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[Art Vandilay]

That looks exactly like how my cousin plays Uncharted 4 for the first time. Man it was so painful to watch.

My girlfriend looks the same way trying to walk around in GTA. I can't help but cringe haha

 

[Kinyou]

Cars are not playthings.

I'd say that kind of depends on the car. People don't buy a Lamborghini for its usefulness.

 

[davepoobond]

there should be a skill level requirement to post on neogaf

 

[ItsTheNew]

there should be a skill level requirement to post on neogaf

1v1 me bro

 

[Glass Shark]

there should be a skill level requirement to post on neogaf

I can get on board with this

 

[Puruzi]

Has that person ever played a FPS?

 

[Not Spaceghost]

You expect reviews to basically be expert opinions who can tell you from their well formed opinion how a game will feel for a new comer, an intermediate player and an advanced player.

To have some one who can't grasp the basic concepts of the genre such as aiming properly is kind of a disservice for people who count on those reviews.

 

[Vex_]

oh my god stop quoting my post, i regret asking

No. You fucked up. Now own it.

So there needs to be a skill threshold for reviews?

YEA!

Spoiler

XD

 

[Stimpack]

such power

Brad reviews games, and he sucks!

 

[barit]

They play games as well as they write articles.

Oh noez, Man Puncher transformed into Ban Puncher

 

[Art Vandilay]

I can get on board with this

Nah, what about people with disabilities?

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

So there needs to be a skill threshold for reviews?

Yes

 

[RawNuts]

there should be a skill level requirement to post on neogaf

i tak ofence 2 tis

 

[georly]

I don't think anyone is saying they don't have the right to do it. Just that it's a pretty poor decision to do so because then the review isnt doing it's job very well.

A person who is competent at a genre of game can at least do his best two describe the game for both newcomers and veterans, as that person has been both a newcomer and a veteran to the genre. A person who has never played a game in the genre before is only going to be helpful to others who have never played the genre before. It's a limited analysis and I don't see the point in ever using it.

I do think that someone who is skilled at games can provide a better review than one that is not, but it doesn't hurt to have multiple opinions on something from multiple perspectives, either.

In this case, what if I'm as bad at video games as the reviewer, but still enjoy games? Maybe if he likes it, it might mean I might like it, despite not being great at dual joystick FPS games.

Sometimes, when you're skilled at games you forget how counterintuitive/difficult a game can be for some audiences and your review may not accurately reflect whether it's as approachable as you think it is.

I think it's a somewhat safe assumption that most gamers seeking game reviews have some level of skill on par or equal to a reviewer, so most of this is inconsequential, but to say an unskilled reviewer SHOULDN'T be doing reviews or that the reviews aren't VALUABLE to someone is a bit dismissive.

Just know who is writing the review and, if you can, be aware of their skill level in games and take that into account when reading it. If you dislike the level of transparency a reviewer is giving you (no details on difficulty, no insight into their play method, etc), you have a right to ignore that reviewer from here on out, as well.

 

[gunslikewhoa]

Is it even fair to 'judge' someone's play on a 'first 30min gameplay' footage?

Like I've been playing on a xb1 pad most of the past few years on pc, and my aiming in Uncharted 4 for the first hour or so was about as bad as it gets trying to get used to 30fps and those ps4 sticks again.


Like if this was the 'final mission' footage, then maybe you should be worried.

Watch the video.

 

[Htown]

Yeah, it's really not a Polygon specific thing. It's especially bad when it comes to racing games. This is from a video of someone at Gamespot playing GT6 at TGS

This looks like a person who doesn't drive in real life.

Like, they might have gotten a license back in the day, but 90 percent of the time they commute by bus or train and catch cabs or ubers the rest of the time.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

There are people that will play that don't know how to play games and they deserve representation in reviews.

 

[cameron]

That is pretty rough.

If the other gameplay videos are fine, and this Doom video is just an oddity, perhaps Polygon will take note that some of their viewers do care about their preview footage (or whatever type of content this was).

oh my god stop quoting my post, i regret asking

Which post?

So there needs to be a skill threshold for reviews?

This one?

 

[GodofWine]

I got the impression (from skimming the video) that trying to look at:

AI
Graphics
Textures
Sound
Effects
Controls
Etc
etc

to write a review, probably really makes you play a game poorly..if they just went guns blazing and played it as well as every GAFFer would (surely), they'd miss a lot of the things they are probably looking to critique..BUT...

Is any of that really important if the game is fun? Therefore, don't buy at launch ever, and wait a week to read user opinions.

 

[Mooreberg]

That is dreadful. I feel sorry for developers when the content of their game is butchered like this. At least get somebody who knows what they are doing.

 

[MisterR]

That depends entirely on the content of the review in my opinion. If my review focuses on addressing visual or narrative elements then I'm uncertain why my experience with a genre would matter so long as I was able to progress through it. If I want to know how the game feels to a pro-gamer™ then I'll specifically seek a review from one.

