Lately I've been concerned with the fact the A LOT of games get A LOT of "points"(score) in their reviews. Almost every major release the past few months has been up in the 8-10 area. This got me thinking, first: we need to higher the reviewing standards. Second: we need to
STOP USING THIS REVIEW SYSTEM.
While I was thinking to myself, that a lot of games get high scores these days, I realized that all these numbers are starting to fade out and become insignificant. What is the difference between a 9.5 and a 9.0? Or a 9.7 and a perfect 10?
We need to stop obsessing with numbers, and lower the scale from 0-10(0-100) to 0-5.
It would also be interesting to see a review with no score. Just the thoughts of the reviewer.
Some reviewers do it better than others. I like the direction Gamespot is going by introducing a .5 scale, but it's still ridiculous. And their whole notion of reviews is broken, as they try to give "objective" reviews. I also like 1up.com. Their scale, although 0-10, is categorized nicely, but it's also broken by the fact that they, like many others, obsess with numbers. Edge is the magazine I believe to have most credibility, because I can just read through the review and form my own opinion, and still get the writers input. Then I'm greeted by a number at the bottom of the page, where I can go "Ok, I see your point with that number", but I don't have to care about it at all.
There is no such thing as an objective review. There are certain standards though, that need to be followed. This, unfortunately, ties in with the "games as art" debate. If games were, to some extent, to be considered "art", then this review system will change dramatically.
Well, are game reviews broken? I think they are. With todays production standards on game development, we need to set the stakes a bit higher. And revise our conception of numbers.
Next blog, my attempt at a game review; Clive Barker's Jericho.
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Podcast:
1up.com, GFW Radio, 25th October. Check it out to hear an interesting conversation about gaming reviews.
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My reviews always consist of: is it fun? is it worth the money? will I play it more than once. No arbitrary number score associated with it.
But yeah, broke review systems are broken. When 6-8 is considered average, a 10 point review system is broke. Also, it depends on the objectivity of the reviewer and personal likes and dislikes of you, the gamer.
Too all the people joining in the fail parade on LimeGuardian's blog, which is on the exact same topic, how about commenting on the one that actually did it right?
Readers should know a little more about the reviewers.
@aerox: i checked out that blog post, it was added the same second or something, wired. but it shows that people are crying for a change, and thats a good thing. the more blogs i see about the same issue, the higher i rate the subjects "hotness". so it definitely shows people are interested in this and want it to change.... and i have to agree with you, my post was better ;)
Well, yeah, but I don't think we're ever going to see something like that in our lifetime. Gamers and non-gamers are both too tapped into our individual styles to ever get a review of a game that doesn't have something from our individual history or opinion behind it. We can't relate to other's how something is without expressing how it's like something else. Therefore, a reviewer is always comparing to older, more established games that may or may not stand out in their minds as good or bad, which in turn influence their review.
also, quit wagging your e-peen, you'll put someone's eye out.
but, i don't agree with you. 100% not. there are no such thing as objective reviews. sure, if you break it down to certain aspects like frame rate, but as soon as you start passing judgment on an experience, you're stepping out of that box.
however, i'm puzzled as to how you're supposed to make an objective review without putting your own influence on it. i just don't see that happening, ever. but, you do. hence the disagreement.
i'm confused about your statement, thats all. enlighten me, would you kindly?
So yes is no is yes is no. I guess. Shit, now I'm confusing myself.
That's why, in the few reviews I've done, I use a Happy Panda, Amused Panda, and Sad Panda scale--essentially, a buy it, try it, skip it system.
However, getting rid of the number system isn't the problem, it's how the number system is used. Right now, on mainstream sites like IGN, the majority of games fall between 6-10, which implies that games that are rated 6 are not worth your time. That makes no sense, I agree. What the industry needs to do is adopt 1UP's initiative to use the full scale. To toss out a few indicators: 4 is below average, 5 is average, 6 is above average, 8 is great, 10 is masterpiece (but not perfect!). From my understanding, the only reason they still use .5 increments instead of full numbers is because gamers complain about not enough accuracy with fewer increments, so it's a compromise between increments of 1 and increments of .1. (Also, the editors have stated multiple times that they don't focus on the numbers as much as the review itself, but maybe they should consider moving their score to the bottom in their next redesign to reflect that view.)
Sorry if that was a bit ranty, I'm not quite in a good frame of mind right now.
so... thats my point too. what are we arguing about? i'm also confused... and i'll work on not posting "awkwardly worded" questions. shall we shake hands and be friends?
@necros
thanks for your insights, i hadn't heard that before. i think you are in a good frame of mind though...