How to Write a Nukezilla Review

One of the first things I created when I started Negative Gamer was a review guide. Whilst it’s seen many edits it has always remained the same basic document. I wrote it to give a clear definition of what needs to be in a review and how it should be formatted. My thinking was that by defining it nice and solidly before we begin it will be very hard to move away from the core ideas.

As the site is getting a new name and a new coat of paint, I figured it was about time to go back and see just how suitable the guide is to the site now. In my opinion, we can do better. As such the following is the new Review Guide that all writers will follow when constructing the reviews you find on the site.

Also don’t forget; if you’re not a staff writer but you want to write reviews, we have a section of the forum dedicated to community reviews right here.

Content
The essence of the review will be the same as it has always been. Tell me, the reader, what will annoy me about this game. Talk to me about its faults. I can find out all the technical details by going to the game’s website and I get read a generically positive review on most other sites.

If the controls are a bit dodgy, tell me. Don’t gloss over any of the details here because what may be a game-breaker for some, others may be unable to care less about (if there’s no way to invert the look, for example).

The review should open with an overview. Introduce me to the game, tell me what is is, give me general story hints etc. Games are not released in a vacuum, and it’s in the interest of me to know your thoughts on the game’s real-world situation and setting.

Next you should tell me about the big issues. What are the most prominent problems the game gave you. Don’t be afraid to out your personal bias here. If people don’t feel the same way, they can simply choose to disregard some of what you write. Following the big problems, be sure to mention the little niggling ones. Again, what’s a small problem for some may be much larger for others.

Wrap up with a nice conclusion. Recap the troubles, but don’t be afraid to mention the things you liked. If the game is good you don’t have to hold back on your feelings, as long as you’re honest.

Score
As with reviews on Negative Gamer, Nukezilla reviews will keep the 0 to -10 scale we all love so much. [Edit: since the writing of this article, we've changed our scoring system to use five stars] Check with the score guidelines after writing your review to see what score is most appropriate in light of what you’ve written. You’re more than welcome to leave the score up to an Editor if you want.

The score is simply a nice, quick, simple way to express the general feeling towards the game. We can also use it for fun maths. Don’t forget to add a ‘œwhat does this score mean?’ link at the end, so people who don’t visit the site regularly aren’t left confused.

Disclosure
At the very bottom of the review, if applicable, add a disclosure. You need to mention here anything that you think could potentially (even if you are certain it didn’t) effect your judgement. The most obvious thing this includes is if you got the game for free. It’s your call to decide what else you add here, but a general rule of thumb is to include anything that you got, or that happened, that wouldn’t happen if you weren’t playing the game for review.

Formatting
The review should be one long piece of text with a score, link and disclosure statement at the end. The disclosure statement should start with “Disclosure: ” in bold font. The header image should be the full width of the page and scattered around the review you should add other images where they are needed. All other formatting follows the standard site guides.