# Video game review sites -- suggestions please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724 "2005-10-24T20:41:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/1 "2005-10-24T20:41:24Z")
So I used to read my game reviews at [Gamespot.com](http://Gamespot.com), but decided I couldn’t go there anymore after they rated Halo 2 higher than Half-Life 2. Then I started going to IGN to read reviews, but it seems like since they’ve been bought out (by who was it, AOL?) there’s just so much crap to wade through to get to what you want. Anyone know of any (perhaps lower profile) review sites? I’d like something that’s more brutally honest. Maybe some cussing would help. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/2 "2005-10-24T21:34:30Z")
Not a review site per se, but [gamefaqs.com](http://gamefaqs.com) allows users to send in reviews. It’s nice because you can get a wide variety of reviews (when I use it I try to read ones with differing scores) and many of them are quite well written. Some will praise a certain aspect of gameplay, others will whine about the same thing, but between them I find I can get a good idea of if I will like that part of the game. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/3 "2005-10-24T22:57:34Z")
I can point you towards eToychest, which is rather small but gaining ground. Not very much cussing, though. Failing that, look through GameRankings and you’ll get a list of sites that have reviewed each game. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/4 "2005-10-24T23:12:25Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > I started going to IGN to read reviews, but it seems like since they’ve been bought out (by who was it, AOL?) there’s just so much crap to wade through to get to what you want. Rupert Murdoch. I liked gamesdomain but they’ve been bought by Yahoo!. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/5 "2005-10-25T12:07:15Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > Anyone know of any (perhaps lower profile) review sites? I’d like something that’s more brutally honest. Maybe some cussing would help. I sometimes use [www.metacritic.com](http://www.metacritic.com) for compilations of reviews. Rotten Tomatoes also has a game version of their site. I love to find the really sucky games and read the reviews, especially if it’s a game I also reviewed. Of course, _my_ reviews are brutally honest (but without cussing.) I don’t exactly write for a low profile site, though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/6 "2005-10-25T14:00:17Z")
I usually go to [rottentomatoes.com](http://rottentomatoes.com) It rates video games as well as movies and gives an overall percentage approval rating based off of numerous reviews from multiple sources. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/7 "2005-10-25T14:02:49Z")
For reviews as entertainment, don’t miss [Something Awful](http://www.somethingawful.com/games/). ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/8 "2005-10-25T15:55:31Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > Of course, _my_ reviews are brutally honest (but without cussing.) I don’t exactly write for a low profile site, though. 😉 So which site do you write for? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/9 "2005-10-25T16:27:10Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > So which site do you write for? Nevermind that. Since I’ve got you here, how to game reviewers generally decide which game to review. Do you cover a specific genre, platform, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/10 "2005-10-25T16:40:29Z")
I’m a freelancer, so I only have a chance of getting games the in-house staff isn’t interested/doesn’t have time for (I was willing to trade my non-existent first born child for The Movies, but my editor must’ve gotten a better offer.) When he sends out an email, I look through the list and select which games I’m interested in, noting any that should deserve special consideration (like one I _really_ want to review, or one for which I’ve reviewed the original (I’ve played the entire Zoo Tycoon series because of this second consideration)). He makes his decisions and lets people know who got what. I’ll play any PC game that isn’t a sports title, war game, or simulation (vehicle; I like strategy sims like tycoon games). If you were querying a site or magazine to get freelancing positions (and I presume full time positions, too), you would mention your preferred genres, your less-preferred but still willing-to-play genres (RTS for me), and probably your most recently-played titles. The more flexible you are, the better your chances. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/11 "2005-10-25T16:42:37Z")
Interesting. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/12 "2005-10-25T16:57:29Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > I’m a freelancer, so I only have a chance of getting games the in-house staff isn’t interested/doesn’t have time for (I was willing to trade my non-existent first born child for The Movies, but my editor must’ve gotten a better offer.) I’m dying to play that one too. Let’s just pray it doesn’t get delayed now. \>\_\< ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/13 "2005-10-25T17:57:12Z")
I’ve been a paying member of both IGN and GameSpot, and they both give you a fair deal of value for money. Even if you don’t always agree with their reviews, you get a significant amount of factoids and media and can usually make out enough to know what’s up. I can’t claim full objectivity though as I have also written for IGN (mostly columns on GT4). I have also done real reviews and previews for a while for a Dutch site (GameVillage), which at least landed me a number of free games and I had a good time, though it was a lot of work - you also had to do the layout and screenshots yourself and post the item to the front page. Anyone here remember Ace magazine? From FuturePublishing? God I loved that mag. Particularly their A list (best of category) was magnificent. Right now, I also like [eurogamer.net](http://eurogamer.net), which writes really intelligent reviews. But they don’t cover nearly as many games or offer comparable amount of stuff as the big two (IGN and GameSpot) do. Generally though, currently GameSpot is my first stop - their video reviews are particularly good - and has taken the place of a real magazine subscription (which by the way is at least twice the price of GameSpot and IGN membership combined, at least the last time I checked, and saves you most of the commercials). ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/14 "2005-10-26T05:32:42Z")
The authority in reviews: [Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/games/) They don’t review the content directly (whether it be movies or games). Instead, the site compiles a number of reviews from a wide variety of sources. The sites listed above are probably encompassed in Rotten Tomatoes. Check it out! ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/15 "2005-10-26T06:48:16Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > I sometimes use [www.metacritic.com](http://www.metacritic.com) for compilations of reviews. Rotten Tomatoes also has a game version of their site. I love to find the really sucky games and read the reviews, especially if it’s a game I also reviewed. > > Of course, _my_ reviews are brutally honest (but without cussing.) I don’t exactly write for a low profile site, though. 😉 Maybe they fixed it, but when I last went to Rottentomatoes they didn’t compile the game reviews well. They’re of course great with movie reviews, but with games they’d often put rotten for good reviews and fresh for bad reviews. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/16 "2005-10-26T11:56:11Z")
Actually, I’ve noticed that, too. Metacritic seems to do a better job, but even they are not without error. One I noticed: > [@](#): > > The excessive amount of painful level grinding required to get anywhere in this game will bore most gamers to tears. And they show a score of 80 (out of 100) for the game from that site. A click on the link shows the actual score is 2/5 stars, the same score I gave the game, which would translate to a 40. Another good way to get content for new products is to read either Blue’s News ([www.bluesnews.com](http://www.bluesnews.com)) or Shacknews ([www.shacknews.com](http://www.shacknews.com)). They’re daily compilation sites. (There may be others; those are the two I know of.) So if you’re wondering if, say, Call of Duty 2 is a good game, go to those sites and find what gaming sites have reviewed it for the last few days. I’ve found out about a lot of cool games that I hadn’t really paid attention to before that way. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/17 "2005-10-26T14:12:13Z")
I hadn’t heard of this before now but after poking around Gamespot, man, do I ever want this game. :drools: ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/18 "2005-10-26T14:12:22Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > I’m dying to play that one too. Let’s just pray it doesn’t get delayed now. \>\_\< I hadn’t heard of this before now but after poking around Gamespot, man, do I ever want this game. :drools: ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/19 "2005-10-26T14:20:52Z")
The Movies is gold, and the reviewers have their copies. The Nov. 8 release date is pretty much set in stone now, though a short delay is not an impossibility if there were some sort of production problem. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724/20 "2005-10-26T14:39:12Z")
One thing that I can’t find (not even after trying to navigate through the needlessly annoying official website) is system requirements. Anyone know what they are, or at least where I can find them? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/video-game-review-sites-suggestions-please/327724.md?page=2)