I criticise this thread.
Seriously, though, I think the purpose of criticism in gaming is:
a) To provide a guide for a potential buyer on whether or not a game is for them.
b) To help the developers improve the game in patches or a sequel.
The purpose of criticism is NOT to let people say "Ha, Game X is better than Game Y because it got 92 and not 91 on Metacritic!", but this is a common use.
The score shouldn't REALLY be used as a decision maker, but I do use it as such, occasionally. The score should be a brief summary of, objectively, how well the game would appeal to a general audience. The actual review should list facts about the game, its strong and weak points, and who would enjoy it. The game should not really be compared to any game on another console within the review, but if there's a better game on the same console, that might be worthy of a mention.
In a perfect world.
IMO.
(Former) Lead Moderator and (Eternal) VGC Detective 
