I mean, these are all really unfortunate mistakes but I don't really know how they would get caught by an editor. Seems like more of a systemic problem with the writer/editor relationship than any one editor's fault.
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IGN posts 3/10 review for Borderlands 2 VR, gets called out for misinformation, review gets pulled.
- Thread starter Kalentan
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Yeah, I looked up his social media and it looks like he's a pretty experienced freelancer. Weird situation.
When you are literally getting paid to play video games, but you suck at that too. Writing a good review does require a good number of skills, but come on now. If you are going to claim that something is broken, at least investigate before embarrassing yourself and the company you work at. Why is it so hard for IGN to find good reviewers? who is ever getting these people on the IGN team needs to be fired.
I'm confused - are you arguing that it's more forgivable because it's not a member of the regular staff, or less because there should have necessarily been more oversight?
I'm not making any arguments, just correcting misinformation. These types of mistakes suck and hurt a lot of others.
The same reviewer also gave the Planet of the Apes VR game a 3.0. So maybe he just really dislike VR.
/s
https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/04/11/crisis-on-the-planet-of-the-apes-vr-review
/s
https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/04/11/crisis-on-the-planet-of-the-apes-vr-review
The original error in the text is 100% on the writer, but any game review that stands out (either overly positive or overly negative) should be checked by an editor. A good editor will always stand behind a review (so long as a review is backed up), an average/poor editor simply checks for copyediting errors and publishes.
That said, we don't know if the editor reached out to the writer here. If the editor did, and the writer verified it was accurate, then the whole thing is on the writer. Editors are not fact checkers, and when you're paying for work, there is an implicit trust that the work is done well. Now, if the editor didn't bother double-checking with the writer on this after receiving the text, then the editor holds some blame as well.
This author is a freelancer who has written for other outlets, including Gamespot and the Guardian.
This was not a staff review, but it also wasn't written by someone new to gaming.
Options are the first thing I check. Got into that habit when inverted was still considered a "nice to have" thing.
Would have been done by a different person, in a different department. IGN isn't likely to fly a freelancer out to a preview event to capture video. That'll be done by a local team in SF.
These get caught by having a discussion with the writer. Good editors aren't going to know all the facts. They're not going to play all the games. They will talk to multiple people though. They'll have a sense (after working in the industry for years) as to where a game should likely land on the review scale and what pros/cons will be written about it. When something deviates (or when language is super strong one way or another) they're going to talk to the writer before publishing.
As I discuss above, this could be the fault of the editor rushing to publish, or it could be the result of the writer assuring the editor that the text is absolutely correct and the game deserves all the criticism.
In the latter case, an editor is going to trust an experienced freelancer like this one more than someone new to the field.
Shiiit, I often do it in non-VR games let alone full VR games. It's habit... IGN having a mare....
Literally the first thing I do when I get a new game is rush to the settings menu (and turn off vibration because holy fuck that shit is annoying).
https://nationalpost.com/author/calummarsh
The guy writes about everything from movies to beer to food. Can't expect him to get EVERYTHING right. Cut him some slack.
/s
The guy writes about everything from movies to beer to food. Can't expect him to get EVERYTHING right. Cut him some slack.
/s
I think the thing about this that irks me the most is the fact that this was probably a side project relegated to a smaller team at Gearbox and led by someone who maybe doesn't often/hasn't had a chance to lead projects in the past. It's also received what seems like a pretty substantial marketing push from Sony. I've seen several commercials on TV during NBA games.
It seems like a big release with big expectations for PSVR. I understand if people don't give a damn about Sony or 2K's bottom line, but real people worked on this game. When/if management looks back on why this project bombed, are they going to point to the fact that one of the world's largest gaming publications gave it a score down indicative of one of this gen's worst releases? Probably. Are they going to pin the blame for that embarrassment on the dev team? Lol absolutely.
After a few hours with the game, I just don't see that score as being reasonable. Sure, there are some quirks and if you're upset that they didn't blow it out with all the post release content and online multiplayer, that's your prerogative... I just don't see this as a 3/10 game and the thought that a fundamental misunderstanding of the controls influenced that score is a bummer.
