What type of review do you prefer?

[Veho]

My question is about video reviews.


There are two types of reviews on the interwebz.
One is the "classic" kind. Introduction, overview, testing and criteria, comments and final thoughts and recommendations. The review is a conclusion of some time spent with the item. The reviewer has had time to do some testing and overview of the item, the narration is scripted, the reviewer is familiar with the item and its use / characteristics / quirks. It is basically the classic written review, only narrated.

The other is the modern "gonzo" style. It is more of an unboxing / first impressions / "reaction" video. The reviewer has read descriptions of the item, but it purports to be the first time they are using it. The unboxing and overview is impromptu, the narration and comments are spontaneous, the testing is done "live"; since this is usually the first time the reviewer has handled the item, they may not be familiar, so there are bungles, missteps, reading the manual, retries etc. Like the first type, the conclusion may be filmed after some time (weeks, months) and more testing in more controlled conditions, but that part is shorter, and in the form of corrections/brief remarks. The majority of the review is "live." Reviews like this have a more organic feel.

Videos like this have become popular recently (by "recently" I mean the last 10-15 years, I'm old), not just reviews but other kinds of content as well.

Both can be humorous or serious, the difference I'm talking about here is the format.

Which do you prefer?

 

[FAST6191]

I don't mind the latter for people familiar with games. If it is going to be the sorts of failures that led to the game journalist difficulty meme then that holds little value from a review perspective. It can vary with game style a bit as well -- memester plays dwarf fortress, project zomboid, space station 13, various roguelikes or something with a lot of mechanics is rather less valueable, as might be something with more emergent gameplay that gets discovered after a while.
Similarly such a thing is more what you get from a longplay (though some of those do verge on speedrun areas if no damage and such get implemented) which is what I would often seek instead of a review, be it the style above or more classical intro, graphics, music, gameplay, multiplayer, conclusion.

Those that also teach me something about game design or a related subject are usually my favourite though.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I don't always watch video reviews, but when I do...it's the first one usually.

Unboxing videos are a nice way to initially show off the product, but if I'm watching a review I'm generally looking for someone's opinion on the entire subject matter, and not so much just those first impressions. I want to know if XYZ is actually worth the time/money investment, and having just a general unboxing isn't going to tell me how it holds up over time, how it feels to use over time, if it actually fulfills whatever purpose it needs to fulfill in a good matter vs maybe a competitor etc etc.

I do like seeing videos that include both though, with the first initial unboxing being just the opening segment in a traditional review format so you get both first impressions and then nitty ditty details that may correct or confirm initial suspicions on the product.

 

[JuanMena]

Recently found the YouTube channel "Hungry Goriya" and I'm liking her content. Not only the girl's voice is soothing, but the review/criticism of old games is quite nice. Certainly she knows what she's talking about and brings a lot of details that mosts "reviewers" would totally miss.

Not a fan of the later kind of videos, so I totally ignore that kind of content.

 

[CoolMe]

Depending if it's a movie, game, product review. I would certainly like to see the packaging & accessories included with a product as well as the reviewer's opinion of the product, i'd appreciate it if he gives a fair review, like if it's still a good product for the price or if there's some other products that are comparable to it for less or more etc.
For video games, movies, tv shows, albums etc. It could be a bit of both, like if there's a physical product involved, though i'd say most of the time it's about the (digital) content, gameplay, story, length, and if is it worth playing, watching etc..
One thing i absolutely hate about some video game reviewers (or nostalgia, retrospective type reviews) is they always try to shoehorn in an unnecessary exposition about the history of the console selling well (like the PS2 or Wii), that are completely irrelevant to the material at hand. Now i completely skip the first 1/3rd of the video until they start the "reviewing" part..

 

[VinsCool]

I'll chose the 3rd option missing from the poll: Honest Reviews

The number of times I have seen paid chills, for both the Gamer Professionals, and the Casual Youtubers...