Understanding Video Game Review Scores

I realise I’m a little late on this one but Christmas isn’t quite here yet and there’s a chance I might still save some of you out there from making a poor purchasing decision based on a review score. I don’t believe this is the most startling insight of all time but as someone who occasionally glances at a video game review before deciding what to buy I thought it worthwhile to pass along a little tip I’ve found quite useful.

For some reason unfathomable reason it appears impossible to review video games without assigning them a number between 0 and 10. To their credit, Computer Gaming World, (since rechristened Games For Windows: The Official Magazine) did try for a while. However, even they eventually buckled under the overwhelming demand (read: principled stands aren’t popular) and reverted to a numerical-based system.

Arguably this wouldn’t be so irritating if there was some logical connection between what the review was saying generally and the score it received. Lords knows why the 0 to 10 system is so baffling. Perhaps it only seems ridiculously straightforward. Or perhaps game reviewers do understand it but fear the review-reading public might have difficult with such a wide range of possible values. Or maybe it’s the bloody game companies themselves. Whatever the reason, assigning scores seems pointless when almost everything receives a mark between 7 and 9.

Which brings me to my tip. You see I think I’ve cracked the code. While reviewers may claim they are operating on a 0 to 10 scale I believe they are in fact using a 0 to 5 scale with a bonus 5 points being added to every game that doesn’t set them on fire.

Viewed this way things make a lot more sense. If former Gamespot employee Jeff Gerstmann hated Kane & Lynch so much why did he still award it an above average score? (It got a 6.) Not such a mystery if you think of it as a 1. How about Hellgate: London? Isn’t the game essentially broken? (It almost received a 7.) Oh, wait. That’s a 2. And what was up with Heavenly Sword? I thought most reviewers agreed it was hardly up to scratch. (7.9.) Ah. 2.9.

Of course there is a limit to this tactic and in those situations I recommend reading the review. You’ll be surprised what some of the scores are actually supposed to represent (and/or how poor most game criticism still is). That being said, when the hyperbole hits overdrive and not even that strategy works I can only recommend turning to the one man in video game criticism you can trust to give it to you straight.