Does review/rating affect your decision to buy Games

larch · Post by **larch** » 13 May 2008, 18:22

With console game prices hitting the roof locally and most new console titles exceeding the R700 mark which for some of us is a lot of money to be spending on a single game. Which means that we have to pick our games really carefully before we go out and buy them. So my question is how much does a review/rating affect your decision to purchase a game?, if at all and if not how do you go about deciding what game to purchase next for your console of choice.

Lately I have been ignoring the score reviewers from websites and magazines have been given games, dont get me wrong I still read them and take note of them. But I dont exclusively use them as a benchmark for purchasing my games anymore. I have started to browse most of the local gaming communities and reading what they have to say about a certain games, as I have found that reading a vast amount of different opinions about a game title makes it easier for me to decide what game to purchase next.

And is perfect scores for games being dishes out to easily these days?, with Grand Theft Auto 4 and Metalgear Solid 4 recently receiving the highest numerical accolades possible from many critics. Shouldn’t a perfect score mean a perfect game? And is there value in having name attachments to reviews, reviewers or a certain magazine or website.? So when that reviewer gives a game a 10/10 that you might expect that you would also agree or disagree with the reviewer, and buy/not buy the game depending on the reviewer review.

Personally I dont think there is something like a perfect game that would be able to receive a perfect score, and there never will be one in my opinion. Because if a game reached perfection what else would there be to reach for? So no I dont attach myself to certain reviewers, websites or magazines when it comes to reviews I will rather check what the local gaming community has to say about a game. And if that fails I will fall back on a review that was published online or in a magazine, but only as a last resort.

http://larcho.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/ ... se-a-game/

capanno · Post by **capanno** » 13 May 2008, 19:01

Why do you always post a link to your blog with the same article?

StarBound · Post by **StarBound** » 13 May 2008, 19:19

Read the score. Read the pros and cons. After that read the article if the reasons arent clear enough or if I havent seen the game in action. If it wasnt a game I was planning on buying I will let the review be my deciding factor.

StarPhoenix · Post by **StarPhoenix** » 13 May 2008, 19:27

Where possible, I prefer to get a feel for a given game by playing the demo or trying it out at a friend's house. Failing this, I turn to the range of opinions expressed over at Metacritic.....

DarkStar · Post by **DarkStar** » 13 May 2008, 19:56

I try to get hold of gameplay videos, and if possible the demo.

This two are usually deciding factors. (for me)

Interfan · Post by **Interfan** » 13 May 2008, 20:12

I ignore reviews and demos. Reviews I feel are inaccurate and with many I can't trust them since I don't know whether it's really what the reviewer though or if he was bought to give a good score.

And Demo's never give a clear picture when it comes to crpg's and since I play mostly those games demo's are worthless to me.

I make up my own mind or if I am in doubt I will ask fellow gamers on forums what they though.

Post by **Ron2K** » 13 May 2008, 20:32

I am extremely wary of reviews - games have been given high scores, only for the games to turn out rather mediocre, Halo 3 and Crysis being examples of this.

Pretty much the only review I'll go by is the Zero Punctuation one.

zerubabel · Post by **zerubabel** » 13 May 2008, 20:37

I let well written reviews, like IGN's, swing my vote.
For example, Gamespot's review of GTA4 was bullcrap. 10/10 with a 2 page piece of horse manure that seemed to be written by a kindergartener.

IGN's reviews are generally very informative, and if they miss info I need to know, i look to www.gametrailers.com
I feel that GTA4 deserved the 10/10... looking at all the "top rated" games that have come out lately, GTA4 is lightyears ahead of any of them in terms of content and effort. And who knows, MGS4 might be the same.
Just cause 2 games coming out at the same time relatively, are absolutely brilliant, doesn't mean that 10's are being handed out too easily... No siree..

And remember, the scores are comparing the games to the current games being released.
The top games from 1999 wouldn't get good scores at all these days, but in the days where 3-d was relatively new, and not very advanced on consoles, you had games which used it very well and got almost 10's.
Same applies today. What game comes close to doing what GTA4 does? None. Thats right.
GTA4 is years ahead of the current generation of games, hence getting a 10. Maybe from now on games will be compared to GTA4 and MGS4 which are already out, and be getting lower scores.

Thats how reviewing and scoring has always worked, and will always work.

larch · Post by **larch** » 13 May 2008, 21:13

zerubabel wrote: I feel that GTA4 deserved the 10/10

10/10 means perfect in every way with no flaws whatsoever, I have yet to see a game like that released with the exception of tetris. LOL! And even the great GTA4 has its flaws

I think to many reviewers get sucked into the hype of a games getting released these days.

ZeroS · Post by **ZeroS** » 13 May 2008, 21:46

Subjectively speaking, reviews are a great help. Being a fan of RPG's, I check reviews to find out, for example, what gameplay system is in place and if it's really worth the buy.

