Best Video Game Review Sites

[rocklobster]

I was wondering what sites you people use to decide which games to buy, rent, or skip. I use Gametrailers and a youtube channel called Wiiviewr. The guy on that video even lets his kids help on some of his reviews.

[goldenspines]

I listen to the CAA Gamecast.
(so, CAA as a site, I suppose. ^_^; )

Either that, or just ask around a lot and see what most people liked. ^_^

[animewarrior]

Well I usually read the reviews on IGN, read Gamepro (the local library has it), and read the Playstation magazine if it's a recent game... depends if I can pick up the issue tho... an then I just read user reviews on Amazon and ask friends XD

[ADXC]

I usually use IGN.

[Peanut]

Metacritic.

[blkmage]

For game reviews, I usually go to Eurogamer and 1up.com. If I really need to look further, I'll head to Gamespot. Beyond that, I find IGN/Gamespy fairly terrible.

[Gabriel 9.0]

All of the above, along with Tips and Tricks, Electronic Gaming Monthly, however both are now defunct....

[Cognitive Gear]

My fellow forumites are the best source for game reviews.

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]Rpgfan.net has a huge list of solid and very thorough reviews. (of RPGs, since that's my favorite genre)

Also, 1up.com for anything else. I'm pretty positive they have reviews for older games as well, which is nice. [/SIZE]

[CAAOutkast]

The Review sites that I like are: Christian Answers,CAA,and finally the most important one of all,GameFAQS.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I don't really go in much for the reviews, but I like Destructoid. It's a good blog about the industry at large.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Metacritic.

Trufax.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I like Game Informer and PC Gamer, but it's been years since I've read PC Gamer. I remember when it was almost an inch think XD

[Scarecrow]

Game Informer... Gamespot sometimes but Game Informer seems to be the most accurate. If something gets a 8-10 in GI, I'm pretty sure its gonna be great if it's in my genre. 7 turn out to be ok and generally anything they rate 6 or lower is absolute crap.

[Tommy]

..My own instinct.

Ah yes, I trust that source so much for buying Final Fantasy X-2 for 50 dollars.
Great purchase.





GameSpot is usually the first place I look.

[Nate]

I am a hater of 10 point rating systems, so any site that uses it is automatically out in my book. Because seriously, how do you quantify the difference between a 4 and a 2? Once a game gets below five (five being AVERAGE on a 10 point scale, whereas most people seem to think a six is bad, which is another reason why I hate 10 point rating scales), how do you quantify the difference between such low numbers? How is a four better than a three? It's like trying to choose whether a punch in the nose or the stomach is better...it all sucks, so why try to rate it?

That said, I go to a little known site called Gamerevolution, which doesn't use a number rating system but rather a "school grading" system of A through F, along with a bullet list of pros and cons listed for quick reference below the rating. Quick, easy to understand, and not loaded. I don't agree with all their reviews (they gave Sonic Chronicles a B+, when that game deserves a D- at best, and even THAT'S being far too generous), but they're good enough.

The only really negative thing I can say about the site is they're not a big name site, so they can't get early reviews like other sites can, and their staff is pretty small so they don't review a lot of games either, and sometimes reviews can go up days or weeks after a game has already released.

[Htom Sirveaux]

The Escapist's Zero Punctuation. It's a rare game Yahtzee doesn't hate the living heck out of, but I watch it for the entertainment value. For a serious opinion, I first get a general consensus from various game sites and magazines, then give it a hands-on try courtesy of my local Blockbuster.

[Tarnish]

I used to trust Gamespot well enough until they gave Runaway, which I consider to be the worst game I have ever played, an 8.5, while Silent Hill 2, one of the best games I have ever played, recieved a 6.

Now I just rely on gut instincts...and free rentals.

[Htom Sirveaux]

I used to trust Gamespot well enough until they gave Runaway, which I consider to be the worst game I have ever played, an 8.5, while Silent Hill 2, one of the best games I have ever played, recieved a 6.

Now I just rely on gut instincts...and free rentals.

They gave Silent Hill 2 a 6!? Blasphemy!

[Nate]

While I already didn't like Gamespot (again, 10 point rating systems irk me), the whole Kane and Lynch fiasco completely destroyed any shred of credibility they may have had in my mind.

[ich1990]

I am a hater of 10 point rating systems, so any site that uses it is automatically out in my book. Because seriously, how do you quantify the difference between a 4 and a 2? Once a game gets below five (five being AVERAGE on a 10 point scale, whereas most people seem to think a six is bad, which is another reason why I hate 10 point rating scales), how do you quantify the difference between such low numbers?.....

That said, I go to a little known site called Gamerevolution, which doesn't use a number rating system but rather a "school grading" system of A through F, along with a bullet list of pros and cons listed for quick reference below the rating.......

I noticed a similar problem when reviewing books (I use a ten point scale). My average rating seems to be around 7.5, when, logically, it should be around 5. In fact, I haven't ever given a score lower than a 5 (which was pretty terrible). However, I research my books thoroughly before I read them and therefore read low quality books infrequently. Thus, it stands to reason that my average ratings will be higher than a 5.

Perhaps, then, game review sites consider a 6 bad when a 5 should be average is because:

1)They don't play/review extremely bad games (such as those which should garner a 1/10)
2)There are far more good games produced than bad ones or
3)They have low expectations that are easily met

Also, how is an alphabet style rating system any better than a 10 point system? An alphebet system actually should be worse, considering it has twelve possible grades (a, a-, b+, b, b-, c+, c, c-, d+, d, d-, and f). How do you tell the difference in quality between a d+ and a d-, for example?

I use IGN and Metacritic for reviews.

[Nate]

How do you tell the difference in quality between a d+ and a d-, for example?

I tend to ignore the pluses and minuses for the most part, for the reason you just mentioned. I don't even like pluses and minuses on letter grades in schoolwork.

[MasterDias]

I typically agree that a score of 6 or 7 are usually considered the "average" ratings of most 10-point game sites I've seen, and anything less is terrible. Not really how it should be, but I don't really know what can be done about it.

That's why I appreciate sites like Metacritic and Gamerankings that take an average of the scores of various review sites.

Math signs on the letter grades are also pretty irrelevant...

[Fish and Chips]

None of them, with the excusable exception of any review site that drops any pretense of "Reviewing" and dissects the game itself. They tend to make better points about their subject matter, and with their integrity intact. They also usually carry a lot more personality than your standard review.

There are a couple good sites for this. I personally peruse Action Button Dot Net, which is tragically inaccessible to people who can't use search browsers.

Usually though, I find games purely by hearsay or by chance, and only occasionally by recommendation. Then I'll look them up on Wikipedia (Official Game Pages are ridiculously uninformative but look nice), glance down GameFAQs or Metacritic to get a general idea of how well the title was received, then maybe hit up YouTube for some gameplay videos. This is around when I decide whether I want the game or not, and have either secured a copy on Amazon or Steam, or even "Used" in good condition.

Review sites are an afterthought, like when I already have the game in the mail.