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[NullPointer]

Most of what I'm reading in the reviews, which I am sure were meant as criticisms, are making me want to play this game even more.

This makes perfect sense.

If you know what you like then you can get something out of both positive and negative reviews. Maybe the reasons a game is getting lambasted are the very reasons that draw you to it in the first place.

Which is part of the reason I don't understand the fuss when it comes to reviews in general, even the harsh ones. People who are truly interested in The Order will still pick it up, but maybe their expectations will be more grounded. People who thought The Order looked half-baked in the gameplay or longevity department have more information to justify skipping it. This is all fine.

I enjoyed Ryse and Knack, both games that I picked up after all the reviews had come out. The reviews helped me calibrate expectations, but didn't stop me from enjoying those games one bit, nor should they stop anyone else who thinks that a game could be worth their time, even if its not worth it for many (or even most) others.

 

[Laughing Banana]

You can rent it, or borrow it from a friend. I think majority of the people who like the game are going to try it and buy it whichever way they can to form their own opinion.

The majority is only concerned with the YouTube video and journalists reviews before they even attempted to play the game for themselves to see if maybe, just maybe the game is really as bad as it seems. Which a lot of people who keep saying the same stuff, has not done.

Seeing Youtube videos/reviews is a legit method in formulating an opinion about a game, especially if the "have you played it" sentiment is barred by a price barrier that not all of us are willing or able to overcome.

And rent/borrow is not always an available solution.

 

[joecanada]

Bro i know its CoD so its cool to hate on it but AW is a good game. CoD gunplay mechanics to this day is still 2nd to none imo. It runs at 60 fps, looks fantastic, tight gameplay. You can't compare that to mediocrity like Order 1886.

I've played hundreds of hours of every cod except aw, the lag ruins the entire mp, hit detection is a joke. I played this for one week it's an absolute waste of money. The order I Haven't played.

 

[Chobel]

Next time you so called """""journalists""""" want to review a game, here are some helpful pointers from me, the man on "the streets":

• Divide a game into six different categories: Graphics, Sound, Gameplay, Presentation, Replayability, and GamePro Face. Each of these scientific and objective scores should be then combined via an algorithm that mathematicians still aren't sure is real. If the final score doesn't match your opinion, that's proof that you were biased. This mathematical standard will hold up pretty well until a game I think I'll like is reviewed poorly under it, and then we'll need to restart all over again.
  
• Review a game for what it is, not what it isn't. If you state that the game isn't good, then that's pretty unfair to the developers, who might not have wanted to make a good game.
  
• Consider that by criticizing a game, you're criticizing every game in that genre by extension, and telling the developers not to bother making any game remotely like it ever again. Logically, it follows that we'll eventually reach a point where no games will ever be made again, and that's bad because I want to preorder more of them as soon as they're announced.
  
• Imagine the feelings of the developers. Be fair and criticize them, but not as much as you're thinking about criticizing about them, however much that is. That's too much. Remember that developers have families to feed. Imagine if reviewing a game poorly caused ISIS to besiege the developer's town. Imagine if the developers joined ISIS to make money because now their studio is shut down. Didn't think about that, did ya.

 

[hipbabboom]

Are game reviewers running up and snatching copies of the game from potential consumers hands though?

You say it should be the consumer's choice on what they do regarding the Order. What if the consumer chooses to solicit the opinion of a reviewer and base their purchasing decision off of that?

Why is that so illegitimate a decision?

So all reviews for consumer goods are garbage? I like how you quoted my post and didn't actually reply to it - if this is some elaborate troll joke I'm not getting it.

Part of your post was built on the premises made a bad analogy to colonialism so i quoted you because i wanted to acknowledge you and correct myself. I don't think reviews are garbage but I've found that I'm sometimes surprised by something when I through the caution of there into the wind and experience it for myself. This is of course with things that are heavily based on subjective observation of others and even then, its not something that one can always afford to do. I made my case in a general sense but its up to each persons circumstances to chose when they want to learn of something for themselves.

 

[Scrulox]

But did you play it yet? You've heard what others have said. But have you played it yet?

