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> I think what's happening--and this is all too common in these kinds of retro game reviews--is that he's showing bias for the games he preferred

Isn't that the entire concept of a review?

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What do you mean? Why should the reviewer's experience playing the game as a kid influence their seemingly objective review of that game? Wouldn't it be a bit silly to say "I think the first Wing Commander is a better game than Wing Commander 3 because I played it as a kid"?

I'm claiming the reviewer is couching their review in objectivity but is (seemingly) biased towards games from a certain time.

There is no such thing as objectivity in art, and searching for this only leads to ridiculousness.

It’s clear that we’re not necessarily talking about true metaphysical objectivity here or whatever; we’re talking about reviews that approach the game on their own merits and are at least conscious of the author’s own biases. That’s absolutely attainable without a whiff of ridiculousness.

...the flip side: like all the best criticism, literally the least interesting thing about these essays are the final judgments the author lays down.

> played first when he was younger.

was kinda the operative part of that sentence.

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