How much do Demos and Reviews affect your views on buying games?

Reviews are often kind of tricky and there is general skepticism that holds back their controlling potential unless several reviews tend to hold similar opinions. Demos are tricky as well cause sometimes the demo in question is an obvious beta and may not truly reflect the end product while other times it really is just letting you play the first hour of the actual game for free.

So how much sway do they have over you? Name a game where the reviews and/or demos made an impact on purchasing/avoiding it.

Reviews only really affect my opinion if the majority of them are negative as then I'll tend to pass on the game in question; though a bunch of positive reviews doesn't make me any more likely to buy it any faster. Demos really help in this regard as they let you experience what the gameplay and pacing is actually like as opposed to just watching the trailer. If I liked the demo, there is a very high chance I buy the game when I have the money.

I haven’t played any demos in a long time. I feel like the only times i really enjoyed demos and it would impact my desire for a game were when I was a kid. I enjoyed the demo discs that would sometimes come with magazines or included with games for ps1 and sometimes ps2. I remember being really excited by the MGS demo and playing it all the time. I also liked playing some of the demo kiosks in stores for the cartridge based games. I know I was influenced by reviews and previews in magazines a lot back then.

I’d say anymore, my decision to buy games generally comes from trailers and/or articles leading up to a game coming out. I may look at some video reviews too, or if I’m on the fence I may just glance at what scores it is getting from reviewing sites to see if it’s trending more positively or negatively.

I don't trust reviews in any capacity except one - if there is a critical mass of immense praise from actual players for a non-AAA game, it's got pretty good odds of actually being good. From game review businesses? No thanks, not a chance.

I play demos INCREDIBLY rarely, although the Talos Principle "demo" sold me on it, that's one of the rare examples I can think of. On Steam you can always just return games if you play them for 2 hours or less at will, so demos are not very useful.

Maybe a few years ago, but not now.


Shh don't read this Fynn. Fynn trigger warning.


(SPOILER) I stopped caring when magazines gave out FFXII a 10/10. I mean like FFXII now, but 10/10 ? No.

I don't pay attention to individual reviews anymore, but I can usually get a sense of certain things if enough reviews say it. My decision to buy a game mainly comes the information I find about said game, which can include a demo.

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Originally Posted by maybee

Maybe a few years ago, but not now.


Shh don't read this Fynn. Fynn trigger warning.


(SPOILER) I stopped caring when magazines gave out FFXII a 10/10. I mean like FFXII now, but 10/10 ? No.

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