Reflections on the DEATH STRANDING review cycle
Added 2019-11-02 11:02:51 +0000 UTCWell, it's finally here. Check out my Death Stranding review if you haven't had a chance (it's spoiler free!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuLRlRLBwQ8
I've spent a great deal of time reading reviews for the game - I must have taken in at least 15 or so in the past 24 hours. On balance, I think the majority of reviewers got it right. It's sitting at an 84 on Metacritic and it has the most 10/10 scores of any game this year. There are 61 positive reviews, 11 mixed and only 1 negative (though I am reluctant to call that one a 'review'...).
For me, Death Stranding was an absolute triumph, but obviously this sentiment isn't shared by everyone. The game has proven to be a far more acquired taste than I predicted. There are lots of respected voices who've made clear that they can't stand it, and fair enough. I can see how someone might come to this game and find it unappealing.
I do think, though, that some of the commentary is rooted in a perspective of what *I* find fun, and what *I* want, and what *I* think good game design is, without giving enough credit to the obverse perspective. I personally do not like many of the design pillars on which Sekiro is built, but I respect the game immensely because I can see how those pillars would work for other players, and I can see how strongly the game executes on those pillars. I'd feel pretty silly calling Sekiro 'an irredeemable piece of garbage' (an actual quote from a Death Stranding review) when I can see that there is clearly much to celebrate within a title that simply isn't for me.
I think the majority of actual criticism (rather than just personality-based commentary) should be grounded in this principle of 'here's what I think, but also here's this other potential viewpoint'. I think you can tell the good reviews from the bad (for any game, or any thing) by the degree to which this approach is adopted. Certainly in the case of Death Stranding, most of the best reviews I've read were happy to couch their likes and dislikes in these terms.
Either way, it's just straight up interesting to see all this shit go down. I really do enjoy it when people have vastly different opinions of a game, and Death Stranding's confusing review cycle is the perfect prelude to the game itself. You're going to find stuff you love, you'll find stuff you hate, but invariably you'll find something worthwhile, and there aren't many games you can say that about these days (especially in the AAA space).
Ralph
Comments
Another great/thoughtful review, thanks man! As someone that will never play Death Stranding due to life and other gaming addictions, I am very intrigued by the story/ending of this game. Have you thought about doing a follow up video that touched on the story/ending, including spoilers and some of the parts that you felt were moving but not able to share in the review? Not playing the game and putting in the time would most likely rob me of fully enjoying a video like that but at the same time I’m thinking it’s the only way I would ever experience it. Some have described it as the game of the generation so it’s gotten my attention for sure. Thanks for taking the time to post on Patreon even though the participation is more limited, hoping you stick with it. Appreciate your work!
2019-11-04 15:59:17 +0000 UTCAs a hobbyist reviewer, this is something I've thought about a lot too. My current view is that the goal of a review is to give the reader/viewer the information they need to determine whether they are in the game's audience. Something like a score or overall quality judgment is a LITTLE useful, as a higher score suggests a LARGER audience and thus technically one that the reader is more likely to be in, but like with your Sekiro example, there are still plenty of people who don't enjoy particular games that execute well on their design goals - because those goals are not to those people's tastes. So explaining what the game actually does, and what the potential good and bad things are about that, is far more useful. (For the record, I think you're really good at this. I found your channel because of the Wilson Lootbox video, but I've stuck around for your reviews.)
Doctor Professor
2019-11-02 15:52:09 +0000 UTC
