Why You Should Think Before You Buy

          Ratings don’t mean anything to me. They’re only numbers that vaguely represent the quality of the product, but not the content. Plus, games have a strange dichotomy when it comes to scores: seven and up is good, six and below is terrible. There’s virtually no middle ground. So how do you know what game is worth your time and money? Reviews, of course. Video reviews might be even better as they can show you gameplay rather than relying on the reader to imagine it. There’s a large quantity of reviews for the same games and it can be tedious to sort through. The best advice I can offer is as follows:

 

·        -Look at more than one review of the title. Especially look at other reviews on other sites. Having multiple perspectives can help you formulate a better opinion.

·        -See if the game has anything negative mentioned about it. If the game sounds like it’s too good to be true, chances are it is.

·        -How long is it? If you can find out how long it takes the average player to beat it, you can wager how much time you will be investing in the game yourself. This is helpful if you’re looking for something short to play in one sitting or something to pour hours of time into over the next few months.

·        -If it’s multiplayer, how’s the community? Usually a toxic player base can ruin a gaming experience and a good community can make all the difference.

·        -How recent is the review? If it was reviewed over a year ago, chances are information needs to be updated as the game has likely gone through changes since then.

·        -Does the review actually tell you anything about the game? You’d be surprised at how many critics talk about the good parts of the game and the downsides, yet forget to mention what the game is actually about.

·        -Is there a trailer or advertisement of the game? These aren’t necessary, but they can tell you a bit about the game itself (if done properly).

Most importantly, think about why you want the game in the first place. Maybe you’re like me and you’re looking forward to Kingdom Hearts 3. I desperately want it because I loved the first two. However, I will need to buy a PS4 to play it and I’m expecting a lot out of this game. I could be wanting this game out of nostalgia. It has been over 10 years since Kingdom Hearts 2. I’ll be checking the reviews sometime after the game launches. Hopefully you will, too.