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We all need to hear about our games from somewhere. A website, a magazine, our friends. But how do you decide whether or not to buy a game? How do you decide if a game is worth that hard (or not so hard) earned cash in your pocket?
You can read a review of a game, see how it scored. But who do you trust? Now, no offence here, but the people trying to sell the game (developers, publishers, retailers) are hardly going to tell you a game is rubbish. They want you to buy it, so they’re always going to focus on a games good points and generally ignore the bad. But even if an impartial reviewer scores a game well there’s no guarantee it will be to our tastes. The reviewer is merely putting across their opinion, there is no guarantee it will match our own opinion.
Obviously if a platform game scores over 90% or 9/10 and you love platform games it’s probably going to be a game you’ll enjoy. On the other hand, if you hate platform games you probably won’t want it despite the good score. But things go deeper than what genres you prefer. What about the reviewer? How do we know if a game is only getting a good/bad review because the reviewer loves/hates that particular genre? Well, it seems most professional magazines, sites, etc. ensure that the reviewer who reviews each game doesn’t hate that genre and so give it an unfair review.
But still, how do you best research whether to get a particular game? One of the best ways is to view comments by others, such as the reviews on this site, or on a site like Amazon. And don’t just read what you want to hear. Don’t simply choose to read the reviews giving good or bad marks out of 10. Read a varying range to see why some people liked it and others didn’t. Obviously even if everyone gave the game 10 out of 10 you still won’t definitely like it. The only sure fire way to see is to rent the game first. I don’t generally rent games because I feel it costs too much, and I have been buying games for a fair while now so I generally know what genres I like and dislike and I rarely make impulse buys anymore (unless it’s a very cheap game such as some old re-release on PC or a second hand deal). But even when you do rent games you may find you enjoy a game a lot, then go out and buy it, but then find you’d almost completed the game when you rented it so you forked out full price just to play the final level or two.
So, how do you decide what game is worth your money and what isn’t? Professional reviews? Reviews by other games players on sites like SR or Amazon? Renting? Or do you buy depending on a developers reputation or because a game is a sequel of one you enjoyed? How do you decide?
You can read a review of a game, see how it scored. But who do you trust? Now, no offence here, but the people trying to sell the game (developers, publishers, retailers) are hardly going to tell you a game is rubbish. They want you to buy it, so they’re always going to focus on a games good points and generally ignore the bad. But even if an impartial reviewer scores a game well there’s no guarantee it will be to our tastes. The reviewer is merely putting across their opinion, there is no guarantee it will match our own opinion.
Obviously if a platform game scores over 90% or 9/10 and you love platform games it’s probably going to be a game you’ll enjoy. On the other hand, if you hate platform games you probably won’t want it despite the good score. But things go deeper than what genres you prefer. What about the reviewer? How do we know if a game is only getting a good/bad review because the reviewer loves/hates that particular genre? Well, it seems most professional magazines, sites, etc. ensure that the reviewer who reviews each game doesn’t hate that genre and so give it an unfair review.
But still, how do you best research whether to get a particular game? One of the best ways is to view comments by others, such as the reviews on this site, or on a site like Amazon. And don’t just read what you want to hear. Don’t simply choose to read the reviews giving good or bad marks out of 10. Read a varying range to see why some people liked it and others didn’t. Obviously even if everyone gave the game 10 out of 10 you still won’t definitely like it. The only sure fire way to see is to rent the game first. I don’t generally rent games because I feel it costs too much, and I have been buying games for a fair while now so I generally know what genres I like and dislike and I rarely make impulse buys anymore (unless it’s a very cheap game such as some old re-release on PC or a second hand deal). But even when you do rent games you may find you enjoy a game a lot, then go out and buy it, but then find you’d almost completed the game when you rented it so you forked out full price just to play the final level or two.
So, how do you decide what game is worth your money and what isn’t? Professional reviews? Reviews by other games players on sites like SR or Amazon? Renting? Or do you buy depending on a developers reputation or because a game is a sequel of one you enjoyed? How do you decide?
