BRB Review Scale

The BRB Review Pledge

Whether we pay for a game using our own money or receive a review copy, the writers on Big Red Barrel will always strive to bring you an impartial, informative and professionally presented review, written by a passionate gamer giving their honest opinion.

We rate all games on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest. It is a scale that represents how much the reviewer would recommend the game for like-minded people. If you want to know if that includes you, then we suggest you read the review and see how it relates to the score in context.

The BRB Recommendation Scale

5/5 = An standout game that defines, or is a fine example of, a genre. The gameplay and depth of content continually and consistently impresses throughout, and is something not to be missed by the vast majority of gamers.  It is not a statement of perfection, merely a very strong recommendation.

4/5 = A great game with some standout moments. The high-points of the game vastly outweigh any negatives. Gamers who favour this genre or style of game will get a great deal of enjoyment from this title. A good selection of consistently high quality content that will keep you coming back for more. A very worthy recommendation.

3/5 = A good game with a reasonable breadth of content and many positive aspects of gameplay and design that, overall, will entertain rather than blow you away.  Likely to be let down by one or more key elements that get in the way of the game achieving its true potential.  There is still fun to be had and is likely to appeal to fans of the genre. An above average recommendation.

2/5 = A below average game, possibly with major flaws that will disrupt the enjoyment for the majority of gamers. Die-hard fans of the genre or subject matter may find some redeeming features that make it worthy of consideration, but most gamers are recommended to invest their time and money elsewhere.

1/5 = A substandard game with little or no redeeming features. It should probably be avoided by all but die hard fans of the genre and subject matter. This is generally a recommendation to leave well alone.

 

Final Remarks

The scoring system above is our starting point. We @BRB are passionate gamers and are all aware that good gaming can be found in the most unlikely places. We could all name a badly made game that for some reason we have come to love. A guilty pleasure game or something so simple and basic that it is hard to recommend, but for some reason it just taps into that little gaming nerve in all of us that just screams “Play me!”

The scores reviewers give are their personal recommendation – so it’s worth getting to know the members of the BRB team to see if their taste in games matches yours.  You can find out more about our team through the breadth of written, video and podcasting content that we have at BRB. We will also often be found chatting about games, life and everything else on the BRB forums.

And do not forget that any written review is only the start of the conversation. If you strongly agree or disagree with a review be sure to let us know by commenting on the article. The more opinions we can put on one page, the better for everyone else. Here at Big Red Barrel, we like everything we do to be; Bigger. Redder. Better. We invite you to join us.

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This explanation of our review scores gets 1/5

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