Weird tittle huh?  Of coarse you have to guess I’m talking about video games again. The reason I ask this question, I had a little observation about 2 similar games. A while back, I talked about Grand Theft Auto IV, questioning if all the perfect review scores it had be getting was justified. Frankly, I think they weren’t. The game media can be a little over the top sometimes when it comes to high profile games.

Regardless of what I think about the review scores, GTA4 is a really good, well made game. I can go through the list of all the things that was great about that game. There are some bad things but I’m not talking about that right now. The important thing there is to note when it comes to my experience with GTA4, I played till about 39% and never played the game again. Sold the game to a friend and haven’t regretted it once.

Now I agree that the game was a good game, but why did I loose interest?

Saints Row 2About a month ago, I bought a similar game called Saints Row 2. In comparison to GTA4, Saints Row 2 is clearly a lesser game. GTA4 is prettier, has a better story, has better game mechanics (in some situations) and is a better polished, better made game than Saints Row 2 in almost every way. GTA 4 also has better review scores than Saints Row 2. Heres a little something to note about my experience with Saints Row 2

I am having more fun, and enjoyment playing Saints Row 2 than I ever had playing GTA4

Why is this? Why is the game that is clearly the better game less fun to play. It makes me think about the validity of review scores and the gaming media. The reason this matters is because somewhere out there, some kid walked into a gamestop trying to decide between GTA4 and Saints Row 2 and bought GTA4 because of review scores.

I take back that statement about the validity of review scores. That was my first thought as I thought about this question but I don’t think it is a validity issue. I also feel GTA 4 is a better game. So I agree, somewhat, with the reviewers. I think the issue here is that the review scores doesn’t always equal better or worst.

On one of the recent  episode of Listen up (use to be the 1up.com podcast). Garnett Lee talked about how he dreaded reviewing the new 50 cent game. His reason? He is having a blast playing it, but for a review it may not fair as well. It is in no way a well made game, but he is having fun playing it.

There is a line between a review score, how well a game is made and how much fun a game is when the average gamer plays it (I say “gamer” to disassociate all of the “non gamer” Wii owners out there, thats a whole different story on its own).  That “fun factor” is ussually left out…when only when you are talking about good games. If you have a well made game and it isnt good, game reviewers love to let you know.  For consumers, I think the best thing is to read reviews and make up your own mind, not go solely by review score alone.