GameFAQs Help: Reader Reviews

You can compose your review using almost any means you want (using a word processor, text editor, or composing online), then submit it via the online form. You must be a registered GameFAQs user to submit reviews.

• Format: All reviews will be posted in HTML. Only text is allowed, with only bold and italic markups allowed. No tables, graphics, scripts, or any other embellishments are allowed in reviews. You may compose your review in the text editor of your choice.
• Style/Grammar: The review must be readable without too much effort. A reasonable number of spelling/grammar mistakes will be corrected, but a good working knowledge of the language is much more preferable. Spelling mistakes or other style issues in the tagline almost ensure that a review won't be posted.
• Originality: The review MUST BE ORIGINAL WORK. Rip-offs of others work are not tolerated in any way.
• Language/Tastefulness: Reviews with excessive foul language or otherwise tasteless remarks will not be posted.
• Length: Reviews must be at least 400 words in length or longer. Longer is (usually) better. Elaborate. Go into detail. Delve.
• Spoilers: NO SPOILERS. What's a spoiler? Giving away a surprise plot element, secret, or hint about the game. Any information that you don't get in the first five minutes of playing the game or reading the back of the box. Don't do it. People reading the review generally haven't bought the game yet, so they'll be quite upset if you spoil the great big surprise at the end.
• Non-Review Material: Things like your e-mail address, a signature, your elaborate rating system, the game's price/release date/etc., comments your particular reviewing style, and any other information that is not relevant for the review of the game should not be included.

There are three different types of reviews that you can submit. The requirements for each section are as follows:

• Quick Review: Review must be at least 400 words. The requirements are relatively lenient as long as proper grammar is followed and spelling errors are kept to a minimum. Quick reviews can be submitted anytime after a game is released.
• Full Review: Review must be at least 800 words. The review should cover most aspects of the game and must adhere to proper grammar with very few misspelled words. Full reviews are only accepted at least three days after a game is released.
• Detailed Review: Review must be at least 1200 words. The review should cover all aspects of the game and must adhere to proper grammar and spelling. Detailed reviews are only accepted at least seven days after a game is released.

Reviews are displayed on a page by type, starting with detailed then full then quick reviews in that order. Within each section the reviews are sorted alphabetically by contributor name except for recommended reviews which are sorted first. There is no limit to the number of reviews that a game can have. The maximum allowed size for a review is 25600 bytes (25KB).

Reviews are simplest to read and understand when broken up into sections. A standard formatting style is:

• Introduction - Give a brief description of the game and its history, if any.
• Gameplay - The most important part of a game: How fun is it to play? How easy or hard is the game? How is the control?
• Story - Story is important in RPGs and adventure games, and gives the player a compelling reason to play. If the game you are reviewing has no story (i.e. sports, racing titles), then it's pointless to include this section.
• Graphics/Sound - How a game looks and sounds. These should always be compared to the system's capabilities, not to games on other more advanced systems.
• Play Time/Replayability - How long does it take to complete the game, and is it worth playing again once you've done it?
• Final Recommendation - Is a game worth buying or renting new, is it worth searching for, or should you return it if given as a gift?

• Game Bashing - If you use the words "crap" or "sucks" as any part of you're review, you're likely just bashing the game. Reviews that just trash a game without providing any real reasons why won't be posted.
• Self-Promotion - Neither your name nor your e-mail nor any personal information should appear in the review text. You're supposed to be talking about the game, not yourself. Your name is listed at the top of the page, and your e-mail can appear on your contributor page should people wish to contact you.
• Gimmicks - Interviews, poetry, fiction, and other new and unusual review styles.
• Non-Critical Information - That's critical as in criticism, not as in important. Lists of characters or items, detailed descriptions of controls, cut-and-pasted information from the back of the game box, game tips and hints, and other non-original parts are best left for FAQs and news stories.
• Padding - If the content of your review doesn't meet the minimum recommended or required word counts, padding it out with random text doesn't count.
• Lists - Lists of pratically anything are generally going to be either padding or non-critical information. Your review shouldn't contain a list of modes, controls, characters, or anything similar.

You must be a registered user to submit reviews to GameFAQs. Reviews are accepted only via the online review submission form. You can find it via Contributor Central, or through game review pages with under 30 reviews.

You are urged to save a copy of your review locally in case it isn't posted, as GameFAQs does not archive unposted reviews.

Just re-submit it as you did the first time; it will be automatically updated.

Check your review's status in Contributor Central on the Contribution Status page. You can always re-submit it to correct the problems.

Also, you should try asking those on the Review Help message board for a peer review. Other contributors can usually spot obvious problems in your review that you might have missed.

All review recommendations are recorded by GameFAQs. The reviews in the top 2% of overall recommendations will be considered recommended reviews. These are marked with a star () and are sorted to the top of their individual categories.