tea_snob10 t1_j6m05j7 wrote
Reply to comment by Sabetha1183 in gamers need to understand that a criticism of a product is not a personal criticism of you as an individual by speckledpotatocunts
It's not admitting it's bad, it's understanding that there are flaws and that those are the flaws that make other people dislike the game/book/song/movie/show. We don't accept that what we like or what we consider good, is flawed or has flaws as well.
Take RDR2 for example. I loved it. So did the critics, so did millions, but many gamers simply did not. Why? 'Horse-riding simulator'. Hearing this, the fanboys come running in defense of their beloved game, oh the characters, the narrative, the worldbuilding and the graphics. All true of course but what's also true is that you do in fact, spend half the time on horseback riding around. This is objectively true. And I, as a fan, can see why for some it just doesn't appeal.
>That would feel a whole lot like that 2/10 isn't actually based on my opinion of the thing, but rather some other arbitrary standard I've imagined for it.
It's not arbitrary, it's acknowledging that the flaws do in fact exist. You may not mind them at all and have a great experience but this does not take them away. You enjoying Forpsoken immensely thanks to the spell depth and combat does not take away from the fact that the open world is lacking. For you, that may not have been much of factor because you just don't care and therefore say it's a 7/10. Another person may hate Forspoken for exactly that reason and say it's a 2/10.
We take criticism for things beloved poorly because we hold them on a pedestal and deem them flawless in our eyes. Either I like a bland open world or you are wrong. Either I like the 'horse-riding simulator' or you are wrong. Either I like shallow combat system or you are wrong. You can enjoy things that you enjoy for the reason you enjoy them, but others won't for their reasons. The average person just doesn't have the self-esteem to like what they like despite all things which is why there's so much toxicity around media of all forms.
Sabetha1183 t1_j6m7ucc wrote
If you're giving something a 2/10 and calling it garbage, that's not really just acknowledging the flaws anymore. That's just calling it bad.
There's also a difference between "I can see why somebody might not like this" and "this is a flaw of the game".
Sure we can say that RDR objectively has a lot of horse riding in it, but as to it being a flaw? Well, what happens if you think it's a flaw of the game and I think it wasn't merely tolerate but was actively a good part of the game that made it better?
Is one of us wrong? What exactly is the deciding factor in choosing who is wrong? If neither of us is wrong, then "just accept it's a flaw and you like it" feels like it kind of falls apart here.
That's what I'm getting at. Now granted a lot of people struggle to accept "People like different things, and some might think something you like is actually a flaw".
I think it also works both ways, and a lot of people struggle with the reverse: Some people might think something you think is a flaw, is actually a strength.
Ultimately at the end of the day people just ought to not care as much what random people on the internet think of the thing they like.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments