Topic: Reviews for GC games: How much do you depend on them?

[WindyMan]

Do you heavily depend on reviews when looking for a game to buy?  Do you lean more towards one site or magazine, or do you check them all?  Do you think all reviewers are biased and you totally ignore them?  Do you think renting first is the only way to go?

Personally, I rarely buy a game based on its review scores.  The only thing I've ever bought due to reviews alone was TimeSplitters 2, and I must say I'm happy with it.  Virtually all the other games I've bought are ones that have either proven themselves before (Super Monkey Ball 2, NHL Hitz, Madden, etc.), and the obvious Nintendo games that are going to kick ass automatically.  Some games I'm going to buy automatically, because I'm a die-hard series fan (Extreme-G, Burnout 2).  Basically, if I'm not familiar with a game, I don't usually risk buying it, even if it does have favorable reviews.

However, I must admit that I do like to read reviews of games after I've bought them, to see if the opinion of the reviewer matches my own opinion of the game.  That way, if I ever do decide to get another game blind off of a review, I can check those sites (and individuals) to see if it's the game fror me.

What are all of your thoughts on reviews?  (Please refrain from saying IGN and GameSpot are biased.  Individuals have their biases, but entire sites do not.)

[Sean]

Basically, I love reading reviews, but only when I'm right on the fence do I rely on a review to sway me.  More often, reviews warn me of the games I need to stay far away from, and it's at times like these that I read EVERYTHING to see if there's a consensus of some sort.  I've seen reviewers pan a game that I absolutely adore, and if I'd've followed the reviews solely, well, I'd have been unhappy for all time.

I enjoy IGN Cube, but I read most online sites and print mags, although I only subscribe to EGM, a magazine I trust a good deal, mostly because I'm so familiar with the reviewers' tastes.

In the end though, the case is: I just love games, I love reading about them, arguing about them, looking at them, admiring them, etc.  I think the more you know about gaming--the more experience you have with them-- the more you enjoy the subtle things that stand out and set great games apart from good ones.  This applies to movies and books and most anything else.  

[Marcus Arillius]

Quote
Originally posted by: WindyMan

Personally, I rarely buy a game based on its review scores.  The only thing I've ever bought due to reviews alone was TimeSplitters 2, and I must say I'm happy with it.  Virtually all the other games I've bought are ones that have either proven themselves before (Super Monkey Ball 2, NHL Hitz, Madden, etc.), and the obvious Nintendo games that are going to kick ass automatically.  Some games I'm going to buy automatically, because I'm a die-hard series fan (Extreme-G, Burnout 2).  Basically, if I'm not familiar with a game, I don't usually risk buying it, even if it does have favorable reviews.

However, I must admit that I do like to read reviews of games after I've bought them, to see if the opinion of the reviewer matches my own opinion of the game.  That way, if I ever do decide to get another game blind off of a review, I can check those sites (and individuals) to see if it's the game fror me.

I'm the same way.  I love series games that you know will be amazing i.e. Zelda and Final Fantasy (of course, so fanboyish and amatuer, I'm proud of it though).  I'd go as far to say that I NEVER buy games based on reviews.  I only buy based on the premise of the game or if its a continuation in the series. Sometimes I'm ecstaticly pleased (any FF, Zelda, GTA,) and sometimes I'm putridly disgusted (Sonic for Gamecube was just God awful, Mario Sunshine was meh....hard to say, I wasn't happy with it, but I wasn't displeased)  I'm almost always pleased with Nintendo 1st party games (Pikmin, how I adore thee and prayest for thou sequal.) so you could say that I buy based on the developer as well.  

 

[Mingesium]

Here is a breakdown of my games:

automatic buy - Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros., Resident Evil Zero, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Metroid Prime, Tony Hawk 3
got because of good reviews - TimeSplitters 2, Super Monkey Ball, Animal Crossing, Pikmin.

I usually buy the franchise games without a review. If the franchise game gets bad reviews, then I might picked it up later for a cheaper price. I depend on reviews of unknown games. Word of mouth also sways me to purchase games. I heard good things about Animal Crossing from my sister. After reading these boards, I'm tempted to get Skies of Arcadia Legends.

I like IGN's reviews because I think that their taste in games is very similiar to mine.

[Reverse_Gecko]

Reviews dont affect my buying deicisions. Basically anything first, or second party, or exclusive third party(like factor 5) i get. 3rd party i stay away from,  unless there is some reason i should buy it(for example ts2 was made by many people who work on goldeneye, which was a second party game, so i got it).

I only read reviews for entertainment and to hype me up.

[Calibretto]

As Mr. WindyMan said, I like to read reviews after I buy a game to see what they think of it, but I almost never rely on review scores to make my purchasing decisions.  Sometimes, I read review about games before I buy them, but just on games I know nothing about and I want to learn about the premise of the game or what the gameplay entails.  I use reviews more as a sneek peek into the play mechanics and inner workings of a game, and don't rely on the rating systems much at all.

