Expedition 33 Fans Disappointed by Donkey Kong Bananza Review Scores

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Donkey Kong Bananza has received an impressive score of 91 on OpenCritic. This makes it one of the top Donkey Kong games ever and puts it in contention for game of the year. The only game with a higher score is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and some fans of Clair seem to have a hard time accepting that Bananza is nearly as good.

Overall, reactions to Bananza have been positive. However, a few Clair fans are upset that Bananza scored just one point lower than the highly-rated RPG. Gene Park from The Washington Post shared his physical copies of Clair, Bananza, and Death Stranding 2, celebrating all three great games.

Donkey Kong Bananza fell one point short of matching Clair Obscur’s impressive review scores

How dare the developers of the best platformer of all time make another incredible platformer?

Some Clair fans seemed to take the rankings as personal insults. One fan described comparing the games as “like comparing a fancy minivan with TVs inside to a Ferrari.” Gene Park responded with, “Why do you talk like that?” which is a question many share.

The backlash against Bananza’s high scores isn’t just on Park’s Twitter. IGN has faced criticism for giving Bananza a score of ten and Clair Obscur a lower nine. It’s interesting to note that different people wrote these reviews, a detail many overlook when a game’s score annoys them. Can one reviewer not prefer one game over another without upsetting fans?

Another Clair fan mocked Bananza for having only six perfect scores, while Clair received more. This seems odd since the aggregate scores are only one point apart. Just to clarify, Clair has the higher overall score. With the way some of Clair’s defenders behave, one might think there was a huge gap between the two games.

Regardless of which game you prefer, it’s surprising that two very different games can’t both be appreciated. They are distinct titles judged by different criteria. Let’s celebrate that we are halfway through a great year filled with amazing games. And remember, Blue Prince outshines both Bananza and Expedition 33 anyway, so there’s no need to stress about it.