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how to review video games (I thought it was obvious guys)
Quilzs
Overview
This video provides a comprehensive guide on how to effectively review video games, moving beyond a simplistic play-and-write approach. It emphasizes the importance of understanding game mechanics, playing a variety of genres, and knowing when a game is truly "finished" for review purposes. The guide also stresses the necessity of conducting research into a game's development and using structured self-reflection to produce honest, accurate, and valuable reviews that benefit both consumers and developers.
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Chapters
- Reviewers must possess a fundamental understanding of how to play games, including navigating controls and utilizing in-game features like tutorials and settings.
- This foundational skill allows for deeper immersion and engagement with the game's experience, rather than getting stuck on basic mechanics.
- While not requiring professional-level skill, reviewers should strive to be engaged and make a genuine effort to understand the game.
A reviewer's ability to play and understand game mechanics directly impacts the depth and accuracy of their critique, ensuring they can assess the game's design rather than just its surface-level presentation.
Understanding how to access and adjust keybinds or settings menus, which a novice player might overlook but is crucial for assessing a game's accessibility and player customization options.
- Playing a wide range of game genres broadens a reviewer's understanding of different mechanics, design philosophies, and player expectations.
- Exposure to diverse genres allows reviewers to identify when a game is lacking features and to offer constructive suggestions for improvement.
- This variety helps in forming a well-rounded perspective, even if the reviewer has personal genre preferences or biases.
Experiencing different types of games equips reviewers with the knowledge to critically assess a game's strengths and weaknesses within its specific genre context, leading to more informed and helpful reviews.
A reviewer who has played multiple survival sandbox games will be better equipped to evaluate the resource management and crafting systems in a new survival game compared to someone who has only played puzzle games.
- The definition of 'completing' a game for review depends on its primary focus: story, gameplay, or a mix.
- For story-driven games, finishing the main plot is essential, but collecting all achievements is often unnecessary and can detract from enjoyment.
- Games focused on gameplay and replayability require significant playtime to explore mechanics, unlock content, and potentially experience multiple endings or outcomes.
Accurately representing how much of a game was experienced is crucial for honesty and helps readers understand the reviewer's perspective, especially when dealing with games that have non-linear paths or extensive post-game content.
A reviewer should state if they only played a story-focused game for 10 hours and saw the main ending, rather than implying they experienced the full scope of a 200-hour open-world RPG.
- Researching a game's development context, such as its budget, team size, and intended scope, provides crucial context for evaluation.
- This research helps reviewers hold products accountable by identifying discrepancies between marketing (e.g., trailers) and the actual game experience.
- Understanding development constraints can explain perceived flaws like polish issues or missing features, leading to fairer critiques.
Research allows reviewers to assess whether a game met its advertised potential and developer's intentions, preventing unfair criticism and providing consumers with a more complete picture of the product.
Recognizing that a game advertised with cinematic, story-driven moments was actually a product of a short game jam helps explain its rough edges and prevents the reviewer from unfairly criticizing it for not being a AAA narrative epic.
- After playing, use a set of guiding questions to systematically analyze different aspects of the game.
- These questions cover story satisfaction, control responsiveness, immersion, art style, replayability, value for money, and overall polish.
- The goal is to articulate both the highs and lows of the experience in a balanced and mature manner, avoiding excessive negativity or unwarranted hype.
A structured approach to self-reflection helps reviewers organize their thoughts, identify key aspects of their experience, and articulate a coherent and well-supported opinion, especially when a game is complex or emotionally impactful.
Asking 'Did the mechanics make sense for the game or did you want to tweak the controls a bit?' prompts a reviewer to consider the usability and design of the game's core interactions.
- Reviewing video games is inherently complex due to the vast array of variables involved, including hardware, engines, controls, and artistic elements.
- Effective game reviews require significant effort to communicate nuanced opinions about these diverse components.
- The interactive and immersive nature of video games warrants a thoughtful and respectful approach to reviewing them.
Acknowledging the inherent complexity of video games encourages reviewers to dedicate the necessary effort and patience to their craft, leading to more insightful and valuable critiques for the audience.
Considering how a game's physics engine impacts gameplay, or how the art style contributes to the overall atmosphere, are examples of the many complex elements a reviewer must evaluate.
Key takeaways
- A competent game reviewer needs more than just the ability to play; they must understand game mechanics, design, and player interaction.
- Playing a diverse range of games across genres is essential for developing a critical eye and providing context for game evaluations.
- Determining 'completion' for a review should be based on the game's core focus (story vs. gameplay) and communicated transparently.
- Researching a game's development background is vital for assessing its execution against its advertised promises and intended scope.
- Honesty and transparency about the reviewer's experience, including any limitations or decisions to stop playing, are paramount.
- Structured self-reflection using targeted questions helps organize thoughts and ensure all critical aspects of a game are considered.
- The interactive and multi-faceted nature of video games demands a higher level of effort and nuance in reviewing compared to other media.
Key terms
ImmersionGameplay MechanicsGenreCritiqueReplayabilityAchievements/TrophiesDevelopment ContextGame JamArt StyleSound Design
Test your understanding
- Why is it important for a game reviewer to play a variety of game genres, even if they have personal preferences?
- How should a reviewer approach the concept of 'completing' a game when its primary focus is on replayability versus narrative?
- What kind of research should a game reviewer conduct, and why is it important for producing an accurate review?
- How can a reviewer use self-reflection questions to structure their thoughts after finishing a game?
- What makes reviewing video games uniquely challenging compared to other forms of media?