Poll: Do you take Yahtzee's reviews seriously?

[BRex21]

Yknow, if he really tears into a game and calls it utter shite it wont do much for my pre-existing notions about the game, but if he points out that the controls are bad or that it does something that it a major pet peeve of mine it usually pushes it into the demo or rent it first category.

 

[mikeybuthge]

I watch his "reviews" for comedic value mainly, if i really wanna try a game, even one he hates, i'll rent it first, or borrow it from a friend

 

[Bebus]

I take the points he says with a large pinch of salt, but always remember:

> He is a critic, not a reviewer

> He is paid to find the tiniest flaws and rag on them in a hilarious manner. Example: the beggars in Assassins Creed. Sure, they were as annoying as hell. But I only came into 1 scenario in the whole game in which they actually impeded me; the rest of the time I just ran across the rooftops.

I watch his shows for fun. Then if possible I play a demo, then I read peer reviews to see if the flaws he mentions get in the way of the good stuff to a level that makes a game unplayable later on. I have only ever made one decision on his words: Psychonauts, and that was a game he reviewed rather than critiqued. I have bought dozens of games he has flat out hated, and enjoyed every minute of them despite the problems.

 

[Nazulu]

Yep, he is usually right, but I do look at other reviews (critics) to make sure if I really want a game or not.

 

[OtherSideofSky]

I take them seriously, but they aren't reviews. They're criticism (not the same thing) and, as everything he points out tends to be an actual problem and he points them out in entertaining ways, they are good criticisms. I don't use him to determine whether I buy a game (that's what reviews are for), but I enjoy seeing him explore what any given game does wrong.

 

[Evil Top Hat]

No, often often contradicts himself from review to review, or sometimes says things that are just simply incorrect. I find myself agreeing with him a lot, but the inconsistencies in his reviews means I would never take his word for something, or not buy a game just because he didn't like it.

 

[Dorian6]

This has to be the hundredth "Do you take ZP seriously" topic!

 

[TheDarkestDerp]

Just another opinion. Granted, much of what he says has a grain of truth to it, so I see it as being as informative as any other third hand info. If he complains about something being horrible, there's some reason why. Maybe it doesn't take five minutes to load, probably more like five or ten seconds, but still, the grain is there for bitterness to swell around.

 

[DEAD34345]

His reviews are an excellent source of information because he talks about features and issues with the game that I actually care about (as opposed to things like "graphics" and "sound" which are really silly categories cause I don't much care about them - others might, but I don't).

However, while I listen to what he has to say about a game, I don't necessarily listen to his overall opinion.

In fact, I've often purchased games BECAUSE he hated them - or, rather, because he hated them for a very specific reason.

I've purchased other games that he loved (Saint's Row 2, Just Cause 2) - again, because he loved them for very specific reasons.

And that's why I actually make purchasing decisions based on ZP - because he is specific about exactly why he likes (or more often, dislikes) a game. And that specific information is what I need to make my game purchasing choices.

This is the best way to treat any review, in my opinion. I don't ever buy a game because it scored highly, or because some specific reviewer liked it. I do buy a game however if a review points out features and good points that I know I will enjoy, and if the bad points are things that don't affect me much.

It applies to Zero Punctuation as much as it applies to all reviews, comedic or not.

 

[Seieko Pherdo]

I do take his reviews somewhat seriously. While I did love Alice Madness Returns I also agreed with the faults he said the game had. That and some other reviews I stumbled upon seem not to have souls.

 

[Dr_McSteamy]

I take the positive reviews seriously, because if the man is that hard to please and can find good things about a game; then I am more likely to purchase that. I usually just watch his other reviews for the comedy though, maybe take a few points down for further research (IE games I already own) but mostly I only let them influence if the reviews are positive.

 

[Laser Priest]

Firstly, it's someone else's opinion.
Secondly, it's the opinion of an egotistical douchehat.
Finally, it's the opinion of an egotistical douchehat attempting comedy.

 

[Rezeak]

Honestly it's the only reviews I do take seriously.

Imo at least you know with Yahtzee what he likes or doesn't like personally because with alot of reviews the scores are more base on personal preference/game companys paying them off/giving them exclusives.

Either way i prefer opinion based reviews over "here's 100 facts and this game will be rated between 8-10" lol

 

[babinro]

Not in the least...his reviews are simply entertainment value with some accurate points about a games faults.

 

[Saviordd1]

I sorta do sort of don't, wheres the option for "only when it makes sense" most of the points he brings up are pretty good, while some are just for the lulz

 

[Latinidiot]

If he's positive about a game I tendd to take it seriously. Otherwise, not so much.

 

[Gitty101]

If I took Yahtzee's reviews seriously I wouldn't have any games. Some of the things he despises I love, so I only watch for the humour. He does make a few valid points however, but then again all games have flaws...

 

[ReverendJJ]

I take a simalair view to Graham from LRR; I watch his reviews and while he is over the top at times, he is right in his criticisms of games whether or not you agree with his actual view/feelings towards them. Like he's slated games that personally I enjoyed but the flaws that he pointed out I can't deny are there, it's just that they didn't impact my enjoyement as much as his.

 

[gentleben]

This poll doesn't really leave the middle ground of "I take the review into consideration weighted against other reviews, previews and whether the game appeals to me based on its genre, mechanics or storyline".

To clarify, that's what I do.

 

[Giest4life]

Yeah, I do. I tend to buy games which he tends to hate less.