Now, I didn’t change this much from when I first published this review scale in 2017. I just thought it would be a good thing to do some slight updates on it now that we’re headed into a new console generation, and I’ve written a few of these for the blog since then.
And remember, I’m not a professional by any means. (Although I’d like to be.) I’m just someone who enjoys playing games, talking about games, and hanging out with people who have similar interests.
When I thought about “reviewing” video games in this space, all I’m thinking about is what I’d like to see in a review. Albeit, it’s a lot like how the Game Informer crew reviews their games. (If it works, right?) I like the bullet points in their reviews at the bottom; it gets straight to the point.
- Basics: Will be as spoiler-free as possible, but if I do get into spoiler territory, you will be warned. Because I HATE that (reviews that give away the ghost, you could say).
- Graphics: Does the game look like something you want to keep playing, or is it an assault on the eyes? If it is part of a franchise, does the style match the other games? Does the UI make sense and is it easy to use?
- Sound: This one is all about the music, ambiance, and voice acting. Does it add to the experience, or make you leap for the mute button?
- Replay Value: In a choice-based game, do those choices actually matter? In any game, are you going to want to revisit those characters and that world again in a month? A year?
- Playability: A great story, great characters, and great music aside, was it fun to play? Did it feel like work to progress in the game, or were you counting down to when you could turn it on again?
- The X Factor: Now, NOT EVERY REVIEW will get this score. I reserve this for a game who has done something I find VERY unique or memorable. Like Erica, from Flavourworks. That team used FMV and choice-based gameplay so smoothly together, it’s my favorite FMV game out there. I tell everyone with a PS4 to give it a try.
All of this culminates in THE SCORE. (Cue ominous music.)
No, not really ominous. All that THE SCORE ends up being, after some dramatic capitalization, is a “clever” name for the arbitrary number that I’ll end up assigning to the review. Hopefully, it ends up being an accurate number