ALICE MADNESS RETURNS and THE BROKEN STATE OF VIDEO GAME REVIEWS - CHARGE BACK FORWARD

[blaizevincent]

Pt 2 - The people at fault in your arguement are the Consumers who choose to disregard a game based on a below 80% score on metacritic.Consumers need to wise up to this fact

Reviews are 2 tell us 3 things

1.Does it live upto a Perfect Standard and if not then why not?

2.Do those faults matter enough to someone who is already interested in the game?

3.Finally is it worth $60 or should i spend it on something that is worth it?

Reviews are for -Consumer Advice and nothing else

Good Vid Guys : )

[blaizevincent]

comment part 1

the closing comment arguement is rubbish.

Each game has to be compared to each other because they cost the same.

An Alice MR must be compared to that of a perfect standard because they cost the same as those games that achieve such heights. Its the consumers fault if they choose to look at metacritic without doing their own reserch into if that game will still appeal to them despite is faults no matter how major or minor they are.

continued in part 2

[PREZILLA2009]

Great now I cant touch my stuff anymore without plastic Glubs on my hand. : /

[ChargeBackForward]

@PREZILLA2009 It is only proper for that which you love...OMG that came out soooo creepy!

T.

[ZaireXIII]

While I agree with the metacritic sentiment the game suffers from the same issues the original had. The platforming aspects and gameplay in general just don't have the polish and creativity the art style has. No one played the original for the gameplay and it's really hard justifying a full price investment. Thankfully the asking price is now $40 and that seems a much fairer price for what is a pretty average with high above average style.

[ChargeBackForward]

@ZaireXIII Like we said before...the best way to make up your mind about a game is to make up your own mind :) With the new price point, hopefully more units will find their way into loving homes :) Thanks for your comment :)

T.

[SuperBeardedGamer]

This sort of thing is why I and many others hate and don't trust mainstream video game reviewers. I really want to get this game. I'm glad the the mainstream is wrong about this one. Great video guys!

[ChargeBackForward]

@SuperBeardedGamer Thank you very much. I was really pleased to hear that this video got many people to try out this gem :)

...Big Mike

[SuperBeardedGamer]

@ChargeBackForward No problem. It's like it was said it the video, too many people assume metacritic and professional game reviewer's opinions are correct. Thats why the gaming community needs people like you all, to expose the faults and unjust reviews. Keep up the good work.

[psygonworld]

Is there any way you could unbox remake of persona 2 that was just released on psp?

[ChargeBackForward]

@psygonworld I did buy it but sadly our shooting schedule is a little tied up right now. Perhaps in the future we will do a special on Persona I have all the original and remakes and box sets etc etc. Thanks for watching :)

...Big Mike

[ChargeBackForward]

@THXultragamer You are so right about how spoiled we, as gamers, are. In the 16-bit days, we thought the future was Digital Pictures, with their full motion video games...never could we fathom how games would evolve!

[armenius28]

i love the masonc floor on the cover...you guys should make vid about satanism in the game industry.

Why are there so many zombi games,not because its a trend now...no

Why do we see sooo many pyrmids and one seeing eye's in games....and escpecially the checkered black and white floor(free mason floor)

Word of warcrap has reptiles/dragons statues inscripted with 666 on there body...why would a jewish(yeah most of blizzards staff are jews) company do something like that.The mock with god in games

[ChargeBackForward]

@armenius28 You know what they say...anything for a buck :(

T.

[armenius28]

@ChargeBackForward The prob with this is...that they dont do this because of the money.

Even people who dont believe in this crap...say to me that hollywood and the game industry is really pushing there masonic and lucipherian symbols on us.

I bet that you asked yourself at least onces....why??...why are the so many 1 eye's in games?...or checkered floors...lol even fallout new vegas is full with chessbords...every room has one....

Hm..ignorance is a bliss...i guess..peace

[TheDevilBurning]

an intelligent video game review with a level of integrity and insight? SIGN ME UP!

I actually utilize close friends and people I've come to know and respect on youtube to help me gain insight into old and new games that I could be interested in. It's a complex process to find a game you could love for yourself on your own so 1 guy on the internet at some big site really doesn't cut it for me. Glad you guys feels similar.

[ChargeBackForward]

@TheDevilBurning We've learned about many games through our friends on YouTube...and have enjoyed some rocking games as a result!

