[Unknown Target]

...I'd like to ask everyone in general, when was the last time a mega-hyped game (Bioshock 1+2, COD series, Half Life series, etc) came out, and you read a poor review about it?

Like really, if a game has a TV commercial, 9 times out of 10 it'll get at least a 9 out of 10 in every magazine/publication/review site.

Does this not bother ANYONE else?

[Dark Hunter]

Because game reviews interpret anything lower than an 8 as "garbage", and no reviewer wants to upset the massive amounts of fanboys hyped up games have.

Game reviews are **** anyway. They never have particularly useful information in them.

[General Battuta]

Eurogamer has some balls.

[Unknown Target]

I find it amusing that the gaming press/professional community likes to consider themselves "professional" at all. Half the reason games aren't taken seriously (not saying whether they should or not, that's another thread) is because the community around them is so prone to temper tantrums and so beguiled by flashy marketing and bouncing breasts. Heck, even the major critics of video games (game review sites/magazines) fall prey to the hype every single time a mega-game is released.

It's pathetic.

[StarSlayer]

Yahtzee

[Unknown Target]

Yahtzee's reviews aren't actually anything more than his opinion - at least he admits it. He doesn't even properly review a lot of games; for instance, do NOT listen to him if you want a multiplayer centric game reviewed. He simply refuses to review them on their own merits because he's a curmudgeon and doesn't like multiplayer.
Also, his general schtick is that every game is awful. Except when it comes to Valve, because he's a fanboy with them.

[MR_T3D]

Yeah, the 'major' gaming sites are BS.
I 'trust' rock-paper-shotgun, and trust seeing the game myself.

most major sites are rubbish, especially ones that give x/x ratings.

angry joe is decent, though.

[Hades]

Yahtzee's reviews aren't actually anything more than his opinion - at least he admits it. He doesn't even properly review a lot of games; for instance, do NOT listen to him if you want a multiplayer centric game reviewed. He simply refuses to review them on their own merits because he's a curmudgeon and doesn't like multiplayer.
Also, his general schtick is that every game is awful. Except when it comes to Valve, because he's a fanboy with them.

Actually, he did say he really liked Saints Row 2 (by volition) and God of War and thought they were really good.

[Unknown Target]

Nice to see that he likes two games.

Seriously, he does like other games (pretty sure he was fond of Prototype and the other one that was almost the same as Prototype except you were an electric dude), but the whole point of his thing is that he rips games apart. That's why people watch and that's why it's funny.

[mxlm]

Rock paper shotgun says hi. So does Tom Chick.

[achtung]

Speaking of Yahtzee, The Escapist itself actually seems pretty frank from what I've read in the past. Destructoid seems alright too.

[redsniper]

I haven't trusted game reviews for like... four years or so now. I say just get a demo if you can and try a game out directly, or ask for gaming advice from someone who has the same taste as you. #hard-light is good for that.

[Unknown Target]

That's another thing - what happened to releasing demos? Seriously it seems the "in" thing these days is to release betas - which are actually the same as demos, they just get to say it's buggy as hell because it's a "beta". And then the full game comes out, and it's still the exact same as the beta!

[Dilmah G]

I read game reviews usually to get an alternative opinion on a game I've bought already or going to buy. I'll listen to their criticisms and decide myself on the merits of them, but I won't do something like base my purchase of a game over the score a reviewer game it and nothing else.

[Pred the Penguin]

Reviews that actually comment on the content and not just give a rating seem to be most useful to me. Gameplay videos also help a lot in choosing games, too.

[QuantumDelta]

Haven't read reviews since NOM.

[Angelus]

Apart from Yahtzee, i almost never read/ watch online reviews. Some of the Escapist game reviews were spot on, imo, though.

I used to read the three German major Games magazines up until 2 years ago.
The were usually very critic about the Games they reviewed. They pointed out the good things and the bad things.
But now, they are full with ads and sometime i'm under the impression that the reviews were written by the developers and not the reviewer, for some ( not all) games, especially "Most Wanted" games that get hyped by the companies.

I found it strange sometimes, that a certain Magazine was able to get/ view/ play early versions of a game, way before anyone else could.
And once, a Magazine accused the above mentioned, that they get early versions, to preview/ review them in exchange for better ratings, once released.


btw:  Yahtzee for President!!! 

[TrashMan]

Angry Joe and Spoony One are the only two game reviewers whose opinions I actually respect. (on the top of my head). But I don't generally give much credence to reviews.

[achtung]

I've also found a good rule of thumb is that if the review comes out BEFORE the game is released, it's fluff.

[CP5670]

This trend of widespread review inflation seems to have started back in 2004. I have long since stopped reading any of the major review sites. I look at user reviews and what people are saying on forums instead. Even the aggregate sites like Metacritic are no longer useful, since all the sites inflate the scores.