Reviews don't have as much value, partly because video game "journalism" is largely in bed with developers (as we learned via GamerGate and other scandals), but there are some things a review can tell you that gameplay vids can't
However, gameplay vids are generally more useful for noticing at a glance what you might like. I'd say demos are the best of all, but the problem with demos is it takes time to install them.
Damn_Underscore posted... There really isnt an equivalent of gameplay videos for other types of media. For example a gameplay video for a movie or book would be just watching the movie or reading the book... and years ago it wasnt really feasible to post any gameplay or outside of short clips
Because you don't really need an equivalent for those media. Although technically there ARE kinda equivalents. You can read a movie or book synopsis to determine whether you'll like it. Or watch abridged versions of movies where things are condensed to 8-12 minutes (where if the first 3 minutes are great, I'll track down the movie. If I'm not that into it, I'll just watch the abridged).
Damn_Underscore posted... ^You dont have to fully watch a gameplay video to know what you need to know about a game. People dont fully read reviews either, thats what the review scores are for.
So then there is another equivalent -- just watching a clip from the movie or reading some pages from the book.
ParanoidObsessive posted... But if you can find a good YouTuber or site you trust (preferably one that has a demonstrated track record of liking the same sorts of games you like, and disliking the same sorts of games you dislike), and who is good at annunciating (and enunciating!) the pros and cons of a given game (rather than just going "This game sucks and I hate it"), then reviews can definitely be useful.
Yeah, that I could get behind. Micro-influencers are generally better than traditional "professionals" since it's more curated and niche.