donathos on 21 May 2008
Aside from the useful things from others (IGN generally being trustworthy, Metacritic, etc.), I'd also like to add that when I'm on the fence, I like to let the dust clear a little bit.
Often, there are issues about a game that can't be (or aren't for whatever reason) covered in a game's initial reviews. But then, over time and as people play it, other issues come up.
For instance, Onimusha has brought up a lot of good points about Wii's release of Okami & the bloom seems to be a bit off the rose for GTA4.
User reviews for a game after a few weeks of play can sometimes give different insight than a professional one right at release.
