An explanation of how Gaming World reviews software
We here at Gaming World take pride in what we do; whether it's reviewing and previewing games, reporting the latest news, or giving the reader the full scoop on niche titles they may not have heard of. Whatever the case, Gaming World wants to be your definitive source for console gaming. And to accomplish that task, we need your trust. And to earn your trust, we must prove ourselves worthy of it. What better way to do just that than to fully commit to you, the reader? Unlike some of the competition out there, Gaming World sees you as our #1 priority. The readers always come first, and I believe we've proven that already with creative ideas like our Editor's Roundtable, Across the Pond, and Week in Review X Clusives. Also, we are constantly working to make Gaming World better with new features like our Developer's Thoughts and Hall of Fame.
But most importantly, we encourage your input. And why? Because this is your site. The reader comes first, and that is our full fledged promise to you.
That said, we take our game reviews very seriously. Games don't score highly at Gaming World unless deservedly so. Unlike gaming publications and other websites, who tend to succumb to hype, we believe that a game should score only what it has earned; no more, no less. And so, it's very possible that an over-hyped game won't be quite as good as first anticipated. On the same note, we take pride in knowing that we also give smaller, more obscure titles their fair shake.
We're Only Human
Remember folks, we're all different, with different opinions. Most importantly, we are gamers at heart. Reviews should only be used as a tool, not a straightjacket. We may not score a game quite as high (or low) as other sites and publications. And we absolutely will not base our scores off of what others think. Your opinion matters the most when you fire up your console; we are only here to help. Over time, you may begin to trust the scores of a particular editor, and that may help you in purchasing decisions. But please remember that you will not always agree with our scores or reviews. It's all a matter of personal preference.
The Second Opinion
Now and then, it's nice to see a different perspective on the same game. Comparing the ups and downs of a game, and reading what each editor thought of their experience is a nice way to get an idea where you may stand if you were to take the plunge, and purchase the respective title. And as a result, now and then you will find another view of the same title after you read the main review on the same page. This feature is used sparingly, but we feel the extra information is effective.
And of course, we always are looking forward to what you think. Got an opinion of your own? Drop us a line in our Mailbag.
Every Nook and Cranny
Simply put, you can trust our scores. Though we aim for timely reviews, Gaming World sees accuracy just as important, if not more so. Editors are required to spend as much time with a respective title as possible before writing a review. Also, our reviews are broken down into several categories to assure our readers that they are getting the most out of a particular review.
Below is the complete breakdown of the Gaming World Score Card, start to finish, and everything in between.
The Body of the Review
This is the piece itself, which is broken down into four categories. It's here you will find the editor's specific thoughts and experiences.
Gameplay - Gameplay is most important, right? Of course it is, and that's why it's first. When explaining the gameplay, we mean the overall functionality of the game; the player-to-controller connection, the challenge factor, the mechanics of how the game works, and whether or not it's any fun to play.
Graphics - Visuals matter (and don't say they don't). When describing the graphics, we not only explain what is done right, but also what is done wrong. The graphics not only have to look good for Gaming World to praise them, but also must contain very few flaws. What good are the visuals in a game with a high polygon count and beautiful particle effects if fogging and pop-up are everywhere? If a game looks nice, we'll let you know. But if all those polys are making the framerate slow to a crawl, we'll let you know that too.
Note* A game's graphics are judged relative to a console's performance capabilities, not in general.
Sound - A seriously forgotten art in videogames, but to Gaming World, a hypnotic musical score and realistic sound effects are as important as the visuals. A game's sound can make or break the experience, so we give credit where credit is due.
Overall Value - This is where the editor defines his/her overall experience with a game. This is perhaps the most important aspect of the review, as the editor expalins how he/she felt when and after playing a respective title. Is the game highly replayable, or only worth one playthrough? Does the title hold any longevity? Will you be firing this game up five years from now? Was this the absolute greatest experience he/she had with a videogame? Find out here.
The Score Card: Breaking Down the Aspects
When reading a review, you can take a quick glance at the score card, which is to the right of the page. It's here you will find the scores the editor has awarded to a particular category of the game. Below is the definition of each category.
Gameplay - This category is the score that reflects what the reviewer feels the gameplay is worth. During the review, you get his/her thoughts and feelings, and here, the score reflects those feelings.
Graphics - Again, the actual review section goes into detail explaining the visual rights and wrongs, but the score provided reflects the review.
Sound - Like the two categories above, the sound score is based on every aspect that makes up a game's sound department, such as music, effects, and voice-overs that are actually detailed in the review.
