I'm with viking_cat on this one. I understand why there's a lot of controversy over the game, and I question its gender politics on a personal level, but even as a heartfelt pacifist, I enjoy fantasy violence under some circumstances and respect the rights of others to do so even when I might not. This game has an age restriction for purchase, and individuals under that age should not be purchasing it. Stores who sell the game are going to enforce that because of the controversy surrounding the game. And just because I don't like an expressive work doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. Frankly, there is a good opportunity for a "teaching moment" in this game, and in many war games, if people are paying attention. Although I don't know if enough people are.
So, maybe you (or maybe even I) think less of the reviewer on a personal level because he is someone who finds this particular brand of fantasy violence enjoyable. But people know what the game is about. What they want to know is whether it does that thing well. What the reviewer is telling them is that it does. So it's a useful review. Frankly, it would be a less useful review if it condemned the game for its subject matter rather than discussing its play characteristics, since people already know about one and not the other.
But do people know what the game is about? You and I do, sure. But I'm thinking about the non-VG players reading the NYT who may be considering it as a present, and have (quite easily, really) missed the controversy over previous versions.
Which is why I say that a mention of mature subject matter would not have been out of place. In fact, given that the NYT is not a publication for gamers, as you rightly point out, it would probably be a good idea to give some concept of what the game is about just on general principles. But I think the point is that violent games are violent games, and information about mature subject matter in a review in which the reviewer thought the game play was excellent would be more properly stated as an admonition than as a condemnation. And it's just backup to the "M" for Mature, which should accomplish this on its own. I don't know that it's a reviewer's responsibility, although it's a good idea. I find the analogy to Deadwood to be a good one.
Of course people have the right to play the game. Why would any review of any type with any content affect that?
I would be pretty upset if a review left out any aspect that significantly affected playability. And for me, and in my experience plenty of others, the level of despicable behavior in the game affects its playability. Not the fantasy violence, or the mature level, per se, but the moral issues. I would also be upset if the reviewer left out a discussion of the actual game play. It's not a review to say "It's wrong, don't buy it." But I also don't think it's a responsible review to say "I had fun, buy it," if it is reasonable to expect a significant number of people won't find it fun.
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So, maybe you (or maybe even I) think less of the reviewer on a personal level because he is someone who finds this particular brand of fantasy violence enjoyable. But people know what the game is about. What they want to know is whether it does that thing well. What the reviewer is telling them is that it does. So it's a useful review. Frankly, it would be a less useful review if it condemned the game for its subject matter rather than discussing its play characteristics, since people already know about one and not the other.
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I would be pretty upset if a review left out any aspect that significantly affected playability. And for me, and in my experience plenty of others, the level of despicable behavior in the game affects its playability. Not the fantasy violence, or the mature level, per se, but the moral issues. I would also be upset if the reviewer left out a discussion of the actual game play. It's not a review to say "It's wrong, don't buy it." But I also don't think it's a responsible review to say "I had fun, buy it," if it is reasonable to expect a significant number of people won't find it fun.