I look for reviewers whose tastes and perspectives align closely with my own. For example, as polarizing as Jim Sterling can be, I find his views on any given game to be compelling more often than not, so I often see what he has to say on a game if I'm on the fence.

At the same time, I think demos and trials are an equally valuable tool to gauge a game's value to me. For example, Gotham City Impostors didn't get the best reviews across the boad, but what I played of it during its beta on the 360 was enough to convince me to give it a go. As a result, I discovered that I liked the game a lot; I still play it from time to time.