Has a Giant Bomb review ever made up your mind?

Well, I'm curious! I read/watch most of the reviews Giant Bomb puts out, regardless of whether I want the game or if I even have the console that can play it, largely because they are straight-up enjoyable. I love the team's writing style and the way they retain their personality in everything they do; something few others can boast. I want to hear your thoughts on the matter, and after you vote (for the oblivious: see the above poll) I would like you to tell me about it!

Imma go first! :D

Yes, Giant Bomb has sold me:

An example of me watching/reading a review for shits & giggles, successfully making me giggle like a five year old, is Jeff's review of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. For those of you who haven't watched the video, you're officially a jerk until you see it. Jeff's impersonation of the desperation of the G-Unit is one of the funniest things I have seen in ages. Also, I highly suggest reading Vinny's review for Fable II. I got a kick out of it, cackling like a maniac.

But sometimes, I take a look at the reviews out of "necessity" in order to make a purchasing decision. Should I or should I not buy this game? And these reviews have been incredibly successful in helping me decide where and when my cash monies should be spent.

For awhile I had thought to myself, "Dude, I don't want Gears of War 2. Gears of War was good, but I think one's been enough." But I felt that, at the very least, I owed it to myself to check out Jeff's Gears of War 2 review. And guess what? I saw it and said, "Holy shit. One Gears of War is not enough. I need to get on this shit, right now!"

Another game was Condemned 2: Bloodshot. I loved Condemned: Criminal Origins like a panda loves bamboo (did you know that bamboo makes up 99% of a panda's diet?! =P,) because it was truly a horror game. From start to finish, Condemned: CO managed to do what no game had been to do. It made me fear; something the ironically acronymed First Encounter Assault Recon (F.E.A.R.) did not accomplish. Let me digress for a second: In F.E.A.R.'s defense, it's still one hell of a game. Anyway, I played Condemned: CO and loved it. When I heard there was going to be a sequel, I was ecstatic. But, at the same time, 2007 was jam-packed with incredible games and as a result, when Bloodshot came out, I was so wrapped up in other games that I didn't get around to playing it. Months later, I gave up on the premise of ever getting around to playing it. Fortunately, during the course of Summer '08, I checked Ryan's review. And. I. Was. Sold. Although I disagree with Ryan's sentiments that Bloodshot is superior to Criminal Origins, I had a great time with Bloodshot and I credit the purchase to Ryan's review.

Lastly I would like to make note of Giant Bomb's most successful persuasion.

As a kid, I spent hours upon umpteen hours fooling around in Banjo-Kazooie. The prospect of a sequel was both foreign and exciting to me. But I'm ashamed to say that I felt chagrin upon the annoucement of what Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts would entail. My stupid, unfounded prejudice almost screwed me out of video game nirvana. When I saw that Brad reviewed the game, I decided to check it out as a shits & giggles activity that might satisfy my curiousity and kill some time. I was shocked  when I heard what Brad had to say. I trusted his judgement, checked the XBL demo, and plopped it on my Christmas List, at the last minute. My parents got me the game, and when I had finished Gears of War 2, I decided it was time to get to work on Nuts & Bolts.

How was it? Un-fucking-believably awesome. Not only did it evoke my greatest childhood memories like I was intravenously consuming nostalgia, but the game and the writing and graphics and EVERYTHING was as top-notch as I have seen to date. I liked it more than Grand Theft Auto IV, for christ sake! Were it not for the review, I would still be in the dark. And that would be an absolute tragedy. I have to thank Brad, and Giant Bomb as a whole, for the insight and reccomendation. So, yeah. Thanks!

Ow! =/

My knuckles hurt, wall of text is a giant wall. Yes?

*Sigh*

Hows aboot you, Giant Bomb?

Quite simply, no.

Brads review of nuts and bolts made it a must buy, whereas before I read it, I was going to wait for the price to drop.

Blood on the Sand... its playing on my xbox in the background as i type this. If giantbomb hadnt gotten me so excited for MKvDC and SFIV on their podcast i mightve never playedem. Burnout Paradise i got as a result of giantbombs lovin too.

All 4 of those games turned out just as good as id expected. Even you, Blood on the Sand.

I don't go by reviews on anything

The Nuts and Bolts review really persuaded me to get it, even if preordered it already. Still, that is a good example.

Not really. But I still read them.

No.  I read and watch reviews on Giant Bomb and other game sites, but I do not make a final decision to buy the game based off of it

No. No review from any site has ever (or will ever) make up my mind for me.

Reviews don't make up my mind, but sway me on how urgently I need the game.

To be honest, I've only skimmed through a few of them. Don't really listen to those console gamers. :P

No, not really. I base my purchases on games I'm interested in, or I follow.

the nuts n bolts review turn that game from ill get it soon to a must have.

Nope

Nuts & Bolts and Blood on the Sand totally sold me.

MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND LOL

Brad's review of Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise persuaded me to give it a chance. I picked it up for a bargain price and don't regret it at all. So, yes. I'd never completely rely on a review before making a purchase, but that one definitely tipped the scales.

