Ok, I dunno if this topic has been covered elsewhere, but here's a few tips on how to write a good review on Abandonia for newbies and oldies. I'm not the best reviewer in the world, but I do try to follow a few standards.
Grammar.
I know English isn't everyone's first language here, but the first way to know if a review is helpful to you is if people can read it. If they can't, then it's not very helpful, is it?
Use a dictionary if you require it.
Review Content.
Start off by letting the reader know what the game is about. Remember, you're trying to tell people that it's a good game, and they should play it. Reflect this in your review. List good points about the game before talking about bad points, and try to keep the readers attention at all times. Avoid using slang and boring words, like "wicked cool", "bogus","interesting" or "nice". These words, when displayed too much in a review just put me to sleep. Broaden your vocabulary, use a thesaurus.
Length.
Try to keep your review at a moderate length. If the review's too small, like 3 lines, then it doesn't say enough about the game. Fair enough, you can't say a lot about Tetris, but make an attempt. Use lots of decription, list good things and bad things. Talk about the playability, freedom to do what you want, how long it takes to finish. Mention what input devices you can use in it, eg; mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.
Also mention about the sound, whether it is good or bad, MIDI or internal speaker. That kind of thing. Also, don't make it too long. If it's over 5 paragraphs, sometimes I won't bother to read it.
Intrest.
Keep your review interesting. You can do this by, for example, being unique. Make people know who's writing the review before they see your name at the bottom. Have your own style. If it's a detective game, maybe you could write the review as if you're in a Noir movie. Or if it's like Monkey Island, you could use lots of piratey phrases, like "Yarr! Ye ate me fishlips!" or "Shiver me timbers, Guybrush Threepwood is a dumb name!".
Make it fun to read, and have fun writing the thing. After all, that's what it's all about!
WRITING CONVENTIONS BY TAIKARA:
I've decided to compile a reference for some of the conventions we decide upon as we go. That way, we will eventually have a streamlined standard to go by. What I have included here is a just a starting point, and we can discuss these until we agree. Eventually, I might copy this to the regular forum so that the reviewers will know our conventions and perhaps adopt them. (Well, one can hope, anyway :angel: )
---------------------------------
Formatting:
Game Titles
All game titles, whether the game being reviewed, or another game the review gives reference to should be formatted in italics.
The first reference to a game in the review should be written fully, while any reference thereafter may be abbreviated, or a recognized nickname may be used.
Book Titles:
If the reviewer references a book title, the book title should be italicized.
Movie Titles:
If the reviewer references a movie title, the movie title should be italicized.
Numbers:
If the reviewer uses a number in a review other than as a part of the game title, a date, or a referenced title of a published work, then the number should be written out verbally.
Ex:
Correct: There are twenty-four locations in 5 Days a Stranger.
Incorrect: There are 24 locations in 5 Days a Stranger.
Spelling:
American English vs. British English:
There is no need to change the spelling of a word as long as it is an actual word in English, and spelled correctly, regardless of the type of English.
Ex:
Correct:
Flavour
Flavor
Organize
Organise
Incorrect:
Flavore
Orginise
Capitalization:
Acronyms:
All acronyms should be capitalized, but if a word is only partially an acronym, only the acronym need be capitalized, unless it is a conventional name.
Ex: DOS and DOSBox are correct, while Dos and DOSBOX are not.
Internet Slang:
While internet slang is acceptable, as it reflects the style of the reviewer and this is an internet medium, internet slang words should be treated as acronyms.
Ex: BTW (by the way) is correct, while Btw and btw are not.
Punctuation:
Ellipses:
Ellipses are acceptable as an example of the reviewer's style, however, they must be used appropriately. A space must follow the previous sentence, and an ellipses contains three periods only. (...)
Ex:
Correct: The end is near ...
Incorrect: The end is near... , The end is near .....
Commas Separating Dependent Clauses:
If three or more dependent clauses are used in a sentence, then each clause must be separated by a comma, with the exception of the final clause (indicated by the use of a conjunction), which may either use a comma or not, according to the editor's preference.
Ex:
Correct:
We ate pizza, took a walk, and went home
We ate pizza, took a walk and went home.
Incorrect:
We ate pizza took a walk and went home.
Mixing Quotation Marks and Other Punctuation:
Quotation marks should always be placed after other punctuation, regardless of whether the quotation is a reference to a whole statement or an individual word or phrase.
Ex:
Correct:
He said, "You should go alone."
You should make use of "bird's-eye view," which a helpful menu option.
Incorrect:
He said, "You should go alone".
You should make use of "bird's-eye view", which is a helpful menu option.
Clarity:
Redundancy:
If there is an instance of redundancy in a review, either by over-usage of a particular word in one sentence, or by repetition of a thought or meaning using different words, the sentence should be modified to reflect the original reviewer's meaning as closely as possible.
Example:
Incorrect:
The pace was so fast, I couldn't think fast enough.
The water swiftly rushed into the room quickly.
Correct (modified):
The pace was so fast, I couldn't think quickly enough.
The water swiftly rushed into the room.
<span style=\'color:blue\'>Unknown Words/Meanings:
If a word is used that has an unidentifiable meaning that cannot be understood from the context of the sentence, then it would be best to contact the original reviewer to find out what was meant, and modify the statement accordingly.
-------------------------------
Again, please feel free to comment, dispute one of the above, I want to make sure that we all accept these conventions.
Also, if you have anything you think should be added, then please offer that as well, and I'll add it to the post.
Arigatou gozaima****a!