What does that have to do with anything? I need to judge a game based on others' opinions in order to decide whether I should buy it or not. Just like how a lot of people
make decisions on restaurants, movies, vacations, stocks, which university to go to and which cellphone to buy. People have been making decisions and forming opinions based on others' opinions for thousand of years in almost all aspects of their lives. You should just deal with it.

 

[IvorB]

That is a terrible guideline for writing reviews. If you want a checklist of what the game does and doesn't offer then look no further than gamefaqs user reviews. Not incidentally, they're extraordinarily boring to read through.

There's a reason that professional critics of every entertainment medium don't do this. Now you can argue that video games don't deserve the same critical treatment as film, music, or television, but frankly I applaud Eurogamer for being the only (save Gameological/AV Club) online publication that hires competent writers.

Yes, games are art but they are also software. They have functions that we interact with and have use for. I'm not saying games can't be analysed critically as any art form is. I'm just saying that in a review for the purposes of informing players' buying decisions there should be far more focus on the utility of games as a piece of software that has actual functionality that dictates how much enjoyment we get from it.

Games are art. It is impossible to be objective about a game's quality for this very reason.

I've read the Eurogamer review. They describe the story as trite and underdeveloped, the shooting sections as bland and barely adequate, and the QTEs/handholding as frustrating and immersion-breaking. Were you expecting a treatise on the mechanics of a third person cover shooter, a genre which has been popular for over for a decade, for a game that does nothing new in that regard?

Eurogamer has an objective review of the technical components of The Order, in their Digital Foundry section.

Edit: I really hope no one is taking hipbabboom seriously.

I don't need a treatise on TPS genre but I would hope to come away from a review knowing how the cover system is implemented and how it works. Maybe know how the AI is and whether it scales with difficulty etc etc.

 

[danm999]

Part of your post was built on the premises made a bad analogy to colonialism so i quoted you because i wanted to acknowledge you and correct myself. I don't think reviews are garbage but I've found that I'm sometimes surprised by something when I through the caution of there into the wind and experience it for myself. This is of course with things that are heavily based on subjective observation of others and even then, its not something that one can always afford to do. I made my case in a general sense but its up to each persons circumstances to chose when they want to learn of something for themselves.

So, like how a review works.

 

[QaaQer]

This makes perfect sense.

If you know what you like then you can get something out of both positive and negative reviews. Maybe the reasons a game is getting lambasted are the very reasons that draw you to it in the first place.

Which is part of the reason I don't understand the fuss when it comes to reviews in general, even the harsh ones. People who are truly interested in The Order will still pick it up, but maybe their expectations will be more grounded. People who thought The Order looked half-baked in the gameplay or longevity department have more information to justify skipping it. This is all fine.

I enjoyed Ryse and Knack, both games that I picked up after all the reviews had come out. The reviews helped me calibrate expectations, but didn't stop me from enjoying those games one bit, nor should they stop anyone else who thinks that a game could be worth their time, even if its not worth it for many (or even most) others.

What difficulty did you play knack on? I picked it up for $10 last week.

 

[Armaros]

What does that have to do with anything? I need to judge a game based on others' opinions in order to decide whether I should buy it or not. Just like how a lot of people
make decisions on restaurants, movies, vacations, stocks, which university to go to and which cellphone to buy. People have been making decisions and forming opinions based on others' opinions for thousand of years in almost all aspects of their lives. You should just deal with it.

Its the basis for how our consumer based economy works...since everyone cant afford to try every product out for themselves to see if its worth using.

 

[Ishan]

hmm was expecing 70s to 80s metacritic for this ... best case uc1 type reviews ... but pared my hype levels down after watching some walkthroughs

(irrespective of gaf opinions to the contrary as amirox has pointed out early gaf impressions are still from enthusiasts who are keen on the game and thus somewhat biased often ... not always but most of the time) ...

did not expect 65 and the unprofessional jokes from the gaming media community. I agree with what jim said this may be a half baked game but the pieces are in place for a great sequel. hoping rad gets to make a sequel. They did seem very excited about this project just seems they had to cut down on their ambitions and ended up throwing too many things away (gameplay,mechanics,story) along the dev process.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Seeing Youtube videos/reviews is a legit method in formulating an opinion about a game, especially if the "have you played it" sentiment is barred by a price barrier that not all of us are willing or able to overcome.

