More than 730,000 video game apps are available for download on Google Play and the App Store. Over 10,000 video games are released each year on Steam and other platforms.
With so many video games on the market, an avid gamer may have a hard time choosing one to play. They could do the trial-and-error method and download or purchase multiple options, but they would be wasting a lot of time and money.
Video game critical analysis helps gamers pick the best options based on their interests and preferences. This way, they don’t need to try multiple games until they find the best one or waste their money on something they may not like.
Game analysis is crucial in the industry. But how do you go about making one?
What Is Game Analysis?
Game analysis is an unbiased evaluation of a video game to provide audiences with critical insight into the content.
It is helpful for all types of gamers, but especially to newbies, as it would help them understand the role of the player and the game’s goal and core story.
Many people play video games because they are fun. They are a means to escape the real world. Video games allow them to explore a virtual world where they can do things that are impossible in real life.
Thoughtful, thorough game analysis makes this virtual world more accessible and easier to understand for people who want to dip their toes in video games.
What Is Critical Analysis of Any Game?
A video game critical analysis is an in-depth look into all the elements of the game. Some may think the word “critical” indicates negativity, but it does not.
Critical analysis is an impartial deep dive into any type of media, including video games. It goes beyond shallow interpretations or comments—it explains how the game is played and the elements that make it worth investing in.
And this type of deep-dive analysis isn’t just for gamers. They are also for designers who want to know if they have successfully executed the game’s objectives.
If the critic understood the game the way the designer intended, it will be reflected in the critical analysis. If not, the designers will know which parts of the digital product must be improved.
Analysis helps developers improve on storytelling and gaming elements for future games. They can boost certain features to become even more entertaining and attract wider audiences.
How To Do a Critical Analysis of a Video Game
It must be noted that a video game critical analysis is not a simple video game review. How to review a video game focuses on the quality of the game, which can be highly subjective.
Reviewers may talk about the entertainment value and how fun it is to play.
In contrast, critical analysis dissects the parts of the game and explains, in an unbiased manner, why each is good or bad. Arguments must be supported by clear evidence.
Here are the basic steps in creating a video game analysis:
Determine Your Objective
Why are you writing a video game critical analysis? It’s a question that only you can answer, and it will impact how you write the critique. Some may do it because it’s their job, while others have to do it for a class project.
Professional critics do it to help their audience decide whether they should purchase or download a game.
Such an analysis will also help video game designers understand what went right or wrong with their game. An outsider’s point of view is always helpful in making things better.
Knowing your objective means knowing your audience. It will make it easier for you to find the right voice when writing your analysis.
Play the Game Multiple Times
No one can critique a video game unless they have firsthand experience playing it—ideally, multiple times, which leads to a comprehensive grasp of all its elements. Take notes while playing the game.
Be meticulous and observe everything about the game, from the characters to the dialogue, overall storyline, design activities, levels, difficulty, music, and even the color palettes.
Don’t start writing your analysis until you are confident that you have truly understood and mastered the game.
Write the Draft of Your Game Analysis
Now that you have all the information you need, you can begin writing the video game analysis.
First, describe the basics of the game: the characters, storyline, and the developers.
Second, you must establish the following:
- Audience – Who is the game designed for? It may be helpful to point out the age range and interests of the target market.
- Goal – What is the player trying to accomplish in the game? Explain the point of the game and why the developers have worked on this project for so long.
- Resources – Enumerate a player’s collaterals in the game. These are the resources that players have control over.
- Decisions – Explain the decisions players must make while playing the game. You must be as thorough as possible.
Third, get into the player-game relationship. Explain the rules and the sequence of events in the video game. It is also important to touch on what advantages the player can use and the pitfalls they should avoid.
Finally, describe the overall experience of playing. This evaluation must be as unbiased as possible and deliver an in-depth take on the video game. Dig into how video games affect critical thinking as players deal with complex situations in the virtual world.
It can help to delve into parallels with the real world. More often than not, video games reflect current society, with elements of fantasy or fiction to be more exciting and adventurous.
Review and Finalize Critical Analysis
Read your draft, edit, and finalize. The final output must be useful to gamers and designers to improve the video gaming industry as a whole.
Download the Video Game Critical Analysis Template Here
Conclusion
There are many reasons people play video games. They want to escape real life for a while, and video games are incredibly entertaining and engaging. Critical analysis of video games can help improve the industry and ensure that more and better video games are in the pipeline to entertain as many people as possible.
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