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[Ishan]

Interesting article about the changing landscape of video game reviews. The guy's a contributor not forbes staff but ppl in the review thread liked the article. Would recommend reading it as its pretty short and makes some good points.

The Order: 1886 is not a disaster, but it’s not a good game. It’s the sort of game that I would have expected to get an 80 on Metacritic two years ago, a 90 four years ago, and a 95 six years ago. Not that Metacritic is the be all end all, but right now The Order: 1886 sits at a 65, with a user score of 5.6. My reason for this is simple: that’s the score it deserves. The real reason is a little more complicated.

The first is that the videogame community, reviewers and consumers alike, got sort of burned over the course of the last year.

Most importantly, we’re out of the honeymoon period with next-gen: neither the PS4 nor the Xbox One has truly had a game that made us say: yep, that’s worth it

It got panned not because it was bad, necessarily, but because it wasn’t good.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2015/02/20/the-order-1886-reviews-prove-something-is-changing-in-videogames/

 

[Ferrio]

Thought it was a good article that was short and to the point. I think we're going to see more and more of this. I think a lot of people implicitly thought the next gen was going to be different, but from the looks of it devs are doubling down on the same ole tired routine of last gen.

 

[Poetic.Injustice]

Forbes contributor articles are banned?

 

[Lingitiz]

I just think people and reviewers have higher standards now. There are so many options now with the insane amount of indie games on PC constantly popping up. When a team of only a few people can put out something like Transistor, FTL, Hotline Miami, The Banner Saga, etc. it's a lot harder to just with visuals masking shallow gameplay.

 

[curb]

I think there's some good points there. To me some of those very low scores used to be reserved for broken and shovelware tier games which I don't think The Order fits into (although I'm only about halfway through it yet). It's just not a great game and just typing that feels more negative to me than it should be.

 

[RedNumberFive]

Why do Forbes contributors get the Scarlett letter of "blogger"? What makes them any less qualified than the clowns at Polygon? If anything, the Forbes articles are better researched and more thought provoking.

 

[brandonh83]

Most importantly, we’re out of the honeymoon period with next-gen: neither the PS4 nor the Xbox One has truly had a game that made us say: yep, that’s worth it

This is true in the matter of exclusives, but the third party support has already made both or at least one or the other worth owning. I get that this isn't what the article or topic is about, but apart from a lack of good exclusives, both consoles still have a number of great games to play on them.

 

[Ishan]

Forbes contributor articles are banned?

Are they ? Didn't know.

Why do Forbes contributors get the Scarlett letter of "blogger"? What makes them any less qualified than the clowns at Polygon? If anything, the Forbes articles are better researched and more thought provoking.

I didn't put blogger up someone edited it. I had it put as forbes contributor.

But on topic : he makes some valid points of the changing expectations. Also I think 2013 reached such a high water mark on both ends of the spectrum (cinematic games tlou, open world gta v, shooters with good story : bioshock infinite) maybe that's a factor too. And games within those confines are being compared to those bars.

 

[Dahbomb]

I made a post about this very thing in another thing and have talked about it with other players. The Order is the type of game that would've gottens 8s maybe some 9s 4 years ago but starting in 2014 reviewers have been harsher. Overall this is a good thing.

I have played the Order and it's a decent, playable game. Back in the day a 6.5 was something you would give to DMC2, a legit shit game that in this day and age would deserve no higher than a 2.

Reviewers being harsher on game design means that companies will have to step up their game design and hopefully it means better games all around.

 

[King Tubby]

Forbes contributor articles are banned?

I think Forbes contributor articles should only be dismissed if they are breaking some kind of news or claiming insider info. I don't see why opinion pieces or reviews (the Forbes review was by Erik Kain, not exactly a random) should be discarded.

 

[Xilium]

IDK, this seems pretty specific to The Order.

User reviews are always across the board and it really just comes down to a numbers game of getting enough legitimate reviews to balance out the 0 and 10 drive by reviews.

Critics still largely work on the 7-10 scale for AAA games (and indies at this point). I think the fact that so much attention is being called to The Order for getting less than that is proof that it's a relatively rare occurrence.

