Kotaku reviewed Final Fantasy VII Rebirth with preorder links in the bloodstream.

First data point: Kotaku published this review on February 22, 2024, a full week before release, and the article contains preorder links to Amazon, Best Buy, and Target before the critique has even finished tying its shoes. That is not inherently corruption; it is merely a cash register wearing a critic's blazer and asking us to admire the lapels. The review is ostensibly an evaluation, but its commercial architecture hums underneath like a refrigerator full of affiliate codes. Sponsored by the truth.