[theaveng]

REVIEWS SUCK.  I rely on word-of-mouth from other gamers.  I go into a forum and say, "What games should I buy?" and wait to see what they say.  The games that are talked about over and over (Pikmin, Final Fantasy 10, Metroid Prime, Zelda: Ocarina of Time) are the ones that I buy.

Unfortunately, that methodology didn't work here, because the moderators don't allow people to ask questions like that.  Dumb.

[Hemmorrhoid]

Quote
In the end though, the case is: I just love games, I love reading about them, arguing about them, looking at them, admiring them, etc. I think the more you know about gaming--the more experience you have with them-- the more you enjoy the subtle things that stand out and set great games apart from good ones. This applies to movies and books and most anything else.

Absolutely right, very nicely said


I think reviews are important because theres too many games around that look promising so you have to be guided on which ones you pick.
Its not like I totally rely on what reviews say, but, they have a defined standard with which they rate a game, and they usually explain this standard. So if IGN gives a game 9.0+ its usually a pick for me(if the game interested in the first place). But I also rely on other sources and perhaps primarily on fellow board cubers.

Its also surprising how differently some games are rated, ive seen 5.something(IGN) reviews for DMC2, but also very good scores 80%+ for DMC2.

[mouse_clicker]

I'd say a good 75% of the games I buy I've already made the decision to purchase long before any review comes out. That's games like Metroid Prime, SMS, Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, etc. Another 15% of the games I buy I bought because a friend of mine heavily reccomended it and I played it as his house. I usually trust my friends' opinions more than reviews. The final 10% are the games I use reviews for. They're the games like .hack or Wario World in that I'm interested in the game, but I'd really like to see a few opinions of it before I actually go out and pruchase. Devil May Cry 2 I almost bought blindly until I ran across some reviews that said it wasn't worth my money. I wonder what Capcom was thinking.

So overall, I depend on reviews very little if at all. I do like to read them, though, for the games I already have.

[WesDawg]

I respect Penny Arcade's opinions. They're not really a review sight, but they tell the truth. Them and Nintendorks, although Nintendorks are usually to late to be much use. I rely on reviews a lot I guess. Ya gotta actually read 'em though. Theres some pretty good writers out there. I'd say I trust their opinions a lot.

[David G]

I really only go by reviews if I am renting the game.  Once that is done and it's proven that the game is a must buy, i go out and get it.

[Biohazard]

I don't care about reviewers opinions, look what they gave RE2-3.  Such great games with little scores due to what...price?  I mean come on now, I don't read any reviews at all and don't care what the editors think.

[Kellk]

I'm in the same boat as Sean (post above).  I love just reading all the game sites and that includes the reviews.  I use them for corroboration of my own feelings on certain titles based on what I've seen and heard of them.  However, the most important thing reviewers do for me is playtest.   If they tell me the control is awkward, or there are graphical glitches like clipping, pop up, framerate problems, etc. that factors heavily into whether I will get a game, even if I really want the game and like everything else about it.   At that point, I look to see if there is an alternative -- maybe a port for another system, or a similar game in the genre that doesn't have these problems.
Reviews are always subjective.  And even when care is taken, sometimes you're gonna get a guy that hates RPG's and likes fighting games reviewing some tactical strategy game set in a fantasy world and they just won't understand what's to like about it.  That's when you look for more reviews or public opinion to straighten things out.

I like the IGN reviews best, and generally go to them first.  Then I'll check Gamespot.  Then I'll go to Gamerankings and get a general feel.  Nintendo Power has multiple reviewers for each title, and I like that in principle (and I especially like how they rank the reviewers' preferences of genre) but for some reason their reviews don't work for me.  Maybe it's because they don't devote enough space to explain their thoughts, or maybe they just suck.  /shrug.  I love reading Penny Arcade and like their opinions, but I don't tend to like the same things they do.  For instance, MoO is a whole big pile of boredom to me.  OPM seems to do a better job than Nintendo Power, but of course, they review different games.  I get a sense that they are given more leeway for independent thought than the NP guys.

[Ian Sane]

Most of my Gamecube games are first and second party titles and those are consistently good enough that I usually buy them on release day.  Sometimes I get to look at some reviews first sometimes I don't.  I do usually check out reviews afterwards just because I'm curious to see what other people felt about the game.  Third party games I usually check out reviews first as they're not quite as consistently good.  So in those cases I might wait a few days after release to buy them if I have to in order to read some reviews.  A lot of games (unfortunately) don't get released in my area (BC) until a few days after the American release date so I often have time to read reviews beforehand.  For titles that I'm quite sure I'll buy on or close to release I'll usually just check Gamespot and IGN (and PGC if they have one up in time).

There are of course titles that I'm only sort of interested in and I always read reviews ahead of time for those.  In those situations I'll usually check a lot of reviews just to make sure the title is worth owning.  In those cases the average score on GameRankings.com plays a big part in my decision.  Something like Tube Slider for example is a title I'm interested in but I don't know much about the game so I'll check out every review I can when it comes out.

