Right now I want to talk about something that critics never get to talk about in multiplayer game reviews. Because to talk about that thing would be completely unfair to the developers: they can make compelling stories, well designed controls, enthralling sound design, all the things that make a video game great. But there is something that they can’t account for, yet is integral to the ultimate multiplayer experience: the person playing right next to you.
This occurred to me as I was reviewing Battleblock Theater and Castle Crashers. Both games are greatly improved when you have someone playing next to you on the couch, but Castle Crashers almost has to be played with other people. One I gave an amazing score to, the other one not as great. To help explain why, allow to me to compare my experiences between playing with my old roommate J and my younger brother Z.
Roommate J is a sociable, affable man who, like me, wanted to get into games journalism in college. None of the co-op games we ever played required us to think too hard, and that was never a problem. Whenever I would screw up he would say “Damn it, Matt!” in a playfully exasperated way that tickled me every time. So when I invited J to play a little Battleblock Theater with me for my review it was just like old times. I had an agenda I set for myself so I could see as much as possible, but for the most part we went where the fun took us. There was laughter, violence, mayhem; everything I was looking for. I had a blast, and the game got 5 stars out of me.
Brother Z is more methodical and task-oriented. He values precision, and he likes to go in with a plan in mind. If he ever reads this he’ll probably decry my description of him as inaccurate. When I tried playing Castle Crashers with him, I could immediately feel his boredom. He barely said a word as we cut through barbarians and killer bees, and grew increasingly frustrated as his magic-only character failed to keep up with mine. He made it very clear to me that he had lost all interest in the game and was only plodding through it to help with my review. His misery made Castle Crashers very hard to enjoy. It got…less than 5 stars.
At first I was tempted to think that maybe Z’s enthusiasm for games just wasn’t as great as mine. After all, Z only plays games for a hobby, and has little interest in making a career out of them like me and J. Maybe he just doesn’t love video games like I do.
But then I realized that that was a self-centered, almost toxic view: at the heart of that conclusion, I assume that J and I are both a “truer” class of gamer, and that because someone doesn’t enjoy a game the same way I do, I must love video games more, and Z is just a filthy casual. Which is, of course, not the case. No gamer is “better” or “more genuine” than any other, and Z plays about as many video games as I do. We’re just different, is all.
Whatever our motivations were: were my reviews skewed by who I was playing with? I can’t deny the possibility. Just look at the ratings I gave. Brother Z and I had a bad time, and Castle Crashers scored lower. I didn’t think the game itself was bad, but bad things happened. To base my whole impression of the game around that would be unfair, but to ignore my unfavorable experience would be dishonest.
Then again, it could be that Z’s misfortune simply uncovered flaws I wouldn’t have noticed alone. It could be that Castle Crashers is a game I only want to like, and I’m making excuses for it like “oh, Z was just playing it wrong”. There shouldn’t be a wrong way to beat up bad guys, and he could have been honestly shafted by bad character-building design. My lower score could have been completely justified, hell, even lenient. I could have even glossed over serious flaws in Battleblock Theater because I just happened to have a better experience with the other guy.
That is what tears at me: how do I give the fairest review possible when I’m tugged in different directions by the people I play with?
Do I pick friends who I expect will enjoy the game and have fun with me? If I do that, I run the risk of creating an echo chamber devoid of criticism. Do I pick someone who I don’t think will like it so I can find the flaws? That wouldn’t be fair to the player or the game. Do I just find somebody random online? Who would be willing to talk about the pros and cons of a game with someone they don’t know?
I don’t know what the answer is. Either way, reviews without bias are impossible. They’re based on opinion, after all. Personally I lean toward the first option, pick someone I can have fun with. If a game let’s me have enough fun there’s much I’m willing to overlook, because if video games aren’t fun then what good are they? But having someone around to keep me organized doesn’t hurt either.
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