You can always tell when a publisher gave reviewers something. Gran Turismo 7 was a universally loathed game by gamers (2.2) but "critics" (marketers) gave it 86. Elden Ring may be even worse, reviewers insisted on fawning all over it (96 total, which is absurd), but users only gave it a much-deserved 7.8. It was basically a well-done rip-off of Elder Scrolls Online and didn't even hide the fact. Even some of the environments looked outright lifted from that game.
Game reviews are subjective, I get that, but if you have a huge divide like that between "critics" and users, just know that it's usually a few notches below or above where the aggregate score lies. And listen to the middle of the road reviewers who don't fall on either end. Except for Gran Turismo, a 2.2 by users is usually a solid 4 or 5. And a 100 by critics is a solid 80 most of the time.
I've shifted to just reading the synopsis and watching the trailers/gameplay. That'll give someone a better idea of what they might be interested in playing. Most people would choose an Elden Ring over a 2019 Definitive Edition of Walking Dead, but I actually enjoyed the Walking Dead more.
The only reviews I've read this year that are mostly accurate: Resident Evil 4 Remake. If you loved that game and can handle hating Chapter 9 of the Remake, you'll never regret playing the redo. It's amazing.
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