The Problem with Game Reviews

 The Problem with Game Reviews

    There is something inherently wrong with the way games and other media are being reviewed. I've said this before, there have been tons of games that I have loved that this mass group of elitist 30 minute YouTube video essay reviewers like to slam for strange reasons.
Their videos are often full of bugs compiled users on Twitter, attempting to showcase minor bugs or funny glitches as a deeply flawed game. These reviews are carefully tailored and edited to show a biased version of many games that most gamers, given a more unbiased review, with some semblance of journalistic integrity, would actually give a chance and perhaps come to enjoy.

    For example in 2013, Batman Arkham Origins was hated because Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy were not involved in this prequel to the Arkham Trilogy. It was a story of the origins of a younger Batman and Joker, calling for younger voice actors. It told a dark and thrilling story around Christmastime. Winter in Gotham City set the scene for a vengeful story of Batman's large gallery of rogues putting out a hit on him, and everyone was here to cash in. It features some of the best boss fights in the series, the boss fight with Deathstroke on Penguin's cargo ship is a martial arts masterclass in counter attacks and beatdowns. Once again Mr. Freeze gets a chance to show how AI can adapt to the players strategies and actions as the boss reacts to your choices and won't allow you to pull off the same attack or use of a gadget twice. It also introduced enemies, high skilled martial arts enemies that could counter attack Batman, and that the Dark Knight would have to have quick reflexes to deal with their flurry of attacks that the Bat would have to counter with twice!

    Marvel's Avengers is also a game I've sunk thousands of hours in that was misunderstood and hated on for childish reasons. There was a barrage of videos hating on the tutorial in game that was showcasing all the heroes and teaching you the basics of how to play as each one. It was a linear tutorial placed in an awesome cinematic battle on the Avengers Helicarrier and on Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Gamers have played hundreds of tutorials in their time that are all linear, this is no exception, yet it was mocked for doing so. They disguised it with great cinematics and dynamic scenes switching between each of our beloved heroes as they saved people, battled bad guys, and attempted to save the day. Reviewers mocked the character designs before launched, which although looks like they could use refinement, were later changed. People were also upset that the developers had not spent their entire budget and then some to hire the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Christ Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, and so on. Instead, Crystal Dynamics hired some of the best voice actors across gaming and animation, some often seen on the set of Critical Role, to voice the Avengers. Nolan North as Iron Man, Jeff Schine as Captain America, Laura Bailey as Black Widow, Travis Willingham as Thor, Troy Baker as Bruce Banner, and newbie Sandra Saad as Ms. Marvel, the glue that pulls the team to ReAssemble. These actors have often played these characters in animation and were incredibly skilled in voice acting and motion capture, they did a really great job in capturing these heroes and the combat team also managed to make the best gameplay for each respective hero that we have ever seen in gaming. 
    The past two years, Avengers has released lots of content and new heroes vastly improving over time as most live service games do. They added Kate Bishop, Hawkeye, Black Panther, Spider-Man on PlayStation, and the Mighty Thor Jane Foster. 

    Back 4 Blood is a spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead game and is made by the same studio, Turtle Rock, with a team of some of the original developers. This game introduces modern shooter mechanics such as: sprinting, aim down sights, weapon attachments, clambering, and platforming as well as a plethora of weapons to choose from, both melee and ranged. The game also has several updates and expansions adding to its cast of cleaners, each with unique personalities, customizable outfits, and perks. Along with the usual director, which dictates the various elements that effect the gameplay session, cards are introduced for variety. This was met with skepticism and outright hatred by some. I've realized that the cards were always there in previous titles, but the game is really showing you what it's doing. Whether it's adding fog, enemies that explode leaving trails of acidic blood, or other penalties the cards add a lot to replayability and allow you to create a build for your character to withstand the hordes of "ridden."
    There are many underrated games and the culture around reviews being the new tool of cancel culture is unacceptable. The slightest flaw or disagreement in game design leads to these reviewers going down the war path and trying to make sure that even people that enjoy the game cannot. They wish to fight against communities of fans and demonize them for enjoying games. 

    People can think for themselves, we should think more about the content of the game and who it is for when we are reviewing a game or other forms of media. Sometimes we have to set aside our personal bias and experience. For example, I never encountered bugs in Assassin's Creed Unity on the Xbox One when the game launched. A lot of other players and reviewers said they did, and the results were eye popping. Of course the game patched these bugs and Assassin's Creed Unity is experiencing a revival now that it's been rediscovered as one of the last good parkour/stealth games in the series with a beautiful world and interesting story set in the French Revolution, people skipped the game for tiny flaws that not all players had, because reviewers amplified the flaws.

