Bleu's Rating System Breakdown

Hi all,

I'm CSG, aka Bleu, and I love talking about film, shows and games across the board. In fact, I used to review quite a lot and decided now is a great time to come back to the format. For anyone that's wondering how exactly I come up with the numbers at the bottom of my reviews, I always like to put a straightforward explanation of things separately, so here you go!

The review system I've created covers five categories. These will change depending on the medium being reviewed, but each of the five categories is awarded a total of two points each, for a total of ten. Within those two points are the following increments:

Point Breakdown

0 - Bad or nonexistent - There's nothing there to showcase this is a thing or it's just so bad that it doesn't help the overall product.

.5 - Flawed or Needs Improvement - There's a little something here to take note of, but there's either not a lot to work with overall or what is there is the most basic of basic.

1 - Average - If you've ever seen something and said "that was fine" or maybe it doesn't fall directly into good or bad, this catch-all will be where it tends to land. Many films, shows or games will have at least one thing that usually classifies as average.

1.5 - Great - There's something special here. Maybe it's the cast, maybe it's the way something is designed or how it looks, but these are the things you remember about that specific movie/show/game.

2 - Excellent - When people talk about their favorite characters of all time, or that one plot twist that really sold a movie, this is usually what's going to fall into the excellent category. The best of the best, and it doesn't have to be perfect!

Category Breakdowns

Beyond that, each medium has its own set of categories.

Film/TV:

1. Plot: What is the story being told, and how? What are the strengths and weaknesses?

2. Cast and Acting: How does the cast take on their roles? Do you believe in these characters? Is there chemistry? Who stands out?

3. Character Development: Does the Hero have a journey? Beyond that, does anyone else? Are there any single-note characters or stereotypes?

4. Visuals: How does the cinematography (lighting, movement, design) pull you in or push you away from what you're watching? Does it feel like it's stylistically coherent or unique?

5. Personal Recommendation: Sometimes there's a bad movie that you just enjoy watching, or other times it's a movie that will win ten Oscars and it's just not for you. That's ok! This is where the real subjectivity of reviewing comes in.

Video Games:

1. Plot: What is the story being told, and how? What are the strengths and weaknesses?

2. Characters: Who are we spending our time with? What are the things that stand out about them, good and bad?

3. Style: How does the game choose to showcase its art style? What stands out when you're playing it and what captivates your eyes?

4. Systems: Is the game a buggy mess, a menu overload or a fresh take on an established genre? What stands out, good and bad, in the minute-to-minute gameplay of it all?

5. Personal Recommendation: Sometimes there's a cheesy that you love to play, or maybe it's the latest critical darling that you just don't click with. That's ok! This is where the real subjectivity of reviewing comes in.

I hope that this helps provide better context for those wishing to seek it. As you can tell, it's a lot to go over each and every time! Thanks for reading and watching, and here's to a steady review flow!

-CSG, aka Bleu