Website Insight

My Schedule

Due to the hobbyist nature of the website, and current engagements with college, the update schedule may be fluid and inconsistent. That said, I aim to release something—a review, blog post, or article—on a biweekly basis.

Blog posts are likely to adhere to this projected goal than reviews as the time it takes to complete a game varies between genres and playstyles.

My Review Guidelines

• INCLUSIVITY: I welcome, encourage, and review all kinds of games from all kinds of genres and subject matters—to a certain extent. Certain genres are “blacklisted” from this website because I feel they either exist to exploit money from their consumers or exist without advancing (or attempting to advance) the “art” of video games:
  • Extreme Violence/Gore
    • Examples of exceptions: Bayonetta or the Doom series is NOT banned because while incredibly violent, they are hallmarks of their respective genres and are inspirations to many who pursue game development.
  • Sexual Content/Nudity
    • Examples of exceptions: Danganronpa or Cyberpunk 2077 are NOT banned because its sexual content (or implications) are not the focal point of the game. To further elaborate, I am okay with reviewing games with sexual content, but the same cannot be said with games that are nothing but sexual.
  • Meme/Clicker/Strictly Mobile/etc.
    • Examples of exceptions: Untitled Goose Game is NOT banned because its merit comes from being comedic and original, not from being an established meme (though it naturally reached that status). Most strictly mobile games are made to be harmfully addictive and monetized, though there are always exceptions.
• OPTIMISM: I attempt a positive outlook towards games when it comes to my reviews. This is because a game is never perfect or perfectly flawed; every game has its pros and cons, so I believe it’s a question of which one outweighs the other. I’m sure no developer exists with the intention of making a bad game.
• GAME MERIT: I grade solely based on the game itself, without taking account of its price, business practices of the company, and concerns outside playing the game. In other words, my judgement of the game’s merit is determined by the quality of the game, not its price tag, publisher, or public relations.
  • Of course, since price is an important factor in determining whether or not to purchase a game, there will be a separate, isolated section that comments on these issues of reality and practicality.
• FUN PRIORITY: I play to enjoy the game, then I decide and judge its worth. I do not want to actively critique a game while I’m playing it; otherwise, it defeats the purpose of video games—to have fun.
  • Of course, I cannot completely ignore the critical aspects of a game; occasionally, I might question, “did I spend $60 on this?!” or say “now that’s smart game design”. In those cases, I might jot something down for a later review.
  • I do realize that this mindset would be difficult to pull off with review copies, but I will attempt this approach nonetheless.
• INDIE PRIORITY: I want to emphasize the individual and smaller teams over the so-called “AAA” companies. This is because the former group needs more exposure while the latter group has plenty of reviews and publicity online. That said, this does NOT mean I will completely avoid coverage of “AAA” or “AA” games.

Types of Reviews

Note that the bulk of reviews will be using the Full View and Quick Glance format. A game can only be reviewed once when it comes to the two aforementioned formats, but the same game can still reappear in other types of reviews and blog posts.

Full View

(In-Depth, Category-Based Review)
The most complete form of reviewing, using a category-based review system to judge a game’s worth. These reviews answer all questions provided in the Template and attempts to be more critical of the work. These reviews require that I have done one or more of the following:

1.) I have played the game to the fullest
2.) I am confident in giving a fair judgement of the game
3.) I believe that the game requires a deeper look due to its immense content or discussion surrounding it
4.) I feel that it is worth my time or I have enough time to construct a detailed review for the game

Quick Glance

(Easy Read, Category-Based Review)
A more concise, brief form of reviewing, using a category-based review system to examine a game’s worth. These reviews touch on a few questions provided in the Template that are relevant to the game and attempts to be more informational about the work. These reviews are for games that did not necessarily meet the criterion of Full View:

1.) I have not played the game to the fullest
2.) I am not confident in giving a fair judgement of the game
3.) I believe that the game does not necessarily need a hefty review due to its brevity or lack of discussion surrounding it
4.) I feel that it is in my best interest to make a shorter review for a faster sendout

Overlooked

(Argumentative, Free-Roam Review)
An argumentative form of reviewing that pertains to games that meet one or more of the following criteria:

1.) Non-mainstream games
2.) Sleeper hits
3.) Games with low exposure
4.) Games with mixed reception

These reviews attempt to convince the reader to give the game a shot, but of course, note both the admirable and problematic qualities of it.

Photograph

(Personal, Free-Roam Review)
A loose, casual form of reviewing that pertains to games that meet one or more of the following criteria:

1.) Games that I no longer have access to
2.) Games I had played in the past (particularly in childhood)
3.) Games that I remember playing, but not enough to constitute a full review

These reviews are likely to be attached to personal memories; they also may talk about triumphs and flaws, but more about the feelings the game evoked. 

Types of Blog Posts

These are less systematic and more grounded by reality, rather than just the realm of a game itself. While reviews are predictable in form, these blog posts can take any form necessary. There is no limit to how much a single game can be used as the main topic.

Magnified

(In-Depth, Informational Blog Post)
Informal posts that take a game and examine a single aspect of it in order to reveal how such design makes or breaks a game. These posts view games from a technical, developer standpoint, and should reveal interesting things that one should (or should not) consider implementing in their own game and projects.

Panorama

(In-Depth, Informational Blog Post)
Informal posts that take multiple games or concepts and examine their purpose or effectiveness. These posts have a similar goal to Magnified, though much wider in scope. While Magnified explore aspects within the game, Panorama can explore aspects beyond the game (though within the constraints of “gaming”).

On Display

(Curated, Specialized Blog Post)
Specialized posts that intend to showcase a certain series, genre, or category of games. These posts do not fit a single structure, in that its form is loose and its criterion is broad. Examples include: Top 10s, Series Specific Showcases, Games of the Month, etc.

Outlook

(Opinionated, Journalistic Blog Post)
Journalistic articles that discuss topics pertaining not only to the realm of video games, but also reality. Unlike Panorama, these articles will usually talk about life with video games and how they closely affect the way we live, think, and act.

Spoiler Warnings

In case of those who prefer to keep games fresh or prefer non-spoiler content, spoiler warnings are put at the start of a post in varying degrees:

• Heavy: review or post will examine major story or gameplay elements, such as a focused analysis on certain events nearing the middle or end of a game
• Medium: review or post can discuss some story or gameplay elements, based on the assumption that the reader is familiar with or has played the game to a certain degree
• Light: review or post may remark on certain story or gameplay elements, but such elements are early into the game, overall trivial and minor, or not the central focus of the article
• None (no warning): review or post may touch on certain story or gameplay elements, but in a way that is ambiguous or general