My complaint with the review isn't the text per se-- which seems pretty reasonable in both its positive and negative points-- but with the score. Generally "7.5" scores are applied to games with glaring flaws in gameplay and graphics, ridiculous price points and/or an absurdly small (or bloated) amount of content. From what I can tell, Wipeout HD has none of these problems-- nor does GT5P.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugar_from_OTW
Obviously, Gamespot has significant credibility problems in the wake of Gerstamann-gate and its new oversight by CNET management. Setting that aside for the moment, I think there is a certain pleasure that gaming journalists and editors take in making "bold" scores, either high or low, because it makes a statement to the industry and increases website hits as consumers track down exceptional reviews. Other examples include the "10" score applied to GTA4 (by IGN) as well as the "7.9" applied to Mario Kart Double Dash (also by IGN).
I do appreciate the reviews are subjective and that reviewers can (and should) have latitude to express their opinions. At the same time, IMHO, gaming journalists have a responsibility to the industry and to consumers to provide a balanced and thoughtful evaluation that is consistent with the criteria applied to other software, on other platforms, and by other critics. Providing exceptional reviews may in some cases be an act of bravery-- telling it "like it is"-- but more often I suspect it is vanity and greed.
