It seems to me that most people have varying notions on what a video game review is supposed to be. As such, I feel it helpful to give a good idea on what I deem to be the purpose of a review, as to better give any reader of my reviews a better sense of where I am coming from. So that's what I am doing here- here you will find what I consider when writing my reviews, which will hopefully lead to them making more sense, as well as being more useful to you, the reader.

Review Style

The first thing you should know is that I don't summarize games. I usually get put off by reviews that simply run through the bullet-point features of a game- "There's this mode, where you do this, and then there's that mode, where you do that..." There's enough info on the web to satisfy anyone just looking for raw details and facts. I'm more about trying to explain why I did or didn't like the game, and whether or not I felt it was worth my money... which is what I've always perceived the point of reviews to be.

The other thing I don't do (which kind of follows from the first point) is write a book when reviewing. You know, those 5 page long super-reviews that sites like IGN tend to do? Not my style. I'm not going to assault anyone with a fat old wall-o'-text. Basically, I try to pick 2 or 3 points about the game that stood out to me, and give my reaction on how they did or didn't enhance my enjoyment of the game. Most reviewers seem to cover all the little details, so if that's what you are looking for, I'm sure you can easily find it elsewhere.

Finally, as games have become much more mainstream, I feel that the distinction between a game being considered universally good or bad has become hard to determine. I feel that practically every game will be loved by someone, and hated by someone else. As such, it's my perception that the act of thinking a game is good or bad has become a mostly subjective exercise. Therefore, my reviews are purely that- subjective. I'm writing about how much I enjoyed the game, and whether or not I felt it was worth my time and money. You may end up feeling differently about the game than I did, which is all well and good. In fact, it's great. Diversity is a wonderful thing.

These 3 points are the core of my main review philosophy for these reviews I post here on good old GiantBomb: Talk about how much I liked the game, in as clear and concise of a manner as possible. Leave out the fluff, the gory details, and keep it short and to the point. It's likely that anyone reading one of my reviews found it by sifting through numerous other user reviews, meaning you are probably looking to sample a wide variety of opinions in a timely manner. Therefore, I'm attempting to give that quick burst of feedback, but also back it up with clear reasons for why I make my claims.

Scoring System

So that's that for the written portion. As for the 5 Star scoring system, I think most people seem to interpret it differently. Therefore, I once again feel it helpful to give my interpretation of the scoring system, and briefly describe what I mean when I give a game X Stars (I won't be giving half-stars).

5 Stars: I had a blast playing this game, and also feel that just about everyone who goes into the game with an open mind will also enjoy it, though maybe to varying degrees. There might be a few small quirks, but for the most part I wouldn't really change anything about this game. This is the real deal.

4 Stars: I really enjoyed this game, and would recommend it to almost anyone. However, there are one or two noticable issues that just didn't sit right with me. For the most part this game is great, but there could be a handful of players who won't be able to get past those issues, and might not have as much fun with the game as I would expect.

3 Stars: I had fun with this game in the long run, but questionable design choices make me wonder how many people in general will feel my sentiments. It was kind of an up and down experience, and one that I think many players will enjoy, while many others will not.

2 Stars: I had a handful of problems with this game, and the overall experience was one that left me feeling somewhat cheated. It had its moments of glory, but it wasn't consistent enough to deliver the quantity or quality of fun I seek from games. Not sure that many players will appreciate this game, though some should.

1 Star: I didn't enjoy this game one bit. It might have the slightest bit of redeeming value, and may even entertain a select few, but when compared to other games coming out it's just not worth it. I imagine that pretty much everyone could find something else they would have more fun playing.

And that sums up my review style. So enough of that- go read and enjoy my reviews, now that you know what they are all about!