i've had a problem lately..i currently cant really distingish what games i should get....for example today right after work..i wanted to buy mobile suit gundam :crossfire for the ps3 but i read reviews and they said its wack....i really dont know i like reviews because they give me a heads up about the game..such as problems, controls and stuff but at times i look at the sales and im like WHAT!!! regardless if a game got bad reviews it still winds up selling...i dont know what to do....what are some solutions and does anyone listen to game reviewers..please need some help!!

Reviews are one of many criteria.

Try renting games, it's a good way of not wasting 60 bucks on a game you end up hating.

But, if you are a Gundam fan for example that could make the game a lot easier for you to swallow than it is for the average reviewer.

Also: Gundam Crossfire on PS3 is crappy wait for the Gundam Warriors game at least it might not be great but it is better than that drivel.

i don't buy games if they get bad reviews from multiple sources.. but there are some games you cant base on reviews .. like mp8 i knew what i was getting when i bought it and still had fun with it despite bad reviews

Reviews determine everything in my life. Goes as far as household furniture and appliances.

Eh. Reviews don't matter one bit. Although I typically agree with most reviewer's opinions on high-end games, I've found myself disagreeing many many times about lower-reviewed games.

Case in point(s):

Earth Defense Force 2017 - panned by critics, the co-op component makes this game (imo) better than Gears of War. Absolutely amazing game, expecially for $40. The average ranking? 70% from all review sites.

Viva Pinata - A true Rare classic. One of their best E-rated titles, ever. Sales were poor (but did decent), but reviewers were real lukewarm. Reviewers had it in the 83-85% range, but this game is better than Sim City and Banjo Kazooie. Go check out the VP thread at NeoGAF - everyone that bought it, loved it (even Bill Gate's daughter)

Dead Rising - Yes, the save feature was gimped, but outside of that, ultra-innovative and near perfect. Despite this, it was still a middle-of-the-road score of 85%.

Summary: Screw critics, buy what you like, they're always wrong. A few are right about games with critical flaws in design that make some games unplayable. IMO, renting is the best way to go. I've rented somewhere near 70 X360 games, and many many I found myself enjoying far more than the reviewers did. Now, in MSG:C's case, I'd definately rent before buying, because a game that gets sub-50% scores are typically aweful, but if you enjoy it, by all means, buy it.

All 3 games you pointed out were critically acclaimed actually so you totally agree with the reviewers.

Metacritic ratings: 

Viva Pinata- 84% and in some cases in the 90s%

EDF 2017- 69% but got great marks from the big review sources, the grade is lowered by review scores from insignificant sources.

Dead Rising- 85% and again in some cases in the 90s%

I've found the best way to approach reviews is to look at a few sites over a period of time. If there is one site of magazine you find that you agree with on a regular basis (eg I find I agree with Eurogamer alot) then stick with them as your main source. I wouldn't pay to much attention to scores either.

I like to read the reviews to look for individual issues and positives about a game, but other than that I have never followed review scores when determining what game to buy.

Bork, I just think that there weren't 20+ titles out there for the 360 that deserved higher scores, but that's just me.

Again, with EDF it did get insanely low scores. And IMO, I would of rated DR and VP much higher.

Kameo, The Outfit, and Condemned were also 3 early on games that got mediocre reviews (if you consider 82% good for Kameo and Condemned, be my guest).

Again, I've just figured that 85% was good, but not great, whereas I found the games above great.