7 October 2012
In my reviews, no matter how frequent or infrequent thy become, I will be grading and rating games based upon a series of categories which I believe a game must be good in or at to actually be enjoyable. Some games will also get extra categories added depending on their genre and actual game so RPG's may get a customisation category. I will also be giving a small list of good and bad points before determining whether a game is worth a buy, rent or a chuck in the bin.
Here is a brief explanation of how a game should excel in my categories in preparation for dirtier reviews.
• Story and Atmosphere: a good video game that contains single player must contain a decent story during that campaign. The story must fit into the setting of the game universe ( for example there not being a plot about huge laser beams and Aliens in any self respecting Call of Duty or Battlefield) and thus the story must make some sense to the player ( I am talking to you, Modern Warfare 2 with your "I'm Captain Price so let's launch a nuke for some reason" plot device).
• Characters: The story must also contain characters that the players are going to give a monkeys about. Characters should be developed in a story to the point where the player understands their motivation and behaviour and does not find themselves screaming WTF at the screen when a character does something (once again Captain Price and his nuke-I'm watching you). A sense of mystery about backstory and motivation is optional in a decent campaign but the player should know about the character they play and the people they are trying to save and /or kill.
•Gameplay; the simple case in point is that a game cannot be good without at least some good gameplay otherwise it would just be a terrible movie that you have to press buttons to watch. I am not saying that all gameplay has to be good but I am saying that the game must at least have some redeeming features that allow some exciting control of a character that you are meant to be.
For a game to be good, it has to play well. Case in point: Call of Duty would be terrible if the guns didn't work.
• Graphics: Games in this generation should try to look good and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I believe there is no excuse for poor graphics in this day and age and will judge a game in this category based on how I believe a game looks. Now I recognise that although graphical preference is completely a personal choice, there are some games that should look amazing to all (Crysis, Battlefield 3, The Witcher 2) and others that just look like dirt. I am looking at you Minecraft... LOL JK! No seriously, your graphics are terrible Deadly Premonition.
Sound: This aspect of games is so often overlooked by both reviewer and consumer that it could be considered criminal. However the sound of a game is so important in both its music and voice acting. This is due to the fact that good sound quality can create atmosphere and feeling within a game which can easily make or break any experience. An example of good sound is Deus Ex. An example of bad sound is basically any Call of Duty or Fifa (angry comments on a postcard please).
Lasting Appeal: Possibly the most important category for many cash starved people is lasting appeal. I hold the view that a game should be able to played for an amount of time relative to the price that is paid for it. However, some games can be good short (Journey) yet these are few and far between and in a perfect world every game would be Skyrim length and not The Force Unleashed 2 length of 2 hours.
So there you have it. My categories, philosophy's and ideas upon them that will shape my thoughts on any game I play. Thank you for reading and please enjoy any review I write.
Farewell for now!
An Introduction and Guide to Game Reviews • Opuss № I