How games are rated

Games are rated by a set of 10 criteria:

• Gameplay - Does the game allow you to have fun or fight against you?
• Elements - Do the features, items, or aspects of the game add to its atmosphere?
• Graphics - How do the graphics (high or low-tech), add to the experience of the game?
• Design - How is the overall aesthetic in the game?
• Pacing - Does the game move at a good pace?
• Originality - Does the game introduce new conventions that aren’t being redone?
• Replay - How soon or often woud I replay this game?
• Enjoyment - Do I have fun playing this game, or is it more of a chore?
• Controls - How easy or fluid are the controls in achieving what needs to be done in the game?
• Immersion - While playing or over a period of time, how immersed am I in the game or storyline?

Each category is rated out of 10 possible points, and then totaled together to create a score out of 100. This is the final percentage score.

How remakes and remasters are handled

In most cases, remakes and remasters will replace the original game. There may be exceptions to this (the upcoming Resident Evil 4 being a case for this, since the “remake” also introduces new elements). Anything that introduces new gameplay and new areas will be rated as a completely new game.

Top 10 scoring

The top 10 is scored a bit differently to present a clear and consistent separation of the best-of-the-best. The scoring is a sum of:

• The game’s score rank, as explained above, out of 100
• The difference in years between release date and the time of review
• The Metacritic score, converted to a decimal (to help level-set personal preferences)