P@st@ M@st@ wrote:
> I personally don't trust the official magazines.
> I bought South Park for my N64 a while ago simply on the review in the
> magazine.
HA! Dude, I totally share in your pain. I done exactly the same thing.
The way NOM reviewed it just made me want to buy it and so I did. Worse purchase I had EVER made. I think I played it once or twice and then took it out. I've still got it in it's dusty box :-)
How could they give that game such a higher score? Honestly...
> I personally don't trust the official magazines.
> I bought South Park for my N64 a while ago simply on the review in the
> magazine.
HA! Dude, I totally share in your pain. I done exactly the same thing.
The way NOM reviewed it just made me want to buy it and so I did. Worse purchase I had EVER made. I think I played it once or twice and then took it out. I've still got it in it's dusty box :-)
How could they give that game such a higher score? Honestly...
Thanks for the replies.
I used to get Nintendo Official Magazine, but more and more started to get N64 mag instead, and now I never get teh official one. N64 was set out better in my opinion, and I think the writing style was better. Also, NOM always had big game reviews or previews which would just be a double page of a big background picture, a couple of screen shots in the corner, and a few lines of text... total waste of space there, they should have been using that space to write about the game or show you actual shots of it, not just having a big page of game artwork...
Anyway, reviews on here or Amazon can be hard to trust on their own because people are more likely to take the time to review something they enjoy than something they hate, but I still find user reviews can help. Consoles I generally always buy magazines for, but PC I used to occasionally buy PC mags if they had decent demos and some games I wanted to read the reviews of, but now I have pretty much stopped and I just look on the internet at PC reviews as I don't buy many PC games now, and I doubt my PC would have high enough specs to run half of them anyway...
I used to get Nintendo Official Magazine, but more and more started to get N64 mag instead, and now I never get teh official one. N64 was set out better in my opinion, and I think the writing style was better. Also, NOM always had big game reviews or previews which would just be a double page of a big background picture, a couple of screen shots in the corner, and a few lines of text... total waste of space there, they should have been using that space to write about the game or show you actual shots of it, not just having a big page of game artwork...
Anyway, reviews on here or Amazon can be hard to trust on their own because people are more likely to take the time to review something they enjoy than something they hate, but I still find user reviews can help. Consoles I generally always buy magazines for, but PC I used to occasionally buy PC mags if they had decent demos and some games I wanted to read the reviews of, but now I have pretty much stopped and I just look on the internet at PC reviews as I don't buy many PC games now, and I doubt my PC would have high enough specs to run half of them anyway...
The Official Nintendo Magazine writers really are a bit childish, and no doubt biased when writing their reviews. You can tell from their way of writing in previous magazines.
Although they have "grown up" a bit in both their style, layout and opinions in their mag now, you can tell it;s still biased.
It's harder to tell with the other offical magazines though, but luckily there are demo discs for them...
Although they have "grown up" a bit in both their style, layout and opinions in their mag now, you can tell it;s still biased.
It's harder to tell with the other offical magazines though, but luckily there are demo discs for them...
I personally don't trust the official magazines.
Here's why.
I bought South Park for my N64 a while ago simply on the review in the magazine.
However it was and still is *********! after the purchase I read other reviews, which saw it less favourably, give it low seventies scores instead of a 96% score.
I wouldn't have been miffed off as much if the review hadn't also stated the need for a memory pack (which I later found out it didn't - and ended up with two when I really needed one with DK64)
This has happend more than once, so now I read users reviews here and on amazon. If a large enough proportion are good then I will get the game.
Here's why.
I bought South Park for my N64 a while ago simply on the review in the magazine.
However it was and still is *********! after the purchase I read other reviews, which saw it less favourably, give it low seventies scores instead of a 96% score.
I wouldn't have been miffed off as much if the review hadn't also stated the need for a memory pack (which I later found out it didn't - and ended up with two when I really needed one with DK64)
This has happend more than once, so now I read users reviews here and on amazon. If a large enough proportion are good then I will get the game.