T.

[DecepticonMecha]

Oh, yeah. I loved that game. Played to the end. Story's pretty fucked up. Which is why I like it!

[bencheshire]

off based on something in the footage or demo, and then my tastes change or something clicks for me, like how Pokemon and Final Fantasy VII have turned me into a traditional RPG gamer.

[ChargeBackForward]

@bencheshire I clearly remember waiting for two Lunar games (Lunar Dragon Song and Lunar Knights on the DS)...I wanted to cry when I found out that with Dragon song, you had to chose between fighting for exp. or cash (yay, twice the grinding) and with regards to Lunar Knights, the box bears the font from all the other Lunar games, and yet it had nothing to do with them...it's from the Boktai series...I was suckered in by Konami...sneaky buggers.

T.

[bencheshire]

@ChargeBackForward Its better but not fool-proof. I usually think those Character Action games look boring, yet theyre nearly always fun to play. Its amazing the difference playing a demon can make. In fact, Tetris probably looked boring to play too, as did World of Warcraft, yet once I finally got my hands on those I realised what all the fuss was about. Of course I dont even remember when I first played Tetris, I think I must have been administered it prenatally. And sometimes I write games

[bencheshire]

reason. I remember it had a "zzz" rating on IGN's page-traffic ranking not long before launch. I was waiting for it over a year, ever since I first heard the title. It sounded like my dream game. I was gutted when I saw the footage. I was playing Bayonetta at the time and it just borders on plagiarism how similar those girls jump. I think they were pandering to the action-game crowd when they chose the Devil May God of Every Other PS2 Action Game skeleton to put their skins on.

[ChargeBackForward]

@bencheshire I really enjoyed reading your comments :) It makes me sad that you were looking forward to this game for as long as you were, only to be crushed by the gameplay videos...therein lies the beauty of diversity...one man's garbage is another man's treasure.

Speaking of old school advertising...so many disappointments, so many broken promises.

Back to the skinny, seeing video and making a decision for yourself is way better than following metacritic.

T.

[bencheshire]

I said looks because Ive seen footage. I think if youtube existed in 1982 (ish) then ET never would have suckered so many gamers with its license alone. I think the days of buying $100 games based on cover art alone and maybe a magazine ad, like I did for Battletoads on Game Gear in 199-whenever were way worse.

I think any time you make generalisations about the habits of millions of people you don't know, you're bound to insult most of them. I think this was always a niche title, for whatever

[bencheshire]

We ignored it because the gameplay looks generic and boring, and because you can't "play" art design alone.

[ChargeBackForward]

@bencheshire Of course, everyone's entitled to their own opinions and tastes, but since you said "looks," it's safe to say you never played it. Remember, even though this is a video about Alice, it's also a video about how video game reviews are failing the community. Not everyone is going to like every game, but with Metacritic, many games that would be enjoyed are swept under the rug. Thanks for your thoughts :)

T.

[TheSecretGameRoom]

Been really looking to get Alice game , just not got around to it yet because it looked awesome! I agree exactly with what your saying guys , lots of people are missing out on some awesome games due to this.

[ChargeBackForward]

@TheSecretGameRoom It's a crazy game...Big Mike does not get fired up very often!

T.

[dustinkreis]

New Yorker reference on a video game "review"...that's why you guys are awesome. Now I'm going to have to pick up Alice and the book to wash both the Tim Burton film and the Disneyfied version out of my mouth...thanks guys.

[ChargeBackForward]

@dustinkreis Someone's got to throw love to the New Yorker :) Enjoy the book and games!

T.

[gendo82]

Another great video. I look forward to each of the ones you guys make because you talk about bigger issues in games other than "the graphics sucked...there wasn't enough killing." We need more of your type of mindset in the gaming community.

[ChargeBackForward]

@gendo82 Thank you very much for your kind words. The response to this video (and our thoughts on Catherine video) have been very positive. We will definitely be doing more of these in the future.

...Big Mike

[nbuckgames]

Bravo to you both for sharing your thoughts on this subject that very often goes untouched. I also share several of your sentiments and feel that it's a shame that the editorial opinion of one has the potential to negatively affect many and that some can miss out on something great and never know. That's why I've simply stopped reading reviews and have turned to Youtube channels such as CBF for open, honest conversation from fellow gamers.