It seems like a big release with big expectations for PSVR. I understand if people don't give a damn about Sony or 2K's bottom line, but real people worked on this game. When/if management looks back on why this project bombed, are they going to point to the fact that one of the world's largest gaming publications gave it a score down indicative of one of this gen's worst releases? Probably. Are they going to pin the blame for that embarrassment on the dev team? Lol absolutely.
After a few hours with the game, I just don't see that score as being reasonable. Sure, there are some quirks and if you're upset that they didn't blow it out with all the post release content and online multiplayer, that's your prerogative... I just don't see this as a 3/10 game and the thought that a fundamental misunderstanding of the controls influenced that score is a bummer.
Honestly IGN have been garbage for a while now. Hiring a hack like Filip who even plageriases his own co workers and doesn't get caught. Then doing a shitty job at hosting NVC where even few months in no one says anything in the IGN team.
Now we have this review and the reviewer didn't even check the settings. Didn't IGN team even prooof read this, and didn't the lower 3 score make them think let's just double check this.
Now we have this review and the reviewer didn't even check the settings. Didn't IGN team even prooof read this, and didn't the lower 3 score make them think let's just double check this.
This is what I was curious about. Are reviewers, freelance or otherwise, able to just post reviews when they want? Doesn't IGN have editors that look at these, make changes if needed, and approve these reviews before going live? There's no excuse for this shit.
If IGN don't check reviews from their freelancers for plagerizing or just terrible reviews that don't even check settings on a VR game perhaps they should just be honest and change their reviews go being editable by the public like Wikipedia as it seems the site's content is poor.
This site has been a huge joke for years. I'm still a bit impressed by this. A bit. We get stuff like this from all over the enthusiast press.
I'm telling you: its underappreciated how close to each other online fandoms, marketing and online game coverage really are. The usgamer article this week should show how much like us these sites can be and the paradox of affording them much authority.
I'm telling you: its underappreciated how close to each other online fandoms, marketing and online game coverage really are. The usgamer article this week should show how much like us these sites can be and the paradox of affording them much authority.
I wouldn't say "most" are enjying it, it really isn't reviewing that well. The reviews are about on par with the vita version so far.
When I say unplayable I am not just talking about performance. I am also talking about the fact that adjusting controls to be more in line with a proper FPS makes the game too easy, while simultaneously making the game too fast to run smooth.
If you are judging the game on default settings it runs beautifully, but it is also sluggish and feels very un-borderlands.
If you adjust the settings to have movement be faster and more responsive, the game starts to get performance issues (which are a big cause of motion sickness) and the difficulty doesn't adjust to the quicker player movement. Essentially it becomes a badly performing nerfed version of Borderlands 2.
Either way you play it you lose compared to standard BL2. It is either too slow, or too easy, and janky sickness inducing.
Yup I'm all for it. They've had too many issues recently. I've never been a fan of theirs but I actually have enjoyed some of their reviews and content over the years. But this is ridiculous. And I mentioned earlier, I'm playing through it right now and it controls like a dream for me. First time playing the game too so I'm in love lol.
This reviewer being a freelancer doesn't really change the overall point, as the review still needs to make it through editorial. I can't say I've ever worked at IGN, but I'd assume that they don't just give freelancers free range to just post up whatever they want on their website, similarly to how things work at the sports network I work at which features sports blogs that must meet some level of editorial standards and review.
This is just as much on the freelancer as it is the people who work in editorial for IGN.
I havent heard a single person say its unplayable though, you're the first out of maybe 70-80 impressions and reviews across psvr reddit, here, and site reviews.
Again, did you try the DS4 option?
EDIT: Never mind. I don't want to hear your opinion now. I thought your posts sounded oddly familiar to one of the reviews. The verbiage you used was too similar. Anyway, I searched your username and tagged PSVR, almost ALL your PSVR posts are super-inflammatory. You absolutely hate it RE7, Astrobot, all the classics.
Here's an example:
PSVR is utter garbage yet you "buy" games like Borderlines for it? Your BL2 complaints are straight lifted from reviews and mashed together with extra weighted negative spin for effect. That's what made me suspicious. From playing it at your cousin's house a couple weeks ago, calling it trash, now you own one??? AND you're buying games? lol. There are tons of hateful PSVR posts there, I just grabbed this one out of thin air.
