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Every website, magazine, and TV show about gaming has their own "special" format for their game reviews. We think ours fixes some of the problems a few people have with other formats.

Mainly, we've taken the part usually found at the end of the review, the final opinion and the rating, and put it right up top. We know some people don't always feel like reading through an entire review and all they really want is a score and maybe a paragraph-long conclusion. We don't want to waste anybody's time, so we're making the first section of a review a section called IN SHORT that gives a quick opinion of the game without a lot of wordy prose.

The IN SHORT section also lets you know what you're getting into before you start reading a review. If we say the game sucks right up front, you'll know the rest of the review isn't going to be a wishy-washy parade of "well, it could have maybe been better" nonsense.

The actual body of our reviews should be a bit different too. Though each writer will bring his own style, our goal with reviews is to simply provide a recommendation of its value, not to hold it up to a scale along with every other game ever made. The question we ask ourselves when we compose a review is: Is this game worth anybody's time?

We use a simple, star-based rating system with a 1-5 scale (and no silly little half-stars). Rather than trying to assign some arbitrary number to rate how "good" game is, where even the best of games can only hope to receive a "9.7" (which is how much better than a 9.6?), our scores are meant to tell you if the game is worth your time. Here's a good companion scale for what our star-ratings might actually "mean."

5/5 doesn't mean it's "the perfect game," it means that despite any flaws, the game will not let you down, is worth the purchase price, and should impress you. It's not like the unattainable 10.0 score of other outlets, given to maybe one game per year; it's any game we just can't stop playing.

While most games will get a 3 star rating (mediocre), a 4 star game is one that exceeds beyond the realm of mediocrity while still having a few larger problems. It might be worth a purchase, depending on your tastes. It shouldn't disappoint, it just won't rock your world.

This should be the most common rating, because most games are just that: mediocre, boring, average. It plays like a real game, it's not awful, it's just nothing new or interesting. These are usually the big-budget, short-deadline games that get knocked out in the summer to coincide with a major movie release. It might be worth a rental if you like the genre, but if you were waiting for this game you'll probably be disappointed.

A game that isn't even mediocre usually won't have much going for it, but occasionally there's a few games that are really bad yet still have some charming elements that you may be ashamed to admit you like. If anything, rent it, unless there's something about the game or genre that really pulls you in.

This game will disappoint you, irritate you, make you cry, or haunt your dreams. We're not saying it's completely awful, it's just not worth your money and definitely not worth your time. Time is precious; this game is not.