How the Video Game Review Process Works at Game Rant

Reviews are both the coolest and oftentimes the most challenging aspect of this industry. They are simultaneously the most valuable piece of content that any outlet can write, and a relic of a bygone era where there was a high correlation between a high Metacritic score and strong sales. But for the people writing those reviews, or at least the reviews here at Game Rant, none of that factors into the criticisms we raise, nor the final score given.

Step 1: Getting Early Access to Review Games

The first part of the equation is getting our hands on a game. In the earlier days of Game Rant, physical copies were sent out with signature requirements and a lot of security concerns that are no longer part of the process, but today it’s exclusively digital. Most codes are provided by the Public Relations team supporting the publisher/developer. They will reach out (or we will do the outreach) and offer a code for one of the game’s release platforms, and the only stipulation for receiving that code is agreeing to an embargo (more on that in a bit).

How Do We Choose Where to Review a Game?

As far as the platform chosen for review, it typically comes down to the reviewer. If they have access to a specific platform and are the best person to review the game, then that’s the platform we choose. So, if you see a review for a game on Nintendo Switch 2, when the game is also available on “more powerful” hardware, that’s the reason why.

Reviews on a variety of platforms are beneficial for several reasons. First, it taps into the diversity of our audience, who might be curious about a specific platform and if there are any noticeable issues the game encounters while running on that console. As we have seen in the past, some platforms run a game better than others for one reason or another.

Other times, when we are open to any platform for a review, it’s a matter of what is available first. For a lot of independent games or non-console exclusives, PC is available first because it’s easier to get a reviewer access through Steam than it is through the Xbox Store or PlayStation Network. It’s also easier to push patches for a PC version, which means quicker improvements to issues you might encounter along the way. Admittedly, this can make the review process tricky because you know that your experience can be different from the retail release, but we do our best to take that into account. Game-breaking bugs can be fixed before release, and even if they hamper your experience during review, there is no guarantee they will impact most players.

Of course, playing on PC also comes with its own hangups. Because these games are pre-release, optimization might not be what it will be at launch. You need powerful hardware to be able to brute force your way past a game’s rough edges. For the most part, you can tell when a game is well optimized, but sometimes a hitchy game can become buttery smooth with just a patch or two. It’s why we like to take a look at games using our iBUYPOWER RDY GTX 5090 rig, because it’s powerful enough to match high frame rate with high visual fidelity.

We should also mention that, although we occasionally check in on the experience on PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck or the ROG Xbox Ally X, we wouldn’t review a game on those platforms. Some review guidelines will even ask you not to take a look at the game on Steam Deck because the title is not yet verified or optimized for the handheld ecosystem. Others will encourage seeing how the Steam Deck version runs, but, for the most part, we focus our reviews on home consoles or PC.

Step 2: Agreeing to the Embargo

You’ve likely heard the term embargo or NDA before, but you might not know what they mean or how they factor into the review process. An embargo is like a stipulation stating when you can reveal information. As an outlet, you agree to abide by an embargo to gain early access to news, trailers, interview subjects, preview opportunities, and review code. The embargo will say when you can reveal that information, and that’s why you see reviews appear online all at the same time.

In most cases, you agree to an embargo through written correspondence, but occasionally you may need to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). This is just a signed agreement that you won’t release the review earlier. Typically, NDAs only come into the equation if the access is very early, the game is highly anticipated, or the publisher is being very selective in who is allowed to review its game. In practice, it’s no different from an embargo, but it does give an extra air of seriousness to the review process.

Embargoes will also carry guidelines about your review coverage. There can be stipulations about what you are asked not to reveal about the story to preserve surprises, as well as what sections of the game you can capture for videos. Very rarely does this feel like the publisher is trying to hide something from the public, and more often it is an effort to ensure that the outlet is not spoiling elements the publisher wants to surprise its audience with. There are times when those guidelines can feel restrictive, and in that case, we may hold a review until the release date to paint a more accurate impression of our experience with the game. We never want to hide anything that may impact your decision to purchase a game.

Embargoes Create a Ticking Clock

The timing of a review embargo considers a lot of factors. When a developer feels the game is ready for review is the primary driver behind outlets’ access to review code, but when that review can be published is a whole different animal. Whether or not the public thinks that reviews are valuable, publishers and PR companies still seem to think so. And they will work hard to give an outlet access as early as possible.

The more time you have to play a game, the easier the review process goes. Having the opportunity to take reasonable breaks from a game — to tackle a challenging boss after a full night’s rest or to sit with a particularly poignant moment – is a blessing. Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of time, for one reason or another. It could be last-minute bugs that need squashing or simply that the game is coming in “hot.” We work with the time given and are always appreciative of as much time as possible.

Step 3: Playing the Game Within That Embargo Timing

No matter what, though, you are playing a game in an outside-the-ordinary scenario, but as close as you can get to a real thing is valuable. We’re never looking for sympathy when it comes to the review process, but it can be an exhausting experience. Our goal is to provide our audience with an evaluation of a game as soon as possible, but that can require putting in serious hours on a game and then writing a review.

I would also like to address the speculation about embargo timing and the quality of a game. Yes, there are definitely situations where an embargo is right before the release date or even on release day (or strangely, after the game is publicly available), and you can tell why that was. It feels a bit like the reviews are trying to be hidden to get those day 1 sales.

