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| 16 OCT 2002 at 4:28pm |
bistroSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 240
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Honesty. I read one review where the dude or dudette confesses right off the bat that they aren't "into" adventure or FPS or whatever, but they are going to give their review of a game that is of that genre anyway. Please.
I NEVER make my decision on one magazine/Web review alone. I like second and third opinions...preferably someone who bought it just to play it, not do a review on it.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 4:31pm |
gameguy2003Intergalactic Janitor
Posts : 7
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Thanks for the reply. That's a good point.
But magazines like PC Gamer will have one strategy dude, one action reviewer, one RPG fanatic, etc. so it's more fair than a jack-of-all-trades who may not know his RTS from his TBS.
You're right, though -- why hire a sports journalist to review Syberia?
Thanks!
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 4:59pm |
MrLipidPrivate Detective
Posts : 666
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Marc,
I do pay attention to reviews and I choose the game reviewers I read pretty much the same way I choose the movie critics I read. I look for someone who has tastes similar to mine and trust that if he/she liked Game X that there is a good chance I will like Game X. The easiest way to discover if a reviewer's tastes and mine are similar is to read a particular reviewer's comments on games I have really liked (or really detested) and see how closely our opinions align.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 6:06pm |
The Terror of the Wolf part 3Schattenjger
Posts : 2391
Joined: 11 OCT 2002
Status : Online | But magazines like PC Gamer will have one strategy dude, one action reviewer, one RPG fanatic, etc. so it's more fair than a jack-of-all-trades who may not know his RTS from his TBS.
But how many adventure game reviewers do they have? How about freeware IF reviewers? The problem with magazines is that they can never provide a fully comprehensive, educated review of an 'underdog' game.
Ultimately though, I don't much listen to reviews unless I know that I share similar taste and opinions as the person. So because of that, I normally default to listening to friends' reccomendations. Or just trust my instincts.
An example. I bought a copy of Diablo 2, even though I didn't much care for the sound of it. When I installed it, I wasn't surprised. I couldn't stand it. But, the reason I bought it was based solely on the fact that it had recieved rave reviews from many different magazines.
The lesson? I'm not sure there is one. But if you want my opinion, get reviews from a large variety of people, including fans and non-fans, friends and net-friends, and so on. And....
And if anyone has a copy of 'I have no mouth and I must scream'... can I buy it from you?
[url=http://www.justadventure.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1136331866/0#0]GAMES FOR TRADE!![/url]
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 6:07pm |
FlameBoyIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 48
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I read as many reviews as I can find, then I find I have a pretty good idea of what the game is like. I don't pay much attention to what seems like personal opinion though.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 6:25pm |
gameguy2003Intergalactic Janitor
Posts : 7
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Love the Purple Tentacle icon -- thank rocks!
Man, they must remake that game!
Thanks for the response -- this is all very educational for me.
I take my job seriously -- acknowledging someone is paying up to $60 a game -- but I can see critics aren't the be-all, end-all!
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 6:30pm |
CerberusPrivate Detective
Posts : 417
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Personally I prefer to try our a playable demo before buying new games, but if checking reviews I tend not to rely on a single persons opinion.
Also "final scores" aren't very useful (in my opinion). Better to rely on the content of the review rather than the end result.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 7:11pm |
| Deleted User | Hello Marc,
Yes, I pay attention to reviews. But the key for me is usually multiple reviews.
I generally approach this in one of two ways:
1. I read one review by someone whose game tastes are very similar to mine.
2. Or I read several reviews, balance them against each other and make a yes or no decision.
Overall, I think that game reviews are very helpful. I recently read a review by Ray Ivey (JA) about an older game that I had never thought of playing and didn't know very much about. Ray's review told me enough about the storyline and general gameplay that I have decided to buy it.
Harriet@JA
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:30pm |
ConMolSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 396
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I only trust reviews of adventures by other adventurers.
I had to stop my subscription to PC Gamer because they didn't just give bad reviews (which some games deserve) but they had to make fun of the genre as well.