And rent/borrow is not always an available solution.

For sure but that opinion should never carry the same weight as someone who has played it.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

This thread has taught me that I really should buy Advanced Warfare.

I don't need a treatise on TPS genre but I would hope to come away from a review knowing how the cover system is implemented and how it works. Maybe know how the AI is and whether it scales with difficulty etc etc.

Because I read reviews to know which buttons I need to press to hide behind a wall.

As Sho_nuff said, if you want to know about the objective aspects of the game, go to their Digital Foundry section.

 

[Armaros]

This thread has taught me that I really should buy Advanced Warfare.

This thread has taught me that Video Game Reviews are connected to ISIS and Colonialism.

 

[Ishan]

This thread has taught me that I really should buy Advanced Warfare.

this thread has taught me if i ever become a game dev (and i have no plans to insane hours, crunch etc etc) i should have a thicker skin than an elephant.

EDIT and what armaros said above

 

[NullPointer]

What difficulty did you play knack on? I picked it up for $10 last week.

Normal I think, though most of the advice I've seen here is to play it on hard. I'll give that a go too if I find myself doing another playthrough, but the game is already a little harder and far less forgiving than it looks. But I wasn't seeking a challenge out of it so much as gaming comfort food that wasn't as random and auto-pilot in gameplay as a lego game.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

Seeing Youtube videos/reviews is a legit method in formulating an opinion about a game, especially if the "have you played it" sentiment is barred by a price barrier that not all of us are willing or able to overcome.

And rent/borrow is not always an available solution.

Yeah, I'm sorry but watching someone play something doesn't mean nothing if I can't feel it. At the end of the day, it's a game that does have controls that it was graded on. Your last part sounds like an excuse. Please don't ramble about people not wanting to accept that it's a crappy game while those people are doing far more to try the game before they take what everyone else says as gospel.

What does that have to do with anything? I need to judge a game based on others' opinions in order to decide whether I should buy it or not. Just like how a lot of people
make decisions on restaurants, movies, vacations, stocks, which university to go to and which cellphone to buy. People have been making decisions and forming opinions based on others' opinions for thousand of years in almost all aspects of their lives. You should just deal with it.

So your telling me that you just listen to what someone has to say and just stick with that plain and simple? You've never wanted to experience something yourself? You just deal with it?

Well I'm sorry, some of us just aren't that damn naive. You're talking as if you reviewed the game after playing it. Which you didn't. Don't push back because I'm saying what it is. You didn't play it, so how can one coach another on what the experience was that they personally didn't have.

 

[Laughing Banana]

For sure but that opinion should never carry the same weight as someone who has played it.

Like..... those reviewers?

 

[Golgo 13]

This thread is batshit crazy. Love the passion here though. I told myself I'd go in blind for this game (not reading any reviews or impressions) because I knew it'd be a very decisive game. But this morning I crumbled and saw the scores. I'm still going to get the game, play the hell out of it, and likely trade it soon thereafter. Hell, I may even love it. I thought Beyond: Two Souls was a brilliant game, so my hopes haven't been completely shattered. Guess we'll see, tomorrow.

Tl; dr -- Just glad I didn't go digital. SO fucking close.

 

[QaaQer]

Normal I think, though most of the advice I've seen here is to play it on hard. I'll give that a go too if I find myself doing another playthrough, but the game is already a little harder and far less forgiving than it looks. But I wasn't seeking a challenge out of it so much as gaming comfort food that wasn't as random in gameplay as a lego game.

Cheers.

 

[Toxi]

Say Jimi are Eurogamer doing a review loves collectibles more than anything. He tells you Dragon Age: Inquisition is awesome; there is just so much to see and do you can never get bored. But you actually hate collectibles more than anything. What use was Jimi's opinion then? Whereas if he had actually just conveyed to you the information that there are a lot of missions revolving around collectibles in the game and he personally liked it are you not better informed on whether to get the game or not?