[ChargeBackForward]

@nbuckgames Thanks a lot. That really means a lot to us.We just couldn't stand idly by any more. The way Alice was treated my most critics was the last straw for me. We will be sharing our thoughts and having more open discussions on games in the future as the response have been over whelming :)

...Big Mike

[psygonworld]

Oh yeah xplay is awful, they just love to bash games that have a heavy fanbase (ff7) and are overly sarcastic, I honestly can't believe that show is still on air, the only show I can even watch on g4 anymore is aots

[ChargeBackForward]

@psygonworld Fuck xplay ;) He moderated a panel on Bioshock Infinite and he was mediocre at best...needless to say, I was not in line to get Sessler's autograph.

T.

[psygonworld]

Absolutely agree, I've never played either alice but that art book looks amazing!!

[PaulBlakeman7]

Xplay said it had Dated Mechanics and soulless design and gave it two out of five I think that twat Adam Sessler was talking about his hair and not this wonderful game.

[ChargeBackForward]

@PaulBlakeman7 lol that's awesome!! I remember watching that review. I'm pretty sure I was shaking my head in disbelief.

...Big Mike

[AskeGuitar]

Just wanted to add, while DNF had a lot of problems on consoles (bad loading times, etc) reviewers all of a sudden seemed to raise their standards very high. I think those reviewers weren't aware of the original Duke, just like these reviewers were not aware of the original Alice novel. My brother who has finished the game said DNF was alright, but back to Alice, I am still really interested and will pick this up one day.

[ChargeBackForward]

@AskeGuitar That's a great point. DNF was a prime example of "band wagon jumping" bad reviews. It was but no means perfect but it seems critics expected it to be. The comments that made me "face palm" the most was when they were complaining is was "like a 90's FPS"...clueless completely clueless.

Thanks for your input Brother :)

...Big Mike

[AskeGuitar]

I heard about the original but never played it, I was interested in this game when I heard it was announced but it went under my radar. I then heard about the bad reviews. Much like Duke Nukem 3D, the original was a cult classic, and now ten years later their sequels are both released with reviewers bashing both games. After playing the DNF demo, I was so confused as to why the game was receiving such bad reviews, the game was not even broken.

[BioShockier]

lolololol why are you guys wearing gloves? and why do you touch stuff so wierd?

[ChargeBackForward]

@BioShockier Everyone always asks about the gloves...the answers you are looking for are at your fingertips...

As for the touching stuff...you should see me on a lonely Thursday night lol

T.

[ProteanSelf7]

I agree WHOLE-HEARTEDLY with what you've said. I missed the first unfortunetly but thankfully this comes out and I can enjoy both. So I've played both, loved both (especially madness) and couldn't believe that most 'professionals' cited this game as poor because its mechanics were too repetitious. Not 1 word bout its atmosphere/art/philisophical undertow... and so here I was thinking our world went mad with alice... until I saw your video. Thanks (and nice inclusion of the song at end) rock on!!

[ChargeBackForward]

@ProteanSelf7 Thank you my friend. It was painfully obvious that most critics completely missed the point and only focused on a couple details. I really appreciate your comment :) we're all mad here

...Big Mike

[ReturnToMotherBase]

I feel like metacritic is a tool that is completely abused. I mean honestly it just compiles information and people take that as law, which you shouldn't. There are tons of fantastic 'yellow' games out there. Pertaining to Alice, I completely agree with you, 100% if you know the source material you are in for an absolute treat, and it seems a lot of reviewers never even touched the source material, which completely skews their reviews in my opinion. Totally agree with you guys!

[ChargeBackForward]

@ReturnToMotherBase Thank you. That was exactly the point we were trying to make. For a game like this understanding the source material is incredibly important. The team behind this game did a great job bringing this twisted story to life.

...Big Mike

[sithlord22222]

Nice job guys... Alice game looks interesting might just pick it up.

[ChargeBackForward]

@sithlord22222 Plus, the fact you get a code to dl the original Alice is super bonus time!

T.

[ShyBoy6D9]

lmfao I love the closing comments. XD It just sounded funny "Anyone that shits on a game..." I loved that so much. :3 But in all seriousness, I totally agree with this video. I watched a few reviews, professional and amateur, thought Oh, well, this must not be too good. I watched more videos and eventually found out it was big on platforming, and that REALLY drew me in. Lucky for me, there was a deal at GameStop, so I got it NEW for $40, and I loved every minute of this game. A friend of mine...

