At some point last year, I was bored and wanted to make a list of all the video games that I’d played since I got my PlayStation in 2020. Since corona times, video games have become my favourite hobby and something that I am now deeply passionate about.
This boredom quickly led to me wanting to rank all the games from best to worst in a half-objective manner - I wanted to rate the different aspects of games, but this rating would be largely based on which parts of a game are most important to me and how much I subjectively enjoyed them in any given game.
So, in order to determine the ratings and rankings, I started to build a formula based on my preferences. Here is an explanation of this formula:
The main categories
My first thought was “what aspects of a game are important to me?” And I came up with the following categories:
World
Graphics
Story
Sound
Tech
Gameplay
The goal was to make a formula that would result in an overall score out of 10, based on the score of each category. Therefore, the next step was to decide on how strongly each category would be weighted in the formula. So, I considered how important each category is to me and came up with the following weightings:
Story: 1
Gameplay: 1
World: 0.9
Graphics: 0.9
Technical: 0.9
Sound: 0.8
This means that story and gameplay are the most important parts for me: They are the reasons why I choose to play a game. World, graphics, and technical are then the elements outside of story and gameplay that most strongly impact my experience, whilst sound is important to me, but not quite as important as the rest. The outcome is this formula:
The subcategories
Initially I started giving each category a rating out of 10, until one day I thought that there are a lot of different components to each category. So, I went through each category and made a list of subcategories, giving each one a percentage of the category score based on how important each is for me.
Here is a list of the subcategories with a small explanation and an outstanding example:
World
The category World is made up of 6 subcategories:
World Building (25%)
Atmosphere & Immersion (20%)
Depth of Detail (15%)
World Logic (15%)
Exploration (15%)
Environmental Storytelling & Context (10%)
World Building (25%)
For me, world building is about the physical and substantial creation of the game world. This includes the physical world, the social and physical structures, the cultures and the lore. Are the political, historical and cultural structures well thought-out? Are locations iconic, sensibly connected and cleverly designed?
Prime example: Both Horizon games have excellent world building. The design of the locations is consistently impressive and the creation of the different tribes and their characteristics, often influenced by their location, is excellent
Atmosphere & Immersion (20%)
One of the primary purposes of a game world is to create an atmosphere and really sucks you in. Light, sounds, architecture, weather and liveliness are all aspects that can increase your immersion within the world.
Prime example: Every single part of the map of Elden Ring sucks you in - the whole world has an incredibly strong atmosphere created through sound, light and design that changes depending on where you are
Depth of Detail (15%)
A highly detailed world contributes strongly to the feeling of it being “lived in” or real and therefore immersive. This includes the detail in the design of the world physically, socially, and environmentally. Details such as different tools or trash laying around, NPCs randomly interacting with each other and having detailed behaviours are particular examples.
Prime example: Red Dead Redemption 2 has an almost scarily obsessive level of detail in the world. There are hundreds of examples, but one is that the pin actually indents the casings on bullets.
World Logic (15%)
A world is more immersive and believable when it is made up of logical structures and functions like a real place independent of the player. For example: Do shops have realistic opening hours? Do NPCs change their activities based on the time of the day? Do they react to different weather? Are buildings etc. sensibly located?
Prime example: In Red Dead Redemption 2 the characters at camp follow their own routines and will even change clothes depending on the time of day.
Exploration (15%)
Another element of a good game world is whether there is an incentive or desire to explore. This can be achieved though interesting places, regional differences, secrets, discoveries and more.
Prime example: In Baldur’s Gate 3 the exploration is not only interesting, but is often rewarded with new content or rewards. If you see a path, it is almost always worth seeing where it goes.
Environmental Storytelling & Context (10%)
A particularly good game tells its story not only through the characters and developments, but also through the world itself. The design of the world and the places and items within it can give the player information either directly related to the story itself or to its background and context. Examples of this can be signs of violence, abandoned places, symbols, or infrastructure.
Prime example: The story of Elden Ring is told almost exclusively through the environment and the items within it. Every place you discover seems to tell its own story and provides excellent context to your adventure.
Graphics
The category graphics is made up of 3 subcategories:
Style & Art Direction (35%)
Quality (35%)
Immersion & Consistency (30%)
Style & Art Direction (35%)
The style and art direction are what give a game its visual identity and allow for one of the most important artistic expressions in video games. This subcategory rates the artistic vision of the game and as well as the uniqueness of its style.
Prime examples: Elden Ring & Disco Elysium are both masterpieces when it comes to art direction. Both are unique, instantly recognisable, and constantly produce “wow”-feelings when looking at them.
