The benefits of writing reviews and impressions of free games, and how to write them.

Whether or not to write a review of a free game is entirely up to the player.
However, I think that writing some kind of feedback, in whatever form, would be beneficial for both the players and the creators.

These days, there are various ways to express your opinions, such as writing reviews on download sites like "Freem!" and "Free Game Mugen," tweeting on Twitter, or writing on blogs.
This time, I'd like to share my personal opinions on how to write and think about reviews of free games.

Benefits of writing reviews and impressions of free games

Potentially leads to a new project

If you enjoyed the game you played, I think it's best to write down your thoughts and impressions.
Because sharing such feedback could potentially lead to new projects.

Even I, who have never released a game, feel happy when I receive any kind of reaction to an article.
Moreover, creating a game requires a very long amount of time.
If you've spent so much time creating something, it's only natural to want feedback and reactions, isn't it?
Regardless of negative feedback, if you have positive feedback, such as finding something interesting, I think there's no reason not to share it.

There is a possibility that the number of players will increase.

By sharing your thoughts and reviews, you'll inevitably increase the chances of that game being seen by other people.
I also keep my eyes peeled for interesting games, but I can't cover every single title.
Therefore, the information that circulates on Twitter is extremely valuable, and it has often been the starting point for me to begin playing the game.

People who aren't interested won't play it, whether that kind of information is circulating or not.
However, I think there are many potential players who would want to try playing the game if they knew about it.
As the number of players increases, the amount of feedback and reviews will also increase, which, as mentioned in the previous section, could potentially lead to the creation of a new game.

Your own preferences become clearer.

I believe the basic principle of writing reviews and impressions is to write about what you found interesting or what left a lasting impression on you.
When trying to convey something you find interesting to others, you need to put into writing why you found it interesting.
As I write, my vague feelings gradually become clearer.

This will help you gradually understand what you find interesting and what you find appealing.
Once you start to understand what you like, it will help you find games that suit your taste.
Furthermore, by sharing your own experiences, you might find that others recommend other works that you think you might enjoy.
In this way, once you clearly understand what you like and what appeals to you, you'll likely have more opportunities to encounter a wider range of works.

How should I write it?

I think there are many different ways to write your thoughts and impressions.
Rather than trying to write a long, rambling piece from the start, it's better to take things step by step and make them more specific.
I start by writing something vague, and then I recall what I felt while playing and make it more specific.

Items to focus on

I think the aspects of a game that people pay attention to vary depending on the genre.
If it's an RPG, I feel like the focus will be on the story, the game system (including combat), and the characters.

Graphics and background music are important, but I don't place that much emphasis on them.
Leaving a lasting impression or feeling a positive impact is certainly a plus, but even if you feel it's lacking, that's almost never the reason to deduct points.
However, I strongly feel that good graphics attract players' attention, which makes them more likely to play the game.
I believe a game only receives a good rating if its content is interesting, but I think good graphics will definitely increase the number of players.

How to write positive feedback

The most common and broadest categories of positive feedback are phrases like "It was interesting" and "It was fun."
This alone conveys that it is a positive opinion,At the very least, it would be good to write down what you liked about it.
Examples of positive feedback include: "The combat was fun," "The story was enjoyable," "The character progression system was good," and "The characters were appealing."

It would be even better if you could also include reasons.
Comments included things like, "The difficulty of the battles was just right, which made it fun," "I enjoyed the unpredictable storyline," "The high degree of freedom in the character growth system was great," and "It was fascinating to see the usually cool character gradually become more passionate."

I think this is sufficient as a review.
Why not start by writing just a few lines on Twitter or review sites?
The content of your feedback directly reflects your personal preferences, so it can be an opportunity to reflect on yourself and realize, "These are the points I value."

The pros and cons of writing negative opinions

I think it's fine to write positive opinions freely, but you should be careful when writing negative opinions.
I think that almost every work of art has both good and bad points.
I believe that if you're going to write about the negative points, it's better to include the positive points as well.

If a game leaves you with only negative impressions, it's possible that it simply doesn't suit your taste, so perhaps it's better not to write a review at all.
Of course, if the author themselves is soliciting feedback, saying things like, "I welcome even harsh opinions!" or "Please don't hesitate to write negative feedback!", then I think there's no problem.

I often refrain from writing articles about works that I think will receive more negative feedback than positive reviews.
I probably should write it down, but I can't help but wonder, "Is there any point in writing it down?"
If you write a negative review, some people might read it and stop playing the game.
I feel hesitant about the possibility that writing a negative review might discourage other players.

For a free game that has been released, even if it receives a lot of negative feedback, I think it's a blessing if many people play it.
I can't help but wonder who benefits from writing an article that could easily be interpreted as a message saying, "Don't play that game."
Therefore, my review articles are probably more lenient than the average person's.
I'll leave the task of writing critical opinions to another reviewer.

