i never really turn on the music as i find it repetitive and annoying but gameplay and half decent graphics make the rating for me if i didn't enjoy it at all and i cant read the text due to it being terrible quality i give it a 5 if its like sonny and has a good storyline keeps the player interested and you can read everything 10/10
Storyline is also very important. I want to be immersed in an incredible plot while having fun with my gameplay. I want the game to go through a sequence of events which leads up to a big climax, then dissolves down to the resolution. You'd be surprised that a big chunk of the game library fails at this.
Music is not as important, but still essential. Does the music in a particular area match what event in the story and the fun of the game? I cringe when I hear music that's completely off-tangent of where I'm at in the game. Other than that, I resent music that's annoying. If the game developers know a particular area in the game is going to be long and repetitive, don't stick up-beat, party, going-bonkers, or otherwise maniacal-themed music in the event so that I have to listen to it for a long period of time. I've played RPGs that were very good....up to the point in which they had some sort of clown music when I was stuck in a delusional labyrinth that took an hour to escape. Not very healthy for my patience, ayup.
Character development! Are the characters in the story duplicates of another? Do they follow their psyche in the game? Do they undergo a dynamic change as you progress through the story, making their lifestyle better or worse for wear? Are their personalities or roles in the story too cliche? Do their actions in the events make sense? Are the characters too Mary Sue? Do all the characters in the story come out of the mess smelling like a rose or do some crash in burn while still completely devoted to their cause? All these questions are noteworthy.
Genres I don't really care about. If it's a good game, I'll play it. I also realize that some games will lack in areas strictly because it is a puzzle/sports/music game. This is why I don't give it as much priority as, say, gameplay. The game just has to make sure it follows the genre well and lives up to what the genre is supposed to be. Originality helps, but that goes under gameplay, usually.
Meh, graphics. Pretty flower with no bite, or a dead flower with deadly thorns? Sign me up for the weapon!
Accessories? I do this for hardware. If a company is going to develop hardware that's meant for gaming, they should focus on that tier instead of adding extra accessories that are obviously weaker in comparison to hardware that excels in said area. PSP2, I'm looking at you. You want to beat the 3DS in gameplay and graphics? Get rid of the cameras, media player, internet, and movie players, and you will have a sure-shot chance at *gasp* actually beating Nintendo in game sales! */gasp*
I am usually pretty easy going on my ratings. I don't expect the graphics to be the best since it's a flash game. I usually vote depending on how much fun I had and if the controls were good.
I rate: -sound (music, how well the music loops, the quality of the SFX/ music, etc.) -graphics (the detail, the animation, consistency, ...) -playability (is this worth playing, is it easy to use, ...) -originality (have I seen it before?)
I rate it on 1. is it entertaining, will i come back and play it again 2. Graphics 3. Overall concept 4. how origional is it 5. Music 6. customizability
For me, it's a whole lot of factors, and how well they all work together. Learning curve and controls generally go hand-in-hand, followed fairly closely by the storyline or concept. The graphics, sound effects and music have to work together well to fit with the theme that the author is trying to create. Finally, how addictive it is, is also important as far as I'm concerned. Is it the sort of game that makes me want to keep playing, or one which allows hours to slip by as I enter a flow state? These are the sorts of things I weigh up when I'm rating a game.
As a teacher, I'm also interested in determining whether the game has a place in the classroom as an extension activity for students. If the game would earn a G rating (no excessive violence or worse) and would help students with maths, logic, thinking or science concepts (like physics), then I'll generally say so in my comment, and give it an extra point or two in my rating.
It depends on the type of game. I do actually think that graphics/artwork add a lot to a game. I like to see if they fit the gameplay/story or, in simpler games, if the colors catch my eye or just plain hurt them. I like games that are original or take an old gamestyle and tweak it or make it better. I'm big into games that do a great job with developing the story. I like games like One Step Back and Prior because they're basically puzzle games that really make you think.
1.Fun (quite obvious) 2.Climate (atmosphere is something i find important, usually) 3.Addictiveness (some games just grab you and dont let go ) What I never rate? -1.Upgrades (I like RPGs, but I find adding RPG elements everywhere strange and uneeded) -2.Music (my soundcard is broken ) -3.Genre (rating game poorly JUST because it is, let's say, strategy is IMO bad habit)
I look for a good storyline(if any), the difficulty of the game, the graphics and art work, controls and music. The storyline, there has to be a storyline to the game or I won't enjoy it as much. The difficulty, I like for games to be a little difficult when I play them because I tend to beat flash games quickly. So that's a big part of what I look for in the game. The graphics - I really don't care how the graphics are, I like to have fun while playing, graphics shouldn't matter to the game, it's all about gameplay, but graphics are a bonus. The controls. I use a laptop and controls matter for me since I don't have a regular mouse. I normally enjoy using the arrow keys. But if there's mouse gameplay involved and you have to use keys, then I'll use WASD. If you don't have options for controls, then I won't enjoy the game since I can't play it well. The music isn't a big deal with the game. But if it matches with the gameplay then it's fine.
i look for if i can beat it, how i feel about the game after repeted playthroughs, and if it has a story and how good that story is. also, it will get an extra point or so if it makes me ant to play it over and over.
