Help us write videogame reviews that actually matter!

Written by Dan Zuccarelli

Thursday, 22 June 2006 14:32

A few of us were sitting around tossing around names of games that we love, old and new, and we started to see a pattern emerge. We talked about gameplay and how much fun the game was, not once did graphics or replayability come up. Yet when I read reviews in magazines or on the web, those are integral parts of a games score. Why?

Do graphics or audio come into play when determining if a game is fun or not? Maybe once in a while, but I'm going to guess not very often. If you think about old games that hold a special place in your heart, are they special because of the graphics or because of the gameplay, audio or the storyline? Of course graphics and audio can add a lot to a game, a ton really, but do they make a terrible game playable? I don't think so. I never understood why people go see a movie "Just for the special effects" so why rate our games that way?

Lord knows we've all been sucked in by a game just it looked awesome, and usually we're left a tad disappointed. It's like watching "ID4", sure it looked great but that doesn't make it an great movie. Dead or Alive looks great, but if it makes you want to destroy your controller, is it REALLY worth buying?

Here's where you come in. You've probably read reviews and thought you could do much, much better.

Well guess what. I believe you. Ready to put your writing to the test?

I'm sick and tired of reading reviews from people that play hundreds of different games, and are forced to play & write, play & write. It sucks for them and it sucks for us. Why not let people that dig driving games review the driving games? same goes for adventure, fighting, etc. If it impresses fans of the genre, you pretty much know it's a decent game.

We started this site to cater to those of us who don't have all the free time in the world, but still love to game. So that's how the reviews are going down from now on. I recommend we talk about 3 aspects of the game:

1. Gameplay

2. Is It Fun?

3. Is It Worth My Time & Money?

I need to know if it's worth the 60 bucks. Am I going to have a damn good time playing or not?

So write us a review and we'll publish it. Any game, any system, any time period. Gauntlet for the arcade? Fine. Barnstorming for the Atari? Go for it. Street Fighter Alpha for the Sega Saturn? be our guest.Every game ever released is up for review.

Here are the topics we suggest in depth:

Gameplay: Here's where you tell us about the game (Action, Driving, etc). Are the controls intuitive or do that take away from the experience. How does it play, does it feel natural or are you fighting the game to get it to do what you want? When the game is full swing how does it play?

Is It Fun?: Here's where you break down why you did or didn't like the game. What about the game makes you want to come back for more? If the audio or graphics make it more fun, then tell us. If it's a nonfactor, don't bother. (FIFA world cup for the 360 is a better game because of the kick ass audio, but UNO online could be silent for all I care, it doesn't make it more or less fun.) If it's only fun for nostalgia, tell us why. Whenever we read reviews in mags or online we really just want to know if it's fun, so that's what we review. Tell us in good detail why the game is a good time, be specific. If it's online, is it worth it? or just tacked on.

Is It Worth My Time & Money?: Probably the most important part of the review. Maybe the game is a blast but costs 60 bucks and lasts 3 hours. When you were done playing did you feel fulfilled? Did you feel ripped off? Give a brief overview of what kind of game modes it has (seasons, franchises, amount of tracks, weapons, etc). Whatever adds value to the package. This is really your conclusion, after experiencing the gameplay and having fun with it (or not), did you feel like it was time & money well spent?

So there we are. Tell us why the game rocks or sucks. Rate each section on a scale of 1 to 5, five being the best.

Here's an example of what we're looking for; my review of FIFA: Road to the World Cup from EA.

You can send your review to us in email or as an attachment (.txt of word doc No Pdf's). I'll contact you and we'll post it. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it be sure to include your name (first is fine) your age, gender, and location. So people can get a general idea of where you're coming from.

Feel free to make it your own. We're looking for writers and you're looking for a soapbox, sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.