Metacritic has no standards, we need a curated list of reviewers.

[iLikeEggs]

I think the missing factor is taste. I'm not going to get into the details, but there are plenty of BIG named games (Witcher series, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, Earthbound, most non-SoulsBorne open-world games) that I either vehemently hate or dislike, yet they review well. Do i think some of the aforementioned are bad? Oh yes. However, I can see someone with different tastes than myself enjoying those games. 

On the other hand, there are games that I love (Bastion, Alundra, Sleeping Dogs, Breath of Fire V) that don't review as well. They're not as renowned or talked about and are more niche (for the most part). 

So yeah, taste is a huge factor. You need to look up and research games/watch gameplay for yourself, then make a decision.