Poll: Do Yahtzee's reviews impact your game buying decisions?

[2xDouble]

Here's all I have to say on this topic: Yahtzee IS essentially an insult comic being paid to crap all over games. He makes crappy games into a joke and slings humility onto hyped games. When someone like that says that a game is good, it makes the game that much more interesting. Maybe he should have a "For Entertainment Purposes Only" disclaimer like a common fortune-teller.

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

If anything, I'm worried that the explanations will be too spoon fed.

At the most I would rent it, those kind of games are never that long and have next to zero re playability, no matter how good they might be.

They're not too spoonfed at all really. People have nitpicked about the narration, but it's really not much of an issue. Sure, Alan does make your next objective pretty obvious sometimes, but that just makes sense, this isn't Oblivion or Fallout after all. The manuscript pages foreshadow future event, but it generally serves to heighten the tension by instilling some dramatic irony.

As for replay value, I personally played it 3 times in almost immediate succession. Once on normal because I usually play on normal, again on Nightmare to get the nightmare-only manuscript pages (and to clarify the plot and explore the environment thoroughly), and then again with the director's commentary (only available in the Limited Collector's Edition, but it's generally well worth the money) turned on. I'd still be happy to play again as I still haven't got 100% yet. It's got more replay value than the Resident Evil series (just as an example), even without Resi's unlockable weapons and costumes.

I'd consider it a must-buy, but then I love story driven games and still have Resi games and FF:VII, VIII and IX on my shelf. Each to their own and everything, but I have hardly any money at all (I literally have about £10 of disposable cash per week) and I feel that it's worth every penny.

 

[Valkyrie101]

I'll sometimes take some of his points into account, but on the whole no. I watch all of his reviews, purely for entertainment, because that's their primary purpose. It's like Top Gear: the show's subject matter may be cars, but it's not really about cars.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Nobody is perfect; not even the mighty Yahtzee Croshaw.
Still, I like to get second, third and fourth opinions on possible games.
Not out of a sense of OCD, but because it's now required if you want to unravel the incredible amounts of spin and hype that go into these new "big releases".

The last "Big release" I bought was Fallout 3, and it certainly was a big one; It took three flushes to put down.

Never buy into the spin kids.

 

[blood77]

I enjoy Yahtzee's reviews, there hasn't be one yet I didn't laugh at, but most of the negative reviews he gives for games are more for comedic effect then actual review content. That isn't to say that he is wrong with the points he makes, negative or otherwise, but that you shouldn't base your decision to get a game solely on his opinion alone.

For instance, his recent review of monster hunter made it seem like mmo muck, terrible in most every way, but I still have fun playing it.

I am not saying you can't blindly follow his opinion, but it is just a little silly to do so.

 

[xvbones]

Actually, yes, and not in a blind, fanboy sense.

He's disliked some games I have enjoyed thoroughly - like Oblivion, for example, or Mass Effect 2 - but he is generally spot-on about things about the game that aren't right or outright suck.

For instance, he was absolutely correct about Saint's Row 2, a title I bought only because he wrote a fucking love sonnet to it. I would have ignored it otherwise, that game has become one of my absolute favorite titles.

He is going for comedy and that is great, but he is also a gamer and what he says about the games he plays cannot be discounted merely because he says them in an amusing way and is nearly impossible to please.

To be honest, I very much appreciate that he is nearly impossible to please. I may enjoy a game he dislikes, but when he rips a game to pieces, there is a strong chance I will fucking hate it also and this correlation has not escaped me.

And again, when he, who is impossible to please, seems really fucking pleased - Psychonauts, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Fallout 3, Saint's Row 2 - it is invariably a game that is actually genuinely fucking good.

Contrast this with practically every other reviewer in the world, who may, on occasion, shit themselves with glee over a game that is only just barely on-par, or reviewers with... how can i put this... clear motives.

Like a glowing review for an at-best-decent-at-worst-crapheap game that just so happens to be heavily advertised on the site.

