how to become a good video game reviewer?

[FAST6191]

Finish the game.

definitely this.

I am not overly convinced this is necessary.

I have had stories in many things completely lose it in the last 30% (a film but I had that recently when I watched the abyss) but at the same time if I have had a bad time for the 70% then that 30% could be the bestest thing ever but I would have still had to slog through nonsense to get there which could well be a justifiable reason to tell it to do one.

I have equally had games with token story modes/campaign and excellent multiplayer, and ones I would only play local co-op (looking at Resident Evil 5 for this one). I would also happily accept a "I don't like multiplayer so didn't bother with it" (I did actually used to play COD for the story and local co-op, only time I did multiplayer was to be polite when round a friend's).

I am not going to say finishing a game is a bad thing but whether it is strictly necessary is a different matter. If you have got to the point where you can safely say you have experienced the core loop of the gameplay, or that after so many hours it has not got better, possibly also boosted yourself to see some of the end game then I am more than happy to hear your thoughts on the matter, regardless of whether you saw the end credits.

 

[spotanjo3]

I don't trust the review at all. The review is just an opinion. We are all different. That's why, I played the games on my own to judge only.

 

[Magsor]

Don't listen to anyone. You will suck at first. But the more you do it the better you will get and you will be successful over time. Guaranteed.

 

[FAST6191]

I don't trust the review at all. The review is just an opinion. We are all different. That's why, I played the games on my own to judge only.

I have a friend I have been playing games with for decades now. If he says give this a go as I think you will like it then most of the time he is right, and when not I can still see why he thought that it might be a good fit. I can do the same for him. We even each have a few personal guilty pleasures that we know the other does not care for so tend to avoid those when making suggestions. Can do similar with other people I play games with as well, though some of those are not in the decades range.

It is then possible to replicate that with reviewers, or possibly sites, you might never have interacted with. Read reviews of games you played and see how well they align with your thoughts on the matter. If that is the case for enough games you already know then there is a pretty good chance the next game they review will match what you think of it.

It need not be total agreement either -- if someone complains of fiddly controls then I might well be able to overlook that as I don't mind such things, and if the rest of the review cover level design, graphics, music and story in ways that appeal to me then so much the better.

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

Here’s a giant tip: If you value your life, do not review a sonic game, it will not end well(unless it’s one of those few universally loved or hated ones)

 

[FAST6191]

Here’s a giant tip: If you value your life, do not review a sonic game, it will not end well(unless it’s one of those few universally loved or hated ones)

But Sonic Adventure really is an awful game and an affront to all that was fun with Sonic.

Sonic 3d is also not the worst thing to have happened prior to that.

 

[CompassNorth]

Veho's comment is really important.

Building knowledge about games and genres overall is incredibly important. I just to read reviews constantly but one of the major reasons people who reviewed the games I just weren't knowledgeable about dungeon crawlers and kept comparing everything to either Etrian Odyssey and Demon Gaze and just shat on the games for not playing like them.

Also do more to talk about the gameplay mechanics, think about their specific strengths and weakness and how they play a role into the overall game whether it's for gameplay, narrative, or thematic reasons