However, recently, reviews tend to be a bit too generous when awarding points. Remember the post Sinncross made on the AWX forums in the MGS4 thread, I kind of hold the view that between that and the one that no game actually deserves a 10/10.

eg. GTA III was given a 9.5/10 in 2006 (or whenever it was released). If it was, hypothetically speaking, released today it wouldn't even get an 8/10 in comparison to other games (GTA IV) in it's genre. In that point in time (2006) GTA III was as good as a game in that genre got.
However, I also believe that no game can garner a 10/10. Perfect score meant that at that point in time that game was absolutely beyond reproach. There was not a single flaw in the game and every aspect of the game (originality, gameplay, graphics, etc) had reached the pinnacle of perfection in that point in time.
A fallacy if you ask me as every game will have it's quirks and flaws.

Maybe they're paid to give out reviews like that as it'll bolster sales.

general_koffi · Post by **general_koffi** » 13 May 2008, 22:03

I look at Metacritic.

If the only semi-decent reviews come from publications like the "Melbourne Tribune" or "Pasadena Chronicle", then I likely won't play the game. :p

If IGN, Gamespy and Gamespot all give it decent reviews, there must be something to it.

Xiphan · Post by **Xiphan** » 13 May 2008, 23:39

ZeroS wrote:Perfect score meant that at that point in time that game was absolutely beyond reproach. There was not a single flaw in the game and every aspect of the game (originality, gameplay, graphics, etc) had reached the pinnacle of perfection in that point in time.
A fallacy if you ask me as every game will have it's quirks and flaws.

I think there is a perfect game, and based on your avvie you should know what it is too!

ZeroS · Post by **ZeroS** » 13 May 2008, 23:48

Ironically so, I just happen to be playing FF7 Crisis Core. And yes FF7 was as good as RPG's got at the time. It may have been almost perfect but it too had one or two flaws. Remember how frustrating it was to to breed a golden chocobo.
Sure everything else overshadows these minor flaws, yet they do exist.

The highest score I would ever give a game is 9/10 and FF VII is close to that.

Nookie · Post by **Nookie** » 14 May 2008, 06:54

reviews, for me, do play a part in my decision to buy a game. not so much the rating though. all the rating is, is a random number someone though up as they had to give this game a score.

the reviews and the gaming forums are much better as they give everyones opinion on the game. game trailers are also a help but alot of them done show what the game truley looks like.

if you think about it, if a reviewer is not a fan of that certain type of game he/she will not give it a very good score and if they are a fan then it will be given a better score than it deserves.

unfortunatly for this you will never really get an un-byes opinion. so the only way to go about it is to get everyones opinion and make up your own mind.

so, in closing - the best thing to do is to check the forums and find out what all the gamers think of the game and make your mind up from there.

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 14 May 2008, 07:20

zerubabel wrote:looking at all the "top rated" games that have come out lately, GTA4 is lightyears ahead of any of them in terms of content and effort.

uh.huh... light years... right.. care to offer up some examples of all this futuristic content and 'effort'?

reviews mean nothing. demos and other gamers experience are what matter... i would take 4/10 from a dedicated critic as being worth a damn sight more than all the perfect scores metacritic can muster...

zerubabel · Post by **zerubabel** » 14 May 2008, 10:47

rustypup wrote:
zerubabel wrote:looking at all the "top rated" games that have come out lately, GTA4 is lightyears ahead of any of them in terms of content and effort.
uh.huh... light years... right.. care to offer up some examples of all this futuristic content and 'effort'?

reviews mean nothing. demos and other gamers experience are what matter... i would take 4/10 from a dedicated critic as being worth a damn sight more than all the perfect scores metacritic can muster...

From a self-proclaimed GTA hater, and someone who has not played the game, your post just seems to be more trolling.
Maybe pick up a copy, play the game, and then come argue about GTA4.

If I can punch a camera-man in the face, then proceed to pick up and throw his camera in the ocean, and get a "hey, what the hell are you doing??" response, I'd say Rockstar went really in depth with making the experience as realistic as possible.
I have many other hilarious scenarious which I've experienced in Liberty City, and it all goes towards creating a fullfilling experience.
Uber HD 10000^infinity graphics is not the most important thing in a game.

Taking into account all the "top releases" that have plagued our consoles and PC's lately, such as Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Crysis, and more, I'd say GTA4 is light years ahead of them, yes.
I played all those games above, and while Halo3 was fun, the rest died for me before I could even get halfway into the game..
GTA4 just continues to engross me into its storyline, with brilliant voice acting etc, and with the pure fun of it all. I spent 2 hours watching TV in the game.... And it was better than anything on SA TV these days..

PaperCut · Post by **PaperCut** » 14 May 2008, 10:58

capanno wrote:Why do you always post a link to your blog with the same article?

because no one posts comments to his blog posts (on the actual blog).

StarPhoenix · Post by **StarPhoenix** » 14 May 2008, 11:05

Rustypup wrote: i would take 4/10 from a dedicated critic....

Do you have any in mind?

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 14 May 2008, 11:29

zerubabel wrote:your post just seems to be more trolling.

