‘It feels odd to me’

The gaming industry has been increasingly defined by commercial expectations and critical scrutiny. Dan Houser, the co-founder of Rockstar Games, already talked about this more than a decade ago. He noted that many reviewers overlook the central appeal of many games, including Grand Theft Auto (GTA).

Houser believes that checklist-style critiques which break games down into different parts fail to capture the cohesive experience that defines GTA and so many other games. According to him, this mindset not only overlooks key aspects of gaming but also dilutes it and ultimately harms the industry.

Dan Houser’s Words About Video Game Reviews Are Very True Today

One of the essential aspects of GTA, according to Houser, is its cohesiveness. In an interview with The Guardian before the release of Grand Theft Auto V, he mentioned that GTA is designed to be more than a collection of features.

Don’t think about the graphics or the music or whatever, just think about the whole. Was the experience engaging? That’s what we’re going for. 

Following through with this idea requires not only attention to story, gameplay, and technical detail but also a focus on how each component interconnects, creating an experience greater than the sum of its parts.

Our goal as a company isn’t for people to say that Rockstar has got good game design but shit stories, or good stories and shit game design; we want them to say Rockstar make good games. The goal is to have the whole thing feel indivisible.

Houser noted that game critics often miss the point of looking at a game through this point of view. Game critics often dissect the game into individual elements that don’t necessarily represent the overall experience.

You know, game reviewing, when it sort of breaks down into checklists, you feel like you may as well have made a lawnmower. I mean, games are sort of like a machine in some ways, but I still think that’s a strange way to think about them.

He suggests that reducing games to a checklist disregards the artistry and passion behind game design, leading to a less inspired industry.

The rise of segmented and checklist-driven reviews also impacts player expectations, with consumers increasingly fixating on specific metrics instead of the overall journey a game offers.

The Industry Needs To Come Clean And Be Real With Players

The debate over reviews in the gaming industry is not unique to Houser. The rise of independent reviewers on platforms like YouTube has created an environment where players turn to creators with shared gaming interests rather than large publications.

We tailor our stories and our mission designs to make this total experience that will feel good alongside the graphics… it should feel that the whole world exists and you can’t really separate the elements. 

Houser’s comments reflect a desire for a return to the core values of storytelling and immersion that initially fueled the gaming industry’s rise. He encourages critics and players to appreciate games as unified experiences that invite audiences into their worlds, rather than products to be dissected.

Fans these days feel that traditional game journalists are disconnected from the interests of players with the current state of games. This is exactly what has led to the rise of independent reviewers where content creators focus on sharing genuine, personal reactions to games.

By reorienting the conversation around the experience of play, Houser believes that reviews can better capture the soul of games. And with how the gaming industry has been recently, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to foster a more clear and innovative industry.

What do you think of Houser’s words? Let us know in the comments!