[ShyBoy6D9]

@ShyBoy6D9 (cont.) I think is one of those Metacritic zombies. He doesn't look at the numbers, but he absolutely WILL NOT buy a game unless EVERYONE ELSE is talking about it. I never thought he'd buy Catherine, and I'm glad a game that's not a shooter is getting praise, but he's so much of a sheep, and it irritates the crap out of me. He won't buy a $10-15 game like Bastion, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Beyond Good & Evil HD, or something else if I recommend it, but if everyone else...

[ShyBoy6D9]

@ShyBoy6D9 (cont.) is playing, say, the new Assassin's Creed, if it's a complete and utter disappointment or not, he will pay the full $60 for a new copy, play through it and LOVE it just because everyone else in the world got it.

So with that said, I can completely relate to the topic of this video. I took a chance on a game and got so much in return. A fun, lengthy single player experience for $40, instead of a 5-6 hours single player experience for $60. Please, make more of these videos.

[ChargeBackForward]

@ShyBoy6D9 I think we all have friends like that...this is most likely because so many gamers do the same thing. though him buying Catherine does show there is a glimmer of hope. I have nothing against the big budget mainstream games I just really want gamers to broaden their views on what's out there :) I'm really happy you picked up Alice. I did forget to mention how long it is. It was so nice to see that much effort put into a single player campaign.

...Big Mike

[DudeinGA]

The problem with game reviewers is that many of them are realizing their review is marketing and won't do an objective review. Take for instance, Gamespot and the Kane & Lynch debacle. Jeff Gertsmann reviewed the game and gave it a honest assessment -- yet because there was a marketing push on the site for the game, he is no longer reviewing for Gamespot. I guarantee that some games will find higher scores than others because of marketing.

[ChargeBackForward]

@DudeinGA That is very true. I assure you I did not receive any money from EA or American McGee lol

...Big Mike

[IHeart16Bit]

I agree with you guys, I think this game is FANTASTIC, the art style and story is so..... messed up it's brilliant =) And thanks for bringing my attention to the art book, I'm going to look in too if I can get hold of it. Also, Wonderland Alice is hot, just saying xD

But yeah, it would be great to hear your opinion on more games, just stay away from the whole"so many points out of ten" style of reviews.

[ChargeBackForward]

@IHeart16Bit Thank you. Terence and I definitely prefer discussing and game and not breaking it down into numbers. Another viewer made a similar point that if and when we do "reviews" they should not include a scoring system.

I bought the art book from Amazon.ca so I really hope you find one for yourself..and yes she is hot ;)

...Big Mike

[ShyBoy6D9]

@IHeart16Bit Hehe, she is hot. I knew she was supposed to be crazy while i was playing the game, so I was like "Should I be thinking like this?" I went on youtube after I finished the game, and didn't feel as bad because a lot of other people felt the same way. XD

[TheCompletionist]

One thing I wanted to bring up, I don't know if anybody noticed, and I really don't want to bring attention to it. Mike I'm guessing video game reviewers hurt you real bad when it came to this game, because I could tell in your voice that you sounded like you were getting a little choked up and a little emotional that this game such unfair treatment. I think that's a testament of how much we truly enjoy our hobby and not just for collection purposes but to actually have fun and play our games.

[ChargeBackForward]

@TheCompletionist very true my friend. Terence is an awesome editor. This video actually took several takes to complete. I was pretty fired up while doing this. I'm really happy though that our passion came though in this video even though you couldn't see our faces

...Big Mike

[xcornmuffinx]

I got this game at release and I played through all of the original and then I put it down until recently. I am really liking the art. It's amazing. Also, if anyone is going to read Alice, you should pick up the annotated version. It's helpful for unraveling some of the more arcane or difficult parts. If not that one, the book is not under copyright anymore and can be downloaded at any e-book download site for free. Definitely read the book before the game.

[ChargeBackForward]

@xcornmuffinx Thank you bringing that up. I totally forgot to mention that the book is now "public domain".

...Big Mike

[sephirothfromff7]

Wait, whats up with the hand?

