Slaine: My First In-Depth Review (need feedback ;-)

[jaldaen]

Hey All,

I just spent the better part of two days writing up a review of the Slaine: RPG and am looking for feedback on it since it is the first "in-depth" review I've done... ever! It's long (over 5,00 words), but hopefully it will prove useful to those debating whether or not to pick Slaine up...

I'm specifically looking for comments about the review system I've set up and what the strengths and weaknesses of the review are... Thanks!

You can find the review here:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=jaldaen&product=SL76

Good Gaming!
Joseph

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Some thoughts I offer in the spirit of constructive criticism:

* Your first few paragraphs could have been deleted. One thing I learned during my brief tenure as a journalist: never let the reader (or an interviewee) know how much experiece you have. If it's lots, they'll have certain expectations that may not be fair or relevant; if it's little they'll think you're a n00b. Just a couple sentences on bone, fat, meat, and seasoning is all you need.

* That said I think bone, fat, meat, and seasoning is a good idea. I use something similar for movies: the Oz Scale (brains, heart, and nerve)

* I personally wouldn't have broken up the sections by B,F,M, & S and given a seperate rating for each. I would have gone over each section and then done my B,F,M, & S. Why? Because you liked the product, but the constant 4s and 5s look gratuitous. Also and overview of the prodcut would be good. Your review jumps right into the back cover. I kind of got the idea was about a barbaric world, but I didn't figure out how barbaric until you started talking about the third chapter.

* I liked your conclusion. It sounds stupid, I know, but you see a lot of reviewers talk about all the flaws in the book, give it a high rating, and then don't even say so much as "despite my critiques above..." I keep getting the feeling they are afraid to offend the writer or publisher and it makes me think less of the book as a result. You didn't do this. I know exactly why you thought it deserved a 4.5 and what you thought kept it from getting a 5.

* You were absolutely 100% correct to put your disclaimer first and make sure it was prominant. I appriciate that and have increased respect for you as a writer for it.

Just my two cents!

 

[jaldaen]

Thanks for the feedbackBiggusGeekus!

Next review I do I'll definately drop that first part...

Thanks for the compliment on the categories I went with and I definately like your idea of using them for an overall score instead of individual section scores...

I'll also continue to do my best with providing good conclusions to my reviews ;-)

Thanks for the kind words about the disclaimer... it will definately be used whenever I review any products of companies I've worked for (which for better or worse are some of my favorite companies to purchase products from ;-)

Thanks,
Joseph

 

[Mark]

Well done, Joseph! Congrats!

 

[Eben]

It's a great review and I totally agree with most of your points.
But the in-depth nature of your format makes it a bit harder to read. This makes it a better review and if I was thinking about buying the game, your review would be really helpfull. But if I was just checking out the reviews for some possible idea's, I probably wouldn't be drawn by your review.
But then again: it's a review, not an add. Great work.

 

[jaldaen]

Thanks Eben!

I will probably try out a slightly less dry and in-depth review for my next one (if only because of the amount of time it took to put this one together) with a limit of 2,500-3,000 words (instead of 5,000 ;-)... all of which might make my reviews slightly more appealing to those who are just checking out reviews for possibile ideas...

As for it being a review and not an add that is my take on what reviews should be and that style will still be dominant throughout the rest of my reviews...

Thanks,
Joseph

 

[ced1106]

* No need to mention any personal background, except for affiliation with the company, or maybe experience with previous versions of the material. Free free to describe your target audience, tho.

* No gimmicky terms. "Bone, Fat, Meat and Seasoning don't... cut it for me, pun intended.

* Conventionally, chapter overviews (summaries, descriptions, whatever) are useful. Some will say, "But I could just look at the table of contents for this information", while I'll say, "I don't have the ToC in front of me since I don't drag my computer to the game store."

* Personally, I prefer reading critiques about the different aspects of the product (your B/F/M/S) in their own individual sections, after the chapter overviews. However, often products will have variable quality / content in their sections, and if it's easier to critique each part individually.

* I prefer longer reviews, although I just skim most of them and read the conclusions. Can't win 'em all.

* If someone's already reviewed the product, read their review! Improve what they said and steal the rest. (Uh... J/K. Maybe!)

* And finally, read reviews and find what you like. And, if available, read the comments and see what others liked.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^