About GameSpot Reviews

gamespot.com:

GameSpot reviews come in all shapes and sizes. There are the standard game reviews you're used to seeing; there are reviews in progress; there are updated reviews of ongoing games; and now, there are scored reviews of other kinds of entertainment, like movies and TV.

All that sounds complicated, but it's really quite simple. While our approach to reviews can and will grow and change over time, the purpose of any GameSpot review remains the same: to provide a well-argued, honest, and thorough opinion about a game, movie, or TV show. But what's an «updated» review, exactly? And what do those numbers mean? This guide is here to help.

Reviews don't boil down to just «I like it» or «I don't like it.» GameSpot reviewers--which includes editors, video producers, and talented freelancers who fill in the gaps--are dedicated to thoughtful, robust criticism that takes a number of factors into account. The score is a point of reference, but if you want to really understand whether a game (or movie or TV show) is for you or not, you'll find what you need in the content of the review itself.

GameSpot uses a 10-point review scale with no increments--so there are no .5s. Here's a quick breakdown of what our scores represent:

10 — Essential

9 — Superb

8 — Great

7 — Good

6 — Fair

5 — Mediocre

4 — Poor

3 — Bad

2 — Terrible

1 — Abysmal

If you've been on GameSpot in the last few years, you've likely seen a review in progress or two before. Game reviews are published «in progress» if we've played a significant amount of the game but haven't been able to see some aspect of it fully--in many cases, it's the online component, which we of course can't experience properly until after the game has officially released. This way, you can get a good