Quote Originally Posted by Aussie2B View Post
Because of that, it's true that the reviewers are sometimes forced to marathon games because they're given so little time to complete a review. They do aim to beat a game at least (but I can almost guarantee you that some games are written about without the credits ever being seen), which is is no sweat for a game under 10 hours, but it can be a nightmare for something like a long Japanese RPG. Because of that, I'd say the problem is the exact opposite. They're not playing the games enough.
The thing is, with games, they don't really need to develop.

Today, I sat down with Call of Juraez: The Cartel. The second I fired the gun it was trouble. It was sloppy, collision was suspect, and the guns were weak. It was 30 seconds. Four hours later, I'm taking a break for a bit, and I can assure you, for another four hours today I'll be using those same mechanics, doing the same things. I don't really need those other 10 or so hours to know it's pretty much a mess. The story is only the hole in the process now.

Reviewing games is vastly different than other media. Movies need to be a complete narrative, so do books. Games are really mechanical, selling themselves on their feel. You don't always have to play a game "enough" to know where you stand. You do because it's a job and it's required of you, but the opinion isn't going to change whether or not you beat it. I'm not going to hate Juarez anymore than I do now simply because I have a deadline.

People love to pick apart reviews, like the Catherine thing. I talk to the reviewer all the time. He was prepared for a backlash. Gamers are simply rabid when it comes to this stuff. They see a "7" and freakout. Alice? Yeah, Alice was rough. Levels dragged on for hours with no end in sight. One sitting, two sittings, doesn't matter. Maybe that didn't bother you. I was invested in the world but there was too much of it. A 6.5 is more than fair in my eyes, maybe not in yours. 'Tis the nature of reviews.

Keep in mind that in a great game, something truly special, you're never tired of it. The design is such that it takes an inherently repetitive medium and makes it something spectacular. Most games today are a lot of filler to fill some requisite length, and they're going to be called on it. The great ones stand out and you don't want that marathon session to end.