Zero Punctuation
Encyclopedia
Zero Punctuation is an ongoing video game review series created by comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
and published by the online magazine The Escapist
.
demo
for the PlayStation 3
and the other for Fable: The Lost Chapters
for the PC
and uploaded them on YouTube
. Among other organizations, The Escapist
contacted Croshaw and offered him a contract shortly thereafter. Since then it has become extremely popular. The series remains one of the publication's most prolific and signature features.
counterpoint to it. The videos are typically around five minutes in length and formerly featured commercial songs at the beginning and end, which were usually related to the game context (although sometimes only tangentially, such as Croshaw using Dave Matthews Band's Crash Into Me for the Burnout review). Other reviews have an opening song completely at odds with the game in question (such as Leslie Gore's Sunshine, Lolipops and Rainbows for the overtly dark and violent game Manhunt
). These have since been replaced by a single, standard opening sequence consisting of clips from past reviews and guitar music. The end credits often feature humorous notes about Croshaw's reviews such as "Systematically alienating every type of fanboy" in GTA IV, and often also contain characters from the review engaging in slapstick.
Croshaw, who uses his "Yahtzee" nickname while reviewing, appears in the videos wearing a trilby
(much like the main character of his Chzo Mythos
games). A recurring character in the videos is a small imp-like creature (who also appears in one of the Zero Punctuation logos) who usually plays various supporting roles in the video as either the antagonist or the sidekick, often taking the place of enemies in the game being reviewed. The imp is in fact a stylized version of a "darkling" from the first game Yahtzee reviewed, The Darkness
, that he referred to as an "Evil Imp". Croshaw frequently anthropomorphs video games and game companies in his reviews, using them as characters by adding legs and arms to the game's box art or logo.
He also provides negative reviews of less popular games, such as Haze
and Hard Reset
, and tends to shun certain genres of games, e.g. JRPG
s, fighting games and MMORPG
s, or certain overused conventions, e.g. Nintendo
's continuation of its long-running franchises, and his "old arch-nemesis" quick time event
s (at one point in his Uncharted: Drake's Fortune review he devoted a short live-action part of the review to directly addressing developers on the flaws of using quick time events). He claimed that the Wii
's control scheme will just be a short-lived gimmick.
The reviews are not universally negative, and he has occasionally praised games, for example Portal, Psychonauts
, or Silent Hill 2
all received positive reviews and first/third person shooters are usually compared to Half-life
series as model examples of the genre. Saints Row 2
, Batman: Arkham Asylum
, and Just Cause 2
were named as his Games of the Year of 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively. Croshaw started his review of BioShock
by acknowledging that "Despite all the horrible things I'm about to say, it's still probably one of the best games of the year", but spent the rest of the review harshly criticizing it, saying "No-one likes it when I'm being nice to a game" (referring to his positive review of Psychonauts
).
He also often raises popular topics related to video games, such as criticism of Attorney-General Michael Atkinson
for his opposition to mature-rated games in Australia, where he currently resides, and topics not related to video games, often for humorous purposes, such as Branston Pickle
and the United States government.
On June 24, 2009, Yahtzee decide to judge Infamous and Prototype together to see which one was better. It ultimately ended up in a tie, until both SuckerPunch and Radical Entertainment sent pictures of the competitors main protagonist in a woman's bra. Yahtzee then chose Infamous as the winner. On November 23, 2011, He did the same thing with Battlefield 3
and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
, but chose neither as the victor.
Croshaw also cites the work of British television critic and PC Zone journalist Charlie Brooker
as the "main inspiration" for his own reviewing style, as well as the writings of Douglas Adams
, Sean "Seanbaby
" Riley, and Old Man Murray
's Chet Faliszek
and Erik Wolpaw
.
Ben Croshaw
Benjamin Richard "Yahtzee" Croshaw is an English comedic writer, video game journalist and author of adventure games created using Adventure Game Studio software. He writes articles for Australia's Hyper magazine, a major games publication...
and published by the online magazine The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
.
Background
The series began when Croshaw created two video reviews, one for The DarknessThe Darkness (video game)
The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title...
demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and the other for Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fable (video game)
Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and uploaded them on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Among other organizations, The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
contacted Croshaw and offered him a contract shortly thereafter. Since then it has become extremely popular. The series remains one of the publication's most prolific and signature features.
Format
In his videos he usually reviews a recent game or games using rapid-fire speech delivery (which was the inspiration for the name "Zero Punctuation", although he states that his fast talking was "by accident"). This is accompanied by minimalistic cartoon imagery on a distinctive yellow background, illustrating what is being said or providing ironicIrony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
counterpoint to it. The videos are typically around five minutes in length and formerly featured commercial songs at the beginning and end, which were usually related to the game context (although sometimes only tangentially, such as Croshaw using Dave Matthews Band's Crash Into Me for the Burnout review). Other reviews have an opening song completely at odds with the game in question (such as Leslie Gore's Sunshine, Lolipops and Rainbows for the overtly dark and violent game Manhunt
Manhunt (video game)
Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player...
). These have since been replaced by a single, standard opening sequence consisting of clips from past reviews and guitar music. The end credits often feature humorous notes about Croshaw's reviews such as "Systematically alienating every type of fanboy" in GTA IV, and often also contain characters from the review engaging in slapstick.
Croshaw, who uses his "Yahtzee" nickname while reviewing, appears in the videos wearing a trilby
Trilby
A trilby hat is a type of fedora. The trilby is viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is commonly called the "brown trilby" in England and is much seen at the horse races. It is described as a "crumpled" fedora...
