No Game ever deserves 10/10... Do you agree?

[Kiytan]

i always thought the point of scoring games was so at a glance you can see what the reviewer thought. It's not meant to be an entire review (thats the big wall of text that acompanies it)

like if i ask a friend "have you played <insert game here" All i normally want is a "yeah it's not bad, could improve the driving sections however". I don't want a massive review (sometimes you do, but in general) Scores provide the same thing, a quick summary of the reviewers opinion of the game

 

[TheLoneOne]

agreed. a game can only be graded 10 is the negatives of the game would really be considered nitpicking, because no game is truly flawless.

 

[Gishface]

I'm surprised no one has said this yet, but I really like giving letter grades instead of points, a la EGM. I've written English essays which had a few faults in them, but still got an A+; I think that an A+ is a measure of quality while a 10/10 is just an ideal. Plenty of games deserve an A+ that are by no means perfect.

Ah, I always preferred letter scores (like some certain movie review sites I look at) but I never realized why until you said that lol. Numbers, are surprisingly vague.

i think i'll ride this bandwagon.

Woo! I started a bandwagon on my first post!

 

[Strafe Mcgee]

10/10 should mean a game is among the best the system has to offer and is a excellent example of the genre. I think there are games that deserve 10/10.

I do not, however, believe any game should get 100/100 (PC Gamer magazine-esque system).
This would the game was absolutley perfect in every way.

This is my opinion. The /10 system is a general indication whilst a percentage score is much more precise. Overall though, you should really just read the review and base your opinions on that.

Just not IGN's reviews...

 

[Kunzer]

Just not IGN's reviews...

QFT.

 

[WarriorsDawn]

As a frequent reviewer on metal archives, I will only give away one 100% and one 0%. These represent the peak and nadir of all, respectively. I follow the same sort of thought in all my reviewing work.

.

But what if you've given out your 0% and something even more soul taintingly awful comes along?

Change the rating.

 

[Shotaro]

A 10/10 score should be impossible but then has anyone ever seen it handed out on a whim? There have been maybe 5 absolute 10/10 games ever made and IMO one of those should not be in this list. Besides some games are just so good, so exemplary in so many areas the nit-picks can be ignored.

Super Mario 64 - Hands down the most influential game since someone started messing around with an oscilloscope. The 3D landscapes and the freedom experienced simply moving from one chamber in the castle to another was exhilarating the first time around, and it still is today. I defy anybody to think of a game with a bigger impact than this game in the past 15 years.

Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time - The discussion on immersion reminded me of this game and the maddening effect it had on me and all of my game-playing friends. Almost everyone I knew disappeared for however long it took them to complete the game.

The Orange Box - (Portal + Half-Life 2 + Half-Life 2: Episode 1 + Half-Life 2: Episode 2 + Team Fortress 2)*All in one box=perfection. Something for everyone and then more besides, even people I know who dislike games with a passion have had a go at Portal and enjoyed it and the same for Team Fortresss.

Halo 3 - In many ways I think the perfect scores this game recieved reflect the series as a whole, I will admit it underwhelmed me but none-the-less I understand why the score was given.

GTA IV - far from perfect and yet it is an immersive game with a fantastic story. I didn't personally think it deserved a perfect score but it serves as a fine example of game design.

 

[Da_Schwartz]

Super Mario 64 - Hands down the most influential game since someone started messing around with an oscilloscope. The 3D landscapes and the freedom experienced simply moving from one chamber in the castle to another was exhilarating the first time around, and it still is today. I defy anybody to think of a game with a bigger impact than this game in the past 15 years.

Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time - The discussion on immersion reminded me of this game and the maddening effect it had on me and all of my game-playing friends. Almost everyone I knew disappeared for however long it took them to complete the game.

I completely agree. another possible honorable mentions may be ff7 and resident evil 3 but totally, mario 64 and Oc of time imo are true tens of their day. As good as gta and mgs4 are their scores would only be near perfect without the hype and fanbase.

 

[Vigormortis]

Honestly, I don't really see too much trouble with giving a game a "perfect" score if the reviewer considers the game to be among the pinnacles of the genre (to date, anyway). A "10 out of 10" may seem superfluous, but it is just a reflection of the reviewers opinion on the game, obviously meaning they hold it in very, very high regard. However, to actively point out a slew of faults, grievances, and design flaws within the review and then seemingly ignore all of them to give the game a perfect score is just ludicrous and, frankly, idiotic. (as was much the case with nearly all reviews I've read of games like GTA4 and MGS4) Sure, give a game 10/10, 100%, or whatever numerical ranking you use, but for God's sake don't do so after listing the games faults. The reviewers that do so are just making asses of themselves.

 

[mjhhiv]

well a 10/10 doesnt mean perfect, it just means its a game that cant be missed. An 11/10 would be the perfect game

See, I just don't get how you think that. The scoring system in question is 10 out of 10. You can't give an 11 when there is only 10 choices. That's just dumb when reviewers do that - it's like they are too scared to give an actual score so they give an 11. Personally, I'd stop reading their reviews, because obviously they can't take their own reviews seriously.

