Everyone has a voice and everyone has an opinion, which are both great things. Without those we couldn't have great debates about the origins of the universe or if a book or a game is any good. Which is why the reception behind Alien: Isolation has bugged me. It came out today, a game I've been intrigued by for a while and it's dividing critics. Some love it and some believe it still isn't the Alien game that does the much-loved franchise justice. What's interested me is the fans' response to the negative reviews and it seems that if a professional critic speaks ill of a game you love or want to love, that person ends up mouthing off and saying stuff like 'IGN are rubbish, they don't know what they're talking about!' While that might make sense in your head, freedom of speech is a real thing and I don't know why I'm still surprised so many of us can't understand this.
Right and Wrong
Just a little history here, Alien games have never been as good as the films (so they claim) and Alien: Isolation looked as though it would atone all the failures with an adventure where the player is trapped in a space station with one terrifying Xenomorph stalking the vents and corridors. Sounds just like the first film, another good thing (so they claim). I want to play it because it's different and it looks genuinely scary. However, some think it isn't as good as it could be. The review that caught my attention was IGN's. Ryan McCaffrey is a great reviewer, he puts games through exhaustive testing and chalks up details and delivers a review that's completely honest. I get the sense that some guys on IGN don't play a game enough to understand all its parts, but I get that they also get advanced copies and have to publish a review in so much time. Well, I don't know the mechanics of professional criticism, but I'm guessing that's how it goes anyway. He gave the game a 5.9 out of 10, a harsh score you might say when so many other magazines and websites gave it 8/10 or a 9. Ryan said that the game was actually too long because it loses its fear tactics and the game becomes much harder in the late game. Reading YouTube comments pretty much sums up the response. 'You gave it a 5.9 because it's too hard!' If that's true, why did Dark Souls get 9/10?
Professional reviews a lot of the time get mistaken as a true description of something's worth. Anybody can do it and really, all a review does is give one person's thoughts on a product. If most people liked it, there's a good chance you will too. That's the problem with Alien: Isolation's reception, it's a house divided so where the hell do you go? Either way, it's up to you. If you like the franchise, give it a shot and make up your own mind. That reminds me of book reviews at school. I remember studying Of Mice & Men and I found it hard to come up with my own thoughts on the book because I was looking at it as more of a thing to study than to enjoy. I've yet to read it again though, so I should get on that.. When I review books, I base my thoughts on mine alone. I don't want outside interference corrupting my results. For example, everyone bangs on about The Great Gatesby and how it is the very best book EVER! When I read it, I didn't read 'the best book ever'. I don't know what I missed, maybe it's because I couldn't understand the lessons it taught or its symbolism or how it recreated post war America or whatever comments critics parrot. I read a book I liked, but nothing more. I think I gave it a 7/10 or something, a book I want to reread, not so I can find the masterpiece within, but because I enjoyed it. Goods books are worth rereading. Obviously.
Professional reviews a lot of the time get mistaken as a true description of something's worth. Anybody can do it and really, all a review does is give one person's thoughts on a product. If most people liked it, there's a good chance you will too. That's the problem with Alien: Isolation's reception, it's a house divided so where the hell do you go? Either way, it's up to you. If you like the franchise, give it a shot and make up your own mind. That reminds me of book reviews at school. I remember studying Of Mice & Men and I found it hard to come up with my own thoughts on the book because I was looking at it as more of a thing to study than to enjoy. I've yet to read it again though, so I should get on that.. When I review books, I base my thoughts on mine alone. I don't want outside interference corrupting my results. For example, everyone bangs on about The Great Gatesby and how it is the very best book EVER! When I read it, I didn't read 'the best book ever'. I don't know what I missed, maybe it's because I couldn't understand the lessons it taught or its symbolism or how it recreated post war America or whatever comments critics parrot. I read a book I liked, but nothing more. I think I gave it a 7/10 or something, a book I want to reread, not so I can find the masterpiece within, but because I enjoyed it. Goods books are worth rereading. Obviously.
What Did You Think?
I love writing reviews. Of course not everybody is going to agree with me, I don't want them to. I like debates. Someone out there should think that The Great Gatesby isn't any good and someone probably does. Ryan McCaffrey has every right to give Alien: Isolation a 5.9 because he played the game and he responded to what the game offered. If he thought it padded out its ending too much and ran out of new tricks halfway through, that's fair enough. Free speech is a wonderful thing and everybody has the right to disagree with someone and voice that opinion on YouTube. Getting annoyed because someone slated a game you were looking forward to, however is silly. Who cares what they thought about it, what did you think about? Play Alien: Isolation yourself and make up your own mind. Who knows, you might even agree with IGN and give it a 5.9. Plus, Ryan's thoughts don't reflect IGN's as a company. He reviewed the game under his name and it's published on IGN, it's what he thought. IGN also gave Destiny a 7.8 and despite me blabbing about it recently, I'd have to disagree and give it a 5/10. I won't rant about what frustrates me so much about it, but there you are. Experience things for yourself and decide for yourself if you like it or not. Or get pissed off with professional critics. I know what I'd rather do.
Songs of the Week:
Songs of the Week:
- 'Idol' by Anaal Nathrakh
- 'Monstrum In Animo' by Anaal Nathrakh
- 'When Humanity is Cancer' by Anaal Nathrakh
- 'Blood to Bleed' by Rise Against
- 'Everchanging' by Rise Against
- 'Six Ways 'Til Sunday' by Rise Against
- '401 Kill' by Rise Against
- 'Remains of Summer Memories' by Rise Against
- 'Stained Glass and Marble' by Rise Against
- '1000 Good Intentions' by Rise Against
- 'Too Much of a Good Thing' by The Sons ft. Bret Reilly
- 'Take' by The Lupins