Are Video Game Reviews Broken?

[BreakABone]

Not to point fingers, but I think the discussion with Angrist, Vamp and Typhoid exhibits the problem I have with reviews (and this does extend beyond video games), but you folks are arguing the technicalities of the numerical system/score, but at the end of the day its an arbitrary number.

And I think too many people focus on the score (which was part of the article I linked to), more so then the actual content provided in a review.

I don't care if a game gets a 5 or 10 in graphics, I assume somewhere in the written word, someone will explain how it negatively effects the experience or not, and that's more important.

Anyhow, I will say that there are some shady practices in the game industry, but part of it deals with the fact that the gaming press acts as glorified PR reps, and that's because you need that coverage for hits and for money. So its a vicious cycle where you want to keep them happy so that they keep you happy.