Death Stranding reviews made their way online last week, and the internet has got itself all worked up about some of the wildly different scores that have been published. We gave it a 5 out of 5 in our own review, though Hideo Kojima’s latest certainly isn’t for everyone, and many will no doubt benefit from reading critics’ thoughts on it before they buy.
But we want to hear your thoughts on whether or not reviews impact your buying habits. Do you scour the internet for reviews before picking up a new release, or do you generally overlook the critical consensus? Let us know in the comments section below, and we’ll feature our favorite response in tomorrow’s Tell GR!
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: “I do, though rarely will a review sway my decision on whether or not I’ll buy it. Given that I spend every day covering and reading about the games industry, I usually have a solid handle on whether a game will appeal to me before I buy it. I’ll always read different perspectives from the critics I enjoy, but my interest is typically locked in before the reviews roll around.”
Jason Faulkner, senior editor: “I only give GameRevolution reviews any salt. Most of the time, I’ll just ask one of the guys here if they’ve played it, or watch gameplay on YouTube. Sometimes, if an older game catches my eye, I might look it up on Metacritic. For the most part, if a game piques my interest I’ll just go in blind and hope for the best.”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: “Unless they’re for a game whose story I really don’t want spoiling, which is rare, I’ll read a bunch of reviews before making a purchase. With so many games out there to play, I don’t really have the time to waste tens of hours on a subpar title. Reviews help me lower the priority on those games.”
Michael Leri, features editor: “I only read reviews pre-release if I truly don’t know what to think about a game, which does not happen often. Generally, if I know I’m going to play it, I’ll just read reviews after I finish said title. I like to avoid spoilers at all costs so that is why I use reviews more like critical reading pieces over buying advice. But Death Stranding is throwing all of this out the window.”
Loksoral wins last week’s best Tell GR reply!
Question: “What’s the scariest moment you’ve faced in a game?”
“Condemned 2, and that fucking bear scene.
Fuck that scene.”
