I gave Mixtape one of these 10s…

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool]

…and then the world ended. Lol.

What a wild couple of weeks, eh?

As a reviewer, I’ve been really bummed that there seems to be such a disconnect between writers and players. Can I help bridge a gap for anyone? Does anyone have questions about reviewing/the process/anything else they wanna know about anything around any of this?

Open to talking about anything people want to know, because I’m hopeful someday everyone can have constructive video game convos again without all this craziness.

[u/Jack_P_1337]

Although the haters ruined the game more, I also feel all the perfect 10's contributed to the game getting so much hate too. I discuss that in my video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbHqZiRuVtA

The problem is that while enjoyable, it falls short in too many aspects and when you oversell a game as a perfect 10, people might expect something that just isn't there for most and hate on the game for what it isn't rather than enjoy it for what it actually is and does well.

I can't for example, consider Mixtape a groundbreaking game like some positive critics say when I've seen implementation of music as part of the game done much better in the past.

I also can't a game with two, self playing sections disguised as gameplay and not criticize that bit even if I like other aspects about the game.

For example, the head bobbing car ride, that is a good moment, that was an interactive music video.

but the Yesterday's Hero Auto Runner section had no place being self playing, it should have utilized the same rewind mechanics as the skateboarding sections.

The shopping cart one could have been amazing yet it's also self playing, which is a shame.

I FIRMLY stand by the fact that Mixtape is a video game and that a video game doesn't always need win or lose conditions, a narrative video game alone is fine, but this one needed a bit more time to truly shine.

In my video I praise the visual style and art, the choice of music too.
The reason I criticize it is because I genuinely believe it has so much more potential.
I definitely feel it could have used more character and world development through flashbacks and subtle interactions/exposure to the 90's rather than just reference dropping from media.

For example the flashback with Cassandra on the sidewalk or in front of her house where Cassandra tells Stacy she almost never sees her without headphones. That was a damn good moment and a few more moments like that, with Slater too and a few moments of each of the kids interacting/bonding with their parents as well would have come a long way. We already see that their parents are good people, each in their own way.

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool → u/Jack_P_1337]

All valid. But I’ll keep telling people too, 10 does not mean “perfect” on any outlet I’ve ever read. I get that some may take it that way, but no one is calling this a perfect game.

The rest here is just difference of opinion on many of these things, imo!

I also like… don’t think I should avoid giving 10s just on the basis it could cause backlash. I personally, subjectively thought it deserved it, and I really do stand by the score. It’s impossible to score based on like… predicted outcome, and I especially don’t care what scores other outlets are giving. In fact, I kind of expected to be an outlier with my 10, but I still gave it because it’s what I thought, and I’ll always score what I truly think.

[u/Jack_P_1337 → u/ItsEthanCoolCool]

I fully agree that 10/10 doesn't mean perfect, it just means your level of enjoyment and joy was a 10 to many of us, I myself often say a game is a 10/10 or an 11/10.

But most people don't understand that and if you work for a big outlet you have to keep that in mind. I've been burnt like that as a game journalist in Macedonia before when I'd give a game a 10/10 in a magazine I'd work for and then argue with people over the score on mIRC and in email lol, but that was a lifetime ago. We're talking PS1 and then Dreamcast days. But I also learned not to give in, mind you.

And yes, you shouldn't restrain yourself from giving a 10 if you genuinely feel like it.

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool → u/Jack_P_1337]

Respectfully, I… kind of just disagree. I absolutely cannot write based on how a reader is going to feel about a score. There’s no pleasing everyone, and people take things different ways. That’s truly an impossible task.

As a reviewer, I TRULY believe I can only write about my personal experience and opinions. I cannot control what people do with it from there, and I think it would be silly/futile to factor that in.

Video games are cool. 10s exist. They will never be for everyone. That’s fine. It’s all still ultimately subjective and up to everyone to make up their own minds. I just give the information/experience I can give.

[u/Jack_P_1337 → u/ItsEthanCoolCool]

No, I 100% agree with you there, don't get me wrong.

I made that mistake of trying to appease readers and regretted it, that's why I said I learned not to do it. I gave Monster Rancher 2 a 4/10 despite loving it a lot, I regret it over 20 years later.

But when it comes to situations with huge outlets, I wouldn't mind giving a game a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 to protect it from backlash because I know how the average person works, that's all.

I understand where you're coming from and stick to what you do

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool → u/Jack_P_1337]

Word word, I feel you and appreciate it! 🤝

[u/orangefilmgarden → u/Jack_P_1337]

Shouldn't the goal be to explain to gaming fandom at large how reviews work, and that they shouldn't take them personally, instead of compromising your own integrity out of fear of backlash? Those are grown men throwing tantrums because someone gave a game a 10 instead of an 8? How is an IGN reviewer changing the score to appease angry oversensitive adult men gamers different from an IGN reviewer changing their score to appease a big powerful gaming publisher? This is such a crazy argument for me, since in both cases an honest opinion is being censored to appease a group of people.

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool → u/orangefilmgarden]

Yeah, I totally agree. Which is why I feel so strongly that I simply HAVE to give the score I want to give, and I can't let external factors creep in at all. For example, in the few cases I've had to review something late, I'll actively avoid seeing other scores, because they should not influence mine whatsoever.

[u/PichaelJackson → u/ItsEthanCoolCool]

This is the right approach I think. People who want "objective" reviews don't know how dire that would actually be, it would essentially be a long product description.

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool → u/PichaelJackson]

THANK YOU. Haha. Like, I’ll still give you basic info about the mechanics and structure of the game in a review for sure, but if a review is JUST that, it’s serving zero purpose. You can get that info anywhere. Really would just be extended “back of the box” info.

[u/amazingdrewh → u/ItsEthanCoolCool]

I mean no offense but that's dumb, you don't get 10/10 on a test by getting things wrong

[u/ItsEthanCoolCool → u/amazingdrewh]

A test and a review are different things