I have nothing against the you tubers personally. You could probably learn a lot from them. Especially the builders. I do not watch LP's. That is just not my thing. If I look at it at all, it is just to see gameplay. Others enjoy it though.
Wow, nice sweeping generalizations there. Lemme tell you how I, as someone who currently doesn't like TS4 feels about the pack before I watched his review.
And for those who wonder why I suddenly have the pack when I said I wasn't going to buy it ? Ask my mom. She's so sweet and pure. I know I probably should've been more honest with her but you don't know how disappointed and sad she gets when she gifts me something I'm not really into. I just couldn't do it.
That said, the pack is ok. CAS, build and buy as well as Brindelton bay are all pretty great. ( Well aside from the fact that every resident in BB is a walking one-dimensional stereotype )
Gameplay ? Eh. Mmm. Ugh. It's... pretty stale. Not that many big changes from previous iterations that would warrant getting rid of so many features. At times the pets feel more like robots. Many bugs, some animation glitches ( no I don't use any mods, never have, never will ) That's what I've noticed so far.
It's cool if you like looking at pretty things, but in terms of actually playing the game or experimenting with the simulation aspect it's very disappointing.
And I kind of didn't really feel a connection with my pets which greatly put me off when I was playing.
On the whole LGR thing, like I said before on this thread : they are building an echo chamber.
Supporting people that say positive things about the game, abandoning those who are too critical for their taste. IMO they have standards that are set a bit too high for the low quality content they are delivering. Can't get all excited over something that isn't very fun to play.
I don't know where they got the idea from that criticism of the game on a deeper level than "that top isn't as pretty as the others" is hurting their reputation. North Korea ? Everything is fine. We're all happy here. Come, join our happy place for happy people.
It feels a lot like preemptive damage control because they know that what they produced isn't very good. And the bad part is that it doesn't even make much sense from a business point of view which just makes the whole situation look like an act out of pettiness and rather unprofessional.
And well, this all paired with the fact that apparently the price for Kitties and Doggos has intentionally gone up to unreasonable heights in different countries really makes me question if they actually care as much about their fans as they claim or if this whole community and diversity talk is just there to make them feel better about themselves.
Clearly you have not watched the Ball Pit 2.0 video.
I think he makes some good constructive points every now and then in the reviews I've seen. But I think that overall, he is using a format that just doesn't fit video games. Especially a video game like the sims, where there is so much little details.
He's essentially using the kind of format you might use to make a quick review of a book or movie. But this format has never worked for video games because games (particularly the big budget ones that draw the most reviewer attention) are only increasingly complex in scope and detail, so it's just impractical to attempt to boil down their entire essence into a 5-10 minute review, after having put in a few hours of gameplay.
I like the format I've seen Jim Sterling using for games (and I think there are others like him doing this). They'll essentially make a "first impressions" review, where they are reviewing based on their first impressions of the game. Then sometimes they'll do a second review some time later, finishing up their impressions and doubling down on certain opinions, or changing up things that their mindset changed on.
I feel this gives a more accurate picture to the audience overall and it's helpful to the reviewer too, in a way, since they have an excuse to make a second video about the same topic and get more views on it.
But see, I don't know if LGR could actually do that with the sims, as the way he's talked in some of his reviews, it sounds like he pretty much logs into the sims around pack release time to make a review and then logs out again. So how would he do that kind of format if he's so disinterested that he can't bring myself to play it for fun in the first place.
Well he just logged on for 3 days straight to make that review. Mocking format does not mean that he does not explore the game in-depth himself before making a video. For me this format works very well. I never watch "first impressions" videos because often times first impressions are very wrong, however in most days I can watch at most an hour of anything, because I simply don't have the time, so I appreciate 10 minute videos rather than 30 minute "look at CAS, look at buildmode!". In order to understand the full list of objects specifically I tend to go to fan sites that often post JUST a list of objects with pictures.
Nobody watches LGR's reviews to help them decide whether to purchase or not. Those who don't like the game are waiting, probably even hoping to hear it's the worst version of pets ever. They then feel vindicated and the I told you's will soon follow.
Well he just logged on for 3 days straight to make that review. Mocking format does not mean that he does not explore the game in-depth himself before making a video. For me this format works very well. I never watch "first impressions" videos because often times first impressions are very wrong, however in most days I can watch at most an hour of anything, because I simply don't have the time, so I appreciate 10 minute videos rather than 30 minute "look at CAS, look at buildmode!". In order to understand the full list of objects specifically I tend to go to fan sites that often post JUST a list of objects with pictures.