Either way the review will say that there are a lot of collectibles, which is something you probably could have gotten from the back of the game box anyway.

Elements of a game do not exist in a vacuum. Something that's well-executed in one game can be poorly-executed in another. If you're not the sort of person who hates collectibles no matter the context, you'll probably want to know if the collectibles aspect of Dragon Age Inquisition is done well.

Because that's the fucking point of a review. It's to make value judgements on what's good or bad so that people can avoid bad stuff and find good stuff. Just knowing details of a game like "it has collectibles" tells you nothing of the actual quality of the game unless you see games as checklists. And since entertainment is based on creating subjective responses in the audience, entertainment reviews need to be subjective to be worthwhile.

Wow. Imagine that. But I don't see how that's relevant since games are not movies.

Ready at Dawn seem to think they are.

 

[human onion]

This makes perfect sense.

If you know what you like then you can get something out of both positive and negative reviews. Maybe the reasons a game is getting lambasted are the very reasons that draw you to it in the first place.

Which is part of the reason I don't understand the fuss when it comes to reviews in general, even the harsh ones. People who are truly interested in The Order will still pick it up, but maybe their expectations will be more grounded. People who thought The Order looked half-baked in the gameplay or longevity department have more information to justify skipping it. This is all fine.

I enjoyed Ryse and Knack, both games that I picked up after all the reviews had come out. The reviews helped me calibrate expectations, but didn't stop me from enjoying those games one bit, nor should they stop anyone else who thinks that a game could be worth their time, even if its not worth it for many (or even most) others.

I'll make one contribution to this thread and say that it can be a great thing for a game to have great reviews since games shouldn't be appealing to everyone anyway.

This is the metacritic for a game called E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/eye-divine-cybermancy

A 61 from critics, not much better from users. I love this game and think it's one of the most fun and interesting shooters I've played. Critics complain that the game explains nothing, the progression makes no sense, the tutorials are bad, the story is ridiculous and impossible to follow, all of which are true. I like the game for many of those reasons, and so do a lot of other people. On the flipside, I think this game looks like boring shite, but you might like it for the reasons I find it to be that way.

It's a little hard to compare though considering The Order looks to be the very definition of playing it safe while E.Y.E. had nothing holding it back. Also that I bought E.Y.E. cheap on Steam, but I almost wish I payed more.

 

[TheStruggler]

brokengamez review, spoilers in video obviously
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQG-3uTb_Eg

 

[le.phat]

So who'se buying purely to oggle at the new standard for videogame graphics? I know i am ;0

 

[Scrulox]

Yeah, I'm sorry but watching someone play something doesn't mean nothing if I can't feel it. At the end of the day, it's a game that does have controls that it was graded on. Your last part sounds like an excuse. Please don't ramble about people not wanting to accept that it's a crappy game while those people are doing for more to try the game before they take what everyone else says as gospel.




So your telling me that you just listen to what someone has to say and just stick with that plain and simple? You've never wanted to experience something yourself? You just deal with it?

Well I'm sorry, some of us just aren't that damn naive. Your talking as if you reviewed the game after playing it. Which you didn't. Don't push back because I'm saying what it is. You didn't play it, so how can one coach another on what the experience was that they personally didn't have.

Yeah, because I don't have enough money in the bank to try every single game in the market just so I can form a more accurate opinion. Naive? If I only find those criticisms in one review and believe them as the truth, that may be considered naive. Those criticisms are in many reviews. But it's obviously a conspiracy right? Lol. Btw, in case you didn't read, I clearly said I got those from the reviews I read. In other words, I am merely summarizing the experience of those who have played the game.

 

[Seventy70]

I don't have to play every single Call of Duty game to know that I don't like it.

 

[Aaron]

I think the amount of absurd gang-piling on the game is unfortunate, not because I don't think the game should be criticized, but because it's getting in the way of any actual criticism. Hell, I even think the game looks like a failure at almost everything it sets out to accomplish (I haven't played it myself admittedly, but I have watched a large portion of it...which from what I gather watching is half the experience anyway), but I want to talk about why, and engage with people who do like the game.

