Vita Gets Its First Must-Buy Game In June
Posted on Sunday, May 20 @ 06:23:29 Eastern by Heath_Hindman
His favorite type of multiplayer is offline co-op
He thinks review scores are pointless
He called the Revolutionary War "cliche"
You know what I hate? People calling any good game a "must-buy".
Too often, people say "must buy" when they actually mean to say "I'm glad I bought" or "I am excited to buy".
I never use that phrase and feel that it's used way, way, way too frequently in the gaming world, by journalists and their readers alike. Just one example of many, popular gaming site IGN defines any game receiving a review score (heh) of 9/10 or higher with this term, and the outlet is far from alone. We're not talking about an unwritten "must buy...if you like the genre or series" here, because that's what an 8/10 is for, per the same review scale's description of one. So according to that, I "must" drop cash on Starhawk, Sword & Sworcery, Botanicula, Tribes: Ascend, Fez, Ketzal's Corridors, Colors 3D, Xenoblade, Total War: Shogun 2, Rayman Origins, Sine Mora, The Silent Hill HD Collection, Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter X Tekken, SSX, UFC Undisputed 3, Twisted Metal, Super Stardust Delta, and Beat Sneak Bandit. You and I must buy those.
Now hey, there are some damn good games on that list that I definitely want, but for each one, there are two or three that I know from experience with the genre or series that I can do without. You're no fool, you realize this too. "Must buy" is overused and usually, a bit dishonest.
...Until now, when I use it.
Finally, the Vita has a must-buy title in Gravity Rush (due in North American stores June 12).
I anticipate whining at my disdain for such a popular phrase, and moreover, for denying that there have been any must-buy Vita games up to this point. Maybe you feel Uncharted: Golden Abyss was a "must-buy" Vita game. What if people didn't like the PS3 Uncharted games? That's entirely possible. You might call Lumines: Electronic Symphony a must-buy. Well hey, that's a damn fine puzzle game right there. But guess what? Fred over here played both Lumines games and didn't enjoy them, and therefore is perfectly justified in not buying the new Lumines. The same can be said for Rayman, Mortal Kombat, Burning Skies, Hot Shots Golf, and any other currently revealed Vita game. They might be great. They might be Game of the Year candidates, but let's be honest, you can't just go around telling any and every gamer that he MUST buy those. I tend to dislike standard racing games, so I laugh when people call Gran Turismo a "must buy" title. No, I'm sorry, for me that's a "must not waste my money on stuff I won't play" title.
Gravity Rush is different from 99% of other games on "must buy" lists because of how innovative it is, how unique its gameplay is, and its entry into the discussion of games being art. Even reading a description of it won't fully convey the feeling of playing this game, and videos, while nice, can't capture what it's like to actually handle this piece of genius. Will everyone enjoy it? No. There is no game in this world that every single person enjoys, and there never will be. Is it perfect? No. There is no perfect video game and there never will be. The thing about Gravity Rush is that this kind of creativity must be rewarded if we want to keep developers and publishers interested in new ideas. If you want to move gaming forward as a medium, if you have ever complained about games or gaming genres becoming stale, if you care about this industry at all, it's your civic duty to put some money towards Gravity Rush. Send a message that we, as gamers, are interested in creativity. Tell Sony that we do want unique experiences. Show publishers that they can take a chance on something other than those "sure thing", samey titles that sell millions yet garner widespread complaints about repetition and borrowed ideas.
Do you play video games more than just casually? Do you know what things like E3, The Tokyo Game Show, and PAX are, and care what happens at such events for more reasons than just hearing the name of the next "Calla Duty"? Do you care about the game industry? Are you reading a website such as Game Revolution? Then June is the time to send a 40-dollar message that creativity, art, and experimentation in game design are important to you.
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Before Microsoft and Sony do something regarding their future in the video game business, I wanted to write, and I've wanted it for a long time now, but other things kept getting in my way, and fearing that tomorrow might be too late, today will have to do.
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I come to this site because over the last decade I have found that my personal tastes typically jibe with what the reviewers think. At the same time, if a reviewer were to gush about a game in a genre I despise as a "must buy" I'd pass it over because I'm not a lemming.
Still. Good article and point taken.