If anything shows the pointlessness of aggregate review scores as a reasonable guide to the quality of a game, it is this odd situation. On one hand, the review contributes a 90% rating, on the other, it adds 95%. Kinda makes Metacritic and GameRankings look like a pile of nonsense to me.
Reviews are subjective views of individuals with, sometimes, all-together too much influence on people's opinions. People clutch for the inevitable numbers (or letters) like drowning men for a life ring, as if these numbers have some sort of objective worth.
As this situation shows, they do not. Indeed, according to this, a 9 is the same as a 9.5, and almost the same as a 10 (after all, they apparently debated the 9 for an age and a half; it could have easily been a 10). Most people who pointlessly argue over these numbers would be appalled to admit that a 9 is just the same as a 9.5 (or, indeed, a 10). Well, it is. Get over it.
I've ordered the limited edition. I'll be playing the game. I couldn't care less for the reviews any more, they've made their (unfortunately, very poor) point clear enough already: the review numbers are tosh; the game is MGS through and through, flaws and all, so fans will pretty much adore it.
Personally, I'm happy with that.
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