Review Policy
I enjoy writing
reviews, whether PC games, films, music, books or gadgets, I enjoy
the process of thinking and reflecting, of pondering and mulling over
how I feel about what I’ve experienced, and trying to put it into
words that read well (hopefully) and make sense.
I’ve been getting a
lot of review requests recently, which is fantastic. With this in
mind, below are a few guidelines that may be useful if you are
thinking of asking me to review something. They aren’t etched in
stone however, so feel free to get in touch if you have something not
listed.
The various things that I review
Music
Mainly in the heavy
metal and dark ambient genres. If you would like me to review a track
or album, Bandcamp codes are my preferred method of tackling this. It
also allows me to post a snippet of the review on my Bandcamp
profile, which could get lead more people to your music. I don’t
mind links to private downloads of the tracks either, but Bandcamp is
preferred.
Films
The
darker the tone the better, so horror and sci-fi are prominent here.
My preferred format is some kind of file download, so that I can
watch it on my not-so-smart TV via USB stick. I will stream other
films if they are short, but I struggle to watch long films at my PC
due to health reasons. A physical copy posted to me would also be
fine.
PC Games
I like games of many
varieties, but I do avoid MMOs as I don’t have the interest in
sinking that sort of time into a game. A Steam Code is pretty much
the only way I review games, and is all I’ve been offered for
years, so why change what works.
Books
As with films, the
darker the better. I enjoy horror, sci-fi, splatterpunk, basically
anything twisted. You get the idea. I am also a lover of non-fiction, be it self-help, philosophy, psychology or techie stuff. My preferred format is a .mobi
file for an e-book, as I can read it easily on my Kindle. If you
would like to send me a physical book, with pages and glue and
everything, that would also be fine.
Gadgets
It really depends on
the gadget. I’m a geek, I love gadgets. I must admit that the most
interesting for me are the bio-feedback devices that aim to get your
body into a more relaxed/energised/creative (or whatever) state.
Saying that, there is a lot to be said for an elegant power bank or
cable tidying solution.
Miscellaneous
I can’t predict what
I might be offered to review, so if the particular item you have
isn’t listed, and you think that I seem like the kind of person
that might like “your thing” please feel free to get in touch.
Interest
I do tend to only
review items that I feel I would naturally be interested in. If I
can’t find something about the item that links into other things I
enjoy, or it doesn’t excite my curiosity, I tend to pass. Other
factors can also come into play, such as my other writing workload,
my health, and general life issues. I appreciate all contact about
possible reviews, but if I don’t reply or take you up on your
offer, it could just be the timing isn’t right at that current
moment, or I feel the item really isn’t to my taste.
No Scores/Ratings
Generally, I do not
give a review a rating at the end. There are odd exceptions, but
most of my reviews are scoreless. One reason is the tendency for
people to skip to the end, or say things like “The review didn’t
read like a 2!” Another reason is that certain things, such as
music or films, are often very much down to personal taste, which makes
a score a bit meaningless.
My reviews describe
what something is, which features came into play while I experienced
it, the things I liked about it, the things I didn’t, and where you
can buy the thing in question. I will also likely inject humour where
appropriate. A pretty simple formula.
That being said, if you
would really like a score or rating, I will add one.
Transparency
At the bottom of every
review in which I received something for review purposes, I will
state that fact. If I am ever paid by a creator to write a review of
their work, I would also disclose this at the beginning of my review,
and it would only mean that they paid me to look at it, not for a
positive review. Honesty and integrity are very important to me, as
there seems precious little of both online.
Contacting Me
If you have read the
above and would like to get in touch, you can do so in a couple of
ways on the Contact Me page at this link.
Cheers.
