Do video game reviews matter? Can Spider-Man 2 live up to its predecessor? Would Alan Wake 2 be a good survival horror game?

Reader recalls difficulties with Xbox Series S, citing Alien Soldier as an example of the recurring fault.

October 30th 2023.

Do video game reviews matter? Can Spider-Man 2 live up to its predecessor? Would Alan Wake 2 be a good survival horror game?
You don't have to agree about Alan Wake 2, but it's interesting to look at the reviews from other gaming sites. When I read that GameSpot gave it a 10, which is rare, I was surprised. There are often vast differences in scores from different outlets, and it can be hard to make sense of these. It's almost like they're too scared to upset a publisher, and that's a shame.

Emmet has a point. We're very curious to see how others review RoboCop: Rogue City too. Different opinions are always welcome, but it's all about being honest. All gamers want is for people to tell the truth and not be afraid to give an honest opinion.

TWO MACKS is right. We're sure all outlets are being perfectly honest. There isn't a correct answer for reviews to reach, just informed opinions.

Chris has some questions about Alan Wake 2. It's a third person shooter with action adventure elements, and there are definitely similarities to Deadly Premonition. However, in practice they're very different experiences. We vastly prefer Deadly Premonition, and never liked the original Alan Wake.

Spider-Man 3 is taking notes from the original Spider-Man on the PS1. Carnage was a creepy character with his weird jumpy movements and unsettling voice. But the real nightmare was when the Carnage symbiote merged with Doctor Octopus, creating Monster Ock. This massive towering beast was so disgusting and hard to look at. It still managed to fit into a Spidey game, and the fact that there was no boss fight, and instead you had to outrun the monster, worked perfectly.

Rickandrolla had an amazing weekend playing through Spider-Man 2, clocking up 26 hours playtime. It's understandable that the reader in the weekend's article felt cheated, especially if they bought the digital version. But even at worst, those 14 hours would have cost them £23.

Jenkster has a problem with the Xbox Series X. When attempting to play any large story-driven games, the console crashes. They have tried everything suggested on various forums, but nothing works. It feels like they only have half a console, as it can only play half of the available games. This isn't just a few users, it's unacceptable. Have readers got any solutions they haven't tried yet?
You don't have to agree about Alan Wake 2, but the Monday letters page of the Games Chronicle is concerned about a recurring fault with the Xbox Series S, as one reader recalls the horrors of Alien Soldier. To join in with the discussions yourself, feel free to email us.

I'm often surprised when I read reviews from the other gaming sites and compare them to yours. I always check Games Radar, IGN, and GameSpot. When I read reviews from those sites and they give 9s and 10s, I expect you to give a 5 or 6. That's not an insult, I usually agree with you over the other sites, but the Alan Wake 2 review really stands out. GameSpot gave it a 10, which is very rare.

I understand that everyone has their own opinion, but the other sites I check usually have a similar score compared to yours. I'm excited to see what score you and IGN give RoboCop.

I appreciate the honesty of your reviews, even if I don't always agree with them. Where I struggle is when there are huge variations in the scores. IGN have a tendency of giving average games higher scores, they called Alan Wake 2 a masterpiece and gave it 9/10, while Push Square gave it 10/10 and The Guardian had a glowing review. Then Game Rant gave it 5/10 and you gave it 6/10. All gamers want is honesty, and it's sad that it's becoming increasingly rare. Keep up the good work, GC!

Emmet and Two Macks had similar comments as well, so let's move on to Chris's email. He asked about Alan Wake 2 and what type of game it is. He was getting Deadly Premonition vibes from both the looks and the mixed reviews, and asked if it was worth playing the original. We responded that it's a third person shooter with action adventure elements, and has similarities to Deadly Premonition both in terms of look and feel but are very different games. We vastly prefer Deadly Premonition, and didn't like the original Alan Wake.

Next, Sunny commented on the original Spider-Man game for the PS1. He was scared of the Carnage character, and the jumpy movements and high pitch voice made him extra creepy. Then when the Carnage symbiote merged with Doctor Octopus, it created Monster Ock, a truly horrifying character, despite the low-poly graphics. He was glad there was no boss fight, and all he wanted to do was run away!

Rickandrolla then shared his experience of playing Spider-Man 2. He'd clocked up 26 hours so far, but still hadn't finished the main story or collected all the collectibles. He had no sympathy for the Reader's Feature at the weekend who had apparently finished it in 14 hours, especially since they'd bought the digital version.

Finally, Jenkster shared her experience of the Xbox Series X, which her son was using to play online multiplayer games and explore indie titles. However, when he tried to play any large story driven games, the console crashed. They had tried all the solutions suggested on various forums, but nothing worked. She felt like her son only had half a console, and was surprised at how Microsoft were getting away with this. Was there a solution they hadn't tried?

It's clear that people have strong opinions about different games, whether it's agreeing or disagreeing with reviews, or feeling frustrated by technical issues. Have you had any experiences like this? We'd love to hear your thoughts, so email us and join in the discussion.

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