What makes a good game review?
Ever since I came up with the concept for the web site, I’ve always had the intention of writing my own reviews of all (well… as many as I can) of the videogames out there. However, when you come right down to it, I’m no professional journalist and at this point in time, very few people would actually listen to what I would have to say over any number of more mainstream reviewers out there… that’s okay though, considering that with every game review those in the mainstream media lose credibility.
…After all, how many of us laughed our asses off when we saw Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4 score 10 out of 10s at various web sites? For a time it seemed like everything was going to be scored 10 out of 10 across the board. The worst part is that those games don’t even deserve a perfect score. I agree that both of those games are very good in their own ways, but there was still a lot wrong with them to be scaled in such a way. I feel as though every review score posted lowers the collective IQ of the reviewer and their audience.
A lot of game sites seem to take pride in the fact that they rank one game with a 9.4 and another game a 9.5. What is the difference between those two scores other than a 0.1 value? How are those scores related to each other? Does this mean that I should not buy the 9.4 scored game over the 9.5? In a lot of ways it’s become more of a match of “this game is better than this other one” rather than “this game has these key points you should be aware of”.
I also feel that some game sites have it all backwards. They give you a page full of text and then show you the key points and the score at the very end. I find a lot of people just want to get the gist of it at first and if they’re really interested, read further into the review for more details. Therefore the smart thing to do would be to put the final points and score at the very beginning.
I’m sure many of you can come up with many other ways to improve videogame reviews. I’d like to hear your thoughts. What makes a good game review? And furthermore, how would you like to see the reviews done for Twilight Lynk?
Comments: 47
Moelman says:
One idea I just came up with is to maybe do comparative game reviews. What I mean by this is review two games that are often compared to each other or being released around the same time to see which game is the better buy. You could compare them on different factors and see which game does what better.
spinkle says:
What about numeric representations of the different factors that go into making a game (fun, playability, controls, graphics, creativity, originality, appropriateness to apparent target audience, etc) and then presenting an aggregate score...along with comparative ratings putting the currently reviewed game(s) against other games in a similar vein or genre (i.e., better than _____ but not as good as ____) as Jeff suggested?
Kookee says:
screw that, i agree with the pic the lynk has.
if its fun to play with friends, even if its a 1player, then it should score higher
if its fun to play with friends, even if its a 1player, then it should score higher
Moelman says:
Not all games aim for that though, and not all people want to play multiplayer. I enjoy multiplayer on most games but on others they are better as single player.
spinkle says:
I think that's decent, and very rounded...you'd have two five-star games instead of 9.4 and a 9.5, which was your original sticking point. I can get behind that.
I would say, however, that you might want to retain No Stars for "should never have been made" since there are low-grade games that might make for a fun rental, etc.
I would say, however, that you might want to retain No Stars for "should never have been made" since there are low-grade games that might make for a fun rental, etc.
spinkle says:
exactly!
also: what about quick-reference bulleted lists for strong and weak points in a particular game?
also: what about quick-reference bulleted lists for strong and weak points in a particular game?
Chimasterwang says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by spinkle 
since there are low-grade games that might make for a fun rental, etc.
Maybe not XD
I think being critical of or pointing out the little bad points even if you realy like a game could work
There could also be a quick PRO and CON list at the start so people can read that quickly instead of going through lots of descriptive text XDI don't usally look at reviews btw
Edit: Lol Spinkle, i saw your post after i posted this post XD
maverick187 says:
"Good Review" has become somewhat of an oxymoron these days, well then again they weren't ever really good in the first place. The big problem here is that the majority of reviews are done by a single person, with one narrow minded point of view. If you think about it, how many times have you come across a game that you thoroughly enjoy, but your friends consider to be crap? The point being that unless you tend to have very similar tastes as the reviewer of a game, that review becomes useless to you.
However, if you let everyone score a game, you have those passionate outliers that try to skew the score to fit their image of a games "deserved score". Human nature dictates that this situation is impossible to remedy as everyone likes to believe they are right. Anyway, back to reviews, which I tend to use as an extended preview of a game. I tend to favor game reviews that list the pros of cons of the games first and present the final verdict upfront. By doing so it allows me to glimpse to see if indeed I'm interested in the game and if I am then I can read "in-depth" part of the review.