The kind of videos I'm referring to usually are about 10-15 minutes long, at most. Also, any review of a game that comes out less than a week after getting one's hands on it is a first impressions review. My point is to be honest about it being first impressions and leave room to let those opinions evolve over time, thereby adding more critical value to the review as an objective assessment of the product.
I don't care if you like it the way it is. I'm saying I don't think it's a format that lends itself well to accurately reviewing the content of a game. Aside from the occasional chuckle at a well-placed snark joke, my only interest in his reviews is his attempts at taking the "objective assessment" part seriously, so my opinion on the format is saying I think his format holds him back from doing that aspect of it as well as he could.
Pretty interesting though, to know that you think LGR's reviews are not first impressions.
Oh and because someone will probably try to go for that angle, no, books and movies are not the same. It's expected that you go through them once and then you're done. Games, especially a sandbox game, it's expected that you can go through it multiple times, in a variety ways, and get tons of solid hours of gameplay out of it. Thus first impressions matter where they don't for a book or movie. Your first impressions of a game are easily very wrong, as you say.
That's why none of these rushed out reviews are accurate and it's why I'm in favor of the "multiple videos over time" format, or at least making it clear that the review is not going to have the kind of accuracy that you can do with a book or movie.
It's also most likely why there isn't a wealth of "short" reviews from simmers who are attempting to be game critics... the whole established critique format that is used for books and movies just doesn't fit well for games. And it's an even worse fit for the sims.
I'm sure he does the best he can with the format he's using, but it's a poor format for objectivity. The reason I harp on this point is because some people talk like he's the only objective voice in the entire video creator community for the sims. And he's just... not. He tries, but he's just a human being, doing what he can with one of the hardest kinds of businesses there is to make a living on. I'm happy for him that he has a dedicated following who likes his work and gets something out of it.
But boy is some of that following putting him on a pedestal he can't, and doesn't, live up to.
Pretty interesting though, to know that you think LGR's reviews are not first impressions.
I never needed more than 20 hours to exhaust every possible option in a The Sims pack. That's not where the "fun" factor ends, you can easily get 100-200 hours out of a pack, but after this point there will no longer be anything new.
On the other hand I've never reviewed MMOs until I'm past 2000 hour mark and was actively engaged in end game.
Pretty interesting though, to know that you think LGR's reviews are not first impressions.
I never needed more than 20 hours to exhaust every possible option in a The Sims pack. That's not where the "fun" factor ends, you can easily get 100-200 hours out of a pack, but after this point there will no longer be anything new.
On the other hand I've never reviewed MMOs until I'm past 2000 hour mark and was actively engaged in end game.
Not sure what point you're trying to make. Using every feature once does not put you beyond a first impression. When people look at whether to buy a pack seriously enough to watch a review, they usually want to get a sense of whether it will last the test of time, not whether it will impress them in the initial hours.
Not sure what point you're trying to make. Using every feature once does not put you beyond a first impression. When people look at whether to buy a pack seriously enough to watch a review, they usually want to get a sense of whether it will last the test of time, not whether it will impress them in the initial hours.
If I can discern how a system works and explain it, I don't need to have experienced it for 50 hours. Every in-game system is easy to understand like that. I did not need to play through 10 vampires in order to make up my mind on do I like the vampire gameplay. Normally all you have to ask is "will repeating this be fun?".
That's also not a first impression video. First impression video does not require you to play through the whole game. It's more like "I played this for 2 hours, here are my impressions!".
Phew, another one of these LGR threads it's almost like tiptoeing around land minds.
Honestly, it's all just youtuber's personal opinion on the game and nothing more. Can't say anyone influences me to buy the game pack as a make it or break it. I looked at the live stream for pet's with EA, the trailers, along with youtuber's that break everything down with build/buy mode and more. The pack seemed more than interesting enough for me, which is a surprise since I usually don't even care for Pet's EP's in any Sim game that much at all. Just like all packs before hand you might hate it where others enjoy it or vice versa. Or maybe it just falls inbetween.
I mean, compared to other youtuber's that get copies of the games on occasion they're mostly channels that just do Sim related stuff. Building, CAS, CC, How to 'Blank' WITH THE SIMS, Legacies, 'BLAH BLAH' Challenge. LGR doesn't really fit into that criteria? I do enjoy the content on his channel, but that's just not category he fits into which is completely fine. I mean, IF that's the case for EA in their way of wanting to give copies to people who play the game a lot and enjoy it like that then yeah I think it's a smart move.
