Do you actaully listen to game reviews? Why/Why Not?

Do you actually listen to game reviews?, Why or Why Not?.

I used to listen to game reviews but I don't anymore, they are just becoming too biased (and this is not one or two reviewers like Gamespot or IGN, this is nearly every review website/youtube channel/magazine.) Critics will rant on about flaws in one game but if that flaw exists in another game they won't say a thing in that review, perfect examples for this would be:

• Many critics ranted on about Godfather II being a 'broken buggy mess', (and while I will admit that is doens't take a genius to see that the game has it's problems, it was still an enjoyable game.) but when it comes to Skyrim, no one complained that the game was filled with bugs and glitches that could have easily been fixed if the game had more time in development and the fact that is was completley unplayable on PS3.
• Many critics ranted on about Tomb Raider Underworld having awful combat, but when it comes to Mass Effect 2, no one complains about it's terrible combat, another thing on this example is that combat was a very small part in Tomb Raider Underworld, but in Mass Effect 2, combat is pretty much the entire game.

Yes i watch them to find out what the game is all about...altho i dont always take notice of the final score as that is their opinion..

But it gives me an idea of what they like and dislike about it and shows some gameplay so i can make up my own mind..

As well as reviews i sometimes watch some lets plays and first impression videos..

No. I've prattled on at length about my total lack of respect for reviewers several times now. Suffice it to say that when I used to read reviews, I ended up with a shelf full of AAA franchise titles that bored the crap out of me. Now that I choose my games myself, I'm having a lot more fun.

Nothing can kill your respect for a reviewer quicker than playing a game and then reading the review afterwards.

I'll read them, take what they say into consideration, but I don't entirely base purchases on them. All I ever really read reviews for is to determine whether a game sounds good to me or not.

I read many reviews - usually AFTER I've bought the game - just to see if their opinion matches my own. That way if I do need to read a review for a game before I buy, I know which reviewers to trust and which to ignore.

I also look for common issues and problems that reviewers experience. Say if every reviewer mentions a ton of slow-down or crashing then I know that this will be common to the game. If one reviewer complains about too many difficulty spikes and difficulty isn't even mentioned by anyone else, then I know that this is a "reviewer" problem and nothing to fault the game for. Reading a lot of reviews can also tell you if a particular reviewer is biased against a type of genre or not. Say there is an RPG coming out that you really want to get, but the guy reviewing it has given it a low score - if you know the reviewer's history, you may see that that person traditionally gives low scores to RPGs, then you know that this particular reviewer just doesn't like role playing games. The same can be said for FPS's, racers, puzzle games, adventurers, platformers etc.

I can say for a fact though that 99% of the time I tend to favor my own opinion - which tends to score higher than most "professional" reviewers. Usually if I see a game I want and I really want to play - when I get that game I'm most often really satisfied with the purchase - even if its a game that has scored in the low to mid 7's or 6's.

I base some purchases off reviews. But never outright listen to the review. I like looking at user reviews too.

I like to read many reviews. Whether I listen to them depends on how well written they are and the cons associated with the game. If after reading multiple reviews I hear the same cons, I might think twice about buying the game. That is if those issues are that important to me or not. MP is wasted on me, so reading that a game has poor MP is non issue. If they have to do with controls or a poor frame rate, then I often wait to see if they get patched.

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If the game interests me enough, I will eventually get it regardless of the reviews. What the reviews do is guide me on when to buy. Bargain bin or day one.

Yes, especially those I see that are reputable. The reason read or listen to reviews is to be more informed on the games that may interest me and I like to hear what the reviewers think of them whether I agree with them or not.

I can't to be honest, because most of the time I don't agree with them.However, if a game is generally by many popular reviews considered good or bad, it can influence my decision on a game, to some extent.

depends, on sites like gamespot or ign? no, they are obviously paid/biased

i tend to watch youtubers like angryjoeshoe or zetgeistreview, but more to get an idea of the game, than if i should buy it or not.

