Hypereides
Member
Hypothetically, yes.But we kinda need a tool to help us as consumers determine what to spend our money on.
So in theory, reviews and reviewers should be a great thing. Especially multiple reviews. Like Metacritic. Not just one review/reviewer, because one review is anecdotal. But if 49 reviewers pull their scores together (Metacritic) and we find the average, that SHOULD be a fair assessment, no?
But, often both sides, users and journalists, derive their verdicts from personal bias. You'll find some ridiculous extremes like 0s ("worst thing, ever") and 10s ("Zomg! game of teh forever") among those user reviews. Some of these "professional" reviews tend to be riddled with unwarranted modern day political commentary nowadays which absolutely should not be a place for that. Most people gloss over the writing and neglect that it could've influenced/impacted the final verdict. They go straight down to the score under the assumption that they were derived in good faith. It makes them both flawed in practice.
Ultimately, the best thing you can rely on is your own preferences, gaming history experience and research. You know yourself better than any reviewer. These journos and reviewers are often less informed about and skilled in video games than the average gamer anyway.
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