Opt-in review system in the works for Epic Games Store
Developers will be able to decide whether they want to allow consumers to leave reviews on their games
Epic Games is working on an optional review system for its new PC games store.
The revelation came via founder Tim Sweeney on Twitter, responding to complaints that the Epic Games Store is trying to "silence consumers" by not allowing them to offer any feedback on the marketplace or the games it sells.
When the Epic Games Store launched at the tail end of 2018, there was no way for users to interact with it beyond buying games. There is no system for reviews or ratings and no forums. This was a conscious choice to avoid the toxicity that has developed over the years on Steam, but it has still frustrated some of the store's customers.
"We're working on a review system for the Epic Games Store based on the existing one in the Unreal Engine marketplace," Sweeney tweeted. "It will be opt-in by developers. We think this is best because review bombing and other gaming-the-system is a real problem."
Review-bombing certainly seems to be the go-to tactic to express frustration on Steam -- just this week, 4A Games' Metro titles have received a wave of negative reviews off the back of the announcement that Exodus will be temporarily exclusive to the Epic Games Store (a move our Rob Fahey says is more than understandable).
In other discussions on Twitter, Sweeney assured that Epic is working to make the store operate offline and continued to defend the ethos behind the Epic Games Store from its critics.