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Are Negative Critiques Wasted Breath?

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Lately I've been wondering if my critiques have been worth making. It's not objective nor productive when I say Fallout 1 & 2 make me want to internally combust on every level and it's implicitly cathartic to say something like that. But is it really worth talking about them at length if I'm not adding anything interesting to the overall conversation surrounding video games and am doing it from a place of pure catharsis? Am I saying anything meaningful by typing seven paragraphs about everything wrong with Fallout 1 & 2 so much or am I utterly wasting my breath? Is catharsis for catharsis something worthwhile to express?

I'm not saying I started the fire. But I most certain poured gasoline on it.

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While I'm against bashing something, voicing negative critique isn't a bad thing. I believe games are an art form and by which they can inspire certain emotions and ideas, and if you think those are bad or clash with your perception it's a valid critique. As a whole I think games have surpassed being just for amusement and fun and have evolved to contain more feelings, some of which are disgust and shock, and that can both be intentional or unintentional by the devs.

Because of that, even if you think something is bad, doesn't mean it doesn't serve its purpose - especially with games being dynamic and have the ability of being changed or fixed as time goes on. It just means that you should voice your opinion and be as focused and precise as possible, so everyone can learn from those aspects of the game, and for the devs to be able to fix it, if they wish to, to fit their original vision.

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Nothing should sway you from voicing your opinion, be it negative or positive. It might not be meaningful in the long run or have any kind of impact on the games industry but it still is your opinion and you're entitled to it, and sharing opinions is what discussion is all about.

 

And regarding Fallout, you did share your opinion on why the games didn't work for you but in my opinion that might depend on what you expected from them and your tastes. I love the games so for me the combat system and such was no issue at all. But people are different and it doesn't mean you're wrong and I'm right or anything, just that we had different experiences.

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Nothing wrong with negative critique, but the key here is that it should add something, that people might not be aware of. Saying negatives about very old games, especially games like fallout 1 & 2 which are considered to be classics might not be the best thing. Ask yourself this - when people read/hear/watch this - what will they think at that moment? If someone who hasn't played will decide not to buy it? Will people disagree? Will people remain indifferent?

 

Negative critique is mostly essential for newer games - you influence the buyers. If you read bad reviews, you might not buy it at steam sale....

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