Quality (35%)
The quality of the graphics might not make or break a game, but very good graphics can create something really special and really allow the visual art of the game to stand out.
Prime example: The quality of the graphics in Cyberpunk 2077 is simply incredible. The characters are so well done that you feel like you’re talking to real people - everything is simply on another level.
Immersion & Consistency (30%)
This subcategory considers how consistent and atmospheric the visuals of the game work as a whole. Is everything coherent and authentic? Do the graphic elements of the game work together and support the overall feeling of the game? An important factor here is whether the graphics allow you to get lost in the game.
Prime example: The entire design of Disco Elysium, from the menus to the world, is coherent and contributes to the atmosphere that the game is trying to create.
Story
The category Story is made up of 6 subcategories:
Characters (25%)
Main Story (20%)
Storytelling (20%)
Side Quests (15%)
Dialogue & Writing (10%)
Integration of Gameplay (10%)
Characters (25%)
For me, the characters are the most important story element of a game. You spend all of your time with them and the story is often told through their experiences and development.
Prime example: The characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 are simply incredible. They all have deep and fascinating personalities, and none of them are the same person at the end of the game that they were at the start. They create some truly emotional moments.
Main Story (20%)
The main story of a game is one of the primary reasons for playing any game. I like a story that is original, that perhaps covers difficult topics, and/or that leaves behind an emotional impression. One thing that I really can’t stand is a typical hero’s journey that ends with saving the world.
Prime example: The story of The Last of Us is for me one of the most memorable stories in video games, if not the most memorable.
Storytelling (20%)
It isn’t only important which story is told, but also how it is told. Good pacing, structure, build-up, and suspense are important when it comes to telling a story well.
Prime example: The Last of Us is well paced, slowly and intentionally building up the relationship of Elly & Joel before throwing in an unforgettably tense ending.
Side Quests (15%)
Aside from the main story, a game typically contains a number of side quests. The good ones help to flesh out the world and the people within it, whilst the bad ones just act as filler.
Prime example: The side quests in The Witcher 3 are arguably the best out there. Full of tough decisions that impact the world, moral grey areas, and unforgettable stories, they are never a waste of time.
Dialogue & Writing (10%)
A well-written story and good dialogue can go a long way in building up drama and suspense and creating an emotional connection to the characters.
Prime example: Disco Elysium is an incredibly well-written game. The dialogue can convincingly take on every emotion between dark and silly, and is probably what makes this game as memorable as it is.
Integration of Gameplay (10%)
An effective way of increasing the immersion and emotional impact of a story is to incorporate the gameplay into it. Examples of this can be actively making decisions or taking actions that bring different outcomes or consequences, or making important moments of the story playable, as opposed to watching them play out in a cutscene.
Prime example: Both The Last of Us and Plague Tale: Requiem force the player to take actions at the end that they don’t want to, but that are part of the story. Having to actually do these actions increases their emotional impact significantly.
Sound
The category Sound is made up of 5 subcategories:
Score (30%)
Environmental Sounds (20%)
Voice Acting (20%)
Sound Effects (15%)
Implementation (15%)
Score (30%)
A game’s score is one of its most recognisable features: A good score can add significantly to the atmosphere of a game by emphasising different moods, settings, or scenarios, and building up dramatic moments.
Prime example: The score of The Witcher 3 is unforgettable. The score always fits the vibe of the different areas, and
Environmental Sounds (20%)
Environmental sounds are crucial for filling the areas of a game with life - whether it be the sound of a flowing river or wildlife, or the noise of a city. These sounds are crucial for immersion, as without them the environments would sound empty.
Prime example: The environmental sounds of KCD 1&2 are absolutely magnificent. Despite the lower-quality graphics of the first game, walking in nature was a really pleasant experience thanks to the sounds of the birds and the running streams
Voice Acting (20%)
Good voice acting is really important for the creation of good characters - even the best writing won’t be convincing if it’s delivered flatly.
Prime example: The voice acting in Baldur’s Gate 3 is superb - every character sounds unique and authentic, which really helps in adding depth and conviction to their personalities
Sound Effects (15%)
Sound effects is a sound element that can add some really nice detail to a game. Whether it be the sound of casting magic, combat, footsteps etc., various effects add another level of depth to the soundscape.
Implementation (15%)
The implementation and mixing of the sound are important so that each component can play its intended role without getting in the way. Some examples are whether sound can be used to locate things or people, or whether each component has good volume that allows the others to be heard when they need to be.
