How to read Steam reviews before buying a game
Reviews in Steam are the fastest way to understand what's wrong with the game. But an overall rating of the “very positive” type answers the question “have you ever liked the game,” not “is it worth buying today.” These are different questions.
How fresh reviews differ from general ones, why the percentage of positive ones is deceptive, how to look for specific problems and which reviews are not worth wasting time on.
Recent reviews versus overall reviews
Steam shows two estimates: for all time and for the last thirty days. You need to look at the second one.
The discrepancy between them is the most informative signal on the entire page. A game with an overall rating of “very positive” and a recent “mixed” rating clearly broke something recently: an unsuccessful update, problems with servers, a controversial decision by the publisher.
The opposite situation also happens: a bad overall rating and a good fresh one means that the game has been fixed after a disastrous start. Such cases are regular and cannot be seen by one general assessment.
Why percentages can mislead
The rating in Steam is binary: thumbs up or thumbs down. A game that everyone is “okay” with and a game that everyone is excited about can yield the same percentage.
The percentage does not distinguish between the reasons for dissatisfaction. Half of the negative reviews may be about a broken Russian translation that you don’t care about, or about a bug on a specific video card that you don’t have.
Therefore, the percentage is suitable for quick screening, and the decision is made based on the content.
- Compare the assessment for 30 days with the assessment for the entire time - the discrepancy is the most informative.
- See the date of the last major update next to the reviews.
- The small number of reviews makes the percentage meaningless.
Reading the substance of reviews
Look for recurring complaints, not the most emotional ones. One devastating review means nothing, ten reviews about the same problem do.
Filter the negative ones and read them specifically. Positive ones usually describe what you already expect from a game of this genre.
Pay attention to the number of hours the author has. A review after an hour of play describes the first impression, a review after two hundred hours describes how the game feels at a distance. You need both types, but for different issues.
Useful filters: language, type of purchase and period. Reviews written before a major update may be describing a game that no longer exists.
What to skip
Reviews are jokes and memes. There are many of them, they collect likes and do not contain information.
Reviews about the publisher's policy, if you are interested in the game itself. Waves of negative feedback following controversial decisions often have nothing to do with how the game is played.
Reviews with zero hours. The man didn't play.
And the general principle: if you need a game for a specific thing - multiplayer, plot, mods - look for reviews about it through a text search, and do not read in a row.
Frequently asked questions
How do fresh reviews differ from general ones?
Fresh covers the last thirty days and shows the current state of the game. General - the whole story, including versions that no longer exist.
What does the discrepancy between estimates mean?
Good general and bad fresh mean a recent problem. The opposite is that the game was fixed after a weak start.
Can you trust the percentage of positive reviews?
As a fast filter - yes. The assessment is binary and does not distinguish between the reasons for dissatisfaction, so the decision is made based on the content.
Which reviews are more useful - with more or less hours?
Both, but about different things. With a small one - about the first impression and the start, with a large one - about how the game keeps its distance.
Is it worth looking at the waves of negative reviews?
Check the reason. They often relate to decisions made by the publisher and do not describe the game itself.
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