WTH is the point of reviews?

[Tsubaki]

Just glancing at the thread about writing reviews, I was wondering wth you guys think is the point of reviews.

Silly me, I thought it was to get informed about a game, to see whether I would like it or not. It really doesn't matter if I end up agreeing with the reviewer or not, but if they can tell me about the game in which I can make my own informed decision, the review has far and away done its job.

But I've seen some responses here that make me cringe. People would like to be entertained. People want brief descriptions. People want to learn nothing after reading it. Obviously, being concise and to the point is a great asset. But if there's no content to the review, wth is the point of reading it?

Edit
A lot of this comes off of the constant criticism Jeremy gets on his reviews. I personally don't care if his writing is "dry" or if he follows the set "Graphics, Sound, Gameplay" structure (I do!). If I learn something about the games that he reviews, then they've done their job.

So far it looks like the responses to the poll are based off of how you're "supposed" to reply. But the reality is, there are a bunch of people here whose comments basically point to being solely entertained.

So I ask you... what do you read reviews for? And why don't those who voted "entertainment" reply to this thread?

[Mode7]

To be entertained in an informative fashion. Or is that informed in an entertaining fashion?

[Will]

So I ask you... what do you read reviews for?

So that after I read them I can blow corn out of my ass in sheer laughter.

[Diff-chan]

Just tell me whether or not the game is fucking good, and if they recommend it or not! Tell me if the graphics are nice, if the sound is good, if the control is good, etc. I dont want to hear about the list of drivable vehicles in a review of GTA Vice City; I can figure that out when I play it.

I made that mistake in my UT2K3 review; I spent too much time explaining the adrenaline game concept. Something like that, at least the nitty-gritty of the numbers, can be figured out with a simple play.

[Mr_Furious]

Reviews need to stay brief and to the point. Too many reviewers try too hard to either "sell you the game" or tell you to "avoid at all costs". They need to let readers make up their own minds if game X is to their liking.

[jyoung]

I read reviews to become informed about the product being put under the microscope. Any extra entertainment is simply an added bonus for me.

I think reviews should try to point out all the good and bad points of a product and then give their overall openion at the very end.

[MVS]

To make money doing them.

[BioMechanic]

I read reviews to help myself make informed decisions as a consumer, as I have very limited time for gaming. It's never the final decision, of course, but it does help me distinguish between what's good and what's trash. The content of the review is always more informative than the final grade, too.

Although I admit fewer reviews these days are of any help.

[sggg]

I read reviews to learn more about games so I can make my own decision. I always factor into account the reviewer's bias, then there is one... but that's a nuisance.

[Ex Ranza]

Originally posted by Mode7
To be entertained in an informative fashion. Or is that informed in an entertaining fashion?

I agree with Mode7. It is games, after all.