Tech
The category Tech is made up of 4 subcategories:
Performance (35%)
Stability & Bugs (30%)
Polish (25%)
Ambition (10%)
Performance (35%)
It is really important for the enjoyment of a game that it runs well. On my PS5 I expect 60 FPS with ideally no drops in the frame rate and as little pop-in as possible. I also consider loading times.
Stability & Bugs (30%)
Also important for the enjoyment of a game is good stability and the absence of game-breaking bugs. Crashes, glitches, or serious bugs that interrupt the game or prohibit progress can quickly lead to frustration.
Polish (25%)
A well-polished game has little to no clipping, well set triggers, no interface problems etc. A lack of polish doesn’t necessarily have an overwhelmingly negative effect on a gaming experience, but it does look sloppy.
Ambition (10%)
The goal of this subcategory is to assess whether the game uses the most of current technical possibilities. How well is it optimised? Does it take advantage of the possibilities of the PS5 controller?
Prime example: The optimisation of both of the newer God of War games was incredible. The fact that both games used a single shot with high graphic quality and could be played on a PS4 shows the ambition of Santa Monica in these games.
Gameplay
The category Gameplay consists of 6 categories:
Fun Factor (20%)
Mechanics & Systems (20%)
Controls (15%)
Freedom & Decision-Making (15%)
Player & Game Progression (15%)
Challenge & Balancing (15%)
Fun Factor (20%)
Games should be fun! And the gameplay should be fun throughout the entire game. This is generally influenced by the diversity of activities and how much enjoyment I had with them - did I have the feeling of never wanting to put my controller down?
Prime example: The gameplay of Baldur’s Gate 3 is addictive. The second I finished my first playthrough I started all over again, and it was only in this second playthrough that I realised its full potential due to the emergent systems. Honourable mentions go to Cyberpunk 2077 and God of War, which are just SO much fun.
Mechanics & Systems (20%)
Gameplay is made up of many different mechanics and systems, whether combat, sneaking, crafting, economy, or other interactions with the world such as punishment. Here I rate the quality of these individual elements as well as their interaction.
Prime example: The systems in Baldur’s Gate 3 are magnificent. The way that you can interact with the environment and different elements within combat allows for incredible creativity. On top of that there are social mechanics such as prison and the satisfaction of your party members
Controls (15%)
Gameplay can only be enjoyed if the controls are intuitive, precise and smooth. Fiddly or unreactive controls can quickly get frustrating and have a negative impact on the overall enjoyment of the game.
Negative example: The controls in KCD 1 can be very frustrating - the combat feels slow and sometimes unreactive, and controlling Pebbles the horse can also get pretty annoying
Freedom & Decision-Making (15%)
I would say that most games allow for some sort of freedom in how you approach them. This is most obvious in RPGs where you create a custom character and continuously decide how to develop them, but even more linear games usually allow for some choice through upgrades and such. Here I rate how much freedom is given to a player and the decisions that they can make.
Prime example: Baldur’s Gate 3 has 12 classes and 46 classes, with the possibility of multiple classes for a single character. There is also the possibility of approaching combat in any number of creative ways, and making very impactful decisions.
Games that are intentionally linear with limited choice receive a neutral rating.
Player & Game Progression (15%)
I break the progression within a game into two parts: In player progression I consider how the character develops from start to finish through e.g., new abilities. In game progression I consider how much new content there is over time, such as new areas, new challenges, or new incentives. I don’t want a game to start to feel stale over time.
Prime example: In Elden Ring you very slowly make your way through the different areas of the map, with each area offering the chance to level up to be better equipped to face the increasing difficulty. Each area is uniquely interesting and difficult, and progression feels both noticeable and rewarding.
Challenge & Balancing (15%)
I personally like it when games offer a challenge - a game that is too easy runs the risk of eventually becoming boring. But it also needs to feel fair, or there is the risk of it becoming frustrating. On top of that, different play styles need to feel legitimate - players shouldn’t have the feeling of being disadvantaged just because they want to play a certain way.
Prime example: There aren’t many games that I’ve played through with different styles, but in Witcher 3 I have the feeling that alchemy, sword, and sign builds are all feasible ways to play the game
My process
Whilst playing a game I make notes, so that at the end I can give each subcategory a score out of 10, which then determines the score for each category and the overall score for the game. Here are the ratings:
10 = Perfect, 9 = Excellent, 8 = Great, 7 = Good, 6 = Satisfactory, 5 = Sufficient, 4 = Weak, 3 = Bad, 2 = Terrible, 1 = Abysmal
So that’s it! I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on my system if you have any :) as always, thanks for reading!