similar to Lasereth, i never listen to friends. and i stay clear of unfinished game previews(E3 is a good example).
I never saw this meta critic website. i'll have to keep that in mind next time. but it does look very similar to
http://www.gamerankings.com
and i always check for IGN reviews since they seem to know their stuff. i'll check ign for video and screenshots also. and if it REALLY interests me, then i'll go to the store and see the price.