I want to start by saying thank you for the review. We can all agree that the multiplayer is bad and uninspired but I think we are disagreeing on how you presented that as an undeniable measurable fact rather than opinion, which at the end of the day that's all it is.
Yeah that one's on me, I'd been on the sauce and worded that poorly.
I think what really is driving a lot of the drama regarding your review is how you seemed to enjoy the game,but then docked it points for a multiplayer when the primary product was a single player. How would you have reviewed this game if it had no multiplayer??
I think SnapMap is a huge tick in its favour to be honest, enough to balance out the MP. I'd hate to see that go. Clearly I didn't like the MP (which is not to say that people who did like it are wrong) but it didn't impact my score at the end of the day.
Now, specifically regarding the campaign. I think a lot of those who partake in this hobby rate games based on whether or not the game delivered what they wanted. I don't have proper gaming lexicon to describe what that is but it's like eating a meal that you were craving for a long time and you got just what you wanted, it "hit the spot." This game delivered to so many people what they have wanted for so very long. Do you know what that means? That means in our incredibly cynical gaming world, gamers received what they want rather than be told what they should want. Contrary to what you think, an ign score of 7.1 does not indicate a good game. It may based on the scoring charts, but we see too many 8.5s and above to give a 7.1 a second look.
Look I've played call of duty until two years ago when I realized that it had become a generic caricature of itself. How COD can get a 9 but a game like doom, dripping in atmosphere, fun gun play, and amazing graphics (especially on PC) is beyond me.
At the end of the day you have to live with that score, not us. You'll know that the game has 92% positive reviews on steam, something few games achieve, and that you were not congruent with those reviews. Do you lack perspective as a reviewer? Was it a bad day? Was DOOM not the particular itch you needed scratched?
I didn't review COD for IGN. There's an image up on reddit right now comparing Scott Lowe's Ghosts review with my Doom review. My own review for Ghosts, on the now defunct Games On Net, described it as a jingoistic mess. But I do think 7.1 is a good score. I think it's appropriate for the text I wrote too. A game I liked but I thought could have been a bit better.
As to living with my review, I'll be ok. I don't think I lack perspective. I think I did a good job. I always do my best. I think that for most people, like the vast, vast majority of people, reviews exist as a purchasing advice system. And I have no obligation to make people
want to buy a game, just to share with them my honest views on that game. And for the super hardcore gamers (like myself) reviews are a talking point, a way to form and drive discussion.
(edit: That isn't to say that I created a review to court controversy and drive clicks or some shit, but that my review is worded in a way which creates avenues for discussion about the game and the nature of what people want out of a reboot and oh god please don't take this the wrong way) And I think my review accomplishes both of those things. I'm copping a hectic amount of shit for a 7.1 (not any more than others have for much, much higher scores though *cough* 8.8 is a fucking great score *cough*) but it's all part of the process of the discussion.
I'll pose one final question to you: When you finished the campaign, did you feel like you had just played a DOOM game? If yes, that alone deserves it a better score. It's 2016, where we get yearly CODs and assassin's creed, and this was the most fun I've had with a game since I graduated medical school.
Seriously badass fun.
Thank you for reading.
It did feel like a Doom game, but I don't agree with you. I think Wolfenstein TNO was better (although very different). I haven't liked an Assassin's Creed game in years and I only ever play Zombies mode in Black Ops 3.
It's awesome you're enjoying it as much as you are. So many people are, which is epic. I hope it inspires id and Bethesda to do something good with the Quake franchise, and if they fuck up the MP then even a portal to hell won't save them from my wrath. But for now I'm going back to Stellaris or Dark Souls 3.
