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Darth Tagnan
Guest
Codex is not really trying to write a review for the wider public like big gaming sites do, they write it for its members first and foremost. What you call bias is just another set of values that games are merited by.
Just like mainstream sites have a bias for QoL, good (AAA) graphics or MP features.
Yeah, many reviews are (overtly) biased - and it's a big reason I don't have a lot of respect for many reviewers.
Personally, I can't think of too many reviewers I really care for. There's a guy on Gamespot that's pretty good, though I forget his name and I don't know if he's still there.
I think Maylander does a great job at maintaining a balance between relevance and objective insight. He's played enough games to know what he's talking about - but he's also aware that he's not the center of the universe.
Beyond that, he's not trying to make an impression with verbosity and he doesn't seem to have the Codexian trait of enjoying the dismissal of differing opinions at inappropriate moments.
That's a nice combination, I find.
If people enjoy biased reviews that fit well with their own preferences, I can certainly understand why. It's not really my idea of a great review, though.