How I Rate Games
The main goal of this site is to inform you, the reader, about media that I think is worth your time. While most reviews come with a short description of what I did and didn't
like, I also make sure to include a star rating to help you quickly
understand how I felt about a game.
My rating is a grade between 4 and 1
stars. A high score indicates a strong recommendation, the middle two are
"yes but" and "no but" respectively, and the lowest is reserved for
games I absolutely couldn't stand.
Rating games with this method can be tricky. There are plenty of
popular games that don't do it for me, or widely panned games
that I love. It's important to remember that my rating is not a
measure of something's objective goodness; it's whether I thought it was
worthwhile and think people with similar tastes will as well.
It's also worth noting that my ratings skew high: I get to choose what I play and I tend to choose things I think I'll enjoy. Keep that in mind when you
see how many things earn a 4. It's a very different grade than a perfect 10
on something like IGN's rating system.
With that out of the way, let's go through what exactly each score means and
provide some concrete examples!
: Yes!
A 4 star rating is both my highest and my most common score. Games in this bracket can be recommended emphatically. They may not be perfect, but I never felt bored while playing them. A 4 usually means that a game excelled in multiple areas and the result is more than the sum of its parts. Another way to earn a 4 is to succeed so highly in a specific area (such as gameplay or overall concept) that any concerns are dropped by the wayside; they didn't stop my enjoyment.
If you want to see the absolute cream of the game
crop, you can check my list of games that were been the best
thing I
played that year
Here are some recent games that earned 4 stars:
There's a lot of game in this game, but much of it is good!
It did a great delivering the tried-and-true JRPG formula: lots of gear / stats / abilities, repetitive turn-based battles, and rewarding you for going the extra mile. It felt good to be back in the saddle, since I don't always have patience for these. The crafting system was pretty good, adding a level of skill to a system that's usually just a menu. The pace of the battles reminded me a lot of FFX, which is always good. I really liked that you could set your whole party to CPU controlled, so battles would fight themselves. That let me grind as much (or as little) as I wanted, which was huge when the game was so long. The world is large and well-realized. There's plenty of things to do. The series' cheeky humor is on full display, which leant a lighter air to some more serious goings-on.
The worst part is probably the pacing- there are too many endings in this game. Being a legendary hero was fun, but they needed to know when to quit. The difficulty was also on the easy side (maybe because of the aforementioned auto-grinding), but there's a setting for that if you want a hard mode. It's also a little silly to complain about, but there's maybe too much of everything? In addition to the whole main quest, there's a whole separate series of 2D sidequests I basically never touched. They act as a love letter to the rest of the series, which is cool. But at some point, there's just too much if I'm going to play anything else this year.
That said, nobody is doing very traditional JRPGs better, so if that's what you're in the mood for, DQXI acts as potent comfort food.
There's a lot of game in this game, but much of it is good!
It did a great delivering the tried-and-true JRPG formula: lots of gear / stats / abilities, repetitive turn-based battles, and rewarding you for going the extra mile. It felt good to be back in the saddle, since I don't always have patience for these. The crafting system was pretty good, adding a level of skill to a system that's usually just a menu. The pace of the battles reminded me a lot of FFX, which is always good. I really liked that you could set your whole party to CPU controlled, so battles would fight themselves. That let me grind as much (or as little) as I wanted, which was huge when the game was so long. The world is large and well-realized. There's plenty of things to do. The series' cheeky humor is on full display, which leant a lighter air to some more serious goings-on.
The worst part is probably the pacing- there are too many endings in this game. Being a legendary hero was fun, but they needed to know when to quit. The difficulty was also on the easy side (maybe because of the aforementioned auto-grinding), but there's a setting for that if you want a hard mode. It's also a little silly to complain about, but there's maybe too much of everything? In addition to the whole main quest, there's a whole separate series of 2D sidequests I basically never touched. They act as a love letter to the rest of the series, which is cool. But at some point, there's just too much if I'm going to play anything else this year.
That said, nobody is doing very traditional JRPGs better, so if that's what you're in the mood for, DQXI acts as potent comfort food.
A non-linear heist. What it lacks in gameplay, it makes up for in storytelling. There's a lot there in between its surrealism. Weirdly, the cinematography is what stood out the most to me. Everything is "shot" very precisely. Music is great too. It's a fun, odd, tidy little package.
A non-linear heist. What it lacks in gameplay, it makes up for in storytelling. There's a lot there in between its surrealism. Weirdly, the cinematography is what stood out the most to me. Everything is "shot" very precisely. Music is great too. It's a fun, odd, tidy little package.
Just killer. Clever little puzzles, tons of mechanics, cute side characters, simple yet expressive art. Not too long, but engaging. Enough variety that the same base mechanic (sliding puzzles) never gets boring. Good music on a few of the levels. Can get tough, but there's a good hint/answer system posted online by the dev. And you can't beat this price!
Just killer. Clever little puzzles, tons of mechanics, cute side characters, simple yet expressive art. Not too long, but engaging. Enough variety that the same base mechanic (sliding puzzles) never gets boring. Good music on a few of the levels. Can get tough, but there's a good hint/answer system posted online by the dev. And you can't beat this price!
: Yes, but...
Most games that earn a 3 could have been a 4, but something held them back. Maybe it was a plot that didn't quite line up, poor pacing, or unnecessary papercuts in menus. Whatever it was I was annoyed enough about its shortcomings that I have to qualify this recommendation with a "I liked it, but wish they hadn't done XYZ".