[ChargeBackForward]

@sephirothfromff7 lol we filmed several videos that night. We wore the gloves as a joke for the Catherine unboxing but then forgot to take them off for the rest of the videos. The gloves make their first appearance in our "level one" video

...Big Mike

[sephirothfromff7]

@ChargeBackForward I meant to say "Wait, whats up with the gloves?" But you understood what I was going for. I though it was kinda funny seeing someone touch their video games and shit with gloves, like they don't wanna get fingerprints or something on them.

Anyway, I like your videos. Time to subscribe.

[MBXIGaming1]

I know what you mean about the Metascores. I for one, really enjoyed the Transformers Dark Of The Moon game, I know many didn't and therefore it got a low score on Metacritic. The problem with Metacritic is that some people just write terrible reviews for the sake of it. Search... I dont know... Gears Of War 2, your bound to find one review which is 1 out of 10 because this child is trying attract attention. that then brings the average down. Not a big fan of Metacritic.

[ChargeBackForward]

@MBXIGaming1 Excellent point. I also find there are a lot "band wagon jumping" reviews. Say a couple of critics give a game a bad reviews. Then others look at that and hop aboard by writing bad reviews to a game they most likely didn't even play

...Big Mike

[WresltingGamer1989]

Two words, Chris Roper, this guy single handily helped make God Hand at the time a taboo thing to talk about in game stores or even in game forums, his review was the most shameless most unprofessional review I had ever seen, the guy admits he didn't beat the first stage, he dons't like hard games, he doesn't like beat um ups, he really dons't like Capcom games like DMC, nor the quirkiness of Japanese games, so let me ask a legitimate question, why did they let him review a game like this, why.

[ChargeBackForward]

@WresltingGamer1989 EXCELLENT point. I really wish I had mentioned that in this video. Some movie critics have admitted to not even watching the movie they reviewed..same goes for game critics. It's painfully obvious that sometimes they only played a game for a couple of hours and didn't even come close to finishing it. I remember the Chris Roper review..."shameless and unprofessional" are perfect words to describe what happened

...Big Mike

[Aerodynamisch]

I have never played any of the Alice games and have not read any reviews on this except this video. I definitely look at "professional" game reviews but always take them with a big grain of salt. My favorite genres are the more obscure ones and big game reviewers aim their reviews at the mainstream. Not my cup of tea.

Whether they give it a 1 or 10 I only read reviews to lol or know the basic setup of a game...

[lcarus19]

Then again they have been making there magazine since 1994 and the guys have love for there work and really just give there opinion on the experience of the game and try to urge not to look at the scores they give to a game to much because it might be a personal opinion. Great video as always and I agree with you guys people need try more games.(Although I also support smaller companies alot, with games like Alice I don't think EA is going bankrupt at once, but it is a shame for the game itself)

[ChargeBackForward]

@lcarus19 Very true. There are some professional critics that do it right and have the knowledge and experience necessary. Terence and I really enjoy discussing games (like we did with the Catherine vid) We both agree that we should do this a lot more.

Yes you're right EA will survive. I was definitely more concerned with American McGee and the team at Spicy Horse who put so much time and effort into this project.

Thanks as always my friend. You are one of the best

...Big Mike

[lcarus19]

I would like to see you guys do something like a discussion together on a game you played recently to reflect your experience on the game. I haven't played Alice yet not for lack of interest but just because I don't have the time to play it. The dutch gaming magazine is something I have been subscribed to for 12 years now and I really respect there opinion on games and when I read their reviews I don't look at the score but if how they describe it is a type of game I would like to play.

[iPattou]

why do you put gloves? its only games.. :(

[ChargeBackForward]

@iPattou lol we filmed several videos that night. We wore the gloves as a joke for the Catherine unboxing but then forgot to take them off for the rest of the videos. The gloves make their first appearance in our "level one" video

...Big Mike

[GamezOfWar]

Thats why I really love Youtube!!

If we,the real gamers can influence people and sway them from the sheep mentality that is "professional reviews"

Great description of a great game

[ChargeBackForward]

@GamezOfWar Thank you my friend. We just really want our fellow gamers try new and different titles. And if they don't like them then hey that's cool...but at least they tried them.

...Big Mike

[brett3xmvpfavre4]

This game is now on my radar.

[BalAfrrRe]

The art book look... mmmmmh :P

[ChargeBackForward]

@BalAfrrRe it's awesome! Some really gorgeous stuff in there.

