The Wiire's Review Guide
The Wiire understands there is a wide variety of gamers out there: Whether the casual; hardcore; parent or spouse of a gamer; or one generally passing by, a review system should reflect the mindset of every potential gamer. We, The Wiire staff, vow to provide accessible, informative, and thorough criticism to a wide variety of game players and consumers, catering to the masses rather than a select group. Using the same standards of accuracy and professionalism we apply to our news reporting, the staff wants nothing more than to help you decide how to best spend your time (and often money!) playing games.
Like Nintendo, we are not looking to compete with and regurgitate an existing system without trying something new. We realize there are other reputable Web sites and magazines rating the same games we are, so our goal is to provide a new and innovative critical method to the industry. Catering to all people across all demographics, The Wiire staff strives to create a welcoming review structure for everyone.
Read the FAQ below for more details on the review system. Further questions may be addressed to eric@thewiire.com.
How are your reviews structured?
Unlike most game review resources, where reviewers will typically spend hours or days with a game and then write a single, cumulative evaluation at the end of the experience, reviews done at The Wiire are written in different "Stages" over the course of several days, with different goals and audiences in mind during each stage of the review process.
Stage 1: Impressions - After a brief introduction to the game, here you will find an explanation of this game's presentation: its graphics, both look and feel; and its sound, the effects of its soundtrack or musical score, voice acting, and sound effects. You will also find detail about the game's controls: how responsive they are and how easy they are to learn. One should also expect basic gameplay information, like what to do and how to do it. Finally, you get an explanation of what initial factors shaped our impression of the game, be they good or bad. After reading this stage of the review, casual gamers should have a sense of whether or not this game is right for them. This stage of the review will typically be no longer than one page and maintain a simple, non-technical analysis for any gamer regardless of experience.
Stage 2: Analysis - To start Stage 2, the reviewer returns to the game after a day away from it. Here you will find out whether the game is still compelling, both in terms of its gameplay and presentation. This stage will be more in-depth than Stage 1, in that the reviewer can detail more of the game's subtleties, including its narrative and more refined gameplay mechanics. This stage will be 1-2 pages in length.
Stage 3: Evaluation - Stage 3 will offer our definitive word on the game. It will feature in-depth, thorough criticism intended for the gaming enthusiast. The length of this section will vary as necessary to fairly evaluate the title.
Each stage of a review will be published at its completion. Therefore, reviews at The Wiire are often works-in-progress. It's not uncommon to scroll our reviews list and see some games at Stage 1, some at Stage 2, and others at Stage 3.
How will games be rated?
At the end of a review, games will be given an aggregate score (and corresponding letter grade) designed to be roughly indicative of its overall quality. In addition to an A-F scoring, The Wiire also identifies games featuring individually impressive features with special awards.
How are scores determined?
Games are scored on a 100-point scale featuring the following categories:
Presentation: 30 points
Gameplay: 30 points
Value: 30 points
Tilt: +/- 10 points
The scores correspond to the following letter-grades:
100 A+
99-89 A
88-86 A-
85-82 B+
81-78 B
77-75 B-
74-70 C+
69-64 C
63-59 C-
58-52 D+
51-45 D
44-38 D-
< 38 F
What do the categories mean?
"Presentation" refers to the audio, visual, and narrative aspects of the game, in technical, aesthetic, and stylistic terms.
"Gameplay" refers to, in short, to how well the game works and how much fun it is to play. Factors that go into deciding gameplay include things like the design and responsiveness of the controls, the implementation and execution of game mechanics, and how compelling and evocative the experience is.
"Value" refers to how much lasting appeal a game has. The amount, variety, and quality of content in a given game factor heavily into its value. A game's initial retail price can also factor into its value, though a lower-priced game will not necessarily receive a high value score if its content is poor.
"Tilt" allows the reviewer to adjust a game's final score to ensure accurate, appropriate comparison between titles over the course of the console's lifespan.
How does Tilt work?