Because this isn't particularly interesting. The Order fails in the same ways a lot of Gears clones and games who try spicing cinematic 'experiences' do. The shooting isn't tight, the enemy encounters are bland and restrictive, and the instant fail QTEs are not only the opposite of fun, but break the flow of the experience while giving nothing in return. The game even has instant fail stealth sections. That any developer would continue to do that past the original MGS is baffling. That they don't lead everything to a satisfying conclusion in order to leave the door open for a sequel, which may not happen, is something countless games have done, and it's been terrible every time. I think the only why here is why RAD didn't learn from the past mistakes of a few dozen other developers. Sure, the graphics are sick, but the same was true of Resident Evil 6 at the time.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

This thread has taught me that Video Game Reviews are connected to ISIS and Colonialism.

Pfft, I thought that was common knowledge years ago. Get with the times, breh.

This thread has taught me that too much variety makes you fat.

 

[Kacho]

So who'se buying purely to oggle at the new standard for videogame graphics? I know i am ;0

Dennis probably.

 

[Mad Season]

brokengamez review, spoilers in video obviously
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQG-3uTb_Eg

7.5/10

 

[Toxi]

Yes, games are art but they are also software. They have functions that we interact with and have use for. I'm not saying games can't be analysed critically as any art form is. I'm just saying that in a review for the purposes of informing players' buying decisions there should be far more focus on the utility of games as a piece of software that has actual functionality that dictates how much enjoyment we get from it.

Games are entertainment. Their value comes from the feelings they create for the player. These are inherently subjective.

"Actual functionality" means fuck all. You don't use games to do your taxes, you use them to have a good time. That is their function.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Like..... those reviewers?

Yes. Over someone who hasnt played the game? Of course. You don't have to agree but don't act like you know more about how a game plays or feels if you have never played it. Thats silly.

If you want your opinion on a game to be as valid as someone who has played the game. You need to play the game yourself.

If you are just parroting what a reviewer says, that doesnt count because you have still not played the game.

 

[ProfessorMoran]

Bought the digital version, will start playing soon, was hoping the game would review a bit better, but still, RAD should have known this was coming, there probably wasn't enough meat to the gameplay and the cinematic QTEs just weren't a good idea.

You don't need to change camera angle or transition to a cutscene when you open a fucking door, same thing with melee. I'm not a developer and even I can tell that breaks immersion.

 

[IvorB]

Either way the review will say that there are a lot of collectibles, which is something you probably could have gotten from the back of the game box anyway.

Elements of a game do not exist in a vacuum. Something that's well-executed in one game can be poorly-executed in another. If you're not the sort of person who hates collectibles no matter the context, you'll probably want to know if the collectibles aspect of Dragon Age Inquisition is done well.

Because that's the fucking point of a review. It's to make value judgements on what's good or bad so that people can avoid bad stuff and find good stuff. Just knowing details of a game like "it has collectibles" tells you nothing of the actual quality of the game unless you see games as checklists. And since entertainment is based on creating subjective responses in the audience, entertainment reviews need to be subjective to be worthwhile.


Ready at Dawn seem to think they are.

That's why I stated in my initial post that they should include assessment of whether those features are implemented effectively. As I said, there is a balance to be struck; it's not just a checklist.

Anyway, whatever, if people are attached to the current review format that's great; I'm glad it's helping somebody. That was my two cents, take from it what you will.

 

[robertlebrone]

I just bought the game cuz AMERICA. That and I tend to like cinematic mostly cutscene type games. They are a nice change of pace. Loved Heavy Rain, loved MGS4, TWD, etc.

Not starting up to play it though. I'll dive in this weekend when I can pull myself away from Smash.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Yes. Over someone who hasnt played the game? Of course. You don't have to agree but don't act like you know more about how a game plays or feels if you have never played it. Thats silly.

...yes?

That is why I am trying to form my opinion by seeing how "those that have played it" like the reviewers think about it...?

I mean, if a great deal of them are saying that it's a mediocre game, is it really that inconceivable that I might think that hey, this game might not be so good after all...?

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

lmao at comparing CoD:AW to 1886.

