Ratings Guide

Current System

When I devised the old rating system, I was coming at it from the perspective of an authority. It was supposed to quickly summarize my thoughts in a few words. It suited the approach I took reviews at the time but as time progressed and these reviews became more personal and less about recommendations, I found it difficult to find the right rating to give out.

Who am I to say which game is a Must Play? I can tell you which game I love and which game I found okay though.

So I’m using the Amazon 5-star rating system (without the stars) from now on.

• I love it
• I like it
• It’s okay
• I don’t like it
• I hate it

Simple. Straight forward and — most importantly — it clearly reflects my opinion.

Pre-April 2015 System

“Hey,what do you think of this game?”
“That’s an 8.5/10 game”.
“..and this?”
“It’s an 7.9/10. I would have given it a flat 8.0, but there was that one bug which set it back.”

That’s just silly, isn’t?

Most people wouldn’t use numerical ratings when they’re replying to their inquisitive gaming friends and we here at QSF5 wouldn’t either. So what’s the solution? Just reply with self explanatory phrases!

Despite the fact they’re supposed to be self explanatory, we know that there are folks looking for something a bit more substantial. So here is the official breakdown:

Must Play

A ‘Must Play’ game is, simply put, a game you cannot pass up. It’s a game which offers something truly spectacular or unique that very few games can match. ‘Must Play’ games aren’t perfect, but what they do offer greatly outweighs any of their faults.

Highly Recommended

A game which sits amongst the best of its genre or class. Its execution is often amongst the best, but these games don’t necessarily force us to bend over backwards for them. You go can’t wrong a game like this, but don’t expect anything you haven’t seen before either.

Recommended

These games will satisfy most fans of the genre. They may be a bit bland in some spots, rough around the edges or just plain flawed in a few key areas, but the overall package itself is solid.

For Fans Only

There are games out there only a fan could love. It could be its genre, its theme, its style, or its gameplay nuances, but one thing’s for sure: only the fans will find true enjoyment from it.

Worth A Try

They aren’t perfect and most of the time, you can see its faults from a mile away. What you may miss is that one interesting feature or quirk which makes the experience worth while. We can’t honestly say these games are worth buying at full price, but they’re definitely worth a dabbling into.

Disappointing

These games simply did not live up to our expectations. Did we expect too much? Perhaps. Did the developers underdeliver? Possible. One thing’s for sure, we found little satisfaction in what we played.

Stay Away

Awful games with little to no redeeming qualities. Spend your time and money on something else.