What makes a good RPG product review?

[Wraith Form]

I've seen a real decline in the amount of reviews here lately. At first, that made me want to complain....then it made me think that complaining does no good, so why not change what I can? (And write my own darn reviews!) So, having never done a review of an RPG product before--especially here on EN World--are there any guidelines? Considering that it's a subjective matter, are there things that "need" to be addressed in one? Is there a mod that should review it before posting it?

Thanks for the info!

 

[fredramsey]

Don't be overly biased. Now, it is impossible for any human being to be completely unbiased, so if you like/dislike the product being reviewed, of course you should say so. But don't make that the biggest feature of the review. If I wanted to hear how much the reviewer hated the product, I'd ask him/her.

Personally, I don't care for reviews that have 2-3 paragraphs for each chapter/section, especially for a long book. Some might; I don't want to spend that amount of time.

Which leads me to what should be first and last. Just like a school report, give a summary of what you are going to cover at the beginning, and a summary at the end (labeled as such). It is nice for people who want to get to the point to be able to read just the summary and get an idea about the product.

And while too much detail is bad, so is not enough. "Sandstorm is about adventuring in hot climates. I didn't find anything useful in it, and the art sucked." That's an extreme example, but some reviews at a not-to-be-named site aren't much more than that sometimes.

I guess the biggest thing would be, when the reader is done, he or she should be able to say either, "The reviewer didn't like it. But he described it well enough for me to make up my own mind," or "The reviewer liked it. But he described it well enough for me to make up my own mind." I think you can get the important part there.

The preceeding was my opinion on what makes a good review. YMMV.

(Oh, and at least use a spell checker, and pay attention to word choice. It does affect how at least some of the audience perceives you)

Good luck!

I've seen a real decline in the amount of reviews here lately. At first, that made me want to complain....then it made me think that complaining does no good, so why not change what I can? (And write my own darn reviews!) So, having never done a review of an RPG product before--especially here on EN World--are there any guidelines? Considering that it's a subjective matter, are there things that "need" to be addressed in one? Is there a mod that should review it before posting it?

Thanks for the info!

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

Browsing reviews here is impossible now, so I never visit the section anymore. I think that is the real issue, not the composition of reviews. Protest all you want, future poster, it's the (my) truth. I wrote one review here ( BFG ) and appreciate the time and effort it takes. Way more than being listed on a page of the 10 most recent reviews before falling into relative obscurity unless someone searches for that particular title. ( "Note - this section is not yet completed, and some functions are currently available. Please be patient!" - I'm trying - it HAS been a long time. )

That said, I enjoy reviews that go beyond a description of the product's contents into opinions of ideas for how it can be used based on strengths, or best avoided based on weaknesses. I also appreciate a review that is more critical than one that isn't. Example- The IKCG is a great book, but yes, offering stacking armor bonuses AND DR for armoured greatcoats IS wonky. I'm alerted to a potential problem which I can examine for a rule change and still enjoy the other 350 pages of this wonderful book. We aren't all John Cooper in noticing rule snafu's, but where you do, please point them out.

 

[Psion]

I may be biased but:

A good review provides you with both facts and analyisis. It provides useful insight to people interested in the product whether they agree with your criteria or not.

A good review tells me more than just your opinion. It tells me how you came to that conclusion. "The book is mechanically wonky" tells me nothing. Telling me you think there should be no such thing as a 10' step or that no d20 game should use any but the basic 3 BAB progressions and this book has them tells me why you formed this opinion and whether I should agree or disagree with it (if anyone's curious, I consider both of those points that I would not agree with).

A good review does not fawn over your favored publisher or product line.

 

[Crothian]

Reviews have declined and it's sad. Fans have not been posting as many reviews as they have, and the Staff reviewers have really declined in the amount of reviews they do. The review site has slowly improved over the past 5 months, but frankly it never got the attention it deserved.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Reviews have declined and it's sad. Fans have not been posting as many reviews as they have, and the Staff reviewers have really declined in the amount of reviews they do. The review site has slowly improved over the past 5 months, but frankly it never got the attention it deserved.

Speak for yourself sucka!

 

[Ghostwind]

I've seen a real decline in the amount of reviews here lately. At first, that made me want to complain....then it made me think that complaining does no good, so why not change what I can? (And write my own darn reviews!) So, having never done a review of an RPG product before--especially here on EN World--are there any guidelines? Considering that it's a subjective matter, are there things that "need" to be addressed in one? Is there a mod that should review it before posting it?

Thanks for the info!

If you are interested in the guidelines and criteria that the review staff at my site use, drop me an email and I would be happy to send you the docs.