By the time the review comes out (and the game ships), I already know whether I'm going to buy it or not.

In the case of Dead Space, it made me realize I absolutely needed to play it, even though originally I thought it seemed to scary for my tastes. I sure am glad I played it afterall. It's definitely one of the best games I've played from 2008.

Also, the Nuts & Bolts review made me feel a lot better about the fact that I had already preordered the game for the original Banjo-Kazooie. It ended up being another one of my favorites from '08.

i think that Brad's absolute love for Nuts and Bolts, putting on the top of his fav games of 2008, and his review, made me buy the game and thoroughly enjoy it. i also rented Blood on the Sand, only because of the video review and the podcast that followed.

The reviews for Giant Bomb are always on point, these guys do this shit for a living.

"Reviews don't make up my mind, but sway me on how urgently I need the game."

The nuts and bolts review, as well as all the bombcast praise, made me buy the game

"Reviews don't make up my mind, but sway me on how urgently I need the game."

"Death_Unicorn said:

"Reviews don't make up my mind, but sway me on how urgently I need the game."

This is pretty much how I feel.  I research upcoming games enough to know if they look good or bad.  A review will just tell me pretty much what I already knew from reading previews and watching videos.  A good review just raises the hype level for me."

To date, no GB review has been the deciding factor in me buying a game.  However, Brad's recent look at Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon for the DS did make me add it to my Gamefly queue.  If I like it then, I'll buy it.  I think he'll deserve the credit should that happen.  Over at 1UP though, Jeremy Parish's recent review of Dragon Quest V did make me out-and-out buy the game.  So, I can be influenced in that manner, it just hasn't yet happened here at GB.

By the way, DQ5 is absolutely fantastic if you are interested in JRPGs (experienced or novice) and everything Parish said about the game is true.

GB on Fire Emblem: http://www.giantbomb.com/fire-emblem-shadow-dragon/61-24220/my-first-fire-emblem/35-231149/#61
1UP on Dragon Quest V: http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3172783&p=39

The Banjo and Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts review really helped me make the choice to buy it. (Though it being $26 helped as well). I was on the fence with the game after playing the demo but the actual game is a hundred times better.

I am very happy I picked it up.

No GB review has been the deciding factor in whether or not I bought the game, I tend to look at a lot of reviews and opinions before making a purchase.

No, not really, it's more discussions on podcasts that get me to decide. I tend to look across multiple reviews as well not just Giant Bomb.

The Endurance Run made me preorder Persona 4 though, does that count?

No. I don't buy a lot of games, and when I do it's something I've been following and have a good feeling about. Take Midnight Club, I felt Ryan was way off on that one. That's not to say it doesn't influence me in any way. But some things do so more than others - like an Edge magazine review for example. I don't normally disagree with them.

jeff's review on street fighter 4 has made me want to get it..... thinking about picking it up..

Not really a review but the Endurance Run did get me interested in Persona 4.

Nope, not yet anyways. Maybe sometime in the future. Looking back, Brad's review of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts does spark an interest for me now.

Most recent one I can think of is The Maw.

I guess Brad's Banjo Kazooie review did make me want to order it a few months ago.

The new "Quick Look" plays a large role in my gaming habits, probably more than the reviews. Quick looks have more than one person, different perspective.

SF4 I bought because of the Bomb review.

-- God Bless.

The endurance run got me interested in the Persona series, I picked up BK:N&B this quickly because Brad's review made it sound awesome (it is), and more. Yes, I do feel like GB's reviews are great, and really helpful.

Oh, and the Endurance Run did make me buy Persona 3: FES and Persona 4.

No one should ever only use one source for reviews. However, Giantbomb's opinion does have more of a weight to it for me than other sites. This is mainly due to the fact that I've listened to every single Giantbombcast, and Gamespot's podcast for over a year, so I feel like I understand what these guy's taste in games.

I don't trust professional reviews.
Actually, I should say that I don't let one review be the deciding factor. I tend to look at user reviews more anyway.

No review ever makes a decision, for me.  I'll read several different reviews, mainly just to get a grasp on things like gameplay and features, and decide from there if it's a game for me.  Granted, the Giant Bomb gang and I usually share a very similar opinion on video games, I always leave the final decision up to myself and my  own experience.

Not at all.

Once... HAWX.

Not buying the game.

Giant Bomb reviews made me buy GTA 4 and Fable 2.

Yeah a few have made me change my mind.

Giant Bomb does reviews? But no, not really. They just don't do very many, and they haven't been for games i am interested in for the most part, though to be fair i've only been using this site for about a month.

My answer is no.

To be fair, I don't really rely on reviews from any site, so it's not just Giant Bomb.  I usually come to a conclusion of my own.

But I mostly read GB's reviews, and everything else on the site for that matter, for entertainment.  The personality and general awesomeness held within Giant Bomb's reviews is unmatched.  Gamespot and IGN seem to just kinda sleep through their reviews, and it's pretty boring.  Long live Giant Bomb! xD