Other times, it’s merely a publisher’s decision. Maybe they understand that a code is coming in hot and they’d rather give outlets as much time as possible, so they choose the day before release. Surprisingly, there are more scenarios like the former, where the game is good and the embargo lifts close to release, than there are situations where the embargo feels designed to hide reviews because they are expected to be bad.

Arguably, the most challenging part of playing a game for review is evaluating it without taking into account outside factors. You have to stay true to your own experience with the game in that moment, even if it can be less than ideal. In most cases, playing a game for review requires making it your best friend, your sole companion. It can magnify flaws, make routine traversal feel tedious, and turn gameplay that doesn’t evolve repetitive. Forming an opinion about a game is about having confidence in your first impression, not trying to interpret how someone else will feel. If the gameplay doesn’t click with you, then it won’t click with other people either.

Developers Want to Help Your Review Process

While they never see the light of day, the provided review package that includes things like screenshots and a fact sheet can also include a review guide that helps walk the reviewer through the game. They can be as simple as a single page of info that breaks down the top-level, elevator pitch for the game. Or they can be involved documents that cover every detail of the combat, the key characters, and offer helpful tips. Because reviewers are usually in that time crunch, this can be extremely helpful.

Reviewing games also has that unique experience of being the first to play a game, but also the first to struggle or get stuck. If you can’t crack a puzzle or beat a boss, there are no guides to consult. You either figure it out yourself or ask the people who made the game. Obviously, you want to solve each puzzle without any help, but a roadblock is more frustrating when you are trying to see a game through to the end. Having access to the developers through Discord or email to help is a resource that the average player won’t have, but it makes the whole review process easier when it’s needed.

Step 4: Roll Credits vs. “Finishing” The Game

For every game, there is a different definition of being “done.” When writing a review, you have to give an evaluation of the package as a whole, but that doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything.

For Game Rant, we always complete the main story (if there is one) before writing a review but that can only scratch the surface of what a game has to offer. If there is more to the game than just the story (e.g. side quests, mini-games, etc.), then we will see if those are compelling enough to complete and evaluate on a case-by-case basis. Story motivation is a big factor in how much side content we complete, but even just running around hunting collectibles can be an aspect to consider. If the game is good, you want to spend more time in that world doing everything and that will inform a positive review. However, if side content feels like padding, it reflects negatively on the experience.

Games are massive these days, but not all of that extra content is satisfying or varied enough to warrant experiencing all of it. If we are loving a game, we might 100% it, but that is all time permitting. You might also wonder why the rush with a review, why not take your time and 100% every experience? For starters, there are simply too many games and we always want to jump to what’s next. But more importantly, reviews have a shelf life. From when that embargo lifts to the release date, reviews are the most searched and the most widely read. After that, the interest dwindles. It creates additional pressure on the entire process that can magnify flaws, lead to greater frustration, and force a less-than-ideal game-playing scenario.

Step 5: Writing the Review

The easiest reviews are those where you feel strongly about the game, negative or positive. Everything else is challenging. Being able to cogently explain why a game is mediocre, good, or great requires walking a fine line. You can’t be too positive because then there are questions about why the game didn’t score higher. If you are too negative, though, a higher score is labeled as biased.

There is also the balance of explaining a brand-new game to a reader without writing a guide. You want to break down mechanics, story beats, and modes to the reader, but also pepper in what you feel works or doesn’t work. You can’t possibly talk at length about everything, but you don’t want to leave anything out. You also don’t want to ramble or make a review overly long because then you could lose the reader.

It’s a process that, after spending dozens of hours with a game, feels like the last lap of a marathon. You can see the finish line, but getting there is going to require focus. And then all of that writing is reduced to a number.

Step 6: Scoring the Review

I would love it if review scores weren’t a necessary part of the process, but they are. This is such a subjective part of the job that it’s impossible to create one clear definition of what game should get what score. One person’s 8 is another person’s 5. What you might think is a 10 out of 10 game could lose a point for a reason that won’t ever bother you.

The truth is that review scores are important because the industry has made them important. Our hope is that you read the review and use its content to determine if you would enjoy a game or not, but it would be foolish to think that’s how everyone operates. Review aggregates have become a measuring stick of a game’s quality, rather than a place to see what critics are saying about the game. That being said, there is value in review aggregators like OpenCritic because they help quickly tell you whether a game has been positively or negatively viewed by critics. There’s more to consider, of course, like how many outlets review a game, which outlets reviewed a game, and user scores, but it’s a nice snapshot to have.

That score reflects the reviewer as well, who comes into a review with their own baggage. We want each reviewer to be interested in a game, but how interested is too interested. In a world of dozens of reviews, there is value in a variety of perspectives. Maybe you aren’t a fan of a particular genre, but you are curious about a new game within that genre. If every review for that game was written by hardcore fans, then you won’t find one that aligns with your experience. Conversely, if a review is written by a hardcore fan, they might not take issue with aspects of the game that might be dealbreakers for someone else.

Reviews are dismissed and devalued at the same frequency that they are anticipated and propped up. A positive review can be seen as paid for, while a negative review is labeled as serving a vendetta. Still, it’s one of the most essential components of our industry and hopefully, you now have a little more insight into how the process of putting together a review at Game Rant works.