2x1009 resolution (Destiny)

by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Tuesday, January 02, 2018, 11:32 (2460 days ago)
edited by Cody Miller, Tuesday, January 02, 2018, 11:37

In 2018 I'd like to change how I criticize games.

I'm really embarrassed sometimes looking at Star wars fans. This tweet hits it on the head. There's so much anger and toxicity over it, but I think it one has to stop and ask: just what can we actually get angry about?

I don't think going to see a bad film that didn't go the way you predicted justifies anger. I don't even think going to go see a BAD film justifies anger. The only time anger is justified is if your time was deliberately wasted or the movie is just a fuck you to the audience. Which… I can't think of very many off the top of my head.

There's some anger over Des2ny. Is some of it justified? Yes. You are right to be angry if the game purposely wastes your time or is intentionally made worse to exploit you. So get angry about that. Don't stop. This shit shouldn't be normal.

But everything else about the game does not deserve anger. The story does not. The campaign design does not. The loot does not. The lack of features does not. None of these things are good, but they are just failures. If you try and don't measure up, there's no shame.

Failures are fine. Fuck-yous are not.

I can be disappointed that Bungie has mishandled the story of Destiny and squandered a wonderful universe and lore. But I can't be angry. I can be disappointed it's an MMO and not an RPG. But I can't be angry. I can be disappointed Curse of Osiris was the worst DLC and retconned Osiris and Vance, etc. But I can't be angry.

But I can also only be disappointed so many times. Blizzard continually disappointed me… which is why I don't play their games anymore. But that's on me. I hear overwatch is popular.

What disappoints me the most is not learning from failures though. Bungie used to do that. Look at what Halo 3 learned from Halo 2. To be fair Des2ny learned a bit from Destiny. But it forgot a lot more.

And of course, a game doesn't have to be perfect to be a masterpiece. Vanquish it technically 'perfect', but Deus Ex while flawed is better.

So this year I will save anger for things that matter, and be more thoughtful in critiquing failures.