[quote name='PyroGamer']What?
"sucks for them"??? The WHOLE POINT of reviews is for THE READER'S BENEFIT. Reviews aren't some sacred institution that we have a moral obligation to keep in the "perfect" format, they are made for one reason only: to serve the reader.
"Sucks for them"? If it "sucks for them" than IT SUCKS. Period. How could it "suck" for anything else? It's sole purpose is "for them". If it sucks for them, then it simply SUCKS.
2nd:
"they'll enjoy using their own personal judgment based on whatever they know instead of listening to someone else"
WHAT??? Then what's the point of the revie? If it's not to "listen to someone else", then what IS the point?
And where does this information of "whatever they know" come from? If it's not from "listening to someone else", then it has to be from playing the game themselves (or watching it played), in which case you either own the game, or you are subject to perhaps a non-objective video representation of the game (so in a sense, you are still "listening to someone else")
Reviews are meant to objectively rate the QUALITY of a game.
Telling someone to "buy it", "rent it" or "skip it" does NOTHING to address the OBJECTIVE QUALITY of the game.
A five star scale, a 1-10 system, something objective and simply is the best way to objectively rate a game, compare it with other games, and make a simple, unequivocal statement on the QUALITY of the title.[/QUOTE]
the problem is the majority of individuals don't read the review and base their entire judgment on just the number at the end. I know I've done it in the past and I know that a majority in general do this. Of course not everybody does it. removing a score and making someone read the actual review is the only wat i can think of an individual basing an opinion on content rather than a simplififed number,
Reviews shouldn't have a buy it, rent it, skip it, attitude attached to them. Every person's view is different in what constitutes a game that is worth it to them. For example, Condemned for Xbox 360. I would put down $60 for this game just like I did at launch even after going through it about 4 times. To me it's worth buying and not only worth just buying it's worth the $60. But I also see posted a bunch of places and even comments from my friends that there is no way in hell worth $60 and not even worth buying, just renting. The game got an 8.7 on IGN. What does that even mean without any content attached to it? How can a simplified scoring system determine this? A review based on what the game should represent without a "score" or even maybe a verdict would be much better off.
Regarding the information elsewhere someone can get, they can get it from watching videos of gameplay online, so far gameplay videos have been a very good representation of gameplay mechanics for the most part. On top of that, word of mouth from people that have played a game. And even further, just simple previews of a game. I guess my main point is that anybody that takes a numerical value to heart and bases their entire decision on just that deserved to be shafted if the game isn't what they wanted it to be because they didn't read the review. HENCE "sucks for them" I know someone that bought the Darkness by just seeing it got a 9 something on IGN. Didn't even read what the review said, never watched a single video of the game or anything. And now they wish they just should have rented it. Obviously a stupid a move, but that's just one example. That's why i think removing a numerical value or even a verdict would help people, since that's what reviews are supposed to do. It would force people to read and determine a purchase based on the content, again. It's there money though, so i guess more power to people that do that...