The Escapist looks at the Console Wars

Yahtzee is one of the best things to happen to game reviewers in a long fucking time.

His review of Bioshock last week was phenomenal.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Yahtzee is one of the best things to happen to game reviewers in a long fucking time.

His review of Bioshock last week was phenomenal.[/quote]

Yeah I just discovered the site today. I'll have to do some exploring.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Ehh...I liked his Bioshock review. But now it just seems like he's being cynical just because he can.[/quote]

He was nice actually to Psychonauts. ;o
 
[quote name='Draekon']He was nice actually to Psychonauts. ;o[/QUOTE]

Everyone's nice to Psychonauts...just not people who didn't buy it...which is sadly most of the gaming public.
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Ehh...I liked his Bioshock review. But now it just seems like he's being cynical just because he can.[/QUOTE]

And more power to him! How often do you read game reviews without realizing that the magazines and websites that provide those reviews entire fucking revenue streams are covered by ads bought by the companies whose games they are reviewing?

Not a novel concept, to be sure. But from my vantage point, too many reviews these days are unbelievable. Far too many high scores for games that just don't deserve "perfect" scores (pardon the nostalgia, but remember when a "10" meant somethin', man?). Those games that get shitty reviews are the easy ones: licensed crap that EGM readers don't buy (so it's perfectly safe for all invested parties if EGM shits on "High School Musical GBA," since few of their readers will be the demographic purchasing it), or games that it's novel/de rigeur to shit on (see Lair - I don't want to start an argument here, but since it's in vogue to shit all over everything Sony, they could get away with cannibalizing one game to restore reader faith in their collective objectivity as a reviewer).

They don't even let reviewers, for the most part, review the bad stuff - you get Seanbaby, who is a dreadful writer (cover a dartboard with 80's pop culture references, and fill in the blanks: "_________(name of game) is like _______ meets _______ but only if ________ was humping _______"). Sure, Yahtzee is cynical, but the differences between he and Seanbaby are enormous:

effort
humor
an actual investment in the games
games worth reading about
not havin' to look at Seanbaby's played out 1994 club-kid mug (worth half the price alone).

Is Yahtzee cynical because he can be? If so, great! Bring on more of 'em!
 
this guy is a great act. I'll watch it till he runs out of steam..

but it's a shame that "System Shock 2.1" or whatever has become a catch phrase.
 
In SeanBaby's defense, I would not put an ounce of effort into decent writing if I had to review all those shitty games either. But I suppose its what he signed up for...
 
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