As a side note, my thoughts on games I've paid for are a slightly different matter.
Since I'm paying for it, I try not to hesitate to write down any points of dissatisfaction.
This is because I want to avoid situations where people who read my article and decide to purchase the product end up feeling like they wasted their money due to unmet concerns not mentioned in the article.
Therefore, I try not to hesitate to write down any points of dissatisfaction with the games I buy.

How to write negative opinions

Now, after that lengthy introduction, let's talk about how to write negative opinions.
First, what I think is necessary is information about how far the player has progressed in the game.
Whether or not the comments are from someone who has completed the game is quite important information.
Be sure to state your impressions clearly, such as, "These are my thoughts after playing for about 5 hours and reaching point XX."

Next, I think it would be better to rephrase the phrases "it wasn't interesting" or "it wasn't fun" as "I didn't enjoy it."
Saying that there's something wrong with the work itself can come across as harsh, so it's safer to simply say, "I didn't enjoy it."
In fact, there are instances where things that weren't enjoyable in the past become enjoyable as an adult.
Since such cases do occur, I think it's best to leave it as a matter of how the player chooses to enjoy the game.

I think it's better not to write anything at all than to simply write "it was boring" or "it was a terrible game."
Making that one comment when the player hasn't actually suffered any financial loss is an unproductive act.
I also think the criticism that it "wasted players' time" is off the mark.
Playing free games is not an obligation, and you should be aware that not all games will suit your taste.

I think it's relatively easy to write about points of dissatisfaction regarding usability and functionality.
Issues include "the combat speed is slow and frustrating" and "the loading times between screen transitions are long."
Speed issues can be due to the player's PC specifications, so please check if your system meets the recommended specifications before posting.

Positive suggestions regarding features, such as "It would have been convenient to have a retry function because we get wiped out so quickly" or "It would have been nice if we could optionally escape the dungeon after defeating the boss," are good ideas.
However, it's important to keep in mind that some modifications may be technically difficult, and some may deviate from the game's concept.

The most difficult part is writing negative opinions about the game's content.
Denying this part could easily lead to denying the game itself, so I think it's best not to write about it unless you're fully committed.
Depending on how it's written, it could end up exposing the player's lack of "ability to enjoy" the game.
If you do write about it, instead of simply rejecting that part, it might be better to write about how you would have enjoyed it if it had been presented in a different way.

For example, the opinion that "the job change system is too complicated and would have been better without it" regarding Square's game "Final Fantasy V" (FF5) is a rejection of the very core of the game's system.
First of all, FF5's main selling point is its system that allows players to freely combine various characteristics through job changes.
If you disagree with that point, then I can't help but feel that you've chosen the wrong game to play in the first place.
If the response was, "The job change system was complex and difficult to understand, so it would have been helpful if there was a clearer explanation," I think that would be acceptable.

Furthermore, it's difficult to write negative opinions about the story or characters.
Since this relates to the originality of the work, I think it's best to stick to writing in a way that expresses "this is how I felt," rather than writing in the form of a poorly conceived suggestion for improvement.
Opinions about liking or disliking a character, such as "I hated so-and-so's annoying words and actions" or "I couldn't sympathize with so-and-so's way of thinking because it was too selfish," are sometimes intentionally created to be disliked by the creators, so I think it's okay to write them down.

If you felt a strong sense of unease regarding the direction or storyline, such as "I thought the reason for deciding to take revenge was weak just because of XX" or "I couldn't understand why they were so cheerful so quickly after such a sad event," it might be a good idea to write about it honestly.
However, if you're going to point out every single negative detail, you should also write about the positive aspects in detail; otherwise, your review will end up being unbalanced.
In works where the story plays a significant role, such as visual novels, I think it's fine to delve into these kinds of details.
However, if the main focus is on RPGs or simulations, then perhaps it's unnecessary to go into this much detail.

In conclusion

I've written at length about my personal opinions on how to write reviews and impressions of free games.
I'm sure you have your own thoughts on this article, whether you agree, disagree, or have additional comments.
I believe that the diversity of opinions on a work arises precisely because there are players with various stances, so I want to respect even differing opinions.

One of the good things about free games is that they are available for free.
Since it doesn't impose any burden on the players, I think creators are free to create whatever they like, and they're also free to use it as practice to improve their production skills.
Furthermore, as a stepping stone to future paid works, it would be fine to create works aimed at gaining fans, or simply works that are likely to be popular and attract attention.
Because it's free, there are no constraints like "this is what a work should be," and I believe it's a very tolerant community where even edgy works are accepted.

To reiterate, even if you've never written a review before, why not try writing just a few words on a download site or Twitter?
That one word might just lead someone to discover a wonderful work of art.