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Seems like someone hasn't seen the new Smash Bros video and the discussion here. :P
It was a joke. Cause the new video has as many wrong facts as this review. ;)
I remember when IGN posted there review of Tales of Zesteria and complained about it not having an option to save outside of save points.
Except you could hit start and quick save literally anywhere outside of a cutscene or battle.
I posted a question asking if the guy never hit start the entire game and a week later the line was missing from the review lol
Except you could hit start and quick save literally anywhere outside of a cutscene or battle.
I posted a question asking if the guy never hit start the entire game and a week later the line was missing from the review lol
To be fair, I wouldn't expect those to be turned off by default or toggles in the options, and if it didn't surface that information that's bad. The average player will play with all those features turned off.
Reviewers are human, people make mistakes, they've taken it down. Who cares
Reviewers are human, people make mistakes, they've taken it down. Who cares
One would think that IGN would quintuple-check every single word of their reviews before they even thought about hitting the Publish button. They need to be running an extremely tight ship right now, as the Miucin scandal drove the cost for editorial carelessness sky-high.
Nope. I'm playing it now and at the start it walks through all the options and let's you know exactly where to change them as part of the tutorial. It's reall well done actually. No excuse for this review.
VR games are different in that they need these comfort settings on as the default so that motion sensitive people like me don't puke when we play. The games usually tell you about the other less restrictive comfort modes they offer, this game included as evidenced in the thread earlier on.
1/4 of the Pokemon have a water type and 3/8 of the HMs are water moves and 1/2 of the routes are water and the entire late game is in water.
There's too much damn water.
Wowzers, Now I wouldn't blame anyone for not checking the options in a standard game (if they were just a customer playing it). But a VR game is mandatory since so many have comfort settings. A professional reviewer not bothering to check the options/settings on a review of a VR game is pretty inexcusable. complete incompetence.
As someone who used to love subtitles to not loving them anymore, settings is one of the first things I go to also.
PSVR games have the option for Move or DS4. Pretty sure one of the very first things I would do is at least look at controller settings.
That goes for Wiimote, Move, VR.
Sorry, there's no way to defend this. Especially if the controls is one of the reasons for the score.
Yeah, not a good look.
PSVR games have the option for Move or DS4. Pretty sure one of the very first things I would do is at least look at controller settings.
That goes for Wiimote, Move, VR.
Sorry, there's no way to defend this. Especially if the controls is one of the reasons for the score.
Yeah, not a good look.
He complained that there were no options, lol.
So tired of these trash ass reviewers.
Of course. I have a PSVR and a kid who occasionally plays it. We get the bigger releases, and I support the platform in the hopes that something will be fun and playable. So far it hasn't been even remotely worth what I paid for it.
My kid plays their 3DS more than the PSVR.
But calling my opinion worthless just because I didn't enjoy two other releases is a bit harsh. I would hardly call not liking something inflammatory either. I'm literally sharing my experience with the larger game releases on the system. I have the darn system and play the games, so just because I am not singing about how great VR is and how it is the future of gaming, doesn't make my posts inflammatory. Not everyone needs to love every game on the system.
I am not the only one complaining about it. People all over reddit are complaining about the severe downgrade in graphics, the 2D cutscenes, the super narrow HUD, the fact that the game is much easier, and yes, when you adjust settings the game drops performance. it is balanced to work with its default settings.
In defense of the game, it certainly is a cool feeling being in on Pandora in VR. I just feel like they should have put more effort into the conversion, or build a brand new, smaller Borderlands experience from the ground up with PSVR in mind. Playing to its strengths instead of this version which just struggles with its weaknesses.
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That is some bad, bad taste in gaming. No one literally plays Astro Bot and slams both it and the system as garbage that needs to die unless they are trolling or have no concept of what makes a video game or entertainment product good.
It's also contradictory to say you support it yet want it to die.
The only one being harsh here is you, because you seem to have a pitchfork out for everyone VR related, which again makes no sense if you claim to be supporting it out of your desire for something playable. (which you should already know exists - as everyone else that has played Astro Bot realizes)
Great. Unfortunately, I can't do anything to erase the posts you made. When you post about PSVR now people will remember, "oh, its that guy that called PSVR garbage and gimmicky."
I saw the video, but not the discussion. What did they get wrong?