I stopped to buy and read any reviews, when there started to be common practice, that the text of the review was completely out of touch with final score... When you read review, which is stating in every paragraph that game is mediocre, and you get at the end score of 9/10, you know there is something fishy in the air...
nowadays, i just browse for some forums with mature gamers, like this one, where you don't see many diehard fanboys, and i get always the information what i need. I am yet to be burned with the purchase recommened this way...