PowerPyx is a site for game completionists and trophy / achievement hunters. Therefore, reviews are written and scored with all tasks in mind that the game has to offer towards 100% completion.
Scores are determined as objectively as possible by rating 5 measurable categories and then taking the average as the final score (more on this in the Scoring section).
The intent is to take out subjective feelings and make it easy to understand for the reader how the score came to be. This is more representative of a game’s true quality than just putting a subjective score on it.
Sometimes, a developer / publisher may provide a free game copy before release so that it can be reviewed in time for the embargo. This is a common practice as it helps the game gain more publicity, the reviewers get to play it early, and you guys get detailed reviews and guides on release day. It’s a win-win for everyone!
If a copy is given for free, this will be pointed out at the end of the review. Regardless of whether a copy is provided or not, it will never influence the score. Consumers deserve an honest opinion and so do developers – only then the games will improve and we can build a better future for gaming.
Reviewed Platform
The platform on which the game is being played will be pointed out in the review. Multi-platform games are reviewed on PS4. Exclusives are reviewed on their respective platform.
Scoring
Each game is rated in 5 categories from a score of 0-10 (10 being the best). Decimal points in 0.1 increments are also possible (such as 8.7 being a good “8” but not quite a “9”). The final score is calculated by adding up all 5 sub-scores and dividing them by 5 to get the average. Therefore, each subcategory counts 20% towards the final score.
Rated Categories (factors that affect the score are marked with an asterisk *):
| Gameplay *Overall Enjoyment Factor, Fascination with Game World, Level Design, Variety, Playability, User-Friendliness (Ease of Use / Readability / Controls / in-game Tutorials / Menus) **Determines if the game is fun to play. |
| ~/10 Note |
| Story/Multiplayer *Quality of the Singleplayer Story, Cutscenes and/or Multiplayer Modes (whichever is available). If a game has no Story or no Multiplayer it won’t be rated (thus no negative effect on score). **Some games, for example, Shoot ’em up or Twin Stick Shooter have neither a story nor a multiplayer. Then this category won’t be rated at all. Such games naturally have more emphasis on gameplay, technical aspects, and replay value. Therefore, it is only fair to give those remaining categories more weight (by dividing the combined score by 4 instead of 5), and not rate something that’s not there to begin with. If a game is Singleplayer only, it won’t be punished for lack of Multiplayer. Likewise, a pure online-only game without story won’t be punished for the lack of story. |
| ~/10 Story: ~/10 Multiplayer: ~/10 |
| Technical Aspects *Graphics, Texture Quality, Character Details, Lighting, Weather Effects, Animations, Loading Times, Number of Loading Screens, does it run smoothly **The visuals are the primary factor. Does it look nice? A game should also run smoothly without lag and loading screens should be kept to a minimum with fast loading speeds. |
| ~/10 Note |
| Value *Amount of Content, Production Quality, Replay Value, is there enough content to justify a purchase **Having a game with a lot of immersive content that you can spend 100 hours+ on is good. A $60 game that offers only 3 hours of gameplay isn’t that desirable. The production quality also plays a role, if a short game is high quality and has good replay value it’s still worth the money. |
| ~/10 Note |
| Trophies/Achievements *Rates how much fun the Platinum / 1000 Gamerscore is to achieve: Are trophies fun to do? Do trophies restrict freedom of gameplay? Missable trophies? Multiple playthroughs required? Luck-based trophies? Pointless farming/grinding? Glitched Trophies? Are stats/trophies tracked correctly? **Nintendo Switch games don’t have Trophies/Achievements so they won’t be rated in this category (final score derived from the remaining 4 categories). |
| ~/10 Note |
| Extraordinary Score Increase or Deduction *Reserved for extraordinarily good or bad features that the other categories don’t cover (such as game-breaking bugs). This score is directly added/subtracted from the final score. **This category is used to voice concerns that don’t fit in elsewhere. For example, if a game has microtransactions that give unfair advantages it’s generally a bad thing and can warrant a special score adjustment, or if a game is riddled with bugs and glitches. Other exceptions can include a sequel that feels like a step back from its predecessor (e.g. Multiplayer functionality being removed in a game that really needs it). |
| +/- ~Points: Note |
If the calculated score falls into a decimal range of 0.05 (e.g. 8.65) it will be rounded up or down to a full decimal (e.g. 8.6 or 8.7) at the reviewer’s sole discretion. All review scores are final.
Some games, for example, Shoot ’em up or Twin Stick Shooter have neither a story nor a multiplayer. Then this category won’t be rated at all. Such games naturally have more emphasis on gameplay, technical aspects, and replay value. Therefore, it is only fair to give those remaining categories more weight (by dividing the combined score by 4 instead of 5), and not rate something that’s not there to begin with. If a game is Singleplayer only, it won’t be punished for lack of Multiplayer. Likewise, a pure online-only game without story won’t be punished for the lack of story.
Nintendo Switch Games don’t have Trophies / Achievements so they won’t be rated in this category.
Interpretation of Final Scores:
- 10
– Platinum (Perfect): This score is reserved for only the best games of a console generation. These are must-buy masterpieces every gamer should play. - 9
– Gold (Awesome): An awesome game that has a lot to offer and is well worth full price, this belongs in your collection. - 8
– Silver (Good): A solid game you should check out. Purchase is recommended. - 7
– Bronze (Okay): Fun for a while, best wait for a price drop if you’re not convinced. - 6 – Acceptable: A little rough around the edges. If you are a fan of the franchise you might enjoy it, otherwise you might not. Still worth it for a quick platinum trophy.
- 5 – Mediocre: Mediocre, unpolished.
- 4 – Poor: The negative outweighs the positive, has too many issues to be fun at all times.
- 3 – Bad: A broken game with severe issues. The only way to justify a purchase is for some quick & easy trophies.
- 2 – Very Bad: No fun to play whatsoever.
- 1 – Horrendous: A tutorial on how not to make a game.
- 0 – Dumpster Fire: Unplayable garbage. One of the worst games of all time.
Hardware Reviews
New gaming platforms will be rated with only one final score. All other hardware will be treated on a case by cases basis and unique sub-categories are possible where it makes sense.