Tilt, for better or worse, is seen as extra credit. The core of the grading scale is 90 points, with 10 additional points available for the reviewer to swing the score either higher or lower based on how the game in question relates to the rest of the games on the market.
Nintendo plans to upgrade the console's firmware several times over the years. Due to the unforseeable nature of these changes, The Wiire provides an optional Tilt rating to ensure a fair grading system throughout the console's life. Maybe one game was really amazing at launch, but what if its sequel implements features never expected, and goes above and beyond the launch titles? This system helps evaluate those features. Tilt analyzes, but is not limited to, use of the following: WiiConnect24; MP3 capabilities; Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; integration with the Channel system; downloadable content or other upgrades; and any other factor relative to the unforseen future of the console.
On the other hand, a game may lose points in Tilt if a system is old or regurgitated. Let's say a revolutionary game comes out for the Wii, and two years later a sequel is released with nearly the same graphics and gameplay. While they are both similar games, Tilt allows a reviewer to say, "hey wait, you can get that same experience in a bargain bin at a local store!"
If a game exceeds all expectations and is able to score a +10 in Tilt after securing the initial 90 points, that game will receive the legendary A+. Any game receiving this score is not only a must-have title, but is virtually guaranteed to be remembered throughout the history of gaming. This elusive rating will be used to indicate perfection.
Is one category more important than the others?
That depends on what you think, not us. Our review system reflects the opinion that no aspect of Presentation, Gameplay, or Value is more important than another. As you can see, they are all weighted equally in the system. However, if you feel like you only want to play games with superior graphics, or get the most bang for your buck, then you may weight our scores differently when deciding whether or not to play a game.
How will scores be explained?
If you read a review in its entirety, the reason behind its score should be abundantly clear. For your convenience, brief descriptions of our reasoning will be posted underneath the Presentation, Gameplay, Value, and Tilt scores at the end of Stage 3.
Which awards can games receive?
All games are eligible for the following awards, provided they meet their listed criteria:
Editor's Choice
This award denotes overall excellence. A recipient of an Editor's Choice award is impressive in a variety of areas, and is a game that no Wii player should miss.
Innovative Design
This game offers new and exciting gameplay elements which should set a new standard for how we play our games.
Ease of Use
This game is highly intuitive or has a very gradual learning curve. Even inexperienced gamers can be playing this game competently within a matter of minutes.
Mutiplayer Mayhem
Multiplayer options in this game offer diverse, enthralling ways to play with or against other gamers.
Family Fun
The entire family can sit down and enjoy this title, as it has very few complexities and appeals to almost everyone
Hardcore Difficulty
Only the most diligent gamers are able to conquer this impressively challenging game.
Infinite Replay
A combination of factors - great gameplay, an compelling story, or a plethora of extra or unlockable content - will make gamers want to play this game over and over again.
Audio Award
Aural aspects such as the musical score, sound effects, and/or voice acting are exceptional in this title, and deeply immerse the player into the game.
Eye Candy
The visual aspects of this game are of exceptional quality, due to impressive technical achievements or a uniquely appealing sense of style.
What do the awards mean?
The awards were designed to be a quick and easy reference to see what, if anything, certain games excel at. Awards will also help you find similar games based on your preferences. If you're looking for something that's family friendly or super challenging, you can browse our database by looking only for games that have won those corresponding awards. Remember that just because a game excels in a certain area does not make it a good game overall. Rather, the awards can be interpreted as merit in a particular aspect of game design. If a game has received an award noting an aspect of game design that is important to you, perhaps you should consider playing that game.
Can a game receive more than one award?
Yes. A game with outstanding audio and visual qualities, for example, may receive both the Audio Award and Eye Candy award.
How could you give a multiplatform game a good score in presentation? The game is on PS3 and 360, and the graphics are better!
The Wiire understands that there are more gaming options out there than Wii. In fact, you can play games on the very computer you're reading these words on. But, The Wiire is a site exclusively dedicated to covering the Wii. With that, the Wiire holds all technical evaluation of a game to the standards and capabilities of the Wii hardware.