Not sure what point you're trying to make. Using every feature once does not put you beyond a first impression. When people look at whether to buy a pack seriously enough to watch a review, they usually want to get a sense of whether it will last the test of time, not whether it will impress them in the initial hours.
If I can discern how a system works and explain it, I don't need to have experienced it for 50 hours. Every in-game system is easy to understand like that. I did not need to play through 10 vampires in order to make up my mind on do I like the vampire gameplay. Normally all you have to ask is "will repeating this be fun?".
That's also not a first impression video. First impression video does not require you to play through the whole game. It's more like "I played this for 2 hours, here are my impressions!".
Of course it doesn't require you to play through the whole game. But playing through the whole game is your first playthrough. Your first impression.
If discerning how things work and determining whether it will be fun to repeat was as simple as you make it sound, there would be no point to watching a review. You'd have a far more effective experience reading the technical details of the system and deciding from that.
Furthermore, if you're already in game, trying it out, how is that relevant to discussion of a review, which is supposed to inform you before you get in game?
Not sure what point you're trying to make. Using every feature once does not put you beyond a first impression. When people look at whether to buy a pack seriously enough to watch a review, they usually want to get a sense of whether it will last the test of time, not whether it will impress them in the initial hours.
If I can discern how a system works and explain it, I don't need to have experienced it for 50 hours. Every in-game system is easy to understand like that. I did not need to play through 10 vampires in order to make up my mind on do I like the vampire gameplay. Normally all you have to ask is "will repeating this be fun?".
That's also not a first impression video. First impression video does not require you to play through the whole game. It's more like "I played this for 2 hours, here are my impressions!".
Of course it doesn't require you to play through the whole game. But playing through the whole game is your first playthrough. Your first impression.
If discerning how things work and determining whether it will be fun to repeat was as simple as you make it sound, there would be no point to watching a review. You'd have a far more effective experience reading the technical details of the system and deciding from that.
Furthermore, if you're already in game, trying it out, how is that relevant to discussion of a review, which is supposed to inform you before you get in game?
I'm telling you that a reviewer does not need to play a vampire for 50 hours, when in 1 hour they can understand how the system works. First impressions are impressions on a game that you did not complete. Review is what you do when you experience the full game. You do not experience the full game 2, 3, 4, 5 times to review it. To call that "first impressions" is a dishonest use of a known subgenre.
Are any of you really surprised?
He literally tears them to shreds every single time. Now, i'm not saying hes wrong but why would they keep giving free stuff to someone who drags them through the dirt?
To keep them honest?
I'd rather a friend that pulls me aside and says "Hey, you know, you've got toilet paper hanging out of your pants", rather than a friend who says nothing. Or worse, they say, "Girl, you are looking FIERCE. Oh, M'GOD!" because they fear that they're going to lose their ride home.
his reviews don't come across as informative or constructive to me. The last time we tried to explain this to his fangirls, they told us "Well, he doesn't call himself Lazy Game Reviews for no reason"
To me that's not a good excuse. Be negative if you want. Rip the packs to shreds. But being constructive or at least explaining your frustrations is lesson number one for a reviewer.
I'm not sure which one of his reviews you've watched. However, he seems pretty thorough to me. I got a really excellent overview of how the vampire mechanics worked, for example. Although I had no intention of playing with the vampires, I still came away from it learning a lot. I didn't get that from many of the other "reviewers". They were more so concentrating on CAS and build/buy mode and how cute the vampires looked, how they turned into bats, and the coffin woohoo.
Do you even have the sims 4 cats and dogs? Because the things they do in sims 4 they definitely did NOT do in 3 or 2. You don't need to baby sit your cats. The cats are just like IRL. Make sure they have food and a clean litterbox and they pretty much take care of themselves.
Dogs on the other hand are much more high maintenence, just like irl.
except that sometimes they don't sleep or eat without being ordered to.
I would believe in that excitement more if they were not sponsored by EA and spent their own cash.
If this im the case they could just let us have semi-control of the pets. Just to fil there need ,, and everything else no comtrol
On topic, I enjoy LGR reviews, as he speaks the language of sarcasm. One thing I have noticed though is that EA attempts to shut down any negative feedback about this game. There is quite a bit of evidence of this, even regularly happening on this forum.
Its flamebaiting. Eventually every LGR thread erupts in back and forth between members until it gets too heated, then closed. And discussing the moderator decisions is against the rules and subject to action from the mods.
It's flamebaiting to mention his name...? (sorry if misunderstanding, I just got here)
Personally to me, if someone posted and said "Deligracy has a new review up" then I simply wouldn't care. I'm not a fan of hers, so I have no comment for or against the thread and stay out of it.
