Am I the only one that completely ignores perfect review scores?

Jigsaah

Jigsaah

Gold Member
No game is perfect...granted, but I believe there are games who deserve a 10 out of 10, or 5/5 stars...what have you.

Looking at metacritic I tend to peruse the reviews and look for articles within the 75 to 85 range. I do this because my feeling is perfect review scores aren't going to tell you the whole story. With Death Stranding being the flavor of the month, along with COD and Outer Worlds I want to know the good and the bad, and want to be surprised by the awesome.

After checking a few Death Stranding reviews, I feel this game would be a game that I would buy just to have it for those really weird nights where I don't wanna play any of my mainstay games. It's feels like I'm going to have to be in the mood to play Death Stranding.

It's strange because I'm still pretty hyped about it, but it's not the same kind of hype. It's really strange...and I like it. Ive gamed for a long time. To still be able to feel something new is a testament to Kojima's brilliance. I've never been excited to be bored.
 
if i was a reviewer i would never feel comfortable giving a 10/10. to me anyone who says something is perfect is full of bullshit. maybe...MAYBE if i knew the reviewer had the exact same or damn near similar taste to me then it might mean something but nah. perfect reviews are bullshit.
 
I didn't think people bothered buying games based on review scores as I thought more folks would be more say invested in the hobby to do more research into the game they are buying or not buying.

Most reviews feel like snake oil.
 
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I wonder how many of these reviewers who gives perfect scores actually continue to play these games well after they are released on their free time.
 
I don't buy games at launch anymore. I tend to just watch someone stream the game on Twitch (without a cam of themselves just a direct stream) and see how the game plays. If im still not sold i'll watch a video review of some random YouTuber but I don't pay attention to scores.
 
Jigsaah said:
No game is perfect...granted, but I believe there are games who deserve a 10 out of 10, or 5/5 stars...what have you.

Looking at metacritic I tend to peruse the reviews and look for articles within the 75 to 85 range. I do this because my feeling is perfect review scores aren't going to tell you the whole story. With Death Stranding being the flavor of the month, along with COD and Outer Worlds I want to know the good and the bad, and want to be surprised by the awesome.

After checking a few Death Stranding reviews, I feel this game would be a game that I would buy just to have it for those really weird nights where I don't wanna play any of my mainstay games. It's feels like I'm going to have to be in the mood to play Death Stranding.

It's strange because I'm still pretty hyped about it, but it's not the same kind of hype. It's really strange...and I like it. Ive gamed for a long time. To still be able to feel something new is a testament to Kojima's brilliance. I've never been excited to be bored.
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That is the right way to go to be honest.

The Middle Reviews tend to talk about the good and bad, and why the person did/n't like the game overall.

100s or even 90s are circle jerks by the usual shills of the Industry. I understand that they have to kiss arse and what have you, but a perfect score is very fake and artificial.

My favourite games of all time are very flawed, but I love them regardless. Bugs and all!
 
Jigsaah said:
No game is perfect...granted, but I believe there are games who deserve a 10 out of 10, or 5/5 stars...what have you.

Looking at metacritic I tend to peruse the reviews and look for articles within the 75 to 85 range. I do this because my feeling is perfect review scores aren't going to tell you the whole story. With Death Stranding being the flavor of the month, along with COD and Outer Worlds I want to know the good and the bad, and want to be surprised by the awesome.

After checking a few Death Stranding reviews, I feel this game would be a game that I would buy just to have it for those really weird nights where I don't wanna play any of my mainstay games. It's feels like I'm going to have to be in the mood to play Death Stranding.

It's strange because I'm still pretty hyped about it, but it's not the same kind of hype. It's really strange...and I like it. Ive gamed for a long time. To still be able to feel something new is a testament to Kojima's brilliance. I've never been excited to be bored.
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That's me!! It's not run of the mill hype for me but more like "wtf am I getting into, what will I see, what weird shit will happen" type of hype. "Stranger things" type scenarios I'm looking forward to lol. I'm glad this isn't some cookie cutter type game, we have enough quality games like tht already e.g. Call of Duty.
 
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The only time i ever listened to prefect 10/10 review scores, was in the old EDGE days. they are very harsh with review scores, and hardly every gave out 9's, nevermind 10's. I think the first 10/10 game i saw was Mario 64, Zelda Ocarina of Time, and Halo CE. All landmark games, and deserving of that kind of score.
 
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Nowadays I'm very careful with review scores in film, tv and videogames because of access media shilling. Steam User score however is serious business for me, a game with 88-91%+ and a couple of thousand reviews is usually top tier shit.
 
Someone putting their reputation on the line with a 10/10 always gets my attention, though maybe your right and it shouldn't.

Death Stranding, the reason for the season, is a great example. If it got unanimous accolades like God of War, I'd probably ignore it because I found that game to be merely 'good'.

Death Stranding however, garnerning as many 100s as 70 and below has gotten me more interested than if it was mostly generic praise - that someone thinks it's great in a way that's not obvious.
 
Holammer said:
Nowadays I'm very careful with review scores in film, tv and videogames because of access media shilling. Steam User score however is serious business for me, a game with 88-91%+ and a couple of thousand reviews is usually top tier shit.
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😂

Like DOTT remastered?
 
