OK, so yesterday i went out and bought a game. i really played a lot but yet i still don't think i pick the right game. so i went on a review site like g4.com and i found out that it really was not a good game. how do you guys know you have a good game before you buy it? because i would like to know.

For one, you don't use G4. Go on Gamefaqs. It's a lot better. For one, professional reviewers don't always give all the facts, and aren't as interested sometimes.

Ripping on Xplay for calling a good game like Sonic and the Secret Rings bad aside... I use previous knowledge, what I've heard about it, reviews I've read(and these are reviews from professional to amateur in most cases), the publisher/developer's past efforts, and many other factors to know if I'm getting something worth my time. If I was lucky enough, I could use Gamefly, but I don't want to support what is putting actual video stores and possibly gaming stores out of business, so I refuse to rent from the internet.

I also may buy on whim, too. This is very uncommon, though, as I don't buy games much.

For me, I just wing it. I am nearly never wrong when it comes to whether or not I like the game. So I tend to trust my gut. A lot of people use game review sites and trailers. But I make choice based COMPLETELY on how much I think I'll like it. I usually always like it.

I use reviews from IGN, Nintendo Power, and trailers. I might even rent the game before I buy it, just to make sure I like it.

Yeah, I agree...Gamefaqs and IGN are the bests for reviews. These are the ones I use

I like to play the game first before I buy, or play a similar game. I like to look a little at reviews, but don't depend on those much. Like KlawedFlaw, I think that Sonic and the Secret Rings is a great game (I own the game) and despite its poor reviews, it's a serious adrenaline rush. I think you can't depend on reviews too much to find what you're interested in.

supernerd117 : I mostly like Secret Rings for the mission gameplay. It just gives me a reason to bother with a Wii game. It just so happens that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Crystal Bearers has a reward system for when you do certain things. I'm the kind of person who needs rewards and numbers for replay value normally. For example, I've replayed Kingdom Hearts 1 too many times to count for one reason, collecting, and the like.

I prefer not to use IGN myself. I don't trust it, and I may not be part of the demographic those reviews are towards. I trust people who played the game to death more than people getting paid. It's just how I do things.

When I got my first M rated games, I didn't use many resources. The only reason I didn't get the Resident Evil game the store had was because I felt there was better in the store, and I did use previous word of text or mouth I heard about it, but it was also just the fact that they were horror games that helped. It was either I find a horror movie, or I find a horror game. Two horror games is years worth more than a movie for me.

Most of the strangely poor reviews for good or decent games seem to come from bias over previous efforts that were so amazing to the paid reviewers. They didn't take the time to get into the game. Final Fantasy 8... Yeah, sorry FF7 fanboys/fangirls, you happen to only be bashing 8 because it isn't doing something safe. Thanks. *gives Asian girl photo peace sign and duckface*

I will always stick by Gamefaqs as the best place for reviews. It's been a great help, along with Youtube, in helping me find games I like. Haha.

I rarely get new games, and it's never when they're new. I guess that makes it easier for me; my friends have always played the game first, so I can usually just ask them for advice. Sometimes I just go ahead and buy a game if it's part of a great series, but that has failed. About half the time, actually. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 is such an example; I can't believe I wasted $50 on that. Same with Sims 3.

I'm considering buying Fallout 3 (never played any of the series) or Fable 3 (played the first one, thought it wasn't bad). I've been browsing reviews a bit, but I don't like to let reviews hold much merit; why should the opinion of some bloke I don't know be the leading factor on whether I make a decision? If you're going to go the review site route, I'd check more than just one. I think I'm going to get Fallout and wait on Fable though; my friends say Fallout is great, and I feel I can trust their opinions. Fable looks risky of being disappoint.

My advice is to never trust professional reviewers because they are too easily bought off. Also, when you read reviews, read multiple reviews, from people who liked it as well as those who did not like it (it is important to understand both perspectives).

The tried and true series are a "safe" bet, but that contributes to the sequel quagmire we are in now, and a decline in quality is likely to come as a result, because people liked the previous installments and will buy it anyways.

You can try to find reviews on sites like IGN. Or you can find people's opinions. Eiether way works.

common sense? i mean really look at the Developer and Producers if its a series you know it has to have a fanline or else they couldn't make more ie Final Fantasy

I usually get a game from a publisher I've bought great games from in the past or buy from the same genre. A JRPG has to mess up pretty bad for me not to like it and anything from Atlus is going to be good.

I don't really buy new video games that often...my newest game is Pokemon Black, which turned out to be really good. Just look at the reviews. That's what I do.

The game trailers usually catch my attention, but when I want to buy the game, usually one of my friends have it, and they can give me their opinion and usually they let me borrow it so I can see for myself. But if no one I know has it, I usually just go on Google and search reviews for the game, then average out what all the sites say about it. Sometimes I'll search it on YouTube to say what a commentator might say.

Before I get a game, I do research on it and see if it's a game I'd enjoy.

actually this is kinda shallow but i look at how awesome the cover is and if I've played games related to it then i look at the genres so i guess it's not so shallow besides the whole looking at how colorful the cover is

A combination of trusting my guts, what game series I like, trailers and maybe find a video of the gameplay on youtube.

darkrider1 : usualy iv seen it on tv or played at/been recomended by -friends.if i havent then when im in the shops i asses it.what do the graphics look like,does it look restrictive(eg a rigid plot,no sandbox parts,no progressions,all generaly bad things)i read the info to see what you can do,and look on cover for ratings/awards.if the price dosent match games of similar age thats a warning bell too.if i still cant decide i look on youtube on my phone and watch gameplay.
Iv not bought a bad game since my ps2

Most of the games that I buy are either due to seeing them be hyped up or advertised before hand, or as recommendations from friends. If there is a game that I don't know a lot about, but I want to buy it anyways, then I always check the reviews and what other people have to say about it.

Like Legacyme said, I wing it based on what I know I like. 80% of the time I do like it.