This is my first blog so it will probably be bad, but I am getting upset with this and I need somewhere to let it out. I don't know if I've been in an unusual situation but recently I've seen more and more people say a game is bad because of how it looks, and that's not directed to graphics. A good example of this is I have a friend who will remain unnamed. He had 1160 Microsoft points ($14.50) and he is a big fan of flying games. He owns the Ace Combat games, After Burner Climax, and others. He asked me what game he should buy and, knowing he likes flying games, I recommended the recently released Snoopy's Flying Ace. Just by looking at the game, even though it is a great flying game, he said it wasn't for him and didn't even try the free trial because he would have "No one to play with". Overall, he probably got a better deal because both Shadow Complex and Trials HD are on sale and he was able to get both for 1120 Microsoft points ($14), but I just don't understand why he wouldn't even try a game because of its art direction. While I was thinking how stupid he was being, I realized I'm no different. There is a highly anticipated title coming up called Epic Mickey that I just can't get anticipated for because you play as Micky Mouse. I guess I'm a hypocrite but just try to remember, you need to look beyond the art style or graphics of a game and try it out for yourself.
Tom Lee, Creative Director, Team Ninja: "We’re excited to announce that The Two Masters DLC for Ninja Gaiden 4 will be released to ninjas of all skill levels on March 4, 2026! This story-driven expansion continues Yakumo and Ryu’s battle against fiends that once again threaten to take over the world. After completing the main story, players will unlock new story chapters that push both characters into battles against even deadlier enemies, challenging bosses, and new trials that will test the skills of even the most seasoned master ninja."
Kotaku writes: "A Resident Evil Requiem review published by long-standing UK gaming news site Videogamer has been removed from Metacritic after readers pointed out it was written by a fake AI journalist who doesn’t actually exist. Videogamer‘s human masthead was gutted last week, sources tell Kotaku, and the site has been publishing apparent genAI slop ever since."
Genuinely well done on metacritic for taking such an immediate hard stance. Not often, if at all, you see that these days. Credit where it’s due.
New York attorney general Letitia James called loot boxes 'quintessential gambling.'
I think the problem is related to the franchise as well - like i have many friends who literally won't play any other shooter than COd or Halo simply because it's most well known... i mean what about resistance, killzone or even something like gears..
When it comes to box art though and the overall impression the game has on a person on store shelves, i think the best example is Folklore for PS3. It was released a few years back and was quite a good game, but it didn't sell very well, and i doubt the box art and the name really helped that... It's a shame because it basically means that people's small mindedness is leading to more and more generic shooter games and less innovation...
I tend to stay away from wannabe hyper-realistic games like MW2, BF:BC2, Killzone 3, Gears, Uncharted 2, Medal of Honour, etc
They always tend to be nothing but generic linear shooters with rarely any innovation.
Cell shaded, or just games with a good art style in general tend to be better games, like Ratchet and Clank, Ico, Valkyria Chronicles, Metroid, Zelda, Mario, Ape Escape, etc
There gameplay often varies more often too.