Game Reviews – Read’em or Not?
2 Comments Written by Top Buzzard / Posted in UncategorizedGame reviews, every magazine has them and the all claim to have exclusive first looks at games and offer their in-depth review on the games in question. If you’re like me you often start out reading the game review and after a few sentences jump down to see the actual score or “bottom line” that these editorials offer. Despite reading the game review I often give the game review very little credit and go out and buy the game anyway just because I think it will be a cool or exciting game. After all how many times has a movie critic claimed that a movie was great and it was awful or that it was a horrible movie yet I loved it!
I also wonder how accurate the game reviews that are written are. If a game publisher has millions in advertising available to promote their new game title and wants to advertise it how appreciative would the game publisher be if the game got trashed? Maybe that is why I read the reviews but don’t always buy them hook line and sinker and go out and purchase the game only to wish later that I read the whole game review.
I personally feel that most of the reviews that I have read did have some redeeming qualities and insight that I found useful. I also bought many games despite what the review claimed. Sometimes they where right on and the game was really bad and other times I bought the game despite the review and thought the game was much better than the review gave it credit for. Just to see how you gamers think, take a second and check the poll on in the top right. Its informal and basic but might give some valuable insight into how important and valuable the game reviews are in determining buying decisions.
Game On!
I have to agree with you on that. A lot of games, especially within the last few years have got a ton of advertising dollars. So much in fact sometimes it gets hard to tell what is really going to be great, or mediocre. I sure everyone can remember the Halo 3 commercials with the diorama of the battlefield (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQnh7k09XBo) with a brute holding Master Chief . If you were anything like me the thought that instantly crossed my mind was, ” Wow, this game is going to be huge.” I am by no means saying the game was not a good/bad game or that it was anything horrible. I enjoyed it but the promotion for the title felt better than the game at some points. The same goes for the current Halo the commercial for it was amazing and made me want to see what was going on. The question is before you pick a title with major advertising like that do you think man I’ve gotta get that or hmm is that really all that is promised. While the subject is going about ads the Too Human magazine add that ran was amazing itself, it showed bodies with death times about the generally about a second apart and your awesome character standing over them. How could a young gamer possibly not want that game? It is straight to the point .
I guess what I am getting to is, now there is no way of telling whether a game is really credible. You can look at reviews all day see the 5 out of 5’s or 9.5’s; whatever they may be. In the end though it being good and you liking it are two completely different things. Nintendo used to put their seal of approval on games they deemed worthy of play back on the original Nintendo and this didn’t mean everyone would fall in instant love with the game, it simply meant the game was done well and was not some grand marketing ploy. The best thing we can do as gamers is use tools to our benefit (like we already are) and share our insight with each other on games. At least that way we can get a straight answer from someone on how much they really enjoyed a game that was good or bad. With that in mind we can make the infamous decision of new, used, rent or save money.
So the next time you are on XBL or PSN look at one of your friends game list see what they’ve played and ask them about something find out what they think. Especially, if they are one of your specific title buddies. Don’t leave yourself in the dark and likewise share info back.
Great Comment. As a side bar to your comment, because of all the media noise about games we launched a new site http://www.gamerrated.com. The site is designed so that the gamers can actual vote/poll what a game is really about and worth. check it out and thanks for a great comment. Keep them coming!