Evan Bee is on Hiatus · @EB_RPGs
18th Jan 2019 from TwitLonger
A Response to the Disparity in YIIK Reviews
I am going to put this out there because I would really like to talk about what I feel is important as a journalist and as a person.
The website SwitchRPG posted their review for YIIK: A Postmodern RPG yesterday, a title which received an overwhelmingly positive response from the writer- myself. I was more than pleased with the game, and I will be completely honest, I spoke with the developers before release about some of the aspects of the narrative and gameplay, including several bugs that I experienced during my playthrough and felt needed to be addressed. They responded favorably and told me they would be working on a patch- these are issues that have been solved.
If you are on Twitter, Metacritic, or the internet and are curious about this game, you may have noticed that it has, as the Wikipedia article states, received mixed reviews from critics. I have read more than a few of these reviews- some for the PS4 version of the game, which apparently boasts issues I did not encounter in the Switch version, and some for the Switch version, which cited several issues, among them being:
-Alex is an unlikable protagonist
-The battle system is slow and broken
-The game's writing is offensive
-Review copies were buggy
There are parts of their reviews that I can sympathize with. As a reviewer, as a journalist, and as someone who cares about independent developers, I went out of my way to alert Ackk Studios about the bugs that I encountered- again, these are bugs that, as of release, have been addressed. There are also parts of their reviews that I find deeply disturbing, due to the fact that I played the game to near 100% completion (including sidequests, other additional content) and finished the game's narrative and am aware of narrative plot twists that are seemingly unaddressed in these negative reviews. Aside from this, I have seen a visceral and hateful response from a vocal group on social media denouncing the game as a trainwreck, slinging derogatory labels towards the developers and generally dismissing the game as garbage.
What I would first like to say is that I fully stand by the review that I gave the game, and whether or not the rest of the SwitchRPG staff agree, I will continue to stand by that review. I stated adamantly within my review that I wish to hear others discuss the game- the whole game- and to those of you who are curious, I would love to hold an in-depth discussion with you on the title. Second, what I am currently working on as a response to these developments is a very thorough analysis of the game- its mechanics, its script, and its meta-narrative, in order to perhaps offer some semblance of support and context regarding what has unfolded in the last 48 hours.
Lastly, I want to say that, as someone who strives to write quality content for the site and in general, I consider this mixed reception to be a result of a few things:
-YIIK is a polarizing, "like it or hate it" experience
-Some people who submitted reviews did not see the narrative through to its conclusion
-In order to make sure those who are uncertain about taking the plunge don't feel their purchase was a waste, it is my DUTY to be strong and clear about my own views and tastes as I continue to write and create content for this site, so that those who feel their tastes align with mine are confident in making a purchase.
Thank you for reading. I hope you look forward to my retrospective, no matter what form it takes.