    We have to step into the shoes of fans of the game, look into what they might want an expect. Recent reviews on Saints Row (2022) are clearly not written by fans or people that generally enjoyed the first three games, Saints Row 4 was a major departure into wackiness and is clearly the cause for reboot. Making a hate review because you "just don't get" what other people like about a game you do not find fun does not make you look enlightened. It makes you look elitist, petty, and only what you like can live to see the light of another day.
    There's something broader to look at here using a journalistic approach with something called integrity. It's easy to hate on media rather than find a way that even if something is not for you, others might actually enjoy it. That's what a review should be. Having the understanding and foresight to refer something to people that might enjoy it. It does not mean we cannot highlight the flaws of games or that there are no bad games. Most developers are people like us: fathers, mothers, people that provide for families, they genuinely work hard and enjoy their work much like we do. Nobody puts out a bad game on purpose, no one seeks out to fail or put out poor work. There are circumstances not available to the general public and the gaming press that can hinder a game in development. 

    Sometimes we let others manipulate our point of view and "don't see the forest for the trees." 
    For more on this, check out my discussion with KongofBeast and LadiiGi on episode 19 of the Shackcast, my podcast available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Also see my Game Reviews Playlist on YouTube for continued updates on games I'm reviewing. You won't find rage reviews, hot takes, or hatred. Facts, my unique point of view, my ability to refer things, and see an experience through someone else's eyes. I should not have the final say either. I'm not saying only my reviews are the best and that I'm the final say. I'm out to change the culture here, a new way to review content. I'm working on refining this and I'm hoping to be more transparent moving forward. Links to said content are below. 

Thanks for reading,

Aaron Shack

Game Reviews Playlist: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSiKflGZp7VpLqJb9iwGEOz9FmHyvDjem

Actor Caitlin Burt ! | Shackcast Episode 20: 🎥https://youtu.be/aPMw4YJ4NkA 🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yryk839Q1M2f9R0NLsUjq 🎤 🍏Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/actor-caitlin-burt-shackcast-episode-20/id1508902293?i=1000569068063 🎤 KongofBeast & LadiiGi on Game Reviews | Shackcast Episode 19 🎥YouTube: https://youtu.be/QRk_d0clkcY 🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QXEha6eA5WhbQ0FixvbVT 🎤 🍏Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kongofbeast-ladiigi-on-game-reviews-shackcast-episode-19/id1508902293?i=1000560427123 🎤 🎥TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aaronshack64 📱Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronshack64TV 💬Discord Community: https://discord.gg/aA8R4EQ ☕Patreon (Music, Unboxings, Interviews and Photography): https://www.patreon.com/aaronshack64 🎤Shackcast Podcast Available on: 🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OGlvS7U1nl6L6dQyP9nkb?si=kqeI6oT3Q5mzWuPS-twFzQ 🎤 🍏Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shackcast/id1508902293 🎤 🎥YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSiKflGZp7Vo-OsWA5iG4Px7bNkV6ibMe 🎤 👕My Merch Store: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/aaronshack64/ 📝Amazon Wish List: http://a.co/0G0XWzC 📷Photography Blog: https://vizionphotographybyaaron.blogspot.com/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronshack64 📷My Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vizionphotographybyaaron

The Last of Us Part I

    The Last of Us is receiving the remake treatment and this has stirred discussion as to whether this particular remake is simply another remaster and if it deserves its $70 price tag.

    First off, it's important to note that due to the HBO TV Series based on The Last of Us, a lot of new eyes will be on the franchise. People will be wanting to experience Joel and Ellie's journey from the beginning. It would be tempting to skip The Last of Us for the visual fidelity and gameplay enhancements of The Last of Us Part II. Not only is it hard to find a PS3 and run the game on original hardware, the PS4 remaster, while an absolutely gorgeous chance to experience a game that ran incredibly on the PS3 and took full advantage of its features, doesn't live up to modern standards. The reasons for a remake are clear, it makes sense to have a consistent visual and gameplay experience from Part I to Part II not only for veteran players, but for new players who might not be of the hardcore gamer variety. 

