I have a tough time picking new games, because it's often hard to get a feel for what a game is really like without A. Playing it or B. Spoiling the hell out of it.
Especially now that my game taste is changing. I thought I wouldn't care for no mans sky cos I didn't like first person..but I'm really enjoying it.
How do you find good games if you don't have a way to play it/a demo?
Depends on the game. If it's a game I know I'm going to buy anyway, like Zelda or Elder Scrolls, I avoid watching anything about it like the plague. I'd much rather go into a game fresh with no expectations, and make my own opinion about it.
However, I've been burned too many times not to pause and get reviews first. There are way too many games that rely on hype and pre-orders to make sales and are unfinished that I don't risk buying most games without at least a few spoilers.
Depends on the platform. For PC games, have to be no subs, ideally F2P (because no income), and be able to run on my laptop (which can't run most games since it's old + Intel graphics). I prefer MMOs.
I don't have any current gen consoles so no decisions required there.
For 3DS games, I usually only buy games that a part of series I know, like Pokemon, Fire Emblem, and Golden Sun. And I try to wait until they're on sale because no income.
If it's an existing franchise then I just buy the sequels as and when they're released since if it's existing, I probably already know if I like the series or not and if it's a sequel, I'll probably like it.
For new IP's I'll look at a few videos to find out what it's about and what you do, if it sounds fun I'll wait for a few reviews to come out to make sure it's not total crap. Aside from maybe sports games I'll pretty much play anything, so I just look for an interesting premise.
i rarely buy games, but i usually wait until (or just remember that "oh yeah that game is out") long after it's released and look at reviews and videos n stuff. i dont buy that many games tbh but when i do it's mostly based on stuff i have heard abt it
I watch a variety of reviews from different sources. I put the most value on independent youtuber reviews, although that's difficult these days as a lot of these reviewers get scooped up by parent companies. But getting a wide range is good because one person could consider something a negative that another person considers non-impactful or even a positive. Somebody could like a style of game that I don't like, or vice-versa. If it's for the 3DS or Wii U I'll try to see if there's a demo available. But yeah, just generally I wait until after it's already released so I can see gameplay footage, get a wider pool of opinions. The only games I've ever pre-ordered were ones in series I already know I'll enjoy (e.g. Monster Hunter, Lego games, Kingdom Hearts).
i hardly ever buy games, but i'll always buy it based off of the description. if the description sounds good, and it mentions things that sound cool, then im down.
i try to not watch videos of a game before i get to play it, because that usually spoils the fun for me.
I love watching gameplay videos and after one or two episodes I usually know if I want to experience on my own or if watching it is more than enough. If I have more specific questions I usually look up the Amazon description and screenshots.
I always, and mean ALWAYS read the sinopsis of the game to see if it could get me interested. Since I'm certainly no rich, I don't want to risk buying something that I would not enjoy.
After sinopsis, if avalaible I search on the net some trailer or even a little playthrough of few minutes to see how is managed. Yes, because I'm one of those strange people in the world that actually like spoilers. If I like what I see, then I consider to perhaps buy it (as long as it's possible).
I go to the library and check out games to get a feel of it, and if I really like it I'll buy it so I can have more time with it. I'm also subscribed to Game Informer though so I'll read reviews on games there aaand I follow a lot of game news sites on Facebook so I get updates on my news feed too! Last but not least, word of mouth, haha. My boyfriend plays a ton of games so I'll get influenced by him too sometimes.
Lately I started watching gameplay videos before purchasing a game. Before I would just buy a game because it sounds cool such as Guild Wars 2 or ESO but end up hating it, so from now on I at least read a lot of reviews and watch videos.
i usually find it's best to watch a video about it on youtube. that way you get a decent look at how the game plays too, instead of reading a written review where it's usually tough to judge exactly how a game plays. there's a good deal of youtubers who make 10-15 minute showcases of newly released video games, such as ACG, who showcases the gameplay, sound/music, graphics, etc.
I used to buy random games like Tomodachi life but now I'm actually spending money on games I like (Zelda, Pokemon, AC etc.) which come out yearly/every couple years.
I usually ask friends, or look for RPGs. If neither of those, I always stick to games that are installments of something I have already played. I look for games I can get lost in though. I wanna be surrounded and engulfed by the pixels :>
if it's a game from a series i've already played, i'll choose to get it if it's a series i enjoy, like animal crossing or mario, even if it's actually pretty different to the rest of the games in the series (like mario party 9 was to the rest of the mario party series, and ac:hhd was to the main series games).
if i've never played a single game from the series, though, i usually decide if i'm gonna get it through reading reviews, seeing what's been shown of the game so far (if it hasn't been released yet), and playing a demo of the game (if there is one, of course).
