I own, far too many games for my own good. While I have beaten a good number of them, I don’t have clear and recent memories of them. So in this series of articles, I’ll be going into depth as I finish each game, detailing my thoughts as I go. Each will be graded on five points—Gameplay, Story, Graphics, Sound, and Replay. These are key points that I find important for my true enjoyment of a game. I will also be defining how finished I am with the game—Unfinished, Beaten, Completed, or Mastered. This is a lot, so I’ll break it all down. So strap in and open your Instruction Manual, because it is time to learn how to play!
Review
As I said, each game will be rated in many categories. These ratings will range from zero to five stars. Zero represents a complete failure in that category. Three is a baseline average of acceptability. And Five is exceptional and exceeding expectations. The game will also receive a final rating based on the average of all five scores. I will add or subtract a star based on my own feeling for the game. This final adjustment will be covered in my final thoughts.
Gameplay covers the game as programmed, such as controls and mechanics. This is where it all gets covered. The goal is that the game should be fun to play and the mechanics shouldn’t actively oppose the objective. Having to platform with unresponsive controls is a classic example of poor gameplay. Even the most difficult or frustrating games are better enjoyed if the controls respond properly. Story covers the game as written. Even the simplest of games has a premise. There is a goal and a reason. Games that tend to lack these are harder to really get into. The ideal is a cohesive narrative that doesn’t contradict itself. I don’t care if it is believable, or serious—but it should listen to itself and remain logical.
Graphics covers all things visual. What I look for in this category is that the graphics look cohesive. Art styles and limitations at the time of release are going to be considered of course. Sound covers all things audio. This one is simple—I want as little irritating repetition as possible. One thing I won’t fault a game for is not having a standout soundtrack. Sometimes a non-invasive ambiance is as effective as a signature leitmotif. But don’t get me wrong, I also won’t overlook a hot bop that slaps hard.
Replay is a little more complex than the other categories. I am a huge fan of being able to tackle games in new ways every time I play them. This isn’t a requirement, but I do like it when there is some variable to influence how the game is played. Different power-ups, different routes, or even full-blown different characters. I plan on being generous with this category since it is more important to me than most usual reviewers.
Status
The Backloggery allows me to organize my games. One of my favorite features is flagging my completion of a game. So I will be utilizing that feature in my reviews to clarify how far into the game I have gotten, and plan to get to.
Null is reserved for the few games where I can find no solid goals for declaring completion. This is very rare, but it may happen sometimes. Alternatively, this is also used for games that I 100% will not play, because sometimes… they are just that bad.
Unplayed is for games I haven’t even turned on, or I’ve only played the tutorial/beginning levels. I won’t move it to “Unbeaten” until I actually sit down to play it for at least an hour or two. Games I can’t see myself completing will go from this straight to “Null”.
Unfinished means that play is officially underway. My current position in the game will be noted in updates on my backlog. I often keep track of my collectibles and progress with adorable emojis!
Beaten means the main storyline has been completed and I have seen some form of the ending credits. Side quests, collectibles, and other secrets need not apply. Games I have beaten before adding them to my backlog will default to “Beaten”. This is unless I know I’ve made an effort to go higher than this before.
Completed means that all side-quests have been completed. Any secret or alternate endings have been seen. This also means that any special collectible items have been gathered as well. Few games will advance beyond “Completed”. It takes a lot to get me to master a game.
Mastered means the game is 100% done. All things that can be found have been found. All unlockable content is available. This includes Achievements that don’t relate to actual in-game progress as well. Achievements that can no longer be earned for whatever reasons are disqualified. I consider a game “Mastered” if in the end there is no reason to pick up the game other than to enjoy it all over again.
And so there you have it. The rubric upon which all Backlog Reports will be built upon. I hope you’ll enjoy reading these reports as much as I will writing them! And if you see something in my Backlog you’d like me to push up the queue, I am always open to suggestions.