What a fair review actually owes you

Every review we publish is basically a promise: I spent the time so you can decide fast. Getting that promise right is the whole job.

That means telling you the annoying parts. A game can be excellent and still have a fiddly menu or a grind wall, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. I'd rather you go in knowing the rough edges and still love it.

It also means being honest about who a game is for. Lantern Hollow isn't for someone who wants action, and saying so isn't a criticism — it's just aiming the recommendation at the right person.

We score on a curve within genre, not against some imaginary perfect game. A 4.2 arcade title and a 4.6 RPG aren't competing; they're each judged against what they set out to be.