Lately, there's been suggested a big correlation between game reviews and commercial success, with companies referring to target metascores as if that will gauge how popular the game will become.

I think this is interesting because I don't think I've ever bought or passed on a game based on a review. I tend to stick to franchises and studios I'm a fan of; I know what I'm getting into and I'm rarely disappointed. Every now and then I go off of recommendations from irl friends or posters on here such as Wolf, Forsaken, Skyblade and Neocracker.

Have video game reviews ever influenced a purchasing decision for you?