I trust certain reviewers over at Gamespot and Bob Mandel at Adrenaline Vault. Of course, Ray Ivy and Randy also capture my apt attention.
I think the review should explain gameplay mechanics, interface description, puzzle difficulty and a little about the story.
I think that you cannot do a fair review if you don't like the genre.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:33pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | hullo there
do i read game reviews? yes. do i rely heavily on game reviews to make purchase decisions? not really. i start out with the best of intentions, i swear. i created a master "to buy" list of pc and console games. i was so overwhelmed by my choices, that to start the list, i jotted down all the A+/A/A- games on JA. i meant to stop there, until i'd gotten them all. no, really. except it didn't work. i went back and added all the B's. then the C's. then.. well, you get the point.
i've come to realize that as much as i would like to consider game reviews before buying a game, what i *really* want is to just own every adventure out there, old 'n' new. the reviews just help me decide which i want to buy *first* i read the reviews, i guess, to get more than a simple data sheet on a game (easily obtained from a database like mobygames), and because i enjoy reading them.
the information i find helpful in a review is technical stuff - how crash-prone it is, patches available, system incompatibilities, etc. other issues that concern me are disc-swapping and presentation, i.e. navigation, game-save system, game options, etc. all very factual stuff.
thanks for asking
.g, 513 games on The List and counting...
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:44pm |
| Deleted User | Before i buy a game, i see screenshots(how good are the graphics)...i look at demo's. I only read the Reviews if its a sequal to a game or if i hear the game's really hot . Like i wanted to buy Jazz And Faust a couple months back, but i read from the net that people said it has lots of bugs. So thats a bye bye for Jazz and Faust unless the bugs are fixed.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:46pm |
ConMolSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 396
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Oh good points! I want to know if I can save anywhere and if there are difficulty settings. I also check to see if there are cheats available if there is action.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:47pm |
MichalNGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7058
Joined: 14 SEP 2003
Status : Online | Marc,
Yes, I certainly do pay attention to game reviews.. I also always make certain to read more than one. 3-5 reviews should give me a decent idea about a game but one isn't enough because there are always games I loved and the reviewers didn't and vice versa.
As others have pointed out, it helps to find a reviewer with a taste compatible with yours, just like with book or movie reviews.
Game reviews however are "special" because they can be much more factual. Movie reviews don't spend a lot of time talking about how nice the colors were or how sharp the picture was, but in game reviews there is a lot to talk about when it comes to game technology and mechanics.
What's useful in a game review? Facts are always useful. Like who published the game and when, who were the authors, what kind of interface the game uses, how the graphics and sound work, what type of puzzles the game employs etc. This won't tell you whether you'll like the game or not but it could give you some idea.
Opinions are less useful but necessary. Final grades, ratings etc. are only really significant when they're extremely good or extremely bad. Comparisons with other similar games are useful. The only really useless reviews are those written by people who are not adventure gamers. That's like wine reviews by beer drinkers (not that there's anything wrong with beer!).
A game's success usually ultimately doesn't depend on the technology but rather on gameplay and story, and no amount of reviews can guarantee that their reader will like or dislike a game - because his or her taste is purely individual. In conclusion: read the reviews and make your own choices.
I forgot my sig.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:59pm |
NellieSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 359
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I do exactly what MrLipid does - seek out a reviewer who likes the games I like and hates the games I hate. I do it with forum people, too.
I like a review to give a thorough evaluation of the different aspects of the game - the more thorough, the better (the limited space for some reviews in gaming magazines is a big turn-off for me), and don't think end scores are very important.
[b]£1bn -[/b] Amount British government has pledged to paying off debt of poorest nations over next 10 years.&&&&[b]£5bn -[/b] Amount British government has already spent on Iraq campaign.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 9:00pm |
SnowmanSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 309
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I use reviews quite a lot as well, but I don't really base my decision to buy on the final grade. The final grade usually just gets me to read a review of a game with an 'A' before one with a 'D'.
What I usually do, is scan through the review quickly to check out the plot outline and if it sounds interesting to me, I'll read the whole thing. Then I'll make my decision on whether it sounds like something I'd enjoy and not how much the reviewer liked it.
