Reviews are meaningless...

You know, I don't really listen to reviews much but I do read them, just to get a feel for what some folks think. Wether it's a user review or a review from a site or magazine, I try not to let it influence my choices but I'm always intrigued to hear other's experiences. Well, that being said, I have to tell you all now - and you probably knew this but I'm saying it anyway - reviews are meaningless. Take for example, the review that got me annoyed enough to post: IGN's review of Tekken 5 Dark Ressurection online.

Now, I don't have the game. I have the non-online version and quite frankly, I'm not a huge fan of Tekken but uh...IGN should be smacked for their review score of the game. Tekken 5 Dark Ressurection for the PSP scored like...a 9.2 at IGN. For the PS3, the same game scored an 8.2 and now, the on-line version, where it seems all they did was offer the same game with the ability to play online (hence the title, I believe) scored a 7. Now I don't know about you but I don't see how adding to a game, a feature that works as intended, actually LOWERS a game's score. Can someone explain this new system of review for me so I can fathom that one? I mean, they don't say the gameplay online sucks and they even mention the addition of an extra single player mode, which also wasn't spoken of negatively, so how does this downgrade the game?

Totally meaningless.

Didn't they just rate the online addition that costs $10 ?

anti ps3 . . .are you joking. To me this site is anti MS. No. The ps3 isnt getting any anti treatment at all its just all these shout about games that have had us all waiting and waiting . . . and waiting , are coming out and scoring flat middle when they made it sound like this game is the only game you are ever going to need to buy,

Its rubbish. We are gamers, there should be no this console that, we want to play great games. Exclusives really make me mad as so far the Sony offers none, well maybe the f1 but people are telling me its utter trash, wii - all the regulars and xbox halo, blue drags, bioshock (for now) mass effect, the real motogp and others. A console should come out that has industry backing and can play all formats leaving the fan boys to get their live and die by machine. Getting back on topic, like i ever was, reviews are guides like any other, and especially from this site they are not sole descisions. I can tell you now if EA said to gamespots producers all our games no less than 8.5 EVER for (insert 'ok' amount here) all ea games would get 8.5 +, just look at xbox mag and sony mags the billing of lair has been enourmous with people flat out lying saying oh its ace, the cotrols are the best ever, ooooh . . . rubbish. 4.5 says it aint so. Yes reviews are meaningless i totally agree as some of the best games i regard EVER have got like 6 - 9.

Well Ninja Gaiden Sigma is a 2nd rehash of an old Xbox title and it got a 9...
Halo 2 had basically no single player (crappy crappy single player, and very short) and got a 9.x...

Yet some games get bashed for being a rehash, or having a short single player campaign.

I see huge bias here and it's actually disgusting because there is no clear "standard" of how GS review their games, contrary to what they may say... Bioshock on the x360 had very bad freezing issues, which to me, is not better than "faulty controls" on Lair... and yet Bioshock on X360 scored very high and lair got a 4.5...

I'm sorry but I don't trust reviews on GS anymore.. too many inconsistencies and hypocrisies.
Problem is, I don't know where it is better, because clearly IGN and others are not :?

To everyone that thinks GamesSpot is bias against the PS3:

I hang out on all the forums, and at some point or another every one of them claims GS is biased against their system. None of it is true, and to think there is some conspiracy against a certain console (from GS, another site or the rest of the world) is just silly. And every time I hear an outcry on the PS3 boards is when a massively hyped game doesn't get the score that people wanted (coincidentally those same people formulated their expectations based on the games own marketing campaign)

So everyone just relax, we all just like to play games.

I've never seen Bioshock freeze up on my 360... though I've never played it for more than five hours at a time either. That whole work thing really throws off my play time.

Anyway, reviews are just meant to be a guide to help you choose which games you spend your money on. Thats it. If you don't agree with a review then by all means buy the game and see for yourself. At $60 a pop, games are getting too expensive to just pick up on a whim. Personally, if I have any doubts about a given game, I'll rent it first and see for myself.

they are meaningless in my opinion as well who cares really what they think. the reviewers taste will definitely be different from most people.

the thing i don't understand is why alot of people post good and bad reviews on the forum, its like they are trying to justify there decision if you like a game get it, or try it out before. i wouldn't use any reviewers judgment good or bad to justify a decision really just try before you buy.

you can't really pick and choose your reviews if ones valid they all must be. people go from saying ign biased and waiting on the gamespot review to gamespot being biased and waiting on the IGN review. its just one person opinion it shouldn't effect your decision.

I bet all these people accusing this and other sites of being biased also think it wasn't Osama who pulled of 9/11. Come on! You're all being paranoid!

Also EVERY review is biased since its written by a person with HIS OWN OPINION. Philosophically speaking objectiveness doesn't even exist. Everything written down by anyone is subject to opinion and therefore subjective, or biased if you will. That doesn't mean that if several people claim lair's controls suck that nothing is going on. It's very probable a lot of people will agree on this. And that's how a review should be used: read it and determine for yourself which part of the information it offers is useful for you.

I bet all these people accusing this and other sites of being biased also think it wasn't Osama who pulled of 9/11. Come on! You're all being paranoid!

Also EVERY review is biased since its written by a person with HIS OWN OPINION. Philosophically speaking objectiveness doesn't even exist. Everything written down by anyone is subject to opinion and therefore subjective, or biased if you will. That doesn't mean that if several people claim lair's controls suck that nothing is going on. It's very probable a lot of people will agree on this. And that's how a review should be used: read it and determine for yourself which part of the information it offers is useful for you.

NielsNL

like you siad though they are just opinion most of the reviewers can say lairs controls suck but they may work for you or may not all you have to do if your interested in a game is either try a demo if it exist or just rent it, you don't need the review at all.

also i don't think they are biased reviews but the only reason i agree with people calling them bias is because well frankly they need viewers or readers and they will exaggerate things to stir up controversy. how many times is a bad review posted all over this forum, how many hits do you think IGN got for the Lair review.

its just business and well stirring up controversy is always good business.

The most shameful review of all time in my opinion was IGN's rating of God Hand. They gave it a 3.0. While GS gave it a 8.0.