This is just Sony's "Ryse". I wouldn't look any deeper into the reviews than that.

 

[nrvalleytime]

My only question - how do we know it would have received this a few years ago?

The Order: 1886 is not a disaster, but it’s not a good game. It’s the sort of game that I would have expected to get an 80 on Metacritic two years ago, a 90 four years ago, and a 95 six years ago. Not that Metacritic is the be all end all, but right now The Order: 1886 sits at a 65, with a user score of 5.6. My reason for this is simple: that’s the score it deserves. The real reason is a little more complicated.

That feels a little stretched - it needs further support, though I don't necessarily think he's wrong. Just want to know the exact lineage of games he's using to prove this hypothesis. It needs to be one or two, that's certain.

 

[synce]

Changing review landscape lol Sorry but that's BS. You could say the same thing about any game. No shit that if Chrono Cross released today GS wouldn't give it a 10. Standards change

 

[cacildo]

Reviewers are finally ditching the "Its a AAA game so it automatically deserves a high score" ways of old.

And that is great, because it convinced me of several purchases i REALLY regret

But is it only the reviewers getting harsher... or are the games also getting worse?

 

[ALLseeingEYE]

Very well done article.

I think this is definitely a weird, probably somewhat tense time for developers. Seeing all the casualties last-gen of studios dying due to a single project failing, who would want to take risks in this landscape, where now the stakes have raised even higher? But critics and hardcore gamers also seem a lot more demanding. Without taking risks, critics and gamers could easily become bored, or ininterested in your game.

It's actually really surprising that the designers at Ready at Dawn, simply haven't read the modern gaming landscape well enough to realize gamers aren't excited about QTE's and short linear adventures anymore. In fact, I'd say that at this point, gamers care less about super high end visuals, and care more about deep gameplay systems, and gameplay possibilities that flower in their minds with possibility, like Minecraft.

Why, as a AAA studio with a huge budget, would you bet the farm on a short, tight campaign, without factoring in deep ideas for replayability? I don't think anyone in their right mind wants to pay for the $60 5-10 hour experience anymore, do they? Those AAA dollars would be better spent building something, anything with as much interesting gameplay as possible. We'll see though, regardless of reviews, apparently Driveclub still sold great, perhaps on PS4, with such amazing visuals, hype, and lack of other compelling exclusives, the Order will still sell gangbusters. Perhaps it's just the hardcore that care about the Order's lack of innovation, while the general PS4 audience still gobbles it up?

 

[King Tubby]

Changing review landscape lol Sorry but that's BS. You could say the same thing about any game. No shit that if Chrono Cross released today GS wouldn't give it a 10. Standards change

I think there is some truth to it. We are seeing the bigger review sites slowly become more willing to embrace scores lower than 7 when it comes to AAA titles. I like the change, to be honest.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

I made a post about this very thing in another thing and have talked about it with other players. The Order is the type of game that would've gottens 8s maybe some 9s 4 years ago but starting in 2014 reviewers have been harsher. Overall this is a good thing.

I have played the Order and it's a decent, playable game. Back in the day a 6.5 was something you would give to DMC2, a legit shit game that in this day and age would deserve no higher than a 2.

Reviewers being harsher on game design means that companies will have to step up their game design and hopefully it means better games all around.

Reviewers are not being harsher on game design or the games.
They just being harsh on what they feel like .
Also them being harsh don't make for better design games , DC has good design but all some reviews wanted was open world .

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I don't think it's fair to reduce freelance writers to bloggers. That's reductive and insulting to writers trying to make a name for themselves because it enforces the notion that if you're not already writing on the payroll of an established company then you aren't relevant enough to be taken seriously.

That said, I think The Order will be used as a reference point for "what to do" and "what not to do" with future AAA games. But I can also see this becoming a bad thing, with publishers deciding Order reviewed poorly because it didn't have multiplayer or wasn't at least ten hours long.

Forcing those kinds of stipulations onto games that didn't need them happened a lot last gen and it was always to their detriment.

 

[On Demand]

You forgot to post what you think OP.