I do like when reviewers include a description of the character controls (keyboard, mouse, both) and how easy they are to pick up. Also, I appreciate it when they let you know of any bugs or glitches they found, so I can make a more informed decision.
So far, I have found that I like Ray Ivey's reviews quite a lot (you haven't steered me wrong yet Ray!!).
Never do anything half-assed, always use your WHOLE ass!!
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 9:34pm |
Baron_Von_UngernIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 41
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | As a professionnal game designer, the only thing that annoy me is when a reviewer forget is main duty (to review a game) and launch personnals attacks on a product that didn't fit is mood.
Otherwise, it's really interesting to see what reviewers (professionnal or not) have to say about your game.
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 11:27pm |
Cindy_KIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 56
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Marc -
Great to have you on the forum! I met you (albeit briefly) at a couple of E3s and am always impressed by those who make a living with writing.
I read a lot of reviews but only rely on them if I know the reviewer's history. Over time, you get a feel for who tends to slam games you like and who likes the same kinds of things. Once a writer has credibility with me, I am very interested to see what he/she has to say about a game.
Often the criticisms ("boring, no action" or "too linear" would not make me miss a title. But, when an adventure-friendly game reviewer notes glitches or provides well-thought reasons for scoring a game low, I appreciate their honesty.
Take care and I hope you'll continue to post!
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 11:27pm |
ConMolSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 396
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Hey I see Cindy Yans is lurking around here....I appreciate her visiting the forum - it adds credibility to articles and reviews when a writer hangs out with the masses.
Especially to take the time to visit an Adventure site...hey, aren't they dead?
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| 17 OCT 2002 at 12:03am |
collectimaniacIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 12
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Reviews are useful if they give facts about the game such as type of interface, type of puzzles, general storyline. The statement 'puzzles didn't follow any apparent logic' has a big impact on if I get the game. However, that said, I have played a few games where the storyline made me want to play anyway. Then, knowing that some puzzles may be illogical actually became a kind of hint on how to solve them. Go figure.
The end score or rating doesn't really sway me, it just makes me read the one rated A before the one rated C.
And then there's price - I'm more choosy about games that are more than $30 than those I can pick up for 5 or 10.
I especially like to know if there are glitches and if certain systems had trouble, you know, the technical stuff. I don't have a brand new high speed machine ( I know, bad gamer, bad gamer ), so I have been looking into some older games.
JustG - I have read a lot of your posts - (You have one awesome game list! I bow down!) I did exactly what you did with the JA list of games. I made a list of all the A+/A/A- , etc. and for several months now have been compulsively buying older, sealed games on eBay. I can't even look there now. I can't even 'browse' I mean, I literally will browse ebay for HOURS looking at old adventure games. And of course, there is all the time spent checking with prices at Moby and Playinggamesinteractive, Cd Access. and GTZone
Kimmie
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| 17 OCT 2002 at 12:07am |
gameguy2003Intergalactic Janitor
Posts : 7
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Wow, all great replies. Thanks guys., This is invaluable stuff for a reviewer to digest!
Appreciate the candid feedback.
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| 17 OCT 2002 at 12:09am |
gameguy2003Intergalactic Janitor
Posts : 7
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Online | And thanks, Cindy! Of course I remember meeting you.
A celebrity is among us.
Keep up the great work, girl!
Marc
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| 18 OCT 2002 at 4:00pm |
CindyIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 7
Joined: 14 OCT 2002
Status : Online | There are so many Cindys in this realm, it seems. Hi Cindy_K! (Miss you!) and Hi Marc, and all. One of the things we talk about at our publication OFTEN is "what reviews mean to our readers." (Ugh... how pompous does THAT sound?) Anyway, when all is said and done, what I think is that we game reviewers are usually jaded gamers that get to see and play WAAAAAAAY too many games to understand what it's like to have to plunk your $50.00-ish over for a new game and to hope that you made a good purchase.
