I’m of two minds about numbers when discussing video games. On the one hand, it feels somewhat awful and arbitrary to reduce a game to a set of component scores that somehow summarizes the experience I’ve just had.
On the other, I think that it can be a helpful shorthand for some, to determine whether or not they’re going to enjoy that game if our tastes align.
That said, these numbers – and this rating system is entirely subjective. I think that the journey itself of playing these games is far more important than me making up some numbers that quantifies the act. So, I suppose I get a little of both in my documentation of what I’ve done as well as the final tallying of the scores.
Bearing all that in mind, let’s talk about the G.A.M.E.S scoring system.
- [G]raphics. Arguably one of the very first things we notice about a game. In the bad old days, you may have been swayed by the bullshots on the back of the box. Or perhaps, you fell in love with a game as a result of pictures you saw in a magazine and you just had to have it. Either way, what we see often impresses us.
- [A]dscititious. This is a little cheaty. When I was working this system up, I had a number of words here. The best way to describe what I’m talking about it the media – all the stuff that made the game look appealing. The manual. The maps. The extras and media that the game came in/on. [For the curious, adscititious means “forming an addition or supplement, not integral. And sure, for some games, the manual was ABSOLUTELY integral to playing the game, as were the disks, but sometimes, the feelies were just there to draw you into the experience.]
- [M]echanics. What’s the game like to play? What is at the beating heart of booting it up and enjoying it? And are those systems any good? This makes up the mechanics category.
- [E]nvironment. The world the game takes place in. This can include the backstory of the characters or important information we learn from the manual. But it also relates directly to the place we’re dropped into. Is it novel? Is it a joy to be in? Or a desolate landscape that you’d want to escape from? And how well does that ambiance translate beyond the computer?
- [s]ound. Music and sound effects can be very important in setting a scene. At least some of the time – especially in the early era of PC gaming, we’ll be listening to bleeeps and bloops, but as the games get better and sound technology advances, so the soundscapes will get better and better all the time.
These should give us a good idea of what the game is like in toto. Each will be scored out of 20 and that will go up to making a percentage value that will aid ranking the games until we have some must play experiences, and of course, some clear stinkers.
Hopefully this will help the curious that just want a summary of my journeys.