So, who trusts reviews on this site?

You are thinking of Yahtzee (Zero Punctuation Video Series) and I am a big fan as well, he's pretty funny.

I don't trust reviews at all really, and some of the things that games get "marked down" for I actually like. Phrases such as "too short", "too linear", "bland graphics", "too easy" and the like only succeed in making me want to buy the game more.

But if a game is REALLY REALLY good you will want to replay it over and over again, so the length of one playthrough isn't important.

I must have played Time Crisis 4 all the way through (without dieing ;D) more than 50 times, it never gets old.

i like how yahtzee puts out all of the flaws in the game in a funny way, halo 3 he is dead on, and with fable 2, he echoes my thoughts exactly

to-che rk, to-che

I don't think anyone takes Yahtzee 100% seriously but I agree wholeheartedly with his Silent Hill Homecoming, Turok (360 version ewww), and Halo 3 reviews.Fredrick2003x

I think Silent Hill Homecoming is underrated on GS I agree with the 10s this year though. GTA IV deserved the 10 because its the first game to create a living breathing world something that Saints Row, Driver, and the Godfather could not.

the text is most important, not the score.11Marcel

Most reviewers complain about what a game did wrong, and ignore what it did right. They are way too subjective.

Most reviewers complain about what a game did wrong, and ignore what it did right. They are way too subjective.

MicWazowski

50 50

i trust the user reviews more... that is if you can find some that aren't fanboys!

You actually take yathzee's reviews more seriously than gamespot reviews? Not saying I completely trust GS reviews, but yathzee will make fun of any game that's not his favourite game or genre. You can usually get a good idea of a game by reading a GS review together with the score. The point here is that the text is most important, not the score.11Marcel

Yahtzee has proven himself time and again to be above any sort of commercial manipulation. If he says nothing bad about a game it is probably a 9/10 for real. Coz if a game is mediocre or worse yet.... actually bad... he is so savage you are left in no doubt.

In answer... I have been coming to Gamespot for many years now... long before the Oz version existed. I have defended Gamespot to friends who told me it was bought and sold on reviews by everyone from EA to Space Cpt Garriot and I always kept the faith.

The GTAIV PC review is a complete joke.... 40% of the readers give the game 4 or less GS gives it 9. It is easily the largest discrpency I have seen since coming to GS.

Very dissapointing.

If you are half the journalists you think you are... you must have know how bad the game was bugged.... if you didnt... you have no place writing reviews.

It really diminishes people's confindence for a host of reasons.... Id say grow some Cahones.... or find another job.

These reviews just gives me an idea of the game but in the end I trust my own judgement of the game when I do play them.

Yahtzee has proven himself time and again to be above any sort of commercial manipulation. If he says nothing bad about a game it is probably a 9/10 for real. Coz if a game is mediocre of wrose yet.... actually bad... he is so savage you are left in no doubt.

In answer... I have been coming to Gamespot for many years now... long before the Oz version existed. I have defended Gamespot to friends who told me it bought and sol on reviews and I always kept the faith.

The GTAIV PC review is a complete joke.... 40% of the readers give the game 4 or less GS gives it 9. It is easily the largest discrpency I have seen since coming to GS.

Very dissapointing.

If you are half the journalists you think you are... you must have know how bad the game was bugged.... if you didnt... you have no place writing reviews.

It really diminishes people's confindence for a host of reasons.... Id say grow some Cahones.... or find another job.

GetafixOz

No, I find him to be fairly biased towards PC games, especially if Valve has made them. Seriously, if there's even a single valve in the game, he has little to nothing bad to say about it. Meanwhile, he'll beat the hell out of any Japanese game whenever he gets the chance. Not saying I won't trust his reviews, but it'd be nice to see somebody with the same review format, but completely different ideologies.

