Review Strategy

At ARC we have our own code [sorry, pun...], simple and clean here it is...


Game Rating: 


Audio - The overall sound of the game; the music, sound effects and any speech, both in terms of sound quality and appropriateness.


Graphics - The overall look of the game world; both the world itself and all the characters and objects that are contained within it.


Gameplay - How the game plays; the mechanics of the game world, both in function and design, as well as controls.


Multiplayer - How much support is there for our friends; can we play co-operatively and does it keep up with modern expectations. 


Presentation - The overall feel of the game; this covers things such as menu layout, load times and other things which affect the way the user interacts with the game and the effect the game has on the user.


Lasting Appeal - How long the game is likely to last; this considers things such as multiplayer, replay value and side quests. This does not include downloadable content.


Story - How good the narrative is; this is judged on consistency, balance, interest and not being too clichéd.


Overall - The overall score based on the key points.


Better than, worse than, try this - Examples for reference to help you play more!


Last word - In a few words, how the game compares to others.


Hardware Rating: 


Functionality - How well the product carries out its intended function.


Ease of Use - How easy it is to use the product. Including whether it is ergonomic and comfortable over a long period of time.


Aesthetics - How good the product looks.


Value for Money - Is the product worth the Recommended Retail Price.



Overall - The overall score based on the key points.


Game Scoring Strategy:

10 - Nearly Perfect: No game is perfect, but this is as close as you can get. 
9 - Amazing: In the top tier. A great game.
8 - Very Good: Not quite reaching the top this is still a game very much worth playing.
7 - Good: Mostly enjoyable, the game likely has some flaws or a lack of polish.
6 - OK: The game doesn't quite reach its potential. Only really recommended to fans of the Genre.
5 - Average: This game has good and bad in about equal measure. You will have to overlook some flaws to find enjoyment.
4 - Poor: There is little to recommend this title. And likely some fairly major issues.
3 - Very Poor: This game is more bad than good. It's very unlikely to be worth your time.
2 - Awful: This game is a mess. Little to no direction and a range of technical difficulties.
1 - This is a game?: If a game gets a 1 we wish it wasn't. Or at least that hadn't ever played it.


Hardware Scoring Strategy:
Hardware scoring works on the same scale as game scoring. With the numerical rating meaning more or less the same thing.