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1. How Dynamic Weighting Works
   1. Example 1: Action Roguelite (Emphasis on combat, progression, gameplay loop)
   2. Example 2: Open world RPG (Emphasis on Narrative, Exploration, and Quality of Life features)
   3. Case Study Example: Blazblue Entropy Effect X (Action Roguelite)
2. Highlights
3. Lowlights
4. What the Numbers Mean
5. Let’s Connect: Editorial & Industry Inquiries
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Scoring games is a fundamentally difficult process because there are a variety of ways in which games can succeed or fail. It is impossible to directly compare a story-driven RPG like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with an action roguelite like Hades 2 using the same scale because these games are great for different reasons. For example, Hades 2 deserves points for excellent meta-progression and an addictive roguelite loop; Expedition 33 doesn’t have these things but boasts phenomenal exploration and RPG mechanics that evolve over the course of the game.

In an attempt to compare these games as accurately as possible, the 100-point scale uses Dynamic Weighting to create a review score. Before writing a review, I look at the genre and game and define the important categories for evaluation. Each category gets a different maximum point value based on their importance to the overall player experience.

How Dynamic Weighting Works

Each review is built on a custom rubric. This is what that looks like in practice across different genres. Different games in the same genre might receive different weight based on the player experience or gameplay mechanics.

Example 1: Action Roguelite (Emphasis on combat, progression, gameplay loop)

Category	Point value
Combat: Graded on smoothness, variety, and lack of repetition.	20
Progression: Over the course of the game, or a single run, is the growth tangible and exciting?	15
Roguelite Loop: How excited are you to start a new run? Is it a seamless, rewarding process every time?	15
Time spent outside of runs/Meta-Progression: Is the game still fun when you aren’t engaging in the main loop?	15
Characters (Combat): Are the characters unique and all fun to use? *Used for games with multiple characters	10
Visual Artistry: How good does the game look?	10
Sound: Music plays a large role but diegetic sounds as well as voice acting can factor in too.	10
Story: Does the game offer a compelling story?	5

Roguelite games are generally a bit lighter on story or forego it entirely, so the score reflects that. Risk of Rain 2 would not factor story into the equation; conversely, a game like Ravenswatch would only have a possible 5 points. Roguelites that have a noticeable emphasis on story (Hades 2, Blazblue Entropy Effect X, etc.) are given 10 possible points and lose 5 points from a different category.

Example 2: Open world RPG (Emphasis on Narrative, Exploration, and Quality of Life features)

Category	Point Value
Story: Is the story compelling throughout? Does it have strong character development, themes, and a feeling of choice for the player?	20
Exploration: Is the world fun to discover and delve into? Does the player have incentive to perform things like side quests outside of the main story?	20
QOL: Does the game feel good to play? Are important systems adequately explained? Is there a lot of empty time spent doing things like traversing the map, managing inventory, or figuring out new features?	15
Progression: Does the player feel growth in their character over the course of a game? Are upgrades palpable and exciting?	10
Technical Performance: Does the game run well? Are there bugs or impediments to progress?	10
Sound: Music plays a large role but diegetic sounds as well as voice acting can factor in too.	10
Visual Artistry: How good does the game look?	10
Combat: Is combat a fun way to progress through the game despite not being a major point of emphasis?	5

RPGS where combat is not the main focus like Baldur’s Gate 3 would use this scale. Games with no combat to speak of (i.e. Disco Elysium) would have zero possible points while a game like Expedition 33 where combat is still very important have 10 points available.

Case Study Example: Blazblue Entropy Effect X (Action Roguelite)

For an example of how this looks in practice this is the scale I used for Blazblue Entropy Effect X:

Category	Point Value
Combat	18/20: Combat feels amazing. Fluidity and move-set depth are near perfect. Points docked for a lack of enemy variety, and low difficulty level.
Progression	13/15: Optimized Avatar system is unique and dynamic. In-run progression is also great. Points docked because late game progression is not as meaningful and post-game content is minimal.
Roguelite Loop	14/15: Starting another run is always compelling. Progressing through milestones and discovering the story are good motivations to keep going. Loses 1 point for end-game and repetitive bosses.
Characters	10/10: All characters are extremely varied and fun to play as.
Meta-Progression/Time Spent Outside of Runs	9/10: Meta upgrades feel meaningful and smooth to implement. Talking with NPCs is interesting. Extra activities are solid too.
Story	7/10: More story emphasis than other roguelites. The story is solid and interesting enough but doesn’t stand out in any way.
Visual Artistry	10/10: Character designs, skills, and backgrounds are amazing. Nails anime fighter aesthetic. Enemy designs are great and varied in look.
Sound	8/10: Music is very good. Voice acting and combat sounds are also strong. Nothing unbelievable but great across the board.

In total, Entropy Effect X scored 89/100. A phenomenal score which reflects my feeling that this is one of the best games in the action roguelite genre.

What the Numbers Mean

This scale aims for a true 50 rating in hopes of combatting some of the rating inflation that has grown in the gaming industry in recent years. A game that scores a 50 is mediocre but not unplayable. Here is a brief explanation of how each range shakes out.

• 90-100 (Essential): Games that transcend their genre and provide experiences that anybody remotely interested in video games will enjoy. These are the cream of the crop and games rarely score this high.
• 80-89 (Exceptional): Games that represent their genres extremely well and are a must-play for anybody interested in said genres. Might have some small blemishes but the total package has a strong sense of identity and is enjoyable the majority of the time.
• 70-79 (Great): Games that will please fans of the genre and are fun experiences throughout. Might not be as novel or able to differentiate themselves from contemporaries, but still good games. Strong in some respects and weak in others.
• 60-69 (Solid): These are solid games with noticeable flaws. They are fun but hampered by small issues which make them hard to return to or really enjoy throughout the full process. Probably cannot escape genre conventions and won’t appeal to players outside.
• 50-59 (Mediocre): These are games that are not terrible but suffer from technical difficulties, dull gameplay, or some other large issue that holds them back. To score here the game cannot be miserable to play and must have some fun components but it fails in other respects.
• 1-49 (Bad): These are games with flaws that outweigh positives and struggle to deliver a fun, engaging experience. Games rarely score this low because most studios nowadays do a good job! Also, I will typically quit a game this bad before finishing it and I don’t like to review games that I do not finish.

*Notes: This scale is a living document. As the industry evolves and continues to produce great (or terrible) games, the framework is subject to change.

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