Do you look for a minimum meta score when deciding to buy a game??

[dirty_epic]

Hello

I am enjoying the Christmas Sale and learning as I go along.. I feel the offers ARE getting better over time and as the days go on we will see better stuff.

If I see a game which is very good lets say 90 out of 100 then I snap it up.. lets say games like Batman etc which get very high ratings etc

The problem is there have been a few games which have been on a Daily Deal or Flash Sale which are good but not amazing if that makes sense.. so lets say it gets 83 out of 100.. I think there was Mirrors Edge etc

It's then I find it difficult to decide if I should buy it.. I also look at meta critic link on the Steam game description page and YouTube video reviews of the game to see if it is the sort of game I would enjoy playing?

There have been a few games which I would have got if their meta score would have been a bit higher.. I always look for something which is at least 81 out of 100.

Do you have a minimum rating that you will not buy the game if it goes below??

Do you think I'm being too harsh , in other words can I game with 82 out of 100 be awesome?

[Treiger]

I don't even look for metascore. I look at a playthrough and decide if it's a game I see myself playing.

[AlexanderTFG]

I look at gameplay and maybe some reviews from critics whose opinions fall along with mine but usually the games are so cheap that I'll buy it as long as I'm interested.

[adamus]

never judge a game by its metascore since game critics are sometimes really stupid....

[Sentinel 08295]

No but if it's less than 70 I'll investigate why. Remember that you can't trust a single review, but if the average of hundreds of reviews is low, it's usually for a reason. Also check the player/user reviews. A lot of time they will unmask a game that got high pro reviews while the average player saw mediocrity. Games in this category would include ME3, DA2, CoD:BO2, Diablo 3, etc. You know who the offending games are.

[Gus the Crocodile]

No. Nothing wrong with taking other people's opinions into account (though I'd never buy a game just based on a number), but it only makes sense to listen to people who have similar tastes to me. Metacritic scores include people who like very different things than I do, making them basically worthless.

[Mojocrunch]

Reviewers may not have the same taste as you. I have the ability to love films that apparently suck according to IMDB and hate the ones that are near the top. I check gameplay videos. A few years ago i would look at the trailer. Obviously that's an even worse idea than reading reviews.

[Kano™]

no becasue there all paid scores

[dirty_epic]

Thanks for the response.

I agree with you people that you should look at MULTIPLE reviews from users and pros... that is what meta critic is??

If I am thinking of buying a game I look at the average score from at least TEN pro review sites.. and if I look at user reviews then I look for hundreds..

If I see a game with ALOT of high scores from different pro review sites and and it has hundreds of user reviews that give it good scores.. then it's going to be good.. it works the other way if a game gets alot of complaints about a bug or flaw it means don't buy it.

I understand that where you draw the line will differ from person to person.. with me anything under 80 out of 100 and I'm thinking it must be bad.. someone else may be happy with 75 out of 100..

The gameplay videos on YouTube are VERY helpful.. if I'm not certain then that will help me decide cause you can see if you would enjoy something like this... like Torchlight and Bastion and Trine looked gorgeous on YouTube etc and it convinced me.

[FTN1971]

I don't use to choose games using Metascore cause there is big problem about the rate :there are those who rate the game cause it have incredible graphics , others care about the story , another ones rate games cause is an amazing RPG , incredible Indie , etc , etc.As a begginer that respects everybodies choices i ask friends that plays the same games i do ( basically action) if them can help me , so if the guy is a CS or a COD fan like me and is experimented in lots of games i ask what can be nice for me and buy what he says.
I know Dota 2 , X Com and others ,are great for lots of people , have big fans ,will be stupid from myself if i tought millions of players are wrong!!!! but for me ( and i hope it changes) it don't causes big emotions , can say more , makes me angry the story , tactics and everithing else , drives me crazy.Hope i made myself clear , expect to find pleasure in those games in a nearly future , but as a begginer i'll keep whit friends advices.

[dirty_epic]

Thanks.. What the hell is Dota 2 like.. cause it's not yet released but it looks interesting

[FTN1971]

I really felt like a alien when played , but for sure is good , lots of people loves to plays.

[Lily]

If it's less than 60, I take it as a sign the game is probably not very good. Otherwise metascore isn't a major factor for me. It's just an initial filter for the really, really awful games.

Even the best indie games generally get scores in the low to mid 80s... you have to be a AAA game from a major (powerful) publisher to get a 90. For most games, 80 is essentially a perfect score.

edit: though of course with AAA games, 75-80 is pretty much the baseline score. A game has to be a complete failure to get any less than that (and sometimes, not even then), so if you only play high-profile AAA games and nothing else, a cutoff around that point may be justifiable.

[Τhe Rolling Cheese Wheel]

My minimum is 60. If it's below 60 I am mentally prepared for one hell of a bad time. Anything above that should be a toss up in terms of how good it is. This hasn't failed me so far :D, every game with a meta below 60 has been a total wreck.

[awesomepossum]

nah, not even a bit... but i do check game forums, multiple reviews, and just 100% un-unalterd user gameplay vids from youtube...

--edit although i do take into the user scores on metacrit... but the metascore is from there like staff scores only i belive....

[dirty_epic]

I'm checking gameplay on Darksiders 2 on YouTube and to be honest that tells me a lot about if I will enjoy it.. the other thing I just have a feeling a lot of users will post negative reviews a lot quicker than positive and it kind of skews the overall user rating.