Saturday, February 26, 2011

The First Post!

Hello and welcome to ‘Science Fiction and Fantasy: The Blog’! Here you will find reviews, opinion pieces and analyses of all things sci-fi and fantasy related. Video games, films, comic books, anime, novels……it’s all here!!!! Most of my posts will probably be of the ‘review variety’ and as such there are a number of things you should know about how I tend to go about my critiquing…….

Reviews: What you need to know

We’re all critics. We all love to give our opinions on what we think is good and bad. But the way we approach reviews varies dramatically from person to person. Most critics use some kind of criteria, like a score from 1 to 10 or perhaps even a letter grade. Criteria’s are indeed useful; however they are all too often used to ridiculous degrees. For example, I’ve noticed that most video game critics like to use the 1 to 10 criteria but they unnecessarily extend it by going to decimal point numbers. As such, a bad game might get a 2.3 or a 3.1 where as a good game might get an 8.9 or a 9.6. My question is, how do these critics make the distinction when dealing with such minute differences? What’s the difference between a title which garners a 7.6 from one that gets a 7.7? More to the point, what difference does it make to the reader? It’s my impression that if a game gets a score of 4 or below, most readers will recognise it as a bad game. And if a game gets above a 7 or an 8, most will recognise it as something worth playing. So it seems to me that there is absolutely no point in utilising a criterion with so many tiny distinctions. All people want to know is whether the piece of entertainment in which they are interested in is good, bad or just ok. As such, I intend to use a criterion that is more direct and to the point with only a small amount of distinctions.

But what criteria is that, you ask? Why it’s the 5 star system of course! It’s simple, precise, to the point and doesn’t get overly mastabatatory. There’s only one problem though…..even with a system as simple as this one there still remains a small amount of variance between those who utilise it. For example, one man’s 3 stars is another man’s 4 stars and one man’s 1 star is another man’s 2 stars etc etc. As such, some more explanation will be needed to show you exactly what each of my particular ‘star levels’ mean.

1 Star – Abysmal
This is the lowest of the low. Any piece of entertainment that garners a 1 star is not worth your time, energy or money. It is void of good story, characters, plot, pacing, or if it’s a video game, fun. Avoid like the plague.


With no redeeming values, films such as Battlefield:Earth would be 'awarded" 1 star


2 Stars – Poor
Something rated 2 out of 5 stars is of poor quality and should generally be avoided unless you are willing to over look numerous flaws. For films and television shows, these flaws would include poor storytelling and/or pacing, a lack of character development and other issues of a technical variety. For video games, a 2 star title could include such flaws as a poorly implemented combat system, lacklustre visuals and mediocre level design. More often then not, 2 stars are used to represent a piece of entertainment which has not lived up to its potential.

X:Men Origins: Wolverine is a brilliant example of a poor film that did not live up to it's potential.

3 Stars – Good
3 stars indicate a good, solid piece of entertainment that most people will find enjoyable. While it isn’t without flaws, 3 star titles are certainly worth viewing (or playing if it’s a game). However, while 3 star titles are worth your time, they may not be worth your money. I recommend reading my 3 star reviews carefully if you are considering purchasing such a title.


Darksiders, a fun but slightly flawed playthough, is an example of a game that would receive 3 stars.

4 Stars – Great
Exceptional titles are given 4 out of 5 stars. In order to be ‘awarded’ such a distinction, the film, television show, book or game must excel in almost every area. 4 star titles are definitely worth watching as well as buying. You can’t go wrong with a 4 star piece of entertainment!


With a well told story, complex and well developed characters, Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 would be rightfully awarded 4 stars.

5 Stars – Classic
The greatest of the great, 5 star titles are a rare occurrence. These sci-fi/fantasy classics are outstanding in every area and will stand the test of time. 5 stars does not however mean perfection; it simply means that the title has achieved a level of quality that is of the highest standard possible. It represents my highest recommendation and should not be missed by anyone!


With beautiful visuals, simple yet fun controls and some of the most innovative level design in gaming history, Super Mario Galaxy is the perfect candidate for a full 5 stars.

Well that pretty much sums it all up for now. I’ll try and post as much as possible and do my best to stay objective at all times! One more thing to note: most of the things I’ll be reviewing and talking about may not necessarily be classed as ‘new’. If I get a new sci-fi/fantasy DVD, book or game (regardless of when it was released) I’ll probably review it or talk about it on this here blog. Most film reviews however should be very recent as I do tend to see films as soon as they come out.

HAPPY TREKING!!