Simple direct admission of fault. I give this post a 9.4.

Not really much of a "gracefull end" if the reviewer is constantly talking about how much of a irrelevent change MGS4 is from the other MGS games. He want's MGS to end because he doesn't want to accept it for what it is, he's essentially complaining that MGS is much like MGS.

I think my original post was pretty dead on. This "omg no you didn't" post you just made doesn't really stand up when you actually compare the two reviews I'm talking about. It's obvious you seem to care more about MGS4 than NG2, but I'll digress because as you've so eloquently stated, I can't prove it, but don't let my admission that the review is rude negate my comments that your actions are hypocritical.

You have yet to prove that my actions are hypocritical aswell.

I don't expect completely fair and balanced posters to be required when they make the frankenreview posts, but I will not accept being flamed for calling people out when they make a mistake.

Care to elaborate?

My problem was with the gamesradar review being biased against Ninja Gaiden and the difficulty of the game in general. Let me take some general inserts from the review, in context and lets compare them:

So those of us who aren’t down with the difficulty level are going to want to play a game that utilizes the Xbox 360’s potential with a balanced difficulty level that complements the solid gameplay - and thereby restore self esteem - leaving Itagaki’s insatiable bloodlust to the hardcore crowd that loves it so.- Gamesradar review

This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt(as does the rest of the review) that the reviewer himself doesn't like Ninja Gaiden, he's not the target for the game, not even close, and he simply doesn't like the game's difficulty or tedium, which is the main draw to the hardcore crowd at which the game is aimed. He even brings up early Ninja Gaidens as being "unflinchingly cheap and difficult" as one of their major drawbacks. The rest of the review is just as bad or worse, fyi.

This reviewer simply doesn't like Ninja Gaiden, and his review is tied with the lowest other review for the game. This also was one of the first reviews to surface.

Ok.. this is something that I've always agreed on.

Now this review comes out, and it's a bit less obvous, you're reaching, but even if I contended that this reviewer didn't like MGS4, wouldn't it be hypocritical of you to marginalize the review because it was from someone who didn't like MGS, when you refused to marginalize or at least give all the information on a review that was far worse in the hole against the game than this one?

Also, how is there something wrong with me for comparing the Gamesradar review with this one? The gamesradar review is far worse, by any measure.

I explained this above, regardless, it's your opinion that the gamesradar review is worse, don't mix it with fact. Or perhaps you feel that defending NG2 much more needed and justifiable than MGS4?

Let me get to your list of anti-Ninja Gaiden talking points, Camera, Slowdown, Level design. You must realize that generic lists exist for for all games that don't get perfect scores. It is the justification that people give for the game not being perfect. It doesn't mean that any of those problems are significant. The fact is, Eurogamer gave NG2 1 point less than MGS4.

Wrong, it becomes significant when a game with such a deep battle system that have been raved as the best in gaming, gets lower than expected reviews when just about every reviewer mentions it as either an unneeded annoyance or major frustrating flaw. And again, as I said before, I never thought 8/10 was a bad score or even unwarranted, I've just said that his contradictories and attitude toward the series as a whole was suspect (which I would imagine that even you agree with also)

You obviously put a lot of credit into the average or concensus review system, but you can't have it both ways. MGS4 isn't perfect. It has boring cutscenes, antiquated gameplay, and complicated story, or so says Eurogamers talking points.

- Boring Cutscenes

- Antiquated Gameplay

- Complicated and nonsensical story

Now, I've never played MGS4. I don't know how big of a deal these things are. Probably aren't even kinda important, nor would the affect the game whatsoever.

However, I'll list them here, like they are the gospel.

...because that's EXACTLY what you just did with Ninja Gaiden 2. You've never played it. You don't know if those talking points are even kinda a real problem. In fact, you should know that most reviewers overemphasize flaws as excuses for giving games the score they feel they should get from the "fun" factor(especially in a frusterating game that you grow to hate due to difficulty). The real reason Ninja Gaiden 2 scored like it did, is because it was too damn hard. I think that's pretty obvious. Most of the reviewers didn't have fun playing it. That my friend, is exactly what hardcore Ninja Gaiden fans want. Just like a 45 minute ending cutscene is exactly what Metal Gear Solid fans want. Your only argument that you can possibly come up with to counter this is the fact that most of the reviews mentioned the camera problems

Wait, did NG1,NGB or NGS get poor reviews because it was "too hard"? Do the reviewers not mention how the challenge NG2 offers is rewarding and warranted? Here's a better question, are you telling me that I have to play NG2 for myself to figure out that there are camera issues even though 95% of the people that HAS played it (that thought NGB/NGS were great games) just happens to mention it? The answers are NO.

Oh wait, did I just say something that was suspected and can't be argued with?

Well, most of the MGS 4 reviews are gonna mention the story as well, I'd wager. When you put too much emphasis on reviews and examine them too much, you're gonna find fault and dissapointment in everything you play.

I'd wager that most MGS4 review will mention story but also compliment it for what the story does right, and most of the time, I'd bet that the positives outweigh the negatives. Too bad you can't actually find anything positive about a whacky camera, framerate dips and dated level design.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night didn't even score AAA. Let's not kid ourselves. Half of the reviewers in the world are idiots. They couldn't tell a good game from a bad one without looking at other reviews first.

I don't disagree

However, when you preach their talking points, and their word as gospel on multiple posts for Ninja Gaiden 2, and then come and literally flame the 8/10 review of MGS4, going to the lengths to research the reviewer, to flame him more, you are hypocritical, and you shouldn't be making those types of calls on this game, for others with your review belief system, because you are obviously bias in favor of the game. It's not something I need to know you on a first name basis to determine.

TBH, the fact that you're defending him and not tearing apart his review (something that you'll apparently do for low NG2 reviews) shows that you're coming off to be more of a hypocrite than I. I've NEVER bashed the score of the review, the fact that you don't mention me saying that "8/10 isn't a bad score by any means" must be pretty convenient for your accusation of me being a hypocrite huh? If you didn't understand me the first time, I'll tell you my issue with his review: It's his piss poor rude attitude about the series and his always negative, "but positive" wording that are the problems. I don't give a flying monkey if his review was 7/10,8/10,9/10 or 9.9/10, the tone he sets with his review will always raise suspicion. As for me looking up his past editorial history ... you're not telling me that looking up a reviewer to see if his/her past reviews shows any credibility is actually wrong is it? you don't think that it's even a possibility that this rookie reviewer may have said the things he said and gave the game it's lowest review just to get a name for himself and get some hits?

He never said he wants MGS to end at all.

"You could not ask for a funnier, cleverer, more ambitious or inspired or over-the-top conclusion to the Metal Gear Solid series, but it's definitely time to move on. We love you, Snake. Don't come back."

The lines are blurred because Snake happens to be the main character of the series, he doesn't want both Snake and MGS to return.