    People may have set their expectations unreasonably high when they expect features clearly designed around Ellie in Part II to make their way into Part I. Things like diving, crawling prone, the new dodge feature, seem to all be tied to Part II and would require even more redesigns of the entire game and its maps.
    $70 is the price of admission for most next generation titles. It's been a harsh adjustment even for myself to get used to and has me being way more selective about which games I purchase at release and which games I choose to wait for a sale on. I also realize not every game is designed with me in mind and I look for titles with long term enjoyment or replayability.



    The developers have more than taken the first game and simply remastered it again. Naughty Dog is not just upscaling the game to 4K resolution and running it at 60 frames per second. They've redone enemy AI with changes to enemy paths and strategies and they attempt to flank you and react to your movements and sounds. Buddy characters now navigate around cover and actively avoid NPC sightlines more authentically. Advanced haptics of the PS5 DualSense controller add subtle vibrations when interacting with the environment. Trigger pulls will have resistance when drawing a bow, aiming and firing various weapons, and the advanced haptics will have you feel the force of a pump action shotgun when firing, pumping, and reloading.
    3D audio is going to add a new level of immersion to a game that already had astounding audio depth. Dealing with a group of stalkers, using listening mode to hear quiet shuffling of enemies. Quickly turning to see an enemy running at you from behind and promptly firing at them adds even more immersion.

    Naughty Dog is also adding even more accessibility features than any previous game. With over 60 options,  the developers are once again setting an example for studios everywhere. Descriptive audio will be a first for any game. Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part II had a bevy of features designed to help the blind, those hard of hearing, and others in the disabled community. This is allowing even more players than ever to be welcomed into the world of The Last of Us that might have previously hit a barrier due to their needs.

    The game is being rebuilt from the ground up with new character models, more detailed physical destruction of environments, and no load times blocking seamless transitions from cinematics to gameplay. Motion matching technology means that character animations will flow smoothly and realistically. Naughty Dog also added community requested features like "permadeath" mode, a speedrun-focused mode with a timer, and lots of brand new unlockable outfits for Joel and Ellie.
    I don't like to stir up drama or hate reviews, I like to be honest and transparent. I can't faithfully call this a cash grab when everything that has been shown and explained by developers is that this is a massive project with a lot of love and hard work put into it. I won't drum up hate for what I believe is a wonderful work of art to get views or interactions. The leaks of Naughty Dog's recent projects have been frustrating for developers and fans alike. This ruins reveals, the overall experience, and can spoil the excitement for a project.
    I can't wait to get my hands on The Last of Us Part I for PlayStation 5 and you can see me play it on stream September 2nd at https://www.youtube.com/c/aaronshack64
You can listen to my Podcast at the links below and find me online at all the links below.

Thanks for reading,

Aaron Shack

Actor Caitlin Burt ! | Shackcast Episode 20: 🎥https://youtu.be/aPMw4YJ4NkA 🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yryk839Q1M2f9R0NLsUjq 🎤 🍏Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/actor-caitlin-burt-shackcast-episode-20/id1508902293?i=1000569068063 🎤 KongofBeast & LadiiGi on Game Reviews | Shackcast Episode 19 🎥YouTube: https://youtu.be/QRk_d0clkcY 🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QXEha6eA5WhbQ0FixvbVT 🎤 🍏Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kongofbeast-ladiigi-on-game-reviews-shackcast-episode-19/id1508902293?i=1000560427123 🎤 📱Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronshack64TV 💬Discord Community: https://discord.gg/aA8R4EQ ☕Patreon (Music, Unboxings, Interviews and Photography): https://www.patreon.com/aaronshack64 🎤Shackcast Podcast Available on: 🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OGlvS7U1nl6L6dQyP9nkb?si=kqeI6oT3Q5mzWuPS-twFzQ 🎤 🍏Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shackcast/id1508902293 🎤 🎥YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSiKflGZp7Vo-OsWA5iG4Px7bNkV6ibMe 🎤 👕My Merch Store: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/aaronshack64/ 📝Amazon Wish List: http://a.co/0G0XWzC 📷Photography Blog: https://vizionphotographybyaaron.blogspot.com/ 📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronshack64 📷My Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vizionphotographybyaaron

Gatekeeping Reasonable Discussion

Gatekeeping Reasonable Discussion Gatekeeping the issues of mental health, gun control, rape/abuse, cancel culture, in a way such as you can't talk about X because of Y really is antithetical to finding an actual solution to the problems we face today in our culture.


