I get what both of you are saying. But I use it as a guide as I mentioned. If they all call a game trash I’m ok with the fact it’s probably trash. If it gets across the board outstanding scores I’m ok with the fact it’s probably a pretty great game. I will still read/watch independent reviews but with monetisation they aren’t even that independent anymore. And user reviews on stuff like Metacritic etc. are pointless for the reasons I mentioned in my initial post about it.
I also know what types of games I like. A recent example is something like Forspoken. I like that type of game usually as I like just missioning around a nice looking world as it can be a lot of fun. However that gameplay looked poor, I played the demo and it was rubbish and the reviews were awful. So I didn’t buy it. Had it got around 80 odd on Metacritic I still wouldn’t have come close to buying it.
The problem is more that reviewers will tell you a game is good when it's not, provided that enough money was spent on ads. It's fair to say that if they all say it's great, it's probably at least pretty good. It also may not be your cup of tea.
It's like with anything, when it comes to reviews. You should be reading them for content, and deciding whether what is said matches up with your preferences. I'm a bit of a gameplay fanatic, so I'll enjoy something if the gameplay is excellent and the story or graphics are meh. I don't mind a somewhat grindy gameplay loop if the gameplay is very solid. I find open world games to be uneven, and the current iteration of Zelda has design elements that frustrate and irritate me, so I don't play them even though my kids buy them and play them to death.
I think Saints Row 4 is a blast, and Saints Row 3 is meh. Many people disagree. I enjoy a romp through all the ridiculous elements of the last forty years of gaming popular culture, but not a bland open world game. I like the Arkham series, but not the old Far Cry games back when everyone said they were good. The Bethesda games aren't things I revisit, the way people do. Good once, but gets old. I quit The Witcher 3 early on, because I disliked the combat system.
i uninstalled it lol