Swen Vincke, the CEO of the studio behind Baldur's Gate 3, posted then deleted a tweet saying game critics should have Metacritic-esque reviews that evaluate them. The relationship dynamics between developers, critics, and fans have always been complex, and reviews are rarely ever free from their own criticism. Even a game as beloved as Baldur's Gate 3 is not immune to criticism, and its studio head has an interesting take on how to address the issue.
Vincke has made a couple of controversial statements over the past several months. Most notably, the Baldur's Gate 3 developer came under fire for statements on AI, in which he revealed Larian was actively using the technology in development. While Vincke has since clarified those remarks, reassuring fans that Larian's AI usage would be minimal and nothing AI-generated would be in any final product, the situation still rubbed many the wrong way, and now there seems to be a fresh wave of controversy headed Vincke's way.
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In a now-deleted tweet, Vincke said, "Sometimes I think it'd be a good idea for critics to be scored, Metacritic-style, based on how others evaluate their criticism." The post was a part of a larger thread, the rest of which is still up, about how harsh criticism can affect developers, leading the Larian CEO to propose reviews for reviewers, which he said might "encourage a bit more restraint." Larian Studios hasn't had much of an issue with critics in its recent work, as Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best-reviewed games of all time, but Vincke did go on to explain how reviewers refusing to be harsh helped him in the past. The CEO talked about a critic who reportedly wouldn't review games he considered to be failures in order to give devs a second chance, and it turns out Vincke was one such dev with a "failed" game.
Naturally, the comment about critics getting their own review scores drew plenty of backlash before its deletion. Several users, including some game critics, pointed out how differing opinions and personal tastes would get in the way of fair critic reviews the same way they might influence game scores. While some games get universal acclaim from critics and fans, people rarely agree on anything, so subjectivity will always influence reviews, whether they're about a piece of media or a reviewer of such works. Others pointed out how critics are already subject to severe backlash, putting them in a similar spot as developers whose games face harsh reviews.
Later in the thread, Vincke admitted that reviews are necessary, as players need to know whether something is worth their money before paying for it. While some games have closed down after poor reviews, these extreme cases often have clear reasons behind the negative response. Fntastic shut down The Day Before's servers shortly after launch amid fans accusing it of misleading and even "scamming" them. Cases like these may show how strong feedback is sometimes warranted as a means of consumer protection or transparency. However, Vincke expresses that critics can say they did or didn't enjoy something without having to "get personal for the sake of some likes."
Vincke ended the thread by clarifying that he doesn't agree with developers being rude to or taking advantage of players, either. Still, the suggestion of "Metacritic-style" reviews for critics didn't sit well with many, and the response proved enough to convince the CEO to take down that statement, though the rest of the argument remains up. Interestingly enough, the now-deleted tweet served as a microcosm of the review sphere, as there were plenty of voices both agreeing and disagreeing with Vincke with varying degrees of harshness.
Baldur's Gate 3
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
