@PS2fweak: Most content website earn a lot when writing a positive review on a popular game, especially when it is linked or features on the game's official website or other download utilities.
To be honest, I want to see how you guys react if gamespot dedicated three people to write a separate reviews about each game, and each one would have gotten a different score :)
@TenraiSenshi: Why, because you are trying really hard to convince me that your opinion is the right one and you are angry. Are you trying to brainwash me into believing that what you think is true? Anyway, let's focus on the game instead of you making it personal. I am really into understanding about gamer's opinion about the game. It was nice chatting with you my friend.
@livedreamplay: I am moving on, but still sharing my opinions on the way. Why are you offended by what I have to say? I am not offended by your comments.
@dashaka: By the way, I took a break off and I went to Switzerland to see the beautiful views of the alp mountains, starting from Geneva, to Monterux to Zweissmen using the Goldpass train. Amazing experience!
@TenraiSenshi: I agree totally with what you wrote, accept the "You don't have to write it off to brain washing", which just means what you feel, but in a sense, that's exactly what you are starting to do yourself, and you'll continue doing this in future comments (I can tell).
1) Visually appealing, something that triggers strong emotional feedback
2) High replay value with dynamic content (not just playing in higher difficulty)
3) Great use of sound effects and music, that again, makes your heart pump or just feel a sense of enjoyment
4) Character design that shines with personality (Naughty dog are amazing doing this, so does Blizzard)
5) Gameplay mechanics that work great in conjugation with the environment level design
6) Intelligent NPC AI implementation
7) In-depth progression system (depends on the game obviously)
8) Games that makes you want to strive and sweat towards a certain goal and feel a great sense of achievement doing so
9) Being able to play with friends cooperatively or competitively. and interacting with voice (obviously for certain type of games, I do enjoy playing Civilization 5 single player)
10) If the game has cutscenes, a smooth transition from the cutscene to the gameplay itself. which makes it feels like a part of the game, not an in-game video
11) Non linear gameplay and dynamic events which let you feel that you never know what to expect next.. keep up the tension every time you play it (again, depends on the type of game.. *see my note below).
12) Innovative gameplay - playing with new gameplay mechanics that I never played before (see note 5 though)
13) In many multiplayer games, a game that requires a strong communication between teammates in order to accomplish a certain goal
There are many more things, and it entirely depends on the game genre. Therefore I can write an article about each genre and what I think makes it unique and interesting to play. But you asked for a few examples, so I gave a few. I enjoy the game when I feel immersed and I forget about what happens around me and completely focus on the game - I love when it happens, then I know I am playing a great game :)
@Earthen80: By the way, there are many things I DO like about the game and are original and innovative, but that didn't left me enjoying the other titles as a whole. The reason I do like commenting about the game is sharing my opinion and enjoy hearing other people opinion, whether what people interpolate as positive or negative. I don't see my comments neither positive or negative, just my opinions. I actually found out many things that made this game really fun, but my worries still remain, and I do hope that I am wrong. Having said that, I do try not to judge things in terms of right and wrong, because it's relative to one person, not an absolute truth and it blurs the true understanding of what lies underneath.
But for your main question "WHY?": It's nice sharing and hearing what people have to say and I really enjoy trying to understand what really makes a game great by the eyes of the gamers. (I hope I said it OK in English, my English isn't that great :) )
BTW: I also find it very odd that people try to protect the given score for good or for bad. I understand the root of this, but if you bash the reviewer from giving that score, this means that in some ways you don't accept other people's opinion that is different than your opinion. The score is less irrelevant, what's irrelevant is an aggregation of the gamer's opinion, and most importantly for me is for those who like playing the games I enjoy playing, than it's much more relevant and reliable opinion and the ones that I give more attention to.
Killerious' comments