@Sheepofevilz -- Apparently not everybody. A well-known games journalist wrote a post suggesting the contrary; I linked to it in the very first paragraph. A commenter just below me often turns music off.
As for pretentious, well, my job is to analyze, dissect, and evaluate. If you aren't interested in articles that evaluate the various aspects of game design and how they come together to make successful works of art, then these articles (and all reviews) are simply not for you, I guess. I suppose some might find the analysis of such things pretentious. But I think many others might find it valuable or thought-provoking.
@elozl -- How did you come to that conclusion? There's nothing in this feature that even remotely suggests such a thing. In the introductory paragraphs, he's talking about playing games made for HD on a standard television, and how jarring that experience can be.
@crepair -- Please see what I wrote below: "In any such article here or anywhere else, you can always use this template: "Just because I didn't mention [your favorite game/album/book] doesn't mean I don't recognize and appreciate [your favorite game/album/book], and it was not intentionally left out." Much as with any editorial, just because you don't see your personal loves represented doesn't mean they couldn't have been equally fitting."
@CapmJim -- Of course I played every Fallout game--even Tactics. But Fallout 3's ambient soundtrack is not lighthearted. I love the radio's period tunes, but there were only a few, and I felt that aspect of the game could have been taken much further. It had room to really tap into that nostalgia; it was on the right road, but I don't think it arrived at its logical destination. I think New Vegas had a more evocative orchestral soundtrack that tied the atmosphere together. Imagine if Fallout 3 has been loaded with period music, and its ambient music had taken its cue from those oldies!
Of course, it is somewhat nitpicky, but even if you may not agree, the point is more that music has this power over us. I am glad that there is music that speaks to you as well!
Hey all! In any such article here or anywhere else, you can always use this template: "Just because I didn't mention [your favorite game/album/book] doesn't mean I don't recognize and appreciate [your favorite game/album/book], and it was not intentionally left out." Much as with any editorial, just because you don't see your personal loves represented doesn't mean they couldn't have been equally fitting. But if I included every great example, this would be a 100-page article! Rest assured, there are many great soundtracks, and one's non-inclusion is hardly a slight. I would love to hear your favorites!
@jack00 -- That's what critics do for a living: they evaluate. It is fine if you don't find evaluation worthwhile, but critical thinking is more than just about "I like this" or "this stinks." It involves dissecting a whole as well as its parts using applicable criteria. On a basic level, critical thinking allows most people to understand, for example, why To Kill A Mockingbird tells a better story than, say, Transformers 2, or why The Empire Strikes Back is a better film than Attack of the Clones. There is an element of subjectivity, of course, but anyone with a thoughtful opinion doesn't simply pull these thoughts out of thin air. There are some great resources available on critical thinking, such as this essay:
http://tinyurl.com/3uoe2dsThere are also countless wonderful resources on the various facets of storytelling, and the critique thereof. There are actually very objective criteria that can be applied to determine and discuss a narrative's success. For example: http://tinyurl.com/3sxakvmThat is a very short take on those kinds of criteria, but I think you understand my point: We can apply certain standards when discussing the quality of a story, and while there is an element of subjectivity, reasonable people are able to draw conclusions about quality and relate how they drew them. Not all may agree, but that doesn't mean that there was no process to drawing the conclusion.
@EvilSelf -- I love, love, love Deadly Premonition. We had an entire podcast devoted to it; you really should check it out. (I've also sung its praises in my blog and on Twitter.) We also nominated it for best story in our 2010 Game of the Year awards. And remember: just because I didn't use a particular example doesn't mean I don't hugely appreciate it. I didn't mention Planescape: Torment or The Longest Journey, but they are my favorite video games stories of all time. Talking about every great story and analyzing them would make for a realllllly long article!
@grey_fox1984 -- Your friend thinks Killzone 3's story is the best game story in years next to Mass Effect 2--and is better than Mass Effect 1? That is very--interesting.
@grey_fox1984 -- Would any aspiring filmmaker or novelist look to Killzone 3 as a stellar example of subtle characterization, consistency of tone, narrative continuity, and motive? I have a very, very hard time seeing that. Michael Bay has a degree in film, but I don't know that I would trust his abilities to recognize a good story. Of course, any view is potentially legitimate, and I don't pretend that mine is the only one, or that these people you speak of do not have wonderful and legitimate points of view. But my job is to evaluate, and so I did. And the nature of evaluation means that opinion is involved--it's the nature of anything called "editorial" and doesn't need to be explicitly stated.
Obviously, anyone making evaluative statements is speaking from opinion, but those praising Killzone 3's story are few in number, and the large majority of reviews did not have kind things to say about it, for good reason. You might find the following breakdown an excellent read:
Kevin-V's comments