How to Write a Stellar Video Game Review

As a true video game fan, you have strong views about what makes for a great game, and you can’t wait to share those views with the world. Now that you have been commissioned to write a video game review, you are probably just itching to get your opinions down on paper, or the digital equivalent. But you may not know where to start in order to turn your impression of a video game into a stellar and polished professional video game review. In this article, we’ll look at some of the steps involved in writing an exceptional video game review.

 

Planning Your Time

Most publications, particularly online, don’t get access to video games before they are released, which means that you need to obtain the game, play it, and write about it in a very strict time frame. For a review to be useful, it generally needs to be done no more than five days after a game is released. That means that you need to be in line on Day 1 and start playing immediately in order to have enough time to develop your views of the game and create a thorough review of the game you experienced.

Take Notes While You Play

Because you will be working on a tight deadline, you won’t have time to go back and replay the game once you start writing. Instead, you need to take notes throughout your gameplay in order to keep a record of what you liked and did not like at each stage of the game. Note down aspects that stood out for you and take note of any specific problems that you encountered. Keep a list of elements that you found exciting and parts of the game that you found boring. Try to compare to other games so you’ll have references to relate your discussion to when you write.

Consider the Scope

Most video game reviews run between 800 and 1500 words, depending on the publication and the importance of the title. When you consider how you plan to use your space, you want to be sure that you are not simply providing a summary of the story or giving a point for point description of the gameplay. Instead, you want to provide your readers with just enough description of the plot and the gameplay to give the audience an idea of what the game is about and what it feels like to play it. Be sure to indicate the quality of the sound and the graphics, and tell your readers whether you enjoyed playing the game and whether you would play it again. These aren’t the same point—after all, a game can be great fun, but if it doesn’t offer any value on the second play, it might not be worth the money.

As you consider what you plan to write about, don’t limit yourself to treating each element of the game equally. It’s OK to devote extra space to elements that you most enjoy. Sharing your passion for an element of the game is more interesting to the reader than listing each element by rote.

Revise, Edit, and Proofread

Writing the first draft of your review is only one step in the writing process. Once you’ve finished your draft, step away from the review to give your brain time to rest and refresh. After taking some time away—ideally overnight—you will be able to reread your work and identify areas that need additional help or that require some clarification, rewriting, or expansion. Proofread your work carefully, and be sure that you’ve caught all the lingering typos. Professional writing services e.g. SmartWritingService can help you to polish your work or rewrite your draft ideas into a strong and polished piece of academic writing, particularly if you have difficulty with the mechanical elements of writing.

Select Images If Necessary

If the publication requires you to provide them with images to accompany your review, you will need to select screenshots to illustrate your review. Depending on the requirements of your publication and your technological prowess, you may be able to screenshot your gameplay in order to illustrate your article, or you may use images provided by the video game publisher (if they offer any) or that you find online, provided that they meet the publication’s requirements for size and quality and that you have permission to use them.