We assign letter grades to different categories to help show the strengths and weaknesses of any given title and give an idea briefly where it shines. This way, if you prefer certain elements, you may not care if another scored lower and you can still make an informed decision.

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Visuals
A – Technically impressive at the top of its class alongside good performance and art direction. 
B – Generally looks good to great but has issues with performance or asset quality is less consistent.

C – There are flashes of greatness, but generally the title fails from poor art direction, poor performance, or poor technical quality where it excels in other areas.

D – Art direction, technical proficiency, and performance are all low, or two of these major areas fail to achieve their goals.
F – Fundamentally broken on every level of visual design.

Sound
A – Totally immerses you in the game world with incredible effects and a soundtrack to match.  
B – Consistently good and has flashes of brilliance but can be let down by an individual element.

C – While one element may be truly great such as combat sound design or the soundtrack, almost every other area is flawed. 

D – Contains rare moments where it goes above average, but generally sets a low standard with bad sound quality or lacking elements.
F – Broken, the game’s sound just does not work or barely functions as intended.
 

Playability
A – You forget the controller is in your hands and everything feels intuitive and natural.

B – While generally very competent, the controls occasionally feel awkward but not enough to hamper your abilities.
C – Inconsistent controls that work as often as they don’t or a title that is marred by good and bad control schemes depending on the situation.
D – Borderline unplayable, controls are stiff and generally difficult to use or understand.

F – Broken, the controls fundamentally do not work or actively increase the difficulty of the game arbitrarily as opposed to by design.

Story
A – Up there with the best the industry has to offer, great writing, world-building, and characters all combine to make an affecting and memorable story.
B – Has the promise of something greater and ultimately tells a satisfying story that is not without flaws but delivers often.

C – The story may show promise, but its execution is flawed, the major beats may be appealing but it fails on multiple levels.
D – The story is barely put together or shows effort with an utter lack of execution. Voice acting is stilted, dialogue is confusing, and plot points are unclear.

F – Fundamentally broken, elements are missing, and the story doesn’t make sense on nearly any level.

Replay Value
A – A game you can’t put down with infinite replay value. The title contains a massive amount of content or is consistently updated with quality additions to keep it lasting in the case of an online game.  
B – A title that can be played for months or that you can come back to, but doesn’t have legs for the long term. 

C – Good for one or two playthroughs, but not something you would pick up again years later. 
D – One and done, this is a game you finish and never come back to.
F – Unplayable, it is doubtful you would finish this game in the first place, let alone replay it. 

 

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