Games are also evaluated against the standards of their genre. A sports game wouldn't be penalized for lacking an enthralling narrative, and a game designed for children wouldn't be penalized for lacking extensive micromanagement options common to turn-based strategy games.
So when you review games, all you care about is Wii and its software library?
Not necessarily. Our reviewers are expected to be well-versed in trends, content, and paradigms industry-wide. There are certain aspects of game design and the games industry that transcend platforms and technology, and The Wiire will take these into account when reviewing games. If a game looks awful for the console, it will be noted as such.
Are reviews done by more than one person?
There are multiple people working on reviews, depending on how many games are released at a time. During the Christmas and summer seasons, this is especially evident. However, for the sake of consistency, a single reviewer will do all three stages of a game's review. While different games will be rated by different staffers, the individual game will be left to a single person.
How do you decide who does each review?
We assign reviews to the reviewer best equipped to get the job done in a fair, authoritative manner. This means that a reviewer has some sort of expertise in the series, genre, or source material. We might also assign reviews to people who have a particular affinity for a game's source material; we feel inherent enthusiasm for the product being reviewed can be beneficial for a review, as long as that enthusiasm doesn't manifest itself in a bias that prevents the reviewer from doing a fair, critical job.
Does one reviewer's opinion on a game count for the collective opinion of The Wiire staff?
Yes. The Wiire staff is a team. Everything done by the hard-working members of The Wiire staff, from the coding and networking that goes on behind the scenes, to the news and reviews that get published on the front page, represent the collective effort of The Wiire staff as a whole.
Reviews undergo the same rigorous editing process that has made The Wiire one of the most trustworthy sources for Wii news on the Internet. In the course of the editing process, various staff members will have the chance, if they're so inclined, to influence the review by offering suggestions or arguments to change something the original reviewer has written. In that sense, just because a review features a certain byline, it is the product of the entire staff. As is the case with anything we publish, general consensus has been reached about its content.
Why are you trying to be so different?
There is a strong community of distinguished critics in the games industry. This system represents The Wiire's best attempt at joining it. Existing systems may appeal to hardcore gamers, but Nintendo has sought an expanded market with the Wii. To follow suit, The Wiire seeks to have a little bit of something for everyone.
There seems to be a lot of information in your reviews! Why should I read it all?
All stages have information worthwhile to certain types of people. It's up to you, dear reader, to decide whether you want to read any or all parts of our reviews.
If you're a casual gamer just looking for a good time, maybe Stage 1 is all you need to decide the game is for you. If you've already purchased a game and you read our reviews to validate your purchase, maybe Stage 1 and Stage 2 together are all you need. If you're a parent or family gamer, maybe you'll browse our reviews looking only for the "family friendly" award. If you're a gaming enthusiast who only wants to play games evaluated after rigorous testing and criticism, maybe you'll bypass the beginning stages and read only the formal evaluation in Stage 3. If you're a discerning gamer who wants to make a decision only after a game has been examined from all angles, then it might behoove you to read all three stages. The choice is yours.
Who is your target audience?
In short, we strive to cater our reviews to everyone across all demographics. Maybe you're new to gaming and Wii is your first console. Maybe you camped out in line on November 19th, 2006 (or even earlier for pre-orders!) to be the first in your community with Wii - you're a hardcore gamer who knows your stuff and you're proud of the fact. Maybe you're a casual gamer who just likes to play for fun every now and again.
Or, maybe you're an old-school gamer, a retro aficionado with a taste for the classics who's looking for a bit of nostalgia or recommendations for games featuring a tried-and-true experience. Maybe you're an avant-garde gamer who is looking for only the newest, quirkiest, cutting-edge material.
Maybe you're someone looking to get your whole family involved in gaming as a bonding experience. Maybe you're interested in gaming but not sure where to start. Maybe you're a parent or a friend of a gamer who knows nothing about gaming but wants to find the right gift for a special someone, or maybe even want to learn a thing or two yourself without being overwhelmed with technical jargon. Whomever you are or whatever you're looking for in video game reviews, you can find it at The Wiire.