One is made by a competent developer with a pedigree, it has stable graphics running at 60 fps, an actual playable single player, and some of the most fun multiplayer this generation.

The other one has black bars.

WHELP, when you put it that way....

 

[kingpotato]

Sounds like the ps4 got it's own 'Ryse'. I will definitely be checking this one out for the visuals.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

...yes?

That is why I am trying to form my opinion by seeing how "those that have played it" like the reviewers think about it...?

I mean, if a great deal of them are saying that it's a mediocre game, is it really that inconceivable that I might think that hey, this game might not be so good after all...?

Yea for sure, but you can never be sure about that until you try it yourself. Using reviews as a guide makes sense if you are unsure about something. But experiencing it yourself gives you an even better idea. It all depends on how much faith you have in the system I guess.

 

[AngryNapkin]

Kinda Funny games has their review up as well. Greg Miller said it was just not fun and boring at times and Colin pretty much stated he would get a potluck together and just share the game.

It's not the AAA game that will sell PS4s and its heavily flawed in almost every aspect other than graphics some flaws being more severe than others.

They didn't complain much about length but didn't look at it very favorably.

Personally I feel this game is more like Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls more than Gears of War or pretty much any other game out there.

I hated those types of games so it saddens me this was more of the direction they took.

 

[Ominym]

Why do we have to resort to throwing other games under the bus because the game we want to like is a dud?

 

[TrumanBurbank]

7450 posts...Sweet jesus

 

[Sid]

This gen has definitely made me more selective about which games I choose to play and Sony is the main reason for that,will not devote my time to more shit games like Killzone Shadow Fall and Infamous Second Son and this seems much worse

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

Yeah, because I don't have enough money in the bank to try every single game in the market just so I can form a more accurate opinion. Naive?

Did anyone ask you to buy the game? I asked have you played it?

If I only find those criticisms in one review and believe them as the truth, that may be considered naive. Those criticisms are in many reviews. But it's obviously a conspiracy right? Lol. Btw, in case you didn't read, I clearly said I got those from the reviews I read. In other words, I am merely summarizing the experience of those who have played the game.

I didn't say anything was a conspiracy either. Now you are just putting things in my mouth. The point is we already have the professional review from those who's played it. Your comment was reinforcing opinions that you haven't even experienced yourself to reinforce. Like what?

 

[AngryNapkin]

This gen has definitely made me more selective about which games I choose to play and Sony is the main reason for that,will not devote my time to more shit games like Killzone Shadow Fall and Infamous Second Son and this seems much worse

Killzone sure but Infamous? It just needed more variety for the most part everything else was solid imo.

 

[Chuck Norris]

I hate to do this (point out sites), but Hardcore Gamer was one of two sites that had a pretty negative tone to coverage of The Order (pre-release), beyond even the criticisms of the previews/gameplay.

One of HC gamer's article was "Is Sony pushing The Order too heavily", implying that marketing a game is a bad thing. And that Sony's potentially making a mistake by hyping the game too much.

And another one, is well... CraveOnline, with this headline when the game went gold.
"The Order: 1886 Goes Gold, but New Trailer Foreshadows Disappointment"

There is an argument to be had that the pessimism around this game (legitimate or not) was always going to drive down review scores. To me the game looks competent at many things, not very ambitious or rewriting any rules but hardly broken and unenjoyable. Normally you'd associate that with a solid 7/10. Seems like a lot more 5s than I'd expect

 

[Sid]

Killzone sure but Infamous? It just needed more variety for the most part everything else was solid imo.

Infamous was a short and boring as fuck game

 

[Scrulox]

Did anyone ask you to buy the game? I asked have you played it?



I didn't say anything was a conspiracy either. Now you are just putting things in my mouth. The point is we already have the professional review from those who's played it. Your comment was reinforcing opinions that you haven't even experienced yourself to reinforce. Like what?

I haven't. And what don't you get about the word "summary"? I was summarizing why a lot of reviews criticized the game as a bland TPS. You are trying way too hard to defend this game. Lol.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I liked inFamous: Second Son a ton.

 

[reKon]

Infamous was a short and boring as fuck game

boring as fuck? yeah ok