The moment a thread mentions LGR however, half the forum has to act outraged that he exists and act like anyone that watches him worships his word as though it were the Bible. And as I've often said: threads about LGR reviews tend to focus more on reviewing his quality as a reviewer than the actual review of the product, specifically because those that don't like him can't stand to have it any other way.
It's ridiculous, and it's clear to me that this is a fault that has jack all to do with those who like his content/are neutral to it and everything to do with those that don't.
I have to say, paint mode is prone to abuse. One time, I tried getting a cat and putting Joker makeup on it like that Joker cat picture. Then I wrote "y so serious?" on the side. Of course, I didn't save it since I was just messing around, but I did have a chuckle or two.
Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
I always watch LGR for Sims 4 reviews. I can't sit through any sims videos longer than 8 or so minutes because it's painfully boring for me to watch others play the game, so I like how he hits the big points quickly and in a very honest way, and then moves on without making me watch him squeal over the same hair style in every single color for an extra 10 filler minutes. I sincerely wish he had a video up for this pack right now.
That said, his passive-aggressiveness about not getting an early pack is hilarious. He sounds like my whiny nephew when I can't make it to visit and he's all "I'm sure there was no way for you to plan your day better. I'll just be sitting here, alone and unloved, while you spend your time doing something more important. And I love you."
Just keep giving that man early copies to review, EA, even if he sounds like my whiny nephew. A lot of us can't stand the other reviews for your game and appreciate his quick and dirty style, plus he's given you tons of free pr over the years. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Yeah, I always figured that even if LGR slams a pack, it still provides exposure for people who might potentially be interested. Because if people like what they see, they'll get it even if the reviews are dismal. And LGR definitely shows it all off, and he does a good job doing so in 10 minutes or so.
Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
No worries OP, the review is still coming. I have my popcorn ready lol. Can't wait for it.
In anticipation my crops are thriving, my skin is clear, my stress is gone and so many other things.
In all seriousness though I don't know why he didn't get one. I like to do my research before I spend my money on anything. I am still looking for the content that will bring me back to playing the game as much. His reviews are informative and give me the pros and cons with the added bonus of actually being entertaining. Can't wait for the review!
Comments
Well he just logged on for 3 days straight to make that review. Mocking format does not mean that he does not explore the game in-depth himself before making a video. For me this format works very well. I never watch "first impressions" videos because often times first impressions are very wrong, however in most days I can watch at most an hour of anything, because I simply don't have the time, so I appreciate 10 minute videos rather than 30 minute "look at CAS, look at buildmode!". In order to understand the full list of objects specifically I tend to go to fan sites that often post JUST a list of objects with pictures.
I do. Because I trust his opinion.
A very positive conclusion.
Semi-positive conclusion (mostly because he's not into supernatural).
And I was far more cynical about both before watching his review.
I don't care if you like it the way it is. I'm saying I don't think it's a format that lends itself well to accurately reviewing the content of a game. Aside from the occasional chuckle at a well-placed snark joke, my only interest in his reviews is his attempts at taking the "objective assessment" part seriously, so my opinion on the format is saying I think his format holds him back from doing that aspect of it as well as he could.
Pretty interesting though, to know that you think LGR's reviews are not first impressions.
Oh and because someone will probably try to go for that angle, no, books and movies are not the same. It's expected that you go through them once and then you're done. Games, especially a sandbox game, it's expected that you can go through it multiple times, in a variety ways, and get tons of solid hours of gameplay out of it. Thus first impressions matter where they don't for a book or movie. Your first impressions of a game are easily very wrong, as you say.
That's why none of these rushed out reviews are accurate and it's why I'm in favor of the "multiple videos over time" format, or at least making it clear that the review is not going to have the kind of accuracy that you can do with a book or movie.
It's also most likely why there isn't a wealth of "short" reviews from simmers who are attempting to be game critics... the whole established critique format that is used for books and movies just doesn't fit well for games. And it's an even worse fit for the sims.
I'm sure he does the best he can with the format he's using, but it's a poor format for objectivity. The reason I harp on this point is because some people talk like he's the only objective voice in the entire video creator community for the sims. And he's just... not. He tries, but he's just a human being, doing what he can with one of the hardest kinds of businesses there is to make a living on. I'm happy for him that he has a dedicated following who likes his work and gets something out of it.
But boy is some of that following putting him on a pedestal he can't, and doesn't, live up to.
