There are a few “unspoken truths” within the gaming space that often only surface when someone does a “hot take” in a community forum or a social media post. One such “unspoken truth” is that “even the best games ever have their detractors.” It doesn’t matter the publisher, the developer, or whether it’s an established franchise or a new IP; regardless of what the “general consensus” says about the game and its overall incredible quality, there will be some who bash it. In the case of Roblox Grow A Garden, it’s the most popular game in the world right now, by a large margin to boot. Yet, for one UK publication called The Spectator, the game is nothing more than trash not fit to be harvested.
We won’t dive into everything the reviewer said, as you can just read it for yourself if you’re subscribed to their site. However, we can tell you that he gave it a “D-“for a grade, put “truly awful” in the article title, and described the game as “boring” in the worst sense. He even blasts gamers as a whole who love the “grinding” style of video games, where you have to continually do certain tasks to get something done.
He attacked it in even more ways after that, and so we can’t help but ask, “Does he have a point?” In certain respects, maybe. We’ll explain.
There’s no doubt that Roblox Grow A Garden is a title that is for the…uh…dedicated. As in, if you don’t mind doing the same tasks with minute changes across new “seasons” and events, you’re going to have fun. This could be defined perfectly as a title for “casual gamers.” You can jump in, do a few things, and then jump out and know that the game continues on without you.
If you’re expecting a lot of “meaningful depth,” you’re not going to get it most of the time. Sure, there are things like the “Blood Moon” event where you can fight zombies, but that’s a rare thing compared to the standard gameplay loop of growing crops, harvesting crops, selling them for money, buying things for your garden, and then starting all over again.
Is the title “truly awful,” though? That is something we can’t answer because everyone’s opinion is different. We will say that if it was “truly awful,” then it wouldn’t have lured over 20 million people a few Saturdays ago to be online at the same time, thanks to a new update.
As with all reviews of video games, you can take it or leave it.
