Eurogamer's "8/10" Uncharted Review: Is Gaming Journalism Worthless?

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by Nick on October 26, 2011 at 10:44 AM

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I just want to say that I am absolutely appalled by the attention Mr. Parkin's review of "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" is getting. I'm 16 and reading through the comments of the review made me feel like I have aged 20 years. Never have I seen people act so much like spoiled children.

Where do I even begin? The fact that the personal opinion of someone shouldn't affect your choice of purchase? The fact that no one is being forced to read the review? Or how about the fact that it pointed out the strengths as well as the weaknesses?

I'm currently employed at a newspaper and intend to go to college to get my Bachelor's of Journalism. I know all about biased media because I go out of my way to avoid it, and while I personally believe there's no such thing as being completely unbiased, I can safely say that Parkin's review was in no way showing preference or prejudice.

It baffles me that the review is getting so much attention. Yes, I do realize how much of a hypocrite I am considering how my entire e-mail is centered around the review(more specifically, it's impact on the game journalism industry as a whole) but I could not allow myself to watch this spectacle unfold without voicing my opinion.

One of my favorite games of all time, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, received a 7/10 from Eurogamer. Likewise, one of my least favorite games of all time, Brink, received an 8/10. Both of these games were reviewed by Mr. Parkin, as it happens. While I disagreed with both of these reviews(especially Brink; I anticipated the game and bought it for my birthday, only to be extremely disappointed), I certainly didn't feel a need to call the author, or the publication as a whole, out on it.

What are the point of reviews? Am I missing something? I was under the assumption a review was supposed to be a critique; that the author would state what they liked, what they didn't like, give their final thoughts, and then maybe assign a grade. If I am to believe what other people have been saying, reviews are the exact opposite; nothing more than a way to stroke the massive ego of big budget and hyped up games while crushing the souls of less popular ones.

I have never in my life been so ashamed to call myself a gamer. I used to wear the term as a badge of honor, arguing how the industry has evolved into a thought provoking and emotionally investing artistic media outlet. Now I feel like a parent of an eight year old child that's arguing with the other neighborhood kids over who has the better toy.

Games may be evolving, but clearly, gamers are not.

This was the e-mail I just sent to www.eurogamer.net in regards to the controversy surrounding Simon Parkin's review of Uncharted 3. Apparently this perfectly fine review has sparked a riot around the gaming community.

And all of this has me wondering, is gaming journalism being taken seriously? Do people simply read sites like GameInformer and Eurogamer to look at numbers, or do they really want to read the articles? Do they want to know how games are made, the thought process behind developers, the new technology being invented, the development of characters...or is it just a way for them to say "Look, my favorite game got this many!"

Can I get a response from GI editors or fellow journalists on this issue?

Well, reception to the review process has become out of whack, if you ask me, due to the high demand for next gen experiences and innovation for some. I of course consider gaming journalism to be serious; the key problem however, is that people really don't understand the nuances and work that goes into creating reviews, let alone what they really represent.

The competitive atmosphere associated with different developers, publishers, and communities within the gaming sphere also complicate this, which is why people seeing a game with an 8 - which still is ultimately a positive review- exaggerate critical response. This reminds me of when people freaked out over GI giving MW2 a 9.75 instead of 10, as though that made the game a failure. I must also say, having worked on a lit staff for a magazine for a few years while in college, that videogame reviews are far more tolerable.

We can't simply take parts of a piece submitted to us we like and include them; with games, there's often many features which can be judged independently of each other, with varying importance. For instance, a game can be judged to have an excellent campaign and possibly sucky multiplayer and still receive favorable reviews. A poem, however, can't be accepted because of one or two witty lines if the rest of it is mediocre or purple prose. People really need to learn more about the journalistic process.

Comments

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by ShadowDragyn Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 11:29 AM

I'm not entirely sure what you're upset about. Reading the comments on that review feels extremely tame compared to what would happen if IGN or even GI would have given it that score.
by Lancehead255 Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 11:49 AM

I read the review, it was a brilliant piece. I like that review because it focuses on what Parkin considered the game's weak points. One may think he may have focused a little too much on the negatives but at this point in Uncharted franchise praising would equal simple repetition of superlatives. We all know what Uncharted was going to do right but Parkin had enough courage and was honest enough to call out the game for its weaknesses. I love that review.

As for the fan(boy)s reaction, it's unfortunate but is the reality. We're at a point in time where parts of press and PR have conditioned gamers on the numbers. Many don't read the reviews, many don't understand the purpose of a review. As Patrick Klepek put it, this is "confirmation bias."
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by Orochisama LEVON, Spectre Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Well, reception to the review process has become out of whack, if you ask me, due to the high demand for next gen experiences and innovation for some. I of course consider gaming journalism to be serious; the key problem however, is that people really don't understand the nuances and work that goes into creating reviews, let alone what they really represent.

The competitive atmosphere associated with different developers, publishers, and communities within the gaming sphere also complicate this, which is why people seeing a game with an 8 - which still is ultimately a positive review- exaggerate critical response. This reminds me of when people freaked out over GI giving MW2 a 9.75 instead of 10, as though that made the game a failure. I must also say, having worked on a lit staff for a magazine for a few years while in college, that videogame reviews are far more tolerable.

We can't simply take parts of a piece submitted to us we like and include them; with games, there's often many features which can be judged independently of each other, with varying importance. For instance, a game can be judged to have an excellent campaign and possibly sucky multiplayer and still receive favorable reviews. A poem, however, can't be accepted because of one or two witty lines if the rest of it is mediocre or purple prose. People really need to learn more about the journalistic process.
by Boss Kowbel Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 01:10 PM

It is disappointing to see the scum of fanboys crawl out of the woodwork just to call out a journalist on his opinion. Review scores are extremely subjective, and you make a good point that public opinion should not alter someone's decision to buy a game. Mr. Parkins could have given Uncharted 3 a 5 or 6 and then maybe the trolls would have something to truly complain about, but I remember last generation when an 8 or above was beyond exceptional. In this day and age, many new IPs are even receiving 8s. I feel fanboys need a high score to simply justify being a fan of a triple-A title. When I began writing reviews for a startup website (and now user reviews for GI), I realized that everyone will not always agree with my opinion, but if I could highlight a game's pros and cons, I could validate my final score. I feel the more critical readers need to realize that game standards must rise or the industry will fail to innovate and rehash on existing franchises.
by thatfoxguy Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 05:05 PM

It's just an opinion, you don't have to agree with it. He's paid to put out his opinions, which he presented very well and justified his score. X-Play gave it 4/5...thats an 8/10 too
by Hist Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 05:47 PM

I'm continually mystified by the fan reaction to some reviews. Just look at what Games Radar took when they gave Halo Reach and 8! Or the s*it that Phil (I think?) took here on GI for a review that was less than complimentary.

That being said, this is nothing new.
by Spyro Conspiracy Theorist Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 05:56 PM

I've got to say, that was a solidly written piece! Your points were well-made, and you come off as a very reasonable person (a flaw in altogether too many ltte). Good job. ...I don't have much opinion on the actual subject, unfortunately. I agree with the absurdity of gamers, I'm very happy to see reviewers cut out the crap and hype, and I'm almost as happy to finally see some opinions of the series that actually echo my own.
by John Hunter Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:34 PM

I can see why you're considering a journalism degree, this is impressive writing from a 16-year-old.