I like the 5 star system versus the arbitrary numerical approach towards rating games. About the Moelman's suggestion about doing comparative game reviews, I'm not too fond of that. The thing that happens sometimes with those type of reviews is that they just feed this whole idiotic "console war" attitude. I do like when certain features or elements of a game are compared to an already existing game as it does help the reader visualize certain aspects of a game.
Something that I've always thought of is having a game reviewed by a panel of gamers with different tastes. The problem with this of course and the reason major reviewers don't usually do this type of thing is that it means a lot of people need to purchase/play the game and submit their review which takes time. The main idea though is that you'll have a lot of varying opinions from which to draw your own conclusion as a reader.
However, if you let everyone score a game, you have those passionate outliers that try to skew the score to fit their image of a games "deserved score". Human nature dictates that this situation is impossible to remedy as everyone likes to believe they are right. Anyway, back to reviews, which I tend to use as an extended preview of a game. I tend to favor game reviews that list the pros of cons of the games first and present the final verdict upfront. By doing so it allows me to glimpse to see if indeed I'm interested in the game and if I am then I can read "in-depth" part of the review.
I like the 5 star system versus the arbitrary numerical approach towards rating games. About the Moelman's suggestion about doing comparative game reviews, I'm not too fond of that. The thing that happens sometimes with those type of reviews is that they just feed this whole idiotic "console war" attitude. I do like when certain features or elements of a game are compared to an already existing game as it does help the reader visualize certain aspects of a game.
Something that I've always thought of is having a game reviewed by a panel of gamers with different tastes. The problem with this of course and the reason major reviewers don't usually do this type of thing is that it means a lot of people need to purchase/play the game and submit their review which takes time. The main idea though is that you'll have a lot of varying opinions from which to draw your own conclusion as a reader.
spinkle says:
That's legendary, I can't believe I've never seen that before. Definitely made my day though, thanks XD
If it's a game I intend to play, I typically won't read reviews or commentary until I get around to it. If I don't care, or it's not a game that's on a platform I support, I'll likely read the review to see what I'm missing out on.
haha, no problem, I realized after my initial post in the thread that I was almost paraphrasing Jeff, so I think we're breaking even here 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chimasterwang
I don't usally look at reviews btw
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chimasterwang
Edit: Lol Spinkle, i saw your post after i posted this post XD
darktruth says:
You know, for me I like it when a review has some humour/jokes put into it. May not necessarily relate to the game itself but I always like to have a good laugh.
I remember reading through one of my old Playstation magazines and there was one short review of a diabolical game. The line that made me laugh was "and they run like they haven't pooed in a week" XD.
I remember reading through one of my old Playstation magazines and there was one short review of a diabolical game. The line that made me laugh was "and they run like they haven't pooed in a week" XD.
Lynk Former says:
I think I may have an idea to add a little humour into the review without ruining it for those who want the detailed part of their review to be "serious business"...
Mr. Weasel says:
MGS4 is the best game I never played, half the time when I wasn't staring at the old guy's perfectly sculpted ass, I was watching some movie where I had no idea what the hell they were talking about and didn't really care. I'm going to have nightmares of Old Snake's ass when I go to sleep tonight, I just know it...
*looks around* One of those would be at the very end of every review... just... cause, I guess. Yay or nay?
EDIT: Oh and look...
/ 5
Mr. Weasel says:
MGS4 is the best game I never played, half the time when I wasn't staring at the old guy's perfectly sculpted ass, I was watching some movie where I had no idea what the hell they were talking about and didn't really care. I'm going to have nightmares of Old Snake's ass when I go to sleep tonight, I just know it...
*looks around* One of those would be at the very end of every review... just... cause, I guess. Yay or nay?
EDIT: Oh and look...
/ 5Chimasterwang says:
Yes and nice stars
Hawkeye says:
To do a good review, it can't really be done by just one person, To try out a game you need a group either 3 or 5. you have them all sit down and try out the game, Each person has their own go and from it each person gathers what that like and dislike from the game, One person is elected the leader, write down notes that the others give him, then they vote yay or nay or a figure out of five and the number with the most votes is selected as the overall score
Hawkeye says:
I know... and that would be the problem..... Oh well you could do what The Gadget Show (UK Tv show) does and take a couple of random People [you case friends] and take them off the street to try your games out.
m4v says:
sounds great! i'll add my unbiased opinion of how much that game sucks (I only watched youtube videos of it btw)
Lynk Former says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by m4v
sounds great! i'll add my unbiased opinion of how much that game sucks (I only watched youtube videos of it btw)
maverick187 says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynk Former
How does that sound?
maverick187 says:
^^^
I likes it, have a first game to review in mind?
