where the magazines agree

Father Beast · February 14, 2004, 12:44

I recently catalogued all my reviews in game magazines into a works database, because I was tired of random hunting to find a review.

I gave each of them a common rating translated from the magazine rating, in order to compare. especially after the Postal 2 debacle, where CGW gave it a zero star rating (which is ridiculous since they never gave a half star rating) (Common rating = Z-), and PC Gamer gave it 80%

Common ratings go (mostly) from A+ to F-

I've noticed that very few games are agreed by more than one mag to be either very bad or very good, getting a A+ or F- rating. Where one mag will be very impressed, the others will generally be less so. as for the really bad games, most of the stinkers will fall under the radar of the others.

There are a few, though.

(Note, this only applies to the magazines I have or have access to. mostly PC Gamer, CGW, and CGM since 2000)

There is only one game I have found to be universally praised by 3 magazines.

SimCity 2000

The following have been given A+ by 2 magazines.

Baldurs Gate II: Shadows Of Amn (3rd mag gives it an A)

Freedom Force (3rd mag gives it an A)

Knights Of The Old Republic (3rd Mag gives it an A)

Superbike 2001 (3rd mag gives it a B+)

Black & White (3rd mag gives it a C+)

Contrarily, there is only one game given a 3 way F-

Celebrity Deathmatch

There are also a few given F- by 2 mags

Hooters Road Trip (no 3rd review)

Jazz And Faust (no 3rd review)

Freedom: First Resistance (3rd mag gives it an F)

New World Order (3rd mag gives it a D+)

Squad Leader (3rd mag gives it a C)

Now, I'm sure that lots of people have played these A+ games, but I can't recall anyone ever even mentioning these F- games. These games are probably so bad they faded immediately into obscurity. has anyone here actually Played these purported pieces of crap?

Traianvs · February 14, 2004, 12:59

Hooter's road trip

The title alone says it all really !

MattH · February 14, 2004, 14:11

www.metacritic.com

DrSpike · February 14, 2004, 14:43

Bit o' time on your hands FB?

Zopperoni · February 14, 2004, 19:48

It looks like they haven't seen "Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing" yet.

Urban Ranger · February 15, 2004, 01:12

Black and White sucks.

Dis · February 15, 2004, 03:31

there is a site which compiles various reviews and averages them.

gamerankings.com

Dis · February 15, 2004, 03:34

I subscribe to CGW

the reason why they hated Postal 2 was because of the objectionable content- though they loved Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City.

They do explain why they liked the GTA games but don't like Postal 2 in one of their issues.

DrSpike · February 15, 2004, 06:21

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Black and White sucks.

Well it's a love-it-or-hate-it game. I hated it also.

Illuminatus · February 15, 2004, 06:33

Originally posted by DrSpike

Well it's a love-it-or-hate-it game. I hated it also.

Well I hated it too because you could only play it the evil way and it could be fun, or you could tear your hair out while playing it good way.

DrSpike · February 15, 2004, 06:37

It was too Simsy for my tastes.

Illuminatus · February 15, 2004, 06:40

Originally posted by DrSpike
It was too Simsy for my tastes.

Well if you have a buch of people who can`t build a building, watch on resources, cut the forest down, do not care for food levels, grow infinetly but can dance around stone... FIREBALL!

Skanky Burns · February 15, 2004, 07:24

You can train your creature to do stuff. Eventually. Of course, one slip of the mouse and all your hard work is destroyed. Or one battle with a stronger enemy. Or...

Or maybe I just sucked at it. Regardless, I didn't like it either.

Adagio · February 15, 2004, 08:36

Seems like we can all agree: B&W sucks

But I'm very much dissturbed after just seing all those green things at this game:

http://www.metacritic.com/games/plat...pc/nomansland/

I downloaded the game, played it for an hour, before deleting it... it was about the most unplayable junk I've ever played... that's until I met this game:

http://www.metacritic.com/games/plat...icadventuredx/

Bkeela · February 15, 2004, 08:41

Black and White was generally good, although the creature AI was pathetic, and its replay value limited. I had fun if nobody else did.