I've often wondered if review scores are down to the individual. Take, for example, the Official PS2 magazine - their reviews claim to be written by individuals. So what would happen if a reviewer was reviewing, say, a copy of Gran Turismo 3, or Metal Gear Solid 2, and really disliked it? Would he give it a low score and represent the magazine's opinion of it? It's unlikely, because the mag would then have to accept that reviewers score as 'the Official PS2 mag's rating', even if all the other reviewers felt differently.
I'm sure that review scores in magazines are not down to one person's opinion, rather a collective opinion between all involved. I trust games mags, as most of the people that write for them are as big a geek as I am ;p
I'm sure that review scores in magazines are not down to one person's opinion, rather a collective opinion between all involved. I trust games mags, as most of the people that write for them are as big a geek as I am ;p
It depends on the format.
For PC Games, I usually just read reviews from PC mags (and Edge), and see if the forums hate the game... and if I like it, I'l probably buy it the next time I have the money. I also play the demo if available.
For PS2 games, all the games that get 7 or above from the OPS2M are considered, and some 6's - I then look around various websites to see if the public like the game. If a demo is available, then I'll put it on my list (sad, I know). Then, when I have cash to spend, iI'll look at the list and decide which games to get.
For GC games, it's a bit harder, because most reviews are really crap and biased. Of course, I take into account the comments made from the reviews, but only a bit. It usually comes down to whether I like the concept of the game or not.
*Fin*
For PC Games, I usually just read reviews from PC mags (and Edge), and see if the forums hate the game... and if I like it, I'l probably buy it the next time I have the money. I also play the demo if available.
For PS2 games, all the games that get 7 or above from the OPS2M are considered, and some 6's - I then look around various websites to see if the public like the game. If a demo is available, then I'll put it on my list (sad, I know). Then, when I have cash to spend, iI'll look at the list and decide which games to get.
For GC games, it's a bit harder, because most reviews are really crap and biased. Of course, I take into account the comments made from the reviews, but only a bit. It usually comes down to whether I like the concept of the game or not.
*Fin*
Having the beloved internet at my hands I use that to research into games which I want to buy.
I normally finding what I want isn't far off. I have many gaming sites added to my favourites and Special Reserve itself can be a great tool. The thing about this place is that many people who review games here review only the ones they think are good and so give it a good score. So mostly every game you look at has a pretty decent score. If I can find a review someone has submitted who gave it a lower score then that is good, they point out what is bad also about the game. Not every game is perfect you know :-)
I use to buy magazines when I had my N64. Some of the reviews in there were pretty good and were true but many were false and seemed to appeal more to the reviewer then me. It seems certain games suit some people and other games others.
Magazines don't do it for me anymore though, they don't offer me anything the internet can't. For example, I can come on the internet and get lots of videos of games and read a lengthy review from a realiable source for no money at all. The internet is a BIG threat to gaming magazines the way I see it.
All this looking at games through videos and reading about them way before the release date can ruin the game when you actually get it though. I've noticed that, and I hate that. So for a while now I've tried to resist the temptation of looking into a game too much before I purchase. Hasn't seemed to work though :-)
I normally finding what I want isn't far off. I have many gaming sites added to my favourites and Special Reserve itself can be a great tool. The thing about this place is that many people who review games here review only the ones they think are good and so give it a good score. So mostly every game you look at has a pretty decent score. If I can find a review someone has submitted who gave it a lower score then that is good, they point out what is bad also about the game. Not every game is perfect you know :-)
I use to buy magazines when I had my N64. Some of the reviews in there were pretty good and were true but many were false and seemed to appeal more to the reviewer then me. It seems certain games suit some people and other games others.
Magazines don't do it for me anymore though, they don't offer me anything the internet can't. For example, I can come on the internet and get lots of videos of games and read a lengthy review from a realiable source for no money at all. The internet is a BIG threat to gaming magazines the way I see it.
All this looking at games through videos and reading about them way before the release date can ruin the game when you actually get it though. I've noticed that, and I hate that. So for a while now I've tried to resist the temptation of looking into a game too much before I purchase. Hasn't seemed to work though :-)
I personallly ask around here look at amzon and read reviews in mags.
