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INTRODUCTION

Those of you wondering about how we here at Gamers Wanted review our games have come to the right place. Here, we will (hopefully) answer any questions or queries you have about the reviewing process we have.

With the average console/pc game running at roughly $50, we are more than well aware of the fact that buying a video game is a fairly pricey investment for both the hardcore gamer, and the casual. Fifty bucks is a lot to blow on something if it ends up being worth peanuts, right? So, here at Gamers Wanted, we do our best to make sure you don't waste your hard earned dollar on something unworthy of such.

THE REVIEWING SYSTEM

Here at Gamers Wanted, we use a numerical scale for reviewing games that ranges from 1 to 10. A 10 would represent a completely flawless game, while a 1 would represent the worst possible score a game could earn. Each game is first reviewed in pieces, each pertaining to a different aspect of the game (more on this later). Then the game is given an overall score, which is meant to let you know how good (or bad) the game is as a whole.

As each day goes by, game developers are hard at work on new innovations and ideas that continually bring the expectations of gamers to a higher and higher point, making it harder and harder for games to obtain high scores due to high industry standards. Each game is rated fairly pertaining to its genre (action, puzzle, etc.), its platform (PS2, PC, Gameboy, etc.) and the other titles in those specific categories that are available (or soon to be, in some cases) to you, the gamer.

TECHNICAL DIFFERENCES/MULTIPLATFORM GAMES

We understand the technical differences of each individual platform that games are released for, and thus, we judge each one accordingly. While you may see both an Xbox game and Gameboy Advance game with a rating for graphics of 8, doesn't mean that they both look just as good. Gameboy Advance obviously has different capabilities than Xbox, and so the Gameboy Advance game will be rated fairly to the capabilities of the platform it's on. This is to not say that you will not see references to different games that are either similar in nature, or the same game on a different platform (example: Splinter Cell for Xbox and PS2 both looked great as far as their respected system capabilities at the time, but the Xbox version looked much better in terms of graphics, and we would mention something like this in a review).

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION

One thing you must keep in mind at all times while reading a review on Gamers Wanted is that each review is written by one of our journalists; one being the key word here. Our reviews are from the perspectives of one person and their experience with the game, and express their views on it exclusively. The only real way to decide if you like a game or not is to play it for yourself, our role is just to give you a good idea on what to expect if you choose to do so. With this fresh in your mind, please don't send us hate mail if you buy a game that we gave good marks to, and hated it.

REVIEW CATEGORIES

Reviews are broken up into 6 different categories, the following are explanations to each category, and in the same order you would see them on a review:

Gameplay - Basically, gameplay means how the game plays; from controls, to what you can or can't do, and how accessible (easy to use) the game is to play. A game with a low score in gameplay probably has a severe limit for available things to do, has no really fun features, is far too generic, is just plain boring, poor AI, or in some cases, a combination of any of the above

Longevity - This explains how much fun you'll have with the game in terms of time. While some games may be fun for short spurts, some games are so fun, you can melt away hours entranced in the game. This category also measures replay value: how many times you're likely to play the game through, the options open to you if you choose to play through more than once (extra bonuses, difficulty modes). A lot of times, a single player only game will have less longevity than a multiplayer game, since playing multiplayer (co-op or vs) usually offers up some unique ways to play a game that keeps it fresh for a bit longer than the standard single player campaign.

Controls - How easy the game is to play in terms of actually controlling your character/car, whatever the case may be. A game with a high score in this category is probably very easy to pick up and play, with everything being very accessible to the player, and offering up a fun experience without having to stop every 2 minutes to try to remember what any given button was suppose to do. Bad controls usually involve buttons that are too far away to be easily reached, are slow to react to your commands, or any of a few other issues that would hinder your experience while playing the game.

Graphics - The easiest aspect of a game to pinpoint. How good does the game look visually? Games today are becoming more complicated every day, most now feature realistic textures, faces, movements, environments and high polygon counts, which help immerse you into the experience. Some games are even making dynamic lighting an essential piece of gaming. If a game is obviously outdated in terms of its appearance (has blocky characters, bland environments, etc.) then it will get a much lower score in this category than a game that would implement stunning dynamic lighting and sharp, smooth character models.

Sound - This category covers absolutely everything that you can hear in a game, from sound effects, to the soundtrack (music) and the voice acting (if applicable). If a game has a riveting, catchy soundtrack, and some high quality voice acting, it will score much better than a game with a generic soundtrack and unbelievable, forced voice acting (example of bad voice acting: the original Resident Evil on Playstation, and example of good voice acting: Metal Gear Solid). A great soundtrack is characterized by memorable music that is either catchy, or really adds to the experience of the game (Ocarina of Time, anyone?) while a bad soundtrack is characterized by that uncontrollable urge you have to turn the music off while you play.

Overall - Our overall score is not an average, but a score that the writer comes up with when he/she looks at the game as a whole. If a game has a few minor, nagging flaws that can be overlooked, it's still likely to get a good score. Games that really change the way we look at video games will score very high, while games that bring something new to the table, or do something very, very well that everyone else just didn't seem to get right will also score very nicely (a couple great games that come to mind: Max Payne 1 [for the innovation of bullet-time in a game], Prince of Persia [for excellently executed story and gameplay]. An overall bad game likely has more problems than not, and doesn't offer the average gamer much in the terms of enjoyment, which is really what games are suppose to be about in the first place.

1 - 1.9: Atrocious - Basically, as bad as it can get. You'll have absolutely no reason to bother with a game that ends up with this score.

2 - 2.9: Horrible - Totally devoid of any functionality. No fun at all.

3 - 3.9: Pitiful - If there's anything good to be spoken of in the game, it's largely outnumbered by the games flaws.

4 - 4.9: Shoddy - Maybe everyone on the development team wasn't on the same page, or didn't have enough time to finish the game as well as they could have, and thus, you get a rather unpolished sort of experience.

5 - 5.9: Mediocre - Something with a half decent concept, but bad execution fall into this category.

6 - 6.9: Lacking - Slightly more weaknesses than strength. There would be a good game here, if only it weren't for some nagging issues. Possibly could have been a good game had it spent some more time in development.

7 - 7.9: Average - Games falling to this category are good games by all means. They'll provide fun and enjoyment, and sit snugly in your library of games. May have a few minor flaws, but can likely be overlooked in comparison to the better aspects of the game.

8 - 8.9: Great - A game that would score in this area is likely a great game by any standard, but may have a few 'what if they had have…' or 'it would be better if…' issues, but they're small complaints that you will likely forgive amidst the fun you'll be having with the game.

9 - 9.9: Amazing - Anything that manages this score has our complete and total recommendation. This kind of score is withheld for only the cream of the crop games. Games that will make you sit up and take notice, regardless of your pre-conceptions of the game. Think Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Half-Life, and you'll have a good idea what kinds of games get this type of score.

10: Perfect - An absolutely perfect game is nearly impossible to come across. A game that receives a perfect score could not possibly be any better than it is, in any regard. A score like this is exceedingly rare to find on Gamers Wanted, since you really don't come across many games that are totally flawless. If you read any reviews that end with a score like this: Buy it.

YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION

While I wrote this guideline as a means to answer as many questions as possible in regards to our review process, it's very possible that I may have missed one or two more specific questions. If, by some chance, you have a question that hasn't been answered in the above paragraphs, please contact me personally at personal email address. I will do my best to respond to your question(s) in a timely fashion.

Sincerely,
James Haas
Senior Editor