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To compare game review scores fairly, first find out what each publication’s scale means, then check how any aggregate converts and combines those scores. A conversion such as 4 out of 5 to 80 out of 100 makes the numbers easier to display side by side; it does not make the outlets’ standards equivalent. For a useful comparison, match the game edition and platform, then read what each critic valued or criticized.
What a review score means
A review score is an editorial judgment, not an objective measurement of a game’s quality. Publications define their own scales and may attach different meanings to the same number. IGN, for example, describes its score as a direct translation of a word on its scale, rather than a tally in which a game earns or loses a prescribed number of points for particular features. IGN puts it this way: “That’s because scores aren’t math – they are code, with each number corresponding to a description on our scale.” IGN’s review practices explain its anchors and approach.
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Before comparing two scores, identify the original format and the publication’s definitions. It might be a number, stars, a letter grade, a recommendation, or a written verdict. An 8/10 has little meaning without knowing how that outlet uses its scale.
Why converting scores does not make them equivalent
A simple arithmetic conversion changes the display, not the underlying standard. Multiplying a 4/5 score by 20 produces 80/100, but it does not show whether the five-star publication uses its top end more generously or strictly than a publication that gives games 80/100.
Metacritic says it converts critics’ scores to a 0–100 scale for its game Metascore. That common range helps readers scan scores, but it does not eliminate differences between critics’ rubrics. IGN makes the same distinction from the other direction: its numbers translate descriptive judgments on its own scale. Treat converted figures as convenient translations, not proof that reviewers applied identical criteria.
Check how an aggregate is built
An aggregate is a summary produced by a particular method and set of reviews. Before treating it as a comparison, check whether it is a weighted average, a simple mean, a recommendation share, or another composite—and what publications or opinions are included.
Metacritic describes its game Metascore as a weighted average and says it assigns different weights to publications. Its explanation does not disclose each publication’s individual weight, so a reader cannot reproduce the result by taking a plain mean of the displayed scores. Metacritic also distinguishes its game-score aggregation from the normalization process it describes for film and music; do not assume game Metascores are curve-normalized in the same way. See Metacritic Support’s explanation of how Metascores are computed.
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Metacritic’s color guidance is also a description of the game publications it uses, not a rule for every outlet: it says scores below 50 generally indicate a negative review, while scores in the upper 70s or higher usually indicate an unequivocally good one. Metacritic’s explanation of its game-score breakdown gives that context.
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Other sites may use more involved methods. VideoGamesCritic describes normalizing an outlet within its own scoring history before mapping scores to player-quality distributions. That is an example of one site’s published method, not an industry standard or evidence that its approach is universally fairest. Its methodology page describes the process.
Compare like with like
A score for one platform or release version should not automatically stand in for another. When possible, compare reviews of the same platform and edition, and note differences in review date, patches, or the game build being assessed. This is a practical way to keep the comparison focused; it does not establish that versions are equivalent or different in any particular case.
For two outlets or aggregate pages, check the details that shape what the numbers represent:
- Original scale and anchors: What does each number, grade, or verdict mean according to the publication?
- Conversion: Is a score mapped linearly, translated from a grade or verdict, or handled another way?
- Aggregation: Is the result a weighted or unweighted average, a recommendation share, or a composite of separate measures?
- Scope: Which publications and reviews count, how many are included, and are unscored opinions part of the result?
- Time and version: When was the review written, which score policy applied, and what platform, edition, or build did it cover?
- Transparency: Can you inspect the included reviews and the method behind the aggregate?
Account for changes in a publication’s scale
Scale policies can change while old scores remain visible. IGN says it moved games, movies, TV, and comics to a 10-point scale in January 2020 and left its back-catalogue scores intact. A score from before that change should be read in the context of the policy in effect when the review was published, rather than assumed to follow today’s system. IGN’s review-practices page describes the change.
Read the review for the reasons behind the score
The number compresses a critic’s opinion; the review explains it. Look for discussion of performance, accessibility, story, difficulty, genre conventions, monetization, or multiplayer only where those factors matter to you. IGN says its review should give readers information to decide whether a game is worth their time and money. A critic’s priorities may not match yours, so the reasons are often more useful to your decision than a small numerical difference.
Keep the questions separate: an aggregate summarizes a selected set of reviews according to its method; it cannot determine whether a game suits an individual player. Critic aggregates and user ratings are different kinds of evidence, too. A fair comparison means understanding what each figure summarizes—not treating one number as a prediction of your enjoyment.
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