But what I think games journalism is missing is expertise and understanding. I get too annoyed from all the n00bs writing and talking about games and just get made at them for being so utterly stupid and ignorant.

And about your loss of fun in games: I can’t believe that happened! Then you should play some games that would blow your mind, that are utterly different from anything you’ve played before and find your fun again.

Most reviews either fail to see the wood for the trees and obsessively pick apart tiny pieces of mechanics just for the fetishistic pleasure of it, like the reviews you linked, or are so wrapped up in the reviewer’s viewpoint (or just completely adrift on a wave of hype) that it reads more like a diary entry than a piece of criticism.

It’s a hard balance to strike, being aware that both viewpoints exist and affect each other and managing to examine a game in both ways simultaneously, and games journalism is obviously much younger than the fields related to other media. So really I’d be happy with small steps, like moving away from the obsession with lists or using scores in a way that makes sense.

I have to wounder how I over looked the term, perhaps I’m blocking everything Simon related after having to do Dare with him

I find reminding myself to put a specific emphasis on a games ludic feel and it’s kinesthetic feedback usually helps.

And enjoying that simple “Fun Factor” of a silly setting, theme, art style or plot is another important aspect that can easily be forgotten. I’ve been searching for a better term for that, but I’m yet to discover one. The best one so far is “Cheese”