Will Hatred get unfairly treated?

Will they review the subject matter rather than the game?

who's they?

My first question to the original question asks how was Postal reviewed all those years ago?

No, it will get treated fairly for it being a crap game.

SJW's will say it unfairly targets women and minorities. Heaven forbid you kill a woman or a black person in a video game where you play a homicidal maniac.

Looks fun.

Why wouldn't someone review the subject matter? Isn't that part of how we look at games as an art?

This.

I'm looking forward to the Polygon article.

The subject matter is major aspect of the game. It should factor into the review.

Personally, I wish this game would just be ignored. Even on the internet, it's a waste of space.

Looking forward to it, don't care what critics say.

Do you really think the people who will play this game will even read the reviews?

The developers likely want terrible reviews - it only adds to the shock advertising ploy they're utilizing.

This album is great and everything but what does it have to do with anything? :p

The protagonist is Edgy Mc. Edgerson.

It's probably the game's soundtrack.

I'd say this one makes way more sense. Misery Index is more of a "**** the greedy capitalistic pigs running our society" band. Watchmaker is more "**** everyone and **** everything because we support and live in a fucked up society" band. The former is more flowery and grandiose, the latter is more rooted in aggression and angst.

If music albums can carry this type of concept and receive nothing but critical praise - why not a videogame? I have a feeling that, just like Postal, that many of the people who don't like it are simply not the target audience. And isn't that the case with everything?

It's not going to be reviewed or accepted fairly either way just because of the current controversy.

Have to say though the character cut scenes are laughable. This colossal dick head should just shoot himself in the head and get it over with.

yeah i can totally see them taking quotes from negative reviews and including them in trailers

Well I hope reviews treat it fairly and honestly as the vapid, generic, top down snorefest that it looks like.

I honestly have no idea what you people talking about

I would hope so, most game have violence that is relevant to either the setting, or the character's struggles ... video games often rely on violence as a conflict resolution, not a sick joy.

If the media gets up in arms about some interactive sex, but not this, I call BS...

Saw the trailer for this game, reminds me of Manhunt ... a point in violence where it's completely unnecessary.

It will.

Whatever the response will be, it'll certainly be a controversial one. It'll be the kind of game that gives games a bad name with the rest of the non-gaming world. I think it'll be the kind of game no gamer can defend in the same way the average Joe can't defend why or what he masturbates to (but he does anyways), and like stuff you whack off to it's probably not something you tell your friends about and recommend to others if you don't want them looking at you funny and never in the same light again.

I've a feeling this game will only get treated unfairly if it garners a lot of attention from non-gamers. Maybe a mob of angry mothers after one catches their 12 year old playing this and I can just see it being the scapegoat for the next school shooting. Maybe there will be political pressure for digital services to scrap distributing it. I can see some countries banning its release.

Anyhow, should be interesting to see what happens.

While I expect the game to be shallow but I think it'll get low scores not because there is not much to do in the game but because "this game is against humanity. He kills innocent pixelszzz. I never felt emotionally connected like The Last of Us which makeszzz meezz cryyyzzzxx". I also expect Fox News to report "Guy kills 5 innocent people. Copy of Hatred found in house". Meh journalists.

Why couldn't the review cover both?

I dont care about the subject matter. But I personally think it looks terrible from an aesthetic standpoint compared to something that has alot more character, excitement and grace like Hotline Miami.

It's probably appealing to those that are into shitty tryhard offensive things like Slipknot.

Get some fucking taste, nerds.

That was tasteless, offensive, and also quite edgy.

Ban this sick filth

@illmatic87: I think the aesthetics are the one thing it's got going for it.

I want to play this game! I think it has the potential of being the next Super Mario.

Yes, because judging a game before you've even played it is fair, right?

Exactly.

"video games often rely on violence as a conflict resolution, not a sick joy"

Are you taking the piss? Violence in games serves as more than simply a means to resolve conflict, it's often central to the gameplay and is very much designed to be enjoyable. It's true that most games don't encourage the killing of innocent people, but many games facilitate such things, and gamer's in general don't seem to have a problem with it (Have you seen the gifs of GTAV that get posted?), unless we're taking about hatred of course...

Yes.

Anyone thinking that this will be critiqued within the same realm of fairness as other shooters that are done in "better taste" are fooling themselves. I fully expect Hatred to get harshly panned in reviews universally.

