The absence of critic reviews for the Xbox version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on Metacritic, despite high scores on other platforms, has prompted an admission from Xbox's Chief Technology Officer, Scott Van Vliet. The Call of Duty X account initially promoted the game's positive Metacritic scores, showcasing averages for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC, but notably omitted the Xbox score due to insufficient reviews.
This situation sparked discussion among game critics and Xbox fans regarding the perceived scarcity of Xbox reviews for many titles. Van Vliet addressed the issue directly on X, stating, "Reviewing a game on Xbox takes too many steps today. Press and creators should be able to redeem and play, and that’s what the team is ultimately building toward. The first updates are coming soon."
The process for obtaining review codes on Xbox can sometimes involve more complexity than on other platforms. While typically straightforward, it can occasionally require sharing an Xbox Live Device ID, waiting for publisher whitelisting, and then downloading the specific game build. Some reviewers have noted that while these extra steps are not usually a deciding factor in platform choice, the availability and timing of PC codes often favor Steam's more streamlined update process, leading many to simply stick with the earliest accessible platform.
Other factors influencing review platform selection include performance considerations, with some reviewers opting for platforms that offer superior graphical fidelity or frame rates. Features like Xbox Play Anywhere also provide flexibility for testing across multiple devices. However, the core issue highlighted by Van Vliet revolves around the accessibility and ease of the code redemption process itself.
While the necessity of ensuring a Metacritic average for every Xbox version of a game is debatable, given the often minimal differences between console versions in recent generations, the desire to have first-party platform scores reflected is understandable, particularly for major releases like Call of Duty. Xbox's proposed system updates aim to simplify the review process and potentially increase the number of critic reviews for games on its platform.