For Wii reviews, no. I mean they give Castlevania: Judgment a 3.0 but Imagine Party Babiez will probably get a 7.0 like on IGN. It doesn't make sense. I didn't like the review for Tales of Symphonia 2 either. But I trust them for PS3 and 360 games, they have pretty indepth reviews. I prefer watching the review, not reading. Gamespot's video reviews are good.
But I prefer user reviews.
dylanmcc

[QUOTE="dylanmcc"]For Wii reviews, no. I mean they give Castlevania: Judgment a 3.0 but Imagine Party Babiez will probably get a 7.0 like on IGN. It doesn't make sense. I didn't like the review for Tales of Symphonia 2 either. But I trust them for PS3 and 360 games, they have pretty indepth reviews. I prefer watching the review, not reading. Gamespot's video reviews are good.
But I prefer user reviews.
foxhound_fox

You mean the fact that it was in 3D wasn't enough :P?

[QUOTE="GetafixOz"]

Yahtzee has proven himself time and again to be above any sort of commercial manipulation. If he says nothing bad about a game it is probably a 9/10 for real. Coz if a game is mediocre of wrose yet.... actually bad... he is so savage you are left in no doubt.

In answer... I have been coming to Gamespot for many years now... long before the Oz version existed. I have defended Gamespot to friends who told me it bought and sol on reviews and I always kept the faith.

The GTAIV PC review is a complete joke.... 40% of the readers give the game 4 or less GS gives it 9. It is easily the largest discrpency I have seen since coming to GS.

Very dissapointing.

If you are half the journalists you think you are... you must have know how bad the game was bugged.... if you didnt... you have no place writing reviews.

It really diminishes people's confindence for a host of reasons.... Id say grow some Cahones.... or find another job.

Video_Game_King

No, I find him to be fairly biased towards PC games, especially if Valve has made them. Seriously, if there's even a single valve in the game, he has little to nothing bad to say about it. Meanwhile, he'll beat the hell out of any Japanese game whenever he gets the chance. Not saying I won't trust his reviews, but it'd be nice to see somebody with the same review format, but completely different ideologies.

One reason he likes PC is he is like 40y/o like me. Most of us old fart just did not buy consoles much.... My PS3 is the only console I have ever owned and I bought it to play GTA4... while I waited for the PC version.

Another reason is Valve make great games, they have basically not failed yet and dont look like failing.

I would also give consistency to Yahtzee over GS as they often do things that make no sense... Mirrors edge rating as a game and its place in the GOTY is unfathomable.

One reason he likes PC is he is like 40y/o like me. Most of us old fart just did not buy consoles much.... My PS3 is the only console I have ever owned and I bought it to play GTA4... while I waited for the PC version.

Another reason is Valve make great games, they have basically not failed yet and dont look like failing.

I would also give consistency to Yahtzee over GS as they often do things that make no sense... Mirrors edge rating as a game and its place in the GOTY is unfathomable.

GetafixOz

40? Last I checked, he was 25. I think he admitted that in his Fable 2 review. And another company that makes pretty much all great games is Intelligent Systems. Seriously, they have one of the best track records in gaming. But Super Paper Mario was insulted. Kind of.

You mean the fact that it was in 3D wasn't enough :P? Video_Game_King

I don't, especially when many of the people on this website (actually, most websites... 1up, IGN, etc.) don't have a basic understanding of the some of the genres they review, such as STGs. [QUOTE="MicWazowski"]

Most reviewers complain about what a game did wrong, and ignore what it did right. They are way too subjective.

Greatgone12

I know what a review is. That's not the issue. The purpose of a review is to help inform/advise the reader if the game in question is worth his/her time and money.

"I dislike it, therefore, it sucks" is not a good review.

"I dislike it, but YOU might like it, so this review will be objective as possible to explore that possibility, since that's the point of this website" is a good review.

Both, inevitably, are colored by the writer's opinion. But one is much more helpful than the other. The other tell's you more about the writer than about the actual game because it is too subjective. This is why most people don't trust reviews on most websites.

[QUOTE="Video_Game_King"]You mean the fact that it was in 3D wasn't enough :P? foxhound_fox

Look, the only 3D Castlevania I've played was Castlevania 64, and that game was pretty bad. Turned me off the whole 3D Castlevania thing.

