the non spoiler impression thread and the Engadget one

this thread seems more tame seeing as the reviews are finally out

 

[Neonep]

I expect low 90s. I can't see it scoring below a 90.

I can agree with this.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

It's because no one said Ubisoft again.

Hey guys, I heard it was like a really good Ubisoft game.

oh you lol .

 

[The Lamp]

I mean I knew this what happen in this thread ones the reviews coming through started slowing down. Mods should just start banning at any mention of Zelda now. There's really no point to this thread anymore. I can't even talk about the game without seeing a shit load of unrelated posts in this thread. It's always the fucking comparisons to other games and a low review score that ruins threads like these.

Well, games don't exist in a vacuum. It's not unreasonable to compare games or features between games. Nobody actively avoids comparing Call of Duty to Battlefield, or Yooka-Laylee to Banjo Kazooie.

The problem is that I can think of like 5 other games Horizon resembles more than Zelda.

 

[MKIL65]

Why is there so much Zelda talk?

 

[Fisty]

Must... resist... hype...

I seriously don't have time for another game. I'm beyond full at this point.

 

[Aizen.S.Kennedy]

Because that's how a thread gets derailed.

Comparing games doesn't derail threads. It's how people go about it. I'd say all the snarky " gotta bring up Zelda/ Ubisoft" har har post derail it more or just as much.

 

[LotusHD]

Why does it bother you or matter? I don't see this kinda complaining in battlefield games when cod is mentioned.

You really don't understand why it's annoying for virtually every Horizon thread to derail into comparing it against a game it ultimately doesn't have much in common with?

---

Like I said before, this rivalry persisting till 2018 lol

 

[WordsintheWater]

I just don't understand that when a game has absolutely glowing near perfect scores as the vast majority that one particular outlier bothers some people so much. just let it go

It's pretty strange, some people are infatuated with that 90 overall I believe.

 

[DecoReturns]

You could easily just ignored the Zelda talk.

Dont keep the conversation going. I'll stop too.

 

[Loudninja]

Speaking of gameplay hours, Guerrilla Games claims Horizon Zero Dawn’s main missions will take roughly 30 hours to complete. However, my guess is nearly double that, as the main missions contain a significant amount of depth. I could very well be off in my estimates, as I typically take the Sunday stroll approach to completing games, but I’m convinced the total time is more than the 30-hour mark. The side missions and story elements, on the other hand, will easily stretch your entire session to at least the 60 hour mark, even if you blaze through this thing like a total boss. This game has a massive amount of content and replayability, both of which complement a solid set of controls and an even more impressive world.

http://www.cheatcc.com/ps4/rev/horizonzerodawnreview2.html

 

[Karish]

People embarrassing themselves in this thread re one or two bad reviews

 

[Not]

Holy shit those are some amazing reviews. Sounds like it's almost universally liked.

 

[Skeeter49]

Nailing side missions for the most part is really good for a new IP/ first attempt at an RPG.

 

[ironcreed]

People have being saying how crazy their random encounters are

http://kotaku.com/horizon-zero-dawn-the-kotaku-review-1792538336

Incredible game. The world is going to feel so alive.

 

[sirap]

a friend of mine told me he cried from watching the zelda trailer.

There was an entire thread full of gaffers bawling and shaking like they just had the biggest nut in their life.

I mean, I thought the trailer was neat but god damn.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

You really don't understand why it's annoying for virtually every Horizon thread to derail into comparing it against a game it ultimately doesn't have much in common with?

---

Like I said before, this rivalry persisting till 2018 lol

I like how it's now o just ignore it games get compared. Going to be a whole different tune from certain ppl when the reverse happens. Thread is about Horizon the Zelda thread will be for Zelda. Every single thread turning into a comparison is not cool

 

[BTA]

Let me put it this way. Consensus exists because the vast majority of reviewers are picking up on the same things about the game (or the movie, or the book) and crediting those things appropriately. How does it control? How is the voice acting? How is the story? How does it perform technically?

taking everything into account, virtually every review is falling somewhere between 8 and 10. generally "very good to great" territory.

If you have one review that manages to play through the same game and give it a 5- which by USgamer's standards is a failing grade- then either that reviewer missed the positives that everyone else happened to notice, or doesn't consider those things relevant in reviewing the game. Neither one of those things is positive. Is it POSSIBLE to have a review that significantly diverges from consensus but still be valid? Sure. But the case for that isn't made here. Everything that goes into making a game worth playing seems to have gone out of the window in favor of "I don't care about this character" which is the exact same complaint that happened with "I am setsuna" which was ALSO well below consensus in her review. This isn't an isolated incident, this is how that woman rates games.

Is it possible that she just, y'know, cared more about certain aspects than others?

 

[Jawbreaker]

http://www.cheatcc.com/ps4/rev/horizonzerodawnreview2.html

The game's length is perfect for me. I'm glad they eschewed a lot of the bloat that exists in your average open world titles.

 

[Loudninja]

Incredible game. The world is going to feel so alive.

