Writing a review...

Anything to do with games at all.
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AerisHime
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PostWriting a review...
by AerisHime » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:00 pm

Be it pro, semi pro or amateur.

I was wondering: if you review games, how much time do or would you spend with playing them if you have to meet deadlines (3 - 5 days after the arrival of the day)?

I'm quite curious, I don't always finish them but spend at least 3 - 6 hours (depending on the type of game) if not a lot longer playing before writing an article.... I have just read some reviews on a certain EA game and have been fuming because none of the reviewers seem to have played it for more than 10 minutes, yet they gave very harsh scores - not even justified. After having played that particular game for about 12 hours now I'd give it about 10 - 15 points more (out of 100) which will make me look bad again (too soft) on critify, which is basically a huge review and reviewer database.

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Hero of Canton
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Hero of Canton » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:36 pm

Which game is this, Aeris?

In most cases, I do my level best to finish the game. With certain games, you don't really need to finish it - if it's not a story-based game, or its story plays a very unimportant role and the core gameplay can be experienced thoroughly in less time than it takes to finish the game, then in those circumstances I'll review it without finishing it.

In extreme circumstances when I have a very tight deadline, then I'll just play as much as I possibly can, even if that means getting very little sleep. Indeed, I made sure I only had three hours' sleep during the Gears press event as I wanted to finish the campaign and spend plenty of hours with the multiplayer.

(Actually, quite a few journos didn't get time to finish the game. Crash and I both did, though. 8-) )

DML wrote:F'NARR!
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Poncho
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Poncho » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:44 pm

It's pretty important for story-centric titles. I mean Fahrenheit was the best game ever until a certain point towards final couple of hours.

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AerisHime
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by AerisHime » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:57 pm

I am currently working on Zubo (which is the problematic title), SimCity Creator (Wii), and Phoenix Wright, Trials and Tribulations (why do we get it so bloody late? They're on no. 5 now!).
And Zubo... while it's far from perfect it's not a 5 or 58%, it should get an upper 60 - after all it's a kids game and during the first two hours - even later - you keep unlocking stuff. and i find it harsh to rate a game based on only 10 minutes or even just half an hour.
Unfortunately i don't get the time to finish it - it's either done or not, deadline has to be met. :/

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Lotus
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Lotus » Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:00 am

Always depended on the type of game, for me. If it was a plot-driven game, I'd attempt to get as far as I could within the time I had. If it was a sports or racing game for example though, I'd just make sure I'd played all of the modes to a decent level and completed as much of the modes/races/whatever. Essentially just made sure I'd seen all the game had to offer.

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AerisHime
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by AerisHime » Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:20 am

Lotus wrote:Always depended on the type of game, for me. If it was a plot-driven game, I'd attempt to get as far as I could within the time I had. If it was a sports or racing game for example though, I'd just make sure I'd played all of the modes to a decent level and completed as much of the modes/races/whatever. Essentially just made sure I'd seen all the game had to offer.



My take on it, really. Although admittedly i try to work fast, too, as the pay is really bad :D

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Lotus
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Lotus » Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:55 am

Ha, tell me about it. Barely do it anymore, isn't worth the time put into it.

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AerisHime
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by AerisHime » Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:08 am

and you usually only get shitty games to review, at least as a freelancer :D


*thinks back to Prison Tycoon 2*....

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Lotus
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Lotus » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:13 pm

Indeed, although it's good to be able to write about both good and bad games. I actually enjoy writing reviews about crap games more, because I can let the humour come through more.

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emilythestrange
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by emilythestrange » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:09 pm

I really used to be terrible for this when I first started writing, I usually got given the poorer games and I never gave them much gameplay time at all, but that was a couple of years ago and I'm glad to say I give games a fair chance now, no matter how shite!

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Thongings
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Thongings » Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:38 pm

Hero of Canton wrote:Which game is this, Aeris?

In most cases, I do my level best to finish the game. With certain games, you don't really need to finish it - if it's not a story-based game, or its story plays a very unimportant role and the core gameplay can be experienced thoroughly in less time than it takes to finish the game, then in those circumstances I'll review it without finishing it.

In extreme circumstances when I have a very tight deadline, then I'll just play as much as I possibly can, even if that means getting very little sleep. Indeed, I made sure I only had three hours' sleep during the Gears press event as I wanted to finish the campaign and spend plenty of hours with the multiplayer.

(Actually, quite a few journos didn't get time to finish the game. Crash and I both did, though. 8-) )


Fell asleep with the controller in my hand at about half 3, up again at 6. Certainly not an experience I'm likely to forget.

And pretty much what Canton said, particularly seeing as I'm still doing it in my spare time. It's a judgment call really, I will never write something about a game unless I personally feel I've played it enough. But that doesn't neccesarily equate to 'finishing' it. Though if I could complete every single game I reviewed, I would.

The Artist Formerly Known As CrashHornet
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Eighthours
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Eighthours » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:17 pm

Finish if you can, but get as far in the time and do as much as possible for each game mode if you can't. I know pretty much exactly what a game's going to get in terms of score way before the finish line, and also what I'm going to say about it. I half-write the review in my head as I'm going along, well before I put pen to paper. I usually start with some sort of anecdote or some kind of current event that I can link to the game in my mind, and figure out early how to begin the first paragraph and tie it together at the end. I then decide on the specific gameplay elements I want to discuss in detail.

I can't stand reviews that skirt over everything without really telling you anything. If I have a word limit, I'd much rather focus on the stuff I think is important, rather than waste words on overarching paragraphs of nothing.

Oh, and (possibly controversially, I don't know if everyone else does it) I do look at the Metacritic score and read a couple of other reviews for a game if they exist. "You copying bastard!" - actually, no, it helps me to make sure that my review's not retreading everyone else's ground. I try to be as little "me too" as possible in terms of the content, beyond the obvious stuff everyone has to talk about. Not the score, though - I don't give a gooseberry fool about whether it's identical or completely different to anyone else's, as long as I back up my points with a strong argument.

Most importantly, when the first draft of the review is finished, that's the real starting point for writing the thing. Which is what many of the more mediocre videogame journos don't seem to realise. If they do, and their stuff is actually representative of much editing, God help them. I take far longer editing the thing than writing the first draft. I also like to write a draft early so that I can sit on it for a day or two. I then have loads of time both to edit in my head, and also to see it with fresh eyes the following day.

And yes, I've just gone into far more than the question asked. Whoops! :lol:

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Andrew Mills
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PostRe: Writing a review...
by Andrew Mills » Tue Nov 25, 2008 5:41 pm

Interestingly - for me - if all goes well, then I should start to dabble in reviewing games for a couple of magazines early next year. It'll be a new mindset from writing guides, but hopefully my gaming abilities will allow me to see more of any games I'm given to review in a shorter period of time (which certainly isn't a bad thing).

If I do get into reviewing games (to subsidize my guide work), then I imagine I'll make a judgment call on each individual game (A more casual title will ultimately need less time than a turn-based JRPG for example to be sure that I've experienced as much as I can). But as Eighthours quite rightly pointed out in GGC, the actual quality of the final product is what's most important. :D For me, that'll come with experience and feedback from helpful sub-editors, which can only be a good thing no matter which way I look at it. :)


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