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Casual Gamer Review Ideology As a professional person of sorts, I take my reviews somewhat serious sometimes. For this reason, I have constructed a new system for reviewing entertainment. Indeed I am powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen. My system is a simpler, more streamlined one in an age of far too many magazines and their various ridiculous ratings. Really, who knows what the difference is between 3 stars and 3 and a half stars? A 7.0 and a 7.25? Considering that all reviews are simply someone's opinion, and the rating is just supposed to be a quick reference for the reader, there is no reason to have such numerous divisions for ratings. What is really needed is a general impression of the reviewer's experience with said material. That brings me to my system, which consists of only 4 divisions. Pretty straightforward and helpful, really, and that's the point. Check it out: [Casual Note: I use games to describe the meanings of the ratings, but this same system applies to everything I review on this site]
Garbage -- This is the lowest possible rating a game can get from The Casual Gamer. These are the games you definitely want to stay away from. They are the steaming crap of the industry, and publishers should be ashamed for releasing them. I don't really plan on playing these games, if I can avoid it, so don't plan on seeing too many of these ratings given out around here.
Average -- These babies are OK. Average games are those that aren't necessarily bad, but they're not that great either. These games have some entertaining aspects, but are effectively counterbalanced with gameplay shortcomings. Most magazines claim that a 5 out of 10 is an average game, but they're liars. Those same reviewers will bitch and moan about a game they give a 5, meaning they don't like it at all. That's not what average means here. Average here is comparable to a 7 or so in most magazines. These games are usually fun for fans of a particular genre, but probably not worth the time for people who don't have a lot of it.
Commendable -- Commendable games are worthy of your time. These are the games where the enjoyment factor outweighs the flaws enough to make the game entertaining. They are usually solid experiences that successfully integrate existing formulas but don't push the boundries of their genre too hard. These are all-around good games.
Transcendent -- These are the games you live for. They are the ones that keep you up late at night, wanting desperately to see what comes next. These are the cream of the crop; the leaders in the idustry; the great innovators. These are the games you play for hours on end, over and over--the games you will gladly shell out 50 bucks for. They are the games worth buying systems for, and they are the ones you will forever remember in your fondest gaming memories.
--Well, there you have it. An elegant system for a more sophisticated age. I hope this is more than enough to explain the basis for the ratings. And always remember, my ratings are my opinions and you do have the right to disagree, wrong as you may be.
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