First note: All scores are based on what system the game is on. This page tells what each scored category covers, and what questions to ask yourself if you should find yourself writing a review for RPG Land (but obviously, you shouldn't write about every one of these--that would be way too long. Pick and choose which to talk about, but factor all of these into the scores for each department).

Gameplay

• Battle System - This is probably the most important sub-factor of Gameplay. Do battles happen too often, not enough, or with just the right frequency? What are the ups and downs of the fighting itself? Interface - This goes hand-in-hand with the battle system. It is how the game "works," and judges the quality of the menu system and how easy/hard it is to learn and master. Mini Games - How cool are those little distractions? Are there enough of them? Flow - This is the cousin of "plot execution," because it's a judgment of how well the game flows from beginning to end. It's the balance; it's how well the mini games, dungeons, battles, and story come together.
• The Dungeons - Are the dungeons satifying? Are they well laid-out or painfully disorganized? Do you feel good playing them, or are you looking forward to the end before you even walk in?

• Quality - Does the game have a memorable story? Does it motivate the player to keep progressing through the game? Ending - This is a big part of what determines that feeling you have inside after a game is completed, and an integral piece of the story score. Execution - This is how well the story is told. Do the plot-revealing events happen at the right times? Are there good surprises and twists, or is it too predictable? Cast - Do the characters form a solid, memorable cast? Are the characters true to their personalities throughout the game?
• Translation - Does the conversation happen like it would in the real, English-speaking world? Are there mistakes in the spelling or grammar that make sentences hard to understand?

• Musical Score - So how's soundtrack? Do the tunes fit the game? Any stand out as good for the emotion of the scene in which they play? Is there a high number of tracks, or just a few that are used in several places each? Bonus points if the music is still good outside of the game.
• Sound Effects - Are there clunky, misplaced, low-quality sounds, or ones that sound close to reality? Most importantly: do they fit the game?

• System Limits - A Game Boy Advance game can easily get a better graphics score than a PS2 game, simply because the former might be pushing the limits of its system more so.
• Artistic Value - Does it look like this is what the director had in mind? A game does not have to look like Final Fantasy XII to get a good graphics score.

• Lasting Appeal - Is the game good for another runthrough, somewhere down the line?
• Extras - How good are the rewards for playing again, if any? If there are no extras just for that, are there enough side quests/collectibles/secrets to keep the second adventure different than the first?

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- Tim, Q Jets, Orie, Heath

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