Monday, June 23, 2008

ACCURATE REVIEWS


Lately I've read lots of game reviews recommending 'this game is a 10', 'you really need to buy it', 'it's perfect!'.

I'm not going to get into the fact that most of those reviews, under my humble point of view, are too hype-influenced to be considered accurate. Yes, I'm thinking about Halo 3, Metal Gear Solid 4 or GTA 4. Let's keep that aside.

What I'm pointing out is this: The videogame critics apparently don't pay much attention to the fact that gamers are different, and there are several genres to prove it. You would not recommend a horror flick to a romantic-comedy-fan, would you? Ok, maybe that horror movie is simply great, and a '10' in its genre, but it will definitively fall down in the rank when watched by someone who loves other type of movies.

Well, games are the same. Would you say 'you have to buy this shooter game' to a puzzle gamer? I don't care if it's the perfect shooter. It would be a bad recommendation, a waste of money and another step back for videogames to be the main leisure choice for the XXI society.

So I'd recommend videogame journalists to be more precise in their articles, and when they suggest potential buyers to acquire a game, clearly state the game's genre. Somehow I feel videogame press still need to grow old to become what it's supposed to be: An accurate information source for gamers so they can select the game they'll really enjoy.