Averages have become so important in gaming that they have affected job prospects, development, marketing, and gamers themselves. There are job ads for game developers that impose requirements such as having a game that scored an average of 85% or higher on Metacritic (Check out IGN's article for more info.). As for the gamers, some now spend countless hours arguing over scores, AA, AAA, "killer apps", and so on in forums such as Gamespot's System Wars. Now let's see how the obsession with averages misleads gamers.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn 78% (Gamerankings)
The obsession with averages demands an average of 85% or above for the game to even be considered for a purchase, right? Just by looking at the numbers, you can see that reviewers generally had a love-hate relationship with this game. The lowest score was a 40% from Video Game Talk. The highest score is a 95% from Nintendo Power. Say that these were the only two reviews that existed, the average would then be 67.5%! That's still passing, but well below what the average-obsessed game community wants. So what needs to change? How should gamers utilize reviews?
1. They're Opinions... With Numbers.
Imagine this: try giving a grade to every single thing in your daily life. Woke up this morning, my sleep was 80% (above average), brushed my teeth 75% (average, same as always), breakfast 90% (awesome, but could have had more juice--oh, and that juice was 100% AAA grape juice), lunch 85% (can't go wrong with rice and beans again--average--but that chicken added 10%), and on and on and on. Now, tell someone to do things the same way you did. Would that person give the same scores? Probably not. It's already long established that opinions and tastes vary, so, instead, gamers should...
2. Find the Features That Are Important to You
Hopefully gamers are looking beyond the numbers, titles, companies, and ads. If so, then take a look at what the game offers and how well the game offers what you like. For example, do you prefer to play online? Then, make sure that game reviews say that the online play is smooth, fast, and fun. This is where game reviews can truly shine. Instead of having a my-dad-can-beat-up-your-dad war with numbers, think about games you've played already and what you like about them. Reviewers can be more useful by pointing out the good points and comparing games with others that are already out.
Ex. Xenoblade Chronicles
+ Long, engaging story
+ Fun gameplay
+ Great atmosphere
+ Convenient features (teleporting to previous visited places, save anywhere, and change the in-game time)
+ Excellent soundtrack
- Too long?
- Sometimes difficult to find out where to go next
Other games with long stories and fun gameplay? Think Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Xenogears, Baten Kaitos, Kingdom Hearts, and so on. These are fair comparisons. If you liked one of these games, then you will like Xenoblade Chronicles. This is a much more fair and easier way than just simply a number to decide if you will like a game or not.
3. Do Your Research
There are so many game websites out there that can provide you with an infinite amount of reading. But we don't want to just read reviews all day, right? More and more often, there are streams on justin.tv and twitch.tv which showoff new games, especially around release dates. Soundtracks get released on youtube within a week of the release dates, or even earlier! And, one of the best things you can do, is just to play it yourself via a downloadable or in-store demo. ***SPOILERS*** Try to avoid these. If more than one source says the story is great, that's awesome. Trying to find out all the plot twists will ruin the game for you. Snape killed Dumbledore! Remember that? Anyway, making your own opinion on the game is the best option, but if you must use reviews...
4. Look at the Pros and Cons
What does the highest score review say about the game that makes him or her love it so much? Why does another reviewer bomb the average with such a low review? Find out what things about the game caused such a huge difference in opinion. I'll do an example with New Super Mario Bros Wii.
Pros
- Fun and chaotic multiplayer
- Creative level design
- Great soundtrack
- Classic 2D Mario gameplay
- Too easy
- Low replayability (once beaten, why play again?)
On the other hand, if you have a lot of people to play with, then this game turns into the ultimate game of sabotage! The levels aren't inherently difficult, but you can make life hell for your partner by throwing him or her in pits, kicking shells, dodging his or her rescue bubble, stealing power-ups, and much more. Now that's fun, and much more likely to be worth a purchase. This game can really shine socially.
In conclusion, make your own opinions! If you didn't like the first Pokémon game, then you won't like any of the next 5 obviously. There's more info. out now than ever before--use it to your advantage by watching streams, listening to soundtracks, and playing demos! Lastly, if you must read reviews, don't rely on just one source. Check out the extremes (the highest and lowest reviews). All in all, these numbers shouldn't matter as much as they do in the minds of gamers and in the industry itself. Evaluate what matters the most to you in a game, and avoid just looking at an average.
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