We all need to hear about our games from somewhere. A website, a magazine, our friends. But how do you decide whether or not to buy a game? How do you decide if a game is worth that hard (or not so hard) earned cash in your pocket?
You can read a review of a game, see how it scored. But who do you trust? Now, no offence here, but the people trying to sell the game (developers, publishers, retailers) are hardly going to tell you a game is rubbish. They want you to buy it, so they’re always going to focus on a games good points and generally ignore the bad. But even if an impartial reviewer scores a game well there’s no guarantee it will be to our tastes. The reviewer is merely putting across their opinion, there is no guarantee it will match our own opinion.
Obviously if a platform game scores over 90% or 9/10 and you love platform games it’s probably going to be a game you’ll enjoy. On the other hand, if you hate platform games you probably won’t want it despite the good score. But things go deeper than what genres you prefer. What about the reviewer? How do we know if a game is only getting a good/bad review because the reviewer loves/hates that particular genre? Well, it seems most professional magazines, sites, etc. ensure that the reviewer who reviews each game doesn’t hate that genre and so give it an unfair review.
But still, how do you best research whether to get a particular game? One of the best ways is to view comments by others, such as the reviews on this site, or on a site like Amazon. And don’t just read what you want to hear. Don’t simply choose to read the reviews giving good or bad marks out of 10. Read a varying range to see why some people liked it and others didn’t. Obviously even if everyone gave the game 10 out of 10 you still won’t definitely like it. The only sure fire way to see is to rent the game first. I don’t generally rent games because I feel it costs too much, and I have been buying games for a fair while now so I generally know what genres I like and dislike and I rarely make impulse buys anymore (unless it’s a very cheap game such as some old re-release on PC or a second hand deal). But even when you do rent games you may find you enjoy a game a lot, then go out and buy it, but then find you’d almost completed the game when you rented it so you forked out full price just to play the final level or two.
So, how do you decide what game is worth your money and what isn’t? Professional reviews? Reviews by other games players on sites like SR or Amazon? Renting? Or do you buy depending on a developers reputation or because a game is a sequel of one you enjoyed? How do you decide?
You can read a review of a game, see how it scored. But who do you trust? Now, no offence here, but the people trying to sell the game (developers, publishers, retailers) are hardly going to tell you a game is rubbish. They want you to buy it, so they’re always going to focus on a games good points and generally ignore the bad. But even if an impartial reviewer scores a game well there’s no guarantee it will be to our tastes. The reviewer is merely putting across their opinion, there is no guarantee it will match our own opinion.
Obviously if a platform game scores over 90% or 9/10 and you love platform games it’s probably going to be a game you’ll enjoy. On the other hand, if you hate platform games you probably won’t want it despite the good score. But things go deeper than what genres you prefer. What about the reviewer? How do we know if a game is only getting a good/bad review because the reviewer loves/hates that particular genre? Well, it seems most professional magazines, sites, etc. ensure that the reviewer who reviews each game doesn’t hate that genre and so give it an unfair review.
But still, how do you best research whether to get a particular game? One of the best ways is to view comments by others, such as the reviews on this site, or on a site like Amazon. And don’t just read what you want to hear. Don’t simply choose to read the reviews giving good or bad marks out of 10. Read a varying range to see why some people liked it and others didn’t. Obviously even if everyone gave the game 10 out of 10 you still won’t definitely like it. The only sure fire way to see is to rent the game first. I don’t generally rent games because I feel it costs too much, and I have been buying games for a fair while now so I generally know what genres I like and dislike and I rarely make impulse buys anymore (unless it’s a very cheap game such as some old re-release on PC or a second hand deal). But even when you do rent games you may find you enjoy a game a lot, then go out and buy it, but then find you’d almost completed the game when you rented it so you forked out full price just to play the final level or two.
So, how do you decide what game is worth your money and what isn’t? Professional reviews? Reviews by other games players on sites like SR or Amazon? Renting? Or do you buy depending on a developers reputation or because a game is a sequel of one you enjoyed? How do you decide?