Video Game Critics

Otacon

There is a similar thread currently being discussed in the Film forum. I thought it might make for an interesting discussion here too.

I tend to read from a number of reviews before buying a game [unless its from a series I really like]. However, reviews from Jeff Gurstmann or Brad Shoemaker over at GiantBomb tend to get more consideration as they seem to have similar taste to my own.

Are there any video game critics/journalists/reviewers whose opinion you value?

Burning Eclipse

Otacon wrote: »

There is a similar thread currently being discussed in the Film forum. I thought it might make for an interesting discussion here too.

I tend to read from a number of reviews before buying a game [unless its from a series I really like]. However, reviews from Jeff Gurstmann or Brad Shoemaker over at GiantBomb tend to get more consideration as they seem to have similar taste to my own.

Are there any video game critics/journalists/reviewers whose opinion you value?

Jeff Gerstmann, N'Gai Croal, Michael McWhertor, Brian Crecente. Off the top of my head.

Croal doesn't write as much as he used to (my perception anyway). Both Crecente and McWhertor have left Kotaku (Crecente is EIC over at Polygon, McWhertor writes a few things for them). If I check out Kotaku once a month now, that would be it. Went from a site I liked to one I don't like at all.

On this side of the pond, I like Johnny Minkley over at EG. Tom Bramwell is a decent writer too.

Interesting topic of conversation btw, thanks Otacon.

ShadowHearth

Helix is good!

Helix

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Helix is good!

i try

generally i do find though, that barring a few notable exceptions, i tend to get things fairly on the nose from speaking to gamers more often than not. i even manage to put my hatred of certain games aside occasionally to give them fair reviews

not final fantasy though - iirc ive never reviewed an FF game

Kinski

I like David Jenkins of Gamecentral (formerly on Channel 4's defunct Teletext service, now on Metro.co.uk) and Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw.

Retr0gamer

I find the guys are Giantbomb are dreadful, Dark Souls has terrible controls? Yeah right.

There's only a hand full of reviewers that I'd trust. 1up are usually pretty good until they merged with IGN and have had a few really bad IGN reviewers write reviews. I'd always trust a review by Jeremy Parish and Kat Bailey. Really liked Shane Battenhausen and Jon Davidson when they were around. Also like a couple of freelancers like Ray Barnholt and Frank Cifaldi and a few of the Eurogamer guys although they have their fair share of muppets as well in particular Dan Whitehead.

Mr E

I find Ben Croshaw's reviews to be fair, impartial, accurate, balanced and unbiased.

Ha.

Josey Wales

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I find the guys are Giantbomb are dreadful, Dark Souls has terrible controls? Yeah right.

To be fair that was not the consensus of all of them. Vinny Carravella had a love /hate relationship with that game.

I don't actually read that many reviews. I just tend to listen to impressions of games on various podcasts.

Captain Morgan Freeman

The gamecentral team from the old channel 4 teletext service now operating on metro.co.uk, not once have i ever regretted buying a game from their reviews and will continue to listen to only their recommendations for as long as they operate.
While i enjoy Ben Croshaw's reviews i find him to be more comedic then in depth.

I find it hard to trust any other critics "opinion" since the Kane and Lynch Gamespot scandal.

Retr0gamer

Josey Wales wrote: »

To be fair that was not the consensus of all of them. Vinny Carravella had a love /hate relationship with that game.

I don't actually read that many reviews. I just tend to listen to impressions of games on various podcasts.

Well that wasn't the only sticking point but it was the straw that broke the camels back where I decided that the giantbombcast wasn't worth listening to anymore after trying it out.

ShadowHearth

so far games i was looking forward and after your (helix) reviews it was spot on. So if i am on the fence on some game, i am always looking forward to hear you out.


as for other critics... i cant name and i dont really listen much of what people say...
most of the time, i just go to GT trailer to check review, then get as much of gameplay videos i can to decide for myself if i like it, or not.
i like to watch some Totalbiscuit reviews or previews/quick looks. He can show some stuff that normal reviewers would skip and find it not important.

*yup, go one, i know you want to call me an idiot for liking TB stuff.

degrassinoel

Mr E wrote: »

I find Ben Croshaw's reviews to be fair, impartial, accurate, balanced and unbiased.

Ha.

i read that in his voice!

Dcully

Helix wrote: »

i try

generally i do find though, that barring a few notable exceptions, i tend to get things fairly on the nose from speaking to gamers more often than not. i even manage to put my hatred of certain games aside occasionally to give them fair reviews

not final fantasy though - iirc ive never reviewed an FF game

Self praise is the best form they say.

Helix

Dcully wrote: »

Self praise is the best form they say.

it's not self praise, it's being happy with my work

chrismartin4u

I play any game according to my own choice because I believe that never judge anything until you don't use it.

jimbob81

I tend to go on metacritic to get a more broad sense of lots of review scores.

