(Warning: The following article contains opinion from a gamer of more than 30 years. Readers are not expected to agree unilaterally with the author nor attach his take on the situation with any website or organization he is or ever has been a part of. These are the opinions of this author only)
It seems that schoolyard arguments about video gaming are not exclusive to community forums and Reddit comments after all.
On Tuesday, G4tv reviewer Jason D'Aprile posted his review of the new Twisted Metal game for the PlayStation 3. Unimpressed with the features of the game, D'Aprile gave the game a rating of 3 out of 5, causing backlash in the comments section beneath his review and even from Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe.
Fans of the classic Sony series leapt to defend the game and tear into D'Aprile at the same time. Someone who appears to be D'Aprile commented back to the critics, stating he had a right to his opinions suggesting the critics are "living in mom's basement" and the like. Following those remarks, Jaffe took to Twitter with remarks about the G4 writer.
"Let's be clear: the review the guy wrote was fine," Jaffe noted to his social media followers. "but his insults and attitude and response to folks on the comment section makes it pretty obvious: ya'll got an ill informed d*** on the payroll who admits to bringing an agenda to his review process. I am higher, G4. I'd rather get a 1/5 from someone who knows his s*** like @AdamSessler than this 3.5/5 from this guy who would rather pick a fight and push his agenda than do his job. Anyway, much love, G4. I remain a fan. But f*** that guy. What a d***."
Yes, I censored the cuss words. Sue me. They aren't the focus of this column.
What I don't understand is where and how critics of a game are somehow expected to post reviews that every single other person agrees with. I've noticed the same reaction in the past when certain games get high review scores. People who dislike the game or the game series tear into those reviewers for daring to enjoy a game they don't like. If a game gets bad reviews we get this situation, where fans of the game or series pounce on the writer like TMZ on a Kardashian photo.
I don't wait for critics to review a game before I buy it, just like I never based my movie-viewing choices on a movie critic's opinion. That's all these things are: opinion. In this case, the reviewer of this game didn't have an opinion that lined up with fans of the game. That is going to happen. It always has. If you enjoy a game or a movie or a book or whatever, that is all that should matter, not the opinion of a person who is paid to provide it. D'Aprile's only crime in the review itself is apparently his ability to be honest with his opinion, which is the point of a review in the first place, right?
Now if that was in fact D'Aprile in the comments section lashing out at the critics of his review, maybe he shouldn't have done that. It can be hard not to respond to critics, though, so I can't totally blame him. That being said, are the remarks by Jaffe any more professional, especially across social media?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 got a ton of good reviews, with critics bashing the reviewers and the game, yet it has been selling hand over fist. Just Dance was shredded by critics yet sells by the truckload. This one G4tv reviewer gave Twisted Metal a lackluster review but apparently a number of readers enjoy it.
All of it leads me to wonder: Are game reviews a losing proposition either way for the writer? Give a good score, get shredded. Give a mediocre score, get shredded.
Does anyone reading this actually buy a game based on a game review? Hasn't anyone out there ever liked a game that critics hated or hated a game that critics loved?
Please, comment below and help this particular writer and gamer sort this out.
The review in question, and the comments surrounding it, can be found here.
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The author of this article can be reached at PatrickScottPatterson.com and on Twitter @OriginalPSP.
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