This is like a mix of Goosebumps and Stephen King! Well done!

I'm usually pretty predictable in what I buy. I will buy games that I'm SURE I will like because I've liked previous installments in the series or I've liked games from the developers before (the most notable occurance of this is with BioWare games). If I'm uncertain, I'll read multiple reviews. I don't bother with scores, but read about the gameplay, how it compares to other games of the same genre and stuff like that. Very rarely will a review change my opinion of a game and deminish my desire to buy it though. HOWEVER, all that being said, I work at EB Games Canada. I see first hand the power of review scores and word of mouth. We get Game Informer magazine in our store and on my breaks, I will usually skim through it. Just the other day, my coworker said to a customer, "Well, Game Informer gave Crysis 2 a 9, so..." and that was enough evidence to make the man purchase the game and he didn't even READ the review! It's frightening what numbers can do. :/

Long-time reader, first-time commenter... Congrats on overcoming the fear monster in regards to your writing. I'm still trying to leap over that hurdle to no avail. Also, that image is made of win.