Absolutely. I don't like to gamble with my money, and for the most part, most Metacritic averagesare quite accurate with the quality of the game.

I watch/read some, and listen to the points the reviewer makes, but I don't really base my decision on reviews. Obviousy, if a game gets generally bad reviews, it probably isn't worth picking up. But if games get 5-7 scores, I'll look into myself to see if it's worth getting. I usually watch gameplay footage and trailers to see if I like a game before getting it.

i usually read user reviews because they're usually pretty accurate and they give normal gamers' opinions

I listen to/read reviews but I pay no attention to the score they give.

Do you actually listen to game reviews?, Why or Why Not?.

I used to listen to game reviews but I don't anymore, they are just becoming too biased (and this is not one or two reviewers like Gamespot or IGN, this is nearly every review website/youtube channel/magazine.) Critics will rant on about flaws in one game but if that flaw exists in another game they won't say a thing in that review, perfect examples for this would be:

• Many critics ranted on about Godfather II being a 'broken buggy mess', (and while I will admit that is doens't take a genius to see that the game has it's problems, it was still an enjoyable game.) but when it comes to Skyrim, no one complained that the game was filled with bugs and glitches that could have easily been fixed if the game had more time in development and the fact that is was completley unplayable on PS3.
• Many critics ranted on about Tomb Raider Underworld having awful combat, but when it comes to Mass Effect 2, no one complains about it's terrible combat, another thing on this example is that combat was a very small part in Tomb Raider Underworld, but in Mass Effect 2, combat is pretty much the entire game.

RageQuitter69

I only watch video reviews that too just to get a glimpse of gameplay. That gets me the idea of how a game is.

You are the best judge of yourself.

in terms of making a purchasing decision, it is largely limited to performance issues. however, the ultimate goal of a video game critic isnt to be a bug tester. i mean, i would like them to honestly state their performance and platform. thats why i was disappointed by all the reviews of skyrim which posed a 360 review as a PS3 review when the game played much differently on each system. it doesnt matter if they couldnt have known. thats precisely the problem. they shouldve just honestly mentioned what platform they reviewed it on upfront.

still, i ultimately look at reviews to read interesting opinions on games. the more personal, the better (although obviously not every game is going to inspire that kind of reaction). a good review will heighten my appreciation of a game.

Somewhat. I don't bother reading reviews anymore, I just look at the average scores. If a game does decent enough (7 or higher), I usually make the judgement based upon what I've read and the gameplay videos I've watched. Games that score lower usually make me more cautious about purchasing them.

Do you actually listen to game reviews?, Why or Why Not?.

I used to listen to game reviews but I don't anymore, they are just becoming too biased (and this is not one or two reviewers like Gamespot or IGN, this is nearly every review website/youtube channel/magazine.) Critics will rant on about flaws in one game but if that flaw exists in another game they won't say a thing in that review, perfect examples for this would be:

• Many critics ranted on about Godfather II being a 'broken buggy mess', (and while I will admit that is doens't take a genius to see that the game has it's problems, it was still an enjoyable game.) but when it comes to Skyrim, no one complained that the game was filled with bugs and glitches that could have easily been fixed if the game had more time in development and the fact that is was completley unplayable on PS3.
• Many critics ranted on about Tomb Raider Underworld having awful combat, but when it comes to Mass Effect 2, no one complains about it's terrible combat, another thing on this example is that combat was a very small part in Tomb Raider Underworld, but in Mass Effect 2, combat is pretty much the entire game.

RageQuitter69

Do you actually listen to game reviews?, Why or Why Not?.

