I think it’s about time we explained our ratings system in a little more detail as it deviates quite a bit from the norm of what the typical rating says about a game. We feel that a number scale is inaccurate as it's difficult to qualify the difference between a "7.0" game and a "7.5" game, for example. We went with the simple five star system because we feel it makes more sense to the hardcore gamer and the average consumer alike.
We also go by what we feel the “majority” will get out of this game and whether or not the “majority” would want to buy, try-then-buy, rent, or outright avoid certain games. The higher a rating on our site, the larger the majority of gamers will probably have fun with this game.
- Must Buy: Most gamers can be safe to simply skip the rental store/website all together and just buy this game. We feel that a small minority of gamers won’t get any enjoyment out of this game, but that the majority should not only love this game, but love it for longer than a standard rental will suffice. Games with five stars tend to be very fun to play and have enough additional features and/or replay value to keep you coming back for more.
- Try Then Buy: This game is by no means a bad game however it may not be enjoyable for every gamer for particular reasons. The game could still be epic in and of its own right but it may be multiplayer-focus where the single player lacks, a single player game with no multiplayer, a slightly low replay value, or a short completion time or other such things which may make the game not worth owning. However, four stars is our Must Rent rating, even if you don’t enjoy the game or even the game not having enough replay value for your taste, in our minds you won’t be wasting your money dropping money on renting this title. Those who love it should buy it, those who don’t should savor the rental experience and move on to the next game.
- Rental: This game is definitely not going to be for everyone. In other words some might love the game, others may enjoy it but only as a rental, and others may hate it outright. To most gamers it will still be a mostly enjoyable experience as a rental, to others it will be something they must have, and to yet more it will be something to never ever touch again. To put it simply, the game may not be for everyone but is still worth renting at least once.
- Gamer Beware: This is a tricky one to describe. Odds are the majority of gamers out there are not going to like even renting this game, but there will be those who will not only love renting it, but may love owning it as well. However this game is more-than-likely a niche game and will not be enjoyed by the majority of gamers out there yet will still have its place with that niche’s gamer base or fans of the series.
- Best To Avoid: Most gamers are going to find this game to be a big steaming pile of garbage. It’s not even worth the money to rent and nobody should bother with it. The disc itself is worth more than the data written on it. In short, you can safely avoid games with one star all together, they aren’t worth anyones time regardless of who you are.