RyuCookingSomeRice said:
10 doesnt mean perfect
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I know 10 doesn't mean perfect. 10 means that its a game the fundamentally moves the industry forward in some way. Does something wholly unique and executes it in a way that people can cherish as a monument to games of it's kind. It's why GTA games get 10s all the time. It's why Mario 64 got it. A 10 is also representative of the times and what our technology is able to produce at that moment. It's also when a game can be seen as "timeless" meaning 10 years later, you can go back to the game and still say it was the best of it's time or even ahead of it's time.
 
I will say if I see a game get a 10/10 from a known and respected gaming site that does give me some interest in the game. Regardless of the score I have to be interested in the game in the first place. If I am interested in a game and it gets a 10/10 then would typically solidify my interest.

If the score is from some unknown or less than reputable site then the score means nothing.
 
I don't think anyone intends a maximum score to mean that the game is "perfect" or completely free of flaws. It's just a statement that they think the game that they reviewed deserves the highest praise that they can give at the time. Demanding that it be reserved for "perfection," which is impossible, is just odd to me.
 
GalacticPeddler said:
Why is there all this talk about review sites anyway?

Respected YouTubers>>>>>>review sites
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I dunno, I read easy allies review and i thought it was done very well. Just depends on how you wanna consume the media. I have youtubers I watch as well for reviews. I think it's a bit close minded to only look at one or the other and expect to get a full picture.
 
I ignore all reviews. There is so much content put out for each release I almost feel like I've completed the fucking games before I ever get round to buying them.
 
The worst are the 100/100 scores.
It's divine perfection according to the reviewer and there apparently isn't a single thing that could've been done better.

Get out with that bullshit.
 
Not just you. Since I became an adult and learned to read, I find myself paying more attention to the text and the arguments made within. It's illuminating and allows me to either be inspired to play the game, or ignore it because it doesn't sound like my thing.

That said, I give this thread a 6.

...

More seriously, I do agree with you. Perfect scores often seem like they're blowing smoke up their arse and i've commented before about how's it's weird that we don't get a bigger deal difference of opinion with gaming critics. Most people here are gamers and we rarely agree on anything.
 
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People let hype get to them, and sadly that includes reviewers. The best game ever comes out and it has to be amazing, 10/10. But then a few weeks pass and it's forgotten because it actually wasn't anywhere near close.

Personally, I don't let a review decide if I buy a game. Never have, never will. Played hundreds of 10/10 games that were shite, and I've played hundreds of 3/10 games that were awesome.

If I do ever read a review, I always go right to the negatives. Then, I weigh it up with other sites, and see if they mention the same thing. I disregard stupid shit like "game was too hard, needs an easy mode, when you read stuff like dark souls, but if all the reviews mention the same complaint, I take note.

But reviews are pointless, and can't be trusted anyway because it all depends on the person reviewing. IGN are terrible for it, where they stick somebody who has never played that type of game on the review...
 
A reviewer should use the full scale. I don't pay much attention to any reviews. If I play a game, and love it. Then I might check out some of the high end reviews to see why they gave it such a high score.
 
Honestly, it's the extreme scores that attract my attention be it low or high . It makes me wonder what makes someone thing a game is worth 10/10 or 1/10 . A 10/10 doesn't affect my purchase at all but a 1/10 may depending on what is said
 
I think numbered scoring isn't the best system, specifically because 0 and 100 scores are conceptually ludicrous.

0 scores are ridiculous because everything that exists deserves some sort of credit. Even if a game is a Unity game where you press up to make a gray untextured cube move two meters in a gray untextured plane before displaying text of "Youre Winnner!" in comic sans, that still deserves at least a 1 or 2 out of 100.

100s are ridiculous because in giving something a 100 you are saying it can't be improved and that everything about it is the best it could possibly be.

I think a better system would one that is not numeric but can still accurately gauge the reviewer's enthusiasm.

Here's an example of a simple system like this:

  • Would very much NOT recommend.
  • Would NOT recommend.
  • Use your own judgement.
  • Would recommend.
  • Would very much recommend.
The above is already how some people use the 5-point system (Dunkey immediately comes to mind), but again attaching a number to it implies things that the reviewer doesn't intend (which is why people give Dunkey shit for giving games 3/5 even though he considers that a neutral-positive score).

It also avoids the confusing problem that reviews have where 10 is perfect, 8-9 are great, 7 is meh, 6 is shit, 5 is absolutely putrid, and 1-4 don't exist.
 
Definitely. I think it says more about the reviewer than the game for the most part.

I'm a little more forgiving of a 5/5 or 10/10 because there's some leeway there, but 100/100 ...GTFO of here
 
Someone giving perfect score doesn't mean the game is "flawless" it just mean that person enjoyed the game enough to give that score and it also doesn't mean when game gets perfect score it guarantees you are going to enjoy the game. This is why its important to actually read/watch actual review instead just looking at the score. Maybe the thing they praise in their reviews might not be positive points for you.
 