...Big Mike

[scscanlan]

Great video guys but the "Could you do better?" is kind of a poor attitude to take. I think people who don't make music are capable of appreciating it, knowing what they like, and even knowing what is good "technically". The same goes with film. I can respect a reviewers opinion even if they don't create. I mean, have you seen Ebert's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls? Anyway, not bashing you, loved the rest. : )

[ChargeBackForward]

@scscanlan Totally get where you are coming from, but the point we're trying to make is that people shit on games, music, and movies too easily...showing a total disregard for the blood and sweat that goes into them. The comment, "Could you do better?" is aimed specifically at people who are quick to dismiss a game and give it a bad review without giving it proper attention. It's a challenge to naysayers to step up to the plate and contribute something positive. Thanks for your thoughts :)

T.

[scscanlan]

@ChargeBackForward Right on, I totally get it, thanks for the rad videos guys.

[austimat55]

I don't think game reviews are great how they are, but I don't think it is easy to do either. I am 100% with you guys in terms of how you view a game. Your video got me thinking a lot, and hopefully this is not a jumbled mess of a post. END PART 3 (sorry for the multiple posts)

[ChargeBackForward]

@austimat55 My friend, you can post as many times as you want :) Thank you for your excellent points. I understand gamers wanting to "play it safe" when it comes to buying a title. Games are not cheap and not everyone can just buy a game when ever they feel like it. But I've always believed that a game is much more than just the data on the disc and I really hope that message got across in this video.

...Big Mike

[austimat55]

They want instant gratification and don't care about story or art or anything else. I have friends who will refuse to try games that I think are unique because they don't think they look fun. This is why I feel games are hard to review in some sense. With a movie you don't have any human interaction, but you do in a game. If you have terrible gameplay that hinders the experience of your main focus then you are screwed basically. END PART 2

[austimat55]

Hmm, I understand where you are coming from with your complaint. I think people should not write off a game purely on a bad score. Some games have their strong points which are the driving force of the entire game. From watching your videos I sort of assume you both value the meaning the game is putting forth (sorry if that is poorly worded). The problem with this is some people just want to play a game and have fun. END PART 1

[DansGameCorner]

and after looking at some gameplay of this I have to say, you are totally right about the art-style. It looks SO good, very dark, edgy and downright trippy.

Yet another one I MUST pick up...DAMN guys you are a recommendation machine!

Dan.

[ChargeBackForward]

@DansGameCorner lol sorry :) I really do recommend reading the book before you play. there are several characters and situations you will enjoy more if you brush up on the reference material.

...Big Mike

[DansGameCorner]

@ChargeBackForward I have actually read the book Mike, but thanks for letting me know =)

Dan.

[DansGameCorner]

I couldn't agree more guys, I for one think that critics shouldn't even give a "score"

The review should be based on personal experience because no two people are the same, therefore no two opinions on a game will be the same.

I hope that you have brought this to more peoples attention and stopping them from just reading a number and basing their entire opinion on that number, I don't allow critics to influence my descision to buy and play a game in any way and I hope others will do the same.

[TheCompletionist]

In closing, if you guys do reviews. I think it would best if you looked at it from two points of view. The first point of view would be to the everyday gamer that is not really defined by a specific genre, to somebody who will play anything, what will they like or not like about the game. The second point of view would be to gamers that stick to a certain genre of game, what will they like about it or not. That way you get to kill two birds with one stone.

Alright guys I'm done, so sorry.

[ChargeBackForward]

@TheCompletionist as always my friend we absolutely love when you comment on our videos!! You make many many excellent points. One of the points I was trying to make is that games to me (and I'm sure many others including yourself) are much more than just the data on the disc. Alice in my eyes was a perfect example of this. And I completely understand that several people will not like this game...but at least they tried it...and maybe they'll like another game in the future that critics hated.

[TheCompletionist]

@ChargeBackForward To be honest, I have felt the sting of watching one of my most anticipated games of the year, get butchered by critics and that is Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury. The most common complaint, its toooooooo hard. Guess what, the Bangai-O series is meant to be, it is not suppose to be a cake-walk. There is always a game made for one specific person so that they can enjoy it.

[TheCompletionist]

When you bought or rented it, it was like flipping a coin, will I enjoy this game or will I not. You weren't focused on what somebody said, you were just focused on having as much fun with this game as humanly possible. I think its what we have to go back to, don't play or buy a game, just because somebody says you have to because its good in their eyes, only you know whats good, and I feel like most gamers are sheep and will follow trends because its easier than forming your own opinion.

