Should game reviews be trusted by consumers?

South Side Gamer: "Some of us are compulsive buyers when it comes to new video games and well known series. As a consumer and a journalist games are what most of the consumers spend their money on especially of a game thats coming out the next week or in a few months. Recently a few games were released a week or so ago, as usual the big named websites would give their review and some of the smaller websites who get their review copies would do theirs. Sometimes its not as informative as it seems. Take for example the Godfather II game released for multiplatforms, for some off reason rushing out to buy these games when they get an early review doesn't seem like a great idea."

[GWAVE]

Game reviews are becoming less and less reliable. I mean, imagine if you read Gamespot's review of "Ratchet&Clank: Tools of Destruction" (a 7.9/10 score) and decided not to play that game. You'd be missing out on one of the best action-adventure games of this generation.

It's sad -- but it was expected -- that as video games became more mainstream, the critics would become less and less reliable, just like music, TV, and movie critics these days.

[jBat17]

so you should also consider other sites' reviews, too.. that's what metacritic and gameranking are for..

however, you should be wary of overhyped games. for example, GTA4, and gaylo 3 have inflated scores but, in reality, these games suck.

ign's 10 on gta4 is B$. that game was a renter.. here what the reviews won't say:

graphics were ugly, its MP was flat, gameplay was more of the same. cover system was good but aiming was crap because you can't even see the enemy. you relied too much on auto-aim. story was dull. and the main character was not interesting.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Example;Warhawk.Based on early reviews of this game I decided against purchasing it.Nearly a year later I pick it up at a discount because I need a 'filler' game.I play it and come to the conclusion that I can no longer base my game purchasing tendencies on reviews in any way.I missed out on a masterpiece because of my steadfast confidence in reviews.Uncharted suffered the same fate,I won't get fooled again.At the opposite end of the spectrum,for me anyways,is Oblivion and Gta4, reviewers showered them with praise,my experience with them was not so forgiving.
My opinions aside,Bias and agenda have become all too common in game reviews.Are some reviews simply an honest opinion of a games strengths and flaws? sure,but they have become increasingly harder to find.Consumers, exercise discretion,come to you're own conclusion in most cases.

[hatchimatchi]

i agree with your thoughts on gta4 completely. That game did not deserve the amount of praise it got. yes it's is a good game but i didn't care for it at all. the targeting system is still garbage and so is the melee attacks.

[callahan09]

Short answer: Hell no!

[callahan09]

Oh, really, a disagree? Reviews should be trusted? The subjective opinion of some guy you've never met who may have different tastes than you... he's got the skinny, and you should take his word for it all the time, period. Regardless of the fact that reviewers themselves disagree all the time, as evidenced by some games receiving 5's from some reviewers, 10's from others?

Longer answer: Reviews should not be trusted. They can give you a hint, an inkling, a guideline, a rough sketch of what to expect, but they are NOT the end-all-be-all judge of what YOU as an individual will enjoy.

[Ian414]

I am very picky about the games I buy.I read or watch a review to help you out this is wat u should do.go to gametailers.com or xplay look wut they gave them or get their podcast if they gave them a good review still think about it and decide

[ShadesMoolah]

Yes they should be, but really the scoring should be considered more carefully, I mean, gamers perceptions of scores vary greatly. A 7/10 game could be very enjoyable for many, yet there are some who look at the score and immediately dismiss the game. Everyone has differences in what they want to get out of a game.

The scoring systems across the board are all so varied, and so it is a confusing amalgamation of opinions backed up by equally confusing scoring methods.

Hmmm what's the difference between an 88/100 scoring game and a 86% scoring game. What's the difference between an 8.5/10 and an 8? Umm what's the margin between a 4/5 and a 3/5?

The bottom line is, all politics aside, that generally game reviewers should have extensive gaming experience by playing many games and thus become qualified to compare, contrast and cast judgement on them. Reviewers should be articulate, and should instinctively know when something is good or bad, and therefore say so.

The idea is that unlike spiel you'll get from publishers and developers, reviewers should be the last bastion of untainted opinion, offering you the chance to ponder whether you should spend money on a game or not.

I think with sites that collaborate reviews from across the spectrum of websites is a good thing (gamerankings, Metacritic etc), there's never anything wrong with gaining several opinions to help you form your own. Demos are also great, and with many being easily available without having to fork out for a magazine, helps greatly.

The bottom line is,shop around, read and be influenced by the words of those you feel familiar with. Does 'blah blah's' site reviewers seem to convey the same feelings you have with games, are they genuine, are they critical yet fair and objective? Do you agree with their scoring system?

Reviews can only really be offered as a guideline to the consumer, especially as reviewers will mostly play the games before the reader does. Enjoyment is also subjective, but I think most can agree when a game is awesome, and when it's not so great.

It's the grey middle areas that cause the confusion, and where it's crucial for gamers to read the text rather than just look at the obligatory numeric value of enjoyment most reviewers are forced to adhere to. Why did the reviewer feel the need to score a game a certain way, what reasons did they give, are their issues the same you'd potentially have, and are their complaints what would stifle your own enjoyment?