Since that's true... and we DO get way too much product on a daily basis, so much that it's sometimes "Ho-hum" that we may neglect to see what "real" objectivity is all about. As far as I'm concerned, no matter HOW many games he or she has seen that week/day/etc., the reviewer needs to install a game and "pretend" as much as possible (because it HAS to be pretending, given the circumstances) that they are (a) somebody who just made an "investment" (like $50 is not just a throwaway for TOO many people), (b) someone who enjoys the genre to begin with, (c) that it is a game that we WANT to like (who buys something they DON'T think they will like?), and (d) that we finish the game (if possible... i.e. there is no "finishing" online games--most adventure games and most RPGs are finite). Writing a review after and hour or two with the title is unfair to the reader... like seeing a film, and walking out really early on, and still trying to speak credibly about it.
With respect to (c) above, OK... we have to look at games that we KNOW are...gulp...not necessarily up to par... but I, for one, even want to give these the benefit of the doubt.
Anyway, to make a long post short, I think reviewers have all of the aforementioned responsibilites to their readers, and if these things DON'T happen (as I suspect they often don't) that the people who rely on reviews are short-changed. JMTC.
*****************************&&Cindy Yans&&Features Editor&&Computer Games Magazine&&www.cgonline.com&&******************************&&Eschew obfuscation&&
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| 18 OCT 2002 at 9:07pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By collectimaniac (17 OCT 2002 12:03am)
I especially like to know if there are glitches and if certain systems had trouble, you know, the technical stuff. I don't have a brand new high speed machine ( I know, bad gamer, bad gamer ), so I have been looking into some older games.
JustG - I have read a lot of your posts - (You have one awesome game list! I bow down!) I did exactly what you did with the JA list of games. I made a list of all the A+/A/A- , etc. and for several months now have been compulsively buying older, sealed games on eBay. I can't even look there now. I can't even 'browse' I mean, I literally will browse ebay for HOURS looking at old adventure games. And of course, there is all the time spent checking with prices at Moby and Playinggamesinteractive, Cd Access. and GTZone
Hi Kimmie Amen to your request for technical info in reviews; as I stated earlier in this thread, I find that sort of information invaluable as well.
One of the nice things about adventures in this must-have-latest-and-greatest-hardware age is that a high-tech machine isn't mandatory to enjoy the majority of the sort of games we play. The money we save by waiting on upgrades for a bit longer than action/fps gamers do, we can spend on more adventures That brings me to...
*blush* You flatter me. My collection is nothing compared to some of the veterans here. I, like you, keep an eye on retailers that have a good selection of adventures, as well as on Ebay. Like you, I can no longer allow myself to browse what's up for auction; I'm simply not disciplined enough. I'm unable to resist the impulse to buy that one game (one? just one? do I really only have to get just one? aww, c'mon... maybe just one more...) that I've not seen listed before. I'm unable to resist retail boxes, shrinkwrapped, in mint condition...
First amateur photographer, now amateur adventure collector... why do I always pick the expensive hobbies? *sigh*
.gita
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| 18 OCT 2002 at 9:51pm |
MaciekIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 78
Joined: 14 OCT 2002
Status : Online | The problem for me that nowadays everyone feels entitles to write the review and share this review with the world. Also, writing the reviews, arbitrary judging other people's works, gives the reviewers incredible feeling of power, not available in real life.
This leads to many very unprofessional reviews, where the reviewer forgets that his work should actually help other people, and changes the review into personal opinion about some game. Obviously, each review is somebody's personal opinion, but at least sometimes this opinion is meant to offer the reader some useful information. It shouldn't be just an expression of reviewer's feelings.
I rarely read reviews of my works, with the exception of good reviews of course, because it's mostly total waste of time.
With apologies to all good reviewers here, you know who you are, but if someone isn't talented enough to create the game, he can always write reviews.
I have to admit that one of the most balanced reviews of my work I've read were from the fans of the genre. The printed media reviews are usually the worst.
Also I've had more good reviews (statistics obviously plays here some role) abroad, than in my native country.
Maciej Miasik&&[url]www.detalion.com[/url]
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