My Video Game Review Philosophy
The general approach to video game reviews has always shifted with the cultural and technological weather.
The 1980s: Reviews were brief, single-paragraph magazine write-ups usually accompanied by a simple 1-to-5 score.
The Mid-1990s: The dawn of the consumer internet brought more insightful, expanded critiques, moving to 1-to-10 or 1-to-100 point scales to match the growing complexity of larger games.
The 2010s: The industry shifted toward the "no-score" era, deeply intertwined with the conversation surrounding games as a legitimate art form.
Today: The industry has swung back to definitive scoring systems.
An Academic & Objective Approach
My personal approach has always been grounded in a more academic perspective. While a game is undoubtedly art, it is also a complex, moving machine. It cannot be reduced to a single, arbitrary number without a clear methodology.
To bridge the gap between artistic expression and technical execution, I use a structured 10-category, 10-point scale (totaling 100 possible points).
Why Games Require a Different Standard
Video games inherently deserve a different type of critique than a movie or a book. They are uniquely complex, multi-layered mediums combining interactive software, visual design, audio engineering, narrative structure, and mechanical systems.
Because of this intense complexity, a structured framework is essential. This 10-category system serves as a vital guide to keep reviews focused and balanced. Without it, it is far too easy for a reviewer to get swept away by a single aspect, whether it's a minor technical grievance like water physics or a polarizing social topic, and unfairly color an entire project that dozens of people worked on for years.
While no system is entirely perfect, this objective framework keeps the critique fair, balanced, and deeply anchored in a respect for the craft. Above all, it keeps the process exactly what it should be: rewarding and enjoyable to do.