# [*Silksong* Hastens the Death of the Critic](https://www.endlessmode.com/article/silksong-hastens-the-death-of-the-critic) – Grace Benfell for Endless Mode >"Team Cherry’s decision enforces the structure of an enthusiast press. If critics are merely fans with access, then it would be unfair to give them early keys. But, ideally, a critic works. Any obstacle to that work is an obstacle in the way of conversation and thought." The death of the critic is far from the fault of Team Cherry, Microsoft, or (insert name of large media corporation here). Any sort of "death" to the craft of criticism has been spurred by the race to the bottom of outlets and click-based ad revenue. > "However, the suggestion that the lack of early codes will prevent that crunch is absurd. The rush to have the first take, or to be the first to have a suite of guides up to draw in *Silksong* players, will be too intoxicating to forego. Even two weeks offers a broad timeline, however unreasonable. The crunch will put some strain on mainstream sites, but the biggest victims will be teams of freelancers at sites owned by Valnet or Gamurs Group. With little editorial oversight and measely (sic) payments per article, teams of underpaid writers will squeeze every bit of content they can muster out of *Silksong*‘s dozens of hours." The crunch is a result of pressure to be first to become dominant in a search result and drive traffic to the site. It has nothing to do with the material inside the article, the headline and blurb beneath have to be enticing enough. Once there's a click, then it is the mission to keep the user on the site at all cost. We don't want them *playing* *Silksong* we want them scouring the site for words, videos, and audio *about* *Silksong*. Time is what they are after. I think the art and conversation of criticism is alive and well. I've watched reviews about *[Mario Party DS](https://youtu.be/Ock0tF0w7Ok?si=CYCte4VtCS5tPzj5)* and *[Donkey Kong Country](https://youtu.be/EUsHHU60_7s?si=8YzCSS1ZIlTNrYe9)* recently that are rich and vibrant. Every year, John Gruber's iPhone review misses embargo, but his usually are the best. Benfell is right when she says; > "Reviews might influence the game’s reception, but its overall perception will be shaped more by video essays months after the fact than any article around launch." Why can a video essay not considered a review? Why is criticism being limited one format or structure? A review is defined as "a critical appraisal of a book, play, movie, exhibition, etc., *published in a newspaper or magazine*," but that stipulation on a newspaper or a magazine is preposterous in the 21st century. And why is a review's impact being limited to the release of a product? Time is what reviews need, not urgency. This coupling of reviews and ads is ushering Benfell's perceived death of criticism. Being a slave to algorithms for revenue is creating a false sense of urgency. Find critics you enjoy, find critics who challenge your opinions—support them. Uncouple the madness and just wait for a review if those opinions sway your purchasing power so much. You want better reviews? Be patient.