The Order won't be changing anything. It's just a bunch overreaction imo.

 

[SolidSnakex]

I think there is some truth to it. We are seeing the bigger review sites slowly become more willing to embrace scores lower than 7 when it comes to AAA titles. I like the change, to be honest.

I don't think that there's any truth to it. And a good illutration of that is the Master Chief Collection

Polygon

Sets a bar that other remasters and collections will have difficulty reaching, much less topping. For players new to Halo, who have missed any of the included games, it is a stunning introduction to one of the most beloved series in video games. For Halo fans, it's a package that shows almost as much respect and affection for the Master Chief as they do.

9.5

GameTrailers

It's a grand celebration and a potent reminder why the green Spartan rose to a level of prominence that few can match. Many HD collections or remasters are often pleasant trips down memory lane, but this feels like more than that. It's a gripping reintroduction into all things Halo and something that will likely be enjoyed for years to come.

9.3

Game Informer

The total package of Halo: The Master Chief Collection is massive and intimidating, but none of it is crammed in or hastily included. Even the modes that appeal to a small dedicated group of Halo fans have received attention.

9.25

IGN

This collection delivers more than a huge Halo fan like myself could have reasonably imagined and, even with its (hopefully temporary) online issues, it packs an insane amount of first-person shooter greatness onto one disc.

9

Joystiq

The real treat for fans, of course, will be revisiting Halo 2's campaign and subsequently reliving the classic multiplayer...For newcomers looking to see what all the fuss is about, Halo is as vibrant now as it was a decade ago, and The Master Chief Collection is essential.

9

Eurogamer

The Collection is an instantaneous embrace of past and present that combines gaming's powerful sense of nostalgia with its perpetual arms race of processing and graphical power.

9

USgamer

This is the definitive collection of Halo: Combat Evolved through Halo 4, effectively presenting both classic and remixed content in a way that makes it feel like more than a simple trip down memory lane.

9

Destructoid

This is the new gold standard for remakes. Well done, 343 Industries.

9

Super hyped collection from major franchise? Doesn't work like it's supposed to three months after release and yet look at those comments and scores.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

t’s the sort of game that I would have expected to get an 80 on Metacritic two years ago, a 90 four years ago, and a 95 six years ago.

I agree that it would've reviewed better a few years ago, but not that good.
Somewhere between 70 and 80 maybe.
But I think overall criticisms would've looked the same.
Not a lot of content. No good gameplay. Taking too much control away from the player.

Even in a pre Gears Of War time people would've disliked the way this game treats the player, is almost bothered by the players presence it seems.

 

[HK-47]

IDK, this seems pretty specific to The Order.

User reviews are always across the board and it really just comes down to a numbers game of getting enough legitimate reviews to balance out the 0 and 10 drive by reviews.

Critics still largely work on the 7-10 scale for AAA games (and indies at this point). I think the fact that so much attention is being called to The Order for getting less than that is proof that it's a relatively rare occurrence.

This is just Sony's "Ryse". I wouldn't look any deeper into the reviews than that.

Yup I dont think its any great change in reviewer habits.

 

[Portugeezer]

I don't think that there's any truth to it. And a good illutration of that is the Master Chief Collection

##
Super hyped collection from major franchise? Doesn't work like it's supposed to three months after release and yet look at those comments and scores.

Yep, a joke, especially those who waited (like IGN) and still ignored the issues. I mean, it's one thing to mention it in a review, but another to score it so highly when basically half the game doesn't work properly.

 

[On Demand]

I don't think that there's any truth to it. And a good illutration of that is the Master Chief Collection

Polygon


9.5

GameTrailers


9.3

Game Informer


9.25

IGN


9

Joystiq


9

Eurogamer


9

USgamer


9

Destructoid


9

Super hyped collection from major franchise? Doesn't work like it's supposed to three months after release and yet look at those comments and scores.

Case in point....look at this. Wow.

 

[Nirolak]

Forbes contributor articles are banned?

We've been allowing them back on since some actually do have real interviews and things with people, but been making sure it's understood exactly who is writing this (that it's not Forbes staff).

