We cater to the older, more mature, more intelligent PC gaming audience; The kind of people who aren't swayed by pretty graphics and big budget ad campaigns on MTV. We have come to detest the infantization of interactive entertainment. In a time where publishers buy reviews, who can you trust?

Here's the good news boys and girls: they can't buy us. Our unique review system takes into account all the things that every other publications ignore. Instead of graphics, we scrutinize the engine. In place of a genre, we give a description. We look at packaging, motivation, polish, and originality. Take Splinter Cell, for example - it has astounding production values and marvelous graphics, but it's also linear and discourages creative problem solving. In our world, Splinter Cell could only hope to score a +1 at best. Or how about Deus Ex 2? It bores you to tears, runs aweful, and looks downright okay (that's 'blach' for the real cynics out there). DX2 would actually earn negative scores for being more frustrating than fun.

In addition to a generic Data Box, the GameGestapo review is split into five distinct sections: Packaging, Technology, Motivation, Quality, and Conclusion.

Incl: Box design, printed manual, cdkey location, game disc casing, other physical materials.

The first section covers the all the physical materials you get with your purchase. When a publisher fucks you in the ass by putting the CD in a cheap little paper sleeve, we're going to tell you about it. We look at manuals, reference cards, tech trees, key placements, and disk enclosures (case/sleeve). The necessity of this section is borne of an increasingly popular trend where publishers skimp on physical materials without passing the savings onto you, the consumer. They ship manuals in PDF format on game discs, they put discs in cheap paper sleeves, and they hide CD keys in manuals or on tiny index cards loose in the box! We at GG feel this kind of behavior is unacceptible. Unless your paying $20 for a game, you deserve good clean packaging.

Incl: Game performance, special features (physics, DX10 support, etc), scalability, appropriateness.

These days it's all about the graphics, right? Not to us. We don't care if it's the uglist thing ever seen so long as it's functional. In case you're not the brightest light on the Christmas Tree: functional is the key word. In the case of Nosferatu, the levels lacked a lot of detail - but the game featured randomly generated maps and despite the lack of fine details, still managed to maintain a rather creepy atmosphere. That's a top performer. When it crashes, when it stalls, when a bush stops your WRX like it's a brick wall... we'll be there to rip it a new one.

Incl: Story, atmosphere, character building, graphics, and other motivating/rewarding factors.

A unique experience is a rewarding one. Motivation is the single most important aspect of any game. It's motivation that keeps you playing and keeps you happy. Atmosphere, character development, and story are just a few motivating factors for a game. Predictable stories, bad voice acting, and lack of character development are examples of motivation cancer. You want a reward for your hard work - so how does the game pay off? There's no fanboys here to spit mass-market jizz in your face - we'll give it to you straight, whether you want to hear it or not. Remember - we specialize in game hating.

Incl: Bugginess, control schemes, professionality.

Most of the big-selling big-budget mass-market titles out there score very well in the quality category. Unfortuately it's one very small part of a much bigger picture. A very professional well-polished game won't make a 0 if the technology is inadequate, the game is boring or unoriginal, and the CD key is printed on the paper sleeve the game disc comes in. Other topics covered in this category are gameplay, tutorials, and the like. Does the tutorial annoy you? Are the game controls logical? Does the game crash? Are parts broken? If the game requires patching, the Publisher's record will be discussed also (are they good about patching their games?).

Incl: Reasons for final scores, badge awards, other comments.

In this final section the reviewer can cover anything he wishes that could not be fit into any of the other categories. Final statements are made and the reviewer gives a breakdown of what contributed to his/her final score.

The Databox is the long graphical object on the top right of every review page. This contains the name of the game reviewed, applicable badges (which the reviewer awards for particularly prominent traits like 'Excessive Bugginess'), street price, developer, publisher, reviewer name, screenshots, etc.

Badges are meant to give the reader, at a glance, a good idea of just what to expect from the game. While similar to a kind of 'award' system, most badges are not good things. Although there are a good many badges listed here, new ones are created whenever the need arises.

Big Game	Boring as Hell	Buggy	Censored	Cooperative	Gory	Golden Throne

			Addictive