How to balance objective game critique with reviewer’s personal preference?

The Inherent Challenge of Game Reviews

Video game reviews occupy a unique space in criticism. Unlike a toaster, whose performance can be almost entirely objectively measured, a video game is both a product designed to function and a work of art intended to evoke an experience. This duality creates a fundamental tension for reviewers: how does one objectively assess a game’s technical prowess, design ingenuity, and value, while also acknowledging and transparently integrating personal enjoyment, genre preferences, and individual playstyle? The quest for this balance is central to producing credible, helpful, and engaging game critique.

Establishing the Foundations of Objectivity

While complete objectivity is arguably unattainable in any form of art criticism, there are specific elements within game critique that lean heavily towards objective assessment. These are the measurable, verifiable, or widely agreed-upon aspects of a game’s quality:

• Technical Performance: Frame rate stability, resolution, load times, presence of bugs, glitches, and crashes.
• Core Mechanics: How well systems like combat, movement, puzzle-solving, or crafting function. Are they intuitive, responsive, and well-integrated?
• User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX): Clarity of menus, readability of text, intuitiveness of controls, accessibility options.
• Narrative Cohesion & Pacing: Whether the story makes sense, characters are consistent, and the plot progresses at an appropriate rate (though enjoyment of the story itself can be subjective).
• Value Proposition: Content quantity, replayability, and features offered for the price, compared to similar titles.

A reviewer’s duty is to thoroughly test and report on these areas, providing detailed examples and evidence to support their claims. This forms the bedrock of a reliable review, offering readers concrete information regardless of their personal tastes.

The Unavoidable Influence of Personal Preference

Once the objective foundations are laid, the subjective elements inevitably come into play. A reviewer, like any player, brings a lifetime of gaming experiences, genre affinities, and personal expectations to each new title. For example:

• Genre Bias: Someone who primarily plays RPGs might have different expectations and tolerances for an FPS game, and vice-versa.
• Playstyle: A player who prefers competitive multiplayer will evaluate a single-player narrative game differently than someone who favors exploration and story.
• Aesthetic Appreciation: Art style, music, and voice acting, while having technical qualities, are ultimately judged on personal taste.
• Emotional Resonance: The impact of a game’s story, characters, or themes is deeply personal.

Ignoring these personal elements would lead to a sterile, incomplete review. The challenge isn’t to eliminate subjectivity, but to manage and communicate it effectively.

Strategies for a Balanced Review

1. Transparently Separate and Contextualize

The most crucial strategy is clear demarcation. A reviewer should explicitly state when they are moving from an objective observation to a personal opinion. Phrases like “From a technical standpoint…” versus “Personally, I found the combat…” or “While some players might appreciate this mechanic, I struggled with…” help readers understand the lens through which they are reading.

2. Know Your Audience (and Yourself)

A good reviewer understands that their review won’t appeal to everyone. Instead, they aim to help readers identify if a game is for *them*. This means not just reviewing the game, but also reviewing how *different types of players* might experience it. Self-awareness of one’s own biases is paramount; acknowledging them upfront builds trust.

3. Focus on the ‘Why’ Not Just the ‘What’

Instead of just stating a preference (e.g., “I didn’t like the crafting system”), explain *why*. Was it too grindy (objective observation)? Or did it simply not fit your preferred playstyle (subjective preference)? By dissecting the reasoning, even subjective opinions can provide objective insight into a game’s design decisions.

4. Use Comparative Analysis Carefully

Comparing a game to others in its genre can provide valuable context, but it should be done to highlight differences in design or execution, not merely to state a preference for one over another. For example, comparing a game’s stealth mechanics to those of a recognized classic can illuminate its strengths or weaknesses without declaring it objectively “worse” simply because the reviewer prefers the classic.

The Reviewer as a Trusted Guide

Ultimately, a reviewer isn’t just a judge; they are a guide. Their role is to provide enough objective information for readers to make informed decisions, while simultaneously offering a unique, informed perspective that helps readers understand the *experience* of playing the game. By embracing both the analytical and the personal with transparency and thoughtful articulation, reviewers can create critique that is both fair and deeply insightful, building a bridge between a game’s inherent qualities and a player’s potential enjoyment.

The art of game reviewing lies not in eliminating personal preference, but in mastering the craft of presenting it alongside robust objective analysis. It’s about empowering the reader to weigh the evidence, understand the perspective, and ultimately decide if a game is the right fit for them.