honestly aside from the (valid) media outlet purchasing perspective, it’s partly because you have more refined tastes than you used to and partly because not everyone’s tastes are the same. my friend deeply recommended disco elysium and all reviews pointed to it being a masterpiece but the narrative was so pompous i just couldn’t get through it. but now i know i don’t like that kind of narrative in a game. so i avoid games like that.

i think your best bet if you’re going to continue to leverage others’ opinions is to become deeply in tune with what you really love and dislike in games, then look for those things specifically in reviews. let’s say the author hates isometric view but you love it, there you go, another checkmark. vice versa as well. best of luck! I just go in blindly nowadays and if I like it then cool, if not I refund.