In a bad-vibes moment, they’re denying a huge outlet like IGN a review code. No matter what I think of IGN in particular (nothing good tbh), that’s not something I can find a real explanation for other than “We made DC’s Gollum and want to avoid bad press as long as we can”.
Lol. They have absolutely 0 confidence in the game otherwise they’d be sending these codes out no problem.
I have seen it happen before when review outlets don’t get copies, but the game still turns out awesome. I think it happened for Doom Eternal.
It feels pointless to play devil’s advocate here though, since one way or another, I’m basically sure it’s going to be terrible. I just don’t like consigning internet opinion based on anything other than gameplay and actual reviews.
You are referring to Doom 2016 actually. While that turn out decent, one of their key arguments was due to it being online focused. We all know Doom 2016 had rather generic multiplayer.
With that said, it feels silly not to have issues when publishers refuse to send out review keys. Its a huge red flag for a game, this doesn’t mean it will be bad but its a trend we shouldn’t be happy about. Its only done to help preserve preorder numbers.
I’ve read somewhere else a couple of days ago that the official explanation is that without the public servers being live, reviewers would not get the full experience.
Not defending WB (I’m not interested in that game at all), just giving context.
That’s just an excuse. WB choose when to activate the servers. They could have easily put them online for reviewers.
So they could be in a game world with like 50 other people?
*turns out it’s just a 1 to 4 person game.
Reviewers getting copies a week before launch are generally netting like 40-50 hours of game time in a short timeframe. Combine that with the fact that it’d be more like hundreds of reviewers and you might actually have a decently active community.
Unless they’re having trouble getting them working, which isn’t encouraging for launch.
They at least have some working, they flew a bunch of streamers to LA for an event and had them stream the game a few weeks back.
Looked like a crackdown-ish game with DC character running around. Think like the Spider-Man games of the last few years but without the beloved characters
Oh no! The reviewers won’t be able to buy MTX! What a shame!
Well, now they’ll be reviewing a fully Denuvo’ed copy, so the version actual buyers get to play.
Really sad that the last time we hear Kevin Conroy as Batman is gonna be in this train wreck.
Damnit this makes me sad…
Well, there’s some good news today!
Imagine you just finished playing Arkham Knight, and you get an interview with Rocksteady as a game developer. They love you, your passion, your creative skills, and they onboard you. This “game” is what Warner Bros hands down to you to work on. The well-known head of the studio leaves within a few years of you joining. You hold out hope that everything will come together so people can enjoy the art that you’ve worked so hard on. Warner Bros adds a battle pass. Warner Bros makes it a “game”-as-a-service. Warner Bros announces nonsensical lore additions for the sake of post-launch content. Warner Bros denies review copies. The “studio” you thought you were signing up for has become nothing but a slot machine for the higher-ups.
What a shitty thing to do to a whole group of wonderfully creative and skilled people.
Why IGN of all reviewers? Easiest 9/10 they could ever wish for.
You let companies review your game when you want fans outside your bubble to hear how good your game is. You don’t let companies review your game when you don’t want fans inside your bubble to fund out how bad your game is.
Look at the silver lining, at least someone won’t be in the worst reviewed Suicide Squad related media anymore.
A small win is still a win.
Guess they are trying to get every sale possible as this likely won’t do well. A shame really. Really enjoyed the Arkham series.
I’m guessing it’ll be in the 40s range on Metacritic once all said and done.
It’s Rocksteady, so it’ll be higher than 40s. Heck, it’s almost impossible to get a score lower than 40 on metacritic…
Mid 60s I’m guessing, perhaps as high as 69 if reviewers are feeling generous. The kind of score which would be absolutely fine if it were a cheap and cheerful B-game made by a scrappy team of underfunded devs, but which is an absolute embarrassment when applied to a multi million dollar tentpole. The kind of score that implies ‘meh’.
Could be right… though it went from me wanting to get this around launch day to… let’s hope it’s on GamePass. My backlog of games also helps me to wait on this one.
“But, we chased all the trends, even if they were incongruous with the property! Why don’t people want our game Uncle Phil? Oh well, time to go bury it, maybe we can get a tax write off for this like the Batgirl movie.”
Alternatively: “We’ve changed nothing after all the negative feedback, and we’re all out of ideas.”
The good ol’ Flanders parent’s approach
Yeah this is never a good sign.
That being said, perhaps because I got into a couple.of their podcasts, but I like a bunch of people at IGN. How come you’re not a fan?
That game might have had a chance to find its audience but with the surprise success of Palworld it’s now definitely DOA.
Wait, why are the two related? People will be playing one and not have time for the other once it comes out?
I agree, the two games are not related and are in two completely different genres
Yup. That’s exactly it. There a lot of people in the “no particular fandom” category that can determine a sales winner and loser.
I doubt that’s got much to do with anything. Palworld is a pretty standard survival early access thing whose only distinguishing feature is that they’ve somehow evaded Nintendo’s lawyers until after the release window.
Maybe they sent the cease and desist to the wrong address, like there’s an 87 year old Japanese woman wondering what this strange letter is she received and what she’s done wrong.
This fuck up is entirely of Rocksteady’s own making. It might review amazing, but gamers have utterly soured on live service bullshit. The Arkham games were gamer’s games. They can’t just fob this off on us like they can with CoD or FIFA.
Nintendo is one of the most litigious game companies there is, and Palworld Dev is also based in Japan so there’s no international complications.
If Nintendo had an infringement case at all they’d already have buried Palworld.
Palworld is a flash in the pan and I predict its count will drop in a couple of weeks. If Suicide Squad fails, its because its a bad game.
Seriously Palworld reminds me of so many games that are over hyped and then forgotten a month or two later.
It doesn’t help that the company behind it, Pocketpair, has a treck record of not finishing their games
I don’t see how the two are related, different games with different concerns.
Reviewers getting ready.
I really can’t wait to see the Matt McMuscles “Wha’ Happun’??” Episode about this game.
I just don’t want to think this mess anymore. Please Matt, save me from the thinky pain!
Live service was the first thing…
As not a fan of any superhero things, I couldn’t agree more. I am psyched for the discourse.
If that’s supposed to be Harley Quinn, I don’t have any hope for this game.
I don’t have faith in this game, at all.
You know a game is bad. Even IGN don’t get a review code.