This game will be just a footnote in the gaming industry. People will criticize the game for it's concept and story, but only to process to be in the bargain bin of Steam or whatever digital distribution store it is in. Personally I plan to never play the game the premise looks to dumb to be worth my time but someone will buy it.

Nope, shit game is shit.

Ironic, since you do it all the time cup, Being designed for consoles and it will be dumbed down and all that.

Thus far every prediction has been factually correct, these other people, the forum users, have not achieved this.

Probably, though given how stressful today's daily life can be, I would imagine that Hatred would be praised as the much-needed stress relief society needs in this day and age.

The game looks like shit so I wouldn't be surprised if reviews bash it.

This.

Many gamers cry about games not being taken seriously, but then also cry when reviewers talk about the subject matter. It makes absolutely no sense.

The subject matter is a part of the game and thus is fair game to be critiqued. If a game's subject matter is straight up tasteless and impacts enjoyment of the product, I'd like the reviewer to tell me that.

Who are these albums getting praise from though?

It will probably sell like hot-cakes, thankfully.

I think it'll fairly get called a lousy game, because it looks like a lousy game trying to get by on being dark and "we're anti politically correct bro'...and it's like you made another boring ass game. Because Postal was a boring ass game. Also the subject matter is totally tasteless and worthy of criticism. There are people on this forum who wouldn't play a video game because the story was stupid, why the **** shouldn't a critic then be playing the game and go "this games subject matter is shit, because x, y, and z".

You can't have the "Games are art" mantra and then not allow it to be criticized for things like tasteless depictions gun violence, people going postal, depression, poorly developed female characters, systemic failures when it comes to promoting works of minorities or having protagonists are minorities, etc. It's no different than criticizing a game for having shit writing or a poorly told story, which is almost all of them, but that's besides the point.

Hatred will save gaming.

So if a guy thinks boobs are inappropriate in a game, he should be able to negatively rate a game because of that?

**** that. That opinion is nuts dude. Sounds like you just want people to tell you what they want you to think about a game. How about instead they discuss the subject matter and let the audience decide if it's interesting to them or not? Are you not capable of thinking for yourself?

Most people can decide for themselves if subject matter appeals to them, and people play games to have fun. How the subject matter impacts you has absolutely zero relevance to what someone else might think of the game's subject matter. On the other hand, what everyone is concerned about when it comes to reviews is how well the game plays, how much content it has, features, etc.

Good job at confusing mutually exclusive concepts. There is no criteria for "art" on any review site. They can criticize the story presented, but that only counts for so much (and is always irrelevant if the game is good). Videogame review sites don't rate games based heavily on how artistic they are. Otherwise Mortal Kombat would be the most panned franchise of all time. Really, a site that would do that sounds like a site that would be headed by social justice warriors who want to stigmatize games that do things their own way. Or Christian freaks

The target audience. A grindcore album would appeal to people who like grindcore music. Who's that? A ton of people.

They aren't actually mutually exclusive. If you want them to have the respect of being called art, then they are fair criticism for more nuanced criticism then "derp the framerate is consistent".

Anyway you are confusing Arthur Geis being a shit critic with something being valid criticism or not. If something is handled in poor taste or is tacky or whatever it is totally fair game for criticism or judgement. Bayonetta for instance is a very well done character, she compliments her gameplay, she's also characterized in a consistent manner in the context of her plot. However the game does tend to go a bit overboard with the sexualization which walks a fine ass line between tongue n cheek (the point of the game) to being out right tacky (Bayonetta 2 more or less does that territory).

Likewise any subject matter should be allowed to be a discussion point.

Herpa derp "they can see if the subject matter is for them themselves" doesn't fly, or else you're basically saying there should be no such thing as criticism. They can figure out if the mechanics are for them, they cane figure out if the graphics are for them, they can figure out if the game is for them, they can figure out if the movie is for them. Point being trying to pigeon hole criticism into a neat little thing you want because they are saying things you don't like is

A: Short sighted

B: Straight up ignorant to the value of criticism.

It's not about stigmatizing anything, and MK gets plenty of criticism for shoddy gameplay at times and overkill in the violence department. Plus it's stupid. You can criticize any form of art for a variety of reasons. The same people who criticize those more nuanced flicks are also the same people who will then criticize a superhero flick, hell at times praise them. Beauty of art is that it comes in a wide variety of flavors.

Crap game with a crap concept living off of shock for sales. Selling it to the public is what I would consider unfair.