I never needed more than 20 hours to exhaust every possible option in a The Sims pack. That's not where the "fun" factor ends, you can easily get 100-200 hours out of a pack, but after this point there will no longer be anything new.
On the other hand I've never reviewed MMOs until I'm past 2000 hour mark and was actively engaged in end game.
If I can discern how a system works and explain it, I don't need to have experienced it for 50 hours. Every in-game system is easy to understand like that. I did not need to play through 10 vampires in order to make up my mind on do I like the vampire gameplay. Normally all you have to ask is "will repeating this be fun?".
That's also not a first impression video. First impression video does not require you to play through the whole game. It's more like "I played this for 2 hours, here are my impressions!".
Honestly, it's all just youtuber's personal opinion on the game and nothing more. Can't say anyone influences me to buy the game pack as a make it or break it. I looked at the live stream for pet's with EA, the trailers, along with youtuber's that break everything down with build/buy mode and more. The pack seemed more than interesting enough for me, which is a surprise since I usually don't even care for Pet's EP's in any Sim game that much at all. Just like all packs before hand you might hate it where others enjoy it or vice versa. Or maybe it just falls inbetween.
I mean, compared to other youtuber's that get copies of the games on occasion they're mostly channels that just do Sim related stuff. Building, CAS, CC, How to 'Blank' WITH THE SIMS, Legacies, 'BLAH BLAH' Challenge. LGR doesn't really fit into that criteria? I do enjoy the content on his channel, but that's just not category he fits into which is completely fine. I mean, IF that's the case for EA in their way of wanting to give copies to people who play the game a lot and enjoy it like that then yeah I think it's a smart move.
If discerning how things work and determining whether it will be fun to repeat was as simple as you make it sound, there would be no point to watching a review. You'd have a far more effective experience reading the technical details of the system and deciding from that.
Furthermore, if you're already in game, trying it out, how is that relevant to discussion of a review, which is supposed to inform you before you get in game?
I'm telling you that a reviewer does not need to play a vampire for 50 hours, when in 1 hour they can understand how the system works. First impressions are impressions on a game that you did not complete. Review is what you do when you experience the full game. You do not experience the full game 2, 3, 4, 5 times to review it. To call that "first impressions" is a dishonest use of a known subgenre.
To keep them honest?
I'd rather a friend that pulls me aside and says "Hey, you know, you've got toilet paper hanging out of your pants", rather than a friend who says nothing. Or worse, they say, "Girl, you are looking FIERCE. Oh, M'GOD!" because they fear that they're going to lose their ride home.
I'm not sure which one of his reviews you've watched. However, he seems pretty thorough to me. I got a really excellent overview of how the vampire mechanics worked, for example. Although I had no intention of playing with the vampires, I still came away from it learning a lot. I didn't get that from many of the other "reviewers". They were more so concentrating on CAS and build/buy mode and how cute the vampires looked, how they turned into bats, and the coffin woohoo.
If this im the case they could just let us have semi-control of the pets. Just to fil there need ,, and everything else no comtrol
No one says they did, but its really telling.If they only give people free packs to those that praise the game highly
It's flamebaiting to mention his name...? (sorry if misunderstanding, I just got here)
Personally to me, if someone posted and said "Deligracy has a new review up" then I simply wouldn't care. I'm not a fan of hers, so I have no comment for or against the thread and stay out of it.
The moment a thread mentions LGR however, half the forum has to act outraged that he exists and act like anyone that watches him worships his word as though it were the Bible. And as I've often said: threads about LGR reviews tend to focus more on reviewing his quality as a reviewer than the actual review of the product, specifically because those that don't like him can't stand to have it any other way.
It's ridiculous, and it's clear to me that this is a fault that has jack all to do with those who like his content/are neutral to it and everything to do with those that don't.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
That said, his passive-aggressiveness about not getting an early pack is hilarious. He sounds like my whiny nephew when I can't make it to visit and he's all "I'm sure there was no way for you to plan your day better. I'll just be sitting here, alone and unloved, while you spend your time doing something more important. And I love you."
Just keep giving that man early copies to review, EA, even if he sounds like my whiny nephew. A lot of us can't stand the other reviews for your game and appreciate his quick and dirty style, plus he's given you tons of free pr over the years. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
In anticipation my crops are thriving, my skin is clear, my stress is gone and so many other things.
In all seriousness though I don't know why he didn't get one. I like to do my research before I spend my money on anything. I am still looking for the content that will bring me back to playing the game as much. His reviews are informative and give me the pros and cons with the added bonus of actually being entertaining. Can't wait for the review!