10 Awesome Ways Video Games Got Back At Critics

Dante trolls HARD.

By Jack Pooley /

"Everyone's a critic," or so the saying goes, and considering the many years and thousands of man-hours that go into developing even a mediocre game, it's easy to appreciate why so many developers end up frustrated with the feedback to their work.

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While fans and professional reviewers alike often have many valid reasons for taking a game to task, they may also often forget that actual people worked on them, and that no matter how they turned out, all involved were simply trying to put a fun game out into the world.

And so, some developers decided to take matters into their own hands by holding a mirror up to all that criticism in their latest game, typically responding to the negativity associated with their prior title or even mocking the unfavourable pre-release press coverage of their new game.

These 10 games all dished up sassy in-jokes and Easter eggs to poke fun at the very nature of criticism itself, taking clear delight in turning the tables on those who passionately dragged their tireless work over the coals...

10. Video Game Violence Critics Are Called "F**king Idiots" - Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Video game developers have spent decades fighting the assumption that violent games are responsible for real-life violence, namely spree shootings and the such like.

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And Ubisoft Montreal decided to voice their frustration in hilariously unsubtle fashion in their bonkers, ultra-violent, aggressively tongue-in-cheek Far Cry 3 spin-off, Blood Dragon.

In the early stages of the game, protagonist Rex has some chit-chat with Dr. Darling, and when the subject comes to video games, Darling drops this loaded monologue:

"Video games are a proven coping mechanism, like any hobby. They've been shown to improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, social interaction, and self-confidence. And no studies have managed to prove a correlation between video games and violence. Frankly, anyone who thinks games are bad for you is a f**king idiot."

And when Rex calls Darling out, she adds that the F-word is actually an acronym for "failing to understand our capacity for kindness." Boom.

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