I’m writing even more about how I review things, specifically games. Here is the post I wrote about it yesterday. Today, I want to talk about how I have different criteria for different games. I don’t think that’s controversial, but what do I know? I’m sure there are plenty of people who think you should review all games in exactly the same way. Those people would be wrong.
I mean, honestly, you would not be as harsh on a game that had two people working on it as you would a triple A game, would you? I would not be, for sure. That’s not gonig easy on the small indies, but being realistic. Two people doing it on a tight budget do not have the same resources as, say, an EA. That’s just life, yo. Expecting the former to make a game in the manner of the latter is folly and not fair.
This is why I have different unofficial tiers of review. One is for AAA games, which, to be completely honest, I rarely play. Then, there are mid-tier games such as the aforementioned (and much maligned by me) Lies of P. Then there are the cozy and/or indie games that I play when I’m not playing FromSoft games, and, of course, we have to talk about From games. They are in a class by themselves and I rate them basically in accordance with each other. I assume that they will be at least a 9, and then I just judge them mostly with each other.
In other words, they are a class in and of themselves. I review them on their own without relating them to anything else. In other words, they are a class in and of themself. They are beyond compare, and I refuse to countenance that they are on par with any other game. That is just me, of course, and not something I would hold other reviewers to. Then again, many From fans are sickos like me and probably feel the same way about the games.
This is one of the problems with reviewing the games. Most sites give those reviews to the biggest From fan in the office. It makes sense, but it also becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those of us who are From fans have become versed in the language and worlds of FromSoft (duh). This is how fandom works, but it’s especially true for From games. People are rabid about the games to the point that when Elden Ring was delayed beacuse of the pandemic and From went radio silent about it (oh, the dark, dark days), the community started making the game on their own.
I don’t mean the actual game, mind, but, well, let me put it like this. There was a Reddit thread in which they created different areas in the game, replete with enemies, NPCs, environments, and bosses. In a community that can be toxic and unwelcoming at times, it was a breath of fresh air to see people come together in this way. It was actually heart-warming, and I loved every moment of it. However, it’s indicative as to how beloved these games are to the community and to what lengths members will go for them.
In the video I include above, Aoife Wilson, formerly of Eurogamer, talks about how when she put out the beginner’s guide to Elden Ring video, she got a lot of comments from people who were lost. They made her realize that FromSoft games were almost impenetrable for non-fans in a way that fans didn’t understand. Or rather, in a way fans had forgotten over the years. The current meta is that the games aren’t hard–you just have to learn the rhythm of them. I don’t agree with that, but even if it were true, there is a steep learning curve to the games.
That’s why I put them in a category of their own. There really isn’t anything comparable, at least not for me. There are From games, and there are all the other games. If I see that From has a new game, I will purchase it immediately. It’s the only developer I will pre-order a game from because I know I’m going to play it. (Except Armored Core, but that’s neither here nor there.)
I’m trying to remember the last AAA game I played that wasn’t a FromSoft game. Huh. Looking through my Steam library and my Game Pass library….I don’t think I have played one in quite some time. I mentioned in an earlier post that I tried Horizon Zero Dawn for roughly an hour, but I don’t really count that. Thinking even further back, I tried Red Dead 2 (Rockstar Games) for about an hour and did not gel with it at all. I did play AssCreed Syndicate and 100%’ed it–for 70% of the game (because Evie is the best!). I was already flagging, and then they dropped a new area with a new protag (she was dope as fuck, by the way), and I noped out.
I want to say that the game was fine. It wasn’t great, but I get into this mindset where I keep playing even if I’m not loving the game. In this case, it’s because I really liked Evie, and there was something soothing about doing the same thing over and over. I refused to play as Jacob except when I couldn’t avoifd it for story reasons. He was such an oaf and the very definition of a mediocre white man doing the least with the most.
At the other end, there are the rag-tag indie games that are done by one or two people–or anything roughly around ten. I just played one called Galaxy Burgers made by Galaxy Workshop who, in their words, are two friends who make relaxing games. And this game is very relaxing, even though it has the basis for being a stressful game. You go around the galaxy, opening burger joints that serves the denizens of each planet. Many of them are cats, which makes me very happy. They order burgers, and you make them for the customers. There are no time limits, and placement does not have to be perfect. Or in order. You get more bonuses the better you make the burgers, but it’s negligible, really. It’s twelve bucks on Steam, and I think I got it on sale. It has a demo, and that’s what I tried before buying it.
I’m still early days in the game–only on the second or third planet. I know it’s going to get more in-depth as I go, but for now, I”m really enjoying the chill vibes. The graphics are cute and charming, but they are not going to win any awards. That’s not something I care about in a game like this, which may seem unfair to other games. I don’t like giving numbers as ratings, but I will say that this is a addictive game that makes me want to do one more day. And another day. Then one day more. I can tell I’m going to put quite some time in it, and that is just fine with me. I’ll try to get back to actual reviewing tomorrow.