OK. This is a rant. (You have been warned.)

IGN's review is a textbook example of what's wrong with videogame reviews. While gaming has matured and moved on to the 21st century, the reviewers are still stuck in the kiddie sandbox.

So now Grand Theft Auto has better visuals (means not a damn thing), a cellphone interface (well hooooold those phones) and a better cover system. For some reason, this is license to paper over the obvious flaws -- texture pop, load times ("only 30 seconds"), repetitive mission levels, buildings you can't enter, and the occasional dud line -- which would take down any other franchise to the realm of human, rather than supernatural, status.

Is the dialogue really better than Max Payne? Are the characters deeper than MGS3? Are the characters of color -- some of who act like borderline stereotypes in the GTA4 trailers and clips -- as intricately realized as FF12? Are the female characters actual human beings, and not walking sperm banks?

None of the reviews give me the slightest bit of confidence that the answer is yes to any of these questions. (The contrast with MGS4 is startling). I'm sure it's a fine game, a blast to play, and I know I'll be picking up a copy this May. But when Hilary Goldstein talks about GTA4 being the greatest game since Ocarina, because it has a main character with a tough life-history and the story makes you feel bad about pulling a trigger, I have to laugh, because Solid Snake has been doing just that for ten whole years.

The editors need to grow up and lose their provincial Anglo-American fascination for the spectacle of white guys blowing up stuff in cities full of people of color. Really, it's not hard to do. Just rent some great Bollywood movies and other topnotch films from around the world (I have a handy list right here: http://www.efn.org/~dredmond/20thCenturyMapLate.html) and learn to see the world a little differently.

No, it means it smells like bullshit. Do you want a whiff? I mean your panties are getting tied so tightly over what was said, I figured you might want to apply some actual context to it. Please, give us heathens not jumpng into the 10/10 lap with our asses spread a reason. I'm listening.

Fail.

Kazing?

Exactly what i expected to happen in the reviews.

They are overlooking it's problems (framerate issues, controls, texture pop in) because of it's massive scale and warranting it a score higher than it should be.

According to their definiton of a 10 IGN should have given Galaxy a 10, but different teams rate differently. In particular i have noticed the IGN xbox and PS3 team are more forgiving on their reviews and give games higher scores. The IGN Nintendo team is very strict and rarely give out any phenominal scores. Matt and Bozon, when asked if there would be any game they would give a 10, Matt said nothing, and Bozon said Zelda: A Link to the Past. Nothing else not even OoT was worthy. (he said he'd probably 9.8 it). From the IGN Nintendo team i consider 8.7-9.7 the equivalent of 9-10 9.7 being being absolutely stunning and contender for game of the generation.

As for Oscar worthy story and dialogue, i don't know whether this is or a pro or con. Because every movie that wins an Oscar (well most) are just terrible movies with crappy plots that reviewers eat up because it's a drama with an unconventional plot like a kid getting pregnant.

 I would give no current GTA game above an 8, GTA 4 i've yet to play so i can't make any score comments on it yet, but i can assure it doesn't fill IGN's definition of a 10 after reading the review.

10s in EVERY category? I have no doubt that this will be an absolutely amazing game, but doesn't that seem a bit... much?

One thing I wonder is if we're seeing a blowback effect from the tremendous NPD March Wii numbers (not a surprise to VGC members, but very much so for the rest of the Internet) and the upcoming Wii Fit release. Grand Theft Auto is everything that the core gamer loves, just as Wii Fit is everything that they hate. We may be seeing a "rally round the flag" effect, as the core gaming media holds up GTA as the perfect embodiment of everything they like in gaming, thus raising the review scores even higher than the (stellar) scores it would otherwise receive.

Crazy conspiracy theory? Yeah, probably. :P Still, if GTA scores 10s across the board and Wii Fit gets a bunch of 7s next month, maybe I'm on to something.

Lulz, where was everyone at when Soul Calibur got a 10/10 from IGN?

 jsut because you are jealous that your favorite games will never get scores like this doesnt mean that you should have an epiphany over it.

maybe is the best review in history from IGN...

I wonder...

Would people care so much if this were SMG getting a ten? Or WiiFit?

Seems the only people angry are people whose allegiance lies with the blue and white box... but that's pure speculation, I could be wrong... Matter of fact, I probably am.

"jsut" because you're a terrible mod doesn't mean you have to act like a 2-bit troll. Whatever cheap shot you were making at Star Ocean (I'm assuming) doesn't make sense seeing as my gaming purchases and tastes don't revolve around other people's opinions, something I'm quickly learning can't be applied to everyone in this thread. I'd also suggest learning what an epiphany is. I heard dictionary.com works wonders.

I don't know what's worse. That 10/10s are pouring out for a franchise that has never been at a 10/10 level, or that people are actually getting angry because I'm not blindly buying these reviews.

 banworthy.