For example, with mental health, "you can't talk about depression or any mental illness if you don't have it"? Well, it begs to question how do we be the best allies to people suffering from mental health problems if we're not allowed to discuss or advocate on one another's behalf? How do you best guide people who need legitimate help, the kind of help that is beyond what a friend can provide? Doctors, Psychologists, Politicians all advocate and help people with these issues and they aren't required to suffer from it. If we lock people out of this issue, when we need help, we'll find everyone remaining silent because that's what they were told to do. Also, you never know who suffers from these types of problems so it's wrong to just blatantly accuse others of being unfit to discuss when you don't know their story.

In gun control, you can't talk about reasonable legislation until X days after a shooting, which occurs daily in our country, so there's never a "good time" to discuss it. You're not allowed to have proper discussion on the issue because one side one budge or compromise in any fashion. Partisan politics and funding from the gun lobby prevents any sort of legitimate CDC government research on gun violence therefore silencing the issue. The issue can't be discussed because of both extremes of "taking my right to own a weapon away" vs. wanting to own a military armory of weapons to "defend your home". We all talk about love and support or "thoughts and prayers" but does it really lead to any resolution of the problems of gun violence? The simple answer is no.

In cancel culture, you can't discuss why we have to ruin people's careers or why we can't try handling these issues privately or in court before going on a public shaming spree. Either you're siding with the abuser/rapist or you're with the victim, the gatekeeping of this issue doesn't allow us to have the difficult conversations about cancel culture and to discuss false claims, times where it may be unwarranted, or even abusive in itself. Nobody wants to take the side of the evildoer, there are legitimate concerns in this issue and all of these that require us to have the difficult conversations.
If you're seeing a recurring trend in all these contentious discussions, then congratulations, you've realized that one of the blockers of having any progress in discussing anything is because of... gatekeeping! We sometimes intentionally and unintentionally prevent conversation on issues because we are constantly saying what can and can't be said, what can and can't be done, and who is allowed to participate, guess what? in the real world, everyone has an opinion and they're all allowed in, even the wildest ones.
So what does all this mean then? Well, none of these are simple topics to discuss, none have any sort of simple right or wrong answer, but ALL require civilized discussion and debate. If we gatekeep these issues, we're only pushing away the possibility of a solution or at least some minor progress in a positive direction. You have to understand the proper context, be able to discuss and understand others within that context, and not be offended when you hear a conflicting opinion to yours. We have to be able to have the discussions needed to solve these problems and you're not going to like everything you hear, but anything can be a solution, even if you don't agree with the best way to get there.

The world has lost the ability to have two people sit calmly in a room and discuss things they don't agree on with candor. The fears of being "cancelled" over your beliefs or being seen as "poltically correct" overwhelm the ability to have the difficult conversations we need to have in society. If you want true progress, if you truly want to help others, it's not going to be easy. You can do this, or you can remain on your high horse, rant about how positive you are, and keep preventing people from discussing things while you remain holier than thou. If you choose the latter, don't be surprised if nothing ever changes and the world remains as hollow as your claims about being all about positivity are.
So what can you do? Be the person to reach out, talk to your friends, help the people around you and LISTEN. Understand what other people need and want, you can't be everyone's champion but every movement starts with a small group. No one is flawless, but you can't simply pick and choose your allies, they choose to help you, so don't cut them off. They will make mistakes but they can be properly educated on how best to be of aid, and if they're willing to learn, they'll be there for you. Be kind to others and speak only when you have something to contribute to the discussion, taking cheap shots at someone's character or going into "whataboutism" doesn't lead us anywhere but backwards. You can disagree with others and still be friends, you don't have to agree on every issue, you can learn to accept others. Our flaws are what make us human, sharing what we love, helping others, exposing our flaws and facing them head on are what leads us to truly accomplishing anything. I wish you all the best of luck and I hope this leads to a better discussion and not triggered rants back and forth. You can be better, you just have to want to be. Here with the tough talk, Aaron

Yamaha THR 10 Amp

Yamaha THR 10 Amp

7/26/19

I'm very excited to announce the Yamaha THR 10 Amp has arrived today.

Small, battery operated with an AC adapter. USB to PC to use with software. Lots of presets for guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass. Definitely something good for the stream and for practice. Also the gig bag it came with was a smart buy.

AaronShack64 Roadmap of my Streaming, Content Creation, and Public Relations
discussion with Uriyya.

