Post by Doan the Nado on Jan 7, 2006 2:59:08 GMT -5
As I will be trying to play all of the Completed Games in the upcoming weeks, I decided I better come up with a common format to use for all reviews. I think breaking everything down into categories can be instructive and informative, so I will do that. Below are each of my categories, which will be rated from 1-10, with explanations of what I'm looking for in each category:
The above three elements, in my opinion, are the three main components of a game. If you have good gameplay, characters, and plot, then you have a good story that is fun to play. The best of games, however, also have other key elements, including those listed below.
Overall: Unlike most "overall" categories, this will not merely be an average of the above values with a quick review of what I already said. Instead, this will be a unique rating unto itself that should indicate how I rate this game in relation to others. How worthwhile was my gaming experience?
Well, that about does it for my cateogries. After reviewing a game or two (or five), I may decide that these categories just don't cut it, or leave something out. That means these are subject to change at any time. By the way, if you're wondering why I'm posting this in the Domain Main forum, it's mainly because I didn't feel that it fit well anywhere else.
- Gameplay: I believe Rodak said it best, "Role Playing Games are only one third Role, but Two Thirds Playing Games!" That is, I feel that the game aspect of the RPG is one of the most important. The game should be fun to play. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but in general I will be looking at battles, puzzles, variety, intuitiveness of controls (playing the game should not be cumbersome), and anything else that I feel directly affects my gaming experience, including both major bugs and minor annoyances.
- Characters: The "other third" of RPGs, of course, is the Role part, and without characters, it would really be quite difficult to find a reason to play an RPG. A key item to remember when creating an RPG is to make characters that the player can sympathize with. In this area, I'll be looking for character development and motive: why do they do what they do? I will take into account the depth of the party characters as well as the antagonists, and bonus points will be awarded for originality: if characters are unlike typical RPG characters, and also if the character graphics separate them from the typical RPGM2 character models.
- Plot: So the gameplay and characters are awesome, but if nothing really happens in the story, there still is not a game. This area will address the background story, the in-game plot and how well it fits in with the world it takes place in, the suspense element, and also the use of cutscenes, as they are a key element in furthering the plot and the character development.
The above three elements, in my opinion, are the three main components of a game. If you have good gameplay, characters, and plot, then you have a good story that is fun to play. The best of games, however, also have other key elements, including those listed below.
- Environments: Great stories take place in interesting settings. Is the world consistent and believable, and am I compelled to explore it? In this area, I will be critiquing use of the map and dungeon editors, weather, ambient sound (including background music and world sounds), day/night, and anything else relating to surroundings. How much the party interacts with the environment will be important, too, and will help tie it in with gameplay.
- Graphics: While modern commercial games may go a little further than necessary in the Environment and Graphics departments, in RPGM2 these may be what separates one game from another. Are there SFX in proper places? How much attention does the programmer pay to detail? This will cover things like spell animations and other battle graphics, world VFX, enemy and NPC appearances, and anything else I can find to fit in this category. Of course, use of Custom VFX gets huge bonus points.
- Themes and Replayability: These two do not really seem to go together, but in my mind, both of these are aspects of the game that transcend everything else. Good strong themes let you take something away from the game after you have beat it, and may even leave you wanting to play it again. Of course, if there is no variety or too much linearity, you will not want to play it again, anyways. I will discuss both of these topics in brief under this heading.
- Custom Elements: Along with Graphics, this is another area that sets different RPGM2 games apart. There may be a lot of overlap with various areas, but what are the things that are in this game that you won't find in any others? This will include items such as a Custom Menu, a CBS (including anything from a modified DBS to an Active Battle System), Custom Camera Use, Custom Music, a Title Screen, Cinematic End-Game Credits, and anything else that I determine is unique enough to fit in this category.
- Extras: This area is mainly for mini-games, but will also serve to review in more detail some of the puzzle aspects and even things such as Text Box Dialogue (or even 2D character icons above message boxes), character renaming, and anything else that doesn't fit in any other category.
- Intangibles: This could just as easily be called the "fun factor". It is quite possible that a game could score poorly in the majority of the areas and still somehow be fun to play. That's what this category is for. It will also address how well all of the above elements fit together, how "smooth" events go, and so on.
Overall: Unlike most "overall" categories, this will not merely be an average of the above values with a quick review of what I already said. Instead, this will be a unique rating unto itself that should indicate how I rate this game in relation to others. How worthwhile was my gaming experience?
Well, that about does it for my cateogries. After reviewing a game or two (or five), I may decide that these categories just don't cut it, or leave something out. That means these are subject to change at any time. By the way, if you're wondering why I'm posting this in the Domain Main forum, it's mainly because I didn't feel that it fit well anywhere else.