Yeah I love stuff like this.

 

[Aizen.S.Kennedy]

You really don't understand why it's annoying for virtually every Horizon thread to derail into comparing it against a game it ultimately doesn't have much in common with?

---

Like I said before, this rivalry persisting till 2018 lol

Id say it has as much in common as any other game that gets compared to other games on gaf. Cod an battlefield has very few things in common but that is somehow fine an not an issue an I promise that both come up in every single thread about eachother. If it's a derail the mods will say so n stomp it out until then 🤷🏿*♂️

 

[Not]

Guys this game is nooooothing like Zelda

You run around in an open world-- wow

You can enjoy both. If it goes beyond that, "console rivalry" is the most grade school thing I've ever heard of.

 

[Solo]

So I just got my PS4 last month. It came with Uncharted 4 and I bought Bloodborne. My next purchase will be Horizon. Is it possible that my first 3 games on the system will be GAF's GOTY for 2015, 2016, and 2017? Sony killing it with these exclusives.

 

[Neonep]

All retailers should break street date on this and release it instores NOW and ship out the online orders TODAY!! We need this game in out hands NOW!!!

 

[DecoReturns]

I've been pronouncing Aloy wrong the whole time.

 

[Ricker]

LOL...sadly,we will get one week of this.Like many said,I whish this game would come out tomorrow ;P

 

[LifeBrandRobot]

UC4 sits on a 93 Metascore and it got a 4/10 from a reviewer. These things happen, best to let it go.

 

[icespide]

Is it possible that she just, y'know, cared more about certain aspects than others?

won't someone think of the consensus??!!

 

[Branson]

So I just got my PS4 last month. It came with Uncharted 4 and I bought Bloodborne. My next purchase will be Horizon. Is it possible that my first 3 games on the system will be GAF's GOTY for 2015, 2016, and 2017? Sony killing it with these exclusives.

Honestly the exclusives for each console are pretty great so you would have a good experience with any of them right now if you just stuck with exclusives.

 

[Not]

I've been pronouncing Aloy wrong the whole time.

Lol you didn't watch any of the footage?

 

[NullPointer]

Because both have an open world map and a bow and arrows... I think.

So Horizon is basically Far Cry 3? Got it ;p

 

[The God]

Well then it must've been my imagination when bandits got rekt by drowners in the swamps or when 2 patrolling guards repelled a wolf pack near a refugee camp.

Sure, the npcs interact on a rare chance but that's not the same thing as what people are describing with Horizon. You'd never see a griffin swoop in and carry off a horse or something like that

 

[gundamkyoukai]

The problem with early reviews is the waiting game when you find out how good the game is.
I have nioh to tied me over but i already put so much time in it already .

 

[amstradcpc]

Exactly. Gamers are nutty in this way. I read the review. She simply felt it's a so-so game. People have differing views. For example, I just finished Inside and felt it was quite dull and mediocre. I'm an outlier on that. I'm not upset about it, and others shouldn't be either.

I dont like that game neither but if i had to review it i wouldnt give it a very low score. I realize its quality.
That reviewer in concrete seems to like visual novels/anime stuff and should recognize when to give good/decent scores to good/decent games far from those traces.

 

[shandy706]

There cant be a horizon thread without zelda in it, they are like pommes and ketchup.

My Master Sword Statue and Aloy Statue are going to hang out with each other.

 

[Aizen.S.Kennedy]

I like how it's now o just ignore it games get compared. Going to be a whole different tune from certain ppl when the reverse happens. Thread is about Horizon the Zelda thread will be for Zelda. Every single thread turning into a comparison is not cool

He is replying to me.. an I assure u idc about Zelda at all.. so nah same tune over here. An the ppl who will care in the Zelda thread aren't saying o just ignore it... I am. Unless u got some quotes from others in this thread you ain't talking bout nothin.

 

[M.W.]

I've been pronouncing Aloy wrong the whole time.

Alloy?

It's A-LOY right?

 

[LifeBrandRobot]

So I just got my PS4 last month. It came with Uncharted 4 and I bought Bloodborne. My next purchase will be Horizon. Is it possible that my first 3 games on the system will be GAF's GOTY for 2015, 2016, and 2017? Sony killing it with these exclusives.

Depends if your order for Horizon doesn't get delivered until after Persona 5 comes out

 

[Ricker]

I've been pronouncing Aloy wrong the whole time.

I pronounce it like a composant/metal ,some alloy...is that not how its said...?

 

[KLoWn]

Does anyone know the song that plays at the end of the Easy Allies review?

Here it is

 

[paragonpro]

Im so happy to see the posotive scores, the game looks absolutley fantastic and its gonna be one hell of a long week.
One quuestion though, and im not trying to disturb the shit or be a troll, im actually looking for a real answer, why does one low review in a sea of high ones make some people upset, also why do people get really worked up over meta scores? Im looking for a real answer. That quote from Brian Altano makes me really happy about my ps4 pro and 4k hdr tv purchase rn, cant wait to get this on my screen.