It has bad reviews for the same reasons most games got bad reviews: expectations. It looks beautiful and it seemed they put a lot of work into the mechanics (although the age system is controversial) and on release both these things were true but there were major problems they hid in the pre launch promotion, the biggest one is the UI. Everyone who got early access to review/be sponsored (some months in advanced) told them to fix the UI to make the game perfect. But they did not, and it is still very flawed. If it had maybe a few more months in development it would be a great game.
Oh also Denuvo, pushing DLC despite the work needed on the base game and the high prices probably aren't helping reviews.
It's worth mentioning I haven't played it yet (waiting for a sale), I am just repeating what friends/content creators who weren't bribed by T2 have told me.
VR hasn't failed, the investors' dream to make it replace real life so they can fill it with ads has failed because, shockingly, people prefer to live in real life. It's the same way (most) people don't spend all their time playing normal games
No, I was thinking about civ7 but was unsure because, while firaxis is very talented, I do not trust 2k, once they added denuvo I decided to not even buy it at launch even if the reviews are positive (and £120 for the founders edition is stupid, especially since, if the game is updated like all previous civs, it will be necessary).
I will be waiting for denuvo to be removed (because it always is) and for a sale.
That is definitely the appeal. My friends who use apps with algorithms like tik tok tell me that is the reason they use the apps. I can't blame them. Those algorithms showed me loads of obscure musical artists that are still my favorite today (and that is a good thing for indies/small businesses who don't have much money for ad spaces). There is a lot of good reasons for algorithms like that, the problem is the data necessary to make them work and what other stuff they do with it.
Are you from the UK? How are you using lemmy.zip?
Also, I never pay with cash so this might be why but I have never heard about the 50p thing, Is that true or are you saying it to mess with tourists?