[TranscendentPhoenix]

Yeah, I completely agree with you guys on the lack of respect for many games from game reviewers, as well as the lack of respect for gamers when they say things like "you can play game x... but why do that when you can play game y, which is the best game in the genre". It's like no, screw you. I can play whatever the hell I want.. I've also noticed many "professional" reviewers nitpicking games to a ridiculously trivial level. Thanks for the nice rant :D

[ChargeBackForward]

@TranscendentPhoenix I look at it this way...maybe these "professional" reviewers have nothing real to talk about...I think they'd be better off working for a celebrity tabloid magazine.

T.

[KeruptKiller]

"Keep speaking the truth guys" I favorite this video!!!

[ChargeBackForward]

@KeruptKiller Thank you my friend

...Big Mike

[TheCompletionist]

If people would stop listening to professional reviews they may surprise themselves by how many hidden gems are out there that nobody would ever give a look at because these so called reviewers gave it a poor score. The people who love video games and write reviews on them on their own free time because they want to in my eyes have a lot more credability than somebody who gets paid to do it. Don't you remember back in the days of the nes, you didn't have review scores readily available.

[TheCompletionist]

I will firmly admit that I love movies and games that get heavily criticized for being bad, but that doesn't make me any less of a gamer than anybody else, but because of my gaming tastes I don't have the right to tell anybody what they should play either. There are people that constantly say that you can't call yourself a gamer unless you play this or that, and I despise people like that. I know what I like, and I love the anime style games that these guys love as well.

[TheCompletionist]

something unless you give it a try first. I can't say that something sucks and stick to it unless i give it a try. I understand as a gamer I tend to be a little stubborn when it comes to my video game tastes, my video game tastes have felt the bitter and biased attack from many video game reviewers to the point that I don't even listen to them anymore. A reviewer does not and should not determine what I should enjoy. Do you know who determines what I enjoy? I determine what I want to enjoy.

[TheCompletionist]

I kind of feel bad, because the last few videos. I've been leaving really long opinions on all the excellent points, you guys bring up and unfortunately this is going to be another so apologies in advance.

I can understand people being paranoid about wasting their time or wasting their money. However, when have we become a culture in which we can't form an accurate opinion about something unless we read upon it first. A saying that I firmly believe in is that you can make a judgement on

[alchmy69]

I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts about Alice. If you decide to continue you should call them "critiques" instead of "reviews."

I have agree with how reviews are currently done in this industry. I feel like the reviews are simplified so much that it shows little respect to the industry and the work done. The idea of giving scores, by nature of numbers, creates the idea of one game being better than another. We, as gamers, lose out because our median is not given the attention it deserves.

[ChargeBackForward]

@alchmy69 very true my friend. I do read "professional reviews" but purely for entertainment purposes (I must like shaking my head in disgust) "Critique" is the perfect word. Terence and I firmly believe that you should have the knowledge and experience necessary to undertake this. Of course not all games require that much intensity...Bejeweled for example lol

...Big Mike

[juniorgod321]

I'm not a metacritic zombie.I actually am a gamerankings zombie.

[nintendoatheart]

You bring up some really great points Big Mike, as well as Terence. People should not judge it just because of what some "professional reviewers" think of it. Just like the points you made about Catherine, people should give those games chances before they mentally toss then aside. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised if you go into these games with an open mind! I will definitely have to get around to picking up Madness Returns one day soon

[ChargeBackForward]

@nintendoatheart Awesome!! I think a lot of people forget that critics are just one person. Alice is by no means a perfect game but I was completely enthralled with it. I played it none stop over the curse of a few days until I finished it. I invited friends over to experience it with me and they were all impressed. Sadly it seems critics demand perfection in order to enjoy a game. I look at a game as much more than just the data on the disc.

...Big Mike

[Eckori]

I agree on those professional critiques. I'm glad I still have my own brain and not a flesh eater and indulge in games that look interesting to me and not measure a game by the ratings

[ChargeBackForward]

@Eckori excellent point! I'm sure a lot of people didn't or won't like Alice I just really want people to at least try it (and many other games too) Several of my favorite games from this generation were ripped apart by critics

...Big Mike