Control - Controls are critical. Are the control schemes too complicated? Too dumbed-down? Do the controls get in the way of the enjoyment, or do they add to it? The less you have to think about the controls, the more you enjoy the game, and the higher the score.
Replay - This score is often overlooked, but shouldn't be. Replay value can decide whether or not the title is even worth your money! Generally, the longer the better, but replay is more than that. How much time will you spend actually playing the game? Is the game worth playing through more than once? Do any extra goodies unlock after finishing the game? Or is it that much fun to play, you'll go back a few years from now and pop the game in? If so, the title will get a higher replay value score than one that is only worth a single play-through, or contains little to no extras to get you to go back again.
Challenge - Confusing one this is, but it doesn't have to be. The challenge score is simply based on how the difficulty of the game affects the fun factor. Some believe that if the challenge score is high, it means that the game is too difficult, and vice versa for games that are too easy. This is not the case. It simply means that if the reviewer believes that the challenge is fair and adds to the fun, he/she will score the challenge factor high. If however, the game is a breeze and offers little to no challenge at all, the score lowers. The same goes for games that are virtually unplayable, thanks to overwhelming difficulty. Poor challenge balancing equals frustration. And games aren't supposed to be frustrating.
Overall - Hey -- this score is everything! When an editor assigns the Overall score, he/she is letting you know how they felt about the finished product. Every score above the Overall is taken into account to determine the game's overall value. But though these scores reflect the reviewer's opinion, the Overall is not an average of the other scores! The Overall category is reserved for the true feelings of a respective title by the reviewer, and therefore, is treated differently than when scoring the other aspects (see below).
Scoring Multiples
This is very easy: the aspects of the game is scored in multiples of .5, while the Overall is not. See, it's simple! The Overall score can be anywhere between 0-10, and everywhere in between. Every other aspect is assigned a score, also between 0 and 10, but is only in the above stated multiples (8.0, 8.5, 9.0).
What The Numbers Mean
When an editor reviews a title for Gaming World, he/she must take their judgements extremely seriously. Gaming World is very stingy with handing out high scores, so if you see one, you can rest assure that the game is very likely worth your hard-earned cash.
Below is the entire rundown of Gaming World's scoring system.
10 - You are truly blessed to have a game like this in your hands. Cherish it...they don't come along often. Games that achieve Gaming World's highest honor have little to no physical flaws, and the title is almost as good as it can get. Games like this might even have a small visual niggle or two -- but you won't care. The game is as close to perfection as is humanly possible.
9-9.9 - Some of the very best titles out there, games that receive this score are pinnacles of their respective genre. What little problems there are don't affect the game's massive fun factor a bit. If a game earns this score, it's one of the best you can get, so it may due you well to check it out.
8-8.9 - A game of that achieves this score is considered a must-have for fans of the specific genre, but not necessarily for everyone else. Overall, the game is quite good, but some minor flaws hinder the experience for some. Fans of the genre however, likely won't care about the flaws and should most definitely give it serious consideration.
7-7.9 - While appealing to some, games that earn this score have some significant problems that mar the experience. Fans of the genre will certainly find quite a bit to like, and may overlook the problems for the sake of the game's positives, but the negatives are still present, and will stick out further to the finicky gamer. Good game, but not great.
6-6.9 - Games like this can be considered solid, but usually have one or two aspects about it that save it from mediocrity, but not much more. Some will find it enjoyable, and may even think the game is great, but to most, it isn't anything that hasn't been done before. A game of this stature has good qualities, but is nothing special.
5-5.9 - Average. The middle of the middle. Pretty self-explanatory, but the fact is, a game that earns this score is about as mediocre you can get. Purchase with caution.
4-4.9 - Fanatics of the genre will find disappointment in a game like this. Major problems mar the enjoyment to quite a degree. Still, it has a redeeming quality or two that may make it worth a rental. But rental at best.
3-3.9 - This is about as low as you can go before you are ready to throw your console out the window. Sloppy programming, or quick cash-in -- it doesn't matter. There is no excuse for this.
2-2.9 - Need I explain? Games like this are certainly released, though we don't know why. Major problems plague the entire game, and even renting the title will make you feel dirty.
1-1.9 - Whoever makes a game like this needs to be dragged into the street and shot. This game is so problem-filled, the developer seemingly screwed this up on purpose. Avoid this at all costs. If you don't, you'll be sorry. Don't say we didn't warn you.
And Remember...
Gaming World is proud to be your gaming source, and we aim to be the only gaming source you will ever need. We always look forward to hearing from the readers; you give us a reason to be here. And we promise our loyalty to you, the gamer.
Happy Gaming.