Dis · February 15, 2004, 15:24

I only played for a few hours. Worst $50 I spent. And I did seem to suck.

I don't even think I got past the tutorial

.

I got tired of searching all over the freakin' place for a stupid sheep.

I don't like the spell system of drawing- my mouse movement just isn't that accurate- I don't have a steady hand

. And it was too much like a RTS. I thought it would be more different. The reviews said it was a unique game. And the reviews were so damn good.

Illuminatus · February 15, 2004, 15:31

Originally posted by Dissident

I got tired of searching all over the freakin' place for a stupid sheep.

I found ALL sheeps so don`t complain (took two hours).

Father Beast · February 15, 2004, 16:44

Originally posted by Zopperoni
It looks like they haven't seen "Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing" yet.

Probably not going to... not big enough to jump on.

One of the funniest reviews I've ever read. even better than PC Gamer's eXtreme Paintbrawl. Thanks to whoever it was posted the text of that. I printed it out to the amusement of everyone I showed it to

One of the great things about really bad reviews is the horrible things they say

"Horrible beyond all imagination. Rotten to its stinking core. Like a nightmare from which one cannot wake" - Extreme Watersports

"An Open weeping sore of a game" - Skydive

"When the gamebox hits the trashcan with a satisfying Klunk!, you'll realize you have hit the height of realism in this game" - Navy SEALS

Dis · February 15, 2004, 16:57

that was a hilarious looking game.

I was tempted to buy it to see how horrible it was. I think CGW had a good (as in bad) review of that one as well.

Father Beast · February 16, 2004, 12:33

Originally posted by Dissident
that was a hilarious looking game.

I was tempted to buy it to see how horrible it was. I think CGW had a good (as in bad) review of that one as well.

urrr, which one? I don't have a CGW review of any of those I just listed

Father Beast · February 16, 2004, 12:34

Originally posted by Trajanus
Hooter's road trip

The title alone says it all really !

Indeed, but have you actually PLAYED it?

Father Beast · February 16, 2004, 12:38

Originally posted by DrSpike
Bit o' time on your hands FB?

Well..., I was considering cataloging the articles in the magazines, too, but that would be a bit much

alva · February 16, 2004, 13:30

Originally posted by Bkeela
Black and White was generally good, although the creature AI was pathetic, and its replay value limited. I had fun if nobody else did.

It was fun for about 1 or 2 hours, which shows how long these reviewers play with it efore rating it.

Dis · February 16, 2004, 15:10

Originally posted by Father Beast

urrr, which one? I don't have a CGW review of any of those I just listed

that big rigs game. Unless I'm thinking of another game. I can't imagine they would make 2 crappy games about big rig racing. Then again...

Alex · February 16, 2004, 15:29

i used to like doing these kind of cataloguing (is this right?) when i was younger. i gave up when i realized that it was worthless.

but then there was no internet where i could show the results of my efforts.

Grumbold · February 17, 2004, 05:26

I was stupid enough to buy Squad Leader before I read a review of it. Its not the worst game in history (it was relatively stable and bug free) but it was definitely an unpolished amateur effort. Bargain bin material.

Urban Ranger · February 17, 2004, 05:34

I think Games Domain is quite good with games evaluation too. But Starfleet Command sucked.

Father Beast · February 18, 2004, 14:26

Originally posted by Dissident

that big rigs game. Unless I'm thinking of another game. I can't imagine they would make 2 crappy games about big rig racing. Then again...

There was one last year called "Big Mutha Truckers", which sounds horrid, and was reported to be actually pretty good.

DarkCloud · February 18, 2004, 22:26

"HARD TRUCK" was also reported to be a very good game, with a very unfortunate title

It was an actual trucking simulation... You were penalized for speeding

The best memory I have of it is the review in CGM:
"It is good that a game like this can be released in this day and age. However, the question is, whether the world is ready for a game like this in this day and age... and whether this game can actually qualify as a 'game' in the normal sense."

Zero · February 19, 2004, 07:55

most mags get like money and **** from game companies.

at least thats what i figured when they made craptastic reviews.

Reviews by dumb loser geeks in gamefaq forum >>>> game magazine review IMO.