Dear Reader:
Sakurai shares thoughts on video game reviews
Coming from a Sakurai feature in a June 2016 issue of Famitsu, as translated by Source Gaming...
There are a lot of game reviews out there, but when I’m looking at games to play, I won’t avoid a game based on somebody’s review. The reason is because it’s difficult to communicate the good points unique to a certain game using a number or somebody’s impressions. Reviews are particular to the experiences and thoughts of each individual, which they can express as they like. I’m mostly OK with general overviews. But when you judge a game using ratings and numbers, I think you often lose sight of what makes that game special.
Especially with user reviews, the writer bought that game because they wanted to play that game. When somebody writes a review, they take the time to do so because they have something they want to say. Sometimes reviewers list out all the things they didn’t like, take an overly critical tone, and reduce their score by an unnecessary amount.