The popular review aggregator, Metacritic, is under fire again due to the negative review bombing of the recently released Horizon Forbidden West DLC, Burning Shores. The optional inclusion of a same-gender kiss in the DLC’s storyline between protagonist Aloy and a warrior queen named Sekya incited a barrage of abusive comments and disrespectful reviews.
Parent company Fandom acknowledged the issue and issued a statement condemning the abusive comments and promising to improve its content moderation tools and processes. They stressed that Metacritic is meant to be a “place of belonging for all fans” and that they take “online trust and safety very seriously.” However, they did not announce any specific changes to their moderation system.
Metacritic’s current system involves reviewing each report of abuse and removing any violations, including racist, sexist, and homophobic insults. In the past, Metacritic has implemented changes, such as a 36-hour waiting period after a game’s release to open up reviews to the public, to prevent review bombing. Unfortunately, these changes did not prevent the recent negative reviews on Burning Shores.
Review bombing has been an ongoing issue for Metacritic and other platforms like Steam. While the optional same-gender kiss in Burning Shores is a minor aspect of the DLC’s content, it has unfortunately become the focus of negative attention from a small group of vocal players. It remains to be seen if Metacritic’s promised improvements to their moderation system will be effective in curbing future review bombing incidents.
