The Colours

I recently spent a few hours playing deBlob 2, and while I endured some camera quirks and a fair amount of repitition, it proved to be a pleasant experience. Everything about the game, from the box art to the menus is brimming with colour. It proved to be such a welcome change of  palette and decor from Killzone 3, or pretty much any other game I've played through this year (with the sole exception of Bulletstorm). There are very few earthy or dark tones to be seen, and those that are in view can be changed to something far more vibrant with something as innocuous as player movement. The novelty wears off fast enough, but it has left me craving more colour from my gaming experiences.



Speaking of colours, Gamespot reported that THQ's stock dropped over twenty percent after Homefront's metacritic score dropped to as low as seventy-two. Initial reviews had the game sitting in the green, but not a day later it was drowning in a see of yellow (hoped you like the Metacritic pun). In an interesting article found on Bitmob, a community writer implies that journalists willing to publish favourable reviews for anticipated releases are allowed (via PR and Marketing firms) to go to print before press embargoes expire (thus affording the websites/publications these writers work for an increase in hits). While I am sure that the practice occurs, I've also made my opinions on Metacritic reasonably clear. Too add to that established position though, if you're going to use the site as your sole basis for any purchase decision then perhaps consider the following: "A game is only as good as it's worst review."

In spite of the majority of critics lambasting Homefront, it still managed to sell more than 375 thousand copies on its launch day (source: Gamespot). This is better than most games do in their first month (Alan Wake, Modnation Racers and Crackdown 2 if you're looking for examples). For me, that means that many gamers must have been interested in the premise of Homefront, even if they were influenced somewhat by early, positive reviews. I haven't read many (read: no more than one) reviews for Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, but rest assured I've already paid for the game. I've also ordered Dead or Alive: Dimensions for the 3DS. Why? Because I like fighting games, and while there is some buzz behind SSFIV, I like the premise behind DoA:D. To clarify that statement: I like the idea of beautiful, buxom, scantily-clad women fighting each other in interactive environments.



Despite how much money or press time is afforded to unscrupulous journalists, there are few writers whose opinion is actually of consequence to me. Even then if they were to attack a game that I'm interested in, odds are I'll end up buying it anyway. Why? Disposable income helps, but ultimately the choice to abandon reason is my own. If I want to experience something, I'll put the money down regardless of the opinion of the gaming media at large.

Are there any games that you have purchased in spite of wide-scale critical condemnation?