I likes it, have a first game to review in mind?
Lynk Former says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by maverick187
^^^I likes it, have a first game to review in mind?
maverick187 says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynk Former
Well, since I'm buying Valkyria Chronicles at the end of the month, I thought I'd review that first... though the review probably won't be posted until mid November.
Lynk Former says:
October 30 for Australia, October 31 for Europe and November 4 for the US woot
wootChimasterwang says:
I think that setup would work nicely
maverick187 says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynk Former
October 30 for Australia, October 31 for Europe and November 4 for the US woot
The Wolf says:
I think there should also be a part in the review where you give an indication of what the game is like. Almost like a comparison. But, more like a 'this game is like a cross between', to allow people to get the gist of it.
Lynk Former says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wolf
I think there should also be a part in the review where you give an indication of what the game is like. Almost like a comparison. But, more like a 'this game is like a cross between', to allow people to get the gist of it.
maverick187 says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wolf
I think there should also be a part in the review where you give an indication of what the game is like. Almost like a comparison. But, more like a 'this game is like a cross between', to allow people to get the gist of it.
Lynk Former says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by maverick187
Also those types of anecdotes about a game would likely be contained in the comments of others who played the game.
Pho3nix says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynk Former
What makes a good game review? And furthermore, how would you like to see the reviews done for Twilight Lynk?
I hate reading like 8 pages of a review. (IGN tends to do this, gawd I hate that site)So yeah, keep the reviews short and funneh, Humor is always a plus.
Lynk Former says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pho3nix
Well, I've always liked short reviews. I hate reading like 8 pages of a review. (IGN tends to do this, gawd I hate that site)So yeah, keep the reviews short and funneh, Humor is always a plus.
Milkymagic says:
I was always one to never argue with the tried and true self-review, and then like Lynk said, you can comment on a game by writing your own.
The "Five Star System" is also perfect. A 5-star game would be a great experience for the reviewer, a 4 is also worth noting and remains a safe recommendation, a 3 means it's worth a shot if you're a fan of the genre and perhaps it's better suited as a rental or bargain bin purchase, a 2 could mean it's generally boring yet also not the worst experience the reviewer has had, and a 1 is amazingly bad for what it should've been.
Also, humor is certainly a good addition.
I think it will work!
The "Five Star System" is also perfect. A 5-star game would be a great experience for the reviewer, a 4 is also worth noting and remains a safe recommendation, a 3 means it's worth a shot if you're a fan of the genre and perhaps it's better suited as a rental or bargain bin purchase, a 2 could mean it's generally boring yet also not the worst experience the reviewer has had, and a 1 is amazingly bad for what it should've been.
Also, humor is certainly a good addition.
I think it will work!
Hawkeye says:
I read a link to this Very Bad review in one of my emails... This sound like it was written by a ten year old
Astro Toy with Rob Bricken: Nene + Moto Slave - Anime News Network
Astro Toy with Rob Bricken: Nene + Moto Slave - Anime News Network
Hawkeye says:
Atelier Sai and I'm still trying to get my hands on Linna
Lynk Former says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawkeye
Atelier Sai and I'm still trying to get my hands on Linna
Either way, I didn't really like that review at all.
Hawkeye says:
Well I can't find a seller on Ebay who selling to the UK, US sellers to US only
Chimasterwang says:
Can't you ask one of the members here to help if you realy want it?
Pho3nix says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynk Former
There'll be a short bit at the start, and a long bit as well for people who really want to read that much...
Hawkeye says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chim-boy
Can't you ask one of the members here to help if you realy want it?
, I once entered a Compation for a DVD set, never got it other then a VERY lot of junk mail since 
Chimasterwang says:
Kookee says:
trust me for... what!? O.o
Chimasterwang says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawkeye
Well I had thought about it, but I really don't think I trust anyone here with my Address
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