Okay, so after reading rocketpig's thread, I began wondering... if I were rating games, how would I do it?
This is what I came up with:
(5 star system)
One Star (*): This is the lowest rating a game can have. It not only means the game isn't fun, it means that game is almost unplayable. One star games are the kind that are filled with bugs, glitches, and other problems that even a night of drunken play couldn't make fun. These are the games that you tell all your friends to avoid like the plague and wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. You cringe when you see a child or parent buying this game knowing the crushing disappointment that is going to ensue.
Two Stars (**): Have you ever been up really late surfing TV channels and began watching a strange show that was on simply because there was nothing else? That's pretty much what this game is. It's better than watching paint dry, but that's not saying much. If you're playing this game, it's because you literally have nothing better to do with your time or money. It's not the bottom of the barrel but it's close. It's not that you can't have fun with it, but you have to be a certain kind of person to really enjoy it and generally most people aren't that kind of person. If you absolutely must play this, rent it first.
Three Stars (***): This game is worth your time. It may not be something you want to buy, but you should play it at least once. Three star games are typically short, lacking in content, repetitive, or simply not worth replaying. These are the kind of games that are interesting to play at first but get old quickly or they're interesting to play all the way through but never again. There's no really definitive buy/avoid with these games simply because it very much comes down to simple personal preference. You should give these games rentals at very least as you'll probably have quite a bit of fun and get your money's worth from them as rentals if nothing more.
Four Stars (****): Now we're into the buy range. Four star games are worth owning. These are the kind of games that you'll generally have a great time with. They'll be fun, engaging, interesting, quirky... the bottom line is that you should most definitely play them if not own them. And make no mistake, you should own them. They are really that good.
Five Stars (*****): This is the cream of the crop. These are your console or generation defining games. These are the games that are so awesome that you will be playing them weeks, months, and years after buying. These are the games that make your inner child weep in happiness and serve to remind you why you love video games and began playing them in the first place. They're also the games that will drive your friends crazy as you obsess about them for weeks on end at their sheer level of awesome. If you consider yourself a gamer with the appropriate console and you don't own these you should smacked with a 10 lb. tuna fish... repeatedly... until you do own them.
In sum:
* : Avoid
** : Avoid, Maybe Rent.
*** : Rent, Maybe Buy.
**** : Buy.
***** : Get smacked with a 10 lb. tuna fish if you don't buy.
So that's my personal rating system. I find it works for games and it makes sense to me.
Do you like it?
Do you have one of your own that you'd like to share?
