A single number cannot accurately convey the worth of a game to everyone with an interest in playing it. Different people seek different things from these games, and whilst so many offer an experience worthy of a conventional perfect score, they would still be the wrong choice for some players. A prime example of this is ‘The Last of Us’ – a game so great at storytelling and immersion that it’s mediocre gameplay is concealed beneath almost exclusively flawless scores. Make no mistake – this game deserves the highest praise, yet a single score is still not capable of accurately conveying its value, because there are people focused on rich and rewarding gameplay far beyond anything else, and those people should be aware that that is not what this game has to offer, and therefore is no ten out of ten experience for them. With that in mind, here are my areas of focus:
Story concept: Is the concept an emotionally or thematically compelling one (or both)?
Story execution: Does the experience hit the emotional notes it strived for, and effectively cover it’s themes?
Immersion through gameplay: Do the gameplay mechanics fortify the story, or undermine and contradict it?
Satisfaction through gameplay: Is the gameplay fun? Does it develop such that it stays fun throughout?
World: Do open world games capture that sense of exploration? Does the world bolster any other aspects of the experience?
It is important to consider something here: I don’t expect any game to be perfect in every outlined capacity, and a strong score in just a few will make it a worthwhile experience for those who seek what it offers.
Returning to The Last of Us can demonstrate this. For me, The Last of Us earns a perfect score in at least three areas (Story concept, execution, and immersion through gameplay), but falls far short in one (satisfaction through gameplay). This doesn’t mean the game is no longer worthwhile, as for most players, despite its objectively lackluster gameplay, it’s a phenomenal game: I simply believe it is important that those who have a strong emphasis on gameplay are aware that the game doesn’t fulfill that aspect to the same extent. After all, we all know that one guy who skips all the cutscenes.
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