Review Criteria

Each category is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. For games that we play together, it's pretty easy to come to a consensus.

Graphics: We rate graphics not by current standards, but by the standards of each particular console. So while Metal Gear Solid 4 looks great by PS3 standards and deserves a 10, we would consider the same score for Metal Gear Solid 3 on PS2 or MGS1 on PS1.

We'll consider CG cutscenes when deciding on this rating; however, if it's only a pretty CG intro and the real game graphics look unimpressive, it won't hold much sway.

Sound: We consider music, sound effects, and voice acting for this one. Obviously.

Gameplay: How does it actually play? Even if we have fun with it, we won't be afraid to point out flaws.

Replay Value: For this category, we consider both game length and extra content. Even if the extra content isn't something that we personally enjoy, we'll still score it based on the effort. (Except in bizarre cases like Persona 3: FES, where the bonus content destroyed the original story for us.)

Overall: The overall score is not an average - it's our general take on the whole game. Let's say a game has great music, graphics, and tons of bonus content, but the gameplay has been poorly done and it wasn't remotely fun. It's probably going to get a 5 even though the breakdown was 9-9-3-8.

We decided to not include a "Story" category, since not all games bother to have a plot, yet can still be fantastic.

-Anthony & Lauren