Horizon Forbidden West just came out (read my review; it’s pretty great), and since it’s a PlayStation exclusive it’s already producing cringeworthy discourse. At the time of this writing, it has an 89 Metacritic score, so that means it falls just short of the magical 9/10 line some people think makes a game truly “great.”
PlayStation fans are defensive because it means it isn’t one of the greatest games of all time, and a badge of honor for people who sided with Sony in the console wars. Xbox fans are gloating that it isn’t a perfect masterpiece, which means Xbox and PC games are better. Both of these perspectives are stupid, because they focus on the review score and not the game itself (plus, being a brand’s cheerleader isn’t a substitute for having a personality).
Here’s the big picture: If you only care about games, movies, TV, or books that rate 9/10—if you don’t have a few 6/10s, or even 4/10s, that you really love—you’re probably really, really boring.
The Best Isn’t the Best for You
It’s easy to only love the “best” things. At least, it’s easy to say you only love the “best” things. Why think about the broad, deep world of media ranging from eight-digit-budget blockbusters to pristine art projects to glorious trash? Why do the work of digging into styles and subjects that personally appeal to you? Why bother caring about anything besides that number next to that thing you like, because it means you’re right for liking it?
Looking at the list of the best games of all time according to Metacritic critic reviews, I can admit that every title is a masterfully crafted, significant work (except The House in Fata Morgana; I hadn’t even heard of that one). I can also tell you that I actually like maybe half of them. Go to the best games of 2020, and I’ll gush over 9 of the first 25.
It’s a matter of taste. I’m not ashamed to say I didn’t personally like either The Last of Us games, and I found Red Dead Redemption 2 to be overwrought and plodding. Honestly, even Resident Evil 4 still doesn’t really appeal to me because I just don’t enjoy that style of game. I won’t deny that every one of those games are amazing for their own reasons, but I won’t force myself to say I love them just because they’re some of the “greatest games ever.”
Want to know some of my favorite games? Shadow Hearts: Covenant (85). Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (80). Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome (77). Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (80). Crusader: No Remorse (this one’s too ancient for Metacritic, but it got 70s and 80s according to GameRankings). Terranigma (same as Crusader: No Remorse). None of those games are the best ever, or even the best of their genres, but I still love them more than their supposed best-in-class equivalents.
Of course, I think those games are excellent for what they are, so let’s wade into the outright mid-level and weirdo genre trash tiers. I’m a JRPG fan, so the Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force games have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, and they’re only decent at best. I’ve always gotten a kick out of the Hyperdimension Neptunia games, but I genuinely can’t say any of them are actually “good.” I can’t get into the Atelier or Trails games myself, but I know plenty of people who adore them, and no one is going to say they’re truly excellent examples of the genre; they’re really appealing to fans with certain tastes (and if I wasn’t intimidated by both series’ tendency for multi-chapter sagas with annual releases, and the fact that there are already dozens of each, I probably would dig them, too).
The Best Movies Aren’t Always the Most Fun
Look at movies. You’d be hard-pressed to deny the quality or significance of any of the films on AFI’s top 100 list. How many would you want to watch more than once, or count among your personal favorites? I’ll ask the same question about IMDB’s top-rated movies.
How many B- or C-grade movies do you love, and have watched repeatedly? How many outright bad movies do you love that no one else understands? I will always watch Hackers whenever it pops up on cable (or if I’m reminded that it’s available on streaming), and I openly confess that the movie is garbage. Matrix Resurrections has some very big pacing and editing issues, and it’s one of my favorite movies of 2021. Also, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is really underrated. That’s not even mentioning my colleagues who have rabid opinions about Speed Racer‘s high art.