My guess would be, if you suck at a game and you're getting killed constantly, you're going to be more inclined to dislike that game?

 

[Geek]

Again, this is not the reviewer playing the game in that 30 minute video.

 

[Interfectum]

Thought this would be overblown since a lot of people here hate Polygon but... oh boy. Was the dude playing with his feet?

 

[Gattsu25]

This looks like a person who doesn't drive in real life.

Like, they might have gotten a license back in the day, but 90 percent of the time they commute by bus or train and catch cabs or ubers the rest of the time.

Or someone used to driving at 30 MPH who is struggling to account for how different a vehicle feels while driving at 90+MPH

 

[Mr Git]

To be fair, I know a lot of fairly seasoned FPS players who struggle like this with controllers. You have to wonder (or actually research for the less lazy) whether this person was expecting a PC copy and got a console one instead.

I just stood up for Polygon. I'm apparently undergoing some changes.

 

[gunslikewhoa]

No, this is someone who writes (or creates video or similar), it's a creative job, not a professional gamer.
You might expect a high level of skill from this person, but it isn't their job to play games. Thier job is journalism (or at least the enthusiast press version, not necessarily investigative reporting)

Actually, I think all that we're expecting is a minimal level of akill here.

 

[Maxim726X]

Oh good, another stupid reason to reinforce people's misguided hate for Polygon.

I don't see how this is stupid at all.

It would be like asking someone who doesn't watch movies to review them. You want someone who at least has some experience watching/reviewing movies to be involved in the review of a movie... Otherwise, what's the point?

Sure. you'll get an opinion. Not a very worthwhile one, though.

 

[suddenlyissoon]

Looks a lot like me going back to a console and trying to play an FPS with a controller after all these years of PC gaming.

 

[NexusGamer]

There are actually people in this topic trying to make the argument that it shouldn't matter if a professional game reviewer has any skill at actually playing games. This is a thing that is happening.

We deserve every ounce of bullshit the industry (devs and press alike) shovels down our throats if this is what it's come to.

you said it

 

[JesseEwiak]

My guess would be, if you suck at a game and you're getting killed constantly, you're going to be more inclined to dislike that game?

Explain the popularity of the Souls series, then? Sorry, obvious joke, but it was pitch thrown right down the middle.

 

[Puruzi]

So there needs to be a skill threshold for reviews?

Yes, why would you ever take a review from someone that can't play the game seriously?

What a weird question.

 

[ItsTheNew]

I too, no longer care where reviews or information comes from, no matter how uninformed or unsuitable.

 

[KatamariOnTheRocks]

To your first part, from what I've seen, there's a definite lean on GAF toward people in their early to mid 20's.

As for the rest, ignoring the fact this isn't somebody reviewing the game, that sure you could do that in your own home, paying attention to the game. Now, the question is, could you do that on video while also putting forth informative and entertaining patter about the game. Not that this is that specific thing, but most of the "omg video game journalsits sucks at game" videos are usually video where the main goal of the video is talking about the game, not being the best at the game.

I guess it depends on what threads we each check out.

For the second part, even in those circumstances, if you're good at games you still will be just like if you suck at games you'll suck even more under those circumstances.

When I try games out for the first time at PAX I'm always having an active conversation with the Devs and always have multiple questions that I ask during my playthrough. I've even had people record my session to use for promo material because they said how much better my playthrough looked than most people that they demo the game to. If you lookup some footage of Duck Game on steam, that's footage of me playing at Pax East that the Dev recorded because of how well I was doing.

Whether the point of the video is to show off a skilled player or just to show off the potential the game has, it is to be expected that the person that's playing is good at games in general and 99% of the people that play games for footage are simply not good at games at all.

 

[Brokun]

WHAT DO

 

[Mega]

oh my god stop quoting my post, i regret asking

It's an important question that comes up early in the first page and you're the first one to ask it, so yeah... lots of quotes. Don't feel annoyed.

 

[PillarEN]

This looks like a person who doesn't drive in real life.

Like, they might have gotten a license back in the day, but 90 percent of the time they commute by bus or train and catch cabs or ubers the rest of the time.

No no. I drive and suck complete ass at realistic driving simulators. Like absolute garbage. I'd also never dare review one because the only thing I could say is "I couldn't win but it looks pretty. 3/10"

 

[Htown]

Or someone used to driving at 30 MPH who is struggling to account for how different a vehicle feels while driving at 90+MPH

No no. I drive and suck complete ass at realistic driving simulators. Like absolute garbage. I'd also never dare review one because the only thing I could say is "I couldn't win but it looks pretty. 3/10"

You know what? That's fair.

