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Friday, October 23, 2026 · Console Gaming News, Reviews & Guides
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Console Alley

How We Score Games

The Console Alley review rubric, published in full.

The scale

Console Alley scores out of 10 in tenths. We use the whole scale. A 7 is a good game.

  • 9.0 to 10 · Essential: a standout that most console owners should play.
  • 7.5 to 8.9 · Recommended: very good, with reservations we explain.
  • 6.0 to 7.4 · Wait for a sale: real strengths, real problems.
  • Below 6.0 · Skip: the problems outweigh the fun.

Our process

Reviewers finish the main story on retail hardware and test every graphics mode. Performance claims are measured. A second Console Alley writer reads each review before the score is locked.

Updates

If a patch materially changes a game, we add a dated update. Scores change only after a full re-review.