I think it's hilarious that GTA4's Gamespot Video Review is completley different from their written review. Go watch the video review, within the first few moments of the review, the reviewer outright says, "so this isn't a perfect game by any means," and yet they gave it 10 out of 10, as perfect as they can give something... why not just a 9.5 out of 10, that's as good as a game can possibly get in all honesty. I mean, there isn't one game out there that is absolutely perfect. None. Not a single game where there isn't a single flaw in it in some way, or something that is important to the game but missing. The whole "10 out of 10" thing really bugged me, because GS reviews are usually pretty honest, and pretty brutal on some lesser named games. That's not always a good thing, but in an industry filled to the brim with games worth playing, each of them $60, you'd like to have a second opinion on where to drop the $500 worth of games you'll buy in about 6 months alone. I like listening to fans as well, but fans can be over-zealous, and make games seem so much more than they actually are. "Zelda rock!" Well, I tried to play it, and I didn't like it.... funny, because it also got great reviews. "Kane and Lynch was great!" I played it, and I honestly liked it far more than I originally thought. I mean, it felt like playing the shooting scene in the first Matrix movie, just all the time. Then GS gave it a 6. That's when I listen both parties with caution.
Fans are overly-generous to all games, reviewers are overly generous to big-named games. I'll listen to GS first, then fans later, unless I know what I'm getting into. It's hard to explain, but you have to forge your own path when it comes to planning to buy games. If you're going to buy and play it, reviews don't matter. If you're on the fense, then talk to someone with the same taste in games, don't talk to fans. They'll convice you it's better than sex.... and they're wrong. Don't necessarily trust in reviewers either, as they may be too generous, as they were with GTA 4, or they may be too brutal, like K&L.
Believe half of what you see, and nothing you hear... untill you know for yourself. GTA 4 was very, very overrated in my opinion. San Andreas had more gameplay features, and more content overall, and it was the previous title in the series. That's a worn out record, but it doesn't make it not true. GTA 4 just feels.... last gen, just with a fresh coat of paint. I was disapointed, as I expected more from it... shame on me I suppose. Never expect a game to meet your expectations, always doubt a game. Most of the time it lives up to your lower expectations, and you don't go into hype mode, but if it IS better than expected, you'll be even more pleased with the game... my new philosophy anyway.
Log in to comment