Here are some recent games that earned 3 stars:
Odd little interactive experience. Weaves a bit of story into its walking. Builds a lot of world in a very short amount of space.
Odd little interactive experience. Weaves a bit of story into its walking. Builds a lot of world in a very short amount of space.
Hinterberg leans heavily on its presentation and characters over depth of gameplay. Joining Persona-style social links to progression felt great. There was good puzzle variety and the unique spells in each world kept dungeons from feeling too samey. The story was surprisingly engaging- it really grapples with the impact of tourism on a small town and how each of its ensemble feels about the associated changes. The sore(st) thumb here is the combat- it starts clunky and never really gets better (just easier). Customization is decent and I loved the charm system (passive abilities that you can "shrink" over time). Too bad it was wasted on such forgettable fights.
Hinterberg leans heavily on its presentation and characters over depth of gameplay. Joining Persona-style social links to progression felt great. There was good puzzle variety and the unique spells in each world kept dungeons from feeling too samey. The story was surprisingly engaging- it really grapples with the impact of tourism on a small town and how each of its ensemble feels about the associated changes. The sore(st) thumb here is the combat- it starts clunky and never really gets better (just easier). Customization is decent and I loved the charm system (passive abilities that you can "shrink" over time). Too bad it was wasted on such forgettable fights.
The story is the star of the show: you get to live an Indiana Jones movie. And, much like its inspiration, the narrative is fun but the details (and gameplay) are lacking. Don't get me wrong- bonking Nazis on the head never really gets old. But the simplistic brawling and plodding platforming drag the good parts of this down. The environments were well designed and fun to explore, but there wasnt much reason to. Combat upgrades and money never felt rewarding. The sidequest stories were good and supported the main narrative well though. It really leans into it's "Indy" vibe and does well with what it's got. But if it were an original character, most folks wouldn't give it a second glance. Make of that what you will.
The story is the star of the show: you get to live an Indiana Jones movie. And, much like its inspiration, the narrative is fun but the details (and gameplay) are lacking. Don't get me wrong- bonking Nazis on the head never really gets old. But the simplistic brawling and plodding platforming drag the good parts of this down. The environments were well designed and fun to explore, but there wasnt much reason to. Combat upgrades and money never felt rewarding. The sidequest stories were good and supported the main narrative well though. It really leans into it's "Indy" vibe and does well with what it's got. But if it were an original character, most folks wouldn't give it a second glance. Make of that what you will.
: No, but...
Welcome to the bottom half! Games that earn a 2 have more hits than misses, but there are redeeming qualities. It can also mean I would have scored it higher, but I was so put off by something (such as boring gameplay) that I couldn't rate it higher. If you're a fan of this genre you might still find the game worthwhile, but I'd start elsewhere.
Here are some recent games that earned 2 stars:
Cute dialogue and a funny premise, but punishingly boring minigames soured the experience. Charming and nicely animated overall, but doesn't really work as a game without gameplay.
Cute dialogue and a funny premise, but punishingly boring minigames soured the experience. Charming and nicely animated overall, but doesn't really work as a game without gameplay.
Some cool mechanics and a lot of passion held back by muddled visuals and uneven puzzle design.
Some cool mechanics and a lot of passion held back by muddled visuals and uneven puzzle design.
Had some of the charm from the first game, which is why I tried it in the first place. Unfortunately, they replaced the simplistic but compelling exploration & combat with a twin-stick roguelike. It felt like a cross between Enter the Gungeon and Minit. There was still exploration, but only for a few minutes at a time. There's more to the gameplay, but not much more. Instead, it's repetitive more kludgy than fun. I liked the weapon variety, but it felt like there were a few standouts and "the rest of them". I'm glad the devs got to try something new, but I wish they had stuck with what made the original formula so fun.
Had some of the charm from the first game, which is why I tried it in the first place. Unfortunately, they replaced the simplistic but compelling exploration & combat with a twin-stick roguelike. It felt like a cross between Enter the Gungeon and Minit. There was still exploration, but only for a few minutes at a time. There's more to the gameplay, but not much more. Instead, it's repetitive more kludgy than fun. I liked the weapon variety, but it felt like there were a few standouts and "the rest of them". I'm glad the devs got to try something new, but I wish they had stuck with what made the original formula so fun.
: No!
The lowly 1 is my rarest rating. Because I mostly play things I (hope to) enjoy, for something to earn a 1 it's got to really fail across multiple areas. As long as a game has reasonable plot, gameplay, or artistic direction, I'll usually find enough to like about it that it earns a 2. Earning a 1 means I feel bad for having spent time on this game at all.
Here are some recent games that earned 1 stars:
Sort of an interesting little physics sim, but the physics are all floaty and gummy. Has sort of a goose game / katamari chaos charm, but lacks enough cohesion to make it particularly worthwhile. Some funny interactions, but not something I needed to spend more time with.
Sort of an interesting little physics sim, but the physics are all floaty and gummy. Has sort of a goose game / katamari chaos charm, but lacks enough cohesion to make it particularly worthwhile. Some funny interactions, but not something I needed to spend more time with.
This stretches the definition of "game"- it's more of a guided meditation with dialogue choices. Unfortunately, not something I'm looking for...
This stretches the definition of "game"- it's more of a guided meditation with dialogue choices. Unfortunately, not something I'm looking for...
While the environments look ok, the fox doesn't control well and the dialogue is pretty poorly written. It attempts to pull at heartstrings, but is more frustrating than compelling.
While the environments look ok, the fox doesn't control well and the dialogue is pretty poorly written. It attempts to pull at heartstrings, but is more frustrating than compelling.