Uriyya's Twitch Link

Fleazer - Review Copy

Fleazer - Review Copy

6/8/19
Check out the Live Stream of the game at the link below.
Fleazer Twitch Stream on YouTube

My thoughts on the game:

Fleazer is a charming game where you play as a flea, from a top down perspective. Similar to games like Frogger you navigate the environment looking to increase time by finding clocks, sucking blood when finding a target (which increases your score), finding an egg which allows little baby fleas to traverse the level automatically and increase your score, and avoiding enemies like ants and spiders and such. Sometimes when you land on a target you travel to a bonus stage, where hip jazz and funk tunes play as you navigate a maze, avoid more enemies and try to find the target to gather more points and exit the bonus stage. You have 3 lives before your high score is saved and you must start again.
I was able to survive a long time in this seemingly endless game, venturing into multiple bonus areas with different backgrounds and being defeated by tons of bugs. I kept playing trying to increase my score and get used to the mechanics.
The game has nice font in the shape of various bugs. A few typos appear in the section explaining how to play the game and the choice of 3 camera angles mapped to the 1, 2, and 3 keys. 1 being zoomed in really far, 2 being a little zoomed out, and 3 for me was zoomed out far enough to see enemies around me and navigate the maze worked best.
There are a few issues with the game, one being movement. When you move left or right, the game jump cuts the perspective, placing Fleazer always facing forward, this jarring camera jump makes navigation difficult and your sense of direction a struggle to maintain. Often times there are bugs with the camera angles, times where your flea is reset back to the start, or where you can walk over walls in the maze.
However, despite some flaws I really enjoyed this game and it brought back fond memories.


Many thanks to the developer Namo for sending me a key to stream this game. I really enjoyed playing it and I think the game has a bright future.

Welcome To My Twitch Blog

Hello, welcome to my Twitch blog.
I'm AaronShack64 and I am an entertainer/musician on the streaming website Twitch.
You can find my content and contact information from a variety of sources.
https://www.twitch.tv/aaronshack64
https://www.youtube.com/user/aaronshack64
https://www.twitter.com/aaronshack64TV

Here you will find a little bit of everything. From in depth reviews on games, software, products, etc. to thoughts and discussions on streaming, a journal for the thoughts of a streamer and entertainer. A place for me to more closely share more detailed thoughts at length and be able to showcase who I am and what I provide.

I've been streaming since October 2014 on my Xbox One, I eventually progressed to streaming from my laptop in 2016 when I like to think I took streaming from a hobby to more of a business model. In March of 2018 I built a gaming PC live on stream with the help of a very dear friend and since then I've streamed a variety of games, music, comedy, live voice acting and other forms of entertainment.
I consider myself a variety streamer with what I would call a blessing to be able to always have the latest tech and the latest games and to be able to share these things with others, whether for entertainment or for them to ask for a sales pitch of whatever game or product I'm using. I always try to approach things with a positive attitude even if something is not towards my liking or not for me. I feel that more unbiased approach keeps me objective and makes a so called review sound less like a rant and more like appreciation and constructive criticism. My experience and willingness to always help others leads me to my next point.

I created a community for streamers on September 25th 2017 called Streamer_Nexus. I wanted to unite people I had met throughout my time streaming and keep in close contact with them. I knew that keeping a small group of dedicated streamers that would visit each others streams because they genuinely cared for each other. Along with hosting, retweeting, and reacting on twitter. I figured out the best way to grow was not to do it alone but to do it alongside others and each at our own pace. No matter what level the streamer is at or what their future goals are, they would be welcome in the Nexus and allowed to network within it. I also host the Streamer_Nexus Podcast where we meet to interview a streamer in the community, we ask questions and the chat; full of Nexus streamers and others are allowed to submit questions and be a part of the conversation. This allows people within the Nexus and outside the Nexus to know more about this streamer and to allow basis for connection.
It's a place to get feedback on emotes, show off your stream setup, brainstorm ideas, share you greatest moments, your jokes, your faults, and have people willing to support and collaborate with you throughout all of that. Keep the group small and tight knit has helped us remain supportive and close, grow in a manageable way and accomplish goals gradually as we can handle them appropriately. We keep the community clean, no racism, sexism, homophobic slurs etc. We treat others well even if we don't get that back. In streaming your reputation means so much so it is good to establish the rules of a community and everyone involved early on.

I will be posting here as often as I can. I have twitch, twitter, youtube, discord, and more. Please feel free to get in touch with me from any of the links above and become a part of this journey. I'm excited about this next chapter in my adventures in streaming and I hope you are too.
Thank you for reading, listening, watching, and supporting me and all of the community in these endeavors. Take care and I'll see you around.

AaronShack64