 

[curlycrouton]

this matter, just like the score in a game review, can never really be concluded or properly justified as it's completely down to opinion

 

[Belair 1955]

I'm tired of having everyone whine on and on about how a 10/10 should be the "perfect game with absolutely no flaws that makes me wet my pants and orgasm at the same time". Can anyone tell me what the "perfect game" is exactly? Besides it has no flaws? Every game is perfect in it's own way as in that at least one person who has played it has thought so, while others believe it is trash. When you say the "perfect game", I'm assuming that in your own minds you have some general assumption of what that game would be. But you know what? That game is only perfect in your mind's eye. Not everyone would find that game perfect. The "perfect game" would have to have every game play mechanic possible stuffed inside it, so that it could appeal to every single person who would play, so they would all enjoy it and deem it perfect. However, if a game tried to accomplish everything all it would do is burst at the seams and little pieces of itself would fly everywhere. It's somewhat like Yahtzee's analogy to the man spinning plates, who tries to spin too many and only ends up with glass shards in his face. So stop whining about the perfect game because there is none, and will never be one. Stop pointing out all the little flaws in games and crying about them and the score they should get, and play the game and have FUN instead.

The only "perfect game" is life. It is completely non-linear, very immersive, with deep player interaction, a sophisticated control scheme, in a wide open "world" where "players" can roam freely with their choices affecting the outcome of the "game". Also, there's absolutely NO LAG! The only bad thing is no respawns, unless you're Buddhist I guess.

Sorry for getting a little off-topic there, and for the lack of proper paragraphs.

 

[Maddenfreak]

ya your right, their is always something thats wrong with a game. I'm sure when a game gets a ten and lives up to it, the world will explode

 

[Lazzi]

Meh I dont have an issue with it.

A review really doesnt make a difference. there is no perfect mathimatical scoring system, now if you give things a setain amout of "points" (stars, crosses, dildods or what have you) for meeting X critieria then its fine. Because to be a 10/10 doesnt mean that its perfect it simply means that its better than a 9/10, studies have showen that thing will sell better if the numbers are whole istead of being mixed like 9.6.

And Lastly review are all opinions, if you idsagree then jsut read the discribtion on that back of the box and wonder if you should buy (or rent) it.

 

[Shotaro]

well a 10/10 doesnt mean perfect, it just means its a game that cant be missed. An 11/10 would be the perfect game

See, I just don't get how you think that. The scoring system in question is 10 out of 10. You can't give an 11 when there is only 10 choices. That's just dumb when reviewers do that - it's like they are too scared to give an actual score so they give an 11. Personally, I'd stop reading their reviews, because obviously they can't take their own reviews seriously.

I am not sure if the reference to spinal tap was deliberate but if so well-played, mjhhiv, if you haven't seen spinal tap I suggest you watch it and then if nothing else the suggestion of 11/10 will make you laugh....

 

[the monopoly guy]

No game is perfect, so no game deserves a perfect score. some games are great, but when compared to other great games they just can't hold their own. Gears of War is a prime example; it's a great game, fun to play, but compared to Half life 2 or MGS4 and so on it just doesn't seem that good.

I myself prefer a /5 rating system, it's simple to interperet
1/5-crap, crap, flaming bag of rhino crap
2/5-it has some interesting bits, but the game is too flawed to justify a rental
3/5-a mediocre game, there's some fun to be had but it doesn't last long and they game is flawed.
4/5-it's a good game, you should buy it or at least play it. There are a few minor flaws holding this game back from greatness
5/5-great game, must buy.


However, this system has it's flaws. No game should be given a perfect score but if a game is great what else are you going to give it?

 

[GloatingSwine]

This is my opinion. The /10 system is a general indication whilst a percentage score is much more precise. Overall though, you should really just read the review and base your opinions on that.

A percentage score may initially look "more precise", but they're really meaningless. It's stupid to think that you can express the quality of a product with something as precise as a hundred point scale. Really, can you explain, in non-referential terms, the difference between 94% and 95%? No, no you can't. (It's worth noting that pretty much no other media uses more than a ten point scale.)

 

[Strafe Mcgee]

A percentage score may initially look "more precise", but they're really meaningless. It's stupid to think that you can express the quality of a product with something as precise as a hundred point scale. Really, can you explain, in non-referential terms, the difference between 94% and 95%? No, no you can't. (It's worth noting that pretty much no other media uses more than a ten point scale.)

Yes, I agree, but I just enjoy comparing games based on percentage gained. I don't tend to think in these ridiculous terms of 10/10 being a perfect game, or there being much difference between 95% or 96%. The point is that games which get these marks are stunningly excellent. That's all you need to know.

I DID say that actually reading the review and basing your opinion on that is more important than arbitrary scores.

 

[mooncalf]

Fair enough reviewers might be thanked for being a little more precious about lashing out that BJ+Pudding top mark.
I don't think universally withholding 10/10 will stop reviewers from giving inflated scores to massively hyped games, or do justice with 9/10 to the games that had bugs and yet were too enjoyable to criticize.
I think of that 10 as being an X factor rather than technical perfection, the spinal tap amp that goes to 11 for whatever reason the dreamer dreams.