How each game will be scored.

I will now discuss how each game will be evaluated and scored accordingly. Please keep in mind that I will review games on a purely factual basis.

Each game will be graded on what is essentially a "5-point" scale, but without the numerical scores. Instead, at the end of each review, I will simply list a word that describes how satisfactory the overall experience is, with "Fantastic" being the highest designation and "Poor" being the lowest. A "Fantastic" title doesn't necessarily mean it's perfect, however, it does reflect the quality of the game and how well it represents the medium overall. This means that all aspects of the game exceedingly compliment each other, providing for a memorable and worthwhile experience. On the flip side, a game that receives a low verdict means it has failed to achieve these goals.

Here are all the possible scores a game may attain, from highest to lowest:

- Fantastic
- Great
- Fair
- Lacking
- Poor

I will touch on the following aspects for each game in my evaluation: Purpose, Gameplay, Graphics, Sound, and Satisfaction. Here is what each category signifies:

Purpose? - Why does this game exist and what is it trying to achieve? Basically, this is the motivation or framework of the game. Just because a title may not lend its focus on a story doesn't mean the game isn't engaging, but if a game does rely on storytelling, this category discusses how successful or unsuccessful said game is with its narration.

Gameplay? - The most important category and the primary reason for participating in the video game medium. This defines how the game both plays and controls, as well as whether it's fun or not. I mean, if you don't like playing the game, it won't be a successful experience overall.

Graphics? - Quite self-explanatory: how the game looks. Art style and technical prowess are of equal importance here. This is also the category where I may discuss graphical glitches or other visual hiccups.

Sound? - Again, pretty obvious I think: the music and sounds effects of the game. How does it sound? Is the music appropriate when taking into consideration the theme and atmosphere of the game, or is it even memorable for that matter?

Satisfaction? - The lasting value of the game and how much content there is. This category will outline my final thoughts on the game as a whole, and I will determine whether it's a worthwhile experience or not.

Each of these categories will be taken into account for the final score. It is important to note that, despite how bad a game may be, I will never refer to it as absolute "trash" or "garbage" if effort was obviously put into it. I will try to choose words that I would have no reservations telling the developers themselves.

This concludes how I will be scoring my games! Future updates may be provided.

- Justin Roberts