The Definitive Signal Focused Game-Review Scale
Every review site has their own scale to determine where to rank different titles, and I’ve been ranking titles without a transparent scale!
Well, it’s time to see that amended.
This page will serve as a reference for future reviews, and previous scores have been adjusted to be consistent with this new scale. I don’t see these tiers changing any time soon, as they follow my general thought process that I’ve gone through in previous reviews, only now, having them solidified makes it clearer to determine the fine-tuning of aspects that go into a grade.
The scale can be seen below.
0 / 100: I cannot give this grade, as in my eyes it implies the game does not exist.
10 / 100: The game does nothing that stands out as fun in any way, shape or form. It doesn’t even make you laugh at how bad it is; it’s just bad. This type of game should not have been made. As a rule, I don’t review these because they waste my time.
20 / 100: The game is not fun. It was probably not developed as a joke, but it’s so bad that it’s become one. It serves as a lesson and warning to all future developers who seek to follow in their footsteps.
30 / 100: This is a joke game. It was poorly developed with the intention of being poorly developed. I don’t care if some people think they’re funny, because they’re not funny. Period. They waste time and money, and in my opinion, they’re wasting web-hosting resources that would’ve been better spent on just about most other things.
40 / 100: The game tries to be good, but eats shit every step of the way. You almost feel bad for the team behind a 40, because they might have a neat concept, but don’t seem to execute on it because they’re too busy trying to be like everyone else, only worse. I can’t recommend these, even if I find ways to see some good in them.
50 / 100: The game is mediocre, but not in a positively consistent way. 50’s have nothing special about them; they are literally smack-dab in the middle of the review spectrum. 50’s are boring, and in general don’t innovate (enough) to be considered unique. 50’s get forgotten, sadly even more so than 20’s or 30’s.
60 / 100: This game could have been good, if it didn’t leave the oven so quickly. A 60 visibly needs polish and general refinement in all aspects of its existence, but the core of something that could be fun is there; it’s just not quite fun as it stands.
70 / 100: The game is good, and is right on the edge of being something more than good. With greater refinement of its core mechanics, general polishing, or altered story writing, it could probably jump into the 80’s, but a 70 doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad game; it’s just a flawed one, and to a fault. If you can knab a 70 at a small discount, and the game suits a genre that you have an affinity for, you’ll probably have a good time.
80 / 100: This is a fun game that delivers a complete package. You won’t regret dropping full-price dollars to acquire an 80. All elements have been polished enough that they’re visibly refined, and the experience, even if not necessarily innovative, delivers enough well-designed content that it is truly satisfying to play. If there are a few rough edges, they’re probably just nitpicks and not something game-breaking. Some of them have an especially unique mechanic that, while not appealing to the masses, will make some people excited or fond of it enough to return years later. Modders love 80’s, because they know that enough good stuff is present that with the right tweaks and content additions, it could probably become a 90 or higher.
90 / 100: This is an excellent game, one worth a try even if it falls into a genre you might not be that familiar with. 90’s push the industry forward, and elements of a 90 generally get carried over into subsequent games, even by different development teams. 90’s are innovative, and you’ll remember the experience they deliver for a long while. They are unique, and put their developers on the map. When you are done, you are left wanting more, not because it was missing that little bit extra, but because you desire a little bit extra to keep the experience going just a little while longer.
100 / 100: This is a must-own title. You will hear about 100’s whether you want to or not. These games generally cost many millions of dollars to develop over the course of many years, and the wait is always worth it. A 100 does not mean it is a flawless game, but that it knows exactly what it wants to be, and it embodies that persona to the 110th percentile, without technical issues or artistic inconsistencies to get in the way of immersion. If you decide to immerse yourself in a long session of a 100, you will not be disappointed. These come around once a decade, if that.
With that, it should be clear how future games are graded here, and most confusion should be resolved. The descriptions may be slightly controversial in a few areas, but they sum up how I feel about each tier and should leave enough wiggle room to allow many titles to find their place within.