I remember when i had my super nintendo many many years ago and there were no reviews for me to go on. i never bought any mags or went on the terribly slow internet at that time, i just went to the shop looked at the game and if i liked the look of it i bought it. while i read the reviews on many sites the one who has the final say is me. why should i go out and buy a game just because someone said it kicked ass or gave it a number from 1 to 10??

The one true benefit from game sites is that they help to show you all the different games that are out there and introduce them to you. these days just about every game store lets you take back the game and swap it for another game if you didn't like it. so again i ask why do we need to buy a game that someone tells us is a 7, 8 or 10? buy doing this we restrict ourselves from games that might be great to play.

I remember when i had my super nintendo many many years ago and there were no reviews for me to go on. i never bought any mags or went on the terribly slow internet at that time, i just went to the shop looked at the game and if i liked the look of it i bought it. while i read the reviews on many sites the one who has the final say is me. why should i go out and buy a game just because someone said it kicked ass or gave it a number from 1 to 10??

The one true benefit from game sites is that they help to show you all the different games that are out there and introduce them to you. these days just about every game store lets you take back the game and swap it for another game if you didn't like it. so again i ask why do we need to buy a game that someone tells us is a 7, 8 or 10? buy doing this we restrict ourselves from games that might be great to play.

POSTAL-X

No one should take any one review as absolute law, but with games running at 60 dollars, running in blind is not a smart move. Every game is the greatest game ever according to the back of its box. Also, you're assuming that we just go by the score. Since different reviews go on different scales, a 5/10 on one site could be a 7.5/10 on the next. On the other hand, English is always English. Taking some time to read the things will do wonders. Furthermore, however much time it takes, it will take less time than making three or four trips to the store returning and re-purchasing and much less than waiting for the thing to come in the mail if you went that route.

You know that feeling you get when you walk out of a movie that looked like it would be good from the trailer and it hits you that you spent 10 dollars to see it? Imagine that but with six times more money. Sound good? No, no it does not. Oh, and trading the game in might get you half of what you paid for it, so good luck with that.

Reviews have their place and are very, very useful if written correctly, it's just very difficult to find a consistent source.

Look, the only 3D Castlevania I've played was Castlevania 64, and that game was pretty bad. Turned me off the whole 3D Castlevania thing. Video_Game_King

For me, i do trust gamespot for reviews to some point.

Example, Fable 2. i saw the review and play the game, every thing that has it pro and cons about it was spot on by the dude from gamespot who review it.

once in a while there things that i go(Wait, what the heck is wrong with people theses days.) But they know what they are reviewing.

[QUOTE="dylanmcc"]For Wii reviews, no. I mean they give Castlevania: Judgment a 3.0 but Imagine Party Babiez will probably get a 7.0 like on IGN. It doesn't make sense. I didn't like the review for Tales of Symphonia 2 either. But I trust them for PS3 and 360 games, they have pretty indepth reviews. I prefer watching the review, not reading. Gamespot's video reviews are good.
But I prefer user reviews.
foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="Video_Game_King"]Look, the only 3D Castlevania I've played was Castlevania 64, and that game was pretty bad. Turned me off the whole 3D Castlevania thing. foxhound_fox

Even if I didn't hate Castlevania 64, I probably couldn't get the PS2 ones. I doubt my local GameStop is holding any used copies.

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"][QUOTE="Video_Game_King"]Look, the only 3D Castlevania I've played was Castlevania 64, and that game was pretty bad. Turned me off the whole 3D Castlevania thing. Video_Game_King

Even if I didn't hate Castlevania 64, I probably couldn't get the PS2 ones. I doubt my local GameStop is holding any used copies.

The Internet is.

I usually don't pay much attention to reviews.

In the past there seemed to be a tendancy for critics to become fanboys when reviewing titles from high profile developers. Take Doom 3 for example. The A.I. was so dumb it tried to shoot at you through the wall. Not one review I saw said anything about it. Yet, other games with the same weak AI got slammed.

Recently, Ubisoft admitted to pressuring reviews to hold of low score reviews for Tomb Raider: Underworld. Its hard to see a reason why I should bother reading reviews for online Ubisoft titles now.

There just doesn't seem to be much point in bothering with reviews anymore.