Tips for a user reviewer

[Protocol95]

Hello escapist! I'm interested in doing user reviews but i'm a bit unsure of how to structure it. I know some of the basics, such as seperating it into 5 different sections, (Story, design, gameplay, presentation and verdict.) but i'm not sure about the rest. If any of you could give me pointers that'd be great!

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

There is an elaborate guide to the Escapist BBcode by Stranger - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.201459-A-Guide-to-Making-your-Review-Look-Good.
As for general review tips, I have none. Make sure yours doesn't sound like a checklist and don't force it is all I can say.

 

[Vampire cat]

I'm not a professional, but I like to start my reviews with a quote of sorts from the game. A good qoute that tells a lot about what the game feels like, cause then I can use the quote to build the first part of my review, which would deal with a quick introduction to the games story. Then some about gameplay and graphics, and finally a summary of my opinion on the game. And 2-3 pictures from the game^^.

Good luck and enjoy! Writing reviews is a lot of fun for me, I do it much more for myself than anyone else =p.

 

[Zetsubou-Sama]

Also type as much shit as you can to get your opinion fully out.

This doesn't work, while wall of text alienates some people, long drawn out reviews may also off put some.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Paragraphs sepereated by 2 lines.

No-one likes a wall of text.

Pictures work well. Learn the BBcode.

Find someway to get feedback on your reviews. Honestly, when you learn that, call me, 'cos My new Review Series, which despite you guys begging me to get a name for it, when I do, No-one looks at it. Damn. Need a better name!

Calumon: It's an inverse Matrix!

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I know some of the basics, such as seperating it into 5 different sections, (Story, design, gameplay, presentation and verdict.) !

This is actually something the other guys on here have stopped me from doing, and my reviews have become ten times better for it.

Don't put everything into sub-sections, try to make your paragraphs link to eachother in interesting ways and it'll flow much better.

Also, send a PM to PimpPeter... he knows his stuff and has lots of good advice.

 

[Stranger of Sorts]

I like to do everything in threes. Three things in a list, roughly three paragraphs per picture and each paragraph is split into game content (the graphics were "this" good)/ implications (what does it work well with or when is it not good)/ feelings (what could be done better/ what I enjoy most).

But then that's just me. The best things is to write a review, it doesn't have to be too long if it's your first, and people like me will be right on it to help you improve. Writing a review isn't really that big of a deal unless you make it one so just hurry up and do it why don't you!

 

[Sassafrass]

Also, send a PM to PimpPeter... he knows his stuff and has lots of good advice.

I completely and totally second this advice.
Pimp helped me get going with some simple but effective tips.
Yes, I may have ignored the "keep it between 800 to 1200 words" tip but...whatever. XD
But a few general tips I'll give out are

• Avoid wall o' texts.
  Start small in length and work up to bigger, longer and more detailed reviews after you've got some experience.
  Use pictures and try to keep them the same size. To do that use the following code: [6img width=insert number here length=insert number here]image url[/img6] Remove the 6's and add your own numbers and that should work fine.
  Don't be afraid to review anything you want. We've had a cat and a brick reviewed, I believe.

And that's all I can think of, really.
I would give more but I'm tired and my brain is asleep still.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Hello escapist! I'm interested in doing user reviews but i'm a bit unsure of how to structure it. I know some of the basics, such as seperating it into 5 different sections, (Story, design, gameplay, presentation and verdict.) but i'm not sure about the rest. If any of you could give me pointers that'd be great!

Actually, I despise reviews that are broken into sections like that and refer to them as "shopping list" reviews. Did I cover sound? Check! How about graphics? Check! They're easier for the reviewer, but they're just not as enjoyable to read as reviews that are more integrated. Don't feel you have to mention a particular aspect of a game unless it really makes a difference. In other words, unless the sound is particularly good - or bad - it's probably not going to impact someone's enjoyment of the game, and therefore doesn't serve much purpose in your review.

Keep in mind, I consider a review of a game and a critique of a game to be two completely different animals. Many people use them interchangeably, and write "reviews" that span thousands of words. A critique should discuss how a game succeeds and fails in every respect. It's an in-depth look at the game as a construct, whereas the point of a review is to simply give the reader an informed idea of what it's like to play the game, so that they can better decide whether or not it's something they'd like to try for themselves.

Best advice I can give you is to remember that you're writing for your reader, not for yourself. A review is not your opportunity to share everything you feel like saying about a game or to show off your encyclopaedic gaming knowledge. I've encountered very, very few games that can't be very well reviewed in 850-1000 words, but plenty of would-be reviewers who spent 3000-4000 words telling you every last thing they thought about the game in question.

A review should entertain as well as inform, but don't try too hard. When I say "entertain," I simply mean that it should be more fun to read than a text book. We don't have to be laughing every other sentence, we simply have to be enjoying the way you put words together. The reader's eye should flow down the page like your words are made of silk. They should find themselves at the end of your piece without being conscious of actually having gone through the process of reading.

I could talk about the art of writing reviews all day. One of my passions.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

[

Actually, I despise reviews that are broken into sections like that and refer to them as "shopping list" reviews. Did I cover sound? Check! How about graphics? Check! They're easier for the reviewer, but they're just not as enjoyable to read as reviews that are more integrated. Don't feel you have to mention a particular aspect of a game unless it really makes a difference. In other words, unless the sound is particularly good - or bad - it's probably not going to impact someone's enjoyment of the game, and therefore doesn't serve much purpose in your review.

Keep in mind, I consider a review of a game and a critique of a game to be two completely different animals. Many people use them interchangeably, and write "reviews" that span thousands of words. A critique should discuss how a game succeeds and fails in every respect. It's an in-depth look at the game as a construct, whereas the point of a review is to simply give the reader an informed idea of what it's like to play the game, so that they can better decide whether or not it's something they'd like to try for themselves.

Best advice I can give you is to remember that you're writing for your reader, not for yourself. A review is not your opportunity to share everything you feel like saying about a game or to show off your encyclopaedic gaming knowledge. I've encountered very, very few games that can't be very well reviewed in 850-1000 words, but plenty of would-be reviewers who spent 3000-4000 words telling you every last thing they thought about the game in question.

A review should entertain as well as inform, but don't try too hard. When I say "entertain," I simply mean that it should be more fun to read than a text book. We don't have to be laughing every other sentence, we simply have to be enjoying the way you put words together. The reader's eye should flow down the page like your words are made of silk. They should find themselves at the end of your piece without being conscious of actually having gone through the process of reading.

I could talk about the art of writing reviews all day. One of my passions.

Great advice... you should pop into this forum more often and give us friendly tips and critiques!