I’ll preface this like I prefaced my last attempt at a review: I’m not a professional by any means. I’m just someone who enjoys games, enjoys talking about games, and enjoys hanging out with people who have similar interests.
When I thought about how I review games I play, it’s similar to how the Game Informer crew reviews their games. They have that sidebar where it breaks down the Concept, Graphics, Sound, Playability, Entertainment and the Replay ability; boiling down their long form review to bullet points. I love reading game reviews, but sometimes, you just need the quick hits!
When I review games, I’ll touch on the following:
Basics: A (probably) spoiler-filled summary of what I played.
Graphics: Does it look like something you want to keep playing, or does it look like Assassin’s Creed Unity on day one? If it’s part of a franchise, does the style match the other games? Does the UI work for you, or do you have to work to get it?
Sound: Does the music or voice acting in the game draw you in or make you want to hit the mute button?
Replay Value: In a choice based game, do those choices really matter? Conversely, are you going to want to visit those characters and that world again in a month? A year?
Playability: Great story and great characters and great graphics aside, was it fun to play, or did I break some controllers along the way?
The FUN Value: (Clever name for the arbitrary number I’ll assign, judging my overall enjoyment of the experience.)