View Full Version : Phony Reviews

10-26-2010, 05:45 PM
This has been bugging me for a while now. I have no idea where to put this out because any discussion on the subject of criticizing reviewers is always shouted down as ramblings from a fan boy, but this has gotten to me.

The website is Destructiod and the reviewer is Jim Sterling. He routinely gives a game a review score two to three points lower than the Metacritic average.

Fable III is the latest. Average 8. Destructiod 5 (http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/fable-iii/critic-reviews)

Castlevania. Average 8. Desctructiod 5 (http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/castlevania-lords-of-shadow/critic-reviews)

Vanquish. Average 8. Destructiod 5 (http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/vanquish/critic-reviews)

I know all those scores were the same, and it can say something about reviewers in general, but this is just typical stuff from this site.

Final Fantasy 13 Average 8. Destructiod 4 (http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/final-fantasy-xiii/critic-reviews)

Kane and Lynch 2. Average 6. Desuctiod 1 (http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/kane-lynch-2-dog-days/critic-reviews)

It happens everytime without fail. I know I should just ignore it, but this dishonesty just gets to me. I haven't even played most of these games. Just flat out lying for attention is awful. Especially when posing as a reviewer and getting onto Metacritic.

10-26-2010, 05:53 PM
Sounds border line trollish to me so I get your point. I have never agreed with most of the reviews from Destructiod so I stopped going to their website. It's probably the best you can do too if you strongly oppose their reviews.

[Waggly Bean]
10-26-2010, 06:01 PM
Reviews are opinion. Maybe this guy is just very critical. Who really cares? Does it matter?

Surely you can just avoid his reviews if you don't agree with them?

10-26-2010, 08:52 PM
Jim's reviews are great, because he is brutally honest. Fable 3 is woeful compared to Fable II. He gives an explanation as to why he doesn't like the game, so I don't see what the problem is. The man has an opinion. Just because it is different to the other reviewers that makes his reviews phony? Please. I trust his reviews more than any other gaming journalist out there.

You said it yourself, you haven't played most of these games, so I don't see how you can make such an argument. You might play the games and agree wholeheartedly with him. Have you not ever played a game and thought "What the fuck were the reviewers thinking?!?"

10-26-2010, 11:53 PM
Yes, on this site.

But when someone shows a clear pattern with every review. When everything they do is against the consensus, they are doing it for hits. He is intentionally exaggerating reviews to gain traction. He's pretty much copying Yahtzee except he doesn't get the joke.

10-27-2010, 03:13 AM
I thought the point behind the Destructoid reviews was that they were noticeably and intentially harsher than everyone else. I dont think it is a case of giving a low score for the sake of stirring shit, as it is all relative, a score of 5 from Destructoid will mean the same as an 8 from Gamespot for example.

EDIT: what would lend this credence is if the difference between the metascore and the score on D'toid is consistently 3 across a very large sample set. Say.... the last 5 years? Or however long said reviewer has been going. So why dont you go compile that data and report back. I'll have a donut.

DOUBLE EDIT: Just noticed the metascore for TFU2 is 65 and Destructoid gave it 60.