Could not have said it better myself Jonny.
But, yes, it is a bit daunting and even overwhelming when you are first getting into Forex. Soooooooooo many firms, soooooooooooo many claims, soooooooooo many opinions, sooooooooooo many reviews. lol
However, it took me all of 1 week to narrow it down to 3 or 4 choices. I knew my trading style was going to be scalping/day trading so I knew I had to find a broker that would accommodate my style with no grief or excuses. I wanted regulated, I wanted in the USA, etc.
Did I get EVERYTHING I wanted? No. But I am very happy.
Once I am ready to do swing trades or longer term trades, I will open an account with a broker like GFT or IBFX. Until then, I have work to do.