What's fueling the distrust for game journalists?

[adriane23]

Veknoid_Outcast said:

adriane23 said:

Veknoid_Outcast said:

adriane23 said:
Inconsistencies between review scores and the reviewers own words.
Inconsistencies/Hypocrisy when reviewers review similar games that have similar faults and/or qualities.
Lack of journalistic integrity (Putting personal opinions about genres and the nationality of the game developers).
Lack of maturity (A lot of game journalists are just too sensitive).

I agree with most of what you wrote, but could you clarify the section in bold?

Like when gaming reviewers state that they don't like a certain genre (JRPGs, Hack & Slash, Fighting, Beat Em Ups, etc) and still review a game in said genre.

Example: http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/11/double-dragon-neon-review

The reviewer obviously didn't care for old arcade beat em up games, and his review reflects that. People can't change what they like and don't like, but being objective means putting your personal opinons aside and giving an unbiased analysis.

The point is well taken. But I disagree about setting aside personal opinions. I think we seek out reviews for the expert opinion of the reviewer. Every critic has standards and priorities when it comes to movies, music, or video games in this case, and these should be on full display in a review. If a critic put aside his personal opinions, he's not really a critic anymore.

I see what you and Xxain are saying with this Double Dragon review, but I think that's more a matter of taste than professionalism. A critic can have bad taste and still be a competent, professional reviewer.

If a critic puts aside his personal opinions to critique something, he's the definition of a critic.

If I didn't like FPS games and reviewed Halo 4, I can't be taken seriously if I bash it for being in first person. As a professional, I should only critique it for what it's trying to accomplish, and how it stacks up against its contemporaries in its genre.