According to a report published by Newzoo, there were 2.2 billion active gamers across the globe in 2017 half of whom regularly spent money on games. These numbers have only grown in recent years given the rising number of gaming titles, events, and technologies.
And with so many games to play and gamers to play them, it becomes important to distinguish worthwhile titles from passing fads. One way gamers tell whether a game is worth investing in is through game reviews. But game reviews are important not just to established gamers but also to novice players and game developers. Below, we take a closer look at the benefits of this important tool to the gaming community.
Game Overview for Interested Players
Game reviews, especially those written immediately after a game is released, provide gamers with the opportunity to see what the title offers. Expert reviews often take an in-depth look at the game, the environment it is set in, the features, characters, and storylines. They also inform the reader on the genre, overall quality, and gameplay mechanics. Through this information, players can decide whether this is a game they would like to play. It is a safe way to “window-shop” for games you might like and see if they meet your gaming needs.
Player Guide for New Gamers
Novice players can glean just as much information from game reviews as veteran players. If you wish to try a strategy-based game, there is no better way to start than to familiarize yourself with the rules, techniques, and stakes. This is especially true for real-money casino video games where more than your time is at stake. In fact, experts recommend you read multiple poker guides & reviews before you invest in a high-stakes game like online poker. In this regard, game reviews can offer a crucial into a game title or genre you would like to try.
Informed Purchase Decisions for Players
Game reviews tell players what characters, visual elements, sound effects, levels, weapons, and more are available in a game. These details can go a long way in helping you decide whether a game is a worthwhile investment or not. Much more than this, however, game reviews can tell you when to buy, when to rent, and when to avoid a game altogether. They do this by telling you what features unlock when you buy a game, how many – if any – features you will miss out on if you use the free version, and whether a game requires more in-game spending. This will help you budget properly for a game.
Useful Feedback for Developers
Developers appreciate objective expert reviews because they can help them identify and fix problems within their game. From the information provided by reviewers, developers can add or improve elements of their game –during the next iteration – that many gamers would like to see. This often results in better experiences for players and more success for developers.
Income Generation
Speaking of which, positive game reviews can also help increase game profitability. A well-time review can make or break a new release. A good example of this is Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, which was catapulted to best-reviewed status on Metacritic thanks to multiple positive reviews. The near perfect scores helped the developers sell more games than anticipated.
In Conclusion
There is much to be said about the importance of game reviews, the basis of which is that they provide useful information. Gamers use this information to make purchase decisions, explore game features, learn strategy, and budget for gameplay. On the other hand, game developers use the feedback to improve their titles and might event enjoy boosted sales every once in a while from positive reviews. All in all, game reviews remain a key information resource for the gaming community.
