Game Reviews - something a little different.

You will of course be seeing game reviews here at the Busted Controller. But these won't be your typical reviews. I plan to do things a little different: - Reviews will be on a 1-10 scale, which is nothing new I will admit - however, with regards to numerical value, high scores will be RARE! Fucking rare even! I'm sick to death of seeing a review peppered with negative comments only to see a solid 8.5 or 9 attached at the bottom. For too long, the gaming media has been leading people to believe that in order for a game to be good, it has to score in the high 8's. This is simply not the case. By my criteria - the average game will score in the 6-7 range, while exceptional stuff scores 8-9, and only the absolute classics score a 10. So? Says you, what's so different? Well - it's like this - The vast majority of high scores out there are for damn good games that do nothing to further the industry or their particular genre. When a game is "genre-defining" then it scores a 9, when it is an absolute classic title, you'll get a 10. We'll take Halo 2 for example - The gamerankings average for this game is a 95% - Bullshit! This game is a prime example of Hype scoring a review. Halo 2 is a great game - don't get me wrong, however it does nothing to evolve the first person shooter genre, or hell even perfect what has gone before - Halo 2 is a solid FPS with a few issues in the gameplay department, some heavy graphical bugs, and a lackluster second half - the game scores a 7.5 in my book - and always has. The fact that the general consensus on this one has been so torn in the time since its release also speaks volumes that the game was indeed overscored. You want a perfect 10? How about Final Fantasy VII? When this game was released in 1997, there was NOTHING else like it. It brought immense production values to gaming, it showed how the CD-Rom format could truly benefit we the gamers... It featured a wonderfully told story, beautiful (for the time) graphics, and remains a fond memory in the hearts and minds of millions of gamers almost a full decade after its release - to the point that people STILL look for this game at retail outlets on a semi-regular basis (while copies of Halo 2 clog the pre-played racks of major dealers). Sure many gamers have other entries in the FF series that they prefer, but FFVII was THE game of the 1990's. So when you see a score of 6 or 7 in the future - do not be afraid - read the content of the review and you'll better understand. An 8-10 score is not something I'm going to slap on a game simply because it's a good game, 6-7 is still a good game, just not a great, genre-defining moment. I'm a picky bastard too. - I plan on revisiting a game six months down the road and chiming in with how the game has aged. It may not be extensive, a paragraph or two. But I will revise my score if necessary, and I'll give a damn good reason as to why. There are many games that simply lose their luster over time, or perhaps (Jade Empire being a prime example for me) they just don't grab you initially, only to endear themselves to you down the road. - I am not for sale! Anyone out there working for either a developer, marketing firm, or whatever - feel free to send me reviewable copy - I'm all for it - but please don't assume that I'll play favorites if you do. I promise to be fair and concise, and I promise to give a title adequate treatment in a semi-timely fashion (I do still work 40 hours a week and have a daughter). But please don't request anything in particular from me other than a fair and unbiased look at your title. Time to outline it for ya, blow by blow - from 1 to 10:

1 - Utter total garbage, bad juju all around - do not waste any time on this one.
2 - Nothing worth your effort, not entirely unplayable, but painful nonetheless.
3 - A few good ideas, but still nothing worth playing.
4 - A solid concept ruined by poor execution - fans of the genre may find something worthwhile
5 - Passable, shows neither ambition nor imagination, but a solid representation of the genre
6 - Some good stuff in there! Not quite polished or overly ambitious, but worth a glance if you enjoy that sort of game.
7 - Better than average, either brings something new to the table or distinguishes itself from it's contemporaries through solid presentation or lots of spit and polish.
8 - Excellent stuff - either pushes the envelope or otherwise wows with presentation or polish. Representative of the best in a chosen genre.
9 - truly outstanding - takes a genre and redefines or adds significantly. Tight presentation, bug free, truly exceptional gameplay with no complaints.
10 - A bonafide classic, a game without equal, that will establish itself as the paradigm by which all other entries in the genre will be compared. Truly the best of the best in all categories. A game for the ages.

There ya have it!
Cheers,
Steve