Metacritic has become central in the world of video games, for better or for worse, especially for developers and publishers who also base financial reward policies for collaborators on the infamous little number that arrives after the reviews.\r\nThe review aggregator collects opinions on games , films, TV series and more, assigning an average score (the famous Metascore) based on the ratings of critics and international newspapers. Although there is no shortage of controversy about how much the Metascore really represents the value of a game, Metacritic remains a precious tool for those looking for a quick and comparative judgment before choosing what to play.\r\nHowever, it has created considerable distortions and also the phenomenon of review bombing, which we just recently saw with Dragon Age The Veilguard (you can find it on Amazon).\r\nMany industry representatives have often had their say on the topic of the importance of Metacritic, including Suda51 and recently also Raphael Colantonio, a veteran developer known for his work on games such as Dishonored and Prey.\r\nThe founder of Arkane shared on X a reflection on the Metacritic rating system, pointing the finger at the dynamics that, in his opinion, they penalize creativity and reward mediocrity.\r\nHere’s what Colantonio wrote:\r\n\r\n”The Metacritic structure encourages developers to create safe games and boring. As long as a game is polished at launch, an 80% is guaranteed, even if the game is boring. Meanwhile, Stalker 2 gets a 73 only because it’s a little rough at launch. Unfair and misleading…» Colantonio’s criticisms reflect a widespread frustration among many game creators, especially those working on innovative or ambitious titles. The idea is that the emphasis placed on technical perfection at launch pushes developers to avoid risks, preferring titles without a soul but impeccable from a technical point of view.\r\nPrecisely the case of STALKER 2 which cites Colantonio is emblematic because, despite a less than stellar Metacritic, it still sold a lot in the first hours after launch.\r\nWe’ll see if with his next title, revealed some time ago, Colantonio will be able to leave the sign on Metacritic or reverse this trend.