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No, you're not the only one. When I sense a popular series is in some decline, I'm gravitating towards reviews that give average scores. Skyward Sword was average to me and not a 10/10 some critics gave it, for example. That's just me; many fans think it's a great game.
 
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ROMhack said:
Not just you. Since I became an adult and learned to read, I find myself paying more attention to the text and the arguments made within. It's illuminating and allows me to either be inspired to play the game, or ignore it because it doesn't sound like my thing.

That said, I give this thread a 6.

...

More seriously, I do agree with you. Perfect scores often seem like they're blowing smoke up their arse and i've commented before about how's it's weird that we don't get a bigger deal difference of opinion with gaming critics. Most people here are gamers and we rarely agree on anything.
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6 out of 5 stars. Dope! Thanks man!
 
Idc about reviews, but there are some people who's reviews I do appreciate, even if they think differently.

And honestly, 90% of the reviews I watch after I beat the myself and I'm just curious about other people's experiences.
 
Whitesnake said:
I think numbered scoring isn't the best system, specifically because 0 and 100 scores are conceptually ludicrous.

0 scores are ridiculous because everything that exists deserves some sort of credit. Even if a game is a Unity game where you press up to make a gray untextured cube move two meters in a gray untextured plane before displaying text of "Youre Winnner!" in comic sans, that still deserves at least a 1 or 2 out of 100.

100s are ridiculous because in giving something a 100 you are saying it can't be improved and that everything about it is the best it could possibly be.

I think a better system would one that is not numeric but can still accurately gauge the reviewer's enthusiasm.

Here's an example of a simple system like this:

  • Would very much NOT recommend.
  • Would NOT recommend.
  • Use your own judgement.
  • Would recommend.
  • Would very much recommend.
The above is already how some people use the 5-point system (Dunkey immediately comes to mind), but again attaching a number to it implies things that the reviewer doesn't intend (which is why people give Dunkey shit for giving games 3/5 even though he considers that a neutral-positive score).

It also avoids the confusing problem that reviews have where 10 is perfect, 8-9 are great, 7 is meh, 6 is shit, 5 is absolutely putrid, and 1-4 don't exist.
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I cracked up at the "Would very much NOT recommend" :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
If you base your game purchase based on reviews then your in trouble, make your own judgement watching trailers or gameplay on youtube.
 
Nah, I am more or less the same.

Hyperbolic praise just leaves me feeling like I know for sure I won't love the game as much as the reviewer. I think it's almost a "spoiler" of sorts if you're going in thinking "so and so loved this".

I think weird outlier negative reviews can be even worse because they just come across as dishonest and mean and almost troll-like.

Usually your 7, 8 and 9 out of 10 reviews will have the most value and if a game doesn't have many of those then it probably ain't good.

The problem for me with games like Death Stranding and Sekiro this year is that I'd prefer to go in as blind as possible so I would ignore 10 out of 10s in favour of judging for myself.

Generally I have found that if a game legitimately interests me and is reviewing at 75 or more then it is likely I will enjoy it.

ACG has a good system with buy, wait for sale, rent or never touch. I think that is better than having some meaningless score.

For the most part I think the quality of many games can be reasonably well judged from trailers and pre-launch gameplay footage.

True 10 out of 10 life changers are very very rare.
 
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Saruhashi said:
Nah, I am more or less the same.

Hyperbolic praise just leaves me feeling like I know for sure I won't love the game as much as the reviewer. I think it's almost a "spoiler" of sorts if you're going in thinking "so and so loved this".

I think weird outlier negative reviews can be even worse because they just come across as dishonest and mean and almost troll-like.

Usually your 7, 8 and 9 out of 10 reviews will have the most value and if a game doesn't have many of those then it probably ain't good.

The problem for me with games like Death Stranding and Sekiro this year is that I'd prefer to go in as blind as possible so I would ignore 10 out of 10s in favour of judging for myself.

Generally I have found that if a game legitimately interests me and is reviewing at 75 or more then it is likely I will enjoy it.

ACG has a good system with buy, wait for sale, rent or never touch. I think that is better than having some meaningless score.

For the most part I think the quality of many games can be reasonably well judged from trailers and pre-launch gameplay footage.

True 10 out of 10 life changers are very very rare.
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Yea it's kinda like in borderlands 3 where a friend was like "OMG this part is so funny"...I just know it's not gonna be because even though they don't tell you what exactly is funny, you just know it can't be nearly as funny as what they are saying.
 
Started ignoring them after a bunch of legit retards gave Skyward Sword a 10. A game that beats you over the head with tutorials basically every moment was a 10 to some people. Let that sink in.
 
I'm right there with you, honestly I don't pay too much attention to reviews in general. I'll glance over them to see what the gist of them is, watch video reviews for more footage, etc. But that's really it. I'll never let a set of numbers dictate on whether or not I want to put some of my time into a game. 🤷‍♂️
 
I gave up on reviews in 2011 after PC gamer gave Dragon Age II a near perfect score of 94%. There has never been a more blatant trumped up score in video game history. That game was an abomination that needed another few years at least.

Having said that, I haven't played Death Stranding yet, and I haven't been a fan of many Kojima games since MGS3. Maybe a new challenger has appeared?
 
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