What makes a good review?

[Random Argument Man]

I've tried to make 3 reviews with movies. They don't seem to be effective.

So I wanted to know. What makes a good review? Do I need to put some jokes like Yahtzee? Do I have to be like rottentomatoes.com (I hope not)?

You can answer the question and help a fellow escapist at the same time.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

a review should be worthwhile and enjoyable to read no matter what content is being reviewed. how you achieve that is up to you. i reccomend you read more books from inventive and creative novelists in order to learn effective methods of writing.

personally, i'm a huge JG Ballard fan but it's difficult to apply the writing style of The Atrocity Exhibition to reviews.

 

[lukemdizzle]

a review should be a judgment of content with no byes or expected notions going in. You should make your opinion on the based on how adequate the content under review is and nothing else.

 

[Fire Daemon]

What makes a good review?

*Points to Gigantor*

Him.

Try reading other reviews and see what they have done to make their review good.

 

[Copter400]

Before we get to the finer points of reviewing mastery, I'd like to point something out to the more retarded reviewers on this site. Before you try humour or any other fancy extras, make sure you have the following:

PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING.
PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING.
PUNCTUATION AND FUCKING SPELLING.

Now that that's over and done with, over to your problem. If you were that chap who wrote the D. Grayman review, I thought that was pretty good. However, you do seem to dawdle on a lot, with a good seven or eight lines of text about who you are and what you do. Also, you probably didn't need to be so detailed with the characters; just a quick skim over about the main players in the story and move on.

As for your video reviews, if you're going to include images, change them more frequently, it get dull staring at the bacon button after a while.

 

[BuckminsterF]

Become famous so people give a flying rats ass about your opinion (no offense)

 

[Copter400]

Become famous so people give a flying rat's ass about your opinion (no offense).

Yes, because the only people entitled to voicing their opinion are famous people. Everyone else must obey.

Idiot.

 

[MGG=REVIEWS]

Very very very long, the longer the review the more people cant be assed to read it

 

[Fire Daemon]

Very very very long, the longer the review the more people cant be assed to read it

No MGG, NO!

Content helps make a good review, you don't have much content. Length is very different to content.

 

[PurpleRain]

Very very very long, the longer the review the more people cant be assed to read it

No MGG, NO!

Content helps make a good review, you don't have much content. Length is very different to content.

But it has to be amusing content. I've seen Wikipedia-esq reviews that can drop you off to sleepy land. So, the more relevant, yet entertaining, content the better.

Also, why did I imagine you hitting MGG over the nose with a rolled up newspaper.

 

[Khedive Rex]

I hate to say it but for the most part focus on the unpleasentness. You can adress the good bits but more often then not people want to hear (or are more enthused by) what's wrong with a game or movie. Approach what your reviewing as if it made a mess of your apartment the night before you were suppose to review it and every point you give to it is begrudgingly. There are times when you can ignore this guidline but, general rule of thumb: If you thought it was great, say it was good. If you thought it was good say it was adequate. If you thought it was adequate say it was bad.

Oh and keep things short. Don't go into blistering detail just say what has to be said, keep it snappy and interesting and get to the end before your reader has a chance to get bored. That's my opinion anyway.

 

[Fire Daemon]

But it has to be amusing content. I've seen Wikipedia-esq reviews that can drop you off to sleepy land. So, the more relevant, yet entertaining, content the better.

A "good" review does not have to be entertaining but if it is not holding your attention than it becomes a bad review, all the good points you make about a game become void because no one can read it.

Also, why did I imagine you hitting MGG over the nose with a rolled up newspaper.

Cos thats how I roll.

 

[OverlordSteve]

I agree with Yahtzee's no score policy. It forces you to generalize the game too much. If the game had a lot of flaws, but you still liked it due to it's story, and give it a 4 out of 5, people's eyes go right to the '4 out of 5' and don't look at what you said.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Before we get to the finer points of reviewing mastery, I'd like to point something out to the more retarded reviewers on this site. Before you try humour or any other fancy extras, make sure you have the following:

PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING.
PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING.
PUNCTUATION AND FUCKING SPELLING.

Now that that's over and done with, over to your problem. If you were that chap who wrote the D. Grayman review, I thought that was pretty good. However, you do seem to dawdle on a lot, with a good seven or eight lines of text about who you are and what you do. Also, you probably didn't need to be so detailed with the characters; just a quick skim over about the main players in the story and move on.

As for your video reviews, if you're going to include images, change them more frequently, it get dull staring at the bacon button after a while.

Sadly, I'm not the guy who wroted D.Grayman review. (I don't even know what D. Grayman is).

 

[cleverlymadeup]

first and foremost be objective. this is something a lot of ppl have an issue with, especially with sequels or prequels. they tend to look at things thru rose coloured glasses, childhood things especially

always say if you liked it but also say what's wrong with it, unless for some reason there is nothing wrong with it, including little things UNLESS it's a game and the developer said "we are fixing that bug" then state that it's there but being fixed.

if it is truly horrid, like uwe boll movie or superman 64, then try for some humour to get over the badness of the game/movie. there's the blog type review of dungeon siege by a toronto star writer, which is absolutely hilarious, it's better than the movie

as was said in the writing thread spell check your work AND read it aloud

also don't reveal a lot of plot points and especially twists, just mention there's a twist or two and whether you liked them and came as a surprise or not.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

first and foremost be objective.

oddly enough, i totally disagree with this perspective.

when forming a non-qualatative opinion, objectivity is almost non-existent. sure, you could feign it, complaining about the camera, the controls, etc. but in truth, the material either worked for you or it didn't and no amount of attempted objectivity will change the way in which the material connects with you.

if you hate real time strategy games, then by all means say that upfront. make your subjectivity clear and have it course through every complaint and critique because then i know where you stand and where the game stands relative to you.

most videogame reviewers pretend to be objective while secretly harboring feelings about a game for one reason or another. these reviews are boring as hell to read because you are just pouring through pages of rationalized bullshit where the reviewer just padded enough negative content just to give the game a 7.8.

if videogames want to be respected as an art form, than the quality of reviews needs to be better than what you'd read from a Consumer Report on the degrading quality of Ginzu knives.

"It doesn't cut soda cans like it used to. 2 out of 5 stars."

 

[Erana]

I've tried to make 3 reviews with movies. They don't seem to be effective.

You either need offencive spells or a silver, ebony, or enchanted weapon.
Or perhaps you should learn Hidden Power ice or fire.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Don't summarize the plot, analyze it. Don't summarize the game design, explain how it all adds up. Don't summarize the player input, honestly and subjectively say what it felt like when you played it.

Don't gauge your success by how many people comment on your reviews. Not getting a comment means you at least didn't piss anyone off or say something incorrect. If a person who disagrees with you reads your review, sees your point, and accepts it as legit even though they disagree then you're doing way, waaay better than most people. Never, ever trust gushing praise from strangers.

And for God's sakes, don't check the number of page hits. It's a terrible addiction and will just make you depressed.

*edit*

S***...is this about movie reviews? I don't know a thing about that.