Scoring Policy

Scoring games is tricky. 

At VGamingNews we think you should get a fair and clear look at a game before you decide whether or not to part with your hard earned cash. We also think that the current industry standard that says “any game under a 7/10 isn't worth your time" is a load of absolute rubbish.

Our mentality is that if you’re using a 10-point scale then 5 should be average, since it's in the middle. Also, we think it’s a little silly to boil down everything about a game into a single number that’s supposed to say how “good” it is overall. 

Instead, we put together our 10-point “Recommendation Score” system. We decided not to give games one Overall Score, suggesting that one is better than the other in direct comparison. Instead, we give games a Recommendation Score, which ranks how strongly we feel a game should be added to your collection.  Applying a numeric value in this way still isn’t perfect, but at least it stops us from comparing apples to oranges. 

For example, we love Elden Ring; it’s a tremendous game boasting nailbiting action, top notch visuals and steeped in deep lore. But we also absolutely love Vampire Survivors; a pixel art bullet hell that’s incredibly simple but just as addicting. How can we possibly fairly compare the two? Well, we give each of them a 9/10 Recommendation Score, telling you that we think you’ll absolutely love playing them both, despite how different they are!

Below are some ways we might describe games, based on our Recommendation Score:

Recommendation Score Scale

1. Avoid At All Costs	It turns on, but turning it off is the most fun part. Either unfinished, riddled with bugs/problems or just an entirely unenjoyable experience.
2. Avoid	Usually dull, full of bugs and barely held together. There will be very few redeeming features, but perhaps one or two things that could be considered fun.
3. Not recommended	Not entirely dreadful but held back by poor production and/or general lack of decent gameplay. Often has a few good ideas held back by execution.
4. Maybe Not	Below average; has its moments and is sometimes fun but doesn’t really do enough to make players happy. Might appeal to some but its mostly just missing some pazazz.
5. On The Fence	Plays well enough with few-to-no problems, but isn’t one you’d look to revisit for one reason or another. It's fun to play with some solid ideas that show promise. As the score suggests - it's average.
6. Couldn't Hurt	It’s a good game but something special is missing. A collection of good ideas and features that will likely be enjoyed, but will be forgotten once you move onto the next game.
7. Recommended	A pretty good game, in a solid state with a good mix of gameplay, charm and polish. A game that makes you say “Oh yeah, I remember that one, it’s pretty good - give it a go”.
8. Highly Recommended	A really good game with few flaws. It's one of those games that’s hard to put down. Things might dip occasionally but all things considered you’d tell your friends to buy it.
9. Ringing Endorsement	Almost perfect; may have a few down moments here or there but is highly recommended and it's a game you'd shout about to almost everyone.
10. Must-Play	A masterpiece that every gamer should experience. This is a game everyone should play, regardless if you like the genre of style of the game.

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Additional Content

DLC, or post-release add-ons are more prevalent than ever and while we don't typically review them, there have been occasions where a review is warranted. Since these extras are in addition to the main game, our usual review criteria is suspended as we're under the assumption you won't be buying a game purely for the additional extras.

To this end we've kept it easy with a three step review score:

Not Recommended	Adds little to no value to the core game and in our opinion, an utter waste of money. Since deriving value is subjective, we expect to hardly ever use this score.
No Score	We'll give you the pros and cons about a bit of content, you'll be the one putting down your money. Our rule of thumb is if you enjoyed the main game, then you'll probably enjoy the DLC.
Recommended	You should probably consider investing in the content as it'll add so much more than a few extra skins or levels. If we recommend an add-on, it's because it's a chunky update that you can get hours of fun out of.