Captain Morgan Freeman

Helix wrote: »

i try

generally i do find though, that barring a few notable exceptions, i tend to get things fairly on the nose from speaking to gamers more often than not. i even manage to put my hatred of certain games aside occasionally to give them fair reviews

not final fantasy though - iirc ive never reviewed an FF game

I would like a review of final fantasy 8.

Retr0gamer

Captain Morgan Freeman wrote: »

I would like a review of final fantasy 8.

Shit sandwich.

Agricola

Jeff Cannata of The Totally Rad Show and who also appears on Weekend Confirmed every week. He has years of experience is a wide range of genres, is knowledgeable about the culture of gaming going back a fair way (think hes 35 or that) and best of all he speaks eloquently when reviewing games. He can really dissect a game and tell you in great deals it strengths and failings. He also happens to have a very similar opinion to me on these matters, so I know if he thinks a game is good or shít, thats more than likely how I'll feel about it too.

ancapailldorcha

I find Gamespot to be quite good with reviews.
I've read a few of Jeremy Parish's articles as well and he seems to know his stuff.

Eggy Baby!

I never really read reviews. I usually just go on YouTube before I buy a game and view gameplay videos to get a feel of it. But on the occasion I am about to buy a new game (where there may not be much gameplay) I tend to avoid IGN. Usually I just type in "...... review" into Google and pick a random result.

namelessguy

I find http://angryjoeshow.com/ very good.

briany

I couldn't use a single review as a way to gauge anything no matter how many times I've agreed with a writer's opinion. I prefer to browse various ones from professional to amateur and get an aggregate opinion plus a play of the demo if available. We now have so much information available to us that to do otherwise would be foolish in my opinion. Thank god we're no longer so reliant on professional reviews from a magazine to find out what games are 'good' or 'bad'.

Captain Morgan Freeman

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I find Gamespot to be quite good with reviews.

The cake is a lie
http://www.google.ie/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&cp=11&gs_id=9h&xhr=t&q=gamespot+kane+and+lynch+scandal&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=gamespot+ka&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=aa371a1c4c8326fa&biw=1366&bih=613

Retr0gamer wrote: »

**** sandwich.

What the hell are you talking aboot?

Does helix always take this long replying to review requests?

Retr0gamer

Captain Morgan Freeman wrote: »

What the hell are you talking aboot?

If you seriously didn't get that reference then I suggest you sort your life out and watch Spinal Tap right now.

Captain Morgan Freeman wrote: »

Does helix always take this long replying to review requests?

You can't just ask a randomer on the internet to review a game and expect a response back. He gets paid to review games I doubt he is going to review one for free especially a game he hasn't played.

Somnus

I tend to check out a few different reviews, but Mark, who runs Classic Game Room is one of my favourites.

Humorous reviews of old and new games. And I think the things he finds enjoyable in games crosses over with my own taste to an extent. So that's perfect for me.

Humour a plenty, but still gets across the impression of the game. His style definitely isn't for everyone though, and he tends to have a less critical view, as in will see the good in a otherwise bad game, for the most part (Which is fine with me but other people will want something more critical I'd say)

Helix

Captain Morgan Freeman wrote: »

I would like a review of final fantasy 8.

I accept your challenge. However I need to go naughty and find grey area means to play it. Give me a week

johnny_ultimate

What bothers me about the vast majority of games journalism is that for most reviewers the main question seems to be simply 'should you buy it or not', which to me is only one angle, and one of the least important in proper criticism. It's why I can't read IGN or Gamespot particularly - it reads like a mere product review rather than a piece of analytical criticism.

So, who do I actually like? Gamecentral are certainly good for breaking down games in a simple, accessible and down-to-earth manner. Edge I continue to read because, for their occasional pretension or misjudged review, they tend to dive deeper into what makes any given game tick - especially with their excellent new Post Script analyses. Eurogamer tend to be interesting, but they're more hit and miss. Gamasutra and a few others tend to be good for the nitty gritty stuff of game development and design, although I don't read them as much as I should.

I'm one of those weirdos who appreciates a review after the fact rather than before, so I wish there were more sites / publications out there that were willing to delve a bit deeper. I must start getting Retro Gamer more, as that definitely seems to offer it, but alas Edge and Sight & Sound tend to take up my magazine budget for any given month.

Retr0gamer

Retro gamer is pretty much the best games magazine at the moment. I get it every month without fail.

Helix

So what constitutes the perfect review for people? What do you like to see covered in depth?

johnny_ultimate

Helix wrote: »

So what constitutes the perfect review for people? What do you like to see covered in depth?

There's no perfect review, that's the thing. It varies from game to game, and I don't think there's a singular formula that can be applied to the process. Again, I like the Edge model. To take Max Payne 3 this month, the actual review goes in to the mechanics and features in-depth. But more interesting is the post-script article which examines the cinematic influences in the game, and compares it to the predominantly noir-stylings of the earlier ones.

