Scoring policy

ZeroLives.com is edited by a group of journalists that has been working in the video games industry for nearly two decades. Our contacts in the industry allow us to report on news reliably and accurately. Because we are completely independent we are able to review products without hidden agendas. This allows us to give well-balanced reviews and consumer guides. This scoring policy provides a closer look at some of the decisions we make when we review products.

The reviews that we publish are always checked by our editorial team to make sure that they meet the requirements set out in this scoring policy. Despite the editing process, previews, reviews and features can still be subjective works. Our editorial team strives to provide readers with as many raw and unfiltered opinions as possible.

The score descriptions available on this page are not directly linked to the pros-and-cons-list that is often displayed next to the given score. The pros-and-cons-list is only included to give readers insight in what some of the product's good and bad elements are so that they can make a well-informed decision.



The game is perfect in every way and is the absolute best in its genre at the time of its release. The game pushes the boundaries and sets the bar for other upcoming titles in the genre.



The game is almost perfect and includes various small issues that prevent it from receiving the perfect score. Issues can be remedied via a title update or are minor enough to be overlooked by the majority of its players.



The game has many great features and is considered to be excelling in several key areas when compared to its competitors. The game is worth the price and features exactly what was advertised.



The game has more positive than negative elements. The game may contain shortcomings or lack polish, but it can still offer many hours of worthwhile gameplay. The review contains detailed explanations of what these shortcomings are and why they detract from the overall experience.



The game is above average but still contains some shortcomings that are impossible to overlook. The game may contain interesting, unique or inspiring features but their implementation is average or poor. The review contains detailed explanations of what these shortcomings are and why they detract from the overall experience.



The game has both positive and negative elements and as a result is considered average. The game contains very little interesting, unique or inspiring features and is not easily recommended to players. The review contains detailed explanations of what these shortcomings are and why they detract from the overall experience.



The game has more negative than positive elements and lacks polish. Some players may still find that the game can provide a worthwhile experience while the majority of players will want to avoid it.



The game contains so many negative elements that it is a dreadful experience. It should generally be avoided unless the player has a very specific interest in one of its features.



The game is bad in almost every way and contains one or two noteworthy features. The game may not work as advertised and may not even start at all.



The game is so bad that it should be avoided. Its developer and publisher should have thought twice before releasing the game in its current state. The game may not work as advertised and may not even start at all.



Are you an indie developer, AAA development studio or publisher who wants to provide a game to be reviewed by us? Please contact us and provide information about the game, the studio and the publisher. Please note that we can only review titles that are released and publicly available. Early Access or beta testing builds can only be previewed. Do you believe a given score is incorrect? Please contact us and provide a detailed explanation.