That said since literally anyone can post them, we don't hesitate to lock them if we feel they don't really bring anything to the table or the discussion is poor.

 

[lookf4r]

This seems like a maturation of game criticism to me.

 

[King Tubby]

I don't think that there's any truth to it. And a good illutration of that is the Master Chief Collection

Like I said, slowly...the coverage of the Master Chief Collection should be an embarrassment to all of them. But like the author of this piece said I could totally have seen The Order rate at least 10 points higher a few years ago.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Super hyped collection from major franchise? Doesn't work like it's supposed to three months after release and yet look at those comments and scores.

It was also the IGN user voted best remaster.

But this is because the majority of Halo fans don't care even a little about the multiplayer. Halo 2 was a long time ago. Halo became popular and is enduringly popular because of its lore. Halo is a narrative-driven franchise and always has been, which is why the sorry state of MCC's multiplayer has not affected its review scores or the enjoyment of players who exclusively care for Halo's campaigns.

That is the opposite sentiment on GAF, but GAF is not always any indication of how market at large feels.

 

[Corgi]

MCC works fine in sp. And while those review scores probably won't change. It's probably because of that game and Ass Creed that quite a bit of publications are taking steps to change up their review systems and how they approach reviewing games now.

 

[Rembrandt]

MCC works fine in sp. And while those review scores probably won't change. It's probably because of that game and Ass Creed that quite a bit of publications are taking steps to change up their review systems and how they approach reviewing games now.

yeah, I think these two encouraged the change, but I guess people want them to retroactively change those. I've seen a couple posts imply that reviewers are just bullying Sony.

 

[jimboton]

The Order: 1886 is not a disaster, but it’s not a good game. It’s the sort of game that I would have expected to get an 80 on Metacritic two years ago, a 90 four years ago, and a 95 six years ago. Not that Metacritic is the be all end all, but right now The Order: 1886 sits at a 65, with a user score of 5.6. My reason for this is simple: that’s the score it deserves. The real reason is a little more complicated.

Uncharted 2 from six years ago is more or less at 95 Metacritic. I guess by this logic it would get around 65 if released now.

 

[YuriLowell]

Uncharted 2 from six years ago is more or less at 95 Metacritic. I guess by this logic it would get around 65 if released now.

I think it would be in the mid 70s honestly.

Everything that was new in that game has been copied and done in other games now.

 

[Ferrio]

Uncharted 2 from six years ago is more or less at 95 Metacritic. I guess by this logic it would get around 65 if released now.

It'd be lower due to the fatigue, but not this bad.

 

[unapersson]

I can't help thinking the changing review landscape has more to do with Metacritic than anything else, the more extreme your use of the review scale the more influence you have on the overall outcome. Now they're all fighting to be the outliers.

Which might not be a bad thing compared to a few years ago when everything was top heavy.

I wonder if the whole MCC thing was due to reviewers not really playing the games as they knew what they were like, and given the time constraints they just dipped their toes in enough to say, "Yes, this is Halo, seems legit".

 

[FireSol]

I just think people and reviewers have higher standards now.

Standarts are the same, but expectations is out of control, people and reviewers want to see the second comming, they have their perfect game in minds and they ready to crush everything that not fit it

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I love this trend and I really hope it continues. Farewell to the days of the 7.5-9.5 review scale.

Standarts are the same, but expectations is out of control, people and reviewers want to see the second comming, they have their perfect game in minds and they ready to crush everything that not fit it

...you mean they're saving high review scores for games that are genuinely great, like they should?

 

[gundamkyoukai]

I think it would be in the mid 70s honestly.

Everything that was new in that game has been copied and done in other games now.

No way would UC2 be that low.
Not with that amount of content and replay value.

 

[CosmicQueso]

What nonsense.

Here is the share of games released on disc for MS and Sony consoles and their respective review scores, aggregated by 10 point range:

There's nothing in the game review dataset that suggests a major shift has taken place in how reviewers rate games.

This is just the case of a couple titles releasing in a row to mediocre reviews and that being extrapolated as being some kind of larger trend.

Even Forbes contributors should know better.

