You’ve got questions about our Review Policy, and we’ve got answers…
Do you finish every game you review?
For the most part, yes. Obviously some games, such as sports or puzzle games, can’t be “finished” in the traditional sense. And for whatever reason, if a reviewer can’t finish a game before writing the review, we’ll let you know.
Why doesn’t Warp Zoned review everything?
Because there’s just too many games. Every week, hundreds of new games are released for an ever-expanding range of platforms. We do our best, but it would require an army of reviewers to get to everything in a timely manner.
So how does Warp Zoned decide what to review?
Deciding which games get reviewed and which don’t is two-step process: whether or not we have access to a review copy of a game and whether or not a staff member is interested in reviewing a game. This means that we’re more likely to review the latest blockbuster from a large publisher as opposed to a budget game. But the Warp Zoned staff has many different interests and lesser known games will be reviewed as well.
If Warp Zoned receives a review copy, does that affect the final score?
No. All games are reviewed based on their own merits and whether or not we receive a review copy has no bearing on the final score. Each review also includes a Review Disclosure Statement detailing if a game was supplied to us for free by a publisher.
Do you write separate reviews for games released on multiple platforms?
Mostly, no. Games that were developed together are reviewed together, though which version(s) of the game a reviewer played will be tagged at the top.
However, if a game was developed separately, it could receive a new review. This would most often happen for a port that was released months, or possibly even years, after the original launch.
Warp Zoned’s Rating Scale
We don’t append a score to the end of each review, however we do sum up our thoughts at the end with the Review Lifebar:
Recommended – A Recommended game is fully powered-up, pretty close to perfect, and destined to become a classic. |
Toss-Up – Average. Neutral. On the Fence. Middle of the Road. Cromulent. The proverbial Glass that is Half Full and Half Empty. Whatever you want to call it, a game that’s a Toss-Up often offers a unique and interesting experience that fans of the genre will appreciate, but it may not appeal to everyone. |
Skip It – In 1983, Atari buried hundreds of unsold games in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico. A game tagged with Skip It might not be that bad, but you’ll definitely find multiple red flags that will most likely keep you from enjoying it. |
Wait! I still have questions!
Then send them to john AT warpzoned DOT com and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Last Updated: January 22, 2020