Basically, it's not just a matter of hitting the old graphics-gameplay-music-outof10 bullet points. It's about providing some level of original insight in to the experience. I'd love a publication, for example, that reviewed and analysed games for people who've actually played them. Spoilers be damned!

The 'should I buy it?' style of review will always have its place. But compared to film criticism, gaming journalism doesn't go far beyond that.

Captain Morgan Freeman

Retr0gamer wrote: »

If you seriously didn't get that reference then I suggest you sort your life out and watch Spinal Tap right now.

Ive had Spinal Tap on my laptop for over a month now but Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad are above it in the pecking order im afraid.

You can't just ask a randomer on the internet to review a game and expect a response back. He gets paid to review games I doubt he is going to review one for free especially a game he hasn't played.

Apologies, the few people ive come across that review games usually just had a website with their reviews and made ad money off the site, i didn't realise he was being employed.

Helix wrote: »

I accept your challenge. However I need to go naughty and find grey area means to play it. Give me a week

I was only kidding when i requested it seeing as you specifically mentioned not having reviewed any Final Fantasy games. Ill be happy to read it if you do it but i already have the game siting on my shelf. :pac:

Somnus

Helix wrote: »

So what constitutes the perfect review for people? What do you like to see covered in depth?

I agree with johnny_ultimate that there's no such thing. Everyone values aspects of a game differently and might feel the area doesn't get enough attention.

For example, I'm a bit of an audiophile and good sound design in a game is something I highly value, but I don't see it commented on much in a lot of reviews.

And even then, the importance of the different elements like story and graphics varies between games. If it's going for a lush, immersive style then visuals and sound to back it up are important. If it's something more fast paced and gameplay based, fun and controls are the priority etc.

That's why I'll always go for multiple reviews, cause no one person is gonna hit all the aspects in their review. What one person loves the other might hate etc.

Helix

Captain Morgan Freeman wrote:

Apologies, the few people ive come across that review games usually just had a website with their reviews and made ad money off the site, i didn't realise he was being employed.



I was only kidding when i requested it seeing as you specifically mentioned not having reviewed any Final Fantasy games. Ill be happy to read it if you do it but i already have the game siting on my shelf. :pac:

I'm fortunate enough to be editor in chief for the biggest gaming mag in Canada, and one of the biggest in the world distribution wise, which is nice we also have an Irish edition too

I know you were only kidding about the review, but I think it'd be fun to review something I genuinely hate for no good reason

jcrowbar

Agricola wrote: »

Jeff Cannata of The Totally Rad Show and who also appears on Weekend Confirmed every week. He has years of experience is a wide range of genres, is knowledgeable about the culture of gaming going back a fair way (think hes 35 or that) and best of all he speaks eloquently when reviewing games. He can really dissect a game and tell you in great deals it strengths and failings. He also happens to have a very similar opinion to me on these matters, so I know if he thinks a game is good or shít, thats more than likely how I'll feel about it too.

I think he'l does great reviews. He seems genuinely passionate about games, more so than most.

Kieron Gillen also wrote excellent reviews during his days on PC Gamer.

Retr0gamer

jcrowbar wrote: »

Kieron Gillen also wrote excellent reviews during his days on PC Gamer.

He went a bit pretentious with his 'New Videogame Journalism' bull**** a while ago.

norrie rugger

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Shit sandwich.

I thanked your post here but decided to remove it.
I think that you are being unfair to bread here. FF8 is just shít

super_furry

Retr0gamer wrote: »

He went a bit pretentious with his 'New Videogame Journalism' bull**** a while ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0I4_A8STEo

Any excuse to post this.

Games TM and the Giantbomb guys seem to share my opinions on games so I'd pay more heed to them. I'd be much more inclinded to give a game I know nothing about a chance if they're raving about it on the Bombcast.

chin_grin

(Sorry if this is in the wrong place just looking for a few pointers).

Are there any gaming sites that you trust with their articles without question? And the same would go for their writers.

I know some sites have a bad reputation (the likes of IGN). And some publications are gospel (Games TM has never let me down). Just wondering would you have any others that you'd recommend reading?

Used to love Consolevania just for the reviews. Not sure if it was the accent or the wacky metaphors, but it was just a great show. (I'll include VideoGaiden in on that too...probably because it's the same two guys!).

Thanks a mil.

super_furry

Giant Bomb and Games TM are the only two I'd really trust. As in, buy a game I hadn't heard on the strength of their recommendations.

Used to feel the same way about Eurogamer but there have been a lot of recent 8/10 reviews that I just haven't been able to understand.

Mr E

chin_grin wrote: »

Are there any gaming sites that you trust with their articles without question? And the same would go for their writers

This came up a few weeks ago. I've merged your question with that discussion.