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User Help > Staff Ratings

As you are aware, most every review on the site should be accompanied by a rating, which is provided by the reviewer. In order to standardize things from staff member to staff member, a new rating system was implemented on December 4, 2003. This rating system is outlined immediately below for your convenience.

Unrated
The score originally associated with this review has been lost and a new one has not been supplied.

Hardly Playable
This project is barely a game, and is fundamentally flawed to the point where it is hardly even playable.

Horrible
You really don't want to play this. The gameplay is downright horrific, making the game not worth even a rental.

Poor
For the most part, there are no redeeming qualities to speak of. This game does some things right, but not enough.

Weak
Though there may be a few bright spots, the overall product is fairly weak and does not come recommended.

Average
As a whole, this game is quite average. You're unlikely to find much of anything remarkable about it at all.

Good
For the most part, this is a good game. It has its share of flaws, but you should find it above average overall.

Very Good
This game does enough things right that for the most part, you'll likely enjoy yourself while playing it. Recommended.

Excellent
Most of the elements of this game come together in fine form, meaning it's an experience you won't want to miss.

Outstanding
The majority of games simply aren't this good. It stands aside from the crowd and you'd be crazy to miss it.

Brilliant
Only a few games reach such lofty heights. This one is remarkable in most every way, and brilliantly executed.

User reviews, as well as reviews written by staff members prior to their appointment as site staff, will feature ratings in the format employed previously. They are not subject to the rating system.

Now, some way wonder about the reasoning behind the system that was placed in effect. Put simply, this system was implemented because the webmaster feels that the majority of games released--or at least half of them--are average or better. Formerly, the system roughly in place tended to be based on 'average' being a 7 or higher. This lead to a cluster of ratings that would fall in the '7 or higher' range, which caused those higher scores to lose their value. The new system allows you to see how much better games are than one another at a glance. And if you ever wonder what a rating means, you can always consult this guide, or look to the right of the staff rating in question. It's a win-win situation.

We at HonestGamers.com hope that you will find this format helpful, informative, and most of all accurate as you read our reviews. Thank you for taking the time to understand it properly.

We hope that the information on this page was helpful and answered your questions. If it did not, or if you'd like to explore the site or "Help" section further, please use one of the links below to proceed accordingly.

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