 

[dyergram]

Arthur getting more leaves tatood on his arm while he plays. Seriously this is how I play when I'm smoking lol.

 

[J-Rzez]

There are people defending this, a site that reviews games, where gameplay is a major part of a game's review. Lol.

I dismissed polygon a while ago, hopefully even more do now as well. These are the people that review games folks. Granted not all seem to be this damn laughably awful, but I've seen many questionable videos throughout the years.

I mean, unless it's a joke and it's a potato playing this that is.

 

[Vex_]

There are actually people in this topic trying to make the argument that it shouldn't matter if a professional game reviewer has any skill at actually playing games. This is a thing that is happening.

We deserve every ounce of bullshit the industry (devs and press alike) shovels down our throats if this is what it's come to.

my dude

 

[JesseEwiak]

I guess it depends on what threads we each check out.

For the second part, even in those circumstances, if you're good at games you still will be just like if you suck at games you'll suck even more under those circumstances.

When I try games out for the first time at PAX I'm always having an active conversation with the Devs and always have multiple questions that I ask during my playthrough. I've even had people record my session to use for promo material because they said how much better my playthrough looked than most people that they demo the game to. If you lookup some footage of Duck Game on steam, that's footage of me playing at Pax East that the Dev recorded because of how well I was doing.

Whether the point of the video is to show off a skilled player or just to show off the potential the game has, it is to be expected that the person that's playing is good at games in general and 99% of the people that play games for footage are simply not good at games at all.

Obviously, you're just a fantastic player of video games. The thing is, I and most people would rather read or listen to somebody who may be mediocre at video games who is entertaining and thoughful than somebody who is awesome at video games, but boring or annoying as hell to listen or read.

Like, the guys at Giantbomb, by NeoGAF standards, are mediocre at game, as any thread about them playing a game will make sure to mention. But, give me them playing a game over some Youtuber with a perfect k/d ratio any day of the week.

 

[Nyoro SF]

You think this is bad, you should see how reviewers play fighting games before release.

I remember one event where Combofiend (Capcom rep) brought SFV to some dudes at IGN or something, and it was the most painful gameplay I've ever seen on video. Dunno why game journalists mash buttons so hard on fighters, it's not like you mash them like crazy when you play any other game. It's like their IQ drops by 100 points.

 

[John Kowalski]

That's how i play console fps these days. Overwatch was my first in a long time and it took me a long while to get going.

 

[Maxim726X]

That's how i play console fps these days. Overwatch was my first in a long time and it took me a long while to get going.

Okay, but you're not getting paid to review it.

I don't think it's unfair to demand a certain level of competence in the medium you are being paid to cover/review...

 

[Deleted member 325805]

There are people defending this, a site that reviews games, where gameplay is a major part of a game's review. Lol.

I dismissed polygon a while ago, hopefully even more do now as well. These are the people that review games folks. Granted not all seem to be this damn laughably awful, but I've seen many questionable videos throughout the years.

I mean, unless it's a joke and it's a potato playing this that is.

It would be like a food critic going to a restaurant and spilling the food down their shirt and licking it off, then basing their review off what they tasted from their collar.

 

[Bronetta]

Obviously, you're just a fantastic player of video games. The thing is, I and most people would rather read or listen to somebody who may be mediocre at video games who is entertaining and thoughful than somebody who is awesome at video games, but boring or annoying as hell to listen or read.

Like, the guys at Giantbomb, by NeoGAF standards, are mediocre at game, as any thread about them playing a game will make sure to mention. But, give me them playing a game over some Youtuber with a perfect k/d ratio any day of the week.

You do that, dear. Being good at video games and being entertaining/thoughtful isn't mutually exclusive.

 

[Interfectum]

"I rigged my Kinect to play Doom, here's the video."

 

[TM94]

There are people that will play that don't know how to play games and they deserve representation in reviews.

They don't deserve anything.

Scum is what they are.

 

[JesseEwiak]

It would be like a food critic going to a restaurant and spilling the food down their shirt and licking it off, then basing their review off what they tasted from their collar.

No, it's more like at a site that reviews food, asking the guy that doesn't like Mexican to try a burrito as part of the overall coverage while still having the guy who actually likes Mexican food review the burrito at the end of the day all while Mexico food purists complain that they gave a burrito to somebody who doesn't like Mexican food and dared to film it.

 

[Adam_Vania]

So there needs to be a skill threshold for reviews?

a professional reviewer should be competent in the field they are working. everybody on the planet can have an opinion on something, but professional reviewers are good because they have an INFORMED opinion on something.

if someone is being paid to write about books/movies/art/food then they aren't going to be a random nobody with zero experience unless it's a case of nepotism and they just got the job cos they know someone.

i mean i guess these reviewers could pay someone more qualified to play the game for them and then write the review on that experience but that wouldn't be useful at all for conveying the experience of actually playing the game.