Video games in 2019 are harder to cover than ever because patches and updates and "live service games" mean that they can change dramatically even within days of launch. You can't just write a review and then never cover something again because a week or a month later it's probably wildly different. Most sites have changed their coverage plans to work with this change in the industry. Most gamers, however, have not, so if a game is bad at launch it is bad forever end of discussion because most gamers are morons. Case in point - Need for Speed Payback, which is today's game for Eric Vs. 365. Click to read what I mean and watch gameplay.
I liked Need for Speed: Payback a lot. I wrote about it in January 2019 about how it is much better than anyone gives it credit for, but the consensus among gamers is that it was an irredeemable unplayable piece of crap. Maybe it was at launch, but I played it 15-months after launch - and after multiple updates and patches and balance changes - and it was fine. Ask anyone whether it was good or not today, though, and they'll all say it sucks. You know what, though? They suck. Gamers suck.
Is Payback a great game? No. The upgrade system is wonky and the scripted story events and cop chases are kind of lame. It is different, though, and I like that. I like that they didn't just pump out the same game with the same progression as always. The presentation is good and the gameplay is solid and it's fun to play. Even with issues, I still like it a lot.
This happens all the time, though. Either through ignorance or intentionally bending the truth to push an agenda (Xbox One says "hello"), people don't care that updates come out and games change and get better and instead want to push whatever narrative suits them. Sea of Thieves is a boring wasteland with nothing to do (we're multiple free content add ons later ...). Star Wars Battlefront II has endless microtransactions (not anymore). Need for Speed Payback has microtransactions (not anymore). Assassin's Creed Odyssey is too difficult to force you to buy level up MTX (wasn't ever true). The Xbox One doesn't let you sell used games and also it eats babies (not true). I can go on and on and on with different examples.
Fanboys and loudmouth idiots and, even worse. people that don't actually care but just want to stir shit up, are constantly spewing nonsense to obscure the truth because they have some axe to grind against a particular publisher or developer or console they don't like. I'll say it again - that sucks. No one can just play what they like and talk about what they like anymore. You get more attention if you're hyperbolic and vitriolic and negative so that's what people do. Gaming is so toxic and awful these days.