I used to listen to game reviews but I don't anymore, they are just becoming too biased (and this is not one or two reviewers like Gamespot or IGN, this is nearly every review website/youtube channel/magazine.) Critics will rant on about flaws in one game but if that flaw exists in another game they won't say a thing in that review, perfect examples for this would be:

• Many critics ranted on about Godfather II being a 'broken buggy mess', (and while I will admit that is doens't take a genius to see that the game has it's problems, it was still an enjoyable game.) but when it comes to Skyrim, no one complained that the game was filled with bugs and glitches that could have easily been fixed if the game had more time in development and the fact that is was completley unplayable on PS3.
• Many critics ranted on about Tomb Raider Underworld having awful combat, but when it comes to Mass Effect 2, no one complains about it's terrible combat, another thing on this example is that combat was a very small part in Tomb Raider Underworld, but in Mass Effect 2, combat is pretty much the entire game.

RageQuitter69

Honestly I rarely if ever listen to critics, alot of them are very aggressive even against good titles. I also don't feel most critics even play the games very far, maybe a few levels to get a feel for the game, then write their reviews. Again...very rarely do I pay attention to what they say.

For me personally it is this Forum site, and the player reviews that matter. I do look at the numbers, (ratings from 1.0 to 10.0) these matter yes, the higher the score, the more interested I am to see...is this a good title...and...do I now want to read each individual review. To me these matter greatly...I trust the players...not the critics. That is why I became a member of this site so I could also contribute in this area as well.

Reviews are good for giving details that videos and demos can't convey.

I couldn't know that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy would be the most addictive and fun game I've played in a long time based on videos (and honestly, I couldn't know it based on a lot of the reviews, either, because most of the reviewers didn't spend enough time with the game to get a clear picture of its scope).

And I couldn't know that Final Fantasy XIII would have my favorite characters of the series without reviewers giving personal impressions of them. Kevin's review here at Gamespot pushed me over the edge to buy it recently because he loved the characters so much, and luckily, I ended up agreeing with him after playing the game.

So I "listen" to reviews in the sense that I use them to answer questions about specific aspects of the game that are important to me. The overall score isn't that relevant, unless it's low because of something that I care about.

I would be lying if I said I don't pay attention to reviews. I actually do read reviews to give me a general idea of what a video game is like before I buy it, but I have played plenty of games that have recieved low reviews that I found myself enjoying a lot. I've also played games with high reviews that I found myself being disappointed in, like Oblivion and Fallout 3. I guess reviews are good to give you a general idea idea of what a game is like before you play it but nobody should ever take the scores of games seriously, because they're always biased.

yes but based on what they say, not what they score....and i only listen to a handful of them. It gives me a general idea of what things are in the game, and if a game is buggy. If a reviewer says that not much has changed, but i loved the previous games....i'm not too overly concerned about the score....

I take a glance at them to see if the game is a complete bomb, but after that I'll watch some gameplay to see if it's something I'm interested in.

depends, on sites like gamespot or ign? no, they are obviously paid/biased

I dont listen to game reviews anymore.

I'll read various reviews, but they'll never, ever sway my decision on a purchase. Gameplay videos and research does that for me.

I tend to ignore any and all reviews, but that's because I already know what I like. Most of the time if the game looks interesting to me I'll give it a chance regardless of any reviews. Reviews for me just don't matter as they once did, and I see quite a few people turning away from them and just trusting their own judgement.

There are some postives if you know next to nothing about a game, a review is the quickest way to figure out a game. But other then that they're really not helpful.

Sometimes depending on how interested I am in the game.

With a grain of salt. If I followed every review to the T I'd probably have missed out on some really great underrated games.

i read a few

but i don't listen because

my opinion

>

theirs

Very, very rarely. I may indulge in a Game Informer review when on the throne (which is a pretty apt place to read a Game Informer review, to be honest), but that's about it. The public, which spends its own money on the games it discusses, is far more reliable. I have a pool of trusted sources that play games for no other reason than love of the hobby, and that's been much more accurate in gauging quality for me.

I pretty much ignore the review score since it's based off of someones opinion on what they thought the game should score, they could have a whole different taste in games than I do. The only reason why I watch video reviews is to see some gameplay to decide whether or not I want to eventually buy the game.