This article is based on Mainstream Gaming Sites. We’ve picked out the best game review sites and video game news sites on the internet to help with this. Whether you want to check on a game’s quality before buying it or like to browse the latest gaming headlines, one of these great game websites will serve you well.
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A Word on Mainstream Gaming Sites
Video games journalism has gone through a lot of problems in recent several years. We’ll spare specific details here, but suffice it to say that several well-known video game websites have suffered significant breaches of ethics: collusion, undisclosed financial ties, and cronyism, among other behaviors.
Additionally, the focus has shifted from reviewing games based primarily on their gameplay and quality for many gaming sites. Some sites emphasize social and political issues above all else or even have authors who treat some articles like a personal blogs. Other gaming sites have branched out to cover other forms of entertainment (like movies, TV, and music) to the detriment of their gaming coverage.
We encourage you to research these issues and draw conclusions about whether you want to follow such mainstream gaming sites. Whatever sites you choose to read, you must pay attention to the writers you’re reading, not just the place. Everyone has a “best game review site” since quality differs among the authors at various sites.
Destructoid Destructoid is an excellent all-around gaming site with a bit of everything. It publishes articles regularly, with lots of news posts, reviews, and features appearing each week. This includes updates on specific games, previews of upcoming contests, and opinion pieces.
It’s not just a gaming news site, though. Destructoid publishes reviews of console and PC games, as well as mobile titles and even DLC. Its thoughts are straightforward, and you can read Destructoid’s scoring system to understand how it rates games.
Top off this coverage with video content and community forums, and you’ve got a solid video game website anyone can enjoy.
GamesRadar+
Another one of the gaming news sites that offers a healthy balance of content, GamesRadar+ provides news, reviews, features, hands-on looks at new games, and more. You can view reviews and guides by your favorite system or check out the latest news and reviews.
GamesRadar+ doesn’t review the volume of games many other sites do. At the time of writing, the site’s last 20 reviews include a few big-name games but are mostly hardware reviews. This shows that the staff takes their time and doesn’t rush out reviews.
In the reviews, clear Pros/Cons lists and a summary of the verdict make them easy to skim. Overall, GamesRadar+ provides lots of content to check out, as well as short stories for staying abreast of gaming news.
Game Informer
Game Informer is a long-running video game magazine that also has a website. Unlike other gaming websites that feature content for movies and TV, this one is all about games. You’ll find news, previews of upcoming games, reviews, and features.
It’s an old-school take on a game website in the overcomplicated modern age, which is welcome. Many of the staff are longtime game players, and the site has a professional feel to it. Reviews break down the most critical points, like Graphics, Playability, and Replay.
Overall, Game Informer is a website for people who love video games built for players. The site doesn’t review every little fun, but what’s here is excellent, and there’s no political nonsense to worry about.
Metacritic
If you don’t feel like wading through detailed reviews and want a quick score to see if a game is worth playing, Metacritic is for you. It’s not a review website in itself but instead aggregates scores from various game review websites (like Rotten Tomatoes and similar websites do for movies).
Search for a game, and you’ll see a weighted score from 1-100. You can click through to read individual reviews or compare what the critics thought to user reviews.
A lot of the time, it’s hard to sum up, a game’s quality in a single number. Thus, many people have issues with the weight placed on Metacritic, but it’s a fine place to start your research on a game. Just remember that a numbered score isn’t everything
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Nintendo Life
As the name suggests, this is one of the best gaming websites for Nintendo enthusiasts. Nintendo Life specializes in covering the Nintendo Switch, 3DS, eShop, and similar topics. You’ll find reviews, news, features, and even original videos.
The guides stand out here. They provide help for major games, such as type weaknesses in Pokemon or spot fake paintings in Animal Crossing. The site reviews downloadable eShop titles and mainstream releases, so there’s a lot of coverage.
With a friendly community in the forums and comment sections, this is a must-visit for all Nintendo fans.
GameSpot
GameSpot is a well-known gaming site that’s worth a visit. You’ll find popular and recent news on its homepage, along with tabs to filter by your favorite game systems.
The site reviews games, both famous and small, on every platform. You can also check out its video shows and forums to connect with other gamers for something a little different.
There are occasional quirks with reviews, like the writer mentioning that they didn’t play through the entire game. Because of this, it is nice to see a summary of what the reviewer played at the bottom of the article. But overall, it’s a quality resource.
Christ-Centered Gamer
With the above discussion of game bias, you might think a site with an apparent predisposition is an odd choice to include. But Christ Centered Gamer has received praise for its clear reviews from people concerned about the ethics of mainstream game sites.
Unlike sites that let author biases influence their ranking of a game’s quality, this site separates its reviews into two scores. One scores the game technically on its gameplay, controls, and other attributes. The other scores the morality of the game, based on factors like language, sexual content, and similar.
If you’re a person of faith or want more information about video games for your children beyond the basic game age rating, you can consider the morality score. But if you don’t care about that, you can skip right past it and still enjoy a quality review of the game on its own merits.
This page isn’t as well-known as some other game review sites, but it’s up-front about its biases and hasn’t had concerning breaches of ethics. You may find that refreshing.
Websites for User-Written Game Reviews
The above sites are all professional publications for game news and reviews. However, don’t forget that there are tons of resources online to read user-created reviews too. Since opinions on games are subjective, you might prefer to read several reviews from everyday players in addition to, or instead of, professional articles.
YouTube
Anyone with an opinion and a YouTube channel can make a video reviewing a game. If you prefer to watch gameplay for a game instead of just reading about it, this is a great option. The chances are that you’ll be able to find someone talking about the game you’re interested in.
GameFAQS
In addition to being one of the best places for game walkthroughs, GameFAQs is a valuable resource for user reviews of games. Please search for fun and check its Reviews tab to see what others think about it.
These reviews don’t follow any particular pattern, so it’s up to each person to discuss what they feel is essential.
Steam
Steam has a handy review system that makes it easy to see what many other players thought about the game. Just scroll down on any game’s page on Steam to take a look. You can filter by positive or negative reviews, how long the reviewer played the game, and other criteria. It’s even possible to see a graph of checks over time.
Others can comment on reviews, and the most helpful ones rise to the top. Even if you don’t play on PC, checking Steam reviews for any game you’re interested in is valuable.
The Top Video Game Websites Worth Your Time
The best video game websites aren’t necessarily the ones you hear about often. Every game website has some drawbacks: a lack of ethics, poorly justified review scores, or an extreme bias. But these sites are great places to get your video game reviews, as well as some news.
In addition to these options, it’s a good idea to find some Twitch streamers that you enjoy. Game websites employ dozens of people, which makes it challenging to find a consistent voice. With a single streamer, you can understand their preferences and better see if a game is suitable for you. Plus, seeing a game in real-time for yourself always helps.