The man behind Devil's Third has taken to Facebook to defend the game in a statement entitled "What is Innovation?", stating that the reason the game is getting flak is because "forerunners are always criticized from an old viewpoint".

Full statement:

"To all gamers,

There're many people who worry about criticism against Devil's Third excessively. So, I will tell my thought to you. You have to know the truth.

"Heralds or forerunners are always criticized from an old viewpoint."

Certainly, it's necessary to listen to criticism, but we aren't supposed to be subordinated to criticism. I will show a concrete instance.

Many people underestimated DEAD OR ALIVE in 1996.

"This game is DEAD OR DEAD, right?" They laughed.

"DOA means Dead On Arrival." Different person said.

But I, my team, and my fans didn't care about such noise. For the last time, as you know, we had gotten a great victory.

Remember how many new features DOA produced. Remember how many games borrowed originality of DOA. The same can be said of 3D Ninja Gaiden. Besides, the same may be said of Devil’s Third.

So, don't worry at all. I will say again. You're a forerunner. Forerunners are always criticized from an old point of view. So you must not to waste your time.

If you have a free time to worry, first of all, turn on your game machine. Secondly, enjoy Devil's Third. Rock out!

Sincerely.

Tomonobu Itagaki

https://www.facebook.com/notes/tomonobu-itagaki/what-is-innovation/1638016286462483

Okay. What are the innovations? More specifically, what are the innovations that are being criticized?

It must be that! I mean its totally impossible that the game might be shit, right?

Haha this man is already cracking jokes, good to know he is taking the failure of his game in such a positive way

When is he going back to Tecmo ?

This guy makes my day everytime he speaks. What a comedian xDDD

The game is being crititzied because:

1. Is not great

2. It's technical aspects have many flaws

3. The press thought it was gonna be a HNS with FPS mechanics, but instead is the other way around. They don't like that (even if Itagaki always made clear what kind of game DT was.

4. Its campaing, while not horrible by any means (it has some really good moments) is not nearly as good as the multiplayer

Reviewers have some fair points in their reviews of Devil's Third, but they just overreacted. You can't lay off this game, this game is not a 4, or a 3... or a 2, I saw a 2 on metacritic. Is not horrible or too bad: is just from average to good.

XDDDDDDD. What's innovative about Devil's Third exactly?

For shure ! in fact, Splatoon, another innovative game on the Wii U is getting lots of hate and is selling as s**t, it's not like it won Game Awards prizes, it's creating a great comunity and it's selling milions of copies showing great legs.

for those of you that missed the irony I'm calling BS on what Itagaki said. Just turn the page and show that you can still make good games or if you don't just simply exit the gaming industry...

its innovations come in the form of sucking. 

Not at all. Look at Sonic Boom lol. That's another level of sucking.