- not quite.. although, nice stab at devaluing its point... top marks.

zerubabel wrote:If I can punch a camera-man in the face, then proceed to pick up and throw his camera in the ocean, and get a "hey, what the hell are you doing??"

let's see... NPCs griping about anti-social behaviour.. wow! that's never been do... oh.. hold on... yes. yes it has. for quite some time now... is this the 'light years ahead' content we're discussing?

again, if your sense of humour is as B&B as punching people in the face, i'm not surprised you'd find a great deal of humour in the game... humour is, after all, subjective...

zerubabel wrote:Taking into account all the "top releases" that have plagued our consoles and PC's lately, such as Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Crysis, and more, I'd say GTA4 is light years ahead of them, yes.

not really going to argue as none of these titles impressed me either... put in the context of other impressively immersive games, (oblivion, witcher), it's a fizzle on a short fuse...

zerubabel wrote:I spent 2 hours watching TV in the game.... And it was better than anything on SA TV these days..

this is not impossible... i've experienced more entertainment in a bowel movement than can be found on SABC.. or even DSTV...

@StarPheonix: none i've ever seen... when the hype machine kicks in, it infects everyone... i'd dearly love to read a game review by someone like The Filthy Critic... if only for the chuckles...

capanno · Post by **capanno** » 14 May 2008, 12:36

PaperCut wrote:
capanno wrote:Why do you always post a link to your blog with the same article?

because no one posts comments to his blog posts (on the actual blog).

Hahahaha high 5!

Kodama · Post by **Kodama** » 14 May 2008, 14:35

capanno wrote:
PaperCut wrote:
capanno wrote:Why do you always post a link to your blog with the same article?

because no one posts comments to his blog posts (on the actual blog).

Hahahaha high 5!

you guys tease him on this forum tooo?

Wi-five!

Skidd · Post by **Skidd** » 14 May 2008, 15:18

zerubabel wrote:I played all those games above, and while Halo3 was fun, the rest died for me before I could even get halfway into the game...

I believe there is your problem right there, any amount of thought that you try to muster seems to fail you to complete more complex tasks in a game let alone real world situations...

I believe rusty would agree with me when I say your a prime example of the general type who own a console...

larch · Post by **larch** » 14 May 2008, 17:31

capanno wrote:
PaperCut wrote:
capanno wrote:Why do you always post a link to your blog with the same article?

because no one posts comments to his blog posts (on the actual blog).

Hahahaha high 5!

Must be a low 5! since I am seeing a lot of ball touching going on

So excuse me if I don't join you. Actually my blog does better since I moved it from the abortion that is known as blogspot. I average 500 unique hits a day, and the 3 months I have been blogging on wordpress I have had 15000 visitors to my site with them spending a average of between 10 to 20 minutes on my blog per day.

My comment to post ratio is 7/10 which isn't to bad for a beginner blogger like myself.

http://larcho.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/thank-you/

That was 15 days ago, so by the end of the month my traffic would have doubled since. Not bad for someone who actually keeps his blog updated. I am also a regular blog contributer for: http://www.shotgunreviews.com/ But in the end it doesn't really matter to me if people comment on my posts or not if only 1 person reads it and enjoys it then I am happy.

I have to apologies to the other forum members for swinging around my e-penor but I felt left out with the ball touching going on.

general_koffi · Post by **general_koffi** » 14 May 2008, 17:38

Of course not every game is going to appeal to everyone.

For example, it's unlikely I'll play the next EA Rugby game no matter what review it gets. It's just not my type of game.

Even Assassin's Creed... It got great reviews, and I'm sure it does what it does well. I just can't get into it.

So let me say that reviews play a major role in whether I'll play a game or not, but they're not the sole reason.

zerubabel · Post by **zerubabel** » 14 May 2008, 18:06

Skidd wrote:
zerubabel wrote:I played all those games above, and while Halo3 was fun, the rest died for me before I could even get halfway into the game...
I believe there is your problem right there, any amount of thought that you try to muster seems to fail you to complete more complex tasks in a game let alone real world situations...

I believe rusty would agree with me when I say your a prime example of the general type who own a console...

Wow, more awesome posts backing up Rusty's trollish opinion

What have you accomplished in life kiddo?
Anyways, I won't continue this and insult you back... But I tire easily of high and mighty, uber forum intellectuals, who haven't accomplished much irl.

rustypup wrote:
zerubabel wrote:your post just seems to be more trolling.
- not quite.. although, nice stab at devaluing its point... top marks.

And you're brilliant at picking out the little bits to quote that benefits your replies. Top marks. I'm sure you'd make an excellent journalist, and I mean that wholeheartedly

I'll summarise my posts and hopefully you'll quote all of this: You're a self-proclaimed GTA-hater, thus immediately showing your great bias against this game. You haven't even played GTA4, thus you cannot argue that it doesn't deserve a 10/10.
If you didn't hate on this game so much, and you actually tried to play it, whether it be at a store or something, then your argument would carry a little more value.
As it stands, it does not.