The final score does play a part in my decision but it's usually the content of the review that really helps me decide.  Now if a title gets like a 3/10 I won't even bother to read the review but if it gets like a 7.5 or an 8 I'll read the whole review just in case what the reviewer didn't like I'm willing to overlook.  It's the same thing with a high score like a 9.  Resident Evil got pretty high scores but I didn't buy it because of the controls.  Most reviewers were willing to overlook that issue but I wasn't so I didn't buy it.  I've learned to do that ever since I bought Jet Force Gemini (which got good scores) and realized that the aiming was just too irritating and I couldn't enjoy the game.

There are other factors that play into things.  My birthday is in December so I don't buy many titles that are released late in the year because I can instead ask for them as birthday or Christmas gifts.  In those situations I'll read many reviews because often I'll have a good period of space between the release date and the time I recieve the game as a gift.  In those situations I read the reviews more to hype me up for the game rather than to tell if it's worth buying.  Another factor is that I rarely buy two brand new games in one month so if two games I'm really interested in come out at roughly the same time I'll likely read a lot of reviews for the title I don't buy with the intent on buying a used copy down the road.

One thing worth mentioning is that if I didn't read reviews I never would have even tried Super Smash Bros Melee.  I hated the first game and assumed I wouldn't care for the second but every review I read said it was the best Cube game released yet so I gave in and rented it for a friend's birthday.  I absolutely loved it and it's one of my favourite Gamecube titles.  I never would have given it a chance if I hadn't read reviews beforehand.

[WhoDey]

I think almost everyone who is knowledgable of the gaming industry depends on reviews to some extent. Why would you not want to? Back when I started playing the NES there was no internet and very few game mags to check up on games with. I remember going to a store plenty of times with $50 in my pocket having no idea what to get. I'd judge a game solely by looking at the back of the box. That's all I had and often got burned by doing this. Fifty bucks is a lot of money to get burned on, especially when you didn't have a job.

Reviews are cool because it gives you an idea of what the game is like. Now just because some game gets 9's and 10's across the board doesn't mean I'll go buy it. I still don't have Smash Bros' because I don't like fighting games. And just because someone gives a game a 5 or 6 doesn't mean I won't enjoy it.

We all know what kind of games we like. It's stupid not to use reviews to make sure it's what you think it is. Even if you just listen to a friend, he's still giving you his review so really you are using reviews. Use common sense and looking at reviews can't hurt.

[Christberg]

You know, it really depends on the title.  I base my decisions on the developer's track record just as much, but then if the title starts getting consistently bad reviews, well... I forget about it.  I really like Gamerankings because it gives me handy access to a large portion of all the reviews on the internet, which I then base my opinions on.

I certainly don't consider reviewers the end all be all decision makers on whether a title is worth purchasing or not based on the raw scores due to the fact that they tend to be jaded and only pay attention to highly hyped titles or on the flip side of that are wined and dined for good scores and I take that into account when I read the review.  If it seems pretty apparent that the actual text of a review says one thing but the rating says another then I discount it.  Then again, if I see a game having a pretty poor average review rating then I tend to relegate it to "rental" status if I was planning on buying it and "no buy" if I wasn't interested.  In all actuality modern review scores 7 is actually an average game too which is a real problem.

[couchmonkey]

I think everyone relies on reviews a bit...as one person put it, back in the days before the internet, it was really easy to get $50 screwed out of you.  Even players who don't read reviews in particular have to build up their knowledge of what is good and bad...and a friend's recommendation counts as a review!

Of course as you get to know game companies, one starts to learn who makes good games and who makes bad games, but if you rely totally on the reputation of a company or a series of games you can still get burned.  Nintendo has a great reputation, but I still thank my lucky stars that I didn't buy Yoshi's Story before I read some reviews.  Conversely, people who completely ignore Acclaim just because many of its games are mediocre are missing out on some great titles like XGIII.

[TAYREL713]

I have an odd use for reviews. I usually use reviews to justify purchases I have already made. DVD's, CD's the works. Like I copped "Jackie Brown" on DVD, knew it was a great presentation od what I take to be Tarentino's best work but then I read every single possible review fter the fact to back up my opinion. You have no idea how many Metroid Prime reviews are out there and the worst one I read from at Game Pro which leads me to the conclusion that they are biased and have not been relevant since the early 90's. I put the greatest credence in Extended Play's reviews of games as of late. They really give you a good idea of whats good and bad in the game and for those who need it a number score. A four is a solid, solid game that may have a framerate problem here or there, a five is just what you think it is, a 3 is a rental that you could decide if you like enough to cop (mind you this is how I perceive these ratings not how they are decsribed). Anything below that wont be visiting my home without some serious selling point or my wife just wants to see it (see BMX XXX).

[Marcus Arillius]

Actually, I DIDN't buy BMX-xxx based on reviews of the game.  I was seriously considering buying from all the hype.  I'm glad I read the reviews on it about how awful it was.  I didnt make my decision based on one review however, I read several reviews from several different game sites, and ALL had the same opinion of the game.  So, I buy games because I want them, but I won't buy games that I'm warned about.