And if it isn't clickbait, it's pure pandering to keep the publishers happy (and the review copies coming).

Either you're blindingly positive, or absurdly negative. Commercially, you just won't do well as a reviewer if you're more nuanced in your opinion.

Also, because AAA games cost you anything between 70 to 150 dollars for the full experience, I feel they get judged more harshly, and rightly so. Indies don't get the same level of divisive criticism. Costs don't often reflect quality in the AAA market.