The Right Review Length

General and high profile video game topics.
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VideoGameCritic
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Joined: April 1st, 2015, 7:23 pm

The Right Review Length

Postby VideoGameCritic » April 2nd, 2021, 5:28 pm

When I started this site I was intend on writing little capsule reviews that gave the reader everything they needed to know in just a few sentences. As the site grew and game became more complex, my reviews started to bloat.

Since I've been going through all the reviews lately, I've seen them run the gamut. Some are only two or three sentences, and others feel like two or three pages! I suspect the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle.

I'd like to know your thoughts on this. Do those long reviews turn you off, or do the short ones annoy you? What should be the correct length in your opinion?

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DrLitch
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Joined: July 19th, 2017, 12:57 pm

Re: The Right Review Length

Postby DrLitch » April 2nd, 2021, 7:09 pm

I prefer shorter reviews - three or four paragraphs. You have a knack for conveying your thoughts and humor in short reviews. I do not think there has to be a rule of form - some games give you plenty to talk about, some games give so little to talk about it may take weeks to fine tune a short review. All I can say is that I have no complaints over what you have done in the past.

ThePixelatedGenocide
Posts: 1232
Joined: April 29th, 2015, 9:06 pm

Re: The Right Review Length

Postby ThePixelatedGenocide » April 2nd, 2021, 9:01 pm

Several paragraphs, at least. You can usually give us a good sense of what it's like to play the game (easily your strength), with a bit of historical perspective and personal flavor.

Your single paragraph reviews, meanwhile, sometimes read like back of the box feature lists, with a brief Youtube comment attached.

I usually skip them.

The worst offenders are reviews like the PS1's Arcade's Greatest Hits: Midway Collection 2 and Atari Collection 2. Especially their last sentences, which end on spectacularly uninformative anti-climaxes.


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