When you buy a game do you........

[Prine]

When you buy a game do you buy it because of the reveiw given by mags, opinons by friends/people, or because it sounds and looks good??

I bought Rumble Racing without reading the review, just on other peoples opinions on the forum.

And I hated the game, gave it back within 24 hours.

I have never bought a game without reading the review, and I payed for it with Rumble Racing.

what about you guys??

[Seabass]

sometimes it's reviews- when CVG did a awesome coverage of FF7 i rented and loved it

and sometimes it's cause of the genre- i brought suikoden 2 cause i like RPG's

and in some cases it's cause i like the character (y i got lots of mega man and kirby games)

[disco kandi]

I don't usually read reviews before buying.

I have the opinion that my own knowledge of what makes a good game is better than the majority of reviewers in magazines - especially UK magazines which generally are very poor.

When buying a game I do the following:

1. look at released media available online e.g. screenshots, movies.

2. judge from previews whether or not I will enjoy the style. Are there any features in the game which stand out?

3. look at previous games from that developer - are their previous games good/bad? Have I enjoyed their previous games?

4. read any impressions on forums from other importers who I know have similar tastes to myself.

Since I am an importer, I need to be able to trust my own judgement. When buying games on Japanese import there never usually are reviews of the games, apart from Famitsu.

[Prine]

DK I bet you got Bouncer (I would have too if I didnt read any reveiws).
But from what I have heard, its a terrible game. Thats why I am happy that games mags are around, to help me make that crucial decision to buy a game.

[disco kandi]

Prine

The bouncer got a fair amount of positive reviews!!

I have The Bouncer, and Im keeping it in my collection because while it is not a great game, I do enjoy it:)

[Prine]

All the reviews that I have read, said Bouncer is a waste of a game.

EDGE gave it a 3/10

I didnt want to belive it, because I was waiting for this game with high expectations, but the reveiw from EDGE was the final knockout punch.
If it got a 7/10 or 8/10 I would have still rushed out to buy it, but 3 out of 10!!

I respect EDGE and they are always right (IMO) about the games they review. I will probably rent the game, but buying it is out of the question.

[disco kandi]

Yep Edge hit it hard:)

Still who do you trust more? Someone you don't know, or your own opinion? You never know, you might have enjoyed the bouncer.

EDGE are not always right. Read posts here, and on the EDGE forums and you will see that plenty of people disagree with them.

Also, how do you know they are always right if you dont play the games they review?

Its a good idea to rent the bouncer, rather than buying it if you aren't sure. At least its another PAL release, something which the UK market needs.

[Prine]

DK i get the Good games they review. When they comment about the ups and downs of a game I totally agree with them. Also I do agree with their best game of this year being PSO.

[Prine]

Also I do rent games that I dont want to belive are bad. And guess what?
They are poor games.

[hyper!! james]

I always read the Digitiser review before I buy anything. I know a lot of people don't like them, but I've found over the years that myself and Paul "Mr Biffo" Rose have very similar taste in games (and also humour!), so 95% of the time, if Mr. Biffo likes it, I'll like it.

I also like their news and features. Whereas some magazines gloss over the issues and are little more than PR booklets for their respective formats, Digitiser stick to their guns over issues.

[charlesr]

Yep. Digitiser lay it on the line. If a game is unoriginal, they will say so, but will still say whether it is good or bad. And they don't mind slagging off games companies directly if they deserve it. Their constant crusade against 3DO (Army men stuff) is hilarious.
wrrrrr lkkkkkk prrrrrrrrrrn

[hyper!! james]

Hrrrrrrpfrrrrrlrrrrr nrrrrrrrt chrrrrrrrrld prrrrrrrn!

[charlesr]

Nrrrrrrr. Jrrrrrrrrrrst errrrlrrrrfnnnnt prrrrrrrn.

Excerpt from Man Diary:
I have a new job at an atomic research laboratory. Yesterday we had fun breaking down molecules into their component parts and mixing various chemicals together.
Then we dressed up as pirates, smashed the place up and did 200,000 pounds worth of damage.

[Chow]

Reviews are there to give you some indication on what a particular game is like for the person reviewing it.
It doesn't automatically mean that because a game got 9/10 or 90+% that it will appeal to you.
People all have different taste in games and I found from my own experience that you should rely on your own judgement, because in most cases it proves to be more accurate than any review written.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Sometimes. Depends whether I'm sure I'll like it or not.

Some games, I don't need a review to know I'll like them, some I check magazines (usually Edge), and some I already know I must avoid.

I once bought a game just from seeing it on a display stand (Spyro).

[Sega GameSation X]

I sometimes buy games on impulse if the game looks like my type!

I accidentally stumbled across Tokyo Highway 1 simply because it was the cheapest Dreamcast game in HMV! (in the January sales just after DC was launched...what a reason to buy a game!)

Now I'm totally glad I bought it because it remains one of my fave DC games! (mock all you like! This game is a little hidden gem!)

Other times it's been because every magazine has raved about it, and so I've bought it to see what all the fuss is about (nowhere near here rents many games, an when they do, they're usually all old launch titles)

Then it's been because I've played it at a mates house or something, a while ago I'd say if a game didn't look like my type I'd steer clear, but having tried Tony Hawks on PSX, I just had to get the game even though I don't have an interest for Skateboardin as a sport.