At a glance, a number looks convenient. Clean. Final. But when it comes to games — numbers lie. Context is everything, and metascores often strip that away.
A game with a “91” doesn’t mean it’s right for you. It means a weighted system of selected sources liked it — or didn’t hate it. Great reviews get buried under safe ones. Risk-taking gets punished.
A critic plays to review. A player plays to enjoy. What matters to one doesn’t always matter to the other. A 7/10 might be your favorite game ever. A 10/10 might be something you quit after 2 hours.
Metascores aren’t immune to marketing cycles. Early access, review embargoes, curated press kits — these all influence perception before anyone actually plays the game.
Sometimes. But even user reviews come with their own chaos: review bombing, hype overreactions, and memetic trends. Still, raw player feedback often reveals what numbers won’t: bugs, vibes, fun factor.
Verdict: Don’t trust numbers. Trust patterns. Read a few real takes — not just scores. Better yet, play the damn game.