MH3 isn't for everyone, I can dig that as I NEVER enjoyed any of the previous games and what I've played of this one(which was well past any early tutorial bits and bobbins as I have an eager fanmate of the series on hand at all times)just made me think it was more of the same with a little more pretty and a little more impressive scale-though even that seemed balanced by the Wii not really being up to the task at hand and needing a breather every few feet.
Whatever, I'm clearly not shocked AT ALL that Yahtzee wasn't impressed. No, what's more interesting here is his assertion that he doesn't feel the need to play an entire game to review it should he get totally bored by the whole thing at an earlier point. Y'see I do exactly the same(and not always just with games i'm talking about-films and books also fall into the same trap with me)and have often been told what a fool I am and that you shouldn't write or talk about a game without seeing everything it has to offer.
Now, I think this is spurious on two differing levels: Firstly, I agree with our venerable comma dissenter that any game boring me so badly that I CANNOT bear finishing the story is deserving of whatever I say about it AS LONG AS I say this is what happened in the body of the review. That way people who tend to find they agree with my tastes need not look into things further but those still interested can seek out other reviewers who may have a higher boredom threshold or totally different ideas about what makes an entertaining game. Everybody happy and everything tickety-effin-boo, no? It surely isn't a good point for a game if it bores you to tears well before any "good stuff" to be had anyway, is it? No.
Secondly, reviews for games that already have a fanbase are subject to a couple of things that necessitate a reviewer hammer a game for boring them to a near death vegetative state. These games already have devotees, in the media and gaming community, ready to testify to their greatness at great length which could give those who, possibly for good reason, haven't yet gotten into said series the wrong idea about the newest entry so if we find a game like this dull beyond belief why on Earth should we play through to see if it picks up? Most of us have pretty hefty demands on our time and free time is precious which makes, imho, a dull opening multi houred slog a massive thing needing pointing out as a possible deal breaker.
I could go on justifying the action of reviewing games only to the point they make you question your will to live but, really, it's starting to make me think anyone arguing otherwise is missing the whole point of reviews and the basic nature of most of our modern day gaming (or otherwise) lives. Basically, we don't have time for things that actually bore us as entertainment-not pointing out when a game(or film, or book)does this to us is a dereliction of duty to ourselves and anyone reading what we might say in the hope of getting an actual opinion.
So what if you love the game? There are plenty of reviews backing your opinion but, rest assured, it's not the only one that's valid. Another thing; unlike one of my schoolmates I didn't feel the need to pursue using Heroin to the point I lost my home, family and my life to know it wasn't for me-even if it might get better in any subsequent afterlife so would I be unfair in advising someone to avoid it? Point is you don't always need to know every last thing to form your view on something anyway-and when a game's main purpose must be to entertain us carrying on way beyond a point where it's done totally the opposite for many hours seems like making excuses for the developer and not looking out for your readership or even being honest with them. Surely that's the main thing.
BTW-I find it very strange that people, even today, often miss what I find obvious about reviews and reviewers. There's a handful of reviewers whose opinions I take notice of. I don't doubt other reviewers are equally honest or think that their opinions are worth, somehow, less than those I use. No, I just use those whose opinion I tend to agree with on past games/books/cars/dolls houses/lubricants and so on. If they get bored with a game(and we ALL get bored with a game and fail to finish it sometimes I'm positive)then I think it likely I too may find the game dull so I seek a second opinion from another reviewer I tend to concur with to confirm the diagnosis. Isn't that how everyone uses reviews? I sometimes wonder if a lot of gamers have been so engrossed in their hobby that they'd be flummoxed by, say, a train timetable and people complaining about this kind of thing just because they disagree with a review backs this worry up no end.
Sure, a review where(if it's true and I ,personally, don't feel it is about MH3)the writer sticks with a game to the end to note that "it gets better after the first bazillion hours of stifling effin ennui" may well be more accurate in some regards but I doubt it's any more honest and that should always be the most important thing when giving your opinion on something people are being asked to shell out actual money and time for and on.
Sorry for the rant. Sorry for the length of my rant(first time I ever ended that particular sentence with "rant").
First of all, yes, quests charge a fee to take, you get that back if you win, and if you are good with your money you get so much that losing one or 2 quest fees because you want to abandon it for whatever reason won't dent your wallet in the slightest.