 

[george_us]

I think The Order's poor reviews have more to do with the fact that it's basically the TPS equivalent of Heavy Rain rather than any shift in reviewers attitudes.

 

[FireSol]

...you mean they're saving high review scores for games that are genuinely great, like they should?

I'm saying that they will overlook good game because of this dreams

 

[Ralemont]

On top of that, the marketing team for The Order: 1886 seemed to be relying primarily on the graphics, but nobody really cares about polygon counts anymore. We care about visuals, sure, but we’re starting to divorce the technology from the images it creates.

If only that were true.

 

[Tidus_Great]

and yet a game like dragon age inquisition is getting GOTY when it's still the same formula as years ago only the quests are even more generic buti t got a pass because it had good looking open world environments. I guess if you want good scores create an open world with lots of filler quests that you pass off as content and game hours. :/

 

[PumpkinSpice]

Uncharted 2 from six years ago is more or less at 95 Metacritic. I guess by this logic it would get around 65 if released now.

Uncharted 2 wasn't very good. It's basically all spectacle and bad story, with bad gameplay tacked on.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Uncharted 2 wasn't very good. It's basically all spectacle and bad story, with bad gameplay tacked on.

Incredible.

 

[Final Verdict]

I don't think that there's any truth to it. And a good illutration of that is the Master Chief Collection

Polygon


9.5

GameTrailers


9.3

Game Informer


9.25

IGN


9

Joystiq


9

Eurogamer


9

USgamer


9

Destructoid


9

Super hyped collection from major franchise? Doesn't work like it's supposed to three months after release and yet look at those comments and scores.

To be fair, they had no Idea about what would happen with the MP.
They played it at an event, and it worked fine for them the whole time there with the exception of a few smaller bugs.

I think they should have gone back and flagged thier reviews until the MP troubles were gone, but it doesn't make sense to permanently dock the score either, because once the problem is fixed, it will be a 10/10 sort of remaster with all of the content that they managed to pull together for $60.

 

[Architechnophile]

What nonsense.

Here is the share of games released on disc for MS and Sony consoles and their respective review scores, aggregated by 10 point range:

There's nothing in the game review dataset that suggests a major shift has taken place in how reviewers rate games.

This is just the case of a couple titles releasing in a row to mediocre reviews and that being extrapolated as being some kind of larger trend.

Even Forbes contributors should know better.

It's probably a hard thing to represent with that sort of data, because I think the trend the Forbes fellow's picking up on is in the reception to a very specific subset of big, flagship AAA titles. Your Destinys, Assassins Creeds, etc. Anecdotally, I do think there's been a bit of a sea change, at least as far as scores, that is.

When it comes to the text, I don't think the change is all that dramatic. Giant Bomb's written review of The Order feels very unevolved in that respect, just as a convenient example.

 

[badboy78660]

Uncharted 2 wasn't very good. It's basically all spectacle and bad story, with bad gameplay tacked on.

 

[VariantX]

To be fair, they had no Idea about what would happen with the MP.
They played it at an event, and it worked fine for them the whole time there with the exception of a few smaller bugs.

I think they should have gone back and flagged thier reviews until the MP troubles were gone, but it doesn't make sense to permanently dock the score either, because once the problem is fixed, it will be a 10/10 sort of remaster with all of the content that they managed to pull together for $60.

They should not be reviewing the MP aspect of games at controlled events in the first place. It is simply not playing the game under real-world conditions that the rest of us have to experience when we buy software.

 

[Belldandy]

Uncharted 2 wasn't very good. It's basically all spectacle and bad story, with bad gameplay tacked on.

The only part that wasn't every good was the final boss fight.

Nothing wrong with spectacle in games.

 

[CosmicQueso]

I think the trend the Forbes fellow's picking up on is in the reception to a very specific subset of big, flagship AAA titles. Your Destinys, Assassins Creeds, etc. Anecdotally, I do think there's been a bit of a sea change, at least as far as scores, that is.

Perhaps. Or perhaps there's been a fundamental shift on the functionality, technical strength and overall experience these games are delivering (which I think is far more likely than reviewers being tougher).