Game Connect 08 - What Makes a Good Game - a critics perspective 1/4

Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw

Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw is a game reviewer who shot to fame with Zero Punctuation, a weekly series of video reviews for the Escapist online gaming magazine, which became widely viewed and beloved by players and developers alike for their quickfire, no-holds-barred approach to game criticism.

He has also worked in development as a writer for several local studios and as a designer with Brisbane indie developer Aberrant Entertainment, as well as his own personal game projects.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• GCAP
• Game
• Connect
• Asia
• Pacific
• 2008
• GDAA
• Ben
• Yahtzee
• Croshaw
• Zero
• Punctuation
• tsumea
• Australian
• game
• development

[ThisFreakinLunatic]

I wouldn't go as far as to call Yahtzee god, but he is a pretty cool guy.

Plus he has a nice hat, and everyone knows that you always get points for having a nice hat.

[007ToxicVenom]

Probably the only Game Critic that is an actual game critic.

[MonfangHowlett]

When you tear games apart for a living, you know how they tick.

[sirgallahad4]

For those that do not know...

Yahtzee is the chosen one.

[ScattySafari]

I wish I'd known this was on.I live in Brisbane and this would have been awesome.

[JessFromMead]

@zgates Sounds like he tore up a lot of games you like. For the record, he has ripped apart a lot of games I absolutely love, but its still entertaining to see him find major flaws in those games that the reviewers some how missed.

[zgates]

@Majyxs But that's just it. He's NEVER presented himself as a "serious journalist". He's a nitpicky fucker with plenty of bias who mostly looks for ways to tear a game to shreds, and that's why he's gotten so successful. Anyone who think he's being a level-headed reviewer is responsible for whatever purchasing mistakes they make.

[Majyxs]

@zgates I don't give any respect to ass-kissing reviews either, but sometimes he has some inconsistencies; but those are negligible, simply because many aspects of his reviews are meant to be exaggerated. They work by actually getting the damn point across which many reviews struggle with, but they sometimes (and perhaps inadvertently) paint some games with glowing biohazard signs. So I'll just agree that he WORKS, but his methods are, shall we say, not entirely reliable. But he works.

[zgates]

@Majyxs I disagree with tons of his quibbles, but that's why he works. Instead of glowing, undercarriage-licking reviews that you can get anywhere, we've got one guy willing to turn over EVERY rock for EVERY little nitpick, and I think it's made purchasing games a lot easier because I know what's gonna be coming.

[Majyxs]

Entertainment is all he is. He gives games brutal reviews so He can GET views. Who would watch his channel if he spent his time being optimistic? No one? Case closed. That said, I personally hate certain big titles such as Halo and thought that his review perfectly mirrored my thoughts, however I believe that he likes it same as the rest of the mooks. On the other hand I disagree with SOME of his quibbles about Bioshock, and maybe a few other games. Others I can heartily AGREE on.

[JessFromMead]

@KuhoinX he's not a god. He is just good at reviewing, critisizing, whatever. Like how he will trash big title games like Halo or Call of Duty for poor gameplay mechanics, weak story, or whatever else the "Real Reviewers" on sites like Gamespot, IGN, or Gamefaqs tend to ignore and automatically give a game a perfect score, then when I get it, I find the game is as entertaining as licking tree bark.

[KuhoinX]

it is funny some ppl call him god or something similar

he is a comedian and like most other comedians he provide entertainment, and that's all