I do not use Zero Punctuation as a purchasing bible, but if Yahtzee has reviewed a title I am considering buying, fuck yes i will carefully listen to what he has to say about it.

If the word "shit" appears more than five times in the review, I'm probably not going to be buying that game.

 

[CriticalGriffin]

No, but I do keep his arguements in mind when playing the game he has reviewed.

Anyways, hell NO. Unlike some of the brainless puppets who infest the ZP comments section. Seriously, as 1 user put it it's like the ZP comments and the escapist forums are 2 different comunities...

So I've been in the wrong community all this time? Well, that does explain why I haven't been pwning people lately...

 

[run_forrest_run]

I've never thought of it that way but I must admit you are right. He is my idol but he's not a critic in the same sense as Movie Bob.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Nobody should take Yahtzee's reviews seriously. He can be funny (at times), but his actual reviews are terrible.

 

[oktalist]

This poll is a joke; it purposefully encumbers the "yes" option with a ludicrous statement that noone in their right mind would ever agree with, and the statement attached to the "no" option is a universal truism that everyone in their right mind would have to agree with even if they would not vote "no". It's predetermined to favour the opinion of the OP, who fails at polling.

Dude, it's yes or no. The rest is just me thinking that I have a sense of humor. Furthermore, at this point, 108 people felt fine answering "yes". Are all of these people not in their right minds? You're being too critical.

Sorry. That is a trait I share with Yahtzee.

And he is the new Jesus. [small](See, I have a sense of humour too.)[/small]

But my point still stands:

Yahtzee doesn't do reviews. He does criticisms. By his own admission. He is proud not to be a reviewer.

 

[captainaweshum]

He's funny as hell that's for sure, but he doesn't influence what I buy because :

A) He has a different taste in games than I
B) His bit seems to be just to make fun of everything, which is GREAT!

Entertainment, but surely not review.

 

[Grahav]

Only when he gives absolutely no redeeming qualities to the game (absolute and total crap shit).

 

[P.Tsunami]

Best poll options ever! Seriously, though. I'm well aware that Yahtzee is A. by no means particularly objective, and B. a comedian first, journalist second (if that). With that said, I would've answered "occasionally", if something like that was a poll option. As it stands, I went with "yes". There have been a very few games where Yahtzee pointing out a game's flaws has turned me away from something I was vaguely considered buying. With that said, most of the time, the games he trash are games I would never ever consider buying. Occasionally, of course, he reviews a game I think I'll like. In that case, I remember that Yahtzee isn't much of an RPG fan, and I am. Problem solved.

 

[braincore02]

Yatzhee influenced my decision to buy Infamous. That was the last time I took his opinion as something to judge purchasing by. I should've known better when he admits he powered thru the game in 2 days and it was fun.

Yeah, it is fun for two days, I'll give him that.

 

[P.Tsunami]

Yatzhee influenced my decision to buy Infamous. That was the last time I took his opinion as something to judge purchasing by. I should've known better when he admits he powered thru the game in 2 days and it was fun.

He got me to buy Saint's Row 2. A purchase I do not regret one iota.

 

[braincore02]

Yatzhee influenced my decision to buy Infamous. That was the last time I took his opinion as something to judge purchasing by. I should've known better when he admits he powered thru the game in 2 days and it was fun.

He got me to buy Saint's Row 2. A purchase I do not regret one iota.

Ok, I fail to see why I was quoted for this little tid bit of info, but congratulations.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

he is a cool guy (i assume) but its choice

 

[DND Judgement]

he is very entertaining and on the occassion he says nice things about a game i tend to see what they're like ussually by borrowing them from a friend but i rarely take his opinion as gospel on what game to buy...

 

[P.Tsunami]

Ok, I fail to see why I was quoted for this little tid bit of info, but congratulations.

Really? I thought that was pretty obvious. You pointed out that he influenced you to buy a game that disappointed you. I posted in reponse that he influnced me to buy a game I was happy with.