One of the most highly anticipated games in years is almost here, and is already being hailed by some as the greatest game ever created, and the biggest leap for gaming since Ocarina of Time. I am talking of course about Grand Theft Auto IV
The game won't be released until this Tuesday and yet already 10 people have somehow rated the 360 version of this consol selling title.
As you can see 10% of the 10 people who rated this game gave it an abysmal (1.0 or 1.5) rating. And since 10 people rated this game that means 1 person gave this game the lowest rating available on this site. There is little doubt that this has never played this game and he/she probably never will. This rating is based solely on one or both of two things. One - They hated previous games in the series and dislike all of the hypye this game has received. Or two, they're one of those people who blame games like this for school shootings and societal violence in general. Whether or not they have a point is not the issue. The issue is that games should not be ranked based on anything but the quality of the game. Namely the gameplay, the graphics, the sound effects and musical score, technical issues, and so on. And, the amount of hype a game receives should NEVER dictate what rating you give a game, it should again be based on nothing less and nothing else but the quality of the game.
However, the person who gave the game a 1.0 is not the only guilty person here. EVERYONE who rated this game is. I have never personally owned a GTA game. I played through about the first 7 or 8 hours of San Andreas and while I saw the appeal and loved the open-endedness I wasn't impressed with the core run and gun gameplay and felt the series hadn't evolved enough. If I had to based on my limited experience I would probably give it a 8 or maybe an 8.5. And yet I have not reviewed the game. I have not even rated the game, and why not? Because I do not feel I have played through enough of the game to have a valid opinion.
The 10 people who rated the 360 version of GTA 4 have obviously not played the game since it doesn't come out until next week, and they, therefore, cannot have a valid opinion about the quality of the game. Their ratings are based on nothing but hype and other reviews that have already been posted or printed on websites or magazines. I have never rated a game that I have not played a significant amount of, and I usually make sure to complete a game before I make my final judgment. Something I wish everyone would do.
In the end these 10 premature ratings will make precious little difference when compared to the ten's if not hundred's of thousands of people who will no doubt rate and review this game, but unfortunately many of those people will not have played the game either.
