The 3-Star Review Scale

The goal behind every review is to determine whether something is worth both your time and your hard earned cash. Whether that is something new, old, or just on our minds, every game we review will be subject to our 3-Star scale to help paint whether a game is For Everyone, For Some, or For Few.

We chose the 3-Star review scale for the simplicity it provides to the reader. At the moment, we believe that a game can be broken down into one of the previously mentioned categories and that will be enough to help paint the picture of how we feel a game is and give the audience a good snapshot at whether or not the game is for them.

So what does each star actually represent currently?

The Stars

3-Star Review
A 3-Star review boasts the highest mark we at Green Thumbs Magazine can give a title. While it may not be perfect, a 3-Star game is one that we are most likely to recommend to the largest possible audience. When we determine that a game is a 3-Star game, we are recommending the title For Everyone.

• Halo 3, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wild, Left for Dead 2

2-Star Review
A 2-Star review doesn’t mean a game is caught in-between good or bad, but may be for certain audiences and not for everyone. 2-Star games may be or have certain traits that are positive, but may also contain elements that hinder the overall experience from being a title everyone can enjoy. When we determine that a game is a 2-Star game, we are recommending the title For Some.

• Risk of Rain Returns, Monster Hunter Rise, Destiny 2

1-Star Review
A 1-Star review is a clear indication something has gone wrong and a title most likely isn’t for everyone. 1-Star games are the games we are least likely to recommend to play for a variety of potential reasons. From bad story, to poor graphics or quality, to an aggressive monetization method. When we determine that a game is a 1-Star game, we are recommending the title For Few.

• Balan Wonderworld, Brink, Battlefield 2042

Do Titles Earn Stars?

When we are reviewing a title, we are not looking to give out “Stars” for what a title does or has in it. Rather each review is the culmination of an entire product and the star system helps cap off a review with an easy to understand metric of how strong or weak a product is.

What Do We Review?

Currently, what titles we review and cover follow no strict guidelines. Anything that we can get our hands on or any titles that may find its way in front of us are subject to possibly being covered or reviewed in some form.

This may include: Games in beta or early access, Game remakes or remasters, Games released on a new platform, Games with significant changes since previously reviewed and more.

Will we ever change this?

At the moment, this is our current review scale. That does not mean it will be our review scale forever. If we feel the scale is not working for some reason or just want to change things up, we will update our review scale.