For me, videogame reviews come in two forms. Reviews can either be long and informative regarding the game itself with a few sprinkled opinions, or be short and to the point. I'm more on the longer review side (not too long, just a little long mind you).
Longer reviews serve a purpose. But there are extremes on this side of writing that kind of grosses me out. I'm sure you all have seen the7 PAGE GTA 4 REVIEWwritten byIGN's (now former employee)Hilary Goldstein. I have to give the review credit for being informative. the man had 5,363 words to articulate why GTA IV is awesome. Some readers out there do like to know literally everything about a game before purchase. I don't believe they need to know how every little mechanic works to make that purchasing decision, but some people just find the act of reading about stuff they like enticing.
I'm a fan of reading. In fact, I just read 800 pages of why Steve Jobs is an artist and an **** But I have things to do in my life. Maybe I have a great volume of stuff to read. Being a writer means being able to communicate with your audience, but also showing some restraint. Shorter reviews get to the point, but may ignore some elements that some people might find meaningful.
Do you trust your reviewers to decide what's important? Hilary Goldstein's review goes intoeverythingabout GTA IV, along with well-articulated opinions. I can appriciate the long-ass discussion piece but I think I can hold the writer that can say more with less with more respect.
My favorite reviews **** break down a game to the core:
Is this game good or bad?
Why is the game good or bad?
Who should play it?
Why?
Profit
Some games require more discussion than others. There are places for each review **** each with their own strengths and weaknesses.Do you like Highly detailed long-ass reviews (Although i do indulge in such reviews rarely)? Or do you prefer streamlined opinions that still answer the question of if you should play the game or not effectivly?
Videogames are supposed to be fun. Don't overthink. Have fun