In Defence of Metacritic for Video Games

Metacritic attracts a lot of criticism from various sources. How valid are those criticisms and why does Metacritic end up having so much apparent market power?

Zombie Poker Defense - Metacritic

Defense And Revenge - Metacritic

Towers & Powers - Metacritic

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair - Metacritic

The Castle Game - Metacritic

Video Game Reviews, Articles, Trailers and more - Metacritic

Defense the Farm - Metacritic

Ash of Legends - Metacritic

Zombie Defense Squad 2 - Metacritic

Games With Disappointing Metacritic Scores That Are Actually Awesome