(much like the main character of his Chzo Mythos
Chzo Mythos
The Chzo Mythos is the collective title given to a series of four amateur adventure games created by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw using the Adventure Game Studio development tool. The games are, in order of release and intended play-order, 5 Days a Stranger, 7 Days a Skeptic, Trilby's Notes and 6 Days a...
games). A recurring character in the videos is a small imp-like creature (who also appears in one of the Zero Punctuation logos) who usually plays various supporting roles in the video as either the antagonist or the sidekick, often taking the place of enemies in the game being reviewed. The imp is in fact a stylized version of a "darkling" from the first game Yahtzee reviewed, The Darkness
The Darkness (video game)
The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title...
, that he referred to as an "Evil Imp". Croshaw frequently anthropomorphs video games and game companies in his reviews, using them as characters by adding legs and arms to the game's box art or logo.
Critical style
Croshaw, more often than not, provides highly critical reviews of games, usually pointing out the faults that he implies other professional reviewers ignore in high-profile releases.He also provides negative reviews of less popular games, such as Haze
Haze (video game)
Haze is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Free Radical Design and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3. It was released worldwide in May 2008. A demo for Haze was released on the PlayStation Network on May 6, 2008...
and Hard Reset
Hard Reset
Hard Reset is a PC-exclusive FPS from The Flying Wild Hog, a Polish developer that is made up from members of the team behind Painkiller , and former developers from CD Projekt Red and City Interactive....
, and tends to shun certain genres of games, e.g. JRPG
Japanese role-playing game
Japanese role-playing games made their first appearance during the late 1980s. Today, there are hundreds of Japanese-designed games as well as several translated games...
s, fighting games and MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s, or certain overused conventions, e.g. Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's continuation of its long-running franchises, and his "old arch-nemesis" quick time event
Quick Time Event
In video games, a Quick Time Event is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen prompt. It allows for limited control of the game character during cut scenes or cinematic sequences in the game...
s (at one point in his Uncharted: Drake's Fortune review he devoted a short live-action part of the review to directly addressing developers on the flaws of using quick time events). He claimed that the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's control scheme will just be a short-lived gimmick.
The reviews are not universally negative, and he has occasionally praised games, for example Portal, Psychonauts
Psychonauts
Psychonauts is a platform video game created by Tim Schafer, developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Majesco. The game was released on April 19, 2005, for the Xbox, April 26 for Microsoft Windows and June 21 for PlayStation 2. It was released on Steam on Oct 11, 2006, as an "Xbox...
, or Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror video game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Team Silent, a production group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo...
all received positive reviews and first/third person shooters are usually compared to Half-life
Half-Life (series)
The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
series as model examples of the genre. Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2
Saints Row 2 is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the second title in the Saints Row series, after the release of Saints Row in 2006. It is succeeded by Saints Row: The...
, Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, and Just Cause 2
Just Cause 2
Just Cause 2 is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Avalanche Studios, published by Eidos Interactive, and distributed by Square Enix. It is the sequel to the 2006 video game Just Cause....
were named as his Games of the Year of 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively. Croshaw started his review of BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
by acknowledging that "Despite all the horrible things I'm about to say, it's still probably one of the best games of the year", but spent the rest of the review harshly criticizing it, saying "No-one likes it when I'm being nice to a game" (referring to his positive review of Psychonauts
Psychonauts
Psychonauts is a platform video game created by Tim Schafer, developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Majesco. The game was released on April 19, 2005, for the Xbox, April 26 for Microsoft Windows and June 21 for PlayStation 2. It was released on Steam on Oct 11, 2006, as an "Xbox...
).
He also often raises popular topics related to video games, such as criticism of Attorney-General Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Michael John Atkinson , an Australian politician, was the South Australian Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Rann Labor Government. A day after the 2010 election, he stepped down as Attorney-General and resigned...
for his opposition to mature-rated games in Australia, where he currently resides, and topics not related to video games, often for humorous purposes, such as Branston Pickle
Branston Pickle
Branston is a British food brand. It is best known for the original Branston Pickle, a jarred pickled relish first made in 1922 in the Branston suburb of Burton upon Trent by Crosse & Blackwell....
and the United States government.
On June 24, 2009, Yahtzee decide to judge Infamous and Prototype together to see which one was better. It ultimately ended up in a tie, until both SuckerPunch and Radical Entertainment sent pictures of the competitors main protagonist in a woman's bra. Yahtzee then chose Infamous as the winner. On November 23, 2011, He did the same thing with Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released in North America on October 25, 2011 and in Europe on October 28, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and EA Mobile confirmed a port for...
and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with Raven Software having assisted in development...
, but chose neither as the victor.
Croshaw also cites the work of British television critic and PC Zone journalist Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
as the "main inspiration" for his own reviewing style, as well as the writings of Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
, Sean "Seanbaby
Seanbaby
Sean Patrick Reiley , better known as Seanbaby, is an American writer best known for his comedy website and frequent contributions to video game media outlets Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1UP.com. He is also a regular contributor to the humor website Cracked.com...
" Riley, and Old Man Murray
Old Man Murray
Old Man Murray was a UGO Networks computer game commentary and reviews site, known for its highly irreverent and satiric tone. It was written and edited by Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw. Old Man Murray was critical of games that received strong reviews elsewhere, most notably the King's Quest...
's Chet Faliszek
Chet Faliszek
Chet Faliszek is an American videogame writer and one of the main writers for the Valve Corporation, along with Erik Wolpaw and Marc Laidlaw. He has worked together with his co-writers in order to create the storylines for the Half-Life and Portal series, along with having personally written the...
and Erik Wolpaw
Erik Wolpaw
Erik Wolpaw is an American videogame writer. Erik along with Chet Faliszek were the two writers behind the now-defunct Old Man Murray video game commentary web site. As of 2011, he works for Valve Software in Seattle...
.