If a game I'm interested in gets universally bad reviews, I'll skip it. I see no point in wasting my time with a game on some miniscule chance I might be the one person who would enjoy the game.
If a game I'm interested in gets mixed reviews, I'll read some of the reviews more closely and try to figure out what the game's shortcomings are. If those shortcomings are things that I know would bother me, I'll skip it. If they're things that don't matter to me, I'll buy it.
If a game I'm not interested in gets universally good reviews, I'll give it a second look. I won't necessarily buy it, but I'll at least read the reviews more closely and think about it. If it's the type of game I enjoy, I'll buy it. If I'm not familiar with the game type, but the ideas behind the game sound fresh and interesting, I'll probably buy it. If it just sounds like a top-notch game in a genre I don't particularly like, I'll skip it.
I don't have enough time to play every game that comes out. Honestly I'm skeptical that anyone has that much time, so the constant cries of "ignore the reviews, play and decide for yourself" are meaningless. Reviews are a great tool to assist in purchase or rental decisions. Most people just seem like they don't know how to use reviews very well.
